Apple’s ‘By innovation only’ keynote is just around the corner, but that doesn’t mean the leaks and countless reports will stop. According to a fresh series of info, the Apple logo is to be present at the backside of all 2019 iPhones and it’s not going to be there just because the company felt like executing a little design change. It’s there for a reason; to help users with reverse wireless charging.
Logo to Help Users Place Qi-Enabled Devices to Allow for 2019 iPhones to Start Charging Them Wirelessly
A Bloomberg report states that when the 2019 iPhones are officially here, there will be a subtle change added in the form of the Apple logo. However, the change won’t be added to bump up the aesthetics or to show the surrounding people that you have the latest and greatest iPhone in the palm of your hand. The change is actually a clever one if it turns out to be true. Similar to wireless charging, reverse wireless charging does have some conveniences in the sense that you’ll have to accurately align the device in a specific position otherwise it won’t juice up.
The Apple logo will serve as a form of ‘guiding star’ to help users place their Qi-enabled devices like AirPods charging case or even the Apple Watch. It’s not confirmed if non-Apple products such as the Galaxy Buds will be able to charge when placed right on top of that Apple logo. What we do know is that the company is rumored to incorporate all three 2019 iPhones with bigger batteries than their predecessors. The extra capacity should not only help with additional ‘screen on’ time but provide leftover juice to top up Qi-enabled devices and accessories.
Other interesting features include improved water-resistance and durable glass to protect the 2019 iPhones from water bodies and drops, though you should keep in mind that since it’s glass and not metal, you should exercise more caution. The keynote will kick off on September 11, and if there’s anything you need to know about the iPhone 11 event, you can always keep track through our detailed roundup.
Apple has tried to downplay concerns raised by Google about security vulnerabilities in iOS that could be exploited by malicious websites. Google's Project Zero recently revealed details of flaws in iOS that were being used to target and monitor iPhone users.
Other security researchers went on to warn that the vulnerabilities were being used to target Uyghur Muslims, possibly in a campaign run by the Chinese government. Having remained silent for more than a week after the revelations, Apple finally issued a statement responding to the findings, prompting criticism that the company was trying to downplay the issues.
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At the end of August Security researcher Ian Beer provided a detailed breakdown of a series of iOS exploits that have the "capability to target and monitor the private activities of entire populations in real time". He also said that the flaws identified were used in a "sustained effort to hack the users of iPhones in certain communities over a period of at least two years".
A few days later, it was suggested by security researchers from Volexity that the exploits were being used to monitor Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwest China.
Last week, Google published a blog about vulnerabilities that Apple fixed for iOS users in February. We've heard from customers who were concerned by some of the claims, and we want to make sure all of our customers have the facts.
First, the sophisticated attack was narrowly focused, not a broad-based exploit of iPhones "en masse" as described. The attack affected fewer than a dozen websites that focus on content related to the Uighur community. Regardless of the scale of the attack, we take the safety and security of all users extremely seriously.
Google's post, issued six months after iOS patches were released, creates the false impression of "mass exploitation" to "monitor the private activities of entire populations in real time," stoking fear among all iPhone users that their devices had been compromised. This was never the case.
Second, all evidence indicates that these website attacks were only operational for a brief period, roughly two months, not "two years" as Google implies. We fixed the vulnerabilities in question in February -- working extremely quickly to resolve the issue just 10 days after we learned about it. When Google approached us, we were already in the process of fixing the exploited bugs.
Security is a never-ending journey and our customers can be confident we are working for them. iOS security is unmatched because we take end-to-end responsibility for the security of our hardware and software. Our product security teams around the world are constantly iterating to introduce new protections and patch vulnerabilities as soon as they're found. We will never stop our tireless work to keep our users safe.
Following the statement, Apple was criticized for nit-picking and for failing to show sufficient sympathy and understanding to the Uyghur community. Google made a point of saying that the number of malicious sites detected was small, but Apple felt the need to highlight this in such a way as to make it seem as though the matter had been overstated.
