MacRumors

New MacBooks and AirPods are still on course for launch later this year, according to Taiwanese website Economic Daily News.

Apple suppliers are reportedly hurrying to increase capacity in preparation for the release of new MacBooks and AirPods in the second half of this year. Shipment momentum is expected to be "significantly stronger" from the third quarter of the year at the earliest, improving order fulfillment.

Shin Zu Shing supplies bearings to Apple for MacBooks, AirPods charging cases, and AirPods Max headbands, and is currently believed to be cooperating with Apple to supply bearings for new MacBook and AirPods products. The supplier is said to be struggling to meet demand and is in the process of hiring more manpower to expand production capacity.

While the report did not state which MacBooks and AirPods are expected to be released, it is highly likely that it refers to redesigned MacBook Pro models featuring Apple Silicon and third-generation AirPods.

The second half of 2021 timeframe lines up with a range of other reports about the redesigned ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. Reliable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman said that new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models could launch as soon as this summer, but analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, Nikkei Asia, and TrendForce have given a broader prediction that new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will arrive in the second half of 2021.

Similarly, Bloomberg and DigiTimes have claimed that third-generation AirPods will arrive later this year, following a spate of rumors about the new earbuds.

Both upgraded devices were rumored to launch earlier this year but have yet to emerge. Other reports have explained this confusion around Apple rescheduling mass-production from May to June to the second half of the year amid shortages and technical issues.

Economic Daily News indicated that there was a shortage of components not related to bearings and Apple ordered an "inventory adjustment" earlier this year, which may suggest that the launch date of updated MacBooks and AirPods was pushed back to later in 2021 by Apple due to shortages. Through the second half of the year, even if the bearing component itself is not subject to shortages, its shipment momentum may still be constrained by the supply of other components for the devices but will improve month by month, according to the report.

The new MacBooks are expected to push MacBook shipments to 23 million units this year for an annual increase of 15 percent. While AirPods shipments are expected to decrease around 25 to 30 percent in the first half of 2021, the launch of an updated model may boost annual sales by 10 to 15 percent in the second half of 2021.

Apple today announced a new set of Apple Watch Sport Loop bands with colors representative of 22 countries around the world, alongside custom Apple Watch faces for each of those countries.

The full list of the countries represented within Apple's new "Limited Edition International Collection" can be found below:

• Australia
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Canada
• China
• Denmark
• France
• Germany
• Great Britain
• Greece
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Russia
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• United States

All of the bands retail for $49.99, each with the normal "soft, breathable, and lightweight" design of the Apple Watch Sport Loop band. Each band is also accompanied by a custom Stripes Apple Watch face with the colors of the country's flag. The new bands are available for purchase and order on Apple's website starting today.

The matching watch faces can be downloaded using an App Clip code on the band packaging, but they're also available right now on Apple's website. To add any of the 22 watch faces, head to the Apple Watch page on Apple's site using the iPhone paired with your Apple Watch, scroll down to the "International Collection" featured section, and tap on "See the countries." From there, you'll be able to view details on each band and face combination and install any of the watch faces.

A new Sensor Tower report claims Apple's App Store generated $41.5 billion revenue globally in the first half of 2021, representing 22.1% growth compared to the same period last year.

The app market research firm says consumer spending on in-app purchases, subscriptions, premium apps and games in the ‌App Store‌ was 1.8 times the revenue generated by Google's Play Store, which generated $23.4 billion over the same period.

Despite ‌App Store‌ spending, however, Google Play is projected to enjoy stronger year-on-year growth overall because of activity in markets still feeling the impact of the global health crisis.

In the first half of 2021, the ‌App Store‌ has grown 22.1 percent from about $34 billion in the H1 2020, a little more than seven percentage points lower than the 29.3 percent growth experienced during 1H20 due to accelerated spending during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Google Play's revenue in H1 2021 has grown 30 percent from $18 billion in 1H20, over four percentage points higher than the 26.8 percent growth experienced last year when compared to the same period in 2019. The outsized Y/Y revenue growth on Google's marketplace is being driven by markets such as the Philippines, where COVID-19 has resulted in continuing business closures and quarantines.

