Dennis Sellers

<p class="">The global market size for true wireless hearables beat expectations, growing 53% quarter-over-quarter [QoQ] in the fourth quarter of 2019, topping 51 million units for the quarter and 130m units for the full year, according to <a href="https://report.counterpointresearch.com/posts/report_view/Emerging_Tech/1723" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Counterpoint Research’s latest Hearables Market Tracker</a><span style="text-decoration:underline">.</span> The U.S. was the main driver for the quarter, growing 76% QoQ and accounting for 35% of the global market on the back of seasonal promotions and Apple’s new model launch.</p>

<p class="">According to <a href="http://www.apple.com"><span style="text-decoration:underline">MacRumors</span></a>, Apple has joined the <a href="https://fidoalliance.org/">Fast Identity Online (FIDO) Alliance</a>, an open industry association “with a focused mission: authentication standards to help reduce the world’s over-reliance on passwords.</p>

<p class="">Amazon, which already holds a dominant position in the U.S. smart speaker market, will continue to maintain this leadership through 2021, with approximately 70% of total U.S. smart speaker users expected to use an Amazon Echo device, according to a new report from <a href="https://www.emarketer.com/content/amazon-maintains-convincing-lead-in-us-smart-speaker-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eMarketer</a>.</p>

<p class="">Apple has lost another round in its never-ending legal battle over hundreds of millions of dollars in royalty claims by VirnetX (a company I consider a “patent troll”) for patents used in virtual private networks including FaceTime reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-10/apple-loses-bid-for-rehearing-in-virnetx-patent-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Smartphone sales in China could shrink up to 50% in quarter one of this year due to the impact of the Coronavirus on the retail and manufacturing sectors, the Canalys research group tells <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-smartphones/chinas-first-quarter-smartphone-sales-may-halve-due-to-coronavirus-analysts-idUSKBN2040XL" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">According to an October report from the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/85967cd2-e86b-11e9-a240-3b065ef5fc55" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Financial Times</a>, Apple was in discussion with records labels to bundle Apple Music and the upcoming Apple TV+ into a “super-bundle” of music, movies, and TV shows. Let's hope tis happens soon and includes Apple News+ and Apple Arcade (and perhaps iBooks+!).</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 20200045500) for a “user interface for providing offline access to maps” that hints at future features on the Maps app for iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS devices.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90461424/a-new-low-cost-iphone-is-coming-in-march-and-its-a-smart-move-for-apple" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sources</a> of <em>Fast Company </em>say the follow-up to the iPhone SE will sell for $399 with parts already in production. The article says Apple needs a lower-cost device to have a better chance of competing in the Indian market, “which is huge but also accustomed to paying less than $200 for Android phones.”</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has added yet another granted patent (number10,k551,880) to its repertoire of patents related to a “foldable" iPhone. It’s not going to happen any time soon — perhaps ever — but the company is at least looking into such a device behind closed doors. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">On a regular basis, <em>Apple World Today </em>posts a list of notable new apps or app updates that have been released. They may not necessarily be new, but they're popular and deserve mention. Here are this week’s picks.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">The latest game on Apple Arcade, Apple’s streaming game service, is Charrua Soccer. It’s a soccer game inspired by South America's Charrúa people.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple ranked seventh among the most intimate brand among millennials, according to MBLM's <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2714203-1&h=2155372770&u=https%3A%2F%2Fmblm.com%2Flab%2Fbrandintimacy-study%2F&a=Brand+Intimacy+2020+Study"><em>Brand Intimacy 2020 Study</em></a>, which is the largest study of brands based on emotions, now in its 10th year. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">U.S. District Judge William Alsup says he's inclined to let a jury decide whether Apple fraudulently marketed iPhones as safe and exposed consumers to excessive radiofrequency radiation, slamming an FCC testing standard as "a terrible rule" and expressing disbelief that the agency "would be that dumb," reports <a href="http://A%20new%20Apple%20Pay%20promotion%20is%20offering%20%22dinner%20and%20a%20movie%E2%80%9D%20with%20Apple%E2%80%99s%20mobile%20payment%20service." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Law360</a> (a subscription is required to read the entire article).</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">A new Apple Pay promotion is offering "dinner and a movie” with Apple’s mobile payment service.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-07/iphone-maker-foxconn-warns-staff-to-keep-away-from-shenzhen-base?srnd=technology-vp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a> reports that Apple manufacturer Foxconn has told employees at its Shenzhen facility not to return to work when the extended Lunar New Year break ends Feb. 10 due to the Coronavirus.</p>