Apple delivered what it said was a major new product this week. But more than a few Apple fans were disappointed.
Apple unveiled a book, Designed by Apple in California, focused on the company’s product design prowess from 1998 and 2015. Following a rather disappointing event in October during which Apple only announced a new MacBook Pro, some Apple fans had hoped for a November surprise like new Apple iMac computers. Instead, Apple came out with its book.
But the Apple world had a few other surprises this week. China’s government threatened Apple’s iPhone in response to Donald Trump’s comments about expensive tariffs on the country. Apple was also said to be working on sci-fi glasses. And at long last, Apple has a fix ready for the iPhone 6 Plus Touch Disease that stopped its touchscreen from working—but oddly, not for the iPhone 6’s same problem.
This is Coins2Day’s weekly roundup of the biggest Apple news this week. To see last week’s roundup, click here.
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- Apple this week released a book called Designed by Apple in California, essentially a picture book that showcases Apple’s design concepts starting with the 1998 iMac and ending with Apple Pencil in 2015. The book, which is dedicated to late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, comes in two sizes. The small version costs $199, while the large version is $299. Apple design chief Jony Ive says his company had a “responsibility” to people worldwide to create the book.
- If your iPhone 6 Plus has a touchscreen that no longer works or is barely functional, Apple is now offering a fix for $149. The service, which Apple calls a “multitouch repair program for iPhone 6 Plus,” is meant to address the so-called “Touch Disease” that has been causing iPhone 6 touchscreens to stop working. Although it affects both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple is only offering a repair for the iPhone 6 Plus.
- Apple earlier this year requested that its two iPhone manufacturers, Foxconn and Pegatron, explore assembling iPhones in the U.S., according to a report this week. Foxconn is said to be analyzing such a move, but has so far found it to be too costly. Apple’s manufacturing partners assemble iPhones in China, and there are no concrete plans to change that.
- An editorial this week in China’s state-run Global Times threatened the U.S. With a trade war if President-elect Donald Trump carries through with a plan to impose tariffs on Chinese-made products. China said it would “take a tit-for-tat approach” that would cause iPhone sales in the country to “suffer a setback.” Apple did not comment about China’s threat.
- Apple’s cloud-based storage and syncing service iCloud continually stores iPhone and iPad users’ private information, according to Russian computer-forensics firm Elcomsoft. The firm says Apple’s devices automatically upload private information, including dialed phone numbers to iCloud, where it could be accessed by hackers or by law enforcement agencies with a warrant. Although privacy advocates were concerned about the findings, Apple said in a statement that it’s “deeply committed to safeguarding our customers’ data.”
- U.S. Law enforcement agencies say that a growing number of iPhones that could be useful in a criminal investigation are increasingly being held in limbo in police evidence rooms without ever being accessed. In an interview with Coins2Day this week, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. Said privacy features built into Apple’s iOS mobile operating system make it impossible for law enforcement, as well as Apple, to access data on the phones. He added that many cases are going unsolved because of encryption. Apple, however, continues to argue that security and encryption are critical.
- Although Apple has said in the past that wrists are the best place for wearable devices, a report this week says the company is testing a wearable headset that may use augmented reality. It’s unclear what the headset would be used for, but could take on devices like Microsoft’s HoloLens headset.
For more about Apple’s iPhone 7, watch:
One more thing… Apple saved the peach emoji. You’ll find it in a future iOS release.
