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MicroLED Apple Watch Ultra Now Rumored to Launch in 2026, Not 2025

By: Tim Hardwick — July 4th 2023 at 09:30
Apple is known to be working on an updated version of the Apple Watch Ultra that uses a next-generation microLED display, but the device has again been postponed due to manufacturing issues, according to market research firm Trendforce (via The Elec).


Information shared in April by display analyst Ross Young suggested that an Apple Watch Ultra with microLED display would launch in the second half of 2025 at the earliest, rather than late 2024 as was originally rumored.

Now, Trendforce believes it has been postponed for a second time and is unlikely to emerge before the first quarter of 2026, because of problems relating to high manufacturing costs which need to be solved before Apple can proceed to mass production.

Apple has reportedly invested more than $1 billion on in-house microLED development over the past decade to reduce its dependence on Samsung Display and tighten control over the supply of key components in the display panel sector.

The ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ is expected to be the first Apple device to adopt a microLED display. The current ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ uses standard OLED technology, whereas MicroLED offers many of the benefits of OLED along with some improvements.

Compared to LED displays, microLED is much more energy efficient and it would likely notably increase battery life on the ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ and other devices that adopt the technology in the future. Unlike OLED, there's much less risk of screen burn-in, and microLEDs have a longer potential lifetime.

MicroLED displays also provide contrast improvements and faster response times because of the pixel-level individual lights, plus the color is better and brighter. In a nutshell, it's a next-generation technology superior to OLED and miniLED.

Apple is already testing microLED displays for the Apple Watch, and the displays are said to feature brighter, more vibrant colors and a look like content is "painted on top of the glass." Apple is planning to bring the technology to the iPhone and other devices in the future.

As with all early rumors about devices that are a year or two or more out, they can be unreliable in terms of launch timing, as Apple often has to push back its release dates due to delays in design, component sourcing, manufacturing, and more.
Related Roundup: Apple Watch Ultra
Related Forum: Apple Watch

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Apple Is Reportedly Working on a Mac Monitor That Becomes a Smart Home Display When Idle

By: Tim Hardwick — July 3rd 2023 at 11:44
Apple is working on a new external monitor for Macs that also functions as a kind of smart home display while not in use, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.


Writing in the subscriber version of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that Apple is developing multiple new monitor offerings, some of which are likely to be successors to its Studio Display and Pro Display XDR, and one that could have smart standby features powered by an onboard iOS chip.

If Gurman's claim is accurate, it would not be the first time Apple silicon has been used in an external display. Apple already includes a dedicated A13 chip in its existing 27-inch Studio Display, but its functionality is limited to handling camera and speaker features like Center Stage and spatial audio when the display is in use.

Using an iOS device chip to power independent smart features when a monitor is idle would be an evolutionary next step, and could possibly rely on an expanded version the new Standby feature in iOS 17, which turns a charging iPhone in horizontal orientation into a home hub with full-screen widgets. As for when we could see the smart monitor, Gurman says not to expect a release until 2024 "at the earliest."
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Gurman: Apple to Release USB-C AirPods Pro Case, Likely Alongside iPhone 15 Launch

By: Tim Hardwick — July 3rd 2023 at 10:21
Apple is likely to release a USB-C charging case for AirPods Pro alongside the launch of the iPhone 15 lineup this fall, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said the shift was in line with the same switch from Lightning to USB-C that is expected to happen across the iPhone 15 series this year.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in March that Apple would release a second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case later this year. Kuo said it was unclear if any other hardware changes are planned for AirPods Pro in 2023. Gurman's report suggests not.

Meanwhile on the software side, Gurman said Apple is developing a new hearing test feature for AirPods Pro that is designed to detect possible hearing issues. The new hearing test feature, which is coming in addition to other AirPods features arriving as part of iOS 17, will "play different tones and sounds to allow the AirPods to determine how well a person can hear," said the Bloomberg reporter.

Looking further ahead, Gurman also reiterated previous rumors that Apple is working on developing additional health sensors for future generations of AirPods. One is the ability to read body temperature from the ear canal, a method believed to be more accurate than reading temperature from the wrist, which is what Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra models do while users sleep.

