Apple Tightens COVID Restrictions for Apple Park WWDC Viewing Party

25 MAY 2022 - Developers lucky enough to score tickets to Apple’s in-person WWDC viewing party can go with a stick up their nose, and a song in their heart. The song is optional.

MacRumors says Apple has tightened COVID prevention requirements ahead of the 6 June viewing party. Though all of WWDC will be online-only for most, the company said it would host:

…a special day for developers and students at Apple Park on June 6 to watch the keynote and State of the Union videos together, along with the online community.

Then COVID kicked up again. While the event will still happen, tests and masks are a must. “In emails sent out [Tuesday],” MacRumors says:

…Apple informed developers that they will need to wear N95 masks while indoors, and that a negative FDA-approved COVID antigen test is required the day before. Attendees will need to upload their negative test results to Apple's portal before arriving at ‌Apple Park‌.

Canalys: iPhone Sales Grow Slightly in War-Hit Europe

iPhone 13 Pro - Image via Apple

25 MAY 2022 - iPhone pulled off something pretty impressive in Europe last quarter. A piece from 9 to 5 Mac has the market tracker Canalys indicating that Apple grew both European iPhone sales and marketshare last quarter - one of only two companies to do so. Running down the Canalys top-five smartphone makers in Europe for the March-quarter:

• First place Samsung sold an estimated 14.6-million units. While it’s 35% market shares was unchanged from the same quarter a year earlier, units were down about 9%

• Second place Apple sold an estimated 8.9-million units, an increase of 1% year-on-year. That was enough to grow Apple’s market share from 19% to 21%

• Third place Xiaomi saw sales plummet 22%, selling an estimated 8.2-million units. The company’s marketshare dropped from 23% to 20%

• Fourth place realme was the biggest winner in terms of growth. That company sold an estimated 2.1-million units, up a whopping 177% from the 800,000 it’s estimated to have sold in the same quarter a year ago. Its marketshare grew from 2% to 5%

• Fifth place OPPO saw sales fall from an estimated 2-million units to an estimated 1.8-million - a 12% decline. That left the company with a 4% marketshare, same as the year-ago quarter

What happened was war. According to Calays:

Most of the decline in Europe was due to Russia and Ukraine being hit hard. Shipments in the countries fell 31% and 51% respectively compared with Q1 2021… Shipments in the rest of Europe only declined 3.5% year on year, showing that demand remains intact. But the ongoing war has driven inflation to a record level and consumer confidence is falling. The real test for the smartphone market will come in the next two quarters, when the economic impact of the war truly starts to be felt.

Apple Studio Display Waits Stretch to August

Image via Apple

25 MAY 2022 - Add Apple Studio Display to the list of products for which would be buyers will need to wait. We heard yesterday about the seemingly interminable wait for various models of Mac. Now, Cult of Mac says, same goes for the screen. According to the report:

An order placed on Tuesday, May 24 on the U.S. Apple Store for the basic Studio Display won’t ship for 8–10 weeks, according to Apple. That puts the delivery as late at August 2. Or the unit can be picked up at a nearby Apple retail store on August 8.

I’m not sure why the piece says that’s the case for the “basic” studio display. Running through the various glass and stand configurations yields the same 8-10 week wait. As for why, Cult of Mac says, “blame it on COVID-19.” The piece points out that Quanta makes the Studio Display for Apple. According to the Cult:

…efforts by the Chinese government to control the spread of COVID-19 have lead to lockdowns and other restrictions that are hindering assembly of several Apple products at Quanta’s Shanghai facilities.

No doubt COVID-19 is among the hindrances. You’ve gotta figure that component shortages are also playing a part, though.

Unlike the Mac story from earlier this week, it does not look like shopping around will do one a lot of good. While various Mac models are available from several third-party sellers, a quick check Tuesday at B&H Photo and BestBuy showed wait times for the display ranging from a very vague “Coming Soon” to “End of August 2022.”

