appleinsider

UK Ban on selling locked iPhones begins in late 2021

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 10:12:02 GMT

Saying the practice discourages users from switching carriers, the UK's Ofcom regulatory body has ruled that all phones will have to be sold unlocked from late 2021.

From December 2021, all UK phones must be sold unlocked

Ofcom, the UK regulator expected to auction 5G's 700MHz spectrum in early 2021, has announced that it is to ban the sale of phones that are locked to certain carriers. From December 2021, all UK phones must be sold unlocked.

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iPhone 12 can act as 5GHz Wi-Fi hotspot, boon for 5G

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 04:28:09 GMT

Apple's iPhone 12 series sports an upgraded hotspot mode that supports 5GHz Wi-Fi connectivity, greatly expanding the handsets' utility amid a worldwide buildout of 5G cellular networks.

As noted by multiple reports on Twitter, including Zollotech's Aaron Zollo, iPhone 12 devices include the new Personal Hotspot ability that serves as an upgrade over previous iPhone models. Prior to iPhone 12, Apple's smartphone was able to connect to both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, but limited hotspot duties to the 2.4GHz band.The capability is not spelled out in Apple's marketing materials, nor is the feature explained in iOS. Zollo, however, has confirmed a new "Maximize Compatibility" option manages switching between the two bands.

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MagSafe 15W fast charging restricted to Apple 20W adapter

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 00:50:58 GMT

New testing shows Apple's MagSafe charging puck does peak at 15W with iPhone 12, but only when paired with the company's 20W adapter.

The apparent restriction was discovered by Aaron Zollo of YouTube channel Zollotech. In a comprehensive evaluation of Apple's MagSafe device posted on Monday, Zollo found two Apple adapters — a new standalone 20W USB-C device and the 18W unit that came with iPhone 11 Pro handsets — achieved high rates of charge.Measuring energy throughput with an inline digital meter revealed MagSafe hits the advertised 15W peak charging rate (up to 16W in the video) when paired with Apple's branded 20W adapter. Speeds drop to about 13W with the 18W adapter, and Zollo notes the system takes some time to ramp up to that level.

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Rumored AirPower revival reportedly shelved, project likely dead

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 00:50:01 GMT

Apple's rumored initiative to resurrect the AirPower free-placement wireless charging mat might be dead in the water, with a new leak claiming the company has likely scrapped the project.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, leaker Jon Prosser on Monday said scheduled AirPower prototyping and testing was recently removed from Apple's 2021 calendar. It seems the project has been delayed indefinitely."Sources doubt that it'll ever be picked back up again. Seems like once again, AirPower is dead," Prosser said in a tweet.

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Apple to raise App Store prices in Brazil, India, Russia, more

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 00:46:30 GMT

In an update posted to its developer portal on Monday, Apple announced imminent App Store price hikes in Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa to account for foreign exchange rates and tax changes.

According to Apple, the new pricing builds in tax developments in India and Indonesia. Specifically, India has imposed an equalization levy of 2%, which adds to an existing goods and services tax of 18%. In Indonesia, a new value-added tax of 10% was instated for developers based outside of the country.The changes affect app purchases and in-app transactions, but do not impact auto-renewable subscriptions. Apple expects the price increases to roll out in the next few days.

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Google versus the US Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit -- the story so far

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 22:00:41 GMT

The Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in October, claiming the search giant abuses its position to keep competitors out. Here's what you need to know about the situation, including what started the probes and where we are now.

Major tech companies such as Apple and Google have been the targets for criticism, with their large sizes prompting some to closely examine rules and practices of big firms for any potential issues. Antitrust accusations have been raised countless times by observers and those who feel wronged by those at the top of the food chain, and occasionally that leads to investigations and sometimes a lawsuit.In this particular thread, we are covering the antitrust lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against Google, one which accuses it of having too much power in search, to the detriment of any other potential competitor. While the Department of Justice believes there is some antitrust violations in play with Google's search-related dealings, the company itself insists it is innocent, and that the lawsuit is meritless.

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Apple shows off iPhone 12 Pro cinematography chops in new Dolby Vision ad

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 20:43:35 GMT

Apple has released a new ad spot highlighting the video capabilities of its iPhone 12 Pro, including Dolby Vision HDR support.

Credit: Apple

The one-minute ad invites buyers to "make movies like the movies," and depicts a slew of iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max users taking video in various circumstances — from recording a music video to capturing professional stunt driving.

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Turing launches first iPhone 12 MagSafe car mount with charging

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 19:30:03 GMT

Turing has launched two new iPhone mounting accessories that take advantage of MagSafe, with one a vehicle mount to securely hold Apple's magnetic charger.

Credit: Turing

Both products, announced Monday by accessory brand Turing, use MagSafe as an attachment point for use as a car mount and a tripod adapter. According to the company, they are the first third-party MagSafe accessories to arrive on the market.

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How to tell which aspect of 5G you've connected to on iPhone 12

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 19:03:24 GMT

The main selling point of the iPhone 12 is 5G wireless connectivity, but there are many aspects to that network. Here's how to figure which network you're connected to, whether it's sub-6GHz, mmWave — or something else.

The iPhone 12 is Apple's first 5G-compatible smartphone. As 5G expands across the globe, iPhone users will be able to access the next-generation standard for broadband cellular networks.In order to find out what 5G connection you're connected to, you just have to look to the carrier network badge.

