Fear not, M4 Macs are still coming ‘very soon’
We’ve been hearing for a while now that Apple is going to release new M4 Macs this fall. Well, now it’s fall (in the Northern Hemisphere) and we’ve now reached the stage of the news cycle where we’re all waiting for the news to drop, but instead we’re getting reports that the news is dropping soon.
The latest report comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who’s really been the most persistent source for these reports of the M4 Mac release. In , Gurman reiterated what he’s reported in the past, stating that the Mac release is coming “very soon.”
Gurman states that there will be “hands-on outside of Cupertino,” which likely means that the company is holding in-person demonstrations for a small number of media in New York City or other locations, something the company has done several times in the past, including for last year’s “Scary Fast” event that also had an in-person gathering in Mexico City.
Gurman also reports that there will be an “online video” but doesn’t offer specifics, like if the video will be a full presentation or a series of lengthy ads. After the release of the iPad mini (which was rumored to be released with the M4 Macs), there was a thought that Apple would forego a Mac event and simply issue press releases, which could still happen–after all, a new product release in and of itself is an “event” for Apple.
Gurman has reported in the past that the M4 Macs to be released will be the MacBook Pro, iMac, and a redesigned Mac mini. The reports of USB-C accessories have picked up momentum recently as well, with a MacRumors that code in the iOS 18.1 release candidate includes code for a new Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2, and “several new Magic Keyboards.” Apple’s Mac accessories are among the last to have a Lightning port after Apple updated the AirPods Max in September.
So, yep, by all accounts, the M4 Macs are still coming–maybe even by the time you read this, Apple will have made the official announcement. But if they didn’t, you can get the lowdown on the M4 Mac release cycle for the whole Mac lineup.
Apple exec surprises no one with hype about future iPhones
Render of a possible future — and slimmer — iPhone
Apple’s John Ternus is enthused about the iPhone 17 and beyond, with him saying in a leaked memo that the company is working on most ambitious lineup the company has ever worked on. Here’s why.
Even Tim Cook has noticed he’s over used the line, “this is the best iPhone we’ve ever made,” and seems to have dialled that back. But Apple executives do still tend to lean on their hyperbole API, and now it seems they do so even in internal memos.
As spotted by Bloomberg, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, John Ternus, has been stirring up the troops. The planned next iPhones are, he said, the “most ambitious in the product’s history.”
It wasn’t just a random internal message during an exchange about today’s menu at Cafe Macs in Apple Park. Instead, it was part of an announcement about that iPhone future.
Beyond the iPhone, Ternus was presumably working on the M4 Mac launches that are now expected soon. But, in the memo, he was also announcing the promotion of three people to vice president status.
One of them is Rich Dinh, who was senior director of product design, and whose previous work includes the new Camera Control button.
A render of an iPhone Fold
Dinh is now vice president of product design, apparently specifically for the iPhone. His new role is not yet listed on Apple’s leadership page, but then that hasn’t been updated to show Carol Surface leaving either.
What Ternus could mean
Despite the iPhone now being 17 years old, it is genuinely true that each year’s model is the best Apple has ever made. It may not be that each time there is something substantially new, but there is always something we haven’t had — and that we now wouldn’t give up.
There is an argument that today’s iPhone is really the same as the 2007 original — but only because they are both rectangular and flat panes of glass. For the first time, it’s now possible that this basic shape may soon change, or at least a little.
If it does, it will perhaps be a case of Apple doing what it tends to do. Which is to come late to the party, but be the one that brings all the wine.
Prepare to be clamshell-shocked
So it may be five years since Samsung first brought out a folding phone, but Apple is unquestionably working on one. At least internally.
A render of what the iPhone Fold could look like
There is, though, quite some doubt over whether Apple will ever release it. With any other company in the world, the sheer weight of patent evidence we have would guarantee they would bring out a folding phone.
Apple can’t enjoy cancelling projects, and Dinh would doubtlessly face a grilling from Tim Cook if he tried to ditch the iPhone fold. But the fact is that Apple has form in this, it could well drop the iPhone fold if it decides it won’t be a winner.
Which might be why in more recent years, rumors have blurred a little. Instead of an iPhone fold, there has been talk of a subtly different flip iPhone.
