LTA 120: August 2023

Panel:

• Bart Busschots (host) – @bbusschots

Bart’s throat is still not up to a full-length show, so it’s another solo episode. The show starts with a few followups, one notable number, some regulatory and legal news, a little HR news, and the highlights from Apple’s services an original content. The three main stories are Apple’s support of a Right to Repair bill, the EU officially name Apple a ‘Gate Keeper’, and a mysterious Chinese iPhone ban that may not be real. Finally, the show finishes with some other quick Apple-related stories that made the news in August.

You’ll find detailed show notes below the fold, and if you enjoy this free show, please consider clicking on the donate button at the top of the left side bar – the show is free for you to listen to, but not for Bart to Produce!

Updates & Followup

Quick updates to long-running stories the show continues to track, and to stories covered in recent shows.

• The NSO Group has not gone away: Exploit that delivered Pegasus spyware patched in iOS 16.6.1 update — appleinsider.com/… & Apple patches “clickless” 0-day image processing vulnerability in iOS, macOS — arstechnica.com

• A new advocacy group has emerged to put pressure on Apple to revive the controversial hybrid CSAM scanning proposal they were forced to drop late last year

  • Child safety advocacy group launches campaign against Apple — appleinsider.com/…
  • Apple Explains Pullback from CSAM Photo-Scanning — tidbits.com/…

• Lionel Messi seems to be working out well for Apple:

  • Apple MLS Season Pass subscriptions have doubled since Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami — appleinsider.com/… (Based on reports, not released figues)
  • Apple TV+ plans to milk all it can out of Lionel Messi — appleinsider.com/… (6-part documentary announced)
  • Related: MLS Season Pass gets significantly cheaper in time for the playoffs — www.cultofmac.com/… & Apple TV+ MLS Season Pass subscription discounted to $29 — appleinsider.com/…

• Apple's push to get developers ready for next year's Vision Pro launch continues: Developers can RSVP to attend a free, in-person workshop at the Apple Developer Center — appleinsider.com/…

  • Related: Demeo is one of the first “immersive” games announced for Apple Vision Pro — arstechnica.com

Notable Numbers

• iPhone 14 Pro Max tops worldwide smartphone sales in first half of 2023 — www.cultofmac.com/… (and iPhone 14 Pro was in second place and the regular iPhone 14 in third! Numbers from Omdia)

Regulatory Rundown

• Saudi Arabia passes law requiring USB-C charges for smartphones — appleinsider.com/…

• It looks like the UK is backing down from it's terrible idea to basically outlaw true encryption, though not on a clear-cut way — appleinsider.com/…

  • UK tries to claim it hasn't backed down on encryption at all — appleinsider.com/…

Legal Latest

• Epic -v- Apple — the Supreme Court has denied a request by Epic to enforce a lower court's anti-steering injunction while the various appears in the case are still pending — www.cultofmac.com/…
• The Throtle-Gate nonsense is finally coming to an end in the US, with a judge rejecting complaints from two iPhone owners that were blocking the settlement Apple agreed to in 2020 — appleinsider.com/… (I stand by my opinion that calling a feature added to extend the life of an old phone anti competitive or planned obsolescence is nuts!)
• Apple has won a case taken against it by hardware maker One-E-Way claiming Apple's cool bluetooth pairing features infringe its patents — appleinsider.com/…
• A U.S. District Judge has dismissed an attempted class-action suit against Apple claiming the Apple Watch was racist with prejudice, ending it — appleinsider.com/…

Apple HR & Acquisition News

• Unionisation continues in UK Apple Stores:

  • 'Overworked and unhappy' Apple Southampton store staff want to unionize — appleinsider.com/…
  • Apple Glasgow union reaches agreement with Apple for pay raises — appleinsider.com/…

Apple Services & Original Content Highlights

• Apple Arcade:

  • Sega Releases Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go on Apple Arcade — www.macstories.net/…
  • Apple Arcade adds four games with 40 set for September updates — appleinsider.com/… (including James Bond game Cypher 007) (Apple's press release)
  • Related: 'Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis' releases on iOS on September 7 — appleinsider.com/…

• Music:

