Apple has ordered an initial 8.5 million OLED display panels from South Korean suppliers for its upcoming redesigned iPad Pro models, which are expected to arrive as soon as this month. The refresh will mark the biggest design update to the Pro lineup since 2018. Apple is relying on different OLED display suppliers for the upcoming ~11-inch and ~13-inch iPad Pro models, with Samsung Display…
Earlier this week, Apple announced new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, the first Mac updates of the year featuring M3 series chips. But there are other Macs in Apple’s lineup still to be updated to the latest M3 processors. So, where do the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro fit into Apple’s M3 roadmap for the year ahead? Here’s what the latest rumors say. Mac Mini Apple announced …
Best Buy this weekend has a big sale on Apple MacBooks and iPads, including some of the first notable M2 iPad Pro discounts in months, alongside the best prices we’ve ever seen on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, and more. Some of these deals require a My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total membership, which start at $49.99/year. In addition to exclusive access to select discounts, you’ll get…
iOS 18 is still months away from being unveiled, but there are already several rumors and expectations for the software update, as outlined below. iOS 18 is rumored to include new ChatGPT-inspired generative AI features for Siri and many built-in apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is…
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4 comes over a month after macOS Sonoma 14.3, an update that brought collaborative Apple Music playlists. The macOS Sonoma 14.4 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of…
Apple today released tvOS 17.4, the fourth major update to the tvOS 17 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 17.4 comes over a month after the release of tvOS 17.3. tvOS 17.4 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the Apple TV. Go to System > Software Update to get the new software. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates activated will be upgraded to…
ADP extends that protection pretty considerably to also cover your iCloud backups, iCloud Drive, and the information in Photos, Notes, and Reminders. Without ADP enabled, this data is still encrypted, which adds a strong layer of protection from third parties or bad actors. But Apple can still access this data and turn it over to the cops.
End-to-end encryption closes that loophole. If an Apple employee decides to go rogue, or Apple gets hacked and your files get leaked—and neither of those scenarios have happened, to our knowledge—ADP will ensure your data is still safe. It also means Apple can’t get your files back if you lose access to them: The passcodes and passwords on your Apple devices are the only route through which end-to-end encrypted data can be unlocked. Apple has a full and comprehensive explanation of iCloud’s security and privacy features.
ADP does make iCloud on the web harder to get into.
Apple via David Nield
So, do you need ADP? If you want the most complete level of security and privacy possible, then yes. Just make sure you have backup methods for recovering your account (more on this in a moment), as Apple won’t be able to help you unlock your encrypted files if your account becomes inaccessible. While the default, standard encryption Apple puts in place is already very strong, ADP covers more of your data, which is reassuring in the slim chance Apple’s data centers suffer a breach or the FBI wants to take a look at your iCloud files.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that all this extra encryption restricts iCloud access in your web browser (the web portal where you can get at your emails, photos, and so on). You can still log in to iCloud on the web, but you’ll need to confirm the connection on a trusted device (like an iPhone or Mac) every single time you log in—and you’ll need to reauthorize the link every hour while you browse your files. If you use iCloud on the web a lot, you might find life more convenient without ADP enabled.
How to Enable Advanced Data Protection
If you’re ready to enable ADP, you can do it right from your iPhone—as long as all the devices associated with your Apple ID are running the latest software, and your Apple ID has two-factor authentication switched on. (If you haven’t yet done this, you’ll find instructions on the Apple website.)
If you’re using an iPhone or an iPad, open Settings, then tap your name at the top. Choose iCloud, then Advanced Data Protection: You’ll see a screen briefly explaining how the feature works, and you can tap Turn On Advanced Data Protection to do just that. At this point you’ll be told if there are any devices connected to your Apple ID that aren’t compatible with ADP, and you’ll be given the option to “remove” them. If you do remove a device, it will no longer be linked to your Apple ID, and it won’t sync to your iCloud account, so it’s not recommended you “remove” any devices you’re still using. A better option would be to update the software on these devices to make them compatible with ADP, or replace the devices with newer versions.
CleanMyPhone is a new app that will tidy up your photo library. Developed by MacPaw, maker of CleanMyMac X, the new app can do a thorough scan of images on your iPhone to clear out years of screenshots, saved TikToks and unusably blurry shots. It’s a simple way to clean up photos on your iPhone.