Among those to lash out at the company were Motherboard journalist Joseph Cox and UC Berkeley's International Computer Science Institute researcher Nicholas Weaver:
The thing that bugs me most about Apple these days is that they are all-in on the Chinese market and, as such, refuse to say something like "A government intent on ethnic cleansing of a minority population conducted a mass hacking attack on our users." https://t.co/ACMhtpN53H
Joining the criticism was former Facebook security chief Alex Stamos who tweeted:
The use of multiple exploits against an oppressed minority in an authoritarian state makes the likely outcomes *worse* than the Huffington Post example a former Apple engineer posited. It is possible that this data contributed to real people being "reeducated" or even executed.
Even if we accept Apple's framing that exploiting Uyghurs isn't as big a deal as Google makes it out to be, they have no idea whether these exploits were used by the PRC in more targeted situations. Dismissing such a possibility out of hand is extremely risky.
Google issued a statement in response to Apple, saying:
Project Zero posts technical research that is designed to advance the understanding of security vulnerabilities, which leads to better defensive strategies. We stand by our in-depth research which was written to focus on the technical aspects of these vulnerabilities. We will continue to work with Apple and other leading companies to help keep people safe online.
Wunderlist founder Christian Reber has offered to buy back the popular task management app from Microsoft to avoid it being shut down. “Still sad Microsoft wants to shut down Wunderlist, even though people still love and use it,” says Reber on Twitter. “I’m serious Satya Nadella and Marcus Ash, please let me buy it back. Keep the team and focus on Microsoft To-Do, and no one will be angry for not shutting down Wunderlist.”
Microsoft first acquired Wunderlist back in 2015, for a rumored price of between $100 million and $200 million. The software giant has since launched its own Microsoft To-Do app, and it’s clear the Wunderlist acquisition has been complicated. Wunderlist’s API runs on Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft decided to rewrite everything rather than attempt to port it directly over to Azure.
While Wunderlist is still functional, Microsoft has said it plans to shut down the app once all of its features are available in Microsoft To-Do. It’s not clear exactly when that will take place, but Reber is keen to avoid it happening at all. He has confirmed it’s a “serious offer,” but there’s no sign Microsoft is even willing to entertain the offer.
Apple is taking flak for disputing some minor details of last week’s bombshell report that, for at least two years, customers' iOS devices were vulnerable to a sting of zeroday exploits, at least some of which were actively exploited to install malware that stole location data, passwords, encryption keys, and a wealth of other highly sensitive data.
Google’s Project Zero said the attacks were waged indiscriminately from a small collection of websites that “received thousands of visitors per week.” One of the five exploit chains Project Zero researchers analyzed showed they “were likely written contemporaneously with their supported iOS versions.” The researcher’s conclusion: “This group had a capability against a fully patched iPhone for at least two years.”
Earlier this week, researchers at security firm Volexity reported finding 11 websites serving the interests of Uyghur Muslims that the researchers believed were tied to the attacks Project Zero identified. Volexity’s post was based in part on a report by TechCrunch citing unnamed people familiar with the attacks who said they were the work of nation—likely China—designed to target the Uyghur community in the country’s Xinjiang state.
Breaking the silence
For a week, Apple said nothing about any of the reports. Then on Friday, it issued a statement that critics are characterizing as tone-deaf for its lack of sensitivity to human rights and an overfocus on minor points. Apple officials wrote:
Last week, Google published a blog about vulnerabilities that Apple fixed for iOS users in February. We’ve heard from customers who were concerned by some of the claims, and we want to make sure all of our customers have the facts.
First, the sophisticated attack was narrowly focused, not a broad-based exploit of iPhones “en masse” as described. The attack affected fewer than a dozen websites that focus on content related to the Uighur community. Regardless of the scale of the attack, we take the safety and security of all users extremely seriously.
