Nine New iPhones Confirmed, Serious iPhone Problems, MacBook Pro’s Big Mistake
Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes serious iPhone display problems, nine new iPhones leak, MacBook Pro’s big mistake, the iPhone’s virtual selfies, WWDC timetables, Chinese App Store removes podcast apps, and every Apple Watch band.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the very many discussions that have happened around Apple over the last seven days (and you can read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes).
iPhone Users Facing Serious Problems
An increasing number of users with OLED display iPhones are reporting an unwanted green tint showing up on their smartphones. There are strong signs that the issue is in software, but it could be interacting with batches of faulty OLED screens. There’s no official word from Apple, but there is a proposed solution. Forbes’ Gordon Kelly reports:
"Given the reports of problems following iOS updates, it would appear Apple could fix this with software. That said, this is complicated by the fact most affected users find that taking a screenshot and viewing it on another display shows no tint, suggesting it is not at a software level. Apple has also acknowledged the problem in some cases and approved official resellers to replace the displays under warranty."
More here on Forbes.
Three Apple Inc. iPhone 11 smartphones stand on display inside the Regent Street Apple store during ... [+]
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Your Nine iPhones For 2020
Apple documents filed with the Eurasian Economic Commission’s database disclose nine new iPhone models that have yet to be released. While the paperwork does not use the marketing names or any technical details, it’s another piece of evidence to the make-up of the iPhone 12 family. Tim Hardwick reports:
"The new and unannounced iPhones use the previously unknown model identifiers A2176, A2172, A2341, A2342, A2399, A2403, A2407, A2408, and the A2411.
"Based on the new model numbers, it's possible that the A2176 and the A2172 refer to the two more affordable models, while the other numbers could be variants of the high-end models. All of the models are listed as running iOS 13. Apple is expected to release new iPhones in the fall.”
MacBook Pro’s Big Specs Mistake
Sometimes you need to read the specifications on your new laptop, because even though you’ve ordered a Pro machine the features you would think that are obvious are… not there. Take the new MacBook Pro. The name may be suggestive, but has Apple made a mistake in the specs? John Koetsier believes so:
"…two of the three allegedly “Pro” 13” MacBook models that Apple just updated have a grand total of two ports. You read that right: two ports. But it gets even better: one of them is for power. Which basically means that Apple’s new MacBook “Pro” has essentially one port.
"One port! On a “Pro” machine!”
Once you add in an external monitor - something many Pro users are going to have - you’ve maxed out your new machine’s ports. No space out of the box for a microphone, webcam, external drive, nothing. Well played Apple. More here on Forbes.
Apple’s Virtual Selfie For iPhone
Apple’s latest published patent brings together multiple selfie images taken to put together a ‘virtual’ group picture. Two years ago this would have been a smart feature, but in the current coronavirus-powered lockdowns, it feels like another way to stay connected to friends and family. Ben Lovejoy has the details:
“…each person takes their own selfie on their own phone; each phone removes the background; and then all the isolated images are sent to one phone to assemble the virtual group selfie with a single version of the background. Depth-sensing can be used both to do clean cutouts, and to merge properly with the background.
"The phones will use AirDrop type technology to transmit the photos when everyone is in one place, but the patent does allow for doing it all remotely.”
WWDC Timetables For Your Diary
Appe’s Virtual WWDC has long been in the calendar for the week beginning June 22nd, but now the timetable of the event has been published. As always the eyes of the wider world will be on the opening keynote:
"Discover exciting new innovations and updates coming to all Apple platforms later this year. The keynote address will stream directly from Apple Park via apple.com, the Apple Developer app, the Apple Developer website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube, and will also be available for on-demand playback after the conclusion of the stream. For viewers in China, the keynote will also stream on Tencent, iQIYI, Bilibili, and Youku.”
As a virtual event, the benefits of discussion and smaller seminars from previous physical events are lost, at least in their original format. Chance Miller looks at how one of the valuable experiences will be reproduced in the virtual environment:
"One of the biggest questions regarding this year’s event had been how Apple would replicate the one-on-one experiences usually available for developers with Apple engineers at WWDC. This year, developers will be able to “request an appointment with the Apple engineers” work one-on-one with the latest iOS, watchOS, macOS, and tvOS releases.”
Apple Pulls Podcast Apps From Chinese Stores
Popular podcast clients Pocket Casts and Castro have been removed from the Chinese App Store by Apple, at the request of Chinese authorities. As podcast clients, neither app hosts the actual shows being produced, instead they index freely available RSS feeds that point to and organise podcast content. Thanks to the the App Store being the one route to install applications on any iPhone, there’s no alternative route to their users for the two companies .Rita Liao reports:
"Pocket Casts, which was acquired by a group of American public radio companies in 2018, tweeted that it “has been removed from the Chinese App Store by Apple, at the request of the Cyberspace Administration of China,” the country’s internet watchdog. When Pocket Casts asked for clarification, Apple’s app review team told the podcast firm to contact the CAC directly, an email seen by TechCrunch showed.
"…Apple cannot be immediately reached for comment.”
And Finally…
The Apple Watch may only have a few iterations of the hardware, but the wrist straps? That’s a different matter. And if you want to explore all the historical options, Bandbreite can help:
"The chart includes every Apple Watch band Apple —and its official partners Nike and Hermès— released since April 2015. More than 350 bands are organised by type and color, with information about its release date and model number added to a high-res image of the band."
Explore the various bands at Bandbreite.
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
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