Separately, Gurman says Apple is exploring how it could better position AirPods as a hearing aid by building on existing features like Conversation Boost and Live Listen. Neither feature has regulatory approval yet, but the FDA last year eased hearing aid purchase rules, which has reportedly spurred Apple to hire engineers from traditional hearing aid makers and take advantage of the opening in the market.
Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

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Report: Vision Pro Headset's Complex Design Forcing Apple to Make 'Drastic' Production Cuts

By: Tim Hardwick — July 3rd 2023 at 08:50
Apple has been forced to make "drastic cuts" to production forecasts for its Vision Pro mixed reality headset due to the complexity of its design and difficulties in production, reported the Financial Times on Monday.


Apple's $3,500 headset is set to go on sale early next year, but analysts have suggested the lengthy gap between its unveiling at WWDC in June and official launch could be more to do with supply chain problems than a way to give developers time to create apps for the device.

According to the paywalled report, Apple is said to have been unhappy with the productivity of manufacturing partners tasked with supplying the two micro-OLED displays for the wearer's eyes and the outward-facing curved lenticular lens. The micro-OLED displays were reportedly supplied by Sony and TSMC for the prototypes, but it is not known who is supplying them at scale.

As a result of production challenges, Apple is preparing to make fewer than 400,000 units in 2024, according to the report, citing sources close to Apple and Luxshare, the Chinese contract manufacturer that will initially assemble the device. Meanwhile, two China-based sole suppliers of certain components for the Vision Pro reportedly said Apple was only asking them for enough for 130,000 to 150,000 units in the first year.

"Both projections imply a significant cut to production from an earlier, internal sales target of 1mn units in the first 12 months," wrote the FT. "The forecasts for low volumes reflect Apple's lack of confidence in being able to scale production, according to analysts and industry experts, following years of missed deadlines in launching the device," the report added.

Meanwhile, Apple is said to have pushed back plans to launch a more affordable version of the headset that it hopes will appeal to the mass market. Apple is reportedly working with Korean display makers Samsung and LG on the second-generation headset, and has explored using mini-LED for the displays to drive the price lower. However, FT's sources claimed Apple was insisting on using micro-OLED even for the non-Pro headset, despite suppliers failing to match expectations.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple plans to launch a more affordable version of its Vision Pro headset by the end of 2025, likely to be called "Apple Vision One," or more simply, "Apple Vision."
Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

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Apple Maps Redesign Expands to Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia

By: Tim Hardwick — April 7th 2023 at 08:28
Apple today announced that its revamped Maps app is rolling out across Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia. The new experience provides more detailed road coverage, better navigation, custom-designed 3D models of popular landmarks, Flyover, and more.


Maps can also help drivers in Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and Poland with certain electric vehicles plan trips that include appropriate stops for charging by analyzing elevation changes and other factors along a route. Meanwhile, transit riders in Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia can find nearby stations more easily and pin favorite lines. Riders will also receive notifications when it’s time to get off at their stop.

Look Around is also expanding to all of these countries starting today, offering high-resolution street-level imagery in the Maps app. The feature is similar to Google's Street View, but with smoother transitions when panning and zooming.

As noted by Apple Maps expert Juston O'Beirne, this is the eighteenth time that Apple has expanded its new map data since its public launch in September 2018. It has expanded to the U.K., Ireland, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, France, Germany, and select other countries and territories.
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Apple Has Included Bitcoin Whitepaper in Every Version of macOS Since 2018

By: Tim Hardwick — April 6th 2023 at 09:38
In every copy of macOS that has shipped since 2018, Apple has included the original Bitcoin whitepaper by Satoshi Nakamoto, and no-one seems to know why.


The baffling discovery (or rediscovery - see below) was recently made by developer and waxy.org writer Andy Baio, who stumbled upon the PDF document while trying to fix a problem with his printer.

Anyone with a Mac running macOS Mojave or later can see the PDF for themselves by typing the following command into Terminal:

open /System/Library/Image\ Capture/Devices/VirtualScanner.app/Contents/Resources/simpledoc.pdf

If you're running macOS 10.14 or later, the 184 KB Bitcoin PDF should immediately open in Preview.

