Mass shipments of the Vision Pro to Apple will begin in the first week of January, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a December 24 research note, Kuo said the Vision Pro will most likely hit shelves in late January or early February based on this shipment schedule. Kuo estimates that Vision Pro shipments in 2024 will reach approximately 500,000 units.
Apple first announced the Vision Pro at WWDC in June, and said it would launch in the U.S. in early 2024, followed by more countries later in the year.
Kuo's prediction follows a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman earlier this month that said Vision Pro manufacturing was "running at full speed." Gurman said Apple was aiming to launch the headset in early February.
Apple today shared a short iPhone 15 Plus ad on its YouTube channel that highlights the device's long-lasting battery life.
In the video, an electrical outlet becomes sentient and sings the song "Way Too Long" by rapper Doe Boy. The outlet is sad that the iPhone 15 Plus lasts so long between charges, resulting in the device being plugged in less often.
Apple's tech specs say the iPhone 15 Plus can provide up to 26 hours of offline video playback, and up to 100 hours of audio playback. Like the iPhone 14 Plus, the iPhone 15 Plus offers the longest advertised battery life of any iPhone ever.
Apple's video description:
Big screen. Big battery life. iPhone 15 Plus is here. Dynamic Island. New 48MP Main camera. 2x Telephoto. Next-generation portraits. Water resistant (IP68). USB-C. Durable color-infused glass. Aluminum design. You don't want to miss it.
Over the holiday season, capturing photos and videos of the festivities with family and friends is an important activity for many. The iPhone has a suite of camera features that can significantly elevate the quality and creativity of your holiday photos and videos.
It's easy to forget about many of the individual camera features the iPhone has to offer, and many capabilities go unused by most users, so the holidays is the perfect time to revisit them and try something new. For users of Apple's latest models, the iPhone 15 takes things even further with several exclusive camera features.
Spatial Video
For iPhone 15 Pro users, the holiday season presents an ideal opportunity to experiment with Spatial Video capture feature. Available on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 17.2 or later, the feature allows users to record videos in a three-dimensional format, bringing a new level of depth and realism to holiday memories.
While Apple's Vision Pro or a device like the Meta Quest 3 is required for the best experience when playing back Spatial Video, this should not deter users from exploring the feature. Spatial Video capture is available now to help users begin creating a library of immersive videos right away. Spatial Videos can also be played back as normal 2D content on other devices.
The technology behind Spatial Video Capture involves using the iPhone 15 Pro's Main and Ultra Wide cameras. When recording, the iPhone seamlessly combines inputs from these cameras to create a single video file that encapsulates a three-dimensional perspective. This is achieved through sophisticated computational videography techniques, which intelligently scale the field of view from the Ultra Wide camera to match that of the Main camera.
The result is a video that, while technically 2D in format, contains depth information that can be utilized by compatible devices to produce a 3D viewing experience. The spatial dimension added to these videos creates a sense of immersion and presence that far surpasses traditional video, supposedly making the viewer feel as if they are actually part of the captured moment.
Cinematic Mode
The holiday season is a good time for iPhone 13 and newer model users to try out Cinematic mode, a feature that adds a depth-of-field effect to videos. Cinematic mode uses advanced computational algorithms to automatically focus on subjects and creatively blur the background, akin to what you would see in high-end cinematography.
Cinematic mode allows users to focus on details in a creative way, by shifting focus smoothly from one subject to another. Cinematic mode also simplifies capturing these moments by automatically adjusting focus when people enter or leave the frame, or when the subject of the video looks in a different direction.
The holiday season presents the perfect opportunity to utilize the often under-utilized Ultra Wide camera lens. This lens, available on most iPhone models starting from the iPhone 11, offers unique advantages that are particularly useful during the holidays.
The Ultra Wide lens is particularly adept at photographing in confined spaces that would be difficult to capture fully with a standard Wide lens. One of the most significant advantages of the Ultra Wide lens is its ability to fit more into the frame without needing to move back. This is especially helpful during family gatherings where you might want to capture a large group of people in one photo.
Portrait Mode
The iPhone 15 lineup introduced some substantial improvements to Portrait mode. Now, users can adjust the focus of an image or add background blur after its capture, even if Portrait mode isn't initially selected.
