Welcome to iDownloadBlog’s Daily Brief column in which we round up the most important news you should know about, peppered with our commentary. And be sure to touch base with us throughout the day as we’re continually updating this article with fresh new content.
What you need to know today
- Apple’s fall product blitz: Bloomberg yesterday reported details regarding Apple’s release schedule this fall. The company is expected to not only update the iPhone and Apple Watch lineups, but also release a new iPad Air with some iPad Pro features, like the Smart Connector and USBC. A smaller, cheaper HomePod and a low-cost replacement for Apple Watch Series 3 are also on tap for the fall. No word on Apple’s first Mac with a custom chip though. Read the full story on iDB.
- New Apple TV with overhauled remote in 2021: Bloomberg in yesterday’s report also mentioned that the next Apple TV with faster chips, graphics and a redesigned remote probably won’t release before 2021. Read the full article on iDB.
- Samsung opens pre-orders for Galaxy Flip Z 2: Samsung yesterday announced its second-generation Galaxy Z Fold smartphone that features an upgraded hinge, interior display, 5G support, multiple cameras and a pretty hefty $1,999.99 price tag, planting it firmly in the luxury department (video). It will be available in Bronze and Black when it goes on sale beginning Friday, September 18. The device has full support from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. If you prefer an unlocked model, you’ll be able to pick one up from Samsung’s website directly, too. Read the full story on iDB.
- App Store price hike: Apple told developer that app prices are increasing in Chile, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Turkey due to local tax changes. Read the full story on iDB.
- iPhone 11 dominates sales: According to new estimates from research firm Omdia, the iPhone 11 led worldwide smartphone shipments during the first half of 2020, outperforming its next closest competitor by 26 million units. It helped that the device launched $50 cheaper than the previous iPhone XR. Read the full story on Omdia.
Latest news and rumors
Check out our curated selection of today’s news stories and rumors covering Apple and other technology companies that were published on iDownloadBlog or elsewhere.
Intel unveils Tiger Lake chips that Apple probably won’t use
Intel unveils 11th-generation chips, dubbed Tiger Lake, that include Thunderbolt 4, USB 4, WiFi 6, PCIe Gen 4 and Xe graphics support. These ten-nanometer chips are meant to be used in thin and light laptops. Intel claims the new chips are 20 percent faster in terms of CPU performance than the Ice Lake chips, while offering better graphics than 90 percent of all notebooks sold last year that are outfitted with discreet GPUs.
These chips will be un a bunch of laptops coming this fall, but Apple is not listed as a partner. Apple, as you know, is transitioning to its own custom silicon for Macs. This roughly two-year transition will start this year with Apple’s first Mac computer powered by its own silicon. Read the full story on iDB.
Apple SoHo upgrade
Apple SoHo is the oldest Apple retail store in New York City. the flagship store is scheduled to receive its first major renovation in eight years. Michael Steeber has more on that:
Apple SoHo’s upgrade will feature a Forum and Video Wall for future Today at Apple events. The Forum will replace the store’s Theater, an early Apple Store design element that’s been almost entirely phased out. SoHo’s Theater was the last in the US, and only two others still exist at Apple Ginza and Shinsaibashi in Japan.
The new Forum will offer modular seating, an improved audio system with a Hearing Loop, and a significantly larger and brighter LED Video Wall when compared to the store’s previous projection display. Upgrades at SoHo will also replace New York City’s first Apple Store Briefing Room with a redesigned Boardroom for business customers and event guests.
Most importantly, these changes won’t impact the store’s hallmark glass staircase or historic brick facade. Renovations began September 1. Read the full story on 9to5Mac.
Apple can’t get back the $454 million paid to VirnetX
A Texas federal judge has ruled that Apple cannot get back any of the $454 million it paid to VirnetX for infringing VirnetX’s now-invalidated patents because it waited too long.
In March, VinetX confirmed that Apple sent a $454 million payment for infringing several of its patents through the FaceTime and VPN on Demand features. The payment capped a legal saga a decade in the making.
Apple was hoping to get some of that payment back, but U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III ruled on Tuesday that Apple unreasonably delayed its request to do so.
Read the full story on AppleInsider.
Germany’s Federal Cartel Office may probe Apple
Apple’s ongoing and public legal battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games is being closely watched by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office, which may opening an antitrust probe.
‘This has most certainly attracted our interest,’ said Andreas Mundt, head of the Federal Cartel Office. ‘We are at the beginning, but we are looking at this very closely.’ Mundt told an online briefing that Apple’s App Store and the Play Store that serves smartphones running on Google’s Android operating system represented an ‘interesting habitat because they are the only two worldwide’.
Read the full story on Reuters.
ZTE beats Apple to first under-display camera smartphone
Apple has hinted in its patents that it might have a few ideas about implementing an under+-display camera on an iPhone, but it’s yet to ship one. Meanwhile, China’s ZTE has now launched the world’s first smartphone with a under-display 32-megapixel selfie camera, the Axon 20 5G. ZTE claims there’s no visible difference between the area around the camera and the rest of the screen.
