News on the sidelines for the week of August 9 - 15

The ChatGPT application allows the creation of two free images per day using the DALL-E 3 image generation tool, and LG is seeking compensation from Apple, and the slim iPhone 17 may come under the name “iPhone Air,” and the iPhone SE 4 will have a RAM capacity 8 GB of Apple intelligence, Apple opens the iPhone's NFC chip to third-party developers in iOS 18.1, and other exciting news on the sidelines...

Apple intends to launch a home robot in 2026

Apple is developing an innovative home robot. It features a large, iPad-like display mounted on a thin arm, allowing the screen to swivel and tilt 360 degrees. The device is expected to work as a smart home control center, a means of video calls, and a tool for monitoring home security.

The robot uses Siri and artificial intelligence technologies, enabling it to respond to a wide range of voice commands and recognize different sounds. Apple aims to launch it by 2026 or 2027 at a price of approximately $1000, although plans may change as the development process progresses. The project is being overseen by Kevin Lynch, Apple's vice president of technology, who previously oversaw projects such as the Apple Watch and the canceled self-driving car project.

Apple opens the iPhone's NFC chip to third-party developers in iOS 18.1

Apple announced a new step that will enable developers to offer near-field communication (NFC) transactions in their own applications for the first time, a feature that was exclusive to the Apple Pay service. Starting with iOS 18.1, developers will be able to offer wireless transactions within apps, separate from Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, using new application programming interfaces (APIs). This development opens new horizons for a wide range of uses, including in-store payments, car keys, public transit cards, institutional badges, student ID cards, house and hotel keys, event tickets, with the potential to be used for government IDs in the future and more.

The new programming interfaces use the Secure Enclave inside the iPhone, which is a certified chip to store sensitive information directly on the device itself. Users will be able to use apps that support these interfaces by either opening the app directly or setting it as the default wireless app in Settings, allowing a transaction to be initiated by double-clicking the side button. Developers will need to request an NFC and Secure Enclave license, enter into a commercial agreement with Apple, and pay the associated fees. These features will initially be available to developers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and will expand to other regions later.

Apple is still developing a larger iMac with a 30-inch screen

Apple is still working on developing an iMac with a screen larger than 30 inches. Although production of the 27-inch iMac has been discontinued and the company has confirmed that there are no plans to launch a new version of it, rumors indicate that work on a larger model is continuing. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that "a larger iMac is still under consideration by Apple," but it is unclear whether it will use the new M4 processor or not.

Expectations indicate that the larger iMac may reach a size of 32 inches with a mini-LED screen, and it will likely be launched in 2025 or later. This device may serve as a replacement for the “i-Mac Pro”, which was discontinued in 2021. But details about the design and specifications are still unclear, with the possibility that it will adopt a design similar to the Studio Display screen with thinner bezels and without the distinctive bottom bezel of the current i-Mac. .

Google promotes Gemini AI capabilities in the Pixel 9 and criticizes Apple

Google introduced its new phones from Pixel 9 series, using the opportunity to indirectly criticize Apple Intelligence technology. All new Pixel 9 devices feature the integration of Google's Gemini AI technology, with a host of new AI-based features. Google confirmed that Gemini is capable of processing complex claims without having to transfer the task to another artificial intelligence service, an implicit reference to Apple's plan to integrate ChatGPT with Siri.

New AI features on the Pixel 9 phones include the Pixel Studio app for creating photos, the ability to edit photos to add new elements, custom weather reports, and photo merging to include the person taking the photo in group photos. Google has also added the Gemini Live feature that allows users to have free and full conversations with Gemini. In contrast, Apple plans to use ChatGPT for some tasks that Apple Intelligence cannot currently do, such as generating texts from scratch and generating images, while giving users the option to choose their preferred AI service.

The iPhone SE 4 will likely have 8GB RAM for Apple's smarts

The iPhone SE 4 version coming next year will likely come with 8GB of RAM, compared to 4GB in the 2022 model. This improvement comes as a result of the hardware requirements needed to run the Apple Intelligence feature. Currently, only iPhone 15 Pro models support this feature, which will be available in the iOS 18.1 update, as it requires a minimum of 8 GB of RAM.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to be launched in early 2025, and will definitely support Apple Intelligence. This will put Apple's phone lineup in an unusual position, as the iPhone SE 4 will be priced at less than $500 and will be able to run Apple's latest artificial intelligence features, while the standard iPhone 15 models will not be able to do so. The new iPhone SE is expected to come with a design similar to the iPhone 14, with a facial fingerprint, a USB-C port, an action button, an Apple-designed 5G modem, an A18 processor, and a 6.06-inch OLED screen.

Apple likely won't charge for Apple Intelligence features until at least 2027

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects it will take years before Apple's full intelligence features become integrated enough for people to pay for them. He noted that it could take “three years” for Apple to create a product worth charging for. This service may work similarly to the current iCloud subscription system, with Apple offering 5GB of free storage to all users, while iCloud+ subscription plans include more storage and additional features like iCloud Private Relay.