Post-shot editing capability allows you to experiment with different focal points, ensuring that each portrait captures the subject in the most flattering and interesting way. This improvement is especially useful for snapping quick, candid shots of family members and pets over the holiday period. The iPhone 15's Portrait mode has also been refined to perform better in low-light conditions.
Photographic Styles, a feature introduced in the iPhone 13 series, offers a personalized photography experience that can help enhance holiday photos. The feature allows users to choose and customize a photographic style that automatically applies to their photos, ensuring that every shot reflects their preferred aesthetic.
Photographic Styles are not one-size-fits-all filters. Instead, they are smart adjustments that apply selectively to different parts of the photo, such as skin tones and sky. Photographic Styles intelligently adapt to the lighting conditions in each shot, adjusting to preserve natural-looking skin tones and textures.
Users can choose from preset styles like Rich Contrast, Vibrant, Warm, and Cool, each offering a unique look. During the holidays, this means you can select a style that best suits the festive mood and give your images a distinctive look.
Have you been good this year? Then you may be interested to learn that Google today launched its annual Santa tracking feature, allowing Santa to be tracked in real time on his journey to the North Pole as he prepares to deliver presents to kids around the world.
Google's Santa Tracker continues a two-decade tradition for the company, allowing excited children (and grown-ups!) to keep up with the jolly gift-giver's travels throughout December 24. On this day, Santa's Village transforms into a tracking experience where children can follow Santa and his reindeer as they merrily go about their important work.
Santa can be tracked using a web browser on iPhone, iPad, or Mac by visiting Google's official Santa Tracking website. The site features a live map of Santa's current location, his next stop, a live video feed of his journey, and the estimated time that he will arrive in each specific location.
The Santa site provides pictures of locations that Santa has already visited, a live count of gifts that have been delivered, and Santa's current distance from your location. There are also a selection of games to play, creative things to do, and videos to watch.
Other Santa tracking services are also available, such as the NORAD Tracks Santa Claus app and website, but Google's site is often the most interactive and detailed.
2023 is rapidly drawing to a close with the holiday season, but that certainly doesn't mean there hasn't been any major Apple news over the past week.
The week's biggest news was Apple's move to halt sales of its flagship Apple Watch models over a patent dispute, while Apple also squeaked in under the wire to tease the first implementation of next-generation CarPlay from a couple of car manufacturers before the end of the year. Other news and rumors this week involved an iOS 17.2.1 bug fix update, rumors about the iPhone 16 and "Apple Watch X," and more, so read on below for all the details!
Apple Pauses Sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in U.S. Due to Patent Dispute
In October, the International Trade Commission (ITC) ordered a ban on some Apple Watch imports into the U.S. after finding that Apple violated Masimo's patents related to non-invasive blood oxygen sensing. U.S. President Joe Biden has until December 25 to review the order, but presidential vetoes of ITC import bans have historically been rare.
Apple is reportedly working on software changes to address the alleged patent infringement, but Masimo believes that the Apple Watch's hardware design will have to change to become compliant.
Next-generation CarPlay features integration with the instrument cluster and climate controls, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, a dedicated FM radio app, widgets for apps, and more. The interface can be tailored to each specific vehicle model and automaker's brand identity.
Gurman: iPhone 16's Capture Button Will Be for Taking Video
MacRumors was first to report that iPhone 16 models would feature a so-called "Capture Button," which is expected to be positioned below the power button on the right side of the iPhones. This will require the mmWave 5G antenna window to be relocated on U.S. models.
Beeper Mini Says Jailbroken iPhone Solution is Final Effort
Beeper announced that its plan to let Android users use a jailbroken iPhone to register a phone number with iMessage will be its final attempt at maintaining its Beeper Mini service, which is designed to let Android users use iMessage without using an iPhone as their primary smartphone. Apple has made efforts to prevent the service from working.
Your Apple Watch Bands May Not Work With Next Year's Model
Next-generation Apple Watch models will feature a completely redesigned band connector, rendering them incompatible with all current bands, according to an Apple leaker known as "Kosutami."
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that the upcoming "Apple Watch X" could feature a different way to attach bands to the device. Apple has allegedly considered a magnetic band attachment system.
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.
