MacRumors

Two weeks after its nationwide launch, NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service has accumulated 10 million free and paid users, reports The Verge.

"NBCUniversal successfully launched Peacock in Cable's footprint in April, ahead of the streaming service's U.S. nationwide launch earlier this month, with 10 million sign-ups to date," Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts stated during the earnings report. "The company is really trying to lean into streaming," he said. "I'm pretty excited as the world is transitioning… broadband is making that all possible."

It was a positive announcement among otherwise disappointing second-quarter earnings, as the company continues to struggle with the impact of the global situation on entertainment divisions. Peacock is a key part of NBCUniversal's restructuring, in which it will "shift resources from linear to streaming," according to NBCU CEO Jeff Shell.

The service showcases NBC shows such as "30 Rock," "Cheers," "Downton Abbey," and "Saturday Night Live," with live sporting events such as the English Premier League and the U.S. Open Championship.

Peacock was considered a late entrant to the crowded streaming service market, but has surpassed HBO Max, which has drawn 4.1 million subscribers since its launch in May. HBO Max does not have a free tier like Peacock, however. While Peacock has pleased executives with its performance, Comcast's home internet and cable segment lost 477,000 video subscribers.

Apple's rival service, Apple TV+, has been reported to have had slow growth, and it is estimated that fewer than 15 percent of eligible customers have signed up, despite the offer of a one-year free trial with the purchase of Apple hardware. Apple does not report subscriber numbers.

Like HBO Max, Peacock is not available on Amazon Fire TV or Roku. Peacock is available on iOS and ‌Apple TV‌, and operates with both a free and a premium tier.

Update: This article has been updated to make clearer that the count includes users on both free and paid tiers.

Apple offered Amazon lower App Store fees to convince it to launch its Prime Video app on the ‌App Store‌ and Apple TV, documents published by the U.S. antitrust subcommittee have revealed.

According to email correspondence between Apple's services chief Eddy Cue and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple struck a deal to bring Amazon Prime Video into the ‌App Store‌ by agreeing to take a 15% revenue share of subscriptions signed-up through the app. Apple usually takes a 30% share of all ‌App Store‌ subscription revenue, dropping to 15% only if the subscription continues for a second year.

In 2016, when the meeting took place, Amazon Prime Video wasn't available on ‌Apple TV‌, which competes directly with Amazon's Fire TV. At the time, Bezos admitted that Amazon was holding out for "acceptable business terms" from Apple to include its service on Apple's set-top box. It's unclear if the reduced subscriptions cut was part of the final terms of the agreement.

According to the email, Apple also agreed to take a 15% share of third-party Amazon Channels sold through the app if the subscriber used Apple payment processing, agreed to support integration with Siri and pipe in Prime Video content to its TV app for iOS, and agreed to include Prime Video results in ‌Siri‌ and Spotlight searches. A year after the email was sent, Amazon Prime Video launched on ‌Apple TV‌.

Other documents shared by the committee also reveal correspondence between Apple and Amazon regarding the 2018 deal for Apple to officially sell devices on Amazon's website. Bloomberg notes that the documents show Amazon expected to bring in $3.2 billion from the deal in the first year, including $1.1 billion from iPhone sales.

The reduced ‌App Store‌ fees for Amazon's Prime Video app are actually part of a longstanding policy run by Apple to provide better fees for subscription-based streaming video apps.

However, the antitrust subcommittee interpreted the deal as representing preferential treatment given to Amazon and that Apple was not treating its developers equally when it came to providing access to its ‌App Store‌ and other platforms. "That is not correct," Cook said on Wednesday when asked by the subcommittee if some developers are treated differently. "We treat every developer the same."

Apple is facing another antitrust complaint in Europe, this time from the developers of encrypted messaging app Telegram.

In a complaint to the EU Commission, the app's creators argue that Apple must give iOS users the opportunity to download software outside of the App Store. The Financial Times reports:

In a complaint to EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager, Telegram, which has more than 400m users, said Apple must "allow users to have the opportunity of downloading software outside of the App Store".

