In this week’s top stories: A closer look at the Apple Watch Series 4’s Heart Rate app, aggressive new in-store iPhone marketing, Apple releases iOS 12.1.2 and watchOS 5.1.3 to beta testers, and more.
Philips this week released a “finally” update to its Hue lights. With this week’s update, Hue lights are better able to handle power outages. In the past, Hue lights would come back on at full brightness following a power outage, no matter the state they were in before. Now, Hue lights can be configured to return to their previous state following a power interruption.
Earlier this week, we explained how the Apple Watch Series 4 Heart Rate app is able to take “faster reading with higher fidelity using the Digital Crown. With watchOS 5.1.2, the Heart Rate app uses the Digital Crown for heart rate measurements, as opposed to the infrared light-based technology used previously.
As part of its continued marketing of iPhone trade-in deals, Apple launched an aggressive new in-store campaign. This marketing effort uses displays at Apple’s retail stores to promote iPhone trade-in deals. Read more here.
In an unprecedented move, Apple launched its own discounts on HomePod this week. The company is offering Apple Music subscribers the ability to save on HomePod purchases as part of a holiday promotion running until tomorrow.
Qualcomm and Apple continued their heated legal battle this week. China granted an iPhone import and sale ban, but iPhones remain on-sale in the country. Apple also said it will release an iOS update in China to address the patents involved in the Qualcomm legal case.
Last but not least, Apple Music officially launched to Amazon Echo devices yesterday. With this support, you can now connect your Apple Music account to Alexa and use it as your default music library source. Read more in our hands-on right here.
These and the rest of this week’s top Apple stories below…
iOS | macOS | tvOS | watchOS |
- Apple releasing first iOS 12.1.2 public beta for iPhone and iPad today
- Apple releasing first iOS 12.1.2 and watchOS 5.1.3 developer betas today with ‘bug fixes’
- Some apps pass personally identifiable location data to as many as 40 companies
- Epic Games removes Infinity Blade trilogy from the App Store, says it has become ‘difficult to support’
- Microsoft updates Office apps for Mac with Dark Mode, Continuity Camera support, more
- Apple Music removes ability for artists to post to Connect, posts removed from Artist Pages and For You
iPhone |
- Aggressive new in-store iPhone marketing clouds Apple’s retail message
- 5G: What to know, why you should be excited, and how it will impact you
- Apple reported to use new touch-integrated OLED screens to make 2019 iPhone thinner and lighter
- iPhone XS Max beats Mate 20 Pro in speed test after Huawei was ‘confident’ it would outpace Apple’s flagship
- PSA: If you have an iPhone 5S, and haven’t yet upgraded to iOS 12, you probably should
- Apple continues iPhone XS and iPhone XR promo with trade-in price comparison page
- These are the latest countries & carriers to support eSIM on iPhone XS & XR according to Apple
- Best Buy sales data shows iPhone XS and XS Max slumping during the holiday season
- Ming-Chi Kuo cuts first quarter iPhone sales estimates by 20%, says iPhone XR demand is low
Mac + iPad Pro |
- Comment: LG’s latest laptop shows just how lovely a modern 17-inch MacBook Pro could be
- Review: OtterBox Symmetry Series 360 for iPad Pro — clear case meets Smart Cover
- Intel unveils new 10nm Sunny Cove CPUs, possibly destined for future Macs
Apple Watch |
- Apple Watch Series 4 Heart Rate app takes ‘faster reading with higher fidelity’ using Digital Crown
- Testing Apple Watch Series 4 half marathon battery life with cellular off: over 50% after 2 hours
- State of Apple Watch in 2018
- New development in case of Apple Watch customer who discovered heart condition with ECG app, featured on Good Morning America
Top Apple stories, retail |
- Apple plans new multilevel store for Atlanta’s Lenox Square
- Bordeaux Apple store robbed and vandalized in French riots
- Aggressive new in-store iPhone marketing clouds Apple’s retail message
Accessories |
- Philips finally fixes the single most annoying thing about Hue lights
- Apple offering discounts on HomePod to Apple Music subscribers as holiday promotion
- Apple Music now live on Amazon Echo speakers using Alexa
- Comment: AirPower update probably days away, but we’re likely beyond the good news window
- Review: Satechi’s Aluminum Keyboard is a great alternative to Apple’s more expensive space gray option
Top Apple stories, company |
- Apple to build new $1bn campus in Austin, add thousands of jobs across the USA
- China grants iPhone import and sale ban over Qualcomm dispute, but Apple seemingly has a workaround [U]
- Apple says an iPhone sales ban in China would force it to settle w/ Qualcomm, cost ‘millions of dollars a day’
- iPhones may still face US import ban, says ITC, in latest Qualcomm development
- Qualcomm says Apple in breach of China iPhone sales ban because it is still selling iPhones in China
- Qualcomm now tries to get this year’s iPhones banned in China through 2nd injunction
- Judge rules Qualcomm can’t use Apple’s switch to Intel modems as evidence in FTC antitrust case
- Apple to release an iOS update in China next week to address patents involved in Qualcomm case
Subscribe to 9to5Mac’s YouTube channel for more videos.
This week’s top videos |
9to5Mac Daily |
Listen to a recap of the top Apple news of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
- 9to5Mac Daily: December 10, 2018
- 9to5Mac Daily: December 11, 2018
- 9to5Mac Daily: December 12, 2018
- 9to5Mac Daily: December 13, 2018
- 9to5Mac Daily: December 14, 2018
Happy Hour Podcast #203 |
This week Benjamin and Zac discuss 9to5Mac’s exclusive iPhone XS Smart Battery Case story, a limited HomePod discount holiday strategy, Qualcomm’s effort to block iPhone sales in China, location privacy on iOS apps, Apple Watch Series 4 heart rate features and battery life, the wait for an update on AirPower, and much more.
9to5Mac Happy Hour is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
Making The Grade |
Making The Grade is a weekly series from Bradley Chambers covering Apple in education. Bradley has been managing Apple devices in an education environment since 2009. Through his experience deploying and managing 100s of Macs and 100s of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple’s products work at scale, stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for students.
- Three ways Apple could improve macOS and iOS deployments in 2019
- Teacher gift guide for 2018
- Is the Mac dead in K-12 education?
- What is the iPad mini’s role in the iPad lineup?
- Thoughts on iPad apps, web apps, and the move to subscriptions
Holiday shopping at 9to5Toys |
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Featured in top image: Dell 38-inch UltraSharp Curved Monitors, Grovemade’s Desk Shelf System, Nixie Tube Clock, Apogee Quartet, KRK VXT6 Studio Monitor speakers, Classicbot Classic Vintage Mac Toy. Read about the setup over on 9to5Toys as part of the ‘Behind the Screens’ series.
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