AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site.
A new report alleges that Foxconn downplayed the severity of its recent COVID-19 outbreak and that its actions led to a stricter lockdown.
Foxconn’s factory in Zhengzhou was hit by a COVID outbreak in late October. At the time, a spokesperson for the Apple supplier said the impact was controllable, and conditions at the factory were stable.
On Monday, November 7, The Wall Street Journalpublished a report based on interviews from over two dozen Foxconn workers and their relatives, and the company’s announcements on its WeChat account.
One employee said the quarantine started on October 7, as she and her coworkers were told they couldn’t leave their production unit. They stayed there for 27 hours and were moved to another block of dorms, and Foxconn started its close-loop management system soon after.
The iPhone manufacturer didn’t reveal the number of COVID cases it found. Instead, on its WeChat account, it shared stories from recovered patients. The company reportedly likened it to a cold, sharing statements from medical experts who downplayed the dangers of catching the virus.
“I don’t know how many positive cases were detected each day, but I saw people around me slowly disappearing,” said a quality-control worker.
By late October, some workers suspected that Foxconn was more focused on keeping production running than on enforcing strict pandemic protocols, according to a production-line manager.
As employees returned to work after a quarantine, some people didn’t believe they had all tested negative. Instead, an unsubstantiated rumor claimed it was part of a plan to mix COVID patients with healthy people to promote herd immunity.
On October 28, workers started abandoning the factory using buses from the government to take them home. Foxconn offered to raise bonuses fivefold for people who changed their minds and returned to work.
“Calm down and return to work. It’s better than going home to a quarantine,” a loudspeaker reportedly announced.
A lockdown at Foxconn started on Wednesday, November 2, and is currently scheduled to last until November 9.
AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site.
Lead times for the iPhone 14 Pro models have stabilized after increasing due to the Zhengzhou factory’s COVID issues, an availability tracker states, while demand for the iPhone 14 models are “modest” in comparison.
In the ninth week of the Apple Product Availability Tracker conducted by JP Morgan analysts, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max still have lengthy lead times. After growing by approximately a week in the week 8 results, the two models have seen their availabilities freeze at 31 days each, the same as the previous results.
JP Morgan says the lead times are a “likely indication of the challenges related to an ongoing COVID outbreak in China, particularly in the area around Foxconn’s major iPhone factory.”
The issues are significant enough to prompt Apple to publish a rare Sunday press release, advising of lower production of its Pro model iPhones at the facility.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus demands continue to “remain modest,” with the overall global timescales now down to 2 days apiece from 3 days one week prior.
Relative to the iPhone 13 series, the lead times are shorter for the base iPhone 14 model, while the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are in-line with their year-ago counterparts.
For the US tracker, lead times are largely unchanged, at 3 days and 32 days for the non-Pro and Pro models respectively. Relative to the iPhone 13 generation, the iPhone 13 and mini would’ve been around 10 days at this point in the cycle.
In China, the base iPhone 14 lead time increased from 2 days one week ago to 4 days, with the iPhone 14 Plus lead times shifting from 2 days to 3 days. Even so, overall lead times for the base models are still “less favorable relative to demand last year,” which saw lead times of around a week.
The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max lead times in China continue to track for 29 days.
In Europe, Germany lead times for the Pro models moderated “slightly” to 32 days from 34 days a week ago. In the UK, the Pro lead times remained stable at 29 days.
The iPhone 14 and Plus tracked to 1 day in Germany, down from 5 days, whereas deliveries for the models in the UK stayed at 1 day.
The AirPods Pro Gen 2 had its lead times expand slightly, rising from 2 days last week to 4 days.
AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site.
The Twelve South HiRise 3 is a three-device charger that solves a specific problem with most MagSafe chargers but doesn’t bear Apple’s MFi approval.
When we were first introduced to the third-generation HiRise from Twelve South, we didn’t expect to like it. The HiRise family has proud legacy, and we weren’t sure this latest incarnation would hold up.
Our first reaction from the PR images painted a picture of a plastic charger that lacked any MFi certifications. By all appearances, it didn’t have the Apple backing and premium materials we typically see from Twelve South.
After using the device for a bit, we’ve come around on the HiRise 3. While it isn’t the fastest charger out there, it’s a great desktop or nightstand companion with helpful design choices.
Sleek Apple-like design
With the HiRise 3 in our hands, we were smitten with its very clean design with purposeful lines. On our white model, it feels like a tray at the Apple Store, with matte-white edges, a soft-touch finish, and a light grey top.
