Apple

iPhones could soon act as wireless chargers for other devices. It's been in the works for many years but will likely be restricted to premium models. The logic behind the move is that modern smartphones have high battery capacity (even if iPhones ... don't always have the best reputation for long battery life). That could be a source of power for smaller devices such as smart watches and wireless earphones. Although such devices usually last longer between charges, that can be a disadvantage for charging. That's because the chances of them running out of power when the user is away from home are ... (view more)

Apple looks set to allow iPhone and iPad users to get apps from sources other than the official App Store. It's a major change of policy, almost certainly sparked by forthcoming changes to European law. Analysts predict Apple will find ways to ... minimize the effect of the change. However, stock prices in many companies that make apps have risen on the assumption they'll make more revenue because Apple won't take a cut of app purchases. Unlike rival Android, Apple has always kept tight control on the apps users can install, making the App Store the only option without "jailbreaking" the device, ... (view more)

Apple has come under fire on two fronts over changes to ads on its app store listings. Developers feel their apps are being undermined while parents have complained about promotions for gambling appearing beside child-focused apps. The changes ... affect the way users see listings when browsing for apps on an iPhone. That means any changes have a big effect because screen space is so limited. Apple has now created extra ad spaces, one that appears in the main tab of the app store and one at the bottom of the page for an individual app. The ads are all for other iPhone apps. Rival Apps Promoted ... (view more)

Apple has previously been accused of "dirty tricks" against Android users when it comes to the iMessaging app. Now, one critic says Apple's choice of colors may be deliberate to make Android messages harder to read. The dispute involves the way ... iPhones display chat messages that are sent over the Internet, rather than through SMS messaging that uses cellular data networks. This was originally an iPhone only feature, but from 2016, Apple allowed Android users to use it via the official iMessage app. During testing, Apple engineers added a green background to messages sent from ... (view more)

An iPhone safety feature has backfired in embarrassing fashion. 911 dispatchers say they've had multiple false alerts of car crashes involving people who were actually on a rollercoaster. The iPhone 14, the latest model, has a crash detection ... feature. It's triggered by the built-in accelerometer and other sensors that are normally used for features such as automatically rotating the display when a user turns the phone to landscape mode. When triggered, the phone will eventually call 911 and play an automatically generated message saying "The owner of this iPhone was in a severe car crash ... (view more)

The iOS Netflix app now has a subscribe button. It's a small change that could make a big difference to Apple's bottom line, as well as opening up legal challenges. Since 2018, Netflix has not offered any way to subscribe through its iPhone and iPad ... app. Instead, users had to sign up on the website, then install the app and sign in. That wasn't a case of Netflix being deliberately awkward but rather not wanting to pay a commission to Apple, which demands a 30 percent cut of any subscriptions made through an app, falling to 15 percent after the first year. Companies like Netflix which refused ... (view more)

Apple is to let app developers raise subscription prices without users actively accepting the hike. It's a reversal of the current opt-in system for increases. The move affects subscription apps which most commonly involve music and video streaming ... services and digital magazines. At the moment, developers can automatically charge customers at regular intervals until the customer cancels. However, if the developer wants to put the price up, they'll need to show a message clearly marked "Agree to New Price." If the customer doesn't tap on this button, their subscription automatically ... (view more)

Analysts estimate Apple has made more than $6 billion by no longer including chargers or earphones with new iPhones. It's a healthy bonus for what was sold as an environmentally-driven move. Apple said its change in policy from 2020 was because many ... phone owners, particularly those who regularly get a new model, already had compatible chargers. Meanwhile many either already had plug-in earphones, preferred a wireless model, or didn't need earphones at all. According to the Daily Mail, the environmental impact of reduced production was estimated by Apple as two million tons of carbon dioxide a ... (view more)

Thirty five states have backed a legal challenge to the way Apple runs its app store. The specific case centers on a game but could affect the entire way app stores operate. Unlike other mobile systems, most users can only install software on ... iPhones and iPads through the official Apple app store. Apple not only takes a cut of the purchase price of any paid apps, but also requires developers to pass on 30 percent of any in-app purchases such as upgrading an app to remove ads or selling digital content. Epic Games, maker of the Fortnite game, tried to get round that rule by including a message ... (view more)

Apple has agreed to allow app developers to tell users how to save money on app payments. It's part of a settlement in a long-running dispute but it's not enough to satisfy some developers. At the moment, app developers who sell apps in the official ... Apple store can gather email addresses of customers. However, the developers are not allowed to use those addresses to tell customers about how to pay them directly for subscriptions and one-off payments relating to the app. In-App Messages Banned That's a blow to developers who use a "freemium" model where the app itself is free but ... (view more)