Apple is testing a health app aimed at preventing diabetes, Vision Pro users will soon be able to view spatial photos and videos via Safari, iFixit takes apart an iPad mini 7, reveals the “jelly scrolling” issue, Apple wins a symbolic $250 in compensation in a Masimo watch patent case, iPhone 16 sales banned in Indonesia, Samsung is considering dropping the “Galaxy” brand for its flagship phones, and other exciting news in the margins…
iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro announcements with M4 processors
Apple this week announced major updates to three of its computers, all powered by new M4 processors. This includes: iMac 24-inch display that delivers up to 1.7x faster performance for everyday tasks, with 16GB of RAM, an improved 12MP front camera, and Thunderbolt 4 ports.
The company also revealed that Mac mini With an all-new design and a significantly smaller footprint, measuring just five square inches, the device comes with two processor options: the entry-level M4 or the more powerful M4 Pro, with advanced Thunderbolt ports and improved graphics performance. Most importantly, this is Apple’s first carbon-neutral Mac, with a starting price of just $599.
As for computers MacBook ProThe 14- and 16-inch models have been updated with new M4 Pro and M4 Max processors, plus a new base 14-inch model with M4. The new devices feature a minimum of 16GB of unified memory, up to 24 hours of battery life, and advanced Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models. The new devices also support multiple external displays and come in a Space Black color option. All of these products will begin shipping on November 8.
The longest battery life in Mac history, MacBook Pro up to 24 hours
Apple has announced significant battery life improvements for the new 2024 MacBook Pro, thanks to the high efficiency of the M4 processor family. The battery life reaches 24 hours in models equipped with the M4 or M4 Pro processor, which is the longest battery life achieved in the history of Mac devices.
The new MacBook Pros are now available for pre-order and will be available on Friday, November 8. Prices start at $1,599 for the 14-inch model and $2,499 for the 16-inch model, with the M4 Max models expected to have the same or slightly reduced battery life compared to previous generations.
Samsung Considers Ditching the Galaxy Brand for Its Flagship Phones
Samsung is considering a new brand for its flagship phones, one that could sit alongside or even replace the popular Galaxy brand. The initiative is aimed at differentiating its flagship devices from its budget models, which currently use the Galaxy name from budget phones starting at $100-$200 all the way up to flagships priced at $1,800.
The thinking comes amid growing competition with Apple in the premium phone segment, especially among younger consumers. A recent survey found that 64 percent of South Korean consumers in their 75s use an iPhone, and that figure rises to XNUMX percent among women in the same age group. Sources say Samsung is conducting internal studies to assess the pros and cons of introducing a new brand to the premium segment, citing Hyundai’s successful experience with its Genesis brand.
Apple Adds User Rating Summaries to App Store
Apple has developed a new AI-powered system to summarize user reviews in the App Store, with the goal of highlighting the most common comments before downloading an app. These AI-generated summaries will appear on app pages alongside existing elements like descriptions and screenshots, and will be dynamically updated as new reviews are added.
Apple will initially roll out the feature in select regions, with apps required to reach a certain threshold of ratings to be eligible for summaries. Developers will be able to report summaries they believe misrepresent their apps, and the feature is part of Apple’s broader push toward integrating AI features into its products, following the launch of text and notification summaries in iOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.
GitHub Brings Copilot to Xcode
GitHub has announced the launch of its intelligent coding tool “Copilot” for Apple’s Xcode development environment in public beta. Apple developers can now use Copilot to get coding assistance directly within Xcode, helping to boost productivity, speed up development, and improve the overall programming experience.
The tool offers many useful features such as real-time code suggestions, support for multiple programming languages including Swift and Objective-C, multi-line suggestions, and content filtering to ensure that all recommendations meet professional standards. Users can get the service for $10 per month or $100 per year, and Xcode users with a Copilot license can install the plugin and start using it in its trial version.
iPhone 17 development in India: Expected specifications
Apple’s manufacturing partner Foxconn has begun early development of the iPhone 17 prototype at its factory in Bengaluru, India, marking a significant milestone for its manufacturing efforts in India. The shift is aimed at developing new iPhones closer to final assembly sites, potentially lowering operating costs.
According to supply chain analyst Jeff Pu, the base iPhone 17 model will feature a 6.1-inch display, an A19 processor, 8GB of RAM, an improved 24MP front camera, 48MP and 12MP rear cameras, and an aluminum body. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models will continue to be developed in China, with all models expected to launch in September.
India's iPhone exports rise 33% as Apple reduces reliance on China
iPhone exports from India have soared to nearly $6 billion in the six months to September, up 33% from the same period last year. The growth is driven by an expanding manufacturing network in India, where Apple has benefited from local support, skilled labour and advanced technology infrastructure, with three major suppliers — Foxconn, Pegatron and Tata Electronics.
Smartphones have become India’s largest export to the US, reaching $2.88 billion in the first five months of the fiscal year, up from just $5.2 million five years ago. Apple has reinforced its commitment to manufacturing in India by producing the iPhone 15 Pro models and opening stores in Mumbai and New Delhi, contributing to record annual revenue of $8 billion in India, as part of its strategy to diversify its supply chain and reduce its dependence on China.
Despite criticism: The new Magic Mouse with a USB-C port on the bottom after the update!
Apple has updated its flagship Mac accessories—the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad—to support USB-C charging ports, but without any changes to the exterior design. Despite ongoing criticism since 2015 on social media about the location of the charging port at the bottom of the mouse, which prevents it from being used while charging, Apple has chosen to keep the same design.
