Apple Delays iPhone 6 Plus Battery Replacements Until March-April Due to Limited Supply

iPhone 6 Plus users hoping to take advantage of Apple’s discounted $29 battery replacements may have to wait a few months.

Apple says iPhone 6 Plus replacement batteries are in short supply and won’t be available until late March to early April in the United States and other regions, according to an internal document distributed to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week and later obtained by MacRumors.

Apple’s internal document quotes a shorter wait of “approximately two weeks” for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s Plus battery replacements, and adds that batteries for all other models like the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone SE are expected to be available “without extended delays” in most countries.

Apple noted that lead times may vary in some regions, including the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Russia, and Turkey.

MacRumors has already received a few emails from readers with an iPhone 6 Plus who were quoted a late March to early April timeframe for the replacement service to be completed at Apple Stores in New York and North Carolina, in line with the information outlined in Apple’s document.

A reliable source at an Apple Authorized Service Provider indicated that they recently received a package with dozens of replacement batteries, the majority of which were for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models.

Apple lowered its battery replacement fee to $29 last month for any customer with an iPhone 6 or newer as part of an apology over its lack of transparency about slowing down some older iPhone models to prevent unexpected shutdowns. Apple noted that initial supplies of some batteries may be limited.

As with any supply-demand situation, availability of replacement batteries will likely vary by location. Keep in mind that many Apple Authorized Service Providers like MacMedics and ComputerCare are able to replace iPhone batteries, so this may be an option worth considering beyond an Apple Store.

A source adds that Apple Authorized Service Providers are permitted to set their own prices for out-of-warranty parts and repairs, so some third-party repair shops are charging more than $29 for battery replacements, even if Apple might not prefer it, to ensure they are being fairly compensated.

Also keep in mind that Apple’s discounted rate is available until December 31, 2018, so unless you absolutely need a battery replacement now, you may wish to consider waiting until later in the year to initiate the process.

If you are replacing your iPhone’s battery for the first time, the $29 price is available regardless of whether the device passes or fails Apple’s battery diagnostic test. To be eligible for any additional replacements at the discounted rate, however, the device must explicitly fail the test or the standard $79 applies.

To get started, read our guide on how to get your iPhone’s battery replaced with an appointment at an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. There’s also a mail-in option, but we’ve heard that Apple’s repair center may only be replacing batteries that fail a diagnostic test, and sending back devices that pass.

Related Roundups: iPhone 6s, iPhone 7Buyer’s Guide: iPhone 8 (Buy Now), iPhone 8 (Buy Now), iPhone 8 (Buy Now)
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FBI Forensic Examiner Stephen Flatley Calls Apple ‘Jerks’ and ‘Evil Geniuses’ for Encrypting iPhones

Senior FBI forensic examiner Stephen R. Flatley spoke at the International Conference on Cyber Security yesterday, and during the talk he discussed Apple and the FBI’s differing opinions on the topic of smartphone encryption. According to Motherboard, Flatley described the company as “jerks” and “evil geniuses” for creating iOS device encryption that is so powerful as to prevent Apple itself from entering users’ iPhones.

Flatley said that recent updates to Apple device encryption have made password guesses slower, by increasing hash iterations from 10 thousand to 10 million, “making his and his colleagues’ investigative work harder.” This extended brute force crack time from a few days to two months, leading to Flatley stating that Apple is “pretty good at evil genius stuff.” No detailed context was given regarding his “jerks” comment.

Image of Stephen Flatley taken by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai via Motherboard

That means, he explained, that “password attempts speed went from 45 passwords a second to one every 18 seconds,” referring to the difficulty of cracking a password using a “brute force” method in which every possible permutation is tried. There are tools that can input thousands of passwords in a very short period of time—if the attempts per minute are limited, it becomes much harder and slower to crack.

“Your crack time just went from two days to two months,” Flatley said. “At what point is it just trying to one up things and at what point is it to thwart law enforcement?” he added. “Apple is pretty good at evil genius stuff.”

