Apple News
In an effort to ensure consumers’ privacy when using their own devices, U.S. lawmakers recently stepped in and confronted both Apple and Alphabet.
Back in July, Representatives Greg Walden, Marsha Blackburn, Gregg Harper, and Robert Latta wrote a letter to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet’s chief executive Larry Page. The group expressed concerns about reports that users’ devices could “collect ‘non-triggered’ audio data from users’ conversations near a smartphone in ...
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), one of Apple’s main suppliers for iPhone chips, was recently hit with a computer virus outbreak. While the company has warned that revenue will likely take a hit, shipment dates will also be affected.
The virus struck TSMC on Friday, forcing the company to shut down its semiconductor fabrication plants. TSMC publicly shared the news on Saturday, noting that third quarter revenue will likely be down three percent, or $255 mil...
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This spring, iPhone and iPad users will be able to install a new update that will let them opt out of the feature that lets Apple slow down their aging iPhones.
The new software update, iOS 11.3, will also include several new Animoji options, the ability to view health records in the Health app, and new ways to experience augmented reality, according to a sneak preview of the update recently released by Apple.
Apple’s next operating system update comes on the heels of hug...
A lawsuit alleges that Apple’s “butterfly” keyboards are “prone to fail,” resulting in non-responsive keys and other issues.
The suit was filed by law firm Girard Gibbs LLP on behalf of MacBook Pro owners Zixuan Rao and Kyle Barbaro. It applies to MacBooks equipped with a butterfly keyboard manufactured in 2015 or later and MacBook Pro models from 2016 and later.
The complaint alleges that a defect makes the keys prone to becoming unresponsive when minimal amounts of dus...
While Qualcomm’s chip relationship with the iPhone goes back to 2011, Apple started splitting its baseband chip orders with Intel and Qualcomm when the iPhone 7 was released in 2016.
However, reports are now circulating that Apple may switch from Qualcomm-based chips to Intel ones altogether. Some Apple watchers consider this a big gamble because of differences in performance. In tests performed by Cellular Insights, the iPhone 7 Plus using the Qualcomm modem “had a sign...
In an interview with ABC News, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that iPhone users will soon be able to switch off the functionality that slows down iPhones as their batteries degrade.
Cook once again apologized for the lack of transparency surrounding the motivation to slow the processors down in older iPhone models. “We deeply apologize to anyone that thinks we had some other kind of motivation, cause our motivation is always the user,” he said.
Cook’s comments came in the wake o...
American Express says it is the first major corporate card portfolio that has been activated for Apple Pay, allowing business members to pay on the go using their compatible Apple mobile devices.
Cards that may be used with Apple Pay include only corporate cards issued to employees of commercial card customers working in the U.S. The Corporate Green Card, Corporate Gold Card, Corporate Platinum Card, Corporate Centurion Card, Business Extra Corporate Card and Corporate Defined Expense Program Corporate Card are all eligible. Prepaid Cards and other products are not eligible.
“Businesses today are going digital, and American Express is at the forefront of digital innovation, helping companies to streamline their payments systems and simplify their processes,” said Greg Keeley, Executive Vice President, Global Corporate Payments, American Express. “We continue to invest and expand digital offerings for our corporate customers in ways that maximize security and enhance the user experience.”
For use at contactless merchants
Apple Pay allows American Express members to register their eligible card and pay with their mobile devices at contactless merchants – those using a smart chip technology – in stores, or within participating apps that accept American Express.
The company adopted Apple Pay for its consumer cards and OPEN Small Business Cards in late 2014.
American Express praised Apple Pay for its security and privacy features, saying they mesh well with those that it offers. When you add a card to Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers.
Apple Pay instead issues a unique Device Account Number, that is encrypted and securely stored in the secure element on the customer's device. Each transaction is authorized with a one-time unique dynamic security code.
But as with any wireless, encrypted technology, nothing is 100% secure. As we reported in June, security researchers at the mobile security company Wandera discovered and warned Apple about a vulnerability in iOS that would allow hackers to set up a wi-fi spot and then, once an iDevice connects to it, present it with a fake “captive portal” page imitating the genuine Apple Pay page asking users to enter their credit card data.
How it works
Apple Pay debuted last October, getting Apple into the mobile wallet game. To use it, customers just hold an iPhone 6 near the contactless reader with a finger on Touch ID. You don’t even have to look at the screen.
Among phones, Apple Pay is only compatible with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which are the only iPhones equipped with the requisite NFC radio antennae.
To pay with Apple Watch, just double-click the side button and hold the display of Apple Watch up to the contactless reader. A gentle tap and beep confirm that your payment information was sent.
According to MacWorld, Whole Foods Market has seen mobile payments increase by more than 400% since Apple Pay launched last year. Square integration is expected to expand its use to small, independent retail businesses.
