Apple new product rumours and general news

[skyscraper101]

For me, there's a point to which a phone size device is just not worth the extra spend. That's currently somewhere between £500-600.

You can make a screen as bright and as OLED as you like, but it's only ever going to be the size of something you can hold in one hand until folding phones become a thing.

 

[editor]

Genuine question. What makes a phone look dated?

I think what really sets apart mid range from premium phones is the use of OLED.

Its all subjective of course, but Samsung's curved screens look like they're a least a generation ahead, and the same goes for a underscreen fingerprint readers compared to a hefty chunky notch.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Its all subjective of course, but Samsung's curved screens look like they're a least a generation ahead, and the same goes for a underscreen fingerprint readers compared to a hefty chunky notch.

The Samsung curved screens are pretty cool looking. Wouldn't be in a rush to get another one though. Admittedly I'm clumsy, but it lasted less then a month on my S8 before I had a crack in the side.

 

[editor]

The Samsung curved screens are pretty cool looking. Wouldn't be in a rush to get another one though. Admittedly I'm clumsy, but it lasted less then a month on my S8 before I had a crack in the side.

If I ever get one, I'll have insurance in place!

 

[skyscraper101]

Apple event on now. News+ announced so far. Waiting for the streaming thing announcement.

 

[editor]

Apple event on now. News+ announced so far. Waiting for the streaming thing announcement.

If it's going to be Apple-only streaming it's going to struggle as they're very late to this particular party. There again, with all the billions they can throw around maybe they'll string together enough content to make it worthwhile.

 

[skyscraper101]

They've reinvented the credit card. Cue the wooping for their official corporate partners Goldman Sachs and Mastercard. Yeah.

 

[editor]

They've reinvented the credit card. Cue multiple wooping for their official corporate partners Goldman Sachs and Mastercard.

A fucking credit card. So you can buy more overpriced stuff from Apple but with a miniscule discount.

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!

Apple introduces its own credit card, the Apple Card

 

[editor]

'Scuse me while I yawn.

But let’s talk about the Apple Card. After signing up, you control the Apple Card from the Wallet app. When you tap on the card, you can see your last transactions, how much you owe, how much money you spent on each category.

You can tap on a transaction and see the location in a tiny Apple Maps view. Every time you make an Apple Pay transaction, you get 2 percent in cash back. You don’t have to wait until the end of the month as your cash is credited every day. For Apple purchases, you get 3 percent back.

The Apple Card isn’t limited to a virtual card. You get a physical titanium card with a laser-etched name. There’s no card number, no CVV code, no expiration date and no signature on the card. You have to use the Wallet app to get that information. Physical transactions are eligible to 1 percent in daily cash.

 

[editor]

Goldman Sachs. Nice.

Goldman has been accused of an assortment of misdeeds, including a general decline in ethical standards,[88][89] working with dictatorial regimes,[90] cozy relationships with the US federal government via a "revolving door" of former employees,[91] insider trading by some of its traders,[92] and driving up prices of commodities through futures speculation.[93]

Goldman Sachs - Wikipedia

 

[editor]

Flipboard with extra eye candy. $9.99/month. Here's the plinky plonky Coldplay-esque soundtracked video



Apple unveils its $9.99 per month news subscription service, Apple News+

 

[skyscraper101]

In fairness, that 2% cashback is actually better than what any of my current cards offer. And some of the features look alright.

 

[skyscraper101]

OK, the TV stuff is pretty boring. And very US-centric. Apple TV+ ?

I can't even work out what it is.

CBA to watch the rest.

 

[cybershot]

Be interesting to see if the 'no late fees' makes it across the pond.

 

[editor]

Decent analysis:

“I think the strange optic here is that credit cards are not necessarily innovation in payments, even with better rates and loyalty,” says Rivka Gewirtz Little, a global research director at analyst firm IDC who specializes in payments. “So, to see a big tech firm, which hangs its hat on innovation, go such a traditional route – that’s what I think is a bit odd here. I’d like to see Apple get more innovative in transforming the way we pay.”...

And while Apple Pay may be a bold vision of the future, it’ll likely be years before contactless digital payments become truly mainstream in the US. In the meantime, Apple wants to sell you the benign and the boring — a credit card, a cable package, a magazine subscription — in hopes it can make its software and services as intrinsic a part of everyday life as its smartphone. Changing industries from the ground up is no longer Apple’s playbook, especially as it plays catch-up to companies like Netflix and Spotify.

Apple’s strategy mirrors that of Amazon. The e-commerce giant started out selling genuinely new and best-in-class products like the Kindle and then the AI-powered Echo speaker. But Amazon has since used the consumer goodwill it garnered and the power it wields over its digital storefront to sell you everything from microwaves and wall clocks to white label clothing brands, home supplies, and AmazonBasics-branded AA batteries.

