Tag: Apple

Apple MacBook Pro (13-Inch) With Intel CPU Is Cheaper Than Ever on Amazon

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Apple’s MacBook is now cheaper in India. The Intel-powered MacBook Pro (13-inch) has received a price cut, and is available to purchase for as low as Rs 99,990 for the Intel i5-powered variant with 256GB SSD storage on Amazon. This is Rs 18,000 less than its sticker price. Apple last year migrated to in-house M1 chips last year, in a move aimed at ending reliance on Intel to provide chips for the company’s Mac computers.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available at a price of Rs 99,990. Apart from that, Amazon is offering up to Rs 18,000 exchange discount for the 256GB storage variant. This is the only variant that has seen a significant price cut, as the 512GB storage variant is selling for Rs 1,41,719 on Amazon, a roughly Rs 1,200 discount on its original price. The M1-powered MacBook Pro (13-inch) with 512GB SSD storage, on the other hand, is priced at Rs 1,42,900 on Amazon, the 256GB variant retails for Rs 1,22,900, while the MacBook Air powered by Apple’s M1 chip is available for Rs 92,900.

There is an ongoing “Apple Days” sale on Amazon that ends today. The Apple Days sale offers buyers attractive discounts on Apple products on the e-commerce platform, including the MacBook, iPhones, iPads, and more. There is a possibility that the MacBook Pro (13-inch) price cut is a part of the Apple Days sale.

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Are the ‘best’ days of Apple AirPods over? Why the answer is yes and no – Times of India

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Look at it from any perspective and the Apple AirPods have been a smashing success. Not only the rather odd — and initially much-ridiculed — looking pair of wireless headphones have filled Apple’s coffers routinely, they gave birth and led to exponential growth of the category. Everyone in the true wireless race has done almost everything they can to be Apple but no one has so far managed to come close to beating Apple. Yet, it seems like the best days — by Apple’s ridiculously high standards — of AirPods might just be over, according to noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo, as per multiple online reports, in his latest research note has said that shipments of AirPods in 2021 will be cut down by 30-35%. “We cut our forecast of 2021 AirPods shipments by 30–35% to 75–80 million units, which implies the 10–15% YoY decline,” Kuo wrote. Interestingly most analysts, including Kuo had estimated that Apple wold have shipped 110-120 million units of AirPods in 2021.
Kuo has attributed the estimated decline in AirPods shipments due to it being “difficult to differentiate the hardware selling points from competitors’ low-price products.” He further noted that sales results “show that consumers are not very willing to spend more than $100 to buy the selling points of AirPods Pro,”


The rise and rise of AirPods

The AirPods were launched in December 2016 and since then have been topping the sales charts. As per online reports, Apple in 2017 sold about 16 million units of AirPods. In 2018, the number of shipments increased to 35 million units and jumped to 60 million in 2019. In 2020, according to Kuo, Apple shipped about 90 million units of AirPods — making them the most popular true wireless earbuds in the world. It’s this number that is estimated to go down by 30%. That number is big but even then Apple is estimated to sell about 75-80 million units.

Such has been the growth trajectory of the AirPods that the decline seems really big but still they will continue to be revenue drivers for Apple. Sometime last year, a tech writer had said that, if Apple AirPods was a standalone business (founded 2016, $12 billion revenue, 125% growth, 30–50% margin), it would probably be the most valuable startup in the world.


What next for Apple AirPods?

People will continue to buy them in millions but cheaper alternatives might hit Apple’s numbers harder than it was estimated. Apple is expected to dominate the true wireless space but it’s just that other brands will continue to chip at its growth by offering far cheaper option.
Rumours have been rife about Apple launching AirPods 3 sometime later this month. However, Kuo, who has been accurate many times in the past, has predicted that Apple will not launch AirPods 3 this month but in the third quarter of 2021. The AirPods 3 are rumoured to have the AirPods Pro design but might not come with active noise cancellation feature.
Kuo also maintains that Apple needs to “redefine” consumer behaviour if Apple wants to continue to hit the glorious heights of AirPods in the last few years. The breakthrough, as per Kuo, could be integrating health management features in the AirPods.
“We believe that if AirPods shipments want to grow again in the future, they need to have a strong ecosystem or redefine TWS users’ behavior through hardware innovation (such as providing health management functions),” noted Kuo.

