Tag: apple

Apple Files Appeal After Biden Administration Bans Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2 Sales in US

The US has officially banned the import and sale of Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 models after US President Biden’s administration declined to veto an agency’s decision to restrict the wearables. The move follows an October ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC) that certain Apple Watch models infringed the blood oxygen saturation technology patented by a medical tech company called Masimo. The affected Apple watches feature a blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring feature. The Cupertino giant is appealing the federal government ban. An Apple spokesperson said that the company strongly disagrees with the ITC’s order.

Apple on Tuesday (December 26) appealed (via Reuters) a decision to ban sales and imports of its latest wearables based on a complaint from Masimo after President Joe Biden’s administration declined to veto USITC earlier today. In a statement, an Apple spokesperson said that it strongly disagrees with the USITC decision and resulting exclusion order, and will be “taking all measures to return the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the US as soon as possible.” The California-based Masimo earlier claimed that Apple’s pulse reader feature infringes on its pulse-oximeter technology.

The iPhone maker has filed an emergency request for the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to halt the ban. It requested the Federal Circuit for a temporary stay on the ban at least until US Customs and Border Protection considers redesigned versions of its watches infringe Masimo’s patents by January 12.

A statement from the Office of US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the agency “decided not to reverse the ITC’s determination” after “careful consideration.” The government tribunal’s order will go into effect on December 26, barring imports and sales of Apple Watches that use patent-infringing technology for monitoring blood-oxygen levels. Apple had already paused the sale of Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the US on its website on December 21 and from its store shelves after December 24.

The ITC issued the ban in October this year after finding that Apple infringed on blood oxygen saturation technology patented by Masimo. The tribunal ordered Apple to pause selling any previously imported devices with the blood oxygen pulse oximeter sensor. The order was followed by the 60-day Presidential Review Period that expired on December 25.

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 are still available for purchase outside the US. Also, the latest move does not affect the Apple Watch SE as the budget-friendly wearable does not feature a SpO2 sensor. Apple has included a SpO2 tracker in every wearable since its Series 6 model in 2020.

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Beeper Says Its Efforts to Bring iMessage to Android Is ‘Unsustainable’ After Providing Jailbroken iPhone Fix

Beeper, the messaging platform that has fought hard to bring Apple’s iMessage to Android phones, seems to have released a final update for its service. After multiple attempts at making iMessage work on Android devices reliably, with workarounds that involved users accessing a Mac, Beeper has said its efforts to bring the popular messaging service on Android are “unsustainable.” The company announced its future plans hours after it said it had found a stable solution for iMessages to work on Android for Beeper Mini and Cloud users.

It its blog post published late Thursday, Beeper said it did not have any plans to revive its efforts if its latest iMessage fix was thwarted by Apple. “Each time that Beeper Mini goes ‘down’ or is made to be unreliable due to interference by Apple, Beeper’s credibility takes a hit,” the company said in its blog. “It’s unsustainable. As much as we want to fight for what we believe is a fantastic product that really should exist, the truth is that we can’t win a cat-and-mouse game with the largest company on earth.”

Beeper said that it expected Apple to tolerate its latest software release and that the iMessage connection software behind Beeper Mini and Beeper Cloud was being made open source. “Anyone who wants can use it or continue development,” Beeper said. The company will now focus on its long-term goal of building “the best chat app on Earth.”

In the blog, Beeper also responded to Apple’s claims that its app posed “significant risks to user security and privacy.” In its detailed rebuttal, the company said that Beeper Mini was not a malicious app and was secure, contrary to claims made by the iPhone maker.

Beeper’s latest update came soon after the company said that phone number registration on the Beeper Mini app was back, which would allow Android phone numbers to show up in blue colour in iMessage. Beeper users, however, would need to access an old jailbroken iPhone, a Mac computer, or find a friend with a Mac.

Beeper left detailed instructions to get iMessage working reliably on Android in a separate blog post announcing the jailbroken iPhone fix for phone number registration. For Beeper Mini users on mobile devices, an old jailbroken iPhone (6/6s/SE1/7/8/X) would do the trick.

