Apple today published a support document that warns customers against using non-certified Apple Watch chargers, which could cause slow charging, repeated chimes, and reduced battery span.
According to Apple, customers should only use chargers made by Apple or chargers that have Made for iPhone (MFi) certification with the Made for Apple Watch badge.
Apple provides images of genuine Apple Watch chargers and explains the text and regulatory markings that may be on the cable. "Chargers that are not made by Apple might have different colors, text, or other designs on the surface of the charging connector," reads the support document.
Apple also provides a list of model numbers for all of the cables that it has produced to date, and gives instructions for checking the manufacturer of a charger using a Mac.
To use this method, the Apple Watch needs to be connected to the Mac. When connected, go to System Settings and then Click on General. Choose About, and then System Report. Under USB, choose the Apple Watch charger to view the details. Watch chargers created by Apple will list Apple Inc. as the manufacturer.
Apple says that customers can ensure they are using a certified third-party charger by looking for the Made for Watch labeling or searching Apple's public database of MFi accessories.
As early 2024 approaches, so does the launch date of Apple's first headworn wearable, the Apple Vision Pro. Apple has promised that the headset will come out in the early months of the year, with current rumors suggesting we could see it before March.
With a release fast approaching, Apple is preparing to offer the Vision Pro in its retail stores in the United States, and a filing from an intellectual property database discovered by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris gives us some insight into how Apple will display the Vision Pro.
Based on the design images, Apple is preparing a sleek stand for the headset, with the stand set to match other Apple product displays. The curved stand will hold the Vision Pro up in the air, making the display, headband, and other components easy to see from all angles.
Vision Pro headsets will be plugged into an accompanying battery back, which will be stored underneath the headset on the bottom portion of the stand. Apple will not try to hide the battery pack in any way, based on the images. Vision Pro stands will be placed on a mat, with two headsets per mat.
Apple prepares dedicated areas for all of its products, so we can expect the same treatment for the Vision Pro. Flagship retail stores will have hands-on areas where customers can test out the headset, but stores that are not flagships will only have one or two headsets on hand and it is not clear if they will be offering demos.
Apple is bringing retail employees to Cupertino in January to train them on how to prepare their stores for the Vision Pro and how to sell the device to customers. The Vision Pro is Apple's most complex device to date. It requires fitted headbands and light seals to work properly, and some customers will require custom prescription lenses.
There are an increasing number of signs suggesting customers will be required to visit an Apple retail location in order to purchase a Vision Pro headset. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will take orders online, but it sounds like customers are going to be pushed into in-store pickup so that an Apple employee can provide the right headband, light seal, and optional prescription lenses.
Apple plans to limit sales of the Vision Pro to customers in the United States to start with, before expanding availability to other countries in late 2024. The Vision Pro is set to be priced at $3,500, and Apple is reportedly expecting to make fewer than 400,000 units in 2024.
Apple has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit over Family Sharing, and will pay out $25 million to put an end to the case. First filed in 2019, the lawsuit accused Apple of misrepresenting the way that subscriptions to third-party apps worked with the Family Sharing feature.
While Family Sharing allows participants to share subscriptions with one another, app developers can opt out of allowing a single subscription to be shared among multiple people. Not all subscriptions can be shared because of the opt out policy, which is what led to the lawsuit.
Though Apple has agreed to a settlement, the company says it did nothing wrong and denies making misleading misrepresentations. Apple decided to avoid the potential cost and burden of a jury trial.
U.S. Apple users who participated in a Family Sharing group with at least one other member and purchased a subscription to an app through the App Store between June 21, 2015 and January 30, 2019 are eligible for a payment.
Each class member that files a claim is set to get $30, though that total will vary depending on how many claims are made. The payout will not exceed $50 per claimant, and up to $10 million will go toward attorney fees. Emails about the lawsuit settlement are being sent out to eligible customers as of this week.
Customers have until March 1, 2024 to file a claim, and a final approval hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2024. More information can be found on the website for the settlement.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will likely feature a 48-megapixel Telephoto lens, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain.