And then the road to an iPhone flip could be via Apple practicing to make a thinner model. Apple surely can’t let a folded iPhone flip be much wider than a current, regular iPhone.
So perhaps before we see a flip or a folding iPhone, we might see something else. Specifically, 2025 may bring us the iPhone 17 Slim.
Even the name of that might as well be a guess, since so little is known and only a tiny bit more is rumored. But it’s possible that the iPhone 17 range will drop the Plus model and instead have this Slim one.
It’s not even clear whether that means the Slim one will take the place of the Plus in the lineup. It could conceivably come in at the top of the range, and turn out to be the long-rumored iPhone Ultra.
To come in above the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the slim model would surely have to offer similar specifications. All that’s rumored so far is that it would have a 6.6-inch screen, putting it below the iPhone 16 Plus’s 6.7-inches.
Define exciting
However Ternus’s memo leaked out, it unfortunately didn’t come with any attachments. There is absolutely no evidence of what he meant by “most ambitious,” or “an exciting future.”
Nor is the entire text available for review. We don’t doubt that it exists, given Gurman’s reputation, but there’s a lot of missing context that could be gleaned.
Regardless, the rumors of a folding, flipping, slim iPhone are so plentiful that even without various patents, it would seem likely one is coming. Yet it could still be a case of wishful thinking.
And it could also be a case of a failure of imagination, it could be that Apple has something no one is expecting. It could be that Apple has a device in mind that no one has asked for, no one predicts, but everyone seems to want it when it’s out.
TSMC alerts U.S. to possible AI chip sanctions breach
Dies on wafers – Image credit: TSMC
TSMC has advised the U.S. that there was an attempt by Huawei to violate sanctions against China restricting the export of AI chips to China, as the probe that could affect Apple chip production rolls on.
The United States introduced controls in 2022 that severely restricts any exports of AI chips to China. Two years later, TSMC is warning that there was an attempt to break those rules.
TSMC told the US Commerce Department that a customer had placed an order for chips that seemingly breached the sanctions, reports Reuters. The customer attempted to order a chip that was similar in design to the Ascend 910B, a processor designed by Huawei.
This chip in particular was made to be used for large language model training, a process in AI production.
TSMC, the Commerce Department, and Huawei did not respond to comment requests from the publication.
Probe timing
The alert to the Commerce Department arrives at a time when TSMC faces a probe into a very similar situation.
On October 18, it was revealed that the Commerce Department was investigating a potential sanctions breach by TSMC. A block in 2020 prevented Huawei from accessing components from U.S. companies without approval from the Department.
The rules also prevented access to chips made using U.S.-sourced equipment. This includes TSMC, which uses such hardware to produce its chips.
The probe was intended to determine if TSMC had made smartphone or AI chips for Huawei. This was apparently via an intermediary firm that masked Huawei as its client, with the probe determining if TSMC had performed enough checks on the client before production began.
If the probe found TSMC had broken sanctions, it faces penalties including sanctions of its own. The latter could be more damaging, as it could directly impact the production of chips for clients, which includes Apple.
Sanctions against TSMC would force Apple to find another chip supplier to work with for its products. This is a dire prospect for Apple in the short term, as the complexities of chip production means there’s no easy way to quickly spin up manufacturing with another foundry.
In the worst case scenario, this could mean a period when Apple will have severely constrained chip supplies as it transitions between suppliers. This in turn would hurt production of all of its products, including the iPhone.
iPad mini review roundup: Internal but needed changes
The first reviews for the new iPad mini are out, and the general consensus is that it’s a relatively safe update that depends on Apple Intelligence to be worthwhile.
Apple’s update to the iPad mini introduces relatively few changes to the form. It is practically the definition of a spec-bump update, with the main change being the A17 Pro chip, while everything else remains static.
This is certainly a play to make it a device consumers could buy to use Apple Intelligence on a tablet. At least, without buying a Pro.
The initial wave of reviews have surfaced, and have certainly picked up on the idea that it’s an internals-focused update.
Wired
Wired picked up on how there are few reasons for a sixth-gen iPad mini owner to pick up the new model, with it still having a 60Hz display and the same front-facing camera position.
However, Apple Intelligence will “transform the experience, even if slightly.” The more interesting stuff, like ChatGPT integration in Siri, will come later.
