Global Scans · Apple · Weekly Summary

• [New] With AI-focused hardware becoming a key component in chipsets, Apple is expected to upgrade its MacBook Pro lineup quickly, along with the iMac and macMini, all using the M4 chipset. West Observer
• [New] Any pressure on Apple in the chip department, particularly as on-device AI becomes a thing, will ultimately lead to faster, better-optimized A-series and M-series chips. BGR
• [New] Apple has made a significant change to the wording of its threat notifications, opting not to attribute attacks to a specific source or perpetrator, but categorizing them broadly as mercenary spyware. The Register
• [New] For repair shops, Apple writes that service providers will no longer need to provide a device's serial number when ordering parts from the Self Service Repair Store for repairs not involving replacement of the logic board. Gizmodo
• [New] Among digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and Samsung Pay), device tokens have been given more attention since the number of digital wallet transactions is supposed to soar to USD 25 trillion by 2027, as reported by Worldpay Global Payments Report 2024. FinExtra
• [New] Every Apple Vision Pro native app made by Apple is class-leading and will be hard to usurp by a third party - today. AppleInsider
• [New] Apple decreed that 3rd-party apps could only be installed via the App Store, which would review every app; free apps would not have to pay anything, while Apple would take 30% of paid apps. Stratechery by Ben Thompson
• [New] Apple's conduct stifles new paradigms that threaten Apple's smartphone dominance, including the cloud, which could make it easier for users to enjoy high-end functionality on a lower priced smartphone - or make users device-agnostic altogether. The New York Times
• [New] For the iPhone 16 series, Apple is expected to apply on-device generative AI and significantly improve microphone performance to maximize its use. counterpoint
• Many other companies in Silicon Valley followed suit, now including Apple, investing tens of billions still further, an entire industry sprung up around it - nearly all of which ignored evidence that the whole enterprise might be built on sand. DNyuz
• Yoco's secure payment processing solutions will seamlessly integrate into Shopstar's platform, allowing business owners to accept a wide range of payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments such as Apple Pay. IT News Africa | Business Technology, Telecoms and Star
• Computer vision will soon see a major surge in popularity and become mainstream as companies like Apple and Meta continue to innovate in the spaces of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. The Teen Magazine
• On Apple and Alphabet, EU investigators will look into whether the tech giants' app stores are in breach of the DMA's steering rules that mandate that they allow developers to let consumers know of payment methods outside their app stores. Tech Xplore
• The RCS standard will continue to improve over time, and if Apple does not support later versions of RCS, cross-platform messaging using RCS could soon be broken on iPhones anyway. The New York Times
• As rumours circulate about Apple's ambitious AI-driven goals for 2024, attention turns to the upcoming WWDC in June for potential revelations about new software developments, with iOS 18 and macOS 15 anticipated to play a key role in Apple's AI strategy. Ubergizmo
• Buying loose reduces food waste - research by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has shown that if all apples, bananas and potatoes in the UK were sold loose, we could save 70,000 tonnes of food waste by enabling people to buy closer to their needs. Lisburn & Castlereagh
• Apple has long dismissed RCS in favor of its own proprietary messaging system, iMessage, arguing that any messaging system outside of the Apple ecosystem could put iPhone users' security and privacy at risk. Opb
• Customer loyalty for Apple has remained strong over the years, with 57% of current iPhone users saying they plan to buy an iPhone during its next upgrade. Business Insider Africa
• Apple has denied users access to digital wallets that would have provided a wide variety of enhanced features and denied digital wallet developers - often banks - the opportunity to provide advanced digital payments services to their own customers. FinExtra
• Digital wallets could eventually provide developers an alternative way to process payments and manage customer relationships, forcing Apple to compete more aggressively by lowering fees and improving quality, which would ultimately benefit users. The New York Times
• When developers imagine a new product or service for iPhone consumers, Apple demands up to 30% of the price of an app whose content, product, or service it did not create. The New York Times
• As Apple ventures further into AI with iOS 18, it continues to emphasize the importance of privacy, ensuring that the new AI features will be accompanied by robust user controls. Business Times
• The European Union leveled its first antitrust penalty against Apple on Monday, fining the US tech giant $2 billion for unfairly favoring its own music streaming service by forbidding rivals like Spotify from telling users how they could pay for cheaper subscriptions outside of iPhone apps. The Boston Globe

Last updated: 21 April 2024