Benjamin Mayo

Supply chain analysis from Daniel Ives at Wedbush indicates the iPhone 13 is on track for a usual launch in September.

Last year, supply chain disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic saw Apple breaking its usual tradition with no new iPhone models launching in September. Instead, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro were released on October 23, with the Mini and Max arriving November 13.

According to Bloomberg, and backed up by analysis from iFixit, the HomePod mini includes a secret sensor that is designed to measure the current temperature and humidity of the room the HomePod mini is in. It seems like this sensor could be activated through a software update to provide new functionality to HomePod mini users.

Various third-party HomeKit products exist that can measure room temperature, but it would be convenient for HomeKit users if the HomePod mini could do it without the need for an additional accessory.

In a statement, Apple said that its upcoming App Tracking Transparency rules will be applied to all developers equally, worldwide.

This follows reports that the state-backed Chinese Advertising Association had developed workarounds and was encouraging adoption of ‘CAID’ identifiers as an alternative, if the user opts out of allowing IDFA collection.

While the sci-fi-sounding “Apple Glasses” remain many years off in the future, rumors and reports continue to swirl around the Apple virtual reality and augmented reality headset. Apple is believed to be releasing this headset next year, as a kind of precursor to the mass consumer glasses. The Apple headset will compete against high-end products like the Valve Index and HTC Vive Pro.

Today, Kuo says that specifications for the product indicate that it will feature a sophisticated eye-tracking system. The headset will be able to detect where the user is looking, if they are blinking, and possibly even include iris recognition that will be able to identify users automatically (the equivalent of Touch ID or Face ID for a headset form factor).

Although there has been a lot of noise about new AirPods recently, it doesn’t seem like they are actually due for an update anytime soon. A proven leaker has corroborated a recent Kuo report that said AirPods 3 were not scheduled to enter mass production until later in the year…

Starting next month, Apple will allow the Russian government to pre-install apps on iPhones, iPads, and possibly other devices like Macs in future.

In accordance with a new Russian law, Apple users will see a dialog box upon initial setup of new devices that features web browsers, antivirus, messenger, email clients, and more to be installed by default. The list of apps is provided by the government.

Foxconn is a key partner for Apple with the iPhone, and is believed to be one of the leading manufacturing partners for Apple’s upcoming Apple Car project. The company even confirmed today that it plans to build electric vehicles in North America by 2023, and is currently hunting locations in the US and Mexico.

Naturally, Foxconn was asked about whether its electric vehicle plans were somehow related to an Apple deal. Foxconn’s CEO simply said that the Apple Car is “still a rumor”.

Apple and Qualcomm waged war over patent royalties for many years, with Apple alleging Qualcomm was charging unfair rates for essential patents. The companies went to court with billions of dollars on the line, but ultimately reached an out-of-court settlement.

Now, it seems Apple will have another player at the negotiation table. Huawei is not just a maker of smartphones, it also owns the largest collection of 5G patents. And now it wants to start making money from them. Via Bloomberg, Huawei is beginning talks with Apple and Samsung to negotiate royalty rates.

This morning, Apple released a slew of country-specific press releases on the Apple Newsroom. In September, Apple released similar data for the US, stating that the iOS app economy supported 2.1 million American jobs.

In the UK, Apple says the App Store supports about 330,000 jobs, an increase of 10% compared to a year ago. Germany has another 250,000 jobs, as does France.

Despite a flurry of leaks surrounding next-gen AirPods in the last couple of weeks, Ming-Chi Kuo this morning said that new AirPods will not enter mass production until the third quarter of 2021, which means they won’t be launching imminently.

Many leakers have suggested that Apple will hold a product event on March 23rd. However, the date is not yet confirmed by Apple and it remains unclear what product would feature. Today’s Kuo report indicates AirPods 3 are simply not ready yet.

Apple TV+ today announced its latest partnership deal, first reported by Deadline. The company has signed a first-look deal for feature films with Imagine Entertainment, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s production company.

Before hiring Zack van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht from Sony to launch Apple’s original video content division, Apple was in talks to possibly acquire Imagine with Howard and Grazer taking the top jobs at Apple TV+. Howard and Grazer reportedly declined the role on good terms, with Apple and Imagine instead signing a first-look deal for documentary content. Today’s news expands Apple and Imagine’s partnership into all feature films.

In January, there was a lot of scuttlebutt about Apple talking to various car manufacturers over the Apple Car (Project Titan). It seemed like Apple wanted to find an existing carmaker that would build an Apple-branded car to their specification.

Bloomberg says those talks have mostly fizzled out as carmakers do not want to be reduced to a mere contract manufacturer in the supply chain. Instead, Apple is likely to turn to contract manufacturing specialists like Foxconn or Magna. This would be a repeat of the iPhone playbook.

Corroborating previous reports from various publications, Nikkei says that Apple has cut overall iPhone 12 production targets by about 20% for the first half of this year, with most of the shortfall coming from weak iPhone 12 mini demand.

Nikkei also says that Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models were originally planned to enter mass production in May/June timeframe, but have now been pushed to the second half of the year. This naturally suggests a fall announcement for the highly anticipated update to the MacBook Pro line.

Apple today announced a major new investment project, revealing its plans to establish a European Center for Chip Design in Munich, Germany. The financial commitment will exceed 1 billion euros over the next three years.

The facility will hire hundreds of employees and focus on advancing mobile and wireless technologies, including 5G. The research and development will ultimately inform future Apple silicon chip designs.

With the release of iOS 14.5, Apple’s new App Tracking Transparency policies require developers to get explicit consent before being able to share user data with third-party advertising networks. A new French complaint alleges that Apple’s own advertising network is not held to the same standard, as first reported by Bloomberg.

Specifically, the complaint says Apple itself is allowed to use data from across Apple’s apps to serve targeted ads, by default. Apple’s system does not technically fall under App Tracking Transparency (ATT) rules because there is no third-party data sharing, but it is viewed by the complainants as unfair treatment nonetheless.

Multiple leakers this morning have suggested the idea of the March 23rd date for Apple’s next product event. Apple often holds spring events to announce new products, but it isn’t a guarantee. Depending on the year, Apple sometimes releases products simply via press releases, like last year with the 2020 iPad Pro.

The lines are blurred currently as ‘Apple events’ are all held virtually because of the pandemic, but the main difference between an event and press release announcements is the inclusion of a prepared scripted video presentation.