The document can also be located via Finder: Navigate to Macintosh HD -> System -> Library -> Image Capture -> Devices, then open the Contents -> Resources folder. The whitepaper titled "simpledoc.pdf" should be in there.

Baio found that in the macOS Image Capture utility, the Bitcoin whitepaper is used as a sample document for a device called "Virtual Scanner II," which may or may not power Apple's Import from iPhone feature, and is either hidden or not installed for everyone by default.

Baio later discovered that he wasn't the first person to find the Bitcoin document or "Virtual Scanner II." An Apple Community post from 2021 queries its existence in macOS, in addition to a photo taken of a sign at San Francisco Bay's Treasure Island, after designer Joshua Dickens unearthed them in 2020.


It's not known why Apple would choose as a sample document Nakamoto's Bitcoin whitepaper. There has been widespread speculation about the identity of the presumed pseudonymous Bitcoin developer, which is only likely to add to the intrigue. What "Virtual Scanner II" refers to also remains unclear.

According to a source who spoke to Baio, someone filed the Bitcoin paper with Apple as an issue nearly a year ago, and assigned it to the same engineer who put the PDF there in the first place, but that person hasn't taken action or commented on the issue since.

The mystery continues.
Tag: Bitcoin

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iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

By: Tim Hardwick — March 24th 2023 at 07:27
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models.


According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the ‌iPhone 15‌ series will be integrated inside the ‌Dynamic Island‌ area, instead of sitting below it.
In the iPhone 14 Pro, the proximity sensor is located under the display (outside the Dynamic Island). Conversely, in the iPhone 15 series, the proximity sensor is situated within the Dynamic Island, with almost no change to the Dynamic Island area.
The proximity sensor detects when the user holds the phone up to their ear and shuts off the screen. It's possible that moving the location of the sensor could be related to improvements to Face ID, but as Kuo says, the tweak is unlikely to result in any difference to the look or functionality of the ‌Dynamic Island‌. Regardless, it will mark a change in components that may have simply been instigated to reduce costs.

According to Kuo, Apple supplier Finisar will shift to providing Apple with 940nm wavelength proximity sensors, compared to 1380nm for the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌. Based on additional information provided to MacRumors by leaker Unknownz21, the new proximity sensor is now part of the Single Pearl Module, codenamed "Sphinx."

Apple is expected to launch the ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup in September as usual. For everything we know about what's new in the new models, be sure to check out our dedicated roundups using the links below.
Related Roundups: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro
Related Forum: iPhone

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Bloomberg: Apple Considering Bid for English Premier League Streaming Rights in the UK

By: Tim Hardwick — March 23rd 2023 at 11:00
Apple is considering a bid for the rights to stream the English Premier League in the United Kingdom, among other lower league matches run by the English Football League, according to a Bloomberg report citing "people familiar with the situation."


From the report:
The rights under consideration would allow Apple to show Premier League games in the UK, as well as lower league matches run by the English Football League, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private.
If Apple went ahead with the plan, it would become the fourth major player in contention to purchase domestic broadcasting rights for top-flight soccer (or football, as it's called outside North America).

That would likely see a marked increase in the current £5.1 billion ($6.23 billion) valuation for domestic EPL rights, which operates on a three-year renewal cycle. Tender rights are currently being reviewed, with existing rights for the current three-year period set to expire in 2025.

Recent years have seen bidding wars play out between Sky Sports, BT Sport, and Amazon Prime Video, with Sky Sports often being the dominant player, although Amazon has been increasingly wielding its bidding power in recent years. Packaging terms ensure that no one broadcaster gains rights to all English Premier League matches, so any Apple deal for EPL broadcasting rights would necessarily fall short of the exclusivity deal the company successfully negotiated with MLS.

Apple has been pursuing sports content in an effort to attract new viewers to the Apple TV+ streaming service. The company has signed deals with Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer, which is currently available on ‌Apple TV+‌ via an MLS Season Pass priced at $14.99 per month or $99 per season. Apple has also reportedly expressed interest in acquiring an NBA streaming package.

‌Apple TV+‌ is also the home of hit sports comedy drama "Ted Lasso," in which an American college football coach is hired to coach an English soccer team.
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Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

By: Tim Hardwick — March 23rd 2023 at 10:41
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer.


Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least three days per week.

Employees are required to be in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with most able to work remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays. However, it appears that Apple is doubling down on this strategy as it looks for ways across the company to cut costs.

In a post on Twitter, Schiffer said that Apple is now actively tracking in-person attendance using badge records and will give employees "escalating warnings" if they don't come in the required three times per week.

According to Schiffer, some Apple offices have even warned staff that failure to comply could result in job termination, although that "doesn't appear to be a company-wide policy."

The development follows a recent report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in which he outlined several cost-cutting measures being newly enacted by Apple, including managers becoming "as strict as ever" about office attendance, with some staff believing it to be a harbinger of Apple firing employees who don't meet the requirement.

In this regard, Gurman has also reported an overlap in retail stores, with Apple taking a closer look at work attendance and hours, and the company ditching its "special sick time" for time missed due to Covid, asking staff to use their normal sick time instead.

According to the report, Apple isn't always filling positions when employees leave, suggesting the crackdown on staff who do not fulfill the in-person work requirements is at least in part one aspect of its wider strategy to cut costs while avoiding the sort of mass layoffs that have recently befallen other tech giants, including Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.
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Aqara Releases Video Doorbell G4 With Facial Recognition and HomeKit Secure Video Support

By: Tim Hardwick — March 23rd 2023 at 09:38
Smart home accessory maker Aqara today launched its first video doorbell, the HomeKit-enabled G4 with facial recognition.


The Video Doorbell G4 features a 1080p camera and is compatible with ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌, along with support for local streaming to Amazon Alexa and Google Home smart devices.

It features on-device AI facial recognition, which can trigger customized automations for different people. For example, a "welcome home" scene is activated when the G4 recognizes a family member coming home. Or in the case that it detects the postman, the doorbell will play a pre-recorded message.

The battery-powered video doorbell supports both wireless and wired installation and can use a pack of six AA batteries that lasts about four months, according to Aqara. Alternatively, users can opt to wire the G4 doorbell to an AC/DC transformer for 24/7 recording, and use the battery pack as a back-up power source.

The doorbell also offers adjustable sensitivity, configurable motion detection, and a power saving mode for users who live in a high traffic area to extend the battery life. Additionally, the G4's chime repeater, which has a 95 dB speaker, includes a USB-C port, allowing users to place the repeater indoors.

Video footage can be stored locally or remotely via iCloud or the Aqara platform. The latter offers subscription-free cloud storage of up to seven days of critical event clips such as motion detection, facial recognition, doorbell ring, and tamper alerts.

Priced at $119.99, the Aqara Smart Video Doorbell G4 comes in both Shadow Gray and Black colors, with optional local storage via a microSD card slot. Support for the new Matter standard will come via a future over-the-air update, according to Aqara. The G4 is available on Amazon in both North America and Europe, as well as selective Aqara retailers worldwide.
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Apple Wins Oscar for 'The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse'

By: Tim Hardwick — March 13th 2023 at 10:00
Apple and the BBC have won an animated short Oscar for "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and, the Horse," a magical fable by writer and artist Charlie Mackesy.


Winning at the 95th Academy Awards over the weekend, the film follows the dreamlike friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse traveling together in the boy's search for home. It stars Tom Hollander as The Mole, Idris Elba as The Fox, Gabriel Byrne as The Horse, and Jude Coward Nicoll as The Boy.

Apple Original Films acquired the production last year and it debuted on Apple TV+ and the BBC on Christmas Day, 2022.

Apple CEO Tim Cook congratulated the team involved in making "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse" in a tweet, adding "Your beautiful short tells an enduring story about the meaning of kindness, acceptance and hope."

The Oscar is Apple's first for an animated short. It was Apple's only win at this year's Oscars, with Apple receiving one other nomination, for Brian Tyree Henry for supporting actor in Apple TV+ drama "Causeway."

Congratulations to the team behind The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse on their Academy Award! Your beautiful short tells an enduring story about the meaning of kindness, acceptance, and hope.