Flatley’s comments come nearly two years after the Apple-FBI dispute began, when a federal judge ordered Apple to help the FBI enter the iPhone owned by Syed Farook, one of the shooters in the December 2015 attacks in San Bernardino. The FBI said it wanted Apple’s help to enter just Farook’s iPhone 5c, but Apple explained that the software it was asked to create could become a “master key” and be able to get information from any iPhone or iPad.

For this reason, Apple denied the request and CEO Tim Cook penned an open letter describing the potential for setting a “dangerous precedent” if the company did go along with the order. The battle eventually ended a few months later after the government discovered an alternative way of entering Farook’s iPhone 5c, reportedly with the help of Israeli firm Cellebrite.

Flately mentioned Cellebrite as well during the security conference, describing the firm as “another evil genius” that counters Apple’s encryption and can help the FBI when it needs to enter a smartphone. The forensic examiner was described as not clearly stating Cellebrite’s name, but “facetiously coughing” at the same time to somewhat obscure the comment.

Although the Apple-FBI dispute has ended, debates over smartphone encryption have remained ongoing the past few years. In October 2017, a report came out stating that the FBI was unable to retrieve data from 6,900 mobile devices it had attempted to gain access to over the previous 11 months. That number accounted for half of the total devices the FBI tried to get into, and FBI Director Christopher Wray described the FBI’s inability to retrieve information from these devices as a “huge, huge problem.”

At the end of the case in 2016, Apple issued a statement explaining that the company will continue to assist the FBI when it can, but not at the expense of the data protection, security, and privacy of its customers: “Apple believes deeply that people in the United States and around the world deserve data protection, security, and privacy. Sacrificing one for the other only puts people and countries at greater risk.”

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: FBI, Encryption, Apple-FBI
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CES 2018: Scosche Announces New ‘MagicMount Pro’ Qi Wireless Charging Accessories

Scosche today announced new Qi-compatible MagicMount Pro wireless charging accessories that are compatible with the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.

All of the accessories in the new MagicMount Pro CHARGE line feature the Scosche’s MagicMount magnetic mounting functionality, with a 360-degree adjustable cradle that allows them to be mounted in the most convenient position. The MagicMount is designed to mount in cars, on nightstands, on desks, on countertops, and more.

Scosche says the MagicMount Pro products feature 5W or 10W Adaptive Fast Charging for “the quickest charge possible” for all Qi-enabled smartphones. Apple’s iPhones use 7.5W charging, however, and compatibility with the faster 7.5W iPhone charging specification is not explicitly mentioned.

There are several vehicle-compatible products in the MagicMount Pro CHARGE family:

• MagicMount Pro CHARGE Window/Dash – Designed to stick to a vehicle’s window or dash using a suction base.
• MagicMount Pro CHARGE Vent – Attaches to the vent in any vehicle and can also be detached to be used as a kickstand to watch videos.
• MagicMount Pro CHARGE CD – Mounts in a vehicle’s CD slot.
• MagicMount Pro CHARGE Surface – Attaches to a vehicle’s console using a StickGrip mat.

Each MagicMount Pro product includes an AC wall adapter, a micro-USB charging cord, and two MagicPLATEs with 3M adhesive.

Scosche is also introducing a new Qi Dock Powerbank that’s able to charge a Qi-compatible smartphone and a powerbank, which can then be used on-the-go to charge mobile devices.

In its standalone MagicMount series designed for mobile devices like the iPhone, Scosche is debuting new MagicMount ELITE products that combine it’s well-known magnetic mounting functionality with a more attractive metal alloy finish. As with the Qi accessories, the ELITE series features several products to meet a range of needs.

Scosche’s Qi-based products and its new Magic Mount ELITE line will all be launching in the spring of 2018. More information on the upcoming accessories can be found on Scosche’s website.