According to the paywalled report, Telegram's complaint recounts how in 2016 it was prevented from launching a gaming platform on the ‌App Store‌ because it was deemed to violate Apple's rules. Telegram subsequently dismantled the venture to avoid "being deleted from the ‌App Store‌," and claimed that it was "an example of Apple's capacity to curb innovation thanks to its 'monpolistic power' on the app market."

The complaint follows a blog post earlier this week by Telegram founder Pavel Durov in which he takes Apple to task and lists seven "myths" that the company uses to justify its 30 percent commission on apps hosted in the ‌App Store‌.

Telegram is the third company after Spotify and Rakuten to formally complain to the EU Commission, which is already conducting two investigations into Apple's ‌App Store‌ and Apple Pay.

This antitrust complaint is separate to the ongoing U.S. antitrust current investigation. On Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook defended the company's ‌App Store‌ policies in a congressional hearing.

Apple once considered taking a 40 percent cut from some subscription apps, according to documents shared today by the House Judiciary Committee (via Bloomberg).

Back in March 2011, Apple's services boss Eddy Cue emailed three other executives and suggested Apple should "ask for 40% for the first year only," but that a "few deals" needed to be worked out for Apple to "see what is right."

One of the executives, Jai Chulani, wrote back that Apple could be "leaving money on the table" asking for 30 percent in the first year of subscriptions.

At the time, the emails referred to apps that offered digital content like Hulu on the Apple TV rather than apps running on iPhone and iPad, though Apple had launched App Store subscriptions in February 2011.

Apple ultimately decided to take a 30 percent cut from subscriptions purchased through the ‌App Store‌, and later reduced that rate for longer running subscriptions. Today, when customers sign up for a subscription within an app, Apple collects 30 percent for the first year, and 15 percent for the second year and all subsequent years.

Apple CEO Tim Cook during his testimony at today's antitrust subcommittee meeting emphasized that Apple has not changed its ‌App Store‌ fees since the ‌App Store‌ launched, and has in fact lowered them, referencing the 15 percent cut.

Ahead of the antitrust meeting, Apple also commissioned a study suggesting Apple's ‌App Store‌ fees are in line with the fees collected by other digital marketplaces and service providers.

Leaker Jon Prosser, who has a somewhat mixed track record when it comes to predicting Apple's plans, today said that new iPhone 12 models and new iPads will launch in October.

Multiple rumors have suggested that some or all of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models coming this year will see a later than normal launch. Apple typically unveils and releases new iPhones in the month of September, but problems caused by the global health crisis have resulted in manufacturing delays.

Just today, Qualcomm insinuated that one of its 5G partners will see a "slight" launch delay, a statement that most likely refers to Apple. Apple plans to use Qualcomm's 5G chips in all new 2020 ‌iPhone‌ models.

So far we don't know exactly how long the iPhones will be delayed, but Apple could unveil new devices in September and then release them later, as it did with the ‌iPhone‌ XR in 2018. October is a relatively safe guess, as Qualcomm suggested the delay won't be too long and other rumors have also pointed toward an October launch.

Prosser did not provide insight into which iPad models will see a refresh, but there have been some rumors suggesting an iPad Pro with mini-LED display is in the works, though most information suggests that launch has been delayed until 2021.

The ‌iPad Pro‌ was already refreshed this year, but Apple has not yet updated the iPad mini, the iPad Air, or the low-cost iPad, so all of those could see minor revamps.

There have been some specific rumors indicating that Apple is working on an 11-inch iPad Air with an all-screen display and under-display Touch ID, and if accurate, that would be the most notable ‌iPad‌ refresh on the horizon.

Prosser has accurately predicted some of Apple's launch plans, but he has also shared incorrect information such as suggesting Apple planned to rename the ‌iPhone‌ "iPhoneOS" and providing images of a fake AirPower-like wireless charging mat. Some of his claims have also been somewhat outlandish, such as the suggestion that Apple is working on a set of Steve Jobs heritage edition Apple Glasses modeled after the glasses that Jobs wore.

