Foxconn Factories Resume “Normal Work” as Shenzhen Lockdown Lifts
22 MARCH 2022 - It’s back to work for the Foxconn factories in Shenzhen. A little over a week ago the Chinese government put Shenzhen into lockdown in an attempt to stop a sudden uptick in COVID cases in the region. If a business wasn’t supplying food, fuel, or essential goods or services, workers either had to work from home or not work at all, in theory. I say “in theory” because Foxconn was able to restart production, employing what’s called a “closed loop” system.
Expectations were that the lockdown would last until at least 20 March. Now there’s word that things are back to running normally. Apple Insider highlights a Reuters report that has Foxconn saying it’s “basically resumed normal work order and production operations.” This as authorities in Shenzhen lift the latest lockdown.
While things might be running normally, they’re not back to normal. The Reuters piece has Foxconn saying that production has resumed “under the premise of abiding by epidemic prevention policies and strictly implementing epidemic prevention and control.” One assumes that includes masks, social distancing where possible, and other mitigation measures. Part of Shenzhen is still “high risk,” according to the report, with orders that workers who can work from home continue to do so.
ASML CEO Says Chip Shortage Will Persist Two More Years at Least
Image Louis Reed via Unsplash
22 MARCH 2022 - One company says it’s going to be at least a couple of years before chip supply catches up with chip demand. That’s not the word from somebody who makes chips. That’s the word from somebody who makes the machines that make the chips. The Financial Times has heard that word from Peter Wennink. He’s the CEO of ASML. According to the piece, “ASML’s machines are used to etch circuits into silicon wafers.” The paper has Richard Windsor, tech analyst at Radio Free Mobile, identifying ASML as “the single most critical company in the semiconductor supply chain… It is the printing press of silicon chips.” And its CEO says:
Next year and the year after there will be shortages… We’re going to ship more machines this year than last year and . . . more machines next year than this year. But it will not be enough if we look at the demand curve. We really need to step up our capacity significantly more than 50 per cent. That will take time.
Dutch Fines Against Apple Hit €45 Million in Dating App Payment Fight
22 MARCH 2022 - Another week, another €5 million. TechCrunch says Apple and the Netherlands’ Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) have failed to reach an agreement on how Apple will implement third-party payment systems for operators of dating apps in the Dutch App Store. Apple has offered a plan for such a system, though the ACM was not turned on by it. As a result, they’ve been fining Apple €5 million-per-week. That ends next week, not because anyone expects a resolution but because €50 million is as high as the fine is allowed to go. Yesterday’s fine brought the total demanded to €45 million.
Then again, maybe they will reach an agreement. The TechCrunch piece has the ACM saying that Apple has submitted “new proposals…” In a statement, the organization said:
We will now assess the substance of these proposals… In that context, we will also sit down with various market participants. Our aim is to complete this assessment as soon as possible.
Vestager Brandishes Bigger Fines and Breaking Up Offenders
While €5 million-a-week is a lot of money, no it isn’t - at least not where a company like Apple is concerned. In cases like this, the head of the European Commission’s competition arm, Margrethe Vestager, thinks the fines levied need to be an amount that companies like Apple will actually feel. 9 to 5 Mac highlights an interview between Vestager and The Verge, which sounds like a cop show, but isn’t.
The way Vestager sees it, the Digital Markets Act - a set of pan-European laws aimed at curbing the perceived anticompetitive power of big tech - Digital Markets Act punishments would get tougher as demands go unmet. According to Vestager:
…in the Digital Markets Act, there is a full toolbox where the sanctions become more and more severe. The fines will increase if you do not implement changes. Eventually, in the toolbox, there’s also the tool that you can actually break up a company if no change is happening, or if you are a repeat offender.
You know, my tool box came with nothing. I kind of feel hosed.
iPhone SE Does Okay Being Dropped on Its Face
Image via Apple
22 MARCH 2022 - iPhone SE fares fairly well in drop tests, though a case is still recommended. That’s the word from Allstate Protection Plans, by way of iMore. Allstate Protection Plans does what it sounds like - offers coverage for gadgets and gizmos. That gives them an interest in how durable such devices are.
