Mac Format - UK (2020-04)

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6 | MACFORMAT | APRIL 2020

What’s inside

6–

RUMOR & NEWS

Word on the grapevine

about future Apple kit

9

APPS & GAMES

Our top picks of the

month for Mac and iOS

10

CRAVE

Hot new gear!

12

LETTERS

Have your say

13

FAC TS &

FIGURES

How the last

financial quarter

adds up for Apple

14

MACFORMAT

INVESTIGATES

Law enforcement vs

privacy protection

18

OPINION

Tiny tech: the advent

of miniLED displays

Coronavirus hits Apple hard

pple has been seriously affected by

a countrywide shutdown in China,

caused by a coronavirus outbreak

that is believed to have started in Hubei

province and rapidly spread elsewhere.

Apple was forced to shut down all of its

corporate offices, stores and contact centres

when the epidemic was first reported in early

February, although some had begun to reopen

by 13 February. Production of iPhones, AirPods

and other Apple products was also impacted

as factories run by suppliers such as Foxconn

were also closed.

Restrictions imposed by the Chinese

authorities on travel and use of public spaces

in early February also led Apple to limit travel

to China only for strictly “business critical

reasons”. Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s Senior

Vice President of Retail and People, said in a

company email: “We recognise that personal

movement and travel restrictions are ongoing

and schools are closed in many places, and

managers will be working with their teams

to offer additional support.”

While some of the 36 Apple Stores in China

had reopened by 21 February, most were only

doing so on a limited-hours basis. Visitors to

Apple Stores in Beijing were also asked to

wear face masks and have their temperature

taken before entering. At the time of writing,

Manufacturing and sales snags continue in China

A

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EDITED BY ROB MEAD-GREEN

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