Tech
Apple sends out survey to iPhone users about USB charging brick – MobileSyrup
Rumours have been swirling for the last few weeks that along with ditching EarPods, there’s a possibility Apple could also stop including a power brick with its upcoming iPhone 12.
Understandably, this stirred up significant controversy, with several tech YouTubers, journalists and bloggers decrying this is a great move for the environment.
While undoubtedly true, it’s also rather easy for someone who covers the tech industry to take this stance. For instance, I probably have roughly 20 iPhone power bricks floating around my home, so Apple’s 2020 iPhone series not including a power brick in the box wouldn’t be a big deal for me.
On the other hand, the average consumer isn’t buying a new iPhone every time Apple releases one. In fact, a lot of people hang onto their smartphones for several years, and as a result, likely don’t have an abundance of power bricks floating around.
According to 9to5Mac, which cites Portuguese twitter user @Gunstaxl, Apple is now sending out a survey asking iPhone owners what they did with the USB charger from their previous iPhone when they purchased a new one. It seems the tech giant is targeting people who are already Apple smartphone users and have recently bought a new iPhone with the survey.
The survey includes the following checkboxes regarding what consumers may have done with their older iPhone USD charging brick:
- I sold or traded it with my iPhone
- I lost it
- I gave it to a family member or friend
- I still use it at home
- I still use it outside (at work, school, or other places)
- I still have it, but I don’t use it
It also specifies it’s asking specifically about the charging brick and not a Lightning cable, which is still expected to be included in the smartphone’s box.
9to5Mac says this isn’t the first time Apple has sent out a survey regarding one of its products. For example, the tech giant once asked customers how they would feel about the MacBook Pro not featuring a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack.
Pesquisa da Apple que recebi por email. Várias perguntas sobre o uso do carregador! Será q teremos um iPhone 12 sem carregador na caixa? 🤔 terá?? @juniornannetti @marchwill pic.twitter.com/q1kiiCVeQL
— Gustavo Alves Reis (@Gunstaxl) July 1, 2020
Regarding ditching EarPods specifically, Apple is expected to offer some sort of discount on AirPods alongside the purchase of an iPhone 12. There’s a possibility the tech giant could also offer a similar deal when it comes to charging bricks.
Rumours point to Apple ditching EarPods and a charging brick in an effort to bring down the price of the iPhone given the cost of including a 5G chip in the smartphone. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely the savings of taking both these accessories out of the 2020 iPhones’ box will be passed on to consumers.
Source: 9to5Mac
Apple has probably stopped production of its poorly-received FineWoven cases for the iPhone, but a new report from the same herald of its death says there is one last set of seasonal colorways coming.
Now according to leaker Kosutami, who first reported the cancellation, there could still be one more push for the FineWoven cases.
Pressed on the rumor, Kosutami emphasizes later in the same thread that if this is correct, it will be for only one more season. It’s now almost eight months since the launch of the iPhone 15 range, so it’s unlikely that there is to be a new mid-cycle color of the iPhone, but perhaps there can yet be new colors for the FineWoven cases.
Consequently, this rumor can at best be said to be possible, especially if Apple had already committed resources to the new colors. However, since FineWoven has proven to be startlingly poor at stain resistance or even just durability, it’s more believable that it is gone for good than it is that FineWoven will get a last hoorah.
Facebook parent company Meta today announced the upcoming expansion of Meta Horizon OS, a virtual and augmented reality operating system that will be available to third-party hardware manufacturers that want to design their own headsets.
Right now, Meta sells the Quest line of headsets, but the company wants to provide the software for third-party VR and AR products in the future, much like Microsoft offers Windows for all manner of third-party PCs.
Meta Horizon OS is the mixed reality operating system that Meta created for its own Quest headsets, and it has support for eye, face, hand, and body tracking along with passthrough, spatial anchors, scene understanding, and other features. There is a “social layer” that will allow the identities, avatars, and friends of users to move between virtual spaces on different devices.
According to Meta, multiple companies are working on devices that will use Meta Horizon OS. ASUS ROG is developing a performance gaming headset and Lenovo is working on mixed reality devices for productivity, learning, and entertainment. Meta says that it is also creating a limited edition version of Meta Quest in partnership with Xbox.
With the expansion of Meta Horizon OS to third-party hardware manufacturers, Meta is making it easier for any developer to ship VR software on the platform by removing barriers between the Horizon Store and App Lab.
By creating an operating system that can be used by other hardware manufacturers, Meta is inserting itself into the growing AR/VR ecosystem and creating opportunities for it to outpace Apple in mixed reality development. Apple launched the Vision Pro headset earlier this year, but software is lacking given the high price and limited distribution of the device.
According to a report from earlier today, interest in the Vision Pro is already waning at Apple’s retail locations with fewer people requesting demos.
There have been more launches in the past two weeks than any other two-week period I can remember since I started sweeping floors at Freedom Bike Shop back in 2001. Yes, that means I’m very old. It also means that after several years of delayed product releases, some brands have finally cleared out enough inventory to share what they’ve been working on.
The Pinkbike team came down to Sea Otter this year with mixed expectations, and there were definitely some weird vibes. Everyone is concerned for the remaining Kona employees, and more than one brand expressed that their plan is to #surviveto2025. But overall we loved catching up with everyone, the weather was great, and somehow there was even more gear to cover. The industry might be going through a tough time, but ultimately riding bikes is still ridiculously fun and bike tech is as interesting as ever.
And on that note, here are a few of the random things that caught my eye during the show.
OutsideBrendan works smarter not harder, and dog Bubbie(?) is awesome.
I mistakenly thought it was a garage project kind of thing, but it’s a real brand with a promo video and everything.
And with that, it’s time to face my expense report. Until next year, Sea Otter!
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