MacRumors

In a research note shared by Business Insider, Wedbush Securities analysts said that Apple may release a cheaper iPhone 12 in early 2021 with no 5G connectivity.

Wedbush initially believed Apple would launch a mix of 4G and 5G iPhone 12 models this fall. Following re-examination of Asian supply chains, analysts Daniel Ives, Strecker Backe, and Ahmad Khalil revised the predictions, concluding that they now expect multiple ‌5G iPhone‌ 12 models this fall, and one cheaper 4G-only model in early 2021.

Ives told Business Insider that this 4G-only variant could launch around February, and would be cheaper than ‌5G iPhone‌ 12 models, with a price around $800. He added that the ‌5G iPhone‌ 12 models are unlikely to be more expensive than the current prices of ‌iPhone‌ 11 and ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, despite the additional connectivity features.

"Price points will be aggressive as Apple goes after their broader customer base," Ives commented. "Especially in a recession, in a COVID-19 backdrop, they need to make sure they're hitting all price categories."

A total of four OLED iPhones in 5.4, 6.1, and 6.7-inch sizes are expected in fall 2020. Rumors suggest the 6.7-inch ‌‌iPhone‌‌ and one 6.1-inch model will be higher-end devices with triple-lens cameras, while the 5.4 and 6.1-inch models will be lower-end iPhones with dual-lens cameras and a more affordable price.

It has been reported that the different sizes may see a staggered launch. During Apple's third fiscal quarter earnings call, Apple CFO Luca Maestri confirmed that Apple is expecting to release this year's iPhones later than usual.

Apple has included an ECG function in new Apple Watch models since 2018, providing users in select territories with the ability to measure the electrical activity of their heart. Apple now appears to be ready to extend the ECG feature to South Korea, based on recent government filings.

According to etnews, Apple has obtained an approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in South Korea for its ECG app. Apple will likely issue an update to ‌Apple Watch‌ users in the country to enable the electrocardiogram feature and irregular heart notifications on their devices, since the company has now completed every prerequisite for a Korean version.

Apple routinely has to gain approval from government health agencies before marketing the ‌Apple Watch‌'s ECG feature in different countries. Apple won U.S. FDA clearance to promote the function when the ‌Apple Watch‌ Series 4 launched in 2018.

In May, Japan and Brazil gained approval for ECG functionality and irregular heart rhythm notifications on Apple Watch, but it appears as though users in those countries are still waiting for the features to be enabled.

Twitter today announced it will begin testing a feature with a small group of users that automatically translates tweets that are in a language they may not be able to read.

Currently, users whose primary language is set to English in Twitter can tap or click a button to manually translate a tweet in their feed that's in another language.

Starting today, however, users in Brazil will see English-language tweets that have been automatically translated to Brazilian Portuguese, rather than having to manually opt to translate it themselves.

Twitter explained the pilot test in a blog post:

In order to make it easier to understand the conversations you follow on Twitter, we are experimenting automatic translations to Tweets in other languages that appear on your home page. We know that sometimes it can take a long time to translate Tweet by Tweet and stay on top of what is relevant to you.

Twitter says that one part of the testing group will see the translated text and can click to return it to the original language, while the other part will view the translation and the original text in the same tweet in a standard way. If a tweet is translated, it will be accompanied by the warning, "Translated from English by Google" or "Translated from English by Microsoft."

According to 9to5Mac, however, some Brazilian users have already voiced their frustration with the experimental feature because the automatic translations are enabled by default, and inevitably some machine translations aren't always accurate.

The test is only in Brazil and applies to a limited group of people on iOS and Android. It's unclear if or when it will expand to more countries – as with all experimental features, there's no guarantee that it will survive the testing phase.

Parallels Desktop 16 released today, bringing some notable new features and performance enhancements to the virtualization software, including full support for macOS Big Sur.

When Apple introduced macOS Big Sur, it ended support for the third-party kernel extensions that previous versions of Parallels were built on. That forced the developers to re-engineer the virtualization software from the ground up, but that challenge has now been officially completed.

While support for Big Sur is the headline feature, Parallels 16 also comes with several new features and improvements. This version claims to launch twice as fast and offers a 20 percent improvement in DirectX performance, with OpenGL 3 graphics in Windows and Linux also said to be improved.

There are new multi-touch gestures for Windows apps such as smooth zoom and rotate multi-touch gestures, while printing from Windows (with Shared Printers) now allows users to print on both sides and use more paper sizes, from A0 to envelope.

