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The watchOS 10.4 update promises to fix the ‘ghost touch’ issue on the Apple Watch

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If you’ve noticed ‘ghost touches’ on your Apple Watch 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 – where something happens on the watch without you touching the screen – installing the latest watchOS 10.4 update should be enough to fix the problem for you.

As per the release notes for the update (via Wccftech), the watchOS 10.4 update fixes an issue “that causes some users to experience false touches on the display”. It’s rolling out now, and as usual can be installed from your iPhone or the watch itself.

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App Store hits 25 billion downloads: Today in Apple history

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March 5: Today in Apple history: The App Store hits 25 billion downloads March 5, 2012: Apple reaches a staggering milestone, with 25 billion apps downloaded from the iOS App Store. The company celebrates with a giveaway titled the “25 Billion App Countdown.”

The lucky 25 billionth app downloader wins an iTunes gift card worth $10,000.

Apple’s 25 Billion App Countdown

Just four years after Apple co-founder Steve Jobs relented and opened the iPhone’s App Store, the genius of allowing third-party developers to create iOS apps was undeniable. Hitting the 25 billion downloads landmark in such a short time showcased just how smart — and lucrative — the move was.

Developers dreamed up apps that made the iPhone more useful and fun. Apps that became hits made devs rich, and Apple took a cut of the sales. The App Store became a major profit center for Apple.

“We’d like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve this historic milestone of 25 billion apps downloaded,” says Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, in a statement. “When we launched the App Store less than four years ago, we never imagined that mobile apps would become the phenomenon they have, or that developers would create such an incredible selection of apps for iOS users.”

At the time, the App Store offered more than 550,000 apps for download. Apple had doled out more than $4 billion to developers for their 70% share of revenue from paid downloads.

The winner of the gift card in Apple’s 25 Billion App Countdown is Chunli Fu from China. The app is Disney’s Where’s My Water?, a free puzzle game released the previous September.

App Store continues to grow

By comparison, today the App Store peddles nearly 2 million apps, and clocks more than 100 billion downloads a year. The App Store’s reach and influence continue to grow, although Apple’s management of the store faces increasing scrutiny from international antitrust regulators.

“Apps and games have become the essential source for the world’s most innovative and timely entertainment,” Apple said in a 2022 press release. “The efforts, innovation, and creativity of the developers who leverage Apple technology to build these incredible experiences, coupled with the power of the App Store’s global platform to connect businesses of all sizes with over 600 million people each week across 175 countries, has led to developers selling digital goods and services earning more than $260 billion since the App Store launched in 2008.”

Apple continually touts the benefits of the App Store to both consumers and third-party developers. However, the company’s strict control over the app marketplace and the overall iOS ecosystem have landed Apple in hot water. Changes coming soon in iOS 17.4 will open the iPhone to sideloading and third-party app stores in the European Union. And Apple faces a $1.8 billion fine for its allegedly abusive treatment of streaming music rival Spotify.

Apple loved the milestones

Just a few years ago, Apple liked celebrating milestone events with promotions like the 25 Billion App Countdown. In fact, a 2004 contest to mark 100 million iTunes song downloads made the 2012 app download contest look meager.

The winner of the 2004 contest received a personal phone call from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, a 17-inch PowerBook, a 40GB iPod and a gift certificate for 10,000 iTunes songs.

These days, Apple mostly avoids making a big deal of these kinds of landmark events. When Apple passed the 1 billionth iPhone milestone, the company did little to commemorate the occasion. The same held true when Apple’s market cap surpassed the $1 trillion valuation. And $2 trillion. And $3 trillion.

Similarly, Apple avoids sharing too many details about the usage of services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and Apple Fitness+. The company also stopped revealing the number of iPhones sold each quarter.

While I understand the logic behind this less-bombastic strategy, I miss the excitement of such old-school Apple events. It was fun when Apple eagerly (and publicly) counted down to its next gigantic sales record with events like the 25 Billion App Countdown.



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Today in Apple history: Apple reconsiders the Newton?

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March 10: Today in Apple history: Apple reconsiders the Newton MessagePad? March 10, 2004: Apple sends out a survey to select Apple customers, claiming that it is considering relaunching the Newton MessagePad.