“For newcomers or anyone with an older Mini, this is otherwise a great tiny tablet. With a modern chip that supports the latest software smarts and accessories, the iPad Mini has been future-proofed for the next few years.”
Engadget
The Engadget review declares the update as “safe” and “boring” from the outset. “What’s new here can be summed up quickly: more storage, support for the Apple Pencil Pro and, most crucially, a more powerful chip.”
While using the same aesthetics, there still “isn’t a lot to complain about when it comes to the iPad mini’s design.” The core of it is solid, and even webcam placement isn’t really that much of a bother.
For the A17 Pro, there’s discussion about the “weird bit of minor nerfing” when it comes to the GPU, but it’s doubted that anyone will truly notice it.
The update is a typical one “that focuses on software and internal hardware rather than a flashy redesign. But that’s OK.” It’s still a “solid performer” that is a great “little couch computing companion.”
The Verge
The iPad mini “represents a new low for the product,” The Verge starts out. “It feels like an iPad designed by a supply chain, not by someone who actually wants you to like the product. ”
Despite the strong opening, it’s still deemed “a perfectly good tablet, of course.” However the only reason to buy it is “because it’s the iPad Mini. It has little else going for it.”
When pushed, the new chip has its limits, but in everyday use, it “feels one beat faster than the last model.” However, it “still matters that the Mini is “relatively underpowered.”
The review concludes, damningly, “Apple Intelligence better be a hell of an upgrade because, without it, the new Mini isn’t much of an upgrade at all.”
iCloud Drive review: The cloud storage service all Apple users can access
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Baked into all Apple OS platforms.
- Additional features available.
- Simple way to sync the things you need so you can access them wherever you are.
Cons
- Web app is a little sluggish.
- Low storage limit for free plan.
- Doesn’t work so well for collaboration outside the Apple echosystem.
Our Verdict
What better way to access your Mac, iPhone and iPad files via the cloud than Apple’s own iCloud platform? Despite some minor inconveniences, it has a lot to offer and is well worth a look.
Price When Reviewed
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There are a whole host of cloud-based storage services for your Mac, but one of the best is included with the devices you already own.
iCloud Drive, part of Apple’s iCloud, has come a long way (trust me, I’ve been using it for years), and while it’s not as prevalent as something like Google Drive or OneDrive, it’s a much better option for Mac users than you may have considered. And, if you are already paying for iCloud, paying for another syncing service, like Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive, probably doesn’t make sense.
iCloud is an Apple service that allows you to sync data to and from all your devices via the cloud. It includes iCloud Photos (where you can store all your photos and videos so they appear on all your devices), iCloud Mail (your own iCloud email address, the ability to view your email on any device you log into) and various security features such as the VPN-like iCloud+ Private Relay). You also get a means to back up an iPhone, access to Find My (for locating lost iPhones and Macs), it also syncs your calendars, contacts, Safari tabs and settings, and more.
In this review, we are mainly concerned with how well iCloud syncs the files on your Mac to the cloud so you can access them on any of your devices. Can iCloud act as an off-site backup? Is iCloud a way to share files with others?
Read more about iCloud here: What is iCloud and how to use it. There are various tiers of storage you can choose from depending on how much of your data you are storing in Apple’s cloud. See: How much is iCloud?
Getting set up in iCloud
iCloud Drive is easy to access from your Mac’s settings.
Apple
Chances are you set up iCloud years ago when registering a new device. iCloud has been around since 2011 (before that it was MobileMe, and before that .Mac). But if you are new to Macs, and new to Apple, setting up iCloud is pretty easy.
- Open System Settings on your Mac.
- Click on the Apple Account section at the top of the left-hand column.
- Click on iCloud.
- Choose what you want to sync to iCloud: this can include Photos, Passwords, Notes, Messages, email and more.
- Click on iCloud Drive: then you can select some folders on your Mac that will automatically sync to the cloud. Choose to sync Desktop & Documents folders and as long as the things you need are in those folders they will be accessible wherever you are. Since every iWork (Pages, Number and Keynote) file saves to Documents if you use those apps you will find your docs in the cloud.
You will need to choose how much iCloud storage you think you need. There’s a free 5GB but that’s not enough for anything useful. If you are syncing all your photos you will need a lot of storage. You can share your iCloud storage with your family.
