MacRumors

Apple on Monday announced it would begin accepting pre-orders for its new Vision Pro headset on January 19, with an official launch in the U.S. to follow on February 2. But if you're in the market for one, you may have to move fast, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

"Thanks to the demand from Apple's core fans and heavy users, the Vision Pro should sell out soon after it is available for pre-order or sale, resulting in a longer shipping time," said Kuo in his latest report covering Apple's announcement, which the analyst accurately predicted ahead of time.

"However, whether the demand for Vision Pro can be sustained after the novelty wears off is even more important, depending on whether Vision Pro's product positioning and key applications are clear and correct," added the analyst.

Kuo noted that Apple may need to reveal more details about the headset in the run-up to pre-order or launch to help maintain sales momentum and attract developers. Currently, ZEISS lens inserts starting at $99 are the sole other optional purchase for the Vision Pro headset that Apple has announced.

Beyond that, Apple has said only that the Vision Pro will be available "starting at $3,499 with 256GB of storage," suggesting customers will be offered a series of configuration options at increasing price points.

Included with the Vision Pro headset is a Solo Knit Band, a Dual Loop Band, a Light Seal, two Light Seal Cushions, a cover for the front of the device, a polishing cloth, battery unit, USB-C charging cable, and USB-C power adapter. Despite these details, other questions remain.

For example, Apple previously said the Vision Pro could be used indefinitely if the battery was itself plugged into an external power source, but that text has since been removed from the Vision Pro product page. Apple will likely offer additional battery units for purchase, but even this has not yet been officially confirmed by the company.

Apple is expected to make fewer than 400,000 units in 2024, with previous reports suggesting that Apple has been forced to make "drastic cuts" to its production forecasts because of difficulties with manufacturing.

Apple plans to start offering Vision Pro demonstrations at Apple retail stores in the U.S. on the official launch date of the device, Friday, February 2.

Apple's AirDrop feature has reportedly been cracked by a Chinese state-backed institution, allowing authorities to identify senders who share "undesirable content" over the peer-to-peer wireless protocol (via Bloomberg).

AirDrop is Apple's ad-hoc service that lets users discover nearby Macs and iOS devices and securely transfer files between them over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Users can send and receive photos, videos, documents, contacts, passwords and anything else that can be transferred from a Share Sheet.

Apple advertises the protocol as secure because the wireless connection uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption, but the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice (BMBJ) says it has devised a way to bypass the protocol's encryption and reveal identifying information.

According to the BMBJ's website, iPhone device logs were analyzed to create a "rainbow table" which allowed investigators to convert hidden hash values into the original text and correlate the phone numbers and email accounts of AirDrop content senders.

The "technological breakthrough" has successfully helped the public security authorities identify a number of criminal suspects, who use the AirDrop function to spread illegal content, the BMBJ added.

"It improves the efficiency and accuracy of case-solving and prevents the spread of inappropriate remarks as well as potential bad influences," the bureau added.

It is not known if the security flaw in the AirDrop protocol has been exploited by a government agency before now, but it is not the first time a flaw has been discovered. In April 2021, German researchers found that the mutual authentication mechanism that confirms both the receiver and sender are on each other's address book could be used to expose private information. According to the researchers, Apple was informed of the flaw in May of 2019, but did not fix it.

Apple limited the use of the AirDrop on devices in China in November 2022, after anti-government activists used the function to spread political leaflets. AirDrop became restricted by default to Contacts Only, and the option to turn on AirDrop for "Everyone" was limited to 10 minutes.

With the launch of iOS 16.2, Apple expanded the AirDrop limitation it introduced in China to all users globally, but Apple said that the feature was actually introduced in an effort to cut down on spam content spread in crowded areas like malls and airports.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple was granted 2,536 patents in the United States last year, surpassed by only six other companies, IFI Claims reports.

In its rankings of the top 50 U.S. patent assignees in 2023, IFI Claims Patent Services shows that Apple was granted 251 more patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2023 compared to the previous year, an 11% increase. This moved the company one place up the annual patent rankings.

Apple's number of granted patents was surpassed by Samsung Electronics, Qualcomm, TSMC, IBM, Canon, and Samsung Display. Samsung Electronics again dwarfed the other top companies, with 6,165 patents granted. Apple outranked companies including LG, Micron, Intel, Huawei, Toyota, Google, Microsoft, BOE, and Amazon. Out of IFI's "Magnificent Seven" technology companies, encompassing Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla, Apple was the clear leader for new patents in 2023.

