Twitter has today added a unique "like" animation for Apple's "Hi, Speed" event that is to take place later today.
The brief animation reflects the concentric circles used on the artwork and graphics used to promote the Apple event. The circles also seem to be present on the wallpapers from leaked images of the iPhone 12.
This is the second time Apple has used a unique Twitter "like" animation to promote an event, with the first occasion being for the "Time Flies" event last month.
Apple also has used a custom Twitter hashtag with its logo, just as it did for the "Time Flies" event last month, for the "Hi, Speed" event today.
Eight unreleased Macs have appeared in Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) filings, alongside a large number of iOS devices, as spotted by French outlet Consomac.
Three of the Macs have appeared in EEC filings before, including model A2147, A2158, and A2182, while five of them are entirely new to the database. The three that appeared previously were originally listed as running macOS Catalina, but under the new filing they are said to be running macOS Big Sur.
All of the 39 iOS devices listed were previously filed as running iOS 13, but have been refiled for iOS 14. These models are probably the full iPhone 12 lineup, and the large number of devices in the filing may be explained by the range of storage and color options.
The unreleased Mac models are likely to be Macs with Apple Silicon. Following the announcement of Apple Silicon at WWDC earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the first Apple Silicon Macs would be arriving before the end of 2020. New Macs are not expected to appear at today's "Hi, Speed" event, however. Instead, it now looks more likely that they will be unveiled in November.
While the existing HomePod has a rounded, cylindrical design, it appears that the HomePod mini will feature a more spherical design, with a similar mesh finish available in black or white. A flatter top surface will house touch controls for volume, playback, and more, and a large multicolored light will appear when Siri has been activated.
Last week, a reliable leaker who goes by the alias "Kang" claimed that the HomePod mini will be announced alongside the iPhone 12 lineup at Apple's event today, with orders to begin in mid-November for $99. The speaker will allegedly be 3.3 inches tall, compared to the existing 6.8-inch HomePod, and be powered by the same S5 chip as the Apple Watch Series 5.
Apple's event begins at 10 a.m. Pacific Time today — here's how to watch. Follow along with MacRumors for live coverage of the announcements.
Just hours ahead of today's Apple Event, reputable leaker Evan Blass has shared images of what he claims are the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max in blue, graphite, gold, and silver.
iPhone 12 Pro
The new blue color is more subtle than the one seen on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, with a similar look to the Midnight Green color option for the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max thanks to the matte rear glass paired with a glossy camera bump.
iPhone 12 Pro Max
As rumored, both of the devices are pictured with a flat-edged design and a triple-lens rear camera system with a LiDAR Scanner. The LiDAR Scanner is smaller than the one seen on the 2020 iPad Pro, and matches the size of the LED flash. A small microphone hole is also present in the camera bump.
We'll see the official unveiling of the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max at Apple's "Hi, Speed" event in just a few hours.
Just hours ahead of Apple's event today, reputable leaker Evan Blass has shared images of what he claims are the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini in blue, red, green, black, and white.
iPhone 12
The colors for both models are as rumored with the blue being a dark blue similar to the new aluminum Apple Watch Series 6 blue option, the green being a light minty shade, and the red being (PRODUCT)RED branded.
iPhone 12 mini
As expected, both phones have similar rear camera setups as the iPhone 11, with two camera lenses, a flash, and a microphone housed in the camera bump.
We'll see the official unveiling of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini at Apple's "Hi, Speed" event in just a few hours.
Apple's online store is down in anticipation of its "Hi, Speed" event later on Tuesday, suggesting at least some products may be available to pre-order or order immediately after the event.
The placeholder for the U.S. online store says "We're making updates to the Apple store. Check back soon."
We've heard conflicting rumors about when Apple's new iPhone models will be available to order, but Apple is expected to stagger the launches this year, and we're not expecting iPhone pre-orders to open immediately.
Chinese leaker Kang, who has provided accurate information in the past, claims pre-orders for the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models could begin this coming Friday, October 16, with the first iPhone 12 shipments and an official launch on Friday, October 23.
Preorders for the "iPhone 12 mini" meanwhile are said to commence on Friday, November 6, with the device launching on Friday, November 13 – the same day that pre-orders for the iPhone 12 Pro Max will allegedly commence. Apple's largest ever handset would then launch one week later on Friday, November 20.
With other rumored products also said to be in the wings, including a "HomePod mini," Apple could well be setting up its store to accept pre-orders. On the other hand, it may simply be adding promotional pages in advance of later product pre-order dates.
