Apple opens carrier billing in Japan, a day after Taiwan and Switzerland

Apple's direct phone billing plans are unfolding, with the company allowing Japanese users to opt to add their apps and music purchases to their phone bills.

This makes Japan Apple's fifth market globally to get this payment method after Germany and Russia last year, and just a day after Taiwan and Switzerland launched on Tuesday.

Direct billing is an additional payment mode for users, who have relied on credit cards and iTunes stored value cards in the past to make their virtual purchases.

CNBC reports that customers with Japan's second-largest phone company KDDI will get the payment mode.

Japan is Apple's third largest app store spender, behind China and the U.S.. It was previously second, but China overtook it in the first quarter of this year.

Still, Japan's spending trajectory continues to be maintained at a steady rate, going by figures from app store tracker App Annie.

The idea behind carrier billing is to remove another barrier to payment, in the hopes of encouraging more spending on the app store. Carrier billing is arguably more convenient for users who don't have or don't want to add credit cards to their accounts, or find buying stored value cards a hassle.

There goes one hypothesis about the iPhone 7 speakers

The most controversial change on the new iPhone 7 will be the removal of the headphone jack. You'll either love it or hate it. Accept dongle hell, go Bluetooth or buy new Lightning-based headphones.

In the run-up to the announcement, which is widely expected to be Sept. 7, we've been trying to make educated guesses as to why Apple will drop the jack.

Here are some possible reasons Apple will use to defend its choice:

1. The iPhone 7 will support high-res audio
2. Apple wants to make thinner iPhones and the port's thickness is a limitation.
3. Complete water-sealing.
4. To sell you new Lightning earbuds and headphones.
5. To squeeze in a bigger battery, the port had to die.
6. Bluetooth is the future, no matter what you think. Get over it!

The best hypothesis has been: stereo speakers. In all of the leaked images that have surfaced of the alleged iPhone 7 and 7 Plus there are two sets of speaker holes on the bottom flanking the Lightning port.

A new report from Nowhereelse.fr, with alleged design schematics of the new iPhones, suggests that may not be the case and there will be no secondary speaker. The iPhone, for those who don't know, only has a single downward-facing speaker.

IMAGE: NOWHEREELSE.FR

iPhones prior to the iPhone 6 all had dual speaker grilles flanking the connector port, but none were stereo speakers. No iPhone has had stereo speakers. 

One of the benefits of the iPad Pro is its enhanced audio. Both the 12.9- and 9.7-inch iPad Pro have four speaker grilles that output stereo sound.

With less space to fit components, it would be tough to squeeze in a secondary speaker into the already tightly packed iPhone.

Stereo speakers would be a good, but not great reason to ditch the headphone jack. But if that's not the reason, then what will be? It's starting to sound like whatever the reason is, it won't be one we'll be thrilled with. 

The super casual list of friends Apple's CEO calls for advice

It's only fitting that the leader of the biggest company in the world has a pretty impressive list of friends. 

In an extended interview with the Washington Post, Apple's top executive offered new insight into how he's handled some of the bigger decisions he's made in his five years as CEO. Among the revelations: a casual list of some of the biggest names in business and politics who he has called upon for advice in years past.

"I think it’s incumbent on a CEO to not just listen to points of view but to actually solicit them," Tim Cook said in the interview. "Because I think, if not, you quickly become insular. And you’re sort of living in the echo chamber."

Warren Buffet

Tim Cook said he consulted with the famed investor when Apple decided to return cash to Apple shareholders in 2012. Cook noted that he sought Buffet's advice, in part, because he wouldn't be biased:

I thought he’s the natural person

"When I was going through [the question of] what should we do on returning cash to shareholders, I thought who could really give us great advice here," he said. "Who wouldn’t have a bias? So I called up Warren Buffett. I thought he’s the natural person, and so I try to go through that process on everyone." "That doesn’t mean I always do what they say," he added.

Anderson Cooper

The CNN anchor may seem like a surprising confidante, but Cook said he spoke with him before making one of his most personal decisions: the op-ed he wrote in 2014 declaring "I'm proud to be gay." Cook said he went to Cooper because he admired how the anchor handled his own decision to come out publicly in 2012. 