Tag: CES 2018
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Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of iOS 11.2.5 to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming iOS 11.2.5 update to developers and public beta testers, a few days after seeding the fourth beta and releasing iOS 11.2.2, an update designed to mitigate a serious hardware-based vulnerability called “Spectre.”

Registered developers can download the iOS 11.2.5 beta from Apple’s Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center. Public beta testers can get the beta over-the-air.

iOS 11.2.5 introduces a new feature that allows Siri to play daily news podcasts when queried about the current news. Siri will offer up news from The Washington Post by default, but you can also choose to switch to Fox News, CNN, or NPR.

The new audio news feature, which appears to have been developed for use with Apple’s upcoming HomePod speaker, is invoked when using Hey Siri or asking Siri about the news when using CarPlay or with headphones connected – essentially any situation where you’re not looking at the display of an iOS device. If you activate Siri using the side button or Home button of a device, standard Apple news headlines are provided instead of the audio-based news highlights.

It’s not clear what other new features, if any, will be included in the iOS 11.2.5 beta. We didn’t discover other noticeable outward-facing changes in the first four iOS 11.2.5 betas, so it’s possible this update focuses mainly on bug fixes and security improvements aside from the Siri news update.

If that’s the case, we may not know the extent of what’s in the update until it sees a public release.

Apple is supposed to be releasing an iCloud Messages feature that was pulled from the iOS 11 release, but there has been no indication of when we can expect iCloud Messages to be reintroduced. Should new features be discovered in the fifth beta of iOS 11.2.5, we’ll update this post.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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Apple Accidentally Allowed Downgrades All the Way Back to iOS 6 Early Today

Apple has quickly corrected a mistake that allowed iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users to downgrade to older software versions on early Thursday.

The situation began on late Wednesday when Apple suddenly stopped signing all iOS versions for select devices, including the iPhone 4s and some very old iPad and iPod touch models, according to the website IPSW.me.

Next, it appears that when Apple went to flip the switch back on, it accidentally began signing several older software versions between iOS 6 and iOS 11.1.2 for any compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models.

Not entirely sure why the signing window has opened for iOS 6–10 on various iOS devices, but not gonna complain. Have some iOS 6 pic.twitter.com/Ixfpn8waU6

— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) January 11, 2018

Apple routinely stops signing older iOS versions, which effectively closes the window on downgrading. The company stopped signing iOS 11.1.2 in December, for example, while many older versions haven’t been signed in years. Yet, suddenly, users found themselves able to downgrade to over five year old software.

They opened up iOS 6.1.3 shsh signing 😝 pic.twitter.com/FV2watYKxi

— Khaos Tian (@KhaosT) January 11, 2018

Many users turned to Reddit to discuss the bizarre turn of events, which transpired briefly during the early morning hours in the United States.

I literally ran into my parents room to grab my dad’s poor old iPhone 5s and iPad mini 2, both of which were suffering on iOS 11. Now I managed to downgrade them to iOS 7.1.1. I then downgraded my old iPhone 5 to iOS 7.1.1 as well and now my iPhone 7 to iOS 10.3 to jailbreak. I’m so happy right now!

While some users rushed to downgrade for the nostalgic factor, the mishap provided others with an iPhone 6 or newer a brief opportunity to revert to iOS versions that aren’t affected by Apple’s power management changes introduced in iOS 10.2.1 and/or iOS versions that have a publicly released jailbreak.

Apple has yet to comment on the matter.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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Former Apple Intern Looks Back at Designing First Apple Emoji in 2008

Back in 2008, Angela Guzman was a graphic design student at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and an intern at Apple, where she joined the iPhone team and worked alongside another Apple designer, Raymond, to come up with the first 500 emoji characters that were available on the iPhone.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of her internship, Guzman has taken a look back at her time at Apple and her work on emoji in an interesting retrospective shared on Medium.

