MacRumors

Apple CEO Tim Cook earned more than $14 million in salary in 2020 according to the 2020 proxy statement that Apple filed with the SEC this afternoon.

Cook earned a base salary of $3,000,000 in addition to $10,731,000 in incentives awarded for performance. Apple's performance exceeded the target performance goals for net sales and operating income, leading to a total payout of 179 percent of the total payout opportunity for Cook and other Apple executives.

Cook also received $1,038,259 in "other compensation" for a total of $14,769,259. This includes $17,100 in 401(k) contributions, term life insurance payments, a $115,385 vacation cash out, security expenses in the amount of $470,246, and $432,564 in personal air travel expenses. Apple requires Cook to use a private airplane for security reasons.

In 2019, Cook earned $11.5 million, receiving less under Apple's incentive plan compensation. Cook's 2020 compensation package does not include stock benefits. Cook in September received restricted stock units worth more than $100 million to ensure that he remains Apple's CEO through 2025. Cook also sold $131.7 million in Apple stock in August 2020.

Over the course of 2020, Cook's net worth climbed to over $1 billion, according to calculations from Bloomberg.

Other Apple executives, including Luca Maestri, Kate Adams, Deidre O'Brien, and Jeff Williams received over $26 million each.

Apple's annual shareholders meeting is set to take place on February 23, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, Apple said today in an SEC filing. Shareholders meetings are normally held in person at Apple Park, but this year's meeting will take place virtually and will be open to a greater number of shareholders because there are no space restrictions.

Those who want to attend, vote, and submit questions during the annual meeting can visit the shareholders website and enter a 16-digit code included in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials provided to shareholders. Apple says that online access will open approximately 15 minutes before the start of the meeting, but questions can be submitted in advance through February 22 at 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

Apple says that even those who are attending the meeting should vote in advance online, by mail, or by phone. Items of business will include re-electing the Board of Directors, ratifying Ernst & Young LLP as Apple's public accounting firm, and voting on shareholder proposals.

Shareholder meetings are not typically interesting to the general public because Apple executives don't often share details about Apple products, but in the past, there have been limited comments on Apple services and software.

Verizon does not plan to shut down its 3G network in the near future, a Verizon spokesperson told Light Reading this week (via The Verge). "Our 3G network is operational and we don't have a plan to shut it down at this time," said the spokesperson, who also added that Verizon will "work with customers to move them to newer technology."

Verizon's decision to leave its 3G network functional is a deviation from plans that have been in the works for years. In 2012 after launching 4G technology, Verizon said that it would eventually discontinue 3G service.

In 2016, Verizon said that it would shut down its 3G network on December 31, 2019, and it stopped activating 3G phones in July 2018. Though promising to end 3G connectivity in 2019, Verizon ultimately delayed until the end of 2020 to give impacted customers more time to figure out their plans, but now it seems Verizon will continue to make its 3G network available alongside its 4G and 5G networks.

It's not clear why Verizon has opted not to shut down its 3G network, but Light Reading speculates that it could still have a significant number of customers using the 3G technology. Many Internet of Things devices rely on 3G connectivity, such as in-car connected safety features.

Verizon competitor AT&T plans to shut down its 3G network in early 2022 to bring customers "faster speeds and new features." T-Mobile told Light Reading that it plans to shut down 3G over the "next several years" but timing has not yet been shared. T-Mobile will, however, begin requiring phones on its network to support VoLTE by January 31, 2021, which will make some devices incompatible with the T-Mobile network going forward.

Apple's 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini, which is the smallest iPhone that has been released since the 2016 iPhone SE, may not be selling as well as Apple hoped. According to new sales numbers from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ accounted for a lower number of sales than other ‌iPhone‌ 12 models that Apple offers.

Combined, all new ‌iPhone‌ 12 models accounted for 76 percent of ‌iPhone‌ sales in the United States in October and November. The standard ‌iPhone‌ 12 was the best selling model, accounting for 27 percent of those sales.

‌iPhone 12 mini‌ sales made up just six percent of the total ‌iPhone‌ 12 sales during the launch period, while the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and Pro Max had sales numbers closer to the ‌iPhone‌ 12.

iPhone 12 models garnered a significant share at launch, but with mixed results, as iPhone 12 mini seems to have been lost among the other models," said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. "Apple not only launched a wider range of new models than ever before, and also divided that launch into two pairs of models, so comparison to earlier launches is tricky. In addition, Apple launched a new iPhone SE earlier in the year, further complicating the lineup.

