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Most Apple employees currently have to do their work from home. But how exactly do they communicate? Bloomberg has now answered this question and at the same time announced upcoming products such as a new HomePod, Apple TV, iMac and more.
The news site Bloomberg now claims to have learned more details about Apple's approach to home office. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both private individuals and companies are facing new challenges. While many can switch to home office, others are tied to the office. This is also the case at Apple. What was initially a little difficult due to the secrecy now seems to be working. But what about new products? According to Bloomberg, Apple is pushing ahead with the development of several new products that could be launched this year, including an updated HomePod and Apple TV, inexpensive iPads, a new Apple Watch and a new iMac. According to the Item:
Still, Apple hasn't given up on its efforts to build future devices. The company is working on new versions of the HomePod speaker, Apple TV set-top box, MacBook Pro, budget iPads, Apple Watch and iMac that will be available later this year.
While rumors about the HomePod have been around for some time, a new Apple TV model already revealed in the iOS 13.4 beta, also in a leaked version of iOS 14. Regarding the HomePod, it remains unclear whether this is a successor to the existing model or whether a cheaper version is to be expected. According to previous reports, Apple is said to be developing a slimmed down version of today's HomePod in planning - Bloomberg itself did not provide any details about the individual products. But how exactly is the development of software and hardware at Apple going? Bloomberg now wants to know that too. The article states:
Strict guidelines for working from home
Meetings have continued by phone and video conference. Apple requires its employees to communicate using its own FaceTime service, the app from Slack Technologies Inc. and Jabber or WebEx from Cisco Systems Inc. to ensure confidentiality. For file sharing, Apple limits work to its suite of productivity apps, Quip and Box from Salesforce.com Inc.
Bloomberg goes on to explain that work on the iPhone 12 could be continued. According to the current information, the new iPhone will definitely be released in the usual time frame - i.e. autumn. Regarding software development, Bloomberg explains:
As part of the work-from-home policy, Apple has strict policies in place about which employees are allowed to take future software versions home, including the next version of iOS, the platform that runs the iPhone and iPad. As with hardware, employees working on unreleased software like the upcoming iOS 14 will need approval from the highest levels of the company, the source said.
The development of software and hardware does not stand still
The same applies to hardware development. The news site writes:
In early March, Apple began allowing engineers to take home early versions of future devices to continue working during lockdown, breaking from its normal practice. Previously, the company allowed select employees to take home nearly competing devices, such as iPhones, for real-world testing.
Apple seems to have found a solution to push forward the development of new software and hardware. This means that delays cannot be ruled out - but the hope for new Apple products in 2020 can still remain. (Photo by franky242 / Bigstockphoto)
