MacRumors

At its Spring Update event, OpenAI announced that it will be releasing a desktop app for the Mac, as seen in the screenshot below. The app will be rolling out to ChatGPT Plus subscribers starting today, ahead of a wider launch "in the coming weeks."

"With a simple keyboard shortcut (Option + Space), you can instantly ask ChatGPT a question," OpenAI's press release says. In addition, Voice Mode will allow you to have voice conversations with ChatGPT directly from your Mac.

OpenAI already offers ChatGPT apps for the iPhone and iPad, and it plans to release a Windows version of the desktop app later this year.

OpenAI is also making some updates to ChatGPT's web interface, introducing a new home screen, a redesigned message layout, and more. The new look is "designed to be friendlier and more conversational," the company said.

OpenAI also announced that it will be making its all-new GPT-4o large language model available for free, meaning that no ChatGPT Plus subscription will be required to use it. OpenAI says GPT-4o provides "GPT-4-level intelligence," but is "much faster and improves on its capabilities across text, voice, and vision." Until now, users without a ChatGPT Plus subscription have been limited to the older GPT-3.5 model.

It was recently reported that Apple is in the final stages of discussions with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT on the iPhone starting with iOS 18, which is expected to be unveiled at Apple's annual developers conference WWDC next month. iOS 18 is also rumored to feature many new on-device AI features from Apple directly.

A replay of the Spring Update event is available on YouTube.

Apple today released iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5, major updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating system updates that came out last September. The 17.5 updates come more than two months after the launch of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4.

iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

In the European Union, iOS 17.5 brings support for web-based app distribution. iPhone users can download apps directly from developer websites, without the need to use the App Store.

There are new features for Apple News+, such as an offline mode, and tracking notifications are now available cross-platform for alerts about Bluetooth trackers regardless of platform. Apple's full release notes:

Apple News
- Offline mode in Apple News+ gives you access to the Today feed and News+ tab, even when you don't have an internet connection
- Quartiles is a new and original daily word game that is now available in Apple News+
- Scoreboard in News+ Puzzles gives you access to new player data for Crossword, Mini Crossword and Quartiles, including stats and streaks

Tracking Notifications
- Cross-Platform Tracking Detection delivers notifications to users if a compatible Bluetooth tracker they do not own is moving with them, regardless of what operating system the device is paired with

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

More information on the new features in iOS 17.5 can be found in our iOS 17.5 features guide.

Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.5, the fifth update to the ‌macOS Sonoma‌ operating system that launched last September. ‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.5 comes more than two months after the launch of macOS Sonoma 14.4.

The ‌‌‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌‌‌ 14.5 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.7 release for those who are still running macOS Ventura and a macOS 12.7.5 release for those who have macOS Monterey installed.

‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.5 adds a new word game for Apple News+ subscribers and allows for tracking stats and streaks of News+ games. Apple's release notes:

macOS Sonoma 14.5 includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
- Quartiles is a new and original daily word game that is now available in Apple News+
- Scoreboard in News+ Puzzles gives you access to new player data for Crossword, Mini Crossword and Quartiles, including stats and streaks

Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.

For detailed information about the security content of this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

We're nearing the end of the ‌macOS Sonoma‌ development cycle, and this could be one of the last feature updates that we see. Apple is already working on macOS 15, and plans to introduce it next month at WWDC.

Apple today released watchOS 10.5, the fifth update to the watchOS 10 operating system that came out in September. watchOS 10.5 is available two months after watchOS 10.4, a bug fix update.

‌‌‌watchOS 10‌‌‌‌.5 can be downloaded for free through the Apple Watch app on an iPhone running iOS 17 or later by opening it up and going to General & Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery and it needs to be placed on a charger.

While watchOS 10.5 is primarily a bug fix update, it does introduce a new Pride watch face to go along with the Pride band that Apple introduced earlier in May.

watchOS 10.5 includes new features, improvements and bug fixes, including a new Pride Radiance watch face to honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

For additional details on the features that are included in ‌watchOS 10‌, we have a dedicated roundup.

Apple today released new software for the HomePod and the HomePod mini, debuting ‌HomePod‌ Software 17.5. The update comes two months after the 17.4 ‌HomePod‌ software release, which introduced new features for music preferences.