Last year's ‌iPhone‌ 11 models accounted for 69 percent of sales in the period after their launch, so the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models did better overall. In 2019, the ‌iPhone‌ 11 was the best-selling ‌iPhone‌, accounting for 39 percent of sales, with the 11 Pro and Pro Max making up the remaining 30 percent.

Compared to last year's launch of iPhone 11, which accounted for 69% of sales in the period after the launch, the four iPhone 12 models did even better, with 76% of sales. However, there was no clear leader among the new models, with sales evenly distributed among iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Max. In contrast, in 2019, iPhone 11 had an incredible 39% of sales, with iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max combining for only 30% of sales.

CIRP speculates that the availability of lower-cost models like the $399 ‌iPhone SE‌, $499 ‌iPhone‌ XR, and $599 ‌iPhone‌ 11, may have ultimately limited the appeal of the more expensive ‌iPhone 12 mini‌, which is priced at $699.

When Apple announced the iPhone 12 models with MagSafe charging capabilities, the first third-party ‌MagSafe‌ accessories were shown off during the announcement. Shortly after, Belkin officially introduced the Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe, which is the first official third-party ‌MagSafe‌ charging option.

Belkin's Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ is set to be available for purchase on January 8, and ahead of the launch, I've been testing the charger to see how it performs in comparison to the standalone ‌MagSafe‌ charger and whether it's worth the $150 asking price.

Design wise, the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ looks similar to other Belkin 3-in-1 chargers on the market. Made from a white plastic material that's coated in a softer silicone, the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ has a circular base with an angled chrome-colored t-shaped arm coming from the top of it that houses a ‌MagSafe‌ charger on one side and an Apple Watch charging puck on the other.

The design looks simple and straightforward, but I do wish the circular base was a bit smaller in size or rectangular to better fit on a desk. I find the shape to be a bit awkward on my small desk because it's about 5.3 inches wide at its widest point, but given the weight of the ‌iPhone‌ with the angle of the charger, it probably needs a base of that size to remain upright. Both of the charging pucks are static and cannot be rotated or angled in any way, and the default angle does take up more vertical space than I'd like.

The ‌MagSafe‌ charger works with all of Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 12 models, and it is sized in such a way to allow for use in either portrait or landscape mode. Even the largest iPhone 12 Pro Max can be used in landscape mode without interfering with the Apple Watch charging puck on the other side. The magnets line up quickly and it's simple to get an ‌iPhone‌ right in the proper place for charging, even in the dark.

The same soft material that covers the standard ‌MagSafe‌ charger from Apple covers the Belkin ‌MagSafe‌ charger, while the Apple Watch charging puck is a smoother plastic like Apple's own charging options for Apple Watch. You can get the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ in either black or white, and there's a stickier silicone material at the bottom of the accessory to ensure that it stays in place on a desk when holding up an ‌iPhone‌, plus it has a weighted base.

You'll notice that in many of my photos, the Apple Watch is at an angle, and that's because it just doesn't want to stay straight on the Apple Watch charging puck. It flips around with a nudge or when attaching/detaching an ‌iPhone‌ 12, but note that I have a 40mm Apple Watch. With further testing with a 44mm Apple Watch, the issue wasn't as pronounced, but it appears to vary based on Apple Watch material and band design.

The Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ is fairly light, but with the sticky base I didn't have trouble with it lifting up or shifting when removing my ‌iPhone‌ from the charger. There is a white LED light on the top of the base that lets you know the AirPods are aligned and charging properly. It turns amber if the alignment is off or there's an object in the way. I'm not a fan of charging lights on docks because they're distracting at night, but at least this light is limited to AirPods charging.

The ‌iPhone‌ fits on the charger at an angle, and it's easy to see when glancing over at it on a nightstand or a desk while it's charging if you get an incoming notification or want to check the time. If you wanted to, you could also use it for FaceTime calls or watching videos in landscape mode.

Since this is a 3-in-1 charger, the base of the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ is a wireless charging platform that can accommodate the AirPods or AirPods Pro, so the Apple Watch, ‌iPhone‌ 12, and AirPods can all be charged at the same time. The little circular indentation on the charger directs you where to place the AirPods for charging purposes.

The Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ charger can charge an ‌iPhone‌ 12 at up to 15W, which is the same charging speed as the standard ‌MagSafe‌ charger, while also providing enough power for AirPods and Apple Watch. Apple's own ‌MagSafe‌ Duo that pairs a ‌MagSafe‌ charging puck with an Apple Watch charger is limited to 14W, so Belkin's charger should be just a bit faster.

Apple's standard ‌MagSafe‌ charger charged ‌iPhone‌ 12 (from totally dead) to 61 percent in one hour with a 20W power adapter, and the Boost Charge Pro charged it to 66 percent, so it was somehow even faster than the standard charger. I'm not sure if I wasn't getting 15W charging with the Apple ‌MagSafe‌ charger or what, but I was happy with the Belkin charging speeds. I also did tests with three devices at once, and from dead, the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ was able to charge an ‌iPhone‌ 12 to 61 percent in an hour while also charging an Apple Watch and another ‌iPhone‌.

Belkin provides a 40W power adapter and 1.5m cord with the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌, and that takes all the guesswork out of which power adapter you need to get the fastest speeds. Apple does not include a power adapter with either the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger or the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo. For the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger you need to use Apple's official 20W charger or another charger that may or may not be compatible, and for the MagSafe Duo, maximum speed requires a compatible 27W+ charger.

Trying to figure out which power adapters I can use with Apple's charging options has been a hassle, so I appreciate that Belkin has a power adapter ready to go. You can't use a third-party power adapter with this since it doesn't work over USB.

The downside to the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ is that the ‌MagSafe‌ charger doesn't work with older iPhones. Technically ‌MagSafe‌ chargers are compatible with earlier iPhones and are able to charge them at 7.5W, but Belkin's upright design relies on magnets to hold the ‌iPhone‌ in place, and since there are no ‌MagSafe‌ magnets in older iPhones, there's no viable charging option.

You can charge an older ‌iPhone‌ where the AirPods are meant to go, even though this charging spot has been specifically designed for AirPods because it's just a Qi-based wireless charger. This charging spot worked with an ‌iPhone‌ X, iPhone 11 Pro Max, ‌iPhone‌ 12, and ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌, so I assume it fits most devices. Since this charging spot is aimed at AirPods, it's limited to 5W, but I found it to work perfectly for my non-iPhone 12 devices and I appreciated having the option.

While on the subject of compatibility, you can use the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ with ‌MagSafe‌ cases. I tested with Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ cases and it worked fine. I don't have non-MagSafe cases to test, but Belkin says that it is specifically designed to work with MagSafe-certified cases.

Bottom Line

If you're looking for a multi-device charger for an ‌iPhone‌ 12, this is the one to get. It works with any ‌iPhone‌ 12 model the Apple Watch, and the AirPods, and at $150, it's just $30 more expensive than the foldable ‌MagSafe‌ Duo.

The ‌MagSafe‌ Duo is the better choice for travel, but for a charger that you plan to use at home, the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ is a functional, attractive multi-device charger that works as expected. I have no real complaints about the Belkin ‌MagSafe‌ charger, and given that it works with three devices, allows for upright operation, and comes with a power adapter, I much prefer it to the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo.

How to Buy

The Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with ‌MagSafe‌ can be purchased from Apple for $139.95.

Note: Belkin provided MacRumors with a Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with ‌MagSafe‌ for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Tile is poised to compete with Apple's long-rumored AirTags and is planning to introduce an upgraded series of item trackers that include an ultra wideband (UWB) chip for more precise tracking.

Apple's AirTags are rumored to include the U1 ultra wideband chip that has been added into the iPhone 11 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 models. Apple's U1 AirTags will be able to offer better tracking capabilities than is possible with Bluetooth alone, which means that it is technology that Tile must match to remain competitive.

According to TechCrunch, Tile's upcoming item trackers will also use augmented reality capabilities to guide users to a lost item's location using the Tile mobile app. Apple is working on a similar solution and based on code that we've found in various versions of iOS, the AirTags too will rely on augmented reality to make it easier to find missing devices and accessories.

Prior Tile item trackers have relied solely on Bluetooth, which isn't as accurate as UWB because of the spatial data that the newer technology is able to collect.

Because UWB offers spatial awareness capabilities, it will be able to locate missing items inside or outside, even when you can't hear the tracker's ring. This could help when the missing item is buried under something -- like a sofa cushion -- or inside something like a dresser drawer, for example. It can also help to find items more easily in a larger space, like a house with multiple floors.

