MacRumors

Apple's shipments of wearables continued to grow year-on-year in the first quarter of 2021, but the company lost overall market share to smaller rivals, according to newly-published IDC data.

Companies shipped a total of 104.6 million units in the first quarter of this year, marking a 34.4 percent increase from the 77.8 million units shipped at the same time last year. This is also the first time that first-quarter shipments have topped 100 million units worldwide.

While market leaders like Apple and Samsung maintained their lead during the quarter, most of the growth came from smaller companies like BoAt.

Apple started 2021 the same way it ended 2020: as the clear leader in the worldwide wearables market. Appetite for its smartwatches remained strong with the less expensive SE and Series 3 gaining further traction in the market while its earwear – inclusive of AirPods and Beats – showed sequential declines after reaching record levels in 4Q20.

Although Apple sold five million more wearables in the first quarter of 2021 and stayed the market leader, it lost 3.5 percent overall market share to competitors, most of which were much smaller.

IDC wearables data includes both smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch, and earwear, such as AirPods. Apple does not provide specific breakdowns of the number of Apple Watch and ‌AirPods‌ models shipped, so IDC's data is based on estimates.

During an earnings call earlier this, Apple said that wearables set a new revenue record in the first fiscal quarter of 2021. Apple's wearables business is now the size of a Fortune 120 company.

While sensor-shift optical image stabilization is currently limited to the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the feature will be expanded to all iPhone 13 models later this year, according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes.

From the report, with emphasis added:

The VCM makers mainly deliver shipments for Android handsets in the first half of the year, but such shipments are expected to be surpassed by those for iPhones in the second half, given that all new iPhones will feature the sensor-shift OIS (optical image stabilization) function, the sources said, adding that the makers have been told to raise capacity by 30-40% to meet strong demand for iPhones.

DigiTimes already floated this rumor in January, but today's report provides further assurance as iPhone 13 models move towards mass production.

Apple first introduced sensor-shift stabilization on the Wide lens of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The technology stabilizes the camera's sensor instead of the lens for even greater image stabilization and improved photo quality.

"Until now, sensor‑shift stabilization was only on DSLR cameras," explains Apple's website. "This is the first time it's been adapted for iPhone. Whether you're shooting video of your kids as you chase them around the park or holding your iPhone out the window on a bumpy road, you'll get more precise stabilization than ever."

iPhone 13 models are expected to have slightly larger rear camera bumps, likely to accommodate larger sensors and other camera improvements.

Sony has committed to bringing its PlayStation brands and IP to third-party mobile devices, potentially as soon as this year (via VideoGamesChronicle).

Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan today explained during an investor relations session that the company plans to launch its major franchises on non-console platforms such as mobile, encouraged by its "very successful" first steps into the PC gaming market.

Ryan presented research suggesting mobile gaming generated $121 billion worldwide in 2020, compared to $62 billion brought in by the console market and $42 billion generated by the PC gaming market, demonstrating the case for the company to move into mobile gaming.

We are beginning our journey to take PlayStation first-party IP off console. We started last year by publishing two of our games on PC, Horizon Zero Dawn and Predator, and both were profitable and really had a very successful publishing debut... In FY21 we will begin to publish some of our iconic PlayStation IP on mobile.

PlayStation intends to publish an increasingly large number of titles on mobile, hoping that it will "become steadily more important as time passes" relative to console gaming.

Sony previously claimed that its move into mobile gaming would occur with at least five titles by March 2018, but it never came to fruition.

According to VideoGamesChronicle, PlayStation opened a new business unit to adapt its "most popular franchises" for mobile earlier this year and was hiring for developers to achieve a mobile product roadmap within a three to five-year time frame.

PlayStation has a huge catalog of diverse first-party IP that can transition to smartphone gaming and complement our AAA games or live service games. We are exploring the mobile market with some wonderful PlayStation franchises so please stay tuned.