Apple does not specify what's included in the ‌‌HomePod‌‌ 17.5 software, and the generic release notes only say that it brings stability and performance improvements.

‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ software is installed automatically on the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌ unless the feature is disabled‌‌‌‌, but the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ can also be manually updated in the Home app by following the instructions in our HomePod‌‌ update how to.

Apple today released tvOS 17.5, the fifth update update to the tvOS 17 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 17.5 comes two months after the release of tvOS 17.4.

tvOS 17.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ owners who have automatic software updates activated will be upgraded to tvOS 17.5 automatically.

Compared to other operating system updates, tvOS 17.5 updates are often minor in scale, focusing on bug fixes and other small improvements. We did not find new features during the tvOS 17.5 beta testing process.

Apple shares release notes for tvOS in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each new version of tvOS comes out.

An alleged Geekbench 6 benchmark result for the lower-end version of the M4 chip with a 9-core CPU surfaced over the weekend, providing a first look at how it performs compared to the higher-end M4 chip with a 10-core CPU.

The result indicates that the 9-core M4 chip is around 10% slower than the 10-core variant in terms of multi-core performance. While that outcome might seem obvious at first glance, the 9-core variant of the chip has three performance cores, instead of four in the 10-core variant, so this result was not guaranteed.

Assuming that the Geekbench 6 listing is accurate, the 9-core M4 chip is still around 13% faster than the M3 chip for multi-core performance, and up to 35% faster than the M2 chip in the previous-generation iPad Pro.

Here's how the 9-core M4 chip stacks up in multi-core Geekbench 6 results:

• M4 chip (10-core CPU): ~14,600
• M4 chip (9-core CPU): ~13,000
• M3 chip (8-core CPU): ~11,600
• M2 chip (8-core CPU): ~9,600

The new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models are equipped with a 9-core M4 chip when configured with 256GB or 512GB of storage, while models with 1TB or 2TB of storage are equipped with a 10‑core M4 chip. Both variants have a 10-core GPU.

For reasons unclear, the Geekbench 6 listing shows the iPad Pro with the 9-core M4 chip as running iPadOS 17.6, whereas all results for the 10-core model have shown iPadOS 17.4 so far. The first beta of iPadOS 17.6 will likely be made available for testing later this month, following the upcoming release of iPadOS 17.5.

The new iPad Pro models launch on Wednesday.

Thanks, Michael Burkhardt!

Sales of the Apple Vision Pro will soon begin in countries outside of the United States, reports Bloomberg. Hundreds of employees from international retail stores have been flying into Cupertino for multi-day Vision Pro training sessions.

Apple held similar training sessions ahead of when the Vision Pro launched in the United States, with employees learning how to provide customer demonstrations and answer customer questions. An exact launch date for the Vision Pro hasn't yet been announced, but it is expected to expand to additional countries after WWDC. This year's Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from June 10 to June 14.

Employees from stores in Australia, China, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore are attending the training sessions, so these are likely to be the first countries to get the Vision Pro after the United States. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said the Vision Pro would launch in more countries prior to WWDC, but that may now be inaccurate with Bloomberg's information suggesting a June debut.

U.S. interest in the Vision Pro has died down in the months following the launch of the device, and Apple has allegedly cut Vision Pro shipments as a result. International sales could bring a renewed wave of excitement over the device, but at $3,500 USD, the price is still prohibitive. Pricing in non-U.S. countries has not yet been announced.

Following some early discounts for Best Buy members, we're now seeing the first discounts on the brand-new iPad Air and iPad Pro models available to all customers thanks to Amazon. The discounts are modest at up to $49 on select models, but any pre-order discounts are always welcome news.

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.

Only select configurations and colors are seeing discounts and these may fluctuate over time, but at the moment we're seeing the following discounted prices:

11-inch iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi for $569.99, down from $599 in Space Gray and Purple
• 256GB Wi-Fi for $669.99, down from $699 in Blue
• 512GB Wi-Fi for $889.00, down from $899 in Purple

13-inch iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi for $769.99, down from $799 in Blue and Space Gray
• 256GB Wi-Fi for $869.99, down from $899 in Purple
• 512GB Wi-Fi for $1,069.99, down from $1,099 in Space Gray

11-inch iPad Pro

• 256GB Wi-Fi for $949.99, down from $999 in Silver and Space Black

With Apple dropping the regular price of the 10th-generation price by $100 last week, we're also seeing some record-low prices on those models with Amazon offering even steeper discounts at an additional $15 off to bring prices down to $334.00 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model in all colors. Cellular models are also at all-time lows starting at $474.00.

