UK regulators probe criticise Apple's search engine deal with Google

Apple received the "substantial majority" of the 1.2 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) that Google paid to be the default search engine on a variety of devices in the United Kingdom in 2019.

The payments by Alphabet Inc's Google to Apple Inc to be the default search engine on Apple's Safari web browser create "a significant barrier to entry and expansion" for Google's rivals in the search engine market, the UK markets regulator said in a report released on Wednesday.

Apple received the "substantial majority" of the 1.2 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) that Google paid to be the default search engine on a variety of devices in the United Kingdom in 2019, according to the report.

The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, in its final report investigating online platforms and digital advertising, said the arrangements between Apple and Google create "a significant barrier to entry and expansion" for Google's rivals in the search engine market. Those rivals include Microsoft Corp's Bing, Verizon Communications Inc-owned Yahoo and independent search engine DuckDuckGo, all of which also make payments to Apple in exchange for being search engine options on its devices, the report said.

"Given the impact of preinstallations and defaults on mobile devices and Apple's significant market share, it is our view that Apple's existing arrangements with Google create a significant barrier to entry and expansion for rivals affecting competition between search engines on mobiles," the regulators wrote in the report.

Apple and Google did not immediately return requests for comment.

Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi earlier this year estimated that Apple generates about $9 billion per year globally from licensing arrangements, revenue with gross margins above 90% and with about 80% of the total coming from Google. Apple reports the revenue in its services segment, which investors are looking to for growth as consumers slow the pace of iPhone upgrades.

Apple WWDC 2020: iOS 14, macOS Big Sur, other announcements at keynote event

The Apple WWDC 2020 keynote event had a rich assortment of announcements. Here are the key announcements from the WWDC 2020 keynote session.

Apple on Monday kickstarted its worldwide developers conference (WWDC) with a keynote speech where the technology giant previewed its upcoming operating system and software features for iPhones, iPads, Watch, TV, Airpods and Macs. In a major move, the company also announced its plan to shift its Mac computers to ARM-based Apple Silicon from Intel processors. From iOS 14 to iPadOS 14, macOS Big Sur and watchOS 7, the Apple WWDC 2020 keynote event had a rich assortment of announcements. Here are the key announcements from the WWDC 2020 keynote session:

The Mac's transition to Apple Silicon

This is a major announcement that might set the future direction for Apple Mac computers. After shifting to Intel chips in 2006, the company is now ready to power its Mac computers with its own ARM-based chips. In the keynote address, Apple previewed a Mac powered by Apple A12Z Bionic chip. The early look reveals that Mac on ARM chips is ready to replace the Intel powered Macs. Apple has optimised all its native apps, including Motion and Final Cut Pro X. The company has also been working with Microsoft and Adobe, and their key software like Microsoft Office productivity apps and Adobe Creative apps have already been optimised to work on Macs powered by ARM chips. The move to Apple Silicon will start with new Macs to be released later this year, and the entire transition will take two years.

macOS Big Sur for Apple Macs

The macOS Big Sur is the upcoming operating system for Apple’s Mac-series computers and laptops. The OS will bring redesigned user interface (UI) and introduce new features such as control center for easy access to key settings and notification centre with access to widgets, and more. The OS is seen as the company’s first step towards the Mac's transition to Apple Silicon. Therefore, it also brings some iPhone apps to the Mac. These include the Messages and Maps apps. Apple has added new functionality to both these apps on the iPhone’s upcoming iOS 14 operating system and the Macs would get the same functionality, too. Besides, Apple is also making some improvement to its native Safari browser. These include extension support, translation support and redesigned home window with custom wallpaper support.

Apple switches to own chips for Mac computers, dials up privacy features

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said it marked the beginning of a major new era for a product line powered the company's rise in the 1980s.

Apple Inc on Monday said it will switch to its own chips for its Mac computers, ending a nearly 15-year reliance on Intel Corp to supply processors for its flagship laptops and desktop.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said it marked the beginning of a major new era for a product line powered the company's rise in the 1980s and its resurgence in the late 1990s.

"Silicon is at the heart of our hardware," Cook said during a virtual keynote address recorded at the company's Cupertino, California headquarters for its annual developer conference.

"Having a world class silicon design team is a game changer."

The silicon switch brings the Mac into line with the company's iPhone and iPads, which already use Apple designed chips.

