AppleInsider · Kasper's Automated Slave

Spatial computing represents Apple's long-term goals while iPad Pro lives in the post-PC present, but choosing one over the other may not be easy for those seeking to live on the cutting edge.

After iPad was introduced by Steve Jobs in 2010, he described the product as post-PC -- a popular term of the era. The concept of post-PC has become a reality as more people use iPhones and iPads than Macs by multiple magnitudes.

While iPad is one potential future of computing, Apple Vision Pro represents another. It is Apple's first spatial computer that runs visionOS and paves the way for future AR and VR platforms.

So, an enthusiast with about $4,000 burning a hole in their pocket might need to ask themselves which platform best represents the future for them. As with any of these questions, it comes down to use case and user needs.

The latest M4-equipped 13-inch iPad Pro is the culmination of 14 years of work pushing for the ultimate representation of portable personal computing. Apple Vision Pro represents everything Apple learned from building iPad and applies those lessons to a nascent wearable platform.

Both are excellent computing machines. For most people, there is likely only one good choice.

Apple Vision Pro vs 13-inch iPad Pro

Apple Vision Pro and iPad Pro are incredibly different products in terms of how and where you use them, but they achieve the same end goal. Both represent a fork from conventional computing that aims to give users a new way to achieve similar tasks or tasks unique to each platform.

Choosing which device is best will require some idea of what features each offer, plus which specs will meet your needs. Apple Vision Pro is considerably more expensive, but after you've specced out an iPad Pro and added accessories, you're in shouting distance of the $3,500 price.

M2 vs M4

Gone are the days of looking at gigahertz clock speeds and Intel generations to determine what's more powerful. The introduction of Apple Silicon simplified matters to an extent and provided an easy on-ramp to deciding on products.

Apple Vision Pro runs an M2 processor for CPU and GPU-based tasks. The R1 processor is dedicated to hand and eye tracking, 3D room recreation, and other spatial tasks.

As it exists today, Apple Vision Pro will run whatever app it can launch without issue. However, it lacks Apple's latest GPU architecture, which could make it a better gaming machine.

The 13-inch iPad Pro has an M4 processor. The 10-core GPU has Dynamic Caching and hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing. It is a graphics powerhouse by comparison.

Tasks that rely heavily on the GPU will benefit from the M4's optimizations, but tasks like video editing and graphics production aren't exactly suited for Apple Vision Pro either. Not yet, anyway.

There aren't many apps that will tax the M2 processor on Apple Vision Pro, but that may change as chips with the more efficient 3nm process become ubiquitous on all Apple platforms. However, regardless of how the M2 ages, Apple Vision Pro has an escape hatch that lets users bring a Mac into their virtual environment.

Exclusive features

Apple Vision Pro is a kind of VR headset that can transport the user to other places, show movies on a simulated 100-foot wide display, and control elements using only eyes and hands. There's nothing else like it in Apple's ecosystem.

iPad Pro is a more known entity since tablet computing has been a thing since at least 2010. It is a portable edge-to-edge touch display that shows information.

The only way to experience spatial video today is by wearing Apple Vision Pro. VR games like Crossy Castle and Synth Riders won't work on an iPad, at least not in 3D with gesture controls.

Apple Vision Pro is a device filled with firsts and exclusives. That will only grow as more apps and experiences arrive on the platform, like Marvel's What If.

However, because Apple Vision Pro is a headset that covers the user's eyes, it is limiting in ways an iPad is not. You're not likely to use it around other people, its passthrough is usable but isn't good enough to replace seeing things with your own eyes, and it is physically fatiguing in a way an iPad isn't.

You're also not going to get to use an Apple Pencil Pro to draw or annotate within the headset. So, if you're an artist who needs an iPad to get work done, the Apple Vision Pro isn't an option.

iPad Pro is versatile in its mobility and configurations. Attach it to a Thunderbolt dock, and it becomes a desktop workstation connected to a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and more. Place it in the Magic Keyboard, and now it's a portable laptop.

