Apple TV+ Hits with First Look at July’s “Black Bird”
Paul Walter Hauser and Taron Egerton in “Black Bird” - Via Apple TV+
04 APRIL 2022 - Apple TV+ hit with a first look at the limited drama series “Black Bird.” Inspired by actual events, the streamer’s press release says the series is adapted from the true crime memoir “In with the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption” by James Keene and Hillel Levin.
Smart to shorten that up.
Taron Egerton plays Jimmy Keene, son of a policeman and convicted dealer of drugs. Hit with a ten-year prison sentence with no chance of parole, he is given a way to a shorter stint: “enter a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall,” get him to confess to some murders, and say where the bodies are buried. Of course, Hall’s the definition of “bad guy,” so he could be lying. Apple TV+ says the “dramatic and captivating story subverts the crime genre by enlisting the help of the very people put behind bars to solve its mysteries.”
Paul Walter Hauser plays Hall. Sepideh Moafi, Greg Kinnear, and Ray Liotta also feature. Six-episodes total. The first two premier on Friday 8 July.
Apple TV+ Teases “Prehistoric Planet”
04 APRIL 2022 - News of a nature documentary for Apple TV+ 66 million years in the making. The streaming service issued a press release over the weekend announcing “Prehistoric Planet,” a five-night event beginning Monday 23 May. According to the release:
“…Prehistoric Planet” combines award-winning wildlife filmmaking, the latest paleontology learnings and state-of-the-art technology to unveil the spectacular habitats and inhabitants of ancient Earth for a one-of-a-kind immersive experience.
Jon Favreau is one of the producers. He directed the more realistic looking version of Disney’s The Jungle Book. Visual effects will be handled by MPC. They gave the more realistic looking version of Disney’s The Jungle Book its look. “Narrated by Sir David Attenborough and featuring an original score by multiple Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer,” Apple TV+ says:
“Prehistoric Planet” presents little-known and surprising facts of dinosaur life set against the backdrop of the environments of Cretaceous times, including coasts, deserts, freshwater, ice worlds and forests. From revealing eye-opening parenting techniques of Tyrannosaurus rex to exploring the mysterious depths of the oceans and the deadly dangers in the sky, “Prehistoric Planet” brings Earth’s history to life like never before.
In a five-night event. That’s the weirdest part to me. Episodes will hit one-per-day from 23 May through 27 May. I appreciate Apple’s willingness to play with scheduling and releases. And I really wish I knew what they’re playing at.
The video looks great, by the way. Two pieces from which to choose - an official teaser and an official sneak peek. Both stand ready to stream on YouTube.
Updates for Everything Apple
Apple Fixes Battery Drain, Plugs Security Hole with iOS/iPadOS 15.4.1
01 APRIL 2022 - A big day of small updates to end the week - a few with potentially serious security implications. A piece from iDownloadBlog says Apple released iOS 15.4.1 and iPadOS 15.4.1 on Thursday. According to the piece, both “include bug fixes and security updates.” On the bug fixing side, the updates:
Address an issue where the battery might drain too fast after updating to iOS/iPadOS 15.4
Fix an issue where braille devices might quit “while navigating text or displaying an alert”
Tackle a problem where Made for iPhone/iPad hearing devices might disconnect from some third-party apps
As for the potentially serious security thing, Apple says both the iOS update and the iPadOS update “fix an out-of-bounds vulnerability that could let an app run arbitrary code with kernel privileges.” In its security notes, the Cupertino-company says it “is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.”
The updates are available now through Settings on a target iPhone or iPad.
Apple Releases Bug Squishing, Security Fixing macOS 12.3.1 Update
Moving to the Mac, a piece from MacRumors says Apple on Thursday released macOS Monterey 12.3.1. This one is largely about connectivity - namely maintaining it. Problems addressed include one where “USB-C or Thunderbolt external display does not turn on when connected to Mac mini (2018) as a second display.” It also hits an issue where “Bluetooth devices, such as game controllers, may disconnect from your Mac after playing audio through some Beats headphones.”
Those are annoying, though for important fixes, we turn again to Apple’s security notes. According to Apple, macOS 12.3.1 fixes the same “out-of-bounds vulnerability” addressed in the iOS and iPadOS updates. A similar sounding vulnerability is addressed in Intel Graphics Driver. In both cases, Apple says it’s heard that the vulnerabilities “may have been actively exploited.”
