Mac sales (and services) drive Apple revenues to record highs once again. Photo: Rachel Moenning/Unsplash CC
Apple pulled in more revenue last quarter than in any previous July-through-September period, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Growth came from sales of Mac and iPad, as well as revenue from services.
But iPhone revenue was down dramatically because of the delayed release of the iPhone 12 series. That hurt earnings significantly.
Wolfwalkers, from a highly-decorated animation studio, debuts on Apple TV+ in December. Screenshot: Apple/Cartoon Saloon
To get audiences primed for Wolfwalkers, Apple debuted on Thursday a “Legendary Prologue” for what will be first animated movie on Apple TV+. It introduces viewers to a medieval world where humans can transform into wolves.
There's a whole lot of cash coming in. Photo: Pixabay/Pexels CC
Ahead of Apple postings its latest quarter results today, two of the company’s rivals — Samsung and Spotify — have published their own calendar Q3 results. And they’re good. But there’s a catch in both cases.
To put it mildly, 2020 hasn’t been the best year on record. It’s been a year that, at various times, makes you mad enough to throw things — like, err, bacon?
This oddball bacon-tossing concept is at the center of a game called *ahem* Bacon — The Game. Created by the excellent indie developer Philipp Stollenmayer (Sometimes You Die), it’s a strangely addicting game which I’ve played, off and on, for the past couple of years.
Today, Stollenmayer cranked up the crispiness by adding another 30 levels to the quirky game. If you’ve not played it before, this is a great time to give it a whirl. Or a toss.
iPhone 12 Pro could be a lot more popular than even Apple expected. Photo: Donel Bagrov
Apple was seemingly banking on the iPhone 12 being its most popular new handset this year. But it appears the company may have underestimated just how popular the new iPhone 12 Pro is with users.
According to Digitimes, Apple is ramping up orders for the LiDAR Scanner exclusive to the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max models.
Apple's new iPhone 12 mini is small. But not quite this small. Photo: Weibo
The iPhone 12 mini won’t ship until November 13, but a video doing the rounds on Chinese social media shows an unboxing of Apple’s new miniature iPhone. Well, kind of.
The joke video shows the unboxing of an impressively accurate, shrunk-down copy of Apple’s iPhone mini. It’s reminiscent of the tiny cellphone in 2001’s Ben Stiller comedy Zoolander. And it’s kind of awesome.
Store will be closed through November 4. Photo: Apple
Apple temporarily shuttered its Apple Walnut Street retail store in Philadelphia as the city is rocked by protests and riots following the killing of a black man, Walter Wallace Jr., by police.
According to Apple’s website, the store is closed from now through at least November 4. An asterisk on the page lists this as “special store hours.”
According to Apple leaker Jon Prosser, Apple could almost double the storage of its current top-of-the-range iPhone — by introducing the first 1TB iPhone.
At present, Apple’s maximum iPhone storage option tops out at 512GB. The storage for Apple’s top iPhones has been capped at this figure for the past three years since the iPhone XS and XS Max. This year, the base option of the iPhone 12 Pro was doubled to 128GB from the minimum 64GB of the iPhone 11 Pro.
iPhone sales were likely weak last quarter so Apple earnings will depend a lot on Mac and iPad. Photo: Cult of Mac
Weak iPhone sales likely pulled down Apple earnings in its last financial quarter. But the COVID-19 pandemic almost certainly pushed up demand for iPad and Mac. Still, total revenue is expected to be down slightly.
We’ll find out for sure Thursday when Cupertino announces its financial results from the July-through-September period.
Clips 3.0 makes Apple’s free video creation app for iPhone and iPad easier to use. Photo: Apple
Apple Clips 3.0, released on Wednesday, includes an improved user interface to make it easier to record video and then add effects to it. There are enhancements for both iPhone and iPad users.
This free software helps users combine video clips, photos and music into fun videos. It’s aimed at producing eye-catching content for TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and more.
Jason Sudeikis plays a clueless college football coach in the comedy series. Photo: Apple TV+
AFC Richmond gets to keep its coach for years to come. Apple TV+ revealed Wednesday that it renewed its sports comedy Ted Lasso all the way through a third season.
The first season recently wrapped up, and received high marks from critics and audiences. And there’s plenty more to come
iPhone 12 display won‘t get scratched any more than other phones. Screenshot: JerryRigEverything
The iPhone 12 display is no more likely to get scratched than its predecessors or competitors. A rigorous test disproves an early report that Apple’s latest is easily susceptible to this type of damage.