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 13, 2023

At the 2022 Oscars, Apple became the first streaming service to win the best picture prize for "CODA," in addition to wins for Troy Kotsur for supporting actor and director Siân Seder for adapted screenplay.
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Yellow iPhone 14 Unboxing Videos Shared Ahead of Next Week's Launch

By: Tim Hardwick — March 10th 2023 at 11:48
Apple's iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models in a new Yellow color will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, March 14, following pre-orders starting later today. Ahead of time, several unboxing videos of the new models have surfaced online, offering a closer real-world look at the new color.


MKBHD's Marques Brownlee provides what is probably the most comparative look at the new iPhone 14 Plus in Yellow. Brownlee describes it as a "really safe, light, pale yellow - lighter than anything I've compared it to."

To demonstrate, Brownlee shows it next to a New York City MetroCard, a banana, and a Snapchat Pixy drone. One aspect of the device that is dark is the sides, which he calls a "slightly closer to gold color."

For contrast, Brownlee also includes a comparison shot of the new color alongside the Yellow that Apple offered the iPhone XR in a few years ago.

iPhone XR on the left

Meanwhile, Japanese blog Mac Otakara has uploaded an unboxing video that provides a good look at how the new Yellow color appears outdoors in sunny conditions.


Apple usually introduces new ‌iPhone‌ color options in the spring to boost sales midway through the device's product cycle. Apple will later today begin accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in Yellow in the U.S. and more than 60 other countries and regions. As mentioned, deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin Tuesday, March 14.
Related Roundup: iPhone 14
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 14 (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPhone

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Apple Store Down Ahead of Yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus Pre-Orders

By: Tim Hardwick — March 10th 2023 at 11:14
Apple has taken its online store down ahead of pre-order availability for the iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus in a new Yellow color, starting at 5.00 a.m. Pacific Time.


Announced by Apple earlier this week, the new Yellow shade joins the iPhone and ‌‌iPhone 14‌‌ Plus's existing Midnight, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, Blue, and Purple color options. There are no changes to the devices beyond the new Yellow finish.

Apple last offered a Yellow color option for the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ in 2019 with the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 11, which came just one year after the Yellow ‌‌iPhone‌‌ XR. There are no new color options for the iPhone 14 Pro and ‌‌iPhone 14 Pro‌‌ Max.

Availability for the new Yellow models starts next week on Tuesday, March 14. Apple has also added four new colors for the ‌‌iPhone 14‌‌ and ‌‌iPhone 14‌‌ Plus Silicone Cases, including Canary Yellow, Olive, Sky, and Iris.
Related Roundup: iPhone 14
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 14 (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPhone

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WhatsApp Says It Would Leave UK If Government Tried to Weaken Encryption

By: Tim Hardwick — March 9th 2023 at 16:40
WhatsApp would exit the U.K. market rather than be in thrall to the government's proposed Online Safety Bill if it undermined the app's end-to-end encryption, the platform's chief has said (via BBC News).


End-to-end encryption ensures that only the user and the person they are communicating with can read or listen to what is sent, and nobody in between, not even Meta/Facebook, can gain access to this content. However, the government, and some child-protection charities, argue that such encryption hinders efforts to combat the growing problem of online child abuse.

Under the bill, the government could force WhatsApp to apply content moderation policies that are impossible to implement without removing end-to-end encryption. If WhatsApp refused to do so, it could face fines of up to 4 percent of its parent company Meta's annual turnover.

But speaking during a U.K. visit in which he will meet legislators to discuss the government's internet regulation, Meta's head of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart, said it would refuse to comply if asked to weaken its encryption, since it would do so for all users.
"Our users all around the world want security - 98% of our users are outside the U.K., they do not want us to lower the security of the product," he said, adding that the app would rather accept being blocked in the U.K. "We've recently been blocked in Iran, for example. We've never seen a liberal democracy do that."
Encrypted messaging app Signal's president Meredith Whittaker also recently said it "would absolutely, 100% walk" and halt its service in the U.K. if the bill required it to scan messages.

Asked if he would go as far as Signal, Cathcart told the BBC: "We won't lower the security of WhatsApp. We have never done that - and we have accepted being blocked in other parts of the world."

"When a liberal democracy says, 'Is it OK to scan everyone's private communication for illegal content?' that emboldens countries around the world that have very different definitions of illegal content to propose the same thing," Cathcart said.

