In case you missed events and exciting news from the world of Apple this week, check out this roundup of top stories, so you’re all caught up with everything Apple.
This week, we saw Apple officially confirm that it doesn’t support iOS 14 anymore. The company also countersued Ericsson after negotiations between the two entities to renew communications technology usage agreements failed. Further, the iPhone maker mandated UNiDAYS verification for students in the US and later backtracked. Meanwhile, Google is said to be readying a competitor to the Cupertino giant’s rumored AR/VR headset.
Apple Says iOS 14 Was Never Supposed to Receive Security Updates Forever
This week, Apple confirmed that iOS 14 would no longer get security updates, and its users will have to upgrade to the latest version of iOS 15 to keep their iPhones and iPads safe. This could disappoint some users because the iPhone maker promised security updates for iOS 14 when iOS 15 was released, at least until users were “ready to upgrade.” At the time, the company did not specify that this was a temporary arrangement. Now it says that the older version was never supposed to get security patches forever. The option to not upgrade also appears to have slowed the adoption rate for iOS 15.
This means that iOS 14.8.1, released in October, was the last version of iOS 14. Thankfully for those stuck on the now-unsupported operating system, iOS 15 is compatible with all the iPhones and iPads that ran iOS 14, so updating should be a breeze.
Senate Approves Bill That Would Allow Sideloading of Apps on iOS
This week, Apple’s Senior Director of Government Affairs, Timothy Powderly, penned a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee explaining that changes to the App Store would harm consumers. The American Innovation and Choice Online Act and Open Markets Act, if passed, could force Apple to allow sideloading of apps on iOS. That means users could download and install apps from any source they prefer, just like on Android. The company says the bill would be a “big win” for bad actors and developers who collect and sell user data. It would put “millions of Americans” at risk as they could install such apps and suffer malware or ransomware risk.
Later, the bill went up for debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee and was approved. Now, it proceeds to the Senate floor for a vote. The antitrust law has gathered bipartisan support, but representatives on both sides of the aisle have their apprehensions as well. Besides this, the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hear other bills that target Big Tech companies as well.
Ericsson Sues Apple for Patent Infringement; Apple Returns the Favor
This week, Swedish telecom giant Ericsson sued Apple, alleging that it has infringed on its patents for 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies. Ericsson struck a deal with the iPhone maker in 2015 that allowed Apple to use the patented communication technologies. It expired recently, leading to negotiation talks for renewal. The lawsuit comes after the negotiations failed. Interestingly, Apple and Ericsson were engaged in a legal tussle in 2015 until Apple accepted the terms and the other party dropped all lawsuits.
Following Ericsson’s legal action, Apple countersued the company requesting an import ban on the company’s mobile base stations. Apple has also accused Ericsson of infringing on three patents related to the mmWave technology used to power 5G technology in devices like the iPhone 13 series. Apple has never sued the Swedish firm for infringing these patents before. Further, the Cupertino giant has filed the countersuits in a Texas jurisdiction known to favor patent holders.
Rumor Suggests Google Isn’t Done Experimenting with AR Hardware
A report from The Verge claimed that 300 Google staffers are working on a very hush-hush AR headset project at the company’s Bay Area office. Codenamed Project Iris, the AR headset could rival Apple’s rumored AR headset and offerings from Meta-owned Oculus.
The report claims that Google could incorporate the Tensor processor seen in the current-generation Pixel phones. However, the AR content would be streamed to the headset from data centers over the internet. Several long-time Google AR tech specialists are involved, including Google Labs’ AR/VR head Clay Bavor, former VP of engineering for Google Assistant Scott Huffman, the former CTO for Google Lens, and the engineering director for ARCore.
Apple Education Store Adds Mandatory UNiDAYS Verification for Student Discounts, Then Backtracks
Apple’s education program was recently tweaked to mandate UNiDAYS verification to avail student discounts in the US. The restrictions already apply in markets such as India and the UK. The third-party verification platform offers students access to deals and offers from companies, including Apple. The process varies by country.
Shortly after this change, Apple backtracked and removed the UNiDAYS verification for students in the US. The reasons for the reversal remain unclear, and the mandate could return after Apple irons out issues with the verification process. For now, students can avail themselves of promotional discounts without verification.
Other Top Apple Stories This Week:
- Apple Customers in France Will No Longer Get Free EarPods With iPhone
- 2023 iPhone 15 Pro Now Rumored to Feature 5x Periscope Zoom Lens
- iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 Release Candidate Download Available Now
- Why Apple Should Adopt RCS for iMessage and Why it Should Matter to iPhone Users
- iOS 15 Patched Vulnerability That Exposed Apple ID Information to Third-Party Apps
- SysJoker Backdoor Malware Has Been Running Undetected on M1 Macs for Several Months
- Ookla Finds T-Mobile’s CellularInternet Twice as Fast as Rivals, Verizon’s Broadband Fastest
- TSMC Struggling to Meet Apple’s Carbon Neutrality Goal
- Developer Gets CarPlay Working on Tesla Using Android
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