“And the Rest…”
Wanna know exactly what watchOS 8.5.1 and tvOS 15.4.1 do? Too bleepin’ bad. MacRumors says the one for Apple Watch totes security updates and bug fixes, though a check of Apple’s security page says the update “has no published CVE entries.” Similarly, a piece from iMore says the tvOS update brings “minor bug fixes and improvements” to Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K.
When it comes to HomePod Software 15.4.1, Apple is a bit more chatty. A piece from MacRumors says that one “fixes an issue that could cause some HomeKit accessories to fail to respond when controlled via Siri voice commands.”
All of the updates are free, because what’s it been - a decade or more since they stopped charging for updates? They’re all available in the same old usual ways.
Report: Apple Considering First Ever NAND from Chinese Firm
Image via Yangtze Memory Technologies
01 APRIL 2022 - A story from Bloomberg (via Yahoo Finance) that seems both weird and not. According to the report:
Apple Inc. is exploring new sources of the memory chips that go into iPhones, including its first Chinese producer of the critical component…
The company is said to be considering that after a batch of NAND flash from a Japanese supplier was contaminated back in February. I say the story seems both weird and not. On the weird side, given the current political climate - feels like a strange time for Apple to become more reliant on China. Then again, adding a brand new supplier would mean diversifying the supply chain, something Apple might want to do given how kinked the supply chain’s been. Staying on the weird side, isn’t it surprising to hear that, in all these flash-filled years, Apple’s never bought from China before? Making it feel not weird - stuff’s made in China.
Kind of feels like the weird might outweigh the not-weird. Then again, Apple is regularly applauded for its supply chain acumen. If this is how they keep that running, that may be fine with them. Of course, none of this may come to pass. The piece has secret people saying that Apple is currently “testing sample NAND flash memory chips made by (…) Yangtze Memory Technologies.” The Cupertino-company is said to have been considering a deal with Yangtze “for months though no final decisions have been made,” according to the report.
Apple Business Essentials Open to All Small Business in U.S.
Image via Apple Business Essentials Page
01 APRIL 2022 - Apple Business Essentials has gone wide in the U.S. After months in beta, the Cupertino-company says the service is now open to all small businesses in the states. According to a press release from the company:
The new service brings together device management, 24/7 Apple support, and iCloud storage into flexible subscription plans. Apple also unveiled new AppleCare+ for Business Essentials options that can be added to any plan. Additionally, a two-month free trial will be available to all customers, including those who have been using Apple Business Essentials in beta.
The piece says the service:
…[allows] a small business to easily configure, deploy, and manage Apple products from anywhere. With the Collections feature, groups of apps can be delivered to employees or teams, and settings can be automatically pushed to devices, such as VPN configurations, Wi-Fi passwords, and more.
Plans start at $2.99 per user, per month after the two-month free trial. Adding AppleCare+ for Apple Business Essentials adds seven-bucks-a-month. More information is available at apple.com/business/essentials.
Business Insider: Nameless Peeps Say Apple TV+ Hard to Work with or Something
01 APRIL 2022 - Apparently, working with Apple TV+ sucks - so say secret people from Hollywood. MacRumors highlights a report from Business Insider that has people who’ve worked with or for the Cupertino-streamer in the past saying they can be difficult and don’t always know how entertainment law works and they promote like they’re promoting an iPhone, and this is content!
I will say, I did wonder as Apple TV+ was ramping up how Apple would do at the promotion thing. So much of Apple is built on secrecy, while so much of Hollywood is built on buzz. Here’s what I can’t help wondering: Why is this story coming out less than a week after Apple TV+ became the first streaming service with a Best Picture Oscar? Could it have anything to do with Apple TV+ becoming the first streaming service with a Best Picture Oscar less than a week ago?