Image via Angela Guzman
When Guzman was handed the emoji project at Apple, it came at a time when emoji were unfamiliar in the English speaking world. Guzman received a crash course in Apple design and then started designing emoji, which featured incredible detail even right from the start. Then Apple CEO Steve Jobs reviewed each batch of emoji before it was approved for launch.

Regardless of how fast I could crank one out, I constantly checked the details: the direction of the woodgrain, how freckles appeared on apples and eggplants, how leaf veins ran on a hibiscus, how leather was stitched on a football, the details were neverending. I tried really hard to capture all this in every pixel, zooming in and zooming out, because every detail mattered.

Some emoji, says Guzman, have interesting back stories. The happy poop swirl, for example, was reused as the top of the ice cream cone. Harder, more detailed emoji were left last, such as the now-iconic dancer with the red dress.

Guzman’s emoji were first launched in Japan in November of 2008, and in the time since then, emoji have changed the way we communicate. Emoji have become an important part of the iOS and macOS ecosystem, and Apple has continued refining and improving its emoji offerings with each Unicode update.

As with the first Apple emoji designed by Guzman and her partner Raymond, emoji today feature incredible detail thanks to the talented artists at Apple who take the time to make sure each and every pixel is perfect.

iOS 11.1 was the last iOS update that introduced new emoji, bringing Unicode 10 characters like crazy face, pie, pretzel, t-rex, vampire, exploding head, face vomiting, shushing face, love you gesture, brain, scarf, zebra, giraffe, fortune cookie, pie, hedgehog, and more.

The next emoji update will come with the release of Unicode 11 in 2018, and emoji proposals for that update include smiling face with three hearts, blue face with icicles, smiling face with cape, mango, cupcake, kangaroo, llama, peacock, and red hair options for existing emoji.

Tag: emoji
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The Best Apple Related Accessories at CES 2018

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show felt a little more muted than past shows, with fewer new and exciting products coming out. Much of that may be due to the fact that there was a lot of focus on Alexa and Google Assistant, two platforms that aren’t applicable to a lot of Apple users.

Though CES 2018 may not have been quite as interesting as past events, there were still quite a few Apple-related products shown off that we’re looking forward to seeing in 2018. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most interesting accessories and devices relevant to those who own iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other Apple devices.

Philips Hue Outdoor Bulbs and Hue Entertainment

Philips is planning to expand its line of popular HomeKit-compatible Hue light bulbs with new outdoor bulbs that can be used on porches, yards, balconies, and other outdoor areas. Pricing hasn’t yet been announced, but these will be a welcome addition to the Hue lineup.

Philips is also introducing a new “Hue Entertainment” feature that will allow Hue lights to react to games, movies, music, and more through a series of partnerships with other companies. One of the first partnerships is with Razer.

Later this year, Philips will update its iOS app with a revamped design and it will introduce a new “Hue Sync” Mac app for creating and customizing light scripts for games, movies, and music.

Nanoleaf Remote and Square Panels

Nanoleaf, another company that does HomeKit-enabled lighting, announced a new $49 Nanoleaf Remote for controlling its Nanoleaf Light Panels and other HomeKit-compatible products. Some MacRumors readers aren’t a fan of the design, but it is undeniably unique with its dodecahedron shape, and it also offers more preset options than other remotes. You can activate 12 HomeKit scenes with the Nanoleaf Remote by flipping it around, and it can also be used for dimming.

Nanoleaf is also going to be introducing new square light panels in the future, though a pricing and release date aren’t available. The square panels are a major update to the existing triangle panels. They’re touch sensitive so you can turn them on and off or activate another color preset with just a tap or a swipe, and there will also be built-in motion sensing to tweak the lights when you walk by.

HomeKit-Enabled Kohler Faucet and Moen Shower System

Kohler and Moen took HomeKit to an interesting new place at CES with the announcement of HomeKit-enabled faucets and shower systems.

