Next-Day MacBook Keyboard Repairs, USB Mouse Support on iPad Pro, Apple Sued for $1B Over False Arrest - MacRumors

Brought to you by: Apple Stores Now Prioritizing MacBook Keyboard Repairs With Promised Next-Day Turnaround Time Last year, Apple initiated a worldwide service program offering free repairs of select MacBook and MacBook Pro models with lower-profile, butterfly mechanism keyboards after issues emerged with "sticky" keys causing repeating letters and other problems. Fortunately, while customers have typically had to go without their Macs for 3-5 business days while the repairs were completed, Apple has informed Genius Bars that these repairs should be "prioritized to provide next-day turnaround time" in an internal memo obtained by MacRumors. This follows Apple's apology last month: "We are aware that a small number of users are having issues with their third-generation butterfly keyboard and for that we are sorry. The vast majority of Mac notebook customers are having a positive experience with the new keyboard."   Read Full Article Support Our Sponsor Aura Pro X2 SSD – Your Mac. 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Visit Sponsor Popular Stories Apr 25, 2019 Apple Rumored to Add USB Mouse Support to iPad Pro as Accessibility Feature On a recent episode of the Connected podcast, MacStories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci suggested that USB mouse support could eventually be coming to the iPad Pro as an accessibility feature. Viticci cautioned that this is something he "heard months ago" and that he isn't sure "if it'll happen," but well-known developer Steve Troughton-Smith later tweeted that "as far as I'm aware, that is indeed in the works." While accessibility-oriented, it's likely that any user would be able to enable USB mouse support in the Settings app.   Read Full Article New York Student Sues Apple for $1 Billion for False Arrest After Being Mistakenly Identified as Store Thief 18-year-old New York resident Ousmane Bah is reportedly suing Apple for $1 billion in damages for false arrest after he was mistakenly identified as the thief behind a series of Apple Store robberies in Boston last year. According to Bah, Apple's in-store facial recognition software mistakenly linked him to the series of thefts, but Apple refuted this allegation, saying it doesn’t use facial recognition technology in its stores. There is likely more to the story.    Read Full Article Alleged iPhone XI and XI Max Molds Show Triple Camera Layout More evidence continues to emerge to suggest at least one 2019 iPhone will have a square-shaped camera bump with three lenses arranged in a triangle shape. At least one 2019 iPhone is also said to feature a "new and unique" rear shell crafted from a single piece of glass, a design that could minimize the obtrusiveness of the large rear camera array.   Read Full Article Two New AirPods Models Expected in Late 2019 - Early 2020, Including One With 'All-New Design' Two new AirPods models will likely go into mass production between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, according to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo believes one of the new AirPods models will feature an "all-new form factor design" and a "higher price" than the second-generation AirPods, which cost $159 with a standard charging case and $199 with a wireless charging case. DigiTimes also reported that Apple plans to launch third-generation AirPods with a noise cancelation function by the end of the year, but the site has a very hit-or-miss track record as it relates to Apple rumors.   Read Full Article Apple Voluntarily Recalls Some Older Three-Prong Wall Plug Adapters Due to Risk of Electrical Shock Apple has announced a voluntary recall of some of its older three-prong wall plug adapters designed for use in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UK. Apple states that, in very rare cases, affected adapters may break and create a risk of electrical shock if touched. These wall plug adapters shipped with Mac and certain iOS devices between 2003 and 2010 and were also included in the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit.  Apple has asked customers to stop using affected plug adapters, citing customer safety as its "top priority." The company will exchange affected wall plug adapters with new ones free of charge.    Read Full Article Apple Watch Turns Four Years Old This week marked the fourth anniversary of the original Apple Watch, released April 24, 2015. Apple initially positioned the Watch as a fashion item, but it now focuses on the health and fitness aspects of the device, including the potentially life-saving ECG app on the latest Series 4 models. As for what's next, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Series 5 models later this year will have new ceramic casing options.   Read Full Article