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iPhone 13 ‘Likely’ to Come With In-Display Touch-ID, Apple May Shrink Notch

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Apple this year will launch the iPhone 13 (unconfirmed name) series, and as we approach the end of the first quarter of 2021, the rumours have sped up, hinting at the possible features of the upcoming Apple iPhone. The latest leak has now suggested that the next Apple iPhone will “likely” come with an in-display touch-ID sensor, in line with a report last claiming the same last month.

The latest rumour comes courtesy of a MacRumours report which cites four Barclays analysts including Andrew Gardiner. The report cites a research note shared with MacRumours, which says that the iPhone 13 models will feature a smaller notch and that the LiDAR sensor will continue to be limited to the Pro models. MacRumours claims Barclays as saying that its research is partly based on extensive industry conversations with suppliers in the recent weeks. The report says that the Barclays analysts believe that a smaller notch on the iPhone 13 will be a result of a more tightly integrated version of the current structured light system for the Face ID.

MacRumours quoted that analysts as saying that a bigger shift is likely to come in 2022, with Apple apparently aiming to adopt time-of-flight architecture for Face ID that would allow for an “even smaller footprint.” This comes soon after Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple may bring a hole-punch display design in future iPhones.

Now, while this is nothing more than a prediction, Barclays analysts have been quite accurate in the past. Barclays analysts were the first to claim that Apple was planning to stop including a charger with iPhones, the removal of the headphone jack adapter with iPhone XS and iPhone XR models, and the removal of 3D Touch on all iPhone 11 models, the MacRumours report said.

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Apple HomePod: Apple discontinues original HomePod in India, but why owners need not worry – Times of India

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It’s official. Apple has discontinued its original HomePod in India. Launched in 2017, the original HomePod is the first version of Apple’s smart speaker. The company will continue to produce and focus on the HomePod mini, introduced in 2020. However, owners of the original HomePod need not worry as the company will continue to provide customer support with software updates and support through Apple care.
“HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers amazing sound, an intelligent assistant, and smart home control all for just INR 9900. We are focusing our efforts on HomePod mini. We are discontinuing the original HomePod, it will continue to be available while supplies last through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores, and Apple Authorized Resellers. Apple will provide HomePod customers with software updates and service and support through Apple Care,” Apple said in a statement.
HomePod mini price and specs
Apple launched HomePod mini in November last year in India. It is available in White and Space Grey colour variants. HomePod mini is just 3.3 inches tall. It is powered by the Apple S5 chip that optimises loudness, adjusts the dynamic range, and control the movement of the driver and passive radiators in real time.
According to Apple, the full-range driver, powered by a neodymium magnet and a pair of force-cancelling passive radiators, enables deep bass and crisp high frequencies. The company claims that the smart speaker features an acoustic waveguide to direct the flow of sound down and out toward the bottom of the speaker for an immersive 360-degree audio experience. This means that users can place HomePod mini almost anywhere in their rooms and get to hear consistent sound. HomePod mini has four microphones in it.
Apple has also introduced a new Intercom feature that aims to offer family members an easy way to connect with each other at home. One person can send an Intercom message from one HomePod to another — whether in a different room, a specific zone, or multiple rooms throughout the home — and their voice will automatically play on the designated HomePod speaker. Intercom works with iPhone, iPad, Apple WatchAirPods, and CarPlay.
HomePod mini also works with music services like Amazon Music, apart from Apple Music.

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Apple Has Discontinued Its HomePod Smart Speaker, To Focus on HomePod Mini Going Forward

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In a rather surprising development, Cupertino-based giant Apple has discontinued its original HomePod smart speaker, according to a report in TechCrunch. The company made the decision in order to focus more on the HomePod Mini smart speaker that was introduced by the company last year. While the original HomePod offered better sound, the HomePod Mini was the Apple smart speaker that was received well in the market.

