Apple has reached a new agreement with Tencent that will allow the company to process payments and collect a 15% commission on purchases made inside WeChat mini games and mini apps on the iPhone, establishing a major new revenue stream in China after over a year of negotiations, according to Bloomberg.


Under the arrangement, Apple will begin handling in-app payment processing for qualifying mini apps and mini games distributed inside WeChat, China's dominant all-purpose mobile platform. Developers participating in the system will need to adopt specific Apple software requirements, including a feature that allows parents to share a child's age range.

Unlike users in the rest of the world, most Chinese ‌iPhone‌ users do not access services by downloading separate apps from the App Store. Instead, they use WeChat as a single interface for services, utilities, and entertainment. These functions are powered by a vast network of mini apps contained entirely within WeChat.

Purchases made through these mini apps have historically not generated ‌App Store‌ commission because many developers direct users to external payment systems. As a result, Apple's new agreement gives the company a foothold in a major segment of Chinese mobile payments from which it previously received no revenue.

While the new 15% commission is half of Apple's standard 30% rate for many ‌App Store‌ transactions, Bloomberg estimates that the size of the WeChat ecosystem makes the agreement potentially worth billions of dollars to Apple. The agreement is expected to be disclosed publicly by the companies at a later date.

This article, "Apple Reaches Deal to Take Billions of Dollars in China's WeChat" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple was today denied permission from the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal to appeal a ruling that found its App Store commission practices to be unlawful and could result in damages of over $1 billion.


The hearing follows a decision made in October by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) saying that Apple unlawfully abused its position in the distribution of iOS apps. The case was brought forward in 2023 on behalf of more than 1,500 UK developers who alleged that Apple charged excessive commission rates on paid apps and in-app purchases.

The tribunal agreed, ruling that Apple holds a monopoly over the sale and distribution of iPhone apps and that its commission structure resulted in higher prices being passed on to consumers. According to the CAT's published judgment, it accepted the claimants' argument that Apple's control over app distribution meant developers had "no economically viable alternative" to the ‌App Store‌.

The tribunal also cited comments made by Steve Jobs in 2008 that Apple did not intend to profit from the store and aimed only to cover operating costs. That early statement was referenced by the claimants as evidence that Apple's current commission structure had diverged significantly from its initial framing.

The latest hearing sought to establish a methodology for calculating compensation for both developers and affected consumers. Apple used the same hearing to request permission to appeal the October ruling, which was denied. Apple is now entitled to apply directly to the Court of Appeal to challenge the refusal and continue pursuing an appeal of the main ruling.
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1Password today announced a redesigned unlock system for Mac and Windows that allows the app to open automatically when a user unlocks their device.


The new setting lets 1Password unlock alongside the operating system when a user authenticates with Face ID, Touch ID, a PIN, or a system password. According to 1Password, this removes the repeated reauthentication many users encounter when returning to their computers after brief periods away, while still relying on the device's built-in authentication hardware to validate identity.

1Password said the feature is optional and forms part of a broader update introducing new security presets that define how frequently the app locks. The presets offer three default configurations ranging from automatic unlock with the device to more frequent password prompts. Each preset can be adjusted per device, and settings do not sync across platforms.

The update also introduces a security review prompt that explains how each preset works and, in some cases, recommends creating a recovery code. Recovery codes provide an additional fallback if users forget their password or lose access to a trusted device.

1Password said that mobile versions already support a similar device-based unlock, though the app will only reopen automatically if it was accessed within the previous 10 minutes.

The company said the new features are first rolling out to Individual and Family accounts. Business and Enterprise users will receive a separate update and no settings will change without administrator approval.
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Apple's entry-level iPhone 16e model is selling poorly, just like the iPhone Air, according to an Asia-based leaker.


The Weibo user known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said that the ‌iPhone 16e‌ is not selling well and the attempt at delivering a popular, low-cost iPhone has "failed." That being said, both models are expected to see successors. The ‌iPhone‌ 17e is expected to debut in the spring of 2026, while the ‌iPhone Air‌ 2 is likely to arrive at a later date owing to a delay. Meanwhile, demand for the iPhone 17 lineup continues to surge, with production orders increasing.

The ‌iPhone 16e‌ was introduced earlier this year, offering the A18 chip, an OLED display, the C1 modem, a 48-megapixel camera, and more, for $599. There have been few reports about its sales performance until now.