The news came at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference. The conference has gained new prominence since paid services sold through the App Store have become central to the company's revenue growth as consumers have slowed the growth of iPhone upgrades.

Apple takes a 15 per cent to 30 per cent cut of the sales developers make through the App Store, which is the only way to distribute software onto Apple's mobile devices.

Those fees, and Apple's strict app review process, have come under antitrust scrutiny in the United States and Europe, where regulators last week unveiled a formal probe into the company.

Big tech's behind-the-scenes bets get bigger as Covid-19 slows economy

Many companies are retreating. But Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft are placing bets to get even bigger.

Even as Facebook grappled this month with an internal revolt and a cascade of criticism over its refusal to take action on President Trump’s inflammatory posts, the social network was actively making other bets behind the scenes.

Late one Tuesday, as attention was focused on how Facebook might handle Mr. Trump, the Silicon Valley company said in a brief blog post that it had invested in Gojek, a “super app” in Southeast Asia. The deal, which gave Facebook a bigger foothold in the rapidly growing region, followed a $5.7 billion investment it recently pumped into Reliance Jio, a telecom giant in India.

The moves were part of a spending spree by the social network, which also shelled out $400 million last month to buy an animated GIF company and which is spending millions of dollars to build a nearly 23,000-mile undersea fiber-optic cable encircling Africa. On Thursday, Facebook confirmed that it was also developing a venture capital fund to invest in promising start-ups.

Other technology giants are engaging in similar behavior. Apple has bought at least four companies this year and released a new iPhone. Microsoft has purchased three cloud computing businesses. Amazon is in talks to acquire an autonomous vehicle start-up, has leased more airplanes for delivery and has hired an additional 175,000 people since March. Google has unveiled new messaging and video features.

Even with the global economy reeling from a pandemic-induced recession and dozens of businesses filing for bankruptcy, tech’s largest companies — still wildly profitable and flush with billions of dollars from years of corporate dominance — are deliberately laying the groundwork for a future where they will be bigger and more powerful than ever.

Apple to host its annual developers conference virtually from June 22

The company also announced the Swift Student Challenge, an opportunity for student developers to showcase their coding skills by creating their own Swift playground.

Apple on Tuesday announced that the company will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) virtually, beginning June 22, on the Apple Developer app and Apple Developer website for free for all developers.

"WWDC20 will be our biggest yet, bringing together our global developer community of more than 23 million in an unprecedented way for a week in June to learn about the future of Apple platforms," said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

Now in its 31st year, WWDC20 will be an opportunity for millions of creative and innovative developers around the world to get early access to the future of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

ALSO READ: Covid-19: Apple issues cheapest bonds in years to fund buy-backs, dividends

The company also announced the Swift Student Challenge, an opportunity for student developers to showcase their coding skills by creating their own Swift playground.

Submissions for the Swift Student Challenge are now open through May 17.

"Students are an integral part of the Apple developer community and last year, WWDC saw attendance from more than 350 student developers spanning 37 different countries," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering.

Apple, Google ban GPS tracking in apps using contract tracing framework

Both companies said privacy and preventing governments from using the system to compile data on citizens was a primary goal.

Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google on Monday said they would ban the use of location tracking in apps that use a new contact tracing system the two are building to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Apple and Google, whose operating systems power 99% of smart phones, said last month they would work together to create a system for notifying people who have been near others who have tested positive for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The companies plan to allow only public health authorities to use the technology.

Both companies said privacy and preventing governments from using the system to compile data on citizens was a primary goal. The system uses Bluetooth signals from phones to detect encounters and does not use or store GPS location data.

But the developers of official coronavirus-related apps in several US states told Reuters last month it was vital they be allowed to use GPS location data in conjunction with the new contact tracing system to track how outbreaks move and identify hotspots.

The Apple-Google decision to not allow GPS data collection with their contact tracing system will require public health authorities that want to access GPS location to rely on what Apple and Google have described as unstable, battery-draining workarounds.

Alternatives likely would miss some encounters because iPhones and Android devices turn off Bluetooth connections after some time for battery-saving and other reasons unless users remember to re-activate them.

But some apps said they planned to stick to their own approaches.

Apple, Google release coronavirus contact tracing APIs to select developers

The release is to encourage feedback that will help improve various features of the framework before the final rollout.

