Apple’s Next Big Event

Apple’s Next Big Event

Well, it’s about that time of year again for Apple’s event, where we’re all excited to find out about the latest version of Apple’s hottest product – top being the iPhone. On September 12th, we’ll hear about the redesigned version of last year’s iPhone X, new Apple Watch, and upcoming software.

iPhones: First up, the iPhone XS is an updated version of last year’s iPhone X,  having the same size 5.8-inch screen, but with improved internal specs, such as the other -S class updates Apple has had in the past. Next, the iPhone XS Max, also rumored as the iPhone XS Plus, is a larger, 6.5-inch version of the XS that offers a bigger screen and larger battery. Both XS phones will have the same features as last year’s X, with the new changes coming internally. There is, however, the chance that Apple will have some new feature for the XS models as previous -S class updates. Lastly, the new iPhone is said to be a cheaper, 6.1 inch version of the iPhone X/XS, and would still offer the bezel-less display and Face ID. Instead, it would possibly cut some of the X and XS phone’s more premium features like the OLED screen, stainless steel frame, and possibly the 3D Touch system. 

Watch:  It has been rumored that Apple will be offering a bigger display on the new Series 4 Watch for a nearly edge-to-edge design, along with a slimmer size than the previous versions since it had been introduced in 2015. Similar to last year’s Series 3, the new version will also have LTE capability, with a more subtle red ring on the digital crown to indicate the cellular status. The new version will come with watchOS 5, which adds automatic workout detection, a walkie-talkie mode, and better notifications.

Software: Although we’re all looking forward to seeing Apple’s latest products at this year’s event, we will also likely to be getting some final release dates for iOS 12, watchOS 5, tvOS, and possibly macOS Mojave. New features to be seen this year include Screen Time for tracking your time spent on your phone, better notifications, and a new custom emoji called “Memoji”.

We all know anything can happen at an Apple event, so we’re ready for some surprises too!

Apple Honors World Emoji Day

Apple Honors World Emoji Day

 

Emoji Faces
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/07/apple-celebrates-world-emoji-day/

Apple is celebrating world emoji day! They celebrating this day by launching 70 new emoji characters for the iPhone and iPad. There will also be emojis for the Mac and Apple Watch that will launch later on.

Apple will start by creating emojis with all different hair types and complexions. These new emojis will include ones with red hair, gray hair and curly hair, and a bald head. This is Apple’s way of acknowledging the diversity amongst their users.  Other new  faces will also add more facial expressions. These include smiley emojis including a face with hearts around it, a party face, a pouty face, and a cold face.

New Emoji Smiley Faces

Smiley emojis
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/07/apple-celebrates-world-emoji-day/

 

Apple also increased their number of animal emojis . Apple is adding a peacock, kangaroo, lobster and parrot emoji to their keyboard.  After creating more animal emojis for their users, Apple will also add more food emojis. The new food emojis will include a mango, lettuce, moon cake, cupcake, and other food images. Adding more food emojis will is creative, fun and exciting for people who work with food. This way, people who work with food and promote food on social media have a fun method of communicating with their customers.

Other characters include symbols, sports emojis, and more!  Moreover, the emojis that will launch later this year will include a softball, a new superhero emoji, an infinity symbol, and a nazar amulet.

The New Animal Emojis

Animal Emojis
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/07/apple-celebrates-world-emoji-day/

The new emojis are now available on iOS, watchOS and macOS. These include gender-neutral characters, smiley faces, clothing, unique food, exotic animals, mythical creatures and more! Therefore, what better way to celebrate world emoji day then with releasing several new emojis for people to enjoy? Apple is creating these new emojis to make instant messaging fun for everyone! For more information, click here.

Apple Maps comes with a new look for iOS 12

Apple Maps comes with a new look for iOS 12

Here are some new features on maps that comes with the newest iOS update:

  • Better at identifying road changes and construction
  • Better for walkers, with more information on pedestrian pathways, foliage, etc.
  • Directs you to the front entrance instead of the side of the building
  • More information on local and regional landmarks
  • Licensed typefaces used on subway signs
  • More bodies of water show up on the map
  • Data comes from anonymized iPhone data, Apple Car collected information, and satellite images
  • 3D maps, including human-edited accurate 3D renderings of places
  • New measuring tools tell you how many floors a building has
  • Will be made available across all supported versions of its OS.

 

Why You Should Install The iOS 12 Update

Why You Should Install The iOS 12 Update

Apple iPhone
https://www.macrumors.com

 

The iOS 12 Update is said to help improve and speed up the way your smartphone operates.  This is why Apple users are saying that the iOS 12 update is one of the best software updates that Apple has had in years!