"I talked to Anderson Cooper at length — multiple times," Cook said. "Because I thought that the way that he handled his announcement was really classy. I was getting advice from people who I thought were really great people who had really deeply thought about it."

Bill Clinton

In 2013, Cook was facing his first Congressional testimony (he was called to testify about Apple's tax practices). He said he consulted with a number of people before the hearing, including the 42nd president himself, who he met through the Clinton Foundation.

"He knows a lot about the politics," Cook said of Clinton. "I’d not met him through a political connection. I’d met him through the foundation."

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein

It was the same hearing that prompted Cook to reach out to another prominent business figure — Lloyd Blankfein, the CEO of Goldman Sachs.

"I looked back to say who’s done this before? I knew Lloyd and thought he’d be honest with me," Cook said.

Laurene Powell Jobs

Steve Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, also counseled Cook prior to his Congressional testimony. Cook, who elsewhere in the interview called the day of Steve Job's death "the worst day ever," noted that she has a unique understanding of the company and Cook himself.

"Laurene has the lens of knowing me and deeply understanding Apple."

The MashTalk crew discusses the rumored updates coming to the MacBook Pro

This is the final MashTalk for me — AKA C-Mac, AKA Film_Girl — as a host. Don't worry, MashTalk will continue. 

I love you all very much and want to thank the listeners for their patronage and awesomeness over the years. RayRay, Lance and Pete, also thank you for your support and friendship over the years. You guys are the best.

But don't fret, it's not all sad. I settle in with Raymond Wong and Pete Pachal to talk about everything happening in the world of tech.

We kick it off with a discussion about the latest iPhone rumors (2:00). This inevitably leads into yet another conversation about the headphone jack (RIP) and what kind of earbudsApple might package with the device this fall (10:00).

After the iPhone, our talk moves to an Apple product rumored for a big update, the MacBook Pro (16:45). We discuss the rumored design decisions, the ubiquity of USB-C and how much dongle hell we'll all be in. Too bad we're not expecting to see the new MacBook until October.

Moving on, Ray talks about his experience with the Dlodlo VR headset (30:00). It's thin, light and only a little bit dorky looking. OK, it still looks really nerdy. I'm not sure that any third-platform (let alone one from Kickstarter) is going to make waves in VR, but Ray is hopeful that this thing encourages other manufacturers to make sleeker gear. 

Pete's not convinced VR will ever be a thing we wear all the time.

Finally, we talk about the GIF-ban on the Olympics (38:00) and how the internet has gotten around it anyway. The New York Times' approach with swimming animations is really smart. We all basically agree that even though the rationale for NBC might make sense on paper, trying to stop the GIFs is just futile.

Listen to the episode on iTunes or on Stitcher. You can also subscribe to MashTalk on iTunes by clicking the button below to get our latest episodes, instantly. If you like MashTalk, please fill out our audience survey.

We'll probably have to wait a bit more for that 'touch bar' MacBook Pro

The redesigned MacBook Pro is real, but it's not coming in September — if you trust a new report posted by Bloomberg Wednesday. 

The report doesn't bring anything new in terms of MacBook Pro's functionality. It merely reiterates what we've heard so far, namely that the device will have an OLED touch bar instead of regular function keys, and will be thinner and more powerful in terms of processing and graphics.

From what we know now, the OLED bar might double as a notifications screen and a set of (customizable) keys. If it is indeed real — and you never know with Apple products — it would be quite a radical departure from the current model.  

The report, which cites the ubiquitous "people familiar with the matter," mentions the new MacBook Pro will have a fingerprint scanner, another rumor we've heard before. 

One point on which Bloomberg departs from some of the rumors we've seen is the question of timing. According to its report, the new MacBook Pros will not be introduced alongside the iPhone 7, which we're likely to see on Sept. 7. This might mean we'll have to wait until at least October for the new MacBook Pros since Apple traditionally keeps its major launch events at least a month apart. 

This will likely disappoint the MacBook Pro faithful. That line of notebooks hasn't received a serious upgrade since the Retina models of 2012, although both the 15- and the 13-inch versions received minor upgrades along the way, most recently in the spring of 2015.  

Someone built a near-perfect iPhone 7 mockup

We've reached a whole new stage of Apple iPhone 7 rumor management.