Earlier this week, Prosser said that Apple will launch a new iMac in August.

Apple today updated its Apple Store app with a new "For You" tab that offers access to order status, devices, accessory recommendations, services, reservations, and product tips, all in one simple to access place.

There's also a feature that's designed to allow you to compare a new iPhone you're considering purchasing with your existing ‌iPhone‌ so you can see the difference at a glance.

The updated ‌Apple Store‌ app, which lets Apple customers make purchases, view orders, find accessories, and more, can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Qualcomm today shared its third quarter earnings report and hinted that Apple's upcoming 5G iPhones could be delayed, according to Reuters. Qualcomm said its fourth quarter projections might be impacted by the "delay of a global 5G flagship phone launch."

From Qualcomm CFO Akash Palkhiwala, who referred to the delay as "slight":

"We're seeing a partial impact from the delay of a flagship phone launch. And so what we've seen is a slight delay that pushes some of the units out from the September quarter to the December quarter for us."

The fourth quarter covers July, August, and September, and September is typically the month when Apple launches new smartphones. Given the release timelines of other smartphones and Apple's size, it's unlikely that Qualcomm is referring to a different smartphone launch, even though Qualcomm declined to name Apple or the iPhone.

Apple is using Qualcomm's 5G chips in its ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, and all models are expected to support 5G technology. There have been multiple rumors indicating Apple's ‌iPhone‌ launch will be delayed this year due to the ongoing global health crisis and restrictions on travel.

So far, rumors have indicated that iPhones could be delayed by about a month, which suggests a launch in October rather than September. It's not clear if all iPhones will be delayed, or if some models will come out in September while others launch in October or later.

Apple is still likely to unveil the new iPhones in September as it usually does, launching the devices later in the year. There is precedent for a launch that's uncoupled from an announcement. In 2018, Apple debuted the ‌iPhone‌ XS, XS Max, and XR, with the two more expensive iPhones launching in September and the XR coming later in October.

We're expecting a total of four iPhones in 5.4, 6.1, and 6.7-inch sizes in 2020, with more details available in our iPhone 12 roundup.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was, as expected, questioned about Apple's App Store policies during today's antitrust hearing with the U.S. House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee. Cook primarily stuck to the talking points provided in his opening statement [PDF], but he did have some extra color to add.

Cook was specifically questioned about email app "Hey" from Basecamp, which was at the center of a huge controversy earlier this year after Apple approved the app and then threatened to remove it from the ‌App Store‌ because Hey was skirting Apple's in-app purchase rules.

At issue was the fact that the "Hey" app was non-functional for customers unless they subscribed to the $99 per year Hey email service outside of the ‌App Store‌. Hey did not want to give Apple a 30 percent cut of profits, while Apple claimed that it did not want an app that "doesn't work" on the ‌App Store‌. Hey at the time opened to a blank screen asking users to log in.

When asked about the inconsistency over the approval of the app and the subsequent controversy, Cook didn't have much to say other than pointing out that the issue was resolved and that the ‌App Store‌ provides a lot of value for developers.

Hey is in the App Store today and we're happy that they're there. I believe they have a version of their product for free so they're not paying anything on that. I would also say that the 15 or 30 percent is for lots of different services, compilers, programming languages, APIs, etc. [...]

It's an economic miracle that the App Store allows a person in their basement to start a company and serve 170 countries in the world. I believe it's the highest job creator in the last decade.

Cook went on to explain that Apple does sometimes make mistakes given the volume of apps that are examined each week. "I'm sure we made errors," said Cook. "We get 100,000 apps submitted a week and there are 1.7 million apps in the ‌App Store‌."

Cook was asked if Apple's 15 to 30 percent cut that it takes from apps squeezes out the next generation of App makers and whether it's unjust, and Cook said no.

No, I don't think so. There are a lot of apps on the store and a lot of people are making a very good living.

There were questions on whether Apple was "extracting" commissions from apps that have had to change their business models in response to the pandemic like Airbnb and ClassPass, (as outlined here) and whether this was pandemic profiteering.