Getting The Beta Installed Is Made Simple: 

The steps of setting up the software are simple. The first step involves backing up your phone or tablet to ensure that all of your previous data remains protected. Protecting the data you had while using iOS 11 requires a full wipe and restoration of your Apple product. This process requires the following steps:

  1. Go to the Apple beta site on your iPhone or iPad, then sign in with your Apple ID.
  2. Download the beta settings profile and use your pin code to install it .
  3. Make sure you are connected to wifi.
  4. Look for updates in the settings app under General > Software Update.
  5. Download and then install the iOS 12 Public beta system.

Once you install the software, iOS 12 will make an automatic update as the new beta versions get released. Since older versions are no longer supported, this step is crucial to protecting your Apple device from any bugs.

The iOS 12 beta also includes new Screen Time tools, which is what makes the software update so great! This is used for monitoring how many times you use apps, how often you pick up or put down your phone, and other information that may be useful. This will also give you the ability to set app and device time limits for your children’s iPhones or iPads through the parental controls. Other exciting features consist of Apple’s new personalized Memoji. Memoji stacks notifications within the app so it is easier to process. This allows for speed improvement even for older iPhones.

If you want an iPhone that will guarantee you faster service, then update to iOS 12! For more information, click here.

 

New Designs For Apple’s IPhone X Plus

New Designs For Apple’s IPhone X Plus

 

IPhone X Phone
https://www.apple.com

 

According to Forbes magazine, Apple is launching designs for two new creative and cost-effective IPhones. These IPhones will be two types of IPhone X’s . These new IPhone X designs consist of the IPhone X Plus and the ‘Budget’ IPhone, which will satisfy many Apple users.

The IPhone X Plus

The IPhone X Plus will have a triple rear camera that Apple users are going to be exceptionally pleased with. Although it is uncertain what the triple rear camera will look like, one can assume that Apple will copy Huawei’s use of a monochromatic camera. The monochromatic camera will assist modules that are known for being primary and telephoto. This will create the kind of low light photography that Apple has been struggling to make popular for the past few years.

The IPhone X Plus will have a 6.5 inch display but will still be smaller than the 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus: 157.2 x 77.1 mm (6.18 x 3.03-inches) compared to 158.4 x 78.1 mm (6.24 x 3.07-inches). However, due to its steel framework,  it will potentially weigh more than the aluminum-based 202g  iPhone 8 Plus,

The New ‘Budget’ IPhone X

The ‘Budget’ IPhone X will measure 147.12 x 71.52 mm (5.79 x 2.81-inches). This new IPhone style is longer and wider than the current 5.8-inch iPhone: 143.6 x 70.9 mm (5.65 x 2.79-inch). The IPhone is more affordable because of its single rear camera. Its budget pricing is also seen in its loss of a 3D touch. However, the economical IPhone X will most likely have a Face ID technology. This gives the new phone a bonus feature at a low cost.

These two designs are two of the most innovative and affordable IPhones that Apple has created in years. There is a possibility that Apple might make changes to its designs. However, these models of the IPhone X and the ‘Budget’ IPhone X have high chances of being successful on the market.

For more information, click here

Apple Sponsors New iPad And Software At Chicago Education Event

Apple Sponsors New iPad And Software At Chicago Education Event

Apple recently sponsored its new iPad at their “field trip” education event in Chicago, Illinois. Apple unveiled a new iPad with Apple Pencil support along with other latest software features.  At the event, they promoted the new 9.7 inch iPad. Although it is selling at the typical price of $329 for consumers and $299 for schools, the iPad includes the new Apple pencil support. The iPad is considered to be the first non-Pro model to include the Apple Pencil. Along with the Apple pencil, Logitech released a new Crayon stylus feature for the iPad. They also released a new keyboard case worth $99.

https://www.apple.com/ipad/

 

Other features for the new iPad include an A10 Fusion chip. Apple claims that this chip will make for a 40 percent faster CPU and a 50 percent faster graphics performance including stereo speakers. Apple also announced that they will incorporate $10 off the new Apple pencil for educators. This benefits the schools that are looking to purchase these Apple Pencils in large quantities. Educators will also receive another discount when purchasing Apple Care+ for their new iPads. The prices for their new iPads will start at $59 which includes two years of coverage.

 Apple’s New Software: Schoolwork

Along with the new iPad, Apple took the initiative of announcing the release of a new software at the Chicago education event as well. They promoted their new Schoolwork application which allows to teachers to use the app to input assignments, grades, and more. Apple has ensured that this new app will protect the student’s data. The app will do so by giving only teachers the ability to access information on the Schoolwork app.

Furthermore, The Schoolwork app is a part of a Classkit framework, which includes other apps that with even more features for educators to share with their students. Other apps such as Garageband, Swift, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and others have all integrated the Apple pencil feature as a way adding more efficiency to today’s education system.

For more information, click here 

Apple Tops First-Quarter Sales

Apple Tops First-Quarter Sales

Although it was rumored that the iPhone X would be a flop, the latest sales figures are showing the exact opposite. After industry analysts Counterpoint published research on global smartphone sales for March 2018 it is clear that the iPhone X has topped the list, with Apple’s flagship taking a 3.5% share of the market–well ahead of Android. The next best phone after the iPhone X was also the iPhone 8, with a 2.3% share.

