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Testing the New iOS 18.1 Hearing Aid Functionality With iOS 18.1, ...

2024-10-22T02:15:10+02:00

Testing the New iOS 18.1 Hearing Aid Functionality

With iOS 18.1, Apple is adding a new set of hearing health features to the AirPods Pro 2. The iOS 18.1 release candidate for developers and public beta testers includes the full hearing aid functionality, so we thought we'd give it a try to see just how it works.

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To use the new hearing health features, you need to connect your ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 to an iPhone running iOS 18.1, or an iPad with iPadOS 18.1. From there, if you tap into the ‌AirPods Pro‌ section, you'll see an option to take a hearing test, which should be your first stop.

Apple's hearing test mimics the hearing tests you might have had conducted at a doctor's office or by an audiologist, and it's meant to determine whether you have any hearing loss. If you do have hearing loss, the test determines which frequencies you're struggling with.

With the AirPods in your ears, you can tap "Get Started" to take the hearing test. The test takes approximately five minutes, starting first with the left ear and then moving on to the right ear. You'll hear a series of tones at different frequencies and sound levels, and the idea is to tap the ‌iPhone‌'s screen whenever you hear a sound. The tones that you hear test for four frequencies, including 500Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, and 4kHz.

Apple puts your ‌iPhone‌ in Do Not Disturb mode for the test, and also uses your AirPods to make sure it's quiet enough for the test to be conducted. The test is designed for adults that are 18 years or older, and it shouldn't be done when you have allergies, a cold, an ear infection, or a sinus issue, which can affect the results. Apple also recommends waiting to take the test at least 24 hours after you've been exposed to loud noise like a concert or construction, as this can also impact the hearing test.

After going through the hearing test steps, you'll get your Hearing Test results, with separate decibel levels detected for each ear. If you get a 5 dBHL reading for each ear, for example, you have little to no hearing loss and will not need adjustments to your AirPods.

Apple says that results up to 25 dBHL indicate little to no hearing loss. 26 to 40 dBHL is a sign of mild hearing loss, while results of 41 to 60 dBHL suggest moderate hearing loss. 61 to 80 dBHL is severe hearing loss, and a result above 80 dBHL is considered profound hearing loss.

For context, a whisper is around 20 decibels, while a person breathing is somewhere around 10 decibels. Rainfall is 50 decibels, and a standard conversation is 60 decibels. With no hearing loss, you can hear a whisper, and with mild loss, you can still hear and repeat words spoken in a normal voice from three feet away. With moderate loss, you can hear and repeat words spoken in a raised voice from three feet away.

If your test shows mild to moderate hearing loss, you'll have the option to turn on the Hearing Aid feature of the ‌AirPods Pro‌. With this enabled, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ can use the data from your test to boost the frequencies that you have trouble hearing, making it easier to hear voices and other sounds around you.

There's also a Media Assist feature that goes along with the Hearing Aid function, and it adjusts music, videos, and calls so you can hear them better. You can also turn on the Hearing Aid feature using an audiogram from an audiologist if you don't want to take the test on the ‌iPhone‌.

Note that if your test showed no hearing loss, Apple will not recommend changes to your AirPods tuning, and there will not be an option to turn on the Hearing Aid feature.

To see even more information from your Hearing Test, you can go to the Hearing section of the Health app and tap into the test to see a graph of which frequencies you had the most trouble with.

Along with Hearing Assistance, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 also offer Hearing Protection as part of Apple's Hearing Health feature set. This includes a Loud Sound Reduction option that is enabled automatically. Loud Sound Reduction listens for loud noises around you in Transparency and Adaptive Modes, and reduces the level of the noise to prevent hearing loss.

If you're at a concert, for example, Loud Sound Reduction will drop the noise to a healthier level so that it won't impact your hearing. The same goes for other loud sounds like nearby construction work.

Apple says that in Transparency Mode, you'll see 11-15 decibels of sound reduction in an environment where the noise level is at 100 decibels, while in Adaptive Mode, noise reduction will range from 25 to 29 decibels. With Active Noise Cancellation, noise reduction is 25 to 30 decibels.

The amount of noise reduction can vary based on the fit of the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 and the environment that you're in. The ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 don't provide enough sound reduction for "extremely loud impulse sounds" like gunfire, jackhammers, or fireworks, nor do they work well enough for sustained noise levels louder than 110 decibels.

In the Health app under the Environmental Sound Reduction section, you can see the amount of sound reduction you've gotten from your ‌AirPods Pro‌ from hour to hour.

If you have the iOS 18.1 developer or public beta and ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2, you can try out the new hearing test and hearing aid feature right now. Otherwise, this functionality is set to become available to the public when iOS 18.1 launches next week.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods
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Qualcomm Says New Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC Has 'World's ...

2024-10-22T01:15:10+02:00

Qualcomm Says New Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC Has 'World's Fastest Mobile CPU'

Qualcomm today unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform, which features a next-generation custom Qualcomm-designed Oryon CPU instead of the semi-custom Kryo Arm-based chips from prior SoCs. According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Elite features the "world's fastest mobile CPU," outperforming even the A18 Pro chip in the iPhone 16 Pro series.

The Oryon CPU is built on a 3-nanometer process, much like Apple's most recent chips. It has eight cores in total, including two prime cores and six performance cores, and it is able to reach peak CPU speeds of 4.32 GHz. Qualcomm also claims that it has the "industry's largest shared cache" to enable "insanely fast data retrieval." There's also a new "Adreno" GPU, and Qualcomm says it uses a "revolutionary sliced architecture" for faster performance and battery life optimizations.

Qualcomm built the chip with generative AI in mind, and it has an included Qualcomm AI Engine with Multimodal Gen AI that Qualcomm says can better understand voice, text, and images, viewing the world through the camera on a smartphone to help with tasks.

Compared to prior-generation Qualcomm chips, the Snapdragon 8 Elite features 45 percent faster CPU performance and 44 percent better power efficiency.

Tag: Qualcomm
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iPad Mini 7 Will Have Day One Update ...

2024-10-22T00:15:10+02:00

iPad Mini 7 Will Have Day One Update

Apple is set to release the iPad mini 7 on Wednesday, and new iPad mini owners will have an update waiting right out of the box. Apple is shipping the ‌iPad mini 7‌ with a version of iOS 18.0, which is no longer the current version of iOS 18.

‌iPad mini‌ owners will need to install iOS 18.0.1, and Apple has a special version of the update ready to go, with a version number of 22A8380. iOS 18.0.1 included some important bug fixes and security updates, so it'll be worth updating to right away if you're getting a new ‌iPad mini‌.

After that day one update, ‌iPad mini‌ owners will need to install a second update next Monday, which is when Apple will release iOS 18.1. iOS 18.1 is the first version of ‌iOS 18‌ that includes Apple Intelligence features, which the ‌iPad mini 7‌ will support with its A17 Pro chip.

Apple Pencil Pro. The ‌iPad mini 7‌ is priced starting at $499.
Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad
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WhatsApp for iOS Gets New Home Screen Widget for Chats, Camera ...

2024-10-21T23:45:11+02:00

WhatsApp for iOS Gets New Home Screen Widget for Chats, Camera Updates

Popular messaging app WhatsApp was today updated to add a new Home Screen widget that's specific to chats. The widget is available on the iPhone after updating to version 24.21.81, which came out this afternoon.

After updating the widget can be added to the ‌Home Screen‌ using the Edit interface. Users can choose from Recents, Favorites, Pinned, or Frequently Contacted to get quick access to their preferred chats.

WhatsApp has also added support for using 0.5x to 3x zoom with the built-in camera, and there is an option to mention others in Status by tapping the @ button in the composer.

Tag: WhatsApp
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Hulu and Disney+ No Longer Support Signups and Payment Using App ...

2024-10-21T22:45:09+02:00

Hulu and Disney+ No Longer Support Signups and Payment Using App Store

Disney is no longer allowing its customers to sign up for and purchase subscriptions to Hulu or Disney+ through Apple's App Store, cutting out any subscription fees that Disney would have needed to pay to Apple for using in-app purchase.

The change was noted on Reddit over the weekend, and there are details on the Disney+ and Hulu websites. Both the Disney+ and Hulu websites say that new and returning subscribers cannot sign up for and pay through Apple, but existing Apple-billed subscribers are not affected.

Hulu and Disney+ customers can still watch content on Apple devices by signing into their Hulu and Disney+ accounts in the iOS apps. Disney directs customers to its websites in order to see all plans and sign up for a subscription directly.

For digital purchases like subscription services, Apple collects a 15 to 30 percent fee from each transaction. By removing the option to sign up for streaming services using the in-app purchase system, Disney will not have to pay a fee to Apple.

Tags: App Store, Disney, Disney Plus, Hulu
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Apple Working on New Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2 and Magic ...

2024-10-21T20:00:17+02:00

Apple Working on New Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2 and Magic Keyboard

Apple may soon release new versions of the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad, according to code found in the iOS 18.1 release candidate by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.

There are references to a new Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2, and several Magic Keyboards, which would include versions with Touch ID and number pads, as well as models without.

While there is no information in iOS 18.1 about what to expect for these devices, we are expecting them to be refreshed with USB-C ports. Apple has been updating all of its devices to replace Lightning with USB-C, and all of those accessories currently use Lightning for recharging purposes. Apple could also move the port location on the Magic Mouse, as the Lightning port located on the bottom of the device has long been a subject of ridicule.

We'll likely see Apple introduce the new Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard alongside new M4 Mac models. Rumors suggest that Apple plans to release M4 versions of the MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac at some point in October.
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Apple Seeds macOS Sequoia 15.1 Release Candidate ...

2024-10-21T19:45:10+02:00

Apple Seeds macOS Sequoia 15.1 Release Candidate

Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of an upcoming macOS Sequoia 15.1 update, with the new software coming one week after Apple released the seventh beta.

Registered developers can opt-in to the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. An Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

first Apple Intelligence features, adding support for Writing Tools, new Siri features, Smart Replies in Mail and Messages, Priority messages in the Mail app, Memory Movie and Clean Up in Photos, and more.

does not include Image Playground, Genmoji, or more advanced ‌Siri‌ functionality.

Related Roundup: macOS Sequoia
Related Forum: macOS Sequoia
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Apple Seeds watchOS 11.1, visionOS 2.1, and tvOS 18.1 Release ...

2024-10-21T19:15:13+02:00

Apple Seeds watchOS 11.1, visionOS 2.1, and tvOS 18.1 Release Candidates

Apple today seeded release candidate versions of upcoming watchOS 11.1, visionOS 2.1, and tvOS 18.1 updates to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes. The new software comes approximately week after Apple released the fourth betas.

watchOS 11.1 can be installed by going to the Apple Watch app and selecting the Software Update section under "General" in Settings. tvOS 18.1 can be downloaded and installed through the Apple TV Settings app, and visionOS 2.1 can be installed by going to the Software Update section of the Settings app on the Vision Pro and opting into Beta Updates.

So far, no major new features have been discovered in these three updates, though there are undoubtedly some minor feature tweaks and bug fixes that we'll learn about when Apple's release notes become available.

macOS Sequoia 15.1, which will introduce Apple Intelligence. There are no Apple Intelligence features in watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS as of yet.

MacRumors readers when updates are available so those who are developers can download new software upon release.
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Tesla Plans to Release Apple Watch App That Will Work as a ...

2024-10-21T18:30:13+02:00

Tesla Plans to Release Apple Watch App That Will Work as a Digital Key

Tesla last week updated its iPhone app with new Control Center controls on iOS 18. In addition, the latest version of the app added hidden code references to an upcoming Apple Watch version of the app, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.

The code indicates that it will be possible to use the Apple Watch as a digital key to remotely unlock compatible Tesla vehicles. Currently, this functionality is only available through unofficial, third-party Apple Watch apps on the App Store.

seemed open to Tesla releasing an Apple Watch app, and the code confirms that development is underway. It is unclear when the app will be released, should it move beyond the internal development stage.
Tag: Tesla
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AirPods Pro vs. AirPods Max Buyer's Guide: 30+ Differences ...

2024-10-21T17:45:10+02:00

AirPods Pro vs. AirPods Max Buyer's Guide: 30+ Differences Compared

The AirPods Pro and AirPods Max are Apple's highest-end headphone options, so which should you choose?

Almost three years after the launch of the first-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌, Apple unveiled the second-generation model alongside the iPhone 14 lineup and several new Apple Watches in 2022, and swapped the Lightning port for USB-C a year later in 2023. Although the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ feature the same design as their predecessor, they improve on features like Active Noise Cancellation, in-ear detection, and battery life, while introducing new functionality like Adaptive Transparency, volume adjustment touch controls, and precision finding.

Siri, and automatic switching. In September 2024, the company refreshed the ‌AirPods Max‌'s selection of color options and swapped the Lightning port for USB-C.

As the two high-end AirPods options, should you consider purchasing the $249 third-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌, or do you need the ‌AirPods Max‌, which still sell for $549? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these AirPods are best for you.

‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 (2022, 2023)
‌AirPods Max‌ (2020, 2024)

Plastic design
Aluminum, stainless steel, and silicone design

IPX4 sweat and water resistant earbuds and charging case

Available in White only
Lightning: Available in Silver, Space Gray, Sky Blue, Pink, and Green
USB-C: Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Purple, and Orange

In-ear fit with silicone ear tips (four size options)
Over-ear fit

Clip-on silicone ear tips (four size options)
Magnetic fabric ear cups

Skin-detect sensors
Optical IR sensors

~10mm custom high-excursion Apple drivers and high dynamic range amplifiers
20mm dynamic Apple drivers and more powerful high dynamic range amplifiers

Dual beamforming microphones and inward-facing microphones
Nine microphones (eight used for Active Noise Cancellation, three used for voice pickup)

H2 chips
H1 chips

Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth 5.0

Lightning: 2.4GHz connectivity
USB-C: 2.4GHz and 5GHz connectivity
2.4GHz connectivity

USB-C: Lossless audio support with Apple Vision Pro

"Hey ‌Siri‌" and "‌Siri‌" voice commands
"Hey ‌Siri‌" voice commands

Force sensor for media and listening mode controls
Noise control button for listening mode controls

Touch controls for volume adjustment
Digital Crown for media controls and volume adjustment

Transparency and Adaptive Transparency
Transparency

Adaptive Audio

Conversation Awareness

Conversation Boost

Loud Sound Reduction

Hearing Protection (coming fall 2024)

Hearing Test (coming fall 2024)

Hearing Aid (coming fall 2024)

Lanyard loop

U1 chip for Precision Finding

Speaker in charging case for Find My

Up to 6 hours of listening time on a single charge
Up to 20 hours hours of listening time on a single charge

5 minutes in the case provides around 1 hour of listening time
5 minutes of charge time provides around 1.5 hours of listening time

Charge with Apple Watch charger, MagSafe charger, Qi wireless charging mats, and Lightning or USB-C (depending on model)
Charge via USB-C or Lightning only (depending on model)

‌MagSafe‌ Charging Case
Smart Case to preserve battery charge in ultra-low-power state

$249
$549

While there is some overlap between the ‌AirPods Pro‌ and ‌AirPods Max‌ with features like Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency, the entirely different fit and form factor of the headphones should make it easier for most customers to decide which device they prefer.

The ‌AirPods Max‌ offer a wide range of color options and a more premium design, as well as much longer continuous battery life from a single charge. Owing to its over-ear design and significantly larger drivers, the ‌AirPods Max‌ deliver markedly better audio quality than the ‌AirPods Pro‌, so if your main priority is audio quality, the ‌AirPods Max‌ will undoubtedly be the best choice. If you actively dislike the in-ear design of the ‌AirPods Pro‌, the ‌AirPods Max‌ may also be more comfortable.

On the other hand, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ offer a high-level of convenience and portability due to their small size and charging case. The audio quality of ‌AirPods Pro‌ cannot rival ‌AirPods Max‌, but features like Adaptive Audio, Loud Sound Reduction, and Conversation Boost are ideal for when you're on the go. Due to their lightweight, in-ear design and sweat and water resistance, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ are also perfect for workouts.

The ‌AirPods Pro‌ are much more versatile when it comes to charging, with four different ways to charge, compared to the ‌AirPods Max‌'s obligatory USB-C or Lightning port option, depending on whether you buy the latest version. Due to their size, weight, less durable design, and limited portability, the ‌AirPods Max‌ are best used at home for high-fidelity, prolonged listening sessions, while the ‌AirPods Pro‌ offer a more balanced experience with a high level of convenience and portability.

It is also worth noting that the ‌AirPods Pro‌ have many more features than the ‌AirPods Max‌, such as "‌‌Siri‌‌" voice commands, Precision Finding, Bluetooth 5.3, and lossless audio support, as well as the new hearing protection, testing, and aid features.

using our Deals roundup.
Related Roundups: AirPods Max, AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Buy Now), AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods
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Tim Cook Admits Truth About Vision Pro Following Lackluster Sales ...

2024-10-21T17:30:13+02:00

Tim Cook Admits Truth About Vision Pro Following Lackluster Sales

The Wall Street Journal's Ben Cohen this summer interviewed Apple CEO Tim Cook about innovation, the Vision Pro, Apple Intelligence, and more.

Image Credit: Vanity Fair

Cohen said Apple's approach to innovation can be described in four words: "Not first, but best."

"We're perfectly fine with not being first," said Cook. "As it turns out, it takes a while to get it really great. It takes a lot of iteration. It takes worrying about every detail. Sometimes, it takes a little longer to do that. We would rather come out with that kind of product and that kind of contribution to people versus running to get something out first. If we can do both, that's fantastic. But if we can only do one, there's no doubt around here. If you talk to 100 people, 100 of them would tell you: It's about being the best."

Cook admitted that the Vision Pro headset is not a mass-market product due to its high price.

"At $3,500, it's not a mass-market product," said Cook. "Right now, it's an early-adopter product. People who want to have tomorrow's technology today—that's who it's for. Fortunately, there's enough people who are in that camp that it's exciting."

would be under 500,000 units this year.

Cook said Apple Intelligence makes the experience of using Apple products "profoundly different."

"I think we'll look back and it will be one of these air pockets that happened to get you on a different technology curve," said Cook.

The wide-ranging interview touches on many other topics, including Cook's daily routine, lessons he learned from Steve Jobs, and more.

Bloomberg today also published a story about Cook's role on Nike's board of directors, which he joined in 2005. The report states that Cook supported the appointment of Elliott Hill as Nike's new CEO this month, after the shoe maker experienced declining sales and profit this year. Cook is often spotted wearing Nike shoes, and Apple has partnered with Nike on several products and accessories over the past few decades.
Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Tag: Tim Cook
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro
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Get the Apple Pencil Pro for $94.99 on Amazon, Plus Low Prices on ...

2024-10-21T16:30:13+02:00

Get the Apple Pencil Pro for $94.99 on Amazon, Plus Low Prices on Magic Keyboards, AirTag, and More

Amazon this week has a few solid deals on popular Apple accessories, including the Apple Pencil Pro, M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboards, AirTag, and MagSafe Charger.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Apple Pencil

Starting with the Apple Pencil Pro, you can get this accessory for $94.99, down from $129.00. Although this is not an all-time low price, it's just $5 higher compared to that record low Prime Day price we saw earlier in the month. Amazon also has the USB-C Apple Pencil available for $69.00, down from $79.00.

$34 OFF
Apple Pencil Pro for $94.99

$10 OFF
Apple Pencil (USB-C) for $69.00

Magic Keyboard

Moving to the new 2024 Magic Keyboards, you can get the 11-inch model in Black for $259.99, down from $299.00. This is a new all-time low price on this version of the accessory, and it beats the Prime Day price by about $10.

$39 OFF
11-inch M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard for $259.99

$299.99 in both colors, down from $349.00. This is another record low price on the Magic Keyboard, and you'll find similar delivery estimates of late October for this model.

$49 OFF
13-inch M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard for $299.99

MagSafe Charger

Amazon introduced a few deals on Apple's new lineup of MagSafe Chargers earlier in the month, and one discount is still around. This week, you can get 2-meter model for $39.00, down from $49.00.

$10 OFF
2-meter MagSafe Charger for $39.00

The new MagSafe Chargers provide overall faster charging speeds with compatible iPhone models. When paired with a 30W power adapter, iPhone 16 models can charge at up to 25W wirelessly over MagSafe, which is 10W faster than a regular non-MagSafe Qi2 wireless charger.

AirTag

Finally, Amazon has both the AirTag 1 Pack and 4 Pack on sale this week at solid second-best prices. You can get the 1 Pack for $24.99 and the 4 Pack for $79.98.

$4 OFF
AirTag 1 Pack for $24.99

$19 OFF
AirTag 4 Pack for $79.98

Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Apple Confirms AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Features Launching in iOS ...

2024-10-21T14:45:10+02:00

Apple Confirms AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Features Launching in iOS 18.1 Next Week

Apple will release iOS 18.1 next week, introducing a suite of advanced hearing health capabilities to the AirPods Pro 2 and the first Apple Intelligence features.

The timing of the update was confirmed by reviewers who were given early access to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2's new hearing health features, which are now known to be included in the update. The update will include three core features: hearing protection, hearing testing, and hearing aid functionality. Apple obtained FDA authorization for the new features last month.

iPhone. The test works by playing a series of tones across different frequencies and prompting users to respond, much like a clinical hearing test performed by audiologists. The results are stored in the Health app, and users can adjust their AirPods' audio settings accordingly.

