News on the sidelines week February 24 - March 2

Mixed reality glasses support writing in the air and do not require the presence of a paired iPhone, iPad Pro models with OLED screens at a high price, the introduction of an Apple 5G modem starting next year, unsupported USB-C wire restriction, and the iPhone 16 Pro with FaceID under Screen, iMessage for Windows 11 and other exciting news in On the Sidelines…

watchOS 9.4 update to recalibrate the battery on the Apple Watch 6

Apple announced that the upcoming watchOS 9.4 update, now in beta testing, will include a battery recalibration process for the 6mm Apple Watch 44. This will enable the watch to estimate the maximum battery capacity more accurately. Apple had recalibrated Apple Watch batteries 4 and 5 with the watchOS 9 update. Battery recalibration was also performed for some iPhone models in the past, including the iPhone. 11.

Recalibration corrects inaccurate estimates of battery health that some users may see.

Apple increases replacement values ​​for some iPhones, iPads, and Macs

Apple announced that it will offer higher trade-in values ​​for a limited number of older iPhone models in order to encourage customers to upgrade to the iPhone 14 lineup. Apple has also made minor adjustments to trade-in values ​​for the iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. However, many prices are still lower than 2022 prices, as Apple lowered trading values ​​in January. A full list of trade-in values, including for Android phones, is available at www Apple's e-commerce website.

Apple raises the cost of replacing a battery that is no longer covered by the warranty

Apple raised the prices of out-of-warranty replacement batteries for iPhone, iPad, and Mac out-of-warranty devices that do not include AppleCare Plus. For example, the cost of replacing the iPhone 13 battery has increased to $89, an increase of $20 from the previous one, while the cost of replacing the battery for the iPad is $119 for many models, an increase of $20 as well. And MacZd battery replacement also ranges between $30 and $50, so the MacBook Air battery at $159 and the MacBook Pro battery at $249 are out of warranty and not covered by AppleCare Plus.

A hint about the upcoming Mac Pro, and an interest in the Apple Watch battery

Apple's vice president of global product marketing, Bob Borchers, confirmed the company's intention to completely transition all Mac devices to Apple Silicon, including the Mac Pro. He also acknowledged the need for better battery life for the Apple Watch, and revealed that fast charging is one solution being explored. He also explained the rationale behind the introduction of both the Mac Mini and Mac Studio, one focusing on the small form factor and the other on additional connectivity.

Microsoft announces limited iMessage support on Windows

Microsoft added support for the iPhone in the application phone link Its on Windows 11. This allows iPhone users to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, and view notifications directly on their computers. Phone Link on Windows provides limited iMessage functionality, allowing users to send and receive iMessages and SMS messages, but group chats and sending photos and videos are not supported. The new preview feature is available to a small percentage of Windows Insiders (those who test updates and new features for Windows 11) who are subscribed to the Dev channel, the Beta channel, or the Release Preview channel.

iPhone 16 Pro with Face ID integrated at the bottom of the screen

In the latest rumor about the iPhone 16 Pro for next year, Apple plans to move to Face ID technology under the screen, followed by Face ID and a front camera under the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro models in 2026. To do this, Apple should not face any difficulties in securing The technology needed to make external light penetrate the screen to enable the TrueDepth camera system that powers Face ID. The report indicates that in standard non-Pro iPhone devices in 2025, the FaceID system can be made under the screen, and then in 2027 the front camera is also under the screen.

Difficulties in producing the iPhone 15 due to the dynamic island

Chinese supplier BOE is having difficulty mass producing iPhone 15 models with Dynamic Island technology, which is set to be expanded to all four iPhone 15 models.

BOE is said to have had problems with light leakage around the dynamic island cutouts on the OLED display. The report notes that Chinese supplier BOE has failed to meet Apple's stringent standards and that BOE's OLED displays may initially be used for repairs and refurbishments. LG and Samsung, which are set to mass-produce other iPhone 15 models, have not reported similar issues.

Uncertified USB-C for iPhone 15 cables may contain charging and data transfer limits

In another rumor, the iPhone 15 series will only support USB-C accessories certified by the MFi program. This means that third-party accessories without MFi certification may have limitations in terms of data transfer and charging speed. The MFi software includes an authentication chip that confirms the authenticity of components and makes it easier to detect counterfeit accessories. However, concerns have been raised that Apple may use the software to limit non-MFi accessory features.