IFI Claims' 2023 Global 250 rankings reveal the world's largest patent holders by looking at all of the patents currently held by companies. In these rankings, Apple takes 51st place with 21,407 active patents. Panasonic is currently the world leader for active patents, with 94,341 in total, edging out Samsung who has 92,593 patents.

Apple's patent filings often reveal interesting insights into the company's specific areas of research and development, but they are not representative of its immediate plans. Recent interesting Apple filings include designs for all-glass iPhones and Apple Watches, a removable MacBook key that works as a mouse, user authentication technology for AirPods, a hydration sensor for the Apple Watch, use of the Mac Pro's "cheese grater" like design on other Apple devices, periscope camera systems, and deployable MacBook Pro feet to aid cooling.

Apple today shared a new "Get Ready" ad promoting the upcoming launch of the Vision Pro headset. The ad features notable movie and TV show characters putting on masks, glasses, and other similar accessories.

There are scenes from Star Wars, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Young Frankenstein, Kick-Ass, Up, Iron Man, Ant-Man, Star Trek, Snoopy, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Back to the Future, along with a shot of a woman putting on the Vision Pro headset.

The video ends with the tagline "Get Ready," as the Vision Pro is set to launch in just a few weeks. Apple will accept pre-orders for the Vision Pro on January 19, with an official launch to follow on February 2.

At launch, the Apple TV app will have more than 150 3D movie and TV show options for Apple Vision Pro users to watch, Apple said today when it announced the Vision Pro launch date.

While the Vision Pro will work with any TV show or movie available through the ‌Apple TV‌ app on the device, specific titles have been updated with 3D that will make for an even more immersive experience. TV shows and movies that are not 3D will appear on a screen that "feels 100 feet wide," with the Vision Pro offering the resolution of a 4K TV for each eye, along with HDR support.

Apple has created Apple Immersive Video, a "new entertainment format" that is designed to put users inside action with 180-degree 3D 8K video recordings that have been captured with Spatial Audio, plus there will be interactive experiences like "Encounter Dinosaurs."

As for gaming, the Vision Pro will support more than 250 titles on Apple Arcade, with the content able to be played in 2D using a game controller. There are also select "spatial games" that have been created for the device, including Game Room, What the Golf?, and Super Fruit Ninja. Apple says that these games take advantage of the Vision Pro's capabilities to transform the space around players, providing "unique and engaging gameplay experiences."

The Vision Pro is set to launch on Friday, February 2, with Apple to begin accepting pre-orders on Friday, January 19. At launch, the Vision Pro will only be available in the United States.

NuraLogix this week unveiled the Anura MagicMirror, a new health product that is designed to use a combination of sensors and artificial intelligence to check vital signs and provide disease risk assessments.

The 21.5-inch tabletop smart mirror takes a 30 second scan when a person sits in front of it, analyzing facial blood flow to provide a wealth of information. It uses a patented Transdermal Optical Imaging technology to detect a person's face and monitor blood flow. Machine learning algorithms use the data to provide information on more than 100 health parameters.

NuraLogix says that the MagicMirror can provide health information that includes blood pressure, BMI, heart rate variability, pulse rate, breathing rate, and facial skin age. It can provide risk assessments for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, fatty liver disease, and more, plus it offers assessments of mental stress and depression risk.

More information on the MagicMirror can be found on the NuraLogix website. The company has not provided a launch date or a price, but the device appears to be aimed at clinic waiting rooms, retirement homes, and other health-related facilities.

Invoxia at CES unveiled the Minitailz Smart Pet Tracker, an AI wearable that's designed for dogs and cats. The Minitailz is an all-in-one GPS tracker and wellness device for pets, and it is able to measure respiratory rate and heart vitals, alerting owners about possible health issues.

Invoxia says that the Minitailz is able to watch for anomalies in pet behavior that can be indicative of a problem, and it can differentiate between walking, running, scratching, eating and drinking, barking, and rest.

In addition to collecting heart health information that is said to be 97 to 99 percent accurate, the Minitailz can detect atrial fibrillation in pets. Detailed health reports are provided in the accompanying app.

A built-in SIM with GPS technology allows for tracking of daily activities or locating a pet should it be lost. There are also geofencing features so that a pet owner can be alerted if a pet wanders outside the boundaries of a property.

