Apple today updated its homepage to honor former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who passed away yesterday at the age of 100.

apple jimmy carter
The longest-lived president in U.S. history, Carter served in the position from 1977 to 1981 and was known for redefining the post-presidency with his focus on human rights and diplomacy through the Carter Center, for which he won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter was also a prominent advocate for and participant in the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity.


Apple CEO Tim Cook also honored Carter in a tweet on Sunday.

A completely redesigned version of the Magic Mouse featuring touch and voice controls is coming in 2026, a Korean leaker claims.

Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard
Expanding on a recent report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the Korean Apple news aggregator known as "yeux1122" says that Apple's next-generation Magic Mouse will feature a new, more ergonomic design that addresses long-standing complaints, including the location of the charging port.

While the Magic Mouse switched from Lightning to USB-C a few months ago, the charging port is still located on the bottom of the mouse, which prevents it from being used while charging. This is only a minor inconvenience, as charging the mouse is a quick and infrequent process, but it sounds like Apple will finally relocate the port in the accessory's next incarnation.

Apple has apparently designed a prototype of the new mouse that incorporates a mixture of touch, voice controls, and hand gestures, making it more suitable for today's computing demands. It reportedly plans to release the new Magic Mouse alongside the OLED, "M6" MacBook Pro in 2026.

The overall look of the Magic Mouse has not changed much since 2009, so a redesign seems to be long overdue. Notable changes over the years include switching from AA batteries to a built-in rechargeable battery in 2015, new color-matching options with the iMac in 2021, and the switch from Lightning to USB-C earlier this year.

Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE could see a slight price increase over the current model, according to a new report originating in Asia.

iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb
Citing a Japanese source, the aggregator known as "yeux1122" on Korean social media site Naver claims that the fourth-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ will be priced below 78,000 yen–about $500. However, the price of the device is likely to exceed 800,000 won in Korea—around $540. This international pricing may indicate that the new ‌iPhone SE‌ could come in at a slightly higher price than the current model, which starts at $429.

Previous reports have indicated that the new model may continue to be priced starting at $429, or see an increase of around 10 percent. This would place it at about $470. Apple reportedly plans to keep the pricing below $500 in the United States, even if the price does go up slightly.

While the ‌iPhone SE‌ is Apple's low-cost iPhone option, a small price increase would be understandable given the device's expected upgrade to Face ID, a more modern all-screen design, OLED, USB-C, and more. The fourth-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ could launch as soon as March 2025.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Tag: Naver
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPhone

Apple TV+ is set to be available to stream for free from Saturday, January 4 to Sunday, January 5, providing its full catalog with no subscription fee.

Apple TV Plus Black Banner
Following a series of teasers, Apple today confirmed the free weekend on social media, building anticipation for new releases early in 2025 such as the second season of "Severance." Simply open the ‌Apple TV‌ app to watch for free.

Apple has never done a free all-you-can-watch ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+ event before, but it does offer free trials for new subscribers and it provides the first episodes of some shows so that potential customers can get a preview before choosing to subscribe.

‌‌Apple TV‌‌+ is priced at $9.99 per month, and up to six members of a Family Sharing group are able to watch content at that price point. It is also available in the various Apple One subscription bundles, starting at $19.95 per month.

Apple's standard iPhone 17 next year will feature a display with a higher refresh rate, potentially bringing "ProMotion" technology to the base model in Apple's flagship iPhone lineup for the first time.

Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island
Weibo-based Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station claimed over the weekend that supply chain materials corroborate rumors about a higher refresh rate display coming to the standard iPhone 17. The leaker did not mention a specific hertz (Hz) rating, but previous rumors have suggested Apple plans to use 120Hz, or the "ProMotion" rate historically limited to the Pro versions of its iPhone lineup.

Apple is expected to use low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panels for all iPhone 17 models, which is what enables ProMotion due to its superior power efficiency. The current iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus use low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panels, which are capped at a maximum 60Hz refresh rate.

