Benjamin Mayo

[Update: Apple has changed its page back to allowing users to check their device’s warranty status without logging in with an Apple ID.]

In an update to its warranty coverage utility, Apple now requires users to log in with the Apple ID associated with a device before being able to check its warranty coverage status.

Previously, users could check the warranty of an iPhone using just its serial number or IMEI. This was especially useful for second-hand buyers.

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Apple has clarified its policy on battery replacements. As long as the owner of the iPhone 6 (or later) handset is willing to pay the $29 fee, and the device is not otherwise damaged, Apple will process the repair without requiring further checks of condition.

This comes after some reported cases where Apple Store employees were refusing customers with ‘ineligible’ batteries which still passed Apple diagnostics testing.

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The App Store charts always provide some interesting nuggets of information on Christmas Day and other big holidays as you can see the sudden influx of app downloads.

This year, the Alexa app for Amazon Echo smart speakers topped App Store free charts, hitting the #1 in a few regions, with Google Home also charting in the top ten. Smart speakers were a hot holiday shopping item this year for sure.

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Apple will add new developer tools that will enable developers to design and engineer a single application that runs on iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices, according to a report from Bloomberg. This will be a huge step for the Mac app ecosystem especially, as it should make it easier for third-party developers to maintain one app that runs on iOS and Macs.

The apps would be designed in such a way that they can work with a touchscreen, mouse, and trackpad depending on which platform the app is running on. The new ability is scheduled to launch with iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 next year, but the timeline could change.

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For the second year in a row, Apple will launch an Apple Watch Activity Challenge to celebrate the New Year. Set to start showing up from the 28th December, the new activity challenge promotes fitness by asking users to complete their Activity rings (Move, Exercise, and Stand) for seven consecutive days in January 2018.

Apple Watch owners can earn a special iMessage sticker (pictured below) and achievement medal in the Activity app. The design of the rewards are the same as the 2017 challenge, with an updated number for the 2018 year.

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It took almost six months since the initial murmurings, but Apple and Amazon have finally resolved their differences. The Apple TV 4K and fourth-generation Apple TV are available to buy from Amazon.com, following the launch of the Prime Video tvOS app earlier this month.

Amazon refuses to sell media devices that do not offer its content, which meant Apple TV was pulled from the biggest online storefront for more than 2 years. Just shy of Christmas, the device is listed again.

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Apple analyst KGI Ming-Chi Kuo today released a report indicating Apple will launch a new version of AirPods in the second half of 2018. The analyst does not go into much detail about what exactly will change in the next-generation model, however he notes that they will adopt a smaller quartz component.

Apple has already announced a new AirPower inductive charging case for next year. It seems that Apple may also be lining up a small update to the earbuds, if KGI’s reporting proves accurate.

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Cuphead was a smash-hit game this year, with Studio MDHR releasing on Windows and Xbox. This morning, Cuphead appeared on the App Store with recognizable app icon, screenshots and branding. Except it is all fake. Whilst the game is actually somewhat playable, it is a stolen port of the desktop game and should not be downloaded. Update: The game is no longer available in the App Store.

The criminal who published it to the App Store also made a fake website as the support link, to confuse App Review in believing the game was legitimate. The game has yet to be pulled from the App Store, and sadly appears to be one of many cases from the same unscrupulous person.

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Well over a month since the phone’s debut, Apple appears to have finally caught up to the demand for the new iPhone X. All models in the US Apple Online Store are now listed as truly in stock; new iPhone X orders will deliver tomorrow.

The combination of strong demand for the new $999+ phone and production difficulties has meant the iPhone X has been supply constrained since launch. Numerous eBay scalpers continue to sell the device at inflated prices, although that should stop now it is readily in-stock.

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Looking for alternatives? Buy Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Cable for your Apple devices.

Apple is finally offering its own brand of Thunderbolt 3 cables. More than a year after the Thunderbolt 3-equipped MacBook Pro debuted, you can now get a 0.8m Apple Thunderbolt Cable for $40 from the Apple Store.

Prior to today, Apple stocked a third party Thunderbolt 3 cable from Belkin as it didn’t have one of its own.

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As part of its billion dollar Advanced Manufacturing Fund, which supports domestic US manufacturing, Apple has announced a $390 million investment into Finisar. This follows a $200 million Corning investment earlier this year.

Apple says that Finisar makes vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers used in iPhone X (as part of the TrueDepth camera system) and the proximity-sensor inside AirPods. All of the VCSELs purchased by Apple from Finisar will be made in Texas.

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The Apple device ecosystem has heralded new ways for creative game makers to realise their vision, often by combining physical elements with apps, to form engaging and addictive experiences. Most of this guide leans on casual gaming where a whole family can join in together, but there’s also a consideration for the serious side of games too.

We feature the endearing Beasts of Balance, the Osmo game system, MFI game controllers and more. Read on after the jump for the full list.

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Apple has announced its Best of 2017 apps and games, this year utilizing the Today cards in the iOS 11 App Store to feature the winners. Apple says its app of the year for iPhone is Calm, a meditation and sleep app, and Splitter Critters is 2017’s iPhone game of the year. Apple says the title “radiates imagination and originality”.

For iPad, Apple has chosen Affinity Photo, the desktop-class photo editor, and the game The Witness. It has also announced most popular apps, music, movies and more …

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KGI remains very bullish on the uptake of Apple’s truly wireless AirPods earbuds ($159: eBay, Best Buy). In a new report published today, Ming-Chi Kuo says that he expects Apple to double shipments of the AirPods in 2018. This would equate to shipments in the range of 26-28 million units.

AirPods have been supply constrained since their introduction in December 2016. Only in the last few weeks has availability improved to the point where the Apple Online Store reports 1-3 day delivery estimates.

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