Apple launches new MacBook Pro

Apple Inc on Monday launched an updated version of its MacBook Pro, with modified keyboards as the laptop line had faced criticism for typing-related problems, while boosting performance and adding storage.

Apple said its new lineup of MacBook Pro was available to order and was priced at $1,299, while its education-focused model was priced at $1,199.

MacBooks account for 9 percent of the company's total revenue.

The new keyboard follows the "scissor" mechanism more commonly found in the industry.

The iPhone maker switched back to the mechanism, discarding the "butterfly" keyboards, after it complaints of sticky, unresponsive keys and keystrokes that failed to register when tiny amounts of dust or debris accumulated under or near keys. 

(Reporting by Neha Malara and C Nivedita in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)

-reuters-

Apple will face tariffs on components imported from China: Trump

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump warned over the weekend that he would snub Apple's requests for tariff exemptions on device components imported from China, as he put pressure on the tech company to shift production to the United States.

"Apple will not be given Tariff wavers, or relief, for Mac Pro parts that are made in China. Make them in the USA, no Tariffs!" Trump said on Twitter.

Later, Trump told reporters that he wanted Apple to make the parts in the United States.

"When I heard they were going to build in China, I said when you send your product to the United States, we're going to tariff you."

Last week, Apple filed a request with the US trade representative, saying certain components for its $6,000 Mac Pro desktop computer could only be sourced from China and should be exempt from US tariffs.

The move comes amid frictions between the two economic powers, which are trying to restart failed negotiations on ending a trade war. 

Trump has threatened to slap punitive tariffs on more goods to press Beijing to accept more imports and improve protections for US intellectual property.

Trump praised Apple CEO Tim Cook, saying he was someone "I have a lot of liking for and respect."

"We'll work it out. I think they'll announce they'll build a plant in Texas. If they do that, I'm starting to get very happy," he said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Apple recalls MacBook Pros over battery fire risk

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple has recalled a number of its older generation MacBook Pro because their batteries may overheat and "pose a fire safety risk." 

The recall affects 15-inch MacBook Pros with Retina displays sold between September 2015 and February 2017, the company said, adding it would replace batteries free of charge.

A number of countries are covered by the recall.

In mainland China, around 63,000 units may be affected by the problem, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said.

The regulator said there have been 6 reported incidents of overheating among laptops that qualify for the recall in China.

The tech giant, however, said it had not received any reports of significant damage to computers or injuries due to the defect, but urged owners of the affected devices to stop using them immediately.

It said a dedicated recall website has been set up where users can input the serial number to determine if their computer is affected.

The company said the recall does not include newer 15-inch MacBook Pro units or Apple laptops of other sizes and variations.

The battery recall marks the second technical glitch to affect Apple laptops this year. Last month, the US behemoth confirmed that some of its newer laptops had problematic keyboards and offered free replacements to affected customers.

In 2016, South Korean phonemaker Samsung suspended sales of its Galaxy Note 7 handset after devices caught fire due to flawed batteries exploding.

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Apple finds problems in some iPhone X and MacBook Pro models

Apple Inc said it had found some issues affecting some of its iPhone X and 13-inch MacBook Pro products and said the company would fix them free of charge.

The repair offers are the latest in a string of product quality problems over the past year even as Apple has raised prices for most of its laptops, tablets and phones to new heights. Its top-end iPhones now sell for as much as $1,449 and its best iPad goes for as much as $1,899.

Apple said displays on iPhone X, which came out in 2017 with a starting price of $999, may experience touch issues due to a component failure, adding it would replace those parts for free. The company said it only affects the original iPhone X, which has been superseded by the iPhone XS and XR released this autumn.

The screens on affected phones may not respond correctly to touch or it could react even without being touched, the Cupertino, California-based company said.

For the 13-inch MacBook Pro computers, it said an issue may result in data loss and failure of the storage drive. Apple said it would service those affected drives.

Only a limited number of 128GB and 256GB solid-state drives in 13-inch MacBook Pro units sold between June 2017 and June 2018 were affected, Apple said on its website.

Last year, Apple began a massive battery replacement program after it conceded that a software update intended to help some iPhone models deal with aging batteries slowed down the performance of the phones. The battery imbroglio resulted in inquires from US lawmakers.

In June, Apple said it would offer free replacements for the keyboards in some MacBook and MacBook Pro models. The keyboards, which Apple introduced in laptops starting in 2015, had generated complaints on social media for how much noise they made while typing and for malfunctioning unexpectedly. Apple changed the design of the keyboard this year, adding a layer of silicone underneath the keys.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Apple expected to refresh ageing computer line with new MacBook Pro

Apple Inc is expected to unveil a revamped MacBook Pro on Thursday with a fingerprint reader and faster ports, returning to the product line it build the company on after updating smartphones with the iPhone 7.

"Hello again," reads the invitation from Apple to the Thursday product launch, likely a reference to the original Macintosh that debuted with "hello" scrolled across its black and white screen.

Technology websites, including Techradar, expect the new MacBook Pro to remain the workhouse of the notebook computer line while getting updates like a fingerprint reader and high-speed USB ports. Like the iPhone 7, it will drop a standard headphone jack.