“We need to determine why the Apple Newton was not a commercial success and whether there is an interest in re-launching a new version of the Newton,” Apple’s survey says. “Your comments will help understand why the Newton failed and if there is interest in re-launching a new, improved Newton.”

In hindsight, it seems pretty clear that this apparent “interest” in launching another personal data assistant was a way of doing some undercover market research for the still-in-development iPhone.

Newton MessagePad and the new thing

Apple launched the Newton MessagePad in 1993 with the goal of creating one of the world’s first PDAs. Apple engineer Steve Sakoman, a passionate advocate of handheld computing, drove the project early on. While at Hewlett-Packard in the 1980s, Sakoman developed the HP 110, the world’s first battery-powered portable MS-DOS PC.

The MessagePad project took place entirely during the decade-long period while Steve Jobs was away from Cupertino after his boardroom coup attempt failed. Many viewed the Newton as Apple CEO John Sculley’s answer to the Mac. It was his first attempt to launch a game-changing new product line during his tenure as CEO.

Newton flaws make it a joke

Unfortunately, the Newton technology did not initially work as well as hoped. The press piled on, printing numerous jokes about the Newton and painting the device as a failure.

Ironically, once Apple actually got the technology right with later devices like the MessagePad 2100 — which perfected the handwriting-recognition system the Newton included as a central feature — Jobs had returned to Apple. He decided to cancel further development of the PDA.

Apple officially ended the Newton experiment on February 27, 1998, with Jobs issuing a statement.

“This decision is consistent with our strategy to focus all our software development resources on extending the Macintosh operating system,” he said. “To realize our ambitious plans we must focus all of our efforts in one direction.”

Apple’s stealth iPhone survey

However, by the mid-2000s, Apple’s Mac business was booming. The company successfully moved into other areas as well, such as the enormously popular (and profitable) iPod music player. It only made sense, therefore, that Cupertino would consider other mobile devices — with the Newton the obvious reference point.

Inside Apple, two simultaneous iPhone research projects got underway: the so-called P1 and P2 projects. Right from the start, it became clear that both would need to offer PDA-style functionality. But Apple needed to work out exactly why the Newton MessagePad failed to click with customers.

It’s not known how much attention Apple paid to the feedback from the customer survey it sent on this day in 2004, just three years prior to the original iPhone launch. Still, as with the various patents Apple filed over the years, it’s fun to look back later and see how some of the company’s decisions make perfect sense in hindsight.

Were you a Newton MessagePad user? Leave your comments below.



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Compact travel charger handles iPhone, Apple Watch for $18

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Enjoy wireless, easy charging for your Apple gear with this $18 charging solution.
Save an extra 20% on this foldable, wireless charging station.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Need a compact travel charger for iPhone, Apple Watch and more? This Foldable Wireless Magnetic Charging Station does the trick, with its two MagSafe-compatible charging pads and integrated adapters. Through March 10, this nifty charging option is only $17.59 with code ENJOY20.

Compact folding travel charger for iPhone, Apple Watch and more

Perfect for clearing up space on your desk or nightstand, this compact folding travel charger can juice up two devices simultaneously. The smartphone pad delivers up to 15W of power, while the Apple Watch pad offers up to 2.5W.

This charging station also features an LED so you can quickly check if your devices are charging correctly. And with safeguards like foreign-object and short-circuit protections, your beloved devices can power up safely.

Perfect for tossing in a carry-on or working remotely

Its sleek and compact foldable design allows you to easily pack up the charger to bring it with you when traveling or working remotely. You can even fold it up in a triangular configuration to create a phone stand so you can watch videos while taking a lunch break or FaceTime a friend or family member as your device juices up.

It works with Qi-compatible smartphones. And if you’d also like to use this travel charger for other devices, it comes with integrated adapters for USB Type-C to USB-A, Micro USB, 8-pin, etc., for maximum compatibility.

Save on a compact travel charger that folds up small

Don’t settle for outdated charging solutions that clutter your space and complicate your life.