2024 is shaping up to be a landmark year for Apple, with the company set to enter a new product category for the first time since 2015. We're counting on the Vision Pro headset, new iPads, an impressive new Apple Watch, and so much more.
Below, we've highlighted the top five most interesting Apple product updates that are set to come out in 2024.
AirPods 4
New AirPods coming in 2024 will have an updated design with shorter stems, so they'll look something like a cross between the current AirPods and the AirPods Pro. Fit and sound quality will be improved, and there is one more major change -- two models.
There will be two versions of the AirPods 4 at different price points, and the more expensive model will have Active Noise Cancellation, a feature that has been limited to the AirPods Pro. The AirPods 4 will also get an updated case that has a speaker for Find My alerts and a USB-C charging port instead of a Lightning port.
Apple's AirPods 3 were similar in function to the AirPods 2 and had a limited number of new features to lure customers, so a fresh look and ANC at a lower cost than the AirPods Pro should make the AirPods 4 much more appealing.
OLED iPad Pro
Apple is bringing OLED technology to the iPad Pro in 2024, and it'll be the first time that Apple has released such a large OLED display. Compared to mini-LED or LED, OLED offers deeper blacks, better contrast, improved HDR, and better power efficiency.
The new iPad Pro models are going to get a redesign and will come in updated 13-inch and 11.1-inch sizes. OLED displays are thinner, so Apple may be able to slim down the new iPad Pro models, plus we can count on a faster M3 chip that's an upgrade over the M2 in the current model.
We haven't had an iPad Pro design update for years, and a new look with updated display technology is a welcome change.
Apple Watch X
We're due for the Apple Watch Series 10 or "X" next year, which lines up with the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch if you're counting from the 2014 introduction date rather than the 2015 launch date.
The 2024 Apple Watch is going to get a refreshed design that may include a slimmed down body and a new magnetic band attachment system. A magnetic band attachment method would allow Apple to save valuable internal space inside the Apple Watch for a larger battery or other components, but it might mean that existing bands are not compatible with the new model.
Along with a new look, the Apple Watch X is rumored to feature blood pressure monitoring and sleep apnea detection. Blood pressure monitoring on the wrist is a notable feat, and the Apple Watch will be able to tell the user if their blood pressure is trending upwards and heading toward hypertension. Specific systolic and diastolic readings won't be available, but blood pressure monitoring will still provide valuable information.
As for sleep apnea, the Apple Watch X will use sleep tracking and monitoring of breathing patterns to determine whether a person is possibly experiencing breathing interruptions during sleep. The information will be able to be relayed to a doctor for further testing.
iPhone 16
The standard iPhone 16 models will get several of the features that were limited to iPhone 15 Pro models, including the Action Button and a faster 3-nanometer A-series chip. The Action Button could be capacitive this year rather than mechanical, so Apple might be able to slim it down.
A new vertical camera lens arrangement will likely allow for capturing spatial video, a feature limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models right now. Apple is also adding a new capacitive Capture Button to all four iPhone 16 models, with the button located on the right side of the device below Power button. The button will sense pressure and will support haptic feedback, and rumors suggest it will be used for capturing video.
While the standard iPhone 16 models will have same design as the iPhone 15 models, the iPhone 16 Pro models will feature larger displays. The iPhone 16 Pro will measure in at 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be 6.9 inches, up from 6.7 inches.
Other iPhone 16 Pro-exclusive rumors include a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide lens, Wi-Fi 7, and a faster 5G chip from Qualcomm.
It's been half a year since Apple unveiled the Vision Pro headset, and in early 2024, customers are finally going to get to try it out.
Apple sees the Vision Pro as the future of computing, referring to the device as the first spatial computer. It is a mixed reality headset, so you'll be able to swap between AR and VR using a Digital Crown on the side of the device. It won't be quite like any other headset on the market because Apple is using super high-resolution micro-LED displays with hand and eye tracking for controls.
Immersive apps, games, and experiences are planned for the Vision Pro, and users will be able to record spatial video to play back on the device.
The Vision Pro isn't at the top of our list because it's not going to be for everyone. It's prohibitively expensive at $3,500, and Apple is manufacturing a limited number of the headsets due to their complexity. At launch, the Vision Pro will only be sold in the United States, further limiting its availability.
