TSMC Expected to Remain Exclusive Supplier of ‘A13’ Chip Orders for 2019 iPhones

Taiwanese manufacturer TSMC will likely remain Apple’s contract chipmaker next year, as the exclusive supplier of “A13” chips for 2019 iPhones, according to industry analysts cited in a report by the EE Times.

“As long as TSMC continues to offer something new at leading-edge every year and continues to execute well on yield, I could see Apple remaining sole source on foundry at TSMC for years to come,” Arete Research analyst Brett Simpson said in an interview with EE Times.

TSMC has been Apple’s exclusive supplier of A-series chips since 2016, fulfilling all orders for the A10 Fusion chip in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and the A11 Bionic chip in the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. Multiple reports indicate TSMC will also be the exclusive supplier of the “A12” chip in 2018 iPhones.

TSMC’s packaging offerings are widely considered to be superior to that of other chipmakers, including Samsung and Intel, so it won’t be surprising if that exclusivity continues with the “A13” chip in 2019.

TSMC has been gradually shrinking the size of its dies over the years as it continues to refine its manufacturing process: A10 Fusion is 16nm, A11 Bionic is 10nm, and this year’s “A12” is expected to be a 7nm chip. The “A13” will likely be a 7nm+ chip with extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV), with volume production expected to begin in the second quarter of 2019, in time for a fall iPhone launch next year.

Beyond that, TSMC recently confirmed that it plans to invest $25 billion towards volume production of 5nm chips by 2020, so there’s a good chance that Apple will rely on the Taiwanese chipmaker for the foreseeable future.

TSMC’s favor with Apple comes at the expense of Samsung, which was the exclusive manufacturer of iPhone processors for many years, starting with the ARM11 chip in the original iPhone through to the A7 chip in the iPhone 5s. TSMC manufactured the A8 chip in 2014, and TSMC and Samsung shared A9 chip orders in 2015.

Samsung isn’t backing down easily, however, as DigiTimes last month reported that the South Korean company is developing its own InFO packaging technology. Samsung claims to have outpaced TSMC in kicking off official production of 7nm+ with EUV, seeking to win back orders from Apple in 2019.

As far as how this all impacts customers, Apple’s industry-leading mobile chip designs and TSMC’s continued packaging advancements are beneficial for the performance, battery life, and thermal management of future iPhones.

Tag: TSMC
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Apple Supports National Parks With Apple Watch Activity Challenge and Apple Pay Donations

Apple today introduced an Apple Pay donation program and a new Activity Challenge on the Apple Watch in support of U.S. national parks.

From August 24 through August 31, Apple said it will donate $1 to the National Park Foundation, the official charity of the U.S. National Park Service, for every purchase made with Apple Pay at any Apple Store, on Apple.com, or through the Apple Store app for iPhone and iPad in the United States.

Proceeds will support the National Park Foundation’s mission to protect national parks through projects like habitat restoration and historic preservation, and support programs like Open OutDoors for Kids, according to Apple.

Apple CEO Tim Cook:

America’s national parks are treasures everyone should experience, and we’re proud to support them again this month by donating a dollar for every purchase made with Apple Pay at one of our stores. These awe-inspiring places are our national inheritance, and Apple is doing our part to pass them on to future generations — just as extraordinary, beautiful and wild as we found them.

On September 1, Apple Watch users around the world who complete a walk, run, or wheelchair workout of 50 minutes of more will earn an Activity app award and animated iMessage stickers, inspired by national parks. The challenge pays homage to Redwood National Park’s 50th anniversary celebration this year.

The App Store will also highlight a collection of some of the best apps to help users easily navigate and explore U.S. national parks.

Apple supported U.S. national parks in these same ways in July 2017.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4, watchOS 5, Apple PayTag: Activity ChallengeBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
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Twelve South Announces New PlugBug Duo Travel Accessory for MacBooks

Twelve South today announced the launch of the PlugBug Duo, a follow up to the company’s popular MacBook travel companion, the PlugBug World.

The New PlugBug Duo, like the PlugBug World, attaches to the MacBook Power Adapter to add a selection of snap-on international plugs for travel purposes along with USB ports for charging additional accessories.

Twelve South’s PlugBug World included a single USB-A port for charging, but the PlugBug Duo adds a second USB-A port for a total of two ports for charging accessories like iPhones, Apple Watches, and iPads.

12W charging speeds are supported, so the PlugBug Duo will charge devices like the iPhone more quickly than the standard power adapter.

