Earlier this week, it was reported that China had granted Qualcomm an iPhone import and sale ban as part of its legal case against Apple. While the ban has been unsuccessful at stopping iPhone sales in the country, a new legal filing from Apple in China offers more color on what would happen should a Chinese ban on the sale of iPhones go into effect. As reported by Bloomberg, Apple explained in the filing that it would be forced to settle with Qualcomm due to a Chinese ban on iPhone sales....

Alongside iOS 11, Apple introduced the ability for developers to release app updates in phases. Now, Apple has expanded that feature to the Mac App Store, announcing in a blog post today that developers can release updates over a 7-day period. In a post on the App Store Connect website, Apple explains that developers can now release macOS app updates in stages with a new Phased Release for Automatic Updates. Over a 7-day window, automatic app updates will rollout gradually, hitting 1 percent of users on day one and increasing from there....

The article has been updated with information about a possible Lion release in the UK. We are receiving multiple reports of Apple telling developers that iTunes Connect will be undergoing scheduled maintenance today from 9am to 4pm Pacific Time. The iTunes Connect site is where content providers upload and manage their itunes submissions such as songs, movies, apps and more. Apple is advising developers not to make price changes during the blackout because that will cause apps to become unavailable for purchase....

[slideshow] Here is one more reason to visit Amsterdam—the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands: Apple is busy putting the finishing touches on a new retail store. According to Dutch-language website iPhoneclub.nl, the rumored Leidseplein store is now a reality as the company raised huge orange storefront stickers adorned with three Apple logos – a subtle hint at the three crosses on top of each other from the Coat of Arms of Amsterdam....

The iPhone X and iPhone 8 were the first iPhones to support wireless charging. The devices launched with support for 5W wireless charging, with a later iOS update bringing support for 7.5W. Now, Apple says the iPhone Xs supports even faster wireless charging but with the vanishing act they pulled with the AirPower charging station, details are a bit murky… Earlier reports had suggested that this year’s iPhone models would be upped to 10W wireless charging support – a small but notable upgrade compared to the 7....

Apple has landed a new comedy series order, “The Shrink Next Door”, which will star Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd. The show is based on the popular podcast of the same name. The show is a dark comedy loosely based on true events. The plot will describe the relationship between Rudd’s character, a celebrity psychiatrist, and his long-running patient Martin Markowitz (played by Ferrell). Over time, the psychiatrist invades Markowitz’s life, moves into his home and takes over the business....

Apple has expanded its Apple Beta Software Program to include the fourth-gen Apple TV for the first time. Apple’s public beta program has previously been limited to iOS and macOS while tvOS betas were only available to developers with paid accounts. Apple’s Beta Software Program website says “iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, and tvOS 11 public betas are coming soon” and Apple promised public betas of iOS and macOS later this month....

In addition to introducing a more affordable, entry-level iMac early this morning, Apple has dropped the price of the Apple TV in a few non-United States markets. Specifically, the Apple TV sold in Europe and the UK has received a price drop of €10/£20 from their respective €109/£99 price points before. Customers in Europe and the UK can now purchase the Apple TV set-top box at €99 in Europe and £79 in the United Kingdom....

Uber announced today that it is adding Apple Pay support to its food delivery Uber Eats service. While Apple Pay has been available in the Uber ride-sharing app for several years, it was notably missing from the Uber Eats counterpart. As first reported by TechCrunch, customers can now use Apple Pay directly in the Uber Eats application to complete the checkout process. Apple Pay uses either Touch ID or Face ID to authenticate each purchase....

Apple is planning to hold an “enormous” iPhone-related event in its stores this week in order to boost sales, according to a source with knowledge of the initiative. Beginning May 8th, the source said, Apple will be contacting upgrade-eligible iPhone users with older iPhone models via email to come into their local Apple Store to update to a new iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c… This program blends nicely with Apple’s Apple Store-based iPhone hardware trade-in program, which allows customers to turn-in older iPhone models to purchase a new model at a discounted price....

