MacRumors

Apple today announced that Spatial Personas are now available for all Vision Pro users in a public beta.

Apple previewed Spatial Personas at WWDC last year. Unlike the existing Personas feature, which is confined to a tile and facial expressions only, Spatial Personas allow Vision Pro users to "break out of the familiar FaceTime tile and feel more present, like they are gathered in the same physical space." They feature a transparent background and are able to show body language and additional movement such as hand gestures for a more lifelike experience.

Spatial Personas are independent of a visionOS software update or beta, but require visionOS 1.1 or later. The feature is available during ‌FaceTime‌ calls and supports up to five participants at once. Inverse and Road to VR today shared first impressions of the new feature.

Apple's Beats brand is known for participating in collaborations with various designers and others for special editions of Beats earphones and headphones, and the latest partnership is with luxury activewear brand Alo Yoga for a unique version of Beats Fit Pro.

The Beats x Alo Special Edition Beats Fit Pro come in a standard matte black color but with pearlized Beats "b" logos on both earbuds and a debossed Alo logo on the right earbud. The case is where the unique design is more immediately apparent, as it features a high-gloss coating with shimmering sparkles on the exterior and a reflective chrome-like finish with Beats and Alo logos on the interior of the lid.

"The Beats x Alo collaboration felt truly predestined as both Los Angeles hometown brands have made a lasting impact on fitness and culture," said Chris Thorne, Beats CMO. "Beats and Alo have a shared passion for high-performance products that allow our customers to express their unique and distinct personalities. We're thrilled to join forces with Alo and bring the perfect tech accessory to the world of fitness."

As part of a marketing campaign for the special edition earphones, Beats and Alo worked with Grammy Award-winning artist Tyla to feature her recent track "Safer." Tyla will participate in a conversation with Apple Music host Nadeska Alexis at Apple SoHo in New York City on April 4 at 6:00 pm as part of a Today at Apple series on the intersection of music and wellness.

Beats x Alo Special Edition Beats Fit Pro will be available for $199.99 starting April 4 on Apple's and Alo Yoga's websites and at select Apple Store and Alo Store locations. Alo Access members can pre-order starting today.

Apple's upcoming watchOS 11 update will drop support for 2018's Apple Watch Series 4, according to iPhoneSoft.

After five years of receiving the latest software updates, Apple Watch Series 3 lost support upon the release of watchOS 9 in 2022. Last year's watchOS 10 update was compatible with all of the same Apple Watch models as watchOS 9, but a new rumor claims that watchOS 11 will drop support for the oldest currently supported Apple smartwatch: the Apple Watch Series 4. The full device compatibility list for watchOS 11 is said to be as follows:

• Apple Watch Series 5 (2019)
• Apple Watch Series 6 (2020)
• Apple Watch Series 7 (2021)
• Apple Watch Series 8 (2022)
• Apple Watch Series 9 (2023)
• Apple Watch SE (first generation, 2020)
• Apple Watch SE (second generation, 2022)
• Apple Watch Ultra (first generation, 2022)
• Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023)

The Apple Watch Series 4 debuted alongside the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max in 2018, introducing the device's first ever redesign, a larger display, double the amount of storage, Fall Detection, and the ability to take an ECG.

Last year, iOS 17 dropped support for the iPhone X, but iOS 18 is rumored to support all of the same models as its predecessor. Apple is expected to preview watchOS 11, iOS 18, and its other next-generation software updates at WWDC on June 10. The updates will likely release to the public in the fall.

Apple researchers have developed an artificial intelligence system named ReALM (Reference Resolution as Language Modeling) that aims to radically enhance how voice assistants understand and respond to commands.

In a research paper (via VentureBeat), Apple outlines a new system for how large language models tackle reference resolution, which involves deciphering ambiguous references to on-screen entities, as well as understanding conversational and background context. As a result, ReALM could lead to more intuitive and natural interactions with devices.

Reference resolution is an important part of natural language understanding, enabling users to use pronouns and other indirect references in conversation without confusion. For digital assistants, this capability has historically been a significant challenge, limited by the need to interpret a wide range of verbal cues and visual information. Apple's ReALM system seeks to address this by converting the complex process of reference resolution into a pure language modeling problem. In doing so, it can comprehend references to visual elements displayed on a screen and integrate this understanding into the conversational flow.