Enjoy seamless wireless charging when you grab this Foldable Wireless Magnetic Charging Station on sale for just $17.59 when you use ENJOY20 at checkout. You have until 11:59 p.m. Pacific on March 10 to secure this offer.

Buy from: Cult of Mac Deals

Prices subject to change. All sales handled by StackSocial, our partner who runs Cult of Mac Deals. For customer support, please email StackSocial directly.




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iPhone market outlook mixed as Apple slows component orders

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A flurry of iPhone market outlook reports shows Apple’s juggernaut handset is still the top-seller in Japan while slipping to fourth place in China so far in 2024. And that comes as Apple lowers component shipment targets for the year amid supply chain challenges, pointing to a possibly down year.

Reports: iPhone market outlook mixed amid sales decline and supply chain challenges

As predicted recently, iPhone sales are sliding in Asia so far in 2024 after a reasonably strong beginning and end to 2023. Various reports point to slowdowns and Apple reigning in iPhone component shipments.

China’s massive smartphone market slid 7% in the first six weeks of 2024. But in the same period, iPhone’s share dropped a whopping 24%. Why? Stiffening competition and sliding from a big high in January 2023, according to a Counterpoint Research report.

“Primarily, it faced stiff competition at the high end from a resurgent Huawei while getting squeezed in the middle on aggressive pricing from the likes of OPPO, vivo and Xiaomi,” said Counterpoint analyst Mengmeng Zhang.

“Although the iPhone 15 is a great device, it has no significant upgrades from the previous version, so consumers feel fine holding on to the older-generation iPhones for now,” they added.

iPhone market outlook: 4th place in China in early 2024
After taking first place in China in late 2023, iPhone dropped to fourth place in early 2024.
Photo: Counterpoint Research

Stronger in Japan

Meanwhile, an International Data Corporation (IDC) report showed Apple has retained 49% to 51% of the market since 2022, a very strong first-place showing.

Japan’s smartphone shipments slid 3.5% year over year in 2023’s Q4, having recovered a bit from steeper declines in the first half of the year.

But iPhone shipments for the quarter increased 3.4% year over year as Android’s fell by 8.7%.

Overall, though, 2023 was a bit gloomy for smartphone shipments to Japan, falling by 11.6% compared to 2022. iPhone slid 6.1% while Android plummeted 16.3%.

Apple taps brakes on component shipments

And news of iPhone component shipment volume in 2024 is not particularly bright, so far.

Anaylyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted on X (formerly Twitter) and Medium that iPhone shipments could drop by 15% year over year because of structural challenges in the supply chain. He said Apple needs to launch “better than expected GenAI services this year” to keep up with smartphones from the likes of Samsung, or Nvidia might eclipse Apple’s market cap.

Apple may have biggest 2024 decline among major brands

Kuo echoed reports of Huawei’s resurgence and China’s love of folding phones as negatives for iPhone’s outlook, among his seven points:

  • My latest supply chain survey indicates that Apple has lowered its 2024 iPhone shipments of key upstream semiconductor components to about 200 million units (down 15% YoY). Apple may have the most significant decline among the major global mobile phone brands in 2024.
  • iPhone 15 series and new iPhone 16 series shipments will decline by 10–15% YoY in 1H24 and 2H24, respectively (compared to iPhone 14 series shipments in 1H23 and iPhone 15 series shipments in 2H23, respectively).
  • The iPhone faces structural challenges that will lead to a significant decline in shipments in 2024, including the emergence of a new paradigm in high-end mobile phone design and the continued decline in shipments in the Chinese market.

China still loves folding phones

  • The new high-end mobile phone design paradigm includes AI (GenAI) and foldable phones. The main reason for the decline in the Chinese market is the return of Huawei and the increasing preference for foldable phones among high-end users as their first choice for phone replacement.
  • Benefiting from the higher-than-expected demand due to the high integration of GenAI functions, Samsung has revised up the shipments of the Galaxy S24 series in 2024 by 5–10%, while Apple has revised down the shipment forecast of iPhone 15 in 1H24.
  • Apple’s weekly shipments in China have declined by 30–40% YoY in recent weeks, and this downward trend is expected to continue. The main reason for the decline is the return of Huawei and the fact that foldable phones have gradually become the first choice for high-end users in the Chinese market.
  • It is expected that Apple will not launch new iPhone models with significant design changes and the more comprehensive/differentiated GenAI ecosystem/applications until 2025 at the earliest. Until then, it will likely harm Apple’s iPhone shipment momentum and ecosystem growth.