Apple Plans New Building for Campus in Cork, Ireland

Cathy Kearney has been with Apple for more than three decades and runs the company’s operations in Cork, Ireland. Image via Apple

25 MAY 2022 - Apple is growing its footprint in Ireland. iMore highlights a report from RTE that had Apple announcing a new office building for its campus in Cork. The piece has Cathy Kearney, Apple's VP of European operations, saying:

We've called Cork home for more than 40 years, and are thrilled to accelerate our investments here as we grow our team and expand our campus… We are proud to be part of the community here, and with this new project, we will continue to create new jobs, support local organisations, and drive innovation on behalf of our customers…

While Apple does not say how it will do that, nor by how many it will expand its team, RTE says the new building should be able to host as many a 1,300 workers.

More Cities and Programs Announced for “Today at Apple Creative Studios”

25 MAY 2022 - Apple is going wider with its Today at Apple Creative Studios. The company issued a press release Tuesday, announcing new programs and new locations. “Designed to support young people who face barriers to receiving a quality creative education,” the release says:

…Creative Studios connects participants with mentors from Apple and more than 30 nonprofit community partners who specialize in areas such as books and storytelling, app design, radio and podcasts, and photography, film, and TV. Participants will receive hands-on education, training, and feedback on their projects. In addition to nurturing participants’ creative skills, mentors will encourage them to think about how their talents can encourage social change in their communities. 

This year’s program includes “all-new curricula in app design, podcasting, spatial audio production, and filmmaking.” New cities on the Creative Studios map include Berlin, Miami, Milan, Nashville, Sydney, Taipei, and Tokyo. Programs are also returning to Bangkok, Beijing, Chicago, London, New York City, Paris, and Washington, D.C. Of course, not every program will be available in every city. You can find out more at apple.com/newsroom.

Waze Adds Apple Music Integration

Image (modified) via Waze

25 MAY 2022 - If you’re a Waze user and an Apple Music listener, doing both at once got easier on Tuesday. The navigation app Waze announced on its blog this week that Apple Music now works through its application. “With a direct connection between the apps,” Waze says users “can now access Apple Music content directly from the Waze Audio Player.”

Sort of surprising that this has taken as long as it has. A piece on the announcement from TechCrunch says Waze intro’d its Audio Player over a year ago. Since then it’s added integrations “with several audio partners, including Audible, Deezer, NPR, iHeartRadio, Pandora, YouTube Music and Amazon Music,” according to the report. Even before the Audio Player, Waze has featured Spotify integration since 2017.

Water under the bridge. Spilt milk. Milk… under the bridge. Apple Music integration is possible now. To activate it, TechCrunch says:

• Open the Waze app

• Tap the music note icon to select Apple Music

• Start listening

• Drive safely

Those last two were mine, though I’m sure TechCrunch would also like you to drive safely.

Josh Lucas Joins Apple TV+ Series “Mrs. American Pie”

Josh Lucas - Image via IMDB

25 MAY 2022 - Another name of note is joining “Mrs. American Pie.” Deadline says Josh Lucas has signed onto the series. The show is about a woman from outside Palm Beach high society trying to get into it. Kristen Wiig will star as that woman, Maxine, while Lucas will play her husband. Allison Janney, Ricky Martin, and Laura Dern are also in. Dern also developed the series and will serve as one of its executive producers. No word on a premier date for “Mrs. American Pie.”

Apple TV+ Announces Spanish-Language Crime Drama “Las Azules”

“Las Azules” stars Bárbara Mori, leading an entirely Hispanic cast and crew. Image via Apple TV+

25 MAY 2022 - Apple TV+ has a new Spanish-language crime drama on the way. The Cupertino-streamer issued a press release Tuesday announcing “Las Azules,” based on “true stories of Mexico’s first female police force…” Quoting the release:

Set in 1970 and inspired by true events, “Las Azules” tells the story of four women who defy the ultra-conservative norms of the time and join Mexico’s first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer.

So… you know… they go after the serial killer.

Apple has ordered 10 episodes of the series, which “will feature an entirely Hispanic cast and crew…” The show is in pre-production in Mexico City. No word on when it’ll hit Apple TV+.

Apple Intros New Pride Faces and Bands for Apple Watch

New Apple Watch Pride Faces and Sport Loops - Image via Apple

25 MAY 2022 - Pride is coming up and - as usual - the Apple Watch team wants to deck your wrist for it. The Cupertino-company issued a press release Tuesday announcing a couple of new faces and a couple of new bands “in support of the global LGBTQ+ community and equality movement.”