By Allstate’s account, the side of iPhone SE you talk into, or - really - stare into, is pretty solid. Dropped from a height of six-feet onto its face, iMore says the phone “only suffered minor scrapes…” Drop it on its back though, and it’s a different story. Allstate Protection VP Jason Siciliano sings the phone’s praises and sounds the alarm. Quoting the VP:
With the 3rd generation iPhone SE, Apple has created a truly durable phone that doesn't break the bank. It survived one drop from six feet on its front and side, which is impressive. While it didn't survive a back-down drop from six feet, putting it in a case should help… While its $429 price point makes the new iPhone SE a more affordable option, it can cost up to $299 to repair.
To limit financial risk, Siciliano suggests a case, a screen protector, and - this will come as a shock - a protection plan. I wonder if he has any to recommend…
Report: User Upgrades of Mac Studio SSD Software Blocked
Image via Apple
22 MARCH 2022 - Mac Studio seems to ship with Apple’s usual, technological “Keep Out” sign. A piece from MacRumors says the SSD storage on Apple’s latest desktop is easy to take out, but not easy to replace or upgrade. YouTuber Luke Miani says that is thanks to a software block. According to MacRumors:
Initial teardowns suggested that the Mac Studio's storage could be upgradeable since it is not soldered in place. Each Mac Studio contains two internal SSD slots, and the SSDs themselves can be freely swapped between the connectors.
Miani wondered whether that made upgrading on his own a possibility. So, the piece says:
Miani wiped the SSD of a Mac Studio, removed it from the machine, and inserted it into an empty SSD slot in another Mac Studio, but the Mac's status light blinked SOS and would not boot.
The piece says the machine sees the SSD. It recognizes it as SSD. And it won’t play. MacRumors says such behavior suggests “that this is a conscious decision by Apple to prevent users from upgrading their storage themselves. On its website,” the piece continues:
…Apple claims that the Mac Studio's SSD storage is “not user accessible” and encourages users to configure the device with enough storage at the point of purchase.
The site figures the lack of solder on the SSDs is to make work easier for authorized repairs, not to accommodate people who want to go under the hood of the thing for which they paid several thousand dollars.
Studio Display Packs 64GB Storage (Uses Less Than 2GB)
Image via Apple
22 MARCH 2022 - Apple’s new Studio Display is turning into quite the mystery machine. Over the weekend we learned that it runs the latest version of iOS. Now, a number of reports - including one from 9 to 5 Mac - say the 5K display packs 64GB of onboard storage. Why? Make up your own reason! It uses less that 2GB, according to the report. 9 to 5 Mac says:
It makes sense that the Studio Display would need some amount of onboard storage, primarily because the display supports software updates and storage space is required to perform those updates. 64GB, however, seems incredibly excessive if it’s there simply for software updates.
Then again, it may seriously just be leftover storage. The piece points out that Studio Display is powered by Apple’s A13 Bionic processor. That is the same processor that powered iPhone 11. That phone shipped with 64GB of storage minimum. 9 to 5 Mac figures Apple probably “produced millions of A13 Bionic chips with 64GB of onboard storage,” and is simply using those for the latest display.
Studio Display Activates “Hey Siri” for Some Older Macs
22 MARCH 2022 - I may have missed this when Studio Display was announced, but we know where some of the A13 Bionic’s strength is going. A piece from MacRumors says some older Macs that do not support “Hey Siri” gain that support when plugged into a Studio Display. According to the report:
…while “Hey Siri” normally requires a MacBook Pro released in 2018 or later, the feature can be used on 2016 and 2017 models of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro while connected to a Studio Display. Likewise, while "Hey Siri" normally requires an iMac released in 2020 or later, the feature can be used on 2017 through 2019 models of the 21.5-inch iMac and 27-inch iMac while connected to a Studio Display.