Google’s post, issued six months after iOS patches were released, creates the false impression of “mass exploitation” to “monitor the private activities of entire populations in real time,” stoking fear among all iPhone users that their devices had been compromised. This was never the case.
Second, all evidence indicates that these website attacks were only operational for a brief period, roughly two months, not “two years” as Google implies. We fixed the vulnerabilities in question in February — working extremely quickly to resolve the issue just 10 days after we learned about it. When Google approached us, we were already in the process of fixing the exploited bugs.
Security is a never-ending journey and our customers can be confident we are working for them. iOS security is unmatched because we take end-to-end responsibility for the security of our hardware and software. Our product security teams around the world are constantly iterating to introduce new protections and patch vulnerabilities as soon as they’re found. We will never stop our tireless work to keep our users safe.
One of the things most deserving of criticism was the lack of sensitivity the statement showed for the Uyghur population, which over the past decade or longer has faced hacking campaigns, internment camps, and other forms of persecution at the hands of the Chinese government. Rather than condemning an egregious campaign perpetrated on a vulnerable population of iOS users, Apple seemed to be using the hacking spree to assure mainstream users that they weren’t targeted. Conspicuously missing from the statement was any mention of China.
Nicholas Weaver, a researcher at UC Berkeley's International Computer Science Institute, summed up much of this criticism by tweeting: “The thing that bugs me most about Apple these days is that they are all-in on the Chinese market and, as such, refuse to say something like ‘A government intent on ethnic cleansing of a minority population conducted a mass hacking attack on our users.’"
The thing that bugs me most about Apple these days is that they are all-in on the Chinese market and, as such, refuse to say something like "A government intent on ethnic cleansing of a minority population conducted a mass hacking attack on our users." https://t.co/ACMhtpN53H
The statement also seemed to use the fact that “fewer than a dozen” sites were involved in the campaign as another mitigating factor. Project Zero was clear all along that the number of sites was “small” and they had only a few thousand of visitors each month. More importantly, the size of the campaign had everything to do with decisions made by the attackers and little or nothing to do with the security of iPhones.
Two months or two years?
One of the few factual assertions Apple provided in the statement is that the websites were probably operational for only about two months. A careful parsing of the Project Zero report shows researchers never stated how long the sites were actively and indiscriminately exploiting iPhone users. Rather, the report said, an examination of the five attack chains made up of 14 separate exploits suggested that they gave the hackers the ability to infect fully up-to-date iPhones for at least two years.
These points prompted satiric tweets similar to this one from Juan Andrés Guerrero-Saade, a researcher at Alphabet-owned security firm Chronicle: “‘It didn’t happen the way they said it happened, but it happened, but it wasn’t that bad, and it’s just Uyghurs so you shouldn’t care anyways. No advice to give here. Just move along.’”
‘It didn’t happen the way they said it happened, but it happened, but it wasn’t that bad, and it’s just Uyghurs so you shouldn’t care anyways. No advice to give here. Just move along.’
Satire aside, Apple seems to be saying that evidence suggests that the sites that Google found indiscriminately exploiting the iOS vulnerabilities were operational for only two months. Additionally, as reported by ZDNet, a researcher from security firm RiskIQ claims to have uncovered evidence that the websites didn't attack iOS users indiscriminately, but rather only visitors from certain countries and communities.
If either of those points are true then it’s worth taking note, since virtually all media reports (including the one from Ars) have said sites indiscriminately did so for at least two years. Apple had an opportunity to clarify this point and say precisely what it knows about active use of the five iPhone exploit chains Project Zero found. But Friday’s statement said nothing about any of this, and Apple representatives didn’t respond to a request to comment for this post. A Google spokesman said he didn’t know precisely how long the small collection of websites identified in the report were operational. He said he’d try to find out, but didn’t respond further.
In a statement, Google officials wrote: “Project Zero posts technical research that is designed to advance the understanding of security vulnerabilities, which leads to better defensive strategies. We stand by our in-depth research which was written to focus on the technical aspects of these vulnerabilities. We will continue to work with Apple and other leading companies to help keep people safe online.”