Once you have iCloud set up you need only log in to iCloud on your Mac, and all your other Apple devices, and you will have access to the files on any of your devices via iCloud Drive. For example, you can move from editing a Pages document on your Mac to adding something you thought of on the way home via the same document on your iPhone.
Using iCloud Drive as an off-site backup
iCloud Drive is easy to find and works across plenty of apps, Apple or otherwise.
Apple
We like the way that syncing our Mac Desktop means that we have access to everything we have saved there on all our devices. The same can be said of any files that automatically save to Documents. However, if you want to sync anything else on your Mac it won’t be automated. You could create a folder that you store in iCloud Drive that you periodically drag files to, but you need to physically do this.
You will have access to iCloud Drive right from the sidebar in Finder, making it easy to drop files into it throughout the working day.
The folder you create can act like a backup of those files, but it’s important to note that iCloud does not provide a means to automate the backup of files. It is a syncing service: any changes you make on your Mac will automatically sync to the document stored in iCloud. You cannot move things to the cloud and delete them from your Mac to free up space. Deleting from the Mac deletes the iCloud version too.
Therefore we’d say that if you want to back up your Mac to the cloud Apple’s iCloud is not the ideal solution.
Using iCloud Drive for file sharing and collaboration
Screenshot
Foundry
One advantage that Google Docs and Microsoft OneDrive have over Apple’s iCloud Drive is when it comes to file sharing. The biggest advantage is probably the simple fact that the majority of people use the Microsoft apps to create documents and other files they might want to share. Therefore sharing files via Microsoft OneDrive makes a lot of sense. Google is only slightly less popular than the Office apps, and it’s likely that who ever you are sharing with has the necessary apps to work with the file you are sharing.
iCloud, on the other hand, works well with Pages, Numbers and Keynote, but if the person you are sharing the file with doesn’t use those apps then it’s just an extra layer of complication to your collaboration. Sure the app they use can convert and read those documents, but it’s just easier if everyone is usine the same app.
If the person you are working with is an Apple user like you, and prefers to use Pages, Numbers and Keynote, then iCloud is a very simple way to get in sync. From any Pages, Numbers, Keynote or other Apple-type of document you can choose to Share with a collaborator:
- Start by clicking on the Share icon.
- Choose between Collaborate or Send Copy.
- Pick the method you want to share it (AirDrop, Mail, Messages).
- Choose the person you wish to send it to.
That person should see an alert and be able to open the file and work on it with you.
You can also use iCloud to share large files that might clog up email. For example, if you want to share a video when you attempt to email it macOS will offer to upload it to iCloud and share a link via which your recipient can download it.
iCloud Drive benefits
iCloud Drive is baked into everything across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Pretty much every app from Apple uses it to automatically sync, be it Notes, Pages, Numbers, or Keynote. Plus access to the iCloud Drive is easy – it’s essentially another folder on your machine.
The service offers so much in addition to file syncing, from a way to view your photos on any of your devices (and save space on your devices because the full-resolution version is stored in the cloud), to a way to access all your Messages – and reply to them – from any of your devices, and all the other security benefits such as the ability to hide your email address when signing up for services (so you can avoid spam). Once you are sold on the many benefits of iCloud the fact that you can store and sync your files and share them with others is a nice advantage.
iCloud Drive annoyances
I still prefer to use iCloud Drive locally because the web view is slow.
Apple
While it’s great that it is possible to access our iCloud Drive via the web – perfect if you only have access to a PC and need to get something from your Mac, it can be very sluggish using it this way. It’s not bad (and has actually gotten better over the last few years), but it’s still pretty slow compared to rivals like Google Drive.
While it’s nice to be able to access things like Pages and Numbers from the web, sharing files or accessing cloud versions of apps is dramatically slower than opening it locally. If you switch between Windows and Mac relatively regularly, that you may prefer a snappier option like Google Drive instead.
Also, it’s a small complaint, but many of your plan’s settings can only be adjusted on your Apple device. That’s likely to be for security reasons, but you can’t upgrade your plan without having your iPhone or Mac handy.