Either way, we'll know for sure soon. Apple's media event kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and you can tune in on Apple's event page, on Apple's YouTube channel, or through the TV app on Apple's various platforms. Stay up to date on all the latest news and developments right here on MacRumors!
Apple's global iPad shipments are likely to enjoy a 20% year-on-year growth in 2020, according to supply chain estimates.
According to DigiTimes, the impressive growth rate is much higher than a previous estimate of an 8% hike to 45.1 million units, and that is largely due to the impact of the global health crisis and the rate of people switching to remote working.
Supply chain makers have begun ramping up related shipments since September with the momentum likely to peak in November, said the sources, adding that combined monthly shipments of the new 10.9-inch iPad Air and 10.2-inch iPad devices during the September-November period will reach over six million units.
In response to the projected growth, Taiwan-based General Interface Solution (GIS), which is a major supplier of iPad touch panels, is expanding capacity at its Chinese plant, with an additional capacity of 500,000 units a month to become available in early 2021, according to DigiTimes' sources.
GIS has reported revenues of $420.11 million, up 13% sequentially, and 0.32% year-on-year. For January-September, revenues totaled $3.11 billion, up 4% year-on-year.
Apple announced the new iPad Air 4 at its September digital event and said the device would become available "in October," so there's a good chance that the company could announce pre-order and launch dates for the iPad Air at Tuesday's Apple event, in which the iPhone 12 lineup is expected to be unveiled. Well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurmansaid that Apple marketing materials for the new iPad Air started landing at retail stores at the beginning of October, suggesting a launch sooner rather than later.
Apple's new iPad Air shares the same A14 processor as the iPhone 12. Apple had never debuted a new AXX-series chip in an iPad before, so it's possible that Apple didn't want the new tablet getting into the hands of the public before its latest flagship smartphone.
Apple reported during the announcement of the fourth-generation iPad Air that the A14 offers 40 percent faster performance and up to 30 percent faster graphics than the previous iPad Air with the A12 Bionic, while benchmarks supposedly for the iPad Air 4 reveal that the A14 offers significant performance improvements over the iPhone 11's A13 Bionic CPU.
Apple is hosting an online streaming media event for the public and press on Tuesday, October 13 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Apple is expected to announce its new iPhone 12 lineup, and potentially a number of other new products during the event, dubbed "Hi, Speed." Here's how you can watch it and when, wherever you are in the world.
How to Watch the Apple Event
Apple will provide a stream of the event on its Apple Events page nearer to the start time.
If you have access to an Apple TV, you can visit the Events icons and you should be able to stream the event directly to your TV.
Apple is also hosting a live stream on YouTube (embedded below).
When to Watch the Apple Event
Here's when the event will begin based on other time zones in the United States and around the world:
Honolulu, Hawaii — 7:00 a.m. HAST
Anchorage, Alaska — 9:00 a.m. AKDT
Cupertino, California — 10:00 a.m. PDT
Phoenix, Arizona — 10:00 a.m. MST
Vancouver, Canada — 10:00 a.m. PDT
Denver, Colorado — 11:00 a.m. MDT
Dallas, Texas — 12:00 noon CDT
New York, New York — 1:00 p.m. EDT
Raleigh, North Carolina — 1:00 p.m. EDT
Toronto, Canada — 1:00 p.m. EDT
Halifax, Canada — 2:00 p.m. ADT
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — 2:00 p.m. BRT
London, United Kingdom — 6:00 p.m. BST
Berlin, Germany — 7:00 p.m. CEST
Paris, France — 7:00 p.m. CEST
Cape Town, South Africa — 7:00 p.m. SAST
Moscow, Russia — 8:00 p.m. MSK
Helsinki, Finland — 8:00 p.m. EEST
Istanbul, Turkey — 8:00 p.m. TRT
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — 9:00 p.m. GST
Delhi, India — 10:30 p.m. IST
Jakarta, Indonesia — 12:00 a.m. WIB next day
Shanghai, China — 1:00 a.m. CST next day
Singapore — 1:00 a.m. SGT next day
Perth, Australia — 1:00 a.m. AWST next day
Hong Kong — 1:00 a.m. HKT next day
Seoul, South Korea — 2:00 a.m. KST next day
Tokyo, Japan — 2:00 a.m. JST next day
Adelaide, Australia — 3:30 a.m. ACDT next day
Sydney, Australia — 4:00 a.m. AEDT next day
Auckland, New Zealand — 6:00 a.m. NZDT next day
We'll post any last-minute rumors today as we await Apple's event. Join us at MacRumors for our live blog or get involved in the iPhone forum which is sure to be buzzing as Apple announces its latest smartphone lineup.
