Tim Prepare dinner and China and iPhone and China, updates aplenty for Apple gear, and Apple’s massive plans for the large display screen come into focus.
Apple CEO Meets with China’s Commerce Minister
Tim Prepare dinner’s time within the Center Kingdom continues. After visiting at the very least one Apple retailer over the weekend and talking on the China Growth Discussion board, a bit from 9to5Mac says Apple’s CEO met Monday with China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao. Citing a Reuters report, the piece says the 2 “met to debate Apple’s continued ‘improvement in China.’” They’re stated to have targeted particularly on “stabilizing industrial and provide chains” in China. In line with the piece, the commerce minister “reportedly emphasised to Prepare dinner that ‘China is keen to supply a great atmosphere and providers for overseas firms together with Apple.’”
All of that was buttressed by an official assertion. A CNBC piece quoted that as saying:
China will unswervingly promote high-level opening-up, steadily promote guidelines, rules, administration, requirements and different institutional opening-up…
The wording is bizarre — perhaps a misplaced in translation or a misplaced in machine translation factor… It does make you surprise although… Suppose China’s heard about India? And Vietnam? And Arizona?
iPhone 13s Prime-Three Sellers in China in 2022
Talking of China — as we so typically do — are you able to guess what the top-three promoting smartphones have been for that nation final yr? In line with market tracker Counterpoint Analysis, they have been iPhone 13. The agency’s blurb says, “Apple contributed over 10% of China’s smartphone gross sales quantity in 2022.” Assuming we’re going by items, that’s over 98-million iPhones for China alone. Operating down the top-three:
- iPhone 13 was first
- iPhone 13 Professional Max was second
- iPhone 13 Professional was third
A number of fascinating factors amongst these factors. For starters — these three iPhones have been the one iPhones in China’s top-ten. Second — 2022 was the primary yr one in every of Apple’s Professional-phones was capable of crack the top-ten. Third — it’s loopy what number of smartphones should be on the market. In line with Counterpoint, “the share of the highest 10 fashions in China has been flat at round 22% for the previous three years…” therefore Apple’s top-three accounting for simply over 10% of the market.
One different word of curiosity. Counterpoint says “all smartphones within the 2022 checklist have been priced at lower than $500,” the three iPhones, after all, not included.
Updates-a-A lot for Apple Gear
Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 16.4
Monday was a giant day for OS updates from Apple. Most of our replace information comes compliments of MacRumors, beginning with the discharge of iOS and iPadOS 16.4. A few of the most anticipated options for the releases embody:
- 21 new emoji together with animals, hand gestures, and objects…
- Notifications for internet apps added to the Dwelling Display
- Voice Isolation for mobile calls…
- Assist for duplicate detection in iCloud Shared Picture Library
There are additionally new accessibility options, together with VoiceOver help for maps within the Climate app, and the characteristic that’ll let the cellphone dim flashing mild or strobe impact video robotically — supplied that characteristic has been turned on.
All of that, plus adjustments to the Apple Podcasts app, an order monitoring widget, help for the PlayStation 5 DualSense Edge wi-fi controller, safety fixes, and bug fixes. iOS and iPadOS 16.4 can be found now in Settings on appropriate gadgets.
Securing Older Gadgets
As tends to be the best way, Apple did launch a safety targeted replace for iPhones and iPads that haven’t or can not make the transfer to blank-OS-16-dot-anything. A chunk from MacRumorssays in case your gadget is working 15.7.no matter, it is advisable to replace to fifteen.7.4. That fixes an actively exploited vulnerability, in line with the report.
Sending Out Extra SOS-es
In lockstep with the OS releases, Apple on Monday expanded the provision of Emergency SOS through satellite tv for pc to 6 extra international locations. That is the characteristic that’ll let customers name for emergency help after they’re out of wifi and mobile vary. It’ll additionally let customers message contacts after they’re off the grid, letting them know that they’re — in actual fact — nonetheless alive.
Accessible in just a few international locations already, a bit from AppleInsider says the service has expanded to a couple extra. They embody Austria, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Belgium.
Updates for Many Macs
Making our approach to the trad laptop, MacRumors has phrase of the discharge of macOS Enterprise 13.3. Some scorching newness is similar because the iOS and iPadOS updates, corresponding to new emoji, duplicate detection in iCloud Shared Picture Library, and the aforementioned accessibility options. Then there are Mac particular options like one tied to Freeform, transliteration help for just a few keyboards in languages overseas to the U.S., keyboard layouts for Native American languages, safety fixes, and bug fixes.
Identical to with the iPhones and iPads, Apple’s additionally providing safety updates for Macs that may’t or gained’t make the transfer to Ventura. These come within the types of macOS Monterey 12.6.4, and macOS Large Sur 11.7.5. Every is on the market now by the Settings app on an related Mac.
Watch Me Now!
