This week in Apple: Foldable plans, iPhone slowdowns earn Apple a hefty fine

This week in Apple news we found a patent that indicates the company is working behind the scenes on creating some sort of foldable device. The patent is related to the hinge mechanism, which Apple has apparently designed in such a way as to prevent creases from appearing on the foldable screen.

Elsewhere, we heard about a hefty fine the company earned for slowing down iPhones, the DOJ looking into anti-trust issues related to the App Store, and the coronavirus causing multiple issues for the company.

See the Apple news roundup below for all the latest.

The top Apple news stories of the past week:

• Coronavirus having some effect on Apple’s China business: Apple shut down all its China-based stores due to the coronavirus outbreak. Additionally, there have been rumors that the virus could negatively affect iPhone production, although it seems they could be unsubstantiated. However, Apple manufacturer Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) is warning staff to stay away from the Shenzhen iPhone plant and AirPods production could be negatively affected.
• Apple working on foldable tech: A patent filed by Apple was unearthed by MacRumors. The patent shows a foldable device hinge that notable prevents the display from creasing. Check out how it works in this pretty cool GIF.
• French consumer group fines Apple €25 million: Remember when Apple slowed down older iPhones in the name of preserving aging batteries? Yeah, people were pretty upset about that. A consumer watchdog group in France is still mad about it and fined the company €25 million (~$27.4 million). Of course, that’s just a drop in the bucket for Apple, but it’s the message that counts.
• DOJ looking into App Store anti-trust issues: According to Reuters, the US Justice Department is reaching out to app developers as part of an ongoing investigation into possible anti-trust issues. This isn’t an unexpected move, but it does show that the DOJ is taking the case fairly seriously.
• Apple isn’t making life easy for indie repair shops: Last year, Apple agreed to start letting third-party repair shops fix Apple products, a big step for the notoriously anti-right-to-repair company. However, Apple isn’t making things easy for the indies: the company mandates a signed contract that is highly invasive and which lawyers have described as “crazy.” Read all about it here.

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.