EU charges Apple over NFC payment restrictions on iOS devices

As the European Commission continues to look into whether Apple has abused its market dominance by restricting mobile payments on iOS devices, Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager today confirmed that it has formally charged the iPhone maker, which could result in a hefty fine if it is upheld.

In a statement, Vestager said that the Commission had “indications that Apple restricted third-party access to key technology necessary to develop rival mobile wallet solutions on Apple’s devices,” adding that the company “may have restricted competition, to the benefit of its own solution.”

Developers, the Commission argues in its Statement of Objections, have been barred from “accessing the necessary hardware and software” to create their own NFC payment services on Apple devices. Contactless payments are popular across Europe, but Apple Pay remains the only contactless option for in-store payments on iPhone and iPad.

“Apple Pay is only one of many options available to European consumers for making payments, and has ensured equal access to NFC while setting industry-leading standards for privacy and security,” Apple said in a statement. “We will continue to engage with the Commission to ensure European consumers have access to the payment option of their choice in a safe and secure environment.

The Commission opened a dual review into both Apple’s in-app and NFC payment systems in June 2020, noting that the company’s choice could stifle competition and therefore reduce consumer choice. The Commission says that today’s announcement relates only to the “NFC input by third-party developers of mobile wallets for payments in stores” and not online restrictions against or “refusals of access to Apple Pay” for competing services.

Apple has previously said that it limits third-party access to contactless payments in order to boost security. It claims that its own technology prevents fraudulent payments by using a secure chip inside the iPhone antenna. 

A Statement of Objections provides Apple with a list of exceptions that it argues go against EU antitrust rules. The company will now be invited to reply to the issues raised and request a meeting with officials, which means it could be some time before an official decision is reached.

Amazon’s Kindle e-readers are up to 41 percent off right now

Over the past few days, Amazon has begun slashing the price of its own gadgets as part of a wider Mother’s Day sale. Yesterday, we saw the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 15 fall back to all-time lows, and today it’s the turn of the retailer’s popular Kindle e-readers, which are now offering savings of up to 41 percent.

Leading the way is the Kindle Paperwhite, which is typically priced at $140, but has fallen back to an all-time low of $105 in this particular sale. The standard Kindle is also down to $55, just $5 off its lowest ever price.

Buy Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon – $105Buy Kindle at Amazon – $55

The fifth-gen Paperwhite, which was refreshed for the first time in three years this past September, has a larger screen than the previous model at 6.8 inches (compared to the six-inch display on its predecessor). Amazon says the 300 ppi screen looks like real paper and its glare-free screen enables “easy reading” in all conditions, even direct sunlight. Not only is it compact, but it has a waterproof design that will ensure it remains operational when splashed. There’s also support for USB-C fast charging.

If you’re looking for something a bit more premium, the Kindle Oasis is on sale too. The 8GB model, which typically costs $250, is currently available for $200. The e-reader has previously been as low as $175, so it’s not currently near its all-time low, but still offers $50 off its usual price. The Oasis features a 300 ppi display, though the screen is slightly larger than the Paperwhite at seven inches. It has physical page turn buttons, an IPX8 waterproof rating and a color-adjustable front light.

Buy Kindle Oasis at Amazon – $200

It may also be a good time to encourage your child’s love of reading. Amazon is selling the Kindle Paperwhite Kids for $120, or a full $40 below the usual price. The standard Kindle Kids is also on sale for today at $65 with a decent $45 (or 41 percent) discount. They both come with a two-year “worry-free guarantee,” a protective cover and a 12-month Kids+ subscription with access to thousands of books.

Apple’s 2021 iPad mini falls to a new all-time low of $400

Apple’s latest iPad mini has been on sale for a little under a year, but we’ve seen numerous price reductions on the (almost) pocketable slate. Having hovered around the $459 price point in recent times, Amazon has now discounted the 64GB iPad Mini further, bringing it down to a new all-time low of $400. That’s $99 off the original price or a savings of 20 percent.

Buy 2021 Apple iPad Mini (64GB) at Amazon – $400Buy 2021 Apple iPad Mini (256GB) at Amazon – $540

If you’re looking for a bit more storage, Amazon has also reduced the 256GB model, which now costs $540. That means you’ll save $109 or 17 percent compared to the retailer’s list price.

The 2021 iPad mini received a score of 89 in our review, gaining marks for its “all-screen” design without the home button its predecessors have. It has a Liquid Retina 326ppi panel with a 2,266 x 1,488 resolution. The tablet’s edges are flat, and also sports a TouchID-capable power button, dropping the Lightning port for USB-C charging.

The slate features a new 12-megapixel ultra-wide front camera with Center Stage support, which like Facebook’s Portal devices will automatically pan and zoom to keep you at the center of the screen during video calls. 

