Apple Launches Apple Pay in New Zealand
Following the launch of Apple Pay in Russia earlier this month, Apple has launched the payments system in New Zealand. Currently, Apple Pay is available only for the customers of one bank called ANZ Bank. They can add their credit and debit Visa cards and start using the system for sending payments and making purchases at McDonald's, Glassons, Hallenstein Brothers, and K-Mart.
Mac Shipments Continue to Decline - Gartner
According to the latest report from Gartner, Mac shipments declined 13.4% in the last quarter. Apple managed to sell only 4.9 million Mac units that accounted for the market share of 7.2%. As to the global computer market, it is experiencing problems as well. PC shipments in Q3 2016 reached 68.9 million, which is a decline of 5.7% year-over-year.
Samsung Permanently Stops Galaxy Note 7 Production
Samsung has permanently stopped the production of the Galaxy Note 7. Such decision comes after dozens of reports about exploding handsets from both old and new batch that was believed to be safe. The company will focus on the development of the new Galaxy S8 model as well as sales of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.
iOS 10 Adoption Reaches 54% - Apple
Apple has just announced that iOS 10 adoption has reached 54%. The figure is based on the statistics gathered by the App Store, so it includes only those devices that have been active over the last couple of weeks.
iOS 10 Adoption Reaches 66.7% - Analysts
According to the latest report from a research firm Fiksu, iOS 10 adoption rate has reached impressive 66.7% less than a month after public release. Strong initial demand for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus as well as the compatibility of the operating system with older devices like the iPhone 5 are among the factors that contributed to such fast adoption. As to the main reasons for people to upgrade, they include new design and many new features.
Samsung Halts Production of Galaxy Note 7 for Safety Reasons
Samsung has temporarily stopped the production of the infamous Galaxy Note 7. Such a difficult decision comes after numerous reports about exploding smartphones from the new batch that was deemed safe.
Top 10 Stories of the Week
It is Sunday today, which means that it’s time I told you about the most interesting posts of the last couple of days.
iPhone 6 Plus Catches Fire, Apple Investigates Issue
As it turns out, it’s not only the Galaxy Note 7 units that explode or catch fire. According to the latest report from KFSN, the iPhone 6 Plus exploded in the middle of the night causing minor damage to the furniture and other possessions of Yvette Estrada from California.
Replacement Galaxy Note 7 Units Burst into Flames Too
Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire making the company’s claim that new devices are safe an absurd. The device started smoking in the hands of 13-year-old girl Abby Zuis from Farmington who suddenly felt “burning sensation" while holding the handset. Fortunately for the girl and her parents, she suffered only minor burns.
Samsung to Pay Apple $119.6 Million for Infringing on ‘Slide to Unlock’ Patent
Apple has won an appeal in the court case against its South Korean rival Samsung over the ‘slide to unlock’ patent. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that Samsung is guilty and has to pay Apple $119.6 million for infringing on its patents. The report about this ruling comes from Bloomberg, which is a reliable source.
Apple Confirms iPhone 7 Launch Dates for New Countries
Apple has confirmed the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 launch dates for a couple of new countries.
In particular, on October 14th, local retailers will start selling new devices in Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Montenegro, and Turkey. On October 15th, the iPhone 7 will become available in Jordan and Oman. On October 20th, both new handsets and smartwatches will go on sale in Israel. Finally, on October 21st, the sales of the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch will begin in Maurice, Madagascar, Maroc, Ukraine, and Uganda.
Apple launched the iPhone 7 in India on Friday. Currently, the new device is available on all major markets.
What’s Inside of Apple’s Lightning to 3.5mm Jack Adapter?
The iFixit team has recently posted a teardown of Apple’s cheapest product ever. This is the new Lightning to 3.5mm jack adapter that comes with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The teardown and X-Ray images of the adapter reveal that it contains a number of components including a chip with both DAC and ADC responsible for audio quality as well as an amplifier. Unfortunately, the manufacturer of the chip remains unknown, all we have is the model part number.
iPhone 7 Users Complain About Activation Lock Issues
A growing number of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus users are complaining about the Activation Lock issue affecting their brand new smartphones. According to the most popular reports from MacRumors forums and Twitter, many phones are linked to Apple IDs that do not belong to the owners of these devices. Apple removed the Activation Lock from several handsets after getting proofs of ownership from their owners. The company also agreed to replace several affected units. Still, it has to comment on the issue.
Apple Seeds iOS 10.1 Beta 2 to Public Testers
Apple has released the second beta of iOS 10.1 to public testers. The release comes one day after the release of the same build to developers.
The update contains a number of bug fixes and stability improvements. In particular, Apple has fixed an issue causing the Notes app quit unexpectedly. The company also recommends the users who face the problem go to Settings - iCloud, disable and then enable the Notes once again. This should help.
iOS 10.1 brought the long-awaited ‘Portrait’ mode to the Camera app on the iPhone 7 Plus. It also contains some fixes for multitasking that make the open apps stay active in the background.
If you have a tester account and a compatible device, you can download iOS 10.1 Beta 2 right now.
Apple Discontinues Apple TV 3 - Confirmed
Apple has discontinued the third-generation Apple TV and removed the device from its online store. Moreover, the company confirmed that it will no longer produce and officially promote the older set-top box, focusing on the newer Apple TV 4 working on tvOS.