Mounts and Stands for Studio Display Are Interchangeable
Image via Apple
22 MARCH 2022 - If you regret not going with the $400 adjustable stand option for your Studio Display, good (?) news. While it had been thought that the stand chosen in the initial purchase would be the stand with which you were stuck, you are not. A piece from iDownloadBlog says it had been reported that the mounts and stands for Studio Display were not interchangeable. The site says it turns out that that is not the case, and that an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Providers should be able to switch one for the other without switching the whole display.
Studio Display’s Non-Removable Power Cord Is Totally Removable, But You Totally Shouldn’t
22 MARCH 2022 - Studio Display has an unremovable power cord that can actually be removed, but totally probably shouldn’t be. According to a piece from The Mac Observer, Apple says the power cord on the 5K display is not removable. The device actually ships with the cord attached.
But you can remove it.
But you shouldn’t. Not without a special tool, anyway. “Doing so safely,” says the piece:
…requires a special tool (…) This tool, a large circular drum with a handle, allows the user to wrap the power cable around before pulling it free from the monitor.
If you’re wondering why Apple would go with such a convoluted solution, have you even met Apple? Actually, The Mac Observer figures the special cord has to do with Studio Display’s wafer thinness. While Apple has offered no explanation, TMO figures:
One possible reason could be the fact that the Studio Display is relatively thin, compared with other stand-alone monitors. As such, it wouldn’t be able to accommodate the standard C13 power cord. Such a power cord requires a C14 inlet that the thin form factor of the Studio Display is too narrow to accommodate.
Porsche CEO Teases “Exciting Common Projects” with Apple
Image by donations welcome from Pixabay
21 MARCH 2022 - Drivers! Start your speculating engines! MacRumors says the CEO of Porsche says his company, which makes cars, has discussed “exciting common projects” with Apple, which is rumored to want to make cars.
Oliver Blume is the CEO of Porsche. Citing a Reuters report, MacRumors says:
Blume said that Porsche and Apple traditionally cooperate closely and are "on the same wavelength," and managers from Porsche travelled to the United States late last year to discuss joint projects with Apple.
"We already have Apple CarPlay, we will expand on that," Blume added.
The piece says the two companies have worked on non-CarPlay, in-car infotainment features as well. That’s said by the piece to include “a native Apple Music app with time-synced lyrics and a native Apple Podcasts app that works with Porsche's in-car voice assistant.”
What does all of this mean for Apple Car? My guess is nothing. That said, over the years I’ve been wrong about more things than I can count. That’s partly because I sometimes get things wrong, and partly because I’m not that great at counting.
Some Build-Quality Complaints Around Latest iPad Air
Image via Apple
21 MARCH 2022 - Apple’s latest iPad Air does not feel up to snuff to some. iMore's Stephen Warwick is tracking a thread on Reddit that has owners of the fifth generation iPad Air, announced a couple of weeks ago and released last Friday, complaining of quality issues. The post that kicked it off had someone with two new, blue iPad Airs saying:
The aluminium backplate is a lot thinner than on the iPad 4 which I also have. You can almost feel the battery through the plate when you hold the device. Both iPads have the same feeling and are making creaking noises when you hold them. This did not happen on the iPad Air 4.
They said they were returning the devices. A follow-up post had a new owner saying they felt the same way about their blue iPad Air. “More than OK once I put it in my folio case,” said the second person, “but feels weird when naked…”
I assume they mean without a case on their iPad, but - you do you. “Blue” is a commonality for many of the complaints, though not all. iMore says:
While some users said they had not experienced this, and others suggested it was a problem specific to the blue iPad, one user stated they had found the same issue with the Space Grey and had returned their device to an Apple store, adding they tried all of the colors and felt the same issue, although Apple reportedly disagreed.
Mr. Warwick points out that none of the reviews he saw mentioned build quality issues in a bad way. In fact, he says, many actually praised the build quality of the device.
Maybe it was a bad batch? Maybe a mild psychosis? The thing’s been out for about 72-hours. Let’s listen closely over the next 72.
Gruber: Apple Studio Display Runs iOS 15.4
Image via Apple
21 MARCH 2022 - We found out something crazy about Apple’s new Studio Display to end the week last week. While we already knew that the 27-inch 5K display was powered an A13 Bionic chip, what we did not know was that the monitor runs iOS - specifically iOS 15.4. That’s the version released just last week by Apple.