ReALM reconstructs the visual layout of a screen using textual representations. This involves parsing on-screen entities and their locations to generate a textual format that captures the screen's content and structure. Apple researchers found that this strategy, combined with specific fine-tuning of language models for reference resolution tasks, significantly outperforms traditional methods, including the capabilities of OpenAI's GPT-4.

ReALM could enable users to interact with digital assistants much more efficiently with reference to what is currently displayed on their screen without the need for precise, detailed instructions. This has the potential to make voice assistants much more useful in a variety of settings, such as helping drivers navigate infotainment systems while driving or assisting users with disabilities by providing an easier and more accurate means of indirect interaction.

Apple has now published several AI research papers. Last month, the company revealed a new method for training large language models that seamlessly integrates both text and visual information. Apple is widely expected to unveil an array of AI features at WWDC in June.

Cases purportedly designed for the fourth-generation iPhone SE have emerged online, further corroborating rumors that the device will feature a complete redesign to bring it in line with 2022's iPhone 14.

Screenshots of a video shared on X by the leaker known as "Majin Bu" validate reports that the fourth-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ will feature an iPhone 14-like all-screen design with a notch housing a TrueDepth camera array for Face ID, but with a single rear camera module like the current model. The images show a soft gel case around an aluminum mold engraved with the text "‌iPhone‌ SE4." The current ‌iPhone SE‌ has an ‌iPhone‌ 8-like design with large top and bottom bezels, and a Touch ID Home button.

Last year, MacRumors revealed that the next-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ would largely re-use the design of the ‌iPhone 14‌, including ‌Face ID‌ authentication and a 6.1-inch OLED display, but with a single rear camera, an Action button, and a USB-C port. The new ‌iPhone SE‌ is not expected to launch until 2025, but there have been an unusually large number of reports about its specific features and design elements in recent months.

Apple favors podcasts in its "Browse" tab that participate in its subscriptions program, according to Semafor.

To be featured at the top of Apple Podcasts' Browse tab, creators simply have to submit a form to Apple, but the report noted that, last week, five of the first seven shows in the "Browse" carousel in the ‌Apple Podcasts‌ app were participants in ‌Apple Podcasts‌ Subscriptions.

Apple launched podcast subscriptions in 2021, allowing creators to offer premium content to their audience, such as bonus episodes and exclusive segments, in exchange for a small subscription fee. Apple, in return, takes up to a 30 percent cut of the revenue generated from these subscriptions.

One executive at an independent podcast told Semafor that Apple explicitly said to them that podcast subscription enrolment would help their chances of being promoted in the carousel, while another remarked that ‌Apple Podcasts‌ Subscriptions was worth participating in simply for in-app placement advantages. An individual at Apple added that the ‌Apple Podcasts‌ app is now designed to offer more features to shows that participate in the subscription program, with several key slots reserved for this purpose.

Apple TV+ now offers almost 30 more popular and classic movies for a limited time.

Last month, Apple added over 50 movies to its back catalog of content for a limited period – the biggest addition of content to its library to date. For April, the company has added many more titles, including:

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" is available in 3D on Apple Vision Pro. The movies are available for just four or eight weeks, depending on the title. Subscribers can access the movies in the "New to ‌Apple TV‌+ This Month" section in the ‌Apple TV‌ app.

Thanks, Dylan!

Apple plans to release lower-cost AirPods later this year, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain.

In a research note today with investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said a Foxconn subsidiary will be one of the suppliers of the lower-cost AirPods. Pu said Foxconn will ramp up AirPods assembly at a factory in India in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously said Apple plans to release two fourth-generation AirPods models in September or October, including entry-level and mid-tier models. He said both models will feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C port, while the mid-tier model will also feature active noise cancellation and a speaker for Find My location tracking. It is unclear if the lower-priced AirPods and the entry-level fourth-generation AirPods are the same product, but it seems plausible.