WhatsApp is the most popular messaging platform in the U.K., used by more than seven in 10 adults who are online, according to communication regulator Ofcom.

The U.K. government's Online Safety Bill is expected to return to parliament this summer.
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Apple Working on Under-Display Touch ID, Could Debut in First All-Screen iPhone

By: Tim Hardwick — March 9th 2023 at 13:43
Apple is continuing to research under-screen fingerprint sensor technology for an iPhone with a view to re-introducing Touch ID in its first full-screen model, according to a new rumor.


Ever since Face ID debuted in 2017's iPhone X, Apple's roadmap for Touch ID on iPhones has been murky at best, with some industry observers suggesting that Apple considers Face ID an exclusive all-in-one biometric solution going forward.

It's no secret that Apple has been working on a Touch ID system designed to be set under the display since at least 2013, with several patents awarded to the company over the years. However, despite claims that under-screen Touch ID on a future iPhone is unlikely, Apple has, if anything, intensified its research in under-screen fingerprint sensing technology.

Just this week, Apple was granted a patent relating to under-screen Touch ID that combines shortwave infrared technology with an optical imaging system that could have multiple functions. Not only does the latest embodiment aim to read the user's fingerprint when it touches the display, it could also determine vein pattern, blood oxygenation, pulse, and the presence of gloves and wetness.

Despite this, recent predictions as to when under-screen Touch ID might be introduced, if at all, have been pushed back. In a September 2021 research note, Kuo had predicted that Apple would launch at least one new iPhone model with an under-screen fingerprint scanner in the second half of 2023. But seven months later, Kuo said Apple was unlikely to release any iPhone models with under-screen Touch ID in 2023 or 2024.

Apple did test an under-screen fingerprint scanner for at least some iPhone 13 models, according to trusted reports, but Apple apparently decided not to move forward with the idea.

In the latest development, according to news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Korean Naver blog, industry sources now believe that Apple will debut under-screen Touch ID in the two to three years following the debut of under-panel Face ID.

Judging by the pace of development of under-panel technology as outlined in industry consultant Ross Young's roadmap, this suggests we could see a new under-screen version of Touch ID in a 2026 iPhone at the earliest, possibly in the same year that Apple is expected to move both Face ID and the front-facing camera under the display.

Of course, we cannot be certain that Apple will ever put Touch ID under iPhone screens. There also remains a possibility that Apple instead introduces an iPhone with Touch ID built into the power button, in line with the latest iPad Air and iPad mini models, but there haven't been any rumors to suggest that Apple plans to go down that avenue.
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Apple's Huge 3nm Chip Orders for iPhone 15 Pro and M3 Macs Helping to Maintain TSMC's Fab Utilization Rates

By: Tim Hardwick — March 9th 2023 at 11:48
Apple supplier TSMC is making strides to improve its production capacity for chips based on its cutting-edge 3-nanometer process technology, according to industry sources, which is expected to debut in this year's iPhone 15 Pro and upcoming MacBook models.


DigiTimes reports that TSMC's 5nm fabrication capacity began to loosen in November 2022 as a result of reduced orders from Apple, amongst other partners, with orders for iPhone chips alone having been slashed by 30%. However, the Taiwanese manufacturer has apparently been able to keep its utilization rate at 70% or higher thanks to Apple's thirst for 3nm:
TSMC continues to improve its capacity utilization for 3nm process technology, which is expected to approach 50% at the end of March, the sources said. The foundry will also grow the process output to 50,000-55,000 wafers monthly in March, with Apple being the main customer.
Apple's upcoming ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models are expected to feature the A17 Bionic processor, Apple's first ‌iPhone‌ chip based on TSMC's first-generation 3nm process, also known as N3E.

The first-gen 3nm process is said to deliver a 35% power efficiency improvement over TSMC's 5nm-based N4 fabrication process, which was used to make the A16 Bionic chip for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The N3 technology will also offer significantly improved performance compared to current chips manufactured on 5nm.

Apple's next-generation 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models are both expected to be equipped with an M3 chip, which is also likely to be manufactured on the 3nm process for further performance and power efficiency improvements. Apple is also reportedly planning to release an updated version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 chip. The M2 chip and its higher-end Pro and Max variants are built on TSMC's second-generation 5nm process.