Sony Interactive Entertainment owns a large number of popular video game franchises, including "God of War," "Gran Turismo," "Killzone," "The Last of Us," "LittleBigPlanet," "Ratchet & Clank," "Until Dawn," "Uncharted," and more. The company's intention to move into mobile gaming will presumably see some of these titles arrive on iOS and iPadOS. Sony's PlayStation 5 DualSense controller also now works with iOS and iPadOS, which may aid the gaming experience with Sony's new mobile games.

Six years ago, rival company Nintendo announced its foray into mobile gaming on iOS and other platforms. Although the company has seen some success in the business move, it has also experienced some misfires, and there have since been indications that Nintendo is "retreating" from its mobile gaming plans.

The arrival of Sony's "iconic IP" on mobile platforms will occur by the end of the financial year in March 2022.

Ahead of the second all-digital Worldwide Developers Conference kicking off on June 7, Apple today updated its Developers Forum with several new features that aim to make it easier for developers to filter different tags and keep up-to-date on topics that they care about.

Before last year's WWDC, Apple redesigned the forum completely, updating its design and adding broad new capabilities. During the digital conference, the forum serves as a place for developers to interact amongst themselves and with Apple engineers regarding new technologies and APIs showcased during the week.

Building on last year's improvements, Apple is adding the ability for developers to post comments directly on questions to help provide context for the answer, the ability to subscribe to an RSS feed for a specific tag, the ability to see the description of a tag so developers are better able to choose the appropriate one, and more. Here's the full list of changes coming to the forum:

• Post comments on questions or answers to provide context or ask for clarification.
  Search for content across multiple tags.
• Add and manage favorite tags.
• Upload images to your question or answer to provide supporting visual details.
• See tag descriptions when choosing tags for your question so you can quickly select the most appropriate ones.
• Subscribe to RSS feeds for tags you’re interested in.
• See your authored and watched content, favorite tags, and trending tags on the newly designed home page.

WWDC begins on June 7 at 10:00 a.m PT where Apple is expected to announce iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS 12, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8. You can learn more about everything we're expecting using our guide.

Google is adding a new "Save to Photos" button to Gmail that, when pressed, automatically saves emailed picture attachments to Google ‌Photos‌.

The new feature means Gmail users will no longer have to download photo attachments from messages in order to manually back them up to Google ‌Photos‌.

The "Save to ‌Photos‌" option will go alongside the existing "Add to Drive" button that appears when you view an email attachment in your browser. Note that the new feature will only available for JPEG attachments to begin with.

Google says the change is being rolled out over the next couple of weeks to all users with a personal Gmail account, as well as users of Google Workspace, G Suite Basic, and G Suite Business.

The feature comes ahead of the cutoff date when Google ‌Photos‌ stops offering free unlimited storage for uploaded pictures.

Google ‌Photos‌ has always offered free unlimited storage for uploading images at a reduced yet good enough quality for most users. From June 1, however, all photos and videos uploaded to Google accounts will count against users' cloud storage.

AgileBits has released a version of 1Password for web browsers that brings Touch ID integration to the popular password management service.

The addition of support for biometric authentication means that if 1Password is locked and you have the desktop app installed, you can use the ‌Touch ID‌ ring that comes with Apple's latest MacBooks and Magic Keyboards to unlock your passwords.

The web version of the app has also gained a dark mode, which should please users who browse at night and suffer from eye fatigue as a result. The dark mode update should also make 1Password dialogs sit more harmoniously with websites that adopt dark themes.

Another significant change for subscribers appears in the save window, which now shows everything that will be added to a new item, and allows users to adjust the contents and add tags to stay organized. The password generator also now suggests strong passwords that fit the requirements of the website being viewed.

Version 2.0.0/2.0.1 of 1Password for browsers also includes a giant list of changes, fixes, and improvements, all of which you can find on the new 1Password release page.

Apple's unreleased Beats Studio Buds were today spotted out in the wild in a set of Instagram photos shared by LeBron James. James appears to be wearing the Beats Studio Buds in white, based on the shape and design of the earbuds in his ears.