Twelve South HiRise 3 can power three devices
That light grey surface looks unassuming, but it acts as one of the three chargers. It is a charging pad for powering up your AirPods, a second phone, or another Qi-enabled accessory.
A metal pole holds the iPhone and Apple Watch chargers in the air with minimal seams. The whole device looks polished and like something you’d find sitting as at an Apple device demo station.
Top down view of the HiRise 3
One big differentiator between the HiRise and other MagSafe chargers is the charging surface. Twelve South opted for a very large, flat surface to hold your iPhone.
The idea is that as you try to interact with your phone, it is more stable. Think along the lines of a 6am alarm going off and you’re trying to smack that snooze button for a few more minutes of shut-eye.
Charging three devices
Most MagSafe chargers have a small contact surface, so when you press on the bottom or edges, it can come free of the magnet. Our nightstand has a glass top, and since we often use our phone with a case, a tumble will wake you up very quickly — trust us.
The flat surface holds the phone well, even with the several cases we tried, and provides additional support no matter where you press on your phone.
HiRise 3 watch charger
On top is the Apple Watch puck which blends neatly into the surface. It has just a small bump and the same matte finish as the rest.
Charging power for three devices
Twelve South says you need a 20W charger to adequately power all three devices on the HiRise 3. You can supply your own, but Twelve South would love it if you considered the PlugBug Slim.
AirPods charging
The lower charging pad is capable of 5W of power, whether used with a set of AirPods or another iPhone. The Apple Watch puck can charge at up to 3W, and the iPhone charger is capable of 10W.
This feels a bit disingenuous though. We realize Qi chargers come at standard rates, but unlike other Qi chargers that could also charge Android devices, the HiRise 3 is limited just to iPhones. And iPhones can only charge at up to 7.5W via Qi.
By advertising the Qi charger as a 10W charger when it is physically only capable of charging iPhones, unassuming users may be expecting a much faster charger than they’re getting.
USB-C input
It isn’t a 100 percent fabrication, but Twelve South doesn’t acknowledge anywhere on the product page that iPhones are currently limited to 7.5W.
Our biggest gripe with the HiRise 3 is that because it isn’t MFi-certified, it lacks superior charging speeds. It doesn’t support fast charging on the Apple Watch Series 7, and it doesn’t support 15W of charging via MagSafe.
Should you buy the Twelve South HiRise 3?
Neither the Apple Watch nor the iPhone charger are Apple-certified and can’t offer the fastest speeds possible. That doesn’t mean they’re unsafe though.
Qi chargers are still commonplace and perfectly fine to use with your iPhone. Apple enforces rigid standards on MagSafe and Apple Watch chargers, and Twelve South had to skip certification to get the design it was looking for.
Apple Watch charging
Real MagSafe and Apple Watch devices need to use Apple’s supplied pucks and it several limits the design decisions you make. We love the flat, nearly seamless look of the HiRise 3 and it wouldn’t be that way if Apple had its say.
We also appreciate how sturdy the charger is while still supporting the MagSafe magnets on the latest iPhones. As long as you’re ok with the limited charging speeds for your watch and phone, this device will look great in your home or office.
Rear view
Twelve South did something different, and we applaud it for that. This charger isn’t going to be for everyone, but it is unique, stylish, and effective at charging your daily devices.
Twelve South HiRise 3 Pros
Sleek appearance with Apple-like design
Smooth lines and solid feel
Standard USB-C power
Charges three devices at once
Large, solid surface for charging iPhone others lack
Magnetically holds iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14 devices
Amazon’s Early Black Friday deals are heating up, with savings up to $500 off in-stock 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.
Amazon’s MacBook Pro sale offers discounts of $400 to $500 off retail 14-inch and 16-inch configurations, with units in stock and ready to ship before Black Friday. In the case of the 1TB 14-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s M1 Pro chip, the $1,999 bargain provides the lowest price we’ve ever seen on the premium spec in your choice of Silver or Space Gray.
AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site.
This week Matter finally became official with the announcement of many launch devices and additional information on the future of the unifying smart home standard.
The Connectivity Standards Alliance gathered the media in Amsterdam, revealing new information about its future roadmap and highlighting devices from many partner brands.
It included hands-on demos showing previously inoperable devices playing nice with one another. With Matter, a Google smart speaker will be able to control an Eve light switch, which was previously impossible as Eve has always been a HomeKit-exclusive brand.
This amounted to an impressive start for the emerging standard. Here’s how the launch will work, when you’ll be able to start using Matter products, and what the future of the standard looks like.
Launch
Announced at the media event, the CSA says more than 190 products have completed Matter certification or are in the queue to be certified. This is up from the initial 130 devices that were expected.