Pu also expects updated AirPods Max to be released in the fourth quarter of 2024. Gurman previously said a USB-C charging port will be the only new feature for the over-ear headphones, and new color options are also a possibility.

Google has agreed to delete data that was collected from customers who used the Chrome browser's Incognito mode, settling a class action lawsuit that started in 2020, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The lawsuit claimed that Google misled users about the data collected while in Incognito or private browsing mode, tracking their website usage without their knowledge. Google was keeping data that included websites viewed, but the Incognito tab did not make this clear.

Browsing in Incognito mode said that browsing was "private" and that people won't see browsing activity, and while it was stated that websites could still collect data, the warning said nothing about Google's data collection. Google updated the wording of Incognito mode in January 2024 to clarify that Google collects the same data in Incognito mode and standard browsing mode.

Google plans to destroy "billions of data points" that were improperly collected, in addition to updating the wording in Incognito mode and disabling third-party cookies by default when using the feature (Google plans to get rid of cookies entirely later this year). The settlement does not include damages for Chrome users, but individuals do have the option to file their own lawsuits.

A Google spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that Google does not have an issue with deleting "old technical data" that was not associated with individuals or used for personalization. The agreement still needs final approval from the judge overseeing the case.

Google is wrapping up several smaller lawsuits as it faces off with the U.S. Department of Justice over its search and ad businesses. Google has been accused of making preferential deals that have harmed the search industry and of having too much control over advertising tools. The search battle has been ongoing since last September, while the ad lawsuit will proceed in September 2024.

Nearly one year after it launched in the U.S., the Apple Card's high-yield savings account will be receiving its first-ever interest rate decrease.

Starting on April 3, the Apple Card savings account's annual percentage yield (APY) will be lowered to 4.4%, according to data on Apple's backend discovered by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The account currently has a 4.5% APY.

4.4% will still be a competitive rate compared to many other popular high-yield savings accounts, which typically offer rates between 4.25% and 5.25%.

When the Apple Card's savings account first became available, it offered an APY of 4.15%. The rate then increased three times, first to 4.25%, then to 4.35%, and finally to 4.5%. The drop to 4.4% will be the first time the rate has gone down.

Apple launched its savings account in April 2023, in partnership with Goldman Sachs. The account can be opened and managed in the Wallet app on the iPhone, and it has no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements. You must have an Apple Card, be a U.S. resident, and be at least 18 years old to open an account.

The account allows Apple Card holders to earn interest on their Daily Cash cashback balance, and on funds deposited via a linked bank account or an Apple Cash balance. The maximum balance allowed is now $1,000,000, up from a previous limit of $250,000.

To open a savings account in the Wallet app, tap on your Apple Card, tap on the circle with three dots at the top of the screen, tap Daily Cash, and select Set Up Savings.

Goldman Sachs reportedly plans to end its consumer lending partnership with Apple, but it is unclear how this might impact Apple Card holders.

AT&T this week is letting customers and former customers know about a major data leak, and it is sending out emails and resetting passcodes to prevent unauthorized account access.

7.6 million customers and 65.4 million former customers have had their passcodes stolen and have had sensitive data leaked. AT&T claims that there was no unauthorized access to its systems resulting in the theft of the data set, with the information obtained several years ago.

Back in 2021, a hacking group said that it had stolen information on 70 million AT&T customers. AT&T at the time said that it had not suffered a breach, and the company still insists that the data did not come from its systems. Customer information leaked includes names, addresses, birth dates, AT&T account numbers, phone numbers, email addresses, and social security numbers, along with passcodes.

The data was not made public until March 2024, but now that it is out in the wild, AT&T has initiated passcode resets and says that it is working with external cybersecurity experts to further analyze the situation.

The company says leaked data does not include financial information or call history, and it will be providing complimentary identity theft and credit monitoring services for those who had their personal information compromised.

AT&T has determined that AT&T data-specific fields were contained in a data set released on the dark web. While AT&T has made this determination, it is not yet known whether the data in those fields originated from AT&T or one of its vendors.

