The days of the iPhone’s NFC capabilities being limited to just Apple Pay are coming to an end. Apple is open to allowing rivals to use the iPhone wireless tap-to-pay system. But only in the European Union.
The change is the result of antitrust charges brought by the EU.
There were gasps when Apple first revealed that the Vision Pro headset costs $3,499, but shoppers who load the spatial-computing device up with additional storage and Apple’s recommended add-ons pay almost twice as much.
But to put that price in perspective, an earlier ground-breaking Apple product — one that changed computers forever — cost even more than that when it launched decades ago.
Friday morning ushers in Apple’s era of spatial computing when the Vision Pro goes on sale, and the cutting-edge headset is likely to sell out almost immediately.
But that won’t be a sure indication of huge demand for the new product — Apple has reportedly produced a relatively small number of the $3,499 headsets.
Apple lost a court appeal Wednesday, which means Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 might once again get pulled from U.S. store shelves. The court agrees with previous rulings that the wearables are in violation of a patent held by a medical-device company.
But Apple has a workaround: it’s almost certainly going to remove the application at the center of the patent dispute.
Apple revealed Wednesday that iOS 17.3 will be out “next week.” The major feature is Stolen Device Protection, a new system for protecting the personal information of users.
It’s likely new versions of iPadOS, macOS and watchOS will also debut at the same time.
The U.S. Supreme Court effectively upheld a lower court’s ruling that Apple must allow third-party iPhone app developers to point customers to their websites when making purchases. This means the company is forced to drop its “anti-steering” rule for such applications — a major change.
It’s the primary result of Apple’s long-running legal battle with Epic Games.
No company sold more smartphones than Apple in 2023, according to a market-research firm. iPhone shipments grew last year and outnumbered Samsung’s Androids.
It’s a milestone Apple never reached before.
★★★★☆
Put a Prox PRD on your keychain or in your purse and you’ll always be alerted when start to leave without your iPhone.
It’s not an AirTag or a tracker, and doesn’t collect any info about you. The device simply makes sure you don’t walk off without your handset.
I’ve tested the Prox PRD for weeks. Here’s why I’m satisfied with it.
The first iPad Pro with a OLED display is reportedly on track to launch in April. While that’s generally good news, previous leaks predicted a release in March.
The next generation of iPad Pro is also expected to have other enhancements, like an Apple M3 processor.
Apple’s solution to evading a sales and import ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 is apparently a simple one: It is reportedly prepared to delete the application at the heart of the patent dispute that caused the ban.
But this will only be necessary if Apple loses its next legal appeal, which will be made soon.
The top-of-the line iPhone 15 Pro Max makes up close to half of shipments of the iPhone 15 series, according to a trusted market analyst.
This continues a trend from last year in which Apple’s most expensive model was also its most popular.
The Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season finale reunites old friends and also gives us the kaiju fight people wanted all along.
Read our review/recap for Godzilla-size spoilers about episode ten, plus loads of speculation about the show’s second season.
The Samsung T9 external SSD just hit store shelves in October and it’s already available at a hefty discount. Amazon knocked up to 24% off the regular cost of the speedy solid state drive.
It comes in capacities up to 4TB, and plugs easily into Mac, iPad and even the most recent iPhone models.
Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s commissioner for competition, met with Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday to discuss the upcoming EU requirement that iPhone users be able to install applications from outside the App Store, aka sideloading.
Vestager also says the two discussed the EU’s investigation into whether Apple Music is anticompetitive.
Shipments of Macs plunged 22.4% in 2023, according to a market research firm. While every PC maker also had a weak year, Apple did a bit worse than its rivals.
The drop in macOS demand probably explains why Apple launched the M3 family of processors in the fall, less than a year after the release of their predecessors.
Kensington on Monday unveiled one of the first docks using Thunderbolt 5, a new version of the networking standard that’s up to three times the speed of its predecessor. The SD5000T5 will sport an array of ports, and support dual 8K displays.
Also at CES 2024, the accessory-maker took the wraps off a trio of USB-C docks.
Managing files on iPad has finally got a lot easier with new tools added to the Files app in iPadOS 17. It’s especially good for working with external drives, including basic capabilities like seeing see how much space remains on a thumb drive. And iPhone users can access them, too.
Here’s how to access all the new features in Apple’s Files app.
Football fans can look forward to the February premiere of The Dynasty: New England Patriots, an Apple TV+ sports documentary that interviews Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and many others about the team’s six Super Bowl wins between 2001 and 2019 — and the team’s many scandals.
The trailer for the upcoming documentary dropped Tuesday. Watch it now.
Apple’s fun new Get Ready video for the upcoming Vision Pro headset is clearly intended to ratchet up the hype for the spatial computing device scheduled for release in early February.
The new advert shows a wide range of celebrities putting on visors in iconic film roles. That makes it strongly reminiscent of a 2007 ad released before the launch of the original iPhone.
The Satechi SM1 Slim Mechanical Backlit Bluetooth Keyboard offers a 75% layout with low-profile brown switches. It can connect with up to four computers, whether Mac, iPad, iPhone, Windows, etc.
The wired/wireless keyboard debuted at CES 2024, and is available now.
Chipolo introduced the “Perfectly Imperfect” limited edition collection of its Card Spot wallet tracker. Although slightly flawed in appearance, each unit is fully functional — like so many of us.
The tracker uses Apple’s Find My network, which means iPhone, Mac and iPad users can locate it without having to install any software from Chipolo.
An iPhone found beside a road in Portland reportedly dropped from an Alaska Airlines jet after part of the fuselage detached in flight, immediately depressurizing the cabin. The iPhone is undamaged despite a 16,000-foot plunge.
Is that tough enough for you?
The HyperDrive Next Snap-On USB-C SSD Enclosure lets iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max users easily record terabytes of high-resolution video.
It’s one of many accessories Hyper just unveiled at CES 2024, including some with the new Qi2 wireless charging standard.
After a rate increase, cash stored in Apple Card Savings accounts now earns 4.35% in annual interest.
The change comes less than a month after the last improvement in the interest rate.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 9 has characters exploring a strange world and making a really surprising discovery.
Read our review/recap for Godzilla-size spoilers about the latest episode, plus speculation about the show’s season finale, coming next week.