News on the margin Week 8 - 14 December

iPhone SE 4 with an iPhone 14 battery and a new design, a major upgrade to the iPhone 16 microphone to enhance Siri’s artificial intelligence, the Samsung screen team is ready for Apple’s foldable screens, the return of iMessage to the Beeper Mini system on Android again, and other exciting news on the sidelines. …

Tech giants unite against Apple's dominance

A group of technology companies, including Google, Meta, Qualcomm, Lenovo, Nothing, Opera and others, have teamed up to create an alliance called the Coalition for Open Digital Ecosystems (CODE) in order to make Europe's technology platforms and systems more open, which essentially means giving... Users and developers have more freedom to choose how to use them. This appears to be a way to challenge Apple, which has been criticized for its control over its App Store and other services. The new EU rules are also pushing towards greater openness, so CODE wants to work with policymakers and others to make sure these rules lead to real changes in Europe. In short, it's a battle between the tech giants versus whoever is trying to control the digital world, and Europe is trying to make sure everyone plays fair.

The initiative is a response to new EU rules such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which classifies big tech companies as “gatekeepers” and requires them to open up their services. It is expected that Apple will be forced to make major changes, such as allowing third-party app stores, side-loading, enabling developers to use alternative payment systems, etc., to promote digital openness and interoperability in Europe, in line with the Digital Markets Act and EU legislation. Futurism.

TSMC showcases the prototype of 2nm processors

Taiwan's TSMC showed off a prototype of Apple's 2nm chips, which are expected to be used in 2025 devices. These 2nm chips outperform current 3nm chips in terms of transistor density, performance and efficiency. Apple is working closely with TSMC on this technology, which is essential for future silicon chips, as well as advances in data centers and artificial intelligence. Test results for the 2nm prototype processors have been shared with Apple and other important customers.

Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google Play Store

Epic Games won a legal case against Google. The jury unanimously decided that Google abused its power by monopolizing its App Store and charging developers high fees of up to 30% for in-app purchases, similar to Apple's App Store. This was considered unfair and anti-competitive.

Epic Games accused Google of illegally linking its App Store and payment services, forcing developers to use both. The jury also agreed that Google's agreements with developers were unfair, and that Epic suffered because of Google's actions, as it removed Fortnite after Epic allowed players to bypass the purchase system within the Google Play Store. The jury found this to be an unfair tactic to stifle competition.

This decision could have important consequences for how app stores are regulated, especially Apple's App Store. Google plans to appeal the decision. This comes after a similar case between Epic and Apple in 2021, which Apple won. Epic has asked the Supreme Court to reconsider parts of the case against Apple, and the court will decide in the coming months whether to hear those appeals.

iMessage for Beeper Mini is back on Android

For those who do not know the story of using iMessage messages on Android, they should follow this article - Link After Apple closed the loophole and banned its use on the Beeper Mini application for Android, the developers announced a modified version with major changes. The new version requires users to log in using an Apple account, a step that was not necessary in the previous version. Additionally, all iMessages are now sent and received via an email address instead of a phone number, although a fix for this issue is in progress. Beeper Mini's developers, faced with instability of the app, decided to make it temporarily free, and will bring back the subscription model once stability is achieved. It is free now until further notice.

Samsung Display Company is ready for Apple's foldable displays

Samsung Display, the screen supplier to Apple, has reorganized its Apple business team to improve efficiency in developing foldable screens, anticipating Apple's entry into the market for these devices soon. Both Samsung Display and LG Display are reportedly working on projects related to Apple's foldable products, with 20.25-inch displays being mentioned, although it's unclear how that size will be used. Apple is exploring foldable screen technology, and there have been reports of Samsung providing samples to Apple in 2020. Previous forecasts by analysts indicate a foldable iPhone could be released in 2024, but analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo and display expert Ross Young have mentioned that This is likely to happen in 2025 or later.

Apple upgrades the iPhone 16 microphone to enhance Siri's artificial intelligence

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning a major upgrade to the iPhone 16's microphone to enhance the AI-driven Siri experience. Kuo suggests that enhancing Siri's hardware and software features is crucial to enhancing AI-generated content, especially with the integration of large language models (LLMs). The microphone upgrade will focus on improving the signal-to-noise ratio, a key specification that is expected to significantly enhance the Siri experience. In addition, the new microphone will have improved water resistance. Kuo's report is in line with previous indications that Apple aims to make advanced Siri features a central selling point for the iPhone 16. The integration of generative AI and LLMs, along with potentially exclusive on-device AI features for the iPhone 16 models, is part of the plan. Apple strategy. AAC and Goertek have been identified as the microphone suppliers for the iPhone 16, with Kuo predicting a significant increase in revenues and profits for both companies due to the specification upgrade.

Miscellaneous news

◉ Apple announced that it has expanded its self-repair program to include the iPhone 15 lineup and Mac models powered by M2 chips, including the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, 15-inch MacBook Air, Mac mini, Mac Pro, and Mac Studio. The service is available to Apple users in 24 additional European countries, including Croatia, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland. With this latest expansion, Self Service Repair now supports 35 Apple products in 33 countries and 24 languages.

◉ Apple has released a new beta firmware update for the original AirPods Pro, AirPods 2, AirPods 3, and AirPods Max. Apple doesn't often provide any details or notes about what features might be included in this update.

◉ Apple releases the first beta version of iOS 17.3, iPadOS 17.3, macOS Sonoma 14.3, tvOS 17.3, and watchOS 10.3 updates to developers

◉ Apple has delayed AirPlay for hotel room TVs, which was originally expected later this year, to an update in 2024, without specifying a specific time frame. The feature, which allows iPhone users to wirelessly stream content to hotel TVs by scanning a QR code, is part of iOS 17.

◉ No more purchasing movies and TV shows through iTunes as Apple has moved them to the TV app in iOS 17.2 update.

◉ Tang Tan, vice president of product design for the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, will leave the company in a move that would lead to changes in the hardware engineering group. Tan is scheduled to leave Apple in February. Apple employees described Tan's departure as a "blow" because he is responsible for making critical decisions about Apple devices and his team has control over the product's features and design.

◉ The iPhone SE 4 is expected to come equipped with the same battery as the iPhone 14, providing a significant increase in capacity of more than 1250 mAh compared to the current iPhone SE 3, as well as extending battery life. The iPhone SE 4 will contain a new design based on the iPhone 14, an action button, and a USB-C port. But plans may change before the device is released.

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