Cook said Apple would "never do that." He went on to explain that if something has moved to a digital service that does not follow the ‌App Store‌ rules, that it does need to go through the ‌App Store‌. "In the cases I'm aware of, we're working with the developers," he said.

As for educational apps, Cook said that Apple will not make efforts to monetize apps that students adopt as they transition to learning digitally.

We're proud of what we've done in education. We're serving that market in a significant way. We will work with people who move from a physical to virtual world because of the pandemic.

When asked about limiting copy cat apps and whether those rules apply to Apple, Cook said that he was not familiar with what was being asked, but Apple is subjected to the same rules as other app developers. The Congressman questioning him, Joe Neguse, said that Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules allow Apple to use any data collected by developers to create clone apps while also preventing these kind of apps from developers.

Cook said that he was not familiar with that, and that he'd follow up with the Congressman's office. He did, however, say that Apple would "never steal somebody's IP."

Cook's full testimony can be watched on YouTube as the U.S. House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee livestreamed the proceedings.

Apple in early 2019 removed or restricted many popular screen time and parental control apps on the App Store due to their use of Mobile Device Management, or MDM, which the company said put user security and privacy at risk.

During today's antitrust hearing with the U.S. House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee, Cook was questioned about Apple's decision to remove the parental control apps, which came after the release of Apple's own Screen Time feature.

Cook said what Apple has said multiple times before, that the apps that used Mobile Device Management to allow parents to limit kids access to their devices placed data at risk. "We were worried about the safety of kids," Cook said.

Cook's statement was similar to what Apple said when the apps were removed: "These apps were using an enterprise technology that provided them access to kids' highly sensitive personal data. We do not think it is O.K. for any apps to help data companies track or optimize advertising of kids."

The Congresswoman questioning Cook asked about a specific app from the Saudi Arabian government that also used MDM, but Cook said he was not familiar with the app and that he would have to provide more data at a later date. When questioned about whether Apple applies different rules to different app developers, Cook once again said that rules are applied to all developers equally.

Cook was asked about the timing of the removal of the parental control apps, given that Screen Time had launched not too long before, a question that Cook largely skirted. He was asked why Phil Schiller had referred customers complaining about the removal of parental control apps to Screen Time, but Cook referenced the more than 30 parental control apps in the ‌App Store‌ and said there is "vibrant competition" in the parental control space in the ‌App Store‌.

When pressed on whether Apple has the power to exclude apps from the ‌App Store‌ or remove competing apps, Cook returned to what he said during his opening statement, that there's a "wide gate" for the ‌App Store‌, referring to the fact that there are more than 1.7 million apps available. "It's an economic miracle," said Cook. "We want to get every app we can on the ‌App Store‌."

In tandem with the questioning on parental control apps, Cook was asked why, in 2010, Apple used the ‌App Store‌ to push publisher Random House into participating in the iBookstore, which Random House had declined to do. In a cited document, Apple iTunes chief Eddy Cue at the time emailed Steve Jobs that he "prevented an app from Random House from going live in the ‌App Store‌," because Apple was aiming to get Random House to agree to an overall deal. Cook in response said there are "many reasons" an app might not make it through the approval process. "It might not work properly," he said.

Apple's 2019 decision to limit parental control apps led the developers of those apps to call for a public API that would allow them to access the same features that are available in Screen Time after the MDM options were restricted, which Apple declined to provide.

Mobile Device Management, which the apps used, is a feature that is specifically designed for enterprise users to manage company-owned devices. Apple's position is that the use of MDM by consumer-focused apps has privacy and security concerns that have been referenced in App Store guidelines since 2017.

Rather than providing an API, Apple ultimately decided to allow parental control app developers to use Mobile Device Management for their apps, with stricter privacy controls that prevent them from selling, using, or disclosing data to third parties. Apps must also submit an MDM capability request that evaluates how an app will use MDM to prevent abuse and to ensure no data is shared. MDM requests are re-evaluated each year.