The snap-on plugs that are included with the PlugBug Duo are designed to work in many countries around the world including the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Continental Europe, North America and Japan.

The PlugBug Duo is compatible with MagSafe, MagSafe 2, and USB-C Power Adapters.

Twelve South’s new PlugBug Duo is available for purchase starting today for $49.99 from the Twelve South website.

Tag: Twelve South
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Shigeru Miyamoto: Nintendo Will ‘Continue Pushing’ for Pay-Once Mobile Games Over Freemium Apps

Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto wants the gaming industry to stop “nickel-and-diming” users, and launch games at fixed prices (via Bloomberg).

As long as the upfront prices aren’t too high, such “premium” games would create a more sustainable business model over the long term, Miyamoto says, seemingly referencing video games across mobile, console, and PC. The Super Mario creator made the comments during the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference on Wednesday in Yokohama, Japan.

“We’re lucky to have such a giant market, so our thinking is, if we can deliver games at reasonable prices to as many people as possible, we will see big profits,” Miyamoto said at the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference (CEDEC) on Wednesday in Yokohama, Japan.

Nintendo has tried both models on smartphones: in “Super Mario Run” it charged an upfront price of $9.99 to gain access to the full game, and in “Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp” and “Fire Emblem Heroes” it launched the games for free, with numerous opportunities for in-game purchases. Nintendo has previously said it prefers the pay-once structure of “Super Mario Run,” but it still released two free-to-play apps in the year after that game launched.

Additionally, even one year after launch “Super Mario Run” had yet to reach an “acceptable profit point,” while stories about revenue from the freemium games were consistently more positive. Miyamoto admits that the “Super Mario Run” model hasn’t exactly been a success, but says the company will “continue pushing” the pay-once model forward in an effort to avoid freemium mobile games and promote a healthier, more “comfortable” development environment in the industry.

“I can’t say that our fixed-cost model has really been a success,” the usually candid Miyamoto said. “But we’re going to continue pushing it forward until it becomes entrenched. That way everyone can develop games in a comfortable environment. By focusing on bringing games to the widest range of people possible, we can continue boosting our mobile game business.”

Next, Nintendo will launch “Dragalia Lost” on iOS and Android in North America and Europe later this year, through a partnership with Japanese mobile developer Cygames. The payment structure of the game is unknown, but previous apps by Cygames have been reliant upon Japan’s popular “gacha” system, which encourages players to spend real money on in-game currency that they can use to unlock random items.

In total, Nintendo’s mobile game library includes the now-defunct “Miitomo,” “Super Mario Run,” “Fire Emblem Heroes,” and “Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.” The next smartphone game inspired by a Nintendo property will be “Mario Kart Tour,” expected to launch by March 2019.

Nintendo’s new president, Shuntaro Furukawa, has said that mobile gaming will be a priority of his time leading the company, with plans to increase the output of smartphone games and launch a singular “game-changing” app that surges in popularity, akin to “Pokémon Go.”

Tag: Nintendo
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Apple Store heist: Shoppers in California tackle suspects to the ground

The Apple Store in Thousand Oaks, California. Apple

Criminals will go to extraordinary lengths to steal gear from Apple.

From rappelling down on ropes in a Mission Impossible-style raid to jumping onto a truck as it motors along a highway, thieves have become highly creative in finding underhand ways of getting hold of iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and anything else of monetary value made by the tech titan.

Some of the crooks, however, take the standard route. That is, walking into an Apple Store, yanking the kit from the display tables, and walking out.

They’ve been getting away with it for years, with Apple Stores in the company’s home state of California seemingly targeted more than most.

But last weekend, shoppers at an Apple Store in the city of Thousand Oaks just west of Los Angeles took the bold step of tackling three thieves during an attempted heist.

According to local news media, the suspects, all wearing hoodies in a bid to conceal their identity, entered the store in Oaks Mall on Sunday afternoon. They immediately started grabbing thousands of dollars worth of Apple gear from the tables before attempting to escape.

But a number of shoppers intervened, tackling two of the suspects to the ground and holding them there until the cops arrived. The third was picked up later by police, who also arrested two more individuals reportedly inside a getaway car, bringing the total number of detentions to five. They’re now being held in Ventura County on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.

Investigators are currently trying to establish whether the suspects had a hand in other Apple Store robberies that have taken place recently. They include a grab-and-run raid on the same day at an Apple Store in Northridge about 15 miles east of Thousand Oaks, and another heist in July in Fresno, 180 miles north of Thousand Oaks. In the Fresno raid, the crooks made off with nearly $30,000 of Apple equipment. Cops are reported to have found Apple-made gear from several stores inside the car they stopped.