Analysts expect that the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 will remain limited to Lightning / USB 2.0 speeds, while faster transfer speeds will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models. ShrimpApplePro, which accurately leaked the dynamic island design, claims that the iPhone 15 Pro will have thinner bezels and that at least one model will feature a titanium frame and curved back edges.

25 years since the production of Newton's device stopped

You might smell the fragrant memories!! 25 years ago, on February 27, 1998, Apple officially announced the discontinuation of the “Newton” device, the first personal digital assistant in the world produced in 1992 designed by Sir Johnny IveIt was used to take notes, store contacts, manage a calendar, and send faxes.

It was an introduction to other Apple mobile devices such as the iPhone and the iPad, and its development cost $100 million. However, the device received negative reviews upon launch due to problems with the handwriting recognition feature. Despite the release of a new version with improved recognition, Newton failed to gain widespread popularity, forcing Apple to stop producing it less than a year after Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, thus joining many Apple devices that met the same fate.

The CEO of Qualcomm expects Apple to launch a 5G chip starting next year

During his speech at MWC 2023, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon stated that Apple's rumored 5G chip could be ready as early as next year.

Although Qualcomm is currently the exclusive 5G modem supplier for Apple devices, rumors have long suggested that Apple is designing its own 5G chip as an in-house replacement.

Mark Gurman reported last month that Apple initially plans to use the chip in one new product, such as the iPhone Pro model, before phasing out Qualcomm's modems after about three years.

Amon's comments indicate that the Apple chip could debut in at least one iPhone 16 model, but it's still not clear how it will perform compared to a Qualcomm modem.

Meanwhile, all iPhone 15 models are expected to be equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X70 modem, which will result in improved cellular speed and power efficiency compared to the Snapdragon X65 on all iPhone 14 models.

Miscellaneous news

◉ Bloomberg reported that Apple closed its North Lake Mall store in Charlotte, North Carolina, due to several incidents of armed violence in the area.

◉ Apple has released a Rapid Security Response (RSR) update for macOS Ventura 13.3 beta. And this update was released just an hour after the company released the RSR update for iOS 16.4 beta.

◉ Apple also released a rapid security response update for iOS 16.4 beta, which marks the third rapid security response update since the feature was launched in iOS 16.

◉ Apple launched the second public beta of macOS Ventura 13.3 updates, iOS 16.4 update and iPadOS 16.4 update.

◉ Telegram has released an update for Mac, which includes a new power saving mode to help save battery life. Users can activate this mode through settings and can disable battery-draining processes such as auto-playing GIFs, videos, animations, stickers, emojis, and more. The update also includes bug fixes and performance improvements.

◉ Twitter experienced a global outage, users were unable to upload or update their timeline feeds, while sending a tweet is only visible to the author. The reason for the outage is not clear, and it comes after Twitter conducted its fourth round of layoffs over the weekend, cutting 10% of its remaining workforce. Some users are now reporting that the For You feed is working, while others say their timelines have been restored, and the app and website are now working properly.

◉ Apple announced a new activity challenge for International Women's Day on March 8, and to win the International Women's Day prize, Apple Watch users will need to complete an exercise of any kind for at least 20 minutes. Those who achieve this goal will unlock a custom badge in the Fitness app and a series of animated stickers to use in Messages and FaceTime apps. This new challenge comes on the heels of other recent challenges that Apple has presented for events such as Lunar New Year, Black History Month, and Heart Month in February.

◉ Track Detection has been launched on Apple Watch running watchOS 9.2 and later in Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

◉ The new 11.1-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models with OLED screens are expected to be more expensive than current OLEDs of a similar size, due to higher material costs, and will require production processes that have not been combined before, including a two-stack tandem chassis, low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin film transistors, and a hybrid OLED architecture. This will result in an overall thinner screen with higher brightness and longer OLED screen life. The cost of making the required 11.1-inch and 13-inch panels is about $270 and $350, respectively.

◉ The next mixed reality glasses may allow writing in the air using eye movements and hand gestures and can be used without a paired iPhone. It can be set up independently and download its own content, and the iPhone can be used as a touch keyboard. Apple is expected to unveil the first version, “Reality Pro”, at the WWDC Worldwide Developers Conference in June this year.

◉ Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple, was born on February 24, 1955, and had it not been for his death in 2011 at the age of 56, today would have been his XNUMXth birthday. Every year on February XNUMXth, we are reminded of Jobs and all he did to turn Apple into the hugely successful company it is today.

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