Orders for new AI processors from Nvidia and AMD, as well as Apple's new ‌iPhone‌ chip, are expected to help TSMC avoid further fab utilization declines in the second quarter, DigiTimes' sources said.
Related Roundup: iPhone 15 Pro

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Next Year's OLED iPad Pro Models Could Have These Eye-Watering Starting Prices

By: Tim Hardwick — March 9th 2023 at 10:29
Apple's 2024 OLED iPad Pro models could be vastly more expensive than its existing iPad Pros and even more costly than some MacBook Pros currently on sale, claims a new Korean report.


According to industry sources cited by The Elec, Apple is already considering its pricing strategy for next year's two OLED iPad Pro models, with current estimates starting at $1,500 and $1,800 for the 11-inch and 13-inch models, respectively.

That would make the 11-inch device over 80 percent more expensive than the existing 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with LED Liquid Retina display, which starts at $799, and the 13-inch model over 60% more expensive than the current 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display, which starts at $1,099.

The OLED price estimates even eclipse the price of some MacBook Pro models currently on sale. For example, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip starts at $1,199, while the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip starts at $1,299.

According to the Korean-language report, the industry response to the price hikes is divided: Some consider them a reasonable increase given the switch to superior OLED technology that will attract Apple's loyal customer base, while others believe the prices will make it difficult to maintain sales because iPads lack the replacement demand of iPhones.

The main reason for the increases is said to be the large proportion of material costs taken up by OLED panel procurement. Apple is currently believed to be in discussion with Samsung and LG Display about the price of supplying the panels, the specifications for which will require the use of production processes that have not been combined before for OLED panels of the required size.

Apple is switching to OLEDs for iPad Pros because it will be a better experience. But Apple’s display requirements will lead to a more expensive OLED panel than the other OLEDs panels on the market which are lower cost than MiniLED. They are going for a very thin, tandem stack… https://t.co/iKfoMW4cUA

— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) March 9, 2023

According to The Elec, the supply price of OLED panels for existing 10-inch devices is around $100 to $150, whereas the outlay for the processes involved in making Apple's required 11-inch and 13-inch panels may be closer to $270 and $350, respectively.

The report notes that current OLED iPad Pro price estimates from the industry could change in the future. The OLED panels scheduled to be delivered by LG and Samsung are still in the development stage, so the panel prices have not been finalized.

Still, there are reportedly concerns among panel suppliers Samsung, LG, and BOE about how Apple's OLED iPad Pro prices and shipment forecasts could negatively affect profits and production line investment. Samsung is set to invest in eighth-generation OLED production lines, which should "theoretically" result in lower-costing panels, but they have already been earmarked for Apple's future OLED MacBooks, which are also expected to debut in 2024.
Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Related Forum: iPad

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Apple's iPhone 14 Silicone Cases Now Available in Four New Colors

By: Tim Hardwick — March 7th 2023 at 13:57
In tandem with its new Yellow color option for iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus models, Apple has made its silicone cases for the ‌iPhone 14‌ series available in four new colors, including Canary Yellow, Olive, Sky, and Iris.


The new cases are being made available for ‌iPhone 14‌, ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max, and they can be purchased from Apple's online store for $49 or at Apple's retail stores.

Apple regularly refreshes the available colors of its case options designed for the iPhone, and this latest spring update comes alongside the announcement of a new Yellow color option for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

The new ‌iPhone‌ case colors are available to order in-store now, with online orders arriving Thursday, March 9 at the earliest.
Related Roundup: iPhone 14
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 14 (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPhone

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Apple Dominates Top Ten Best-Selling Smartphones List for 2022

By: Tim Hardwick — March 7th 2023 at 12:06
Apple was easily the most popular smartphone brand last year, with eight of its iPhone models featuring in a list of 10 best-selling smartphones.


That's according to Counterpoint Research's Global Monthly Handset Model Sales Tracker, which establishes Apple as the first brand to occupy so many spots in its top 10. The remaining two spots were taken by Samsung.