The updated Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard come in the box with the iMac, while the Magic Trackpad is an optional upgrade. All of these accessories are available for sale separately in black and white, with augmented reality images on Apple’s website confirming the location of the USB-C port on the bottom of the updated mouse.
iPhone 16 sales banned in Indonesia
Indonesia’s Industry Ministry has announced a ban on the sale of the iPhone 16 in the country after Apple failed to meet local investment requirements. The company’s local unit PT Apple Indonesia failed to meet the 40% local content requirement for smartphones, despite the company investing around Rp1.5 trillion ($95 million) in Indonesia, compared to the required investment target of Rp1.7 trillion.
The setback comes at a time when Apple is seeing strong iPhone sales globally, especially in China, where Indonesia is a key market for the company with a trillion-dollar economy and more than 350 million active mobile phones among its 270 million population. Although about 9000 iPhone 16 units have entered Indonesia via personal imports, the devices are restricted to personal use only and cannot be sold commercially.
Apple Wins Symbolic $250 in Massimo Watch Patent Case
A federal jury has ruled that Masimo’s smartwatches infringed Apple Watch patents, but awarded Apple only nominal damages of $250, the legal minimum Apple could seek. Although the jury found that the original design of the W1 Freedom watch, its health module and its charger intentionally infringed Apple’s design patents, Masimo said the ruling only applied to a discontinued module and charger.
The trial comes as part of an ongoing legal battle between the two companies, with Massimo previously winning an import ban on some Apple Watch models over blood oxygen measurement patents, forcing Apple to disable the feature on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models sold in the US. During the trial, Apple’s lawyers stressed that the company’s goal was not to obtain financial compensation, but to prevent Massimo from copying their design.
iFixit Takes Down iPad Mini 7, Reveals ‘Jelly Scrolling’ Issue
Repair site iFixit has posted a video revealing the internals of the iPad mini 7, raising the question of how to fix the “jelly scrolling” issue. The issue, which was present on the previous iPad mini 6, causes text and images to appear tilted on one side of the screen due to mismatched refresh rates, and has been a source of complaints from users for the past three years.
Although Apple had previously stated that this phenomenon was “normal” in iPads with LCD screens, the company has improved this issue with the iPad mini 7, with many reviewers noting that the problem has become less noticeable or completely unnoticeable. However, a teardown of the device revealed that the location of the screen controller and display has not changed compared to the previous version, suggesting that Apple has used other unknown techniques to mitigate the issue.
Miscellaneous news
◉ Google has updated the Memory Saver feature in Chrome for desktops, which now includes three different modes: Standard, Balanced, and Advanced. This feature aims to speed up the browser’s performance by reducing memory usage in inactive tabs. Google has also added a Performance Detection tool that can identify potential performance issues and provide solutions. Users will see a “Performance Issue” alert with a “Fix Now” option to improve browsing. These new features can be accessed through Settings in Chrome under Performance.
◉ Apple has released a new firmware update for all AirPods 4 models.
◉ Apple announced the new Mac mini with the M4 Pro processor, which comes with three Thunderbolt 5 ports. This standard provides bi-directional bandwidth at 80 Gbps, with the ability to reach 120 Gbps with the bandwidth boost feature, which is three times the maximum speed of Thunderbolt 4. The new standard also supports the PCIe 4.0 protocol and DisplayPort 2.1 outputs, allowing the device to support up to three external displays at 6K resolution and 60 Hz frequency. The new MacBook Pros with M4 Pro and M4 Max processors are expected to get the same features.
◉ Apple continued its gradual transition from Lightning to USB-C with major Mac accessories (Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad) updated to support USB-C charging. The list of Apple products still sold with Lightning is now very limited, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone SE, the first-generation Apple Pencil, and the Magic Keyboard with numeric keypad (without a fingerprint button), with a new iPhone SE expected to launch with USB-C next year, and the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus discontinued in September.
◉ Apple announced that new features including Genmoji, Image Playground, and Image Wand will be available to users participating in the beta versions of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 “in the coming weeks.” These features will allow users to create custom emoji, generate cartoon images, and convert sketches into suitable images, as they will be launched to the public in December with the iOS 18.2 update, noting that these features will only be available to users of iPhone 15 Pro phones and later.
◉ According to PetaPixel, Vision Pro users will soon be able to view spatial photos and videos via Safari. Website developers will be able to add this spatial content to their sites later this year, with these photos and videos being able to be captured using iPhone 15 Pro and later and Vision Pro. While spatial content can currently only be viewed via Messages, Email, and AirDrop, browser support will allow users to upload their content to the web for anyone with Vision Pro to view in XNUMXD.
◉ In 2020, Apple introduced the “Scribble” feature in iPadOS 14, which automatically converts handwriting using Apple Pencil into typed text. With the launch of iPadOS 18.1, users can now write their queries to Siri by hand using Apple Pencil, which will automatically be converted into typed text. This new feature is only available on devices equipped with Apple’s intelligence technology, such as iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini equipped with M1, M2, M4, or A17 Pro processors.
◉ Bloomberg reported that Apple has been testing a health app aimed at preventing diabetes, inviting employees with prediabetes to try the app that helps with food selection and monitoring blood sugar levels. Although the app will not be released to the public, it will help develop future products related to blood sugar management, especially as the company is working on a non-invasive technology to measure blood sugar levels using the Apple Watch, which is still in its early stages and could take years before launch.
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