Captain Garo Kuredjian from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department told CBS Local, “These items are relatively small and very expensive so if they get away with a few things in their hands, these are very easy to transfer into cash.”

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Proposed Apple Store Location in Australia Gets Temporary Heritage Protection

Apple’s plans for its first flagship store in Australia have been dealt another blow, with The Age reporting that the proposed location in Melbourne has won Heritage Protection status until late 2018.

The Victorian branch of Australia’s National Trust is said to have nominated Federation Square for protection earlier this month, shortly after Apple submitted revised blueprints for the planned store on July 19.

Apple’s revised Federation Square design
The Heritage Protection status means no work on the square can take place until December 21, 2018 without explicit permission from the National Trust. With Apple not hoping to start construction until next year, the date on its own isn’t a problem, but the move by Heritage Victoria suggests that permanent protection is the final goal.

The construction of the new store would require the demolition of the well-known Yarra building, which has infuriated Melbourne residents and led to major protests suggesting the public space should not be given over to a corporation.

In February, Melbourne’s City Council backed a motion to lobby for a new store design, and Apple’s revised plan was positively received by the Federation Square leadership, but it looks as if public community groups have yet to be convinced.

“The interim protection order allows us to take stock and think about what makes Fed Square truly special,” said Citizens for Melbourne president Tania Davidge, speaking to The Age. “Hopefully, after eight months of discussion behind closed doors, Victorians will now have the opportunity to have a say about the future of their public, cultural and civic square.”

Another view of the new design
The city of Melbourne’s Heritage portfolio chair Rohan Leppert said the public backlash to the proposed Apple store proved that Federation Square “is a site of state significance”, and said he was glad that Heritage Victoria was taking the proposal to permanently protect Federation Square seriously.

“Heritage Victoria’s decision to apply an IPO formalises these public heritage values and is very welcome, as is the exceptional leadership of the National Trust,” he said.

Despite the square being granted temporary protection status, the state government is still siding with Apple on the issue. Responding to the news, tourism and major events minister John Eren said it would be “unprecedented” to heritage list a site that is only 16 years old.

“To do so could lead to significant implications for future projects,” Eren told The Age. “This will not stop us delivering the Metro Tunnel and other vital projects that are good for Melbourne and good for jobs.”

Tags: Australia, Apple retail
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How to Share an iCloud Photo Link in iOS 12

In iOS 12, Apple has added the ability to share pictures or video in your Photo Library using an iCloud.com link that lasts for 30 days.

Not only is sharing a link quicker and less burdensome on your data allowance than sending several images or gigabytes of video, you can also share the same link as many times as you want within the expiry limit.

For the new photo link option to appear, you’ll need to ensure iCloud Photos is enabled on your iOS device. To do so, launch the Settings app, tap your Apple ID at the top, select iCloud -> Photos, and make sure the toggle next to iCloud Photos is on.

How to Share an iCloud Photo Link in iOS 12

Launch the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad
Tap the photo you want to link to. If you want to share a link to several photos, tap Select in the upper right corner of the screen and tap the photos you want to include.
Next, tap the Share Sheet button at the lower left corner of the screen.

Tap the Copy Link button in the third row of the Share Sheet.
Wait a moment while iCloud prepares your link.
Launch the app or service you want to use to share the link. We’re using Messages in our example.

In the message text field, tap and hold your finger.
Tap Paste.
Send the message to share the link.If you share the link over Messages and the recipient is using an iOS device, they’ll see a tappable thumbnail of the shared photo(s). If they’re on an Android device, they’ll just see the URL.

Tapping the thumbnail/URL link will take them to an iCloud.com web page similar to the one above, with a preview image, the author’s name, the photo’s title, an expiry date, and an option to download the photo or add it to an existing Apple Photos library. If several photos have been shared, the recipient can select which ones they’d like to add or download.

To share the same link again within the 30-day time limit, or simply stop sharing the photo altogether, launch the Photos app and navigate to the For You tab, where you’ll find a Recently Shared section.

Tap the photo you shared and then tap the blue dotted button in the upper right corner of the screen, and you should see two options: Copy Link and Stop Sharing.

Related Roundup: iOS 12Tag: Photos
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Apple Shares Images of Upcoming Kyoto Apple Store, Which Opens Saturday

Apple today shared some new images of its first store in Kyoto, Japan, which is located on Shijō Dori street, Kyoto’s main shopping corridor.