In a research note this week with Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities, focused on Apple supplier Largan Precision, Pu said the iPhone 17 Pro Max's upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto lens will be optimized for use with Apple's upcoming Vision Pro headset, set to be released in the U.S. in early 2024. Pu did not provide any additional details about the lens, or how it will interface with the Vision Pro.
iPhone 15 Pro models have 48-megapixel main, 12-megapixel ultra wide, and 12-megapixel telephoto lenses. Starting with iOS 17.2, these devices can record spatial video with 3D depth for playback on the Vision Pro. When held in landscape orientation, the main and ultra wide lenses combine to record spatial video with added depth.
Earlier this year, Pu said iPhone 16 Pro models would feature a 48-megapixel ultra wide lens, so the iPhone 17 Pro Max might be the first iPhone model to have a rear camera system entirely with 48-megapixel lenses. Higher megapixels allows for photos to have more detail, which can be useful for cropping and printing.
iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to launch in September 2025, so they are still nearly two years away, and Apple's plans might not be finalized.
Earlier this month, Twelve South launched the ButterFly 2-in-1 MagSafe Charger, and it may be the best multi-device travel charger that's come out to date. The "ButterFly" name comes from the shape, as it has two magnetic sides connected by a small strap in the middle.
When folded up, the ButterFly is just two inches around and fits in a palm or a pocket, making it easy to transport. Unfolded, there's a 15W MagSafe charger on one side for the iPhone, and Apple Watch charging puck on the other side. The Apple Watch charger supports fast charging for the Apple Watch Series 7 and later, allowing for quicker charging speeds.
The Apple Watch charger can be used flat or it can be popped out to support Nightstand mode and bands that can't charge in a flat orientation. The MagSafe side is a simple charging puck that connects to MagSafe iPhones and other devices like the MagSafe AirPods.
There is a USB-C port on the ButterFly to power it, and Twelve South includes a braided black USB-C cable and 30W power adapter. There are swappable plugs so that you'll have the plug you need if you're traveling to another country. There's a standard plug for the U.S. and Canada, a two-prong plug for Europe, a three-prong plug for the UK, Ireland, and other countries, and a plug that works in Australia, New Zealand, and China. You can swap in the one you need and store the rest for trips.
The ButterFly is made from a silver aluminum material that matches well with Apple's devices, with the two halves of the charger connected by a vegan leatheresque strap. It's an attractive design, and the connection between the two pieces seems like it's secure enough to hold up over time.
Twelve South designed the ButterFly with some clever features, so it is able to work with StandBy on the iPhone. It can fold over in both directions, so it can be used as a Nightstand for the Apple Watch with the iPhone half folded under, or it can prop an iPhone up in the proper orientation for StandBy mode by folding the Apple Watch half under.
Technically you're supposed to fold it flat when you're charging an iPhone and an Apple Watch at the same time, but I was able to put it in a triangle position to get StandBy mode working while the Apple Watch was also charging. I don't find StandBy mode that useful so I doubt I'll use it in that orientation when traveling, but it's an option.
In charging tests, the MagSafe charger did indeed charge my iPhone 15 Pro Max at 15W, and I got the same charging results that I see with Apple's own MagSafe charger. My close to dead Apple Watch Series 9 charged up to 84 percent in a little under an hour, which is what I expect from an Apple Watch fast charger.
If you wear an Apple Watch to bed, you probably know that an Apple Watch fast charger is a must to get enough battery to make it through the day in short charging spurts, so I appreciate that Twelve South included fast charge capabilities.
Both the Apple Watch charging puck and the MagSafe charger can charge the MagSafe AirPods, which makes this 2-in-1 charger almost as versatile as a 3-in-1 model.
Bottom Line
This is the most compact travel charger I've tried, and I have no complaints, except for the price tag. $130 is expensive, but it is using two of Apple's proprietary technologies - Apple Watch fast charging and MagSafe.
Other than the cost, this is the perfect travel charger and if you're looking for a premium solution that folds down small and works well with the iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch, the ButterFly is worth checking out.
The app's developers used reverse-engineered iMessage protocols to register Android phone numbers with Apple's servers, allowing Android users to send blue bubble messages to iPhone users with support for all iMessage functionality, including read receipts, typing indicators, and reactions.
Apple ended up blocking Beeper Mini last week, with the company confirming that it took steps to shut down the app since it apparently posed risks to the security and privacy of iMessage users.