A missed opportunity
Former NSA hacker and founder of the firm Rendition Infosec Jake Williams told Ars that ultimately, the time the exploit sites were active is immaterial. “I don’t know that these other 22 months matter,” he explained. “It feels like their statement is more of a straw man to deflect away from the human rights abuses.”
Also missing from Apple’s statement is any response to the blistering criticism the Project Zero report made of Apple’s development process, which the report alleges missed vulnerabilities that in many cases should have been easy to catch with standard quality-assurance processes.
“I’ll investigate what I assess to be the root causes of the vulnerabilities and discuss some insights we can gain into Apple's software development lifecycle,” Project Zero researcher Ian Beer wrote in an overview of last week’s report. “The root causes I highlight here are not novel and are often overlooked: we'll see cases of code which seems to have never worked, code that likely skipped QA or likely had little testing or review before being shipped to users.”
Another key criticism is that Apple's statement has the potential to alienate Project Zero, which according to a Google spokesman has to date privately reported more than 200 vulnerabilities to Apple. It’s easy to imagine that it wasn’t easy for Apple to read last week’s deep-dive report publicly documenting what is easily the worst iOS security event in its 12-year history. But publicly challenging a key ally on such minor details with no new evidence does not create the best optics for Apple.
Apple had an opportunity to apologize to those who were hurt, thank the researchers who uncovered systemic flaws that caused the failure, and explain how it planned to do better in the future. It didn't do any of those things. Now, the company has distanced itself from the security community when it needs it most.
I think it's safe to say that the iPhone 11 is the most anticipated gadget of the year and certainly the most anticipated phone. Everyone will be talking about it as Apple's big Sept. 10 event kicks off and keep talking about even after Tim Cook wraps things up on Tuesday.
But there's a big difference between reading up on iPhone 11 rumors on your lunch break and plunking down from $750 to $1,100 — or more — for a new handset.
In fact, there are some warning signs that the iPhone 11 could be Apple's toughest sell in years. Maybe ever.
"We are currently predicting a year-over-year decline of iPhone sales in 2019," said Annette Zimmermann, vice president and analyst at Gartner. "Apple had a tough 1Q19 and while 2Q19 looks to be a bit better, it will be very difficult if not impossible to make up for that in 2H19."
"We are currently predicting a year-over-year decline of iPhone sales in 2019."
— Annette Zimmermann, vice president and analyst, Gartner
This prediction is partially based on the Gartner analyst predicting that "we will see another slight price increase compared to last year’s flagship products." This is certainly possible for the two rumored iPhone 11 Pro models, which Apple may establish as a separate tier from the standard iPhone.
Here's why Apple faces a steep uphill battle getting people to buy the new iPhones — and what it can do to change its fortunes.
A new Apple
In the most recent quarter, iPhone sales fell 12% from the previous year, causing Apple to miss Wall Street estimates. And something happened that hasn't happened in the last seven years: the iPhone accounted for less than half of Apple's quarterly revenue.
(Image credit: Noah Berger/Getty)
Now, this isn't entirely negative news, as Apple looks to transform itself into a services-oriented company. Apple is placing big bets on things like Apple TV+, Apple Card, Apple Arcade and other initiatives that bring in recurring revenue instead of the one-time shot that is a phone purchase. Meanwhile, accessories like the AirPods 2 and Apple Watch continue to soar in sales.
"Let's be very clear on this, Apple is in really great shape"” said Avi Greengart, lead analyst for Techsponential. "Some of Apple's accessories would be Fortune 500 businesses all on their own."
But make no mistake, Apple very much wants (and needs) the new iPhone to be a hit, as it is still the linchpin of the company’s ecosystem.
Innovation or iteration?
Apple's invite includes a promise that says "By Innovation Only." But analysts are using another "I" word that should make Tim Cook cringe: iteration.
