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Midweek news bites: new budget iPhone, Apple’s next app, 5G iPhones

We don’t have time to write about every single piece of Apple news that comes our way, and you probably don’t have time to read it either. So each week we take the smaller stories from around the web – things that are interesting, but don’t warrant full articles – and bundle them into a bite-sized package for easy digestion.

Please dig into this week’s Apple bites, freshly sourced from all around the web. As ever, click through to read the full stories if you want to know more!

New budget iPhone coming in 2020?

Sources from China claim Apple is preparing a revamp of the iPhone 8 for release early next year, to help garner more sales in the mid-range market. This would be a good move for people who like the iOS ecosystem but don’t need the latest and greatest iPhone, or for anyone who misses the Home button and the old 4.7-inch design. We think it would be a good move, especially as Apple turns more to services revenue, and would help plug the gap left by the iPhone SE.

Procreate adds text editing features

Our favorite illustration app for iOS has just added the ability to add text to drawings with its latest update. While this might sound like a fairly simple tool, it’s one of the few things that was lacking from an app that specialized in digital drawing and painting. Its new text tool looks incredibly robust, with professional-level features you’d normally associate with desktop-class software. See our Procreate pro tips for digital illustrators for more!

Stunning new ‘Shot on iPhone XS’ video

Ahead of Earth Day, Apple has released a new video showcasing the camera capabilities of its flagship device. Entitled “Don’t mess with Mother”, it shows a whole bunch of incredible wildlife photography shot on iPhone XS. The quality is reminiscent of shows like Planet Earth, and it really is amazing that a gadget millions of us carry around in our pockets are capable of producing something that would have cost many thousands of dollars to capture just a decade or so ago.

Apple working on new ‘Find’ products

According to developer Guilherme Rambo, Apple is working to unify its Find My iPhone and Find My Friends tracking apps into a single all-new app that will work on both iOS and macOS. Additionally, the company is said to be working on a Tile-like tracking gadget that can be stowed in a bag or clipped to a valuable object to keep track of it via the app.

Apple settles Qualcomm beef in 5G push

Apple’s two-year legal dispute with chip-maker Qualcomm has come to an end, with Apple choosing to settle out of court rather than continue fighting and run the risk of missing out on Qualcomm’s latest supply of iPhone components: specifically, its top-of-the-line 5G modems. Apple previously thought it could rely in Intel for these parts, but doesn’t seem so sure anymore it no longer wants to risk falling behind as smartphone makers race to include 5G cellular connections in their devices.