Thanks to the A15 Bionic chip powering the tablet, it was also able to handle we threw at it. It typically lasts up to 12 hours between charges and it also supports the second-gen Apple Pencil so you can use it for doodling or note-taking while on the go.

Apple extends update deadline for outdated apps in danger of being deleted

Apple recently sent notices to some indie developers, warning them that their app will be pulled from the App Store if it’s not updated within 30 days. The tech giant has had a policy in place against outdated and abandoned applications since 2016, but the move suggests that it’s now more rigorously enforcing that rule. Some of the letters’ recipients criticized the policy for being a barrier to indie developers, what with how tough it is to keep up with platform changes and how much work it takes to roll out even a minor update. Now, Apple has published a post clarifying why some old apps are in danger of being removed, along with the announcement that it’s giving developers more time to update their applications. 

In the post, the company said that it will only send removal notices to developers whose apps haven’t been updated in three years, as well as to devs whose apps have not “been downloaded at all or extremely few times during a rolling 12 month period.” Apple said that dropping outdated apps makes newer ones more discoverable and also ensures users can enjoy games and tools that have been optimized for its latest OS and devices. 

As a lot of people know, there are older apps don’t work as well on the latest generation of phones, tablets and laptops anymore, delivering a subpar user experience. Still, 30 days might not be nowhere near enough time for smaller developers to conjure up an update. The good news is that Apple has extended its grace period and is now giving them up to 90 days to update their applications. Users will get to keep apps that are already installed on their devices even if they end up getting deleted, and developers can continue earning from them through microtransactions. 

Android 13 beta hands-on: Just small tweaks for now

The public Android 13 beta is here, and it’s our first chance to look at what might be coming in Google’s OS update. We’ve already learned a bit about what the company will be focusing on improving for the next version, and a lot of it sounds like back…

The 2022 Apple iPad Air is $40 off right now

You can grab the newly launched 2022 Apple iPad Air for just $559 right now. While the device dropped to as low as $550 on Amazon for a grand total of eight hours last week, this latest deal shaves $40 off its retail price of $599. That’s a decent discount for a device that only became available in March. The catch is that only the purple version is on sale for $559, though you can still get the other colors for $20 less than retail at $570. 

Buy 2022 Apple iPad Air at Amazon – $559

The 2022 iPad Air gets a huge performance boost over its predecessor from its M1 chip, which also powers the tech giant’s Mac computers and the considerably more expensive iPad Pro. We gave it a score of 90 in our review, mostly thanks to how significantly faster it is at both single- and multi-core tasks than the previous versions of the tablet when we ran Geekbench 5 on it. 

We also praised the device for having an excellent battery life despite the chip upgrade — it even lasted close to 12 hours during our test instead of just 10 like the company’s claim. Apple also upgraded its front cam and gave it a 12-megapixel ultra wide angle camera that enables Center Stage. That’s the tech giant’s feature designed to follow you around and keep you in the frame during video calls. 

The version that’s currently on sale for $559 is the WiFi-only variant, but you also have the chance to grab its 5G-capable counterpart at a discount. Its purple version has been available for $700 at Amazon over the past week: That’s $49 less its retail price and the lowest we’ve seen for the 2022 cellular Apple iPad Air so far.

Buy 2022 Apple iPad Air (WiFi + Cellular) at Amazon – $700

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

華為在台灣推出新款 MatePad 平板、MateBook 筆電及 MateView 螢幕

華為今天為台灣帶來了一系列今年二月在 MWC 上發表的「智慧辦公新品」，不過說是智慧辦公，其實就是很正常的 MatePad 平板、MateBook 筆電和 MateView 螢幕啦。

The first Android 13 beta is available now

Google is making good on its promise to deliver the first Android 13 beta in April. The company has released Android 13 beta 1 for Pixel devices ranging from the 4 to the 6 and 6 Pro. The inaugural beta only includes three new features (two of them for developers), but there are now more granular permission controls for shared media files.

Beta 1 also includes all the upgrades from Android 13 Developer Preview 2, including a requirement that apps ask for permission to send notifications. You’ll also find a new photo picker, Bluetooth LE audio and support for MIDI 2.0 instruments over USB.

Anyone can install the beta. As before, though, you probably won’t want to load this release on a primary phone. While betas are generally more reliable, Google doesn’t expect to focus on platform stability until June and won’t release the finished Android 13 until sometime after July. This is meant more for developers who want apps ready by the time the operating system is available to the public.

As it is, these early Android betas don’t typically include every user-facing feature. Google didn’t show Android 12’s Material You redesign until I/O 2021, months after the first previews arrived. While the beta is still useful, it may be worth waiting for I/O 2022 in May if you’re mainly interested in top-level changes.