The two bands are Sport Loops - the sort of nylon woven ones. The Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop features the colors of the rainbow on a black background, while Apple’s Pride Edition Sport Loop has a lighter, whiter motif. What’s particularly neat about that one - it gives a callback to Apple history. According to the press release:

…Apple used a new technique to remove several of the double-layer nylon-woven textile loops on the band to reveal the word “pride” in a cursive style inspired by the original “hello” greeting — displayed on the first Macintosh in 1984 — giving the word a novel, three-dimensional look and feel.

To go along with the Loops, Apple says the new watch face mirrors “the woven loops of the Sport Loop,” where “each strand of vibrant thread contributes to the overall composition of the watch face.” If you can picture the time being told by the strings of a guitar, you’re partway there.

The company is also launching a Shot on iPhone campaign for Pride. Headed to Apple’s Instagram, the company says the campaign “captures the essence of artists and figures within the global LGBTQ+ community.”

Instagram is free, of course. The new watch face is free. The bands will run $49 each. The Nike band will be available to order soon. The non-Nike edition is available to order now from Apple’s site, with support going to benefit a number of LGBTQ+-focused organizations.

Report: Foxconn Restarts Hiring Spree at Zhengzhou’s “iPhone City”

24 MAY 2022 - Early hiring spree: Take two. Early this month we heard word that Foxconn was hiring a surprisingly large number of people. The hiring was happening at the company’s “iPhone City” plant in Zhengzhou. While Foxconn would be expected to hire huge ahead of the anticipated launch of iPhone 14, this felt early for that. Still, some thought that’s what the hiring was for, while others thought it was simply Apple/Foxconn trying to keep up with current demand.

We barely had time to wonder about it. The very next day, Foxconn ended the big hiring push. It actually had to, thanks to a resurgence of COIVD-19 cases in the city, and orders of lockdowns to quell the surge.

Early hiring spree: Take two. According to a piece form Apple Insider:

Foxconn's hiring of staff at its biggest iPhone factory in China is taking place early in preparation for the iPhone 14, after Apple requested for the assembly partner to onboard more workforce members two months ahead of usual.

Citing a report from UDN, the piece says:

The effort is to ensure there's sufficient manpower on hand to build [iPhone 14], and to minimize the impact of local closures and supply chain disruptions from further lockdowns.

Interestingly, UDN’s sources seem to think the early hiring means Apple’s actually ready to start producing iPhone 14 - or will be two-months ahead of usual. According to the piece:

The sources believe that, under Apple's current concerns for production capacity, the company is aiming to stock up on the iPhone 14 at least two months earlier for 2022, with more than 30 million units expected to be produced.

So, I guess we’re just gonna go ahead and start talking about iPhone 14 then.

Eh.

Report: Apple Has Longest Waits for Most Macs

24 MAY 2022 - Macs are still hard to get from Apple, though you might get lucky shopping around. That’s the latest word from 9 to 5 Mac. In late April we heard word that people who’d custom-ordered MacBook Pros in late February were seeing those orders pushed out to June. In May, 9 to 5 Mac said some late February orders were pushing out to July. Now, the latest piece on the issue from the site says:

The stock 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro notebooks are shipping as late as July 28. And direct from Apple, if you upgrade any component, like the M1 Pro/Max chip, RAM, or storage, the shipping time slips to as late as August 8.

It’s hard to see how that could be if Apple’s still pushing February orders to July, but what do I know? Here’s what’s really interesting. According to the report:

…availability is the worst directly from Apple. Various retailers like Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and Best Buy have stock of a variety of MacBook Pro configurations available now.

Same seems to go for some other Mac models. Just because they’re hard to get from Apple does not mean they’re hard to get elsewhere. According to the report, “Apple appears to be giving some level of priority to keeping third-party retailers stocked,” which - if you ask me - totally makes sense. People going to Apple to buy a computer are very likely to wait for a Mac. People going to Best Buy to buy a computer are very likely to leave with a computer. If there are no Macs there, guess what they’re not leaving with.