In a blog post, the Beeper Mini team said that the app had the "fastest growing paid Android application in history," with more than 100,000 downloads. This was said to be evidence that Android and iPhone customers "desperately want to be able to chat together" with all of the features available on iMessage. Earlier this week, the app's functionality returned, but now with the requirement to sign in with an Apple ID and receive messages via an email address rather than a phone number.
Beeper Mini's developers say that despite reaching out to Apple, they have not heard back. It is unlikely that Apple will give in and allow Beeper Mini to function as it did, and Apple may shut down further functionality as well if it can.
Apple does have plans to bring a range of iMessage-like features to chats between iPhone users and Android users through RCS, a protocol that Apple will add to iPhones next year. RCS will bring support for high quality video and images, emoji reactions, typing indicators, read receipts, and more, all features that Beeper Mini says that Android and iPhone users are desperate to have in cross-platform chats.
What do you think about Android apps that enable iMessage functionality? Let us know in the comments. The MacRumors Show is now on its own YouTube channel, so head over and subscribe to keep up with new episodes and clips going forward:
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We're entering the home stretch of the holiday shopping season, and there are still great discounts to be found across Apple's product lineup. This week, that includes the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, Apple Watch Series 9, and M2 MacBook Air. Additionally, you'll find great sales at places like Sonos and Samsung, and exclusive sitewide discounts for our readers at ZAGG, Hyper, Twelve South, and Satechi.
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.
MacRumors Exclusive Holiday Deals
What's the deal? Take up to 55% off sitewide at Hyper, Twelve South, ZAGG, and Satechi
We're partnering with a few popular Apple accessory makers this holiday season, giving our readers a chance to save on great last-minute holiday gifts. You can get 35 percent off sitewide at ZAGG (code: MACRUMORS35), up to 55 percent off sitewide at Hyper (code: MREXTRA10), 20 percent off sitewide at Twelve South (code: MacRumors2023), and 30 percent off sitewide at Satechi (code: MACRUMORS).
For more information about these exclusive discounts, be sure to read our full article, which includes end dates and more details about each retailer's sale.
AirPods Pro
What's the deal? Take $49 off AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C
Amazon has the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C for $199.99 right now, down from $249.00. This is a solid second-best price on the new earbuds, and they have a guaranteed Christmas delivery if you order them soon.
Apple Watch Series 9
What's the deal? Take $70 off Apple Watch Series 9
The year's best deals are still available on Apple Watch Series 9 right now at Best Buy, starting at $329.00 for the 41mm GPS model and rising to $359.00 for the 45mm GPS model. You'll find multiple colors on sale at this price, with many guaranteeing Christmas day delivery.
MacBook Air
What's the deal? Take up to $250 off M2 MacBook Air models
Best Buy has more than Apple Watches on sale this weekend, offering solid low prices on the 13-inch and 15-inch M2 MacBook Air. Prices start at $899.00 for the 256GB 13-inch MacBook Air and $1,049.00 for the 256GB 15-inch MacBook Air, and you don't need a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership to see these deals.
Sonos
What's the deal? Take up to 25% off Sonos speakers, soundbars, and more
The Sonos holiday sale is still going on as we reach the end of the week, with up to 25 percent off popular Sonos products like the Arc soundbar, Roam speaker, and many more. Sonos doesn't hold many sales throughout the year, so this will likely be your last chance to get these products at a big discount for a while.
Samsung
What's the deal? Save on TVs, smartphones, tablets, and more in Samsung's winter sale
Samsung is hosting its big end-of-year winter sale right now, and that means notable savings on smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, earbuds, and more. We've listed a few of these deals below, but be sure to browse the full sale before it ends later this weekend. For those shopping for the holidays, the cutoff for Christmas deliveries is tonight at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Galaxy S23 Ultra - Get up to $800 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
iPhone 17 Pro models in 2025 will be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain.
In a research note this week with Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said the chip could be a long-term threat to Broadcom, which currently supplies Apple with a combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip for iPhones.
Pu believes Apple will expand its in-house Wi-Fi chip to the entire iPhone 18 series in 2026. He did not share any additional details about the chip.
Like its long-rumored 5G modem for iPhones, the Wi-Fi chip would allow Apple to further reduce its dependance on external suppliers for components.
Wi-Fi 7 support would allow iPhone 17 Pro models to send and receive data over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously with a supported router, resulting in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. Wi-Fi 7 can provide peak speeds of over 40 Gbps, a 4× increase over Wi-Fi 6E, according to Qualcomm.
