Commotion of Apple Links for week ending May 13, 2025
More fallout from Fortnite (aka That Time Apple Refused To End The Search Until They Had Truly Found The Largest And Most Thwack-iest Rake In All The Land To Go And Step On). Plus, Apple announces another exceptional suite of new accessibility features for Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and somehow I have stuff to say about Popes.
The Eddy Cue-Quake
Alphabet shares sink 7% after Apple’s Cue says AI will replace search engines
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/07/alphabet-shares-sink-on-report-apple-may-add-ai-search-to-its-browser.htmlI know I should be clinical and analytical about this. But, for real: my first reaction was “Wow! Wouldn’t it be very very satisfying to say something, just matter-of-factly, and then you get back to your car and you check your phone and discover that $120,000,000,000 of a company’s value had vanished as a direct consequence?”
Apple's plan to offer AI search options on Safari a blow to Google dominance
https://www.reuters.com/business/apple-looks-add-ai-search-companys-browser-bloomberg-reports-2025-05-07/Mmm…well, keep in mind that the judge is thinking about terminating a deal Apple has with Google that’s worth $20,000,000,000 a year. Eddy Cue doesn’t want that to happen. He’s as aware as anybody else in the courtroom of the rise of AI Search, and that it’s definitely happening at the expense of traditional search tools. But convincing the judge that Google’s position as the iPhone’s default search engine isn’t going to mean anything in a few years’ time helps Apple. He’s likely to overcook the argument.
Here's our statement on this morning’s press reports about Search traffic.
https://blog.google/products/search/statement-press-reports-about-search-traffic/This statement comes fresh after Google’s quarterly earnings call, during which Sundar Pichai made repeated assurances to investors and analysts that Google’s putting so many resources into AI Search that, wow, it’ll make their heads spin. He wasn’t exactly highlighting Google’s year-over-year gains in traditional search traffic.
Apple's Eddy Cue: AI Could Replace iPhone in 10 Years
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/05/07/eddy-cue-ai-replace-iphone-10-years/
I saw way too many headlines that misrepresented this part of his testimony as “Apple admitted the iPhone is dooooooomed!” In context, he was just noting that there are never any guarantees that a product that’s dominant today will even be relevant ten years from now.
The Future, Soon
[Via Mark Gurman] Apple is reportedly working on the hybrid Mac we all want–and it could arrive in 2028
https://www.macworld.com/article/2778423/apple-is-reportedly-working-on-the-hybrid-mac-we-all-want-and-it-could-arrive-in-2028.htmlWe must, and indeed will, roll our eyes at any rumor that claims to know what’ll happen three whole years from now. That said, I’m hungry for any sign that Apple’s dogma against touchscreen Macs is weakening. Apple just flat-out got this one wrong. It’s been holding the Mac back.
Samsung-made display for iPhone Fold said to be more advanced than Galaxy Fold
https://9to5mac.com/2025/05/08/samsung-made-display-for-iphone-fold-said-to-be-more-advanced-than-galaxy-fold/
The nature and the velocity of the “foldable iPhone” rumors have been progressing nicely. It’s a perfect product for Apple. Many of its customers won’t even blink at a $2500-$3000 price tag, and it’s a form where Apple design and engineering can make dramatic improvements: get rid of the ditch dividing the display, and make sure it’s about as thin as a normal iPhone when folded.
App Store
How Apple Created a Legal Mess When It Skirted a Judge’s Ruling
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/09/technology/apple-app-store-antitrust.htmlA mess of its own making. If there were a Hall of Fame for Stupidity, this situation would be voted in during its first year of eligibility. They might even build a special wing for it.
Apple: “Hundreds of millions to billions” lost without App Store commissions
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/05/apple-motion-says-external-payments-fundamentally-change-its-app-store/Having flipped off the judge and paid the price, Apple files an emergency motion for a temporary stay. I hope tiny violins are being made in the USA these days. because otherwise the tariff bill on all the ones we’re going to need for this is going to be eye-watering.
Apple’s emergency motion
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca9.1d02a68e-bb7c-4021-af16-ed352facf157/gov.uscourts.ca9.1d02a68e-bb7c-4021-af16-ed352facf157.7.1.pdfI can’t claim to understand the technical legal arguments they’re making; please keep that in mind. Apple’s arguments, when read merely as structured English, seem downright hyperbolic. The judge had ordered Apple to terminate some simple, specific policies that never seemed necessary or even reasonable to begin with. But when you read Apple’s version of it, you’d think the judge had ordered Apple to get out of the technology business entirely and open a salt water taffy stand.
We’ve submitted Fortnite to Apple for review so we can launch on the App Store in the U.S.
https://x.com/Fortnite/status/1920878504284975585Posted on Fornite’s official X/Twitter account on May 9. That was five days ago. Apple hasn’t approved Fortnite yet and that’s an exceptionally long time for an app to hang in approval limbo. A paragraph in Apple’s emergency motion could suggest that they won’t approve Fortnite unless the court denies them a stay. Apple claims that because Epic Games hasn’t made a dime off of Fortnite on the App Store since we kicked them out years ago, a temporary stay of the judge’s order won’t cause any additional harm to the plaintiff whatsoever.