Cult of Mac highlights the findings of Daring Fireball's John Gruber. He’s the one who found out that users can check Studio Display’s firmware, and he’s the one who found out it’s currently running the latest version of iOS or - I guess iPadOS, maybe. The piece says the Display firmware “carries the build number 19E241,” which Gruber points out is “the same build number as iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4.”
Which are seriously really totally different operating systems.
One wants to say that the possibilities for a display running iOS or iPadOS are limitless. They are being limited by Apple, though. Just because it runs iOS doesn’t mean you can use it like an iPod touch.
An Update on Webcam Worries
Gruber did also comment on the webcam issues with Studio Display. Apple said last week that they would be fixed with a software update. Gruber says he’s heard that as well from a few sources. Quoting the daring fireballer:
Multiple little birdies familiar with the Studio Display, each birdie independent of the others, tell me that the image quality problems really are a software problem… A bug introduced at the last minute.
He goes on to suggest:
A future software update might not merely somewhat improve image quality, but raise it to a level commensurate with the iPad [Pro] models equipped with the same camera…
Apple Updates Boot Camp with Studio Display Support
21 MARCH 2022 - It’s hard to imagine that this is a big group, but if you’re an Intel Mac user running Windows and wanting to employ Apple’s Studio Display, you’re in luck. Apple Insider says Apple has updated Boot Camp to make that possible for… all eight of you, probably. According to the piece:
Apple updates Boot Camp periodically to introduce support for new hardware, along with typical compatibility and performance improvements. In a March update of the software, Apple has enabled Boot Camp to work with the new Studio Display.
In addition to that compatibility, the piece says Boot Camp version 6.1.17 “also includes AMD graphics driver updates.”
Porter and Backo Join Apple TV+ Series “The Changeling”
21 MARCH 2022 - Two more cast members have been announced for the Apple TV+ series “The Changeling.” Based on the novel by Victor LaValle, Deadline says the lives of rare book dealer Apollo, his wife Emmy, and their baby go from quirky to blessed to nightmarish. When it announced the series back in August, Apple was pretty enigmatic, saying:
“The Changeling” is a fairytale for grown-ups. A horror story, a parenthood fable and a perilous odyssey through a New York City you didn’t know existed.
LaKeith Stanfield had already been announced for Apollo. New to the cast are Clark Backo as Apollo’s wife Emmy, and Adina Porter, who will play Lillian - Apollo’s mother. No word when the series will land in Apple’s stream.
“Squid Games” SAG Winner Hoyeon Jung Joins Apple TV+ Series “Disclaimer”
Hoyeon Jung - Image via Access Hollywood/YouTube
21 MARCH 2022 - A “Squid Games” award winner is joining an upcoming Apple TV+ series. Deadline says SAG Award recipient Hoyeon Jung will join Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline in the series “Disclaimer” from Oscar winning director Alfonso Cuarón. Other names of note in “Disclaimer” include BAFTA and Golden Globe winner Sacha Baron Cohen and Academy award nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee. He’s up for an Oscar this year for Best Supporting Actor in The Power of the Dog.
CODA and “Ted Lasso” Take Top Honors at PGA Awards
21 MARCH 2022 - The film CODA and the series “Ted Lasso” just keep racking up awards. Apple Insider says the two titles picked up two more trophies at the 33rd annual Producers Guild Awards over the weekend. On the TV side, the piece says “Ted Lasso” walked away with the Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television - Comedy. CODA’s win may be a bigger deal, though - or more indicative of bigger things to come. The piece says the film won the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures. That’s a big deal for a couple of reasons - first, it’s the first time a film from a streaming service has won the award, and second, the piece says, “the PGA awards are considered an indicator of probable success for the Oscar's Best Picture category.” The PGA best picture has matched the Oscars best picture 22 of the last 32 years. “Since 2009, when both awards changed systems to preferential voting,” the piece says, “there were only three occasions where the awards failed to match.”
For those keeping score at home, I think we’re close to done with awards season talk. The big one for films - the Academy Awards - will be held this coming Sunday 27 March.