TikTok maintained its dominance in the top grossing mobile apps worldwide for the first half of 2021. Consumers are believed to have spent more than $920 million on TikTok in the period, up 74% when compared to the year-ago period.

Meanwhile, YouTube held onto its spot as the second highest-grossing non-game app, with an estimated consumer spend of $564.7 million. Tinder ranked third with an estimated revenue of approximately $520.3 million, while Japanese comic reader Piccoma and Disney's streaming platform Disney+ sat in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

An estimated 72.5 billion app downloads took place globally across both stores in 1H21, up 1.7% from 71.3 billion during the year-ago period. That figure pales in comparison to the 25.7% year-on-year growth experienced by app adoption last year when compared to the first half of 2019.

Global app spending reached almost $65 billion across iOS and Android in the same period, with the vast majority of money spent on games, which accounted for approximately $26 billion of the estimated $41.5 billion generated by Apple.

Apple is facing several threats to its highly lucrative ‌App Store‌ model, which has come in for criticism from some developers and antitrust bodies for its commission rate policy and alleged anticompetitive practices, including the pre-installation of Apple's apps on its own devices.

U.S. House lawmakers this month debuted sweeping bipartisan antitrust legislation in the form of six different bills aimed at major tech companies like Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google. The legislation targets the companies' market power in the areas of online commerce, advertising, media, and entertainment. One piece of legislation in particular, the non-discrimination bill, would prevent Apple from blocking users from deleting pre-installed apps.

More dummy models of the upcoming iPhone 13 have been shared online, this time by leaker DuanRui, indicating the new diagonal dual-camera layout on the standard-size ‌iPhone‌ 13 and the slightly smaller notch on the front of the ‌iPhone‌ 13 series.

The models mirror previous dummies and schematics covered here on MacRumors that have indicated the new camera arrangement coming to the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Mini, as well as a thicker overall design and a larger camera bump on the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, which brings it in lockstep with the bump size expected on the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max.

This year, Apple is expected to make several notable camera improvements in the ‌iPhone‌ 13. The new "Pro" models are likely to feature an upgraded Ultra Wide camera lens with a wider f/1.8 aperture, a six-element lens, and autofocus, with some rumors suggesting that the Ultra Wide upgrade could come to all four iPhone 13 models.

Sensor-shift stabilization is expected to be expanded across the entire iPhone lineup, introducing improvements in low light performance and stabilization by reducing camera shake, with the feature rumored to be available for the Wide lens and the Ultra Wide lens of the Pro models. One rumor claims the new ‌iPhone‌ models will also be able to take Portrait Mode videos.

In addition, there are also claims that the ‌iPhone‌ 13 models will have astrophotography camera capabilities for capturing the sky. This could involve a special mode that activates when the ‌iPhone‌ is pointed at the sky, allowing the device to detect the moon, stars, and other artifacts and adjust exposure.

If the rumors are accurate, all of these improvements are likely to require a slightly larger camera bump, although individual lenses may protrude less from the device's body, according to one source.

Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup will be unveiled in the fall of 2021, with the company aiming to return to its traditional September launch timeframe following last year's later-than-usual ‌iPhone‌ 12 launch.

Pixelmator Pro 2.1 Coral got its public release today. The latest major update to Pixelmator Pro adds a number of notable new features, including the ability to improve the composition of photos with machine learning, a new Quick Fill feature, improved painting tools, and more.

Powered by Core ML, the new ML Crop feature lets users automatically crop photos with a single click. According to the developers, the machine learning algorithm powering this feature has been trained to crop photos in a way that makes them more striking and eye-catching, making it a useful way to get a different perspective on cropping photos.