Earlier this week, Beeper released an iMessage fix on Android devices that would require users to access a Mac computer for the service to work reliably. A Mac registration would allow Android users to send blue bubble text messages on iMessage. Users must have continued access to a Mac computer, however, for the messaging service to work.

While Beeper has been working on various fixes and workarounds to get iMessage to work on Android devices, Apple has continued to block the service citing privacy and security concerns. In a statement to The Verge, Apple said that the company had taken steps to block Beeper Mini’s access to iMessage as it exploited “fake credentials.” The company said that it took steps to protect its users as Beeper’s techniques “posed significant risks to user security and privacy.”

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company’s latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max to Be Equipped With Tetraprism Telephoto Lens: Report

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max could be equipped with a tetraprism telephoto lens next year, according to a report. Earlier this year, Apple launched the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but only the latter was equipped with the company’s improved telephoto lens that offers up to 5x optical zoom — higher than the 3x optical zoom support on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The purported increase in size of the iPhone 16 Pro models could allow for a better telephoto camera in the smaller model.

A MacRumors report citing unnamed sources states that Apple plans to equip both the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max with its new tetraprism telephoto lens in 2024. By using a compact glass structure using a prism, Apple’s top-of-the-line iPhone model can reflect light four times and allow for better optical zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

However, the inclusion of this camera technology was said to be a challenge for Apple due to space constraints, which is why only the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max arrived with the tetraprism telephoto camera this year. If recent reports are to be believed, Apple is planning to increase the display sizes of the both the iPhone 16 Pro to 6.3 inches and the iPhone 16 Pro Max to 6.9 inches, up from 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively.

Citing internal documentation, the report also states that the tetraprism module and camera design for the iPhone 16 Pro model appears similar to the one on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It is currently unclear whether the company plans to use the same camera setup on both iPhone 16 Pro models as the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

This is the third time that such a claim has been made. TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated in September — and again in November — that the iPhone 16 Pro will also feature the improved camera technology. Kuo previously predicted that Apple would not equip the iPhone 15 Pro model with the same telephoto lens as the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

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Apple Watch With Redesigned Band Connection System Tipped Again, May Break Compatibility With Current Bands

Apple is working on redesigned connector system for its upcoming Apple Watch model, according to details shared by a tipster. The Cupertino company’s purported next-generation smartwatch is expected to feature watch straps that are connected using a different mechanism that would render previous Apple watch bands incompatible with the upcoming model. Until now, Apple Watch bands were compatible across several generations — as long as the same size is used — which means that users could continue using their watch bands even after they upgrade to a newer Apple Watch model.

X (formerly Twitter) user Kosutami (@KosutamiSan) claims in a recent post that the connectors of the next-generation Apple Watch have been “completely redesigned” — the tipster does not specify what mechanism will be used to connect the bands to the watch but states that the reason why Apple is opting for the new system is that the current connector “takes a lot of space.”

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that company’s purported plans to redesign the Apple Watch band connectors have come to light. Earlier this year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated that the “Apple Watch X” would be equipped with a magnetic band attachment system instead of the existing locking mechanism.

Apple’s current-generation Apple Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2, and Watch SE (2022) are equipped with a press-to-release locking mechanism that holds the watch bands firmly in place. The same mechanism has been used by the company for several generations now, allowing users to use the same bands on their next Apple Watch. The inclusion of the rumoured magnetic locking mechanism would mean that the watch straps designed for older models would no longer work with the purported Apple Watch X.

Another rumoured upgrade that could arrive with the next-generation Apple Watch is a Micro-LED display. These screens are expected to offer higher brightness levels, increased power efficiency, better durability, and other advantages over the company’s current models. However, it is currently unclear whether Apple will equip its upcoming smartwatch models with the next generation display technology — we can expect to hear more about the purported smartwatch in the coming months.

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Resident Evil 4 Remake Now Available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPad and Mac at a 50 Percent Discount

Resident Evil 4, the acclaimed 2023 remake of the survival horror classic from 2005, is now available on the iPhone 15 Pro and select iPad and Mac models. The game released on compatible Apple devices on Wednesday. While RE4 is listed for free on Apple’s App Store, accessing the full title would require in-app purchases. RE4 remake originally release for PC and consoles on March 24 and received critical acclaim for the visual and mechanical improvements it brought to 2005’s Resident Evil 4. The remake also earned three nominations at this year’s The Game Awards, including the top prize for Game of the Year.