ProMotion enables refresh rates ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. At the low end, ProMotion allows for always-on functionality, which means always-on time, widgets, and notifications that have been available on Pro models' Lock Screens for some time now. Meanwhile, at the high end, 120Hz enables smoother scrolling and video content.

Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants has claimed that both the standard iPhone 17 and a slimmer model that we are calling the "iPhone 17 Air" will both feature ProMotion. With all four iPhones slated to get ProMotion displays in 2025, higher refresh rates will no longer be a feature that sets the Pro iPhone models apart. Perhaps more importantly, it will also see Apple's flagship lineup finally ditch 60Hz displays – something most other premium smartphone brands left behind quite a while ago.

Digital Chat Station accurately revealed that the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus would feature a slightly smaller 48-megapixel sensor than the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max last year, as well as the display panel design of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 back in 2020. Next year's iPhone 17 series is expected to launch around the usual September time frame.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17

Amazon this weekend has discounted numerous Apple Watch Series 10 models to all-time low prices, perfect timing for anyone looking for a smartwatch as we head into the new year. You'll find $70 off both 42mm and 46mm GPS Series 10 models in multiple case colors and band styles, and this time the deals do not require any coupon codes.

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Every price listed below is a match of the record low prices on the Apple Watch Series 10, and in some cases delivery is slipping into the middle of January. If you've been eyeing an Apple Watch Series 10 as a way to help keep up with your New Year's resolutions, and didn't get one for the holidays, now will be the time to purchase one at these best-ever prices.

42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10

46mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.


Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find during the holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Anker has kicked off its big New Year's sale, which is set to run through January 15. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more.

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There are a few bonus offers during this event as well, including a deal where if you buy two products you can get an additional 20 percent off, or buy three for 25 percent off. Of course, if you just want to purchase one accessory, there are plenty of solo discounts you can find in the sale.

Finally, it's worth noting that MacRumors readers can still get 20 percent off Anker accessories through the end of the year. Anker's current New Year's event beats this discount most of the time, but if you find a product not on sale it will be worth entering our code at checkout.

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. 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 holiday deals.

Prime Chargers

Power Banks

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.


Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find during the holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

It's shaping up to be a busy 2025 for Apple, with a number of rumors and articles this week highlighting some of what we can expect.

top stories 28dec2024
While the unveiling of iOS 19 is still over five months away, we're already hearing about which devices are likely to support it, while in the much nearer term Apple is currently preparing an iOS 18.2.1 bug fix update that should be released very shortly. This week we also took a look at the top five new Apple products we're expecting to see in 2025, plus we're hearing rumors about timing for the first 2025 product launches and beyond, so read on for all the details!

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

According to a report from French website iPhoneSoft.fr, all iPhone models that are compatible with iOS 18 will also support iOS 19, meaning that devices all the way back to the iPhone XS/XR and second-generation iPhone SE will be able to run the next major update of iOS coming next year, though certain features will undoubtedly be limited to more recent models.

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light
The report also claims the vast majority of iPad models compatible with iPadOS 18 will similarly be able to run iPadOS 19, with the exception of the seventh-generation iPad that was released in September 2019 and discontinued a year later.

Top 5 Apple Products to Look Forward to in 2025

It's looking like 2025 is going to be an important year for Apple, with the company planning to revamp the iPhone, push further into smart home products, and improve Apple Intelligence. There are tons of new products rumored for 2025, including new iPhones, M4 Macs, a smart home command center, and much more.

iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2 Redux
As a look ahead to the new year, we've highlighted the top five Apple products that we believe will have the biggest impact in 2025.

iOS 18.2.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhone

iOS 18.2 was released to the public several weeks ago while iOS 18.3 remains in beta testing, so Apple is currently preparing an interim iOS 18.2.1 update that will be able to deliver security patches and perhaps some bug fixes before iOS 18.3 is ready for release.

Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock
We've seen signs of iOS 18.2.1 in our own web analytics, while a reliable source has even leaked the exact build number we should expect for the update.