I’m curious who is waiting how long for what. Did you order something months ago that is still months away? Apple stuff or other stuff - I’m just kind of curious. Let me know: info@macosken.com.

Weighing Anti-Trust Concerns Around Apple

Proposed European Law Could Upend Apple Business Models

24 MAY 2022 - Quoting a piece from Apple Insider, posted last Friday:

A European Parliament committee has advanced an agreement between member states on the Digital Markets Act, which if passed as it presently stands, will force Apple and others to open up otherwise restricted app stores, hardware features, and more.

“End of days” stuff. Ragnarok. According to the piece, the rules:

• Could require Apple to open iPhone to third-party app stores

• Could force Apple to make iMessage interoperable with other messaging apps

• Could “end self-preferencing of first-party apps” in app stores

• Could force Apple to open access to NFC communications technology in its devices

And I feel certain there’s plenty more where that came from.

Failure to comply would be expensive. According to Apple Insider:

The European Commission can levy fines of up to 10% of a company's global revenue from the proceeding financial year. Those fines can reach up to 20% in cases of repeated violations.

The laws could be on the books and enacted by the middle of the third-quarter, according to the report. Sounds serious. But what does money think?

Evercore Sizes Up Anti-Trust Risks for Apple

Over the weekend, Apple 3.0 had Evercore analyst Amit Daryanani doing a “deep dive” on Apple’s anti-trust risks, including those posed by the European Commission. In fact, that was one of four threat vectors eyed by AD-Rock. According to the analyst:

The bill will target side loading and third party payments and could have an ~9% EPS impact if it forces Apple to lower its App Store fee.

While Apple Insider says such rules could change as early as next quarter, Daryanani doesn’t see them hitting until sometime in 2023. Other risks outlined by the analyst:

• The Apple v Epic fight could lead to a less than favorable ruling, though he thinks that that could take years to play out

• Legislation in the US Senate could pose risks, though Daryanani seems to think that the changes from the European Commission will do what the Senate threatened to do

• The U.S. Department of Justice could still bring an anti-trust case against Apple, though the DoJ seems more interested in stopping giant mergers. While Apple says it would be open to those should the right ones come along, it’s pretty much never done one, so there seems little risk

Summing up his note, Daryanani wrote:

The anti-trust landscape is vast and constantly changing, which is why getting an expert perspective can be valuable. Our panel will include experts who work on both the policy and legal sides in both the EU and US. Fundamentally, we think AAPL remains a core name to own.

Expert Opinion

He said they would hear from experts, and they did! Late in the day on Monday, Daryanani posted notes from a webinar featuring Jennifer Rie (Senior Anti-Trust Litigation Analyst, Bloomberg) and Morton Skroejer, (Senior Director for Technology Competition Policy, SIIA). Summing up some of Daryanani’s top takeaways:

• The EC thing is a thing

• However long it takes, Apple likely to win the Epic Fortnite fight

• While the DoJ may bring an anti-trust case against Apple, Daryanani’s experts doubt it will succeed

• While both Democrats and Republicans dislike big tech, the reasons for their dislike are so different that meaningful legislation looks doubtful

• Should the Senate actually get its act together, Facebook and Google would likely feel the brunt, with Amazon and Apple seen as lower priority

Daryanani sums up this note, saying, “Legal and regulatory risk are not going away for big tech, but Apple seems to be relatively better positioned than some of its peers.” He’s got an “Outperform” rating on Apple shares. He’s set Evercore’s price target on the shares at a Street high-tying $210.

9 to 5 Mac: Secret Apple “Network Adapter” Probably for Apple-Use Only

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

24 MAY 2022 - 9 to 5 Mac has word of a secret “Network Adapter” from Apple, though you can probably never have it, according to 9 to 5 Mac. They don’t tell you that part until the end, though.

First, the gear: The site says Apple has filed this “Network Adapter” with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). They handle radio stuff, which a network adapter would be full of. Citing documents shared by the FCC, the piece says:

Apple’s mysterious Network Adapter has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC antennas, plus a USB-C port. (…) the FCC filings also show that the accessory features 32GB of internal storage and 1.5GB of RAM. A second version of the same product has a Lightning port instead of USB-C and only 1GB of RAM.