With ML Crop turned on, hovering over different aspects ratio presets will preview them with ML Crop's suggestions, which are generated by on-device processing to ensure high performance and privacy. In addition, the Crop tool has been redesigned to include perspective correction, crop overlays, and more.

Meanwhile, the new Quick Fill feature lets users change the look of objects in compositions via simple drag and drop. Just drag a color from the new color well in the Pixelmator Pro toolbar and drop it onto any object in your image to change its color. The Quick Fill feature works with every layer type in Pixelmator Pro, including images, shapes, and text layers.

Elsewhere, thanks to the new Stroke with Brush feature, users can now paint brush strokes along paths and around layers with ease. Customizing the look of a brush causes a live preview of its stroke to appear right on the canvas. Brush strokes can be painted around image, shape, and text layers, as well as along vector paths

A new text size slider also means there are now five different ways to change the size of text, while the update also brings advanced paragraph spacing options and the ability to adjust paragraph indents.

The update lands while Pixelmator Pro is still on sale for $19.99, offering customers 50% off the usual $39.99 price, although the sale ends on July 6th. Pixelmator Pro 2.1 Coral is a Universal app, so it runs natively on both ‌M1‌ and Intel-based Macs. Updates to the image editing app are free for existing users of Pixelmator Pro, which can be downloaded directly from the Mac App Store.

With the iOS 15 and watchOS 8 updates, Apple is allowing U.S. users to add their state ID cards or driver's licenses to the Wallet app, alleviating the need for a physical ID card to be carried.

Apple's VP of Technology, Kevin Lynch, oversees much of the Apple Watch's design and he recently did an interview with Yahoo Finance to explain how it works and the plans that Apple has for the feature in the future.

To start with, ID cards will be able to be added to the Wallet app in certain states, and Apple has not provided details on which states will be participating at this time. Apple also plans to work with the TSA to allow the digital ID cards to be used in lieu of a physical card.

"We're early on this, obviously," said Lynch. ""You'll be able to have it in your Wallet. You can see your ID there like your other cards. And then you can present that if you choose to, for example, TSA."

Lynch went on to explain that it's similar to how Apple Pay works. "You can digitally present it," he said, "and the information can show up for the person who is looking at your ID."

Apple plans to manage which information is available to which person, similar to the Health app. Apple won't be able to track where an ID has been shown, nor will the state that provides the ID be able to see that information. License information will be protected with a passcode, much like debit and credit cards.

Along with ID integration, Apple is adding new features that will let users lock, unlock, and start their cars from their Apple Watches in an expansion of the Car Key feature that's already available. "It's a lot of fun to be able to just walk up to your car and have it unlock and then drive," said Lynch.

Apple also plans to add support for various smart locks, allowing digital house keys to be stored in the Wallet app, plus this feature will also work with hotels that participate in Apple's new digital key initiative.

For licenses and IDs, Apple likely will need to navigate different rules and agreements with each state, and we won't know until later in the year which states will support the initiative at launch. Digital IDs are baked into iOS 15 and watchOS 8, which are launching publicly this fall.

Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming service is officially launching today and is now available to be used on the iPhone and iPad through the Safari browser, says Microsoft.

As of today, Xbox Cloud Gaming is available to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with Apple smartphones and tables and Windows 10 PC users. The service can be accessed by visiting xbox.com/play on Microsoft Edge, Chrome, or Safari on a mobile device or on PC.

Two weeks ago, Microsoft said that Xbox Cloud Gaming would be launching on Apple devices "in the next few weeks" following a limited beta test for a small number of users.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is designed to allow users to play hundreds of games from the Xbox Game Pass library on any device using a web browser. According to Microsoft, the service is now powered by Xbox Series X hardware in upgraded Microsoft data centers to deliver faster load times and improved framerates.

