Apple

Apple has been working on at least two different foldable iPhone prototypes or concepts with a view to potentially bringing one of the designs to market. However, a new report suggests that the company is only lukewarm on the idea and it is still some years away from being launched, if at all.

New Redmi Note 10 teasers have claimed that the upcoming potential midrange smartphone champion will have a display that is as bright as the screen of the iPhone 12 Pro and certainly way beyond that of the Redmi Note 9. The teasers have sparked renewed speculation that the Redmi Note 10 will feature an OLED screen instead of an LCD like its predecessor.

According to a new report, Apple will announce at least three new products at its next hardware event. Supposedly scheduled for March 16, the event is expected to showcase the iPad mini 6, AirTags and a 2021 refresh of the iPad Pro series. The 12.9-inch version of the latter should have some impressive hardware upgrades too, including a new SoC that will rival the Apple M1.

Apple M1-native malware has been discovered by an independent macOS security researcher. The GoSearch22 Safari browser extension, which is linked to the infamous Pirrit adware family, can run on any M1 silicon-based device, such as the late 2020 models of the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini.

The latest full-year analysis of the PC market show that devices that run ChromeOS gained more and more market share during 2020 compared to those running macOS. Windows remained the market leader, although its share did fall compared to 2019. These changes might be related to the overwhelming demand for home-learning and -working solutions that marked the year just gone.

Epic Games has stepped its dispute with Apple over developer remuneration by filing an official antitrust complaint with the European Commission (EC). It alleges that competition in the app-distribution and payment markets has been "completely eliminated" by Apple's practices of insisting that these activities are carried out through its App Store for all software intended for use on iOS.

Apple is working on a new yet to be announced external battery pack for the iPhone 12 range. The accessory will use Apple’s MagSafe magnetic adapter tech to attach to the rear of an iPhone and charge wirelessly over the Qi protocol.

Apple is thought to have a foldable iPhone in the works. However, according to a new report, the market analyst group Omdia claims that its launch has been pushed back to 2023. Then again, it might share the feature of Apple Pencil compatibility with many iPads by that time.

The next Pro-grade iPhones are currently tipped to get LTPO displays. They are also rumored to finally upgrade to 120Hz refresh rates – and to always-on displays, according to the latest leak. The successors to the 12 series are also now believed to benefit from a new, possibly textured matte finish.

Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei continues to gush about Apple and its products. In his latest interview, Zhengfei has said that Apple makes the best 5G iPhones in the world and that they are the perfect compliment for his company’s 5G network technologies.

Despite low sales of the iPhone 12 Mini, sources have told noted tipster Jon Prosser that Apple will launch an iPhone 13 Mini. According to these sources, the main reason the iPhone 12 Mini floundered was the success of the iPhone SE (2020). Since no iPhone SE will launch in 2021, the iPhone 13 Mini will do markedly better.

Apple plans to unveil the AirTags and its 2021 iPad Pro refresh, according to new reports. Possibly launching simultaneously, rumours about the pair have been circulating for months.

The market research group Above Avalon has studied the fortunes of the Apple Watch series up to 2020, and has put the number of its adopters at 100 million. This would make it the OEM's fourth biggest product, with iPhones, iPads and Macs the only lines to sell better than these wearables. Should this trend continue, they may in fact be able to overtake the PCs by 2022.

An updated Bluetooth SIG listing has sparked speculation in regard to a mysterious “B2002” entry, with guesses ranging from Apple TV to an M1 iMac. The B2002 item joins new registrations for the M1-based MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13, and Mac mini. The model number for the baffling potential product is simply “TBD”.

What Apple's mixed reality headset looks like remains a secret, but there have already been some hints about the so-called 'Apple Glasses. The designer Antonio De Rosa has taken up the topic and, based on previous leaks, has published photorealistic renders of how Apple's upcoming headset could look.

A proposed North Dakota law will force Apple and Google to allow developers alternative options for distributing iOS and Android apps, respectively. The bill will also allow developers to receive in-app payments through any method they choose, not just through the app's respective app platform.