This should head off anyone declaring “scratchgate” in the spirit of the iPhone 6’s actually real Bendgate and the MacBook’s Flexgate.
A French antitrust complaint against Apple targets an iOS 14 feature that makes it tougher for companies to indiscriminately use tracking technology for mobile advertising.
The anti-tracking feature previously faced criticism, unsurprisingly, from companies that work in mobile advertising. However, this is the one of the first legal actions taken against Apple due to the feature.
Despite no 5G, the iPhone 12 is selling well in India. Photo: Apple
Preorders for the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are “super high” in India, largely thanks to authorized resellers offering good trade-in deals and monthly installment payments, according to a report published Wednesday.
Apple doesn’t reveal iPhone sales figures anymore. That means Apple watchers must be on the lookout for other early signs to indicate how well new iPhones are doing. In India, at least, that appears to be pretty darn well for iPhone 12.
Upgraded from iOS 14.0.1 to iOS 14.1 and now having buyer’s remorse? Well, too bad: You can no longer downgrade.
To be clear, there’s no reason why anyone would want to go back after upgrading to the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. But now that Apple’s stopped signing the iOS 14.0.1 code, it’s no longer possible to go back even if you wanted to.
Making videos smarter and more easily searchable. Photo: ADAM Elements
Apple earlier this year snapped up an AI video company, Bloomberg reports. The Barcelona-based Vilynx uses AI technology to help analyze videos to understand what it shows by looking at text, visuals, and audio. This can be used to make the videos more easily searchable.
According to the report, Apple could use this tech to make its Photos app better by allowing users to search videos for people and objects the same way they currently can search photos. It could also help make Siri smarter or improve recommendations in the TV app and more.
Apple's partnership with Foxconn isn't as rosy as it seems. Photo: Apple
Apple’s partnership with Foxconn, its largest manufacturing partner, is “eroding” as a result of the supposedly shady tactics that Foxconn is using in an effort to boost profits, according to a new report.
It is claimed that Foxconn has exaggerated hiring counts, used Apple equipment to produce orders for other companies, and cut corners on component and product testing.
The untitled show is expected to land next year. Photo: The White House
Jon Stewart, former star of The Daily Show, has signed a deal to host a current affairs series for Apple TV+, a new report claims.
The show is said to center on “the national conversation and [Stewart’s] own advocacy work,” and will run for multiple seasons. Stewart will produce it through his own company, Busboy Productions.
Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen will star in Platonic, a comedy series exclusively on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ just ordered a half-hour comedy series starring Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne. Platonic centers on a friendship that’s maybe not as unromantic as everyone thought.
A revamped Mophie Juice Pack Connect charges your phone with a removable battery. Photo: Zagg/Mophie
There’s no longer a need to buy a new Mophie Juice Pack battery case when upgrading your iPhone. A version launched Tuesday adds 5,000mAh of power to any handset that supports wireless charging, both iOS and Android.
In addition, Juice Pack Connect includes a phone grip that’s also a stand for the phone.
Samsung immediately mocked Apple when the company elected not to include EarPods and a charger with the iPhone 12. So of course rumors now suggest Samsung may follow suit by ditching a charger and earphones from its forthcoming Galaxy S21 box.
Samsung has not confirmed that this will be the case. But according to SamMobile, some observers think Samsung will leave out a charger and earbuds from its new handset. Others think Samsung might get rid of only the earphones.
Apple announced the transition to Apple Silicon at this year's WWDC. Photo: Apple
A version of the A14 processor in the new iPhone 12 handsets and iPad Air 4 could power the upcoming Apple Silicon iMac, a report published Tuesday claims.
The so-called A14T chip is reportedly code-named “Mt. Jade.” Like Apple’s other A14 processors, it will be made using the 5-nanometer process. Apple is also developing its own self-contained GPU, which is known inside the company as “Lifuka.”
Locking phones to one carrier made it tougher for customers to switch. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Mobile phone operators in the United Kingdom will be banned from selling locked handsets from December 2021. This will stop companies from selling phones or other devices that are locked to one network and can only be unlocked for a fee.
Telecoms regular Ofcom first suggested the ban in December 2019, although it has only been made official today. This should make it easier for customers to switch networks if they wish.
If you live in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Russia, or South Africa, expect App Store prices to most likely increase over the coming days.
This will affect the price of apps and in-app purchases, and possibly other services like Apple Music — although auto-reneweable subscriptions won’t be affected.