To ensure low latency, Microsoft plans to stream at 1080p at up to 60 frames per second, and the service is designed to offer seamless play across all devices. Using Xbox Cloud Gaming requires an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which is priced at $14.99 per month. New users can get a three month trial for $1.

Along with a full rollout of Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft today announced that it is expanding its Designed for Xbox mobile gaming accessory lineup to iOS devices, with several new accessories available starting today.

The Xbox Backbone One, for example, is an iPhone-compatible gaming controller with built-in Xbox integrations such as a Capture Button for sharing gameplay moments. Microsoft is also touting the Razer Kishi Universal Gaming Controller for iOS and OtterBox Power Swap Controller Batteries.

Apple today began notifying developers that they're able to use the new Xcode Cloud service that was first introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

"We're pleased to let you know your account has been enabled for Xcode Cloud beta," reads the email sent out to developers. "You can now take advantage of continuous integration and delivery service built into Xcode 13."

Xcode Cloud is a new continuous integration and delivery cloud service designed specifically for Apple developers. Built into Xcode 13, Xcode Cloud offers a fast and simple way for developers and teams of all sizes to build, test, and deliver high-quality apps even more efficiently. Xcode Cloud can automatically build apps in the cloud to free up developers' Macs for other tasks. Parallel testing in the cloud means developers can test on a simulated version of every current Apple device, then easily deploy a build of the app for internal testing, or deliver to external beta testers through TestFlight for instant feedback.

Apple has been allowing developers to sign up for the Xcode Cloud waitlist prior to now, and there are multiple reports on Twitter from developers who have been granted beta access. All developers who are Account Holders in the Apple Developer Program as of June 7, 2021 are eligible to sign up for Xcode Cloud, though a Mac with the latest beta version of Xcode 13 is required.

Apple today seeded the second developer beta of macOS Monterey, the newest version of the macOS operating system. The second beta comes three weeks after Apple released the first beta following its WWDC keynote event.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.

As with all new betas, Apple recommends not installing the new macOS update on a primary machine because it is early release software and could have bugs.

macOS Monterey introduces Universal Control, a feature that lets a single mouse, trackpad, and keyboard be used across multiple Mac or iPad devices, plus there's a new AirPlay to Mac feature.

Safari has been redesigned with a new tab bar and support for Tab Groups, and FaceTime has gained spatial audio, a Portrait Mode on M1 Macs, and Voice Isolation for cutting out background noise. There's also a new SharePlay ‌FaceTime‌ feature that lets Apple users watch TV, listen to music, and share their screens with one another.

Shared With You, a separate feature, keeps track of the music, links, podcasts, news, and photos that people are sent in Messages, highlighting it in the relevant apps. Notes has a new Quick Note feature for jotting down thoughts, and collaboration is easier with mentions and an Activity View.

The Shortcuts app from iOS is now available on the Mac, and Focus helps people stay on task by cutting out background distractions. There's an updated Maps app with a whole slew of new features, and with Live Text, Macs can now detect text in photos or provide details on animals, art, landmarks, plants, and more in images.

Mail Privacy Protection hides IP and prevents tracking through invisible pixels, and iCloud Private Relay keeps Safari browsing protected. There are many other new features in macOS Monterey, with a full rundown available in our macOS Monterey roundup.

‌‌macOS Monterey‌‌ is only available to registered developers right now, but in July, Apple will the Monterey beta available to its public beta testers.

Google today announced the launch of a new "4K Plus" plan for YouTube TV subscribers, which will allow for streaming in 4K on a compatible TV and set-top box.

Along with 4K streaming, the 4K Plus option includes an option to download shows for watching offline and unlimited streaming when connected to home WiFi.

4K Plus is priced at an additional $19.99 per month on top of the standard YouTube TV streaming price, which starts at $65. That means subscribers can expect to pay $85 per month to watch YouTube TV in 4K, though Google is offering a promotion.

New users can get a one-month free trial and then will pay $9.99 per month for a year, after which the price will increase to $19.99 per month.