If the test indicates hearing loss, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 can automatically configure themselves to act as hearing aids, boosting specific sounds in real time. As Apple's Vice President of Health, Dr. Sumbul Desai, explained during Apple's event announcing the feature: "After you take a hearing test, your ‌AirPods Pro‌ are transformed into a personalized hearing aid, boosting the specific sounds you need in real time, like parts of speech, or elements within your environment."

The Verge, Wired, TechRadar, CNBC, and Tom's Guide, for first impressions of the feature.

Siri to answer questions about Apple products, smart replies to emails and messages, a revamped Clean Up tool in Photos, and more. Further Apple Intelligence features, such as an enhanced version of ‌Siri‌ with ChatGPT integration, will arrive in another update at a later date.
Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Tags: Apple Intelligence, Hearing
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods
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New Entry-Level iPad With Apple Intelligence Likely Coming Late ...

2024-10-21T14:15:12+02:00

New Entry-Level iPad With Apple Intelligence Likely Coming Late 2025

Apple's most affordable iPad model will receive an update with Apple Intelligence capabilities in late 2025, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has suggested.

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that the iPhone SE is expected to gain Apple Intelligence features in March 2025, with the entry-level iPad following "later in the year." Gurman went on to suggest that nearly every Apple device with a screen will support Apple Intelligence by 2026.

The timeline indicates a significant gap since the last refresh of the entry-level iPad, which occurred in October 2022. The delayed update could be attributed to the technical requirements of implementing AI capabilities in a budget-friendly $349 device.

The current 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ has an A14 chip that was first used in the iPhone 12 lineup, and it's getting outdated. The logical choice for the next ‌iPad‌ is the A16 that was used in the iPhone 15 models, but if Apple wants to make Apple Intelligence as accessible as possible, an A17 Pro chip or A18 chip would likely be necessary.

announced the latest iPad mini with Apple Intelligence support via a standalone press release. The company also lowered the price of the existing iPad 10 and stopped including a charger with the device in Europe. It's highly unlikely that Apple would have changed its iPad lineup in this way if an iPad 11 was imminent.

Related Roundup: iPad
Tag: Mark Gurman
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)
Related Forum: iPad
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Apple Unlikely to Launch Larger iPhone SE 4 'Plus' Model, ...

2024-10-21T13:15:09+02:00

Apple Unlikely to Launch Larger iPhone SE 4 'Plus' Model, Despite Rumor

A new rumor suggests Apple might be developing a larger "Plus" version of the upcoming iPhone SE 4, but the claim appears highly dubious given previous reports and Apple's typical strategy for its budget iPhone line.

Alleged dummy iPhone SE 4 units via Mac Otakara

Mac Otakara shared images of alleged iPhone SE 4 dummy units on Sunday, claiming there could be both 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch models in development. The blog cites unverified sources from Alibaba for its information.

While the dummy units align with previous rumors about the iPhone SE 4's design – showing a device matching the iPhone 14's dimensions with a notched display and single rear camera – the claim of a larger model contradicts all prior reporting on Apple's plans. No other leakers or supply chain reports have mentioned a larger SE model.

Mac Otakara has provided accurate information in the past, but has also shared some claims that didn't pan out. The blog itself notes that the "final precision design and size expansion have not been decided," suggesting a degree of uncertainty even in their own reporting. Mac Otakara further underlined its lack of conviction by telling MacRumors: "It is possible that only the 6.1-inch model will actually be released."

previous reports of poor sales of Plus models in its flagship smartphone lineup.

rumor roundup.
Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Tag: Mac Otakara
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPhone
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Gurman: Apple Believes Its AI Technology Is Two Years Behind ...

2024-10-21T12:30:16+02:00

Gurman: Apple Believes Its AI Technology Is Two Years Behind Rivals

Some Apple employees believe that the company's in-house generative AI technology powering Apple Intelligence is more than two years behind industry leaders, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman's sources within Apple tell him that the company's own studies suggest its upcoming AI features lack the "wow factor" of rival technologies currently offered by the likes of Google, OpenAI, and Meta.

For example, internal studies at Apple reportedly show that OpenAI's ChatGPT is 25% more accurate than the new Siri and can answer 30% more questions. Of course, Apple has already conceded as much, given that part of its strategy includes a partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into its operating systems, providing users with the option to tap into greater generative AI assistance if they want it.

Despite the setback, Gurman notes that Apple is in the unique position of presiding over a vast ecosystem of tightly integrated devices, which gives it the advantage of being able to quickly deploy new technologies across its product line. This could prove advantageous as the company works to close the AI gap with competitors, and its history of successfully entering new markets suggests it shouldn't be counted out.

iPad mini 7 announcement. The first set of AI features are expected to roll out to these devices next week.

Tags: Apple Intelligence, Mark Gurman
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22 Tips to Make Your iPhone 16's Battery Last Longer ...

2024-10-19T14:30:13+02:00

22 Tips to Make Your iPhone 16's Battery Last Longer

When Apple releases new iPhones and new operating system updates, there are often complaints about how long the battery lasts. Apple made improvements to battery life across the iPhone 16 lineup, and while these iPhones last longer than ever, some people are still seeing battery issues.

Battery life problems can be caused by new features Apple has added or bugs that have yet to be addressed. Whatever the cause, we've created a list of suggestions for maximizing your iPhone's battery life. There aren't many battery saving options that don't disable key features on the ‌iPhone‌, but in situations where every minute counts, it's useful to have options.

iOS 18 and the ‌iPhone 16‌ models, but they will help you preserve battery whether you have an ‌iPhone 16‌ or an older device.

1. Turn Off iPhone Mirroring

‌iPhone‌ Mirroring allows you to control your ‌iPhone‌ from your Mac, and get your ‌iPhone‌ notifications on your Mac's display. Since it's on Mac, it seems like it shouldn't be using ‌iPhone‌ battery, but there is a connection there to relay notifications. Notifications still show up when the ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring app is closed on the Mac, so that constant connection might impact battery.

One reader experiencing battery life issues on the MacRumors forums said turning off ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring made a notable difference. If you're not often using this option, it's worth turning it off.

General > AirPlay and Continuity and tap on Edit. From there, delete the Macs that your ‌iPhone‌ connects to. You can also swipe to delete a Mac from the list.

2. Delete Home Screen and Lock Screen Widgets

In ‌iOS 18‌, Apple made it so you can place app icons and widgets anywhere on the ‌iPhone‌'s hidden grid, so you might be using widgets more often than before. If that's the case, it's worth noting that widgets can have an impact on battery life.

If you're not using a particular widget on your Home Screen or Lock Screen regularly, it might be best to remove it to preserve battery life. On the ‌Home Screen‌, you can long press and tap the "-" button to remove a widget.

On the Lock Screen, you can actually set up several different Lock Screen options, so you could create one that has widgets and one that doesn't, using the latter when you're low on battery. To add or edit Lock Screens, long press on the Lock Screen and choose either the "Customize" or the "+" button.

MacRumors forums, one user said turning off Lock Screen widgets dropped overnight battery usage from 20 percent to 10 percent.

3. Use Dark Mode and Dark Mode Icons

Turning on Dark Mode has long been a suggested way to preserve battery life, because OLED displays draw less power when displaying darker colored pixels. A 2021 Purdue study found that using ‌Dark Mode‌ on a sunny day outside can save you up 47 percent battery power, which can make a major difference.

Lower levels of brightness in Light Mode use the same battery as higher levels of brightness in ‌Dark Mode‌, which explains why ‌Dark Mode‌ can save battery even when screen brightness is turned up. When your screen brightness is lower, such as when you're in a dim room, swapping to ‌Dark Mode‌ doesn't save as much battery life, but it still draws a little less power.

In ‌iOS 18‌, you can set a Dark option for your icons that turns them darker when ‌Dark Mode‌ is enabled (or all the time, if you prefer). Dark icons are easier on the eyes when ‌Dark Mode‌ is on, and it might save just a little extra battery life.

4. Be Mindful of Control Center Controls

‌iOS 18‌ has a customizable Control Center where you can use the Controls Gallery to choose your controls, including third-party controls. You can change the size of Control Center toggles, and use multiple pages.

Some Control Center toggles are animated, and animations can have an effect on battery life. It's probably not a major impact, but worth knowing about. One of the bigger offenders is the full-size Music Control Center toggle, which shows album art and has playback controls.

Home app controls also need to update whenever the Control Center updates, and these controls that refresh might drain some battery.

Customize Control Center by long pressing on the display and tapping the "-" button by any controls you want to remove.

5. Remove Your Lock Screen Controls

In ‌iOS 18‌, you can finally swap out or remove the Camera and Flashlight buttons on the ‌iPhone‌. If you've ever accidentally activated one of those buttons while your ‌iPhone‌'s in your pocket, you know that leaving on the Flashlight or the Camera for an extended period can definitely impact battery life.

If you're prone to hitting those buttons, it's worth removing them. You can do so by long pressing on the Lock Screen, tapping on Customize, and then tapping the "-" button next to the icons.

6. Turn Off ProMotion Display

If you have an iPhone 16 Pro or another "Pro" ‌iPhone‌ that supports a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, turning it down to 60Hz might extend your battery life. Since Low Power Mode limits the display refresh rate to 60Hz, it's definitely a measure that works to preserve battery.

Turning on Low Power Mode is one way to disable ProMotion, but there's a more permanent Accessibility setting. Open the Settings app, go to Accessibility, tap on Motion, and then toggle on "Limit Frame Rate."

7. Disable Live Activities

Live Activities let apps keep an ongoing notification on the Lock Screen or Dynamic Island. Combined with the Always-On display of the iPhone 14 Pro, 15 Pro, and 16 Pro, Live Activities can drain your battery.

Live Activities can be turned off by following these steps:

Open up the Settings app.

Go to Face ID & Passcode.

Enter your passcode to unlock the ‌iPhone‌.

Scroll down and toggle off Live Activities.

This will prevent Live Activities from showing up on the Lock Screen, but you'll want to take this one step further. In the individual app sections in the Settings app, you can disable Live Activities on an app-by-app basis, or avoid using Live Activities features within apps.

You can't fully disable the ‌Dynamic Island‌, but you can swipe left on any running animation to dismiss it.

8. Turn Off Proximity AirDrop Sharing

When you hold two iPhones running iOS 17 or later together, the ‌iPhone‌ initiates a proximity-based AirDrop or contact transfer protocol. If you're continually triggering this, it can drain battery. Should you find yourself in a situation where your ‌iPhone‌ is near another ‌iPhone‌ often enough that AirDrop continually pops up, you might want to turn it off.

To do so, go to Settings > General > AirDrop and toggle off "Bringing Devices Together."

9. Take Advantage of Offline Maps

Since iOS 17, you've been able to download Apple Maps for offline usage. It's useful for when you don't have a cellular connection, but it can save battery even if you do. If you're traveling in an area where you have a somewhat spotty connection, downloading a map for that spot and then turning off cellular will preserve your battery life without impacting your ability to get turn-by-turn directions.

walks you through downloading a map for offline usage, but it's as simple as searching for a location in Maps, tapping the download button, and then selecting the area of the map to download.

10. Disable Haptic Keyboard Feedback

Apple has a keyboard option that gives you haptic feedback when you tap the on-screen keys. It vibrates with each key tap for a more satisfying typing experience, but what you might not know is that it drains battery.

Apple has a support document that says keyboard haptics can affect battery life, so it's not something you want to use when you don't have battery to spare. It's not on by default, but if you've enabled it, you can turn it off by following these steps:

Open up the Settings app.

Tap on Sounds & Haptics.

Tap on Keyboard Feedback.

Toggle off Haptic.

11. Turn Off Always-On Display

As the name suggests, the Always-On display on some Pro ‌iPhone‌ models leaves the time, your wallpaper, widgets, and Live Activities visible on the Lock Screen even when your ‌iPhone‌ is locked.

The display uses a 1Hz refresh rate to preserve battery, and Apple has neat tricks like turning off the display when a connected Apple Watch is no longer nearby (signaling that the ‌iPhone‌ owner is out of the room) or the ‌iPhone‌ is in a pocket, but Always-On display still drains battery faster than an Always-Off display.

You can turn off the Always-On display by following these steps:

Open up the Settings app.

Tap on Display & Brightness.

Tap on Always On Display.

Toggle off Always On Display.

Just how much battery Always-On display drains will depend on your use case, so it may or may not be worth turning off.

12. Use Focus Modes

Using Apple's built-in Focus option can cut down on the number of notifications that you're receiving during the day, and fewer notifications means less opportunity for apps to wake up your display and cause battery drain.

Focus modes let you choose which apps and people can send you notifications and when, so during work hours you can make sure you're only getting work notifications, and during personal time, you can limit your work notifications. Focus filters even let you filter out select emails, messages, calendars, and more.

With Apple Intelligence, Apple is adding a new "Reduce Interruptions" Focus Mode that can intelligently filter out what's not important, while still delivering what you need to see immediately. Toggling this on removes all of the hassle of setting up a Focus mode, but it has all of the benefit.

You can also use the "Intelligent Breakthrough and Silencing" toggle with every Focus mode you make to get the same effect, so you'll never miss something important. Apple Intelligence is coming in iOS 18.1, set to be released in late October.

You'll still get all of your notifications when a Focus mode ends, but all in one alert rather than multiple. Turning off unwanted notifications from apps a great method for saving battery life, and Focus modes are useful for reducing incoming notifications without missing things.

You can find all of the Focus features in the Focus section of the Settings app.

13. Use Scheduled Summary

Along with Focus modes, you should also make sure that any app that sends non-important notifications is relegated to the Scheduled Summary, which saves up notifications and sends them to you once or twice a day.

You can toggle on Scheduled Summary for apps in the Notifications section of the Settings app, where you can specify which apps should have their notifications include in Scheduled Summary and when you want them delivered.

Another option is turning off notifications entirely for apps that are sending you less than useful info like reminders to play games.

14. Limit When and How Often Apps Can Access Location

It's always good to check in on privacy and access settings to make sure apps and services aren't doing things you don't want them to be doing.

Limiting the apps that have access to your location and how often apps can access that data can save battery life.

Open up the Settings app.

Choose Privacy & Security.

Tap Location Services.

Review the list and edit settings by tapping on the name of each app in the list.

You have four possible choices for location settings for each app, though not all four choices will always be available for every app depending on what it does. You can select the following: Never, Ask Next Time Or When I Share, While Using the App, and Always.

Never will prevent an app from ever accessing your location, and unless there's a specific need for an app to know where you are, such as a mapping app, setting location access to Never is the best choice.

Ask Next Time Or When I Share will prompt an app to ask you with a pop-up the next time that it wants your location, so you can temporarily approve it. With this setting, location access is off until expressly allowed via the pop-up.

While Using the App allows the app to detect your location only when the app is open and being actively used. If you close the app or switch over to another app, location access ends.

Always lets an app to have access to your location at all times, regardless of whether it's open or closed. This will result in the most battery drain and should be limited to only the apps that you need the most.

lot of apps will ask for location information that don't really need it to function, so clearing the cruft will save battery life and preserve your privacy.

You can also turn off Location Services all together, but it's not ideal because it can impact crucial apps like Maps.

15. Limit Apps Using Bluetooth

Your ‌iPhone‌ lets you know when apps have requested Bluetooth access, and there are quite a few apps that want Bluetooth access for location tracking, scanning for Chromecast devices, or other not-so-useful reasons.

Checking on the apps using Bluetooth is worthwhile to make sure that you don't have a sneaky app connecting to Bluetooth sources without your permission and draining battery. To get to Bluetooth settings:

Open the Settings app.

Tap on Privacy & Security.

Tap Bluetooth.

Apps like Facebook, MAX, Hulu, and others don't need Bluetooth access for the most part, so toggle off any app that isn't related to some kind of actual Bluetooth accessory. If a feature in an app stops working, you can just turn Bluetooth right back on.

16. Use Low Power Mode

Using Low Power Mode liberally is an obvious choice for maintaining battery without having to change a lot of settings, and you can toggle it on from Control Center, the Battery section of the Settings app, or using Siri. Low Power Mode cuts down on background activity, turns off your display after inactivity more quickly, limits display refresh rate, limits email fetch, cuts down on visual effects, and more.

Low Power Mode can be set to turn on at a certain battery percentage using Shortcuts, which is a useful way to have it automatically turn on when you need it.

17. Use Wi-Fi and Airplane Mode

If you're at home or work, make sure you connect to Wi-Fi instead of cellular. Nothing drains a battery quite like a 5G connection, especially when signal is weak.

Should you find yourself somewhere with no Wi-Fi and you also have low cellular signal, turning on Airplane Mode or turning off your cellular connection temporarily can save battery because your ‌iPhone‌ isn't constantly trying to connect to cellular towers.

It's only useful if you don't need a cellular connection, but it can help with battery drain, and most of the time, there's not a lot you can do with super low signal.

18. Manage Apps Draining Battery

Your ‌iPhone‌ tells you which apps are using the most battery so you can make sure nothing is secretly draining your battery without your knowledge. You can check your battery usage statistics by opening up the Settings app and tapping on the Battery section.

Battery usage charts let you see your battery level over the last 24 hours or for the last 10 days, plus you can see which apps have used the most battery life. If there's an app that you don't need that's draining an excessive amount of battery, delete it. If you do need the app, moderate how often you're using it and what permissions it has like location.

19. Limit Background Activity

Most apps use background refresh to update even when they're not open, and limited background activity and background refresh is a longtime favorite option for cutting down on battery usage.

You can turn off Background App Refresh all together or choose which apps can refresh in the background.

Open the Settings app.

Select General.

Tap on Background App Refresh.

From there, you can tap on the Background App Refresh option to turn Background App Refresh off altogether or choose to have it activate only when connected to Wi-Fi, which doesn't drain battery as much as downloading over cellular.

You can also choose to turn Background App Refresh on just for your most used apps by tapping on the toggle next to each app in the list.

20. Change Your Mail Settings

Along with turning off Background App Refresh, changing when and how often the Mail app checks for new emails can save you some battery.

Open up the Settings app.

Tap Mail.

Tap Accounts.

Tap "Fetch New Data" at the bottom.

You can turn off Push (which lets you know right away when a new email message is available) and adjust Fetch settings on a per account basis for accounts that don't support Push (like Gmail accounts).

Adjusting the Fetch settings to have longer intervals before checking for new messages can help save battery life, as can turning off Fetch all together in favor of manual checks that will download new messages only when the Mail app is opened.

You can choose the following settings: Automatically, Manually, Hourly, Every 30 Minutes, and Every 15 Minutes.

21. Remove AirTags

If you have an AirTag, it's probably pinging your ‌iPhone‌ regularly, which can impact battery life. If it's not actively in use, consider removing the ‌AirTag‌ from your ‌iPhone‌ until the next time you need it. That also goes for any Find My-connected devices.

AirTags can be managed by opening up Find My and navigating to the items tab.

22. Preserve Battery Longevity

With the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 16‌ models, you can preserve your battery health with an optimized charging feature that prevents charging up past 80 percent. We tested the 80 percent charging limit over the course of a year, and while it makes a little bit of a difference, it's not a huge help keeping your maximum battery up over time.

It's not worth turning on if you need full battery for a long day out, but it's possibly worth turning on if you're often using your ‌iPhone‌ at home. There are also settings for limiting your charge to 85, 90, or 95 percent. Anything under 100 percent could have an impact on longterm battery health over several years.

Battery > Charging and select a limit using the slider.

A Note on Apple Intelligence

Starting with iOS 18.1, Apple is rolling out the first Apple Intelligence features. It will kick off with Writing Tools and a new ‌Siri‌ design, but later this year, we'll also get image generation capabilities and ChatGPT integration.

AI processing can be GPU intensive, so it's possible that Apple Intelligence will impact battery life, depending on how much you're using it. It's something to keep in mind when Apple Intelligence becomes available.

iOS 18 Battery Drain Complaints

There have been a lot of recent complaints about battery drain caused by ‌iOS 18‌, particularly from ‌iPhone 16‌ users, so it is entirely possible that there is an underlying bug that will be addressed in a future update.

In the meantime, some of the tips in this article might help on days when your battery is just draining too fast.

Wrap Up

There are a lot of minor changes to make to cut down on battery use, but everything you do on your ‌iPhone‌ is going to drain battery. It's important to figure out what works for you, what features you don't need, and where you can compromise to get the most out of your battery.

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22 Tips to Make Your iPhone 16's Battery Last Longer ...

2024-10-19T12:00:16+02:00

22 Tips to Make Your iPhone 16's Battery Last Longer ...

2024-10-19T10:15:09+02:00

22 Tips to Make Your iPhone 16's Battery Last Longer ...

2024-10-19T03:15:10+02:00

22 Tips to Make Your iPhone 16's Battery Last Longer ...

2024-10-19T00:30:12+02:00

iPhone 16 Pro Bug Causing Random Freezing and Restarts ...

2024-10-18T23:30:12+02:00

iPhone 16 Pro Bug Causing Random Freezing and Restarts

There appears to be a bug with some iPhone 16 models that is causing random restarts, according to complaints on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and the Apple Support Communities. Affected users are seeing their iPhones freeze unexpectedly and then reboot.

