News on the sidelines week 5 - 11 January

The iPhone falls from a height of approximately 5 kilometers, the magic mirror, the continued decline of iPhone sales in China in front of Huawei, and Apple asks the developers of the Vision Pro glasses to avoid mentioning “VR” or other famous terms, and the Apple Vision Pro glasses come with 16 GB. RAM, storage capacity up to 1 TB, and other exciting news on the sidelines…

Apple begins sending payments to settle iPhone slowdown issue

In 2020, Apple agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in the United States, known as “BatteryGate,” accusing the company of secretly slowing down some iPhone models without consulting users’ consent. Recently, payments began, with individuals receiving $92.17 as part of the settlement. The lawsuit arose in December 2017, after Apple admitted to slowing down iPhone performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns due to aging batteries. Apple denied any legal wrongdoing, but eventually agreed to settle these lengthy and costly legal disputes. The settlement included US residents who owned a damaged iPhone. Apple still uses the performance management system on the iPhone 6 and later models.

Apple may soon face a “sweeping” antitrust lawsuit

The US Department of Justice is close to completing an investigation into Apple's business practices, which could lead to an antitrust lawsuit being filed in the first half of 2024. The focus of the investigation is on how Apple controls both hardware and software and creates unfair challenges to competitors and companies, resulting in... It locks users into Apple's system. Various topics were studied, such as how the Apple Watch works better with iPhone devices compared to other smart watches, how Apple prevents competitors from iMessage and makes it exclusive to it only, the App Store and external downloads, restrictions on cloud gaming applications, and the impact of application tracking transparency, How to prevent other financial companies from providing services similar to Apple Pay, and so on.

If a lawsuit is filed, it could lead to a long, stressful and expensive legal battle. In addition, Apple is also dealing with antitrust issues in the European Union, and the Digital Markets Act, regarding changes to the App Store and other services.

Tim Cook meets with the EU's antitrust chief next week

Tim Cook is scheduled to meet with Margrethe Vestager, the European Union's antitrust chief, this week "today and tomorrow" in San Francisco and Palo Alto. She is scheduled to meet with the CEOs of Alphabet, Broadcom, Nvidia, and OpenAI.

Discussions will focus on European competition policy and digital regulation. The meeting comes amid various disagreements between Apple and the European Union, including a potential resolution of an antitrust dispute regarding Apple Pay competitors and the use of NFC technology for contactless payments. Apple faces other challenges in the European Union, including a $14 billion tax dispute and the impact of new rules such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which classifies big tech companies as “gatekeepers” and which could force changes to the App Store and FaceTime. , and walk in Europe. It is expected that Apple will be forced to allow third-party app stores, side-loading apps, and alternative payment systems, such as giving developers the ability to promote their offers outside the App Store and use third-party payment systems.

Samsung S24 phones with enhanced AI announced on January 17

Samsung has announced its Unpacked 2024 event scheduled to take place on January 17 in San Jose, California. The event is expected to unveil the flagship S24 phones, which directly compete with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. The teaser suggests focusing on “a new era of mobile AI,” and promises “the smartest mobile experience yet.” Rumors about the S24 Ultra model include an AI-powered 200-megapixel camera capable of identifying objects and translating language in real time. The phone may feature a flatter screen design, with a slight curvature at the edges unlike the previous one, with a square shape and a titanium frame, similar to the iPhone 15 Pro.”They mock you and then imitate you“. Other rumored features include a 50MP 5x telephoto lens, Wi-Fi 7 support, and various color options. The event will take place at 10:00 AM Pacific Time or 6:00 PM Cairo Time, where customers will be able to pre-order the devices and reserve them for a $50 discount that can be saved to purchase additional accessories.

For more details, you can watch this video:

Apple Vision Pro glasses come with 16 GB RAM and a storage capacity of up to 1 TB

According to information in the Xcode 15.2 files, which officially supports the development of VisionOS applications, it is said that the Apple Vision Pro glasses will be equipped with 16 GB of RAM. Apple's press report confirms that the Vision Pro glasses will be powered by the M2 chip for strong performance. Additionally, it will feature an all-new R1 chip that “processes inputs from 12 cameras, five sensors and six microphones” to make content appear to appear directly in front of the user’s eyes.

The starting price for Apple Glass has been confirmed to be $3499 in the US with 256GB of storage, and this wording seems to imply that higher storage capacity options will also be available, up to 1TB.

Pre-orders for Apple Vision Pro will begin on Friday, January 19 at 5 AM PT or 3:00 PM Cairo time, with the glasses launching on Friday, February 2 in the US. Apple has indicated that it will later be available in additional countries later this year. Apple has not shared the full technical specifications of the Apple Vision Pro glasses yet.

Apple asks developers of Vision Pro glasses to avoid mentioning “VR” or other famous terms

Apple asks developers to avoid using terms like “AR” for “Augmented Reality,” “VR” for “Virtual Reality,” “XR” for “Extended Reality,” or “MR.” To refer to “Mixed Reality” when listing their apps on the VisionOS store. Alternatively, the term “spatial computing” can be used to describe their applications. This move is part of Apple's strategy to differentiate Vision Pro glasses from other products in the field of virtual and augmented reality and create its own identity.

