Saturday, February 8, 2020

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Upcoming Low-Cost iPhone Again Rumored to Be Priced at $399

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Apple is planning to price its rumored low-cost iPhone at $399, according to a new report out this week from Fast Company.

The site was told by an unspecified source that the ‌iPhone‌ will "likely" sell for $399, backing up a previous report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who said in October that the ‌iPhone‌ would be available at that price point.

‌iPhone‌ SE and iPhone 8

At $399, the new low-cost ‌iPhone‌ will have the same starting price as the 2016 ‌iPhone‌ SE, which is why some people have referred to it as an "iPhone SE 2." Others have been calling it the "iPhone 9," but we don't yet know what Apple will name it.

We do know quite a bit about its specs, though, thanks to numerous leaks. The upcoming low-cost ‌iPhone‌ will be similar in design to the ‌iPhone 8‌, with thicker top and bottom bezels and a Touch ID Home button.

It will be equipped with the same A13 chip that's available in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, and it is said to have 3GB RAM. To keep costs low, it will use a single-lens rear camera, though it's not known if the camera will be the same as the wide-angle camera in the ‌iPhone 11‌. It could be available in 64 and 128GB size options, and colors are expected include Space Gray, Silver, and Red.

Render of low-cost ‌iPhone‌ SE from Onleaks

Production on the new low-cost ‌iPhone‌ was supposed to begin in February, but Apple's supplier factories are shut down at the current time due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in China. It's not clear if this will affect production plans and if the launch date of the ‌iPhone‌ will be delayed.

Prior rumors suggested we could see the new low-cost ‌iPhone‌ in the first half of 2020, perhaps in March. Apple often holds its first event of the year in March, and if there is indeed a March event in the works this year, we should be hearing about it soon.

The new low-cost ‌iPhone‌ is expected to be a popular ‌iPhone‌ upgrade option for those who are coming from an ‌iPhone‌ 6s or ‌iPhone‌ 7, as the design will be similar. It should also appeal to those who want an affordable ‌iPhone‌ option, those who like ‌Touch ID‌, and those who prefer smaller form factors, even though it won't be as small as the ‌iPhone‌ SE, Apple's original low-cost ‌iPhone‌.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE 2

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Foxconn's Plans to Restart Apple Device Production on Monday Were Called Off By Chinese Health Authorities

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Foxconn was originally planning to reopen its factories on Monday to begin production on Apple devices after the Lunar New Year holiday, but the company's plans were denied by Chinese Authorities due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, reports Nikkei.

Public health experts told Foxconn that its Shenzhen factories face "high risks of coronavirus infection" after on-site inspections were conducted, with the information relayed to Nikkei through multiple sources. Health officials were concerned about the poor airflow in restaurants and dormitories, and the use of central air conditioning.

"Violation of epidemic prevention and control could potentially face the death penalty," the internal meeting memo seen by the Nikkei Asian Review said.
Foxconn's Zhengzhou complex, which is its biggest iPhone factory, has also cancelled plans to resume work on Monday. Local governments are concerned the virus will spread quickly in a labor-intensive working environment, and "no one wants to bear the responsibility of restarting work at this critical moment," one of the sources said.

Foxconn on Friday cancelled flight bookings for Taiwanese employees to go back to China, and the company already told employees in Shenzhen not to return to work.

The Zhengzhou complex will remain closed until it has until it has been evaluated and approved by the local government. Innolux, Foxconn's display arm, will also remain closed for the time being, and iPad supplier Compal Electronics also has plans to stay closed until February 17.

Apple has also extended the shutdown of its own retail stores in China. Stores were supposed to open on Monday, but Apple has decided to wait until February 15.

There have already been multiple reports suggesting these factory closures will have an impact on Apple's device production plans, and we could see dwindling device supplies and lengthening shipping times in the near future. AirPods and AirPods Pro could be impacted as a product already in short supply, and these delays may also affect the upcoming low-cost iPhone that Apple has in development.

Production on the new low-cost ‌iPhone‌, which has been referred to the "iPhone SE 2" or the "iPhone 9" was supposed to begin in February, but it's not clear if Apple will be able to remain on schedule.

