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Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Apple Stock Rebounded Monday to Record Biggest Single-Day Move in 11 Years

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AAPL shares surged 9.3 percent on Monday as the U.S. stock market rebounded and Apple's rating was upgraded by an analyst who said the company was more prepared than its competitors to absorb the impact of the coronavirus outbreak (via Reuters).

Oppenheimer raised its rating on Apple stock from "outperform" to "perform", arguing that the stock had become too cheap since its 16.5 percent drop on February 12 that hovered until Friday's close.

As Barrons notes, the rally meant Apple enjoyed its biggest single-day move in more than 11 years.

Apple played a significant role in Monday's historic rally. Shares of the iPhone maker soared 9.3%, the stock's largest one-day move in more than 11 years.

The $24.45 per share gain contributed 172 points to the Dow Jones Industrial Average's 1,296 point gain. Apple (ticker: AAPL) closed the day at $298.91, after trading as high as $301.44 during the day's session. The stock peaked at $327.20 on Feb. 12.

Apple's stock has yo-yoed amid the developing COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, and last week saw major fluctuations within the span of hours.

The viral epidemic in China prompted many of Apple's suppliers to suspend production at their factories in February and Apple retail stores temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.

Apple CEO Tim Cook last week said he felt "China is getting the coronavirus under control," and added that the number of reported infections in the region is "coming down day by day by day." Major ‌iPhone‌ assembler Foxconn today said it expects its Chinese plants to resume normal operation by the end of the month.

Apple's rally boosted the company's market value by $111 billion, while its market capitalization now stands at $1.3 trillion, although that's still shy of the company's all-time high of $328 set on January 29, 2020, which saw its market cap grow to over $1.4 trillion.

Tag: AAPL

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Foxconn Expects to Resume Normal Production at Chinese Plants by End of March

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iPhone assembler Foxconn expects its Chinese plants to resume normal operation by the end of the month after fixing labor shortages resulting from the coronavirus outbreak (via Bloomberg).

The first quarter of the year is typically quiet for Apple and its Taiwanese ‌iPhone‌ supplier after a boom in sales over the holiday season. However, ongoing delays from the coronavirus outbreak in China could cause Apple to miss its schedule for mass producing its upcoming low-cost iPhone, according to at least one report.

"As of today, the production resumption has reached 50% of seasonal required capacity. Based on the current schedule, we shall be able to reach full seasonal capacity by the end of March," [Foxconn] said in a stock exchange filing. "There are still plenty of uncertainties which we cannot quantify around the potential impact on the full year."

Apple was planning to begin mass production on the low-cost ‌‌iPhone‌‌ in February, but sources that spoke to Nikkei last month said that meeting that target was "very challenging" and production could be delayed until March.

Current rumors have suggested Apple plans to unveil the new ‌‌iPhone‌‌ at an event that's set to take place in March, perhaps on March 31, with Apple then releasing the device on April 3. Though there are issues with production, multiple sources have said the new ‌‌iPhone‌‌ is still going to launch on time.

Foxconn slashed its 2020 revenue outlook in early February after it imposed strict quarantines at its main base in China to guard against the coronavirus outbreak. The manufacturer previously claimed the viral outbreak had had a "fairly small impact" on ‌‌iPhone‌‌ production, but since then the virus has spread to 70 countries and is responsible for 90,000 infections and 3,000 deaths, most of which have occurred in China.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE 2

Tags: Foxconn, bloomberg.com, COVID-19

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Limited iPad Pro Availability May Suggest Imminent Launch of New Models

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iPad Pro models are currently showing limited availability at stores in major cities in the U.S., Australia and across Europe, Boomberg's Mark Gurman reported today.

According to a review of Apple's website that was conducted on Monday, the non-cellular 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with 512GB storage is sold out at all Apple stores in the Los Angeles area, while the same model and other versions are also sold out at many stores in New York City.

Some Apple store employees said they started noticing reduced ‌iPad Pro‌ inventory in the last week. They asked not to be identified discussing private product information.

