A banking coalition, including the dominant Norwegian payment app Vipps, wants the EU to initiate anti-monopoly action against Apple until Apple Pay’s NFC tech is made available.  Tuesday’s closed-door meeting by the European Union on Apple’s alleged antitrust violations prompted the Norwegian payment company Vipps to call for swift action against Apple Pay.

Reuters reports that Vipps was present at the session.  Vipps’ choice to speak may be a sign that Apple’s case is compelling. However, the EU hasn’t yet made public its conclusions following the meeting behind closed doors. Regardless of the outcome of the hearing, Vipps said that the EU should now compel Apple to grant access to its NFC tech to (other brands).

Rune Garborg, CEO of Vipps, said, “78% of card transactions in Norway are done through terminals . That’s why NFC is so important, especially among young people”. He adds “But Apple only shares NFC with banks, and banks have to pay for installing bank cards in Apple Pay. But for our wallets, we don’t have permission to open NFC.”

Vipps attended the European Union conference behind closed doors. At this event, Apple is anticipated to make the case for itself. It will try to convince the conference that it does not bar other firms from using its NFC tech. The firm is a member of the Norges Bank group. The business has tested NFC substitutes, but they are unviable and too complex.

Regarding Vipps’ assertion, Apple made no comments.  As part of its response to the EU investigation, Apple has already maintained its position.

“We designed Apple Pay to provide users with an easy and secure way to digitally present their existing payment cards and enable banks and other financial institutions to offer their customers contactless payments. Apple Pay is only available for consumers in Europe. One of the many options available to consumers for making payments, it ensures equal access to NFC while setting an industry-leading standard for privacy and security.”

Apple reportedly secured a new patent today, fueling speculation that the company may introduce a gadget with a foldable screen. According to the patent description, users can do more with this device and not just with the screen. They can execute specific tasks even without touching the display. Users may control the camera, for instance, by touching the device’s side. The company refers to this “side control” as a virtual shutter button. Also, users can adjust the volume by sliding their fingers up and down the device’s side.

A picture of a foldable phone or tablet with a “wrap-around” screen is also shown in the patent description. Contrary to competitors like Samsung, Apple has not yet introduced a foldable iPhone or any other product. But according to certain analysts, Apple will likely introduce such a product soon. The fresh patent that was obtained this time has increased people’s hopes even more.

The patent may suggest that Apple will release a foldable tablet. However, a comment from USB analysts claims that this will not happen this year. UBS thinks that the demand for upcoming iPhones will increase as a result of flexible screens. “We expect that the foldable screen iPhone will drive the purchase rate and upgrade rate of consumers,” UBS analysts stated in the research.

Foldable phones currently make up a very small portion of the entire mobile phone industry.  Foldable screen phones will only represent 1.1% of all mobile phone shipments in 2022, according to IDC estimates.  Some analysts have claimed that Apple may release a foldable gadget in the upcoming months. However, the device will not be an iPhone. For iPhones, Apple is hesitant to follow a new fad and instead prefers to wait for the tech to advance.

According to market research company CCS Insight, Apple will be the first company to release an iPad with a folding screen in 2024. Apple will buck the trend and take the lead in testing with the iPad instead of launching a foldable iPhone at this time. For Apple, it doesn’t make much sense to launch a foldable iPhone at the moment. In addition, renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks that an iPad with a foldable screen would be released by Apple in 2024.

TrendForce released a report saying that Apple will introduce Micro LED tech into consumer electronics products. According to the report, the first product to use this new Micro LED tech will be a Watch that will arrive in 2024. The report also claims that the new Watch in 2024 will introduce Micro LED as a breakthrough display tech. In addition to expanding the display size to over 2 inches, it is expected that the brightness specs will increase. It will meet the requirements of outdoor sports enthusiasts and professionals.

TrendForce believes that Micro LED technology will gradually be introduced into other products of the company after 2024. Benefiting from Apple’s first application, the application range of Micro LED tech has the opportunity to expand to AR glasses, mobile phones, automotive displays and other devices in 2026 – 2030.

Talking about Apple’s delay in entering the field of OLED foldable mobile phones, TrendForce said that one possible reason is that Micro LED tech can be flexibly matched with rigid substrates such as glass and CMOS. There is also very good matching on the substrate. Therefore, Micro LED may also become the display tech for iPhone products to enter folding, scrolling, and even extended displays in the future. It can also become another key tech for the company to achieve product innovation and overtake other brands.

I am a tech enthusiast and have been writing tech for over seven years. Whether it's hardware development or software advancement, I'm game. I also have a keen interest in how the politics of different regions affect technological advancement. As a heavy-duty editor, I sleep and wake with my mobile phone, and data connection 24/7. My PC is never more than a metre from me.

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