New Home App Is Kaput and No NFL Sunday Ticket on Apple TV+

Ken Ray is enjoying some pre holiday time away from the Observation Deck, so I’ve been watching over things. Today, I’ve got my eye on HomeKit, Apple asking too much from the NFL and a weird bug that only seems to affect the iPhone 14 Pro models.

Apple’s New Home App Architecture Pulled After Multiple Issues

Apple released iOS 16.2 in December, which included a new Home app architecture designed to improve efficiency and reliability when using HomeKit accessories. However, the iPhone maker has since removed the option to upgrade to the new architecture after receiving numerous complaints from users experiencing issues with their HomeKit devices.

According to MacRumors, some users reported their devices getting stuck in the “updating” or “configuring” status, while others experienced their accessories disappearing from the Home app or being unable to share their Home with other users. In addition, there were also reports of HomeKit Secure Video no longer recording.

Strange iOS 16 Bug Causes Flashing Horizontal Lines on Startup

Also from MacRumors, we’ve got word of a strange bug that sounds like a hardware problem but Apple says isn’t. Reports have grown of iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max users seeing horizontal lines flashing across their device’s display when they turn it on.

While this sounds like it would be a hardware issue, many users say Apple Support labels it as a bug in iOS 16:

On one thread on Reddit, dozens of ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ users are reporting that one or more green and yellow lines may flash across the screen before disappearing a few seconds later when the device is being turned on. According to those same users, Apple Support has informed them the issue is not a result of a hardware defect but is a bug in iOS 16.

Many of the affected users say the issue began with iOS 16.2, but some report it’s been happening even before that. There’s no word from Apple on when the issue might be fixed. However, iOS 16.3 is already in early beta testing with an expected launch in January or February.

Apple’s Attempt to Get More Out of NFL Sunday Ticket Is a Swing and a Miss

I know I’m mixing up sports there, but it seems appropriate. Apple had reportedly been the top contender for buying up the streaming rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, but pulled itself out of the running. The NFL announced Thursday that YouTube will be the new streaming home for the service.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement pointing out the importance of the partnership.

We’re excited to bring NFL Sunday Ticket to YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels and usher in a new era of how fans across the United States watch and follow the NFL.

For a number of years we have been focused on increased digital distribution of our games and this partnership is yet another example of us looking towards the future and building the next generation of NFL fans.

So why YouTube and not Apple? According to The Athletic, Apple wanted more than the NFL was willing to put on the table. The Cupertino-based company was apparently trying to get rights to distribute Sunday Ticket on “as yet non-existent platforms.”

Apple is heavily investing in virtual reality and augmented reality, nascent platforms in which sports are so far largely not viewed. As a result, Apple wanted what is dubbed known and unknown rights, individuals familiar with the NFL and Apple said. In other words, there is no known virtual reality market for Sunday Ticket, but there might be one day.

Today On The Mac Observer’s Daily Observations Podcast

What do relatively recent Macs and a proposed battery rule have in common? TMO writer Nick deCourville says Apple’s Self Service Repair may be the answer. Plus, Nick and Ken look at some of their favorite Apple TV+ titles of 2022. That’s today on the Daily Observations Podcast from The Mac Observer.
Tags: Apple TV+, HomeKit, iPhone 14