"I think that the cycle is fairly well known and understood by consumers that it's iterative," said Ben Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies. "We are at the point where they don't need to be blown out the water."
So how does Apple plan to innovate and shake the perception that this will not just be another iPhone? According to reports, Apple will launch three new iPhones in the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Similar to the iPad Pro, the iPhone 11 Pro models will occupy a higher-end tier in Apple's lineup, perhaps more so than the previous iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
(Image credit: Future)
For instance, only the iPhone 11 Pro phones are expected to feature triple rear cameras, one of which will likely be an ultrawide-angle lens. Apple will reportedly use AI to add subjects back into the frame who may have been cut off. The company is also rumored to debut live video effects that put other phones to shame, including the ability to remove backgrounds.
In addition, the iPhone 11 Pro could offer Apple Pencil support, similar to the iPad Pro. This would put the new high-end iPhones in more direct competition with the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Plus and their S Pen. But not everyone is buying that Apple will go this route.
"I just don't think that they're sold that a lot of people want [an Apple Pencil] on the smart phone form factor," Bajarin said. "I think ideally they would prefer you to get an iPad."
Apple's biggest foe: Consumer complacency
(Image credit: Brittany Hosea-Small/Getty)
"We are at the stage where most of the [smartphone] improvements are incremental."
— Avi Greengart, lead analyst, Techsponential
Regardless of the gee-whiz features the iPhone 11 may boast, they may not be enough to defeat the supervillain that is dragging down the entire phone industry — good-enough syndrome. People are simply holding onto their phones longer.
According to Gartner, the amount of time varies a little by geography but in general the firm expects the average high-end phone lifetime to increase from 2.6 years to 2.8 years through 2023.
Another recent survey by mobile carrier Ting proclaimed the two-year mobile-phone- upgrade cycle dead, saying that 55% of people are keeping their phones for three years or more.
"Smartphones are mature. As long as they are not broken, then there's less of a compulsion to upgrade early," Greengart said. "We are at the stage where most of the improvements are incremental."
Sweetening trade-in deals, but will Pro be too pricey?
Now that wireless carriers have pretty much ended subsidies for phones, the industry is turning to trade-in deals to help ease the sting of buying a premium smartphone. For example, if the $999 iPhone XS was available for $729 with a trade-in from Apple, that's the difference between paying $30.99 per month and $42 per month for your phone.
(Image credit: Nood)
Gartner's Zimmermann says that Apple should continue to do more to spur upgrades, including expanding its trade-in program.
Assuming Apple keeps the regular iPhone 11 at the iPhone XR's $749 price, it could take a risk with the iPhone 11 Pro models by raising prices above the already-high $999 and $1,099 it charged last year for the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. But it will really have to justify the premium to make such a move when the smartphone market is expected to decline 2.5% in 2019.
"As long as Apple keeps the replacement for the XR compelling, it then opens up room for price differentiation where it can add a lot to the super-high-end one and not worry that it's pricing too high for the mainstream user because it's not aimed at the mainstream user," Greengart said.
Bottom line
Apple faces a number of obstacles with the iPhone 11 launch. The company will need to fight the perception that its new handsets are iterative and that it can still innovate and surprise customers. And the company also needs to combat the sobering reality that iPhone owners — and all smartphone owners — are holding onto their phones longer.
Then there's the fact that Apple is reportedly skipping 5G this year and that the technology will not be showing up in iPhones until 2020. This move makes sense given that the 5G networks will not be widespread until next year. "We expect the 5G iPhone in 2020 to induce more upgrades." But people looking for a 5G device as their next phone could be tempted to sit out this upgrade cycle.
Ultimately, Apple continues to have one advantage over the competition that the company would be wise to leverage — its ecosystem. And that includes not only its new services but also its accessories. For example, perhaps Apple can show that its Apple TV+ service will work best with the displays on the new iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro. Or that Apple Arcade games will play best with the A11's A13 processor. Or that an optional Apple Pencil helps unlock features on the iPhone 11 Pro.