People who have been able to try out the Vision Pro have said the initial iteration can be heavy and uncomfortable to wear, which will deter some users, but even with all of these caveats, the Vision Pro is going to shape Apple's future for some time to come.
Add Yours
What are you looking forward to seeing from Apple in 2024? Let us know in the comments below.
Apple has approached several major publishers to establish deals that would allow the Cupertino company to train generative artificial intelligence systems on news content, reports The New York Times.
Apple is aiming for multiyear deals and has approached Condé Nast, NBC News, and IAC. Condé Nast publications include Vogue, Wired, Vanity Fair, Ars Technica, Glamour, The New Yorker, GQ, and more, while IAC owns publications like People, The Spruce, Serious Eats, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Entertainment Weekly, and Better Homes & Gardens.
Proposed deals have been worth at least $50 million, and would allow Apple to license archives of news articles. According to The New York Times, some of the publishers were "lukewarm" on Apple's offer. Apple's terms are said to be "too expansive," and Apple has been vague about how it will apply generative AI to news.
Other publishers were "optimistic" about a potential partnership, and were pleased that Apple asked to use their content rather than just training generative models on published news without permission as other AI companies have done.
Multiple rumors have suggested that Apple is working overtime to catch up to its rivals on generative AI offerings, with Apple testing an "AppleGPT" chatbot internally and planning for new AI features in iOS 18.
Microsoft, Google, and Meta have all incorporated generative AI into their products over the course of the last year, which means Apple is lagging behind when it comes to AI technology. ChatGPT, the most popular chatbot from OpenAI, was trained on a huge amount of data that includes books, articles, and web pages.
In addition to the copyright issues that come with the broad scraping of internet content, ChatGPT has sometimes been criticized for the accuracy of the information that it sometimes surfaces. By training an AI model on a more tailored set of information, Apple could end up with a more reliable product. Apple is also said to be planning to incorporate generative AI features across its app offerings, so a model that has been fed content from news sources could perhaps be added into Apple News.
The New York Times says that Apple executives have been "debating" how to get the data needed for generative AI products. Apple has not wanted to source information from the internet because of its focus on privacy, so deals with news publishers provide an alternative.
iOS 17 has been available for a few months now, but there are so many new features in the update that some have gone under the radar. There are also hidden settings and little tweaks and changes that you might not know about, so we thought we'd round up some of the lesser-known iOS 17 features.
Messages - If you hold down the "+" button in the Messages app, you can get right to the photo picker to send an image. It's quicker than tapping "+" and then tapping on Photos to get to your images.
Links in Mail - To add a link to text in the Mail app, copy a link, select the text, and then paste it to turn the text into a hyperlink.
Add Text to Shapes - In the Photos app, if you've added a shape to an image using Markup, double tap it to be able to insert text.
Laundry Symbols - You can use the Visual Look Up feature on the iPhone to figure out what a laundry symbol means. Just take a picture and tap on the Visual Look Up symbol in the Photos app to get symbol information.
Apple Watch Ping - In the Control Center, there's a new option to ping your Apple Watch from your iPhone in case you misplace your Apple Watch.
Focus Mode Silence Notifications - When setting up a Focus Mode, you can now choose to silence notifications always or only when the iPhone is locked.
Journal App Lock - If you want to keep your journal entries secure, you can turn on the "Lock Journal" option in the Settings app to require Face ID to open up the Journal app.
Journaling Schedule - Having trouble remembering to use the Journal app? Enable Journaling Schedule in the Journal section of the Settings app to get a reminder to add a journal entry at a specific day and time.
Adjust Haptic Touch Speed - Under Accessibility > Touch > Haptic Touch you can adjust the time that it takes to activate content with a long press. Options include fast, default, and slow, and the fast setting makes haptic touch feel closer to the now-removed 3D Touch feature.
Shake to Undo - If you've move a Home Screen app or a widget and then change your mind on the position, you can use a shake to undo gesture to put the apps and widgets back where they were before you made the adjustment.
Know of a hidden iOS 17 feature that we didn't mention here? Let us know in the comments below.