American Express says it is the first major corporate card portfolio that has been activated for Apple Pay, allowing business members to pay on the go using their compatible Apple mobile devices.
Cards that may be used with Apple Pay include only corporate cards issued to employees of commercial card customers working in the U.S. The Corporate Green Card, Corporate Gold Card, Corporate Platinum Card, Corporate Centurion Card, Business Extra Corporate Card and Corporate D...
Apple has issued an apology to owners of older iPhone models and announced a significant price reduction on replacement batteries in an effort to quell a controversy that swelled during the holidays.
Apple had been accused of purposefully slowing down older iPhone models. Conspiracy theorists charged the company was not so subtly pushing consumers to upgrade their older iPhones.
Apple says that's not the case.
“We have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally...
When the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, announced Wednesday, go on sale Saturday (pre-orders), T-Mobile customers are going to find it costs less to get it from the carrier than if they were to buy it at the Apple Store.
A lot less.
When Apple introduced its smartphone upgrades, it started the price of the 6s at $27 for 24 months and the Plus at $31 for 24 months. That works out to a price of $648 and $744 respectively.
But in his blog, T-Mobile CEO John LeGere said the carrier will offer the devices at a lower price; $20 a month for 18 months for the 6s and $24 a month for 18 months for the Plus. That means the $648 phone from Apple costs $360 from T-Mobile and the $744 Plus at Apple goes for $432 at T-Mobile.
The catch
The catch is this deal is for customers signing up for Jump! On Demand, a T-Mobile program where you trade in your phone after 18 months and get a new one. It's very similar to an auto lease. The customer does not pay for the residual value of the phone at the end of 18 months.
Those who pay the full price from Apple own their devices once the payments end, just like buying a car. Jump! On Demand customers who want to keep their iPhones at the end of 18 months may do so by making a one time $164 payment for the 6s.
“That means your total cost to own your phone is just $524 – that’s a screaming deal,” LeGere writes. It’s special introductory pricing for our launch, and it won’t last long.”
Lifetime Coverage Guarantee
At the same time, LeGere introduced what he calls the T-Mobile Lifetime Coverage Guarantee for customers buying one of the new iPhones.
“For as long as you use your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus on T-Mobile, if you aren’t completely satisfied with your coverage experience we’ll refund you for every penny you’ve paid for your new device in the first month, or after that, we’ll unlock it at no charge so you can use it with one of the other wireless companies,” LeGere writes.
The CEO said his company will also refund up to a full month of service fees. If a phone is unlocked, he says customers will be able to keep the interest-free payment plan at standard prices.
When the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, announced Wednesday, go on sale Saturday (pre-orders), T-Mobile customers are going to find it costs less to get it from the carrier than if they were to buy it at the Apple Store.
A lot less.
When Apple introduced its smartphone upgrades, it started the price of the 6s at $27 for 24 months and the Plus at $31 for 24 months. That works out to a price of $648 and $744 respectively.
But in his blog, T-Mobile CEO John LeGere said the carrie...
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating how Apple handled communications regarding the software update that slowed down older iPhone models, Bloomberg reports.
The report indicates that the investigation is still in the early stages, but the government is starting to look into whether Apple violated securities laws in how it informed consumers about the update that slowed down aging iPhones.
Earlier this month, Apple apo...
Chris Sevier, 36 a Nashville lawyer and model, wants “all [of Apple’s] devices,” including the iPhone, sold “in 'safe mode,' with software preset to filter out pornographic content."
Sevier’s trail of tears began when he bought a MacBook Pro, which came with the web browser Safari already installed. Sevier “accidentally misspelled ‘facebook.com,’” according to the complaint, “which lead [sic] him to ‘fuc[*]book.com’ and a host of websites that caused him to see pornographic images that appealed to his biological sensibilities as a male and lead [sic] to an unwanted addiction with adverse consequences.”
Sevier admits in the complaint that he “ loves Apple ... and knows that it has good intent,” and is certain that the company is “concerned with the welfare of our Nation's children, while furthering pro-American values."
Nevertheless, Sevier wants Apple to “set the example for all device makers” and equip all of its devices with strict controls on access to porn, requiring the user to “take proactive steps to block pornographic images.”
“Apple is hijacking great sex”
Among the reasons Sevier gives for his request are “patriotism” (“American [sic] is in many respect [sic] a lighthouse for the rest of the world to follow, arguably because it was formed on Judeo-Christian values ... Apple should set the example for device makers all over the world...”); “knowledge” (“the burden to safe guard [sic] its consumers should fall on Apple, not the purchasers who would otherwise not like to be inflicted with the myriad of problems that stem from viewing porn”); and that “Apple is hijacking great sex by failing to sell its products in safe mode” (“pornography ... obviously encourages lust, which hijacks great sex, making the thrill of engaging in deviant behavior the primary objective of intercourse”).