If you're looking for more details about the M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air, be sure to check out our recap article of last week's Apple event, and be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

AppleCare+ has long offered iPhone screen repairs for $29 in the U.S., and this option is now available for the new iPad Pro and iPad Air models too.

Apple says the $29 screen repair option is limited to the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models with the M4 chip, and the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models with the M2 chip, and the devices must have no other damage in order to qualify.

For any other damage to the new iPad Pro and iPad Air, AppleCare+ charges a $99 fee. For previous-generation models, Apple charges $49 for screen repairs or any other damage if the device has AppleCare+ coverage.

As usual, skipping AppleCare+ could prove to be costly, with Apple charging between $449 and $999 for uncovered repairs of the devices.

Here is how much AppleCare+ costs for the new iPads:

• 13-inch iPad Pro: $169 or $8.49 per month
• 11-inch iPad Pro: $149 or $7.49 per month
• 13-inch iPad Air: $99 or $4.99 per month
• 11-inch iPad Air: $79 or $3.99 per month

The new iPad Pro and iPad Air models are available to order now and launch on May 15.

Thanks, Dylan McDonald!

Apple today announced a new 10-day event counting down the 100 best albums of all time, as judged by Apple Music experts and a select group of artists. The event will see ‌Apple Music‌ revealing 10 albums from the list per day alongside a new microsite featuring analysis of each album, interviews, and more.

"Putting this list together was a true labor of love, both in that it was incredibly difficult to do and in that we are all so passionate about it," said Zane Lowe, Apple Music's global creative director and lead anchor for Apple Music 1. "We were tasked with selecting the 100 best — that's practically mission impossible. But as music fans, it was also amazing to really take a minute and sit and think about the music and albums and artists that we love so much in this context. If this list sparks more debate among fans outside of Apple Music and gets people talking passionately about the music they love, then we've done what we set out to do."

The first 10 albums from the list revealed today include:

100. Body Talk, Robyn
99. Hotel California, Eagles
98. ASTROWORLD, Travis Scott
97. Rage Against the Machine, Rage Against the Machine
96. Pure Heroine, Lorde
95. Confessions, USHER
94. Untrue, Burial
93. A Seat at the Table, Solange
92. Flower Boy, Tyler, The Creator
91. Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, George Michael

The countdown event will also include a takeover of the ‌Apple Music‌ Hits station on ‌Apple Music‌ Radio, featuring specials with various ‌Apple Music‌ Radio hosts and ongoing features, plus exclusive on-demand content drops on ‌Apple Music‌ and Apple Podcasts. The event will culminate in a roundtable discussion among artists Nile Rodgers and Maggie Rodgers alongside ‌Apple Music‌ hosts Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden as the top 10 albums are revealed on Wednesday, May 22.

Apple last week announced a new raft of iPad Pro and iPad Air models, but news about a new iPad mini was conspicuous by its absence.

Apple has not updated the iPad mini since 2021, so it is certainly ripe for a refresh, but fans of the smaller 8.3-inch device will have to wait a while longer for a seventh-generation model, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman cautioned his readers not to expect a new iPad mini model "until the end of this year at the earliest." In other words, don't get your hopes up for an iPad mini 7 announcement during Apple's upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Gurman expects the next iPad model to feature a newer processor, but few other changes. Other sources have claimed new camera upgrades could be included, as well as a potential fix for the "jelly scrolling" display behavior on the latest model.

Gurman previously said that a new entry-level iPad model is similarly unlikely to make an appearance before late 2024 at the earliest. The current low-end iPad was last updated in October 2022.

Gamma, a new emulator for playing classic PlayStation 1 games on iPhone and iPad, has just hit the App Store.

Developed by Benjamin Stark, aka ZodTTD, Gamma features customizable onscreen controller skins, and includes support for Bluetooth controllers as well as wired and non-wired keyboards.

Similar to the fantastically popular Delta emulator, the Gamma app uses third-party cloud syncing services for backing up game files and save states, and also downloads game cover artwork.