Apple and Google on Wednesday released the first version of exposure notification (earlier called contact tracing) Application Programming Interface (API) to select developers associated with public health authorities (PHAs) around the world.

This is a developer-focused release and is consistent with both the companies deliver beta copies of their software at the same time.

Aimed at helping developers begin testing in anticipation of the API's release in mid-May, another goal of the release is to encourage feedback that will help improve the various features, the tech giants said in a statement.

"Collaboration and transparency have been two key principles of the project for both companies. Additional details will be announced on Friday," they added.

Apple CEO Tim Cook told the European Union (EU) Commissioner Thierry Breton last week that the API would arrive shortly.

On April 10, Google and Apple announced a joint effort to enable the use of Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of Covid-19 through contact tracing, with user privacy and security core to the design.

Amid the growing debate over privacy and security around contact tracing technology, the tech giant last week announced new updates to allay such fears, saying the Bluetooth-driven exposure notification system to enable iOS and Android phones trace the spread of coronavirus is completely safe.

Apple releases mobility data trends for authorities to curb Covid-19 spread

Apple 'Mobility Data Trends' is more like the Google's initiative that is now offering user location data via its Maps to help health officials spot movement across high-level categories of places.

Technology giant Apple on Tuesday released mobility data trends tool to help authorities mitigate the impact on Covid-19 globally. The mobility data tool is based on Apple Maps platform. Its reports are published daily and reflect requests for directions in Apple Maps.

The Apple 'Mobility Data Trends' website is more like the Google’s initiative that is now offering user location data via its Maps to help public health officials spot increase or decrease of movement across high-level categories of places, to help them flatten the curve of coronavirus pandemic.

"Maps does not associate mobility data with a user's Apple ID, and Apple does not keep a history of where a user has been," the company said in a statement late Tuesday.

Using aggregated data collected from Apple Maps, the new website indicates mobility trends for major cities and 63 countries or regions.

The information is generated by counting the number of requests made to Apple Maps for directions.

The data sets are then compared to reflect a change in volume of people driving, walking or taking public transit around the world.

"Data availability in a particular city, country, or region is subject to a number of factors, including minimum thresholds for direction requests made per day," said Apple.

Apple unveils 2020-edition of iPad Pro and MacBook Air: Price, specs, more

The availability for the India market will be announced at a later date, said the company.

Apple on Wednesday launched the iPad Pro with breakthrough LiDAR Scanner and new Magic Keyboard with Trackpad, along with a new 13-inch MacBook Air that now comes with twice the storage compared to predecessor.

Price of the Apple MacBook Air 2020 starts at Rs 92,990 for the base variant with 256GB solid state drive (SSD) storage.

The 11-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi model) starts at Rs 71,900, and the Wi-Fi+Cellular model starts at Rs 85,900.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at Rs 89,900 for the Wi-Fi model and Rs 103,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

The availability for the India market will be announced at a later date, said the company.

"Combining the most-advanced mobile display with powerful performance, pro cameras, pro audio, the breakthrough LiDAR Scanner and new Magic Keyboard with Trackpad, this is another huge leap forward for iPad," Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said in a statement.

The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro will be available for purchase in May for Rs 27,900 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and Rs 31,900 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with layouts for over 30 languages.

iPadOS 13.4 with trackpad support will be available on March 24 as a free software update for all iPad Pro models, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 4 and later, informed Apple.

The LiDAR Scanner in iPad Pro measures the distance to surrounding objects up to 5 metres away and works both indoors and outdoors.

Built for demanding tasks like editing 4K video or designing 3D models, iPad Pro gets another performance boost with the new A12Z Bionic chip.

The Pro camera system on iPad Pro features a 12MP Wide camera for capturing stunning photos and 4K video, and now includes a 10MP Ultra Wide camera.

Apple also updated its MacBook Air, starting with 256GB of storage and latest 10th-generation Intel Core processor for Rs 92,990.

Apple unlikely to meet sales target due to coronavirus impact in China

The illness has killed 1,770 in China and stricken some 70,500 people.

Apple Inc warned on Monday it was unlikely to meet a sales target set just three weeks ago amid lost production and weakening demand in China from the coronavirus outbreak.

The illness has killed 1,770 in China and stricken some 70,500 people, with millions of others confined to their homes and factories slow to reopen after the Chinese New Year holiday break was extended due to the virus.