Apple is facing another probe on its iPhone "throttling" practices, this time from Arizona attorney general Mark Brnovich, reports Reuters.

The probe, which may also involve Texas, has been ongoing since October 2018 and is attempting to determine whether Apple's deliberate slowing of older iPhones "violated deceptive trade practice laws."

Last week, reports suggested that Texas was involved in an investigation aiming to determine whether Apple deceived customers, though no other information was available at the time. It's likely that the probe in Arizona is linked to the Texas report, with both states looking into Apple's 2017 ‌iPhone‌ slowdown practices.

As many MacRumors readers know, Apple in iOS 10.2.1 (which was released in early 2017) introduced a performance management system designed to eliminate unexpected shutdowns by throttling the maximum performance of iPhones with chemically aged batteries.

Apple did not disclose how its power management system worked, leading to customer outrage when it was discovered ‌iPhone‌ performance was being downgraded. Apple said that this was to make sure that the ‌iPhone‌ lasted as long as possible, even as the battery failed.

After it was discovered that Apple was limiting ‌iPhone‌ performance, Apple apologized and ultimately launched a battery replacement program that saw the company offering replacement batteries for older devices for $29. Replacing a failing battery successfully resolves the problem that leads to shutdowns, which is why power was limited by Apple in the first place.

In addition to offering low-cost battery replacements for a year, Apple has also agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle a class action lawsuit over the issue.

Apple's performance management system is now disabled by default and it turns on only if an ‌iPhone‌ suffers an unexpected shutdown. Even then, it can be disabled, and Apple also provides much more detailed information on battery health so customers can opt for a replacement when necessary.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is today testifying in an antitrust hearing with the U.S. House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee, where he was questioned about Apple's App Store policies.

Cook was hit with complaints from developers that the committee has spoken to. Apple was accused of making its ‌App Store‌ rules unavailable to developers, arbitrarily enforcing those rules, changing them at will, enforcing rules that benefit Apple, and discriminating between smaller and larger app developers.

In response, Cook claimed that Apple treats all developers the same, with open and transparent rules. "We care deeply about privacy and quality. We look at every app, but the rules apply evenly to everyone." Cook said that some developers are not favored over others and that Apple examines all apps, small or large.

Cook was questioned about reduced commission rates for apps like Amazon Prime, which Cook said are available to "anyone meeting the conditions." The Congressman questioning Cook went on to ask whether Apple uses data collected from the ‌App Store‌ to decide whether it would be profitable for Apple to develop a competing app, a question that Cook skirted.

Cook was then asked what was stopping Apple from potentially raising its ‌App Store‌ commissions and fees, something that Apple has never done. Cook said that there's competition to attract developers just like there's competition to attract customers, likening the battle for developers to a "street fight for marketshare."

There's competition for developers just like there's a competition for customers. And so competition for developers, they can write their apps for Android, or Windows, or Xbox, or PlayStation. We have fierce competition at the developer side and the customer side. Essentially, it's so competitive I'd describe it as a street fight for market share in the smartphone business.

Cook also said that Apple does not retaliate or bully app developers who do not agree to Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules. "It's strongly against company culture," said Cook.

The antitrust hearing is ongoing, and can be watched live over on YouTube. The antitrust subcommittee is also questioning Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google/Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Most of the questions so far have been for Pichai and Zuckerberg, but we'll share additional details on anything else notable Cook has to say.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is today participating in an antitrust hearing with the U.S. House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee alongside Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The hearing was supposed to kick off at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time or 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, but it was delayed for a half hour to an hour. It can be watched live through the YouTube stream above.

Cook is expected to be grilled about Apple's App Store policies in regard to app rejection and competition, disputes with the FBI over encryption and law enforcement access to locked devices, Apple's relationship with China, and its ‌App Store‌ fees and subscription policies.

Cook was initially reluctant to participate in the hearing because he does not believe Apple should be grouped with Facebook, Amazon, and Google as an antitrust violator, but he was not able to avoid testifying after a threat of a subpoena from subcommittee chairman David Cicilline, who publicly criticized Apple's ‌App Store‌ fees.