MPOW JAPAN Co., Ltd. (Location: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Takehiko Komazaki) announces a wireless charger that supports the charging position adjustment function using a magnet, which is a new wireless charging mechanism installed in the new iPhone.
The company goes on to describe the product having a "ring-shaped magnet mechanism" which matches up with a similar mechanism in the new iPhone, allowing the charger to firmly attach to the device. This allows for better charging performance than traditional wireless chargers which may move position over time. The company also notes that the product "is intended for use with new iPhones, may not be able to be charged when used with other smartphones."
The product announcement comes hours before Apple's event on October 13th which is expected to unveil the iPhone 12. One of the most recent rumors suggested that Apple would revive the "MagSafe" brand but apply it to two new magnetic chargers designed for the iPhone 12. These were dubbed "MagSafe Charger" and "MagSafe Duo Charger".
The rumor follows up other leaks that have shown the magnetic rings that have been shown in schematics and built into cases.
As we approach the final days and weeks before an Apple Event, rumors and leaks tend to accelerate and this year was no exception. Our summarized What to Expect was published on Friday shortly after the iPhone 12 launch was fully detailed from someone considered a reliable leaker.
The event takes place on Tuesday, October 13th at 10am Pacific. You can watch online or join us here for our live blog.
Last Minute Apple Event Rumors
This past week has solidified our expectations for Apple's October Event with these final rumors:
It's easy to forget, but iPhone 12 rumors have been circulating for almost two years now. The earliest buzz came in late 2018, while concrete details of the specific form factors first came out as early as 16 months ago.
Many of the early rumors have actually held up and matches up with what is still expected on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, rumors for the 2021 iPhones have already been circulating. Here are some early rumors but we're sure to hear more as Apple starts ramping up suppliers for the next iPhone:
We'll post any truly last-minute rumors tonight and tomorrow as we wait for Apple's event. Join us at MacRumors for our live blog or participate in the iPhone forum where readers are anxiously awaiting the event.
Apple's worldwide Mac shipments saw decent growth in the third quarter of 2020, according to new preliminary PC shipping estimates shared this afternoon by Gartner.
Gartner's Preliminary Worldwide PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 3Q20 (Thousands of Units)
Apple shipped an estimated 5.5 million Macs during the quarter, up 7.3 percent from the 5.1 million that it shipped in the third quarter of 2019. Apple's marketshare grew from 7.5 percent to 7.7 percent, and while it fared well, some PC manufacturers saw even higher shipment growth.
Acer and ASUS, for example, saw significant growth with shipments increasing 29.5 percent and 12.9 percent, respectively, over 2019 shipment numbers. Neither sold enough PCs to topple Apple's position as the number four worldwide PC vendor, however.
Lenovo, the number one worldwide PC vendor, shipped an estimated 18 million PCs, up from 16.9 million in the year-ago quarter for 8.3 percent growth. HP's shipments were up slightly with 15.5 million PCs shipped, while Dell saw a slight decline, shipping 10.8 million PCs compared to 11.3 million in the third quarter of 2019.
Apple's Market Share Trend: 1Q06-3Q20 (Gartner)
PC shipments were up this year due to the ongoing global health crisis, which has resulted in people working and learning from home.
"This quarter had the strongest consumer PC demand that Gartner has seen in five years," said Mikako Kitagawa, research director at Gartner. "The market is no longer being measured in the number of PCs per household; rather, the dynamics have shifted to account for one PC per person. While PC supply chain disruptions tied to the COVID-19 pandemic have been largely resolved, this quarter saw shortages of key components, such as panels, as a result of this high consumer demand.
Apple saw similar growth in the United States, shipping an estimated 2.4 million Macs in the U.S., up seven percent from the 2.3 million that it shipped in Q3 2019. Apple was also the number four vendor in the United States, trailing after HP, Dell, and Lenovo. All PC vendors in the U.S. saw growth, and the U.S. PC market was up 11.4 percent compared to the year-ago quarter, marking the most significant U.S. PC shipment growth in 10 years.
HP continues to be the number one U.S. vendor with 5.1 million PCs shipped, followed by Dell with 4.1 million PCs shipped, and Lenovo with 2.5 million PCs shipped.
