Over the past ten years, Apple’s iPhone has become the company’s most valuable —and recently, somewhat volatile— asset. Since its introduction in 2007, the iPhone helped to jumpstart the smartphone revolution, and with it came some big innovations. The App Store, touchscreen gaming, the mass adoption of social media, and protecting user data with biometrics. Its product lineup is enmeshed in Apple’s ecosystem, and the impact that it continues to have around the globe is vast.
Apple hasn’t talked too much about AI so far — but it’s been working on stuff. A lot of stuff.
Star Wars Day doesn’t technically kick off until May 4th, but Apple is celebrating the event a bit early with a precision finding-focused iPhone 15 ad spot starring a squad of (cosplayer) Mandalorians.
Someone made an ASMR video out of expanding the latest iPhone’s storage. It’s very satisfying as long as you don’t think too much about how deeply frustrating the Herculean effort to do this is, from a right-to-repair perspective.
Apple’s reckoning isn’t just the end of an era for the company — it’s a reflection of the smartphone’s fall from beloved gadget to commodity.
The WSJ’s Joanna Stern wanted to find out just how it survived the fall — by dropping phones from a drone, of course.
An overnight email from Apple said the company can’t complete the trade-in process... even though the people getting it, like our reader Kevin, traded in their iPhones last year. Apple has since sent a follow-up message saying, “Please disregard the previous email we sent:”
You recently received an email with incorrect information regarding your Apple Trade-in. Please disregard our email. There are no issues with your order or Apple Trade-in. We apologize for any confusion this caused.
Announced in January, Mophie’s $99 battery cases for the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max (but not the iPhone 15 Plus) are now available.
Ziporah Kaufer of a PR firm representing Mophie told The Verge via email that the 3,000mAh Juice Packs supply 5 watts of power on their own or 27 watts via pass-through when on a phone and plugged in.
And Huawei just released its premium Pura 70 series a few days ago as followup to its wildly successful and sanction-skirting Mate 60.
French business magazine Challenges reports that Apple acquired the Paris-based AI startup Datakalab in December. Datakalab specializes in developing “fast” and “cost-effective” computer vision, according to its LinkedIn page.
Last month, a report from Bloomberg revealed Apple acquired the Canadian AI firm DarwinAI, aligning with the company’s goals of bringing AI to the iPhone.
While US lawmakers take aim at TikTok, The Wall Street Journal reports that several popular messaging apps were removed by Apple at the request of the Chinese government which will make it harder for people in the country to download the apps for use with a VPN. Reuters notes that Meta apps like Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram are still available.
Here’s Apple’s statement on the matter:
“The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns. We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree.”
[The Wall Street Journal]
Katie Notopoulos’ take on the Humane AI pin’s screen-free proposition is a delightful read that’s slightly tongue-in-cheek (she’s the former Editor in Chief of Threads, after all) and completely relatable. I, for one, am thrilled that she’s on team Screens are Good.
Majin Bu, who had early pictures purported to be of the iPhone 15’s USB-C port and, more recently, apparent images of vertical camera modules for the iPhone 16, posted these mock-ups that may show the next models’ updated design.
Rumors that Apple would switch to a vertical layout for the cameras go back at least a year.
That doesn’t mean users can download just any app from the web, as Apple has created a strict set of guidelines developers must meet to take advantage of the update. Apple also started letting users in the EU use alternative app stores last month.
According to IDC, iPhone sales fell by nearly 10 percent globally compared to the same Q1 last year as Chinese companies like Huawei, Xiaomi, and budget maker Transsion surged.
While Samsung won the quarter (after Apple took the lead for all of 2023), it’s still down slightly YoY and not keeping up with the 7.8 percent increase in smartphone demand.
DMA is about to unleash a brave new world of game emulators, clipboard managers, and uncertainty.