It's difficult to get a good look at the Beats Studio Buds worn by James, but we've already seen several closer views of the upcoming earbuds. The wire-free in-ear Beats-branded earbuds were first spotted by MacRumors in the tvOS 14.6 and iOS 14.6 betas earlier this month.

The Beats Studio Buds are easy to identify at a glance because they're unlike any prior Beats headphones that Apple has released to date, as there is no ear wrap as with the Powerbeats Pro. Compared to other Beats-branded headphones, the Beats Studio Buds are tiny in design and look similar to in-ear earbuds from companies like Samsung and Google, but with a distinctly Beats-like look and feel.

Apple plans to offer the Beats Studio Buds in red, black, and white, with a matching oval-shaped charging case available with the headphones. As with the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌, the Beats Studio Pro feature silicone ear tips that fit into the ears.

Beats Studio Buds are particularly interesting in light of AirPods Pro 2 rumors. Apple's AirPods Pro 2 could feature a similar design, with rumors suggesting the updated AirPods will have a rounded, compact design that's stemless, a description that sounds a lot like the new Beats.

There's no word yet on when the Beats Studio Buds might be launching, but since they've already received FCC approval, we could be seeing them in the near future.

When Apple releases a new product with upgraded camera technology, the developers behind popular photography app Halide often take a deep dive into the revamped camera features to provide us with some insight into how things work behind the scenes.

Halide developer Sebastiaan de With today shared a look at the cameras in the new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, uncovering a hidden macro capability. The ‌iPad Pro‌'s camera has a different lens design than the iPhone camera, which allows it to focus on things that are much closer to the sensor.

The ‌iPhone‌ focuses to about eight centimeters, but the iPad's camera can get a lot closer, allowing for macro shots that aren't possible on an ‌iPhone‌.

de With says that he was using the ‌iPad‌ on his lap when he noticed that it focused perfectly on his pant leg, leading him to try it with other objects. "‌iPad‌ basically comes with a microscope," he says.

The rear camera in the 11 and 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models has not changed from the prior-generation camera used in the 2020 models, so older ‌iPad‌ Pros also seem to be able to use this close-up shot functionality.

It can be difficult to get the ‌iPad Pro‌ camera to focus with the LiDAR sensor-assisted autofocus feature, so de With recommends a camera app like Halide for ‌iPad‌ to put it into a manual focus mode.

The biggest change to the 2021 M1 ‌iPad Pro‌ models comes in the form a revamped front-facing camera that enables a new Ultra Wide "Center Stage" feature that's designed to pan and zoom with you as you move around a room while on video calls.

The Ultra Wide camera functionality used for Center Stage has a 120 degree field of view, but it's all done with software rather than hardware. There's still a single front-facing camera in the ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ that handles both the standard focal length and the wider view.

The M1 iPad Pro has those 12 megapixels packed into the front-facing camera system to enable a more seamless 'dual camera system': one that is entirely created in software. The camera is ultra-wide and only ultra-wide; thanks to software corrections and extra megapixels, the system can just crop that wide and detailed camera feed down to its old focal length.

The standard front-facing camera view is cropped in from the wide-angle view, something that Apple has also done on the latest ‌iPhone‌ models. de With says that Apple's Center Stage feature is a "very impressive bit of software" that can only be achieved with a tight integration of software and hardware.

The full overview of the ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ camera can be read on the Halide website.

AliveCor, a company that that has developed an ECG 'KardiaBand' for the Apple Watch, today filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple that accuses the Cupertino company of "monopolistic conduct."

According to AliveCor, Apple's decision to exclude third-party heart rate analysis providers from the Apple Watch has harmed AliveCor and impacted patients and consumers. To go along with the KardiaBand, AliveCor created the SmartRhythm app, which uses data from the Apple Watch's heart rate algorithm to determine when a heart rate is irregular and suggest people take an ECG with the KardiaBand.

The KardiaBand received FDA approval in 2017, and in 2018, Apple debuted the Apple Watch Series 4 with built-in ECG capabilities and its own irregular heart rhythm notifications followed. AliveCor claims that Apple saw the success of the KardiaBand and changed the functionality of watchOS to sabotage KardiaBand and "corner the market for heart rate analysis on Apple Watch."