For months we've watched as iPhone 7 rumors big and small have made their way from Apple's leaky cauldron(?) China(?), Foxconn(?) to the salivating public. They cover everything from size, shape, number of cameras and ports to memory and potential new colors.

What if you synthesized all that into one idea, one simulacrum of the possible real thing? No, we're not talking about a 3D rendering. Instead, someone made a physical model, or mock up, that represents virtually every reasonable iPhone rumor we've heard since the 6S was released almost a year ago.

The title of Unbox Therapy's new video is  iPhone 7 Plus - Hands on with Prototype. But as the host makes clear in the video, it's a mock-up produced by a Chinese company called B Sound. It is, though, an incredible piece of work. Every detail, sans a working OS, looks like it was produced by the House of Apple and not some Chines Apple products knock-off company.

The mock-up includes a number of rumored iPhone 7 features, including the smart connector, dual camera and the removal of the antenna lines that separate the pieces of the chassis on the iPhone 6s. As you might expect, it does not have a headphone jack.

There have been other iPhone 7 prototype/mock-up videos, though not as clear or well produced as this.

So what are we to make of this one?

If Unbox Therapy had a real Apple iPhone 7 Plus prototype and showed it off this extensively in a video, Apple would likely beat a path to the host's door, grab this purple phone and ask someone to arrest the guy. Need we remind anyone about what happened with the iPhone 4?

The video, which was posted on Wednesday, has amassed over 3 million views in 48 hours and, so far, there's no sign of an angry Apple or a cease-and-desist order. 

Which makes us fairly certain that this is just expert craftsmanship and not a high-tech caper.

Source says Apple may be releasing its own wireless earbuds soon

Today in the ever-disappointing iPhone 7 missing headphone jack saga: Forbes is reporting that Apple has developed a custom Bluetooth radio chip for wireless earbuds. 

This might be exciting because Apple is making them and there's a chance they'll actually have decent battery life, unlike most bluetooth headphones. 

It's important to note, however, that Forbes never names the source or a release date. We also don't know how the headphones would work to preserve battery life, or what else actually makes them special. And even this anonymous source is reporting that the headphones have been delayed in the past due to performance issues. 

If Apple can't develop its own headphones, the company may use a third-party supplier like Broadcom, which they used for other wireless technologies. The developers working on the headphones are technically external recruits from an Oakland-based semiconductor startup called Passif. Apple in 2013 acquired the company, which describes its mission as making “switch-based wireless transceivers with low power consumption and a small footprint.”

In other words, they may or may not actually come out alongside the iPhone 7 in September. But pressure is high to do so, now that Samsung just announced its own Bluetooth earbuds, GearIconX.

But Apple sets high standards for itself. It seems we'll either get some stellar headphones or nothing at all. 

“The way it works at Apple is if it doesn’t work 100%, it gets cut,” Forbes' anonymous source said.

Apple introduces its first security bounty program

Apple is launching its first security bounty. The news comes on the heels of a presentation from Apple’s Ivan Krstic at the annual Black Hat USA security conference in Las Vegas. 

Krstic runs security engineering and architecture at Apple and presented an in-depth look at iOS security. This was Apple’s first appearance at Black Hat in four years. 

Since its battle with the FBI this spring, Apple has been more outwardly focused on discussing its commitment to security. To that end, Apple is opening up its first security bounty program. The program, which will roll out in September, will accept security submissions in a number of areas. Depending on the type of exploit found, researchers and their organizations will get more money. 

The categories and issues up for consideration, along with their bounties, are as follows:  

• Secure boot firmware components – up to $200,000.
• Extraction of confidential material protected by the Secure Enclave Processor – up to $100,000.
• Execution of arbitrary code with kernel privileges – up to $50,000.
• Unauthorized access to iCloud account data on Apple servers – up to $50,000.
• Access to sandboxed processes to user data outside of the sandbox – up to $25,000.

Organizations can accept the money Apple offers or they can donate it to a charity of their choice. Apple says that if researchers choose to donate to a charity, they will consider matching that donation. 

Apple tells me it may also award researchers who share significant critical vulnerabilities not outlined above. 