Apple has shared some tips this week to show how developers and users can properly report bugs they have experienced with Apple’s products. The article, “How to file great bug reports” couldn’t have come at a better time, as the company is about to release the first beta version of iOS 14 this month at WWDC 2020. Beta versions of iOS, macOS, and other operating systems often have several bugs, which is even more common with major updates....

Apple has just published two new software betas for developers on its Developer Center. The new betas cover both OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, with what appear to be bug fix releases on each platform. You can find the change logs below. We’ll also include a running list of changes. Apple recently distributed iOS 9 beta 3 to developers and beta testers, and OS X 10.10.4 to the general public....

Apple has released the first iOS 10.3.3 public beta for users to test without paid developer accounts. The update likely includes bug fixes and performance improvements as well as new wallpapers discovered only on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro… Apple’s public beta program is free to participate in unlike its paid developer program. iOS 10.3.3 will be released to everyone likely next month, and the public beta allows more users to test pre-release versions of the software update before it’s finalized....

Apple has released macOS High Sierra beta 9 for developer testing, the second release this week. macOS High Sierra includes the new Apple File System, HEVC video playback, Metal 2, Photos and Safari upgrades, and more. macOS High Sierra beta 9 is currently only available to registered developers for now. Apple typically holds new public beta versions for a few days for major updates, although recent versions have launched on the same day....

Apart from that, there is not much else to tell, so, this looks like a last minute discovery that possibly did not make it into 11.2. Apple suffered a terrible week of bugs and disclosures in iOS 11 a couple weeks ago. The mobile OS launched in last September and has since received eight updates. This is starting to look like the beginning of a new trend of frequent updates....

Apple is rolling out macOS 10.12.2 beta 6 for Mac — the second release in three days. The new update follows the initial macOS 10.12.2 beta at the end of October and multiple additional builds since. Today’s build is available on the developer center and will likely hit the Mac App Store soon [update: OTA available now]. macOS 10.12.2 includes Unicode 9.0 emoji support, which matches compatibility in beta versions of iOS 10....

Android may be heading toward becoming the dominant mobile OS on strength of simply being ‘good enough’, but Apple’s iPhone remains the best, building user loyalty no other platform currently possesses. New research from GfK says nearly 60 percent of iPhone owners plan to stay loyal to Apple — compare this with competitors, the percentage of how many owners plan to say loyal follow: 35 percent of BlackBerry 28 per cent Android 24 per cent Symbian 21 percent Windows Mobile...

A new report from Bloomberg today says that Apple is looking to revise its deals with the record industry. Specifically, Apple is seeking to lower the share of revenue that record labels receive from Apple Music plays… The report explains that Apple’s current deal with major labels is up at the end of June and both parties are currently in the process of renegotiating. Though, if a new deal isn’t reached by the end of the month, the current agreement will reportedly be extended for the time being....

I’ve been looking for a computer with the muscle to handle hardcore NLE video editing while working on a couple of musical compositions, checking the email, running an IM session and handling the hassle of Flash crashing in the browser, and I think Apple deliverd this very machine this morning — the new Mac Pro, a supercalifragilistic speed demon with up to 12 (yeah, count them) processing cores. Apple promises the new Mac Pro will deliver 50 percent greater performance than the previous generation....

iOS 7’s flashy launch earlier this year overshadowed a breakthrough new feature: iBeacons, a location-based technology with profound implications for industries such as retail. An iBeacon system could allow a store to install transmitters that would wirelessly connect to an iPhone and tell the phone its location with respect to items on shelves. This iPhone could then perform additional functionality if it is equipped with a specialized application. According to multiple sources, Apple is planning to soon enable just that in its retail stores… Apple is said to have begun stocking up on iBeacon transmitters, and the company, in the next few days, will begin installing these sensors in many Apple Stores across the United States....