Vision Pro is modular from a software perspective. It takes the concept first introduced by the iPhone display, a screen that becomes whatever you need and applies it to reality -- bending existence to your needs.

But, no matter what you do, Apple Vision Pro is always a face computer. It can't be a laptop, and it will always obscure your vision.

Price

If you're an Apple Vision Pro customer, there's not much to decide on. It comes with the necessary straps and cushions, and you'll only need to add a keyboard and Magic Trackpad for productivity tasks.

If you're buying the base Apple Vision Pro, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad, you'll be out about $4,000, give or take.

It is much more complicated with iPad Pro. To simplify things, we'll choose the base configuration that has the same storage as the base Vision Pro at 256GB for $1,299.

Add an Apple Pencil Pro for $129 and a Magic Keyboard for $349, and your cart will reach $1,777. That's a far cry from the nearly $4,000 for Apple Vision Pro.

Apple Vision Pro eliminates the need for a lot of additional products that power users will need for their iPads. Add in the Studio Display for $1,599, a decent Thunderbolt dock for about $300, and a $200 mechanical keyboard to top it off and you're right at $3,900.

So, if you're starting with nothing, you can get quite a lot more by choosing an iPad Pro. Build an entire iPad-focused workstation and throw in a Magic Keyboard for laptop mode, and you've spent as much as you would on Apple Vision Pro.

But these platforms offer very different experiences. One is brand new and lacks a lot of native apps, so it comes down to what you need and what you expect when buying into a new platform.

Early adopter is just another word for beta tester

I've waxed and waned on Apple Vision Pro enough to fill a small book. It's quickly found a place in my day-to-day workflows and represents an excitement that I only got from iPad before.

That said, Apple Vision Pro is in its early days. While I don't agree with assertions that it is a glorified developer tool, I do believe it isn't a product for everyone.

Apple said that very clearly with a $3,500 price tag. Apple Vision Pro isn't an iPhone, it's not an iPad, and its addressable market is smaller than most Mac models.

Rewind to when the first Apple Watch launched. It was a device with poor battery life, relied heavily on a slow iPhone connection, and its features lacked a clear direction beyond health and social.

Buying the first Apple Watch was an investment into the idea that it could one day be an excellent tool, and today it is. But as an enthusiast, it is easy to forget that regular users feel a platform's growing pains more than others.

At 10x the price of the Apple Watch Sport, Apple Vision Pro requires a lot more buy-in for something that is still running version one of its operating system. If you're even close to being on the fence about deciding between an iPad Pro and Apple Vision Pro, perhaps wait until Apple reveals what's coming in visionOS 2.0 during WWDC in June.

The first rule of a technology purchase is to never buy something with the promise it will do more later. Buy something based on what it can do right now. Today, Apple Vision Pro is 80% iPad software, 10% unique experiences, and 10% odd decisions.

If none of that has deterred you from buying Apple Vision Pro, then go for it. It is an excellent machine capable of doing many tasks that the iPad can do, and it represents a vision of what's to come.

For everyone else, just buy an iPad Pro. It has an established App Store filled with hundreds of solid experiences and tools, an accessory ecosystem with a variety of trusted devices, and fits in anywhere as a standard computer.

Why not both

If you're a crazy person like me, you might end up with both the Apple Vision Pro and an iPad Pro. I at least have a thinly veiled excuse of saying it is for my work, but we all know I'd have done it anyway.

For me, Apple Vision Pro has turned into my work computer. When it is time to buckle down and write a long-form article like this one, I find Apple Vision Pro is the perfect tool for distraction-free writing.

Another bonus of the Apple Vision Pro is its ability to connect to my 14-inch MacBook Pro, which is lying dormant on a bookshelf nearby. If, for whatever reason, I need a Mac, I can jump into one with a tap.

Everything else is done on iPad. That's general tasking that works better with windows on a display, like editing photos or writing a review about a physical object. It's very silly trying to write about something while viewing it through a headset.

For me, iPad Pro represents the perfect modular computer. A naked robotic core that becomes a drawing tablet, laptop, desktop, or gaming machine based on the accessories in use.