Whether any of these colorful opinions constitutes a legal cause of action remains to be seen.
In his complaint, Sevier suggests that there will be a groundswell of outrage if Apple does not comply with his suggestion, writing that “Apple should see this lawsuit as a warning sign of the class action lawsuits to follow in the event Apple elects to resist the Plaintiff’s reasonable request.”
“Save ... countless marriages”
Sevier insists in his complaint that he “is not a proponent of legislating morality in the extreme,” writing that “members of society should not be prosecuted for ‘being human.’” Nevertheless, he says that porn controls on Mac devices could “save ... countless marriages [and] impact generations to come.”
The complaint, filed in federal court in Tennessee, alleges fraudulent misrepresentation, products liability, outrageous conduct and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Chris Sevier, 36 a Nashville lawyer and model, wants “all [of Apple’s] devices,” including the iPhone, sold “in 'safe mode,' with software preset to filter out pornographic content."
Sevier’s trail of tears began when he bought a MacBook Pro, which came with the web browser Safari already installed. Sevier “accidentally misspelled ‘facebook.com,’” according to the complaint, “which lead [sic] him to ‘fuc[*]...
Though so far unsuccessful in court, disgruntled owners of MacBook Pro laptops continue to flood social media with their expressions of outrage about what they regard as the expensive machines' substandard performance.
"I have the new 13" MacPro and even when it's plugged in, if you are using a site that is graphic intensive, it starts to drain battery power," a consumer named Sharon said in a ConsumerAffairs posting.
Earlier this year, a federal judge in California dismissed a suit filed by Alex Tomek, who alleged that in 2011, he bought a MacBook Pro based on Apple's claims of "huge leaps in performance."
But Tomek, whose suit sought class-action status, said he soon found the battery was not charging under certain conditions and that sometimes the machine was draining power from the battery even when it was plugged in. Eventually, it go so bad that Tomek said he had to stop working and turn the machine off to let it recharge.
Not enough power
Tomek's suit alleges that the 85-watt power adapter supplied with the machines is not up to the job of powering the the 2.3 gHz Intel Core 17 processor and its accompanying AMD Radeon graphics processor, despite Apple's advertising which promised that users would be able to "surf the web wirelessly for up to 7 hours on a single charge."
Tomek said consumers were complaining about the problem since the machines were released but received no satisfaction from Apple, which the suit alleges has "failed and refused and continues to faill and refuse to provide adequate customers service ... to cope with this defect."
In its defense, Apple argued that Tomek had failed to build a strong case for his assertion that Apple had intentionally misled purchasers.
In dismissing the case, the judge wrote that the suit was "devoid of any facts demonstrating that Defendant ever represented to Plaintiff that the MacBook Pro's battery would not drain under certain circumstances, even if plugged into an external power source, resulting in a shutdown. In fact, Defendant's support representative told Plaintiff the battery drain was 'expected behavior.'"
Also, the judge noted, Apple claimed battery life would be "up to" seven hours, thus leaving itself considerable wiggle room. Tomek has the option to amend certain provisions of the suit and refile it.
Though so far unsuccessful in court, disgruntled owners of MacBook Pro laptops continue to flood social media with their expressions of outrage about what they regard as the expensive machines' substandard performance.
"I have the new 13" MacPro and even when it's plugged in, if you are using a site that is graphic intensive, it starts to drain battery power," a consumer named Sharon said in a ConsumerAffairs posting.
Earlier this year, a federal judge in California...
Apple users -- including this one -- who rushed to upgrade to Yosemite, the latest OS X version, are vowing to be a little slower off the line next time around.
The Yosemite upgrade was unveiled last week and, like thousands of others, I hit the download button and sat back to await the results. Unlike many of the other early downloaders, I am not particularly a fan of all things Apple and had not been losing sleep over what exciting new features Yosemite might bring.
Unl...
The FBI has arrested a former engineer at Apple on charges of stealing company secrets on behalf of a Chinese start up.
A complaint, filed in federal district court in California, says Xiaolang Zhang, who worked on Apple's autonomous car project for two and a half years, was taken into custody over the weekend as he attempted to board a plane for China.
The complaint charges that Zhang downloaded proprietary data before resigning in May, telling Apple he was returning to ...
Make no mistake, if you get your iPhone or other sensitive electronic device wet, you will likely cause irreparable, or at least expensive, damage. Over the years, however, many Apple iPod and iPhone owners have claimed that Apple used "phantom" water damage as an excuse not to honor claims for other damage and defects.