Brazilian court reverses course and now demands iPhone sideloading within 90 days
https://9to5mac.com/2025/05/09/apple-must-implement-sideloading-brazil/OK, this case is a whole different story. I don’t necessarily think that sideloading through an alternative to the Apple App Store would be a terrible thing. But it’s a much more profound move. Apple has some sane reasons against it.
Apple to appeal €500M digital fine over EU’s silence in compliance talks
https://www.politico.eu/article/apple-to-appeal-e500m-digital-fine-over-eus-silence-in-compliance-talks/Apple claims that they tried to talk to the EU and figure out how to put their operation into compliance, but the EU stonewalled them. Fair argument (if true).
A new bill would force Apple to allow third-party app stores [“App Store Freedom Act”
https://www.theverge.com/news/662180/app-store-freedom-act-apple-third-party-app-stores
Welp, it has no cosponsors as far as I can tell, and it’s kind of silly and it has all the appearance of a grandstanding play that the bill’s sponsor knows won’t go anywhere. But hey, what a surprise: Spotify’s support for the bill is right there in the press release.
Company
Apple Considers Raising iPhone Prices, Without Blaming Tariffs
https://www.wsj.com/tech/apple-iphone-price-increase-2eaebb14From the article: “The company is determined to avoid any scenario in which it appears to attribute price increases to U.S. tariffs on goods from China.” The WSJ’s sources say that Apple, consequently, is preparing alternate narratives. Stories about Unprecedented New Features (that drove the price up)! Exciting New Designs And Materials (that cost us a whole lot more to manufacture)!
U.S. and China Agree to Temporarily Slash Tariffs in Bid to Defuse Trade War
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/business/china-us-tariffs.htmlNot a win by any means. But for now, tariffs have retreated from “devastating” to merely “painful.”
Trump says he talked to Apple CEO Tim Cook after China tariff rollback
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/12/trump-apple-china-tariff-rollback.html“I spoke to Tim Cook this morning, and he’s going to, I think, even up his numbers,” Trump said, referring to the $500b that Apple said they’d be spending on US operations over the coming years. Again we see that the price of Trump’s ear is way higher than Tim Cook’s $1,000,000 check to his inaugural committee. Trump gets an unlimited license to flout Tim’s name to boost his own credibility, and to imply that Apple thinks Trump is a super-great guy with awesome ideas all around.
China's March shipments of foreign-branded cellphones drop almost 50%
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/chinas-march-shipments-foreign-branded-cellphones-drop-almost-50-2025-05-12/More of these bad numbers. Apple’s in a tricky, tricky spot with China and I wonder if the situation can ever seriously improve.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg answers this ‘Apple CEO Tim Cook vs Google CEO Sundar Pichai’ question
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/facebook-founder-mark-zuckerberg-answers-this-apple-ceo-tim-cook-vs-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-question/articleshow/121052967.cms
“Sundar is cool. I like Sundar.” These days, Mark Zuckerberg vs. Tim Cook is the closest we get to true pro wrestling here on the tech beat. It’s not Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates, but it sells popcorn.
Accessibility
Apple unveils powerful accessibility features coming later this year
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/05/apple-unveils-powerful-accessibility-features-coming-later-this-year/Apple always marks Global Accessibility Awareness Day by announcing a raft of new accessibility features. Lots of great ones this year. Google tries hard, but Apple’s efforts are consistently on a whole higher level.
Apple teases accessibility nutrition labels as part of wide-ranging feature preview
https://sixcolors.com/post/2025/05/apple-teases-accessibility-nutrition-labels-as-part-of-wide-ranging-feature-preview/Shelly Brisbin knows 1000x more than I do about these topics.
Apple Marks Global Accessibility Awareness Day With Preview Of Accessibility Nutrition Labels, Magnifier For Mac, More Forthcoming Features
https://www.curbcuts.co/blog/2025-5-12-apple-marks-global-accessibility-awareness-day-with-magnifier-for-mac-more-new-featuresSteven Aquino knows 1000x more than I do about these topics.
Exclusive: Apple to Support Brain-Implant Control of Its Devices
https://www.wsj.com/tech/apple-brain-computer-interface-9ec69919
This is what I mean about “next-level.” Neuralink-style brain implants are years away from FDA approval. Nonetheless, Apple’s creating software standards and frameworks for the engineers of those implants, so that they can design towards compatibility with Apple hardware from the very start.
Showbiz
Jude Law & Andrew Garfield To Play Siegfried & Roy In Limited Series Ordered By Apple TV+
https://deadline.com/2025/05/jude-law-andrew-garfield-wild-things-apple-tv-1236394038/I love this idea and I will entertain all arguments for which actor should play which role. Personally, I’m lobbying for something like the original 1965 production of “The Odd Couple,” where Walter Matthau and Art Carney would swap roles as Oscar Madison and Felix Unger every night.