The Minitailz measures in at 2.32 inches long, 1.18 inches tall, and 0.9 inches thick, and it can be attached to an existing dog or cat collar.

A dog version of the Minitailz is available as of now from the Invoxia website, with the cat model set to launch in March 2024. Both versions are priced at $99, with a subscription fee that starts at $8.30 per month.

An iPhone that was expelled from the cabin of Alaska Airlines flight 1282 on Friday survived a fall of more than 16,000 feet and was discovered intact.

Vancouver, Washington resident Sean Bates shared images of the device on Sunday after he found it on the side of Barnes Road in Portland, Oregon. The ‌iPhone‌ was in full working condition and was in fact still open to an Alaska Airlines email. There were no cracks on the display, though it was protected by a case and presumably landed in a forested area with soft ground cover.

Bates alerted the National Transportation Safety Board, and officials came out to collect the device. The NTSB told Bates that it was the second phone to be found from the flight in the area.

The ‌iPhone‌ was expelled from Alaska Airlines flight 1282 after a portion of the plane blew out shortly after it took off from the Portland International Airport. The aircraft was able to safely land back at the Portland airport, and all passengers and crew members survived.

The sudden depressurization in the cabin of the plane caused items like smartphones to be sucked out, where they fell to the ground below. In 2011, Wired wrote a piece on the terminal velocity of an ‌iPhone‌ falling from a plane, which is a good explainer on how the device was able to survive. In a nutshell, the low weight and maximum speed of the ‌iPhone‌ leads to a limited amount of force on landing despite the height of the fall, so the end result isn't too much different from dropping it from a lower height.

There were two smartphones found from the plane, along with other debris such as the plug door that may give some insight into what went wrong.

Apple today released Xcode 15.2 and TestFlight version 3.5, both of which have been updated with support for the Vision Pro headset that is set to come out in early February.

Xcode 15.2 is equipped with the visionOS SDK, and the release notes suggest that Apple has implemented several fixes for ‌visionOS‌ into the software. Xcode 15.2 can be used by developers to create ‌visionOS‌ apps for the Apple Vision Pro headset, and it also includes SDKs for iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2, tvOS 17.2, watchOS 10.2, and macOS Sonoma 14.2.

As for TestFlight, version 3.5 of the app allows for the beta testing of ‌visionOS‌ apps for the first time, plus it allows compatible iOS and iPadOS apps to be used on the ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ headset.

Apps created for ‌visionOS‌ can be submitted to the ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ App Store starting today. Many iPhone and iPad apps will work on ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ unmodified, but developers can make device-specific tweaks. Apple plans to publish ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ apps on the Vision Pro store by default, but developers can opt out through ‌App Store‌ Connect.

The Vision Pro headset will launch on Friday, February 2 at retail stores in the United States. Pre-orders for the device will be accepted starting on Friday, January 19 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Apple has announced that it will be opening a new retail store in the Hongdae neighborhood of Seoul, South Korea on Saturday, January 20 at 10 a.m. local time. To celebrate the occasion, Apple has released a special wallpaper for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac that can be downloaded for free by visiting the store's page.

The wallpaper features an Apple logo in a colorful graffiti style, symbolizing the Hongdae area's artistic and youthful culture. As noted by Michael Steeber in his Tabletops newsletter, the logo has "홍대" (Hongdae) hidden within it.

The store will be located at 140 Yanghwa-ro, near Hongik University, and it will offer Genius Bar appointments and Today at Apple creative sessions.

January 20 is also the day that Apple will be permanently closing its Infinite Loop and Royal Hawaiian stores in the United States.

A second wave of Apple customers eligible for a payment under a $95 million Apple refurbished device lawsuit are today receiving emails letting them know that the funds will be sent out starting tomorrow.

As Settlement Administrator for the matter, we're sending you this courtesy email to inform you that by January 9, 2024, you will receive a payment notification email that contains a link to claim your payment electronically. Once you receive that email, you will have until May 15, 2024, to claim your payment.

Back in 2021, Apple agreed to pay $95 million to settle an AppleCare-related lawsuit that accused the company of violating U.S. law by providing customers with refurbished replacement devices instead of new devices when AppleCare repairs were required.

The settlement was approved in April 2022, and Apple sent out some payments starting in August 2022, but a new wave of emails went out to customers today. The lawsuit covered iPhones and iPads purchased between July 20, 2012 and September, 30, 2021 and replaced with a refurbished device.