Publisher Capcom showed off Resident Evil 4 remake for Apple devices at the iPhone 15 series launch event in September. The graphics-intensive title, meant to be played originally on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X, will run on the iPhone thanks to Apple’s new A17 Pro GPU present on the latest iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. RE4 remake can also be played on iPad Pro and iPad Air models running on M1 and M2 chips, and on Mac models with M1, M2 or M3 chips onboard.

The App Store listing for Resident Evil 4 went live back in September, with the pricing for the game set at a hefty Rs. 3,599. A small part of the base game can be played for free, but the full game would require an in-app purchase. The main game, however, is available on the App Store right now with a 50 percent discount, which brings the price for the base game (with bonus) down to Rs. 1,799. The discount ends January 17 and all purchases made before the date will include bonus attache cases and charms. The Separate Ways DLC and the Extra DLC Pack for the title are priced at Rs. 589 and Rs. 859, respectively.

Playing the game without a compatible controller would clutter the touchscreen on iPhone and iPad with on-screen touch control buttons. Apple, too, recommends playing the game with a controller. It’s also worth noting that RE4 save data cannot be uploaded and downloaded between MacOS and iOS devices. The game requires iOS 17.0 or later on iPhone 15 Pro models, iPadOS 17.0 on compatible iPad models, and macOS 13.0 or later on compatible Macs.

Resident Evil 4 on the iPhone 15 Pro
Photo Credit: Capcom

Resident Evil 4 puts you in the shoes of federal agent Leon S. Kennedy, assigned to rescue the president’s daughter. He tracks her down to a remote village in rural Spain, but finds a dangerous cult with horrific secrets and a legion of followers standing in his way. RE4, primarily a survival horror title, features third-person shooting with an “over-the-shoulder” perspective — a common gameplay trope in action titles first pioneered in the original Resident Evil 4.

In addition to the RE4 remake, Capcom also released Resident Evil Village, 2021’s first-person survival horror title, on iPhone 15 Pro phones and the M1-and-above-equipped iPads on October 30.

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iPhone 16 Lineup Could All Feature an A18 Chip, iOS 18 Code Reportedly Suggests

Apple packed ‌an older A16 chip on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models this year, while the top-of-the-range ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ and iPhone 15 Pro Max debuted with an all-new A17 Pro chip. Now, early leaks indicate that the Cupertino-based tech giant will use an A18 processor in all iPhone 16 models. Early development versions of the iOS 18 operating system reportedly include references to four new iPhone models with an A18 chip.

As per a report by Macrumors, early development versions of the iOS 18 operating system contain references to four new iPhone models. These models, believed to be the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, are reportedly internally referenced as D47, D48, D93, and D94, respectively.

The codes from iOS 18 reportedly indicate that Apple will pack a new SoC – t8140 – Tahiti in the entire ‌iPhone 16‌ range. This codename is said to be associated with the A18 chip. This corroborates earlier rumours.

Apple’s recent iPhone 15 series and iPhone 14 series have used different chipsets for the non-Pro and Pro models. The company used older generation SoCs in its lower-priced iPhone units in 2023 and 2022. The ‌iPhone 15‌ runs on an older A16 Bionic chip from the iPhone 14 Pro, while the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models are powered by a new A17 Pro chip with an additional GPU core and increased clock speed.

If all four iPhone 16 models are to use an A18 chip in 2024, it won’t be the same one, as per the report. Apple is said to differentiate the chips used on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models by using A18 and A18 Pro branding. Besides the A18 chip, the operating system reportedly has reference to Broadcom Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules.

The rumoured iPhone 16 series is expected to come with a dedicated button for taking videos. This mysterious button is expected to be called as “Capture Button”. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models would feature the new Action Button, which is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro models. The Pro variants are said to have larger displays than the iPhone 15 Pro models.

