O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: Chinese

  • Apple offers discounts for some iPhone models, other products for Chinese lunar new year

    Apple offers discounts for some iPhone models, other products for Chinese lunar new year

    If you’re over in China, you’re going to like this.

    Following reports of somewhat slowing sales in the Chinese marketplace, Apple has begun offering discounts of up to 1,000 yuan ($144) on some products in China in anticipation of a holiday shopping rush and competitive pricing from local vendors.

    According to the South China Morning Post, Apple’s mainland China website and official stores have begun offering limited-time discounts on products including the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and some MacBook, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPod models. The discounts will take effect between January 25 and January 27.

    The sale follows reports that while Apple led the Chinese smartphone market in Q4 2025 with a 22 percent share, thanks to strong iPhone 17 sales, sales numbers have been falling month after month. The promotions, in turn, are aimed at countering the decline.

    China’s smartphone market shrank 1.6 percent year on year in Q4 2025, while full-year shipments declined 0.6 percent. Counterpoint analysts have put the decline down to weak demand amid rising prices and global memory shortages.

    A series of Chinese government policies appears to have played a role as well. Under government subsidies, consumers of electronics get a 15 percent refund of products that are priced under 6,000 yuan ($820). Apple has partly missed out on the program given that its iPhone Pro models exceed the price cutoff point.

    If you’ve seen these discounts, please let us know in the comments.

    Via MacRumors and the South China Morning Post

  • Rumor: Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro models to incorporate under-screen Face ID system, other new features

    Rumor: Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro models to incorporate under-screen Face ID system, other new features

    If this leak is even partially correct, there’s some interesting stuff en route for the iPhone 18 Pro models this year.

    Per MacRumors, Digital Chat Station has posted a new series of potential specs for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Pro Max handsets on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. The leak indicates that the units will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but will also feature a breakthrough new feature in the form of under-screen Face ID.

    This jibes with a previously published report from December in which The Information stated that the handsets would be equipped with an under-screen Face ID system. The publication also stated that the front camera would be moved to the top-left corner of the screen on the devices. As a result, the report said the devices would no longer have a pill-shaped cutout in the screen.

    Should the under-screen Face ID system surface this year, it’s unknown as to whether the iPhone 18 Pro models would offer a Dynamic Island feature, which could still be used for notifications such as low battery alerts and Live Activities.

    Where the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 handsets are concerned, Digital Chat Station stated they expect those devices to have a Dynamic Island, and the same 6.3-inch and 6.5-inch display sizes as the equivalent previous-generation models, respectively.

    Here is what the leaker expects on a model-by-model basis:

    • iPhone 18: 6.3-inch display (120Hz/LTPO) and Dynamic Island
    • iPhone Air 2: 6.5-inch display (120Hz/LTPO) and Dynamic Island
    • iPhone 18 Pro: 6.3-inch display (120Hz/LTPO) and under-screen Face ID
    • iPhone 18 Pro Max: 6.9-inch display (120Hz/LTPO) and under-screen Face ID

    Apple is expected to release the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in the typical September timeframe this year, but rumors suggest the standard iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2 will not launch until around March 2027.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors, Weibo, and The Information

  • Apple to avoid steep U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports until mid-2027

    Apple to avoid steep U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports until mid-2027

    Apple and other U.S. technology companies may get a reprieve from some of the higher tariffs on Chinese components until 2027.

    Per AppleInsider and CNBC, a Federal Register filing from last Tuesday indicated that the United States will hold off on raising its new tariff on Chinese semiconductor imports until June 2027. This, in turn, could delay the financial hit on Apple’s component sourching efforts for Macs, iPhones, and other products.

    According to the filing, the Trump Administration confirmed it will take action against China under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, and the response will be a tariff on semiconductors. The filing, in turn, will be implemented immediately, but the administration is setting the additional tariff rate at zero. Instead, the Trump Administration plans to increase the tariff level on June 23, 2027, effectively delaying the impact.

    The administration declined to state what the percentage would be, but said it will be announced at least 30 days ahead of the scheduled increase.

    The decision to hold off on raising the tariff cost will be helpful to many manufacturers. Aside from avoiding extra tariffs on current and near-future imports, it also buys companies time to arrange sourcing from other countries not affected by the tariff situation.

    Given that Apple still sources its A-series and M-series Apple Silicon chips from TSMC in Taiwan, the components are still subject to a 20 percent reciprocal tariff, but not on tariffs specifically targeting China.

    Apple was previously safe from the threat of a 100% percent semiconductor import tariff. It escaped that tariff because in August, it pledged to invest $100 billion in U.S. manufacturing efforts.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider, Federal Register, and CNBC

  • Apple releases first iOS 26.2 beta, hints at eight new features to be found in the update

    Apple releases first iOS 26.2 beta, hints at eight new features to be found in the update

    Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week, which the company stated in a press release will be released to all users sometime in December.