According to Apple, the Kyoto store is surrounded by many of the famous shrines and temples in the city, with the store design taking inspiration from local architecture.

The upper levels of the building are “clad in a translucent envelope inspired by Japanese lanterns,” with Apple using a lightweight timber frame and special paper in homage to traditional Japanese houses.

Apple says the store is centered around a multi-level atrium where Today at Apple sessions on photography, music, and coding will be held on a daily basis. The interior also features a Genius Grove where customers can get help with Apple products and The Avenue, where iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other devices are shown off and are available for purchase alongside third-party accessories.

As was announced last week, the new Kyoto Apple Store is set to open at 10:00 a.m. local time on Saturday, August 25.

Apple Kyoto will be Apple’s ninth retail store in Japan, and the first that’s located in Kyoto. Apple has several other stores in Tokyo, along with locations in Osaka, Aichi, Miyagi, and Fukuoka.

Related Roundup: Apple Stores
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Galaxy Watch with LTE coming starting in September, from T-Mobile on Aug 24

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch is sleek, round, and powerful. Here are the biggest details.

Following excellent wearables such as the Gear S3 and Gear Sport, Samsung’s coming back to the smartwatch market once more with the Galaxy Watch.

The Galaxy Watch ditches the Gear branding to be more in line with Samsung’s other mobile products, and while there’s nothing all that revolutionary here, the Galaxy Watch is shaping up to be one heck of a gadget if you’re in the market for a new wrist computer.

Here’s everything you need to know!

Latest Galaxy Watch news

Galaxy Watch LTE details revealed — coming in September for $50 premium

Samsung will make LTE versions of the Galaxy Watch available in September, and they’ll cost an extra $50 over the standard Bluetooth models. That means the 46mm watch will retail for $399, and the 42mm for $379. Samsung’s website shows both colors of the 42mm watch, black and rose gold, to be available with LTE.

At least, that’s for T-Mobile, which is the first carrier that has announced availability officially. At its Unpacked event (alongside the Galaxy Note 9), Samsung had said that all four major U.S. carriers would eventually carry the watches. Each carrier will have its own plans for the watches, which will simply be attached to your existing cellular plan as an add-on device in some way.

The T-Mobile variants of the Galaxy Watch are showing a shipment date of September 2, but Samsung has told Android Central that T-Mobile will be announcing the watch directly on August 24. Internationally, Samsung says that 30+ carriers in 15+ countries will be offering the Galaxy Watch throughout the second half of 2018. Samsung specifically listed Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Western Europe and the UK were among those in the early launch plans.

See at Samsung

It’s available in two sizes

For the first time, Samsung’s selling the Galaxy Watch in two different sizes — including 42mm and 46mm. Seeing as how the Gear S3 was a comically large smartwatch and the Gear Sport was designed more for smaller wrists, it’s nice to see that Samsung’s catering to people of all wrist sizes with one product line.

No matter if you pick up the 42mm or 46mm option, you’ll still get the same design, features, etc., but the 46mm model will have a much larger 472mAh battery compared to the 42mm’s 270mAh unit. The screen sizes are of course different as well, at 1.3- and 1.2-inches, respectively — though they’re both the same resolution, 360×360, and have the same Gorilla Glass DX+ covering.

The Galaxy Watch is packed with fitness features

Samsung’s Gear products have often been focused on helping people live better lives, and although that Gear branding is no longer here, the Galaxy Watch continues that idea with a heap of fitness goodies.

You’ll find all of the regular suspects here, including calorie and step tracking, reminders to move throughout the day, guided meditation sessions, and heart-rate monitoring. The Samsung Health app on the Galaxy Watch can be used to track up 40 different workouts, can automatically detect six of the most common exercises, and has a built-in GPS to keep you connected while out on a run.

Rounding all of this off, Samsung’s also outfitted the Galaxy Watch with 5 ATM water resistance (including salt water), Corning Gorilla Glass DX+, and military-grade protection (specifically, MIL-STD-810G).

Tizen 4.0 is available out of the box

Despite all of the rumors claiming that the Galaxy Watch would run Wear OS, the Galaxy Watch is, in fact, powered by Samsung’s own Tizen wearable platform like previous Gears. The Galaxy Watch is running Tizen OS 4.0 which is an upgrade from Tizen 3.0 that shipped on the Gear Sport last year.

The software we’ve seen so far looks awfully similar compared to past Tizen versions, meaning that you can control the interface using the Galaxy Watch’s rotating bezel, download apps and watch faces from the Galaxy Apps Store, etc. The main difference is a slight upgrade in the fitness features, plus a few interface tweaks to make things a bit darker (saving battery) and simpler to read on a small screen.