Virtual machines can now be set to automatically return unused disk space when shutting down, and Windows Travel Mode claims to be able to increase laptop battery by up to 10 percent.

Elsewhere, Pro Edition users can now name their custom networks, and export virtual machines in a compressed format that are a said to be a fraction of their pre-compressed size. Parallels has also launched a plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio to simplify testing on different operating systems.

Lastly, in addition to all the work that has gone on under the hood to ensure Big Sur compatibility, Parallels 16 also brings a new look to the software that's more in keeping with Apple's redesigned interface in macOS 11.

There's no word at present whether Parallels will run Windows on the forthcoming Apple Silicon Macs that Apple announced at WWDC, but Parallels says it will release further information on this further down the line.

Parallels Desktop 16 requires High Sierra 10.13 or later to run, and can be purchased for a one-off fee of $99.99 for the standard edition, with the more feature-laden Pro and Business editions available at $79.99 per year on a subscription basis.

Users with Parallels Desktop 14 and 15 (including Pro and Business Editions) can upgrade for $49.99, while college students in the United States, Canada, Germany and U.K. have access to the reduced price Student Edition. A 14-day trial of the virtualization suite is also available.

Apple CEO Tim Cook's net worth has climbed to over $1 billion, according to calculations by Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.

At a net worth of $1 billion, Cook doesn't rank on the chart of the world's 500 richest people, a list topped by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. According to Bloomberg, Cook's net worth was calculated using regulatory filings and market performance.

When former Apple CEO Steve Jobs died in 2011, Apple was valued at approximately $350 billion, and the company has grown significantly under Cook's leadership. Much of Cook's fortune stems from stock awards provided when he took over as CEO. He was awarded with restricted stock units that have vested over time, and has garnered additional stock awards as Apple has outperformed at least two thirds of the firms in the S&P 500.

Later this month, Cook is set to receive his ninth payout, which will include 560,000 shares of Apple stock and should boost his net worth by approximately $100 million.

Cook has said in the past that he plans to give most of his money away to charity, and that he's developing a "systematic approach to philanthropy." For the last several years, Cook has donated $5 million in stock to various charities on a yearly basis, though the charities have gone unnamed and it's unclear if there have been other undisclosed donations.

Apple is facing App Store scrutiny in Russia as the Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) today said (via Interfax) that Apple abused its dominant ‌App Store‌ position and limited competition in the iOS app market by banning parental control apps.

The FAS began investigating Apple's ‌App Store‌ policies back in August 2019 after Apple cracked down on parental control apps using Mobile Device Management functionality.

Cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab lodged an antitrust complaint with the FAS after Apple pulled the Kaspersky Safe Kids app from the ‌App Store‌. Kaspersky Safe Kids had, at the time, been in the ‌App Store‌ for three years before Apple said that it was no longer allowed to use configuration profiles.

According to the Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service, since 2018, Apple has limited "instruments and opportunities for the development of parental control apps," leading to the loss of functionality in third-party apps.

The FAS also pointed out that the removal of the parental control apps coincided with the launch of the Screen Time feature, and that Apple is able to block any third-party app even if the app meets Apple's specifications.

"Apple occupies a dominant position with a 100% share of the market for mobile apps based on the iOS operating system because it is only legally possible to install such apps from the ‌App Store‌," said the FAS.

The FAS plans to order Apple to address the regulatory violations. In response, Apple said that it respects the FAS but disagrees with the decision and will appeal the ruling.

Apple is also facing an antitrust investigation in the United States, with Apple CEO Tim Cook recently testifying in front of the U.S. House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee, where he was grilled on Apple's App Store policies.

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 today seeded the first public beta of an upcoming watchOS 7 update to public beta testers, one week after seeding the fourth beta to developers and a month and a half after the Worldwide Developers Conference.

The update can be downloaded after installing the proper profile from Apple's Public Beta website. watchOS 7 should not be installed on a primary device as it is still an early beta and there could be bugs.

watchOS 7 is a major update that introduces a new Sleep Tracking feature for the Apple Watch, which is designed to measure how long you're asleep as you wear the Apple Watch while sleeping.

It comes along with a Wind Down feature that helps you establish a bedtime routine to make it easier to fall asleep at night, as well as a Sleep Mode that turns on Do Not Disturb and dims the Apple Watch display.

The Apple Watch can also wake you up with haptic vibrations, providing a weather report in the morning as well as info on battery life so you can get your day started.