Gartner's Preliminary U.S. PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 3Q20 (Thousands of Units)
IDC also released its own shipment estimates this afternoon, which are wildly different from Gartner's when it comes to Apple's sales. According to IDC, Apple shipped an estimated 6.9 million Macs, up 38.9 percent from the 5 million shipped in the third quarter of 2019.
IDC also positions Apple as the number four worldwide vendor, trailing Lenovo, HP, and Dell. Gartner and IDC have different metrics for their measurements, which perhaps explains some of the discrepancy in numbers. Gartner counts desk-based PCs, notebook PCs, and ultramobile premiums, but not Chromebooks or iPads.
The numbers from IDC include desktops, notebooks, and workstations, but not tablets or x86 servers. IDC and Gartner's data is based on estimates, and because Apple no longer provides specific breakdowns of Mac sales, it is difficult to confirm exact numbers.
Apple may see a surge in Mac sales in the coming months as it prepares to transition its entire Mac lineup from Intel's chips to its Arm-based Apple Silicon chips. The first Macs with Apple Silicon chips are expected to arrive before the end of the year.
Between last month's introduction of the iPad Air with Apple's new A14 chip and tomorrow's expected unveiling of the iPhone 12 said to feature the same chip, Apple executives have been making the rounds talking up the technology behind the A14 and the company's overall chip strategy.
In a new interview with Engadget, Apple's vice president of platform architecture Tim Millet and senior director of Mac and iPad product marketing Tom Boger walked through how Apple has leveraged its ability to customize its own chips to focus on both energy efficiency and performance. Those competing priorities gain some new headroom with the A14 thanks to its transition to a smaller 5nm manufacturing process that packs more transistors into the same chip area and allows them to run at lower power.
The 5nm manufacturing process also allows Apple to devote more of the A14's capabilities to features beyond the traditional CPU and GPU functions, with the Neural Engine in the A14 doubling to 16 cores and capable of performing 11 trillion operations per second, nearly double that of the Neural Engine in the A13.
“We saw the opportunity to do things that would have been impossible to do with a conventional CPU instruction set,” Millet said. “You could in theory do many of the things the Neural Engine does on a GPU, but you can't do it inside of a tight, thermally constrained enclosure.”
On a broader level, Millet and Boger discussed how Apple's chip architecture team thinks about Apple's entire product portfolio, envisioning how its chips can be used not just in a single product but in multiple products over time.
When people at Apple start working on a chipset, they're not solely focused on building one for a single product; they take into account the company's entire lineup. “We spend a lot of time working with the product teams and software teams, and the architecture group really does sit in the center of that,” said Millet. [...]
“Ultimately, we want to make sure that when we build a CPU for one generation, we’re not building it necessarily only for one,” he said. While that doesn’t mean you’ll see the A14’s six-core CPU in something like an Apple Watch, the architecture developed for the company’s flagship phone chipset may well be adapted and reused elsewhere.
With the upcoming launch of Mac products based on Apple Silicon, we'll be seeing even more fruits of the chip team's labor, although Millet and Boger were unsurprisingly not ready to delve into discussions on that topic just yet.
Apple today released watchOS 7.0.2, the second update to the watchOS 7 operating system that came out in September. watchOS 7.0.2 comes more than two weeks after the release of watchOS 7.0.1, a bug fix update.
watchOS 7.0.2 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.
According to Apple's release notes, watchOS 7.0.2 addresses a bug that could cause the battery in the Apple Watch to drain more quickly, which has been a persistent complaint since watchOS 7 was released.
watchOS 7.0.2 contains improvements and bug fixes, including: - Addresses an issue that could cause the battery to drain more quickly - Resolves an issue that prevented some users from accessing the ECG app in regions where it is available
Apple believes the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 will outsell the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and the more expensive 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max, according to shipment estimates shared in an investor's note today by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
According to Kuo, Apple's estimated shipment allocations for the new iPhone models are as follows:
5.4-inch iPhone 12 Mini - 20 to 25%
6.1-inch iPhone 12 - 40 to 45%
6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro - 15 to 20%
6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max - 15 to 20%
Though there has been demand for a smaller iPhone, smaller screen sizes are not popular worldwide. It will be the cheapest iPhone available with rumors suggesting it will sell for $699, but Kuo says that even with the lower price point, it will not meet the demand for a larger display.
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max have better hardware and are higher-tier models, but are more expensive, so Kuo's conclusion is that the iPhone 12 "will have the highest shipment allocation" of the iPhone 12 models.
