Apple Glass shipments next week, advanced RGB OLEDoS screen technology coming to future Apple Glasses, the Tetraprism Telephoto lens on both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, Head of Product Design joining Jony Ive, and other exciting news on the sidelines...
Apple Watch 9 and Ultra 2 sales ban temporarily halted by US appeals court
The temporary ban on imports of the Apple Watch Model 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States has been temporarily suspended. Apple filed an emergency request with the Court of Appeals after President Biden chose not to veto the sales ban. The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary stay while it reviewed Apple's request and then granted a full stay throughout the appeals process, meaning the affected Apple Watch models could be sold in the US for a short period. The International Trade Commission (ITC) has until January 10 to respond to Apple's request to halt the ban for a longer period.
The ITC has initiated proceedings against Apple based on charges by Masimo, alleging unfair infringement and theft of Apple Watch blood oxygen monitoring technology.
It is once again rumored that the future HomePod will feature a curved LCD screen
Apple is reportedly developing a new device codenamed B720, which looks similar to the current HomePod but features a curved and convex LCD screen. It is expected to integrate with Apple Music and Apple Podcasts, displaying animations based on the colors of the album during playback. Notifications may also be displayed on this screen. Previous reports from Bloomberg and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have suggested Apple's plans to release HomePods with displays, specifically mentioning a redesigned HomePod with a 7-inch display that will be released in 2024. Apple's long-term plans include a reimagined smart home strategy.
Japan follows the EU's lead to allow side-loading of apps
Japan is reportedly working on antitrust legislation aimed at forcing Apple to allow side-loading of apps and alternative payment methods for in-app purchases. The Japan Fair Trade Commission's focus is to address Apple and Google's dominance in app stores, payments, search, browsers and operating systems. Proposed regulations would require Apple to allow users in Japan to use alternative app stores, effectively enabling sideloading on iPhone and iPad. The legislation also aims to impose fines on companies, especially Apple, estimated at 6% of revenues gained from actions deemed to be a violation of the rules set by the legislation. The intent is to impose a financial penalty that will serve as a deterrent for companies to engage in practices that could be considered anticompetitive or monopolistic.
The Fair Trade Commission plans to finalize the legislation in the spring, and parliamentary approval is required for it to come into force in 2024. This is similar to the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), which mandates side-loading of apps in the EU by March 2024 and imposes significant changes. Others on Apple.
Another Apple designer joins Jony Ive to work on OpenAI hardware
Apple's senior vice president of product design, Tang Tan, is reportedly leaving the company to join Sir LoveFrom's design firm. Johnny Ive. Tan is set to work on designing hardware products for OpenAI, the AI-focused company behind GBT Chat. LoveFrom, which Ive founded after his departure from Apple, has brought on board several former Apple designers, including 20 employees who worked with Jony Ive, and Tan will lead hardware architecture for OpenAI while at LoveFrom. Ive's work at OpenAI is described as one of his "most ambitious efforts" since leaving Apple, with a focus on recruiting talent and creating concept designs that include devices for the home. Tan is expected to officially leave Apple in February, and his responsibilities have already been assigned to his successors within Apple.
Apple Glass shipments will begin next week, and will launch by February
Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted that massive shipments of the Apple Vision Pro glasses are scheduled to begin in the first week of January. Based on this timeline, Kuo expects the glasses will likely be available for purchase in late January or early February. It is estimated that shipments in 2024 will reach about five hundred thousand units. Apple initially unveiled the Vision Pro glasses at WWDC in June, with plans to launch them in the United States first in early 2024, followed by versions in other countries later in the year.
Apple wants to partner with major publishers to train artificial intelligence
Apple wants to create an intelligent assistant like ChatGPT but needs a lot of textual content to train it. According to reports from The New York Times, Apple has reached out to major publishers, including Condé Nast, NBC News, and IAC, to negotiate deals that would allow the company to use news content to train its generative AI systems. Apple is seeking multi-year agreements and deals worth at least $50 million, and aims to license archives of news articles for integration into its artificial intelligence.
Publishers are concerned about how Apple uses their content and how it is used; Because of Apple's mysterious plans, but some hope it will be a good partnership.
Apple is playing catch-up with competitors in generative AI, and incorporating news content could help improve the accuracy and reliability of its AI models.
The Tetraprism Telephoto lens will be available on both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max
Apple is reportedly planning to include a quad-prism telephoto lens in both the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, scheduled for release in 2024. This is in line with previous claims by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and a report from The Elec. The quad-prism telephoto camera, now built into the iPhone 15 Pro Max, allows for up to 5x optical zoom, an improvement from the 3x zoom found in the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The absence of this camera in the iPhone 15 Pro is likely due to spatial limitations, but with the iPhone 16 Pro, Apple plans to increase the device sizes to accommodate the quad-prism telephoto camera. However, it is essential to note that the information provided is pre-production information and is subject to changes before the final mass production units are released.
Miscellaneous news
◉ The 2027 Apple Vision Pro will feature advanced RGB OLEDoS display technology, a significant improvement over the first generation model. This technology improves brightness and efficiency by producing light and color directly from RGB subpixels, eliminating the need for a color filter. Samsung, the sole supplier of RGB OLEDoS displays, is likely to supply them to Apple. Analysts, including Ming-Chi Kuo, expect the updated Apple Glass to launch in 2027, suggesting there will be no updates until then.
◉ Apple has obtained an additional 70 design patents in Hong Kong related to the Apple Vision Pro. Among them is a never-before-seen accessory, featuring a design that matches the headband of glasses. The accessory uses soft-touch fabric to cover the front and sides of the glasses, easy to remove and install, except for the back. Its purpose appears to be to protect the EyeSight screen from scratches and damage. Another patent depicts a battery design for the Vision Pro, which is often confused with the new MagSafe batteries. The design highlights a recessed port, which emphasizes the possibility of removing the cable.
◉ To bring iMessage features to Android, the developers of the Beeper Mini app are trying a new approach to allowing users to access iMessage. Users will be required to create their own iMessage login data using jailbroken Apple devices. Initially, Android users could sign up for Beeper Mini using their phone numbers, but Apple closed that option. Now, Beeper suggests that users get an old iPhone, jailbreak it via a jailbreak, and install a free Beeper tool to generate an iMessage registration code. If there is no old iPhone, Beeper plans to offer the service for a monthly fee. Apple views the Beeper Mini as a security risk and has opposed its use of iMessage. As Apple embraces RCS to bring iMessage features to Android conversations, Beeper faces challenges in maintaining user interest.
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