Kuo: 'AirPods 3' Expected to Use Similar System-in-Package Technology as AirPods Pro

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Apple's third-generation AirPods will adopt a compact system-in-package (SiP) solution similar to AirPods Pro, according to the latest research note from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, obtained by MacRumors.


Apple is expected to launch new entry-level ‌AirPods‌ with a form factor design similar to ‌AirPods Pro‌ in the first half of 2021, and Kuo's latest note advances his earlier prediction by underlining the need for SiP technology to integrate the earbuds' audio features into the smaller casing. Introduced in 2019, ‌AirPods Pro‌ feature a different in-ear design to ‌AirPods‌, with shorter stems below the ear.

Based on the so-called "‌AirPods‌ 3" arriving in the first half of next year, Kuo believes current-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ part suppliers should see component shipments grow an estimated 50 percent to 100 percent year over year. The existing second-generation ‌AirPods‌ are expected to be discontinued when the new models are launched.

Amkor, JCET and Huanxu Electronics are in line to supply the SiP components, while Shin Zu Shing is expected to supply the ‌AirPods‌ case hinge, said Kuo.

Overall ‌AirPods‌ shipments are projected to slow in 2021, with growth expected at 28 percent year on year, compared to an expected 65.1 percent growth year on year in 2020, which Kuo believes will be stimulated by Apple's decision to sell the "iPhone 12" without wired EarPods included in the box.

Related Roundups: AirPods 2, AirPods Pro

Tags: Ming-Chi Kuo, TF International Securities

Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Neutral), AirPods Pro (Buy Now)

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Apple CEO Tim Cook to Testify in U.S. Antitrust Hearing on July 27

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Apple CEO Tim Cook will participate in an antitrust hearing held by the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee on Monday, July 27 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the Judiciary Committee announced today. The hearing is part of an ongoing U.S. antitrust investigation that involves competition in digital markets.


The hearing, labeled "Online Platforms and Market Power, Part 6: Examining the Dominance of Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple," will also include Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. There will be a live stream of the questioning available on YouTube.

Since the antitrust investigation launched last year, the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee has been investigating tech companies. Apple's App Store policies have been under scrutiny, and Apple has been questioned about the removal of certain apps, how search ranking results are determined, how the in-app purchase mechanism works, whether apps are allowed include in-app links to non-Apple payment systems, and Apple's policies on setting non-Apple apps as default.

Ahead of the hearing the committee has been soliciting opinions from ‌App Store‌ developers and there has been a recent focus on the 30 percent cut that Apple takes from in-app subscription purchases. Cook is likely to be questioned about Apple's ‌App Store‌ policies, including the subscription-based rules that have recently made headlines.

In a statement, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline said that it is essential to hear testimony from the CEOs of the four tech companies in the antitrust investigation.

"Since last June, the Subcommittee has been investigating the dominance of a small number of digital platforms and the adequacy of existing antitrust laws and enforcement. Given the central role these corporations play in the lives of the American people, it is critical that their CEOs are forthcoming. As we have said from the start, their testimony is essential for us to complete this investigation."

The investigation into Apple's ‌‌App Store‌‌ practices is in the early stages as the Justice Department is focusing resources on a separate investigation into Google's dominance in digital advertising, but the committee's goal with the hearing is to generate a report with recommendations on legislative action.

Tags: App Store, Tim Cook, antitrust

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Apple 'Assessing' Hong Kong National Security Law as Other Tech Companies Pause Data Requests

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Apple is assessing a new Hong Kong security law that makes "subversion" of the government illegal and raises concerns about the criminalization of protests, reports Bloomberg.


China last week implemented legislation allowing local authorities to supervise and regulate internet access in Hong Kong. The new measures criminalize acts that were previously considered protected speech under Hong Kong law, such as the ongoing protests.

In a statement, Apple said that it already requires content requests from local law enforcement authorities to be submitted through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between the U.S. and Hong Kong. Apple also says that it has not received requests for Hong Kong user data since the law went into effect last week, though it is under assessment.

"Apple has always required that all content requests from local law enforcement authorities be submitted through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in place between the United States and Hong Kong," the company said. Under that process, "the U.S. Department of Justice reviews Hong Kong authorities' requests for legal conformance."

Earlier today, tech companies that include WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter said they would pause the processing of requests for user data from Hong Kong law enforcement agencies due to the implementation of the new security law.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: China, Hong Kong

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Ireland Launches COVID-19 App That Uses Apple/Google Exposure Notification API

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Ireland today released "COVID Tracker Ireland," a COVID-19 contact tracing app that takes advantage of Apple and Google's Exposure Notification API.


The app, which is opt in, says that users will be alerted if they come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. Those exposed will be able to track their symptoms, get advice on what to do, and choose to anonymously warn others they've been in contact with.

The app downloads a list of anonymous IDs every two hours from those who have contracted coronavirus, letting users in Ireland get alerts as soon as possible. Alerts will be triggered if a user has been within two meters of a person who is diagnosed with COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes, so long as both parties have the COVID app installed.

Alerts will advise people who have been exposed to coronavirus to limit their movements and get tested. The app will not inform users who they came into contact with during the exposure notification nor the place where it happened.

According to the app's release notes, Ireland is employing a three prong approach to exposure notification, which includes contact tracing for identifying those who have been in close contact with a person that has coronavirus, COVID check-in for those with coronavirus to share their symptoms and how they feel, and updates and information such as the latest facts and figures on coronavirus in Ireland.

As with all apps that use the ‌Exposure Notification‌ API, usage is opt-in and privacy is a focus. Even after opting in, choosing to share a coronavirus diagnosis is also optional. All data collected is stored on the device itself, and name, location, and movements are not tracked.

In a statement to Ireland's The Journal, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that the app could be a "really powerful part of the toolkit" for fighting coronavirus.

"It allows every single person to play an extra part. It will allow us to get on with contact tracing in a matter of hours, it will allow people who have the app to completely control their own data, there will be no centralisation of data," Donnolly said.

"The people themselves can choose if they want to anonymously share with close contacts that they have tested positive. It's a very, very powerful tool. We'll be getting into more of the detail tomorrow and we'll be really encouraging as many people as possible to download and use it."

Along with Ireland, several other countries have released apps that use Apple and Google's ‌Exposure Notification‌ API, including Switzerland, Latvia, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Saudi Arabia, while other countries, such as the UK, have apps in the works.

The UK did not originally plan to use Apple and Google's solution, but in mid-June, the National Health Service said that it would adopt the ‌Exposure Notification‌ API after all.

Tags: Ireland, Exposure Notification

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