Kuo believes that price point is critical to the iPhone 12's success. Apple's $699 iPhone 11 accounted for 70 to 75 percent of iPhone shipments during the first three quarters of 2020, which Kuo attributes to price. 5G is "crucial" but price point will be the "critical factor" when it comes to iPhone sales.
Recent rumors indicate the iPhone 12 mini will start at $699, the iPhone 12 will start at $799, the iPhone 12 Pro will start at $999, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max will start at $1,099.
In total, Kuo believes Apple will ship 80 to 85 million units of all iPhone 12 models in the fourth quarter of 2020, higher than the 75 million iPhone 11 units (all models) shipped in the fourth quarter of 2019.
The shipment forecast of 12 series components is 80-85 mn units, higher than 11 series' 75 mn units in 4Q19. However, we think the demand for 12 series in 4Q20 will be lower than that of the 11 series in 4Q19 because of the shorter sales period. Therefore, the shipment forecast of components in 4Q20 does not reflect the real demand for the 12 series.
Apple could miss some peak season demand in the United States and Europe due to the late launch timeline and the "tight supply" after the iPhone 12 series launches. We haven't yet heard much on what iPhone supply will look like, but it's reasonable to assume that since production was delayed into October, we could see some models sell out quickly.
The iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which are not expected to be available until November could be some of the most constrained models. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are expected to be available for pre-order the Friday after the event in October, while the iPhone 12 mini and Pro Max will allegedly launch on different dates in November.
EU regulators are taking aim at up to 20 big tech companies, including Apple, as part of a "hit list" that seeks to curb their market influence, reports The Financial Times.
The plans reportedly involve the demand that larger tech companies face tougher regulations than smaller competitors, data sharing with rivals, and increased transparency on data gathering. The move is part of a wider effort by EU lawmakers to increase competition in the technology industry.
The list is to be determined based on market share, competition, and number of users, meaning that Apple, Facebook, Google, and Amazon are all likely to be implicated.
Under the plans, big tech companies could quickly be forced to change their business practices without the need for an investigation or the breaking of any law. In extreme circumstances, big tech companies could be broken up if they are found to be discouraging rivals.
The news comes as the Korea Herald reports that a leading global economic watchdog, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, has proposed an overhaul of international tax rule aimed at big tech companies which could raise an extra $100 billion worldwide. The global tax framework overhaul is to be presented to 20 finance ministers from around the world this week and could be implemented as soon as next year.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the EU was planning to implement wide-ranging legal measures to compel major tech companies to share data with competitors and give no preference to their own apps and services as part of its new Digital Services Act. The legislation is expected to be publicized in full by the end of this year to prevent further long-lasting antitrust cases.
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.
Amazon will kick off Prime Day 2020 tonight at midnight, and the event will introduce hundreds of deals through Wednesday, October 14. To add on top of the two day event, Amazon has even begun introducing early offers on AirPods, iPads, Kindles, Echo devices, Ring products, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
We'll be watching Prime Day deals throughout the event this week, so be sure to keep track of our upcoming Prime Day posts. Of course, many retailers are introducing their own opposing mega sales to compete with Prime Day, so there will also be even more opportunities for discounts at Target, Best Buy, and more.
AirPods Pro
Today you can get the AirPods Pro on the Amazon-owned Woot marketplace for $189.99, down from $249.00. Unlike some of Woot's products, these AirPods Pro are brand new, and they come with a one year Apple warranty.
Amazon itself is discounting the AirPods Pro to $199.00 this week. Woot's sale expires today, but Amazon's should hold out for a bit longer, although stock will likely dwindle.
A notable low price has hit another model of the AirPods, this one for the AirPods with Wired Charging Case. You can get it for $124.99, down from $159.00, after an extra $4.01 discount is applied at the checkout screen. This is an Amazon all-time-low price.
The newest MacBook Air is seeing an all-time-low price on Amazon this week. The 256GB model is priced at $849.99, down from $999.00, thanks to a coupon that will automatically apply an extra $100 discount at the checkout screen.
Likewise, the 512GB model is on sale for $1,149.99, down from $1,299.00, after an extra $50 discount is applied at the checkout screen. Both of these prices are new lows for each MacBook Air, and available in all three colors.
There's one model of the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro on sale so far this week, and it's the notebook with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD. This one is priced at $1,799.99, down from $1,999.00, after an extra $49.01 discount is applied at checkout. That's a match of the previous low price we've tracked on this 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Solid 16-inch MacBook Pro deals have extended into Prime Day as well, with the 512GB 16-Inch MacBook Pro discounted to $2,099.00, down from $2,399.00. This is being matched at B&H Photo.
