News on the sidelines for the week of April 26 - May 2

Apple will hold an additional event in London in conjunction with the main “Let Loose” event scheduled for May 7, users’ Apple accounts are logged out and require password resets, iPadOS like iOS is subject to EU rules, and new iPhone 16 dummies show what the sizes will be. The four models, and other exciting news on the sidelines...

Apple is hiring dozens of artificial intelligence experts for a secret lab

In a move that reveals Apple's great ambitions in the field of artificial intelligence, the British newspaper the Financial Times revealed that Apple has recruited at least 36 experts in this field from its competitor Google since 2018, when it attracted John Gianandrea to be its chief artificial intelligence officer. Apple has also established a secret laboratory in the Swiss city of Zurich, which includes a new team tasked with building advanced artificial intelligence models and applications.

It is believed that Apple's decision to establish a research center in Zurich specifically came after its acquisition of the virtual reality companies “FaceShift” and “Fashwell” for image recognition. Apple is focusing its work on designing more advanced artificial intelligence models capable of combining text and visual inputs to produce responses to queries.

Fortnite is coming to iPad

Based on a new report, Epic Games, the developer of the famous Fortnite game, will release a version of the game for iPad devices in the European Union this year. This comes after Apple was obligated under the European Digital Markets Law to implement the same changes it made to the iOS system for iPadOS.

Therefore, within 6 months, Apple will be forced to allow iPad users in the European Union to download applications from alternative stores other than the official App Store, as well as download applications directly from developer websites.

These changes will only apply to iPad users in Europe, while in the rest of the world, the application system on the iPad will remain unchanged.

Apple is using “the best OLED screens on the market for the upcoming iPad Pro.”

A new report indicates that the OLED screens in the new iPad Pro devices that Apple will unveil next May 7 are the best ever. These screens will come with LTPO technology, which is a more efficient type of OLED screens, with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, and an extremely thin and lightweight design, which will provide high brightness and longer battery and screen life.

The new iPad Pro devices are expected to be available in two sizes, 12.9 inches and 11.1 inches, with thinner bezels and higher resolution than current models. The 12.9-inch version will be more than 1 mm thinner.

Along with advanced displays, the iPad Pro may come with a new, improved M4 processor that supports AI technologies, an Apple Pencil, and an updated version of the Magic Keyboard.

Apple faces new cybersecurity law in the UK

The British Parliament has passed a new law requiring phone companies to strengthen security protections for their products, or face large financial fines. Known as the Communications Product and Infrastructure Security Act, this law imposes strict requirements for securing Internet-connected devices with the aim of limiting cybercriminals' ability to penetrate private networks.

It requires removing default passwords, a clear protocol for reporting vulnerabilities, and detailed consumer information about product support and software updates. Apple must ensure compliance with these standards, including clear communication about security support periods and establishing channels for reporting security issues. Retailers such as Apple Stores must also inform customers of their device cybersecurity practices. Failure to comply can result in fines of up to £10 million, US$12.5 million, or 4% of total global sales.

iPhone 16 dummies showing what the sizes of the four models will be

Developer Sony Dixon posted images on the X platform of dummies for demonstration or testing purposes, said to be iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max models.

These dummies provide a clear look at the slightly larger size of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, as they are expected to increase in size from 6.1 to 6.3 inches, and from 6.7 to 6.9 inches, respectively, and how they compare to the rest of the models.

It is expected that both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will maintain the same sizes of 6.1 and 6.7 inches as their predecessors, but they may get a new design for the rear cameras with a vertical arrangement to support spatial video shooting, in contrast to the arrangement of the cameras since the iPhone 13. It was arranged diagonally.

iPadOS has been identified as a digital “gatekeeper” under new European Union technology rules

The European Union Antitrust Commission has classified iPad's iPadOS as a “gatekeeper” subject to the new European Digital Markets Act. This means that Apple will have to comply with the requirements of this law on iPadOS within 6 months, just as it did with the iOS system on the iPhone before. These requirements include allowing iPad users in Europe to download applications from alternative stores, not just from the Apple App Store, as well as downloading applications directly from developers’ websites, in addition to allowing the use of alternative internet browsers other than Safari.

This decision came after an investigation conducted by the European Commission into the importance of iPadOS as a main gateway for companies to display their products and services to users and reach a large base of them, especially in certain sectors such as video games.

The Digital Markets Act aims to promote competition in digital markets and increase the choices available to European users. Its requirements are subject to major companies such as Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, in addition to Apple. Companies that do not comply with this law will face severe penalties that may reach 10% of their global revenues in financial fines, or the imposition of regulatory restrictions on them.

Users' Apple accounts are signed out and require a password reset

There are widespread reports of Apple users being locked out of their Apple accounts for no apparent reason, and requiring a reset of their password to get back in. Users say the sudden Apple account logout occurred across multiple devices. When they tried to log in again, they were locked out of their accounts and asked to reset their password again.

This led to additional issues with Apple accounts for users who had Stolen Device Protection turned on and were far from a trusted location, as well as resetting any app-specific passwords previously set up in iCloud.

Apple is aware of the problem but has not commented yet. Are you affected by this problem? Tell us in the comments.

Miscellaneous news

◉ Apple will not launch the second generation of Vision Pro glasses before the end of 2026, as it is still working on a cheaper version, but it is facing difficulties in reducing the cost. Modified versions may be released in late 2025 or early 2026 with cost and production improvements. The Vision Pro is expected to be released in more countries before WWDC in June, with a possible arrival in China next month.

◉ Apple announced that the second-generation “HomePod Mini” and “HomePod” devices will be put on sale in Malaysia, Thailand, and Turkey, starting next week. You can pre-order it through Apple online stores in these three countries starting today, with shipping and sales in local Apple stores starting on May 10.

◉ The Safari browser in iOS 18 will include several new features that rely on artificial intelligence, including a smart search tool to summarize content, a web eraser tool to remove parts of pages, and a new quick access menu that collects page tools. Apple is also working on a stronger version of the Visual Look Up feature to launch in 2025.

◉ Apple is once again discussing with OpenAI the use of its own artificial intelligence technologies to enhance the artificial intelligence features in iOS 18. Previous talks took place between the two companies, but without reaching an agreement. Apple is also reportedly in talks with Google about licensing its Gemini technology. Apple is expected to reveal the artificial intelligence features planned for iOS 18 during the Worldwide Developers Conference next June.

◉ Press reports indicate that Apple will organize an additional event in London in conjunction with the main “Let Loose” event scheduled for May 7, during which it is expected to announce the launch of new models of iPad devices and accessories. The event in London will give British journalists and prominent bloggers the opportunity to get a closer look at these new products. Apple will also likely allow attendees to try out the upcoming Vision Pro augmented reality glasses before its anticipated global launch, as it is scheduled to become available in the United Kingdom among other countries.

Sources:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10| 11| 12