WhatsApp adds text transcription for voice messages, Siri like ChatGPT in iOS 19, Instagram adds live location sharing in direct messages, YouTube allows direct video uploads via iOS sharing system, SearchGPT search feature on Apple devices, and other exciting news in On the Sidelines…
iPhone sales slow despite global smartphone market recovery
In 2024, Apple saw marginal growth in iPhone sales, despite a significant recovery in the global smartphone market. According to IDC data, global smartphone shipments rose 6.2% to 1.24 billion units, while iPhone shipments grew by a meager 0.4% during the same period.
The modest performance reflects the challenges Apple faces in key markets like China, where local rivals are gaining market share through competitive pricing and technological innovation. By contrast, Android vendors grew strongly, growing 7.6%, particularly in emerging markets, by offering affordable devices at an average price of $295 compared to the iPhone’s high price of more than $1000.
Apple has been shrinking its red color option over the past few years.
Since 2006, Apple has partnered with (RED) to raise money for the Global Fund, an organization that aims to fight diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa. The company has offered a red color option, or (PRODUCT)RED, for some of its products, but has scaled back those efforts in recent years.
Currently, the only current-generation product in this color is the iPhone SE 3, which is expected to be discontinued in March. Apple has not introduced any red iPhone 15 or iPhone 16 models, and has discontinued the red Apple Watch Series 9. Apple continues to support the Global Fund through its annual Apple Pay donation program, which will return from November 29 through December 8.
Apple faces daily fines in Brazil over App Store restrictions
The Brazilian Economic Defense Council (CADE) has ordered Apple to remove restrictions on payment systems in the App Store, allowing developers to promote alternative payment options for in-app purchases. The court gave Apple 20 days to comply or face daily fines of $43,000.
The decision comes in response to a complaint filed in 2022 by Mercado Libre, Latin America’s largest e-commerce platform, which accused Apple of abusing its monopoly position by forcing developers to use its payment system and preventing them from directing users to third-party payment options. The decision echoes similar concerns raised in the European Union, where the European Commission fined Apple €1.8 billion in March 2024 for restricting music streaming apps from informing users of cheaper subscription options outside the App Store.
Tim Cook Attends CEO Conference in China to Discuss Supply Chain and Trade
Apple CEO Tim Cook is visiting China for the third time this year, to participate in a five-day conference with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and more than 20 global business leaders, including CEOs from Rio Tinto, Corning and several Chinese companies.
Speaking at the China International Supply Chain Expo, Cook stressed the importance of Chinese partners to Apple’s operations, saying, “I value them tremendously. We couldn’t do what we do without them.” The visit comes at a sensitive time, as companies around the world brace for potential trade disruptions following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, while Apple seeks to maintain its ties with China while gradually diversifying its supply chain to other regions such as Vietnam and Indonesia.
Apple faces complications in approving Apple's smart features in China
Apple faces significant challenges in launching AI services in China, with Chinese regulators warning foreign companies of a difficult and lengthy approval process, saying foreign companies will only get simple approval if they use large language models approved by Chinese companies.
These regulatory challenges have prompted Apple to negotiate with several Chinese tech companies, including Baidu, ByteDance, and Moonshot AI, with the aim of using their models to power AI features in devices sold in China, especially with CEO Tim Cook arriving in China to participate in the CEO Summit.
Analysts believe that these Chinese complications may delay the launch of AI in China until the second half of 2025, noting that China represents 17% of the company’s revenue, which witnessed an 8% decline over the past year.
OpenAI Adds SearchGPT Option to Apple's Shortcuts App
In the latest version of the ChatGPT app, OpenAI has added an “Open SearchGPT” option to the Shortcuts app for iPhone and iPad, where users with access to this feature can tap the shortcut to launch the ChatGPT app and enable the internet search feature.
The company launched SearchGPT in late October as an advanced AI-powered search service, currently available to ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Teams subscribers, with plans to roll it out to free users in the coming months. The new feature aims to search the web better than ever before, providing links to relevant web resources with contextual information and support for follow-up questions.
YouTube now lets you upload videos directly via iOS sharing system
YouTube has brought back support for sharing in iOS, now allowing users to easily share videos directly from the iPhone's Photos app and other video apps to YouTube.
The new sharing integration allows the video to be automatically imported to YouTube, where it can be edited and uploaded to YouTube Shorts. This option was previously available in an earlier version of the YouTube app before it was removed in 2018, and is now available again after updating the app to version 19.47.7.
Instagram Adds Live Location Sharing to Direct Messages
Instagram has announced several updates to Direct Messages, including the addition of a feature to share live location with friends for one hour, with the ability to pin a point on the map to coordinate meetings. Sharing will be limited to private conversations with one person or a group, with the location automatically expiring after an hour.
The platform also added other features such as the ability to customize nicknames in direct messages and create nicknames for users and their friends to make it easier to identify them, in addition to 17 sticker sets that include 300 new stickers that can be used in direct messages with the option to prefer stickers.
Apple plans to remove the SIM slot in more countries next year
Apple is planning to remove the physical SIM slot from the iPhone in more countries next year, with reports suggesting that all future iPhone 17 Air models will lack a SIM slot. The company has already implemented the technology in the US for iPhone 14 through 16 models.
Apple has promoted eSIM technology as more secure than a traditional SIM card, as it cannot be removed from the phone if lost or stolen, and as many as eight eSIMs can be managed at once. However, there is still uncertainty over whether the phone will be sold in China, as the country has not yet approved the use of eSIMs in smartphones.
iOS 19 Rumors: Siri Like ChatGPT, Some Features Delayed
Some exciting details have been revealed about iOS 19, which is set to be announced in June 2025. It will introduce an improved version of Siri using advanced language models and these improvements are being called ChatGPT-Like Siri. This update will make Siri more interactive and able to handle complex requests, making it similar to ChatGPT.
According to the report, many of the new features will be delayed until iOS 19.4 is released in spring 2026. In the meantime, iOS 18.2 will add support for ChatGPT integration, and support for Gemini is expected to be added in later updates. iPhone users are hoping this update will reduce the need to resort to third-party services, although there will be a long wait until the final version is released.
Miscellaneous news
◉ Taiwanese firm TrendForce expects Apple to encourage suppliers to expand their investments in laptop-sized OLED displays, with the first MacBook Pro models with OLED displays planned for launch between 2026 and 2027. LG and Samsung will be the main suppliers, with major improvements in the technology expected to include higher brightness, better contrast ratio, and improved power efficiency. Meanwhile, the upcoming models are expected to get M5 chips without a major redesign, as Apple updated the MacBook Pro lineup last month with M4 chips.
◉ The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found in a preliminary report that Apple’s restrictions on browsers on the iPhone stifle innovation and limit the development of potential features for iPhone users. The investigations found that Safari’s policies prevent competitors from implementing advanced technologies such as faster web page loading, and the study highlighted the revenue-sharing agreement between Apple and Google that reduces competitive incentives. These recommendations come in preparation for the implementation of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act in January 2025, with a final decision expected in March 2025, amid similar investigations by the European Commission and the US Department of Justice. Apple rejects these conclusions, stressing its commitment to protecting users’ privacy and security.
◉ WhatsApp, the Meta-owned app, has announced a voice message transcription feature that aims to enable users to read voice messages in crowded places. The feature is enabled through settings, with the ability to choose the preferred language for transcription, as the texts are generated on the device itself while maintaining end-to-end encryption. The feature will start with limited support for languages including English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian, with plans to add more languages in the future, and will be available to users globally in the coming weeks.
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