AliveCor claims that the SmartRhythm app was initially allowed in the App Store, but Apple later claimed that it violated ‌App Store‌ guidelines. AliveCor says that it was forced to adapt SmartRhythm multiple times to adjust to Apple's rules, and then Apple "made changes to watchOS's heart rate algorithm" to ensure that SmartRhythm and other competing apps would not work. Apple allegedly changed the heart rate algorithm in watchOS 5 to prevent third-party apps from being able to identify irregular heart rate situations.

The algorithm was virtually the same on the first four versions of watchOS, but, with the introduction of the Series 4 Apple Watch and Apple's introduction of its competing heartrate analysis app, Apple released watchOS5, which, among other things, "updated" the Watch's heartrate algorithm. That update did not improve the user experience for Apple Watch purchasers; instead, its purpose and effect was simply to prevent third parties from identifying irregular heartrate situations and, thus, from offering competing heartrate analysis apps.

Prior to Apple's alleged sabotage, AliveCor says that its SmartRhythm app was "simply better at identifying worrisome heart-related health events," and could have successfully competed with the ECG function built into the Apple watch. AliveCor was forced to pull SmartRhythm from the ‌App Store‌ because the irregular rhythm functionality no longer worked.

All of this has been devastating to competition, as Apple today commands 100% share of heartrate analysis apps on watchOS devices and, if viewed in the alternative as part of either the U.S. ECG-capable smartwatch or U.S. ECG-capable wearable devices market, over 70% market share. With a single update, Apple thus eliminated competition that consumers clearly wanted and needed, depriving them of choice for heartrate analysis that is better than what Apple can provide.

AliveCor has previously filed several patent infringement lawsuits against Apple, alleging that Apple copied AliveCor's cardiological detection and analysis technology. Those lawsuits have not yet been resolved, and with today's antitrust suit, AliveCor is seeking damages and an injunction that would require Apple to "cease its abusive conduct."

This is just one of several antitrust battles that Apple is facing. A high-profile lawsuit brought by Epic Games wrapped up earlier this week, and there are also antitrust investigations into Apple's ‌App Store‌ fees in the UK and in the United States, among other countries.

Apple is hiring for a Business Development Manager with experience in alternative payments, including cryptocurrency, according to a recent job listing.

In the job listing, spotted by CoinDesk, Apple explained that it is looking for Business Development Manager in alternative payments:

The Apple Wallets, Payments, and Commerce (WPC) team is seeking an experienced Business Development Manager to lead Alternative Payments Partnerships. We are looking for a proven professional in global alternative and emerging payment solutions. We need your help forming partnership framework and commercial models, defining implementation paradigms, identifying key players and managing relationships with strategic alternative payment partners. This position will be responsible for the end to end business development, including screening partners, negotiating and closing commercial agreements and launching new programs.

The fairly senior role involves developing new payment solutions, which could encompass everything from the App Store and in-app purchases to retail store purchases and Apple Pay, in collaboration with "alternative payment partners." It also includes working with senior-level partners inside the company and providing direction on "industry insights and market opportunities to Apple" and influencing "business strategy and product roadmaps."

Apple states that one of the key qualifications for the role is at least five years experience "working in or with alternative payment providers, such as digital wallets, BNPL, Fast Payments, cryptocurrency and etc."

While experience in cryptocurrency is not mandatory if the applicant has a background in other payment services such as "Buy Now, Pay Later," Apple's interest in decentralized digital currencies may reveal that it is one potential alternative payment means being seriously considered by the company. It may also simply be an indication that Apple is attempting to hire professionals with experience in emerging industries to ensure that it is in a position to compete with rivals if it needs to do so.

In 2019, ‌Apple Pay‌ vice president Jennifer Bailey said that Apple is "watching cryptocurrency," and explained "We think it's interesting. We think it has interesting long-term potential."

