iPhone

A new analyst note from Gartner today estimates how the global smartphone market performed during the June quarter. While we already knew Apple’s iPhone shipments were likely close to flat based on the company’s reported quarterly revenue, today’s analyst note underscores how well iPhone performed relatively speaking as the global market saw a big 20% decline.

Corning announced its new Gorilla Glass Victus last month and Samsung is one of the first companies to use it with the new Galaxy Note 20 Ultra smartphone. In a new drop test, the latest from Gorilla Glass performed remarkably as it withstood 11 face-down 5-foot (1.5-meter) drops without a single crack on the screen while the iPhone 11 Pro Max didn’t do nearly as well.

Indian iPhone production has begun at a new Wistron plant, initially with test production before mass production begins next month. Wistron has also begun recruiting 10,000 staff for its newest plant.

The move reflects another step forward in Apple’s more ambitious manufacturing plans for the country …

Apple was among more than a dozen US companies to warn the Trump administration about the severe implications of banning WeChat from their platforms. President Trump is seeking to ban the app due to national security concerns, and during a press conference today, he offered a “rebuttal” to Apple’s argument.

A huge Chinese survey with more than 1.2 million responses shows that 95% of Chinese iPhone owners would switch from Apple to another smartphone brand, rather than give up WeChat. The survey follows an executive order by Donald Trump banning US companies from transactions with WeChat owner Tencent.

iPhones without WeChat in China would be turned into “expensive electronic trash”…

Apple is one of more than a dozen US companies who this week warned the Trump administration about the implications of banning WeChat from their platforms. The warning was given during a conference call on Tuesday.

Disney, Ford, Intel, Morgan Stanley, UPS and Walmart were also among those to inform the White House that the consequences for US companies could be ‘severe’ …

A new report today from Canalys shares its estimates for US smartphone shipments. The data shows Apple as the big winner with iPhone sales actually increasing during the pandemic despite the overall smartphone market in the US seeing a drop in shipments.

Britain’s BBC is trialing a clever new piece of technology that lets you use your iPhones and iPads as a kind of surround-sound speakers for your Mac.

You can try it today with a demo, and then listen to a radio drama series which uses it …

Foxconn smartphone revenue dropped by 15% in the second quarter of the year, according to the company’s latest earnings report. Although Foxconn has a number of phone clients, the majority of its smartphone revenue comes from Apple.

The company had previously warned that the impact of the coronavirus crisis on smartphone demand would be ‘enormous‘ …

Can police demand you unlock your phone if they want to examine it for evidence? Courts in different states have given different answers to this question, but New Jersey’s Supreme Court has ruled that the answer is yes. The court decided that a suspect can be forced to use his passcode to unlock his phone.

Despite the ruling coming from the state’s Supreme Court, however, that may not be the final, definitive answer …

Apple has already taken steps to help improve the experience of using an iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask. New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, however, has penned a letter directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook, calling on the company to take further steps to educate customers about using Face ID while wearing a mask.

A report earlier today cited a potentially huge WeChat threat to the future of the iPhone in China. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is concerned that the Trump administration could force Apple to remove the WeChat app not just from the US App Store, but globally.

Kuo warned that this could see a massive 30% reduction in global iPhone sales, and if that sounds hyperbolic, it’s likely not …

The Trump executive order banning US companies from having a business relationship with WeChat has many ramifications, and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is concerned that the hit to iPhone sales will be significant.

If the order is implemented in full, it would see WeChat being removed from the App Store worldwide. WeChat is a critically important app for the Chinese market and if it’s no longer available on iOS, iPhone sales could decline by as much as 30%.

Samsung has launched a slew of products at its virtual Unpacked event today including its latest smartphones, smartwatch, fully-wireless earbuds, and more. The new devices offer some compelling features ahead of Apple unveiling the iPhone 12 and new Apple Watch later this year.

The global smartphone market declined 14% in the second quarter of 2020, with most companies shipping fewer phone units compared to last year. Apple was the only top vendor to grow this quarter according to a new Canalys research. The report mentions that Apple shipped 45.1 million iPhone units globally in the last quarter, representing a 25% year-over-year growth.

During Apple’s Q3 2020 earnings call today, Apple CFO Luca Maestri confirmed that the release of this year’s iPhone 12 will be slightly later than usual. This is a rare confirmation and acknowledgment of delays on Apple’s part.