They’ve developed several technologies to fix the haze, glare and color cast issues in photos stemming from light emittance caused by under-screen camera technology. The Axon 20 5G will go on pre-order in China on September 10, priced about $320. No word on international availability at post time.
India bans PUBG Mobile and other apps
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology today banned 118 apps, including the popular game PUBG Mobile which Apple has been promoting heavily on the App Store after kicking Fortnite out of the store. The agency says these apps were “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of state and public order.”
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.
The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defense of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures.
Read the full story on Medianama.
UK carrier EE bundles Apple services
UK’s EE has become the first wireless carrier to bundle multiple Apple subscription services, which is interesting because Apple is expected to introduce multiple subscription bundles, dubbed Apple One. EE’s new Full Works plan includes access to Apple Music, Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade on top of unlimited calls, texts and data.
The plan is available with multiple iPhone models, and will presumably be available with the upcoming iPhone 12 as the plan is 5G-ready. The plan will also become available for businesses from the end of September.
Other Apple services, such as Apple News+ and iCloud storage, are not included in EE’s plan. The Apple Music family plan is also unavailable. Read the full story on MacRumors.
Leaker: No Apple Watch announcement this month
A prominent leaker has claimed that Apple will not announce or release the next Apple Watch this month. “There is no Watch this month,” according to a tweet this morning by “L0vetodream”. However, another prominent leaker, Jon Prosser, recently predicted that the Apple Watch Series 6 and the iPad Air 4 will see quiet releases via press releases later this month. Read the full report on iDB.
Russia may cap App Store fees at 20 percent
The Russian Parliament will soon vote on a bill that would cap the commission companies like Apple and Google charge on the sale of apps in digital stores to twenty percent. Last month, Russia’s anti-monopoly body alleged Apple abused its dominant position via the App Store.
From today’s Reuters report:
The bill, submitted to Russia’s lower house of parliament by lawmaker Fedot Tumusov, stipulates that commissions on the sale of applications be capped at twenty percent. Apple currently collects a thirty precent commission on sales in its App Store. The bill, if adopted, would also oblige app sellers to pay a third of their commissions to a special training fund for IT specialists on a quarterly basis.
Can anyone explain to me why anyone selling apps in the Russian App Store should be required to pass a portion of their earnings to a fund that teaches people how to use computers? And on a quarterly basis at that? Read the full story on iDB.
iOS app economy booms during the pandemic
According to Apple’s new stats, we’re now seeing a double-digit growth in new iOS app economy jobs across dozens of US states since last year. Concretely, nearly 300,000 new jobs have been created since April 2019.
- App Store ecosystem now supports over 2.1 million jobs across all 50 states
- Apple supports a total of 2.7 million jobs across the country
- 17,000 new app economy jobs in Florida
- 36,000 new app economy jobs in Texas, a nearly 30 percent increase
- Maryland added 25,000 new app economy jobs since last year
- Michigan added 12,000 new app economy jobs, growing 34 percent since last year
- Many smaller states, like Alabama, Nevada and Oklahoma, saw double-digit increases
- Apple employs over 90,000 people across all 50 states
AirPods Pro shipments to match that of AirPods
DigiTimes is reporting today that improvements like active noise cancellation, Transparency mode and a better fit appear to be resonating with shoppers. Thanks to that momentum, shipments of the AirPods Pro earbuds are expected to match that of the regular AirPods.
Apple’s shipments for AirPods Pro have been growing steadily since its launch in October 2019, likely to equal those of AirPods 2 by the end of 2020, an encouraging development for system-in-package (SiP) substrate suppliers including Taiwan’s Nan Ya PCB and Korean makers, the sources said. SiP is likely to become the mainstream technology for AirPods, the sources continued.
Also interesting to note, shipments of non-Apple true wireless earbuds are picking up steam, expanding from 50 percent in the second quarter of last year to 65 percent in the June quarter of 2020. Apple has left the lower-end of the market underserved with the AirPods range so other vendors are happy to fill the gap. Read the full story on DigiTimes.
OS updates & service expansions
- Apple Pay Express Transit launches for the Washington Metro: D.C. Metro riders can now use Express Transit mode with Apple Pay on their phone to quickly pay for rides without having to wake or unlock their device. Read the full story on iDB.
- iOS 13.7 with Exposure Notifications Express drops: Apple has publicly released iOS 13.7 and iPadOS 13.7. The operating systems focus primarily on making access to the Exposure Notification feature much easier. Read the full story on iDB.
- watchOS 7 developer beta 7 released: Apple yesterday seeded the seventh beta of watchOS 7 to developers. The new prerelease software doesn’t include new outward-facing suer features though. Read the full story on iDB.
Jailbreaking
Check out these new jailbreak tweaks and releases for your pwned devices:
Be sure to watch our video overview of the top iOS 13.5 jailbreak tweaks, embedded below.
Tutorials, tips & tricks
Learn something new with our latest tutorials
- How to print pages upside down or in reverse order on Mac
- How to force restart any iPhone or iPad model
- How to use lists in Google Maps on iPhone and iPad
- Tips for using Siri on Apple Watch like a pro
Accessories
Here are some new accessories to check out.