Apple reported its third straight quarter of declining iPhone sales earlier this week, although it also sees a record holiday quarter by sales, thanks to the new iPhone 7.

The Mac line accounted for about 11 percent of Apple sales in the just-finished fiscal year, with the number of machines sold down by 10 percent to 18.5 million. Apple said that was in line with an overall market decline, but analysts and investors said Apple needs to start growing again.

"What they really need to do is get people buying Macs again, instead of upgrading old ones. They haven't had a new, powerful MacBook Pro in a while and the MacBook Air is getting old," said Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research.

He said the fingerprint reader could help sell more Macs. "Touch ID for Apple Pay could be interesting," he said.

Macs still outsell iPads in dollar terms, and old rival Microsoft Corp on Wednesday debuted its first desktop computer in a bid to re-energize the sector with software that allows 3D editing.

HP Inc meanwhile has claimed that it has the thinnest notebook computer, a prize Apple held for some time.

Bob O'Donnell, president of TECHnalysis Research LLC, said the Mac announcement comes during a time when the market believes focus on the iPhone means Apple has "almost given up on Macs," which has lead to lose market share to personal computers.

"It'll be good to have Apple keep themselves relevant" with new Macs, he said. "Though many had written the category off, it's fascinating to see both Microsoft and Apple make big PC-related announcements this week. It clearly shows the relevance that computers still have."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Apple unveils iPad Air

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Inc on Tuesday offered free upgrades for life on its operating system and business software, and unveiled thinner iPads and faster Mac computers ahead of a competitive holiday shopping season.

The debut of the one-pound iPad Air and MacBook Pro with sharper 'retina' display repeats a pattern of recent launches with improvements in existing lines rather than totally new products, and Apple shares fell 0.3 percent for the day.

Apple said upgrades to its Mac operating system and iWork software suite, which compete with Microsoft Corp's Excel, Word and other applications, will now be offered for all MacBooks and Mac computers.

That brings Apple's model of free system software upgrades on phones and tablets to the computer market, where Apple is still the underdog to Microsoft's Windows.

Apple may be trying to safeguard its grip on mobile software as Microsoft revs up its Windows-powered Surface Pro, which runs applications, such as Word or Excel, that are the standard for business customers, analysts said.

"We are turning the industry on its ear, but this is not why we're doing it," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook told media and technology executives at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center.

"We want our customers to have our latest software."

The market is awash in inexpensive tablets running Google Inc's Android software, but the company may be focused on fending off a threat from the high end.

"In the tablet PC market, they do think Microsoft is a bigger threat than Android," said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi. "The iPad Air will compete with Surface Pro, not some rinky-dink Android tablet."

Gartner estimates that Apple's share of the global tablet market will slip to 47.2 percent in 2014, with Android-based tablets just overtaking Apple's this year. The IT research outfit expects Microsoft tablets to grab 3.4 percent of the market this year, double the 1.7 percent forecast for 2013.

PRESSURE

Microsoft gets 65 percent of its Windows revenue, which totaled $19.2 billion last fiscal year, from PC manufacturers which put the system on its machines, and 35 percent from other sources, chiefly people and businesses buying its software separately to install themselves.

The latest version of Windows, when bought separately to install on an old computer, starts at $120 for a home version and goes up to $200 for the full 'Pro' version. The latest Windows 8.1 upgrade was free for customers running Windows 8.

Apple's product launches on Tuesday were evolutionary, with the new iPads equipped with faster processors and better screens. Cook, at an industry conference in May, had hinted at "several more game changers" from Apple which could include wearable computers, but had not given a time frame.

"As always with Apple, expectations on systematic breakthrough hardware innovations are irrational," said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson said. "Apple is good at inventing new products and at maximizing profitability of its product range over time through software innovations and clever marketing."

Apple's new iPad Air - its full-size tablet - is about 20 percent thinner than the previous generation of tablets, weighs one pound and starts at $499. It will go on sale on Nov. 1.

The iPad mini now has a "retina" high-resolution screen and starts at $399, compared with $329 for the previous mini model. The two new tablets would face stiff competition, with Microsoft, Nokia and Amazon.com Inc all plugging rival devices in coming months.

Apple also showed off a new Mac Pro, a premium and high-powered cylindrical desktop computer that will be assembled in United States. It had shown the computer at a previously event.

For the first, Apple will launch the new iPads simultaneously in the United States and China, its biggest market, which is also a key growth region.

Apple, which jumpstarted the tablet computing market in 2010 with the first iPad, has already come under increasing pressure from cheaper devices ranging from Amazon's Kindle Fire to Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's Note.

But while Apple is ceding market share to rivals, its superior library of apps and content should safeguard its lead for years to come, analysts say.

Longer term however, investors hope to see real device innovation from a company that has not unveiled a new breakthrough product in years.

Cook on Tuesday dismissed the competition as directionless.

"Our competition is different: they're confused," he said. "Now they're trying to make PCs into tablets and tablets into PCs. Who knows what they'll do next?"

"We have a very clear direction and a very ambitious goal. We still believe deeply in this category and we're not slowing down on our innovation."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com