Reports about the issue have been ongoing since the ‌iPhone 16‌ models first launched in September, and have continued to this week. The iOS 18.0.1 and iOS 18.1 updates do not fix the issue, as it has continued to happen to users even after installing the latest software.

iPhone will do a quick restart. There have also been reports of the ‌iPhone‌ restarting unexpectedly when in StandBy mode.

iPhone 16 Pro or ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max, so it may only be the Pro models that are impacted.

iCloud Backup seems to have fixed the problem, so it is possible that this is a bug related to ‌iCloud‌.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16 Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 16 Pro (Buy Now)
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https://www.macrumors.com/2024/10/18/iphone-16-pro-restart-bug/

iPad Mini 7 Has Display Hardware Changes That Likely Fix Jelly ...

2024-10-18T22:00:15+02:00

iPad Mini 7 Has Display Hardware Changes That Likely Fix Jelly Scrolling

One of the main complaints about the prior-generation iPad mini 6 was "jelly scrolling" or screen tearing, and it sounds like it's a problem that Apple may have addressed with hardware updates to the iPad mini 7 display.

In the most recent episode of the Six Colors Podcast, Jason Snell and Dan Moren discussed the new ‌iPad mini 7‌, and shared some information about the display. Snell said that it was his understanding that there have been unspecified adjustments to the display hardware in the ‌iPad mini 7‌ that should make a difference when it comes to jelly scrolling.

Snell didn't provide a source, but his information likely comes directly from Apple. There is only an "implication" that the changes were to fix jelly scrolling, however, and Snell made it clear that because no one has seen the ‌iPad mini 7‌ as of yet, there's no concrete information. "My guess is it's different," he said. "And maybe better. And maybe gone."

Jelly scrolling is a display issue that causes text or images on one side of the display to be out of sync with the other side. The result is text or images that can appear to be tilted downward because of a screen refresh rate mismatch, and for some people, once you've noticed the problem, it's hard to ignore.

noticing jelly scrolling in portrait mode on the device shortly after it launched in 2021. Some users were not bothered by the effect, while others said that it was irritating to look at and could cause eye strain.

Most if not all ‌iPad mini‌ 6 units seemed to be impacted, but the degree of impact varied from user to user due to different tolerances for screen tearing. The effect likely impacted prior iPads, but it seemed to be more noticeable in the ‌iPad mini‌ 6.

rotate the screen assembly in order to cut down on jelly scrolling, so it's possible Apple has done something like that to minimize the issue in the seventh-generation model.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad
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Best Apple Deals of the Week: Magic Keyboards Hit Best-Ever ...

2024-10-18T21:15:10+02:00

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Magic Keyboards Hit Best-Ever Prices, Plus Apple Watch and Anker Sales

This week's best deals included record low prices on Apple accessories like the Magic Keyboard for the M4 iPad Pro, as well as discounts on a few Apple Watch models. We're also still tracking great deals on Anker and Jackery accessories as we head into the weekend.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Apple Accessories

What's the deal? Save on Apple's first party accessories

Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here

$29 OFF
11-inch M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard for $269.99

$49 OFF
13-inch M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard for $299.99

$10 OFF
2-meter MagSafe Charger for $39.00

This week we tracked a few deals on Apple's Magic Keyboards for iPad and the new MagSafe Charger. Although some of these have since expired, you can still get all-time low prices on both Magic Keyboards for the M4 iPad Pro, and the 2-meter MagSafe Charger.

Anker

What's the deal? Take 20% off Anker accessories

Where can I get it? Anker
Where can I find the original deal? Right here

EXCLUSIVE 20% OFF
Anker Sitewide Sale

in our original post.

Samsung Monitors

What's the deal? Take up to $780 off Samsung monitors

Where can I get it? Amazon

$300 OFF
Samsung 32-inch Smart Monitor M80D for $399.99

$780 OFF
Samsung 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Monitor for $819.98

Samsung's popular 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 (Model M80D) is down to $399.99 on Amazon, down from $699.99. This is the newest model of the Smart Monitor M8, and this is an overall second-best price, coming just $20 higher when compared to the Prime Day price. Amazon also has a the 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Monitor for $819.98, down from $1,599.99, and this one is an all-time low price.

Apple Watch

What's the deal? Take up to $64 off Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 10

Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here

$27 OFF
Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm GPS) for $371.28

$64 OFF
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (Black) for $734.89

Amazon hosted a few low prices on the Apple Watch Series 10 this week, with solid markdowns on both the 42mm and 46mm GPS models still available. You can also get the Ultra 2 in Black for a second-best price on Amazon.

Jackery

What's the deal? Save on Jackery portable power stations

Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here

UP TO $900 OFF
Jackery on Amazon

Jackery's best portable power stations and accessories hit low prices on Amazon this week, with up to $900 off select devices. We've compiled the full list of accessories on sale below, and note that you'll only need to clip an on-page coupon for one of the discounts.

Explorer 100 Plus with Solar Panel - $179.00, down from $229.00

Solar Generator with Mini Solar Panel - $269.00, down from $349.00

Solar Generator 300 Plus - $419.00, down from $499.00

Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station - $459.00 with on-page coupon, down from $799.00

Explorer 500 - $502.99, down from $799.00

Explorer 3000 Pro Generator - $1,899.00, down from $2,799.00

Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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https://www.macrumors.com/2024/10/18/best-apple-deals-of-the-week-10-18-24/

All-New 'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Feature Single 48MP ...

2024-10-18T20:30:13+02:00

All-New 'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Feature Single 48MP Rear Camera, 8GB of RAM, and More

In recent months, several credible sources have claimed that Apple plans to release a redesigned, significantly thinner iPhone 17 model next year. The device's name is not yet known, so we are referring to it as the "iPhone 17 Air" for now.

There have been conflicting rumors about the design and specifications for the device, but most sources have agreed that it will have around a 6.6-inch display. In July, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects the device to have a standard A19 chip, a Dynamic Island, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G modem.

In a research note this week with investment bank Haitong International, analyst Jeff Pu agreed that the slim iPhone 17 model will have a 6.6-inch display, and an A19 chip manufactured with TSMC's same 3nm process that is used for the A18 Pro chip. He also expects the device to feature an aluminum frame, Face ID, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, a 24-megapixel front camera, and 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence.

Pu expects the slim iPhone 17 model to have a noticeable new design compared to previous iPhone models. He said the device will be a mid-tier iPhone that replaces the Plus model, as he does not expect an iPhone 17 Plus in next year's lineup.

Apple will likely unveil the "iPhone 17 Air" in September 2025, so the device is still far away from launching, and some features could change over time.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17
Tag: Jeff Pu
This article, "All-New 'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Feature Single 48MP Rear Camera, 8GB of RAM, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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https://www.macrumors.com/2024/10/18/iphone-17-air-rumored-features/

Lapz App Lets You Watch Formula 1 Races on Apple Vision Pro ...

2024-10-18T19:45:10+02:00

Lapz App Lets You Watch Formula 1 Races on Apple Vision Pro

For Formula 1 fans, there's a new app called Lapz that is designed to provide an immersive F1 experience on the Apple Vision Pro headset. Users can watch multiple race feeds from different angles, see stats, and view a 3D version of the track that has icons that show where each driver is located in the race.

Different windows can be arranged in the virtual space around the Vision Pro wearer for a customizable experience focusing on what's most important to each user.

The app was created in part by John LePore, who created a concept of an interactive experience back in 2018, and won second place in the F1 Innovation Prize contest that year. What was then just a concept is now a functional app that only became possible after Apple launched the Vision Pro. LePore is also known for working with Marvel Studios to create futuristic interfaces and gadgets for movies like Iron Man and Black Panther.

Forbes highlighted a demonstration video from a Vision Pro user, and called the app "the best reason yet to buy a Vision Pro."

Lapz is available as a TestFlight beta right now, and those who want to try out the app can sign up for the TestFlight on the Lapz website.
Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro
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Apple Seeds Sixth Beta of visionOS 2.1 ...

2024-10-18T19:15:10+02:00

Apple Seeds Sixth Beta of visionOS 2.1

Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming visionOS 2.1 update to developers for testing purposes. The sixth beta comes just days after Apple released the fifth beta.

visionOS 2.1 can be installed by going to the Software Update section of the Settings app on the Vision Pro and opting into Beta Updates.

No major new features have been found in visionOS 2.1, though there are likely minor feature changes and bug fixes that we'll learn about when release notes become available.

macOS Sequoia 15.1 on Monday, October 28.
Related Roundup: visionOS 2
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro
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The MacRumors Show: iPad Mini 7 Is Here! On this week's ...

2024-10-18T18:15:10+02:00

The MacRumors Show: iPad Mini 7 Is Here!

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the new iPad mini 7, Apple Intelligence and Genmoji, and the chances of an October Apple event to introduce M4 Macs.

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos

Apple this week announced the seventh-generation iPad mini. Key upgrades include the A17 Pro chip, Smart HDR 4 and a new True Tone flash, a faster USB-C port, Apple Pencil Pro and ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover support, a 512GB storage option, and support for Apple Intelligence. We discuss our initial thoughts on the product refresh, the significance of the upgrades, and who should consider buying the new device.

iPad Mini 6 vs. iPad Mini 7 Buyer's Guide: 20+ Upgrades Compared

actually be a popular feature among users when it eventually debuts. Finally, with the first of Apple's October product releases taking place via press release, we appraise whether the next expected products, which include new MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini models, will follow suit. Until now, reports suggested that there would be an October Apple event to unveil the new devices before their debut in early November.

The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips:

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel!

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about the unprecedented leak of Apple's M4 MacBook Pro models and the company's rumored move to more staggered hardware and software releases.

MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

@MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
Tag: The MacRumors Show
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Best Buy Introduces Massive Discounts on M3 MacBook Pro for ...

2024-10-18T17:45:11+02:00

Best Buy Introduces Massive Discounts on M3 MacBook Pro for Members, Get Up to $700 Off

Best Buy today introduced new all-time low prices on a few models of the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro exclusively for members. Non-members can still find solid second-best prices on these computers, but My Best Buy Plus/Total members can get an extra $200 off select notebooks this week.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

$1,299.00, down from $1,799.00, and the 16GB/1TB model for $1,499.00, down from $1,999.00. Both of these represent $500 discounts and are new record low prices for each model.

Note: Select deals available only to My Best Buy members.

UP TO $700 OFF
M3 MacBook Pro Deals at Best Buy

$3,299.00 for members, down from $3,999.00. In addition to this model, Best Buy has every other 16-inch M3 MacBook Pro on sale right now for solid second-best prices.

Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.
Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Apple Discontinues Powerbeats Pro, But They Will Return Next Year ...

2024-10-18T17:15:10+02:00

Apple Discontinues Powerbeats Pro, But They Will Return Next Year With Heart Rate Monitoring

Apple at some point in the past week or so discontinued the Powerbeats Pro, around five and a half years after the wireless earbuds launched.

Powerbeats Pro are a sportier, fitness-focused alternative to AirPods Pro with built-in, adjustable ear hooks for a secure fit. Key features of the original Powerbeats Pro include the H1 chip that debuted in the AirPods 2, IPX4-rated sweat and water resistance, up to nine hours of battery life, and silicone ear tips with four size options.

it will be launching new Powerbeats Pro 2 next year. The earbuds look similar to the original Powerbeats Pro, but they have a more vertical, slimmer design. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris later discovered iOS 18 code revealing that the Powerbeats Pro 2 will feature heart rate monitoring during workouts, and gain support for Active Noise Cancellation, Spatial Audio, and Adaptive Audio.

Powerbeats Pro 2 images in iOS 18 code

The leaked iOS 18 code also revealed new orange, purple, black, and beige color options for the Powerbeats Pro 2 and their charging case.

Based on other recent Beats headphones, other potential upgrades for the Powerbeats Pro 2 include improved sound quality, longer battery life, a USB-C charging case, and improved cross-platform compatibility with Android features like Find My Device.

Apple did not reveal a specific release date in 2025 for the Powerbeats Pro 2.

rumored for the AirPods Pro in the past, so perhaps the feature will extend to the AirPods Pro 3.
Tags: Beats, Powerbeats Pro
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New iPad Mini Ships With iPadOS 18.0, Apple Intelligence Coming ...

2024-10-18T16:00:16+02:00

New iPad Mini Ships With iPadOS 18.0, Apple Intelligence Coming Later

Just like iPhone 16 models, the new iPad mini is likely to launch without Apple Intelligence, but the features should be available on the device soon.

Geekbench results for the iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip list the device as running iPadOS 18.0, instead of iPadOS 18.1 with Apple Intelligence.

Last month, a private account on social media platform X with a proven track record of sharing upcoming iOS versions mentioned a special build of iPadOS 18.0 for the iPad mini 7, and it appears that the device will indeed come preinstalled with iPadOS 18.0 out of the box when it begins arriving to customers on Wednesday, October 23.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week reiterated his expectation that iPadOS 18.1 will be released on Monday, October 28, so Apple Intelligence should be available on the new iPad mini merely five days after the device launches.

Apple's press release for the new iPad mini had already mentioned that the first Apple Intelligence features would be available on the device starting with an iPadOS 18.1 software update this month, and now the situation is fully clear.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad
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https://www.macrumors.com/2024/10/18/new-ipad-mini-ships-with-ipados-18-0/

iPad Mini 7 Benchmarks Confirm 8GB RAM, 5-Core GPU's Slower ...

2024-10-18T14:30:13+02:00

iPad Mini 7 Benchmarks Confirm 8GB RAM, 5-Core GPU's Slower Speeds

The seventh-generation iPad mini has now appeared on Geekbench, confirming that it has 8GB of memory and revealing how the 5-core GPU version of the A17 Pro chip performs.

The new ‌iPad mini‌, identified as iPad 16,2 on the Geekbench database, includes the same A17 Pro SoC first introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro series last year. The six-core chip is clocked at 3.78 GHz, which matches the iPhone version, but with a key distinction—a five-core GPU, which is one core less than the version found in the ‌iPhone‌. This suggests that the iPad mini 7's A17 Pro chip is likely a "binned" version.

The new ‌iPad mini‌'s Geekbench scores reveal a range between 2,710 and 2,840 in single-core performance and 6,274 to 6,982 in multi-core performance, positioning it slightly below the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro in both metrics. For comparison, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro's A17 Pro typically scores around 2,888 in single-core and 7,169 in multi-core tests.

Nonetheless, the benchmarks confirm that the new ‌iPad mini‌ offers a substantial performance upgrade over its predecessor. The sixth-generation ‌iPad mini‌ from 2021 achieved approximate single-core scores of 2,121 and multi-core scores of 5,367.

Chip
GPU cores
Memory
Single-Core CPU Score
Multi-Core CPU Score
Metal GPU Score

‌iPad mini‌ 6 (2021)
A15 Bionic
5
4GB
2,121
5,367
19,486

‌iPad mini 7‌ (2024)
A17 Pro
5
8GB
2,840
6,982
25,895

‌iPhone 15‌ Pro (2023)
A17 Pro
6
8GB
2,888
7,169
27,144

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Tag: Geekbench
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad
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iPhone 16 Users Complain About Excessive iOS 18 Battery Drain ...

2024-10-18T01:15:09+02:00

iPhone 16 Users Complain About Excessive iOS 18 Battery Drain

Some iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro users have been experiencing excessive and unexplainable battery drain, according to complaints on Reddit, the Apple Support Communities, and the MacRumors forums. While many of the reports are from ‌iPhone 16‌ users, older iPhones running iOS 18 may also be experiencing battery life issues.

There is a long-running ‌iOS 18‌ battery life complaint thread on MacRumors that was started while the update was still in beta, but there have been a fresh wave of complaints following ‌iOS 18‌'s launch and the debut of the ‌iPhone 16‌ models.

iPhone is not in use. From MacRumors reader T1aaj:
Yes I own the 16 pro and battery life goes down to almost 60% from 100% halfway through the day, through no heavy use. Definitely needs to be fixed, should've kept my 15 pro!

From JulianL:
I'm getting horrible battery life with my new 16 Pro Max. I upgraded from a 15 Pro Max - upgraded to iOS 18 and with battery health of 99% when I sold it. With Apple quoting better battery life spec for the 16 I was excited to see how much more run time I would get. The answer? I now get 50 to 60% of time between charges vs what I got with my 1 year old 15 Pro Max. Really disappointing. All Settings the same including background refresh globally disabled, screen max refresh set to 60Hz and data locked to 4G (because for my use I see absolutely no difference in how my phone functions when I set all those settings so I might as well set them for optimal battery life). I got my 16PM on launch day so it's 19 days old now; any early days indexing and other background setup stuff should be well and truly over by now.

In some cases, much of the battery drain happens in standby mode when the ‌iPhone‌ isn't in use, suggesting a background activity could be causing problems for some users. Using the phone seems to cut the battery drain in these instances.

huanbrother:
The 16 Pro has horrible standby battery life when sleeping (it is not connected to my Apple Watch), and as you can see from the graph, it runs background activities like crazy. But, guess what, I turned off AOD(but this shouldn't be the case when in sleep mode it was off anyways) and turned on frame limit in accessibility (not low power mode) to turn off ProMotion, boom, the background craze disappeared! However, the battery drain wasn't fixed, 4hours and 20minutes it drained 11%, from 70% to 59%.

From kirbysmartdawg:
Clearly, something isn't right on Apple's end. The idle battery drain is excessive. This morning, I unplugged my phone at 9 a.m., and it held at 95% (my charging limit) for only 20 minutes before starting to drop rapidly. Every five minutes, I lost a percentage until I finally picked it up to use it. Now it seems to have stabilized a bit, but I'm really puzzled by this behavior.

There are similar complaints about the ‌iPhone 16‌ models and older iPhones running ‌iOS 18‌ on Reddit, and while we always see reports of battery life issues when a new version of iOS comes out, there seems to be a definite uptick in the number of people having problems.

Ok-Interest-6561:
I upgraded from my iPhone 12 and got new 16 Pro. I upgraded mostly because of battery and speaker issues but I observed that even though 16 has "better battery" and more battery life, it drains around 10-15% overnight doing nothing just laying on my bedside table.

On Reddit, one user did an experiment with an ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and an iPhone 14 Pro, and claimed to have used both in the same way. The ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ dropped to 58 percent battery life within 36 hours, while the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro was at 85 percent.

Battery drainage issues are difficult to diagnose because ‌iPhone‌ usage habits vary so much from person to person and from day to day. Impacted users have tried turning off ProMotion, disabling the Always On display, turning off background app refresh, removing widgets, turning off cellular, and entirely resetting their iPhones. Some people have seen improvement with some of these methods, but not all have, and the battery life issues persist for many despite troubleshooting.

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Apple Preparing to Add ChatGPT Integration to Siri ...

2024-10-18T00:00:15+02:00

Apple Preparing to Add ChatGPT Integration to Siri

Apple is working behind the scenes to get ready to add new Apple Intelligence features to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15. We'll get the first set in the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS 15.1 updates, but Apple is preparing for the next batch, too.

In backend code, MacRumors has discovered new references to Siri's ChatGPT integration as Apple prepares to implement ChatGPT support. ‌Siri‌ code mentions options for ChatGPT-generated text and ChatGPT-generated images, two features that Apple plans to implement soon.

macOS Sequoia 15.2.

earlier in October, and we've also seen references to Visual Intelligence, another AI feature that Apple is working on. The separate mentions of images and text are new today, and it's clear that Apple is continuing behind-the-scenes work to get these features ready for launch.

With ChatGPT integration, when users ask ‌Siri‌ a complicated question that the personal assistant is unable to handle, ‌Siri‌ will suggest handing the query off to ChatGPT. ChatGPT will provide relevant information, which will be relayed through ‌Siri‌.

ChatGPT will be able to generate both text and images, and while Apple Intelligence includes some of this functionality, ChatGPT is more advanced. Apple's Writing Tools, for example, can offer spelling and grammar assistance or change the tone of something that's already written, while ChatGPT will be able to generate text from scratch with a simple prompt.

Image Playground and Genmoji will allow for the creation of cartoon-like images and custom emoji, but ChatGPT's image generation features will be able to be used for more realistic images. ‌Siri‌ will reference the latest GPT-4o model, and ChatGPT integration will be free with no account creation required. Apple and OpenAI will not store ChatGPT requests made from Apple devices, and IP addresses will be hidden.

iPhone 16 feature that uses the Camera Control button. ‌iPhone 16‌ users will be able to point their camera at objects or locations around them, with the iPhone providing information about what's being viewed when the Camera Control button is pressed and held.

iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1 are expected to see a release on Monday, October 28, and we'll likely get the first betas of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.2 shortly after. If testing follows other .2 updates, the software will be released at some point in December.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia
Tags: Apple Intelligence, Siri
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia
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Apple TV+ to Offer Behind-the-Scenes Coverage of 2024 World ...

2024-10-17T23:00:14+02:00

Apple TV+ to Offer Behind-the-Scenes Coverage of 2024 World Series in Three-Part Documentary

Apple today announced it has partnered with Major League Baseball and Imagine Documentaries on a new three-part documentary that will offer "behind-the-scenes coverage" of the upcoming 2024 World Series. The currently-untitled docuseries will be made available on Apple TV+, but a release date has yet to be disclosed.

Apple said the docuseries will explore the "dramatic, high-stakes world" of the World Series and each team's battle to win the championship, and offer interviews with players and their family members, coaches, fans, and journalists. New York Yankees legend and five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter will serve as an executive producer.

