Articles about Apple

Apple just went full Android in the EU. While sideloading, the act of installing apps from sources other than the OS's official app store, is a familiar practice for Android users, it marks a departure from the tightly integrated ecosystem that has long characterized Apple's approach.

While the option to pick and choose the apps on their devices holds appeal for certain enterprises, EU admins might not agree. Maintaining a delicate equilibrium between user privacy and strong endpoint security has always been a challenge, one that is bound to escalate with the EU's latest regulatory changes.

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Apple is known for maintaining high standards when it comes to the App Store. It has put strict developer guidelines in place, runs a thorough review process on new apps that are submitted to the marketplace, and monitors apps to ensure they deliver what developers promise.

This tightly controlled environment has been established to maintain a great user experience, preserve end-user privacy, and protect the platform from bad actors, all while allowing third-party developers to create compelling experiences on Apple’s mobile platforms. Apple’s operating system design, coupled with these protective policies, has helped to keep the iPhone and the applications that run on it generally immune from widespread threats for almost two decades now.

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Game emulators have long proved popular, but they are something that Apple as balked at. Until now. In an update to its App Review Guidelines, the company has introduced changes that will be welcomed by fans of retro gaming.

The new rules mean that game emulators are now permitted in the App Store on a global basis and, more than this, developers can give users the ability to download games from within the apps. Things are not as free-and-easy as they are for Android users, with Apple stressing that developers must ensure that copyright is respected.

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The European Commission announced today that it has opened non-compliance investigations against Apple, Alphabet, and Meta. The three companies make up one half of six gatekeeper companies under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

So-called gatekeepers have a strong position in a market, which may give them an unfair advantage over competing platforms and services. Platforms such as Windows, Google Android, and iOS are gatekeepers, but so are YouTube, Google Search, Google Ads, Chrome, or Safari. The full list of gatekeepers is available here.

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Guess what? Walmart has begun selling the MacBook Air with the M1 chip! This is significant, as it is the first time customers can purchase a Mac directly from that retail giant.

The MacBook Air with the M1 chip, known for its exceptional performance and long battery life, will be available on Walmart.com and soon in select Walmart stores for only $699. This price point is particularly noteworthy, as it brings a high-quality Apple product within reach of a broader audience.

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Apple has released iOS 17.4, with the company pointing to the arrival of podcast transcripts as the highlight. There are also new emoji, improvements to CarPlay, and a number of bug fixes, but things are rather more interesting for users in the European Union.

With the EU's Digital Market Act coming into force today, March 6, Apple has delivered different versions of iOS 17.4 to this market compared to the rest of the world. And by different, we mean better.

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The use of Apple devices in the enterprise has increased in recent years. But what's behind this trend and how much impact is it having?

We spoke to Weldon Dodd, SVP of community at Apple device management and security specialist Kandji, to discover how Apple has become a strategic choice for businesses, leading to increased employee productivity and even additional revenue opportunities.

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Apple devices have historically had a reputation for being immune to malware, but a new report from Jamf reveals that it's tracked 300 malware families on macOS and found 21 new ones in 2023.

Jamf's latest Security 360 report examined a sample of 15 million desktop computers, tablets and smartphone devices they protect, across 90 countries and multiple platforms (macOS, iOS/iPad, Android and Windows).

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iOS 17.3 has been one of the more eagerly awaited iOS updates from Apple in some time, and now it is finally here. This is a significant update that brings, among other things, major new security features.

One of the biggest additions is Stolen Device Protection which makes a stolen phone more difficult to use by adding extra security when the handset is in non-typical locations. It will not, however, stop someone from stealing your iPhone in the first place. Other new features include collaborative playlists and the arrival of AirPlay hotel support.

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In an unexpected turn of events, Apple has toppled Samsung from its long-held position as the leader of the smartphone market. This marks the first time since 2010 that a company other than Samsung has clinched the top spot. The 2023 landscape of consumer electronics saw Apple reaching an unprecedented market share, signaling a significant power shift in the industry.

Despite global smartphone shipments falling by 3.2% to 1.17 billion units in 2023, Apple's rise to prominence is a clear indicator of the market's rapid evolution. This decline, the most considerable in a decade, is attributed to macroeconomic challenges and high inventory levels at the year's start. However, a rebound is on the horizon, with the latter half of 2023 showing promising growth and setting the stage for a potential recovery in 2024. The fourth quarter of 2023 alone witnessed an 8.5% year-over-year growth, surpassing the forecasted 7.3%.

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As a Mac administrator, managing a fleet of Apple devices across your organization requires consistent practices and robust security measures. With numerous system services and background tasks to oversee, maintaining uniform configurations and safeguarding organizational data are formidable challenges.

Apple has introduced a powerful new Declarative Device Management (DDM) approach to address these challenges. This update to the Mobile Device Management (MDM) protocol represents a paradigm shift in device management, offering an efficient and secure means of administering macOS devices. DDM enables tamper-resistant configurations and facilitates simplified monitoring of system services and background tasks. Declarative status reports allow administrators to know about a device's current state.

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The hitherto cheapest means of accessing Apple Music is no more. Apple has announced that it is killing off the $4.99 per month Apple Music Voice Plan.

Introduced back in 2021, this tier allowed for access to the entire Apple Music catalog, but only via Siri, and the discontinuation of this plan means that the cheapest generally available Apple Music subscription is now $10.99 (although students have a $5.99 option). So, what does this means for anyone currently on the Apple Music Voice Plan?

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It can be frustrating to buy a new phone only to discover that there is an OS update to install before you can start using it. For iPhone users this could soon be a thing of the past thanks to an innovative new system developed by Apple.

The recently released iPhone 15 suffered with an overheating issue that was later fixed with a software update, putting the onus on owners of new devices to download and install the patch. But a new "proprietary pad-like device" will allow Apple Stores to install the latest software on handsets without the need to open the box.

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Since the release of the iPhone 15 range there have been numerous reports of the handset overheating -- sometimes to the point of being too hot to hold. There has been widespread speculation that a new design, as well as the use of new materials, is to blame for not only the temperature issues, but also greater fragility compared to older models.

While Apple is yet to comment on numerous reports that iPhone 15 handsets break more easily when dropped, the company has acknowledged the overheating issue. A bug in iOS 17 has been identified as a cause, but Apple also points to third-party apps including Instagram as being to blame.

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Both government agencies and corporations are being tasked with developing strategies for protecting mobile devices from an increasing wave of attacks. CISOs and business leaders are asking themselves not only how they can use mobile devices to make employees more productive, but also how to realize the full potential of a mobile-powered business.

As leaders execute their mobile-powered businesses, they will also need to parallel these initiatives with mobile-first security strategies to address the fast-growing attack surfaces that bad actors are increasingly jumping on. We spoke to Shridhar Mittal, CEO of Zimperium to discover more.

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