This week in Apple: Budget iPhone landing soon, Apple Watch to sport Touch ID

This week in Apple news, we heard the next iPhone could land as early as today. Confusingly, Apple will likely call this upcoming budget-friendly handset the iPhone SE 2020 version. This is a slight detour from the previously rumored iPhone 9 and iPhone SE 2 monikers.

In other news, we also saw Apple make a new acquisition, the next Apple Watch could tout Touch ID, Apple Stores will likely remain closed past the end of the month, and Apple Card users catch a break.

See the Apple news roundup below for all the latest.

The top Apple news stories of the past week:

• The next iPhone could land today: Apple’s rumored entry-level iPhone model could be available to order today. We now expect Apple to simply call it the iPhone SE while referencing the 2020 hardware, and it should come in red, white, and black with up to 256GB of internal storage.
• Apple to remove Dark Sky from the Play Store: The Cupertino-based company purchased Dark Sky and immediately announced it would remove the app from the Play Store July 1, 2020. The API and website are also going away. So, unless you use an iOS device, you can say goodbye to Dark Sky. But don’t worry, if you use Dark Sky on Android and you don’t want to be left out in the rain — we’ve got you covered.
• Apple’s next smartwatch could sport Touch ID: Apple is allegedly working on implementing Touch ID into its future Apple Watches. Some rumored information surfaced online suggesting the company is fiddling with two different approaches: either integrating a fingerprint sensor into the Digital Crown or embedding one under the screen.
• Apple is still moving forward with product development despite some big setbacks: Apple’s employees have shifted to working from home amid the current coronavirus pandemic. This change in Apple’s work culture has reportedly led to several product development and productivity setbacks. Despite this, the company is still moving forward with the development of a few new products, including an updated HomePod, Apple TV, new budget iPads, an Apple Watch, and an iMac. Several, if not all, of these devices could launch as early as this year.
• Facebook may have put a damper on Apple’s AR party: Both Facebook and Apple are two major companies reportedly working on augmented reality devices. The former has made a deal with display manufacturer Plessey, which was a rumored acquisition target of Apple’s. Now that Facebook has a partnership with Plessey, Apple will need to look elsewhere for its AR needs.
• Amazon changes how it handles Prime Video streaming on iOS, Apple TV: Amazon struck a deal with Apple to allow in-app purchases and rentals in the Prime Video app. Before this update, Amazon wouldn’t allow users to rent or buy content in the app to avoid sharing 30% of all purchases with Apple.
• Apple Card customers catch a break: Due to the current pandemic, Apple and Goldman Sachs are allowing customers to defer their Apple Card March and April payments without incurring interest charges.
• AirTags are now all but certainly coming soon: Apple’s AirTags name appeared in a new Apple support video. The video explicitly showed the name in an Apple menu under an “Enable Offline Finding” section. About 15 minutes after the video went live, the company pulled it down.
• Apple Stores will likely remain shut until May: Apple recently told its employees that its US retail stores would probably remain closed until early May. Until then, the company’s work-from-home procedures will stay in place.
• Apple teams up with Leonardo DiCaprio, Laurene Powell Jobs to launch American food fundraiser: Alongside the Ford Foundation, Apple, DiCaprio, and Jobs launched America’s Food Fund on GoFundMe with $12 million in donations and a goal to raise $3 million more. The fund will be distributed to the World Central Kitchen and Feeding America to help people suffering from food shortages in the US due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Thinking about making the switch?

If you are reading this Apple news article on an iOS device and thinking about making the switch to Android, we have multiple articles and guides that can help you with that process. Despite how it might seem, moving from iOS to Android is easier than ever, and many of the services and systems on iOS have similar or even the same counterparts on Android.

The best place to start would be our guide on how to switch from iPhone to Android, which goes over all the basics. We also have more specific guides, such as how to transfer your calendar from iPhone to Android. We also have app guides that will give you the best alternatives to iOS staples, such as our list of best alternatives to FaceTime on Android.

If you’re looking for a great Android device to replace your iPhone, consult our list of the best Android smartphones available now.