Kohler’s Sensate faucet will let you use Siri voice commands to turn the water on or off or dispense set amounts of liquid, while the DTV+ shower system will let homeowners create and automate personalized shower experiences with different presets for sound, water, steam, and lighting, which can be activated by voice.

Moen’s “U by Moen” shower system will let you use voice commands to start your shower and activated pre-set temperature choices.

Voice-enabled shower systems aren’t cheap, with Moen charging $1,160 for the “U.” Pricing for the Kohler system hasn’t been announced, but the current non-HomeKit-enabled Sensate faucet is priced at $523 while the DTV+ shower system is priced at $794.

Belkin HomeKit for Wemo and Wireless Charging Docks

At CES, Belkin finally debuted HomeKit integration for its Wemo devices, allowing smart plugs, light switches, and dimmers to be used with HomeKit. HomeKit integration is limited right now, but the good news is that future Belkin Wemo products will likely support it.

Adding HomeKit to your Wemo setup will require the new Wemo Bridge, priced at $40.

Belkin’s other major announcement was a whole slew of new wireless chargers for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. There are chargers in bright colors, upright chargers, and chargers that go in the car.

Osmo Mobile 2

If you capture video on your iPhone, the Osmo Mobile 2 from DJI is worth checking out. It’s way cheaper than the original version at around $160, has simpler controls, and longer battery life.

It works by using a three-axis gimbal to cancel out movement in three directions for stable footage even when you have shaky hands.

HyperDrive 8-in-1 USB-C Hub

Hyper’s new 8-in-1 USB-C Hub may be a Kickstarter project, but Hyper has a proven track record for delivering solid products. The HyperDrive USB-C Hub is designed for USB-C MacBook models with a 4K HDMI port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a microSD slot, an SD card slot, three USB-A 3.1 ports and one USB-C power delivery port.

It also includes a built-in 7.5W wireless charger and convertible stand for wirelessly charging the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.

Hyper’s Kickstarter campaign for the USB-C Hub will start on January 15.

Incase IconConnected PowerSleeve for MacBook Pro

Incase’s new IconConnected Power Sleeve combines protection with power for Apple’s 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro models. It takes a standard Incase Icon sleeve and then adds a 14,000 mAh battery with a USB-C port that can be used for charging purposes.

There’s also a USB-A port built into the Power Sleeve so you can charge your other devices, too. Incase plans to offer 13 and 15-inch versions of the Power Sleeve, which will be available for $199.95 when it launches in the third quarter of 2018.

We highlighted tons of other Apple-related products at the Consumer Electronics Show this year, so make sure to check out our CES hub to see all of our CES 2018 coverage. What was your favorite product at the show? Let us know in the comments.

Tag: CES 2018
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Intel CEO Pledges Commitment to Security Following Meltdown and Spectre Vulnerabilities

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich today wrote an open letter to Intel customers following the “Meltdown” and “Spectre” hardware-based vulnerabilities that impact its processors.

In the letter, Krzanich says that by January 15, updates will have been issued for at least 90 percent of Intel CPUs introduced in the past five years, with updates for the remainder coming at the end of January.

For Apple customers, macOS and iOS devices have been patched with protection against Spectre and Meltdown. Meltdown was addressed in macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 and iOS 11.2, while Spectre mitigations were introduced in a macOS 10.13.2 supplemental update and iOS 11.2.2, both of which were released this week. The vulnerabilities have also been addressed in older versions of macOS and OS X.

According to Krzanich, going forward, Intel promises to offer timely and transparent communications, with details on patch progress and performance data. Because Spectre and Meltdown are hardware-based vulnerabilities, they must be addressed through software workarounds. In some cases, these software patches cause machines to perform more slowly.

Apple users do not need to worry about performance impacts. According to Apple, Meltdown had no measurable reduction in performance on devices running macOS and iOS across several benchmarks. Spectre, fixed through a Safari mitigation, had no measurable impact on most tests, but did impact performance by less than 2.5% on the JetStream benchmark. Apple says it plans to continue to refine its mitigations going further.