Fortunately for PS1 fans, Gamma does not require BIOS files to run games, although some users have reported a few issues getting some ROMs to run smoothly, but bug fixes are likely coming soon. Stark is a veteran of the emulator field and has been making retro game emulators on mobile for over 15 years.

It's worth noting that while Gamma is free to download and contains no iAPs (as per Apple's emulator rules) its App Store page says that it collects identifiers that can be used to track you, and may collect location and usage data.

Apple has closed in on a deal with OpenAI that should see ChatGPT being used to power new features in its next iPhone operating system, according to Bloomberg.

In a report over the weekend, Bloomberg claimed that the two companies have been "finalizing terms for a pact to use ChatGPT features in Apple's iOS 18." How the popular chatbot would integrate with Apple's software is not yet known.

The agreement would see ChatGPT become another tool in a range of AI features that Apple is expected to bring to iPhones. Apple is also said to be in ongoing talks with Google to license its Gemini chatbot, but those discussions have not reportedly led to an agreement. Apple is known to have been in talks with OpenAI since February.

Apple at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference next month is expected to announce several AI features coming to iOS 18, which is said to be one of the biggest upgrades to the iPhone operating system in years. According to Haitong analyst Jeff Pu, Apple plans to run some of the features on data servers powered by its own in-house chips.

Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed in February that Apple plans to "break new ground" in AI. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has previously reported that Apple is also working on its own chatbot tool that some engineers have dubbed "Apple GPT" to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT.

This week's best deals included a wide variety of Apple products and related accessories, ranging from the brand new M4 iPad Pro to Samsung's ViewFinity S9 5K Display.

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.

M4 iPad Pro

• What's the deal? Get $50 off M4 iPad Pro
• Where can I get it? Best Buy
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

The most notable deal of the week appeared at Best Buy, which still has the new M4 iPad Pro on sale at $50 off for My Best Buy Plus/Total members. These iPad Pros were just announced this week, so this is the first pre-order discount we've seen on the tablets.

Adobe

• What's the deal? Get 40% off Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps
• Where can I get it? Adobe
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Adobe is offering first-time subscribers of the Creative Cloud All Apps plan a 40 percent discount on the service, priced at $35.99 per month. This is for your first year of the subscription plan, and it includes access to more than 20 creative apps like Photoshop and Illustrator.

AirPods

• What's the deal? Get up to $49 off AirPods
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon kicked off the week with the first notable discount on the AirPods 3 since February. You can still get these earbuds for $139.99 right now, down from $169.00, and the AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro 2 are also on sale.

M3 MacBook Air

• What's the deal? Get up to $149 off M3 MacBook Air
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon introduced $149 off the M3 MacBook Air this week, starting at $1,149.99 for the 256GB model, down from $1,299.00. You can also get a few discounts on the 512GB models with both 8GB and 16GB RAM.

Samsung

• What's the deal? Save on Samsung's best monitors and TVs
• Where can I get it? Samsung
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Samsung marked down a collection of monitors and TVs earlier in the week, with notable deals on the popular ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor ($600 off) and Smart Monitor M8 ($300 off).

M1 iPad Air

• What's the deal? Get $150 off M1 iPad Air
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Finally, Amazon is discounting every model of the M1 iPad Air this week. You'll find $150 off these tablets, priced starting at $449.00 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model.

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple's "Let Loose" event this week went off largely as expected, headlined by new iPad Pro and iPad Air models.

The updated higher-end devices are complemented by some new accessories, while Apple also tidied up the lower-end of the lineup a bit, so read on below for all the details!

Everything Announced at the Apple Event

Apple held its first event of the year this week to announce several new devices and accessories, including new iPad Pro models with OLED displays and the M4 chip, new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models, the Apple Pencil Pro, and a redesigned Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro.

The event ran for nearly 40 minutes, but we have shared a video recapping the key announcements in just eight minutes. Check out all of our event coverage to learn more about the new products.

Apple Announces New iPad Pro With M4 Chip, OLED Display, and More

The new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models feature the M4 chip, OLED displays with increased brightness, a thinner design, a new Space Black finish, a front camera/Face ID system moved to the landscape edge of the devices, and more.

In the U.S., the 11-inch iPad Pro now starts at $999, while the 13-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,299. The devices are available to order now and launch on May 15.