The Tile app, meanwhile, will allow users to launch to an AR-enabled camera view that will help to guide them to the item's location using overlays, like directional arrows and an AR view of the item's location.

The ‌iPhone‌ 11 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 models have U1 chips, and some Android phones support UWB, so these devices will be compatible with Tile's upcoming trackers. Apple provided third-party developers with access to the U1 chip in the newest iPhones last year.

Concept art for the new item tracker from Tile suggests it will look similar to Tile's existing trackers with a square shape, center button, keychain attachment, and a flat back that is compatible with adhesive.

Tile is planning to release the new item trackers later this year, and they will be compatible with iOS and Android devices. Apple has implemented a new system that allows item trackers to work inside the Find My app, but it sounds like Tile will be taking advantage of its own app for item location purposes.

There is no word on when Apple plans to release AirTags, and there have been signs of them in multiple versions of iOS. Many rumors suggested we'd see them before the end of 2020, but Apple has held off on a release. Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the AirTags would be released at some point in 2021.

Last month, Apple introduced a new privacy section in the App Store to inform users about some of the data types that apps may collect, and whether that data is linked to them or used to track them. Developers have been required to provide this info to Apple when submitting new apps and app updates to the App Store since December 8, 2020.

Interestingly, Fast Company noticed that Google has yet to update any of its iPhone and iPad apps since Apple's requirement went into effect, with apps like Gmail, Chrome, and YouTube having last been updated on December 7, 2020 or prior. As a result, all Google apps still say "No Details Provided" under the new privacy section in the App Store, with a notice that "the developer will be required to provide privacy details when they submit their next app update."

By comparison, the report notes that Google has updated several of its Android apps after December 8, including Google Maps on December 14, Google Duo on December 15, Gmail on December 16, and YouTube on December 21.

Google has yet to comment on the report, so the reason for the lack of recent iOS app updates is unconfirmed, but Fast Company makes the reasonable assumption that Google might be trying to delay revealing its privacy label information, especially after the negative attention that Facebook received over its very lengthy privacy label.

Google will surely have to update its iOS apps eventually, so it will be interesting to see what the privacy labels reveal about the company's data collection practices.

Apple is researching the integration of multiple inductive charging coils into MacBooks and iPads to use them as wireless chargers for other devices, according to a patent filed by Apple.

The patent, spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Inductive charging between electronic devices" and was awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Apple has been researching device-to-device inductive charging technology since March 2016, when the now-granted patents around it were first filed. It is notable that Apple seems to be particularly interested in this area, filing for multiple patents relating to the technology, and it has now applied for 40 new claims.

This patent highlights how all mobile Apple devices, including Apple Watches, iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks, could use an ecosystem of wireless charging together. Images included in the patent present a significant number of different coil placements for a range of portable Apple devices to facilitate this system.

Apple presents a wide variety of possible implementations for device-to-device wireless charging. For example, the lid of a MacBook could contain a series of upward-facing inductive coils, allowing devices to charge by being rested on top of it. Coils could also be placed on the palm rests and trackpad of a MacBook.

Crucially, the wireless charging system is two-way, with devices able to both receive and transmit power via inductive coils, allowing users to choose which device is charged. It may also be determined automatically by software based on which device has a greater amount of charge.

Apple's proposed strategy seems to be to incorporate carefully-positioned inductive charging coils on every mobile Apple device. For example, the patent explains how coils could be placed along both the front and back of an iPad, allowing it to be wirelessly charged from one side while transmitting charge to another device on the other side. The proposed system is heavily interchangeable as a result, with a huge number of device combinations and placements possible.

There is even the suggestion that a collection of Apple devices could be charged together from one power source. An image depicts an Apple Watch charging from an iPhone, the ‌iPhone‌ from an ‌iPad‌, the ‌iPad‌ from a MacBook, and the MacBook from a power cable. Text accompanying the image states "only a single power cord or no power cords may be needed to charge one or more of a group of devices that include electrically communicative inductive coils."

Apple has also considered an assortment of software integrations for the device-to-device wireless charging system. When a smaller device is placed on the display of a larger device, such as an Apple Watch on the front of an ‌iPad‌, the ‌iPad‌'s display could indicate its "alignment condition" and charge percentage.