In August, Pu said the iPhone 16 Pro models launching next year would also feature Wi-Fi 7 support, but not with an Apple-designed chip.
The Apple Watch Ultra will gain a 10% percent larger display upon switching from OLED to microLED in 2026, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce.
The current Apple Watch Ultra has a display size of 1.93-inches, whereas the upcoming microLED model is apparently due to feature a 2.12-inch screen. The microLED panel is estimated to cost two to three times more than the equivalent OLED display used in the current model, at a price of around $120. It is due to be supplied by Germany's ams OSRAM and South Korea's LG Display.
Apple's plan to bring a microLED display to the Apple Watch Ultra is very widely corroborated, starting with a report from display analyst Ross Young in January 2023. The advanced display offers improved brightness, color reproduction, dynamic range, viewing angles, and efficiency, making images look more like they are "painted" atop the display glass. The project is part of Apple's plan to reduce its reliance on Samsung as a supplier while yielding benefits from engineering its own displays in-house, just like its chip technology.
Apple has reportedly been working on custom microLED display technology for almost a decade. The company is said to have plans to replace all of its existing LCD, OLED, and mini-LED panels with microLED in the long term, with the technology being designed to be scaled up from the Apple Watch to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro headset.
Apple has reached a settlement in its multi-year copyright lawsuit against Corellium, a company known for creating virtual versions of iOS for security research purposes, Forbes reports.
The lawsuit, initiated by Apple in 2019, accused Corellium of infringing upon its copyrights by replicating iOS. Corellium's technology allowed security researchers and developers to run virtual iPhones, enabling them to probe iOS outside of Apple's own security measures. This capability was at the core of Apple's allegations, claiming that Corellium's software not only replicated iOS but also served as an alternative to Apple's security research products.
Corellium defended its actions under fair use, asserting that its replication of iOS was solely for the purpose of security research and was substantially transformative. In 2021, Apple agreed to drop its claims but then filed an appeal that challenged an earlier ruling in favor of Corellium's fair use claim.
This week, the court announced that both Apple and Corellium have ultimately come to a confidential settlement, bringing the prolonged dispute to an end.
Apple is focusing on bringing OLED displays to its iPad and MacBook lineups rather than offering its first foldable, Nikkei Asia reports.
Apple is widely expected to bring OLED displays to the iPad Pro for the first time next year ahead of a wider expansion across the MacBook lineup. Nikkei today corroborated this information citing sources said to be to be familiar with the matter, adding that the first OLED MacBook model is under development for production in the second half of 2025.
Nikkei claims that Apple is currently evaluating the potential of offering a foldable iPad after the transition to OLED is complete, but it is not a main focus and the company does not yet have a solid timeline for releasing such a device, mirroring a report from DigiTimes earlier this year.
Reports from a multitude of reliable sources are fairly consistent that Apple plans to launch a foldable iPad before a foldable iPhone. In October, DigiTimes reported a range of details about Apple's tentative work on foldable iPads, including necessary design changes and small-scale production plans.
In watchOS 10.2, you can enable a swipe gesture to switch between Apple Watch faces more easily, just like you used to be able to in watchOS 9. Keep reading to learn how it's done.
If you are a long-time Apple Watch user, you probably remember a time when it was possible to switch watch faces with a simple swipe gesture across the display. That was the default interaction in watchOS 9, but then Apple removed the gesture with the upgrade to watchOS 10.
Apple changed the interaction because of user complaints that it was too easy to accidentally change watch faces. But for anyone who never had this problem, Apple just made things harder – by requiring a long press before swiping to change the active watch face.
Fortunately, prior to the release of watchOS 10.2, Apple seemed to realize what it had done, and it has introduced a setting that re-instates the earlier method of swiping to change watch faces. If you preferred the older interaction, the following steps show you how to enable it.
Open the Settings app on your watch.
Tap Clock.
Toggle on the switch next to Swipe to Switch Watch Face.
That's all there is to it. If you have more than one watch face assigned to your Apple Watch, you will now be able to swipe quickly and easily between them.
Apple started testing the iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 betas in December, and while we are not expecting these updates to be as feature rich as iOS and iPadOS 17.2, there are some notable features that have been found so far.