 

 

 



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Apple Podcasts transcripts: How to find and read them in iOS 17.4

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It just became a lot easier to read along with a podcast, or pull an interesting quote out of one. The Apple Podcasts app now automatically generates transcripts for series and episodes.

Here’s how to find and read these transcripts in the iPhone Podcasts app.

Every episode on Apple Podcasts will get a transcript

Podcasts have proliferated since 2004 and become a popular medium for sharing everything from news reports on current world events to jokes and cooking tips. Those with hearing loss can’t take advantage of them, however. But a transcript solves that problem. And rather than expect every podcaster to make a written version of their program, Apple took on the job.

“Apple introduces transcripts for Apple Podcasts, an innovative new feature that makes podcasts more accessible and easier to navigate,” the company promised.

Beyond just reading the full text of all episodes, the new feature enables users to search episodes for specific words or phrases. And when they find one, they can tap the text to play from that point in the episode.

How to read transcripts for Apple Podcasts on iPhone

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The feature is part of iOS 17.4, which launched Tuesday. So the first step in making use of this feature is to install the latest version of iOS.

Next, open the Apple Podcasts app (duh) and go to a podcast. Look in the lower left-hand corner for an icon that looks like a speech bubble with a quotes symbol inside. Tap on it.

This opens Apple’s automatically generated podcast transcript. And it opens exactly where you are in the podcast, with the current sentence highlighted.

The highlighting follows along in the transcript as you listen to the podcast. Or you can tap on a section of the transcript to jump to that portion of the audio, as previously noted.

Use your finger to drag the text upward and it’ll expand to fill the screen. A Search button also appears.

The audio controls stay on the screen when the text first appears, but if you scroll down they’ll disappear. Scroll up to bring the controls back. Or just wait a bit — they come back on their own.

Tap the icon in the lower left-hand corner of the screen again to close the transcript.

Computer-generated podcast transcripts

Transcripts are automatically generated after a podcast is published. Apple warns there will be “a short delay while we process your transcript.”

And these won’t be only for new episodes. Apple says podcast transcripts for back-catalog episodes are being added over time.

The text versions are created with voice-recognition software, but in my experience are quite accurate. That said, mumbled words or ones covered with background noise get left out.

Happily, the feature is available in a range of languages beyond English. Also available are French, German and Spanish. But this isn’t a translation service — you only get a Spanish-language transcript for a podcast that’s in Spanish, for example. That said, you can copy the text into your favorite translation app if you wish.

Now part of iOS 17.4 and coming to macOS 14.4

The feature is included in iOS 17.4. All iPhone users who install the OS update can read Apple’s new podcast transcripts. The same goes for iPadOS 17.4.

In addition, transcripts for Apple Podcasts will arrive in macOS 14.4 Sonoma. That’s not out yet, but is expected in mid-March.



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Macintosh Portrait Display launches: Today in Apple history

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March 7: Today in Apple history: Macintosh Portrait Display goes large (and vertical) March 7, 1989: Apple introduces the Macintosh Portrait Display, a 15-inch vertical grayscale monitor designed to show full pages on a single screen. Intended for word processing and desktop publishing, the $1,099 monitor (plus $599 for an additional video card to run it) works with any Macintosh.

Something of a rarity today, the Macintosh Portrait Display is an early example of the supersized displays Apple would release years later.

Macintosh Portrait Display launch

The need for portrait-oriented vertical displays grew out of Apple’s popularity with creatives. Macs generally took a backseat to IBM PCs running Windows. However, Apple computers became ubiquitous in the publishing industry within a few years of coming on the market.

Macs proved especially good for magazine layouts due to the WYSIWYG (“What You See Is What You Get”) interface, which let users see the end result of a document or layout before printing it. This stood in stark contrast to many PC programs at the time. Apple also benefited from innovative software like early desktop publishing program Aldus PageMaker.