Shifting now to the wrist, Apple on Monday launched watchOS 9.4. Fixes, expansions, and an opportunity at deletion on this one. Deletion of preloaded apps, that’s. Options listed by MacRumors embody:
- Making it in order that wake-up alarms aren’t silenced with cowl to mute. That ought to hold customers from by chance cancelling their alarms throughout sleep
- Cycle Monitoring makes the transfer to Moldova and Ukraine
- AFib Historical past is now out there in Colombia, Malaysia, Moldova, Thailand, and Ukraine
As for the preloaded app deletion, a separate piece from MacRumors says the watchOS replace makes that attainable. It’s not simply that you may take away the apps. Slightly, the piece says you’ll be able to delete Exercise, Depth, Emergency Siren, Discover My, Coronary heart Charge, Maps, Pockets, Exercise, and World Clock proper from the watch. In line with the report:
Previous to watchOS 9.4, you could possibly take away an app out of your Apple Watch by eradicating it out of your iPhone, however the app wanted to be deleted from each gadgets. With watchOS 9.4, you’ll be able to delete an app like Exercise or Maps in your Apple Watch, leaving it intact on the iPhone.
All of that plus safety fixes, too. watchOS 9.4 is on the market now by the Watch app on an related iPhone.
Imaginative and prescient + Sound + Imaginative and prescient
Allow us to now do the “and the remaining” factor. Items from MacRumors say:
- tvOS 16.4 for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD does the factor the place flashing or strobing video may be dimmed robotically — supplied you set it to take action. It additionally brings safety fixes.
- And eventually Studio Show Firmware Replace 16.4 does stuff worthy of a Studio Show. Issues having to do with “in-field recalibration” and the “spectroradiometer.” I don’t know what they do both, however… you sprung for the Studio Show. You would possibly as nicely go for the firmware replace, too.
Apple Reportedly Acquires AI Video Compression Startup WaveOne
Apple’s purchased an organization that makes use of AI to compress movies — that’s the phrase from TechCrunch. In line with the report, “Apple has quietly acquired a Mountain View-based startup, WaveOne, that was creating AI algorithms for compressing video.” Like, actually quietly. Like — Apple gained’t even say it occurred. That’s how quiet.
Nonetheless — different indicators level to the acquisition. Not solely are some former WaveOne staff — together with one in every of its cofounders — now rockin’ an Apple lanyard, the startup’s “former head of gross sales and enterprise improvement” posted about it on LinkedIn final month. In line with the gross sales dude:
After virtually two years at WaveOne, final week we finalized the sale of the corporate to Apple… We began our journey at WaveOne, realizing that machine studying and deep studying video know-how may probably change the world. Apple noticed this potential and took the chance so as to add it to their know-how portfolio.
“…change the world” in methods (one assumes) you will notice, however are unlikely to understand. If I perceive what TechCrunch is saying, WaveOne makes use of AI to cut back the dimensions of video recordsdata and apply intelligence to the video decompression facet — prioritizing faces, for instance, or the topic of a given shot.
As for Apple’s curiosity, TechCrunch says:
…the plain reply is extra environment friendly streaming. Even minor enhancements in video compression may save on bandwidth prices, or allow providers like Apple TV+ to ship larger resolutions and framerates relying on the kind of content material being streamed.
Ah sure — it’s as Tim Prepare dinner stated*, “Even minor enhancements in video compression… can change the world.”
*Tim Prepare dinner by no means truly stated that so far as we all know.
Fitbit on iPhone Now Requires iOS 15 or Later
Fitbit has a message for you customers of older iPhones — may be time to contemplate an Apple Watch. The positioning 9to5Google says:
…Fitbit has raised its minimal necessities for iOS gadgets. The app (and in flip the health trackers) now requires iOS 15 or larger as a way to operate. As not too long ago as early March, Fitbit required iOS 14 or larger.
Conversely, this week’s watchOS 9.4 replace runs on Apple Watches way back to Collection 4, whereas the Watch app solely wants an working programs as current as iOS 10, which isn’t current in any respect.
However hey, Fitbit — you do you.
Apple TV+ Proclaims Theatrical Releases for ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
And eventually in the present day, Apple TV+ is signaling its intentions on its largest movie to date — approach, approach upfront. The Cupertino-streamer issued a press launch Monday, saying a restricted launch, a large launch, and imprecise streaming plans for the Martin Scorsese movie Killers of the Flower Moon. It’s laborious to think about you want a reminder, however simply in case — the discharge says:
…based mostly on David Grann’s bestselling [non-fiction] ebook of the identical title, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is about in Twenties Oklahoma and depicts the serial homicide of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that got here to be referred to as the Reign of Terror. The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion and Tantoo Cardinal.
When you simply can’t wait, you’ll have to. And in the event you simply can’t wait to see it at residence, you’ll actually need to. In line with Apple, the movie:
…will first be launched solely in theaters worldwide, in partnership with Paramount Photos, restricted on Friday, October 6, and large on Friday, October 20, earlier than streaming globally on Apple TV+.
How lengthy earlier than? Apparently you’ll get it while you get it.
Information of the staggered launch would appear to fold in properly with rumors we heard final week about Apple’s massive film plans. It was then that Bloomberg stated Apple plans to place a couple of billion {dollars} a yr into movies that it will then put into theaters. Highlighting the Bloomberg rumor, a bit from Yahoo! Finance stated Apple TV+ movies regarded as hitting the silver display screen earlier than your TV display screen included Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle, Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
As we speak on The Mac Observer’s Day by day Observations Podcast
TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts and I discuss Tim Prepare dinner’s time in China and iPhone’s fortune in China. Plus: a take a look at Monday’s OS updates and questions round them. That’s all in the present day on the Day by day Observations Podcast from The Mac Observer.
