News on the sidelines week 13 - 19 September

الطلب على IPhone 16 Pro Less than expected, Apple is developing a new version of the Apple Watch SE with a colorful plastic design, and raising the iPhone 16 Pro battery replacement fees by 20%, and the sleep apnea detection feature in the Apple Watch is now available in more than 150 countries, including these Arab countries, and expanding the feature of recording and copying phone calls to include older iPhone models, and other exciting news in On the Sidelines…

Apple invents a new way to remove iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus batteries using electrical current

Apple has introduced a new technology in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to make it easier to remove the battery. This technology relies on the use of a special adhesive that can be weakened using a low electrical current, such as 9 volts through a power supply device, for example, or any battery that outputs this voltage. Once this current is passed, the battery becomes easy to remove from the device, making this method more effective than previous methods used in older models, which were difficult to remove because they were attached with a strong adhesive.

This development comes in response to the European Union’s requirements to improve the repairability of electronic devices, and aims to facilitate repair and recycling processes. However, it is worth noting that this new technology does not include the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models. The teardown videos are expected to reveal more details about this new design, including the use of metal battery cases and a heat dissipation system.

Apple's intelligence is coming to these seven additional languages ​​next year

Apple has announced that support for Apple Intelligence will gradually expand to additional languages ​​in 2025. These languages ​​include English (India and Singapore), German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, and Vietnamese, in addition to previously announced languages ​​such as Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish.

Apple’s “smart” features include tools for writing and proofreading text, summarizing notifications, suggesting replies in Messages, the ability to record and transcribe phone calls, and a new photo cleaning tool. These features will be available on the iPhone 15 Pro and all iPhone 16 models. However, due to the Digital Markets Act, these features will not be available on iPhones and iPads in the European Union, and will be limited to Macs with an M1 chip or later.

Apple begins manufacturing A16 processors at TSMC's Arizona plant

Apple has reportedly started manufacturing its A16 chips on US soil at a TSMC factory in Arizona. The chips, which debuted in the iPhone 14 Pro two years ago, are being made in small batches. The chips are produced using the 4-nanometer (N4P) process used at TSMC’s factories in Taiwan to ensure consistency in quality and performance.

The move is in line with the goals of the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to boost domestic semiconductor production. Production is expected to ramp up significantly when the second phase of the first phase of the plant is complete, with full-scale manufacturing expected in the first half of 2025. It’s not yet clear which Apple devices will use the Arizona-made A16 chips, but they could potentially appear in an upcoming iPad model or the next-generation iPhone SE.

Apple launches new feature to restore disabled iPhone 16 wirelessly using another iPhone

A new report has revealed that iOS 18 includes a new over-the-air restore feature designed to revive broken iPhone 16 devices using another iPhone or iPad. This feature represents a significant improvement over the current method that requires using a Mac or Windows computer to restore firmware in the event of older phones being broken.

The new technology allows users to place a disabled iPhone 16 next to another iPhone or iPad to wirelessly initiate a firmware restore. The other device downloads a new iOS and transfers it to the disabled device, eliminating the need to connect it to a computer. The feature currently appears to be limited to iPhone 16 models, which come with a dedicated recovery partition that can manage the restore process independently of the state of the main iOS partition. The iPhone 16 series is set to launch tomorrow, Friday, September 20, while iOS 18 is already available.

End-to-end encryption is coming for RCS messages between iPhone and Android

The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) has announced that it is working on implementing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for messages sent between Android devices and iPhones using the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol. This announcement comes after Apple recently adopted RCS with the launch of iOS 18, which replaced SMS with RCS for texts sent to Android users.

While this update brings improvements like high-resolution media sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators, it currently lacks end-to-end encryption. The implementation of end-to-end encryption for RCS messages across platforms aims to close a major gap in messaging security between different systems. This encryption will prevent third parties, such as messaging services or telecom companies, from seeing the content of messages, providing an additional layer of security and preventing government surveillance of citizens’ RCS communications. There is no specific timeline for the implementation of this feature yet.

Apple expands call recording and transcription feature to older iPhone models in iOS 18.1 beta update

The fourth beta of iOS 18.1 has revealed the expansion of the call recording and transcription feature to older iPhone models. The feature has been confirmed to be available on the iPhone 14 Pro, while user reports indicate that it can be used on models up to the iPhone XS and later. The feature allows users to start recording a call with a single tap, while notifying all participants audibly that the call is being recorded. The audio recording is saved and transcribed in the Notes app.

On models that support Apple Intelligence, such as the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 models, users can also get an AI-generated summary of the copied text. Previous beta versions of iOS 18.1 were limited to iPhone models that support Apple Intelligence only.

Apple pulls iPadOS 18 update for iPad Pro M4 models after complaints of crashes

Apple has stopped signing the iPadOS 18 update for iPad Pro M4 models, meaning the new update is no longer available to download and install at this time. The update appears to have been pulled after complaints from some iPad Pro owners who found the update was causing their devices to crash. There are reports on Reddit from iPad Pro users that the installation process was interrupted, causing the iPad to freeze and require a full restore.