All of that, and it runs a version of iOS! Now how much would you pay? Well, you can’t and probably never will. 9 to 5 Mac says “Apple has multiple devices registered with the FCC that are intended for internal purposes…” They’re thinking is that this is one of those.

But, who knows?

Apple Music Launches “Essential Anniversaries”

Image via Apple Music

24 MAY 2022 - Are you like me? Constantly wishing for reminders of just how old you actually are? Apple Music to the rescue. iLounge says the streaming music service has launched the “Essentials Anniversaries” collection.

The service has had “Essentials” playlists for a while. They’re not greatest hits lists specifically. They’re more curated lists from music nerds highlighting tunes you need to know if you want to grok the fullness of an artist or group.

“Essentials Anniversaries” is kind of that, laid out in five-year chunks, so you can really feel the years. Who doesn’t want to be reminded that The Eminem Show came out 20 years ago… that Radiohead’s OK Computer and the soundtrack to Buena Vista Social Club came out 25 years ago. Or that Avalon by Roxy Music was 40 years ago. As a matter of fact I could go on. The lists go back 65 years, you know - just in case anybody was feeling okay about anything!

Sorry. I may have some stuff to work out.

Ricky Martin Joins the Cast of Apple TV+ Series “Mrs. American Pie”

Image via Amazon

24 MAY 2022 - Add another big name to “Mrs. American Pie.” Deadline says “global superstar” Ricky Martin will have a leading role in the upcoming Apple TV+ series. According to a press release from Apple a few months back, the show:

…follows Maxine Simmons’ (…) attempt to secure her seat at America’s most exclusive table: Palm Beach high society. As Maxine attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots, “Mrs. American Pie” asks the same questions that still baffle us today: “Who gets a seat at the table?” “How do you get a seat at the table?” “What will you sacrifice to get there?”

Even before Mr. Martin’s arrival, this show had plenty of star power behind it. Kristen Wiig is set to play Maxine, with other names of note including Alison Janney and Laura Dern. Dern is also an executive producer on the project. No word on when it’ll hit the Cupertino-streamer.

Laurene Powell Jobs Lauds Tim Cook Among Time’s 100 Most Influential People

Image (modified) via Time

24 MAY 2022 - The CEO of Apple has been heralded by the widow of the former CEO of Apple. That Apple CEO Tim Cook would be found on Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential people list is hardly news. It honestly might be bigger news if he was excluded for some reason. Making his presence on the list particularly notable is the person who wrote the two paragraphs on Cook: Emerson Collective founder and widow of Steve Jobs Laurene Powell Jobs.

Writing of his “business wisdom” as well as his “philosophical wisdom,” Jobs writes of Cook’s “mastery” as Apple’s CEO, not only executing the logistics of such a business, but also “taking responsibility for the company’s effects on society…”

It’s exactly what one would expect from such an inclusion - laudatory and thought provoking. All of that in a short couple of paragraphs. You can check them out for yourself on the site for Time Magazine.

Wedbush Analyst Daniel “@DivesTech” Ives Stays Stoked Over Apple

23 MAY 2022 - Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives had a message on Friday, and he got it out a couple of ways. One was through a note to analysts (posted by Apple 3.0), while the other was through his Twitter account, @DivesTech. Personally, I appreciate the brevity of his three Tweets, though the note offers the kind of detail that people moving tens-of-thousands of dollars or more kind of like to see.

“As of now,” says the first of three Twitter posts:

…we believe iPhone demand is holding up better than expected (despite the various supply issues that have plagued Apple and the rest of the tech sector) and are trending better than management's guidance thus far in the quarter.

Those supply issues are no joke, though. The note reminds readers of the $4 billion to $8 billion headwind Apple execs have said the company is facing this quarter due to issues in the supply chain.