New MacBook Air Models With M4 Chip Expected to Launch 'Earlier' Than iPhone SE 4 and iPad 11

We're expecting three significant new Apple products in the first part of 2025, but it looks like they won't all be arriving simultaneously.

m3 macbook air blue
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, MacBook Air models based on the M4 chip should arrive first, while the fourth-generation iPhone SE and the eleventh-generation iPad will come a bit later.

Macs With M5 Chips Expected to Launch in This Order

Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo this week outlined mass production timing for the M5 series of chips, which he expects to be used in both future Macs and Apple Intelligence servers. The rollout will likely begin next year.

apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5
Kuo expects the standard M5 chip to enter mass production in the first half of 2025, followed by the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips in the second half of the year. Then, he expects the M5 Ultra chip to enter mass production in 2026.

iPhone Sizes Change Next Year: What to Know

This year, Apple tweaked iPhone 16 Pro screen sizes to make them bigger than 2023's iPhone 15 Pro models, and next year we are also expecting a change in the size of the displays in the iPhone 17 lineup.

iPhone 16 Apple Store
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max won't be getting any bigger, so they'll be sticking with the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays found on the current Pro models. But the regular iPhone 17 should be matching its Pro sibling, up from the current 6.1-inch display on the iPhone 16.

Meanwhile, the Plus model will reportedly be replaced by an entirely new model, informally dubbed the iPhone 17 Air. This ultra-thin model will reportedly have a display measuring around 6.6 inches.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Even though iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2 added multiple Apple Intelligence features like Image Playground, Genmoji, Writing Tools, and more, there are still new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ capabilities that we're waiting on. Apple has at least one more major ‌Apple Intelligence‌ update coming in 2025, and the functionality that we're expecting is outlined below.

Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

Priority Notifications

Notification summaries are already available on devices that support ‌Apple Intelligence‌, but in a future version of iOS 18, ‌Apple Intelligence‌ will have Priority Notifications so you can see what's important first while filtering out things that don't matter as much.

When Priority Notifications launch, incoming notifications that are marked as priority will show up on the top of the notification stack.

New Siri Features

Siri already has a new design and a better understanding of natural language on ‌Apple Intelligence‌ devices, but there are several ‌Siri‌ changes that haven't been added yet.

In the future, ‌Siri‌ is getting support for personal context, onscreen awareness, and deeper app integration. Personal context will allow ‌Siri‌ to keep track of everything on your device, like text messages, emails, files, and photos, so ‌Siri‌ can help you find anything you're looking for.

With onscreen awareness, ‌Siri‌ will know what you're looking at on your device, and will be able to complete actions. If you're viewing a photo, for example, you'll be able to ask ‌Siri‌ to send it to someone just by saying "Hey ‌Siri‌, send this" and the person's name. ‌Siri‌ will understand what "this" is.

‌Siri‌ is also going to be able to do a lot more in apps and between apps, which is likely going to make the biggest change in ‌Siri‌'s ability to get things done. You'll be able to edit a photo and send it to someone all with a single command, or move files from one app to another using ‌Siri‌. The way Apple describes it, it's going to be similar to Shortcuts, but activated all via ‌Siri‌ with no need to set anything up.

These all sound like fairly invasive ‌Siri‌ features with ‌Siri‌ able to track everything on a device, but Apple plans on doing these things on-device to preserve privacy.

Genmoji on macOS

Apple added ‌Genmoji‌ to the iPhone and the iPad with the launch of iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, but it wasn't added to the Mac in macOS Sequoia 15.2. We already know ‌Genmoji‌ is in the macOS Sequoia 15.3 update that Apple is beta testing, and that update is expected in January 2025.

Memory Movies for macOS

Macs are also missing the memory movies feature that is designed to let you create a slideshow from your photos and videos using just a text description. Right now, making a memory movie is limited to the ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌, but Apple does plan to add it to the Mac too.

You can create a custom memory movie by going to the Memories section in the Photos app, tapping on Create, and then typing in the description of the movie that you want to see. The ‌Photos‌ app will pick out the most logical photos and videos that fit the theme you've specified, creating a slideshow set to music. You can edit the photos that are included, change the music, and share the result on social media.