Seth Rogen gave Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos a cameo in 'The Studio.' He says Apple wanted Tim Cook instead.
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-studio-ted-sarandos-cameo-apple-wanted-tim-cook-seth-rogen-2025
Apple didn’t “want” Tim Cook as much as they “offered” Tim Cook. Seth Rogen turned the offer down (his joke wouldn’t even have worked with Tim in the role), and that was the end of it. I also want to believe that Rogen has at least some idea of how he’d like to use Tim in the show, and he isn’t going to squander him on anything that isn’t perfect and awesome.
Misc
Apple's 'Gift for Mom' uses Spatial Video to film a child's first year
https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/05/08/apples-gift-for-mom-uses-spatial-video-to-film-a-childs-first-yearWhen I heard about this Vision Pro promo video, I thought I’d be skeeved out by the idea of a father wearing that bug-eyed Vision Pro during a big hunk of his interactions with the new baby during its first year of life. Naw. He shot the video using a normal iPhone. The video skeeved me out anyway. This is all real video of the baby and its parents. The reactions of the mom while watching it via the Vision Pro are real, too. It’s all way, way too intimate. I have no business being there…especially when the mom’s in such an emotionally-vulnerable situation. Just…ick.
Apple Patches Major Security Flaws in iOS, macOS Platforms
https://www.securityweek.com/apple-patches-major-security-flaws-in-ios-macos-platforms/Not much by way of new features. But as always, it’s going to be worth the update just for the security patches.
Newly-elected Pope wears Apple Watch on first official mass
https://9to5mac.com/2025/05/10/pope-wears-apple-watch-in-first-mess/I’m OK with the idea of a Pope who’s so young and modern that he wears an Apple Watch and has a Twitter history. I’m worried about the next Pope. He’s almost definitely going to be younger than I am. When the world’s first Millennial Pontiff makes his first appearance, I might just need to get all wigged-out over the whole situation for two to three weeks, minimum.
Google Gemini now has an iPad app, Audio Overviews in 45+ languages
https://9to5google.com/2025/05/07/gemini-ipad-app/My favorite LLM, a fine app, and more evidence that every company with a chatbot is fighting for real estate on our devices and in our heads. Competition, driving features and innovation! Huh! Go figure!
A conversation with Jony Ive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLb9g_8r-mEAn hourlong onstage interview with Jony Ive at Stripe Sessions. A good watch. Ive is serious and thoughtful. I wish we had more opportunities to hear people who had prominent influence inside Apple speak candidly and freely about…anything. Apple products have helped transform society. It’s interesting to learn how the people who had a hand in creating those products think.
Apple's Messages app won't send audio messages with an ampersand
https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/05/12/apples-messages-app-wont-send-audio-messages-with-an-ampersandThose online wags have named it the “Dave & Busters” bug, because the flaw means it’s impossible to make social plans if it involves a Dave & Busters (which is probably for the best).
The LEGO Apple Store has moved one step closer to reality
https://9to5mac.com/2025/05/09/the-lego-apple-store-has-moved-one-step-closer-to-reality/Oh, there’s no way Apple will approve this LEGO set, not in a million years. But we can dream. Maybe they could sell it as an exclusive item at the Apple Park Visitor Center?
How to claim part of Apple's $95 million Siri lawsuit settlement
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/13/apple-lopez-voice-assistant-settlement-siriWe often dismiss these class-action settlements by noting that the only class who’ll gain serious bank from it are the lawyers. I think of it this way: even if it’s just ten bucks or something, a free burrito is a free burrito, right?
[Apple Newsroom] Local inspiration, global impact: Meet four of this year’s Swift Student Challenge winners
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/05/meet-four-of-this-years-swift-student-challenge-winners/I am standing and cheering, and my delight is large and genuine. It’s just as large and genuine as my deeply-masked jealousy. Crikey, humans this young can create apps that are about eleventy-hundred times better than anything I’ve ever imagined doing myself. I’m just glad I’ll be long-dead by the time someone from this generation ascends to the Papacy.
Apple Music launches new ‘Viral’ playlist fueled by Shazam activity
https://9to5mac.com/2025/05/07/apple-music-launches-new-viral-playlist-fueled-by-shazam-activity/The tracks in this Apple Music playlist are the songs that Shazam has identified for the most users worldwide during a recent timeframe. The concept is a clever and authentic measure of viral-ness. By definition, it’s a measure of how frequently people have been exposed to a song in situations where they never asked to hear it, with the bonus that if they didn’t find the song interesting, then they sure wouldn’t have asked Shazam to identify it.
Viral Chart
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/pl.b127c05305ad413fb742e8585599ec84The playlist itself is at first baffling, then intriguing. Why on earth would Connie Francis’ “Pretty Little Baby” from 1962 be #1? Welp, a Google search reveals that there’s a trend on TikTok where you model your latest haberdashery and use this song as the soundtrack. There’s a story like that behind nearly every item on the playlist.