We answer your queries about the chances of another Apple event for Vision Pro, whether the device really has the potential to replace the Mac, and the potential "failure" of the headset. We also talk MacBook Air accessories, when new HomePod models could launch, the potential of more iPad models adopting a landscape front-facing camera, and the usefulness of MagSafe charging on next-generation iPad Pro models, as well as when we could see an iOS 17 update that adds app sideloading capabilities in the EU.
If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about the recent controversy surrounding Android apps that seek to enable iMessage functionality.
The MacRumors Show is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are intensifying their investigations into Apple's alleged anti-competitive practices following the recent blocking of the iMessage for Android app Beeper Mini, the New York Times reports.
Following calls from a bipartisan group of senators for a DOJ investigation into the matter, Beeper founder Eric Migicovsky reportedly met with DOJ antitrust lawyers on Tuesday, December 12. The DOJ is currently embroiled in a four-year-long investigation into Apple's alleged anticompetitive conduct.
The New York Times also suggested that the FTC is involved, pointing to a blog post published yesterday by the commission warning that it will evaluate "privacy and security" justifications for refusing to interoperate with other companies' technology:
In the face of concerns about anticompetitive conduct, companies may claim privacy and security reasons as justifications for refusing to have their products and services interoperate with other companies' products and services. As an agency that enforces both competition and consumer protection laws, the Commission is uniquely situated to evaluate claims of privacy and data security that implicate competition.
Beeper launched Beeper Mini earlier this month, aiming to bridge the gap between Android and iMessage. Apple quickly moved to shut down the app, citing security concerns and unauthorized access to its iMessage servers.
Despite multiple attempts by Beeper to circumvent Apple's restrictions, the company has now effectively admitted defeat, touting jailbroken iPhones as the final solution to keep the service up and running amid an acknowledgement of the unsustainable nature of its efforts. While Apple has consistently defended its actions as necessary for maintaining user security and the integrity of its services, increased attention from two major regulatory bodies indicates the seriousness of ongoing antitrust allegations against the company.
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 today confirmed that it will be permanently closing its Infinite Loop retail store in Cupertino, California on January 20. Infinite Loop served as Apple's headquarters between the mid-1990s and 2017, when its current Apple Park headquarters opened a few miles away.
Apple will be offering all employees at the store the opportunity to continue working with the company. A source informed us that at least some employees will be able to relocate to nearby stores, including the Apple Park Visitor Center and Apple Valley Fair.
"After many years of serving customers at our stores in the Bay Area, we plan to close our store at Infinite Loop," an Apple spokesperson said, in a statement shared with MacRumors. "All of our valued team members will have the opportunity to continue their roles with Apple. We look forward to welcoming our customers at our nearby Apple Park Visitor Center and other locations, on Apple.com, and the Apple Store app."
Apple is also permanently closing its Royal Hawaiian store in Honolulu on January 20. Apple said it remains committed to "providing an excellent experience for our customers," and noted it has opened new stores this year in the U.S., China, India, South Korea, and the U.K., plus expanded its online store to Chile and Vietnam.
The offices at the Infinite Loop campus will continue to be used by Apple's corporate employees, with only the store closing. The main building's atrium is under construction until early 2024, according to a sign posted outside the entrance.
The store first opened in 1993 as The Company Store, and it focused primarily on selling Apple-branded merchandise. Following renovations in 2015, it reopened as a more traditional Apple retail store, with products like the iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch displayed on beige tables, but it continued to sell a limited selection of merchandise, like t-shirts, reusable bottles, mugs, and notebooks. The store is one of Apple's smaller locations, and it does not offer Genius Bar appointments or "Today at Apple" creative sessions.
Infinite Loop is a popular attraction for Apple enthusiasts, who often make the pilgrimage to the campus and the store. However, it has been overshadowed by the Apple Park Visitor Center since that location opened in 2017.
A different collection of Apple-branded merchandise is available for purchase at the Apple Park Visitor Center, and the location also serves as a traditional Apple retail store. Other features at the Visitor Center include a Caffè Macs coffee bar, a rooftop patio with a seating area, and a large AR model of the Apple Park campus.
As promised, Apple today stopped selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in its online store in the United States, with the devices pulled from sale just days ahead of when an Apple Watch import ban goes into effect. When attempting to purchase an Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 to the online store, the devices say "currently unavailable." Apple has also removed refurbished Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 8 models from its website.