According to the report, Apple's iPhone 13 was the best-selling smartphone of 2022, contributing 28% of ‌iPhone‌ sales and achieving best-selling smartphone status in major markets such as China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Counterpoint's data suggests that the ‌iPhone 13‌ remained the number one smartphone each month from its launch in September 2021 until August 2022, with price cuts after the launch of the iPhone 14 further driving ‌iPhone 13‌ sales in developing markets.

Compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which was the second best-selling smartphone of 2022, twice as many ‌iPhone 13‌ models were sold, underlining the device's broad popularity across markets. With reference to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the report notes that:

For the first time, a Pro Max variant of an ‌iPhone‌ series drove more volume than its Pro and base models in 2022. It helped the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max to capture the third spot in the 2022 list. It was the top-selling smartphone model for September, October and November of 2022. The ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max sales were led by early adopters and those upgrading to a higher ‌iPhone‌ variant.

Elsewhere, robust sales in the U.S., Japan, and China saw the iPhone 12 – the best-selling smartphone of 2021 – hold sixth spot above the ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌, despite being the oldest Apple handset in the list. The iPhone SE (2022) meanwhile took the tenth spot, with strong sales in Japan giving it a boost.


Lastly, Samsung's two spots on the list include its entry-level Galaxy A13 as the fourth best-selling smartphone, and the Galaxy A03, which rounded off the top 10. That's one more spot in the list than the Korean company achieved the previous year.
"We believe the share of the top 10 smartphones will increase in 2023 as brands focus on clearing inventory and optimizing their launches," said Counterpoint analysts Harshit Rastogi and Karn Chauhan. "We also expect brands to continue making their portfolios leaner in 2023 to minimize cannibalization. The number of active smartphone models in the global market has already fallen from over 4,200 in 2021 to around 3,600 in 2022."
In 2023, Apple continues to sell the ‌iPhone 12‌ and ‌iPhone 13‌ alongside the ‌iPhone 14‌ series and the third-generation ‌iPhone SE‌, underlining the continuing popularity of its older models among new and returning customers.
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Standard iPhone 15 Models to Lack ProMotion and Always-On Display Features

By: Tim Hardwick — March 7th 2023 at 10:10
Apple's standard iPhone 15 models will not be equipped with an LPTO display, suggesting that the devices will continue to lack ProMotion support and an always-on display option like Apple's Pro models have.


Last year's iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models used updated low-power display backlighting that supports ProMotion refresh rates that range from 1Hz to 120Hz. The refresh rate of the display adapts to what's happening on-screen, with lower rates used for static content and higher rates reserved for motion like games and video for a smoother, more responsive experience.

According to an industry source cited by news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Korean Naver blog, just like last year, only the Pro models in the iPhone 15 series will be equipped with the LPTO panels required for ProMotion, indicating that the feature will remain exclusive to Apple's higher-end models. From the machine-translated blog post:
Apple is said to have already made arrangements to deliver iPhone 15 series display panels to domestic companies, and will soon finalize details and prepare for mass production. What is confirmed here is that only the Pro Series will have a specification that supports LTPO 120 refresh rate, with the basic regular Plus model not having it in its requirements.

If accurate, unfortunately this means that the always-on display option will also remain a Pro-exclusive feature, since it is the 1Hz refresh rate capability of the updated LPTO panels that enables an idle Lock Screen to stay visible without significantly impacting battery.

The Naver blog's industry source corroborates the thinking of respected display analyst Ross Young, who in September 2022 said that while he expects Dynamic Island to feature on all iPhone 15 models, production scale constraints will likely prohibit Apple from bringing LPTO panels to the entire iPhone 15 series.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple's China-based supplier BOE, which has won orders for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, will not have production capacity for mass shipments of LTPO displays for high-end iPhones until 2024 at the earliest.

On the plus side, all iPhone 15 models will be equipped with a more power-efficient OLED display driver chip manufactured based on a 28nm process, compared to 40nm for current models, according to one report. The primary benefit of the 28nm chip would be reduced power consumption, which could contribute to longer battery life for iPhone 15 models.

For the latest rumors about the iPhone 15 lineup, read our roundups linked below.
Related Roundups: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro
Related Forum: iPhone

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