It also uses artificial intelligence to sort your photos into handy categories. Plus, it makes it simple to periodically look at the last week or month of your photos to sort things into albums and stay organized. As a bonus, the app comes with an internet speed test — good for checking if your connection is solid enough to take an important video call.
Clean up and organize your photo library with the CleanMyPhone app [Review]
I have … a lot of screen recordings. Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Immediately you’ll notice how beautifully designed the CleanMyPhone app is. Open the app and you’ll see a quick walkthrough of the main features, with gorgeous graphics on a colorfully animated background. Make sure you enable access to all photos — that’s essential for the core features to work.
Hit the Scan button to search through your photos for clutter to eliminate. The scan surfaces screenshots, blurry pictures, duplicates, screen recordings, TikTok videos and albums generated by apps.
Tap on any category to get a closer look at what the CleanMyPhone scan flagged. You can mark some of the items as Sensitive, if you like, so the app won’t ever remove them. (If you delete something accidentally, you have 30 days to recover it from the Recently Deleted folder in Photos.)
Once you’re finished, just tap the satisfying Clean button to clear your iPhone of duplicate photos and other clutter.
As you can see from the screenshot above, I have gigabytes of screen recordings and screenshots that it surfaced. Many of these were for work (and have already been published in articles and archived elsewhere) and didn’t need to be in my library.
Personally, I don’t understand why it thinks Snapchats are clutter. All of these are pictures and videos I just happened to capture with Snapchat instead of the regular camera and saved to my library intentionally. But it’s easy to mark them as sensitive (or ignore the category entirely).
Keep yourself organized
Don’t just clean the house — get someone to keep it up. Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
One-time cleans are all well and good for cutting out cruft, but any parent can tell you that staying organized is arguably more important. Go to the Organize tab for a quick review of the last week or the last month of photos.
The CleanMyPhone app will sort your pictures into albums, using AI to put them into a few categories: Portraits, Travel, Pets, Food, Text, Other.
In each category, you can see Similars (groups of photos all taken in a batch, where you only need to keep the best few) and Unique photos (one-offs you may or may not need). Pick the photos you want to keep (and which you want to remove), then tap Finish.
You can keep coming back to this tab regularly to keep your library tidy. I think this kind of habit-making digital cleanliness could really tickle the right kind of person (like someone who compulsively clears their running apps).
But wait, there’s One More Thing™
Mediocre internet that I pay truly heinous prices for in rural Ohio. Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The CleanMyPhone app also gives you a tool for testing your internet speed. To use it, just tap the Network tab at the bottom and then hit Test. I normally just go to fast.com, but this is certainly a more beautiful experience.
During CleanMyPhone’s speed test, numbers whizz by the top of your iPhone screen and a big glowing graph is drawn live. When it finishes, the app will tell you what your internet connection can handle. For instance, it can tell you whether your connection is good enough to handle live gaming or a video call, or whether you should just stick to audio.
I really love this interface. If the developers made a little Mac app of this same interface (it wouldn’t even need the photo library stuff) I would pay an irresponsible amount of money for it considering fast.com is free.
Where to get the CleanMyPhone app
Price: $24.99 per year with three-day trial Download from:App Store
CleanMyPhone is a delightful utility that will bring a spark of joy to the otherwise tedious chore of sorting through thousands of photos. I can easily foresee MacPaw adding more different tools to CleanMyPhone over time, to match the Swiss army knife-utility that is CleanMyMac X.
And CleanMyMac X remains the best way to keep your Mac in tip-top shape. You can use MacPaw’s flagship Mac app to clear out malware and adware, scope out the giant hidden files filling up your disk, and keep an eye on the apps that are hogging all your memory.
Apple just dropped iOS 17.4, bringing a plethora of new features — some of which fundamentally change how the iPhone works.
The biggest point update to iOS 17, iOS 17.4 comes almost six months after the operating system’s initial release. It enables support for third-party app stores, browsers and payment apps on the iPhone. The bummer? These major changes are only coming to the European Union. Still, there are a lot of new iOS 17.4 features that will enhance the experience of every iPhone user.
All the new iOS 17.4 features
Apple crammed iOS 17.4 with features and significant changes. Many of them result from the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which goes into effect soon, forcing Apple to make some fundamental changes to its mobile OS.
If you want to try the new iOS 17.4 features, first you need to install iOS 17.4 on your iPhone from Settings > General > Software Update.
EU-specific changes
NFC access to third-party payment apps
Apple is opening the iPhone’s NFC chip to third-party payment and banking apps in iOS 17.4. So, for the first time, iPhone users in Europe can use a non-Apple Pay payment service to make contactless payments in-store.