Apple on Monday said that it would need to pause sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in order to comply with an International Trade Commission order preventing components related to the Apple Watch blood oxygen monitoring technology from being imported into the United States. The ITC made the ruling after deciding that the Apple Watch blood oxygen sensor violates patents owned by medical device company Masimo.
The Apple Watch is still available for purchase from Apple's retail stores, but Apple will stop store sales after December 24. Sales will be paused only in the United States and only at Apple's own retail locations. Third-party stores like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy can continue to sell the Apple Watch until supplies run out. Apple will be able to sell the Apple Watch SE, as it does not have a blood oxygen sensor.
Apple could reinstate sales if the White House vetoes the import ban, and it has until December 25 to review the order and decide whether to intervene. If the White House does not veto the import ban, Apple will not be able to sell the Apple Watch until it removes the infringing technology.
Apple is planning to appeal as soon as it can on December 26, and the company said it is "pursuing a range of legal and technical options" to get the Apple Watch models back on store shelves as soon as possible.
Apple believes that a software fix might be enough to mitigate the problem, and Apple engineers are adjusting how oxygen saturation is determined and how the data is provided to customers. Apple said that it is working to submit a workaround to US Customs to get the ban lifted, but it is unclear if a software fix will be sufficient because the patents in question pertain to the hardware.
When the Apple Watch import ban goes into effect after December 25, 2023, Apple will not be able to repair out-of-warranty Apple Watch models in the United States. Apple Watch repairs typically involve replacing a broken unit with a new model rather than fixing an individual component, and replacement devices will not be available.
Apple shared the news with retail employees in a memo that was sent out this week. Portions of the memo were seen by MacRumors, and it was also shared by Bloomberg. Apple is set to stop all U.S. online sales of the Apple Watch in just a few hours, with in-store sales to cease after December 24.
"Product replacement (CRU) programs aren't available in the United States for the watches below: Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch Ultra or later," reads the memo.
Apple cannot provide replacements for any out-of-warranty Apple Watch with a blood oxygen sensor, which includes the Apple Watch Series 6 and later and the original Apple Watch Ultra. Customers who damage their Apple Watch will need to wait on repairs until hardware replacements are available again. Software-based repairs will remain available.
Apple Watch models that are under warranty are allowed to be replaced. This includes both the standard one-year warranty for new devices and devices protected through an extended AppleCare warranty.
Customers will not be able to exchange an Apple Watch after the ban comes into effect, but accessories like bands can be replaced and returns will be accepted.
The United States International Trade Commission is putting a stop to imports of Apple Watches with blood oxygen sensing technology, which means Apple cannot bring them to the United States from overseas where they are manufactured. The ITC in October said that Apple infringed on blood oxygen patents owned by medical device company Masimo, and set the ban for December 25.
Apple could avoid a pause in sales if the White House steps in and vetoes the ban, but that has not happened as of yet. The White House has until December 25 to make a decision.
Other options include settling the dispute with Masimo, which would involve Apple having to pay Masimo to license the patent technology, or removing the infringing technology. Apple is working on a software fix for the Apple Watch blood oxygen sensing algorithm that it believes will be sufficient to get the Apple Watch back on store shelves.
While Apple has to stop selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Apple Watch SE will remain available. Third-party retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart will also be able to continue sales of all Apple Watch models while supplies last.
Apple today began sending out emails to customers letting them know about a free two-hour delivery option on a selection of products available from its online store. Apple says that customers can get free delivery when ordering online before 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 24.
Courier delivery will be used for these orders, and the option usually costs $9 in the United States. Courier deliveries are provided by companies like Uber and Postmates, and the shipping option is available on Apple products in metro areas in the United States and Canada. In Australia, free three-hour delivery is available.
Devices eligible for free two-hour shipping include the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, iPad, iMac, and Apple TV, with other non-Apple products and accessories not included in the offer. Note that the Apple Watch may only be available for a limited time as online sales in the U.S. are set to stop today.
Many other products are still available for free express shipping from Apple at this time, but free two-hour delivery will be an option up until Christmas Eve.