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Apple and Qualcomm Settle, Galaxy Fold Failures, iOS 13 Dark Mode - MacRumors

Apple and Qualcomm Reach Settlement, Agree to Drop All Litigation Just over two years after Apple sued Qualcomm, accusing the chipmaker of anticompetitive business practices related to excessive licensing fees, the high-profile legal battle is finally over. Apple and Qualcomm have jointly announced an agreement to dismiss all litigation between the two companies worldwide. The settlement includes a payment from Apple to Qualcomm, a six-year license agreement, and a multiyear chipset supply agreement. Given that Intel announced it is exiting the 5G smartphone modem business just hours later, this news likely paves the way for Qualcomm to supply modems for the first 5G-enabled iPhones in 2020.   Read Full Article Popular Stories Apr 18, 2019 Kuo: 2019 iPhones to Feature 12MP Front Cameras, Special Black Coating to Hide Lenses, and More iPhone rumor season is in full swing, with well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now forecasting that all three 2019 iPhones will feature 12-megapixel front cameras, up from 7-megapixels on the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR.  Kuo also believes that the next-generation iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max models will feature triple-lens rear camera systems, including the existing 12-megapixel telephoto and wide-angle lens coupled with an all-new super-wide-angle 12-megapixel lens. Both the new front lens and super-wide-angle lens will adopt "black lens-coating technologies," which will give them an "inconspicuous" look that blends into the iPhone's black bezels, according to Kuo. Separately, a somewhat questionable report out of Taiwan suggests that Apple may be planning to launch an updated iPhone 8 in March 2020 with a 4.7-inch Retina display, A13 processor, single-lens rear camera, and 128GB of base storage. Pricing is estimated to start around $649 in the United States.   Read Full Article Multiple Reviewers Facing Broken Galaxy Fold Devices After Just Days of Use Well, this is embarrassing for a smartphone that costs a whopping $1,980.  Samsung this week provided members of the press with early access to the Galaxy Fold, but at least three reviewers have already experienced display-related hardware failures while testing the foldable smartphone. Samsung has since confirmed that it will "thoroughly inspect" those devices to determine the cause. It also cautioned that removing the protective layer on the display, as some reviewers did, could cause damage. However, some displays have even failed with the protective layer in place. At least for now, Samsung said it plans to proceed with launching the Galaxy Fold on April 26 in the United States.   Read Full Article iOS 13 Expected to Feature Dark Mode, Redesigned Volume Indicator, Improved iPad Multitasking, and More Less than two months away from iOS 13 being unveiled at WWDC, we're hearing that the software update will feature a much-awaited systemwide Dark Mode for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. That's according to developer Guilherme Rambo, who also expects iOS 13 to feature a redesigned volume indicator — hopefully one that is far less obtrusive than the current one — along with improved multitasking on the iPad, including support for multiple windows and stackable cards in apps. Rambo also claims that Apple is working on a new Tile-like item tracker, a unified Find My iPhone and Find My Friends app, and a feature that will allow users to send any window of any app to an external display or iPad on macOS 10.15.   Read Full Article 2018 MacBook Air's Peak Display Brightness Increased in macOS 10.14.4 It turns out the 2018 MacBook Air rather innocuously received a brighter display last month. Apple's tech specs for the latest MacBook Air have been quietly updated this week to reveal that the notebook now has a peak display brightness of 400 nits, compared to 300 nits previously. We've confirmed with Apple that this increase is tied to the macOS 10.14.4 update released March 25. Apple's release notes did mention that the update "corrects the default screen brightness" for 2018 MacBook Air models, and now we know what that meant exactly. Case closed.   