Additionally, Apple advises developers not to refer to Vision Pro as a generic “Headset,” but to use the specific term “Apple Vision Pro.” The company is gradually shifting from “Apple Vision Pro” to “Apple Vision” in its branding, indicating the potential development of a broader “Vision” product line.

AirDrop “hacked” by Chinese authorities to identify senders

Reports indicate that a Chinese state-backed organization claims to have managed to hack the AirDrop feature. This alleged hack would allow authorities to identify senders who share “spam.” Although Apple touts AirDrop's security through Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption, the organization claims it bypassed this encryption and analyzed iPhone logs to reveal identifying information about senders of AirDrop content. The alleged security flaw reportedly helped public security authorities identify criminal suspects using AirDrop to distribute illegal content.

This isn't the first time concerns have been raised about AirDrop's security. In April 2021, German researchers discovered a vulnerability related to mutual authentication mechanisms, which could reveal private information. Apple was informed of this flaw in May 2019, but did not address it immediately.

AirDrop use was restricted in China in November 2022, limiting it to contacts only by default and limiting the option to enable AirDrop for “Everyone” to 10 minutes. With the launch of iOS 16.2, Apple has expanded AirDrop restrictions globally to reduce spam content spread in crowded areas like malls and airports.

Apple shares a new “Get Ready” ad ahead of the launch of Vision Pro glasses

Apple has shared a new ad titled “Get Ready,” promoting the upcoming launch of the Apple Vision Pro. The ad features prominent movie and TV show characters wearing masks, glasses and other similar accessories, and uses scenes from several famous films such as Star Wars, Up, Iron Man, Back to the Future, Ant-Man and others, in addition to a shot of real Apple Vision Pro glasses. . The video ends with the slogan “Get ready,” as the Apple Vision Pro glasses are scheduled to be released on February 2.

Over 150 XNUMXD movies and spatial games are coming to Vision Pro

Apple Vision Pro promises an enhanced entertainment experience with more than 150 4D movie and TV show options available through the Apple TV app. Although compatible with any content in the app, select titles have been updated to deliver an immersive 8D experience. Apple Vision Pro glasses feature 180K resolution for each eye and HDR support, making non-250D content pop on a noticeably wider screen. Apple is introducing a new format, Apple Immersive Video, which features XNUMX-degree XNUMXK XNUMXD video recordings with spatial audio, providing interactive experiences like “meet the dinosaur.” Gamers can enjoy support for more than XNUMX titles on Apple Arcade, including spatial games designed to take advantage of Vision Pro's capabilities for unique gaming experiences.

iPhone sales continue to decline in China compared to Huawei

iPhone sales in China are witnessing a significant decline and this decline may continue this year, while Huawei’s sales are rising thanks to its new Mate 60 phones. The report stated that Apple suffered in December a 30% year-on-year decline in iPhone sales in The country, while the rest of the market grew, as Huawei witnessed the fastest growth thanks to the Mate 60 lineup, especially the Mate 60 Pro phone, which was released in September before the launch of the iPhone 15. The Huawei phone uses a new Chinese-made processor with a manufacturing precision of 7 nanometers designed for the local market.

According to estimates, Huawei shipped 35 million smartphones last year, despite the restrictions surrounding it by the United States of America.

Apple is trying to respond with discounts, but faces an uphill battle as government bans on iPhones in some places and Huawei's own operating system gains momentum. Essentially, Huawei is growing rapidly while Apple struggles to keep up in this key market.

Miscellaneous news

◉ According to a report issued by Taiwanese research company TrendForce, a new Mac Studio model featuring the more powerful M3 Ultra chip is expected to be launched in mid-2024. The report indicates that Apple may present this updated model at the Worldwide Developers Conference WWDC later this year. The M3 Ultra chip is said to be manufactured using second-generation 3nm manufacturing technology, which distinguishes it from the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chipsets, which use first-generation 3nm manufacturing technology. It is expected that companies such as Qualcomm will use the second generation 3nm manufacturing technology in the upcoming fourth generation Snapdragon 8 processors, as well as MediaTek in the Dimensity 9400 processors. And AMD in the upcoming Zen 5 processor, and other companies.

◉ Apple launched the second public beta version of the macOS Sonoma 14.3 update and launched the third beta versions of iOS 17.3, iPadOS 17.3, watchOS 10.3, and tvOS 17.3 updates to developers.

◉ Apple has stopped signing the iOS 17.2 update, which prevents iPhone users from returning to this version again.

◉ NuraLogix this week unveiled the Anura MagicMirror, based on artificial intelligence technologies and machine learning algorithms. It is a new health product designed to use a combination of sensors and artificial intelligence to scan the person sitting in front of it and provide assessments and information about potential health risks in just 30 seconds. It can provide health information including blood pressure, body mass index, heart rate variability, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and facial skin age. They can provide risk assessments for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and more, plus they provide assessments for mental stress and depression risk.

◉ The iPhone survived a fall from an altitude of 16000 feet, and was found intact and working without any screen fractures. The accident came after the pressure in the cabin dropped, causing objects, including smartphones, to fly out. This may be due to the iPhone case, and we always attribute this to fate. Your phone may fall from a height of just a few centimeters and the screen will break, or it may fall, as I read, from a height of approximately 5 kilometers, without sustaining any harm.

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