The 2024 World Series is expected to begin in late October, but the two teams who will compete for the championship have yet to be determined. In the American League Championship Series, the New York Yankees have a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the best-of-seven series. In the National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 2-1 advantage over the New York Mets in that best-of-seven series. The winning teams in those series will face each other in the World Series.

Tag: Apple TV Plus
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Apple Pay Chief Suggests Digital Car Keys Could Expand to Rentals ...

2024-10-17T22:15:10+02:00

Apple Pay Chief Suggests Digital Car Keys Could Expand to Rentals

As Apple celebrates the 10th anniversary of Apple Pay, ‌Apple Pay‌ and Apple Wallet chief Jennifer Bailey today did an interview with The Points Guy, providing some insight into current and future Apple Pay-related features like car key and ID integration in the Wallet app.

‌Apple Pay‌ wasn't an immediate hit with consumers, but Bailey said that Apple "worked really hard" to establish a "great customer experience" over the last decade. As mobile payments via ‌Apple Pay‌ have become widely available and more well-known, Apple and Bailey are focusing on expanding the capabilities of the Wallet app to make it more useful.

iPhone and Apple Watch users to store a key for a compatible vehicle in the Wallet app, and multiple manufacturers have implemented support. Apple is working with more than 30 car manufacturers on car keys.

As support for car keys expands, Bailey sees a future where digital keys are available for rentals.
Being able to book a car rental, confirm your authentication and identity ... you can imagine that a car rental company is going to issue you a digital key, and that key could be used to unlock and use a car.

Some hotel chains have already implemented support for accessing a hotel room with a key stored in Wallet, so it's not hard to imagine this kind of functionality also expanding to cars at some point.

‌Apple Pay‌'s transit usage is "just fantastic," according to Bailey, and "people absolutely love it." Apple in 2022 launched Wallet support for Digital IDs and driver's licenses, and while that's taken some time to take off, Bailey is confident adoption will pick up because the option for a digital ID is "really profound."
It'll be a long-term journey like we had with Apple Pay. It's helping states understand how our approach is privacy-protected and highly secure, how we don't have the data, and how we don't keep any association with where you're presenting your ID.

Bailey told The Points Guy that Apple is only at the beginning of its "long-term vision to replace the wallet," but the core ‌Apple Pay‌ technology that kicked off the effort "is perfect."
Tag: Car Keys
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Apple Pay Chief Suggests Digital Car Keys Could Expand to Rentals ...

2024-10-17T22:00:15+02:00

Apple Pay Chief Suggests Digital Car Keys Could Expand to Rentals ...

2024-10-17T21:45:10+02:00

Developers Now Required to Share Phone Number and Address on EU ...

2024-10-17T20:30:13+02:00

Developers Now Required to Share Phone Number and Address on EU App Store to Meet 'Trader' Requirement

Apple today reminded developers that the EU trader requirement in the European Union is now being enforced. Developers who distribute apps in the EU will now need to share information that includes address, phone number, and email address on the EU App Store.

Submitting updates for apps on the ‌App Store‌ in the European Union now requires trader information that's added via ‌App Store‌ Connect, with those details shared on each developer's ‌App Store‌ page. App updates can no longer be submitted without trader information, and starting on February 17, 2025, apps that do not have a trader status set will be removed from the ‌App Store‌ in the EU until trader status is provided and verified.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) in the European Union requires Apple to verify and display trader contact information for all "traders" who are distributing apps on the ‌App Store‌ in the European Union. Developers who make money from the ‌App Store‌ through either an upfront purchase price or through in-app purchases are considered traders, regardless of size.

Contact information for each developer that is considered a trader will be publicly available, and there will undoubtedly be some developers that are unhappy with the requirement. Independent developers and small companies may not have dedicated business addresses and phone numbers to provide, and will likely be reluctant to provide their personal contact information.

warned developers about the upcoming trader status requirement earlier this year. As of now, trader information has to be provided before an app can be submitted for review.

Displaying trader status is a Digital Services Act requirement in the European Union, which means Apple has to implement the feature. Developer contact information will be displayed on the ‌App Store‌ product page when an app is distributed in any of the 27 territories in the EU.

found on Apple's website.
Tags: App Store, Apple Developer Program, European Union
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Apple Music Now Lets Artists Create Playlists Based on Concert ...

2024-10-17T20:15:11+02:00

Apple Music Now Lets Artists Create Playlists Based on Concert Set Lists

Apple today introduced a new feature that allows all artists to create Apple Music playlists based on their concert set lists. The playlists will appear on the artist's page in Apple Music, on their concert page in Shazam, and in Spotlight Search on iOS.

The feature is built into the Apple Music for Artists tool.

"Turn a set list from your latest show into a playlist on Apple Music for Artists on the web," said Apple, in a blog post explaining how artists can use the feature. "Share your Set List playlist with fans on Apple Music and social media to promote upcoming tour dates, let fans relive your concerts, and connect with listeners."

Apple Music has already featured more than 450 set lists for popular artists like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, and Post Malone since last year, and now all artists can create set list playlists to promote their past or upcoming concerts.

on the Apple Music for Artists website.
Tag: Apple Music
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Apple Finally Begins Selling Refurbished 2022 iPad Pro and iPad ...

2024-10-17T17:45:11+02:00

Apple Finally Begins Selling Refurbished 2022 iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in More Countries

Apple this week began selling certified refurbished 2022 iPad Pro and iPad Air models through its online store in additional countries, including France, Germany, Japan, and the UK. Availability in the U.S. and Canada began last month.

The fourth-generation 11-inch iPad Pro with the M2 chip, sixth-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the M2 chip, and fifth-generation iPad Air with the M1 chip are each available in a variety of storage capacities and color options. The refurbished models are discounted by approximately 15% compared to the original pricing of these iPads.

Apple first introduced this particular iPad Air model in March 2022, and the iPad Pro models followed in October of that year.

Apple says its refurbished iPads include a new battery and outer shell, a new white box, and all manuals and accessories, including a USB-C charging cable and power adapter. Apple says it puts refurbished devices through a "thorough cleaning process and inspection," and it performs full functionality testing to ensure there are no defective units.

All refurbished iPads are covered by Apple's one-year limited warranty and 14-day return policy, and eligible for AppleCare+ coverage.

better deals available for newer-generation iPads on Amazon that are brand new in the box.
Related Roundups: iPad Air , iPad Pro
Tag: Apple Refurbished Products
Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Buy Now), iPad Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad
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Anker and Jackery Introduce Big Charging Accessory Discounts on ...

2024-10-17T16:45:12+02:00

Anker and Jackery Introduce Big Charging Accessory Discounts on Amazon

Anker this week is hosting a big fall sale on Amazon, coinciding with the early Black Friday event it's hosting on Anker.com. Additionally, we're tracking some deals on Jackery portable power stations, which are high-capacity portable batteries that can provide backup power to a wide variety of devices, from laptops to RVs.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

For the Anker deals, you'll need to have a Prime membership in order to see some of these discounted prices, but only one requires an on-page coupon this time around. Similarly for the Jackery discounts, you'll find that every deal has been automatically applied on Amazon with the exception of one requiring an on-page coupon.

Anker

SmartTrack Card - $19.99, down from $29.99

MagGo USB-C Adapter SD Card Reader for iPhone 16 - $22.99, down from $34.99

10,000 mAh Nano Power Bank with Built-In USB-C Cable - $31.99, down from $44.99

Nano 3-in-1 10,000 mAh Power Bank - $35.99, down from $44.99

20,000 mAh Power Bank with Built-In USB-C Cable - $47.99, down from $59.99

MagGo 10,000 mAh Power Bank with Apple Watch Charger - $64.99, down from $79.99

MagGo Power Bank - $67.48, down from $89.99

9,600 mAh Power Bank - $64.48, down from $89.99

Portable Power Station with Smart Display + Retractable Light - $119.99 with on-page coupon, down from $149.99

MagSafe Charger Stand 3-in-1 Cube - $119.44, down from $149.99

Jackery

Explorer 100 Plus with Solar Panel - $179.00, down from $229.00

Solar Generator with Mini Solar Panel - $269.00, down from $349.00

Solar Generator 300 Plus - $419.00, down from $499.00

Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station - $459.00 with on-page coupon, down from $799.00

Explorer 500 - $502.99, down from $799.00

Explorer 3000 Pro Generator - $1,899.00, down from $2,799.00

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Apple Announces New Klarna and PayPal Integrations for Apple Pay ...

2024-10-17T16:30:14+02:00

Apple Announces New Klarna and PayPal Integrations for Apple Pay on iOS 18

In June, Apple discontinued its "buy now, pay later" service called Apple Pay Later, which let qualifying customers split a purchase made with Apple Pay into four equal payments over six weeks, with no interest or fees. Instead, Apple said customers in the U.S. would be able to apply for loans from select other "buy now, pay later" services when they check out with Apple Pay on the web and in apps on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.

Affirm payment plans have been available through Apple Pay since last month, and competing service Klarna announced that it is integrating with Apple Pay in the U.S. and the U.K. starting today, and in Canada in the coming months.

iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 users can select "Other Cards & Pay Later Options" when checking out with Apple Pay to access payment plans available from Klarna and Affirm. For example, Klarna offers an interest-free "Pay in 4" payment plan for purchases totaling between $35 and $2,000, which is similar to what Apple Pay Later offered.

announced an upcoming integration with PayPal.

Related Roundups: Apple Pay, iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: Apple Music, Apple Pay/Card, iCloud, Fitness+, iOS 18, iPadOS 18
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Apple Shares Letter Celebrating 10-Year Anniversary of Apple Pay ...

2024-10-17T15:30:16+02:00

Apple Shares Letter Celebrating 10-Year Anniversary of Apple Pay

Apple today shared a letter celebrating the upcoming 10-year anniversary of Apple Pay, which launched in the U.S. on October 20, 2014, as part of iOS 8.1.

Here is the full letter from Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet:
When we started our journey with Apple Pay 10 years ago, we saw a unique opportunity to leverage Apple's hardware and software to make a meaningful impact on the financial health and lives of our customers. From the outset, we envisioned a world where you could use your iPhone to seamlessly pay for everything — from groceries to train tickets, in person and online, across the globe — all while keeping your personal and financial information safe and private.

Today, Apple Pay is used by hundreds of millions of consumers in 78 markets, at checkout on millions of websites and apps, in tens of millions of stores worldwide, and is supported by more than 11,000 bank and network partners. We hear from customers every day about how much they love the ease, security, and privacy protections Apple Pay provides in their daily lives, and how much they enjoy using it across their devices — including iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac.

One of my earliest memories of realizing how Apple Pay was positively impacting consumers' lives was when we rolled out Apple Pay for transit in Tokyo, which is used by millions of travelers every day. I watched in awe as people quickly tapped their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay while passing through the turnstiles — no need to fish out any cash, cards, or coins from their wallets, or even unlock or wake their device. It's a great example of how Apple Pay's seamless and secure customer experience delivers convenience and peace of mind to consumers around the world, whether they're commuting to work, shopping online, or picking up their morning coffee.

We know how important it is for customers to feel secure and trust that their financial transactions are private when making a payment. That's why we're always working to safeguard consumers, while also enabling banks to have industry-low levels of fraud for Apple Pay transactions. And it's also why Apple Pay was designed to protect users' highly sensitive personal and financial information, like their card number, which is never shared with merchants. Our customers trust that when they use Apple Pay anywhere, they can have the peace of mind that their payments are protected.

Looking ahead at what's next for Apple Pay, we are excited to now bring our users more ways to pay, including the option to redeem rewards and access installment loans from Apple Pay-enabled issuers and lenders right at checkout with Apple Pay online and in-app on iPhone and iPad. This gives consumers greater flexibility in how they pay with the easy and trusted Apple Pay experience they already know and love. It also provides Apple Pay-enabled issuers and lenders with new ways to connect with their customers, and make their rewards and installment offerings even more accessible.

Beyond payments, we're also advancing our broader vision of replacing users' physical wallets with an easy, secure, and private digital wallet — Apple Wallet. Today, users can seamlessly and securely add and access eligible event tickets, transit cards, keys, government IDs, and more all from Apple Wallet. And we're always looking for new ways to make using Apple Wallet convenient while delivering unparalleled security and peace of mind.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Related Forum: Apple Music, Apple Pay/Card, iCloud, Fitness+
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FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Aims to Make Canceling ...

2024-10-17T14:45:10+02:00

FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Aims to Make Canceling Subscriptions Easier

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a final "click to cancel" rule that aims to simplify the process of ending subscriptions and memberships for US consumers.

The new rule will require businesses to make cancellation processes as straightforward as sign-up procedures, and companies will be prohibited from forcing customers to use chatbots or speak with agents to cancel subscriptions that were originally initiated online or through an app. For memberships started in person, businesses must offer cancellation options by phone or online.

In a statement accompanying the Commission's press release, FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said: "Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription. The FTC's rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want."

The rule will apply to almost all negative option programs across all media. It also requires sellers to provide clear information before obtaining billing details and to secure informed consent for negative option features prior to charging customers.

The move follows a significant increase in consumer complaints about subscription practices, according to the FTC. In 2024, the government agency received an average of nearly 70 complaints per day related to negative option and recurring subscription issues, up from 42 per day in 2021.

The Commission voted 3-2 to approve the final rule, with two Republican commissioners opposing it. Some initially proposed measures were dropped, including requirements for businesses to send annual reminders about recurring charges. The new regulation is set to take effect 180 days after publication in the Federal Register.

Tag: FTC
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iPhone Roadside Assistance via Satellite Feature Now Available in ...

2024-10-17T14:00:16+02:00

iPhone Roadside Assistance via Satellite Feature Now Available in UK

Apple's Roadside Assistance via Satellite feature for iPhones is now live in the United Kingdom, based on a recent update to Apple's support documentation.

The quiet launch follows Apple's announcement during its iPhone 16 event in September that the feature would expand to the UK later in the year.

Roadside Assistance via Satellite enables iPhone users to contact breakdown services in areas without cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. UK breakdown rescue service Green Flag has partnered with Apple to provide assistance to stranded motorists via the feature in areas with poor connectivity.

According to the updated support page, the service is available on a pay-per-use basis for those who are not Green Flag members, though specific pricing details have not been disclosed. Apple offers its satellite services, including Roadside Assistance, free for the first two years with the purchase of an iPhone 14 or later.

For Roadside Assistance via Satellite to work when outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, users need to be in an open area with a clear view of the sky and horizon, according to Apple.

To use the feature, open the Messages app and start a new message. Next, type "roadside" into the address field, and a "Roadside Assistance" option will appear. Tap on "Roadside Assistance" and follow the on-screen instructions to connect your iPhone to a satellite and request help.

The feature is compatible with iPhone 14 and newer models running iOS 17 or later. The UK expansion follows Apple's established partnerships with AAA and Verizon Roadside Assistance in the US.

(Thanks, Jack!)
Tags: Emergency SOS via Satellite, United Kingdom
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iPad Mini 7 Charging Speed Likely Remains at 20W ...

2024-10-17T13:30:13+02:00

iPad Mini 7 Charging Speed Likely Remains at 20W

The seventh-generation iPad mini's charging speed is capped at 20W, according to a Chinese regulatory filing.

The new ‌iPad mini‌'s charging speed has seemingly been confirmed through a China Compulsory Certificate (3C) certification report (spotted by 91Mobiles), revealing that the new model has the same charging specification as its immediate predecessor. According to the 3C certification, the seventh-generation ‌iPad mini‌ (model A2996) supports 20W "fast charging," using a 9VDC x 2.22A power output. This is the same wattage as the sixth-generation ‌iPad mini‌, which also featured a 20W USB-C charger. The listing also mentions a 45W adapter, but the ‌iPad mini‌'s actual charging speed is capped at 20W. This limitation puts it behind several competitors in the market, such as the OnePlus Pad 2, which boasts 67W fast charging.

iPad Air is similarly capped at 20W, but tests show that the iPad Pro can reach charging speeds of up to 30W. Apple's focus on optimizing long-term battery life may be one reason why charging speeds remain relatively conservative across its product lines. Faster charging can generate additional heat, which can reduce battery lifespan over time.
Related Roundup: iPad mini
Tags: 91Mobiles, China, Fast Charging
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
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Apple Secretly Developed Long-Range EV Battery Tech with ...

2024-10-17T11:45:10+02:00

Apple Secretly Developed Long-Range EV Battery Tech with China's BYD

Apple secretly collaborated with Chinese automaker BYD to develop long-range electric vehicle battery technology as part of its now-nixed Apple Car project, according to Bloomberg.

Beginning around 2017, the partnership focused on creating a battery system using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells. The joint effort aimed to produce batteries with longer range and improved safety compared to typical EV batteries of the time. Apple reportedly brought expertise in advanced battery packs and heat management, while BYD contributed manufacturing know-how and advancements in LFP cell technology.

The collaboration was part of Apple's since-canceled car project, which the company invested approximately $1 billion per year in over the past decade. Although Apple doesn't own the technology used in BYD's current Blade batteries, the partnership reportedly influenced the development of BYD's battery systems.

The project is said to have been led by Alexander Hitzinger on Apple's side, with a team of about 50 battery engineers overseen by Mujeeb Ijaz. Michael He, vice president of BYD's battery business, led the efforts for the Chinese company.

February 2024 after executives decided it was not a viable project.

Apple Car roundup for more details about the canceled project.
Tag: Bloomberg
Related Forum: Apple, Inc and Tech Industry
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What You Should Know About Apple's 5G Modem ...

2024-10-17T01:30:13+02:00

What You Should Know About Apple's 5G Modem

For the last several years, Apple has been working to create its own 5G modem, with the eventual goal of eliminating the need to use third-party modem technology. Apple's 5G modem is inching closer to completion, and we could see the first iPhone with an Apple modem in 2025.

This guide covers everything we know about Apple's 5G modem development.

First Products With Apple's 5G Modem

Swapping out a modem chip might not sound like a big deal, but tweaking cellular technology can have a major impact. Apple has to make sure that its 5G modem is as good or better than 5G chips from its current modem supplier Qualcomm before transitioning to its own technology.

For that reason, we're expecting the 2025 iPhone SE 4 to be the first Apple device with the Apple-designed 5G modem. It is a lower volume device than a flagship smartphone, and it will let Apple see modem performance at scale in consumer hands before bringing the Apple modem to the main ‌iPhone‌ line.

According to current rumors, ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will come out in early 2025, likely sometime before April. After Apple releases the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 with Apple modem, we could see it in a second device as soon as September 2025.

Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that the ultra-thin iPhone 17 "Air" or "Slim" that's in development will also use the Apple modem. Apple will ship an estimated 35 to 40 million ‌iPhone‌ units with the Apple modem in 2025, and from there, if all goes well, more iPhones will adopt the technology in 2026 and 2027.

No mmWave 5G?

In September, DigiTimes suggested that Apple's first 5G modem chip would not support faster mmWave technology, and would instead be limited to sub-6GHz 5G. mmWave 5G is the fastest 5G, but it is short range and limited to big venues and major cities. In suburban and rural areas, sub-6GHz is used.

‌DigiTimes‌ believes that Apple will continue to rely on Qualcomm modems for ‌iPhone‌ models that support mmWave, which is essentially U.S. iPhones. mmWave is still limited in availability in many countries, so Apple only has mmWave-capable modems in iPhones sold in the United States.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has also said that one of the modem chips that Apple is developing does not have mmWave 5G, so that lends some extra credibility to the ‌DigiTimes‌ report.

Possible All-in-One Chip

A recent report from 9to5Mac suggested that Apple's first modem chip would in fact be more than just a modem, combining 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS into a single chip. That does not align with what we've heard from Gurman, however. While Apple is said to be working on an all-in-one chip, it isn't something that is expected for some time.

Gurman believes the first version of the Apple 5G modem will not measure up to Qualcomm technology, and that the first custom design won't bring noticeable benefits for users. Apple is hoping that the modem will eventually evolve into a more advanced component, cutting down on the need for multiple chips to save money and internal space.

With the two separate reports, it is not clear if the Apple chip will be a standalone modem or a chip that incorporates multiple components, but given reports of development difficulties, Apple might not be at the all-in-one chip point.

Qualcomm Dispute

Right now, all iPhones use Qualcomm 5G modems, and Apple has to buy the modem chips and pay a patent licensing fee for using Qualcomm technology. Back in 2017, Apple sued Qualcomm over anticompetitive patent licensing practices and also claimed that Qualcomm had failed to pay more than $1 billion in royalty rebates.

After filing the lawsuit, Apple attempted to cut ties with Qualcomm and opted to use only Intel modem chips in the 2018 ‌iPhone‌ XS/XR models and the 2019 ‌iPhone‌ 11 lineup. Apple had used Intel chips for some iPhones in the past, opting for a mix of Qualcomm and Intel modems in different regions, but Apple wanted to stop relying on Qualcomm entirely.

missed developmental deadlines, and it became clear that Intel 5G chips were not going to happen.

Apple needed the 5G modems from Intel to be functional and ready to test by summer 2019, and completed chips needed to be shipped to Apple in early 2020, which wasn't going to happen. Apple spoke with Samsung and Mediatek about the possibility of 5G modems to avoid having to make amends with Qualcomm, but it turned out Qualcomm modems were the only option.

dropped all litigation. Apple paid Qualcomm $5 to $6 billion in late royalty fees, and agreed to continue to pay ongoing patent royalties for every ‌iPhone‌ manufactured, plus the company signed a six-year licensing deal with Qualcomm.

through March 2027, so we will likely see Qualcomm modems in some devices up until then as Apple transitions to its own technology.