Gurman's report leads by speculating that the supply constraints may be a possible sign of the coronavirus outbreak's impact on Apple's manufacturing supply chain, but he also concedes that the shortages could be due to new incoming ‌iPad Pro‌ models. Apple sometimes slows the flow of product units coming into its various sales channels as the next-generation models approach launch.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects Apple to launch an upgraded ‌iPad Pro‌ during the first half of 2020, perhaps as early as this month, with Apple planning to release a next-generation model with a rear-facing time-of-flight (ToF) camera system supporting 3D sensing for immersive augmented reality experiences.

Recent rumors suggest Apple is planning to hold an event on Tuesday, March 31, so if new iPad Pros are in the works for the first half of 2020, they could well be announced at this event.

However, even if an announcement is imminent, it's still possible the new ‌iPad Pro‌ model supplies could be constrained or delayed due to a slowdown in production caused by the coronavirus outbreak in China. A DigiTimes report last month claimed the new ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ models have been slow to ramp up following the extended Lunar New Year holiday, although the Taiwan-based website maintained that launch of the new devices is expected "around March."

Gurman notes that AirPods Pro and built-to-order Macs are also continuing to show shipping delays, and some Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 5 models are listed as unavailable to buy online, although the Series 3 watch and Airpods Pro were constrained before the viral outbreak was reported.

Apple's latest iPhones and other iPads remain widely available in the U.S., although the iPhone 11 is listed as unavailable in some European countries and Australia.

In addition to the new ‌iPad Pro‌‌, rumors suggest Apple is planning to release a new low-cost iPhone and an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro, while more outlying launch possibilities for the first half of 2020 include a MacBook Air update, Apple's Tile-like "AirTags" item trackers, and perhaps a wireless charging mat.

Apple recently said it wouldn't meet its guidance for the March quarter due to the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus, citing both constrained iPhone supplies worldwide and lower customer demand for Apple products in China as the main impacts on performance for the quarter.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro

Tag: bloomberg.com

Buyer's Guide: 11" iPad Pro (Don't Buy), 12.9" iPad Pro (Don't Buy)

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New HyperJuice USB-C and 18W Lightning Battery Pack Offers 100W of Power and 10,000mAh Capacity

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Hyper has announced the launch of its HyperJuice 100W USB-C + Lightning Battery Pack, described as the "world's first" battery with an integrated 18W Apple MFi Lightning and USB-C Cable.

Around the same size as the iPhone 11, the HyperJuice can charge an iPhone from empty to 50 percent charge in under 30 minutes, and comes with an integrated 18W USB-C cable that can charge any USB-C devices including iPad Pro and Android devices.

The 10,000mAh battery pack can be easily recharged at 18W speed using the same built-in USB-C cable or using an additional USB-C input charge port.

It also supports pass-through charging, so users can charge both their HyperJuice battery pack and ‌iPhone‌ at the same time using a single USB-C charger with the cables already built into the HyperJuice.

The battery pack has a 4-stage LED battery level indicator, and weighs just 225 grams. The HyperJuice USB-C + Lightning Battery Pack (10000mAh) is now available on HyperShop.com for US$59.99.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Hyper. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Tag: Hyper

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Monday, March 2, 2020

Mario Kart Tour for iOS Gaining Multiplayer Mode on March 8

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Nintendo today announced that it plans to add a multiplayer mode to Mario Kart Tour on March 8, allowing players to compete against up to seven other players.

According to Nintendo, gamers can play against their friends in game, people who are located nearby, or others around the world, with several multiplayer gameplay modes available.

Nintendo first introduced Mario Kart Tour for iPhone and iPad in September 2019. Gameplay is similar to other Mario Kart games on Nintendo consoles, allowing players to race a kart across the Mushroom Kingdom, beating their rivals to the finish line.

Mario Kart Tour is free to play, but there is an optional Gold Pass subscription that introduces various in-game items and badges, along with unlocking a faster 200cc mode. There are also in-app purchases for rubies and other items.

Nintendo has previously tested multiplayer mode with a closed beta test for subscribers in December and an open beta test in January, but now the feature is ready to officially launch.