Unlike many security bounty programs, this program is not open to the public. For now, Apple is partnering with a dozen or so security researchers and organizations to focus on finding flaws. 

But Apple tells me that this isn’t an attempt to be exclusive. The plan is to open it up to more individuals and organizations over time. Apple also says that if someone not associated with an invited organization responsibly discloses a vulnerability, that feedback will be welcome and they may be invited to join the formal process. 

Apple says that it spoke to a number of other companies who have already run successful security bounties and that advice – which was to start small (as to reduce the signal/noise ratio) and then ramp up – contributed to the decision to only involve a few organizations and researchers at the start. 

A long time coming 

Although it’s great that Apple is introducing a security bounty, it's worth noting that the company has taken its time getting here. Nearly every other major tech company – including Microsoft, Google and Facebook – have offered security bounties for years. 

So what took so long?  

Apple tells me that although it has been working with outside researchers for years, it has consistently received feedback – from experts inside and outside of the company – that it is more difficult to identify significant security vulnerabilities without a bounty program.  

As a result, it makes sense that the company would look (finally!) to outside organizations and researchers to offer their own feedback. 

It probably doesn’t hurt that the focus on Apple’s security is now more pointed than ever before. With more eyes on Apple security – and more people trying to bypass it (whether it’s law enforcement or hackers), it makes sense to get more eyes focused on finding flaws. 

I understand the need to limit — at least initially — involvement in the bounty program, but I do hope Apple commits to expanding the individuals and groups involved quickly. iOS as a platform deserves as many eyes on it as possible.

For now, the focus of the bounty is on iOS, but Apple says that it is open to expanding the bounty program to other platforms (including macOS) and other areas, once the program ramps up.

Source says Apple may be releasing its own wireless earbuds soon

Today in the ever-disappointing iPhone 7 missing headphone jack saga: Forbes is reporting that Apple has developed a custom Bluetooth radio chip for wireless earbuds.

This might be exciting because Apple is making them and there's a chance they'll actually have decent battery life, unlike most bluetooth headphones. 

It's important to note, however, that Forbes never names the source or a release date. We also don't know how the headphones would work to preserve battery life, or what else actually makes them special. And even this anonymous source is reporting that the headphones have been delayed in the past due to performance issues.  

If Apple can't develop its own headphones, the company may use a third-party supplier like Broadcom, which they used for other wireless technologies. The developers working on the headphones are technically external recruits from an Oakland-based semiconductor startup called Passif. Apple in 2013 acquired the company, which describes its mission as making “switch-based wireless transceivers with low power consumption and a small footprint.”

In other words, they may or may not actually come out alongside the iPhone 7 in September. But pressure is high to do so, now that Samsung just announced its own Bluetooth earbuds, GearIconX.

But Apple sets high standards for itself. It seems we'll either get some stellar headphones or nothing at all. 

“The way it works at Apple is if it doesn’t work 100%, it gets cut,” Forbes' anonymous source said.

New iPhone 7 leak corroborates bigger camera, no headphone jack

Remember when Apple would hop on stage and unveil an iPhone that you hadn't already seen in a hundred internet leaks?

Who are we kidding? That hasn't happened since the 2009 release of the iPhone 3GS. Since then, every new iPhone has been leaked months ahead of official announcements.

A fresh batch of  iPhone 7 (or iPhone 6SE, if some rumors are to be believed) news has hit the web, courtesy of French website Nowhereelse.fr and it largely reveals what we've already seen.

Steve Hemmerstoffer aka the editor of NWE aka @OnLeaks on Twitter tweeted out the new iPhone images. He claims the snaps are of a real "testing stage unit" and not a dummy mockup like the ones we've seen before.

6h

Steve Hemmerstoffer @stagueve

Alleged working #iPhone7 testing stage unit...http://www.nowhereelse.fr/iphone-7-photos-exemplaire-fonctionnel-115021/ … pic.twitter.com/Eg1tQ0VRFt

 Follow

David James @DavidDjames25

@stagueve So there is a physical home button by the looks of that, it has the Touch ID ring.

5:48 PM - 4 Aug 2016

 
•  Retweets
 
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The images largely corroborate what we've previously seen and heard about the new iPhone: It'll look almost the same as the iPhone 6S, have tidier antenna lines, a larger camera hump to likely accommodate an improved camera sensor and no headphone jack.