For all YouTube TV subscribers, Google is adding 5.1 Dolby audio capabilities, which will start rolling out to select devices "in the coming weeks." YouTube TV 4K Plus is available for customers starting today, with the feature accessible under membership settings on any browser.

Snapchat's support account today confirmed on Twitter that its latest App Store update, pushed less than one day ago, is causing widespread issues for users, specifically causing the app to crash a few seconds after launch.

The latest ‌App Store‌ update, version 11.34.05.45, is listed as a normal update with bug fixes, but it has caused widespread crashes for users. Over the last few hours, Twitter has been bombarded with users reporting the issue, with no fix currently available. Snapchat, at the time of writing, has not yet pulled the update and says it is working on a fix. The fix will likely come in the form of a new ‌App Store‌ version.

Snapchat users on previous versions of Snapchat for iOS should be clear of any app crashes. For users impacted by the latest update, be sure to keep the app up to date by periodically checking the ‌App Store‌ for any updates or by enabling automatic ‌App Store‌ updates within Settings.

Update: Snapchat has released an updated version of its app on the ‌App Store‌ that solves the crashing bug.

Telegram Messenger gained some notable new features over the weekend, including the ability to turn group voice chats into video calls, support for screen sharing, and more.

First up, Telegram is touting the new group video calling feature as bringing "voice chats to a whole new level, ready for online classes, business meetings, and family gatherings."

To turn a group voice chat into a group video call, users can tap the camera icon at the bottom of the screen. Tapping a participant's video makes it go fullscreen, and a pin icon in the top-right corner of the screen lets you pin the video, which makes it stay focused as new users join the call.

Telegram notes that while audio-only participants are unlimited, video is currently available for the first 30 people who join the voice chat. However, this limit will increase soon "as voice chats take on streaming games, live events and more." Screen sharing during a video chat is also straightforward, and appears as an option in the three-dot icon menu.

The encrypted chat app has also received improved noise suppression in voice chats, and the addition of a new toggle to turn noise suppression off in settings if it's affecting your use case.

To make better use of the additional screen space of tablets and computers, there are more display options on these devices. Users can tap to open the side panel and see a split-screen view of the video grid and list of participants, optimized for both portrait and landscape orientation.

Meanwhile, voice chats on desktop open in a separate window, so users can type and talk without minimizing anything. Desktop apps also now have selective screen sharing, so it's possible to broadcast an individual window instead of the whole screen.

In addition to group video calls and screen sharing, this update also adds animated backgrounds, message sending animations, a new menu button for bots, new ways to import stickers, reminders to help keep your account safe, and more. For all the details, check out the Telegram blog.

Telegram is a free download for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]

We're just a few months away from when Apple is expected to reveal the 2021 iPhone, dubbed the "‌iPhone‌ 13." In preparation for its launch, it has been pulling in shipments of different components needed to produce the new iPhones, according to a report from DigiTimes.

In years past, Apple released its latest ‌iPhone‌ lineup, alongside a new Apple Watch, during a September event at Apple Park. Due to the global health crisis last year, the company was forced to delay the launch of the iPhone 12 to October, one month off its typical release schedule. Despite the delay last year, Apple is expected to launch the new iPhones on time in September, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple operates under dozens of suppliers based in China, the United States, Vietnam, and India to produce its devices. Lockdowns crippled many of Apple's supplier's ability to produce and assemble devices. TSMC, one of Apple's largest suppliers, has reportedly already started producing the A15 chip for the 2021 iPhone.

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 featured several changes, such as an updated flat-edged design, the introduction of LiDAR for the high-end Pro models, and improved cameras. Above all, however, Apple's largest selling point for the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ was the inclusion of 5G technology. For the upcoming iPhones, Apple may instead focus on marketing other aspects of the device, including an all-new always-on display with 120Hz ProMotion technology, improved cameras, and more. Check out our roundup to learn more about everything we're expecting.