Counterpoint made an official statement on the topic: “Apple’s iPhone X remained the best-selling smartphone in March, dominating the whole first quarter to be the number one smartphone. The sales of the iPhone 8 Plus improved during March, due to a push from Apple making it the second best-selling smartphone globally.”

Apple generated a total of $48.35 billion in profit during its fiscal 2017, and made $13.8 billion during the March 2018 quarter. To put these numbers into perspective: the profit that Apple has made within the first quarter of 2018 is more than Amazon has ever generated since its inception.

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, was quick to report that this was their best March quarter ever, with revenue going up in all major operations, including services and wearables. They also grew revenue in all of their geographic segments, with over 20 percent growth in Greater China and Japan.

There are several rumors in the air regarding a new iPhone release later this year, a couple suggesting the iPhone SE being unveiled at its developer’s conference, beginning on June 4 in California. Although most of these products are rumored, it will be exciting to see what Apple has in store for the remainder of 2018.

For more information, click here

Downloading Your Stored Apple Information

Downloading Your Stored Apple Information

Did you know that you are able to view all of your old Apple downloads, such as books and music, as well as past devices you’ve purchased? What Apple doesn’t do is store your personal information such as emails and locations. Aside from downloads, a log is kept about customer support queries for each time you reach out to ask any questions about your device or other Apple products.

Apple’s privacy response explains why they do not store other personal information here:

“Apple has always placed a priority on protecting our customers’ personal data, and we don’t collect or maintain a mountain of personal details about our customers in the first place. There are certain categories of information which we do not provide to law enforcement or any other group because we choose not to retain it. For example, conversations which take place over iMessage and FaceTime are protected by end-to-end encryption so no one but the sender and receiver can see or read them. Apple cannot decrypt that data. Similarly, we do not store data related to customers’ location, Map searches or Siri requests in any identifiable form.”

How to Download Your Apple Archive:

  • Go to Apple’s Privacy Policy page (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/)
  • Scroll down to the section titled “Access to Personal Information.” It’s worth reading and says explains that Apple will provide you with a copy of the information it holds if you request it.
  • Click the “Privacy Contact Form” link.
  • Choose your language.
  • Select “I have a question about privacy issues” from the drop-down box.
  • Fill in your first and last name, email, subject and comments. I noted that I was requesting a copy of my personal information in the comments field.
  • Click submit.

After this, you’ll need to wait for Apple’s privacy team to contact you to; they will request some of the same personal information above, in addition to your Apple ID, a registered product serial number and a previous AppleCare support case number in order to verify your identity.

“Do Not Disturb While Driving” Feature Helps Bad Habits

“Do Not Disturb While Driving” Feature Helps Bad Habits

According to EverQuote’s Safe Driving Report, there are about 92% of US drivers that use their phone while driving, while about 88 seconds are spent on mobile devices during an average 21-minute ride.

To change this dangerous habit that almost every driver has, Apple created a new “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature, which had launched with its iOS 11 update in September 2017. From September to October, about 80% of drivers used this feature, although 27% of users disabled it after the initial use. This feature works by blocking all notifications from appearing onscreen while the user is driving, until they reach their destination. This way, drivers are less inclined to look at their phones because they cannot see their notifications.

Due to users taking advantage of this feature, the phone usage while driving decreased about 8%. Although it wasn’t a significant decrease, the iPhone feature is helping drivers stop their bad habits of checking their texts, email and social media, which decreases the number accidents caused by phone usage while driving.

Apple’s New (PRODUCT)RED Release

Apple’s New (PRODUCT)RED Release

Beginning April 10th, customers will be able to pre-order the newest addition to the iPhone family, the red iPhone 8 and 8 Plus; the phone will be available in stores on April 13th. Aside from the new devices, Apple will also be releasing new accessories as part of the (PRODUCT)RED line, including a red iPhone X Leather Folio. Although not stated an exact amount, a portion of proceeds for all (PRODUCT)RED purchases will go directly to Global Fund HIV/AIDS grants that provide testing, counseling, treatment and prevention programs. According to Apple.com,  Apple has donated more than $160 million to the Global Fund since their initial partnering with (RED) in 2006. 

Apple’s vice president of Product Marketing Greg Joswiak commented on the new line, “This special edition (PRODUCT)RED iPhone features a stunning red and black color combination and also offers customers the opportunity to make an impact in fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus improve on everything we love about iPhone, including Retina HD displays that are more beautiful than ever, the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone with the A11 Bionic and more advanced cameras for unbelievable photos and videos. We are proud to support (RED) with this bold new iPhone and hope customers think it is as special as we do.”

As far as pricing, the red iPhone 8 and 8 Plus range from $699 to $949, depending on model and storage; these are the same prices Apple charges for their iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in other colors.