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Apple Vision Pro Production Ramped Up in China as Firm Plans February Launch: Report

Apple Vision Pro — the company’s first wearable mixed reality headset announced at WWDC 2023 — could be launched in the next couple of months, according to a recent report. The iPhone maker is reportedly ramping up production of its spatial computer at assembly plants in China and has been working on training its employees at retail stores for the launch of the headset in the US. Apple has also been working with app developers to help them build apps for visionOS, its operating system for the Vision Pro.

A Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter states that production of the Vision Pro has been “running at full speed” for weeks now, and Apple is planning to have units ready by the end of next month and launch the product for retail customers in February. Despite the purported timeline, any challenges related to production might end up delaying Apple’s plans, as per the report.

Earlier this year, Apple said it would launch the Vision Pro in the US in “early 2024”. The company set up centres in several countries for developers to test out their apps using the headset, and has provided resources to aid the development of apps for visionOS. Recently, Telegram’s Pavel Durov teased the chat platform’s app for the Vision Pro, with three-dimensional message effects, an immersive media player, and support for voice typing.

Last month, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated that the launch of the Apple Vision Pro could be delayed to March as Apple completed final device testing and completed its distribution plans for the wearable device, which has an expensive $3,499 (roughly Rs. 2.91 lakh) price tag.

An FT report earlier this year stated that Apple’s only Vision Pro assembler — Luxshare — would make less than 400,000 units in 2024, claiming that Apple was scaling back its production forecasts for the headset.

While the Vision Pro is yet to be launched in the US, Apple has reportedly started working on a second-generation headset, codenamed Project Alaska. The headset will reportedly feature a redesigned rear strap and could support an external audio accessory instead of the audio module found on the Vision Pro. However, it’s worth considering these details with a pinch of salt, as there’s no word from Apple on plans to launch a successor to the headset scheduled to launch in early 2024.

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Beeper Mini Now Requires Users to Access a Mac to Send Blue Bubble iMessage Texts From Android

Beeper Mini has had a busy two weeks. The messaging app first introduced iMessage support on Android phones without the need for an Apple ID earlier this month. Then, Apple sprang into action and blocked the company’s iMessage service citing security concerns. Beeper scrambled to get iMessages working on Android, eventually resuming service with some restrictions. The Apple ID requirement, for once, was back. Now, the messaging app has provided another update on its iMessage service. Beeper now requires Android phone users to have access to a Mac for the service to work reliably.

In a reddit post Tuesday, the Beeper team provided a status update for an iMessages fix on Android devices. “We’ve found a solution to stabilize the iMessage situation for Beeper Cloud and Mini,” the company said in the post. The solution is that Android users must have access to a Mac computer for iMessages to work with blue text bubbles on an Android phone.

“When you connect iMessage on Beeper, we need to send identification information called ‘registration data’ from a real Mac,” the Beeper team explained in the post. “We have, up until now, we been using our own fleet of Mac servers to provide this. Unfortunately, this has proven to be an easy target for Apple because thousands of Beeper users were using the same registration data.”

Beeper Mini announced that it will publish an update for Beeper Cloud (Mac version) on Wednesday that would generate unique registration data for each user. “This 1:1 mapping of registration data to individual user—in our testing—makes the connection very reliable,” the post said. It’s also worth noting that the Mac registration isn’t a one-time thing; Beeper users would need to have continued access to a Mac for iMessage to work. Beeper Mini needs to regenerate Mac registration data once every week or every month even after initial connection, in which case a Mac computer must be switched on regularly.

The company also mentioned that users without a Mac could ask a friend on Beeper with a Mac for their registration data. According to Beeper, their testing showed that up to 20 iMessage users could safely use the same registration data.

While Beeper’s latest update enables stable iMessages with Apple ID for Android users, it certainly presents hurdles by requiring continued access to a Mac computer.

Released December 5, Beeper Mini promised iMessage service to Android users without requiring an Apple ID. The standalone Android app connects directly to Apple’s servers, allowing users to send messages that appear as blue bubbles to iMessage users — as if sent from an iPhone. The messaging app also supports features like read receipts, typing indicators, high quality media sharing, stickers, reactions, voice notes, and GIFs.