A vertical monitor that, like the iPad today, could present the display equivalent of an A4 sheet of paper — only larger — became an obvious next step for Apple. The first company to develop such a screen was Radius, a startup founded by various Macintosh alumni. (Radius later became a manufacturer of Mac clones in the mid-1990s.)

The Radius Full Page Display shipped in 1988, a year before the Macintosh Portrait Display. Radius dropped the price of its monitor to $895 when Apple’s alternative arrived the next year.

Macintosh Portrait Display launch: Radius set the precedent with its vertical monitor
Radius set the precedent with its vertical monitor.
Photo: Radius

Macintosh Portrait Display specs

The Macintosh Portrait Display offered a resolution of 640 by 870 pixels at a pixel density of 80 dots per inch. It boasted antiglare technology and an impressively crisp flatscreen form factor.

It wasn’t perfect, though. The vertical display could prove temperamental. In fact, Apple’s troubleshooting manual noted that “environmental influences” could cause the monitor to glitch.

What kind of environmental influences?

Try close proximity to metal desks, file cabinets or bookshelves. Or being situated near fluorescent lights, other monitors or electronic appliances such as coffee makers or copy machines.

“These objects cause dynamic raster distortion — that is, movement or jitter of the image,” Apple noted.

The Macintosh Portrait Display was one of the best Apple displays of its time
The Macintosh Portrait Display was one of the best Apple displays of its time.
Photo: Apple

Apple retires its vertical display

The Macintosh Portrait Display lasted until December 1992. At the time, people viewed it as a quirky experiment from Apple with only limited applications. Today, it appears very clear that an elongated display was an innovation very much worth pursuing — seen most notably through the way we vertically view web pages on our iPhones.

Do you remember the Macintosh Portrait Display? Leave your comments below.



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Save on stainless steel Apple Watch 9 with cellular

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Apple Watch Series 7 gold stainless steel with cellular and GPS
This one with the gold stainless steel case and matching Milanese Loop is $60 off.
Photo: Apple

We often point out sale prices on basic Apple Watch Series 9 models — usually the more-affordable ones with aluminum cases and GPS only. But now Amazon is rocking great low prices on the fancy stainless steel models with cellular coverage plus GPS. You could save up to $227!

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

Save up to $227 on Apple Watch 9 with stainless steel case and cellular coverage

Ready to up your wearables game? You could save on a stainless steel Apple Watch Series 9. Amazon currently offers excellent sale prices on these higher-end models.

Just imagine how a stainless-steel case would look and feel on your wrist. The lightweight feel of aluminum is fine, but the heft of a stainless-steel case brings to mind premium analog watches. And it gleams in the light.

So, ready to save on a stainless steel Apple Watch Series 9? Here are some choice examples of items on sale, starting with the biggest savings on fancy-schmancy stuff, organized by size.

Save on stainless steel Apple Watch 9: 41mm size

  • Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular 41mm] Smartwatch with Silver Stainless Steel Case with Storm Blue Sport Band M/L — $699.00 $472.18
  • Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular 41mm] Smartwatch with Silver Stainless Steel Case with Storm Blue Sport Band S/M — $699.99 $568.25
  • Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular 41mm] Smartwatch with Gold Stainless Steel Case with Gold Milanese Loop — $749.00 $679.00
  • Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular 41mm] Smartwatch with Gold Stainless Steel Case with Graphite Milanese Loop — $749.00 $679.00
  • Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular 41mm] Smartwatch with Graphite Stainless Steel Case with Midnight Sport Band S/M — $699.00 $629.00
  • Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular 41mm] Smartwatch with Silver Stainless Steel Case with Silver Milanese Loop — $749.00 $679.00
Apple Watch Series 9 stainless steel GPS and Cellular
This stainless steel model with cellular coverage is $227 off.
Photo: Apple

45mm size

  • Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular 45mm] Smartwatch with Silver Stainless Steel Case with Storm Blue Sport Band M/L — $749.00 $597.90
  • Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular 45mm] Smartwatch with Graphite Stainless Steel Case with Graphite Milanese Loop — $799.00 $729.00
  • Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular 45mm] Smartwatch with Silver Stainless Steel Case with Silver Milanese Loop — $799.00 $729.00

 



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Apple will make it easier to switch from iPhone to Android

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Apple will make it easier to switch from iPhone to Android
Making the switch from iPhone to Android will get easier. But there’s a caveat.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple is building a way out of the iOS “walled garden.” It promised on Thursday to make it easier to switch the data from an iPhone to an Android or other handset.