The new batch of photos didn't showcase the new, larger iPhone with the dual rear cameras.

Hemmerstoffer also didn't comment on whether the prototype unit had a home button that still pressed in or not. It's rumored Apple will make it touch-sensitive and use some kind of Force Touch technology to replicate a physical button press.

The switch to a capacitive home button could also hint at better sealing, which could suggest water resistance.

GeekBar also posted a video on YouTube showing a functional iPhone 7 in action:

Apple is expected to announce its new iPhones in early September. We're almost there!

Apple's best hope in India is to sell refurbished iPhones, and it's not looking good

Apple's iPhone sales might be slowing down in the rest of the world, but they grew by a phenomenal 56% in India last quarter, one of the few bright spots in Apple's otherwise "dismal" earnings. No wonder then Apple has big plans for the world's fastest-growing smartphone market, that includes setting up its stores and selling refurbished iPhones (or is that iPhone devices?) in the country. But it is likely going to be a steep uphill climb.

While Apple might have received the nod from the Indian government to open its retail stores in India, its plans to sell refurbished iPhones are encountering serious resistance from the Mobile and Communications Council, a newly formed industry body comprising smartphone rivals Samsung, Micromax and Intex, among others. Apple has applied to the government of India to let it import what it calls "certified pre-owned" iPhones.

A Bloomberg report claims the Indian government rejected Apple's applications. However, sources in the know tell Mashable that no decision has been communicated yet, and the talks are still on.

Why does Apple want to sell refurbished iPhones in India?

India is the world's second largest and fastest-growing smartphone market — at a time when all mature markets including China have slowed down. However, Apple's market share languishes in low single digits. The reason: 

Apple's iPhones cost a (relative) fortune, priced much higher in India than their cost in the U.S. and most other markets. The majority of smartphones sold in India cost less than $200, but Apple's most affordable iPhone costs well over $300.

Apple wants to change that. The company wants to get the iPhone within the reach of more users. “We’ve been working in India now for a couple of years or more, but we’ve been working with great energy over the last 18 months or so, and I’m encouraged by the results,” Cook said during last week's earnings call.

One of the ways to do that is to sell what Apple calls are certified pre-owned iPhones or what's commonly known as refurbished iPhones. Apple's plan is to initially import these refurbished iPhones into India and eventually work with manufacturing partners to refurbish the devices in India itself.

Are refurbished iPhones bad?

Depends on whom you ask. Last year, the environment ministry had rejected a similar proposal suggesting the plan would lead to increased e-waste in the country. The ministry believes that refurbished iPhones would typically be closer to the end of their life cycle and hit the dump yard much earlier than a brand new unit.

Apple's rivals claim this plan would hurt the government's Make in India initiative, which encourages local assembling of goods, including smartphones and other electronics. They reckon India would become a dumping ground if Apple was allowed to import refurbished iPhones.

Ask Apple and they'd say there's not much difference between a brand new unit and a refurbished one, which is certified as pre-owned to fulfill its legal obligations. According to the company, every pre-owned iPhone unit goes back to the OEM and components that are perfect to be reused are kept while others are replaced. The finished unit goes through the same quality checks as a new unit. It even gets new serial and IMEI number.

In other words, a certified refurbished iPhone should have a similar lifespan as a new unit. Apple is able to recycle some of the components, which brings the pricing down and makes the iPhone more affordable. Apple has often argued that its certified pre-owned iPhone would have a longer lifespan than a similarly priced smartphone from most brands.

What happens now?

One of the things that could sway the government's decision in Apple's favor would be if the company seriously commits to its promise of refurbishing iPhones in India. Cook met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year to discuss manufacturing in India specifically. Apple's main manufacturing partner, Foxconn, already has some presence in the country.

However, it still appears unlikely Apple would be able to easily convince the Indian government to approve its refurbishing plans, at least in their current form. Its rivals will try everything possible to thwart Apple's attempts, because if Apple is successful it will significantly impact their market share — especially in the coveted midrange-to-high end.

If that were to happen, Apple's iPhone story in India would begin to follow its narrative in the West — as the only serious player besides Android in the smartphone market, and with a lock on most of the profits.