Another disadvantage is that you can only have one iCloud account per Mac (and per iPhone/iPad). This means if you are sharing a MAc with other members of their family everything is synced via your iCloud.
iCloud Drive price
Speaking of plans, that’s our other grumble. The 5GB limit for free users is so low that it may as well not exist. You can expect to stump up 99 cents for the 50GB plan, but that’s unlikely to be enough if you want to sync a big photo library.
You can pay $2.99/£2.99 a month for 200GB, then there is a jump to $9.99/£8.99 a month for 2TB, all the way up to $59.99/£54.99 for a whopping 12TB. While these plans can be shared via your family plan, so you can get the most for your 2TB of storage, the fact that there is no option between the not-enough 200GB and the far-too-much 2TB, is disappointing.
Once you pay for iCloud storage you can enjoy additional features like Custom Email, Hide My Email, and Private Relay.
Should you use iCloud Drive?
If you’re only using Apple devices, iCloud Drive is a no-brainer – and you have it already. You’ll need to pay for storage, but it offers so much for your money you will be glad you did.
You can use iCloud to sync your files (and photos) across all your devices, just remember it’s not a backup in the sense that you can then delete files from your Mac (or any other device).
However, you may want to look elsewhere if you want to sync and collaborate with other users in different ecosystems.
Apple will finally fix the iPhone 16 freeze/restart bug with next week’s update
While some people are surely loving their new iPhone 16, many users have been afflicted since their launch last month by a serious bug causing their phones to freeze, ignore touch inputs, and then randomly restart. But it looks like the end is finally in sight, with the rollout of a major software update which is understood to contain a fix.
As Macworld reported in September, numerous iPhone 16 owners have complained of display “dead spots” which, if touched, cause the entire screen to become unresponsive to taps and swipes, and the phone to restart. Not every unit is affected, but there have been enough reports to get Apple’s attention: on , on , and on Apple’s own .
For a worryingly long time, Apple didn’t appear to have noticed or was unable to solve the problem. iOS 18.01 arrived on October 3 without affected owners noting any improvement (indeed I can confirm that my iPhone 16 Plus, which currently runs iOS 18.01, had the problem this morning), while as of its seventh beta, iOS 18.1 didn’t seem to contain a fix either. But it has now been confirmed (via ) that the public release of iOS 18.1 will patch the issue. This is officially mentioned in the update’s release notes, which emerged yesterday alongside the release candidate.
Why did it take so long for such a serious bug to get fixed? Maybe Apple’s software department has just been busy because this has been something of a cursed update cycle. Only last month iPadOS 18 had to be pulled after bricking the M4 iPad Pro, while the Apple Watch faced a mirror image of the iPhone 16’s problem when users reported “ghost touches” earlier this year.
iOS 18.1 is expected to roll out on Monday, October 28. It’s easy to update your iPhone; simply open the Settings app, go to Software Update, and follow the prompts. The update contains other patches and fixes, as well as new Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone 16, so it’s well worth installing at your earliest convenience.
iOS 18.1 will fix the iPhone 16 Pro freezing-restart issue
The upcoming update to iOS 18.1 will fix a random crashing issue for owners of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Following the release of the iPhone 16, owners of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max took to the Apple Support Communities and other social platforms to report a problem. Their smartphones were locking up and restarting during typical everyday use.
Part of Monday’s collection of release candidates, the build of iOS 18.1 reveals that Apple will be fixing the problem with the full public release of that OS update. Elements of a release candidate are intended for the final release, and will carry over to it unless Apple finds an issue.
The release notes state that the update “fixes an issue where iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro models may unexpectedly restart.”
The update also fixes a number of other issues affecting users, including one where Podcasts labels unplayed episodes as played. There’s another fix for when videos recorded at 4K 60 while the iPhone is warm could stutter when users scrub through the footage in Photos.
It also fixes a problem where digital car keys may not unlock or start a vehicle with passive entry enabled, if the iPhone is restored from a backup or the user transfers their key between iPhones.
The full public release of iOS 18.1 is set to be issued to the public on October 28. Along with fixes, the release’s main inclusion is Apple Intelligence, with the first wave offering text and image editing features using generative AI.
Two-thirds of leaders feel genAI will reshape entry-level jobs – Computerworld
Generative AI is on track to transform entry-level roles across industries, with 64% of leaders expecting these positions to evolve from creation to review and refinement of outputs within the next three years. The percentage of managers holding a similar view stood at 71%, according to new research from the Capgemini Research Institute.