Over the course of the last month, Cook has been preparing for the hearing, and Apple last week commissioned a third-party study on the ‌App Store‌ that found ‌App Store‌ fees to be in line with those charged by other digital marketplaces, which Cook is likely to cite. Cook's opening statement was shared yesterday, and can be read here.

We'll share highlights from the antitrust hearing covering what Cook has to say, but those interested in a complete picture of what happens at the hearing can watch live.

Mac OS 8 is now available as an app for macOS, Windows, and Linux, reports The Verge.

Slack developer Felix Rieseberg has transformed Mac OS 8 into a single downloadable app for modern macOS, Windows, and Linux devices. Having previously transformed Windows 95 into an app in 2018, Rieseberg turned his attention to transforming an entire 1991 Macintosh Quadra with Mac OS 8.1 into a single Electron app.

The app, titled "macintosh.js," is written entirely in JavaScript, and uses a virtual machine to emulate a Macintosh Quadra 900 with a Motorola CPU that Apple used before its transition to IBM's PowerPC architecture. The project has not been approved by Apple and is provided for educational purposes only.

The macintosh.js app includes a number of apps and games from a 1997 MacWorld demo CD, and includes Photoshop 3, Premiere 4, Illustrator 5.5, StuffIt Expander, and Apple’s Web Page Construction Kit. The app can also run classic games such as Duke Nukem 3D, Civilization II, Dungeons & Dragons, Namely, Oregon Trail, Alley 19 Bowling, and Damage Incorporated. Although Internet Explorer and Netscape are preinstalled, Rieseberg says the versions are so old that "you wouldn't be able to open even Google."

Originally released in 1997, Mac OS 8 represented a significant overhaul of classic Mac OS software, and integrated many of the technologies developed for Apple's cancelled Copland OS. Mired by delays, missed deadlines, and dysfunctional management, Copland was never commercially released and is regarded as one of the biggest IT project failures in history. Mac OS 8 was the remnant of Copland OS, and is credited with helping to modernize Mac OS while Apple developed Mac OS X.

Hobbyists have set about making classic versions of macOS available on modern devices in the past, such as the Internet Archive's collection of classic Macintosh software that can be emulated in a browser.

Instagram is offering financial incentives to prominent TikTok users in an attempt to persuade them to use Instagram's upcoming "Reels" feature, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Instagram is seeking to kickstart its new Reels service by making lucrative offers to popular TikTok creators with millions of followers. Set to launch next month, Reels is Instagram's answer to TikTok's short-form video clips.

Incentive payments for some are reported to be in the "hundreds of thousands of dollars," with the highest payouts for creators who commit to posting their videos exclusively to Reels. For creators who refuse to post exclusively to Reels, Instagram has asked that they post their videos to Reels before posting them to other platforms. Popular TikTok creators have been known to be the subject of payments from large companies to use specific songs, wear branded clothing, and promote products in their videos, in order to reach large audiences.

Instagram has "approached a diverse range of creators about Reels in several of the countries where it's currently being tested," a company spokesperson said. "We remain committed to investing in both our creators and their experience." Instagram is offering to cover the costs of producing their videos, and has reportedly used nondisclosure agreements to dissuade creators from sharing the terms of the potential deals.

Last week, TikTok announced a $200 million fund to counter Instagram's push, intended to help creators on the platform to "realize additional earnings that help reward the care and dedication they put into creatively connecting with an audience that's inspired by their ideas."

Following the announcement of Reels earlier this month, news of financial incentives for creators is confirmation that Instagram is gearing up to directly compete with TikTok. In April, YouTube announced "Shorts," a new service that will also replicate the short video format to compete with TikTok.

TikTok, owned by parent company ByteDance, has faced increasing global scrutiny in recent weeks over security and privacy concerns related to its Chinese roots.

Reels is scheduled to launch in the U.S. and several other countries next month, with numerous "exclusive posts" from prominent creators.