#NewsBytesWeeklyRecap: New iPhones, Apple Watch, period-tracking apps leaking data, more
The second week of September was more about consumer technology and security than anything else. Apple unveiled new iPhone 11 family, 7th generation iPad as well as Apple Watch Series 5 with incredible capabilities. Then, Facebook's name came up in unauthorized data sharing from several period-tracking apps. Let's take a quick look at the biggest stuff that happened in tech this past week.
On September 10, Apple unveiled three new smartphones, the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, with improved displays, battery life, and Face ID. They all run a faster A13 Bionic chip and offer dual/triple rear cameras depending on the chosen model. The iPhone 11 starts at $699, while Pro and Pro Max start at $999 and $1,099, respectively.
Along with iPhones, Apple also debuted a new 7th generation iPad as well as Apple Watch Series 5. The refreshed iPad comes at $329 and features a 10.2-inch Retina Display powered by an A10 Fusion chip. Meanwhile, the new Apple Watch starts at $399 and offers a new Always-On LTPO display, built-in compass, international emergency calling, all-day battery life, and sleep tracking.
Among other things, the Cupertino giant confirmed that its Apple Arcade gaming service and Apple TV+ video streaming service will debut in India at Rs. 99/month (each). It said Apple Arcade would launch on September 19, while Apple TV+ would be available starting November 1. Notably, the company also admitted to improving the App Store for pushing third-party apps up in search results.
After Apple, Facebook was the one that made major headlines. A UK-based advocacy group found that a number of popular period-tracking apps, including renowned names like Maya and MIA Fem, were sharing sensitive user details with the social network. This included a lot of personal stuff such as monthly timings, logged use of contraception, menstruation symptoms, mood, and even sexual life.
Meanwhile, Google announced some interesting new updates for its key products. It began rolling out a dedicated dark mode in Gmail and introduced a handy new feature in Chrome that lets users share web pages from one device to another. The company also said it would give enhanced visibility to original news stories in search results.
Finally, there were some more hardware launches, which included Realme XT with a 64MP quad-camera setup, Lenovo Z6 Pro and A6, Alcatel 3T 10 tablet, Samsung Galaxy A50s, A30s, and Acer Predator Triton 500 gaming laptop. We also learned that OnePlus TV will come with a Kevlar-like back panel and a built-in swivel stand and MIT scientists have created the blackest material ever.