Another more inventive software integration proposes that, if the screen of an ‌iPad‌ is obstructed by charging an ‌iPhone‌ on it, the ‌iPad‌'s UI could adjust to only display content on the unobstructed part of the screen. There are also provisions for scenarios in which the ‌iPhone‌ could be used to display the content that has been obstructed on the ‌iPad‌'s screen, such as a row of home screen apps.

The patent also repeatedly refers to a system of magnets that could be used to align devices to each other for charging, which seems to be strikingly similar to Apple's MagSafe system which premiered with the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup.

In some embodiments, the electronic device includes an alignment magnet that is positioned adjacent the inductive coil. The alignment magnet may be configured to assist in positioning the external device relative to the electronic device...

The patent implies that this magnetic alignment system could be used on any of its portable devices to support a better experience when charging wirelessly, and it would certainly make sense to expand ‌MagSafe‌ or a MagSafe-like system to more devices to support this ecosystem of device-to-device inductive charging. ‌MagSafe‌ is only available on the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro at present.

Should Apple integrate the proposed technology, it would create a unified system of wireless charging across all portable Apple devices. The device-to-device inductive charging system seems feasible and would help Apple to synthesize its otherwise fragmented range of charging methods, but it is not clear how Apple would address the inevitable thermal, penetration, or efficiency issues it would cause.

The arrival of ‌MagSafe‌ charging on the ‌iPhone‌ 12 demonstrates Apple's interest in wireless charging solutions, and the depth of the company's research shows how thoroughly such systems are being considered. In spite of this, patents can only serve as proof of what Apple is researching. They do not necessarily indicate what the company may implement and the contents of many patents never reach final consumer products.

Apple is about to enter the "second phase of development" of an augmented reality glasses prototype, according to a paywalled preview of a DigiTimes story seen by MacRumors. The full report should be released by tomorrow with further details.

In June 2020, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is developing both an AR/VR headset and AR-only glasses. Gurman said prototypes of Apple's headset resemble a smaller version of Facebook's Oculus Quest, while the glasses would be sleeker and lightweight. In an internal meeting, Apple reportedly said the headset may be announced in 2021 and released in 2022, while the glasses are expected in 2023 at the earliest.

Gurman claimed that Apple's glasses would overlay information such as text messages and maps in front of the wearer's eyes, and he also said that users will be able to control the glasses with Siri. His report added that Apple is planning an App Store for its AR/VR headset, but he did not indicate whether the storefront will extend to the glasses.

Earlier this week, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple suppliers are gearing up for an unspecified augmented reality device in 2021. Kuo also expects Apple's long-awaited AirTags item trackers, new AirPods, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple Silicon, and an iPad Pro with a Mini-LED display to be introduced throughout the year.

Update: The full report has been shared with a few more details. Following the second phase, the report claims that the glasses will go through a third phase of development a few months later. Upon completion of the prototype design, the wearable device is expected to go through a 6-9 month period for engineering verification. Apple is said to be focused on improving the device's weight and battery life.

Apple today announced that Monica Lozano, president and CEO of College Futures Foundation, has been elected to the company's board of directors.

"Monica has been a true leader and trailblazer in business, media, and an ever-widening circle of philanthropic efforts to realize a more equitable future — in our schools and in the lives of all people," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "Her values and breadth of experience will help Apple continue to grow, to innovate, and to be a force for good in the lives of our teams, customers, and communities."

"I've always admired Apple's commitment to the notion that technology, at its best, should empower all people to improve their lives and build a better world," said Lozano. "I look forward to working with Tim, Art, and the other board members to help Apple carry those values forward and build on a rich and productive history."

Prior to joining College Futures Foundation, Lozano spent 30 years in media as editor and publisher of La Opinión, the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the United States, according to Apple. Lozano continues to serve on the boards of Target and Bank of America, and is also a former board member of The Walt Disney Company.

Microsoft is planning to replace Outlook for Mac with a new web-based universal Outlook client, according to Windows Central.

Months after announcing a complete redesign of Outlook for Mac, Microsoft is reportedly intending to scrap its current Mac app and replace it with a new client based on the Outlook web app.

Codenamed "Monarch," the project is Microsoft's attempt to build a single Outlook client across Windows, Mac, and the web. The new client will also replace the default Mail and Calendar apps on Windows 10 and unify Microsoft's entire selection of Outlook apps.

Project Monarch is said to be based on the pre-existing Outlook web app, offering the best indication of how the replacement app will look and function when it is released. While there will apparently be some native OS integrations for the likes of offline storage and notifications, the overall goal is to remain as universal as possible across platforms.