Apple Vision Pro is always a headset. However, it does have the ability to transport me to the edge of a mountain in Hawaii with a turn of the Digital Crown.

It is still too early to say what wins for me. iPad Pro is my everything computer that fits into any circumstance or workflow. Apple Vision Pro is really great at doing one thing -- isolating me from the world for focused work and play.

Since iPad Pro will never be able to make me feel like I'm in a snowfield in Yosemite and Apple Vision Pro will never let me use it as a drawing tablet, perhaps there is a place for both machines in my computing life. For me, it's the Mac that is being edged out more and more with each new iPadOS update.

There may be a future where the only computing platform in my life is based on visionOS. That day isn't today.

So, for now, if there's any doubt about which device you'd like to have today if not both, choose iPad Pro. It is the safe choice with over a decade of development and Cupertino commitment propping it up.



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The Control Center on your Apple Watch is a powerful tool for customizing and taking full advantage of its core features. However, it was revamped in watchOS 10 and how you get the most from it has subtly changed.

The Control Center has been around for as long as the Apple Watch has, but in watchOS 10, Apple changed the way you access it on the Watch itself. Previously, you just swiped up from the bottom -- now you press the flat button on the right side to access it.

Swiping up from the bottom now shows widgets. It's a bit of re-learning for veteran Apple Watch users, but with practice the side button becomes a natural move.

Another much smaller change in watchOS 10 was to move the "connected" icon -- a small iPhone symbol in green -- from the top left to the top center. This allows other icons to join it to quickly show you Control Center items that are currently active.

Accessing options in Control Center

One thing you should probably not do is keep holding the side button for too long when accessing Control Center. If you do, it will bring up the Medical ID, Compass Backtrack, and Emergency SOS options.

If you should do this by accident, just press the Cancel option at the top left of the screen. You can also press the side button again to get back to Control Center.

Pressing the side button twice still bring ups Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, as before. To dismiss those options if you have accidentally invoked them, just press the side button again.

Apart from these changes, the icons themselves in the Control Center are largely the same. If you're not sure what a given icon does, pressing and holding on a given Control Center icon will bring up other options, if available.

For example, holding the ringer icon -- which looks like a bell -- offers to turn it on (or off), turn it on or off for one hour, or on or off until evening or morning. Holding the Wi-Fi icon will show any available networks, as well as which one you're connected to.

Customizing Control Center

Typically, most of the available Control Center icons are shown by default. However, you can remove icons you are sure you won't use, rearrange the layout of the icons, and add new ones.

To do this, open Control Center and scroll to the very bottom of the list. At the bottom, press the Edit button.

Scroll up to see the icons "wiggling," and you'll see that some have a minus icon in the corner. This mimics the behavior of iPhone apps when in edit mode, and you can press the red minus button to remove an icon from Control Center.

Likewise, you can press and hold on a Control Center icon while in edit mode to move it. Once it is where you want it, let go, and then press the side button again to exit.



At the bottom of the list in edit mode, you will also see any Control Center icons not currently installed. You can press and drag these if you want to add them.

Two of the most useful Control Center features

Only the first six icons will be visible immediately upon entering the Control Center, so move the ones you tend to use most often to one of those six spots for easy access. To see the rest, use the digital crown to scroll down.

One of the most useful icons in Control Center looks like a vibrating iPhone, which activates a "pinging" noise on the paired iPhone to help you find it. On the latest Apple Watch Series 9, a screen will appear on the Watch guiding you to its location.



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Another icon you may want in your "top six" is the Theatre Mode icon, which looks like two masks. Activating this ahead of any event is an easy way to prevent unwanted lighting up, or audible sounds and alerts, on the Watch.

In this mode, it prevents the screen from activating even if you happen to raise your wrist. An emergency notification will still alert you with a nearly-silent haptic buzz.

If you need to check the time or a notification, just tap the Watch screen to display it. When the event is over, don't forget to turn off Theatre Mode.

You should open Control Center if you haven't before -- or not in a while -- and check out all the icons and what they do. Chances are high that you'll find a few that add features you want, or didn't even know you had.



