Apple Reportedly in Active Talks With Multiple LiDAR Sensor Suppliers for Self-Driving Vehicle

by Joe Rossignol

Apple is in discussions with multiple suppliers of LiDAR sensors appropriate for a self-driving vehicle, according to Bloomberg. The report claims Apple is looking for sensors that would still be considered “cutting edge” four to five years from now.

As widely rumored, the report claims Apple has been working on a driverless vehicle project for several years. Apple is said to have independently developed most of the necessary software and artificial intelligence algorithms needed for the vehicle, but the so-called “Apple Car” is still believed to be years away from a potential release.

From the report:

The Cupertino, California-based technology giant is in active talks with a number of potential suppliers for these laser-based sensors that allow a car’s computer to “see” its surroundings, said the people, who asked not to be identified due to the private nature of the discussions. The company has been working on a driverless vehicle project for several years and has developed on its own most of the necessary software, underlying processors and artificial intelligence algorithms needed for such a sophisticated system.

In regulatory filings earlier this month, Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia said they are not in discussions with Apple over development of a self-driving vehicle. Hyundai had previously stated that it was in talks with Apple.

Top Stories

Prosser: 2021 iMac to Come in Five Colors, Apple Silicon Mac Pro to Resemble ‘Stacked’ Mac Minis

Hit-and-miss leaker Jon Prosser has today alleged that the upcoming 2021 iMac models will offer five color options, mirroring the colors of the fourth-generation iPad Air, and revealed a number of additional details about the Mac Pro with Apple Silicon.
In a new video on YouTube channel FrontPageTech, Prosser explained that the redesigned iMacs will come featuring options for Silver, Space …

Bill Gates Says His Preference for Android Over iPhone is Due to Pre-Installed Software

Friday February 26, 2021 3:35 am PST by Tim Hardwick

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates this week participated in his first meeting on Clubhouse, the increasingly popular invite-only conversation app, where he fielded a range of questions as part of an ongoing book tour. Gates was interviewed by journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, and given that the Clubhouse app is currently only available on iOS, naturally one of the questions that came up was…

M1 Mac Users Report Excessive SSD Wear

Over the past week, some M1 Mac users have been reporting alarming SSD health readings, suggesting that these devices are writing extraordinary amounts of data to their drives (via iMore).
Across Twitter and the MacRumors forums, users are reporting that M1 Macs are experiencing extremely high drive writes over a short space of time. In what appear to be the most severe cases, M1 Macs are sai…

Valve Ordered to Give Apple Information on 436 Steam Games As Part of Epic Games Legal Case

Thursday February 25, 2021 1:50 am PST by Sami Fathi

Valve, the makers behind popular game distribution platform Steam, will be forced to hand over aggregate historical sales, price, and other information on 436 games hosted on the store to Apple, as part of the Apple vs. Epic Games antitrust case.
As reported in a paywalled report by Law360, during a virtual discovery hearing on Wednesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson ordered that…

Kuo: New MacBook Pro Models With HDMI Port and SD Card Reader to Launch Later This Year

Monday February 22, 2021 8:52 pm PST by Joe Rossignol

Apple plans to release two new MacBook Pro models equipped with an HDMI port and SD card reader in the second half of 2021, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who outlined his expectations in a research note obtained by MacRumors. The return of an SD card reader was first reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman last month.
“We predict that Apple’s two new MacBook Pro models in 2H21 will have…

iPhone 13 Lineup Expected to Use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X60 Modem With Several 5G Improvements

Wednesday February 24, 2021 8:10 am PST by Joe Rossignol

Apple’s next-generation iPhone 13 lineup will use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X60 5G modem, with Samsung to handle manufacturing of the chip, according to DigiTimes.
Built on a 5nm process, the X60 packs higher power efficiency into a smaller footprint compared to the 7nm-based Snapdragon X55 modem used in iPhone 12 models, which could contribute to longer battery life. With the X60 modem, iPhone…

Anker Releases MagSafe-Compatible Battery Pack for iPhone 12 Lineup

Tuesday February 23, 2021 7:49 am PST by Joe Rossignol

Following rumors that Apple is working on a MagSafe battery pack for iPhone 12 models, popular accessory maker Anker has beaten Apple to the punch with the release of its PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless Power Bank.
First previewed at CES 2021, the PowerCore battery pack magnetically attaches to the back of any iPhone 12 model and provides 5W of wireless charging. With a 5,000 mAh capacity,…

Read More

Joe Rossignol