The change allows Microsoft to use the same codebase for apps on all devices, helping it to streamline development. For users, the new single client would be smaller in size and offer the same user experience across all devices.

Microsoft will reportedly begin to preview its new Outlook client toward the end of 2021, and plans to replace the Mail and Calendar apps in Windows 10 in 2022. Outlook for Mac will presumably be deprecated at some point during this timeframe.

Apple device users spent a record $72 billion on the App Store in 2020, a 30% increase on app spending the previous year, according to a new Sensor Tower report.

Globally, consumer spending on the App Store reached $72.3 billion, up 30.3 percent Y/Y from $55.5 billion in 2019. As in previous years, this exceeded the amount users spent on Google Play, which grew 30 percent Y/Y from $29.7 billion in 2019 to $38.6 billion. The App Store generated 87.3 percent more in consumer spending than the Play store, and both platforms experienced roughly the same Y/Y growth. The spending gap between the platforms remained relatively flat compared to 2019.

Apart from games, most user spending in the ‌App Store‌ focused on the Entertainment category, which grew 29.3% year on year to $5.3 billion. TikTok was the non-game app that generated the most revenue globally in the ‌App Store‌ in 2020, growing more than 600% year on year to $1.2 billion.

First-time installs also set a new record in 2020, with the ‌App Store‌ and Google Play collectively reaching nearly 143 billion, up 23.7% from approximately 115.5 billion in 2019. This figure is about 14% higher than the year-on-year growth experienced by both stores in the previous year.

The gaming category also reached new heights, generating $79.5 billion last year across both app stores globally. The report notes that this is up 26% from slightly more than $63 billion in 2019, and represents 71.7% of all in-app spending for the year.

According to Sensor Tower data, around $47.6 billion was spent on iOS games in 2020, up 25% in 2019. Games accounted for 66% of all ‌App Store‌ revenue, and the highest grossing game on iOS was Tencent's Honor of Kings.

The report notes that the mobile market experienced "unprecedented growth" in 2020 as the global health crisis dramatically shifted consumer needs and behavior, and could even indicate a permanent change in consumer habits.

Apple has temporarily closed all of its stores in the United Kingdom, as England and most of Scotland enter new lockdowns to curb a steep rise in coronavirus cases thought to be caused by a new strain.

Announced on Monday by U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the new lockdowns close all schools and non-essential shops, and mean people must stay indoors other than for limited exceptions, such as essential medical needs, food shopping, exercise, and work that cannot be done at home.

In England, the strict rules are to be enforced until at least mid-February, while in Scotland they apply on the mainland until the end of January, and will be kept under review. Northern Ireland went into lockdown on December 26, while Wales has been in a nationwide lockdown since December 20, so Apple stores there were already closed before the holidays, as noted by 9to5Mac's Michael Steeber.

With local tiered restrictions in force since early November, many of Apple's retail locations had already been operating on a click-and-collect basis only with Express Pickup. However, the new lockdown rules are the harshest the U.K. has seen since the spring, and all non-essential stores must once again close. The new rules come after the U.K. reported a record 58,784 cases on Monday, as well as a further 407 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

Update: Apple has informed MacRumors of an update to its holiday returns policy which means customers seeking to return products purchased in-store will still be able to do so whenever the lockdowns end and stores reopen.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple enterprise management company Jamf today announced that the Jamf platform powers 20 million devices worldwide and serves more than 47,000 customers, which is a new milestone.

Over the course of 2020 alone, Jamf has added more than 4 million devices and 10,000 customers, and it is now powering 24 of the 25 most valuable brands (based on Forbes' list of the most valuable technology companies).

"Coming into 2015, Jamf was 13 years old and managing less than 4 million devices for approximately 5,000 customers. That year, as the enterprise saw a growing number of professionals demanding to use Apple at work, we set an aggressive goal to empower the new workforce by running on 20 million Apple devices by the end of 2020," said Dean Hager, CEO of Jamf. "Through our mission to help organizations succeed with Apple, we are proud to have achieved this milestone, and more importantly to have enabled so many organizations to help their employees, doctors, nurses, teachers and students get the most out of their technology and be their best."

Jamf runs on all 10 of the largest U.S. banks, 10 of the top 10 global universities, 16 of the top 20 best U.S. hospitals, and 7 of the top 10 Fortune 500 technology companies.