On the other hand, the ‌iPhone Air‌ is widely reported to have seen low demand. All production is expected to stop by the end of this month. There were plans for a second-generation ‌iPhone Air‌ that would be released alongside the iPhone 18 Pro in September 2026, but The Information says Apple has decided to delay the fall 2026 launch.

The ‌iPhone‌ 17e is expected to feature the A19 chip and potentially the Dynamic Island. The ‌iPhone Air‌ 2 is rumored to offer an additional rear camera, a larger battery, and a vapor-chamber for cooling. Apple is seemingly hoping that these enhancements will help lift sales.
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Google this week announced Private AI Compute, a new cloud-based system designed to deliver AI capabilities using its Gemini models while maintaining strict data privacy controls, a framework that closely parallels Apple's own Private Cloud Compute technology.


According to Google, the service enables AI tasks that exceed the processing capacity of local hardware to be handled securely in the cloud without exposing personal data to the company or third parties.

For decades, Google has developed privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) to improve a wide range of AI-related use cases. Today, we're taking the next step in building helpful experiences that keep users safe with Private AI Compute in the cloud, a new AI processing platform that combines our most capable Gemini models from the cloud with the same security and privacy assurances you expect from on-device processing. It's part of our ongoing commitment to deliver AI with safety and responsibility at the core.

Private AI Compute is built using custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) with integrated Titanium Intelligence Enclaves (TIE). These hardware-secured enclaves form an isolated, "fortified space" where AI workloads can be processed without direct access to raw user data. Devices connect to the environment using remote attestation and encrypted channels, ensuring that all data transferred remains inaccessible to Google's engineers or infrastructure administrators.

The system will first power new AI experiences on Pixel 10 devices, such as enhancements to Magic Cue, an AI assistant that provides contextually aware suggestions, and an upgraded Recorder app capable of summarizing transcriptions in additional languages. Both rely on Gemini's larger models in the cloud, which require significantly greater computing resources than on-device NPUs can provide.

Private AI Compute is extremely similar to Apple's Private Cloud Compute, which it launched last year. Apple's system supports Apple Intelligence features and uses custom servers containing Apple silicon chips that operate as verifiable, sealed environments for processing AI tasks.
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Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting.


The second-generation ‌HomePod mini‌ is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current ‌HomePod mini‌ is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely to opt for the S9 chip, which was a considerable leap forward in terms of performance, or one of its derivatives such as the S10, which is a more compact iteration of the S9.

The S5 chip in the ‌HomePod mini‌ is derived from Apple's A12 Bionic architecture but runs at lower clock speeds and is tuned for always-on, low-power operation, making it well-suited for tasks like Siri processing and real-time audio tuning. In contrast, the S9 and S10 chips are based on the A13 chip, offering higher CPU and GPU performance, a more advanced Neural Engine, and greater efficiency per watt.

The new ‌HomePod mini‌ will be equipped with the N1 Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, which is much faster and has lower latency compared to the current ‌HomePod mini‌'s Wi-Fi 4 connectivity. Wi-Fi 6E extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds and reduced signal interference with a compatible router.

Apple could also bring its second-generation Ultra Wideband chip to the ‌HomePod mini‌ for a more reliable and lower-latency Handoff experience. The chip debuted in 2023's iPhone 15 lineup. If present, the chip should allow far more precise spatial awareness than the current model, allowing it to detect the exact position and orientation of nearby devices within a few centimeters.

New color options are also highly likely, but specific finishes are not yet known other than red, which was reportedly in testing. The current ‌HomePod mini‌ comes in Blue, Yellow, Midnight, Orange, and White.

Gurman says that, just like the next-generation Apple TV, the new ‌HomePod mini‌ "will be built with Apple's new smart home ecosystem in mind." It is unclear if the next ‌HomePod mini‌ will have ‌Siri‌ improvements. Unlike Apple's long-rumored smart home hub product, the new ‌HomePod mini‌ is not expected to get Apple Intelligence support.

Recently, Apple retailer B&H started listing all ‌HomePod mini‌ models as discontinued. Some other retailers are also listing the ‌HomePod mini‌ as out of stock or on backorder, which suggests that a refresh is set to take place soon. Gurman believes that a new ‌HomePod mini‌ "shouldn't be far off" amid tightening inventory and planned Apple Store refreshes.
This article, "New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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