Along with these sleep tracking features, the Apple Watch has automatic handwashing detection that listens for the sound of running water and handwashing motions and then starts a 20-second timer so you can make sure you're washing your hands for the appropriate amount of time.

There's a new watch Face Sharing feature that lets you share watch faces with others and install new watch faces from the App Store, Messages, Mail, websites, and more.

There's a new Chronograph Pro face with tachymeter, updates to complications, and new workout options in the newly renamed Fitness app, which was previously the Activity app.

The Maps app now supports directions for cyclists, Siri provides spoken translations, and there's a Shortcuts app on the Apple Watch. For more on what's new in watcOS 7, make sure to check out our watchOS 7 roundup.

watchOS 7 is limited to the Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, and Series 5 models, and is not compatible with the Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2.

Apple News in iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur has a toggle that's designed to open web links from ‌Apple News‌+ publishers directly in ‌Apple News‌, which has the effect of directing users who tap to read a news story in Safari to the ‌Apple News‌ app instead of to the publisher's website.

Enabled by default in the Settings app, the option to open web links in ‌Apple News‌ is an ‌Apple News‌+ "feature," so an ‌Apple News‌+ subscription is required to have the ‌Apple News‌ app open when a web link is tapped.

The option to open links in ‌Apple News‌ instead of on the web was highlighted by Tony Haile, who points out that Apple is intercepting traffic from websites and directing it to the ‌Apple News‌ app instead, cannibalizing a publisher's audience and drawing more users to ‌Apple News‌+. Haile suggests that Apple can accelerate News+ growth by intercepting publisher traffic, with the ultimate aim of attracting more publishers to the platform with a growing subscription base.

Publishers are not likely to be appreciative of this feature, even limited to ‌Apple News‌+ subscribers, because the feature is enabled by default in the iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur updates. Apple has struggled to gain new subscribers to ‌Apple News‌+, while also dealing with publishers who are not happy with the service because of its low subscription rates.

There have been multiple reports suggesting publishers are unimpressed with the revenue generated from ‌Apple News‌+, which has fallen below Apple's initial promises. ‌Apple News‌+ attracted multiple magazine publishers from launch thanks to Apple's acquisition of magazine service Texture, but it has struggled to entice news publishers.

The New York Times and The Washington Post have refused to participate in ‌Apple News‌+, as have many other news sites. The New York Times recently ended its Apple News partnership entirely and pulled all articles from the service, stating that ‌Apple News‌ does not "align with its strategy of building direct relationships with paying readers."

The redirecting feature appears to be limited to publishers who participate in ‌Apple News‌+, so this change in iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur could perhaps spur additional publishers to end their relationships with ‌Apple News‌. ‌Apple News‌+ readers on iOS 14 can open the News section of the Settings app to disable "Open Web Links in News" while macOS Big Sur users can get to the toggle by opening the News app and then going to the settings section.

Many ‌Apple News‌+ users have been asking for a way to open up web links in ‌Apple News‌+ to avoid paywalls on the web, so ‌Apple News‌+ subscribers that pay for the service are likely to be appreciative of the new feature.

Google today announced the launch of several features for Google Maps on Apple products, including new CarPlay functionality and a new Google Maps app that works on Apple Watch.

The new Google Maps app for Apple Watch works similarly to the iOS app, allowing Apple Watch owners to get directions for a car, bike, public transit, or on foot.

The app supports estimated arrival times and step-by-step directions on Apple Watch when using saved destinations like Work or Home. Other destinations require navigation to start on iPhone, with the directions then picked up by Apple Watch.

For ‌CarPlay‌, there's ‌CarPlay‌ Dashboard integration for switching or pausing songs from a media app, rewinding or fast forwarding podcasts or audiobooks, or quickly checking calendar appointments all while turn-by-turn directions remain on the ‌CarPlay‌ display. All info is displayed in a split screen view.

Google Maps works with ‌CarPlay‌ Dashboard on all ‌CarPlay‌ supported vehicles around the world. The Google Maps app for Apple Watch will be rolling out in the coming weeks.

Google Maps can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Apple imported staff uniforms from a company subject to U.S. sanctions over forced labor, according to a report from The Guardian.

The company in question, Changji Esquel Textile, is a subsidiary firm of Hong Kong garment group Esquel. Shipping records reveal Changji Esquel Textile is based in China's western Xinjiang region.

In July, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Esquel and 10 other Chinese companies for alleged human rights abuses, including forced labor. U.S. commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, said the sanctions were intended to prevent U.S. companies being implicated in "the Chinese Communist party's despicable offensive against defenseless Muslim minority populations."