The CSA also touted that there were more than 4,400 downloads of the Matter specifications and 2,500 downloads of the official SDK, all signs of intense interest from both member and non-member smart home manufacturers.
Many brands have announced forthcoming firmware updates. Eve, Signify, Brilliant, Amazon, Samsung, Level, and many more plan on rolling out firmware updates to existing products, requiring no additional purchase.
Eve Motion will soon get Matter support
Eve may be the first company to deliver a Matter accessory, with the Eve Motion and Eve Door & Window getting updated on December 12.
Other companies have opted to release new hardware products. Nanoleaf has a new Essentials line coming in early 2023 to support Matter over Thread and promised additional announcements at CES 2023.
Apple has already brought Matter support to its platforms with iOS 16.1. As soon as Matter products are updated or hit store shelves, you can add them to the Home app.
What’s next
The CSA told AppleInsider that it plans to release new versions of Matter on a bi-annual basis — roughly every six months. That means the next iteration of Matter could arrive as soon as March.
Roborock S7 MaxV robotic vacuum cleaner
These subsequent Matter updates will contain performance improvements, new functionality, and support for additional devices. The initial slate of device categories isn’t huge and includes primarily device types already supported by Apple HomeKit.
New categories, though, will be more exciting. The CSA confirmed that future device categories include:
Cameras
Robot vacuums
Appliances
Wi-Fi access points
Energy managment
Closure sensors
Environmental sensors & controls
Smoke detectors
Carbon monoxide detectors
Ambient motion and presence sensing
All of the above device categories above have yet to be confirmed for the next iteration of Matter next year. However, HomeKit users will be excited to see new device categories, such as robo vacs and home appliances — two popular categories Apple has failed to natively support.
Between the heightened interest at launch, the full support of Apple, and a rapid release schedule for future updates, Matter is poised to reshape the smart home space even if the initial launch lacks fanfare for HomeKit users.
AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site.
Apple will source its modems from Qualcomm for the upcoming iPhone line rather than using its custom 5G modem as initially expected.
As analysts have predicted, Qualcomm will remain a supplier of modems to Apple — at least through the next iPhone lineup.
According toBloomberg, Qualcomm has informed its investors that it will continue to provide modems for the “vast majority” of iPhones released in 2023.
Initially, Qualcomm anticipated that it would only need to supply 20% of modems.
Apple has been working on creating its own modem for use in its hardware for several years, hoping to gain more control over how the component functions and to reduce costs. However, it doesn’t seem that 2023 will be the year Apple makes the switch.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had predicted that Apple would fall short of the goal in January. His survey of the supply chain indicated that Apple’s modem development “may have failed,” resulting in Qualcomm remaining as the “exclusive supplier for 5G chips of 2H23 new iPhones.”
AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site.
Don’t break the bank or waste space trying to accommodate all your favorite music types — the Newbury Music Center can play your favorite CDs, records, Bluetooth audio, and more.
Whether you’re just starting your music journey or if you’ve been collecting for a long time, it can be daunting trying to find audio equipment that fits well in your home.
The Newbury Music center is designed to take the place of multiple pieces of audio equipment, making it perfect for small spaces. It plays your CDs, records, and Bluetooth audio — and even features an FM Radio tuner.
Design
We love the design of the Newbury 8-in-1 Music Center. It features chair-height tapered legs and invokes a mid-century design that we think looks great.
It comes in two colorways, Mahogany and Espresso. We received an espresso one to review.
The lid closes to keep your turntable dust free
The front of the Newbury features an attractive brass faceplate that houses the controls. Victor also includes a separate remote control, which we thought was an excellent addition.
If you’d rather have it on a tabletop, the manufacturer also includes some table-height feet.
It spins records
The most significant selling point of the Newbury is the 3-speed turntable housed under the lid at the top. It’s a reasonably standard turntable; thankfully, the stylus is replaceable.
View of the turntable with a record
When we tested it, there was no skipping, and the speed was consistent, which made for a pleasant listening experience.
As a bonus, a 45 RPM 7″ single adapter is included, too.
…and plays CDs, too!
Of course, it’s not just a record player. It also plays CDs.
We absolutely loved this feature, as many of us still have our music collections from days gone by, and as expected, that includes a lot of CDs as well.
Bluetooth in, Bluetooth Out
The Newbury features a dual Bluetooth mode, which is excellent. If you’d like to pair your iPhone or Mac with it and listen to music from Apple Music, you can.
But if you want to pair it with an existing Bluetooth speaker, you can do that, too. This is great if you’ve got a Bluetooth speaker you’re already quite fond of.