Keychron K2 mechanical keyboard
The Keychron K2 mechanical keyboard got updated with a few great new features, and our resident videographer Harris Craycraft took his review sample for a quick spin. Check out our first impressions in his hands-on video walkthrough below.
Subscribe to iDB TV on YouTube
Bose Smart Soundbar 300 with AirPlay 2
The new Smart Soundbar 300 system for audio specialists Bose is now available to pre-order, priced at $399.95. The mid-tier home cinema sound system features built-in support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 media-beaming protocol. With AirPlay 2 support, you can stream audio from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV to the speaker.
Other features include WI-Fi and Bluetooth networking, support for Spotify Connect, the ability to work with other Bose speakers independently of AirPlay 2 and more. Shipments are starting September 15. Pre-order Smart Sound 300 from Bose for $399.95.
Home made HomePod stand
This is a pretty cool idea, something you can do if you have access to a 3D printer. Ideally, I’d add in a jack so you could plug the HomePod into the stand. Take a look. There’s a bit of handwaving to get from that stud sensor to a spec for the 3D printer. That part seems like magic/impossible, so I’m guessing that the part was hand-designed, the stud sensor was purely for show.
I ain’t much of a DIY person so I won’t be trying this project by Rareș Gosman.
Apps, games & videos
Unwind with these apps and media, or lay back and check out what’s coming.
Apple Support app brings Wallet passes integration
The official Apple Support app got updated with expanded passed integration that lets you add a pass from the Apple Support app to Wallet for easy check-in at Genius Bar locations. Other new features include accessibility improvements for VoiceOver (including Search navigation, labels and more) and the ability to find find advisors in your preferred language in regions with multiple languages easier than before. Download Apple Support for iOS from App Store.
The best blogging apps on iPhone and iPad
There are a handful of excellent mobile apps that make it easier to stay active in the blogosphere while on the go. To help with that, we’ve updated our curated roundup of the best blogging apps for iPhone and iPad with some notable new apps. Do check it out, especially if you publish blog posts from your iOS device. Read the roundup on iDB.
“The Mandalorian” Season 2 premieres October 30
Disney announced on Twitter today that “The Mandalorian”, one of the key originals on its Disney+ streaming service, will return with new episodes beginning October 30. We don’t have a trailer for the new season yet.
This is the day. New episodes start streaming Oct. 30 on #DisneyPlus. #TheMandalorian pic.twitter.com/8oruZ3oedx
— The Mandalorian (@themandalorian) September 2, 2020
I’m a big fan of “Star Wars”, and by extension “The Mandalorian”. I’m especially impressed by the technical side of visual effects because most of the scenes were shot in front of a truly massive LCD wall which projects all the effects and backgrounds in real-time using — can you believe it? — Unreal Engine. If you’d like to hear more about that, do yourself a favor and go read an excellent technical explainer published by The American Cinematographer Magazine,
Trailer: Apple TV espionage thriller “Tehran”
Apple TV+ today shared the first official trailer for a new espionage thriller from “Fauda” writer Moshe Zonder. The series is debuting on Apple TV+ on September 25.
“Tehran” tells the thrilling story of a Mossad agent who goes deep undercover on a dangerous mission in Tehran that places everyone in dire jeopardy. Read the full story on iDB.
“Long Way Up” coming to Apple TV+ September 18
“Long Way Up,” a new unscripted series coming to Apple TV+, has plenty of banter between McGregor and Charley Boorman, which is one of the mainstays of the series as a whole. “Long Way Up” takes place over the course of 13,000 miles and over 100 days, according to Apple.
Here’s Apple’s description of the series:
Covering 13,000 miles over 100 days through 16 border crossings and 13 countries, starting from the city of Ushuaia at the tip of South America, Ewan and Charley journey through the glorious and underexposed landscapes of South and Central America in their most challenging expedition to date, using cutting-edge technology on the backs of their prototype electric Harley-Davidsons to contribute to the sustainability of the planet.
The series reunites the pair after their last motorcycle trip around the world, which was more than a decade ago. Read the full story on iDB.
“Five Days at Memorial” limited series heading to Apple TV+
Apple TV+ has announced “Five Days at Memorial”, a new limited series based on the National Books Critics Award winner nonfiction title of the same name.
Apple’s description of the series:
Based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Sheri Fink, “Five Days At Memorial” chronicles the first five days in a New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina made landfall. When the floodwaters rose, the power failed and the heat climbed, exhausted caregivers were forced to make life-and-death decisions that haunted them for years to come. Sheri Fink will executive produce alongside Ridley and Cuse.
No release date or a teaser trailer were provided at post time. Read the full story on iDB.
Surface Duo impressions from MKBHD
Tech YouTube Marques Brownlee recently posted his invoking and first impressions video focused on the Surface Duo, Microsoft’s new dual-screen smartphone powered by Android. One bit in particular jumped at me, and that’s the hinge. Despite the Duo’s thinness (4.8 mm open, 9.9 mm closed), it features maybe the best hinge Marques has ever seen, on any device. Enjoy his video embedded below and subscribe to MKBHD on YouTube if you haven’t already.