Manufacturing facilities in China that produce Apple's iPhone and other electronics have begun to reopen, but they are ramping up more slowly than expected, Apple said. That will mean fewer iPhones available for sale around the world, making Apple one of the largest Western firms to be hurt by the outbreak.

Some of its retail stores in the country remain closed or are operating at reduced hours, which will hurt sales this quarter. China accounted for 15% of Apple's revenue, or $13.6 billion, last quarter, and supplied 18% of revenue in the year-ago quarter.

In late January, Apple had forecast $63 billion to $67 billion in revenue for the quarter ending in March. It did not offer a new revenue estimate nor provide a profit forecast on Monday.

"The magnitude of this impact to miss its revenue guidance midway through February is clearly worse than feared," Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives wrote in a note.

Apple's stock is expected to face a knee-jerk reaction on Tuesday, when Wall Street reopens after the Presidents Day holiday, Ives said.

Analysts have estimated that the virus may slash demand for smartphones by half in the first quarter in China, the world's biggest market for the devices.

"The health and well-being of every person who helps make these products possible is our paramount priority," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said in a statement released by Apple. It will reopen China stores "as steadily and safely as we can," the company added.

Samsung gives a glimpse of new foldable phone in surprise ad during Oscars

The ad comes two days before its Galaxy Z Flip phones are due to be unveiled at an event in San Francisco.

Samsung Electronics, the world's top smartphone maker, gave a glimpse of new square-shaped foldable phones in a surprise TV commercial aired during the Academy Awards on Sunday.

The ad, broadcast only in the United States, comes two days before its Galaxy Z Flip phones, which open and close vertically like a flip phone, are due to be unveiled at an event in San Francisco.

While there were many shots of the phones, which come in at least purple and black, there were few other details.

They are, however, expected to be less expensive than the $1,980 Galaxy Fold which opens like a book and was launched in September, delayed by several months after problems with its screens.

"The new Galaxy Z Flip foldable phone will create a halo effect for Samsung's brand and help it better compete with Apple's pricey models," said Tom Kang, an analyst at research firm Counterpoint, adding that Samsung had taken the lead in foldable phones at a time when Chinese rivals looked set to leap into the nascent market.

Technology News

Stock up: Google-parent Alphabet joins $1 trillion valuation club

Shares of the Internet search giant are up nearly 17% over the last three months, outpacing a broader rally in the S&P 500 index over the same period by 6 percentage points.

Market News : As Google-parent Alphabet Inc became on Thursday the fourth U.S. company to top a market value of more than $1 trillion, some funds holding its shares are wondering whether now is the time to cash in on the stock's extraordinary gains.

Shares of the Internet search giant are up nearly 17% over the last three months, outpacing a broader rally in the S&P 500 index over the same period by 6 percentage points.

Short interest in the stock, a measure of how many investors are betting on a price decline, is at 1%, near a 52-week high for the company and higher than competitors such as Microsoft and Facebook, according to Refinitv data.

Alphabet joins Apple, Amazon.com and Microsoft as the only U.S. companies to hit $1 trillion in market value.

"Google is a stock that won't get you fired," said Kevin Landis, a portfolio manager at Firsthand Funds who hasn't added to his current Alphabet position since the first quarter of 2019. “Will I be able to double my money in this stock from here? I'm not sure about that.”

Alphabet's shares are among a small group of stocks found in the top holdings of both mutual funds and hedge funds, two types of institutions whose investing styles tend to be markedly different, a Goldman Sachs analysis showed. That could leave it exposed to volatile price swings if sentiment suddenly changes.

Despite those concerns, many investors are finding it hard to say goodbye. The 28% climb in Alphabet and the performance of other technology and tech-related stocks helped money managers post big gains in 2019, making it difficult for many to justify cutting their exposure even as they fret over the implications of its run-up.

Ernesto Ramos, portfolio manager of the BMO Large-Cap Growth Fund, has held onto his shares, betting that Alphabet’s exposure to online advertising will eventually justify its above-average valuation. Alphabet trades at 26.6 times future earnings, compared with 18.5 for the S&P 500.