This guide aggregates everything that is coming in the iOS 17.3 update, and we'll update it throughout the beta testing period.
Stolen Device Protection
Earlier this year, there were news reports about a slate of iPhone thefts where the thief spied on a victim to learn the device passcode before stealing the phone, leading to drained bank accounts and an untraceable iPhone.
As a solution, Apple introduced Stolen Device Mode in iOS 17.3 to add extra security. If someone should obtain both your iPhone and your passcode, this feature prevents total catastrophe. With Stolen Device Mode enabled, accessing passwords in iCloud Keychain, turning off Lost Mode, erasing content, and making purchases in Safari requires biometric authentication with Face ID or Touch ID.
Certain actions such as changing an Apple ID password require Face ID and have a one-hour security delay. So if you (or someone else) tried to change your Apple ID login, you would need both Face ID authentication and then an hour wait period before the password could be updated. These wait periods are waived when you are in a trusted location like home or work.
As outlined in our report on the feature, here are actions that require biometric authentication when the Stolen Device Protection is activated:
Viewing/using passwords or passkeys saved in iCloud Keychain
Taking certain Apple Cash and Savings actions in Wallet
Using payment methods saved in Safari
Using your iPhone to set up a new device
Note that these actions do not have a passcode backup, so you can't use a passcode to skirt Face ID or Touch ID. Actions that require biometric authentication and have a one-hour security delay include the following:
Changing your Apple ID password
Updating select Apple ID account security settings, including adding or removing a trusted device, trusted phone number, Recovery Key, or Recovery Contact
Stolen Device Protection is available on all iPhones that are able to run iOS 17, which includes the iPhone XS and newer. It is an opt-in feature that can be turned on in the Settings app by going to Face ID & Passcode and toggling on Stolen Device Protection.
Collaborative Apple Music Playlists
Apple first tested collaborative Apple Music playlists in iOS 17.2, but the feature was removed before the software was released.
Collaborative Apple Music playlists are back in the iOS 17.3 beta, suggesting Apple just needed a little bit more time to work out the kinks.
In iOS 17.3, you can take any of your existing playlists or create a new one and then invite others to join in to add songs and listen to the playlist. You can invite friends, family members, and others who share your musical preferences, and there doesn't appear to be a limit on how many people can contribute.
To use the collaboration feature, go to a playlist in the Apple Music app and then tap on the person icon. You will be able to generate a link that you can send to others, and everyone who is invited can access the playlist. There is an option to approve each person that joins, and leaving this off just opens it up to anyone with the link.
The person who created the playlist can remove people, remove songs, and turn off collaboration at any time.
Apple in iOS 17.3 added a neat emoji reaction feature that allows listeners to add an emoji to any song that's playing to express their feelings about it. There are standard quick access emoji options like a heart and thumbs up, but with the "+" button, any emoji can be added.
When you're listening to a song in the playlist that has emoji reactions, those emoji animate as the song begins to play.
Release Date
iOS 17.3, iPadOS 17.3, macOS 14.3, tvOS 17.3, and watchOS 10.3 are all expected to see a public release sometime around January. Beta testing will be slightly delayed by the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
iMessage for Android app Beeper Mini is once again having connectivity issues, which it has attributed to Apple. Last night, Beeper Mini stopped working for some people, and the company confirmed that Apple was "deliberately blocking iMessages from being delivered" to approximately five percent of Beeper Mini users.
At the time, Beeper Mini said that uninstalling and reinstalling Beeper Mini could serve as a workaround while a fix was developed. As of now, issues with the Beeper Cloud service have been resolved, but some Beeper Mini users are still having connectivity issues.
On Twitter, Beeper's developers have been complaining about Apple's continued efforts to block the app, even though Apple made it clear that Beeper Mini was not going to be allowed.
"It's super annoying that Apple is penalizing their own customers and Android users who just want secure and encrypted chats," says a message on the Beeper account. "We understand if you choose to uninstall Beeper Mini at this time."
Beeper Mini launched last week, promising to bring a full iMessage experience to Android users. The app used iMessage reverse engineering to function, registering the phone numbers of Android users with Apple's own iMessage servers.