Apple is doing the same, using the iPhone as the ultimate gateway to transform every iOS and Mac user into a series of multiple recurring revenue streams from products made first and in some cases made better by other companies, be it Apple Music, Apple News, iCloud, or the new TV app. Apple is stopping short of making its own version of Prime, in which all of these services could be bundled together, but the company appears to be taking its cues from Amazon’s subscription approach to further lock iPhone owners into a broader ecosystem.

The Apple Card is a perfect example of Apple’s post-iPhone strategy

 

[cybershot]

Did the guy who did the quotes above only get an internet account 3 years ago or something. He knows amazon started out selling books right?

 

[editor]

Did the guy who did the quotes above only get an internet account 3 years ago or something. He knows amazon started out selling books right?

But Apple aren't exactly 'starting out' are they? He's quite rightly comparing Amazon's now long-standing strategy with Apple's new direction.

 

[skyscraper101]

I’d be glad to use the new Apple credit card. I liked the features they showcased, the 2% cashback on Apple Pay is actually pretty good compared to most cards, and MasterCard is accepted in a lot more places than my 1% cashback Amex is in the UK. Plus cashback is paid instantly rather than in one lump sum like other cards.

The colourful graphics on spending and interest look good and - though I am sceptical of the physical card being all wanky titanium (let’s see how they fare in the real world designed for plastic, I can see potential train station ticket machine collection refusals already) - I do like how they have no printed numbers or other security risk elements.

No international spending fees too. Bonus.

A good summary here.

3 reasons why I'm sold on the Apple Card to replace my 'dumb' credit card | TechRadar

 

[cybershot]

I don’t get why people have this grand illusion that apple are great innovators. They never have been. They’ve never been first to market with anything. They always steal someone’s idea and then just do a better job of it. Not saying they will with either the card or the tv thing but they will have a bloody good attempt at it and you can’t deny with both their got their willy straight out and flopped it right on the table and threw Netflix off it with a swipe of rage. The question is will it be affordable. Where their smart speaker isn’t, and as such is a huge flop.

Who better to bring the lights back up on and have Spielberg standing there. Recently hating on Netflix and telling the oscars to get rid of them. JJ, Oprah etc etc. You can’t make a bigger statement. At least in the US anyway. The ultimate game changer is if they can somehow muster what they are doing with news and magazines with the tv content too. Who doesn’t want to fuck off have multiple subscriptions to providers and have one flat provider with all content. With bulk sub discounts and oh. Not foergetting you new shiny apple card discount for doing it via apple platform.

As for the card. Is there a better more lighter way to make a ‘i’m A flash wanky bastard, if I’m not going to pay with my £1k+ phone, here. Have my my fucking titanium credit card instead with just an apple logo on it’

FWIW my starling bank, hate that name MasterCard that I use when I’m abroad already has nothing on the front of it, all the numbers are on the back, it looks kinda cool. The app is also great and everything is instant. Spend and it’s on your statement within seconds. I’d use it as my primary bank account if I wasn’t a sucker for switching current accounts via bribes.

 

[pesh]

I don’t get why people have this grand illusion that apple are great innovators. They never have been. They’ve never been first to market with anything. They always steal someone’s idea and then just do a better job of it.

next year comes the festival on a private island

 

[mwgdrwg]

Truly vomit enducing stuff.

 

[skyscraper101]

Who better to bring the lights back up on and have Spielberg standing there. Recently hating on Netflix and telling the oscars to get rid of them. JJ, Oprah etc etc. You can’t make a bigger statement. At least in the US anyway. The ultimate game changer is if they can somehow muster what they are doing with news and magazines with the tv content too. Who doesn’t want to fuck off have multiple subscriptions to providers and have one flat provider with all content. With bulk sub discounts and oh. Not foergetting you new shiny apple card discount for doing it via apple platform.

As for the card. Is there a better more lighter way to make a ‘i’m A flash wanky bastard, if I’m not going to pay with my £1k+ phone, here. Have my my fucking titanium credit card instead with just an apple logo on it’

FWIW my starling bank, hate that name MasterCard that I use when I’m abroad already has nothing on the front of it, all the numbers are on the back, it looks kinda cool. The app is also great and everything is instant. Spend and it’s on your statement within seconds. I’d use it as my primary bank account if I wasn’t a sucker for switching current accounts via bribes.

I'm sceptical of the Apple TV+ service. Its all very well getting Oprah and Spielberg etc but it reeks a little of Apple Music being massively late to the party and sounds very US centric, middle aged and not particularly hip (no disrespect to Oprah but exciting she isn't).