Scott Goginsky, a portfolio manager of the Biondo Focus fund, has held off adding to a longstanding position over the last year, concerned that the company's costs are likely to increase due to its efforts to pre-empt any additional regulatory measures from Washington. That could cut into the margins of businesses like YouTube if it needs to hire additional workers to vet user-posted content, he said.

iPhone 11's night mode pictures can feature on Apple billboards: Here's how

Apple has announced the Night Mode photo challenge, inviting users around the world to share their best Night Mode photos captured with the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Apple has announced its all-new Night Mode photo challenge, inviting users around the world to share their best Night Mode photos captured with the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max.

"Beginning today through January 29, Apple is in search of the most stunning Night mode shots from users around the world. A panel of select judges will evaluate submissions to reveal five winning photos on March 4," the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges, including Apple executives and photographers Malin Fezehai, Tyler Mitchell, Sarah Lee, Alexvi Li and Darren Soh.

The winning photos will be celebrated in a gallery on Apple Newsroom, apple.com and Apple Instagram (@apple). They may also appear in digital campaigns, at Apple Stores, on billboards, or in a third-party photo exhibition.

According to the Cupertino-based tech giant, iPhone 11 features a breakthrough dual-camera system and iPhone 11 Pro features a triple-camera system, both deeply integrated into iOS 13, with intuitive and powerful new tools to enable every customer to shoot like a professional.

All iPhone 11 models feature a new Wide sensor with 100 percent Focus Pixels that enables Night mode, delivering low-light photos captured in indoor and outdoor environments never before possible on iPhone.

Apple

Half the world's banks are too weak to survive a downturn: McKinsey

Banks allocate just 35% of their information-technology budgets to innovation, while fintechs spend more than 70%, McKinsey said.

Business Standard : More than half of the world’s banks are too weak to survive a downturn, according to a survey from consultancy McKinsey & Co.

A majority of banks globally may not be economically viable because their returns on equity aren’t keeping pace with costs, McKinsey said in its annual review of the industry released Monday. It urged firms to take steps such as developing technology, farming out operations and bulking up through mergers ahead of a potential economic slowdown.

“We believe we’re in the late economic cycle and banks need to make bold moves now because they are not in great shape,” Kausik Rajgopal, a senior partner at McKinsey, said in an interview. “In the late cycle, nobody can afford to rest on their laurels.”

The decade since the global financial crisis has seen a wave of innovation in financial services, bringing new competitors from fintech startups to giants like Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. Banks have pondered whether to compete with, partner with or acquire some of these newcomers. Some established firms have sought to rebrand as technology companies, in part to attract hard-to-get talent.

McKinsey, whose clients are some of the biggest corporations in the world, consults on topics ranging from strategy and technology to mergers & acquisitions, outsourcing and stock offerings. In its report, the firm said banks risk “becoming footnotes to history” as new entrants change consumer behavior. Most recent attempts by banks to boost efficiency have been “business-as-usual,” it said.

Banks allocate just 35% of their information-technology budgets to innovation, while fintechs spend more than 70%, McKinsey said. Combined with regulatory factors lowering the barrier to entry -- like open banking and looser requirements for startups -- the environment is increasingly conducive for newer firms to take share from banks.

The report points to Amazon.com Inc. in the U.S. and Ping An in China as examples of technology firms that are capturing financial-services customers. To make matters worse for the old guard, the new players tend to go after the business areas that create the highest returns at banks -- credit cards, for example.

Apple to Samsung: 75 new smartphone models to kick off festive season sales

The euphoria is clearly visible in activities of the smartphone majors.

Amid a potential slowdown, the country’s smartphone makers are gearing up for bumper sales ahead of the festival season. To draw consumers, at least 75 new smartphone models have been lined up and that may add momentum to the already growing sector.

Initial estimates — based on trends of the past two months — suggest that during the July-September quarter smartphone shipments may touch an all-time high. While last year, during the corresponding quarter, nearly 42.6 million units were shipped in, this year the number may surpass 45 million, analysts estimate.

Prabhu Ram, head of industry intelligence group, CyberMedia Research, says smartphone shipments will grow 8-10 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. “Smartphone brands have lined up many exiting launches, backed by attractive offers. Online shopping festivals will further pique customers’ interest,” he said.

The euphoria is clearly visible in activities of the smartphone majors. Market leader Xiaomi is planning to launch Redmi Note 8 and 8 Pro, extension of its flagship Note series. Second-largest player Samsung has lined up launches under its current online-only series M that directly competes with Xiaomi. The Korean giant will also launch new models under its yearly flagship Galaxy S series in September.