    Per MacRumors, the following eight new features can be expected with the update:

    Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen: A new slider in the Lock Screen customization menu lets you adjust the opacity of Liquid Glass for the clock, allowing you to decide how clear or frosted it appears. The change arrives after Apple’s iOS 26.1 update added “Clear” and “Tinted” options for Liquid Glass overall.

    Offline Lyrics in Apple Music: iOS 26.2 adds offline lyric support to Apple Music, allowing you to view a song’s lyrics even when you are not connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network.

    Sleep Score Revisions: iOS 26.2 and watchOS 26.2 have revised Sleep Score ranges:

    Very Low: 0-40 (previously 0-29)
    Low: 41-60 (previously 30-49)
    OK: 61-80 (previously 50-69)
    High: 81-95 (previously 70-89)
    Very High: 96-100 (previously 90-100)

    Apple has stated that sleep scores are calculated based on how long you slept, the consistency of when you fell asleep, and the frequency and duration of waking up during the night. The feature is available in the Health app on all iPhone models compatible with iOS 26, and in the Sleep app on all Apple Watch models compatible with watchOS 26.

    Alarms for Reminders: iOS 26.2 lets you set alarms for reminders in Apple’s Reminders app. When adding a reminder, selecting a time and then toggling on the “Urgent” option will cause an alarm to go off at the designated time.

    Apple Podcasts Chapters: Apple’s Podcasts app has three new features on iOS 26.2, including automatic chapters for episodes, timed links on the screen, and the ability to view other podcasts that a podcast mentions right from the audio player and the transcript.

    Apple News Revamp: In the Apple News app, there is now a dedicated “Following” tab, and buttons for quick access to topics like sports, puzzles, politics, business, and food.

    iPhone Screen Flash for Notifications: Starting with iOS 26.2, your iPhone’s screen can flash when you receive a notification. Previously, this setting was limited to the LED camera flash on the back of the iPhone. The options can be found in the Settings app, under Accessibility → Audio & Visual → Flash for Alerts, where there are now options for LED Flash, Screen, and Both. Or, you can keep the setting turned off.

    AirPods Live Translation in EU: iOS 26.2 makes Live Translation on AirPods available in the EU. Live Translation allows you to understand someone who is speaking a different language from you. For example, if you speak English, and someone is speaking to you in French, Siri can tell you what they are saying in English through your AirPods. The feature works best when both participants in a conversation are using Live Translation on AirPods. If you are talking with someone who is not wearing AirPods, you can display a live transcription in the other person’s language on your iPhone.

    As of iOS 26.1, Live Translation on AirPods supports the following languages:

    • English (U.S.)
    • English (U.K.)
    • French (France)
    • German (Germany)
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Spanish (Spain)
    • Chinese — Simplified (China)
    • Chinese — Traditional (China)
    • Japanese
    • Korean
    • Italian

    iOS 26 also has a built-in Live Translation feature in the Messages, Phone, and FaceTime apps, with no AirPods required.

    If you’ve had a chance to try the iOS 26.2 beta, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via MacRumors and Apple

  • Apple releases iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1 updates

    Apple releases iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1 updates

    Similar to Apple’s macOS Tahoe 26.1 update, Apple on Monday also released the long-awaited iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1 updates.

    The updates include the following:

    Liquid Glass toggle: Apple has added the option to choose between clear and tinted user interfaces. The tinted option changes the opacity level behind things like notifications and tab bars. Other Liquid Glass visual elements, like optional clear app icons, are still present.

    The toggle can be found in Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass on iPhone and iPad. The Mac also gains the toggle in Settings > Appearance > Liquid Glass, although the differences on macOS aren’t as apparent.

    Lock Screen Swipe: With this option, it’s possible to disable the swipe to open Camera gesture on the iPhone lock screen. The toggle can be found in Settings > Camera > Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera.

    Newer iPhone models feature a Camera Control button, adding a third way to open the Camera feature. Prior to that, the Action button introduced another method. The swipe option still remains, including the ability to toggle it off in Settings.

    Other new changes include the following:

    • Apple Intelligence gains support for Chinese (traditional), Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
    • AirPods Live Translation adds support for Chinese (Mandarin simplified and traditional), Italian, Japanese, and Korean. The feature launched with iOS 26 on AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 with support for US and UK English, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    • Apple TV icon: Apple is rebranding its streaming video service from Apple TV+ to just Apple TV. The rebrand is being accompanied by “a vibrant new identity,” according to Apple. The first sign of vibrancy comes with the new icon for the Apple TV app.
    • Settings app now includes a Local Capture section under General. The setting lets you change where Local Capture files are saved. You can also toggle Local Capture to only include audio.
    • iOS 26.1 also improves how alarms are dismissed with a Slide to Unlock interface, adds a swipe gesture for changing songs in the Music app, and much more.
      Availability

    iOS 26.1 is available for iPhone 11 and later, iPhone SE 2 and later, and iPhone Air models, while iPadOS 26.1 requires an eighth-generation or later iPad, a fifth-generation or later iPad mini, a first-generation or later iPad Pro, or a third-generation or later iPad Air to install and run.

    If you’ve had a chance to try iOS 26.1 or iPadOS 26.1, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via 9to5Mac