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Microsoft Office apps on iPad now support mice and trackpads

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 18:56:23 GMT

Microsoft has outlined updates to its Office suite on iPad that are being rolled out to users, with support for trackpads and mice joined by updates to the start screens and the ribbon of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

iPad with mouse

Revealed on Monday Microsoft is making several changes that Microsoft 365 customers experience in the Excel, PowerPoint, and Word apps for iPad. Rather than major feature changes, a blog post outlining the alterations shows the updates are more to make the apps easier to use in general, and take advantage of Apple's own operating system improvements.

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Apple debuts 'Doug Unplugs' trailer for Apple TV+

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 17:51:04 GMT

The trailer for "Doug Unplugs" introduces you to the robot boy looking to learn about the world the old fashioned way, coming to Apple TV+ on November 13.

"Doug Unplugs"

The new series from Dreamworks follows a robot boy and his human friend going on adventures and learning about the world through experience rather than data. This is the latest in Apple's children programming and will air alongside "Becoming You" on the same day.

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What to expect from Apple's Q4 2020 earnings report on Oct. 29

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 17:35:15 GMT

Apple will announce the results of its fourth fiscal quarter, covering the period between June and September 2020, on Oct. 29. Here's what to expect.

Credit: AppleInsider

As with its third fiscal quarter, Apple did not provide any earnings guidance for the fourth quarter because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But Apple's performance in the previous quarter proved that the company can weather the global health crisis just fine.

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Why the iPhone 12 Pro is worth the upgrade cost

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 17:17:40 GMT

Putting the iPhone 12 Pro through its paces in the real world really shows why it's worth the extra cost over an iPhone 12.

Pacific Blue iPhone 12 Pro and the graphite iPhone 12 Pro

It's more than surface deep

Facebook cloud gaming launches in browsers and on Android - but not iOS

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 16:52:04 GMT

Facebook has launched its cloud gaming service, but while it is available via web browsers and on Android devices, the new app feature won't be usable on iPhones and iPads at launch, due to Apple's "control over a very precious resource."

Launched on Monday, Facebook Gaming is an option within the Facebook app and website that allows users to play highly graphical games, regardless of their hardware. Games are hosted and rendered in the cloud, with gameplay video streamed live to users with minimal lag.Playing games in the cloud offers some benefits to users, such as not needing to download and install games before starting to play, immediate access to games, and working on multiple platforms in very similar ways.

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Unreleased 2020 16-inch MacBook Pro referenced in Boot Camp update

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 16:40:13 GMT

Apple referenced an unreleased 2020 16-inch MacBook Pro in its Boot Camp Windows driver update, although the reference could be a case of mistaken identity.

16-inch MacBook Pro may be updated soon

Boot Camp is used to run operating systems like Windows and Linux on a Mac, and was updated to fix stability issues recently. The update's release notes, however, contain a reference to a machine that does not exist.

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Portrait mode's 'bokeh' was a risky and massive quest for perfection

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 16:13:26 GMT

The Portrait mode in Apple's iPhone lineup was difficult to pull off, and the move into computational photography prompted managerial debate and some level of professional risk to those involved.

iPhone 12 Pro camera bump

The majority of iPhone users will be familiar with the Portrait mode on their devices, with the camera able to take a photograph of a subject in sharp focus, while blurring out the foreground and background elements. In the Harvard Business Review profile on Apple's management of innovation, the journey to achieve "bokeh" was a tricky one to undertake.

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How Steve Jobs's unorthodox management continues to make Apple a success

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 16:11:09 GMT

When he returned to Apple, Steve Jobs dismantled its typical corporate structure and radically changed how the entire business was managed. The benefits of that rethinking about corporate structure are still being leveraged today.

Steve Jobs

The largest corporations, and Apple is the biggest in the world, are fully aware of how susceptible they are to two key management problems. They just rarely do anything about them because the corporations are so big that fundamental change is impossible — unless you're Steve Jobs.

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iPhone 12 will drive blockbuster holiday quarter for Apple, says Cowen

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:36:28 GMT

Cowen expects Apple to report September quarter earnings in line with Wall Street consensus, but adds that the iPhone 12 and holiday seasonality could bolster the following quarter.

Credit: Apple

In a note to investors seen by AppleInsider, Cowen analyst Krish Sankar forecasts that Apple will report revenue of $64.9 billion in Q4 2020 and an earnings-per-share of $0.72. Largely, that'll be driven by continued Mac and iPad demand driven by remote work and education during the coronavirus pandemic.

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AirPods Pro price slashed, now $199 while supplies last

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:11:58 GMT

B&H Photo has issued a price drop on Apple AirPods Pro, knocking the popular earbuds down to $199.99 ahead of Black Friday, with inventory in stock and ready to ship with free expedited delivery.

Lowest AirPods Pro price

Ringing in as the lowest AirPods Pro price available, according to our AirPods Price Guide, B&H's $50 markdown on the accessory is the best AirPods deal going on now.

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Apple TV+ 'Becoming You' trailer debuts on YouTube

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:10:09 GMT

The trailer for "Becoming You" is a quick preview of the upcoming six-part Apple TV+ docuseries, which takes an intimate look at how children develop all across the globe.

In the trailer, viewers are introduced to some of the children who will be followed in the series. It also presents the premise — follow children during their first 2,000 days on the planet as they learn to talk, think, and love.