Samsung’s rival in the super premium segment — Apple — is not behind. New iPhone models are expected to be unveiled in the country by October — days ahead of Diwali. OnePlus, another heavyweight in the premium category that frequently beats Apple and Samsung in their own turf, is launching OnePlus 7T — replacing the bestselling OnePlus 6T this month.

Vivo, Oppo, and Realme, the third-, fourth- and fifth-largest players currently, have their own flagships lined up. Vivo Z2 Pro, Z1X Pro, and Z5, Realme XT, and Oppo Reno 2 series are in the pipeline. Other leading brands like Nokia, Huawei, and Honor are coming out with Nokia 6.2, 7.2, and 8.2, Huawei Mate 30 series, and Honor 9X series, respectively, during the festival season.

Lenovo is relaunching its mother brand after it withdrew Lenovo smartphones from the market over a year ago. The Chinese major is planning to lap up its dual-brand strategy this season — with Lenovo and Motorola — targeting different sets of consumers.

Business Standard

Apple to start online sales in India soon with local sourcing rules eased

The new investment rules could provide a boost to Apple, allowing it to grow sales in the country and possibly help it reduce its dependency on China by building an alternative supply chain in India.

Business Standard : Apple Inc is poised to start online sales of its devices in India within months, a person familiar with the matter said, benefiting from new rules making the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market more attractive to foreign brands.

On Wednesday, India eased rules that forced companies such as Apple to source 30% of their production locally -- a requirement the iPhone maker has been lobbying against for years -- to include exports as part of the requirement.

That rule posed a problem for electronics brands because most of its devices and components are manufactured in China. The government also allowed so-called single brand retailers to set up online stores before physical shops.

With escalating trade tensions damaging ties between the US and China, New Delhi’s latest investment rules could provide a boost to Apple, allowing it to grow sales in the country and possibly help it reduce its high dependency on China by building out an alternative supply chain in India.

ALSO READ: Apple's $44 billion valuation drop shows growing cost of reliance on China

The Cupertino, Calif-based device and services company will begin selling its iPhone, iPads and Apple Mac computers online in the coming months. It’s also firming up the Mumbai location of its first company-owned brick & mortar store in India -- likely to open next year -- the person said, asking not to be identified as the details are confidential. Selling online will be a big step forward for Apple in a country where counterfeit products abound in online platforms increasing buyers’ distrust.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comments.

Some of the phone maker’s older devices are assembled by Taiwanese contractor Wistron Corp. in a factory in Bangalore, while the world’s largest contract manufacturer, Foxconn Technology Group, tests assembly of Apple’s latest iPhone X in a factory near Chennai.

Foreign airlines ban MacBooks on Indian flights; DGCA mulls similar move

Apple issued a similar replacement programme last year for the latest 13-inch Pros over issues related to battery expansion.

With several international airlines banning some older models of Apple's flagship laptop MacBook Pro in both check-in or hand luggage, including in India, fears of battery fire have returned to haunt users of the device.

In June, Apple announced a voluntary recall of its faulty 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there's a chance that the devices sold between September 2015 and February 2017 could overheat and potentially cause fires.

Seeing this, India is pondering if it should ask the airlines to restrict the affected MacBook Pro models. “The DGCA is examining the issue and if need be, will do the needful,” said a senior official.

Singapore Airlines (SIA), a major operator to India, on Sunday said on its website: "Customers are to refrain from bringing the affected (MacBook Pro) models either as hand-carry or in checked baggage until the battery has been verified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer. Please visit Apple’s MacB ook Pro Battery Recall Program page to get more information on whether your product is affected, as well as on the available battery replacement options." Thai is also not allowing 15-inch MacBook Pro notebooks sold between September 2015 and February 2017 on the aircraft either as carry-on or checked luggage.

The iPhone-maker reportedly said it had received 26 reports of the laptop's battery overheating, with as many as five consumers reporting minor burns and one suffering from smoke inhalation.

Nearly 432,000 potentially affected MacBook Pro units were sold in the US and 26,000 in Canada.

Apple issued a similar replacement programme last year for the latest 13-inch Pros over issues related to battery expansion.

In 2016, battery fires in Samsung's flagship smartphone Galaxy Note 7 caused the firm operating losses of some 6.1 trillion won ($5 billion).

Business Standard