  • Apple Music debuts new algorithmic Discovery Station radio — appleinsider.com/…
  • Apple Music acquires famed classical label BIS — appleinsider.com/… & Apple buys 50-year-old record label to grow Apple Music Classical app — arstechnica.com

• Apple TV+:

  • Apple will give 'Killers of the Flower Moon' a global release on October 20 — appleinsider.com/…
  • Severance fans get ‘8 Hour Work Day Innie Mix’ of theme song — www.cultofmac.com/…
  • Apple TV+ unveils its first German-language show — appleinsider.com/… (Dark comedy Where's Wanda)

• Apple Pay:

  • Apple Pay launches in Vietnam — appleinsider.com/…
  • Apple Pay officially launches in Chile — appleinsider.com/…
  • Apple brings Tap to Pay to Netherlands businesses — appleinsider.com/…

Main Stories

1. Apple voices official support for California SB 244 right to repair bill — appleinsider.com/… & Hell freezes over as Apple supports right-to-repair bill — arstechnica.com/…

   • Related: Apple officially endorses California's Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act — appleinsider.com/… (Companies > $1Bn revenue must report full carbon footprint)

2. Apple is a DMA gatekeeper, but less-so than expected; iOS, the App Store, and Safari have been officially labeled as such by the European Commission, but not iMessage — www.cultofmac.com/…

   • Related: Setapp plans to launch EU-only alternative iOS App Store — appleinsider.com/…

3. Chinese Government iPhone Ban?

   • Initial reports were of a complete ban in government: China completely bans use of iPhone for government business — appleinsider.com/… (based only on 'reports', not on any kind of official policy or announcement)

   • Rumours spiralled: China widens ban on officials using iPhones but isn't enforcing it — appleinsider.com/… & China's largest wireless carrier denies rumor that it will skip iPhone 15 sales — appleinsider.com/…

   • When the government finally speaks, they say nothing clear – "products and services of any country are welcome as long as they comply with China's laws and regulations", iPhones comply, so no ban? — appleinsider.com/…

   • China government iPhone ban will have almost no effect on sales, says analyst — appleinsider.com/… (Wedbush's Dan Ives)

   • Related:

     • China tightens its grip on foreign and independent app developers — appleinsider.com/… (All App Store developers must be based in China or partner with a local publisher, and provide business details including an address)
     • Germany approves $11 billion TSMC chip factory — appleinsider.com/…
     • iPhone 15 production reportedly begins in India — www.cultofmac.com/… (If correct, would be first time production starts in China & India simultaneously)
     • Apple joins protest against India's import restrictions — appleinsider.com/… (These are the restrictions announced last month then paused until Halloween)
     • Apple asks Indian government for more manufacturing support — appleinsider.com/… (No details, but senior Apple execs were reported to have met with officials from India's finance ministry)

Quick Stories

• New deal puts Arm tech in iPhone and Mac processors beyond 2040 — www.cultofmac.com/…

• Apple opens up Back to School offers to university students — appleinsider.com/…

• Apple Support app update adds info about Apple Store locations — appleinsider.com/…

• Apple Podcasts rolls out new data analytics dashboard for content creators — appleinsider.com/…

• Apple Card earns J.D. Power's top spot for co-branded credit card with no annual fee — appleinsider.com/…

• Lots of activity around other OSes on Apple Silicon:

  • Linux for Apple Silicon adds first conformant M1 GPU driver — appleinsider.com/…
  • CrossOver update brings EA and DirectX 12 game support to Mac — appleinsider.com/…
  • New Parallels Desktop 19 arrives with Touch ID, macOS Sonoma support — appleinsider.com/…

• Qi2, based on Apple's MagSafe is really taking off:

  • Anker unveils new Qi2 charging accessories ahead of iPhone 15 launch — appleinsider.com/…
  • Mophie announces Qi2 chargers for office, home, and car — appleinsider.com/…
  • Related: MagSafe vs. Qi2 — Everything you need to know before the iPhone 15 launch — appleinsider.com/…

• Apple sets ‘Wonderlust’ iPhone 15 event for September 12 — www.cultofmac.com/…

  • How to watch Apple's iPhone 15 announcement event — appleinsider.com/…

Legend

Note: When the textual description of a link is part of the link it is the title of the page being linked to, when the text describing a link is not part of the link it is a description written by Bart.