Intel Purchase

Just after Apple settled with Qualcomm, Intel announced plans to exit the 5G modem business. Intel was not able to make a 5G modem to compete with Qualcomm, and that was the end of Intel's modem business. Intel met customer commitments for existing 4G modems, but then-Intel CEO Bob Swan said there was "no clear path to profitability and positive returns" in the smartphone modem business.

Intel decided to sell off its modem business, and Apple ultimately opted to acquire it. In July 2019, Apple and Intel inked a deal that saw Apple purchasing the majority of Intel's smartphone modem business. Approximately 2,200 Intel employees joined Apple, and Apple also took over Intel's related intellectual property, equipment, and leases, in a transaction valued at $1 billion.

With the Intel purchase, Apple became the owner of more than 17,000 wireless technology patents, and the Intel employees joined Apple's cellular technologies group. The purchase was aimed at helping Apple accelerate 5G modem development, but Apple has still faced delays and design issues.

Development Issues

There have been rumors about iPhones adopting an Apple-designed modem chip since 2023, which is when the technology was meant to be ready. Kuo said in mid-2022 that Apple's modem work had "failed," leading to stalled development and a launch delay.

Gurman said in late 2023 that Apple was forced to postpone the debut of an Apple modem until 2025 or 2026 due to development setbacks, and he claimed that the technology could "lag behind the competition by years."

Apple has reportedly experienced issues with the Intel code it has been working with. Engineers have had to do rewrites, and adding new functionality has caused existing features to break. Apple also has to avoid infringing on Qualcomm patents with the chip, adding another layer of complexity.

The Wall Street Journal suggested that Apple has run into problems because it had unrealistic goals, a poor understanding of the challenges involved in modem development, and completely unusable prototypes. Chips tested in late 2022 were allegedly "three years behind Qualcomm's best modem chip," and in danger of making the ‌iPhone‌'s wireless speeds slower than competitors.

Release Date

It's looking like we'll see the first Apple modem in the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4, which is expected in early 2025. From there, Apple will likely expand the technology to other devices, using a mix of Qualcomm and custom-designed chips until its own work on 5G modems is advanced enough to phase out Qualcomm entirely.
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Amazon Launches First Kindle With Color Display ...

2024-10-17T00:30:13+02:00

Amazon Launches First Kindle With Color Display

Amazon today refreshed its popular Kindle e-reader lineup, introducing the first Kindle that has a color display. The $280 Kindle Colorsoft has a 7-inch high-contrast display that Amazon says offers "paper-like color."

While Amazon has released tablets with traditional LCD displays that support color, the Colorsoft is E Ink like Amazon's other Kindle tablets, but with new technology that allows for color. Amazon is using LED pixels and a new oxide backplane for color without impacting resolution or increasing latency when turning pages.

Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple tested E-Ink's Electronic Paper Display for future foldable tablet applications, and he said that color EPD could perhaps become a mainstream solution for the cover screen of a foldable iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Remarkable Paper Pro that use it.

Amazon says that the Kindle Colorsoft is its brightest Kindle yet, and the display is able to adjust the front light for any lighting condition. It continues to have a 300 pixel-per-inch resolution for black and white, with a 150 pixel-per-inch resolution for color.

Amazon today also unveiled an updated $400 Kindle Scribe that supports notetaking with a white-bordered display and a screen that has a paper-like texture. It comes with a Premium Pen that feels like an actual pen, complete with a soft-tipped eraser for erasing. AI integration allows for summaries and bullet point lists of notes taken, and notes can be refined to have a more readable font.

Tag: Amazon
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iPad 11 Now Seems Unlikely to Launch This Year ...

2024-10-16T23:45:10+02:00

iPad 11 Now Seems Unlikely to Launch This Year

Given recent events, it now seems unlikely that Apple will update its entry-level iPad this year.

First and foremost, Apple lowered the price of the iPad 10 and stopped including a charger with the device in Europe this week, and there is a low chance that Apple would have proceeded with those changes if an iPad 11 was imminent.

announcement of a new iPad mini in a standalone press release this week further suggests that the iPad 11 is not coming soon.

newsletter last month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said "new, lower-end iPads" were likely to be unveiled at Apple's next event "in the coming weeks," alongside the first Macs with M4 chips. It is unclear if Apple is still planning to host a Mac-focused event later this month, but it seems that an iPad 11 will not be announced this month regardless.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)
Related Forum: iPad
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Apple's Chief People Officer Leaves Company After 20 Months ...

2024-10-16T22:45:10+02:00

Apple's Chief People Officer Leaves Company After 20 Months

Apple's chief people officer Carol Surface is leaving the company, reports Bloomberg. Surface joined Apple in February 2023, so she has been at the company less than two years.

Most senior executives are at Apple for much longer periods of time, and it is not clear why Surface is leaving. She was hired when Apple decided to split its primary human resources role from retail last year, and she reported directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Deirdre O'Brien had been handling both the retail and people (or HR) role, but when Surface took over, O'Brien transitioned to just overseeing retail. With Surface leaving, O'Brien will once again oversee both people and retail.

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Apple Will Let Verified Businesses to Display Logos in Apps Like ...

2024-10-16T21:15:12+02:00

Apple Will Let Verified Businesses to Display Logos in Apps Like Mail, Phone, and Wallet

Apple today announced an update to its Apple Business Connect feature, designed to allow any verified business to create a consistent branding and location presence across apps that include Maps, Wallet, Phone, and Mail.

Using Business Connect, companies are able to sign up to display their brand in the Phone app when a call is placed to an iPhone user, or in the Mail app to make an incoming email more recognizable. Businesses can sign up for Branded Mail today, with logos appearing to customers later this year when iOS 18.2 is released.

In 2025, companies will be able to use Business Caller ID, which will show their name, logo, and department on an inbound call screen.

There's also now an option for businesses to display their logo in Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌, rather than a category icon. Apple says this change will help customers ensure they're making a payment to a verified business.

Businesses have been able to claim and manage their location place cards for Maps using Business Connect, but now Business Connect is also available to businesses that operate a service or that operate online without a physical location.

can be found on Apple's website.
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
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Surgeons at UCSD Find Apple Vision Pro Promising for Minimally ...

2024-10-16T21:00:16+02:00

Surgeons at UCSD Find Apple Vision Pro Promising for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Surgeons at the University of California, San Diego have been testing the Apple Vision Pro for surgeries, and have performed more than 20 minimally invasive operations while wearing the headsets. Surgeon and director of the Center for Future Surgery at UCSD, Santiago Horgan, recently spoke with Time to provide some commentary on the Vision Pro's performance.

According to Horgan, the Vision Pro could be "more transformative" than robotic devices that are used to assist in surgeries. While the Vision Pro is expensive for consumers, it is affordable for hospitals compared to most medical equipment, and it is widely available technology that many hospitals around the country will be able to take advantage of.

During laparoscopic surgeries, doctors send a camera through a small incision, and the camera's view is shown on a nearby screen. Doctors have to watch the screen while also operating on the patient, a process that the Vision Pro streamlines. Horgan says that surgeons need to look over at CT scans, monitor vitals, and more while doing these surgeries, and all of that information can be viewed through the Vision Pro instead.

This prevents surgeons from having to contort their bodies in odd positions, cutting down on discomfort while performing surgeries.

While Horgan has tried other headsets like Google Glass and Microsoft's HoloLens, the displays were not good enough. But the Vision Pro has high-resolution OLED displays, and the result has turned out to be "better than [UCSD surgeons] even expected."

In surgeries that involve the Vision Pro, doctors, assistants, and nurses all wear the headsets instead of looking at screens, and no patients have opted out of the Vision Pro surgeries.

the full Time article.
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Apple Releases New macOS Sequoia 15.1 Public Beta With Apple ...

2024-10-16T20:00:16+02:00

Apple Releases New macOS Sequoia 15.1 Public Beta With Apple Intelligence

Apple today released a new macOS Sequoia 15.1 public beta, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of its October 28 launch. The latest beta comes a day after Apple provided the seventh beta to developers.

Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1 update by opening up the Settings app, tapping into the Software Update section and selecting the Public Beta option.

Siri updates, summaries, AI-powered Focus modes, and smart replies. To use Apple Intelligence features, you need an iPhone 15 Pro, an iPhone 16 model, or M-series Mac or iPad.

Writing Tools are available whenever text can be selected and edited, and the feature can be used for spell checking, correcting grammar, rewriting your work with a new tone, and summarizing text.

‌Siri‌ has been overhauled with a new design that includes a subtle glow around the display, and Type to ‌Siri‌ means you don't have to speak to ‌Siri‌ to get answers. ‌Siri‌‌ can follow along if you stumble over your words, and can maintain context between requests. Safari can summarize articles, and there's a new Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode that intelligently highlights only important notifications.

Photos has a Memory Movie feature for creating slideshows based on text descriptions, and there is a Clean Up tool for unwanted objects in your photos.

found in our Apple Intelligence guide. Image Playground, Genmoji, and other new ‌Siri‌ features have not yet been implemented.
Related Roundup: macOS Sequoia
Related Forum: macOS Sequoia
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Apple's Supply Chain Gears Up for MacBook Pro Models With M4 ...

2024-10-16T17:45:10+02:00

Apple's Supply Chain Gears Up for MacBook Pro Models With M4 Chips

Apple's supply chain is gearing up for new MacBook Pro models with M4 chips, which are expected to be announced this month, according to DigiTimes.

"Apple is expected to unveil new MacBook Pro models equipped with the latest M4 chip in October, which could boost related component shipments," says the paywalled report, published today. "This trend is evident in the revenue reports from component manufacturers such as Jarllytec and Shin Zu Shing for September."

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple plans to announce its first Macs with M4 series chips this year, including a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, an iMac with the M4 chip, and a redesigned Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro chips. Apple already debuted the M4 chip in the iPad Pro earlier this year, but it has yet to announce the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.

seemingly already leaked in Russia in recent weeks, and those leaks revealed that the MacBook Pro lineup might finally start with 16GB of RAM instead of 8GB. The leaked 14-inch MacBook Pro has no major external design changes, but it does appear to have an additional, third Thunderbolt 4 port compared to the current entry-level model with two Thunderbolt 3 ports.

announced a new iPad mini with Apple Intelligence support in a press release.

In any case, it appears that new Macs are just around the corner.
Related Roundup: MacBook Pro 14 & 16"
Tag: DigiTimes
Buyer's Guide: 14" & 16" MacBook Pro (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro
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App Store is Down for Many Users ...

2024-10-16T17:30:13+02:00

App Store is Down for Many Users

If the App Store is currently down for you, you are not alone. Many users have indicated that the App Store is not working for them right now across devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. However, not all users are impacted by this outage.

The issues are not yet reflected on Apple's system status page, but thousands of customers have indicated they are affected on the Downdetector website.

We'll update this post as more information becomes available, or when the issues appear to be resolved for all users.

Tags: App Store, System Status
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Amazon Takes Up to $64 Off Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 10 in ...

2024-10-16T17:00:17+02:00

Amazon Takes Up to $64 Off Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 10 in New Sales

Amazon this week is discounting a collection of Apple Watch models, including the new Series 10 and Black Ultra 2 devices.

Apple Watch Series 10

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$374.28, down from $399.00. This price is available in the Rose Gold Aluminum with Plum Sport Loop model, but there are also a few devices at only a few dollars higher. This price range remains the lowest we've seen the Series 10 drop to date.

$24 OFF
Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm GPS) for $374.28

$402.91 in the Jet Black Aluminum with Black Sport Band color, down from $429.00. Similar to the smaller model, you can find a few more models on sale on Amazon right now for just a few dollars more, including the Rose Gold and Silver Aluminum options.

$27 OFF
Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm GPS) for $402.91

Apple Watch Ultra 2

$734.89, down from $799.00 in multiple band styles. This is an overall second-best price on the Black Apple Watch Ultra 2, but it's just about $5 higher when compared to the all-time low price we tracked over Prime Day.

$64 OFF
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (Black) for $734.89

Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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MacPaw Releases Redesigned CleanMyMac With New Features ...

2024-10-16T16:30:14+02:00

MacPaw Releases Redesigned CleanMyMac With New Features

MacPaw today released a redesigned version of CleanMyMac, its long-running Mac optimization and maintenance software. The update introduces a new interface and expanded functionality, aiming to provide a more comprehensive set of tools for Mac care.

The revised CleanMyMac now features six main modules and over 25 tools for various maintenance tasks. A new assistant offers Mac health and security reports and maintenance reminders, while an updated My Clutter module helps users manage storage by identifying large, old, and duplicate files.

Other changes include grouped application permissions in the Protection module for easier privacy management, and a redesigned menu bar utility that aims to improve system monitoring and resource usage.
"This update isn't just about a fresh look — it's about giving users the tools they need to care for their Macs effortlessly," said MacPaw CEO Oleksandr Kosovan. "We're combining smart tech with an intuitive design, setting the stage for better security, faster performance, and a cleaner, clutter-free experience."
The new CleanMyMac is available as a subscription starting at $39.95 per year or as a one-time purchase from $119.95 (prices may vary by region). Existing CleanMyMac and Setapp subscribers will receive the upgrade for free, while previous one-time license owners can upgrade with up to a 50% discount.

MacPaw plans to add more features in 2025, including improvements to storage visualization and file organization. The company is also developing a business version of CleanMyMac, with a waiting list open for early testing.

MacPaw's website, the Mac App Store, or through the Setapp subscription service.

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Apple Cuts Entry-Level iPad Price in Europe, Removes Charger From ...

2024-10-16T13:45:11+02:00

Apple Cuts Entry-Level iPad Price in Europe, Removes Charger From Box

Yesterday we noted that the new iPad mini 7 does not come with a charger in the box when sold in European countries, and it turns out that the same now also applies to entry-level iPads sold by Apple across the continent.

Since its release in 2022, Apple's most affordable iPad has come with a USB-C charger in Europe, but the debut of the new iPad mini on Tuesday would have left it as the only remaining device in Apple's iPad lineup to do so. The latest iPad Pro and iPad Air models, introduced earlier this year, do not include a charger in the box when purchased in Europe. All of these devices only include a USB-C cable.

launched a consultation to explore the possibility of mandating USB-C as the standard charging port for electronic devices, and it's hard to imagine it won't largely reflect EU legislation.

In tandem with the change, Apple also quietly cut the price of the iPad across Europe, shaving €30 off its original €449 price. The new starting price for the 10th-generation device in the EU is now €409. Meanwhile in the United Kingdom, Apple's cheapest iPad got a £20 cut and now starts at £329, down from £349.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)
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UK Considers Adopting USB-C as Common Charging Standard ...

2024-10-16T12:15:10+02:00

UK Considers Adopting USB-C as Common Charging Standard

The UK government has launched a consultation to explore the possibility of mandating USB-C as the standard charging port for electronic devices, potentially aligning with similar regulations recently adopted by the European Union.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards, part of the Department for Business and Trade, is seeking input from manufacturers, importers, distributors, and trade associations on the potential benefits and challenges of implementing a common charging standard across the UK.

This move comes after the EU passed legislation in 2022 requiring most portable electronic devices to use USB-C for charging by December 2024. The EU's decision aimed to reduce electronic waste and improve charger interoperability.

The UK government, which previously stated it was not considering similar rules, is now exploring whether adopting USB-C as a standard would benefit businesses, consumers, and the environment. The consultation will run for eight weeks, ending on December 4, 2024.

Key points under consideration include:

Standardizing USB-C as the common charging port

Implementing harmonized fast-charging technology

Allowing consumers to purchase devices without chargers

Introducing labeling requirements for charging information

The government acknowledges that many manufacturers of smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, and laptops have already adopted USB-C for the UK market voluntarily to avoid supply chain complexities. For example, Apple, which long resisted changing its proprietary Lightning port, adopted USB-C for new iPhones last year, while the last few Lightning products are likely to make the transition next year. However, the government says it seeks to understand the implications of formally implementing such requirements.

announced on Tuesday, will not include a charger in the box for several European countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. The change is likely in response to EU regulations regarding electronic waste, but even some European countries that are not part of the EU are impacted.
Tags: United Kingdom, USB-C
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Google Shopping Revamped With AI Integration and Personalized ...

2024-10-16T00:30:12+02:00

Google Shopping Revamped With AI Integration and Personalized Suggestions

Google today announced a new Google Shopping experience that has been updated to take advantage of artificial intelligence. Google Shopping has been rebuilt from the ground up with AI, pairing 45 billion product listings with Google Gemini AI models to provide a more personalized shopping experience.

The overhauled Google Shopping feature uses AI to show the most relevant products when someone searches for something to buy. Google will provide an AI-generated brief with top suggestions to consider when making a purchase, along with some recommendations.

Results will be organized into categories to provide an overview of different types of products, and there are dynamic filters that will let users narrow down results based on their preferences. Google has also added in the virtual try-on option and AR shopping tools, along with a "Deals" section for browsing personalized deals.

There is a new Google Shopping home page that has a personalized feed populated with suggestions based on user preference and past searches. Personalized results can be turned off by going to the Google Shopping menu and tapping on "Shopping preferences" at the bottom of the page.

new Google Shopping website is rolling out now in the United States, but not all users will see it right away. Google says it will take a few weeks for it to be available to all U.S. users.
Tag: Google
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Is an Apple Event Still Likely This October Following Today's ...

2024-10-15T23:00:16+02:00

Is an Apple Event Still Likely This October Following Today's Surprise iPad Mini 7 Announcement?

Apple has held an October event in three out of the past four years, but is an event this month still likely after today's surprise iPad mini 7 announcement?

While some Apple enthusiasts believe that the iPad mini 7 being unveiled in a press release today means that Apple is unlikely to hold an October event this year, the announcement does not entirely rule out the possibility. Last year, Apple held a 30-minute virtual event on October 30 to introduce new MacBook Pro and iMac models with the M3 series of chips, so another Mac-focused event this October would not be out of the ordinary.

Mac mini is expected to receive its biggest redesign since 2010, and that might be something that Apple wants to highlight on video during a virtual event this month. According to rumors, the new Mac mini will be nearly as small as an Apple TV, and feature two front-facing USB-C ports, which would make it look more like the Mac Studio.

already unveiled the standard M4 chip in the iPad Pro earlier this year, whereas the M3 chip was unveiled at the October event last year. Still, there are the higher-end M4 Pro and M4 Max chips that need to be announced.

This isn't to say that Apple will for sure host an event this month. Rather, there is simply no reason that the iPad mini being announced early rules out an event.

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Sonos Launches New $999 Arc Ultra Soundbar and $799 Sub 4 ...

2024-10-15T22:00:15+02:00

Sonos Launches New $999 Arc Ultra Soundbar and $799 Sub 4

Sonos today announced the launch of two new products, the Arc Ultra Soundbar and the Sonos Sub 4. The Sonos Arc Ultra is a new high-end soundbar that's priced at $999, while the $799 Sub 4 is the newest Sonos subwoofer with improved design and internals.

The Arc Ultra offers up to double the bass of its predecessor, thanks to new transducer technology called Sound Motion. Sound Motion cuts down on the size of the transducer while also improving bass, for better sound from smaller devices. There are 14 Sonos-engineered drivers, the Sound Motion woofer, and a cluster of tweeters with waveguides to provide a 9.1.4 spatial audio experience.

New center channel architecture maximizes vocal clarity to make it easier to follow dialogue, and there is a Speech Enhancement feature for customization. Trueplay can be used to customize audio to a specific space.

Compared to the prior version of the Sonos Arc, the Arc Ultra has a curved design, matte finish, and slimmer build that doesn't obstruct TV bezels. There are touch controls behind the soundbar and an easy setup process through HDMI eARC.

The Sub 4 has a similar design to the Sub 3, but there is a new matte finish and a profile that allows it to stand upright, be placed on its side, or tucked under furniture. Sonos upped the processing power and memory of the Sub 4, and added new Wi-Fi radios for improved connectivity. Sonos says Sub 4 was created with inward-facing woofers to neutralize distortion, and the new model is compatible with the Arc Ultra, Arc, or Beam, as well as older versions of the Sub.

ill-received app overhaul in May. Sonos opted to delay launching new devices earlier in 2024 in order to make improvements to the Sonos app, which have included bug fixes and feature additions to match the functionality of the original Sonos app. Sonos had delayed new product launches, but CEO Patrick Spence said that the company now feels the app has been improved enough to introduce new devices.
"We've worked tirelessly to resolve the most critical app issues and most requested legacy features. We have reached a level of quality that gives us the confidence to launch our extraordinary new products," said Patrick Spence, CEO of Sonos. "As we laid out in our commitments we will continue to improve the software regularly, and are determined to make the Sonos experience better than it's ever been."

Earlier this month, Sonos recommitted to software quality and customer experience, promising to focus more on customer experience while also testing future app changes with customers before rolling them out.

Alongside the new devices, Sonos plans to roll out a new app update that will "surpass the performance of the previous app" across metrics like system identification, new device setup, and grouping multiple Sonos devices together. Sonos claims that the update will "reintroduce 90 percent of the new app's missing features."

available from the Sonos website on October 29.
Tag: Sonos
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Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Beta Firmware ...