One person defended Apple TV+ to Business Insider, pointing out that Apple is new to the whole content thing. Still this whole thing is pretty damning, what with film and TV studios known for the ease and laidback nature with which they work…
Report: Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans Teaming (Again) for Apple TV+ Film
From the Twitter Feed of Chris Evans
01 APRIL 2022 - It looks like Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans will make another run at another movie for Apple TV+. The two MCU “Avengers” were supposed to reunite on the Cupertino-streamer’s film Ghosted, though Johansson had to bail due to a scheduling conflict. Now, a piece from Deadline says they’re scheduled to share the screen in the Apple TV+ film Project Artemis, under the direction of Ozark and Hancock star Jason Bateman. “…set against the space race” is about all that’s known of the plot at this point. Off screen, the deal is said to have been a big one - believed to have cost Apple over $100 million.
While Apple has not announced the project, Chris Evans seems to have confirmed it. The actor quoted a Tweet of the Deadline story, adding the response “Very excited!!!”
With three exclamation points to show just how excited he is.
I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited to hear who they’re gonna replace Scarlett Johansson with…
Apple TV+ Announces Five-Part Makur Maker Docuseries
Image via Apple TV+
01 APRIL 2022 - News of a docuseries about a basketball player coming to Apple TV+ in late April. I know what you’re thinking, “We’ve heard about ‘They Call Me Magic,’” but this is not that one. 9 to 5 Mac says Apple has announced another docuseries about another basketball player, premiering the same day as the Magic Johnson docuseries.
“The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball” tells the story Makur Maker. According to the report:
The docuseries is an intimate look at Makur’s life as a student athlete with a dream of making it to the NBA, while unexpected physical challenges and a global pandemic threatens his college career. Off the courts, “The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball” explores how his journey from fleeing war-torn South Sudan as a child and his tight-knit support system led him to go to a historically black university, and in turn, allowed him to make an impactful statement in the wake of America’s cultural response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
I’m not ashamed to say I’ve never even heard of this guy and now I kind of want to watch the series. And whoever wants to will get to, soon. All five episodes of “The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball” hit Apple TV+ on Friday 22 April.
Apple TV+ Outs Trailer for “It's The Small Things, Charlie Brown”
Image via YouTube
01 APRIL 2022 - The next Charlie Brown special for Apple TV+ has a trailer. iMore says the Cupertino-streamer has let fly with a little bit of video from “It's The Small Things, Charlie Brown.” Describing the special, the piece says:
In celebration of Earth Day, "It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown" follows Sally's bond with a special little flower on the baseball field that may spell disaster for the big game. For Charlie Brown and the team, it's just the inspiration they need to make a positive impact on their environment.
All that, plus a new song from Ben Folds. How can you beat it? "It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown” hits Apple TV+ on Friday 15 April, a week ahead of Earth Day on 22 April. You can see a trailer for it now on YouTube.
Just because Earth Day ends doesn’t mean the world does (fingers corssed0. A couple weeks after the “Small Things” premier, the Peanuts gang continues its environmental focus on Apple TV+. The older special “It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown” will land in Apple’s stream on Friday 29 April, which - funny enough - is actually Arbor Day.
iPhone Demand Versus Smartphone Demand
Image via Apple
BofA Discounts Talk of Waning iPhone Demand
31 MARCH 2022 - Conflicting stories on smartphones mid-week - one specific to iPhone, and one about smartphones in general. On the iPhone-specific side, CNBC had analysts with Bank of America balking at talk of reduced orders for iPhone SE. Nikkei ran a report earlier this week saying that Apple had reduced orders for its most budget-friendly phone due to a lack of demand. That report’s sentiment was seconded by TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
BofA’s not buying it. CNBC has the bank’s analysts saying in a note:
While these articles might lead some investors to think there is risk to demand, we believe demand for iPhones remains strong based on our analysis of iPhone trade-in prices…
The firm points out that trade-in prices went down after the launch of iPhone SE. Max trade-in for an iPhone 12 Pro before the SE release was $700. Post release, that max dropped down to $650. CNBC has the analysts arguing that “this shows demand is still strong since Apple doesn’t need to pay as much to convince people to trade in older iPhones for new models.”
Also, a BofA global survey from January showed 25% of respondents rocking an iPhone 8 or earlier. Quoting their note again:
We see this as an opportunity for driving a replacement cycle… Apple could be targeting to upgrade these users to a newer iPhone which could be a reason Apple still accepts the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models for trade-in in China but not in the U.S. and UK.