Apple Intelligence in More Languages and Additional Countries

Apple is going to add support for languages beyond English in 2025, including Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

When We'll Get New Apple Intelligence Features

Beyond ‌Genmoji‌ for the Mac, there aren't new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in the current iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3 updates that Apple is beta testing right now, so we're not expecting new capabilities until iOS 18.4.

iOS 18.3 will likely see a launch in late January, and then we'll get the iOS 18.4 beta. iOS 18.4 and its sister updates will be beta tested for a couple months, with Apple planning for an April 2024 launch.

Christmas has come to an end, and with it many of the season's biggest discounts have expired. However, you can still find some great deals on Apple products today, including an all-time low price on the AirTag 4-Pack, as well as some solid deals on Apple Watch and MacBook Air.

Hero0008Note: 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.

Accessories

airtag red



Apple's AirTag 4-Pack returned to its all-time low price of $69.99 about a week ago on Amazon, and it's still there even after the Christmas holiday has ended. If you're planning to travel a lot in 2025, this is a great accessory to pick up, especially at this price.

AirPods

airpods red


Although not record low prices, if you didn't get the pair of AirPods you asked for over the holidays, Amazon has some solid second-best prices on AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 this week.

iPad

ipad red 2

Best Buy still has a good second-best price on the popular 10th generation iPad, available for $279.00 in multiple colors, down from $349.00.

Apple Watch

apple watch se red



Amazon has quite a few Apple Watch discounts to help with your New Year's resolutions, including the Apple Watch SE for $189.99 and Series 10 models starting at $349.00.

MacBook Air

macbook air red


Finally, Amazon has a few models of Apple's 13-inch M3 MacBook Air for $200 off, with prices starting at $1,099.00 for the 16GB RAM model.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.


Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find during the holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple has released the first eight minutes of the highly anticipated Severance season two premiere as a special preview for Apple TV+ subscribers, following the show's nearly three-year hiatus.

Apple TV Plus Severance Season 2
The exclusive preview, now available in the ‌Apple TV‌ app under the Bonus Content section of the Severance page, gives fans their first look at the next chapter of the sci-fi thriller. Mark Scout, portrayed by Adam Scott, returns to work at Lumon Industries, grappling with the fallout of events that blurred the carefully maintained boundary between his work and personal identities.

Severance first debuted on ‌Apple TV‌+ in February 2022 and quickly became one of the platform's standout series, earning multiple Emmy nominations. Created by Dan Erickson and produced by Ben Stiller, Severance examines a futuristic workplace where employees undergo a controversial medical procedure to split their work and personal memories, creating two distinct lives within a single individual.

Watch the season two premiere sneak peek now online or in the ‌Apple TV‌ app. The full second season of Severance will debut on ‌Apple TV‌+ on January 17.

Starting today, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and third-generation iPhone SE have been fully removed from Apple's online store in most EU countries, due to an imminently-effective regulation that requires smartphones with wired charging capabilities that are newly placed for sale to be equipped with a USB-C port in the EU.

iPhone 14 Yellow Feature
The trio of iPhone models are no longer listed on Apple's online store in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and most other EU countries. The devices have also been unlisted in a few other countries that participate in the EU's single market, such as Switzerland.

The regulation comes into force on December 28, and it applies to any individual iPhone unit placed for sale after that date, even if they are older models. While all iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models are equipped with USB-C ports for wired charging, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and current iPhone SE still have Lightning ports.

The UK left the EU in 2020, so it is not impacted by this regulation. Northern Ireland is affected, however, as it still participates in the EU's single market.

Apple began phasing out the trio of iPhone models in the EU market last week, and it still has to delist the devices in a few more EU countries. In-store availability at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers will likely be hit or miss over the next few days, as any remaining inventory is depleted. But, by and large, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone SE are no longer available from Apple in the EU.

Apple is expected to announce a fourth-generation iPhone SE with a USB-C port in March, so the device should quickly return to the EU. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus likely would have been discontinued in September had the USB-C regulation not existed, so sales of those devices are ending in the EU around nine months early.