Apple confirmed the development to TechCrunch, saying that the speaker will be available on Apple stores and retailers until supplies last. The company will continue to provide Apple HomePod customers with software updates and service and support through Apple Care, the company was quoted by TechCrunch as saying. Currently, the Apple HomePod speaker is available on the Apple store in both white and space grey colour options. Apple is now betting on the HomePod Mini going forward. The TechCrunch report said that this move could point to Apple’s desire to fill every room with ‘good enough’ sound rather than to focus on the living room with ‘truly unbelievable’ sound.

The Apple HomePod is priced at Rs 19,900 in India and is currently available in both space grey and white colours on the official Apple store. The HomePod comes with a high-excursion woofer with a custom amplifier, an array of seven tweeters, a six microphone array for far-field Siri, internal low-frequency calibration microphone, streo pairing, and more.

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This is how the global smartphone market is expected to grow in 2021 – Times of India

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Global smartphone market is expected to grow 13.9% year over year in the first quarter of 2021 and 5.5% for the full year 2021, according to a latest report by IDC.
The report claims that this growth will be driven by continued recovery in demand along with a supply-side push of 5G devices.
“Despite ongoing lockdowns and economic concerns, IDC continues to see strong demand for smartphones. We are also seeing that everyone in the value chain — from supply chains, OEMs, and channels to consumers — is better prepared to handle any further lockdowns,” said Nabila Popal, research director with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers.
The two largest geographic markets — China and US — are forecast to grow by 6.0% and 3.5% in 2021, according to the report.
The report made a special mention of the Apple iPhone 12 lineup and said that the 5G push was accelerated by the success of Apple’s full 5G iPhone 12 line up.
IDC expects 5G smartphone shipments to account for more than 40% of global volume in 2021 and grow to 69% in 2025.
The market has also seen an increase in the overall average selling price (ASP) for smartphones to $363 in 2021, up from $349 in IDC’s previous forecast.

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Apple to Face Legal Actions from French Startup Lobby Over Data Privacy

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France Digitale will file a complaint against iPhone maker Apple with data privacy watchdog CNIL on Tuesday over alleged breaches of European Union rules, France’s leading startup lobby said in a statement. In the seven-page complaint seen by Reuters, the lobby, which represents the bulk of France’s digital entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, alleges Apple’s latest operating software, iOS 14, does not comply with EU privacy requirements.

France Digitale argues that while iPhone owners are asked whether they are ready to allow installed mobile apps to gather a key identifier used to define campaign ads and send targeted ads, default settings allow Apple to carry its own targeted ad campaigns without clearly asking iPhone users for their prior consent. Under EU data privacy rules, all organisations must ask visitors online if they agree to have some of their data collected via trackers or other tools.

The same rules also provide the right to anyone to ask for information on the purposes of such data collection and how they are collected. The lobby also alleges that Apple’s tracking functionality allows it to share the data it collects with affiliated companies without telling users ahead.

“It’s a startup version of David versus Goliath, but we are determined,” France Digitale CEO Nicolas Brien in a statement.

“The allegations in the complaint are patently false and will be seen for what they are, a poor attempt by those who track users to distract from their own actions and mislead regulators and policymakers,” Apple said in a written statement.

The complaint by France Digitale follows similar litigation against Apple filed by French online advertising lobbies with the antitrust authority last October. It also comes after complaints filed by Austrian advocacy group Noyb with data protection watchdogs in Germany and Spain alleging that Apple’s tracking tool illegally enabled the US tech giant to store users’ data without their consent. Apple also rebutted those claims.

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OnePlus 9 series to include chargers in the box, confirms CEO – Times of India

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Back in 2020, when Apple decided to get rid of the chargers in the box, it was expected to become a new trend in the smartphone industry. Soon after Apple, its arch-rival Samsung too followed the lead.
However, OnePlus is not going to join the bandwagon — at least for now — as the CEO of the company has confirmed that the company plans to ship chargers inside the box this year.
Apart from this, no other detail about the charging technology or battery capacity has been revealed so it’s not known if there will be any improvements over the 65W charger that the company ships with OnePlus 8T.
The company has also shown off the official look of what is being claimed to be OnePlus 9 Pro. The handset seen in the video flaunts a Silver colour model with curved edges.
The back can also be seen housing a quad camera setup with Hasselblad branding in the encasement.