Foxconn told Nikkei that its operation schedules for facilities in China follow local government recommendations, and that it has not "received requests from [its] customers on the need to resume production earlier," but it did slash its 2020 revenue outlook earlier this month.

The coronavirus has infected more than 31,000 people and caused 722 deaths, mainly in China.


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Honor 9X Lite with 48MP Dual Camera Setup to Launch Soon, Leaked Poster Suggests


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Google Duo gets down to business with picture-in-picture coming to the web


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Top Stories: iOS 13.4 Beta, iPhone 'CarKey' Leak, New Apple TV?

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The first week of February brought quite a bit of Apple news and rumors, led by a fresh set of operating updates entering the beta testing process. The star of the show was the iOS 13.4 beta, which included a number of new features and tweaks, as well as some hidden signs of Apple's upcoming plans.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

Apple was granted an interesting patent this week covering a hinge mechanism for devices with folding displays, while the Wuhan coronavirus continues to make news in general for its public health impact and more specifically for Apple in the form of delays to product production and temporary retail store closures.

Read on for more details on this week's top stories, and make sure to watch our news wrap-up video!

Everything New in iOS 13.4: iCloud Folder Sharing, Updated Mail Toolbar, New Memoji Stickers, and More


Apple this week released the first beta of iOS 13.4 with several new features, including the enabling of iCloud Folder Sharing, an updated Mail toolbar with a relocated trash button to avoid accidentally-deleted emails, a new collection of Memoji stickers, and more.


We've rounded up all of the changes that we've found in the iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4 betas so far, complete with a video!

iOS 13.4 Beta Reveals 'CarKey' Feature That Would Turn Your iPhone or Apple Watch Into a Car Key


While not mentioned in the release notes, the iOS 13.4 beta also includes early signs of an interesting feature that would allow you to use your iPhone or Apple Watch as a digital car key.


Namely, the iOS 13.4 beta contains strings of code that reference an unreleased "CarKey" framework that would enable an iPhone or Apple Watch to lock or unlock compatible vehicles and start the engine to drive.

"CarKey" would be built into the Wallet app and could be shared with others, giving them full unlocking and driving capabilities. This promises to be a really interesting feature and we've got all of the details right here.

New Apple TV Uncovered in tvOS 13.4 Beta


A refreshed Apple TV with an A12 Bionic chip or newer appears to be in development, based on an unreleased model with the codename "T1125" uncovered in this week's tvOS 13.4 beta.


The new Apple TV is expected to sport a faster A12 or A13 chip, while maintaining a max supported resolution of 4K with HDR. The faster processor would certainly benefit Apple Arcade gaming and overall performance.

It is unclear if or when the new Apple TV will be released. Apple typically holds its first media event of a calendar year in March. The current Apple TV 4K model was released in September 2017.

Apple Patents Foldable Device With Movable Flaps to Prevent Display From Creasing


Apple this week has been granted a patent for a foldable device with a unique hinge mechanism that utilizes movable flaps to help prevent the display from being creased or damaged when folded.


Granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent explains that the hinge mechanism would ensure adequate separation between the first and second portions of the display. When the device is unfolded, movable flaps would extend to cover the gap, and then retract when the device is folded.

FBI Has Still Not Managed to Unlock iPhone Used by Mass Shooter in Florida Last Year


A report this week claimed that FBI officials have still not managed to unlock a passcode-protected iPhone that investigators believe was owned by Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, the perpetrator of a mass shooting at a Naval Air Station in Florida in December.


FBI director Christopher Wray said his agency is "currently engaged with Apple hoping to see if we can get better help from them so we can get access to that phone."

Last month, the FBI asked Apple for its assistance with unlocking the iPhone in a letter sent to the company's chief lawyer Katherine Adams.

Apple Now Offering At-Home Repairs in Select Cities


Apple is now offering an onsite repair option for customers in select U.S. cities who need issues with their devices addressed but aren't able to visit an Apple Store or a repair shop.


The service is being offered in partnership with authorized service provider Go Tech Services, which promises to repair your device "at your home or office."

MacRumors Newsletter


Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!


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Xiaomi Mi 10 Global Launch Date Set for February 23, Mi 10 Pro Expected Alongside: Expected Specs, Features


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