Android users were able to have "blue bubbles" in conversations with iMessage users, and all iMessage features worked, such as read receipts, typing indicators, reactions, and more. Beeper Mini essentially worked by making Android devices look like they were Apple devices, and it didn't take long for Apple to put a stop to it.
Three days after Beeper Mini launched, the app quit working, and Apple confirmed that it shut the app down. Apple said that it blocked Beeper Mini from exploiting fake credentials to gain access to iMessage, as this posed "significant risks to user security and privacy."
At Apple, we build our products and services with industry-leading privacy and security technologies designed to give users control of their data and keep personal information safe. We took steps to protect our users by blocking techniques that exploit fake credentials in order to gain access to iMessage. These techniques posed significant risks to user security and privacy, including the potential for metadata exposure and enabling unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks. We will continue to make updates in the future to protect our users.
In a blog post, Beeper Mini's development team said that it would work to restore service, while also criticizing Apple for the decision. The team claims that iPhone customers have "less security and privacy than before" because Beeper Mini encrypted messages sent between iPhone and Android devices.
We deeply object to the allegation that Beeper Mini 'poses significant risks to user security and privacy'. This is completely untrue. As we explained above, the opposite is actually true. Beeper Mini increases the security and privacy of both Android and iPhone customers. To prove this, we published a detailed blog post about how the app keeps data secure and private. Beeper Mini is end-to-end encrypted.
The Beeper Mini team says that it has not spoken with Apple directly. On Monday of this week, Beeper developers did find a way to get the Android app working again, but with some major changes. The updated version of the app requires users to sign in with an Apple ID (not required with the prior version), and it only supports sending and receiving messages through an email address instead of a phone number.
The team behind Beeper Mini is still working to find a way to get phone numbers to work with iMessage again, but Apple has blocked the backdoor that was used to register Android numbers as fake Apple users.
Many of the complaints about security and functionality from the Beeper Mini team will be solved with Rich Communication Services, or RCS, which Apple plans to adopt next year. RCS will be used for chats between iPhone and Android users, and it includes support for high quality video and images, emoji reactions, typing indicators, read receipts, and more.
If Beeper Mini does indeed find a way to get phone numbers to work and to keep Beeper Mini running, it likely will not be long before Apple puts a stop to it again. Apple has made it clear that it does not plan to willingly allow Beeper Mini to use iMessage servers.
Beeper founder Eric Migicovsky said on Twitter that Tim Sweeney and Epic "won this week against Big Tech," referencing the Epic v. Google trial, and that Beeper Mini has a chance. "We're not giving up," he wrote.
Aura, a company known for its range of smart photo frames, this fall introduced the Walden, its largest photo frame to date. Measuring in at 15 inches, the Walden has a huge display that makes digital photos a focal point in the home.
We've previously reviewed (and liked) the 9-inch Aura Mason frame, but the new Walden model is 66 percent larger and it is also Aura's first frame that can be mounted on the wall, so we thought we'd revisit the smart frames ahead of the holidays.
In terms of size, the Walden frame is 15.7 inches long, 12.7 inches tall, and 1.2 inches in depth, so it's a little bit thicker than your average photo frame. Compared to the 9-inch Mason frame, the Walden frame is much more eye-catching in a room because of the space that it takes up on a wall. A 9-inch frame looks odd when hung on the wall, but a 15-inch frame is the ideal size for it.
The Walden Frame fits right in on a wall in the living room, entry way, or bedroom, but it can also be placed on a table or other surface if desired with the built-in stand. The display is bright, the colors are largely accurate (the frame tends to add some saturation) and the images look vibrant, but one downside is that it is limited to a 1600x1200 resolution with 133 pixels per inch.
Aura's smaller frames all have better pixel density, and the resolution does impact the quality here. The Mason frame with the same resolution and a smaller size looks better up close, but the resolution is not a dealbreaker. Aura is using a matte display that has anti-reflective coating, so even in a bright room with sunlight or lights that hit the glass, the pictures are visible.
The frame itself is black with a textured white mat around the display. The mat feels about standard size for a photo frame of this size, so it blends in well with other picture frames that you might have. Unfortunately, there are no other frame colors available, and that's one of the main downsides of the Walden.
Aura does have other frames fthat come in different colors and without mats, but on the whole, color selection is limited. On the plus side, the thin frame of the Walden does look sleek, but I am torn on the mat size with some of the images.