For those unfamiliar with Jamf, it is enterprise management software that businesses, schools, hospitals, and government organizations use for Apple device management purposes.

Navitas Semiconductor is expected to obtain orders from Apple in 2021 for fast charging solutions based on gallium nitride or "GaN" technology, according to Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes. The report claims that Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC will supply Navitas with GaN chips as part of an existing partnership.

This supply chain news suggests that Apple is planning GaN versions of its USB-C power adapters, allowing them to be smaller and lighter, more power efficient, and less heat conductive compared to its current chargers, which are based on silicon. Many other brands like Anker and Belkin have introduced GaN chargers over the last few years. It's unclear if Apple's first GaN chargers would be ready for release this year.

Navitas is the creator of GaNFast, a gallium nitride solution that the company says is found in some of the most popular fast chargers in the world. GaNFast has been adopted by several brands, such as Aukey, Dell, Lenovo, and Xiaomi. Last year, the company said GaNFast-based solutions include wall chargers ranging from 24W to 300W.

Apple no longer includes power adapters in the box with iPhone and Apple Watch models that it sells, but it continues to sell a variety of power adapters on a standalone basis, including 5W and 12W USB-A options and 20W, 30W, 61W, and 96W USB-C options.

The iPhone 13 lineup may expand faster mmWave 5G connectivity to more countries outside the United States, according to Taiwanese supply chain sources cited by Patently Apple.

The report claims that a Taiwanese company called Qiqi is in the process of receiving a "large order" for mmWave antennas destined for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup, which may explain Qiqi chairman Xie Hongbo's announcement that the company's 5G-related component shipments would increase significantly this year. Apple's mmWave antennas are currently manufactured by Japanese company Murata Manufacturing, which will apparently share orders with Qiqi for the ‌iPhone‌ 13.

Apple supplier Wistron reportedly invested in Qiqi, becoming its single largest shareholder, thereby helping to bring it into the ‌iPhone‌ supply chain for the first time. Qiqi apparently cooperates closely with Qualcomm on 5G and Wi-Fi 6 components, which was a key factor in the company being selected by Apple for mmWave parts.

In the United States, all ‌iPhone‌ 12 or ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro models feature both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G. While mmWave is a faster form of 5G, it is less widespread and penetrates less well than sub-6GHz 5G, so the ‌iPhone‌ 12 features the ability to take advantage of both, depending on which is available. Outside the U.S., however, the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup only features slower sub-6GHz 5G.

The news that Apple is looking to order a large number of mmWave antennas and double its suppliers for the component may signal that ‌iPhone‌ 13 models will feature faster mmWave technology in more regions. Countries such as the UK, Germany, Canada, China, and Japan all have growing mmWave networks and would be able to benefit from faster 5G with the ‌iPhone‌ 13.

Moreover, the report notes that Qiqi is the market leader in designing antennas for laptops, which Apple could take advantage of to add 5G connectivity to a MacBook at some point in the future. For now, however, Apple's large order from Qiqi will reportedly support ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup only.

Apple plans to release its long-awaited AirTags item trackers, an unspecified augmented reality device, and other new products in 2021, according to a new research note from reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, obtained by MacRumors.

AirTags are expected to help users keep track of their personal belongings, such as their keys, wallets, and backpacks, and would notify users on their Apple devices when they are separated from a tagged item. In 2019, MacRumors obtained screenshots showing that AirTags will be managed through a new Items tab in the Find My app.

As for the augmented reality device, Apple is widely rumored to be working on an augmented reality headset, glasses, or both, but Kuo did not specify. iPhones and iPads also offer augmented reality features, so there is ambiguity here.

As expected, Kuo also said that Apple plans to release new AirPods, more Apple Silicon Macs, and its first devices with Mini-LED displays throughout the year. Previous rumors have pointed towards a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro and various MacBook models with Mini-LED displays launching in 2021, offering richer colors, improved contrast, and more.

Kuo previously said that Apple plans to release redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple Silicon and Mini-LED displays in 2021. He also previously forecasted that a new MacBook Air with Apple Silicon and a Mini-LED display will launch in 2022, but it is unclear if that notebook will also sport a new design.

Apple already announced that it plans to transition its entire Mac lineup to Apple Silicon within around two years, with other rumored models in the pipeline including a redesigned 24-inch iMac and smaller Mac Pro-like desktop.