Read Full Article Seven Useful Tips Every Apple Watch Owner Should Know There are plenty of hidden shortcuts and features on watchOS, and in our latest video on YouTube, we've rounded up some Apple Watch tips and tricks that every user should know. You may already be aware of some of these tips, but there's likely to be a few new things to discover for MacRumors readers. Also on our YouTube channel this week, we've compared Apple's Smart Keyboard Folio for the 2018 iPad Pro with two popular alternatives — the Slim Folio Pro from Logitech and the Slim Book Go from Zagg.    Read Full Article Apple Donating to Notre Dame Rebuilding Efforts in Paris After Historic Cathedral Damaged in Fire Apple has announced that it will be donating to Notre Dame rebuilding efforts after a fire caused significant damage to the historic 850-plus-year-old cathedral in the heart of Paris on Monday. Apple did not specify the amount of its donation. French billionaires and other companies have already pledged over $1 billion to help the efforts.   Read Full Article

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6K Apple Display in 2019, Up to 17" MacBook in 2021, Netflix Drops AirPlay Support - MacRumors

Brought to you by: Kuo: Apple to Launch New 31.6" 6K Display in 2019 and 15-17" MacBook in 2021 With Mini-LED Backlights Apple analyst extraordinaire Ming-Chi Kuo is back with his latest product expectations, including a 31.6-inch external monitor in 2019, a new 10- to 12-inch iPad in 2020, and a new 15- to 17-inch MacBook in 2021— all three featuring mini-LED backlights. The monitor is expected to have 6K resolution and will likely be the Pro Display that Apple promised is in the works alongside an all-new Mac Pro coming later this year. Perhaps we'll get at least a preview of both products at Apple's WWDC keynote on June 3. Details surrounding the new MacBook and iPad are less clear. Kuo previously said Apple will launch a 16- to 16.5-inch MacBook Pro with an all-new design at some point in 2019.   Read Full Article Support Our Sponsor The Ports, Power, and Mobility to Own Your Workday Bring functionality back to your MacBook Pro with the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock. With just one cable, you can quickly access all of your displays and peripherals with minimal desk clutter. - 14 ports to easily connect all of your devices - 85 watts of power to charge your laptop/mobile devices - Connect two 4K displays or one 5K display The days of only working at your desk are gone. The Thunderbolt 3 Dock helps you bounce between meetings and lounges via a quick, single-cable connection. Available in Silver or Space Gray, the Thunderbolt 3 Dock has front-side audio, SD, and USB ports for easy access to your personal devices and media. Visit Sponsor Popular Stories Apr 11, 2019 Netflix App for iOS No Longer Supports AirPlay Because of 'Technical Limitations' Netflix made waves this week when it suddenly stopped supporting AirPlay on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, preventing Netflix content from being beamed to a TV from those devices. Netflix initially said the decision was due to "technical limitations," but in a statement provided to MacRumors, it later explained that "with AirPlay support rolling out to third-party devices, there isn't a way for us to distinguish between devices (what is an Apple TV vs. what isn't) or certify these experiences." Of course, with Apple having previewed its Netflix competitor Apple TV+ a few weeks ago, some believe that this is nothing more than platform wars as Apple enters the streaming video space. In related news, Netflix is raising its prices for existing subscribers in May as expected. Its "basic" tier will rise from $7.99 to $8.99 per month, its "standard" HD tier will rise from $10.99 to $12.99 per month, and its "premium" 4K tier will rise from $13.99 to $15.99 per month in the United States.   Read Full Article 2019 iPhone Lineup Rumored to Include Two New OLED Models With Triple Lens Cameras In a fresh twist on iPhone rumors, Japanese tech blog Mac Otakara reported that Apple plans to launch two entirely new iPhone models with triple-lens cameras in 2019, seemingly in addition to updated versions of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. Everything else we've heard to date suggests that the triple-lens camera will be a feature of the next iPhone XS Max, and possibly the next iPhone XS, so take that as you will. In other iPhone-related news, Apple's chip manufacturing partner TSMC has announced the release of its complete 5nm chip design infrastructure, paving the way for a 5nm-sized A14 chip in 2020 iPhones. This should lead to faster performance and longer battery life.   