Bank of America has a “Buy” rating on Apple shares. The firm’s price target on the shares is $215.
TSMC Chairman Warns of Waning CE Interest
When the Nikkei story hit earlier this week, I wondered whether concerns over inflation and war may weigh more than a new iPhone right now. A piece from MacRumors supposes something similar, thanks to comments from TSMC Chairman Mark Liu.
The piece has Mr. Liu indicating that “Demand for consumer electronics like smartphones and PCs is slowing due to continued geopolitical uncertainties and new COVID-related lockdowns in China…” Speaking at the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association, Apple’s chip partner also warned about the rising cost to chipmakers, a pressure that “could eventually be passed on to consumers…”
Apple Drops Separate Binary Clause for Dating Apps in Dutch App Store
31 MARCH 2022 - Earlier this week we heard something hopeful from regulators in Holland around their ongoing fight with Apple. Since the tail end of last year, Dutch authorities have inststed that Apple make it possible for dating apps in the App Store in the Netherlands to employ third-party payment solutions, rather than being bound to Apple’s in-app payment mechanism. Apple submitted a proposal in February that was rejected by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets. One of the biggest gripes was Apple’s requirement that, to make third-party payments work for apps in the Dutch App Store, developers would need a separate version of their app specifically for that store. Now, Apple has dropped that condition. According to a piece from Apple Insider:
Apple no longer requires Dutch developers to submit separate binaries for dating apps using external payment methods, but the feature is still limited to the Netherlands.
One assumes that this was the change referred to by Dutch authorities earlier this week. The week started with regulators saying in a statement that they welcomed Apple's latest concession, and that “the adjusted proposal should result in definitive conditions for dating-app providers that wish to use the App Store.” That said, it sounds like there’s still a bit to hammer out, including Apple providing “more-specific criteria to evaluate non-Apple payment service providers that developers may use.”
Apple Allowing External Links to Account Management for “Reader” Apps
31 MARCH 2022 - Apple seems to be making business easier for reader apps. Clam down, anti-poindexter, we’re not talking about actual reading, necessarily. As a piece from TechCrunch explains, reader apps are “apps designed primarily to provide access to some sort of digital content, like magazines, books, audio, music, or video.” The piece says Apple let developers know Wednesday that they will be able “to link to an external website where users can create or manage their accounts with the app developer.”
Peace in our time? Maybe, but still kind of a pain in the backside. The Netflixes and Spotifys of the world can’t just hit the links. Rather, TechCrunch says:
…Apple instructs developers to apply for something it calls the External Link Account Entitlement in order to provide this functionality in their own apps. An entitlement is something Apple uses when it wants to still have control over the situation in terms of which developers can implement a certain feature. That is, instead of just changing the App Store rules so this type of behavior is broadly permitted for apps in the supported category, the entitlement process requires developers to ask and then receive approval for this special use case. This way, Apple can very carefully vet the apps being allowed to add the links…
Plenty more rules where those came from. It’s not nothin’, though it’s not likely to make everybody happy. Because - seriously - these days, what does?
Apple Shares Break 11-Session Winning Streak
AAPL One Week Chart Ending 03.30.2022 - via Apple Stocks
31 MARCH 2022 - As days go, the 11 experienced by Apple shares weren’t bad. A piece from MarketWatch says ticker symbol AAPL rallied nearly 19% over their 11-session winning streak, “increasing valuation by $462 billion.” It was the longest streak for Apple shares since their 12-session streak in 2003. And it is over. Apple shares lost two-thirds of a percentage point on Wednesday, ending the day down a-buck-19, closing at 177.77.
Interesting. Not important.
Report: Apple Falls Prey to Forged Emergency Data Requests
Image by Dr StClaire from Pixabay
31 MARCH 2022 - Krebs on Security ran an in-depth piece on a scary new scam this week, that’s seeing ne’er-do-wells get info from big companies by pretending to be law enforcement. It’s kind of convoluted, but stick with me. If law enforcement wants info on an individual or group, it needs a court order. “But,” (and don’t you like to hear that) Krebs says:
…in certain circumstances — such as a case involving imminent harm or death — an investigating authority may make what’s known as an Emergency Data Request (EDR), which largely bypasses any official review and does not require the requestor to supply any court-approved documents.