You can set a default payment app from the Settings menu. iOS 17.4 will also show the apps granted access to the NFC chip for contactless payment.
Third-party browser engines
Another significant EU-specific change in iOS 17.4 is support for third-party browser engines. While Chrome, Firefox and Edge are available for iOS, they use the same WebKit rendering engine as Safari due to the platform’s restrictions.
With iOS 17.4, Apple is opening its mobile platform to third-party browser changes.
Third-party app stores
Sideloading applications onto an iPhone comes with a lot of rules. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
iOS 17.4 paves the way for third-party app stores and sideloading on the iPhone, at least in the European Union. Apple was against the iPhone sideloading provision in the EU’s Digital Markets Act. But since it lost, the company has no option but to adhere to the changes.
So, with iOS 17.4, the company is opening iOS to third-party app stores and sideloading. In typical Apple style, though, there are a lot of restrictions and clauses here. Apple must approve every app before it is available for sideloading. And developers can only offer them for download through alternative app stores. (Some developers lashed out at Apple’s onerous rules as “malicious compliance” with the EU’s new rules.)
EU developers are free to use non-Apple in-app payment systems in their apps. These changes might not be visible immediately after iOS 17.4’s release, but developers should quickly adopt them.
Developers in the EU have the option of adopting Apple’s new business terms. Under this, they will have to pay 0.5 euros per user per year, with no other fees applicable. The first million installations will be free. You can find more information about this in Apple’s announcement from January 2024.
iOS 17.4 enhancements for everyone
Stolen Device Protection improvements
iOS 17.4 improves the iPhone’s Stolen Device Protection feature with an “Always” security delay for changing the security settings. (On iOS 17.3, you could change the security settings on your iPhone after an hour from unfamiliar locations.)
While small, the change will help keep your Apple account and iPhone secure in case of theft.
Messaging with Siri
iOS 17.4 renames Siri’s “Automatically Send Messages” feature to “Messaging with Siri.” More importantly, you can specify multiple languages in which Siri can send messages. Apple’s voice assistant was previously limited to sending messages in English.
Transcript support in Podcasts
Apple Podcasts transcripts Photo: Apple
iOS 17.4 introduces automatic transcript support in Apple’s Podcasts app. When playing a podcast, you need to tap the first icon at the bottom from the left, which looks like a speech bubble within quotes. The show’s transcript should then appear on your iPhone’s display.
You also can search through the transcript to directly jump to that part of the podcast.
Emoji 15.1
Apple is adding 118 emoji from the Emoji 15.1 release to iOS 17.4. They include a phoenix, a lime and smileys shaking their heads up and down.
The new emoji could help you express yourself better when talking to friends or family.
Enjoy these new emoji on your iPhone after updating to iOS 17.4. Photo: Emojipedia
Fortified iMessage security
iMessage will gain post-quantum cryptography (PQC) security in iOS 17.4. This won’t affect your ongoing conversations in the Messages app. But once you and your friends’ iPhones are on iOS 17.4, a cutting-edge security protocol will protect all your texts.
Revamped Battery Health menu
With iOS 17.4, the iPhone 15 will get a revamped Battery Health menu, showing the battery’s condition as “Normal” if its capacity is not a concern. Tapping on this menu will provide more detailed information, like the cycle count and capacity percentage.
Previous models will stick to the older menu, requiring you to head inside the Battery Health submenu to know the cell’s condition.
Cloud-based game services on the App Store
Apple is changing its stance on cloud gaming services with the release of iOS 17.4. The company will allow game streaming apps like Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming to launch dedicated apps on the App Store.
Apple previously limited such services from displaying their game collections through the iOS web browser.
Virtual card number in Apple Cash
iOS 17.4 brings a new feature to the Wallet app: the ability to create a virtual debit card number for Apple Cash. This is a convenient option for making secure payments online or in stores where Apple Pay isn’t accepted.
Using a virtual card number prevents you from sharing your actual card details for added security.
Disable Hand gesture reactions in third-party apps
Apple is introducing a new API in iOS 17.4 that will allow developers to turn off the hand gesture reactions in their video calling apps. Starting with iOS 17, you could make certain hand gestures to trigger reactions while on a video call, whether on FaceTime or third-party apps. Since there was no way to turn off each gesture reaction, many iPhone users inadvertently triggered them.