Apple staunchly protects its control over payments, particularly in the ‌App Store‌, which was the main subject of Apple's prolonged legal battle with Epic Games, not to mention its movement into digital payments with ‌Apple Pay‌ and credit with Apple Card, so it should not come as a surprise that the company is exploring new means of safeguarding and growing its payments IP with new technologies.

An app that demanded at least a three-star review to function got through the App Store review process, it has been found (via The Verge).

iOS developer Kosta Eleftheriou discovered that the "UPNP Xtreme" app, which claimed to let users stream video to a TV, presented the system's ‌App Store‌ rating box as soon as it opened. The rating box could not be escaped from and it was not possible to tap the one or two-star ratings for most users, according to Eleftheriou.

One of Apple's best practices documents states that developers should "avoid showing a request for a review immediately when a user launches your app." UPNP Xtreme sought good reviews to rise up the ‌App Store‌'s rankings, using exploitative tactics to become more visible than legitimate developers' apps, but also drive more users to engage with the scam. The app now appears to have been removed from the ‌App Store‌.

Eleftheriou has previously brought attention to scam and copycat apps on the ‌App Store‌ and raised concerns that Apple is not doing enough to stop these apps during its ‌App Store‌ review process. Eleftheriou experienced the difficulty of contending with scam apps with his own FlickType Apple Watch keyboard app, which was mired by scam copycats that Apple was allegedly reluctant to remove.

Earlier this year, Eleftheriou brought a lawsuit against Apple for a variety of allegations related to his experience with FlickType, including negligence and anticompetitive conduct.

Amazon today announced it has reached an agreement with MGM to acquire the entertainment company for $8.45 billion, following a report last year that claimed MGM had reached out to Apple to gauge interest in a potential acquisition.

The acquisition of MGM will likely bolster Amazon Prime Video's catalog of movies and TV shows amid increasing competition from the likes of Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV+. Amazon said it will help preserve MGM's heritage and catalog of films, and provide customers with greater access to these existing works, such as the James Bond franchise.

Mike Hopkins, Senior Vice President of Prime Video and Amazon Studios:

MGM has a vast catalog with more than 4,000 films—12 Angry Men, Basic Instinct, Creed, James Bond, Legally Blonde, Moonstruck, Poltergeist, Raging Bull, Robocop, Rocky, Silence of the Lambs, Stargate, Thelma & Louise, Tomb Raider, The Magnificent Seven, The Pink Panther, The Thomas Crown Affair, and many other icons—as well as 17,000 TV shows—including Fargo, The Handmaid's Tale, and Vikings—that have collectively won more than 180 Academy Awards and 100 Emmys. The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM's talented team. It's very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Apple continues to expand its slate of TV+ programming, including "The Me You Can't See," a mental health docuseries from Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry that debuted May 21. A follow up to that series is coming May 28.

The Zoom app for iOS was today updated to introduce support for the latest iPad Pro models, with the new software adding integration with the Center Stage feature.

Apple's 2021 ‌iPad Pro‌ models include a front-facing "Center Stage" Ultra Wide camera function that uses machine learning to automatically detect people in the frame, panning and zooming to keep them in view during FaceTime calls. The feature recognizes when other people join or exit a call, adjusting the camera position to fit everyone in.

Center Stage was designed with third-party video conferencing apps in mind, and Apple has made an API available, which is what Zoom is using. Following today's update, Center Stage will be compatible with the Zoom app for iOS.

With support for Center Stage, you can participate more naturally in our Zoom video calls. Never again worry about whether you're out of frame during a workout, teaching a class, or celebrating with friends and family over Zoom.

In addition to Center Stage, Zoom is also gaining support for an expanded Gallery View, so those using the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ can see up to 48 video tiles while the iPad is in landscape mode.

Many other ‌iPad‌ models will also get an expanded Gallery View feature that will allow more people to be displayed on a single screen, controllable with pinch zoom gestures.

Center Stage and expanded Gallery View are available in the Zoom 5.6.6 update, available from the App Store.