Just yesterday, OnePlus confirmed that the company is going to unveil its OnePlus 9 smartphone series globally on March 23 at 7.30pm.
The company also confirmed that the OnePlus 9 series will make use of a custom Sony IMX789 sensor and will be “the largest and most advanced main camera sensor ever on a OnePlus device.”



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Apple Spatial Audio: How it works and how you can use it

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Apple introduced its Spatial Audio feature with iOS 14 in September 2020, rivalling other technologies like Dolby Atmos and Sony’s 360 reality audio for headphones. Here’s how the Apple feature works and how to enable it.

What is Spatial Audio?

Apple’s Spatial Audio feature lets users experience cinema-like sound through certain Apple audio devices, including the AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max headphones. The audio output surrounds the user, who feels that the sound is coming from different directions, instead of the normal directionless sound you get on headphones.

Further, the sound field maintains its direction to the actual device you’re playing you’re media from, and that direction is maintained in instances like when characters in a movie are speaking to each other from different sides of the screen.

What this does is provides a much more immersive and true-to-life experience for media consumption that lets you become a part of whatever you’re watching or playing.

How does it work?

The Apple feature uses 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos signals from various media files and accordingly applies directional audio filters and adjusts the frequencies sent to each ear. This frequency change is applied to various sound outputs to simulate the effect of direction on the left and right ear of a user.

How to enable Spatial Audio on your Apple device?

While Spatial Audio can be experienced on any device since (and including) the iPhone 7 that has been updated to iOS 14, you will need either the Apple AirPods Pro or the Apple AirPods Max to experience the features. Instead of an iPhone, you may also use a third-gen Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch or later, a third-gen iPad Pro 11-inch or later or a third-gen iPad Air or later. The sixth-gen iPad (and later) and fifth-gen iPad Mini (and later) will also work.

Once you have the hardware requirements, you will need to turn on the feature in the iOS 14/ iPadOS 14 settings. To do this, head over to Settings/ Bluetooth/ Your device name and tap on the ‘i’ button next to the headphones.

Scroll below and look for the Spatial Audio toggle, and turn it on. Tapping on the ‘See & Hear How It Works’ will let you experience a quick demo.

To control Spatial Audio, users can swipe down/up from their screen’s top/bottom edge to enter the iOS Control Centre. Once here, press and hold the volume control button and another screen will appear, allowing users to see a Spatial Audio toggle. You can tap on this to turn the feature on or off. Note that blue is on, and black is off.

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Apple is killing one of its most powerful Mac desktops – Times of India

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Apple has discontinued one of its most powerful desktops– iMac Pro– and you will be able to buy it only till supplies last. Apple has confirmed that it is no longer making the iMac Pro with 3 GHz 10-core Intel Xeon W processor and is recommending users who need a powerful desktop to opt the Mac Pro instead as per a report by MacRumors.
Apple will no longer be allowing buyers to opt for upgrades and you can buy the standard package with 3 GHz 10-core Intel Xeon W processor, 32GB 2666MHz ECC memory, configurable up to 256GB, 1TB SSD storage, Radeon Pro Vega 56 with 8GB HBM2 memory, 10Gb Ethernet, four Thunderbolt 3 ports and 27-inch Retina 5K 5120-by-2880 P3 display.
Apple did not provide any official comment on the same but it has put up a notice on its online store marking the iMac Pro as “while supplies last”.
The iMac Pro was launched along with two new iMac models with Retina 4K and 5K displays in 2019. This high-end computing device costs $15,699 which translated to over Rs 10.84 lakh in India. Also, The iMac Pro was not available over the counter and buyers had to order it first to get it.
Apple had also launched two new iMacs in India the same year– the 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display along with the 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display. While the 21.5-inch iMac started at Rs 1,19,900, the 27-inch version came at a starting price of Rs 1,69,900.

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