Earlier this month, French website iGeneration.fr was first to break the news about Apple's plans to stop selling these iPhone models in the EU.

Related Roundups: iPhone 14, iPhone SE
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPhone

Apple is on the brink of becoming the first company in history to surpass a $4 trillion market valuation, Fortune reports.

Apple Logo Cash Feature Blue
Apple's stock (AAPL) has nearly risen 40% in 2024. Before the markets opened on December 27, Apple's market capitalization stood at $3.92 trillion, leaving the company just a modest surge in stock value away from the unprecedented milestone. The growth is said to have been fueled largely by optimism surrounding Apple Intelligence and the continued strength of its iPhone upgrade cycles.

In a research note published on December 26, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said that Apple is entering a "golden era of growth" with its AI initiatives serving as a pivotal driver. Ives increased his price target for Apple's stock to $325, citing the company's ongoing efforts to embed artificial intelligence into its products. He emphasized that Apple's current AI strategy is likely underestimated by the market, adding that the development of hundreds of applications under the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ platform will provide "another growth catalyst along with catalyzing ‌iPhone‌ upgrades across the board over the next 12 to 18 months."

We believe Apple is heading into a multi-year AI-driven iPhone upgrade cycle that is still being underestimated by the Street. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will Apple's AI strategy but the seeds of that strategy with Apple Intelligence are now forming and will transform the Apple consumer growth narrative over the coming years.

We estimate that with hundreds of apps in development around Apple Intelligence that in essence creates a new multi-billion annual Services revenue stream will be another growth catalyst along with catalyzing iPhone upgrades across the board over the next 12 to 18 months. We believe Apple is on pace to reach the $4 trillion market cap threshold and be the first member of this exclusive club.

JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee also predicts sustained growth for Apple, driven by its ability to expand its installed base of devices, which surpassed two billion active units globally in 2023. Chatterjee pointed to "the transformation of the company to services" and the continued evolution of its product lineup as key factors in its success. He also highlighted Apple's focus on capital deployment, with the company consistently returning value to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks, which have totaled hundreds of billions of dollars in recent years.

Apple's nearest competitors in terms of market capitalization, Microsoft and Nvidia, have also benefited from advancements in AI but trail behind with valuations of $3.26 trillion and $3.43 trillion, respectively. Both companies are investing heavily in their own AI platforms, with Nvidia's GPU technology playing a central role in powering generative AI applications. However, Apple's long-term advantage seemingly lies in its ability to control both hardware and software, potentially allowing it to deliver a superior user experience across its ecosystem.

Apple's latest iPhones include several headline camera features that are worth using, such as Portrait Mode and Photographic Styles. But if all you want to use is the standard photo mode, there are still several tools and settings that can improve the composition of your pictures and help you capture the perfect shot using more traditional techniques.

iPhone 15 Blue Three Quarters Perspective Camera Closeup Feature
Whether you are the owner of a new iPhone or a longtime user looking to up your photography game, here are six camera tools and settings in iOS that are worth checking out and experimenting with.

1. Use the Rule of Thirds

For a while now, Apple's Camera app has included a few optional settings that can help you line up your shots. Foremost in these settings is the Grid tool, which should be used when applying the rule of thirds. It divides the frame of your photo into a grid with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, creating nine equal parts.

grid camera tool
The rule of thirds helps guide the viewer's eye to the most important parts of your photo and creates a more harmonious composition. Here's how to overlay a grid on the viewfinder.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and tap Camera.
  3. In the "Composition" section, toggle on the switch next to Grid.

settings

Here are five things to keep in mind when using the grid to apple the rule of thirds.

