Category: Apple Insider

By Wesley Hilliard
Sunday, March 15, 2020, 12:19 pm PT (03:19 pm ET)

Geekbench scores that may be for the next iPhone processor, the “A14,” have surfaced online, and show massive jumps in multi-core performance and speed.

The iPad Pro has an A12X chipset with improved graphics performance and more cores

Apple improves on their A-series processors every year for each new iPhone release, so a successor to the current iPhone 11 A13 chipset is expected in the fall of 2020. Each year as the iPhone flagship release approaches, benchmark scores for said to be from the new processor in the device start to populate popular benchmark tools, like Geekbench.

The A12X (left) vs the supposed “A14” (right)

It is expected that the “iPhone 12” will have improved performance, and these scores show massive gains year-over-year. Apple has been seeing huge gains in their chipsets despite the rest of the industry hitting a bit of a performance wall.

New Geekbench testing, purporting to be from the A14 processor shows the first A-series processor to cross the 3.0 GHz mark.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has an A12X chipset with 8 cores and scores 1110 on a single core, and 4568 on the multi-core. The scores for the alleged A14 go beyond even that.

Single core performance of the device shows a 1658 score, with a 4612 multi-core score. This indicates a huge gain in its overall performance and will make multitasking and navigating apps smoother than ever.

Apple is also rumored to be developing an ARM Mac that could debut as early as this winter. A chip derived from the A14 would make for a good base laptop processor as well, but performance this high would also be beneficial for complex tasks like AR rendering or better image processing in a phone.

Exclusive

By Christine McKee
Saturday, March 14, 2020, 04:02 pm PT (07:02 pm ET)

Master & Dynamic has partnered with AppleInsider this week to offer readers the lowest price anywhere on its MW07 wireless earphones. Enjoy half off the premium earbuds in your choice of color with our exclusive coupon.

Master & Dynamic MW07 deal

Master & Dynamic MW07 True Wireless Earphones: $99.50 (50% off)
*Price with coupon code APPLEINSIDER50.

This special deal, which is available exclusively for AppleInsider readers, knocks half off the MW07 True Wireless Earphones with promo code APPLEINSIDER50 when ordered from M&D directly.

Now $99.50 in your choice of seven colors, the MW07 earphones are made of handcrafted acetate for a luxurious look, with rich sound thanks to custom 10mm high-performance Beryllium drivers. In our hands-on review, we found the Master & Dynamic MW07 earphones to offer superior sound vs Apple’s first-gen AirPods.

The MW07 earphones also offer a customizable fit with two different parts — the silicone tip and a “fit wing” — that can be adjusted independently, keeping you comfortable and the MW07 earbuds secure.

The 50% markdown delivers the lowest price available, with retailers like Amazon and B&H selling the same earphones for up to $70 more. Master & Dynamic is also including free delivery, and orders placed Monday-Friday by 1 p.m. Eastern are typically shipped the same day.

[embedded content]

Additional Apple deals

AppleInsider and Apple authorized resellers are also running additional exclusive savings on Apple hardware that will not only deliver the lowest prices on many of the items, but also throw in bonus discounts on AppleCare, Office 365 and more. These offers are as follows:

Interested in additional Apple hardware? See if there is a Mac, iPad or Apple Watch deal that will save you $100s by checking out prices.appleinsider.com.

Apple CEO Tim Cook in a letter published late Friday detailed the company’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, saying it will close all retail outlets outside of Greater China until March 27.

Source: Deirdre O’Brien via Instagram

Cook in the letter acknowledged the severity of COVID-19, noting Apple “wants to continue to play a role in helping individuals and communities emerge stronger” from the crisis.

The executive said Apple learned a great deal from combating the virus in China, where the company just today reopened its chain of 42 stores, and came away with a set of best practices that will assist it and others in formulating a global response.

“One of those lessons is that the most effective way to minimize risk of the virus’s transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distance,” Cook writes. “As rates of new infections continue to grow in other places, we’re taking additional steps to protect our team members and customers.”

While China’s stores remain open, albeit with reduced operating hours, Apple will close all other outlets around the world to mitigate transmission and spread of the virus. Prior to Cook’s letter, the company on Friday announced store closures across Spain and one U.S. location in Pennsylvania.

Apple’s online storefront, accessible via the web or the official Apple Store app, will be open during the two-week hiatus for brick-and-mortar stores. Customers looking for technical support and repairs are urged to visit support.apple.com, where they can be connected with local Authorized Service Providers or request a product to be mailed in for service.

