News on the sidelines week July 29 - August 4

Samsung launches new foldable smartphones, hints in the latest beta version of the Always On Screen feature, problems and solutions from Apple for the Studio Display screen, the price of the iPhone 14 and other exciting news on the sidelines…

Apple delays release of iPadOS 16 update until October

Apple is planning to delay the release of the iPadOS 16 update until October, which means it won't be released alongside the iOS 16 update in September as it usually does.

Apple is developing a new multitasking feature for the iPad called Stage Manager, with an option designed to provide a Mac-like multitasking experience. The delayed launch of ‌iPadOS 16‌ is said to be due in part to the implementation of this feature as Apple is still working on bugs and software issues related to it. The delayed launch will allow more time to be devoted to finishing ‌iOS 16‌, after which the company will be able to switch to working on ‌iPadOS 16‌ heavily.

Stage Manager is limited to iPad Pro models with an M1 processor and iPad Air, and is not available on older iPads, which has sparked some controversy. In response, Apple said that it is not possible to provide an acceptable multitasking experience on older iPads, hence the limitations.

iPhone 14 starts at $799

In a new rumor that says that the basic iPhone 14 will start at $ 799, which is the same price as last year's iPhone 13 size of 6.1 inches.

According to a post from the "yeux1122" account on the Korean Naver blog, Apple will not raise the price of its upcoming flagship device in order to increase sales and offset lower demand amid the slowdown in the global smartphone market.

The 14-inch iPhone 6.1 price decision this year is claimed to have been made "at the top executive level", despite the company facing rising production costs and continuing disruptions in the supply chain.

Adding new countries to the AppleCare+ guarantee against theft and loss of the iPhone

AppleCare+ covers a new iPhone theft and loss warranty in three additional countries, including France, Italy and Spain. In addition to accidental damage coverage, the updated plan includes coverage for up to two cases of iPhone theft or loss every 12 months, and each incident may be subject to a €129 service fee instead of a €1200 new iPhone purchase in the case of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, for example. The plan itself costs up to €229 up front for two years or up to €11.49 per month depending on the iPhone model.

The cost of the service in case of theft and loss is up to an additional €60 up front or up to an additional €3 per month. Warranty coverage for theft and loss requires the customer to enable Find My on their iPhone at the time it is lost, stolen, or the theft is alleged. During the claim process, the customer will be required to erase, disable and transfer the lost iPhone before issuing a replacement device.

The service is now available in the United States, Australia, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

The first batch of Apple Arcade games has been removed

Apple has removed 15 games from Apple Arcade, just over two weeks after listing the first batch of game names that were set to cancel the subscription service due to an expiring developer contract.

On July 18, Bell added a section to Arcade in the App Store titled "Leaving Arcade Soon" and listed the games that would be removed, but did not specify when they would disappear.

This section has now been removed from the App Store, and titles that were included in the first batch no longer appear in store searches. These include Spelldrifter, Projection: First Light, Lifeslide, EarthNight, Cardpocalypse, Dead End Job, and more.

Apple says in a support document that users who downloaded a game before it was removed from Apple Arcade can continue playing the game "for at least two weeks after that" until at least August 16 and possibly beyond. After this time, users will receive a message that the game is no longer available.

Apple acknowledges problems with Studio Display and offers a temporary fix

Apple has acknowledged that customers using the $1599 Studio Display may experience audio-related issues, including unexpected and sudden audio, high-speed audio playback, distorted audio quality, and choppy playback.

And Apple offered a temporary solution to these problems, and said that you must unplug the screen from the power, unplug any accessories or devices connected to it, wait ten seconds, and then turn the screen back on. Apple says this is not a hardware issue and implies that a future update may address these issues.

Hints about the presence of the permanent display feature on the iPhone 14 Pro screen

Rumors indicate that iPhone 14 Pro models will feature Apple Watch-style Always-On Display technology, and hints of this technology have been found in the latest Xcode 14 beta.

Samsung launches new foldable smartphones

Samsung has shared an official teaser video for its upcoming “Unpacked” event that will see the debut of the next generation of foldable smartphones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4.

The Unpacked event is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, August 10 at 9:00 AM ET, and Samsung is already accepting reservations for smartphones that have not yet been announced.

Rumors suggest that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have an updated design with a single hinge design instead of the double hinges of the previous generation. The new hinge will be smaller for a thinner and lighter design, and the smartphone will continue to fold like a book.

Miscellaneous news

◉ Microsoft Teams app gains native Apple Silicon support.

◉ OWC has announced that the Envoy Pro FX Ultra-Fast External Hard Drive is now available in 4TB, priced at $899 in the US, with Thunderbolt 3 and transfers data at lightning speeds of up to 2800MB/s when connected to a Mac with Thunderbolt 3 ports.

◉ Apple Maps now supports cycling directions in all US states allowing users to receive turn-by-turn directions while riding a bike.

◉ Apple Watch Edition models sold out just weeks before the Apple Watch 8 was announced.

◉ Eve Systems today announced the release of a redesigned version of Eve Aqua, a HomeKit-enabled smart home device designed to automate irrigation systems and turn standard outdoor taps into smart water outlets. Eve Aqua can automatically activate the irrigation system using the Home app on the iPhone, the Eve app, Siri voice commands, or a physical button on the device itself.

◉ Apple has shared a new video targeting Android users who are considering switching to the iPhone. The video lists common questions that converters may have, including transferring contacts, photos, messages, exchanges, long-term updates, and more.

◉ Apple added Apple Pay support to third-party browsers in the latest beta versions of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16.

◉ VMware announced this week that its latest update to VMware Fusion brings Windows 11 support for both Intel and Apple silicon Macs. Available as a free preview, Fusion version 2H22 will allow Apple silicon Mac users to download and use Windows on their device.

◉ Apple has released the second beta of the watchOS 9 update to the public, allowing non-developers to try out the new watch system before it's released in the fall. The new beta comes two weeks after the first beta, and is compatible with the fourth developer beta.

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