Read Full Article Apple May Be Planning to Break Up iTunes With New Music and Podcast Apps for Mac iTunes doesn't exactly have a glowing reputation, with some hoping that Apple eventually breaks the jack-of-all-trades media player into separate apps. According to developers Steve Troughton-Smith and Guilherme Rambo, Apple may get the ball rolling on that idea later this year by launching standalone Music and Podcasts apps in macOS 10.15. Rambo expects iTunes to live on for now, as it is still used for manually syncing older iPods and iPhones and for other legacy purposes, but this would certainly move us one step closer to the application being phased out. macOS 10.15 will likely be released in late September following a preview at WWDC in June. In the meantime, Apple seeded the second beta of macOS 10.14.5 this week. As of this software update, all new software distributed with a new Developer ID must be notarized in order to further protect users against malicious apps.   Read Full Article Dutch Antitrust Watchdog to Investigate Whether Apple Gives Itself Preferential Treatment in App Store Last month, Spotify announced that it has filed a complaint with the European Commission over Apple's allegedly "unfair" App Store practices. Now, the Dutch antitrust watchdog ACM has launched a related investigation that will look at whether Apple abuses its position in the App Store — for example, by giving preferential treatment to its own apps. In a statement, Apple said it is "confident" the probe "will confirm all developers have an equal opportunity to succeed in the App Store."   Read Full Article Hands-On With LG's G8 Smartphone With Air Motion Gestures LG released its new G8 smartphone today. Ahead of the launch, we got our hands on one to try out the handset's new Air Motion features, which are touchless gesture-based controls. Watch on YouTube. The controls are kind of tricky to use and a bit gimmicky, but they're interesting to see in light of rumors of Apple planning to release iPhones with touchless gesture controls by 2021. Also on our YouTube channel this week, we checked out five useful Mac apps and went hands-on with Apple News+ and AirPlay 2 and HomeKit on a Vizio smart TV. Be sure to subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube for more.   Read Full Article Apple's 1993 W.A.L.T. Combined Telephone and Fax Machine Prototype Seen in Action in New Video Long before the iPhone, at Macworld Boston in 1993, Apple introduced a prototype device called the Wizzy Active Lifestyle Telephone, or the W.A.L.T., the company's first desktop telephone. Little has been known about the phone until this week, when blogger Sonny Dickson shared the first-ever video of the W.A.L.T., which runs Mac System 6 and features a touchscreen, fax functionality, on-display caller ID, a built-in address book, customizable ringtones, and online banking access. Apple ultimately shelved W.A.L.T. before it was ever released, but the remaining prototypes provide an interesting and nostalgic look back at Apple's development efforts more than 25 years ago.    Read Full Article

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AirPower Canceled, Powerbeats Pro Unveiled, HomePod Price Cut - MacRumors

Brought to you by: Apple Officially Cancels AirPower While many tech companies came up with silly hoaxes for April Fool's Day this week, Apple was not kidding around when it announced that its long-awaited wireless charging mat AirPower has been canceled. "After much effort, we’ve concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards and we have cancelled the project. We apologize to those customers who were looking forward to this launch," said Dan Riccio, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering. Apple first previewed the AirPower alongside the iPhone X in September 2017, and targeted a 2018 release date at the time, but reports suggest that insurmountable development challenges arose related to excessive heat and electromagnetic interference. In the AirPower's absence, we've put together a list of the best multi-device wireless charging mat alternatives available today.   