During the temporary shutdown, all hourly workers are set to receive full pay, Cook said. Further, Apple has updated work policies to accommodate personal or family health circumstances resulting from COVID-19, including recovering from an illness, caring for sick family members, mandatory quarantining, or childcare challenges due to school closures.

As with past global emergencies, Apple is donating funds to the global COVID-19 response. According to Cook, the company’s commitments reached $15 million worldwide, with funds going toward treatment and to “help lessen the economic and community impacts” of the virus. Apple is also matching employee donations on a two-to-one basis to support local, national and international COVID-19 response efforts.

Cook closed the letter by thanking those fighting on the front line, specifically first responders, doctors, nurses, researchers, public health experts and public servants.

“We do not yet know with certainty when the greatest risk will be behind us,” Cook writes. “And yet I have been inspired by the humanity and determination I have seen from all corners of our global community. As President Lincoln said in a time of great adversity: ‘The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.’ That’s always how Apple has chosen to meet big challenges. And it’s how we’ll rise to meet this one, too.”

Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s SVP of Retail and People, issued a short statement on Instagram to announce the coming store closures and thank retail employees.

“I am profoundly grateful to our exceptional team members all around the world who have shown such deep care for our customers and each other during this difficult time,” O’Brien said.

Today’s announcement should come as no surprise, as Apple’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has been swift and wide-reaching. Apple Stores in China were initially closed in late January, followed by a complete retail and corporate shutdown in early February. The company this week shuttered all outlets in Italy on the back of a national quarantine, suspended all Today at Apple sessions in the U.S. and instituted strict global policies with hopes of minimizing the spread of the virus.

Most recently, Apple on Friday announced this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference will be held completely online due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns.

By AppleInsider Staff
Thursday, March 12, 2020, 10:19 pm PT (01:19 am ET)

Apple on Thursday announced a temporary suspension to all Today at Apple sessions in the U.S. and Canada, the latest measure in what has become a worldwide effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Today at Apple has been “paused” in the U.S. and Canada.

The change, spotted by AppleInsider reader Christian, was quietly made public in a post to Apple’s official Today at Apple webpage. Instead of displaying a selection of local sessions, U.S. pages include a short blurb apprising customers of the situation.

“As a precautionary measure, we are temporarily pausing Today at Apple programming. Please check back for updates,” the webpage reads.

An identical message is displayed on Apple’s regional Today at Apple page covering Canadian Apple Stores.

The “pause” to Apple’s informational in-store programming arrives three days after the company canceled sessions at stores in Washington State and throughout the San Francisco Bay Area to mitigate fallout from the virus. Additional restrictions in the U.S. were expected as governments worldwide scramble to catch up with the fast-moving pandemic.

Beyond the interruption of Today at Apple sessions, Apple this week instituted global in-store policies designed to minimize the spread of the virus. As of Tuesday, employees were instructed to maintain a one-meter buffer from coworkers and customers, remove half of store seating, and cease demonstrations of Apple Watch and AirPods. Potential customers can, however, try on the wearables by request.

Apple is also closing stores in hard-hit countries like Italy. The company earlier today reopened all Chinese outlets after a month-long closure, though stores in the region are operating at reduced capacity with shorter opening hours.

By Amber Neely
Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 07:31 pm PT (10:31 pm ET)

Apple will attend a White House conference alongside other tech industry giants to coordinate responses to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Representatives from major tech companies are planning on attending a meeting at the White House hosted by U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios. The conference hopes to tackle how the federal government and the tech industry can work together in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.

Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Twitter will all likely attend, either in-person or through teleconference, according to a spokesperson for the Office of Science and Technology Policy, said Politico.

COVID-19 continues to spread across the U.S., with nearly 1,000 cases as of Tuesday evening. Apple has already taken measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, both at Apple campuses and Apple retail locations.

Apple is offering hourly workers and retail employees unlimited sick leave if they exhibit symptoms of the virus, which could be instrumental in preventing the spread to customers.

Apple has also placed restrictions on employee travel to Italy and South Korea after cases of COVID-19 jumped in those countries. All non-essential travel to COVID-19 hotspots has been restricted, and a company vice president must approve business-critical travel.

It’s also increasingly likely that WWDC will be cancelled. A new order has been issued by the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department, explicitly banning mass gatherings for at least three weeks, as the county gathers more information about COVID-19. While technically not forbidden yet, a three-week delay is not a promising sign for the live event to happen on-schedule.