Today we're highlighting a few record low prices on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, all of which are available at Best Buy. The highlight of the sale is the 256GB 15-inch MacBook Air for $999.00, a $300 discount and all-time low price on the notebook.
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.
The deal on the MacBook Air does not require a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, but the MacBook Pro sales do require a membership. These start at $49.99 per year and grant exclusive access to certain deals, extended return windows, and more.
Best Buy still has a few options that ensure delivery before Christmas, including same and next-day shipping, as well as in-store pickup if your local Best Buy has stock. We are quickly approaching deadlines even for these options, so if you're still shopping be sure to place orders today or tomorrow to ensure delivery before the 25th.
15-inch M2 MacBook Air
Previously, this $300 markdown on the 15-inch MacBook Air was exclusive to My Best Buy Plus/Total members, but this massive deal is now available to everyone.
There's also the 512GB 15.3-inch M2 MacBook Air at $1,199.00, down from $1,499.00, which is another steep $300 markdown on the 2023 MacBook Air. You'll find every color on sale for both of these computers.
Apple's 512GB 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is available for a record low $1,349.00 for My Best Buy Plus/Total members, down from $1,599.00. Non-members can still purchase the notebook at a solid second-best price of $1,399.00.
Best Buy has the 1TB 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro for $1,549.00, down from $1,799.00. This one is a also a new all-time low price at $250 off, and it's again only available for My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members. The non-member price of $1,599.00 is still an excellent discount, however.
There are a few higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max models on sale as well, and solid low prices across the board. These also require My Best Buy Plus or Total memberships.
You'll find similar discounts on the 16-inch models of the new MacBook Pro, with up to $300 off select models for My Best Buy Plus/Total members and second-best prices for everyone else.
As we shared this morning, the team behind the Beeper Mini iMessage for Android app has announced a plan that will let Android customers use a jailbroken iPhone to register a phone number with iMessage in order to get the Beeper Mini service working.
Just days after Beeper Mini launched on December 5, Apple objected to the way it was using iMessage servers with "fake credentials," and blocked the mechanism the app was using. Since then, Beeper Mini has tried to get the app back online using several increasingly complicated methods, but Apple has continually shut it down.
Beeper Mini's latest effort requires either a Mac or an old iPhone that is able to be jailbroken, and Android users who do not have access to one of these will not be able to use Beeper Mini or the Beeper Cloud service reliably. Using a Mac is straightforward, as Beeper Mini users simply need to sign in to get an iMessage registration code that allows the service to work.
The Beeper Mini team says that 10 to 20 people can "safely" use the same registration data, but the Mac method limits Beeper Mini users to email-based iMessage communications, and it requires an Apple ID.
The second more complicated Beeper Mini workaround uses an iPhone. Beeper Mini's developers suggest that customers get an old iPhone 6, 6s, original SE, 7, 8, or X and jailbreak it with a Mac or Linux computer to install a Beeper tool that generates an iMessage registration code. The registration code can be added to the Beeper Mini app, and it allows an Android phone number to be registered with iMessage.
This method restores full Beeper Mini functionality so that Android users will show up as "blue bubbles" when communicating with iPhone users. The jailbroken iPhone must stay plugged in, at home, and connected to Wi-Fi in order for Beeper Mini to continue to function.
Those who do not have an old iPhone can "rent" an iPhone from the Beeper Mini team for a few dollars per month, or buy an old iPhone that's preloaded with the Beeper Mini app. The jailbroken iPhone rental and purchase service will "be available in the new year" if potential customers express enough interest.
Beeper Mini requires registration data from an Apple device, and to get the app to work, the Beeper Mini team was initially using registration data from its own Mac servers. Apple was able to target Beeper Mini because thousand of users had the same registration data, but it will in theory be more difficult for Apple to determine who is a genuine iMessage user and who is a Beeper Mini user with the unique registration codes provided via a Mac or a jailbroken iPhone.
In a second blog post, the Beeper Mini team says that this is its last attempt to get Beeper Mini up and running. If Apple finds a way to disable Beeper Mini again, that will be the end of the app. The team says, however, that it has "created something that Apple can tolerate existing" with the jailbroken iPhone endeavor. It seems unlikely that Apple will allow Beeper Mini to sell or rent jailbroken iPhones, so it will be interesting to see if and how Apple responds.