The next year will be interesting in streaming service wars. Netflix and Amazon will dominate but look out for Disney and the WarnerMedia services. They have massive catalogues in their arsenal whereas Apple don't and are going to have to invest in original content and play massive catchup with Amazon and Netflix.

Agree about the card being wanky and titanium. I wish they'd have just gone plastic and simple. Having no numbers though (even printed on the back) is an obviously better security measure and a good example of Apple improving something.

 

[elbows]

Their TV will be largely shit because they are mostly prudes and control freaks, with naff ideas about homely and responsible content.

 

[editor]

Their TV will be largely shit because they are mostly prudes and control freaks, with naff ideas about homely and responsible content.

Indeed. Let's not forget Apple's all-controlling, moralistic ways.

That said, I'm sure there'll be legions of iFans clamouring to use anything that comes with Apple's branding, but for the vast majority of the public who don't have an iPhone, I can't see the card or the streaming service getting mass traction in the UK, where millions are already happily locked into Amazon and Netflix (or both). Besides, the kids seem more than happy with Monzo.

 

[skyscraper101]

Their TV will be largely shit because they are mostly prudes and control freaks, with naff ideas about homely and responsible content.

Yep, agree with this. Spielberg and Oprah are right up their street really.

 

[skyscraper101]

The apple credit card is released today in the US. Hopefully it won't be too long before it arrives here.

Apple Card launches today for all US customers

 

[editor]

The apple credit card is released today in the US. Hopefully it won't be too long before it arrives here.

Apple Card launches today for all US customers

100% not for me

The Good
Beautiful and practical credit card app interface • 3 percent cash back on purchases from Apple • Gorgeous titanium Apple Card • No annual fees
The Bad
Other credit cards have better rewards • Lower APR with other credit cards • Titanium Apple Card only gives you 1 percent on non-Apple purchases

The most disappointing thing about Apple Card is how little you get back using the physical card — only 1 percent cash back. I get that the whole point of Apple Card is to incentivize the use of the digital card. The titanium card is there almost as a backup — for places that don't accept Apple Pay — but 1 percent cash back is mediocre.

If Apple Card is your only credit card and you're paying for something at a place that doesn't accept Apple Pay, then you have no choice but to swipe your titanium card. But, if you have another credit card with better rewards, then the physical Apple card becomes pretty useless.

With Apple Card, you're basically running on Apple hamster wheel. If you've already consigned your life to Apple's walled garden, then by all means, Apple Card will definitely make your devices and services all the more integrated.

But if you don't want to essentially be chained to the iPhone, you should not get an Apple Card.

Apple Card review: Good luck ditching the iPhone after this

 

[skyscraper101]

100% not for me

Apple Card review: Good luck ditching the iPhone after this

2% cashback on Apple pay and 1% on the physical card is actually way better than even the top performing non-annual fee credit cards currently in the UK - of which the top one I have (Amex Platinum) and that only returns 0.5% on purchases, and being Amex, it isn't accepted everywhere so I have to have a backup Mastercard.

So they can sign me right up. The APR being higher is only something to consider if you don't pay off your balance in full every month, which I always do.

 

[Chz]

2% cashback on Apple pay and 1% on the physical card is actually way better than even the top performing non-annual fee credit cards currently in the UK - of which the top one I have (Amex Platinum) and that only returns 0.5% on purchases, and being Amex, it isn't accepted everywhere so I have to have a backup Mastercard.

So they can sign me right up. The APR being higher is only something to consider if you don't pay off your balance in full every month, which I always do.

Costco Amex is 1% on general, 2% on travel (includes TfL), 3% on "dining" (which includes pubs). Yes, you have to spend your "cash" back at Costco but that's not much of an ask.

It's a bit odd, as I expect the Apple card will be way more successful in the States despite the fact that cashback cards are both more common and pay higher rates than here.

 

[editor]

2% cashback on Apple pay and 1% on the physical card is actually way better than even the top performing non-annual fee credit cards currently in the UK - of which the top one I have (Amex Platinum) and that only returns 0.5% on purchases, and being Amex, it isn't accepted everywhere so I have to have a backup Mastercard.

So they can sign me right up. The APR being higher is only something to consider if you don't pay off your balance in full every month, which I always do.

Hate to burst your bubble, but it's not definite that the UK version will have the same features as the US one:

When it does launch, it may also have different features from the ones that are currently being advertised in the US. The 2% cashback on all purchases, for example, may be hard to maintain in the UK market, where a different card merchant fee regime is in place.

When is the Apple Card credit card coming to the UK? | Finder UK