Tag Archives: Apple TV

Apple Showcases Its In-House Apps on New ‘Apps by Apple’ Page

Apple has introduced an all-new “Apps by Apple” webpage, residing on its official website. This dedicated space serves as a platform to celebrate and showcase Apple’s proprietary apps, available across the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple TV ecosystems.

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In true Apple fashion, the company showcases its commitment to delivering a seamless user experience through these apps, accompanied by tantalizing glimpses of forthcoming features in iOS 17 and beyond.

So, what exactly does this ‘Apps by Apple’ page bring to the table?

A Guide to Apple’s App Universe

This newly minted digital domain, found at apple.com/apps, conveniently categorizes Apple’s apps into six distinct clusters:

  1. Communication: Tagged as “Apps to keep you connected,” this category includes essentials like Phone, Messages, FaceTime, Mail, and Contacts. Apple’s aim here is clear – to facilitate effortless connections.
  2. Creativity: “Tools for pros and passionate creatives” is the mantra here. This enclave caters to the artist in you, boasting apps like Photos, Camera, GarageBand, iMovie, and Final Cut Pro for iPad.
  3. Productivity: In the “All you need to make your work of art” realm, Apple’s offerings include Notes, Reminders, Calendar, Freeform, and Pages. The focus? Enhancing your productivity and creativity.
  4. Exploration: Embark on journeys of discovery with apps like Safari, Maps, Weather, Find My, and Wallet. These apps are designed to simplify your explorations of both the digital and physical worlds.
  5. Entertainment and Home: “Brilliant ways to watch, read, listen, and relax” – this segment features Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Music Classical, and Podcasts, promising entertainment and relaxation at your fingertips.
  6. Health and Fitness: Prioritizing “Wellness for your mind and body,” Apple offers apps such as Apple Health, Fitness, Workout, Sleep, and Cycle Tracking. Your well-being takes centre stage here.
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Aside from these categories, the ‘Apps by Apple’ page provides insights into the features that underpin Apple’s ecosystem. These include Siri, iCloud, CarPlay, and Continuity, designed to seamlessly integrate various aspects of your digital life. Family Sharing, another highlighted feature, promotes harmonious device sharing among families.

A Response to Regulatory Changes

It’s worth noting that the unveiling of this page comes at a time when the European Union (EU) is considering regulations that may require Apple to allow third-party app stores and sideloading on iPhones within its member states. Sideloading entails installing apps from sources other than Apple’s App Store. Apple’s long-standing argument for restricting sideloading revolves around security concerns, as it enables stricter control over potential threats like malware.

With these regulatory shifts looming, Apple’s ‘Apps by Apple’ initiative can be seen as a strategic move to bolster its in-house app portfolio. By emphasizing the quality, seamlessness, and privacy features of its apps, Apple aims to ensure that users continue to choose its ecosystem, even in the face of alternative options.

Apple reassures users that “Every app by Apple comes with powerful privacy features to help protect your data and give you control over your information.” This commitment aligns with Apple’s broader stance on privacy and data protection.

While these changes may initially impact EU users, the global tech landscape may witness ripple effects as the industry navigates evolving regulations.

In conclusion, Apple’s ‘Apps by Apple’ webpage serves as a testament to the company’s dedication to delivering a user-friendly and secure app experience. As the tech world continues to evolve, Apple remains unwavering in its pursuit of innovation and excellence.

Apple TV App is Now Useless on Android TVs and Google TVs – This Could Go Either Way

Apple TV+ is, there is no easier way of saying this, good. There are plenty of interesting and captivating shows that are exclusive to the platform. Those exclusives actually won awards, just to prove our point. But unti 2021, Apple TV+ holds their cards very close to their chest. You can only access the Apple TV+ app via Apple devices like Apple TV, Mac, iPhone, and iPad. You could not, and still cannot access it on your Android smartphones. 

In 2021, it seems that Android users might be able to get a glimpse of what is on the other side with the introduction of the Apple TV app on their Android or Google TVs. Through the app, you can access whatever that Apple has on their Apple TV box, they can buy movies, rent movies, and even subscribe to Apple TV+. Their app is also available on NVIDIA Shield, and Google’s Chromecast dongles.  

There was a recent update for the app on Android and Google powered TVs. After the update, it TVs or boxes with Google’s operating system works, but only just. The app on these devices can only play the movies or stream on Apple TV+ only if you have already bought them, or rent them, or subscribed to Apple TV+ previously. If you have not, you are out of luck because you no longer have an option to buy, rent, or subscribe to anything on the app. The only button left here is “How to Watch”.  

Yes, the app will teach you how to watch your movies or shows on Android or Google TVs. But you are also required to have an Apple device at that, which also means it is going to be an extra spend if you do not own an iPhone or an iPad. Like we said earlier, this could go either way. 

The decision by Apple to remove their in-app purchase features could be due to a few things. For one, Apple might want to avoid the 30% commission that Google demands for all in-app purchases on their platforms. The other one could also be to probably just sell more devices. Both are likely though. 

For now, this might lead to a sharp drop in their subscriber count on Android and Google TVs. In the future though, there might be a bigger demand for affordable Apple devices just for Apple TVs services and features. It also could discourage Apple iPhone or iPad users to switch out of Apple’s ecosystem. We will just stick to Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Videos for now.  

