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Next week, 36 more carriers supporting the iPhone and/or iPad will be getting LTE, Apple revealed during today's Q1 results call. Although the company didn't name specific carriers, it did note that they're spread across regions including Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, and the Philippines. "Several" countries in the Middle East should be getting LTE.
Italian regulators have issued Apple a final fine 200,000 euros, or about $264,000, over the company's handling of AppleCare warranties, reports say. Although the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato notes that Apple has since fixed its warranty policies, it states that between March 28 and November 10, the company was continuing to fraudulently suggest that an AppleCare plan was needed for two years of warranty coverage, when in reality local laws guarantee that as a minimum. Apple was fined €900,000 ($1.2 million) in March when the Italian government began cracking down on AppleCare marketing.
Samsung has dropped patent injunction applications against Apple in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, a senior executive tells the Wall Street Journal. All of the injunctions were related to wireless communications. Samsung notes that despite the withdrawal of the applications -- which is said to have been voluntary -- lawsuits accusing Apple of patent infringement remain ongoing.
Confirming yesterday's leak, Apple has officially stopped selling AppleCare in first- and third-party Italian retail stores, Reuters reports. An Apple spokesman explains that the policy has actually been in effect since November 9th. People can still buy AppleCare in Italy, but only through Apple's website. An updated notice on the site explains that "AppleCare Protection Plan benefits are in addition to two-year warranty from the seller under the Italian legislation to protect consumers."
Apple is removing AppleCare as an option from Apple Stores and third-party retailers in Italy, a leaked email indicates. The message is said to come from Apple Distribution International in Ireland, and adds that Apple is planning to discontinue phone-based AppleCare services in the country. With those options excluded, it appears that the only way of getting AppleCare in the country will be buying it online.
Amazon has expanded its Cloud Drive online storage service to two more countries in Europe, Spain and Italy, according to an announcement. As elsewhere, the service includes a free 5GB of storage; in the new regions, adding 20GB costs 8 euros per year. The expansion completes Amazon's coverage of the major European markets, following the UK, France, and Germany.
Apple is preparing to open five new Apple Stores this week. The first is the Rio Shopping outlet, based in Valladolid, Spain. That shop will launch at 10AM local time on Thursday, likely in anticipation of the iPhone 5's debut on Friday. Three stores elsewhere will in fact launch at 8AM on Friday, an unusually early hour reserved for iPhone rollouts.
Apple could face additional fines of up to 300,000 euros (about $377,500) and even temporary closure of its Italian operations if it doesn't start offering free two-year warranties, as required by local law, Reuters reports. Italy's AGCM, which regulates competition and markets, has already fined Apple 900,000 euros over the warranty issue. But months later, it complains that Apple is still failing to comply with demands, and says that the company's Italian division could be shut down for up to 30 days if it doesn't respond with the next 30.
(Updated with company, deal info) Apple has bought out an Italian company, Redmatica, reports say. The news was broken a local blog, which also obtained a document supporting the claim from the country's communications regulator, AGCOM. Neither Apple nor Redmatica have confirmed the deal, although Apple rarely makes any announcements about the acquisitions of smaller firms.
Facebook is offering free advertising to small businesses in an effort to encourage more advertisement sales in Europe. Qualifying companies operating in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain can receive a free advertising credit on the social network through its Small Business Boost promotion. This comes at a time when the effectiveness of advertizing on Facebook is questioned, with General Motors dropping paid Facebook ads altogether.
Apple has once again expanded the availability of iTunes Match, the company's music upload and streaming service, reports say. The service is now available in several more countries, including Austria, Italy, Greece, Portugal,and Slovenia. In Italy the service is priced at €25 a year.
Apple's second retail store in Rome is opening on Saturday at 10AM, the company has announced. The shop is located inside the Galleria Porta di Roma on Via Alberto Lionello, far to the north. The outlet is over 16 kilometers away from the existing Roma Est location, which is on the city's eastern outskirts.
As a part of his visit to Beijing on Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook also met with Guo Jinlong, the mayor of Beijing, a local newspaper reports. The exact details of the encounter are unknown, but it's suggested he talked about expanding markets, and cooperating more closely with Beijing in the future. Yesterday Apple would only say that Cook was in the country to talk with "Chinese officials" about expanding operations in the region; he was nevertheless spotted at the Xidan Joy City Apple Store in Beijing.
The third-generation iPad is now on sale in an additional 25 countries. The emphasis is mostly on Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden are included. The only non-European countries are in fact Macau, Mexico, and New Zealand.
European consumer groups in 11 countries -- including Italy and Germany -- have issued letters to national regulators, asking them to put a stop to the way Apple currently markets its warranties, Bloomberg reports. Apple typically markets its products as having one-year warranties unless a person buys into an AppleCare plan. Under European Union regulations, though, manufacturers are obligated to cover a product for at least two years, making Apple's marketing potentially misleading.
