Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2017/09/thursday-morning-news070917/
Not only is the Steve Jobs Theater where the new iPhone will be announced, but it’s almost entirely underground, contained with the space of Apple Park. Side-view plans of the interior show off a few details we haven’t known about before, including a hidden demo area for new products that is revealed by a sliding wall after the presentation. Here’s hoping we see some in-person pics and videos of other details, including the custom-made rotating elevators that means passengers enter and exit by the same door, due to the elevators themselves rotating when ascending or descending.
Apple has released the tenth developer beta of iOS 11 for the iPhone and iPad, which also means the ninth public beta is available to members of Apple’s public beta program. Rumour has it these are the Gold Master versions of iOS 11, but Apple hasn’t explicitly said one way or the other.
With the release of iOS 11 expected at next week’s event (or shortly thereafter), Apple has begun sharing iOS 11 tips within the Tips app. There’s a bunch of changes in iOS 11 that even seasoned users won’t be familiar with, so it might be worth re-watching the iOS 11 keynote to see the big changes to iOS staples like Control Centre, and particularly the iPad dock and multitasking (although the latter might need more than just a quick tip).
I’m also pretty excited to try out AR-based measuring apps. Downloading and having an ARKit-based measuring app will be like having a flashlight app, before Apple introduces it into iOS as a core feature — something you won’t use every day, perhaps, but will come in handy those times that you will need it. I’m sure someone on the internet will even be nice enough to do a roundup of the best ones.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the high price of the next iPhone — whatever it will be called — might be explained by Samsung’s monopoly on the OLED display market. With Apple reliant on Samsung as the sole supplier of the OLED panel expected to be used in the next iPhone, Samsung can charge what they like, which all has an impact on Apple’s build of materials for the device. It’s probably why we won’t see a significant price drop on any kind of OLED-display iPhone until LG gets their act together.
The Verge tells us about the stuff that’s going to change with the next iPhone. Even though several other smartphone smartphone manufacturers might have come out with designs that have bezel-less displays, or AR technology, I think what they’re saying is that the sheer market penetration and branding power of the iPhone means that these things will now become mainstream, rather than relegated to a single model from another brand, even if that’s what Apple will be doing. IPhones, man.
Apple and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India are currently in a spat over who controls user data. Apparently there’s some debate over whether Apple should allow India’s “Do Not Disturb” app on the App Store, but it’s unclear exactly what they’re debating. AppleInsider says the Android version of the app accesses messages and call history, which wouldn’t be allowed on the App Store, but maybe there’s some other reason Apple hasn’t allowed the app?
Unfortunately, ProTube has been pulled from the App Store. Instead of updating its own app to allow Picture-in-Picture playback, background audio, Split View, or a URL scheme, YouTube has decided to get Apple to pull the app. Existing copies already on your device (or on your Mac) appear to work, but you may not be able to re-download the app if you previously purchased it.
On the plus side, the iOS version of Soulver has been updated with iPad multitasking features and better file management. You can now choose between iCloud or Dropbox to store your Soulver files, and the app can even migrate between the two.
It’s been a year of Jet Black iPhones, and I’d love to see photos of the micro-abrasion wear that your device has accrued. While it’s not as bad as I was expecting, the scratches do detract from the overall shininess of the device.