2024-10-15T20:45:11+02:00

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Beta Firmware

Apple today released a new beta firmware update for the AirPods Pro 2, with the software available for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the ‌AirPods Pro‌. The firmware has a build number of 7B5013d, up from 7B5013c, and as it is a beta, it is only available for developers at the current time.

It is not clear what's included in the firmware update at this time, but Apple is planning to introduce hearing aid and hearing test functionality for the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 sometime this year.

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In the iPad Mini 7 Box: No Charger in Europe, New Braided USB-C ...

2024-10-15T20:00:17+02:00

In the iPad Mini 7 Box: No Charger in Europe, New Braided USB-C Cable

The new iPad mini 7 does not come with a charger in the box in European countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and others. This change is likely in response to EU regulations regarding electronic waste that will be enforced starting in 2026, but even some European countries that are not part of the EU are impacted.

The latest iPad Pro and iPad Air models, introduced earlier this year, also do not come with a charger in the box in Europe.

The lack of a charger in the box with iPads only applies to Europe for the time being. Apple includes a 20W USB-C charger with the iPad mini 7 in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil, and other countries around the world.

It is likely that the iPad mini 7 does not include Apple stickers in the box either, as part of Apple's goal of removing plastic from its packaging by next year. This is a trend we've seen all year long, with the Vision Pro, the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air models, and the iPhone 16 series also lacking Apple stickers inside the box. Customers can still ask for Apple stickers if they are purchasing these devices in person at an Apple retail store.

There is one tiny bit of good news: the USB-C charging cable included with the iPad mini is now braided for added durability.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad
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Apple Seeds Seventh Developer Beta of macOS Sequoia 15.1 ...

2024-10-15T19:15:10+02:00

Apple Seeds Seventh Developer Beta of macOS Sequoia 15.1

Apple today provided developers with the seventh beta of an upcoming macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta, with the new update coming one week after Apple released the sixth beta.

Registered developers can opt-in to the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. An Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

first Apple Intelligence features, adding support for Writing Tools, new Siri features, Smart Replies in Mail and Messages, Priority messages in the Mail app, Memory Movie and Clean Up in Photos, and more.

does not include Image Playground, Genmoji, or more advanced ‌Siri‌ functionality.

Using Apple Intelligence features requires a Mac that has an Apple silicon chip.
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Latest Apple Card Promo Offers 6% Daily Cash Back at Walgreens ...

2024-10-15T19:00:16+02:00

Latest Apple Card Promo Offers 6% Daily Cash Back at Walgreens and Duane Reade

Apple today shared a new Apple Card promotion that offers ‌Apple Card‌ users six percent Daily Cash back on purchases made at drugstores Walgreens and Duane Reade.

The bonus is available on up to $500 in purchases when using ‌Apple Card‌ with Apple Pay, for a total of $30 back at the maximum purchase amount. Apple has a partnership with Walgreens and Duane Reade that normally gives ‌Apple Card‌ users three percent Daily Cash back on purchases, so for the next month, the cash return is doubled.

Tag: Apple Card
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New Beats Collaboration With Kim Kardashian Features ...

2024-10-15T18:15:11+02:00

New Beats Collaboration With Kim Kardashian Features Special-Edition Beats Pill Colors

Apple's Beats brand and Kim Kardashian have teamed up for a third time on special-edition colors of a Beats product, this time featuring the recently relaunched Beats Pill speaker in new Light Gray and Dark Gray hues.

After months of celebrity teases, the Beats Pill made a comeback in June with a variety of feature and audio improvements over previous models to deliver a premium audio experience in a portable package.

This latest Beats x Kim collaboration follows previous ones for Beats Fit Pro back in 2022 and Beats Studio Pro just two months ago, but while the two previous campaigns have focused on skin-tone colors, the new Beats Pill collaboration keeps the neutral color theme but goes for gray shades.
"I'm excited to be back with my Beats family and to bring two new colors to an iconic product," said Kim Kardashian. "Music is a big part of my everyday life, from morning gym sessions to creative brainstorms, and the Beats Pill makes it that much more beautiful."
The launch includes a new ad campaign featuring Kardashian and comedian Ben Marshall of comedy group Please Don't Destroy and Saturday Night Live as her "Pill Assistant" to carry the speaker around and curate playlists for her every need.

Compared to the Beats Pill+ that was discontinued in 2022, the revamped Beats Pill features a redesigned speaker system with a 20º upward tilt for better sound projection, a removable lanyard, USB-C connectivity to go along with Bluetooth support, up to 24 hours of battery life, and IP67 water and sweat resistance.

iPhone or other devices from the speaker. The Beats Pill can also be used as a speakerphone for connected devices, with a noise-learning algorithm and full duplex support ensuring high-quality calls.

The Beats x Kim Beats Pill launches this Friday, October 18, at 7:00 am Pacific Time, and it will be available for the same $149.99 price as standard models of the portable speaker. It will be available from Apple's online store in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Korea, and at select Apple retail stores in all of those countries with the exception of Korea. It will also be available through Amazon in the US and Canada, Amazon and John Lewis in the UK, JB Hi-Fi in Australia, and Tmall, JD.com, Mono, and APR in China.
Tag: Beats
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iPad Mini 7 Has These 6 Smaller Changes, Including a Faster USB-C ...

2024-10-15T17:30:13+02:00

iPad Mini 7 Has These 6 Smaller Changes, Including a Faster USB-C Port

Apple today introduced the iPad mini 7 with a faster A17 Pro chip, Apple Intelligence support, and Apple Pencil Pro support. In addition, the device also received a handful of smaller upgrades and changes compared to the previous model, as outlined below.

The new iPad mini can be ordered starting today, and it launches on Wednesday, October 23.

Here are six of the device's smaller changes.

Faster USB-C Port

Apple says the USB-C port on the iPad mini 7 is capable of data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps, which is double the 5 Gbps limit on the iPad mini 6.

This upgrade allows for faster data transfer over a USB-C cable, for tasks such as exporting photos from the iPad mini to a Mac.

Here are the USB-C and Thunderbolt speeds for all recent iPad models:

Device
Specification

iPad Pro (2021 and later)

Thunderbolt (Up to 40 Gbps)

iPad Pro (2018 and 2020)

USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Up to 10 Gbps)

iPad Air (2022 and later)

USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Up to 10 Gbps)

iPad Air (2020)

USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Up to 5 Gbps)

iPad mini (2024)

USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Up to 10 Gbps)

iPad mini (2021)

USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Up to 5 Gbps)

iPad (2022)

USB 2.0 (Up to 480 Mbps)

eSIM Only

Following in the footsteps of the iPad Pro and iPad Air, cellular models of the iPad mini no longer have a nano-SIM card slot worldwide. Unlike the iPad mini 6, the iPad mini 7 relies entirely on digital eSIM technology for cellular data plans.

support document with helpful information about using an eSIM on an iPad.

Faster Wi-Fi

Like many other recent Apple devices, the iPad mini 7 supports faster Wi-Fi 6E.

Wi-Fi 6E extends the capabilities of the regular Wi-Fi 6 specification to the 6 GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds and reduced signal interference. In addition to the iPad mini 7, you will need a router with Wi-Fi 6E support.

iPad mini 7 also supports Bluetooth 5.3.

Double the Base Storage

iPad mini 7 starts with 128GB of storage, compared to 64GB for the iPad mini 6. Better yet, the iPad mini continues to start at $499.

Improved HDR Photos

The new iPad mini supports Smart HDR 4, whereas the previous model supports Smart HDR 3.

Apple says Smart HDR 4 makes photos look "even more detailed and vivid."

Introduced with iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13, Smart HDR 4 uses intelligent segmentation to apply different adjustments for colour, contrast, and noise to the subject versus the background. This ensures faces are properly exposed in challenging lighting, and renders people in the same photo individually, with different adjustments optimized for lighting and skin tone for each person.

"iPad mini" Inscription

As noted by Parker Ortolani, the iPad mini 7 has an "iPad mini" inscription on the back of device. Previous models of the device merely show "iPad."

teeny tiny detail, but the new iPad mini now actually says "mini" on the back like the other models from the past few years that got their modifiers added pic.twitter.com/EjSEqvJ4PE
— Parker Ortolani (@ParkerOrtolani) October 15, 2024

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad
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All-Time Low Prices Hit 14-Inch M3 MacBook Pro, Available From ...

2024-10-15T17:00:16+02:00

All-Time Low Prices Hit 14-Inch M3 MacBook Pro, Available From $1,299

Today we're tracking a pair of discounts on Apple's 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro at Amazon and Best Buy. These deals include $300 off original prices of the 512GB and 1TB models, and both match the all-time low price on each model.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

$1,299.00 at Amazon, down from $1,599.00. Best Buy is matching the same deal, and both retailers have the Silver and Space Gray colors available at this price.

$300 OFF
14-inch M3 MacBook Pro (512GB) for $1,299.00

$1,499.00, down from $1,799.00. Again, you'll find the same price matched at Best Buy, and this is another all-time low price on the M3 MacBook Pro at both retailers.

$300 OFF
14-inch M3 MacBook Pro (1TB) for $1,499.00

Apple Deals roundup.
Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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iPad Mini 6 vs. iPad Mini 7 Buyer's Guide: 20 Upgrades ...

2024-10-15T16:30:14+02:00

iPad Mini 6 vs. iPad Mini 7 Buyer's Guide: 20 Upgrades Compared

Apple today revealed the seventh-generation iPad mini, introducing several significant upgrades that make it a standout from its predecessor. Here's everything that's new.

At the core of the new device is the A17 Pro chip, first introduced last year in the iPhone 15 Pro, which delivers faster CPU and GPU performance along with advanced graphics features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing. One of the most important additions is support for Apple Intelligence, unlocking new AI-driven features that could dramatically improve user experience. It's also worth noting that the device now starts with 128GB of storage, double the previous base capacity, with no increase in price.

Apple Pencil Pro with hover functionality for greater precision. A new Blue color also replaces Pink in the lineup. All of the differences between the sixth- and seventh-generation ‌iPad mini‌ models are listed below:

‌iPad mini‌

‌iPad mini‌

A15 Bionic chip (introduced with iPhone 13 in 2021, made with TSMC's 5nm N5P process)
A17 Pro chip (introduced with ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro in 2023, made with TSMC's 3nm N3 process)

6-core CPU
6-core CPU (30% faster)

5-core GPU
5-core GPU (25% faster)

Hardware-accelerated ray tracing

Hardware-accelerated mesh shading

4GB memory
8GB memory (unconfirmed, but likely)

Dynamic Caching

16-core Neural Engine
16-core Neural Engine (2x faster)

Apple Intelligence support

Smart HDR 3 for photos
Smart HDR 4 for photos

True Tone flash
New True Tone flash

Identify documents with AI

Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.3

Wi-Fi 6 connectivity
Wi-Fi 6E connectivity

Nano-SIM or eSIM
eSIM only

USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 port (data transfers up to 5Gbps)
USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (2x faster with data transfers up to 10Gbps)

Supports ‌Apple Pencil‌ (USB‑C) and ‌Apple Pencil‌ (second generation)
Supports ‌Apple Pencil‌ (USB‑C) and ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro

‌Apple Pencil‌ hover

64GB or 256GB storage
128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage

Available in Space Gray, Starlight, Purple, and Pink
Available in Space Gray, Starlight, lighter Purple, and Blue

iPad for demanding tasks such as creative work or intensive multitasking. The addition of hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading also enhances graphics performance, which is ideal for mobile gamers.

Siri that integrates ChatGPT and on-screen awareness and the ability to take action. This could be transformative for those who use their ‌iPad‌ for productivity.

The seventh-generation ‌iPad mini‌ also gains ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover and ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro support, offering more precise control for drawing, writing, and graphic design. These upgrades make the new ‌iPad mini‌ particularly attractive for artists and professionals who use the ‌Apple Pencil‌ extensively. The new USB-C 3.0 port offers twice the data transfer speed of the sixth-generation ‌iPad mini‌, making it a meaningful upgrade for users who frequently transfer large files between devices.

The improved Smart HDR 4 for photos and new True Tone flash enhances camera performance. While not revolutionary, it's a good improvement for those who use their ‌iPad mini‌ for photography and document scanning. Finally, the fresh Blue color adds a subtle aesthetic update, but of course, this is a matter of personal preference.

If you're a power user—someone who relies on their ‌iPad‌ for heavy multitasking, professional work with the ‌Apple Pencil‌, or intensive graphics and gaming—the seventh-generation ‌iPad mini‌'s improvements in speed, Apple Intelligence support, and Pencil support could make a noticeable difference to your workflow and justify an upgrade.

For users intending to use their ‌iPad mini‌ for browsing, light productivity, streaming, and casual gaming, the improvements in the seventh generation may not feel as impactful. The core experience of iPadOS and apps will remain largely the same, with only moderate gains in speed and efficiency. If the sixth-generation ‌iPad mini‌ still handles all your needs—especially if you don't push it to its performance limits—the improvements in the seventh generation might not feel essential.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
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Apple Unveils New iPad Mini with A17 Pro Chip and Apple ...

2024-10-15T15:15:10+02:00

Apple Unveils New iPad Mini with A17 Pro Chip and Apple Intelligence

Apple today announced a significant refresh to the iPad mini, featuring an A17 Pro chip and support for the company's new Apple Intelligence system. The refreshed tablet maintains its compact 8.3-inch design while offering substantial performance improvements and new capabilities.

The A17 Pro chip brings a 30% boost in CPU performance and a 25% increase in GPU performance compared to the previous generation, according to Apple.

Apple Pencil Pro, which introduces pressure sensitivity, haptic feedback, and gesture controls. Other improvements include Wi-Fi 6E support, faster USB-C data transfer, and an upgraded 12MP wide camera with Smart HDR 4.

Apple Intelligence offers features improved writing tools, image generation, and enhanced task automation. The system utilizes both on-device processing and cloud-based models to balance performance and privacy. The first set of Apple Intelligence features will be available in U.S. English this month through a free software update with iPadOS 18.1.

Available in four colors, including new blue and purple options, the ‌iPad mini‌ starts at $499 for 128GB of storage. Pre-orders begin today, with availability starting October 23.
Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad
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FIDO Alliance Working on Making Passkeys Portable Across ...

2024-10-15T14:00:16+02:00

FIDO Alliance Working on Making Passkeys Portable Across Platforms

The FIDO Alliance is developing new specifications to enable secure transfer of passkeys between different password managers and platforms. Announced on Monday, the initiative is the result of collaboration among members of the FIDO Alliance's Credential Provider Special Interest Group, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, 1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane, and others.

Passkeys are an industry standard developed by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium, and were integrated into Apple's ecosystem with iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, and macOS Ventura. They offer a more secure and convenient alternative to traditional passwords, allowing users to sign in to apps and websites in the same way they unlock their devices: With a fingerprint, a face scan, or a passcode. Passkeys are also resistant to online attacks like phishing, making them more secure than things like SMS one-time codes.

The draft specifications, called Credential Exchange Protocol (CXP) and Credential Exchange Format (CXF), will standardize the secure transfer of credentials across different providers. This addresses a current limitation where passkeys are often tied to specific ecosystems or password managers.

Tag: Passkeys
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iPhone 18 to Use Enhanced 2nm Chip Tech Integrating 12GB RAM ...

2024-10-15T13:00:15+02:00

iPhone 18 to Use Enhanced 2nm Chip Tech Integrating 12GB RAM

Apple's 2026 iPhones will use TSMC's next-generation 2-nanometer fabrication process in combination with a new packaging method that will integrate 12GB of RAM, a reputable source of accurate predictions about Apple's plans has claimed.

In a Weibo post on Tuesday, Chinese-language user "Phone Chip Expert" said Apple's A20 chip in iPhone 18 models will switch from the previous InFo (Integrated Fan-Out) packaging to WMCM (Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module) packaging, while memory will be upgraded to 12GB.

In terms of the differences in packaging method, InFo allows integration of components, including memory, within the package but focuses more on single-die packaging where memory is typically attached to the main SoC (such as DRAM placed on top or near the CPU and GPU cores). It's optimized for reducing the size and improving the performance of individual chips.

WMCM, on the other hand, excels at integrating multiple chips within the same package (hence the "Multi-Chip Module" part). This method allows more complex systems, such as CPUs, GPUs, DRAM, and other custom accelerators (e.g., AI/ML chips) to be tightly integrated in one package. It provides greater flexibility in arranging different types of chips, stacking them vertically or placing them side by side, while also optimizing communication between them.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said he expects next year's iPhone 17 Pro to feature 12GB of RAM, so it could be that Apple will make it a new standard across the succeeding iPhone 18 series.

because of cost concerns. Meanwhile, it's not clear whether the fabrication tech and the memory size are indelibly intertwined in Apple's plans.

Nanometer Generations

Terms like "3nm" and "2nm" describe generations of chip manufacturing technology, each with its own set of design rules and architecture. As these numbers decrease, they generally indicate smaller transistor sizes. Smaller transistors allow more to be packed onto a single chip, typically resulting in increased processing speed and improved power efficiency. This year's iPhone 16 series is based on an A18 chip design built using a second-generation "N3P" 3-nanometer process.

TSMC plans to start manufacturing 2nm chips in late 2025, and Apple is expected to be the first company to receive chips built on the new process. TSMC generally builds new fabs when it needs to increase production capacity to handle significant orders for chips, and TSMC is expanding in a major way for 2nm technology.

AI server processor using TSMC's 3nm process, targeting mass production by the second half of 2025.
Tags: 2nm, Phone Chip Expert
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Best Buy Launches Exclusive Black & Gold Beats Studio Pro ...

2024-10-14T21:30:13+02:00

Best Buy Launches Exclusive Black & Gold Beats Studio Pro

Following an Amazon-exclusive Matte White version of the Beats Studio Pro that launched last month, Best Buy recently debuted its own exclusive color option for the over-ear headphones from the Apple-owned brand: Black & Gold.

Offering a two-tone alternative to the standard Black color option, the Black & Gold Beats Studio Pro feature a largely black exterior but with something of a champagne or gold color inside the headband and all the way down to where the ear cups attach. Gold accents for the headband hinges and the Beats "b" button provide additional contrast.

The Black & Gold Beats Studio Pro come with the same traditional black nylon case as the original four launch colors for the headphones, and they come with gray USB-C and 3.5mm cables for charging and connectivity.

new Black & Gold color option for the Beats Studio Pro retails for the usual Studio Pro price of $349.99, although Best Buy is currently running a significant sale on most Beats headphones and earphones that knocks $100 off to bring the price to $249.99.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Tags: Beats, Beats Studio Pro
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Apple Preparing to Add Support for Digital Car Keys on Volvo, ...

2024-10-14T20:45:11+02:00

Apple Preparing to Add Support for Digital Car Keys on Volvo, Polestar, and Audi Vehicles

Apple is preparing to begin supporting digital car keys in the Wallet app for certain Volvo, Polestar, and Audi vehicles, based on code changes discovered by MacRumors in Apple's Wallet app backend.

‌The car keys‌ function can allow an iPhone or Apple Watch with NFC capabilities to unlock, lock, or start a vehicle through the Wallet app by simply holding the device near a compatible vehicle's NFC reader. Car key functionality may vary by manufacturer and model.

CarPlay model availability web page.
Tag: Car Keys
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Apple Seeds Seventh Developer Betas of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 ...

2024-10-14T19:30:13+02:00

Apple Seeds Seventh Developer Betas of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 With Apple Intelligence

Apple today provided developers with the seventh betas of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 to continue testing Apple Intelligence features. The seventh betas come a week after Apple seeded the sixth iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 betas.

The updates can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. Note that Apple Intelligence features still an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 to run.

Apple Intelligence includes Writing Tools that are available wherever text can be selected and edited, and it can be used for spell checking, fixing grammar, rewriting with a new tone, and summarizing text.

Siri has a new design with a subtle glow around the display, and there is a Type to ‌Siri‌ feature so you don't have to speak to ‌Siri‌. ‌Siri‌ can follow along if you stumble over your words, and can maintain context between requests. Safari can summarize articles, and there's a new Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode.

Photos has a Memory Movie feature for creating slideshows based on text descriptions, and you can record, transcribe, and summarize phone calls. Transcription and summarization are also available for any audio recording.

found in our Apple Intelligence guide. Image Playground, Genmoji, and other new ‌Siri‌ features have not yet been implemented.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
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Apple Seeds Seventh Developer Betas of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 ...

2024-10-14T19:15:11+02:00

Anker Debuts Early Access Black Friday Deals, Plus 20% Off Select ...

2024-10-14T17:15:11+02:00

Anker Debuts Early Access Black Friday Deals, Plus 20% Off Select Accessories for MacRumors Readers

Anker recently kicked off an early access Black Friday sale, which is set to run through the end of the month. These early bird deals include big discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

20 percent off a collection of Anker's best chargers, power banks, cables, hubs, and docks this month. In order to get this deal, head to Anker's website and add an accessory to your cart, then enter the code akmacrumors20ch at checkout to see the discount.

EXCLUSIVE 20% OFF
Anker Sitewide Sale

Our exclusive 20 percent off code works on most accessories sitewide, including Anker's new line of MagSafe-compatible products. Our code does not stack with any existing offers, including the early access Black Friday deals.

akmacrumors20ch at the checkout screen on Anker's website.

