Welcome to our monthly Apple News Roundup. This column recaps the top 10 biggest Apple news announcements from each month. This edition features the highlights from July of 2021.
1. Apple stock hits all-time high
Apple stocks closed at an all-time high on July 6th as investors were anticipating the arrival of new iPhones in September and the June quarter financial results. The stock added 1.8% to $144.57 and the latest rally has pushed Apple’s market value to $2.4 trillion, which is almost $300 billion above Microsoft’s valuation. Analysts noted a reason for the spike was that Apple’s shares traditionally outperform in the summer quarter ahead of the launch of new iPhones in September. Since July 6, the stock hit another high of $149, and as of July 30, the stock price was $145.86)
2. Apple releases MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone 12 models
The new battery pack magnetically attaches to the back of your phone with or without a MagSafe case and can charge with up to 15W of power if connected to a 20W or higher brick, which is recommended for the fastest charging. The battery pack can be charged with a Lightning to USB cable and you can charge both your iPhone and the battery pack simultaneously.
3. Apple deploys $1 billion in affordable housing support
This capital funding will be put towards new projects and will benefit thousands of California residents across more than 25 counties. Apple is committed to helping people in the state of California become homeowners for the first time, and additional capital will facilitate the construction of new affordable units in at-risk communities. “Apple is committed to continuing our work with partners across the state to support these communities and help combat the housing crisis in meaningful ways,” said Kristina Raspe, Apple’s vice president for Global Real Estate and Facilities.
4. Apple wins patent for Touch ID and Face ID
The patent granted for Touch ID and Face ID describes how both forms of biometric authentication could be embedded into the display. In the current iPhone design, the imaging sensor is next to the display, rather than part of it. The primary focus of the patent is embedding an image sensor into their display to read a fingerprint or Touch ID. Later development may include embedding the front-facing camera into the screen.
5. Apple News partners with NBCUniversal to share Olympics content
Apple News is collaborating with NBCUniversal, which owns the U.S. broadcast rights for the Olympics. They will be developing exclusive recaps, audio briefings, event schedules, and medal counts. One useful feature is the News app’s user-friendly schedule of every Olympic event by sport. It can even set calendar reminders so you don’t miss an event. This partnership also allows Apple to promote Apple Podcasts, which will most certainly drive traffic to their podcast platform.
6. Apple reports third quarter results
On July 27th, Apple announced its financial results for the third quarter. The company reported record revenue of $81.4 billion, up 36 percent year over year, and services revenue reached an all-time high. Apple’s board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.22 per share of the Company’s stock which will be payable on August 12 to shareholders. “This quarter, our teams built on a period of unmatched innovation by sharing powerful new products with our users, at a time when using technology to connect people everywhere has never been more important,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.
7. Apple plans on a “buy now, pay later” service
Apple is working on a service that will allow shoppers to pay for purchases in installments. This “buy now, pay later” service will allow Apple Pay users to pay for their purchases through four interest-free payments made every two weeks. They will also have the option to spread out their payments over several months, but with interest. Apple will be collaborating with long-time partner Goldman Sachs for the Apple Card credit card, and they will also be the lender for the loans made through Apple Pay.
8. Apple might be killing the buttons on iPhone 13
Rumor has it that the iPhone 13 might lack physical buttons. Apple Insider spotted a US patent application and suggested that the company is investigating “capacitive sensing input devices.” These “buttons” will be “invisible backlit holes” that will appear only when touched and disappear when not in use. This is among many of the possible changes that Apple is rumored to be making to future iPhones.
9. Apple’s September event is rumored to be virtual
Following Apple’s recent WWDC 2021 event, tech enthusiasts are now getting geared up for the next big Apple event this fall. Apple has not announced a formal date, but rumors are that it will be held in September and will again be virtual. Apple has hosted two events in 2021 thus far—the first in April where a purple iPhone 12 and Air Tag trackers were announced, followed by WWDC in June revealing iOS 15 and macOS Monterey. There are more new releases expected this year including the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch 7.
10. Apple seeks increase in new iPhone production
Apple has asked suppliers to build as many as 90 million next-generation iPhones this year, which is a substantial increase from its 2020 iPhone shipments. The 2021 forecast suggests that the company anticipates its first iPhone launch since the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines will create additional demand. The next iPhones slated for release will be Apple’s second with 5G. This year’s update will also emphasize improvements to the processor, camera, and display, which will more than likely entice users to upgrade.
like your July report
At least they haven’t announced the end of support for macOS Mojave, yet. I’m hoping they never will, but that’s purely wishful thinking.