With respect to the balance of the data set, which includes personal information such as social security numbers, the source of the data is still being assessed. Based on our preliminary analysis, the data set appears to be from 2019 or earlier, impacting approximately 7.6 million current AT&T account holders and 65.4 million former account holders. Currently, AT&T does not have evidence of unauthorized access to its systems resulting in theft of the data set.

Impacted current and former customers will be receiving a letter or an email from AT&T.

With iOS 17.4, Apple began supporting alternative app marketplaces in the European Union, and the first of these stores will be launching soon to give consumers new ways to install apps without having to use the App Store.

Developer Riley Testut, known for Game Boy Advance emulator GBA4iOS, is working on AltStore, one of several alternative app marketplaces. As noted by TechCrunch, app marketplaces like AltStore will be able to monetize in ways that aren't currently possible. AltStore will accept payment through Patreon rather than making money through paid apps or ads.

To use the first AltStore apps developed by Testut, customers will need to pledge $1 to $3 per month through Patreon. Video game emulator Delta will initially be free, and clipboard manager Clip will require a pledge of $1. Later, beta versions of Delta and Clip will require $3 per month to download and use.

With Patreon, Testut is able to offer subscription-based pricing that does not provide a 15 to 30 cut to Apple. Patreon collects between five and eight percent of income earned, depending on Patreon join date, plus a payment processing fee that ranges from three to five percent.

Patreon's fees come in below Apple's fees, but should an AltStore app see more than one million first annual installs in a year, Apple will charge a 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee for each additional app install. The Core Technology Fee (CTF) makes it risky for free apps to be distributed through alternative app marketplaces, but Apple recently said that it is working on a solution to avoid bankrupting free apps that go viral and rack up too much in fees.

After AltStore launches and Testut has it working properly, other developers will be able to distribute their apps through it as well. They'll have the option of using Patreon like Testut does for his apps, or another alternative. Patreon has the benefit of providing reward tiers, exclusive blog posts for subscribers, and other alternative content, plus subscriber numbers can be capped to avoid Apple's CTF.

Testut plans to launch the AltStore as soon as he gets final approval from Apple, and as with all alternative app marketplaces, it will be limited to the European Union. Apps can only be installed through alternative means on the iPhone, not the iPad, and only in eligible European countries. There are no ‌App Store‌ changes for the rest of the world to allow for alternative app installation.

Last week, the European Commission (EC) opened a non-compliance investigation into Apple to determine if the changes that it made are sufficient to meet the demands of the Digital Markets Act. Apple could be forced to change some of its rules or change the Core Technology Fee if the EC decides that Apple's updates do not go far enough.

Apple's 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 6 has dropped to a new all-time low price today on Amazon, available for $375.00 in Starlight, down from $499.00. Amazon provides an estimated delivery date between this Wednesday, April 3 and Saturday, April 6 if you order today.

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

This is now the best price we've ever tracked on the iPad mini 6, and it beats the previous low tracked over the holidays by about $5. Right now, only Amazon has the Starlight color at this price, but you can get the three other colors for $99 off with an on-page coupon.

Apple's iPad mini 6 was introduced in late 2021, so it's reaching the end of its lifecycle at this point. This is likely why we'll start seeing steeper deals on the miniature tablet, which includes the A15 Bionic chip, a USB-C port, and Apple Pencil 2 support.

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.

Best Buy is discounting a large collection of M3 MacBook Pro computers today, including both the 14-inch and 16-inch versions of the laptop. Every deal in this sale requires you to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, although non-members can still get solid second-best prices on these MacBook Pro models.

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.

These deals are part of a larger sitewide sale at Best Buy, which also includes discounts on video games, TVs, tablets, headphones, and more. Another highlight of this event is the PlayStation 5 Slim Bundle with Marvel's Spider-Man for $449.99, down from $499.99. The PlayStation 5 Slim (Digital Edition) Spider-Man 2 Bundle is available for $399.99, down from $449.99. These are both solid $50 discounts on the rarely discounted console.

14-Inch MacBook Pro

Starting with the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, there are three total models on sale right now at Best Buy. The cheapest model is the 512GB M3 Pro model at $1,749.00, down from $1,999.00.