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The Atoto S8 Pro is an aftermarket infotainment system with wireless CarPlay, GPS tracking, and a pile of other features in a design with a serious weak point.

Sometimes, products come to the market built to do a single, specific thing well. The Atoto S8 Pro is decidedly not that product, but it is an excellent Wireless CarPlay receiver you'll need to take extra care with when installing.

My personal use case only needs CarPlay, but I've tested the other aspects of the Atoto S8 Pro for the review. There's a fully operational Android skin running on this unit, and that includes a YouTube app, native music app, and apps in the Google Play Store.

Atoto seems to have gone all out on features, and more will be released in future updates. My biggest complaint so far is the archaic nature of updating the firmware, which resulted in the destruction of my initial review unit.

I installed the unit in my 2016 Honda HR-V with an additional dash kit. It fits the dash well, even with the very large touch display.

Atoto S8 Pro Wireless Carplay receiver review: Design

The Atoto S8 Pro is a double-din unit with a large 10-inch display. There's not much to the unit itself since most of the device is hidden inside the dash.

Unlike other car stereos with displays, the display isn't integrated with the actual head unit. Instead, it is mounted via a mounting block attached to a periscoping neck so the monitor is floating in front of the dash.

The display is large but not too big for our vehicle. Some cars may have issues with the protruding monitor as it could overlap controls, vents, or other items. Be sure to check measurements and compatibility before buying.

Some CarPlay units, factory or aftermarket, attempt to eschew physical controls altogether, but thankfully the Atoto S8 Pro does not. The presence of physical buttons for volume, mute, home, and track skipping makes it easy to control media without looking.

Atoto S8 Pro Wireless Carplay receiver review: Installation

Installing the Atoto S8 Pro wasn't much different than any other car stereo. However, you'll want to get it professionally installed or help from a friend if you're unfamiliar with the process.

After getting the wires attached to the harness, I noticed there was a bundle still disconnected in the dash. This appeared to be for the steering wheel, which Atoto does have wires for, but I ignored them for the initial installation as those wires weren't labeled and would be a lengthy job.

The dash kit and everything attached without issue (purchased separately). Note that the display has different angle and height settings that should be set before screwing in everything.

In order to test the latest features, I had to install a firmware update. To install that update, I needed a FAT32 SD card with an installation file, which goes into a slot behind the dash.

I didn't realize this until after the device was installed. The dash kit I ordered obscured the SD card slot, so I had to pull the unit back out to insert a card for the update.

However, things went terribly wrong.

A single failure point

There are a few things to note about the Atoto S8 Pro. It has a periscoping monitor attached via a few screws and a ribbon cable -- all obscured after installation.

Reaching behind the unit and blindly unscrewing different screws wasn't ideal. Also, my dash can't be removed while the monitor is installed, so it was necessary to do this in this order.

I believed I unscrewed the necessary mounting screws for the monitor's bracket, but I had left one crucial screw in, hidden behind the monitor. When I went to pull the monitor out, the unit came free from the bracket, and I ripped the ribbon cable from the mounting plate.

Oops.

After contacting Atoto, they sent me another unit to complete the review. I carefully installed the unit and ensured there was a gap for accessing the SD card even with the monitor on.

I'll admit this was my mistake, but one anyone could make. It should not be that easy to accidentally rip the monitor free from its mounting bracket.

The screws that disconnect the monitor from the mounting bracket are too easily accessible while the monitor is mounted. Plus, the screws are right next to the ones you actually have to remove, adding to the confusion.

If you can install the Atoto S8 Pro without mishap, it is an excellent CarPlay unit. However, I have to ding the overall score for how easy it is to damage inadvertently.

Atoto S8 Pro Wireless Carplay receiver review: Features

The Atoto S8 Pro has a 12nm ARM Cortex Octa-Core processor to keep things running smoothly on the 10-inch 1280 by 720 display. It is an LCD with a QLED backlight for improved color.