It seems that hackers have compromised “email accounts and websites tied to police departments and government agencies,” and have started serving these EDR requests. Since “there is no quick and easy way for a company that receives one of these EDRs to know whether it is legitimate,” and since time is thought to be of the essence, it seems the information’s just kind of being handed over.
Why bring this up here? Because Apple may have been one of the companies giving up info for fake EDRs. Bloomberg (via Yahoo Finance) has three secret sources saying that Apple and Facebook have fallen prey to these scams. The piece says the two companies “provided basic subscriber details, such as a customer’s address, phone number and IP address…” Bloomberg says:
The information obtained by the hackers using the forged legal requests has been used to enable harassment campaigns, according to one of the people familiar with the inquiry. The three people said it may be primarily used to facilitate financial fraud schemes. By knowing the victim’s information, the hackers could use it to assist in attempting to bypass account security.
Apple seems to have declined to comment, choosing instead to point Bloomberg toward “a section of its law enforcement guidelines.” The report says:
The guidelines referenced by Apple say that a supervisor for the government or law enforcement agent who submitted the request “may be contacted and asked to confirm to Apple that the emergency request was legitimate…”
Those are words, but I’m not sure they’re really an answer. For its part, Facebook said:
We review every data request for legal sufficiency and use advanced systems and processes to validate law enforcement requests and detect abuse… We block known compromised accounts from making requests and work with law enforcement to respond to incidents involving suspected fraudulent requests, as we have done in this case.
Those are also words, the last seven of which seem to have Facebook saying, “yeah, we got fooled.” Can’t really blame either company - or any company that gets duped. As Krebs on Security points out:
…there are tens of thousands of police jurisdictions around the world — including roughly 18,000 in the United States alone — and all it takes for hackers to succeed is illicit access to a single police email account.
Hey, maybe we should rethink the whole EDR thing.
I know - you’re the doctor. I’m the patient.
Apple TV+ Titles Nab Eight BAFTA TV Nominations
31 MARCH 2022 - You know, I really thought we could be done with awards season for four-to-six weeks. Silly me. The Mac Observer says actors and titles from Apple TV+ have been nominated for a total of eight BAFTA TV awards. I know you think those happened already, but those were the BAFTA film awards. Nominated on the TV side:
“Foundation’s” Leah Harvey for Best Supporting Actress
9/11: Inside the President’s War Room is up for two awards - Single Documentary and Best Editing: Factual
“Earth at Night in Color” gets a nomination for Special Visual & Graphics Effects
“Earth at Night in Color” goes up against another Apple TV+ series, “Tiny World,” for Photograph: Factual
And - going for the hat trick - “Earth at Night in Color” is up for a Sound: Factual award - facing off against another Apple TV+ title - “1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything”
Most of those awards are “craft” awards and will be handed out on 22 April. The Single Documentary and Actor awards will be announced at the less technical ceremony on 8 May.
“CODA” Gets Limited Theatrical Run in U.S.
31 MARCH 2022 - The U.S. is getting another chance to see CODA on the big screen. MarketWatch says Apple plans to put this year’s Oscar winner for Best Picture in more than 600 theaters across the states for a limited release.
Lots of potential community building around the re-release. First, the piece says CODA “will have open captions so that it is accessible to the Deaf community and people who are hard of hearing.” Also, it’s playing where it was played out. MarketWatch says:
One theater participating in the run is Gloucester Cinema, located in Gloucester, Mass., where “CODA” was largely filmed. The theater announced on its Facebook page earlier in the week that the film would be playing there for “one week only” starting Friday, though it posted an update Wednesday saying that it plans to extend showings by another week “as sales have been so strong.”
Commenting on the re-release, Erica Anderson, a member of Apple’s film-distribution team, said:
As our industry recognizes CODA with its highest honor, we’re excited once again to bring this moving film to theaters so that audiences can share in the experience of watching it together.
Apple Q2FY2022 Earnings Call Set for Thursday 28 April
30 MARCH 2022 - Remember when Apple earnings calls were just an hour of excitement? Analysts would way under-guess Apple performance, then Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer would announce numbers that would kick down the door and blow off the roof. The supply chain was just a vague notion for most of us, and world-girding pandemics were the stuff of movies I would avoid.