View of the front panel
We tested the Bluetooth In and Bluetooth Out features with no problems — it worked exactly as it should.
We should also mention that there’s a pair of 3.5mm audio jacks, which allows you to connect other devices to your Newbury. One is a Line In, while the other is an Audio Out.
For instance, you can connect a Walkman cassette player and use your Newbury’s speakers to play your favorite cassettes. Or, if you’d rather connect a speaker to your Newbury, you can also do that.
FM Radio
We’d be remiss not to mention the FM Radio feature. You can listen to the radio, and when you use the scanner feature, it’ll automatically save all stations it finds as presets.
While the FM radio works, it’s not the best. This is partially due to the style of antenna used — a floppy, single wire that we found worked better if we lifted it upward.
We would have preferred a rigid, extendable antenna, as we’ve got another radio that uses one, and it works much better.
However, if you don’t listen to the radio often, there’s hardly any reason to be concerned with this — we see it purely as a bonus feature.
Record your records… or your CDs
If you’d like to record the music from your records or CDs, the Newbury comes with a handy feature that allows you to record the audio to a thumb drive.
This is great if you’ve got some obscure records or CDs in your collection that you’d like to make digital copies of.
We tested the feature and found that it worked well. You do need to manually start and stop for individual tracks or do final editing in a sound editing app.
Sound quality
Overall, the Newbury is a nice little all-in-one music system. The speakers are sufficient for normal use, and at average volumes, it provides clear mids and crisp highs.
It doesn’t offer much in the way of bass, but it doesn’t sound too thin, either.
The soundstage is a bit cramped, which is to be expected. It’s not a very large speaker, and while there is some channel separation, it’s not much.
Still, we found the experience to be enjoyable all around.
However, this is not the tool for a boisterous party. The maximum volume isn’t terribly loud — we measured an average of 72 decibels from six feet away — and the audio can distort a bit at higher levels.
The Newbury Music Center is better geared toward smaller, intimate listening sessions.
It’s best suited to small-group listening sessions or everyday listening. If you’d like to use it in louder scenarios, we’d suggest pairing it with a more substantial Bluetooth speaker.
Who the Newbury Music Center is for
We think the Newbury would make an excellent addition to a first apartment or casual music listener home. Its entry price point and attractive design make it a fantastic addition to nearly any space.
Real audiophiles will want to invest in something at a higher price point as this lacks the depth that serious listeners may be looking for.
Pros of the Newbury Music Center
Attractive, retro design
Plays records, CD, and audio streamed from Bluetooth sources
Dual Bluetooth function
Records records, CDs to thumb drive
Cons of Newbury Music Center
Lacks deep bass
Distorts at higher volumes and maximum volume is relatively low
AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site.
Based on comments from Apple CEO Tim Cook during the quarterly earnings report, the odds of a November release for a new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro have dropped.
The fall is Apple’s main product launch period, with the annual iPhone refresh being the centerpiece of events. Flanking them are Apple’s other ecosystem changes, covering product areas including the iPad, the Apple Watch, and the Mac, which can sometimes get their own events.
Apple’s M2 processor debuted in 2022, with new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models. And, before that, the incredibly powerful Mac Studio found its way to store shelves.
The obvious next choice for the M2 is in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. That update has been rumored for some time. November has been the most likely timeframe.
A combination of a fall release cycle with atypical timing, and comments made by Tim Cook directly, have called a November event into question.
So now, we may not even see anything new until 2023.
Maestri’s “challenging compare” and Cook’s “set” lineup
A couple of things were mentioned in a call to analysts following Apple’s quarterly results release. As is typical for a results call, Apple doesn’t offer opinions or details of yet-to-launch products.
However, you can still pull out details based on what is said.
During the call, which saw Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri discuss generally favorable revenues and currency challenges, the pair also broke down details based on each unit.
For the Mac, Maestri spoke about the “great quarter” for the Mac unit, achieving an “all-time revenue record of $11.5 billion, up 25% year-over-year despite significant FX headwinds.” Maestri points out three things that helped the quarter, including the launch of the M2 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Second was Apple’s ability to “satisfy pent-up demand that carried forward from the significant supply constraints we faced during the July quarter,” explained the CFO. Lastly, as the supply position improved, the channel was able to be filled completely.
Maestri also referenced how Apple has attracted upgraders and new customers, increasing the install base to an all-time high. “In fact, we set a quarterly record for upgraders while nearly half of customers buying Macs during the quarter were new to the device.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook during a fall special event.