In addition to remaining transparent about the performance impact of the software fixes, Krzanich says Intel will commit to disclosing security vulnerabilities and sharing hardware innovations that will, in the future, prevent such attacks.

Our customers’ security is an ongoing priority, not a one-time event. To accelerate the security of the entire industry, we commit to publicly identify significant security vulnerabilities following rules of responsible disclosure and, further, we commit to working with the industry to share hardware innovations that will accelerate industry-level progress in dealing with side-channel attacks. We also commit to adding incremental funding for academic and independent research into potential security threats.

For those who missed the news last week, Spectre and Meltdown are serious hardware-based vulnerabilities that take advantage of the speculative execution mechanism of a CPU, potentially allowing hackers to gain access to sensitive information.

Spectre and Meltdown impact all modern processors, including those used in Mac and iOS devices, and these two vulnerabilities will continue to be an issue for the foreseeable future as addressing them entirely requires new hardware design. Apple has prevented Spectre and Meltdown from affecting customers through software updates, but all hardware and software manufacturers will need to be wary of additional speculative execution attacks going forward.

Apple customers should make sure to keep their Macs and iOS devices up to date with the latest software to remain protected from malicious attacks that might take advantage of the exploits.

Tags: Intel, exploit, Vulnerabiltiies
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End-to-End Encryption Comes to Skype Through Signal Partnership

Microsoft is testing a new “Private Conversations” feature in Skype, which is being introduced through a partnership with Signal.

Skype is using the Signal Protocol for the feature, allowing users to take advantage of strong end-to-end encryption for more secure communications.

Private Conversations are available for one-on-one conversations on Skype, with users able to initiate a private conversation by tapping on the “+” icon and then selecting “New Private Conversation.” Once a conversation is initiated, it will be available only on the specific device where it was started.

Microsoft says Private Conversations offer several unique features:

• A Private Conversation will have a lock icon next to your contact’s name.
• Preview messages from Private Conversations will not show in Chats or notifications.
• Private Conversation capabilities are limited. You cannot edit a message or forward a file. From the chat window, only emoticons, files and audio messages are available to send.
• Private Conversations are specific to a device. A new invitation must be sent and accepted, to change to another device.

Private Conversations are available today in a preview capacity for Skype Insiders, Microsoft’s beta testing program for Skype.

Tags: Skype, Microsoft, Signal
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Apple Shares Updated iOS Security Guide With Info on Face ID, Apple Pay Cash and More

Apple this afternoon published an updated version of its iOS Security white paper for iOS 11 [PDF], with information that covers features introduced in iOS 11.1 and iOS 11.2, like Face ID and Apple Pay Cash.

Much of the information in the document on Face ID has been previously shared by Apple in a dedicated Face ID white paper and accompanying support document that was released in September following the iPhone X’s announcement, but the Face ID section is worth a re-read for those who are interested in Face ID security.

The document also covers several other topics, such as Shared Notes, CloudKit, Siri Suggestions, and more, with a full list of updates below:

Updated for iOS 11.2
– Apple Pay Cash

Updated for iOS 11.1
– Security Certifications and Programs
– Touch ID/Face ID
– Shared Notes
– CloudKit end-to-end encryption
– TLS
– Apple Pay, Paying with Apple Pay on the web
– Siri Suggestions
– Shared iPad

The document explains in detail how Apple features work and how they’re protected. With Apple Pay Cash, for example, Apple says transaction data is stored for troubleshooting and fraud protection, while all money transfers are done securely using the Secure Element as with other Apple Pay transactions.

There are many small but significant details in the paper about all of the topics listed above, and for anyone who is interested in the security of their iPhones and iPads, it’s worth checking out in detail.

Prior to today’s update, the last update to the iOS security document was in July of 2017 following the release of iOS 10.3.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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