This week in Apple: Apple event slated for Dec. 2, Apple TV Plus woes, and more

This week in Apple news we saw an invite ship out for some sort of Apple event in early December. While it’s not totally clear what the event is all about, it does not appear to be product launch and it will be heavily focused on apps.

Elsewhere, we heard about a new billion-dollar Apple campus getting built in Austin, the company in hot water with government regulators both at home and abroad, a new job posting for development of Windows apps, and more!

See the Apple news roundup below for all the latest.

The top Apple news stories of the past week:

• A new Apple event coming December 2: An invitation leaked to the internet (which accidentally or deliberately broke an Apple embargo) tells us that there will be an Apple event on December 2. It appears the event is some sort of awards ceremony for applications available on the App Store. This would be a first-of-its-kind event from Apple.
• No profits from repairs, says Apple to the US government: Apple sent a letter to US government regulators detailing answers to questions asked of the company in September. In this letter, the company says that its repair services operate at a loss, suggesting Apple’s repair services are not only fairly priced but a loss-leader.
• German law could force Apple to open up its NFC chip: If you own an iPhone and want to use it for mobile payments, you have one choice: Apple Pay. German regulators aren’t fans of this and passed a law that would ostensibly force Apple to allow third-party payment solutions on the iPhone. However, a loophole in the law could save Apple for now.
• Apple needs help to develop some Windows programs: Earlier this year, Apple killed off the iTunes application in favor of individual apps for services such as Apple Music. However, Windows users still need to use iTunes or web-based apps for these services. A new job posting suggests Apple is looking to make this easier for Windows users.

More: New iPhone 12 concept renders, AR headset rumors ramp up

• A new Apple campus in Austin is officially in construction: This week, Apple broke ground in Austin, TX, for the development of a new billion-dollar Apple campus. The new location will open in 2022 with 5,000 employees, although it could house triple that in the future.
• Those poor “Morning Show” reviews are from “Apple haters”: The creators behind the critically-panned Apple TV Plus exclusive program “The Morning Show” are saying the show is getting bad reviews from people who just don’t like Apple. It’s definitely that and not because the show is just bad.
• Apple cancels The Banker premiere: The Banker, starring Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson, was supposed to have its world premiere in Hollywood Thursday, November 21. According to Deadline, the premiere was cancelled as Apple is reportedly investigating potentially damaging charges that have surfaced from a family member of the Garretts (the family upon which the movie is based).
• Apple releases a ton of software betas: On November 20, Apple released iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS 13.3 developer beta 3 builds; macOS Catalina 10.15.2 beta 3; and WatchOS 6.1.1 beta 3. You can learn more about downloading these builds here. Due to the buggy nature of iOS 13 so far, Apple is reportedly changing its development process for iOS 14 to ensure things are properly tested before public release.
• AirPods shipments expected to double in 2019: Thanks to the AirPods Pro, Apple AirPods shipments are expected to double to 60 million in 2019. That’s roughly double compared to 2018.
• Apple removes reviews from its online store: In an interesting move, it appears Apple has removed its Ratings & Reviews section from US, UK, and Australian Apple online stores.

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.