Apple, however, quickly blocked the app soon after its launch citing privacy and security concerns. The iPhone maker said in a statement that it acted against Beeper Mini’s iMessage service as it exploited “fake credentials.” Apple said that the techniques used by Beeper “posed significant risks to user security and privacy.”

Beeper Mini restored its iMessage service on December 11, but required users to users to log in using an Apple ID since phone number registration was unavailable. The company said that it had deregistered all phone numbers from the platform and all messages would be sent and received via the email address used in the user’s Apple ID.

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Apple Rolls Out iOS 17.2.1 and macOS Sonoma 14.2.1 Updates With Unspecified Bug Fixes: How to Download

Apple on Tuesday rolled out iOS 17.2.1 to eligible iPhone models along with unspecified bug fixes, ahead of the upcoming holiday season. The update has been released a week after the iPhone maker rolled out the iOS 17.2 update with the Journal app (Review), that was first announced at WWDC 2023. Notably, Apple hasn’t issued an update for iPadOS, but macOS Sonoma has been updated to version 14.2.1 with a fix for a screen sharing bug, according to the Cupertino company.

If you have an iPhone XS or newer model, you can now update to iOS 17.2.1, as per the company’s security releases website. Just like the iOS 17.1.1 and iOS 17.0.2 releases, the latest security update does not have any published CVE (common vulnerabilities and exposures) entries. Apple recommends all users should update to iOS 17.2.1, even though it has not specified which bugs it has fixed in its release notes.

You can install the 240MB update on your iPhone by opening the settings app and navigating to General > Software Update > Update Now. If you have allowed Apple to automatically download iOS updates, you might see an Install Now button that will restart your smartphone if its battery has enough charge.

Apple has also released macOS Sonoma 14.2.1 with bug fixes for recent Mac computers. According to details shared by Apple, the latest update for macOS Sonoma fixes a WindowServer (a process used by apps to communicate with the display on macOS) bug that caused users sharing their screen to unintentionally share incorrect content.

Last week, iOS 17.2 was rolled out to users with a new Journal app, support for capturing Spatial Video on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and new actions for the Action button that arrived on the company’s latest Pro models. The update also added support for the Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 series, according to Apple. 

The company has also rolled out iOS 17.3 beta 1 with new features to beta testers. Users who have opted to receive beta updates for iOS 17 can now try out features like Apple’s new Stolen Device Protection feature that mandates the use of Touch ID or Face ID before making account related changes on an iPhone after it is stolen. Collaborative playlists on Apple Music — another feature announced months ago at WWDC 2023, are finally making their way to iOS 17.3. 

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Apple’s 2024 iPad Pro May Support MagSafe Charging

iPhone models started offering MagSafe functionality back in 2020 with the launch of the iPhone 12 series. Now, Apple is expected to bring this wireless charging technology to its tablets. The Cupertino-based tech company will reportedly introduce the MagSafe standard on the next-generation iPad Pro model expected to launch in 2024. The 2024 iPad Pro is said to come in 11.1-inch and 13-inch screen sizes and could feature glass back panels.

A report by MacRumors, citing a source “familiar with companies that manufacture magnets for Apple products,” claims that the next-generation iPad Pro that’s set to launch in 2024 may offer MagSafe charging. This corroborates previous claims made by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Gurman earlier claimed that Apple was planning to swap the iPad Pro‌’s traditional metal back for a glass one to facilitate wireless charging.

Wireless charging doesn’t work with metal panels and with the adoption of MagSafe charging technology on future tablets, iPad Pro might get a new design with glass or plastic panels. Consequently, they could be more vulnerable to drops and damage as well.

Apple is anticipated to provide faster charging speeds with MagSafe on iPad Pro. It could also allow for new wire-free accessories and a common ‌MagSafe‌ charger compatible with both the ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌. The ‌iPad‌ Pro 2024 model is expected to work with the 15W magnetic Qi2 wireless chargers.

Besides charging upgrades, next year’s iPad Pro is expected to come with 11.1-inch and 13-inch OLED displays and a design overhaul. It is said to be powered by the new 3nm M3 chip. However, Apple has not revealed any details about the next iPad Pro yet. So, all these details should be considered with a pinch of salt.

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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