Apple Releases iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, macOS Big Sur 11.4, watchOS 7.5, and tvOS 14.6

Just about a month after Apple releases the biggest update to iOS in recent history, Apple releases yet another update to the platform alongside their other products like the iPad, mac OS, watch OS, and even tvOS. To be fair, tvOS 14.6 is a minor update that is supposed to improve the general stability and performance of the interface for Apple TV devices. That is at least according to their release notes for the tvOS 14.6. For everything else, the updates are more than just bug fixes despite what the numbers suggest.

iOS 14.6 & iPadOS

iOS 14.6 is not as big as 14.5 in terms of updates. It is also partly a bug fix that fixes issues found on iOS 14.5 such as issues with unlocking your iPhone via your Apple Watch. Some users were reporting that reminders show up as blank lines now even when they have keyed in their information. The new update on both iOS and iPadOS should also improve Bluetooth connections with Bluetooth enabled hardware. Users should also see improvements in device performance with the update.

There are some added features too on iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6. While fixing some early issues with AirTag, the UI now allows users to use their email address for tracking purposes instead of phone numbers. There are added support in Apple Podcast too allowing users on iOS and iPadOS to opt for subscriptions to shows and get extra exclusive contents. There is an added Apple Card support too in the sense that you can now share your Apple Card with up to five members of your family via Apple Card Family. The new function also allows you to keep track of expenses and manage limits. Users can also now unlock their iPhone or iPad for the first time after a restart via their voice.

iOS 14.6 is now available for Apple iPhone 6s and newer. iPadOS 14.6 is also now available for iPad Air 2 and later, 5th Generation Apple iPad and later, iPad Mini 4 and newer, and the 7th generation iPod Touch.

watchOS 7.5

Apple’s WatchOS 7.5 received a minor update when Apple released iOS 14.5 too. That minor update that updated WatchOS devices from Apple Watch Series 3 and later to WatchOS 7.4.1 was mostly a security update for the Watch. WatchOS 7.5, in contrast to the iOS and iPadOS updates is more of a feature update.

The Apple WatchOS 7.5 now allows access to subscribed content in the Podcast app for one. You can even manage and track your Apple Card expenses from your Apple Watch. Malaysia is getting some added love in the new WatchOS 7.5 too. Apple Watch Series 4 and later will get ECG app support now in Malaysia. Users of Apple Watch in Malaysia will also now get support for irregular heart rhythm notifications.

The Apple WatchOS 7.5 is now available for Apple Watch Series 3 and later.

macOS Big Sur 11.4

The new macOS Big Sur 11.4 update is also one of Apple’s largest since 11.3 just about a month ago. The update for macOS is more bug fixing than anything else. The new update fixes keyword exclusions when exporting photos from the Photos app. It also fixes certain website viewing issues with Mac devices. It also fixes certain stability issues with PDF documents on macOS 11.3.

On top of the bug fixes, macOS Big Sur 11.4 brings paid subscriptions to Apple Podcast app. You can now pay subscriptions for Podcasts within the ecosystem and get exclusive contents or early access to additional contents from creators. Apple Podcast also introduces channels to group shows from podcast creators. 

macOS Big Sur 11.4 is now available on devices running on mac OS Big Sur 11.

The 2021 Generation Apple TV 4K – Even Better and Even Cleverer, Cleverer Than Your Smart TV

Apple’s Spring Loaded event for 2021 revealed the highly anticipated iMac and iPad Pro that both packs Apple’s M1 chip that you can also find on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. They also revealed a new Apple TV 4K though. While the entirety of the Apple TV box does not look different from the outside, there are improvements made on the Apple TV 4K.

For one, it now comes with Apple’s A12 Bionic chip. To be fair, that is not the latest Apple integrated chip in their line-up. The A12 chip though is still one tough and powerful chip to work with in the Apple TV 4K box. It powers the updated tvOS that seamlessly integrates with all sorts of Apple devices. You can even watch Apple TV with your AirPods if you really want to with the Apple TV 4K.

There is also a new remote that comes with the 2021 Apple TV 4k. The new remote is designed to somewhat resemble an iPhone, we feel. Aside from that though the remote is made to be as intuitive as ever and with a dedicated Siri button on the side to make reaching Siri voice command more seamless and hassle free than ever.

Source: Apple

Of course, the 2021 Apple TV 4K will still come with all the things that made the Apple TV 4K one of the favourite TV boxes around. The tvOS offers the latest shows from Apple TV+ (with subscription, of course), offers best in class music experience via Apple Music, features Apple Fitness+ to pair with your Apple Watch, Apple Arcade for over-the-top games, AirPlay to seamlessly share videos, music, projects, and other content from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac devices directly to your TV. The Apple TV 4K box is also your home control hub for all your HomeKit accessories, including your HomePod speakers.

Beyond that though, Apple TV 4K now support HDR and Dolby Vision contents at 60fps instead of the regular 30fps. While it is not quite 120hz ready, 60fps is quite a lot more than enough for most video contents today. 60fps would really change the way you view sports too.

The cleverest feature of the Apple TV 4K in 2021 though is the clever colour calibration process that works with the Apple iPhone. The 2021 Apple TV 4K works in tandem with the iPhone light sensor to compare the colour balance between your TV to the industry standard. Once the data is received by the Apple TV 4K box, it automatically adjusts its output to deliver more accurate colours and better colour contrasts without users ever touching the TV’s settings.

The Apple TV 4K is now available in select regions at US$ 179 (MYR 849*) onward. There are no colour options available for Apple TV 4K at this point, you get a black TV box and silver remote. You can opt for a larger storage for the Apple TV 4K at 64GB for US$ 199 (MYR 949*). The Apple TV Siri remote is also available separately at US$ 59 (MYR 299*) and is compatible with previous generation Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD. The Apple TV HD with the Siri remote will be available at US$ 149 (MYR 719*). There is no confirmation on local (Malaysia) availability yet at this point. More information on the Apple TV 4K and the new Siri remote can be found on Apple’s website.

*Official Malaysia pricing as per Apple Malaysia