News on the margin week 12 - November 18

The departure of Sam Jadallah, the head of Apple’s home services, and the CEO of Epic Games renews the attack on Apple, and WhatsApp is working on an application for iPadOS and macOS, and Apple’s augmented reality glasses are nearing launch, and other exciting news in the sidelines…

Apple announces DIY repair program starting with iPhone 12 and 13

Apple announced a "self-service repair," which allows users to complete their own repairs via a new online store dedicated to parts and tools. The self-repair program will give customers who are comfortable with the idea of ​​completing their own repairs and access to genuine Apple parts and tools, starting with the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. The scheme will be offered in phases, with more repairs and supported hardware added over time. . For more details follow this - Link.

Google Maps warns of crowded areas

Google has announced the launch of new features for its Maps for iOS that aim to help holiday shoppers include crowded areas to avoid, or highlight hotspots when you're new to the area. Google says the Crowded or Busy feature will be rolled out "in time for this holiday season."

Google is adding Directories, a feature designed to make it easier for people to navigate shopping malls, airports and transit stations. The Directory tab will allow users to see what types of stores are in the building, find airport lounges, parking and more, as well as useful information such as whether a site is open, its rating, and what floor it is on. This type of indoor map functionality is already available in many malls and airports in the Apple Maps app.

Qualcomm expects to save 20% of iPhone modems by 2023

Qualcomm is preparing to launch Apple's own modem chips, which will chip away at Qualcomm's modem business starting in 2023. At an Investor Day event, Qualcomm CFO Akash Palkhiwala said that the company expects to supply only 20% of Apple's modem chips in 2023.

If this is an accurate estimate, it means that 2022 will be the last year that Qualcomm has a modem monopoly in the iPhone, as Apple is working on manufacturing its own modem chips, and previous rumors have already indicated that Apple chips will be ready for launch in year 2023.

In May, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple's 5G chips could debut in 2023 iPhone models, which is in line with Qualcomm's expectations. If this happens, Apple will likely use its own chips in most areas, but it depends on Qualcomm in certain areas.

Qualcomm competes with Apple Silicon with the new generation of PC processors

At the investor event, Qualcomm announced its plans for the next generation of processors with ARM architecture designed to compete with Apple's M-Series chips, and stated that the processors are designed to raise the efficiency of the performance of computers running Windows, and the Nuvia team is developing them, which Qualcomm acquired earlier in the year. This year, a start-up specializing in processors founded by former Apple chip designers, for $1.4 billion.

Qualcomm has stated that it will directly compete with the M-Series chips, and furthermore, the company has promised that it will expand the range of Adreno GPUs to offer desktop-class gaming capabilities in future PCs. Qualcomm hopes to be able to send samples to customers in about nine months, before launching the first products containing the chips in 2023.

Apple's augmented reality glasses are nearing launch

The development of Apple's augmented reality glasses is rumored to reflect the lead-up to the Apple Watch's launch, according to Morgan Stanley analysts and according to a note to investors viewed. This is evidenced by the fact that Apple's augmented reality project had apparently begun to match the development of the Apple Watch before it was announced in late 2014.

Apple has published a large number of patents related to augmented reality and virtual reality, including devices, input mechanisms, and user interfaces. Now, Apple's patent portfolio is beginning to reflect the period before the watch was launched.

Undermining mail privacy protection with the Apple Watch

Mail Privacy Protection is a new feature introduced with iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey that hides your IP address so senders can't determine your location or associate your email habits with your other online activity. It also prevents senders from tracking whether you've opened an email, how many times you've seen an email, and whether you've forwarded the email.

The Apple Watch remotely downloads content, such as photos, using the recipient's real IP address, whether when a mail notification is received or when an email is opened, meaning that even for users who have mail privacy protection enabled on the iPhone, the private IP address They are exposed.

WhatsApp working on an app for iPadOS and macOS using Mac Catalyst

WhatsApp, which has been rumored for iPads, will be a Catalyst app, enabling it to run smoothly on macOS. This allows the same application to effectively share code while running on separate platforms.

The new WhatsApp app for macOS looks a lot like the iPadOS app, featuring the same basic interface, but there are some minor changes to the user interface to accommodate the desktop experience. This new Mac app is supposed to replace the current macOS WhatsApp and will no longer depend on a connected phone.

The new apps will support multiple devices, allowing users to use their WhatsApp account on up to four different linked devices even when their main smartphone is not connected to the internet. It was said that macOS will be supported at a later time, indicating that the iPad app may be launched first.

Epic Games CEO renews attack on Apple

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, has renewed his attack on Apple and called for the creation of a single global app store that works across all platforms. Last year, the popular Epic game Fortnite became the subject of a heated dispute with Apple and Google over the commission rate on in-app purchases. After Epic violated the App Store rules by implementing a direct payment option, the game was removed from the App Store and the Epic developer account was terminated. A protracted legal battle ensued, and Epic Games was fined $6 million but has appealed the ruling.

Sweeney said that Epic Games is working with developers and service providers to create a system to allow users to purchase software from one place, knowing that they will have it on all devices and all platforms. Epic Games‌ is already offering the Epic Games‌ Store, which is aimed at PC game lovers, which also charges a commission.

Sam Gadallah, Apple's Head of Home Services, leaves

Sam Jadallah, Apple's head of home services, left the company last week after two years leading some of Apple's work on smart home initiatives. Jadallah announced upon leaving LinkedIn previously, that he said it was a pleasure to be an entrepreneur within Apple and to make products on a large scale. Based on some of his tweets, Jadallah has worked on digital key-related projects, such as Apple's recent effort for iOS 15 to add keys for HomeKit-enabled locks to the Wallet app.

Apple hired Jadallah again in 2019, and his appointment made headlines because he was brought in from Microsoft to improve Apple's work on HomeKit-enabled devices. Before joining Apple, he headed up Otto for luxury smart locks.

When Jadallah was appointed, many saw it as a sign of Apple's efforts to move further into the home space. Apple has been developing its own HomeKit protocol and working on home devices like the HomePod for many years, but it still lags behind companies like Amazon and Google, especially in the smart speaker division.

Apple imposes strict requirements for digital IDs in the Wallet app

Apple's agreement with US states looking to add digital ID cards such as driver's licenses to the Wallet app has strict conditions and fees, with the ability to add a driver's license or ID to the Wallet app is a new feature in iOS 15. Customers will be able to tap the + icon At the top of the Wallet app to add their ID, then simply tap the ID reader on the iPhone or Apple Watch at, say, checkpoints, without taking out their physical card.

Miscellaneous news

◉ Apple released a new firmware version for AirPods Pro, and Apple doesn't provide information about new features and improvements, so we don't know what fixes Apple has made. To update, put the headset in the case, then plug it into a power source, and pair it with the iPhone and a Wi-Fi network, this will force the update after a short time.

◉ Apple released the third version of the iOS 15.2 update, the iPadOS 15.2 update, the watchOS 8.3 update, the tvOS 15.2 update, and the macOS Monterey 12.1 update for developers.

◉ Foxconn, one of the major iPhone suppliers, said it expects the persistent shortage of chips to continue into the second half of next year.

◉ Apple is looking to expand into many smart wearable items other than the watch, such as rings, necklaces, etc., and this is already mentioned in a newly disclosed patent.

◉ According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 14 and the mixed reality glasses will feature Wi-Fi 6E connectivity.

Sources:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10| 11| 12| 13| 14| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18