Esquel has denied allegations of abuse, stating "We absolutely have not, do not, and will never use forced labor anywhere in our company," as it attempted to appeal about the sanctions. A 2019 international audit found there was no modern-day slavery at the company.

The report comes shortly after CEO Tim Cook told a congressional antitrust inquiry that Apple would not tolerate "abhorrent" forced labor or modern-day slavery in the company's supply chains.

"We wouldn't tolerate it. We would terminate a supplier relationship if it was found," Cook said, adding he would be enthusiastic to contribute to legislation on banning forced labor.

Until recently, the Esquel website listed Apple as a "major customer." One month before the sanctions were announced by the U.S. government, Changji Esquel Textile sent a shipment of knit shirts to Apple retail stores in California, according to shipping data provided by Panjiva. If this is the case, Apple used a company accused of human rights violations.

"Esquel is not a direct supplier to Apple but our suppliers do use cotton from their facilities in Guangzhou and Vietnam. We have confirmed no Apple supplier sources cotton from Xinjiang and there are no plans for future sourcing of cotton from the region," said a spokesperson for Apple.

The statement does not mention if Esquel or any Xinjiang-based textile company was previously a supplier to Apple. The Xinjiang region is particularly associated with forced-labor, according to The Guardian. In March, a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute think-tank named Apple among 83 other major companies benefiting from the use of potentially abusive labor transfer programs in Xinjiang.

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.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, New York City's transit agency MTA has encouraged Apple to accelerate the deployment of technology-based solutions to further protect users amid the global health crisis.

MTA Chairman Patrick Foye said riders have been seen removing their masks to unlock their iPhones using Face ID, despite a recent software update by Apple that makes it easier for masked users to enter their passcode instead.

"We understand Apple is working to address the issue and know that Apple has a range of technologies at its disposal as a global leader among tech companies," Foye wrote in the letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook. "We urge Apple to accelerate the deployment of new technologies and solutions that further protect customers in the era of COVID-19."

Foye said that the MTA would be willing to collaborate with Apple to promote a recent change in iOS 13.5 that allows a masked user to swipe up on the screen to immediately bring up the passcode interface when unlocking their iPhone. This could discourage people from taking off their mask briefly to unlock with Face ID, which does not work with masks.

The report notes that the MTA lost more than 90 percent of its subway ridership during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in the New York area. Ridership is said to have slowly increased again, but still lags far behind pre-pandemic levels.

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 has ranked third in the annual Fortune Global 500 list of the world's largest companies for profit, and twelfth for revenue.

This year's Fortune Global 500 companies' operating income reached a record high of $33 trillion, close to the combined GDP of China and the United States. Together, this year's Fortune Global 500 companies employ 69.9 million people worldwide and are represented by 32 countries. Wal-Mart was again the world's largest company, for the seventh consecutive year.

Apple's revenue is reported as $260.174 billion, of which $55.256 billion is profit. Apple was only surpassed in profits by investment firm Berkshire Hathaway and oil company Saudi Aramco. Interestingly, Berkshire Hathaway has a 5.7% stake in Apple, which accounts for more than a fifth of its entire value.

In spite of a slight downturn for Apple in the last financial year, Fortune remains positive about Apple's ability to make money. iPhone continues to dominate sales, although subscriptions are rapidly becoming an important part of Apple's business model.

Mighty Apple dipped a smidge in 2019, down 2% to $260 billion in sales. The computer and phone maker's ability to make money cushioned the blow. Apple earned $55 billion. Three categories tell the story of Apple's sales doldrums. iPhone sales, 55% of Apple's total, fell 14%. Increases in sales of services like streaming and subscriptions, 18% of the total, grew 16%. And wearables (AirPods and Watches) and other non-phone accessories (iPods, HomePods, and Beats products) leapt 41%, but account for only 9% of the pie.

Apple is estimated to currently have 137,000 employees, and recently reported record third fiscal quarter revenue of $59.7 billion and net quarterly profit of $11.25 billion.

Apple has ranked in the Fortune Global 500 top 20 since 2013. Last year, the company ranked one place higher for both revenue and profit. In May, Apple ranked fourth in the Fortune 500 list of America's largest companies. Apple has now ranked in the top five for seven consecutive years.

Apple's largest manufacturing partner Foxconn has begun its seasonal hiring spree to assist with iPhone 12 production, offering employees who recruit qualified applicants up to a 9,000 yuan bonus, according to Chinese media reports.