There are two Bluetooth radios, one 5.0 for device connection and 4.1 for tethering internet only. A dedicated SIM slot enables paid internet and GPS access, but that's not needed if you're relying on CarPlay.

Add media like video and music files via an SD card slot or USB-A port. Internet tethering also works over the USB-A port.

I was also able to test the Atoto backup camera, which is required since my Honda's backup camera won't work with an aftermarket unit. It has a unique feature where it tries to build a top-down view while backing up, which can come in handy in tight squeezes.

Like other infotainment systems, the Atoto S8 Pro runs on Android. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto both appear via a Car Link app.

Rather than being a simple CarPlay launcher, Atoto opens up the system for more Android features. There are a handful of preinstalled apps like YouTube, plus the Google Play Store.

You'll need an internet connection to take advantage of the apps, so either tether your iPhone internet or insert a SIM card. The same goes for GPS features like Speed Compensated Volume Control, which raises volume at speeds over 50mph based on GPS positioning.

YouTube works fine, but you certainly shouldn't be using it unless the car is in park. I wish that the video stopped automatically when the car was in motion, but that's a setting that is off by default and is user-toggled.

This is an AppleInsider review, so I won't dwell on the Android side of the unit. The following options exist but are totally optional and do not affect CarPlay.

TrackHU

Well, I say available, but after updating the Atoto S8, the TrackHU app didn't appear. But here's what the app does if you're able to get it installed and working.

TrackHU is a car tracking service that connects over GPS via an installed SIM card. It is able to refresh the vehicle's location every 15 seconds.

There are pros and cons to this system. It's accurate and helps keep an eye on your vehicle, especially in the event that it is stolen.

However, if the S8 Pro is turned off, there's no GPS tracking.

Since I couldn't get the app working, I stuck with my preferred tracking method: an AirTag. I have one stuck in an obscure location on the vehicle, and it'll work whether the car is on or not.

ChatGPT in cars with Drivechat

If you're the kind of person who would find ChatGPT in cars useful, then Atoto has a solution with DriveChat. Version 1.5 is available now, and there are plans to introduce more advanced systems later.

The short video, which humorously transcribes Elon Musk as "Ellen Musk," doesn't really say what is possible with DriveChat, and Atoto's website isn't much help either. It seems the goal is to have the chatbot provide answers to travel inquiries, but it isn't clear if it can act on information and open apps like Siri.

I'm not sold on the idea, but it's there if you want it. Thankfully, it's very optional.

My luck isn't on my side for the Atoto S8. The DriveChat app appeared after I installed the necessary update, but it opens to a blank screen so something is broken for now.

Since I didn't get to try the feature, it won't affect my review score. Atoto assures me that DriveChat 2.0 will be ready for prime time, so if you're interested in trying the feature, that's the update to watch out for.

Using the Atoto S8 Pro Wireless Carplay receiver

Once you're in your car and your iPhone has paired with the Atoto S8 Pro, it's just CarPlay all the way down. If you've used CarPlay in the past, there's nothing surprising here.

However, there are some tricks to getting everything going, especially if you share your vehicle. Wireless CarPlay relies on a combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and it is very clingy with this unit.

If your partner was previously connected to CarPlay and you want to connect, you'll have to have them toggle Wi-Fi off while tapping your device name in the Atoto Phone app's Bluetooth menu. Yes, that's as convoluted as it sounds.

After getting the correct device to connect, you select the device link app. It says it should automatically launch when the device connects, but that hasn't been the case in my experience.

If you open the device link app too soon, you'll see a connection loading screen. This connection process can take several seconds at times.

Once connected, it's smooth sailing from there. CarPlay runs as it should, and the touch screen is responsive to taps.

One notable problem with the unit is the lack of automatic brightness adjustment. If you want the display to be dimmer or brighter, you exit CarPlay back to Android, tap a sun icon at the top of the display to cycle between four presets, then go back to CarPlay.

I'll also note that the audio mixing is rather opinionated with the Atoto unit. You'll want to spend some time in the Android equalizer app to make sure you've got the right sound.