A second wave of payments that are being sent out to disburse remaining funds after the first payments were received. Only 31 percent of those eligible claimed the first payment, leaving money for a second payment.

While Apple paid $95 million to settle the lawsuit, the company admitted no wrongdoing and has denied that refurbished devices are inferior to new devices.

Apple plans to start offering Vision Pro demonstrations at U.S. Apple retail stores on Friday, February 2, Apple said today in emails that are going out to select customers. February 2 is the official launch date of the Apple Vision Pro headset.

The demo sessions will be available at Apple retail stores in the United States. Apple says that demo times will be offered through the weekend on a first-come, first-served basis, with signups to take place starting at 8:00 a.m. on February 2.

It is likely that the available demo spots will fill up quickly, especially in areas with a limited number of Apple Stores, so those interested in testing the headset should plan to sign up early.

Apple plans to begin accepting pre-orders for the Vision Pro on Friday, January 19, with deliveries on February 2. The headset will be available in all U.S. Apple locations on February 2.

The annual CES event kicks off this week, and we sent MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera to hunt down cool new products and technologies that are being previewed this year. CES officially starts tomorrow, but Dan attended CES Unveiled last night, and was able to get an early look at devices from Samsung,

Samsung showed off new OLED TVs with an updated anti-reflective coating that makes them much better in bright rooms and with reflective lights, plus there was a new 8K projector and some very impressive transparent OLED screens.

Samsung had a neat 2D/3D display that uses cameras and eye tracking to display content in 3D without the need for glasses, and Dan was also impressed with a customizable music frame that holds artwork but also serves as a speaker for a subtle surround sound system.

At Unveiled, Dan checked out a pet-focused robot vacuum and mop combo from Narwhal, Belkin's Qi2 wireless chargers and StandDock Pro, a Keurig sort of device for ice cream, and some retro Mac power adapters from Sharge.

Make sure to watch the full video to see the products in action, and stay tuned to MacRumors because we'll be sharing CES videos and articles for the next few days.

Shazam, Apple's music discovery and identification platform, today shared a Shazam Predictions 2024 playlist, available on Apple Music. The playlist provides songs from more than 50 artists that are set to "have a breakthrough year."

The predictions playlist is an annual release from Shazam, and the 2024 list includes everything from French pop to contemporary gospel, with content from creators in 21 countries.

Have you ever scanned your Shazam history and spotted a big star-someone you discovered months or years before they became a household name? Every day, the app gets millions of requests from users around the world who are curious about the artist behind a song. These Shazams come from all over-TikTok videos, car commercials, coffee shops, overhearing something in the wild-which makes it a powerful tool for predicting tomorrow's heavy hitters. This playlist features 50 emerging artists who, based on Shazam data reviewed by our editors, are poised to have a breakthrough year.

Shazam highlighted five artists to keep a close eye on, including Nigerian singer-songwriter Bloody Civilian, hip-hop duo Flyana Boss, South African singer Kenya Grace, indie rock band The Last Dinner Party, and K-pop group RIIZE.

The full playlist can be listened to on Apple Music.

Clear is a to-do list app that was first launched in 2012, and while it has received few updates since that time, it has remained popular with users due to its easy-to-use design and simple layout.

Impending, the team behind Clear, has been working on a major revamp for the last several months, and Clear 2 is launching today. Clear 2 has the same general design and function as the original app, but there are new gestures for more fluid list making, new color themes, an edge-to-edge design, updated fonts, quote packs, sound themes, app icon options, and more.

Creating and managing lists in Clear has not changed. Tap anywhere to add an item to a list, and swipe to either check it off or delete it. A tap at the bottom of the app goes to a list overview, and a second bottom tap leads to personalization options, rewards, the shop, and an archive of completed items.

Users can have an unlimited number of lists and items on the list, and the simple design of the app puts the focus on what's upcoming. Items on the list can be dragged and dropped between lists, and a swipe and hold to the left allows a time and a date to be added. Screenshotting a list brings up a share sheet so you can share a text or image version of the contents with a friend.

As with the original version of Clear, using the app unlocks collectibles like unique colors for lists, and just using the app will provide users with new themes and fonts to choose from. There are also haptics and sounds when checking items off, adding new items to the list, and using other app features.