  • Identify the Key Elements: First, identify the main subjects or elements in the scene you want to photograph. These could be a person, a building, a tree, or any focal point.
  • Positioning the Subjects: Place these key elements along the lines or at the points where the lines intersect. For instance, if you're taking a photo of a person, you might position them along one of the vertical lines, rather than in the center of the frame.
  • Horizontal Elements: For horizontal elements like the horizon in a landscape, align them with one of the horizontal lines. For a more dramatic sky, place the horizon on the lower line. For more emphasis on the land or sea, place it on the upper line.
  • Balancing the Image: Use the rule of thirds to balance your photo. If you place a subject on the left, consider having something of lesser importance on the right to create a sense of balance.
  • Experimentation: While the rule of thirds is a guideline, it's not a strict rule. Feel free to experiment with it and see how shifting elements in your frame changes the photo's impact.

2. Straighten Top-Down Shots

If you're taking a picture of something from above like a plate of food or an ornament on the ground, consider using the camera level, as it helps you capture a balanced shot without having to use a tripod arm or mount. It's also useful for taking a shot of something directly above you, like an object on the ceiling or in the sky.

level camera tool setting
The camera level tool used to be part of the Grid overlay, but Apple separated out the function in iOS 17, and it now has its own switch: Open the Settings app on your iPhone, select Camera, then toggle on the switch next to Level. Now you are ready to use it.

  1. Open the Camera app, and set the capture mode to Photo, Portrait, Square, or Time Lapse, using the sliding menu above the shutter button.
  2. Point the camera straight down above your subject (or straight up if the subject/scene you want to capture is above you).
  3. Line up the floating crosshair with the fixed crosshair in the center of the screen by adjusting the angle of your phone's camera. The crosshairs will both glow yellow when in perfect alignment.
  4. Tap the shutter button to capture the shot.

camera level tool in action

The aligned crosshairs turn yellow (right), indicating the lens is parallel with the ground.

3. Straighten Your Horizontal Shots

By making the Level tool an individual option in iOS 17, Apple has also included an additional horizontal level for more traditional straight-on photos.

ios 17 camera level no
Turning the Level option on makes a broken horizontal line appear on the screen when your iPhone senses that you're lining up for a straight-on shot and you tilt your device slightly out of horizontal. The line appears white while your phone is out of level and then turns yellow once you achieve a level orientation to indicate success.

ios 17 camera level
With the Level setting enabled (Settings ➝ Camera ➝ Level), try it for yourself. Open the Camera app and try shooting a subject at a straight angle, and you should see the broken horizontal lines in the center of the viewfinder. Straighten your angle up to connect the lines and make a single yellow line.

The leveling pop-up only appears briefly and only within a narrow range of angles close to horizontal (in either portrait or landscape orientation), so it won't intrusively pop up when you're intentionally trying to take a photo at an angle.

4. Take Burst Photos

Burst Mode refers to when the camera on your iPhone captures a series of photos in rapid succession, at a rate of ten frames per second. It's a great way to shoot an action scene or an unexpected event, since you're always more likely to end up with the picture you were aiming for.

burstmode
To shoot in Burst Mode, go to Settings ➝ Camera and toggle on Use Volume Up for Burst, then simply long press on the Volume Up button when in the Camera app, and your iPhone will take a series of photos in quick succession. Notice that a counter increases inside the on-screen shutter button for as long as you hold down the volume button. This indicates how many shots are being captured in the current burst. Simply take your finger off the volume when you want to end the burst of shots.

When you take a series of burst photos, they automatically appear in the Photos app under the Album name Bursts. You'll also find them in your main Photo Library. Follow the link to learn how to view and select the best of your Burst photos in the Photos app.

5. Mirror Your Selfies

When you take a selfie with your iPhone using the Camera app, it automatically flips – or mirrors – the image so that it's an inverted version of the mirror image you see in the preview before you take the shot.

selfie
This can look odd, since it makes a big difference to how selfies look. It can also be annoying, since most third-party social media apps automatically take mirrored selfies, which means you're more likely to be used to the mirroring functionality than the flipped selfies that your ‌iPhone‌ takes.

Fortunately, you can change this default behavior of the Camera app, meaning that you can get the mirrored selfie you're probably more accustomed to seeing. Here's how.