Read Full Article Support Our Sponsor Slope - Magical Universal Tablet Stand With Micro-suction Pads Slope is a unique universal table stand with a patented design that allows it to work with virtually any tablet that has a flat metal back. It has the same brushed and anodized finish as an iMac or MacBook and blends in perfectly with the Apple ecosystem. Slope employs a unique suction technology. Its two pads are composed of a special type of foam with thousands of microscopic air pockets across its surface that act like tiny suction cups. Pressing an object with a flat surface against the nanofoam forces air out of the pockets, creating a vacuum and strong grip. The micro suction pads can be cleaned with water if and when they lose grip. Hear what users are saying: “So good that I bought two. I usually don't buy little tech trinkets like this but I heard from a friend that these are legit, and I will be passing the word on.” – “We were looking for a nice, minimal stand for our iPad in the kitchen and this is perfect. It has a very small footprint so you basically can't see it behind the iPad.” Visit Sponsor Popular Stories Apr 04, 2019 Apple Announces Powerbeats Pro, Launching Soon for $250 Powerbeats Pro are Apple's first totally wireless Beats earphones, powered by the same H1 chip as the second-generation AirPods. That means hands-free "Hey Siri" support and faster connection speeds between devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch. Like the existing Powerbeats3, the Powerbeats Pro feature adjustable, secure-fit ear hooks and earbud tips with four size options. They're essentially AirPods for a fitness-oriented lifestyle, complete with a durable design and sweat resistance. They'll last up to 9 hours per charge, with additional battery life via an included charging case. Powerbeats Pro launch in May priced at $249.95 in the United States. Available colors include Ivory, Moss, Navy, and Black. Watch our video to see how the Powerbeats Pro compare to the AirPods 2.   Read Full Article Two-Way Wireless Charging and Larger Batteries Expected for 2019 iPhones We're about five months away from new iPhones and rumors are beginning to ramp up. The latest comes from well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who says that 2019 iPhones will feature larger batteries to accommodate new two-way charging functionality. This feature, already available on Samsung's Galaxy S10, should allow you to place devices like the Apple Watch or AirPods on the back of the iPhone to charge them inductively. Looking farther ahead, we're already hearing that Apple might be going all-in with OLED with its 2020 lineup of iPhones, which may include a smaller 5.4-inch model along with larger 6-inch and 6.7-inch models.    Read Full Article Apple Drops HomePod Price to $299, Down From $349 While the HomePod has seen frequent discounts at third-party resellers like Best Buy, Apple has now lowered the price of its smart speaker to $299 in the United States, down from $349. That's still considerably more expensive than Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers, which were priced as low as $25 during the holiday season. Apple doesn't disclose HomePod unit sales, but the speaker is estimated to have just 4% market share worldwide as of last quarter. Price is one factor, but another big issue is that critics find Siri just isn't that smart. Apple has also lowered the prices of iPhones and other products in India and China.   Read Full Article Hands-On With Apple's New iPad Air 3 and iPad Mini 5 After launching new iPad Pro models with Face ID in October 2018, Apple delivered on rumors with a refreshed iPad mini last month. More surprisingly, we saw the return of the iPad Air with a new 10.5-inch model. The new iPad mini and iPad Air are very similar. Both tablets feature Apple's recent A12 Bionic chip, Retina displays with True Tone, first-generation Apple Pencil support, Touch ID, up to 10 hours of battery life, and more. Watch our hands-on video of the iPad Mini 5 and iPad Air 3. Apple's iPad lineup has become quite complex, so be sure to consult our guide on Picking the Best iPad to Buy in 2019 for help. We also have a hands-on video and buyer's guide for the new 27-inch 5K iMac.   Read Full Article Apple Sued Over Swollen Batteries in Apple Watches New Jersey resident Gina Priano-Keyser has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Apple this week over swollen batteries in Apple Watches. The lawsuit alleges that all Apple Watch models are prone to a defect where the battery swells up and causes the screen to detach from the body of the watch, oftentimes only "days or weeks after purchase." Apple has acknowledged the issue internally and offered free repairs for select Apple Watch models in the past, but the woman alleges that Apple often attributes the issue to "accidental damage" and thus "refuses to cover repairs" under warranty. So, she's turned to the courtroom to seek damages.   Read Full Article

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