Clear is no longer a paid app and it is free to use, and Impending has a clever monetization strategy. There is an entirely optional store with themes, fonts, sound packs, and app icons that change on a daily basis. The cosmetic options available for purchase do not affect the core functionality of the app, but do offer unique customization options.

Clear 2 can be downloaded from the App Store for free, and those who have the existing version of Clear will get the update without having to redownload the app. [Direct Link]

Under cover of its Vision Pro headset launch date announcement, Apple has revealed that the external battery supports up to 2.5 hours of 2D video playback, half an hour more than it offers in "general use" on a single charge.

Apple quietly updated its product page for the device with the extra detail, qualifying its claim of 2.5 hours of "video playback" based on tests "in conjunction with an Environment, using 2D movie content purchased from the Apple TV app." Environments let users transform the space around them, and Cinema Environments can turn a room into a personal movie theater.

The company defines "general use" as performing tasks that include video playback, internet browsing, spatial video capture, and FaceTime.

This is the first time Apple has said anything about the Vision Pro's external battery pack being optimized to run for longer when watching 2D video content, with Apple previously saying only that the battery lasted two hours on a single charge. Apple also previously said the Vision Pro could be used indefinitely if the battery was itself plugged into an external power source, but that text has been removed from the Vision Pro product page.

Apple says Vision Pro users will be able to watch movies and TV shows from Apple TV+, Disney+, Max, and other services on a screen that feels 100 feet wide with support for HDR content. Elsewhere, within the Apple TV app, users will be able to access more than 150 3D titles.

Pre-orders of the Vision Pro start on Friday, January 19 and the device goes on sale in the United States on Friday, February 2.

Apple has announced that its first earnings call of 2024 will be held on February 1, one day before the Vision Pro launches in the United States.

On the call, Apple's CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will discuss the company's earnings results for the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year. The executives will almost certainly provide some additional commentary about the Vision Pro.

A live audio stream of the call will be available on Apple's Investor Relations page, and a recording will be available later in the day for replay.

The quarter ran from October 1 through December 30 of 2023. During this period, Apple released new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M3 series of chips, updated the iMac with the M3 chip, and debuted a lower-cost Apple Pencil with a USB-C port. Apple also expanded its online store to Chile during the quarter.

Apple has not provided formal guidance since early 2020, but analysts expect the company to report quarterly revenue of around $117.8 billion on average, according to Yahoo Finance. Apple reported $117.2 billion revenue in the year-ago quarter.

AAPL closed at $181.18 on Friday, down from a 52-week high of $199.62.

Anker has kicked off its first big sale of the year, and it's happening across Amazon and Anker's own website. You'll find low prices on portable batteries, USB-C chargers, and more in this sale.

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.

Shoppers should note that some Amazon deals require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the discounts. At Anker.com, you'll find discount codes are also required, but these should be automatically applied once you add the products to your cart and head to checkout.

On Amazon, the highlight is the 60,000 mAh portable power station for $114.99 with an on-page coupon, down from $169.99. If you're looking for a smaller portable battery, there's the 10,000 mAh Nano Power Bank with built-in USB-C cable for $44.99, down from $49.99.

Anker has a few deals of its own, and some match Amazon's prices. You can get the Prime 20,000 mAh Power Bank with Smart Digital Display for $117.00, down from $129.99. Another notable accessory is the Prime 6-in-1 Charging Station for $89.99, down from $109.99.

Portable Batteries

• Nano Portable Charger with Built-In USB-C Connector - $18.89, down from $22.49
• Nano Portable Charger with Built-In Lightning Connector - $19.99, down from $22.49
• Nano Power Bank with Built-In USB-C Cable - $44.99, down from $49.99
• Portable Power Station - $114.99 with on-page coupon, down from $169.99
• SOLIX Portable Power Station - $699.00 with on-page coupon, down from $999.00

Wall Chargers

• 20W USB-C Charger - $13.99, down from $16.99
• 65W 3-Port USB-C Charger - $39.99, down from $55.99
• 100W 3-Port USB-C Charger - $44.99 with on-page coupon, down from $74.99
• 6-in-1 Nano Charging Station - $45.99, down from $65.99
• Prime 67W 3-Port Charger - $59.99, down from $65.99

Hubs

• 4-Port USB-C Hub - $12.99, down from $19.99
• 10-in-1 USB-C Hub - $99.99, down from $149.99

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