An API in iOS 17.4 will fix that, allowing developers to turn off each gesture individually.
iOS 17.4 release notes
You can find Apple’s official iOS 17.4 release notes highlighting all the changes below.
Emoji
New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads emoji are now available in the emoji keyboard.
18 people and body emoji add the option to face them in either direction.
Apple Podcasts
Transcripts let you follow an episode with text that highlights in sync with the audio in English, Spanish, French and German.
Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or phrase, tapped to play from a specific point and used with accessibility features such as Text Size, Increase Contrast and VoiceOver.
This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
Music recognition lets you add songs you have identified to your Apple Music Playlists and Library, as well as Apple Music Classic.
Siri has a new option to announce messages you receive in any supported language.
Stolen Device Protection supports the option for increased security in all locations.
Battery Health in Settings shows battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models.
Call Identification displays Apple-verified business name, logo and department name when available.
Business updates in Messages for Business provide trusted information for order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts or other transactions you opt into.
Apple Cash virtual card numbers enable you to pay with Apple Cash at merchants that don’t yet accept Apple Pay by typing in your number from Wallet or using Safari AutoFill.
Fixes an issue where contact pictures are blank in Find My.
Fixes an issue for Dual SIM users where the phone number changes from primary to secondary and is visible to a group they have messaged.
What are your favorite new iOS 17.4 features? Let us know in the comments below.
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.
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.
After taking first place in China in late 2023, iPhone dropped to fourth place in early 2024. Photo: Counterpoint Research
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
The previous market consensus for 2024 iPhone shipments was 220-225 million units, and it has now started to fall, moving closer to my earlier prediction of 200 million units. If Apple can’t launch better-than-expected GenAI services this year, Nvidia’s market cap will very… https://t.co/t5r8TXXWl9pic.twitter.com/lngF9oIkuB
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.
Apple’s Translate app is a great resource for those with wanderlust. Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The Translate app built into your iPhone is a hidden gem if you’re traveling abroad. It gives you the ability to download languages in advance, so you don’t have to worry about a dodgy cell connection.
The camera lets you translate text in-line of a restaurant menu or parking meter — it could help you out of a sticky situation. The Translate app’s conversation view makes it easy having a back-and-forth with someone who doesn’t speak your native tongue.
Here’s how to make the most out of the built-in Translate app.
How to use the Translate app on iPhone
The Translate app doesn’t support as many languages as others like Google Translate. But Apple’s user interface, in my opinion, is much nicer.
The Apple Translate app supports Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional Mandarin), Dutch, English (US and UK), French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Spain), Thai, Turkish, Ukranian and Vietnamese.
Pick two languages from the dropdown menus. You can tap on either field to type something in and see the translation in the opposite language. The Fullscreen button will put the translation in giant text, making it easy to show someone else, with a Play button to speak the translation through the speakers. Tap the Conversation button to get back to the main screen. The Star button will add this translation to your favorites for easy access later. The Book button will let you tap on any word to see the direct translation and possible alternate meanings. The Copy button will copy the text for you to paste elsewhere. After you dismiss the keyboard, you’ll see a Play button on the right to play either phrase out of your phone’s speakers.
Point the camera
Tap the Camera tab on the bottom to translate something in front of you. Tap the shutter button to pause the freeze the image and get in-line translations. The app will put translated text on top of the image; tap on a line to see it more clearly. This doesn’t take a picture, so you don’t have to worry about it filling your library with random images of Italian restaurant menus. (But if you like, you can tap the Share button and hit Save Image.)
Write out in a conversation
If you need to have a back-and-forth with someone, tap the Conversation tab. It’s like an iMessage chat — you enter text in your native language (or tap the Microphone button) and you’ll see translated text. Tap View > Face to Face, and both sides of the conversation will be arranged top and bottom. You can hold your phone flat in front of you and easily allow the other person to follow along and respond. Tap the Switch button in the middle of the screen if you want to reverse it.
See your favorites for easy access
Tap the Favorites tab to see translations you’ve bookmarked. You can hit the Play button to play them inline, the Fullscreen button to show it to someone, or Copy to paste it somewhere else. To delete a favorite, swipe left and hit the Trash button.
Download a language in advance
From the Translation or Conversation tabs, tap the ⋯ menu in the top right and tap Download Languages. Tap on a language to start downloading. Download both languages — the one you speak natively and the one you want translated. To remove a downloaded language, tap Edit then tap the − button and hit Delete. Tap Done when you’re done.