Beeper Mini is also open sourcing the iMessage connection software that powers Beeper Mini so others can continue development if desired.
Samsung's Winter sale is still going on as we get closer and closer to Christmas, offering discounts across monitors, TVs, smartphones, tablets, computers, and home appliances. Many of the deals in this sale are the same prices we tracked during Samsung's Black Friday sale, and some are even beating their all-time low Black Friday prices.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The highlight of the sale is Samsung's ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor at $999.99, down from $1,599.99. This is a record low price on the monitor, and it beats the previous all-time low price seen at Amazon earlier in the month by a few dollars.
Additionally, the Smart Monitor M8 is at its all-time low price on Amazon, available for $399.99 ($300 off). This has been one of the all-around best monitor deals we've tracked during this holiday season, and it's hard to say if it'll return after this sale ends, so if you've been holding off be sure to order soon. Unfortunately it may arrive after Christmas at this point, depending on your proximity to a distribution center that has stock.
Shoppers should note that the deadline for Christmas delivery has passed on Samsung, so none of the items in the sale will be able to arrive before December 25th at this point. There is an option to an in-store pickup at your local Best Buy, but not every product supports this option.
Other than monitors and TVs, we're also now tracking quite a few deals on refrigerators, tablets, and computers below. These sale prices will be live for this week only, so be sure to check out Samsung's event before the best prices of the year disappear.
If you're shopping for a Samsung smartphone this week, there are extra cash discounts to be found on these devices when shopping via the Shop Samsung mobile app, beyond the trade-in bonus offers listed below.
Galaxy S23 Ultra - Get up to $800 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in
Galaxy S23 - Get up to $500 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in
Galaxy S23+ - Get up to $500 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in
Galaxy Z Fold5 - Get a free storage upgrade and up to $1,000 instant trade-in credit
Galaxy Z Flip5 - Get up to $600 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in
The developers of Beeper Mini, the iMessage for Android app, are back with another attempt to keep Apple's blue bubbles onside, and this time they will ask users to generate their iMessage registration data with the help of jailbroken iPhones, MacRumors has learned.
Beeper Mini operates by identifying text message conversations from iMessage users and converting them to the recognizable blue bubbles associated with Apple's exclusive messaging service. This enables Android users to interact with iMessage features such as reactions, threads, high-quality media sharing, and group chats, without the iPhone users noticing any difference.
When Beeper Mini first launched, Android users were able to register their phone numbers with Beeper Mini, but Apple quickly shut down this avenue, and Beeper Mini now only works with an Apple ID email address. Android users have since required access to a Mac with Beeper Cloud installed to generate their iMessage registration data and get Beeper on Android working, but the service has seen poor reliability of late, with multiple interruptions reported.
In its latest effort to keep the service afloat, Beeper will suggest that users get hold of an old iPhone to get iMessage working on their Android phone. Users will then be asked to install a free Beeper tool to generate an iMessage registration code that will reinstate the ability to register phone numbers on the service. The catch is that the iPhone must first be jailbroken, and it must be kept plugged into power, at home, and connected to Wi-Fi for periodic registration re-requests.
If users don't have access to an old iPhone for jailbreaking in order to complete the registration process, that's okay – Beeper will rent them one for a small monthly fee. The developers say this service will be available in the new year, if there is enough interest. The plan was leaked ahead of time when a Beeper blog post was published late Wednesday then swiftly removed, but not before a snapshot was generated by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, as spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.
With the increasing amount of hoops Android users are being asked to jump through, Beeper is facing an ever-worsening existential crisis. When the requirement to have a Mac was added in the mix, it was not surprising that Android users began finding the app to be more of a hassle than a help. With this latest twist – literally requiring an iPhone (or Mac) to get the service working as it should – it's hard to see the approach gaining traction. And with Apple planning to adopt RCS next year to bring many iMessage features to conversations with Android users, community enthusiasm for the project has likely already peaked.
Beeper Mini launched using a reverse engineered version of iMessage, and the app was registering the phone numbers of Android users with fake iMessage credentials using Apple's own servers. Apple made it clear that it views Beeper Mini as a security risk, and that it has no intention of allowing the app to use iMessage in any capacity.
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.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
