Apple

Drama with Apple’s graphics processing unit chip maker partner Imagination has been revived again, but not for the same reason as 2017. Sky News reports that the UK-based chip designer is hastily responding to the likelihood that its state-controlled Chinese investor is planning to take over control of Imagination. The issue could have privacy ramifications Apple, an on-again-off-again customer of Imagination GPU chips.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Over the weekend I got my hands on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip smartphone. It doesn’t possess the type of flagship specs found on the recently revealed Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, but to me, it’s by far the more interesting phone, thanks to its ability to fold a 6.7-inch AMOLED display into a clamshell form factor that’s much more portable.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is not the first foldable smartphone, but it’s easily the most impressive foldable phone that the industry has seen thus far. While far from perfect, it makes me think that there is definitely a market for such a product, and I think it goes without saying that Apple has been experimenting with similar form factors behind closed doors.

Although we may or may not ever see an Apple “iPhone Flip,” I’m really hoping that we will. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip breathes some much-needed excitement into the typical stale smartphone “slab of glass and metal” form factor.

Watch our brief hands-on impressions, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos like this.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Sonos has had a busy transition into the new year. The wireless speaker maker’s recycling program turned problematic, its premium products saw a price increase, and today it sued Google and accused Amazon of stealing its patents. Apple has a small role in the latest Sonos story too.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple doesn’t just vaguely tout privacy as a feature in its products. It also has a dedicated website at apple.com/privacy that explains exactly how privacy features work in detail. Apple is updating its user-friendly privacy site today for the fourth year in a row with a focus on new benefits in iOS 13, iPadOS 13, watchOS 6, and more.

Expand
Expanding
Close

A report yesterday from The Guardian placed Apple and Siri in the middle of privacy concerns over voice activated assistants. The report claimed that Apple contractors listen to Siri audio as part of its efforts to improve performance, and oftentimes hear sensitive conversations.

Apple defended the efforts in a statement, saying that “less than 1% of daily Siri activations” are used for grading. What do you think of this revelation?

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple and Spotify are engaged in a bitter antitrust battle in Europe, with Spotify claiming that Apple’s App Store rules give it an unfair advantage over competitors. Apple has now responded to Spotify’s claims in a new filing with the European Commission.

Expand
Expanding
Close

A few weeks ago, we published an article where Tim Cook said that Apple had acquired 20–25 companies in the past six months. Cook mentioned that Apple generally is looking at smaller companies and eyeing “talent and intellectual property“. I have an idea on a company who would fit in very nicely at Apple given its current strategy. Apple should buy The Athletic.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Update: Qualcomm unsurprisingly disagrees with the judgement and will be appealing the ruling to the US Court of Appeals 9th Circuit. Original story below.

Judge Koh has filed her ruling on the FTC antitrust suit against Qualcomm, and it comprehensively concludes that Qualcomm business practices were anticompetitive as reported by FOSSPatents.

Qualcomm has been ordered to renegotiate existing licensing terms such that its supply of modem chips is wholly separate to any patent licensing agreement. It cannot enter exclusivity supply agreements and it must license standards-essential patents at fair and reasonable rates.

Expand
Expanding
Close

While Apple and Amazon are often viewed as competitors, they also share an important partnership when it comes to cloud services. Amazon Web Services (AWS) are used to power Apple’s services including iCloud and its monthly payments to the retail giant are now said to be more than $30 million.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple crossed the 100% renewable energy goal for its own operations (headquarters, data centers, retail stores) this time last year. However, the company is also convincing supply chain partners to go green too.

Today, Apple announced that it has doubled the number of suppliers who have agreed to run Apple manufacturing on 100% renewable energy too. The supply chain will add 5 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2020, exceeding Apple’s original 4 gigawatt goal.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple has hired a former corporate VP at Microsoft and the founder of defunct smart lock brand Otto to lead its smart home efforts. Sam Jadallah updated his LinkedIn page modestly over the weekend shortly after CNBC reported the move, merely listing his role as “Working on Home” at Apple.

Expand
Expanding
Close

A report by CNBC this morning says that Gene Levoff, former senior director of corporate law and corporate secretary for Apple, traded AAPL using nonpublic information.

Expand
Expanding
Close

A whopping one-fifth of Apple’s Services revenue comes directly from Google, estimates Goldman Sachs, as analysts from the bank are calling for Apple to launch its own Amazon Prime like media service bundle.

The bank warns against Apple’s reliance on its rival for its services revenue as its venture into subscription Services is Apple latest long-term business strategy.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple topped the chart last year in MBLM’s annual Brand Intimacy survey, but this year there’s a new number one company — at least among millennials. YouTube has climbed from number three to number one this year, moving Apple down a slot according to a preview of the study.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The legal odyssey between Apple and Qualcomm is continuing to escalate as the chipmaker is now accusing Apple of defying the court ordered iPhone 7 & 8 sales ban in Germany.

Now, Qualcomm is seeking fines against Apple, claiming available iPhone units sold throughout early January in Germany “intentionally defy the court order”.

Expand
Expanding
Close

New patents granted to Apple today reveal some of the possible problems its now-fabled AirPower mat might have needed to resolve before its public release, including what Apple calls a “magnetic vision system”.

Recently, we’ve been hearing reports of AirPower hitting the production stage, however, with Apple still tight-lipped on the product since last year, today’s patents offer another glimmer of hope.

Expand
Expanding
Close

A report from CNBC this morning says Apple has cut over 200 employees from its top-secret “Project Titan” autonomous vehicle program. In a statement, however, the company says it still sees a “huge opportunity” in the space.

An Apple spokesperson acknowledged the changes, but attributed them to staff restructuring rather than layoffs.

Expand
Expanding
Close