Not all iPad Pro M4 owners are experiencing this issue, and it may be related to installing the new iOS 17.7 update before installing iOS 18. Apple will make the software available again when the underlying issue is resolved.

In a new update to the report, Apple provided a statement to MacRumors saying, “We have temporarily removed the iPadOS 18 update for iPad Pro M4 models while we work to resolve an issue affecting a small number of devices.”

Apple Watch Sleep Apnea Detection Feature Gets FDA Approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced it has approved a sleep apnea detection feature for the latest Apple Watch models. The feature, which will be available on Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, is designed to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea in people 18 and older who have not previously been diagnosed with the condition. The feature will be available in the U.S. and more than 150 other countries and regions later this month.

The feature relies on the watch’s accelerometer to monitor small wrist movements associated with interruptions in normal breathing patterns. Users can view nighttime breathing disturbances in the Health app on iPhone, with the disturbances categorized as “elevated” or “not elevated.” The feature was developed using advanced machine learning techniques and a large dataset of clinical-grade sleep apnea tests, and then validated in a clinical study. The Apple Watch Series 10 is set to launch Friday.

Apple Watch Sleep Apnea Detection Now Available in Over 150 Countries

Apple has released watchOS 11, which includes an important new health feature: sleep apnea detection. This feature is available on the latest Apple Watch models in more than 150 countries and regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and many more. And from the Arab countries, in order of Apple website: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the rest of the countries will be added successively.

The feature uses the watch's accelerometer to monitor small movements in the wrist associated with interruptions in normal breathing patterns.

Apple Watch users can view their nighttime breathing disturbances in the Health app on iPhone, where the disturbances are categorized as “high” or “not high.” The feature was developed using advanced machine learning techniques and a large dataset of clinical-grade sleep apnea tests, and then validated in a clinical study. Apple recently received FDA approval for the feature in the US, and it’s designed to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea in people 18 years or older who haven’t already been diagnosed with the condition.

Demand for iPhone 16 Pro is lower than expected

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max has been “lower than expected” since pre-orders began in the US and several other countries last Friday. Kuo based his analysis on a “supply chain survey” and shipment estimates listed on Apple’s online store. He estimated that sales of all four iPhone 16 models amounted to about 37 million units in the first week after pre-orders began, which would be about a 13% decline compared to the first week sales of the iPhone 15 series last year.

Kuo noted that the main factor behind the decline was the decline in demand for the Pro models, with first-week sales of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max down 27% and 16%, respectively, compared to sales of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max during the same period last year. While demand for the regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus was up compared to last year, it wasn’t enough to offset the decline in demand for the Pro models. Kuo attributed the decline in demand for the iPhone 16 Pro models to the lack of Apple Intelligence when the devices launch on Friday, as well as the intense competition the iPhone faces in China.

Apple raises iPhone 16 Pro battery replacement fees by 20%

Apple has announced an increase in out-of-warranty battery replacement fees for iPhone 16 Pro models, according to the iPhone Service and Repair page on its official website. Apple Stores can now replace an iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max battery for $119 in the US, a 20% increase from the previous $99 fee for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. This fee includes the cost of a new battery and service at an Apple Store, with fees subject to variation at Apple Authorized Service Providers.

The battery replacement fee remains $99 for the regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models. Customers with AppleCare+ can get a free iPhone 16 Pro battery replacement, but only if the battery retains less than 80% of its original capacity. It’s worth noting that all iPhone 16 models have larger batteries, and all have undergone an internal redesign to improve heat dissipation. This is the second increase in the battery replacement fee in recent years, as Apple previously raised the fee from $69 to $99 starting with all iPhone 14 models.

Miscellaneous news

◉ Apple has rolled out a new firmware update for all AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 models. Details of the update haven’t been revealed yet, but it comes a week after Apple last updated the AirPods Pro 2 to add iOS 18 features like voice gesture support and noise isolation. Apple plans to add hearing aid and hearing testing capabilities to the AirPods Pro 2 this year, and has received FDA approval for these features. AirPods software can’t be installed manually, but updates are installed automatically when the AirPods are in the charging case and connected to an iPhone or Mac.

◉ Recent reports indicate that Apple is in talks with JPMorgan Chase about potentially taking over the Apple Card program, amid long-running reports that Apple and Goldman Sachs are looking to end their partnership in the field. According to the Wall Street Journal, it could take months to reach an agreement, but talks have accelerated in recent weeks. Chase is seeking a number of concessions, including paying less than the face value of Apple Cardholders’ $17 billion in balances and eliminating concurrent billing cycles. Apple has also talked to other financial firms, but Chase appears to be the current frontrunner to take over the program.

◉ Apple is developing a new version of the Apple Watch SE with a colorful plastic design, similar to the iPhone 5c from 2013. According to a report from Bloomberg, the project faces some challenges related to cost and quality, but it is expected to be launched next year. This new design could be more attractive to parents who want to buy an Apple Watch for their children. The upcoming version of the Apple Watch SE is also expected to have a new chip with faster performance.

Sources:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10| 11| 12| 13| 14| 15 | 16