Oh, to be young again.
Anyhoo, Apple has set the date for its next earnings report. 9 to 5 Mac says the company will let fly with Q2FY2022 numbers on Thursday 28 April. What are we expecting? As has been the way for a couple of years now, Apple did not provide financial guidance for the March-quarter on its last call, though CFO Maestri did offer “directional insights,” based on the assumption that the world wasn’t gonna get any worse. I said then that it felt like he was tempting fate. No, I’m not blaming Maestri for Russia invading Ukraine, I’m just saying look what happens when you assume. At the time, the CFO said:
Apple expected to see year-over-year revenue growth and to set a March-quarter revenue record
The company expected constraints to ease in the supply chain
While revenue would grow, that growth was expected to slow for a couple of reasons - those being foreign exchange headwinds and a tough compare tied to the late launch of the iPhone 12 line in late 2020.
Services revenue was expected to grow, but that growth would also slow, driven by fewer lockdowns this year than last.
It sort of feels like inflation plus Russia’s invasion of Ukraine call those expectations into question. Then again, that’s why they’re color, not guidance.
As for when we’ll hear what we’ll hear next, numbers will hit Apple’s site after the close of trading at 1:30 Pacific/4:30 Eastern on Thursday 28 April. Then, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple CFO Luca Maestri, and various financial analysts will do the conference call thing. That goes off at 2PM/5PM.
You can can be part of the fun, streaming the call as it happens on Apple’s Investor site. If that time’s no good for you, or if you just want to hear it again, Apple will make it available as a podcast soon after. Bloggers will Blog. Twitters will tweet. And we will hit highlights here, on Friday 29 April.
Apple Shares Rise for 11th Consecutive Session
Chart for Apple Shares 29 March 2022 via Apple Stocks App
30 MARCH 2022 - It doesn’t really matter, except that it speaks to current sentiment and it’s kind of neat. The winning streak for Apple shares has extended to eleven consecutive trading sessions. That’s the first time it’s driven past ten since 2003. The longest winning streak for Apple shares is 12 consecutive days, which will make today and tomorrow interesting. Not important, but interesting.
Dutch Foundation Seeks Class Action Suit Against Apple on Behalf of App Store Customers
30 MARCH 2022 - News of a new suit against Apple in the Netherlands. Bloomberg says Holland’s Consumer Competition Claims Foundation is suing Apple for as much as 5 billion euros ($5.5 billion) on behalf of App Store consumers. The piece cites a statement wherein the group argues that Apple’s 30% App Store commission has forced developers to charge more for their apps than they otherwise would, which has forced consumers to spend more than they otherwise would to the tune of - who knows? - maybe as much as 5 billion euros.
I saw an article or two indicate that this was the latest sign of moves against Apple by Dutch authorities, though it’s worth noting - these are not Dutch authorities. The website for the Consumer Competition Claims Foundation says that “the foundation is independent” and that it “operates on a non-profit basis.” Bloomberg says:
The Dutch foundation called on all EU consumers who have bought an app in the App Store or made an Apple in-app purchase since Sept. 2009 to join its class action to be filed in in the Amsterdam District Court.
In other words, a statement from a group almost no one has heard of gets picked up by Bloomberg for clicks. Because it’s Bloomberg, it gets picked up everywhere else, and which developer is going to say, “we would have charged 70-cents for our app, but Apple’s 30% commission pushed us to 99-cents instead?”
Life is a tale, told by a busybody…
Report: Apple and Authorized Service Providers to Decline Repairs on “Missing” iPhones
Image by 3D Animation Production Company from Pixabay
30 MARCH 2022 - You know those things you hear about and immediately think, “how was this not a thing already?” Here comes one now. MacRumors says Apple and Apple Authorized Service Providers will no longer repair iPhones that have been reported as missing.
How was this not a thing already? According to the report:
Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers will now be alerted if an iPhone has been reported as missing in the GSMA Device Registry when a customer brings in the device to be serviced…
It doesn’t sound like they’re required to call the po-po, but if techs get a ping “in their internal MobileGenius or GSX systems indicating that the device has been reported as missing,” MacRumors says techs “are instructed to decline the repair…”
You know, it kind of makes you wonder… How was this not a thing already?