Samsung Pay is here … for NFC payments only

The Gear S3 did a lot of things right, one of which was its inclusion of Samsung Pay for both NFC and MST payments. Samsung Pay is making a return to the Galaxy Watch, but similar to the Gear Sport, only supports NFC transactions.

That’s not uncommon for smartwatches that allow for mobile payments, but considering that MST has been such a big draw to Samsung Pay since its introduction in 2015, it is disappointing to see that it won’t be coming to the Galaxy Watch.

Also, if you use the Galaxy Watch with an iOS device (aka an iPhone), you won’t be able to use Samsung Pay at all.

You can get one with LTE

One feature the Galaxy Watch does keep from the Gear S3 is LTE support!

In order to get LTE on your Galaxy Watch you’ll pay roughly $50 more up front, but then you’ll also have to pay a monthly fee to your carrier of choice in order to keep the connection alive. Most carriers charge about $10-20 per month to add the new device, but that also includes neat features like forwarding text messages and phone calls to the watch.

You can bet that carriers will be offering discount son the watch up front in order to get you signed up for a data contract, too — so if you want to save money on the watch itself, wait a bit.

It works on Android and iOS

If you’re interested in picking up the Galaxy Watch, you’ll be able to use it with both Android and iOS.

As mentioned above, Samsung Pay will not work if you’re using the Galaxy Watch with an iPhone.

Pre-orders are open now!

Samsung has officially opened pre-orders for the Galaxy Watch! You’ll need to pay $329.99 for the 42mm variant (your choice of black or rose gold) and $349.99 for the 46mm one.

Following pre-orders, Korea will get the Galaxy Watch on August 24 and then followed by a worldwide release on September 14.

See at Samsung

Update August 22, 2018: Updated with new information on the LTE versions of the Galaxy Watch.

Oculus ‘Santa Cruz’ VR headset may arrive in the first quarter of 2019

Facebook and Oculus may formally introduce a mid-tier VR headset during the Oculus Connect 5 conference on September 26 and 27. This is an assumption based on a response regarding the “Santa Cruz” headset that sources now claim will arrive in the first quarter of 2019. An Oculus representative wouldn’t comment on the rumor, but instead said “OC5 will be really exciting.”

There’s really no big secret regarding the Santa Cruz headset, except for when it actually hits the market. Oculus confirmed with Digital Trends in March that the headset would serve as a mid-tier product nestled between the high-tier Oculus Rift and the low-tier Oculus Go. It won’t be tethered like the Oculus Rift nor will it be limited to head movements like the Oculus Go.

That said, the Santa Cruz headset will target the stand-alone VR market. It will include built-in cameras to track your physical environment, allowing you to move freely through open space without a tethered PC while remaining in the virtual environment. You also don’t need external sensors — like those used with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive — to track your physical position in the play space.

Of course, without the wires and external sensors, you’d expect the real world to spoil your virtual fun by throwing walls, furniture and even kids into the mix. Oculus solves this problem with its “guardian” system that throws up a blue grid when you approach a scanned object or wall. Google’s WorldSense technology for its stand-alone Daydream headsets supposedly does something similar.

One of the sessions during the Oculus Connect conference next month will talk about porting Oculus Rift apps to the Santa Cruz headset.

“The introduction of stand-alone means the arrival of more approachable devices and, for developers, a broader range of consumers to target,” the listing states. “The good news is you’re already ready. We’ll start with an overview of the device and basic considerations and walk step by step through the process of reviewing and optimizing textures, scene geometry, and lighting.”

The Oculus Go, launched in May, merely tracks your head movement and incorporates input from a motion controller. The 32GB model costs $200 while the 64GB retails for a higher $250. It supports all VR applications provided through the Oculus Store for Samsung’s Gear VR platform. That said, most of what you purchase for Samsung’s smartphone-based headset will work on the Oculus Go, which doesn’t require a smartphone.

Meanwhile, the Oculus Rift costs $400 and includes the headset, motion controllers, external sensors and so on. It requires a tethered PC and pulls content from the Oculus Store and Steam. That said, we presume the upcoming Santa Cruz headset will have a starting price of $300 for it to fall between the two headsets currently on the market.

The mid-tier Santa Cruz unit is expected to arrive in March 2019 to celebrate the second anniversary of the Oculus Rift’s availability on the market. The original headset arrived on March 28, 2016.

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• Everything we know about Project Santa Cruz and the Oculus Rift 2
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