The findings suggest the traditional model of junior employees manually creating content, data, or code is rapidly being replaced by generative AI, which can generate these outputs in a fraction of the time. As a result, employees in these positions will focus more on quality control, critical analysis, and ensuring AI outputs meet business standards, the report added.
The findings are based on Capgemini Research Institute’s May 2024 survey that involved 1,500 executives and 1,000 entry-level employees from 500 organizations with over $1 billion in revenue, to explore generative AI adoption.
Revealed: How Apple creates your passwords
When you log into a new service or website on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, the operating system will promptly suggest a ready-made password that you can accept or reject. This password will be quite long; it will not contain any recognizable words; and it will contain special characters such as hyphens and numbers. All of this fulfills the requirements for passwords so that attackers cannot crack them easily by brute force, simply guessing common combinations of characters.
However, if you’ve adopted a few such passwords from iOS or macOS, you’ll probably have noticed a pattern emerging. They’re not just random. The character sequence is always divided into three sections, with hyphens in between, and the three short parts each sound a bit like words–just not words that occur in any earthly language. Is this a coincidence, or is it intentional? And how does Apple come up with these passwords?
Apple’s secret language
The passwords suggested by iOS and macOS actually follow a sophisticated system, , a long-time Apple employee on the security team. The iPhone manufacturer introduced the system in 2018 with iOS 12, and there’s even about it.
The suggested passwords consist of twenty characters, mostly letters, and the hyphens divide these sequences into three equal parts. The idea is that users find it much easier to memorise three short sections than one long sequence of symbols: an important consideration if they ever have to enter the password manually on another platform.
To further help users remember the passwords, at least in short-term memory, the individual letter parts are structured to create syllables that can be spoken (or ‘heard’ in your head): a consonant is followed by a vowel, then another consonant. Apple has created a library of 19 consonants and 6 vowels and uses them to form randomly generated syllables that do not occur in any natural language. There is also a block list of some combinations, which primarily contains the syllables that can occur in profane language.
Another rule you may have spotted: Apple’s proposed passwords each feature just one capital letter. According to Mondello, the reasoning here is that it’s much easier to enter lower-case letters, even on exotic keyboards such as on a game controller. Finally, the single digit that occurs in an apparently random position in the auto-generated password actually has rules governing where it appears: it can appear on either side of a hyphen or at the very end of the password, but it will never appear in the middle of one of Apple’s made-up ‘words’.
The hidden logic of auto-generated passwords
To conclude, Apple’s randomly generated passwords are not actually random at all but follow several fixed rules. In this way, Apple creates a compromise between strong passwords that cannot be guessed and reasonably good usability if the user has to type them in manually on other platforms.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication Macwelt and was translated and localized from German.
French publishers try to get Apple to drop Distraction Control
Distraction Control lets users wipe away website elements they don’t want to see
A consortium of publishers and ad companies in France have written to Tim Cook to ask him to ditch Distraction Control, undaunted by how he ignored them last time.
It was in May 2024 when members of French organizations including Alliance Digitale, and press organization Alliance de la Presse d’Information Generale, read AppleInsider and went wide-eyed. For AppleInsider had exclusively revealed Apple’s Web Eraser, which would later be renamed on release as Distraction Control.
At the time, Web Eraser was expected to let Safari users remove any part of a website from view, and naturally target number one would be ads. So the consortium wrote to Tim Cook, asking that Apple abandon it.
It appears that neither Cook nor anyone else at Apple responded. However, when it was ultimately released, Apple did say that Distraction Control would not permanently remove ads.
Now according to Business Insider, the same French group has written again. The new letter does not appear to be entirely a copy-and-paste from May 2024, but it’s close enough.
The letter says, presumably in French, that Distraction Control represents “an existential threat to the online advertising model, which underpins a significant portion of the internet’s economy.” The group wants Apple to suspend Distraction Control entirely.
What might make Apple pay more attention this time is that the group says they are “actively considering all available legal resources.” Significantly, that includes having sent a copy of the letter to the European Commission, which doesn’t seem overly fond of Apple at the moment.
Apple has not yet commented on the letter.