Prime Chargers

Prime USB-C to USB-C Cable - $28.00, down from $34.99

Prime Charger (200W, 6 Ports) - $68.00, down from $84.99

Prime Charger (100W, 3 Ports) - $68.00, down from $84.99

Prime Power Bank - $72.00, down from $89.99

Prime Charging Station (8-in-1) - $132.00, down from $164.99

Prime Power Bank 27,650 mAh - $133.00, down from $179.99

Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1) - $200.00, down from $249.99

Wireless Chargers

MagGo 3-in-1 Foldable Wireless Charging Station - $72.00, down from $89.99

MagGo Wireless Charger Stand - $28.80, down from $35.99

MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand - $39.99, down from $49.99

MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Dock Stand - $40.00, down from $49.99

Power Banks

MagGo Power Bank 10,000 mAh - $60.00, down from $69.99

MagGo Power Bank for Apple Watch - $64.00, down from $79.99

Accessories

MagGo Magnetic Case with Stand - $24.00, down from $32.99

MagGo USB-C Adapter - $22.99, down from $34.99

Easy Fit Screen Protector - $25.60, down from $31.99

Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.
Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Apple TV+ Shares First Trailer for 'Silo' Season 2 Apple ...

2024-10-14T17:00:17+02:00

Apple TV+ Shares First Trailer for 'Silo' Season 2

Apple TV+ today released the first trailer for the second season of its globally acclaimed drama original series "Silo," which is set to premiere on November 15, 2024.

Based on Hugh Howey's "Wool" series of dystopian novels, Silo tells the story of the last ten thousand people on Earth, who live in a mile-deep underground silo designed to protect them from a toxic world outside.The first season, which premiered on ‌Apple TV‌+ in May 2023, became one of the streaming service's standout hits.

Season two follows Juliette (played by Rebecca Ferguson, who also serves as executive producer), an engineer determined to uncover dark secrets within the silo after the murder of a loved one, leading her deeper into danger.

Tag: Apple TV Shows
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iOS 18: Use New Library and Notes Features in Apple Maps ...

2024-10-14T16:45:10+02:00

iOS 18: Use New Library and Notes Features in Apple Maps

Apple Maps in iOS 18 introduces two helpful new features: a centralized Library for saved content and the ability to add personal notes to locations. Here's how to take advantage of these new tools.

Using the New Library

Apple's iOS 18 update brings significant improvements to the Maps app, and streamlines the process of saving and organizing your favorite locations. Building on the existing Guides feature, the new version introduces a simple "+" button on location listings for quick saving.

A new Library menu now houses all of your saved places, including those from Guides and Pinned locations. The Library also automatically incorporates previously saved locations, offering a comprehensive view of your favorite spots.

You can individually search through your Pinned, Places, Guides, and Routes collections, and use the three-dot button to sort them by date added, name, or distance, and toggle between list and grid views. The update also enables direct saving of new locations from within the Library itself, via the + Add button.

In summary, the new Library consolidates content that was previously spread across different sections of the app, which makes your saved place information a lot more accessible.

Adding Notes to Locations

iOS 18 also introduces the ability to add personal notes to any location in Apple Maps. This feature allows you to jot down reminders, impressions, or any other information you want to associate with a specific place. To add a note:

Search for or tap on a location in Maps.

Tap the More button (three dots) in the location's information card.

Tap Add a Note.

Type your note, then tap Done.

Your notes are private and stored only on devices logged into your Apple account. This feature can be particularly useful for remembering details about restaurants, marking meeting spots, or keeping track of places you want to visit.

custom routes, hiking trails, and a new Search Here function.
Tag: Apple Maps
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Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 Buyer's Guide: ...

2024-10-14T14:45:10+02:00

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Choose?

The Apple Watch Series 10 arrived a year after the Apple Watch Ultra 2, introducing a revamped design and a more advanced display. Apple did not launch an Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year, leaving last year's ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ as the latest version, so how does it compare to the latest Series 10 model?

Both the Apple Watch Series 10 and the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ feature sleep apnea detection, speaker playback, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, an Always-On Retina display, IP6X dust resistance, and more, but there are still some significant differences between the two devices. Since the Series 10 is a year newer than the Ultra 2, it boasts a limited number of superior features, but the Ultra 2 remains the overall more capable device. The Apple Watch Ultra focuses on withstanding extreme environments, a high level of durability, extended battery life, and additional features to aid activities like diving and exploration.

With as little as $50 between the 46mm titanium Apple Watch Series 10 and the Apple Watch Ultra, some prospective customers will be weighing up whether it is worth spending a little extra to get the 49mm Ultra model. While there is a $400 difference between the GPS-only 42mm aluminum Apple Watch Series 10 and the Apple Watch Ultra, the high-end model offers a set of features to address specific challenges, so it may even be worth it for some of these buyers. Key differences between the devices include:

Apple Watch Series 10 (2024)
Apple Watch Ultra (2023, second-generation)

Refined design with a thinner casing, display with more rounded edges and a wider aspect ratio, and front glass that extends further over the sides for a higher screen-to-body ratio
Same design as first-generation Apple Watch Ultra

42mm: 1.89-inch display
46mm: 2.04-inch display
1.92-inch display

Anodized or polished aluminum and polished titanium casing options
Blasted titanium casing

Front crystal curves at edges onto shaped casing
Corrosion resistant case with raised edges to protect the flat sapphire front crystal

42mm and 46mm casing size options (vertical)
49mm casing size (vertical)

Aluminum: Ion-X front glass
Titanium: Sapphire crystal front glass
Sapphire crystal front glass

Aluminum: Wi-fi only and cellular connectivity options
Titanium: Cellular connectivity
Cellular connectivity

Curved display with refractive edge
Flat display

42mm: 989 sq mm display area
46mm: 1,220 sq mm display area
1164 sq mm display area

Aluminum: Available in anodized Silver and Rose Gold, and polished Jet Black finishes
Titanium: Available in polished Silver (matches previous stainless steel casing, Apple Watch Hermès only), Gold, Slate, and Natural finishes
Natural Titanium or Black Titanium finish

One of the most important differences between the Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2 is their design, with the latter boasting a much chunkier, aggressive look with a flat display. The Apple Watch Series 10 has a much subtler appearance and is available in wider range of finishes, but which look you prefer is ultimately a matter of personal preference.

Ways the Apple Watch Series 10 Is Better

While the Apple Watch Series 10 does have some hardware improvements over the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌, such as a reengineered metal back with a larger charging coil and an integrated antenna, and a more compact chip, these are not really outwardly noticeable. The most noticeable enhancement is an updated display, which features a faster refresh rate to enable a live ticking seconds hand on certain watch faces. The display is also up to 40% brighter then viewed at an angle, making it easier to glance at the time or complications.

Apple Watch Series 10 (2024)
Apple Watch Ultra (2023, second-generation)

Metal back with larger charging coil and integrated antenna
Ceramic and sapphire crystal back

LTPO3 OLED Always-On Retina display (faster refresh rate in always-on mode, enabling a live ticking seconds hand on select watch faces)
LTPO2 OLED Always-On Retina display

Wide-angle OLED (up to 40% brighter when viewed at an angle)

More compact S10 chip
S9 chip

Faster charging (0–80% in about 30 minutes)
Fast charging (0–80% in about 60 minutes)

42mm: 374 by 446 pixel display
46mm: 416 by 496 pixel display
410 by 502 pixel display

9.7mm thickness
14.4mm thickness

Weighs 29.3 grams to 41.7 grams depending on casing size and material
Weighs 61.4 grams

Aluminum: Starts at $399
Titanium: Starts at $699
Starts at $799

The Apple Watch Series 10 continues to be thinner, lighter, and cheaper than the Apple Watch Ultra. It also charges twice as quickly, but with a considerably shorter battery life.

Ways the Apple Watch Ultra Is Better

Nevertheless, the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ remains the more capable watch with a wide array of superior features:

Apple Watch Series 10 (2024)
Apple Watch Ultra (2023, second-generation)

Digital Crown with haptic feedback and side button
Digital Crown with haptic feedback, side button, and customizable Action button

Up to 2,000 nits brightness
Up to 3,000 nits brightness

Exclusive Wayfinder and Modular Ultra faces

Night Mode for low-visibility conditions

Single speaker
Dual speakers

Single microphone with voice isolation
Triple-microphone array with beamforming and wind noise mitigation

GPS (L1)
Precision dual-frequency GPS (L1 and L5)

86-decibel Siren to attract attention

Water resistant to 50m
Water resistant to 100m

Swimproof to 6m
Swimproof and recreational scuba dive to 40m

Tested to MIL-STD 810H

EN13319 certification

Always-on altimeter
Always-on altimeter with expanded operating range from –500m to 9000m

Up to 18 hours normal battery life
Up to 36 hours normal battery life

Up to 36 hours battery life in Low Power Mode
Up to 72 hours battery life in Low Power Mode

Which Should You Choose?

The Apple Watch Ultra offers specific capabilities to address the requirements of those who need their Apple Watch to provide assistance in challenging environments. If you need a more durable Apple Watch with features like a brighter display, louder speakers, a more reliable GPS, better water resistance, and more, the Apple Watch Ultra is undoubtedly the best choice. The Apple Watch Ultra is clearly better equipped to handle tasks like hiking, diving, and navigation.

The Apple Watch Ultra is also biggest and most feature-rich Apple Watch option available, not to mention that it offers the first true redesign of the device since its introduction in 2015. For technology enthusiasts, Apple Watch Ultra represents a way to get a new Apple Watch experience with top specifications in several key areas. Features like longer battery life, a brighter display, and the Action button are also highly accessible, and will be beneficial to all users. As such, some customers may still be inclined to choose the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ over the Apple Watch Series 10, even if they do not need it for use in challenging environments.

Apple Store and trying on the Apple Watch Ultra in person to get to grips with the size and determine if it is too big and bulky for you. It is worth noting that the 46mm Apple Watch Series 10 has a display that is actually slightly larger than that of the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌, but it is a smaller device physically.

Similarly, the Apple Watch Ultra's look may not appeal to some buyers. If you prefer the idea of a polished finish and are looking for a more fashion-focused smartwatch that pairs well with premium bands, the more aggressive, rugged design of the Apple Watch Ultra may not be for you.

If the Apple Watch Ultra is out of your price range but you still want to use your Apple Watch in challenging environments, it is worth bearing in mind that the Series 10 still offers a durable design with a strong front crystal, water resistance, and many of the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌'s software features like waypoint marking.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch 10, Apple Watch Ultra 2
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now), Apple Watch Ultra (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Watch
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iPhone SE 4 Case Leak Suggests Device May Not Feature Action ...

2024-10-14T13:15:10+02:00

iPhone SE 4 Case Leak Suggests Device May Not Feature Action Button

Serial leaker Sonny Dickson has shared an image on social media purporting to show a case designed for Apple's unannounced iPhone SE 4. The case aligns with most rumors about the device, expected to launch in the spring, but there is one difference.

Rumors have suggested that the iPhone SE 4 will have a design similar to the iPhone 14, featuring an all-display design with Face ID instead of Touch ID, a 6.06-inch display, OLED display technology instead of LCD, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera located in a horizontal oblong bump, an Apple-designed 5G modem, 8GB RAM, a notch, and perhaps a multi-purpose Action button to replace the mute switch.

Most of the rumored design changes align with what can be seen in the image. However, if you look closely, there's a cut-out on the side above the location of the volume controls that appears to be an opening for a physical mute/silent switch. It's possible that the case manufacturer has left a cutout simply because they don't know if the button will be present or not. But given that Apple suppliers are expected to begin ramping up mass production of the device this month, it could be that Apple has chosen not to add an Action button, despite the fact that all iPhone 16 models inherited the button from 2023's iPhone 15 Pro models.

own online poll conducted earlier this year, half of iPhone 15 Pro users who participated said they forgot the Action button was even there, while many said they had it set to function essentially as a mute/silent switch replacement. The results suggest the button is popular with a more niche cohort of power users (i.e. not the kind of customers most likely to be interested in the more affordable iPhone SE 4).

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Tag: Sonny Dickson
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPhone
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Apple Planning Smart Glasses and AirPods With Cameras for 2027 ...

2024-10-14T11:15:14+02:00

Apple Planning Smart Glasses and AirPods With Cameras for 2027

Apple is working on smart glasses and AirPods with built-in cameras for a potential release in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The devices are said to be part of Apple's efforts to expand its augmented reality product lineup beyond the Vision Pro headset with something that has wider appeal.

The push for new AR products comes as the Vision Pro faces challenges in the market. Many users find the $3,500 headset too heavy for extended use, expensive, and prone to overheating, relegating it to niche status. Interest in the device has reportedly waned since its launch, with sales falling short of Apple's expectations.

In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman reports that Apple's Vision Products Group is now looking beyond the Vision Pro and considering launching smart glasses comparable to Meta's Ray-Ban collaboration. The smart glasses and camera-equipped AirPods are intended to make use of the billions of dollars invested in the Vision Pro's visual intelligence capabilities. This technology allows devices to analyze their surroundings and provide relevant information to users.

A software update coming later this year will bring a similar feature to iPhone 16 models: Users will be able to open the Camera app and point it at an object to get information about that object with a click and hold gesture. Pointing it at a restaurant, for example, will bring up hours and ratings, while pointing it at a plant will identify the plant. Using visual control with something that has a date, such as a flyer, will add the date to the Calendar app.

Apple's smart glasses and AirPods with cameras are still in the planning stages, but are said to represent Apple's strategy to bring augmented reality features to more accessible form factors. The company is reportedly concerned about its current position in the AR market, with Meta already offering smart glasses at a lower price point.

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Pro, Apple Vision Pro
Tag: Mark Gurman
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Buy Now), AirPods Pro (Neutral), Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forums: AirPods, Apple Vision Pro
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Apple Announced the HomePod Mini Four Years Ago Today ...

2024-10-13T11:15:10+02:00

Apple Announced the HomePod Mini Four Years Ago Today

Apple announced the HomePod mini smart speaker four years ago today at its "Hi, Speed" special event.

The low-cost smart speaker was announced alongside the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max in October 2020. The ‌HomePod mini‌ is Apple's first compact smart speaker, offering high-quality audio, Siri voice control, and smart home integration via HomeKit.

HomePod, which sells for $299 and is focused on delivering bigger, better sound thanks to more advanced audio hardware such as multiple tweeters and woofers. While both models share ‌Siri‌ integration and smart home capabilities, the ‌HomePod mini‌ is considerably smaller, powered by the Apple S5 chip, lacks spatial awareness, and comes in a wider range of color options.

HomePod Mini vs. HomePod Buyer's Guide

introduced three new colors—Blue, Yellow, and Orange—to its lineup, adding vibrancy to the previously monochrome options of Space Gray and White. audioOS 14.3, released shortly after its launch, added support for 18W power adapters. With audioOS 16.3, Apple activated previously undisclosed temperature and humidity sensors within the ‌HomePod mini‌. Although these sensors had been identified by teardowns shortly after launch, Apple waited to enable them alongside the release of the second-generation full-sized ‌HomePod‌. On July 15, 2024, Apple refreshed the ‌HomePod mini‌ yet again by discontinuing the Space Gray variant and replacing it with a Midnight color option to match the full-size ‌HomePod‌.

working on a second-generation version that could debut in the near future.
Related Roundup: HomePod mini
Buyer's Guide: HomePod Mini (Caution)
Related Forum: HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto Technology
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Apple Pencil Pro Hits New All-Time Low Price of $89.99, Plus More ...

2024-10-12T19:15:10+02:00

Apple Pencil Pro Hits New All-Time Low Price of $89.99, Plus More Accessory Deals

Amazon this weekend has introduced a new record low price for the Apple Pencil Pro, available for $89.99, down from $129.00. Alongside this deal, we're tracking a collection of Apple accessory discounts, including great deals on the Magic Keyboard and MagSafe Charger.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Apple Pencil

In regards to the Apple Pencil Pro, this sale beats the Prime Day price we tracked last week by about $10. Amazon also has a new low price on the USB-C Apple Pencil, available for $65.00, down from $79.00.

$39 OFF
Apple Pencil Pro for $89.99

$14 OFF
Apple Pencil (USB-C) for $65.00

Magic Keyboard

Moving to the new 2024 Magic Keyboards, you can get the 11-inch model in Black for $269.99, down from $299.00. This is an all-time low price on the accessory and it has an estimated October 16 delivery date on Amazon.

$29 OFF
11-inch M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard for $269.99

$299.99 in Black, down from $349.00. This is another new record low price on the Magic Keyboard, and you'll find similar delivery estimates of mid October for this model.

$49 OFF
13-inch M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard for $299.99

MagSafe Charger

Amazon introduced a few deals on Apple's new lineup of MagSafe Chargers during Prime Day, and these deals have only gotten better. This weekend, you can get the 1-meter model for $29.00 and 2-meter model for $39.00, both $10 off and all-time low prices.

$10 OFF
1-meter MagSafe Charger for $29.00

$10 OFF
2-meter MagSafe Charger for $39.00

The new MagSafe Chargers provide overall faster charging speeds with compatible iPhone models. When paired with a 30W power adapter, iPhone 16 models can charge at up to 25W wirelessly over MagSafe, which is 10W faster than a regular non-MagSafe Qi2 wireless charger.

Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Will Apple Ever Make AR Smart Glasses? ...

2024-10-12T01:30:12+02:00

Will Apple Ever Make AR Smart Glasses?

There have been multiple signs suggesting that Apple's mixed reality Vision Pro headset is struggling to take off, both due to the super high price and the heavy design that limits the amount of time it can be worn for most people. What does the Vision Pro's floundering mean for Apple's work on future virtual and augmented reality projects?

Vision Pro Interest

Interest in the Vision Pro was high in February when the device first launched because it was an all-new product category for Apple, but that didn't last. The Vision Pro is indisputably impressive, and it is mind blowing to watch a butterfly flit by so closely it feels like you can reach out and touch it, or to see the rough skin of an elephant as it walks right by you, but the magic quickly wears off for most.

Early reviews found the Vision Pro hard to wear for a long enough period of time to incorporate it into a real workflow, and it was hard to find a use case that justified the $3,500 price tag. The Verge's Nilay Patel found the Vision Pro to be uncomfortably isolating, and The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern got nauseous every time she watched the limited amount of Apple Immersive Video content available. Reviewers agreed that watching TV and movies was one of the best use cases, but that makes for an expensive TV that can't be watched with anyone else.

had dropped significantly, and by July, there were reports of waning sales.

At MacRumors, a few of us bought a Vision Pro at launch, and those headsets are tucked away in their cases and essentially not pulled out much at all anymore, except to sometimes watch Apple's latest Immersive Video or to update to new visionOS software. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera uses his Vision Pro once a week or so for watching content, but only for about two hours because it's painful to continue use after that point. MacRumors editor in chief Eric Slivka and I haven't found a compelling use case, and there's no content appealing enough for even weekly use.

I still can't wear the Vision Pro for more than two hours or so because it's too uncomfortable, and I'm prone to motion sickness so it sometimes makes me feel queasy if there's too much movement. The biggest reason I don't use the Vision Pro, though, is that I don't want to shut out what's around me. Sure, it's great for watching movies, TV shows, or YouTube videos on a screen that looks like it's 100 feet tall, but to do that, I have to isolate myself. I can't watch with other people, and I feel genuinely guilty when my cat comes over for attention and I'm distracted by my headset.

Watching movies on the Vision Pro is not a better experience than using the 65-inch TV in front of my couch. I am a gamer, but there aren't many interesting games, and a lot of the content that's available feels like I'm playing a mobile game in a less intuitive way. Using it as a display for my Mac is the best use case I've found, but it's limited to a single display and it's not enough of an improvement over my two display setup to justify being uncomfortable while I work.

Beyond our own experiences with the Vision Pro, MacRumors site traffic indicates a lack of interest in the headset. When we publish a story about the Vision Pro, people don't read it. I wrote a Vision Pro story about the first short film on the headset just yesterday, for example, and it was our lowest traffic article for the day. It probably wasn't worth my time to even do, and that's not an isolated incident.

are enterprise use cases for Vision Pro, and some people out there who do love the headset, so it does have some promise, and Apple has been marketing it to businesses. Some examples, from Apple and others:

Porsche - Porsche engineers use the Vision Pro to visualize car data in real time.

KLM - KLM Airlines is using the Vision Pro for training technicians on new engine models.

Law enforcement - Police departments in California are testing Vision Pro for surveillance work.

Medicine - A medical team in the UK used the Vision Pro for two spinal surgeries. Doctors in India also reportedly use it for laparoscopic surgeries, and an orthopedic surgeon in Brazil used it during a shoulder surgery. UCSD has been testing the use of Vision Pro apps for minimally invasive surgery.

Science - MIT students wrote an app to control a robot using the Vision Pro's gesture support.

Tim Cook said in May that "half" of Fortune 100 companies bought a Vision Pro, but whether those Vision Pro headsets are actually in use and what for is unknown.

Confusion Over What's Next

With Vision Pro sales coming in under what Apple expected, we've seen some confusing rumors about what Apple's next move will be. There were initially rumors that Apple was working on two new versions of the Vision Pro, one that's cheaper and one that's a direct successor to the current model.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple would not launch a new version of the Vision Pro prior to the end of 2026, with Apple struggling to find ways to bring down the cost of the headset.

The Information said Apple had suspended work on a second-generation Vision Pro to focus on a cheaper model. Later that same month, Gurman said that Apple might make the next Vision Pro reliant on a tethered iPhone or Mac, which could drop costs, and he said a cheaper headset could come out as early as the end of 2025.

Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple would begin production on a new version of the Vision Pro in the second half of 2025, presumably for a late 2025 launch. He claims the most substantial upgrade will be a new M5 chip for notably better computing power, with the specifications, design, and price to stay largely the same. This is in contrast to a February rumor from Kuo that said Apple wouldn't release a new model until 2027.

The Information think we'll get a cheaper version of the headset. Even Apple might not yet have a clear decision on what's next, so we'll have to wait and see how the company's AR/VR strategy evolves.

AR Smart Glasses

Since before Apple came out with the Vision Pro, there have been rumors about work on lightweight augmented reality smart glasses. AR glasses are Apple's actual longterm goal, with the Vision Pro serving as a stepping stone. Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ has talked about Apple's interest in augmented reality extensively, calling it "big and profound," and something that people will eventually look back on and wonder how they lived without it.

development was postponed "indefinitely" in January 2023. According to Gurman, Apple stopped work because of technical difficulties, and there are some Apple employees that don't think Apple will ever ship AR glasses.

away from launching. Apple realized while developing the Vision Pro that building AR glasses with sufficient power was not feasible. To work, the glasses would need to provide the full performance of an ‌iPhone‌ with a tenth of its power consumption to keep them from getting too warm. Apple's work on smart glasses receives "limited resources," with most development going toward the Vision Pro to lay the foundation for a future where the AR technology will work.

Serious development on standalone AR glasses is postponed at the current time, so it's not quite clear when we're going to reach a point where hardware miniaturization and chip efficiency improvements will allow for AR glasses as Apple envisions them.

Way back in 2017, Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ said that the technology doesn't exist to do AR smart glasses "in a quality way," and that doesn't appear to have changed since then. It will likely be close to the end of the decade before we start hearing serious reports about Apple's work on augmented reality glasses.

If Apple can continue to fund new versions of the Vision Pro and make improvements to that product line like it did with the Apple Watch, the future looks promising for a lightweight set of glasses that combine the power of the ‌iPhone‌ with the wonder of the Vision Pro.

Meta's Smart Glasses

Last month, Facebook parent company Meta showed off its Orion augmented reality smart glasses. The glasses have a super thick frame, but they look a lot more like regular glasses than any mixed reality headset on the market.

Meta Orion

Meta's Orion glasses have been in development for more than five years, and Meta isn't ready to release them. They're still in a prototyping stage, but Meta is testing them with employees and select external audiences to "learn, iterate, and build" toward a consumer AR glasses product line. Meta's glasses aren't standalone, requiring a wristband for control and a compute puck that has to be in the room.

around $10,000 to make one pair of the Orion glasses, so that gives us some context on the hurdles that Apple needs to overcome to get AR glasses to market. Meta can't sell the glasses at that price point, and it's likely going to be several years before they come down to a price low enough to entice consumers.

Something In-Between

Meta also has Ray-Ban AI glasses that are affordable, but don't have any augmented reality capabilities. Apple has explored a similar product, and there's a chance that we could get something like the Ray-Ban glasses in the future.

Meta's Ray-Ban Glasses

Apple could make simple glasses with a camera, Siri integration, and built-in speakers for listening to music, because speaker-equipped sunglasses have also caught on in recent years. Health capabilities could be included too. Right now Apple is still considering such a product, so it's not clear if it's something that will make it to an actual development stage.

The Far Future

If Apple does master AR smart glasses, technology could eventually come to a point where something even smaller is possible. ‌Ming-Chi Kuo‌ claimed in 2021 that Apple could release augmented reality contact lenses in the 2030s, but that prediction is sounding unrealistic at a point when technology can't be miniaturized enough even for quality AR glasses.

Your Thoughts

Do you have a Vision Pro and still use it? Would you wear AR smart glasses, or even glasses with just a camera and a speaker? Let us know in the comments.
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iOS 18.1 Includes Option to Set 'Primary' Email Address ...

2024-10-12T01:00:15+02:00

iOS 18.1 Includes Option to Set 'Primary' Email Address and Change iCloud Email

In iOS 18.1, there is a new option to set a "Primary" email address in the Settings app, which means it is easier to change the main email address associated with your Apple Account. The Primary email address is the one that is visible to other people when collaborating on and sharing documents, sending calendar invites, and more.

Apple did not previously make it easy to change an Apple Account (or Apple ID) email address, despite the fact that it is sometimes visible to other people. To change an Apple Account email before, you had to delete the email you were using, choose another, and go through a verification process.

You can now change the email address and continue to use the prior email for login purposes right alongside the new primary. This setting also comes with an option to change an iCloud.com or me.com email address, so if you have an address you're not fond of, it can finally be swapped to something else.

iCloud Mail address. You could set an alias and use that instead, but the primary email would still sometimes be visible to others. For those who have an embarrassing ‌iCloud‌ email address, there's now an option to change it entirely rather than relying on an alias.

(Thanks, Converseallstar95!)
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
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Apple Intelligence: What to Know About Summaries and Smart ...

2024-10-11T22:45:10+02:00

Apple Intelligence: What to Know About Summaries and Smart Replies

Summaries and smart reply options aren't the flashiest of Apple Intelligence features, but these are capabilities that Apple is introducing in iOS 18.1 that have the potential to be useful for most people's day-to-day device usage.

Summaries

Summaries are available across the operating system and can be used in different ways for apps, notifications, emails, and more.

Mail and Messages

In your email inbox in the Mail app, you'll see an AI summary of the main content of the email message, so you can tell whether it's important at a glance. You don't get a lot of information, but it's enough to give context when the title doesn't unveil what an email is about. When you tap into an email, you can use the "Summarize" option at the top to get an overview.

You'll see summaries of incoming messages on the Lock Screen so you can decide whether it's important to respond. It's particularly useful for long messages, because it's good at pulling out the most important bits. You can also see summaries of unread messages right in the Messages app.

You can turn off Messages summaries by going to Settings > Apps > Messages and toggling off Summarize Messages. Turn off Mail summaries the same way, but in the Mail section.

Notifications

For almost all of your notifications, Apple Intelligence can group them up and give you a short, one-sentence summary of what's in them. Tapping expands the stack so you can see everything individually.

Notification summaries work for built-in apps like Messages, and also your third-party apps. Apple Intelligence tries to pick out what's most relevant. For messaging apps or email, it'll give a short summary of one or two messages, while aggregates like camera motion notifications are grouped up so you can see which areas had motion activations at a glance.

Notification summaries are automatic when you have Apple Intelligence on, but if you want to turn them off, you can do so by opening up the Settings app, going to Notifications, and turning off Summarize Previews. You can disable the feature entirely or on a per-app basis.

Safari

Safari supports a new Apple Intelligence Summary feature that lets you get an overview of webpages or articles. If you see a purple sparkle on the URL bar, you can tap it to view a summary.

Summaries are technically part of Reader Mode, but you don't always have to enter into Reader Mode to view one. Summaries show up automatically for longer articles, but if you're not seeing one, tap into Reader Mode and then tap on the Summarize button.

is part of Writing Tools.

Summaries tend to be a paragraph at most, so you're not always going to get a full picture of what's in an article. It's more of an overview to let you know whether it's worth reading.
Notes

In the Notes app, you can select text and choose the Writing Tools Summary option just like you can in Safari, but there are also summaries created for recorded phone call transcripts and transcripts of voice memo recordings captured with the Notes app.

In a note with a recording, tap into it and you'll see a "Summary" option at the top that you can choose to get a summary of a transcript. Note that phone call recording, voice memos in notes, and transcripts of those recordings are available to everyone. It's only the summary feature that's an Apple Intelligence feature.

Other Apps

In all apps, you can select any text and use Writing Tools to generate a summary of that text, just like you can in Safari and Notes.

Smart Replies

Smart Replies are a feature in Mail and Messages, and you'll see them in the suggestions bar above the keyboard.

Smart Replies can be useful when you're replying to a message that has a clear question in it, such as "Do you want to go to the movies tonight?" or "Did you see [insert popular TV show here] last night?"

It is less useful for most other responses. Smart Replies don't seem to learn from individual tone or voice, and most of the time, the suggestions don't always sound like they came from a human. It tends to use a lot of "haha" responses and exclamation points, and when it's not suggesting haha as a reply, it's often rephrasing what the other person said, which is not generally how people respond to messages.

How Useful Are These Features?

Smart Replies and other Apple Intelligence features are in beta right now, and will be released in a beta capacity, too. Summaries have room for improvement in terms of thoroughness, but the option is already useful, particularly when viewing notifications on the Lock Screen or scrolling through your email messages.

Summaries for longer form content could stand to be more detailed, and right now, you're only going to get a high level overview.

Siri features are released next year. Right now, Smart Replies can almost be more of an annoyance, but we are in the very early days of Apple Intelligence.
Apple Intelligence Requirements

To use the summary and smart reply Apple Intelligence features, you need a device capable of Apple Intelligence. That includes the iPhone 15 Pro, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, any iPhone 16 model, any iPad with an M-series chip, and any Mac with an M-series chip.

Apple Intelligence features do not work on any other devices because of the processing power and memory required.

Release Date

Apple Intelligence is in the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 betas at the current time. The betas are available to developers and public beta testers, and the updates are expected to see a release on Monday, October 28.
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
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Apple's Pro Display XDR is Nearly Five Years Old With No ...

2024-10-11T22:00:15+02:00

Apple's Pro Display XDR is Nearly Five Years Old With No Update in Sight

Apple sells two external displays, including the Pro Display XDR and the Studio Display, but neither has received hardware upgrades in years. In fact, the Pro Display XDR is nearly five years old, having been released all the way back in December 2019.

Below, we recap rumors about potential next-generation Pro Display XDR and Studio Display monitors, but nothing seems to be imminent.

Pro Display XDR

Released alongside the 2019 Mac Pro, the high-end Pro Display XDR features a 32-inch screen with LED backlighting, 6K resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, P3 wide color, up to 1,600 nits of brightness, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. In the U.S., the monitor still starts at $4,999, while the optional Pro Stand costs $999 extra.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was working on an updated version of the Pro Display XDR with an Apple silicon chip, something the current model lacks. In the Studio Display, an A13 Bionic chip powers features such as Center Stage camera framing, spatial audio, and Siri voice commands. However, there have not been any recent rumors about a new Pro Display XDR, so it's unclear what Apple's current plans are.

Additional features that customers are hoping for with the next Pro Display XDR include a built-in camera, speakers, and a higher refresh rate.

Studio Display

on sale on Amazon for $1,349 as of writing.

working on multiple new external monitors, but he did not specifically mention a new Studio Display. In July 2023, Gurman said Apple's next-generation monitors could launch in 2024 at the earliest, but there are only a few months left in the year and there have been no recent rumors.

on-again, off-again rumors about Apple planning a new 27-inch external display with mini-LED backlighting, which would allow for increased brightness and higher contrast ratio. In April 2023, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the display was slated for mass production in 2024 or early 2025. It is unclear if this monitor would be the next Studio Display, or if it would have different branding.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Related Roundups: Apple Pro Display XDR, Apple Studio Display
Related Forum: Mac Accessories
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Apple Cancels Self-Driving Vehicle Testing Permit in California ...

2024-10-11T21:00:16+02:00

Apple Cancels Self-Driving Vehicle Testing Permit in California After Abandoning Car Project

Just over six months after Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple abandoned its plans to release an electric vehicle, California's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) canceled Apple's autonomous vehicle testing permit, according to macReports.

The report states that the DMV received confirmation from Apple to cancel the permit on September 25, and the permit became canceled as of September 27. While this decision is not surprising given Gurman's reporting earlier this year, this is effectively the final nail in the coffin for Apple's decade-long electric vehicle project.

macReports said that it would have been active until April 30, 2025 had it not been canceled.

using leased Lexus SUVs equipped with an array of sensors and cameras to test various autonomous driving technologies on California streets.

Apple Car roundup for more details about the canceled project.
Related Forum: Apple, Inc and Tech Industry
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The MacRumors Show: Apple's Shocking M4 MacBook Pro Leak On ...

2024-10-11T17:30:13+02:00

The MacRumors Show: Apple's Shocking M4 MacBook Pro Leak

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the unprecedented leak of Apple's M4 MacBook Pro models and the company's rumored move to more staggered hardware and software releases.

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos

Multiple leaks surrounding Apple's unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip recently surfaced online. The leaks began with unboxing videos shared by several Russian YouTube channels, showcasing the new entry-level MacBook Pro ahead of its official announcement. These leaks were followed by a listing on a Russian classifieds site, where multiple units were allegedly being sold after what appears to be theft from a warehouse. This marks one of Apple's most significant leaks in recent memory, drawing comparisons to the 2010 iPhone 4 prototype incident.

25% faster than the M3's 8-core CPU. As rumored, it also comes with 16GB of RAM as the new base configuration, doubling the previous standard of 8GB, and support for up to two external displays with the lid open. Another key improvement is the addition of a third Thunderbolt port, bringing the entry-level model up to parity with the higher-end configurations. It also looks like the entry-level MacBook Pro will be available in the Space Black color option for the first time. Despite these upgrades, the display, general design, and other features remain unchanged from the current MacBook Pro. These revelations come just weeks before Apple is expected to officially unveil its first M4-powered Macs, with a rumored release date of November 1.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple appears to be slowly moving away from its traditional annual release schedule for hardware and software, favoring a more staggered approach. This shift is evident with the introduction of iOS 18, where key features like Apple Intelligence are delayed and due to be rolled out in subsequent updates throughout 2025. As Apple's product lineup grows more complex, this strategy would allow for better quality control and innovation by releasing products and features when they are fully developed, rather than adhering to fixed timelines.

While iPhones are expected to maintain their yearly updates, other products like the Apple Watch and Mac lineup may follow a multi-year or staggered release schedule to make the company's launches less predictable and more flexible. We discuss whether this is a good move for Apple and take stock of its product strategy as a whole in light of recent releases.

The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips:

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel!

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about the latest rumors surrounding Apple's "Home Accessory" product, which could launch as soon as next year.

MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

@MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
Tag: The MacRumors Show
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The Best Prime Day Deals You Can Still Get on AirPods, Apple ...

2024-10-11T17:15:10+02:00

The Best Prime Day Deals You Can Still Get on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

This week was Amazon's second Prime Day of 2024, and even though it's technically come to a close, there are still plenty of Apple discounts that remain live. This includes record low prices on the AirPods Max, Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Ultra 2, iPad, and more.

AirPods

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The only Prime Day deals for AirPods still around are for both AirPods Max models, and they're both all-time low prices for each pair of headphones.

$155 OFF
AirPods Max (Lightning) for $394.99

$51 OFF
AirPods Max (USB-C) for $497.99

Apple Watch

Top Apple Watch deals during Prime Day included the Apple Watch SE available from $169.99 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in Black for $729.99. Both of these are all-time low prices on each model.

$79 OFF
Apple Watch SE (40mm GPS) for $169.99

$79 OFF
Apple Watch SE (44mm GPS) for $199.99

$70 OFF
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (Black) for $729.99

9th Gen iPad

You can get the 64GB Wi-Fi 9th generation iPad for $199.99 in both colors, down from $329.00. This is a match of the record low price on this version of the 2021 tablet.

$129 OFF
9th Gen iPad (64GB Wi-Fi) for $199.99

MacBook Air

MacBook Air discounts were abundant this Prime Day, with both M2 and M3 models getting huge markdowns on Amazon. You can still get the M2 model at an all-time low price of $749.00 today on Amazon.

$250 OFF
13-inch M2 MacBook Air (256GB) for $749.00

Apple Pencil

One of the best accessory deals this week is on the Apple Pencil Pro, now down to $96.00, from $129.00. This is a record low price on the Apple Pencil Pro.

$33 OFF
Apple Pencil Pro for $96.00

MagSafe Charger

Amazon this week introduced a few deals on Apple's new lineup of MagSafe Chargers, including the 1-meter model for $31.00 and 2-meter model for $39.00. At $8 and $10 off, respectively, these are new record low prices for each model.

$8 OFF
1-meter MagSafe Charger for $31.00

$10 OFF
2-meter MagSafe Charger for $39.00

Beats

$79.99, down from $149.95. The newer Beats Studio Buds+ are on sale for $129.99, down from $169.95.

UP TO 51% OFF
Beats Headphones for Prime Day

$169.99, down from $349.99, which is a new record low price. You can also get the Beats Solo 4 Headphones for $99.99, down from $199.99 and the Beats Fit Pro for $149.99, down from $199.99.

Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Review: ZUGU's iPad Pro Case Seamlessly Combines ...

2024-10-11T17:00:16+02:00

Review: ZUGU's iPad Pro Case Seamlessly Combines Functionality With Protection

I recently had the opportunity to test out the latest Zugu case for the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro, and I came away impressed with its blend of style and functionality.

While designed for the newest ‌iPad Pro‌ model, this case retains the key features that have made Zugu a popular choice among iPad users over the 14 years that the company has been operating.

Design and Protection

When I took the Zugu case out of the box, its minimalist appearance immediately caught my eye. I opted for the black color, which has an understated, professional look. The case is also available in slate (a subtle blue), berry (a rich red), and pine (a deep green). The soft pleather exterior feels good in the hand and provides a secure grip, unlike some slippery plastic alternatives.

Underneath the exterior is a robust combination of TPU and polycarbonate, offering what feels like very decent drop protection. (I haven't had a mishap yet, but it certainly instills confidence.) Thick bumpers along the edges provide an extra layer of defense, particularly for the screen corners, which is something I always look for in a case. The volume and power button covers are also nicely tactile and rubbery.

I was pleased to discover it has a soft microfiber interior to help prevent scratches on the ‌iPad‌ itself. Despite these protective features, the case on its own weighs a relatively light 515 grams, and it's only around half an inch thick with the ‌iPad‌ inside and the lid closed. All of the speaker and port holes are well-aligned, while the top cover is a particularly notable protective feature, and completely covers the screen when closed. It also plays nice with the ‌iPad‌'s sleep/wake feature. It's a welcome additional layer of protection against scratches and minor impacts when stowed in a bag on your commute.

Versatility and Convenience

Apple Pencil, or watching media. An extra thoughtful detail is the presence of air flow vents to prevent overheating during extended use or intensive bouts of gaming.

During testing, I found the magnetic functionality particularly clever. By flipping up and exposing the magnetic feet in the kickstand, I could easily attach my ‌iPad‌ to metal surfaces like a refrigerator door. If you follow recipe instructions in the kitchen, this frees up valuable counter space. Just be mindful not to slam the fridge door while the ‌iPad‌ is attached.

Zugu also includes a couple of neat storage options for the ‌Apple Pencil‌. A recess along the side allows for easy snap-on wireless charging, while an elastic pocket on the back provides added security during transport.

Summing Up

Given that the 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ starts at $1299, there's really no point cutting corners when it comes to ensuring it's protected at all times. I wouldn't skimp when choosing a laptop case, and the same applies here. For me, the Zugu case for M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ offers a compelling balance of protection, functionality, and style, at a competitive $79.99 starting price.

Its versatile stand options, secure magnetic mounting, and thoughtful design features like air vents and ‌Apple Pencil‌ integration set it apart from many competitors. While the magnets are generally strong, I'd still advise exercising caution when mounting the case on a vertical surface. Overall though, it's a solid choice for those seeking a premium, feature-rich case for their ‌iPad Pro‌.

Where to Buy

iPad Air, and iPad mini. Each Zugu case purchase also contributes funds to Children International, a humanitarian organization focused on helping kids around the world learn the skills needed to break free from poverty. Zugu has so far donated over $1 million to the cause, according to its website.

Note: Zugu provided MacRumors with a 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ M4 case for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
This article, "Review: ZUGU's iPad Pro Case Seamlessly Combines Functionality With Protection" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Some BMW Owners Experiencing Issues With Shared Car Keys on iOS ...

2024-10-11T16:45:10+02:00

Some BMW Owners Experiencing Issues With Shared Car Keys on iOS 18

Following the release of iOS 18 last month, some BMW owners have experienced issues with shared car keys in the Apple Wallet app, according to messages on the Apple Support Community and the largest BMW discussion forum.

Affected users said that the "passive entry" feature that allows you to lock, unlock, and start compatible BMW vehicle models by simply having your iPhone on you no longer works for secondary Wallet keys shared with others, such as a spouse or other family member. The primary key still works for passive entry, the people said.

The issue does not appear to be fixed in the iOS 18.0.1 update released last week, or in the latest iOS 18.1 beta. The underlying cause is unclear.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Tag: BMW
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
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iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Pro Used to Design Seven NHL Goalie ...

2024-10-11T16:15:10+02:00

iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Pro Used to Design Seven NHL Goalie Masks Shown in This New Ad

Apple today shared a new ad that highlights how artists used the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Pro to design personalized artwork for seven NHL goalie masks being worn during the 2024-25 season. The artwork was then hand painted onto the masks.

The goalie masks were created for Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins, Jacob Markström of the New Jersey Devils, Stuart Skinner of the Edmonton Oilers, Sam Montembeault of the Montréal Canadiens, Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators, Joseph Woll of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks.

NHL goalies have worn personalized masks for decades, but this is the first time that Apple has advertised being involved with the creative process.

on the NHL's website.

Tags: Apple Ads, Apple Pencil, NHL
Related Forum: iPad Accessories
This article, "iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Pro Used to Design Seven NHL Goalie Masks Shown in This New Ad" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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