Apple has now agreed to a $53 million class action settlement with some of its customers whose claims were denied because of Apple's assessment that the devices were exposed to water, thus voiding the warranty.
Hundreds of thousands of consumers would be eligible for cash payments under terms of the settlement. The payouts are expected to amount to a few hundred dollars per person.
The proposed settlement, which will not be final until it is approved by the court, doesn't affect everyone who owns an iPhone or iPod. Only consumers with the iPhone 3G and 3GS or iPod Touch will be eligible to receive compensation.
Robert, of Slidell, La., is one of many consumers who've written to ConsumerAffairs about the problem. Robert writes that his iPhone 4 stopped working a month after he purchased it. He took it to the Apple Store to have it evaluated.
“The Apple Store took the phone in the back room, came out several minutes later and said the phone is not warranted because of liquid,” he writes. “The phone was not wet. I believe the Apple Rep wet my phone and thus I had to purchase another phone for more than the first one cost me at AT&T.”
Honest mistake
More likely, it was an honest error. According to court documents, a moisture-sensing tape made by 3M has been shown to be affected by humidity, and can thus indicate false positives. The paper tape is attached near the headphone jack of the devices, allowing technicians to quickly determine if moisture had gotten inside. In the documents, Apple has admitted no wrongdoing.
Whatever the reason, the issue of water damage has been a hot one over the years. 
Jeff, of Minnetonka, Minn., reported in February that his iPod Nano claim was denied – wrongly, in his opinion.
Kept in a baggie
“Only use the Nano when running,” Jeff wrote. “It went dead, so I went into the Apple Genius Bar and they said dead due to water damage. Told him only use it when I run and it's in a baggie. He said 'sorry it's water damage.'”
Johanna, of Castlerock, Colo., got the same story when she filed a claim on her iPod Nano.
“I brought it in to an Apple store to find out what's going on and they said there was water damage,” she wrote in a ConsumerAffairs post. “What? I have never gotten the device wet. My husband and I used it for running, so the only thing that makes sense is sweat."
Non-working iPhones
There have been more complaints about denied claims for non-working iPhones. Last September Jean, of Milford, Pa., contacted us about her daughter's iPhone 4S. As soon as she loaded IOS 6.0, she said she lost wi-fi capability.
“We tried everything, but all failed,” Jean writes. "So we were supposed to get a replacement, unfortunately Apple pulled the water damage scam on us.”
Consumers whose names and addresses are on file will be notified by mail of their eligibility for payment when the settlement is approved. Notices will also be placed in USA Today and MacWorld.
The lead attorneys representing the plaintiffs are Jeffrey Fazio of Fazio Micheletti LLC, San Ramon, Calif., and Steve A. Schwartz of Chimicles & Tikellis LLP, Haverford, Pa.
Make no mistake, if you get your iPhone or other sensitive electronic device wet, you will likely cause irreparable, or at least expensive, damage. Over the years, however, many Apple iPod and iPhone owners have claimed that Apple used "phantom" water damage as an excuse not to honor claims for other damage and defects.
Apple has now agreed to a $53 million class action settlement with some of its customers whose claims were denied because of Apple's assessment that the ...
If there was any remaining doubt that Apple and Google are now full-fledged competitors, it should be removed by the news that Apple is planning to dump Google Maps in its next operating system and on its iPhones, iPads and related gadgets.
Instead, Apple will be unveiling what insiders say is an "incredible" new in-house maps application that is said to be much cleaner, faster and more reliable than the current version.
AllThingsD, a Wall Street Journal publication, quotes an Apple insider as saying the new maps will “blow your head off.”
9to5Mac reported that the company has been combining services from subsidiary companies, Placebase, C3 Technologies, and Poly9 in order to develop its own maps service. The new version is expected to be launched when iOS 6 is announced, probably at an upcoming June conference.
Google Street View will also be replaced by an in-house version supplied by one of the many companies Apple has been acquiring lately.
There's also a 3D option built into the new maps app. 9to5Mac describes it as "beautiful, realistic graphics based on de-classified missile target algorithms."
If there was any remaining doubt that Apple and Google are now full-fledged competitors, it should be removed by the news that Apple is planning to dump Google Maps in its next operating system and on its iPhones, iPads and related gadgets.
Instead, Apple will be unveiling what insiders say is an "incredible" new in-house maps application that is said to be much cleaner, faster and more reliable than the current version.
AllThingsD, a Wall Street Journal publication, quot...
Apple customers often turn to Amazon as a source for replacement equipment, like chargers. But when they do, Apple claims they have a very good chance of buying something less than genuine Apple equipment.
The electronics giants has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Oakland against Mobile Star LLC, accusing the firm of slapping the Apple name on chargers it sold on Amazon. According to Tech Times, the complaint claims that nearly 90% of the Apple chargers sold at the o...