As usual, Foxconn needs as many hands on deck as possible at its factory in Zhengzhou, China to assist with mass production of the upcoming iPhones. Apple is widely expected to announce four ‌iPhone‌ 12 models this year, including a 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and a 6.7-inch model, all with OLED displays and 5G connectivity.

While new iPhones usually begin shipping in late September, Apple recently indicated that supply will be available "a few weeks later" this year.

"In addition, as you know, last year, we started selling new iPhones in late September. This year, we project supply to be available a few weeks later," said Apple CFO Luca Maestri on the company's July 31 earnings call.

For everything we expect from the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, read our in-depth roundup.

Apple is countersuing Stereophone inventor and audio manufacturer Koss over a patent lawsuit it recently filed in Waco, Texas, accusing Apple and several audio companies of violating patents relating to its wireless headphone technology.

In the Koss lawsuit, originally spotted by Patently Apple, AirPods and Beats wireless headphones are accused of violating five patents relating to wireless headphone technology that Koss essentially says it pioneered in the industry. The four patents describe wireless earphones that involve a transceiver circuit, enabling a device to stream audio from a digital audio player, computer, or wireless network.

Koss said Apple was aware of these patents and met several times to discuss using them, before deciding not to license any of the company's technology. Koss now wants an unspecified amount in compensation for the alleged infringements, "which by law cannot be less than a reasonable royalty, together with interests and costs."

In Apple's filing registered with the U.S. District Court for the Northern California on August 8, however, it claims Koss' allegations are "baseless." Moreover, it alleges that the lawsuit also breaks a written confidentiality agreement that Koss demanded and Apple ultimately agreed to in 2017.

According to the agreement, neither Apple nor Koss "would use or attempt to use any Communications [between the parties], or the existence thereof, in a litigation or any other administrative or court proceeding for any purpose."

According to the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement, while the agreement was in force, Apple could not advise a Court of Koss' threats to file baseless infringement claims or ask a Court to declare Apple's rights and resolve the legal uncertainty it faced. The Confidentiality Agreement also restricted how Apple could disclose and use the existence and contents of the discussions. But the agreement also protected Apple—Koss was not permitted to later use the fact that Apple had agreed to a discussion with Koss, or the contents of the discussion, against Apple in litigation.

In other words, having enticed Apple to participate in discussions, reveal information, and forego some of its legal options, Koss could not use Apple's participation against it as a "gotcha" to bring claims in a later litigation.

Apple now says this is precisely what Koss has done in bringing the lawsuit, thereby rendering it invalid. In addition to the alleged breach of contract, Apple also submitted documentary evidence that it says proves that it hasn't violated any of the patents cited by Koss in its original litigation.

Apart from Apple, other companies targeted by the Koss lawsuit include Bose, JLab, Plantronics, and Skullcandy, all of which allegedly violate Koss patents related to in-ear wireless headphones technology that is now used widely in the audio market.

TikTok plans to sue the Trump administration as soon as this week, challenging the president's recent executive order to ban the short-form video sharing platform from the United States.

According to a source who spoke to NPR, TikTok will file a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Southern California, where its American operations are based, as early as Tuesday.

NPR has learned that the lawsuit will argue that President Trump's far-reaching action is unconstitutional because it failed to give the company a chance to respond. It also alleges that the administration's national security justification for the order is baseless, according to the source.

"It's based on pure speculation and conjecture," the source said. "The order has no findings of fact, just reiterates rhetoric about China that has been kicking around."

White House spokesman Judd Deere declined to comment on the potential lawsuit, and instead defended the executive order. "The Administration is committed to protecting the American people from all cyber related threats to critical infrastructure, public health and safety, and our economic and national security," he said.

Trump on Friday signed two executive orders that would officially ban any U.S. transactions with the Chinese companies that own TikTok and WeChat in 45 days, in an escalation of the ongoing technological cold war between the two countries.

TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, said it was "shocked" by the executive order and that it would respond in court, if necessary. In a statement, TikTok said, "The text of the decision makes it plain that there has been a reliance on unnamed 'reports' with no citations, fears that the app 'may be' used for misinformation campaigns with no substantiation of such fears, and concerns about the collection of data that is industry standard for thousands of mobile apps around the world."

Microsoft has publicly confirmed its intention to purchase TikTok in the United States within 45 days, and the company is currently in discussions with ByteDance. Twitter has also reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the service. A previous report suggesting Apple is interested in buying the app turned out to be inaccurate.

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.