All the features Apple showed off in June likely won't be available until 2025, making it easy to imagine that it could take until 2027 or later to develop a solid product.

When Apple starts charging for Apple Intelligence, it may be integrated into existing iCloud+ plans or included as part of the Apple One bundle. An analyst from Counterpoint Research expects Apple to charge between $10 and $20 for Apple Intelligence, with the possibility of integrating the fee into the Apple One plan.

The thin iPhone 17 may be called “iPhone Air”

According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, the upcoming iPhone 17 Slim may be introduced as “iPhone Air” with the aim of boosting sales. This comes in light of the failure of the fourth model in the iPhone lineup since 2020, namely the iPhone 12 Mini, 13 Mini, 14 Plus, and 15 Plus, to achieve great commercial success. Gorman suggests that the “iPhone Air” will represent a new approach, as it will be noticeably thinner, falling between the regular iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro.

Gorman expects the iPhone Air to be more popular than the previous Mini and Plus versions. The thinner design will be a step towards better development, as Apple eventually wants to incorporate the power of the Pro model into this smaller design, but this is not expected to happen before 2027 at the earliest. Gorman likens this approach to the launch of the original MacBook Air in 2008, which was sandwiched between the regular MacBook and MacBook Pro in the laptop lineup.

Apple eases App Store external linking rules and changes fee structure in the European Union

Apple has announced new updates to its plan to comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act. These updates include giving developers more freedom to direct customers to purchase options outside of the App Store. Developers can now update their apps to connect with customers and promote offers through websites, alternative marketplaces, and other apps. Apple allows developers to include external links that users can access either inside or outside the app, without the company dictating to developers how to design those links or what they can say.

In addition, developers who want to take advantage of these changes must adhere to new terms that require the use of external link purchasing APIs, reporting of transactions and payment of fees and commissions. There are new fees associated with directing customers to non-App Store purchasing options, including an initial acquisition fee of 5% and a store services fee of between 5% and 20%. Users can also disable warnings that appear when they click on links that take them to purchase options outside the Apple Store. These changes will become available with the launch of iOS 18 and other Apple operating systems in the fall, and are limited to the European Union only.

Miscellaneous news

◉ Opera launched its AI-powered Opera One browser for iOS. The app mimics the same as a desktop browser, and intelligently hides “unnecessary elements” to make your browsing experience distraction-free. The search bar includes the artificial intelligence assistant Aria, and this assistant can help users with a wide range of tasks, from searching the web to creating texts and images.

‎Opera: AI browser with VPN

Free

Developer	Opera Software AS

◉ Apple has launched a third beta update for AirPods Pro 2, including Lightning and USB-C versions. The updated firmware is available to developers right now. It is the third firmware update that Apple has released since announcing new AirPods Pro 2 features in June. This update contains features such as head gestures to control Siri, and using Siri interactions to respond to incoming messages, calls, and notifications. There is also a sound isolation feature to reduce loud background sounds, and a spatial audio feature intended for games.

The new firmware requires a device running iOS 18‌ to install, and will not be available to the public until September.

◉ Apple launches the second beta for developers of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 updates with Apple intelligence features.

◉ Apple releases the sixth beta version of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and tvOS 18 updates to developers.

◉ LG is seeking compensation from Apple after the Apple Watch project with microLED technology was suddenly cancelled. This request comes as a result of the significant investments made by LG in preparation for the project. The company has incurred significant costs, including purchasing 14 US patents related to microLED technology from Taiwan's Ultra Display.

LG is now facing potential claims from its equipment partners, some of whom invested in the project without formal contracts. The company also transported equipment, transported employees, and formed a work team dedicated to the project. It is noteworthy that Apple's decision to cancel the project came due to concerns related to the economic feasibility of microLED technology in the Apple Watch, as the company decided that production costs were too high to justify its use in the watch, in addition to the significant challenges associated with the manufacturing process.

◉ Apple updated Apple Maps on the web to add support for the Firefox browser this week. Firefox users on Mac, PC, and iPad can now visit Apple Maps on the web.

◉ OpenAI announced that it will allow ChatGPT users to create two images for free per day using the image generator DALL-E 3, with no subscription required. This feature will also be available on Apple devices through Siri and Type, using the latest GPT-4 model.

On the other hand, the feature of creating additional images will still require a paid ChatGPT Plus subscription, and this feature will also be available on Apple devices for subscribers. Apple has confirmed that OpenAI will not store ChatGPT requests made by its devices, and will mask users' IP addresses.

◉ Apple is preparing to launch the iPhone 16 series, and has increased its production by 10% this year, targeting the production of 90 million devices. To meet this growing demand, Foxconn, Apple's main manufacturing partner, hired 50 new workers at its main factory in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou in just two weeks.

It is noteworthy that the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou is responsible for about 80% of the global production of iPhone phones, and the company has raised wages and bonuses to attract the necessary workers. In addition, Apple plans to increase iPhone production in India starting with the iPhone 16 series.

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