An Italian Apple user who asked Apple CEO Tim Cook if he did not "like" Italy because Siri has yet to add Italian to its list of languages and because Italy wasn't in the group of "first day" launch countries for the iPhone and iPad has received a reply from Cook. In it, he says "I love Italy" and that the company will support Italian in Siri this year, a reiteration of an earlier promise on Apple's website that Siri will add Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Korean this year.
Apple's Time Capsule routers are seeing delays or shortages in different parts of the world, notes 9to5Mac. The company's online stores in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, and France are sometimes seeing delivery times of one to three weeks for 3TB models, or one- to two-week delays for 2TB routers. Third-party vendors Amazon and Best Buy are out of 3TB models, and some Australian Apple Stores may be completely out of stock.
Apple has posted a link on its Italian web store, acknowledging its legal dispute with the local government over AppleCare warranties. The link -- simply titled "Communication to protect consumers" -- takes visitors to a PDF file, detailing the government's decision, which resulted in a €900,000 fine. Apple normally only provides a one-year AppleCare warranty for free, but Italian law grants shoppers a minimum of two years of coverage, which Apple is being asked to guarantee by March.
Additional details have emerged on three more future Apple Stores, notes ifoAppleStore. In Italy, job listings have appeared for a new store in Torino, one that was previously just rumored for more than two years. One possible address may be the former Mondadori bookstore on Via Roma 80, an arcade situated in the midst of other international retailers. Apple tends to prefer building stores in luxury or at least high-profile shopping areas.
Apple will appeal a €900,000 fine levied by the Italian government, a PR representative tells The Register. The spokesperson insists that the company is complying with Italian law. Under local regulations, businesses are required to give two years of free warranty support. Apple, though, only provides a one-year warranty by default, requiring buyers to buy an AppleCare package for anything extra.
Global iPlayer will make it to the iPhone and iPod touch on December 8th, the BBC has announced. The paid video-on-demand service has been available on the iPad for about five months. A list of countries getting the iPhone app on the 8th includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Apple has lost a bid for an additional store location in Milan, Italy, says Macitynet.it. The company is noted to have been after a former McDonald's in the Galleria del Duomo, situated in the heart of the city. It has been outbid however by fashion vendor Prada, despite the latter already having a two-story outlet on the other side of the Galleria.
The iPhone 4S is now formally on sale in 22 more countries, following an expansion of preorders exactly a week ago. For the time being Apple has adopted a European focus; new regions include Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. More regions should be added over the course of the next several months.
Apple has opened up iPhone 4S preorders to 22 previously unserved countries. The phone is now available in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Shipping times are typically listed at one to two weeks, a delay consistent with the US online store.
Apple has unveiled plans for an iOS 5 Tech Talk World Tour. Apple experts are scheduled to visit nine cities during the tour, including Berlin, London, Rome, Beijing, Seoul, São Paolo, New York City, Seattle, and Austin. Events will start in Berlin on November 2nd and end in Austin on January 23rd. Registration for January 13th's New York City event is already full.
Apple has dramatically expanded the presence of iTunes in Europe, reports say. In addition to Poland, the iTunes Music Store is now accessible in 11 more European countries. The remainder of the list includes Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Apple has revealed five additional store openings taking place this weekend. Outlets in Shanghai and Hong Kong were announced earlier this week, but the company has only just, for instance, confirmed that it will indeed launch the Metrotown location this week. The shop is based in Burnaby, British Columbia within the greater Vancouver area, and will start taking in the public at 10AM Saturday morning.
Two more Apple Stores are set to open this weekend, making for a total of four, checks show. The first is based in Bologna, Italy, and will launch on the ground floor of a building in Via Rizzoli in the city's center. The historic structure has reportedly had its façade renovated, and should give Apple better coverage in northern half of the country.
Apple has announced that two more international store openings will occur alongside the Burlington, Ontario launch happening this Saturday. In Germany the company is unveiling an Augsburg outlet, located within the City-Galerie. The opening will mark just the sixth for the country, which has still to see an Apple Store in the capital of Berlin, though plans are underway.
Apple is preparing two international store openings for this Saturday. The most important may be the one happening in Florence, Italy, where an outlet is launching in the I Gigli commercial center. The store will only be Italy's sixth, and the first in the middle of the country. Also rare is its operating hours, which will run from 9AM to 10PM seven days a week.
Apple is making a rare Italian store opening on Saturday. The shop will be based in the Fiordaliso commercial center in the town of Rozzano, and open at 10AM local time, with regular hours running from 9AM to 10PM Monday through Friday, and 8:30AM to 9PM on Saturdays. The first workshops are scheduled to take place on July 4th.
AppleCare may be violating the European Union's consumer protection laws, Italian officials suggest. The Italian government is said to be probing Apple's support plan because of European warranty laws, which guarantee at least two years of coverage on personal electronics. By default, Apple products include only a one-year warranty; AppleCare costs an extra fee, and only then extends coverage to two years on average, or three in the case of Macs and Cinema Displays.
Plans for four more Apple Stores are progressing in the US and in Europe. In Sarasota, Florida, management at the Westfield Southgate mall has acknowledged being in talks for an Apple location. When the store would open is uncertain, but it may reportedly arrive by the end of 2011, and fill a gap in Apple Stores between Tampa and Naples.