While good for the quarter gone by, Maestri offered some guidance for the fiscal Q1 2023 quarter — the crucial holiday quarter. Maestri expects the quarter will see a deceleration of performance growth for the company as a whole.
A lot of this is a 10% negative impact on year-on-year growth caused by currency exchanges, but he also highlights the Mac.
“Second, on Mac, in addition to increasing FX headwinds, we have a very challenging compare against last year, which had the benefit of the launch and associated channel feel of our newly redesigned MacBook Pro with M1,” the financial chief offered. “Therefore, we expect Mac revenue to decline substantially year-over-year during the December quarter.”
The other curious comment is from Cook himself. In a section about retail, Cook thanks Apple employees across the company, and adds color about what’s being sold in the quarter.
In opening statements, Cook addressed the analysts directly.
“As we approach the holiday season, with our product lineup set, I’d like to share my gratitude to our retail AppleCare and channel teams for the work they are doing to support customers.”
Right in the middle of that sentence is the key. Apple is entering the busy shopping season “with our product lineup set.”
Interpreting the leaves
Maestri’s comments paint the fiscal Q1 2023 quarter as being tough for Mac revenue. The reasons offered for his forecast are rooted in known past events and in good educated guesses.
In discussing why, he referred to the high Mac revenue of Q1 2022, brought on by the M1 MacBook Pro launches. This could be a telling element depending on how you view evidence by omission.
Maestri and Cook don’t talk about future product launches, as it is usually left to Apple’s PR team to inform of upcoming events. This hasn’t stopped them from saying another event is on the way or that new Macs are inbound.
The M2 MacBook Air launched during the summer, but 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro updates to M2 chips seem unlikely before 2022’s end.
After all, if there were to be a launch in Q1 2023, for the Q1 2022 to still be better and be worthy enough to reference M1 launches, the Q1 2023 Macs would have to be anticipated as low-sellers in comparison.
No company’s leadership in its right mind would tell investors that the launch of products in the next quarter will be underwhelming. The most likely reason is that there won’t be an event or release of any sort.
And, Cook’s clear “product lineup set” remark practically kills off any other speculation of an event.
If Apple were to have more products to launch, such as new Macs, Cook wouldn’t knowingly say a lineup has been “set,” as that says there’s nothing more to come.
This late in the year and with other commentary in play, it seems like the product catalog has been completely finalized.
Another launch is doubtful
After months of rumors about M2 changes, including adding M2 to the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro and an expected overhaul of the Mac mini, the financial commentary makes it seem very unlikely that there will be another launch in 2022 for Macs.
Sadly, we can’t even stretch things by questioning if a change in chip constitutes a new model for a Mac. Previous refreshes of the Mac line that were simple specification bumps were given at least a press release announcement and have been counted as full model upgrades in the past.
As a more recent example, take the 2022 iPad Pro refresh, which largely consisted of Apple sticking an M2 inside instead of the M1, and adding the Apple Pencil hover feature, while keeping practically everything else static about the models. This relatively simple pair of changes was important enough for Apple to perform a press release launch, and it would be reasonable to expect the same for a Mac or MacBook Pro update in a similar vein.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro benefited from a full product launch.
Further evidence of a late 2022 refresh being unlikely is in the cadence of other Apple Silicon hardware updates. It took Apple a year and a half to go from the M1 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro to the M2 versions of each.
By contrast, the M1 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch counterpart were launched in October 2021, making them just a year old.
Being only a year old isn’t a barrier for Apple’s hardware updates, as in the Touch Bar era of Intel MacBook models, the time between updates repeatedly went down to around a year. So it would generally be possible if components were available.
And components are also a problem, specifically the M2 chips. Apple waited 11 months between introducing the M1 and the faster M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.
With M2 landing in June 2022, it seems extremely early in the chip cycle to bring out the Pro and Max versions that would go into updated MacBook Pro models.
All of this firmly puts forward the idea of Apple truly taking a rest from product launches for 2022. This pushes new Macs into early 2023.
Apple can’t lie in earnings reports, lest they fall afoul of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or an assortment of other regulatory bodies internationally. There’s enough wiggle-room in Cook’s statement, that if you squint and look at it just so, Apple rolling out a new MacBook Pro or Mac mini in the same form factor before the end of the year could be construed as an enhancement or other similar legal dodge to avoid SEC ire.
But, it would be new phrasing for Apple. And, Cook and Maestri have been at this long enough to make sure that they don’t say anything that requires a regulatory dance to work around after-the fact.
A better way to avoid that ire is to not have said anything at all about the product lineup during the heavily scripted earnings announcement, going into the holiday season.
But they did. And it wasn’t because they were caught off-guard.