I highly recommend the Translate app. While it doesn’t offer the same breadth of languages as Google Translate, you can count on it for instant, accurate translations. Downloading languages in advance for offline use is a fantastic power feature; the conversation view and camera are great conveniences.
Midnight is a film adaptation of a classic by the Father of Manga. Photo: Apple
Osamu Tezuka’s Midnight manga gets adapted to live action in the latest “Shot on iPhone” project. It’s an action film about a mysterious late-night taxi driver.
Apple also released a “making of” video to show how the movie was produced with an iPhone 15 Pro.
Osamu Tezuka’s Midnight adapted in ‘Shot on iPhone’ film
The capabilities of iPhone cameras have increased dramatically over the years, and have become a strong selling point for the devices. To demonstrate their potential, Apple periodically releases a “Shot on iPhone” film.
The latest entry is Midnight, an adaptation of a manga that Tezuka released in 1986.
Apple’s official description says:
“Director Takashi Miike brings to life Midnight, a manga by Osamu Tezuka. All shot on iPhone 15 Pro. A mysterious taxi driver lends a hand to Kaede, a young girl chased by assassins.”
Osamu Tezuka has been called the Father of Manga, and some people consider him the Japanese equivalent of Walt Disney as he also made animated series and films. He’s credited with taking manga mainstream, first with children’s stories and later with offerings for adults.
Behind the scenes
The point of any “Shot on iPhone” film is to show off the capabilities of Apple’s handsets, and that requires a “making of” film. Of course there’s one for Midnight.
It includes commentary by director Takashi Miike, who is no stranger to action films.
March 6, 2008: Apple releases the iPhone software development kit, finally allowing coders to start creating native mobile apps for the new smartphone. The iPhone SDK gives developers the tools they need to unlock the new smartphone’s potential.
When the App Store eventually opens a few months later, a new industry springs up overnight. Third-party devs rush to take advantage of Apple’s lucrative distribution network.
Birth of the App Store
From the moment Apple unveiled the iPhone, developers prayed for an SDK. At first, debates raged inside Apple about whether a marketplace for third-party apps made sense. Some thought the move risked watering down Apple’s level of control, potentially allowing low-quality software on iPhones.
The main person against the App Store initiative? Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs.
Others, such as Phil Schiller and Apple board member Art Levinson, lobbied Jobs to change his position and make the iPhone a generative platform rather than keeping it locked down.
Eventually, Jobs changed his mind. On March 6, 2008 — around nine months after the iPhone’s big reveal — Apple hosted an iPhone Software Roadmap event. Here the company announced the iPhone SDK, which became the basis of the iPhone Developer Program.
You can watch him reveal the iPhone SDK in the video below:
Apple releases iPhone SDK, the key to building iPhone apps
iPhone apps had to be built on Macs running a new version of Apple’s integrated development environment, Xcode. Other Apple software allowed developers to design iPhone-friendly interfaces and monitor iPhone memory usage. A particularly useful tool called Simulator let them mimic the iPhone’s touch interactions on a Mac with a mouse or keyboard.
Developers who wanted to launch apps on the iPhone paid a standard $99 annual fee. (A higher-priced enterprise tier was initially available only to companies with more than 500 employees.) Developers, Apple said, would receive 70% of the sales revenue from their apps — with Cupertino taking the other 30%.
By the time the App Store opened in June 2008, 500 third-party apps were available, with 25% of them being free to download. By 2024, the App Store — bringing software to more than 2 billion devices worldwide — has become a revenue-generating powerhouse, for devs as well as Apple.
“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 said in a 2022 press release.
App Store success brings scrutiny
Opening up the iPhone to third-party developers with the iPhone SDK was a monumental step in the device’s history. The popularity of apps also became a big driver of growth for Apple’s smartphone.
However, Apple’s “closed garden” approach to the App Store has drawn international scrutiny from antitrust regulators. The European Union’s broad Digital Markets Act forced Apple to make changes to the App Store, among other things. Apple opened the iPhone to sideloading of apps and alternative app stores with iOS 17.4 — but only in the European Union — despite the company’s lingering security concerns about these sorts of changes.
Were you an early developer for the iPhone? What was the first app you downloaded? Leave your comments below.
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.
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.
March 6, 2008: Apple releases the iPhone software development kit, finally allowing coders to start creating native mobile apps for the new smartphone. The iPhone SDK gives developers the tools they need to unlock the new smartphone’s potential.