Rumours have been circulating about Apple releasing a redesigned iMac with a high-end ARM-based processor that has at least 12 cores. While past rumours have suggested that the 2021 iMac will arrive as early as March, a new report claims that Apple has scheduled the device's release for October 2021, instead.

A new report from prolific Apple leaker Jon Prosser suggests that Apple could go the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip route with its upcoming foldable iPhone. The clamshell-shaped iPhone could come in several colourways and marketed as an 'entry-level' iPhone of sorts.

Apple will give developers US$500 for returning its Developer Transition Kit, a US$300 increase from the value of its original credit. The new coupon is no longer restricted to being redeemed against M1 hardware either and can be used until the end of 2021.

Apple will align the design of its MacBook Pro and iPhone series this year, according to a new report. The change will see 2021 MacBook Pros with a flatter design, albeit one with rounded corners. Apple is expected to release at least a new 16-inch MacBook Pro this year, which could also be the first ARM-based MacBook that supports MagSafe charging.

Slides from Intel have been published revealing numerous benchmark and usage comparisons between the ARM-based Apple M1 chip and Core i7 representatives of the Intel 11th Gen Tiger Lake series. The choice of benchmarks and some subtle SKU changes suggest Intel is focusing on trash-talking the Apple M1 rather than improving its own production.

Apple could be set to end production of the iPhone 12 mini as soon as the end of the second quarter this year. While it seems Apple will continue to market and sell the iPhone 12 mini, at least until its inventory runs dry, it doesn’t look good for the future of small iPhones.

A Counterpoint report has stated that Apple managed to sell over 9.5 million iPhones in the US market alone in December 2020. This gave the iPhone 12 maker a huge 64% of the market share, leaving Samsung in second on 20%. Google managed to claw back some share thanks to the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5, but Motorola and Alcatel are firmly in ZTE territory.

Telegram was #9 on SensorTower's list of most downloaded (non-game) mobile app in December 2020. Fast forward one month, however, and it had jumped up to #1. WhatsApp and Instagram were #3 and #4 at the end of 2020, but fell to #5 and #6 respectively at the start of 2021.

A tech tipster has claimed that Apple is preparing four new SoCs and has shared the alleged internal identifiers for the processors. Unsurprisingly, this has led to considerable speculation about their eventual product names, with Apple M1X, M2, A14X, A15, and A15 Bionic heading the suggestions. 2021’s 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models could feature a new SoC.

Apple has more or less phased out its iPod brand, once a stable of its hardware business. Nonetheless, concept renders have shown how Apple could utilise the Watch Series as a portable music player with a click wheel.

Gone are the days when Apple would give developers an iMac to return a Developer Transition Kit (DTK). Instead, the company now expects developers to return its latest DTK for a US$200 coupon off an M1 Mac, the cheapest of which retails for US$699.

More details have surfaced about Apple’s mixed reality headset including an impression of what it looks like and its eye-watering price tag. If you thought that Apple jumped the shark with the pricing of the Airpods Max at US$500, it pales in comparison to what could be an eye-watering US$3,000 price tag for its new headset.

Apple has accepted a ruling from South Korea's national Fair Trade Commission that it has abused its dominance of the smartphone market in that country to skew conditions in its favor when it came to selling and supporting iPhones through carriers. Therefore, Apple has "volunteered" to fund facilities and education for small business in the IT sector.

Apple is currently rumored to be involved in the design of its own-brand electric cars to rival other brands such as Tesla. This might now be bolstered with reports that the Cupertino giant has invested ~US$3.6 billion in Kia, a subsidiary of Hyundai known to be involved in the production of those kinds of automobiles.

A Counterpoints Research study has determined that TSMC has 28% of the market share in matured nodes (40nm and below), making it the world leader in the global semiconductor manufacturing market. UMC, SMIC and Samsung take second, third and fourth place with market shares of 13%, 11% and 10%, respectively.

Fortune magazine has published its “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and it is headed by Apple. Tech companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, Cisco, and Samsung all find places as the #1 ranked firm in their industry. Well-known names from China such as Tencent Holdings and Alibaba are also included.