  1. Launch the Settings app, then scroll down and select Camera.
  2. Toggle the switch next to Mirror Front Camera to the green ON position.

settings
That's all there is to it. From now on when you use the Camera app to shoot a selfie, you'll capture the same shot that you saw in the app's preview mode.

6. View Outside the Frame

On iPhone 11 and later models, there is an optional camera setting that allows you to see what is outside the bounds of your photo's frame, so you can correct the alignment of photos (and videos) without having to resort to cropping.

capture shot outside frame iphone 11 camera 2
With the "View Outside the Frame" setting enabled, using the wide lens or the telephoto lens, the camera will simultaneously show you the lens view using the next widest sensor. So the wide lens is active when you view with the telephoto lens, and the ultra-wide is active when the wide lens is selected.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down and tap Camera.
  3. Under the "Composition" section, toggle on the switch next to View Outside the Frame.

settings

You may have to play around with zoom levels to switch between lenses, but you'll know the feature is active when the camera interface turns semi-transparent to reveal the surroundings outside of the viewfinder.

OpenAI's popular ChatGPT service is experiencing an outage at the current time, according to the company's website. A system status page says that there are high error rates for ChatGPT, APIs, and Sora.

open ai logo
According to OpenAI, the problem has been ongoing since 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and it is the result of an "issue caused by an upstream provider." OpenAI is working on a fix for the problem.

ChatGPT is not working for some users as a result of the downtime, and that includes the Siri ChatGPT integration feature available on iOS 18.2 devices.

Tag: ChatGPT

Apple today announced the upcoming launch of its annual New Year promotion in Japan, providing customers with a free Apple gift card worth up to ¥30,000 with the purchase of eligible Apple devices.

apple japan promotion 2025
Customers in Japan can get an Apple gift card when shopping at Apple from January 2 to January 5, and as a bonus, the first 50,000 people to purchase an iPhone 15, iPhone 14, or iPhone SE will get an exclusive Year of the Snake AirTag.

Apple is offering up to ¥11,000 for an iPhone purchase, up to ¥30,000 when buying a MacBook Air, up to ¥15,000 for a current-generation iPad, iPad Air, or iPad Pro, ¥11,000 for an Apple Watch, and up to ¥12,000 for AirPods Max, AirPods 4, or AirPods Pro 2. Apple is also offering gift cards alongside the purchase of the Apple TV, select Beats headphones, and select Apple accessories, with full details available on Apple's Japan website.

According to Apple's Terms and Conditions for the promotion, it is only available to customers who make a purchase in a retail store or through the website, and not through the Apple Store app.

Apple this week began teasing some kind of upcoming Apple TV+ surprise that's set to happen on January 4 and January 5, telling customers to "stay tuned" and "save the date" in social media posts.

apple tv plus teaser
Apple's images have a tagline that says "See for yourself," but it isn't clear what Apple has planned. Some users on Reddit have speculated that Apple might be planning to launch a promotion that gives people free access to ‌Apple TV‌+ for a two-day period, though others believe that it could be a preview for upcoming 2025 TV shows.


January 4 and January 5 fall on a weekend, and the "see for yourself" wording does seem to suggest that a free watching period could be a possibility. Apple may share additional information in the days leading up to the "event" that gives us more insight.

Apple has never done a free all-you-can-watch ‌Apple TV‌+ event, but it does offer free trials for new subscribers and it provides the first episodes of some shows so that potential customers can get a preview before choosing to subscribe.

‌Apple TV‌+ is priced at $9.99 per month, and up to six members of a Family Sharing group are able to watch content at that price point.

Apple today shared a new ad promoting the Apple Watch Series 10, linking it to the tradition of setting New Year's resolutions.


In the spot, Apple explains that the second Friday of January is when most people stop meeting their goals, suggesting that the Apple Watch can provide the necessary motivation to keep going.

"This year, what if a little bit of help on our wrists could help us quit, quitting?" asks the ad, followed by the tagline "motivation on your wrist."

Apple highlights the Apple Watch notifications for closing activity rings and meeting workout goals, along with specific running-focused features such as the option to track pace and get alerts to step it up.