16-Inch MacBook Pro

You'll find bigger deals on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, particularly on the M3 Max models of the computer. For the M3 Pro models, prices start at $2,249.00 for the 512GB/18GB RAM 16-inch MacBook Pro and increase to $2,649.00 for the 512GB/36GB RAM model, both of which are all-time low prices.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Apple has yet to release the first beta of iOS 17.5 for the iPhone, but two changes are already expected with the upcoming software update.

iOS 17.5 will likely allow iPhone users in the EU to download apps directly from the websites of eligible developers, and the update might include some changes to how Apple ID recovery contacts work. More details about these potential changes follow.

Web Distribution

Apple recently announced that eligible developers will soon be able to distribute their iOS apps to EU users directly from a website they own. Apple said this new "Web Distribution" feature will be available starting "later this spring" with an upcoming software update for the iPhone, which presumably refers to iOS 17.5.

"Web Distribution" will be limited to larger developers based in the EU. To qualify for this distribution method, Apple says the developer must be a member of the Apple Developer Program for two continuous years or more, and have an app that had more than one million annual installs on iOS in the EU in the prior calendar year.

"Web Distribution" builds upon the alternative app marketplaces that Apple already allows on the iPhone in the EU starting with iOS 17.4. Apple has made these app-related changes to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act.

Apple ID Recovery Contact Changes

iOS 17.5 may include some changes to Apple ID recovery contacts, according to known tipster Nicolás Álvarez. However, he did not share any specific details, and he said there is a chance that the changes would not be visible to users.

Setting up recovery contacts for your Apple ID can help to ensure that you always have access to your account, even if you forget the password or a linked device's passcode.

• How to Set a Recovery Contact for Your Apple ID Account

Timing

iOS 17.5 will likely be released to the public before the end of May.

In a social media post last week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple would finish internal development of the first beta of iOS 17.5 this week. However, it is unclear if that means the first beta will be released this week or later.

Apple today added a handful of devices to its public-facing vintage and obsolete products list, including some older iPhone and iPad models.

Apple now considers the iPhone 6 Plus to be "obsolete" worldwide, meaning that Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers no longer offer repairs or other hardware service for the device. Apple says it considers a product "obsolete" once seven years have passed since the company last distributed it for sale.

Apple launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September 2014, with key features including larger screens than previous models and Apple Pay support. Apple discontinued the iPhone 6 Plus in September 2016, but the iPhone 6 remained available through resellers in select countries for a few more years, so it is not yet considered "obsolete."

On the software side, iOS 13 dropped support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 2019.

As for the iPad, Apple now considers the fourth-generation iPad mini to be "vintage," meaning that more than five years have passed since the company stopped distributing the device for sale. Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers continue to offer repairs for vintage products for up to two more years, subject to parts availability.

Apple also added the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus to its "vintage" products list, but in the (PRODUCT)RED color only. The devices remained available in other colors for longer, so those colors are not "vintage" yet.

Apple this week added dedicated "Tech Specs" pages to its website for the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and second-generation Apple Watch SE.

The pages offer a variety of information about the latest Apple Watch models, including details about materials and finishes, size and weight, hardware, connectivity, battery life, health and wellness features, safety features, accessibility features, and more.

The pages complement the previously-existing Apple Watch comparison tool.

There is not much else to say about the pages, other than "finally."

Apple is currently offering its corporate and retail employees 40% off select Link Bracelet and Milanese Loop bands for the Apple Watch.

In the U.S., the Link Bracelet is available for $209 on Apple's online store for employees, down from $349 regularly. The Milanese Loop is available for $59, down from $99. Both bands were introduced alongside the original Apple Watch in 2015.

Apple is also offering employees 50% off various Black Unity and Pride Edition bands, as well as the Sport Band in the Midnight color only.

Apple offers employees special discounts on a rotating selection of products, so it is unclear whether this is another routine sale, or if the company plans to discontinue the Link Bracelet and Milanese Loop in the future and is clearing inventory.

It has been rumored that at least one next-generation Apple Watch model will not be compatible with existing Apple Watch bands. The new Apple Watch lineup is expected to be announced in September alongside the iPhone 16 series.