Flagship iPhones have been unlockable through Face ID only since 2017. Now, however, there are hints that Apple might bring its only real alternative, Touch ID, back in 2021. It will apparently be an in-display version for the first time, with the company leaving the Home button in the dust with the putative new technology.

Apple is said to have added support for both the Sony PS5 DualSense controller and the Xbox Series X/S controller to the first iOS 14.5 beta. The relatively quick addition of support for the next-gen console controllers continues to point to Apple’s gaming ambitions.

MediaTek has posted an arguable win by securing a contract with Apple to supply it with components for next-gen audio accessories. Then again, these products are not future AirPods, but those of the Beats series instead. This would be the first incidence of this product line not being made with completely in-house hardware.

Simply called "iCloud Passwords," the new Google Chrome extension allows its users to use the same Safari passwords that they created on their Apple device with Chrome on Windows. Besides, iCloud Passwords also saves passwords created with Google Chrome on Windows to the iCloud Keychain for later use on Apple devices.

The latest version of iOS (14.4) is now available as a stable update. Installing it causes a new kind of "important hardware message" to pop up should an iPhone detect that its rear camera module has been unofficially replaced. Apple has also noted that the software includes patches for potentially actionable vulnerabilities.

Microsoft recently opened up a 90,000 square feet IDC (India Development Center) in Delhi. The new location is set to a hub for AI and cloud computing research and highlights the increasing relevance of India-based R&D efforts for Microsoft and other multinationals.

The leaker @MauriQHD has posted claims that Apple has finally produced an edge-to-edge iPhone display. Unfortunately, it is also apparently a prototype, and may not be intended for the upcoming 13 (or possibly 12s) series. In other rumors, the Cupertino giant might see fit to "invent" 1TB internal storage options in 2021.

We already know that the Apple M1 SoC offers substantial performance and battery life improvements compared to Intel-powered MacBooks. However, Apple has shared the rated-power consumption of the M1 in the Mac mini, providing comparisons between the ARM chipset and chipsets back to the PowerPC G4.

Apple ended 2020 on a historic high by shipping over 90 million smartphones in the quarter. That achievement—an all-time record—saw the American company overthrow Samsung to become the number one smartphone maker in the world across the quarter.

For those who often find themselves facing way too many tabs on their tab bar, Vivaldi 3.6 comes with a second one. In addition to two-level tab stacks, the latest update for this browser also includes split-screen view and tree-style view (via the Tab Tiling and Window Panel features).

Apple has launched a limited edition Apple Watch celebrating Black Unity. The Watch, along with several other product initiatives have been launched to coincide with Black History Month.

Apple has updated some product safety material found in the Support section of its website to clarify the potential of its new MagSafe feature to interfere with pacemakers. It notes that, while the extra magnetism involved should not make the technology more dangerous than the average wireless-charging device or accessory, a user with a medical device should keep it a certain distance away from the relevant devices.

A recent Cowen analysts' reports paints a rosy picture for Apple iPhone sales this year. The complete iPhone 12 lineup is expected to sell over 55 million units by the end of Q1 2021. The iPhone 12 Mini, however, Apple's budget play, continued to disappoint with lower-than-expected sales volume.

Apple has replaced Dan Riccio with John Ternus. Riccio has been moved into a special project role while Ternus will now take up the position previously held by Riccio as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.

A report out of South Korea has claimed that both Apple and Samsung are preparing to include a blood glucose monitor in their upcoming 2021 smartwatch releases. This means that an Apple Watch 7, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, or Galaxy Watch Active 3 could end up being fitted with a vital, and non-invasive, sensor for checking glucose levels.

A shortlist of smartphones either already with or expected to feature LTPO screens in 2021 has revealed some interesting entrants and a notable absence. There is mention of an Apple iPhone 12s Pro, Huawei Mate 50 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, and even the Xiaomi Mi 12, but there seems to be no room for a Galaxy Note 21 here.

2021 is going to be a big year for fans of Apple’s Macs as the company sets down the path of reengineering many of its designs around its super efficient, yet powerful Apple silicon chips. Bloomberg reports that Apple is working on a new high-end MacBook Air while the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will see the return of a built-in SD card reader.