That said, the migration tool is part of Apple complying with the European Union’s Digital Market Act so the solution might not be available outside of the EU.

Apple building tool for iPhone-to-Android switchers

There’s criticism of both Apple and Google for building so-called walled gardens – operating systems crafted in such way that it’s difficult for users to shift between them.

The iPhone-maker is being pressured by the EU’s Digital Market Act to open up iOS to more competition. Apple’s Non-Confidential Summary of DMA Compliance Report (PDF), released Thursday, spells out the company’s response.

Among the topics covered is a promise to make the switch from iPhone to Android or another operating system easier.

The report says:

“Apple plans to make further changes to its user data portability offering. Third parties offer migration solutions that help users transfer data between devices with different operating systems. To build on those options, Apple is developing a solution that helps mobile operating system providers develop more user-friendly solutions to transfer data from an iPhone to a non-Apple phone. Apple aims to make this solution available by fall 2025.”

More people might use this tool than the critics who talk about Apple or Android walled gardens might suspect. A recent poll found that 13% of U.S. iPhone buyers had an Android as their previous device.

But again, it’s possible U.S. handset buyers won’t have access to Apple’s future data migration tool. It’s being created to comply with the DMA so it might only be available in the EU.

Most of the other information covered in Apple’s DMA Compliance Report is already well known, including that Apple will allow rival iPhone app stores within the European Union.



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Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2024) Review: Price, Specs, Rating, Availability

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it’s safe to say the 13-inch MacBook Air may have reached its peak in design. Apple’s overhaul of its lightweight laptop in 2022 left little to be desired. It packed modern features (like MagSafe charging and a 1080p webcam) and a sleek chassis (allowing it to fit right in with the high-end Pro lineup) that was well worth the price increase. It makes sense for Apple to continue to recycle the same external build. But that also means it now comes down to pushing what’s under the hood.

In this case, Apple upgraded the 13-inch MacBook Air with an M3 chip. Announced back in October, it’s the latest entry-level chipsets in Apple’s most recent batch of M-series processors.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

The company did throw in a couple of additional new features, including support for two external displays and Wi-Fi 6E for double the Wi-Fi speeds. Aside from that, however, all else remains the same as in the previous version—including battery life, which Apple claims is up to 18 hours.

With such iterative enhancements, the price is the same as its predecessor. The base model starts at $1,099 while the maxed-out model will cost $2,299. And Apple is continuing to sell the M2-powered MacBook Air for $999, which is still a very capable machine.

Regardless of the chipset you pick, both models remain lightweight and ideal for getting work done on the go. But with the inclusion of the M3, this new version is now the most powerful MacBook Air you can buy.

Tried and True

If you’re not familiar with the redesign on the last-generation 13-inch MacBook Air (7/10, WIRED Recommends), then you’re likely not privy to the same features on the current version either. It has a square chassis instead of a wedge design, a bigger and brighter 13.6-inch LCD panel (with a 60-Hz refresh rate), and a 1080p webcam tucked into the notch on top of the screen. It also retains the same weight, coming in at 2.7 pounds, and packs a four-speaker sound system plus a three-mic array.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

The port selection is identical, too—you’ll get a MagSafe charging port, two USB 4/Thunderbolt ports, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack. Typically, the limited ports wouldn’t bother me, since I only use the MacBook for writing, sending emails, making video calls, and streaming content. But it’s noticeable when connecting it to two external monitors (more on that later) because you’re left with zero ports. I would’ve liked to see at least one extra USB-C port to account for the new ability to connect to an extra monitor.

It comes in the same colors, too: Starlight, Midnight, Space Gray, and Silver. Apple sent me the Midnight version. It’s the only color that comes with an anodization seal—a special treatment that’s supposed to reduce fingerprint smudges.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

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