Online shipping times for the white iPhone 4 are stretching out in a number European countries. Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland and the UK are some of the major countries now listing a delay of a flat five days. Black iPhones are more readily available, shipping in the space of a day or two.
The French and Italian governments have become involved in examining the location history file found in iOS 4, reports say. The Italian Data Protection Authority has opened a formal investigation into the matter, although Reuters notes that the probe is an expansion of one into how mobile apps deal with personal data. France's CNIL is reportedly verifying the security issue, and says it will send Apple France a letter asking for an explanation next week.
Construction crews hired by Apple are already doing renovation work for the future Bologna, Italy Apple Store, accounts say. The company is taking up residence in Via Francesco Rizzoli 16, a historic three-level building near Piazza Maggiore. The scale of the store is such that it may compete with some of Apple's most high-profile outlets in cities like London, Paris and New York.
A bevy of new Apple Stores are in the works for 2011, a report says. At least several of these are forecast to open in Italy by the middle of the year, including one in Bologna, a previously unexpected outlet in Florence, and a second Milan location. Possible addresses for the Milan and Florence stores remain unknown.
Apple has posted People's Choice shortlists for iTunes Best Album & Song 2010, a voting competition being run by Apple. Some of the eligible albums include Lungs by Florence + The Machine, Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons, and Immersion by Pendulum. A few of the songs on offer include "Pack Up" by Eliza Doolittle, "Telephone" by Lady GaGa, and "Ridin' Solo" by Jason Derülo.
Contractors will start work on the construction of a fifth Italian Apple Store next month, says La Repubblica. The outlet will be based in the northern city of Bologna, and occupy a former Stephanel clothing shop at Via Francesco Rizzoli 16. The store itself should occupy 5,300 square feet spread across two floors. A third floor will be reserved for Apple offices and meeting space.
Apple has greatly expanded the international reach of the new Apple TV, bringing it to Mexico and Japan, as well as several European countries including Austria, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Some sample prices include a cost of €119 in Italy, and 129 CHF in Switzerland. Both of those regions should now have HD movie rentals via the iTunes Store.
Apple may be on the verge of making movies officially available in several more European countries, an Italian site claims. Macity notes that the option is, for instance, appearing for some iTunes and Apple TV users in Italy, although only by roundabout means; the option doesn't yet show in the iTunes Store's drop-down menus. A selection of movies is already present, such as Aliens, Avatar and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief .
UbiSoft has released an update to its stealth-based action game, Assassin's Creed 2 Deluxe Edition. The game tracks Ezio Auditore da Firenze in a story of family, vengeance and conspiracy set in Renaissance Italy. Gamers befriend Leonardo da Vinci, fight Florence’s most powerful families and explore the canals of Venice while learning master assassin skills.
A minister in the Italian parliament's Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) who is the undersecretary of tourism has directed the country's equivalent of the attorney general to investigate legal action against app maker Apalon for their program What Country. The minister believes the app defames Italy by mentioning that the country is best known for "Pizza, Mafia, Pasta, Scooters."
The upcoming weekend will see a flurry of international Apple Store launches, the company has confirmed. Germany is getting a fourth store on Saturday, based in Oberhausen's CentrO shopping complex. The facility is described as the largest of its kind in Europe, with luxuries such as a movie theater, water park and even a model train layout.
Apple is set to open its third retail store in all of Italy at 10AM on Saturday. The outlet is based in the Le Gru shopping mall in Torino, a city in the northern half of the country near the French border, best known for hosting the 2006 Winter Olympics. The store is unusually large next to others in the mall, dwarfed only by Carrefour, OBI and Fnac.
Apple has confirmed plans to release the iPhone 4 in 17 more regions on Friday. In North America, Canada will finally get the device; the bulk of additional launches are in Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Elsewhere, Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore will begin sales.
Some of Telecom Italia's iPhone 4 prices have been made public, a report from the country says. Contract-free, the phone is expected to cost €659 with 16GB of storage, and €779 with 32GB. Plans include tiers with 500, 1,000 and 1,500 voice minutes, costing €29, €49 and €69 per month.
The iPhone 4 may be set to launch in Italy sometime before July 30. The device is said to be heading to the three largest local carriers including Vodafone, 3 and TIM Italy, unnamed sources have told Notebook Italy.
Shipping times for international iPads are finally returning to a fixed schedule, updates at Apple's online stores indicate. The stores for Germany, Italy and the UK now show times of seven to 10 business days for all models. Previously, iPads were only set to ship in a broad "June" timeframe.
iPads are already being delivered to homes in Europe, incoming anecdotes appear to confirm. One UK reader tells MacNN that they had a 64GB iPad 3G delivered at approximately 8AM Thursday morning. Scattered accounts have in fact pointed to iPads arriving since earlier this week, including in Italy, where at least one person says they had a 32GB iPad 3G delivered, in this case via UPS. The earliest reports of iPads showing up in Europe date back to the 20th, though the unit may have been store stock or a gift.
