Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes the iPhone 12’s advantage over the iPhone 11, the latest iOS 13 fixes, MacBook Pro secrets uncovered, the MacBook ‘monopoly’, secure folders in iCloud, and Christmas warranties from Apple.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the very many discussions that have happened around Apple over the last seven days (and you can read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes).
The iPhone 12 Fixes The iPhone 11’s Missing Features
The iPhone 11 family may be an iterative update on previous iPhones, but it still missed out on improving the basics. That’s set to change in the iPhone 12, so it may be prudent to hold off on any upgrades to see if the details from noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest report bear fruit. Gordon Kelly reports:
…Apple will equip all its upcoming 5G iPhones with support for both mmWave and sub-6GHz bands. A move which is particularly well suited to the wide variety of bands used in 5G installations across the US, and something which future proofs the phone as the next-gen network continues to roll out.
Building on this, Kuo also explains that Apple will introduce superior Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) antenna designs in the 2020 iPhones to boost cell phone signal. LCP first appeared in the iPhone X, but Apple has only ever fitted a single LCP unit whereas the 2020 iPhones will have three
More on the new phone here on Forbes.
Apple Patches iOS 13.2 Once More
Ahead of an expected release of iOS 13.3, a small point release - 13.2.3 - has been pushed out by Apple. Rather than add any new features, it addresses ‘bug fixes and improvements’. David Phelan looks at what is new, including the fix to task management:
Background activity
Although problems with how apps were working in the background were fixed in the last update, an issue that stopped apps from downloading content in the background persisted and this update aims to sort that out.
Secrets Of The 16-Inch MacBookPro
Now that the massive MacBook Pro is on sale, the team at iFixit has broken out the tools to tear it down and look inside the hardware to see what’s changed, what remains the same, and what looks suspiciously like the scissor switch keyboard from 2015:
Let's start with some keycaps. Remember the iMac's Magic Keyboard? It's a well-liked, reliable design that Apple calls the "core technology" for the redesigned keyboard in this new machine.
That might be understating it slightly: side by side, we're hard pressed to spot any differences. Scissor switches, keycaps... There’s slightly less space surrounding these new keys, and pundits will celebrate those reconfigured arrow keys—but everything else looks nigh identical.
More at iFixit. But wait, there’s more. Joe Rossignol and MacRumors spotted a new sensor in documents suppled to Apple Authorized Repair Centers and asked iFixit to look again. Sure enough, the hinge has a little surprise:
In an internal document to Apple Authorized Service Providers, obtained by MacRumors, Apple indicates the 16-inch MacBook Pro includes a new "lid angle sensor" that presumably monitors the opening and closing of the notebook and the precise position of the lid.
MacRumors reached out to iFixit to investigate, leading them to uncover a small sensor facing the left-side hinge of the notebook. There is also a magnet embedded in the hinge itself, with an arrow indicating polarity.
More at MacRumors. What could it be? Guesses range from a simple replacement ‘the screen is closed’ through to recording diagnostic data to avoid another flexgate. We’ll just have to wait to find out.
The MacBook ‘Monopoly’
Why did the MacBook Pro continue to sell for four years with a broken keyboard? Given the MacBook family are the only laptops that Apple allows MacOS to run on, is this an ‘integrated’ strategy or a ‘monopoly’ strategy? It gets even more interesting when you look at Apple’s use of iOS, the App Stores, the NFC lock-in around Apple Pay, and other examples. Ben Thompson lays out the arguments of integration being the best strategy play for Apple, but it has some serious downsides.
No, Apple does not have a monopoly in computers — how amazing would that be! — but the company does have a monopoly on macOS. It sells the only hardware that runs macOS, which is why millions of customers kept buying computers that, particularly in the last couple of years, were widely reported to be at risk of significant problems.
To be clear, Apple didn’t commit some sort of crime here. At the same time, it is hard to imagine the butterfly keyboard persisting for four-and-a-half years and counting if the company faced any sort of competition. Integration can produce a superior user experience, but once an integrated product faces no more competition it can result in something that is downright user-
Is It Time For A Secure Folder In iCloud?
Following his experiences with the Personal Vault in OneDrive, Bradley Chambers has a suggestion for the iCloud team. It’s time for a biometrically secured folder in iCloud:
On iOS, I’d like to be able to put a PIN code lock on this folder, but also be able to use Face ID to unlock them as well. On the Mac, I’d want to be able to lock/unlock using the same PIN code on top of using Touch ID. A secure iCloud Drive feature should also be integrated with Family Sharing. I want to be able to share this folder with my spouse so she can easily access our personal information if she’s at a doctor’s appointment, etc. OneDrive even has an option to lock/unlock via SMS or the Microsoft Authenticator app.
And Finally…
As the festive period grows closer Apple has once more (quietly) started the Extended Holiday Policy, essentially allowing you to buy a gift now but allow the recipient two weeks from Christmas Day for any returns. Mitchell Broussard has the details:
Under the policy, eligible products purchased between November 14, 2018 and December 25, 2018 can be returned until January 8, 2019 in the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, and select other regions. You can return something ordered online or purchased in store, and Apple's policy states that the items can be sent back to Apple for free through the mail or dropped off at any Apple Store.
The full details are at MacRumors.
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