Wireless CarPlay and much more

I've owned vehicles with built-in CarPlay and used aftermarket solutions before. The Atoto S8 Pro has been one of the more stable units I've owned.

There is a mile of special features included in the Atoto S8 Pro. If those interest you, then you'll likely be happy with this unit.

I love the large, responsive display, but I'm certain there are more price-friendly options for those looking for units without the bells and whistles. However, if you do get the Atoto S8 Pro, you'll have a working unit with few complaints -- if you don't break it.

Atoto S8 Pro Wireless Carplay receiver review -- pros

• Big vibrant display


• Responsive and accepts multi-touch gestures


• Physical buttons keep controls simple


• Multiple angles and height levels available


• Entire Android device available outside of CarPlay with more features coming

Atoto S8 Pro Wireless Carplay receiver review -- cons

• Easily damaged


• Non-intuitive pairing method at setup


• Features like DriveGPT and TrackHU are missing despite being in the product description, even after an update


• No over the air updates


• Access to included SD card slot for firmware updates not possible without disassembly for some dash configurations


• Display brightness isn't automatic and only available by exiting CarPlay

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

The Atoto S8 Pro sets out to do everything a user might want to accomplish from the driver's seat and then some. The single failure point drops the score significantly.

It's a good unit with a great display that serves up near-flawless Wireless CarPlay, but there are likely lower-priced models available if your only goal is access to Wireless CarPlay.

Where to buy the Atoto S8 Pro Wireless CarPlay receiver

Atoto sells the S8 Pro on Amazon for $479, but there's a $45 coupon available. Also, use code 6MT8VXDO for an additional 5% off.

Check out the full Atoto S8 series to find the perfect unit for your vehicle.



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A new teaser on Apple's website could be indicative of some of the company's upcoming software plans, namely a new version of its ubiquitous Photos app that will tap generative AI to deliver Photoshop-grade editing capabilities for the average consumer, AppleInsider has learned.

The logo promoting Tuesday's event on Apple's website suddenly turned interactive earlier on Monday, allowing users to erase some or all of the logo with their mouse. While this was initially believed to be a nod towards an improved Apple Pencil, it could also be in reference to an improved editing feature Apple plans to unleash later this year.

People familiar with Apple's next-gen operating systems have told AppleInsider that the iPad maker is internally testing an enhanced feature for its built-in Photos application that would make use of generative AI for photo editing. The feature is dubbed "Clean Up" in pre-release versions of Apple's macOS 15, and is located inside the edit menu of a new version of the Photos application alongside existing options for adjustments, filters, and cropping.

The feature appears to replace Apple's Retouch tool available on macOS versions of the Photos app. Unlike the Retouch tool, however, the Clean Up feature is expected to offer improved editing capabilities and the option to remove larger objects within a photo.

With Clean Up, users will be able to select an area of a photo via a brush tool and remove specific objects from an image. In internal versions of the app, testers can also adjust the brush size to allow for easier removal of smaller or larger objects.

While the feature itself is being tested on Apple's next-generation operating systems, the company could also decide to preview or announce it early, as a way of marketing its new iPad models.

During the "Let Loose" iPad-centric event, Apple is expected to unveil two new models of the iPad Air and iPad Pro, the latter of which is rumored to feature the company's next-generation M4 chip. The M4 could introduce greater AI capabilities via an enhanced Neural Engine, with at the least, an increase in cores.

An earlier rumor claimed that there was a strong possibility of Apple's new iPad Pro receiving the M4 system-on-chip. Apple is also expected to market the new tablet an AI-enhanced device, after branding the M3 MacBook Air the best portable for AI.

While Apple has been working on its in-house large language model (LLM) for quite some time, it is unlikely that we will see any text-related AI features make their debut during the "Let Loose" event. The Clean Up feature, however, would provide a way of showcasing new iPad-related AI capabilities.

Should it choose to leverage the new Clean Up feature ahead of its annual developers conference in June, Apple would have the opportunity to promote its new iPads as AI-equipped devices. Giving users the option to remove an object from a photo with their Apple Pencil would be a good way of showcasing the practical benefits of artificial intelligence.