Apple Announces New iPad Air Models: M2 Chip, First-Ever 13-Inch Model, and More

The new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models feature the M2 chip, a front camera on the landscape edge of the devices, Wi-Fi 6E support, new color options, and a few other minor changes.

This is the first time that Apple has offered the iPad Air in two display sizes. In the U.S., the 11-inch model starts at $599, and the 13-inch model starts at $799. The devices are available to order now and launch on May 15.

Apple Pencil Pro Unveiled With New Squeeze Gesture, Haptic Feedback, Find My, and More

The rumored Apple Pencil Pro has arrived, and it includes several new features for the accessory.

You can squeeze the Apple Pencil Pro to bring up a tool palette, and a built-in gyroscope allows users to roll the Apple Pencil Pro's barrel for precise control of shaped pen and brush tools. You can also track the location of the Apple Pencil Pro in the Find My app if it is misplaced, and it supports haptic feedback for certain actions.

Apple Announces Redesigned Magic Keyboard for New iPad Pro Starting at $299

Key new features of the redesigned Magic Keyboard for the new iPad Pro include an aluminum palm rest, a larger trackpad, and a row of function keys with shortcuts for brightness, volume, and more.

The new Magic Keyboard is compatible with the new iPad Pro models with the M4 chip only. It is available in black and white, with U.S. pricing set at $299 for the 11-inch model and at $349 for the 13-inch model.

iPad 9 Discontinued, iPad 10 Now Starts at $349

While only the iPad Pro and iPad Air were updated this week, Apple did make some changes to the lower end of the iPad lineup.

First, Apple discontinued the ninth-generation iPad with a Lightning port. Second, Apple lowered the starting price of the tenth-generation iPad with a USB-C port to $349 in the U.S., compared to $449 previously.

There are no changes to the iPad mini.

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!

Sonos this week released a major redesign for the Sonos app, introducing customizable home screen meant to deliver a personalized listening experience. The update was announced back in April, but just went live, and unfortunately, it removes a number of features while also introducing several bugs.

Multiple complaints on social media have called the app a "step back" with missing features like editing a song queue, managing playlists, shuffling a music library, and setting alarms and timers, along with slow performance and hard-to-access system controls. There has also been feedback from users about missing accessibility features.

The Verge asked Sonos about the negative feedback, and in response, Sonos said that it's aware of the complaints, but "it takes courage" to rebuild a core product.

Redesigning the Sonos app is an ambitious undertaking that represents just how seriously we are committed to invention and re-invention. It takes courage to rebuild a brand's core product from the ground up, and to do so knowing it may require taking a few steps back to ultimately leap into the future.

The app's revitalization not only aims to address what customers have been asking us for in the short-term, but is also critical for supporting the exciting innovations to come from Sonos in the years ahead.

We realize there are beloved features our listeners are eager to continue enjoying now. We are working diligently to reintroduce them in the coming months, alongside additional enhancements that will make for an even better app experience.

This is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Sonos as we continue to expand the way listeners can access and enjoy all the content they love in a more personalized and seamless way. We have always and will continue to listen to customer feedback so we can create sound experiences that well exceed both our standards and the standards of our listeners.

Sonos said that it is working to address the missing features "in the coming months," and the update will ultimately lead to "exciting innovations" in the years to come. There is no way for iOS customers who have already upgraded their apps to go back to the prior version, though users are calling for Sonos to roll back the update until the new app is more fully fleshed out.

TikTok this week announced that it has started automatically labeling AI-generated content created on third-party platforms, preventing AI images and videos from confusing and misleading viewers.

Content made using TikTok's AI creation tools has included an AI label for more than a year, but going forward, TikTok will also label AI images made through other platforms. TikTok's tool will read Content Credentials, a technology from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). Content Credentials are designed to attach metadata to AI content, facilitating AI labeling.

TikTok's AI labeling started rolling out today on images and videos, and it will soon be coming to audio-only content. Content created with AI will have a label that says "AI-generated" under an account's TikTok username.

Labeling may be gradual, as content needs to have Content Credentials included for it to be identified and labeled. As other platforms adopt credentials, AI identification will increase across all social networks.

In the future, TikTok will add Content Credentials to TikTok content that will remain when images and videos are downloaded, so people and other social networks can use the C2PA Verify tools to identify AI content that was made on TikTok.