Counterpoint: Global 5G Sales Beat 4G Sales for First Time in January
18 MARCH 2022 - It’s been a long time coming, but it looks like 2022 will be the year for 5G. Counterpoint Research is out with monthly handset sales for January. By the firm’s reckoning, sales of 5G handsets beat sales of 4G for the first time that month. It was not a big beat. Sales of 5G handsets accounted for 51% of acquisitions, according to the report, squeaking past 4G’s 49%. 5G’s been rising though, 4G’s been falling, and all of that is expected to continue.
According to the firm, “China, North America and Western Europe were the biggest drivers of this growth. China had the highest 5G penetration in the world at 84% in January.” That was thanks to wireless carriers pushing 5G in the middle kingdom, as well as a slew of locally made, competitively priced 5G smartphone offerings. Western Europe was second in terms of 5G penetration, coming it at 76%. North America was not far behind with 5G penetration of 73%. A lot of that was thanks to iPhone. The way Counterpoint sees it, iPhone accounted for 50% of smartphone sales in North America and 30% in Western Europe. “These regions are expected to continue contributing substantially to 5G sales globally,” says the firm:
…as even without offering competitive specs, there is an immense and ongoing demand for a 5G upgrade within the iOS user base. This demand is also fueled by iPhone users who are ready for new devices after years of holding on to their older iPhones. For many, holding periods are nearing four years, the average replacement cycle for iPhones.
Report: Pegatron to Start iPhone 12 Production in India
18 MARCH 2022 - Apple seems to be getting more serious about making iPhones in India. Earlier this week we heard that the troubled Foxconn factory in Chennai will start producing iPhone 13 next month. Now, a piece from India’s Economic Times says Pegatron is set to start producing iPhone 12 on the subcontinent, soon. That’ll be followed by iPhone 13 - at least it will if secret people said to know something about something know anything. Economic Times gets this intel from an unnamed someone said to be “directly aware of the matter…” Apple did not respond to the site’s request for comment.
Reports earlier this week indicated that the iPhone 13s slated to come from Foxconn’s Chennai facility would be for both India’s domestic consumption as well as export to other regions. That seems to be the supposition around the Pegatron move as well. While a lot of the Economic Times report is focused on the growing appetite for iPhone in India, the piece has Navkender Singh, research director at IDC, indicating that such moves could be a way for Apple to not have so much of its iPhone manufacturing in the one basket that is China. However, in his opinion, “India needs to do more in areas like labour laws, scale of operations permitted, etc., for the long-term positioning as a serious alternative to China…”
Users Say macOS 12.3 Update Bricking Mac with Replaced Logic Boards
Image via Apple
18 MARCH 2022 - If you have a Mac that’s had its logic board replaced and you’ve not updated to macOS Monterey 12.3, you might want to hold off for a bit. A piece from MacRumors says that update, released earlier this week, appears to be bricking some such machines. “As chronicled on an Apple Developer forum thread,” MacRumors says:
…users who attempt to update their Mac to macOS 12.3 from macOS 12.2.1 or earlier are met with errors, endless restart loops, and possibly a bricked Mac. The reports are limited to just Macs that have had their logic boards replaced, specifically new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.
The good news - Apple has instructions for reviving both an Apple silicon Mac and an Intel-based Mac. The bad news - it requires a second Mac. Those instruction are not in response to the latest upgrade issue. Apple has yet to address the bricking update issue, according to the report.
Studio Display Webcam Issues Will Get Software Fix
18 MARCH 2022 - Reviews are out for Apple’s Studio Display. That’s the new 27-inch 5K Retina display Apple introduced last week alongside the new Mac Studio. I glanced at a few headlines and reviews of the display seem mostly positive with one big negative noted. Performance of the built-in webcam is said by some to be subpar. Good news though - the word from Apple is that the issue is software related, not hardware. A piece from The Verge had an Apple spokesperson acknowledging the issue. The spokesperson says the company “discovered an issue where the system is not behaving as expected.” They says they will “be making improvements in a software update,” though the company offered no timeline for that fix.