By demonstrating the real-world use cases for AI, the company likely aims to gain a leg up on existing third-party AI solutions, many of which only utilize artificial intelligence to offer short-term entertainment value in the form of chatbots.

Although the feature provides some insight into what an AI-powered iPad might look like, it remains to be seen exactly when Apple will announce the Clean Up feature. Apple could instead opt to preview the feature at its Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) in June.

Users of Adobe's Photoshop for iPad have had access to a similar feature called "Content-Aware Fill" since 2022. It allows users to remove objects from an image by leveraging generative AI, making it as though the objects were never there to begin with.

The "Content-Aware Fill" feature gradually evolved into "Generative Fill," which offers additional functionality and is available across various Adobe products. In addition to Photoshop, the feature can be found in Adobe Express and Adobe Firefly.

With Generative Fill, users of Adobe's applications simply brush an area of a photo to remove objects of their choosing. Adobe's apps even offer the option to adjust brush size. Apple's new Clean Up feature bears some resemblance to Adobe's.

Clean Up is expected to make its debut alongside Apple's new operating systems in June, though there is always the possibility a mention could slip into Tuesday's iPad media event. Apple also has plans to upgrade Notes, Calculator, iOS 18a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/24/04/30/apple-to-unveil-ai-enabled-safari-browser-alongside-new-operating-systems">Calendar, and Spotlight with iOS 18.



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A new report claims that a supplier may develop new technology or new processes, only for Apple to -- perfectly legally -- take that work to a cheaper company, sometimes leaving the original one to go bankrupt.

There have already been examples in 2024 of how being an Apple supplier may not be a great idea. While no parties involved will directly confirm it, it appears that Apple abruptly cancelled two micro LED suppliers -- one of whom had spent $1.4 billion building a factory for it.

Reportedly, those firms have no recourse with Apple, and presumably it's because the cancellations were allowed within the contracts. According to The Information, Apple's typical contracts also give it complete control and at least co-ownership, over every step of the supplier's manufacturing process.

That means a firm can invest in developing a production technique, and Apple is entirely within its rights to take that process to another firm. The accusation is both that Apple does this, and that it does so by giving information from US companies to suppliers in China.

For instance, in 2014, GT Advanced Technologies was working with Apple on creating a scratch-resistant screen material. As reported in AppleInsider the supplier went under owing almost half a billion dollars -- all of which it attributed to Apple's increasing demands and refusal to renegotiate.

It's claimed now that once the firm had declared bankruptcy, Apple took its the material recipe GT Advanced Technologies developed, and gave it to suppliers including Hong Kong-based Biel Crystal. According to unspecified former employees, Apple also gave the details to a firm called Lens, and has subsequently played each company off against the other to get better prices.

Apple is accused of having spent years helping Chinese display maker BOE match the quality of displays being made by Samsung. South Korea's Samsung filed a lawsuit against BOE in November 2023 -- though that may solely have been a retaliatory response to BOE accusing it of stealing patents.

The allegations against Apple do not make it clear how common a practice of using costly suppliers to create technology for cheaper and Chinese ones. However, it is also claimed that China's SeeYa Technologies has benefited from it as Apple reportedly passed it details of how Sony is making the Apple Vision Pro.

In that case, Sony had reportedly refused to increase its production capacity for the Apple Vision Pro, so it's not a surprise that Apple would look for an alternative.

It's also clear that whatever information Apple does or doesn't pass on to alternative suppliers, it is entirely within its contractual rights to do so. That's true whether its engineers verbally teach new suppliers, or even if they provided documentation about processes.

Perhaps showing that firms are becoming wise to Apple, BOE reportedly dragged its feet over committing investment funds into a new facility. BOE has also now entered into a deal to help India's Samvardhana Motherson make iPhone cover glass -- and can buy up to 49% of shares in that firm.

This is despite BOE having reportedly had a rocky relationship with Apple over unauthorized changes in its iPhone screen manufacturing.

Apple has not commented.



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