But because iOS 13 will roll out to most modern iPhones, and because all of Apple's new services will work with existing iPhones, and because the company is doing battery replacements and opening up iPhone repairs to third-party shops, it's getting harder and harder to persuade people to upgrade rather than hold on to their aging iPhones. In other words, iPhones have perhaps become too good for Apple's own good.
Apple’s latest iOS operating system upgrade is now just days away. On September 10, alongside the latest generation of shiny smartphones, comes iOS 13 with its raft of security updates. But it’s not all good news for Apple’s 1 billion+ iPhone users. Because for those still persisting with anything older than an iPhone 6s, the new update will not work. And from a security perspective, that is seriously bad news.
Apple reportedly shipped around 200 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units, for example. And all of those phones will be dumped into OS-limbo come the iOS 13 release. The phones will still work, but security updates will not come through. Essentially, you’re on your own.
There is clearly good reason for such obsolescence. Performance improvements drive the requirement for better hardware. There is only so much of an envelope hardware-wise that can be covered by a single OS instance. And for those older devices, Apple has decided that after five-plus years, enough is enough.
iOS13 is only compatible with the following devices:
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone X
iPhone 8
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone SE
iPod touch (7th generation)
And so if you’re reading this on anything older, on an iPhone 6/6 Plus, or iPhone 5S or the older iPads and iPad Minis, then it’s time to dust the cobwebs from your wallet and head to an Apple Store. That, of course, being the other good reason for obsolescence—the commercials for the Cupertino giant.
Which means leaving those older devices exposed. The recently confirmed Chinese web hack that hit iOS devices until a patch in February, and the even more recent emergency 12.4.1 patch to close a hacking vulnerability go to show how critical such updates are to keep our phones and all our data safe and sound.
Security improvements coming with the new iOS 13 release include better policing of what apps can do in the background—essentially away from our prying eyes, an irritation for the likes of Facebook with its tracking addiction. There will be tighter controls on location tracking, again intended to put users first, and the much discussed “Sign-in With Apple” alternative to providing other credentials to apps and services, reducing the need to provide email addresses to third-parties.
Beyond iOS 13, of course, comes the new iPhone 11 models, rumoured to have triple-cameras, upgraded processors and FaceID systems, but lacking 5G and, most likely, a USB-C port. And that’s the other controversy with the new iPhone release—we already know the 2020 models are a much more punchy upgrade. And at up to $1000 and beyond per device, this could be all the reason we need to wait.
Which means if you do have one of those older models you have a real dilemma on your hands. Upgrade now to this interim step and maybe miss out next year, or take a risk for 12 months. Tough choices. But, realistically, security should come first.
While we've known for a while now that Apple is working on a Tile-like tracking device, what hasn't been clear is how the company plans to differentiate the product beyond its usual ecosystem tie-ins. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has a solid track record on rumors, and claims the answer is a technology called ultra-wideband (UWB) that will allow the tags to perform better than currently-available competition.
With the help of Bluetooth LE, current tags can help a person pinpoint the location of an item to an area of about 16 feet. With UWB, by contrast, that area is narrowed down to less than a third thanks to the fact the technology allows two compatible devices to precisely calculate the time it takes for a signal to travel between them.
As with any communication protocol, the limitation of this new standard is that both devices need to feature the tech. According to a previous report from Kuo, all three 2019 iPhones will feature UWB. Unfortunately, that leaves out all current iPhone owners.
Kuo's latest note doesn't say anything about how existing iPhones will connect with Apple's new tracker, but a likely answer is that they'll fall back on Bluetooth LE. Moving forward, Apple is likely to integrate the protocol into its other devices, with AirPods as an obvious candidate. There, the tech could make a significant difference when you're forced to find a lost Pod in the dark crevices of an MTA subway station.
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