Tag: Mario Kart Tour

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Apple's Working on a Smart Keyboard With Trackpad for the iPad: Here's What You Need to Know

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Apple is rumored to be working on a new version of the Smart Keyboard that includes a trackpad for the first time, which goes even further towards positioning the iPad as a replacement for a Mac.

In the guide below, we cover everything that we know about Apple's new ‌Smart Keyboard‌ plans, including compatible devices, when it might launch, and more.

A mockup of a ‌Smart Keyboard‌ with Trackpad

‌Smart Keyboard‌ Trackpad Rumors

Apple has been experimenting with trackpad keyboard options for the iPad Pro for several years, according to a recent report from The Information, and is finally ready to release a new ‌Smart Keyboard‌ that includes a trackpad.

There's no word on what the specific design will look like, but in the mockups above, we've imagined a version that is similar to the current ‌iPad Pro‌ ‌Smart Keyboard‌ but with a space-saving design that moves the keyboard up to accommodate a trackpad at the bottom.

A mockup of a ‌Smart Keyboard‌ with Trackpad
It's similar in design to the keyboard that Microsoft has designed for the Microsoft Surface as the Surface has a form factor that's similar to the ‌iPad Pro‌.

The new ‌Smart Keyboard‌ is expected to be made from materials similar to those in Apple's current ‌Smart Keyboard‌ Folio design, which includes waterproof keys covered with a polyurethane material.

Current ‌Smart Keyboard‌ for ‌iPad Pro‌
The Information suggests that Apple has designed prototype keyboards that feature capacitive keys, but it's not known if this feature is included in the final product.

Other Expected ‌Smart Keyboard‌ Features

A recent rumor from DigiTimes did not mention a trackpad, but did say that Apple is working on an iPad Pro Smart Keyboard with backlit keys and scissor switches, which could also be features that might be included in the trackpad ‌Smart Keyboard‌ that The Information outlined.

Backlighting and scissor switches would likely result in a keyboard that has thicker keys with more travel than the keys on the current ‌Smart Keyboard‌ options.

Scissor switches were used in MacBook keyboards until 2015, when Apple introduced the first keyboard with butterfly switches. Butterfly switches turned out to be a huge disaster, however, due to their penchant for failure when exposed to dust and other small particulates. Apple is facing lawsuits over the butterfly keyboard and has implemented a repair program that covers every Mac equipped with a butterfly keyboard.

With the 16-inch MacBook Pro that was released in October 2019, Apple reverted to using a keyboard with more reliable scissor switches, and the MacBook keyboard lineup is expected to return to scissor keys. Whether Apple will also transition the ‌Smart Keyboard‌ to scissor switches also remains to be seen as we haven't heard. a second rumor about it.

Compatible Devices

It sounds like the new ‌Smart Keyboard‌ with Trackpad will be released alongside updated ‌iPad Pro‌ models set to come out during the first half of 2020.

The new ‌iPad Pro‌ models are expected to be the same size as the current ‌iPad Pro‌ models (11 and 12.9-inches), with the only design change being a square-shaped camera cutout. Because the designs will be the same, it's possible the new ‌Smart Keyboard‌ that has a trackpad will be compatible with 2018 ‌iPad Pro‌ models as well.

This is not confirmed, however, and compatibility will depend on the overall design Apple goes with. If there is a back cover with the keyboard, it could be limited to the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models due to the new camera design.

‌Smart Keyboard‌ Trackpad Launch Date

Multiple rumors have suggested Apple is planning to launch new ‌iPad Pro‌ models in the first half of 2020, perhaps as early as March. Back in February, one rumor indicated Apple is planning an event for March 31, so that could be the date that we see new products unveiled.

The new ‌Smart Keyboard‌ with a trackpad will likely launch alongside new ‌iPad Pro‌ models.

It is not known if production issues caused by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak will have an impact on Apple's plans to release the ‌iPad Pro‌ and accompanying ‌Smart Keyboard‌ early in 2020.