Another low price is available for the 1TB model, priced at $2,399.00, down from $2,799.00 (again being matched at B&H Photo). Both of these discounts are lowest-ever deals for the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
An ongoing sale on the brand-new eighth generation iPad has returned for Prime Day. You can get the 32GB Wi-Fi iPad for $299.00, down from $329.00. The 128GB Wi-Fi model is available for $399.00, down from $429.00 as well.
Apple Watch Series 3 models are being discounted by $30 this week, with 38mm GPS devices at $169.00, down from $199.00. 42mm GPS models are priced at $199.00, down from $229.00. Both sizes come in Silver and Space Gray Aluminum case options.
If you're on the hunt for Amazon's products, there are numerous early savings on Kindles and more today. Remember that to see these official Amazon discounts, you'll need a Prime subscription.
Spotify is reportedly seeking to admonish developers who use its API for apps that allow users to transfer to a rival music streaming service, such as Apple Music, by revoking access to the Spotify SDK.
Developers who facilitate users with the ability to copy their Spotify library and playlists to other services are being informed that their access to the Spotify SDK is to be revoked.
Music streaming service transfer app SongShift has issued a post saying that it has been told to stop offering transfers away from Spotify or it will lose access to the Spotify SDK.
Unfortunately, as of SongShift v5.1.2, you will no longer be able to create transfers from Spotify to another music service. We understand this will be a disappointment for a lot of you. We wish we didn't have to.
The Spotify Developer Platform Team reached out and let us know we'd need to remove transferring from their service to a competing music service or have our API access revoked due to TOS violation.
Spotify has allowed SongShift to continue offering transfers into its service, however. Only transfers out to other streaming services have been blocked.
The move is backed by Spotify's developer agreement, which states that developers should not "transfer Spotify Content... to another music service that competes with Spotify or the Spotify Service."
In recent months, Spotify has heavily criticized Apple for anti-competitive behavior. The company has joined the "Coalition for App Fairness" to "fight back" against Apple, sided with Epic Games over its ongoing dispute with Apple, and formally complained to the European Comission about Apple allegedly stifling competition, resulting in an EU antitrust investigation.
Apple is using its dominant position and unfair practices to disadvantage competitors and deprive consumers by favoring its own services. We call on competition authorities to act urgently to restrict Apple's anti-competitive behavior, which if left unchecked, will cause irreparable harm to the developer community and threaten our collective freedoms to listen, learn, create, and connect.
The move to actively prevent users from transferring away from Spotify, thereby constraining competition, seems peculiar as the company has railed against Apple for supposedly doing the same. Interestingly, Apple has not instituted any equivalent bar on transferring away from Apple Music to other streaming services.
Apple has quietly removed the "Beats by Dre" webpage from its website ahead of its Apple event on Tuesday, as it prepares to launch a new, lower-cost HomePod and AirPods Studio headphones.
As noted by Apple Terminal, the landing page for Beats products can no longer be found on Apple's website. The Wayback Machine has a snapshot of the page in its original form from October 2, while the most recent snapshot from October 9 shows the page as down, suggesting Apple removed it sometime between these two dates.
Over the last couple of weeks, MacRumors has independently observed a gradual removal of all links to Beats' support website from Apple's own support pages. Apple also quietly retired its Beats Updater utility that lets users update the firmware of their Beats Wireless headphones, earphones, and speakers.
Apple still sells Beats-branded products on the headphones and speakers section of its online store. However, earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple is no longer selling headphones and wireless speakers from companies like Sonos, Bose, and Logitech. Apple did something similar in the past, eliminating stock of fitness trackers ahead of the launch Apple Watch.
These moves all point to Apple readying itself for new product launches in the audio category. Rumors indicate Apple is working on several new audio products, including a smaller, lower-cost HomePod and high-end over-ear Apple-branded headphones that could be called "AirPods Studio," to be sold alongside the AirPods and AirPods Pro.
Both of these new products are expected to launch before the end of the year, and the removal of the third-party audio products from the online store suggests we could be seeing Apple's new audio devices soon, perhaps as soon as this week at Apple's "Hi, Speed" event on Tuesday, October 13, when it is also expected to announce the new iPhone 12 lineup.
Update 10:50 a.m.: The Beats by Dre landing page has returned to the store section of Apple's website.
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