But, it seems, it could’ve been worse. “Over the last few weeks,” says the second of three Tweets:

…our Asia iPhone supply chain checks have been "surprisingly resilient" despite the zero Covid driven demand issues in China that remain the elephant in the room for the Apple story. Remains top tech pick despite many yelling fire in a crowded theater

It’s not just current demand that feeds his belief, though. As Ives has indicated for a while now, iPhone’s installed base is so big, there’s always a sizable portion lined up for an upgrade. The way he sees it:

The stickiness of the iPhone upgrade cycle is being underestimated by investors in our opinion as we estimate that roughly 240 million of Apple’s 1 billion iPhones have not been upgraded to a new smartphone in roughly 3.5 years. This importantly speaks to the Apple growth path over the next 12 to 18 months as iPhone 14 is set to be unveiled in the September timeframe…

He wraps his note saying:

While the nervous market backdrop is creating a fearful environment for tech stocks, we believe Apple’s growth story remains well intact despite the macro. Apple remains our favorite tech name.

Similar sentiments in Twitter post three of three:

Apple remains our favorite tech name as we reiterate our OUTPERFORM rating and $200 price target with these recent checks giving us further confidence in the iPhone cycle into 2023.

WSJ: Apple Looking to Grow Manufacturing Outside of China

23 MAY 2022 - In news to stun no one, The Wall Street Journal says Apple is looking to increase production outside of China. Of course, whether it can is a whole other thing. The piece has unnamed sources saying Apple is looking more closely at ramping production in India and Vietnam. The primary worry seems to be not COVID, but ongoing tensions between China and the US. Or maybe it’s a combo. The Journal’s secret sources say spreading production around outside of China was a thing Apple wanted to do before the pandemic, though moves to do so were stifled by the pandemic. While it’s said to be eyeing that again, the Journal has people in the industry saying:

…many of the reasons Apple has long kept China as its manufacturing hub remain in place: a well-trained workforce, low costs relative to the U.S. and a deep network of parts suppliers that is hard to recreate elsewhere without years of effort.

Why so long? According to the Wall Street Journal, the number of qualified workers in China exceeds:

…the entire population of many alternative countries in Asia. Local governments in China have worked closely with Apple to ensure its contractors have adequate land, labor and supplies to assemble iPhones and other electronics in giant factories.

Also a plus: A middle class to buy the stuff Apple makes and sells.

Indications in the piece are that Apple would like to grow a big manufacturing based in India, thanks to its huge population and “low costs.” The parts to make the things would still come from China, though. China and India are not the best of friends, making that prospect challenging. China would rather see Vietnam or other southeast Asian countries win the race, according to the report.

One kind of has to wonder: If you do what China wants, are you really diversifying from China? Whatever the case, everything seems to be in the talking stage now. Apple has reportedly told manufacturing partners to start looking to options outside of China. If they all had plans tomorrow, the Journal indicates that it would take years to see them to fruition.

eSIM Issue Deactivating iMessage and FaceTime for Some T-Mobile Users

T-Mobile eSIM App - Image via App Store

23 MAY 2022 - If you’re a T-Mobile customer having problems with iMessage, it’s not just you. MacRumors highlights an issue first covered by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Not covered like a story, though. More “covered like a guy having the same problem.” According to a Twitter post by Gurman:

There is a very nasty iPhone and @TMobile bug where iMessage and FaceTime for a device's phone number will randomly deactivate and there is no way to reactivate it. The only solution that worked for me is getting a new physical SIM card. An extremely disappointing issue.

Physical versus eSIM seems to play a part. The MacRumors piece says it appears to be an eSIM bug that’s deactivating both iMessage and FaceTime for some. Gurman did find, eventually, that removing then re-adding an eSIM account from a problematic ‌iPhone‌ also fixed the issue. He’s not a fan of that solution though, pointing out that it’s “complex for most people and shouldn't need to ever be done…”

Gurman says he has heard from T-Mobile on the issue. According to yet another Twitter post, the uncarrier tells Gurman that it is “working with Apple on trying to resolve the issue.”

Apple Towson, MD Store Sets Union Vote

Apple Towson Town Center - Image via Apple

23 MAY 2022 - “A second Apple Store union election will take place next month.” That’s the word from Engadget. Early this month we heard word that Atlanta’s Apple Cumberland Mall would hold a vote over unionization next week. That’s set for Thursday 2 June through Saturday 4 June. Now, the Engadget piece says:

Employees at an Apple Store in Towson, Maryland have set a date for their union election. Workers at the Towson Town Center location will vote in person over four days, starting on June 15th.