The Walden frame can be positioned in either horizontal or landscape mode as it supports both orientations with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Your photos will rotate and resize to fit in the frame regardless of the orientation you choose, but it is best to pick the position that fits the majority of your photos.
When you put the frame in a specific orientation and it displays a photo in another orientation, one of two things happens. It either crops in to the main subject of the photo, or it adds black bars so the whole image remains visible. For portrait mode images that are close to the subject with nothing to crop in to, this means that you'll see bars at the sides of the frame, which doesn't always look great with the white matte. You can opt to have photo backgrounds used as filler, kind of like what YouTube does for portrait images, in landscape mode, but it still looks off.
When the frame is in portrait mode, landscape images are typically cut off because they're zoomed in to fit, so there are compromises to be made if you have a lot of images in both orientations. I do think Aura's frames do a decent job of making images look as good as possible by zooming in.
Aura ships the Walden with both a tabletop kickstand and a mounting kit, so you can display it wherever it fits best into your home. The mounting kit uses a single Floreat-style hanger, so it's just one nail that goes in the wall. These hangers are strong, so there's little risk of the frame falling down, plus wall damage is limited to the size of a nail hole.
Touch controls at the top of the frame can be used for turning it on and off, changing the photos, viewing details like the date, playing Live Photos, deleting photos, and liking photos that were added to the frame by someone else, but all of these actions can also be done through the app if the frame is somewhere that's inaccessible.
The Walden, like all of Aura's frames, is meant to be a more hands-off product. You basically upload images to it and leave it plugged in. It'll cycle through the images every 10 minutes by default, though you can change that in the app. There are a huge range of times to select from 15 seconds to 24 hours, so you can find the perfect photo change interval.
You can upload both photos and videos to the frame, and videos can be set to autoplay. Videos play without sound by default, but can be replayed with sound using the in-app remote or with the touch controls at the top. Speaker volume is controlled in the app.
The frame is set to turn on when it's light out and turn off when it's dark, but there is an option for an on/off schedule for rooms where the frame might not be able to use its ambient light sensor well or for when you want it active at specific times. I do wish the Walden had better dimming and color matching. With bright images, it can be a little too bright when the room is darker, and it isn't able to match the color temperature of lighting. You'll sometimes get a blue-toned photo that looks odd in a room with soft yellow lighting.
The app has a built-in remote control accessed through the settings section, and this provides easy access for deleting an image, resizing it properly, playing a video, or switching to the next image. Resizing is particularly useful because if you don't like the way Aura has opted to crop an image, you can fix it and the frame will remember that position going forward.
There is no built-in storage in the Walden frame, or in Aura's products in general. Images are uploaded to the cloud, and there is unlimited storage so you can add as many photos and videos as you want. Photos are uploaded through the Aura app, through a unique email address for each frame, or through the web, so there are plenty of ways to get images on it.
The Aura app is the best part about Aura's frames. In addition to adding photos yourself, you can also invite friends and family members to connect to your frame so they can add photos too. If a family member has a frame, you can connect to it and upload images to it at any time.
I bought an Aura frame for a family member a few years back, and we still all upload photos to it regularly. It has a prominent place in the living room, and the photos that it displays are frequently talked about. It's such a great way to get photos off of an iPhone with little hassle. I don't know about most people, but I so rarely print my images that I take them and forget about them until a random day when I'm browsing through my Photos app. Aura frames provide a way to surface memories them more often.
Aura is set up for gifting, and you can even preload a frame with photos before the gift recipient opens it. I'm sometimes hesitant to give "smart" Wi-Fi connected devices to my less tech savvy family, but Aura frames are dead simple to set up. I think any person that can operate the basic functions of an iPhone can set up the Walden or any other Aura option. You plug in the frame, download the Aura app, and the iPhone detects it automatically. A pairing code is displayed, and once the code is input (which happens automatically too), it connects to Wi-Fi. You don't need to enter the Wi-Fi password again if the iPhone is already connected to a Wi-Fi network in the home (truly a major stopping point for other smart products I've tried to gift), and that's it. After that, images can be uploaded from the app or by family members who have the app.
The option to upload photos to the Aura from anywhere and the option to have multiple contributors makes this a great gift for grandparents, siblings, friends, or basically anyone you would want to share a photo with. For a grandparent, you can set up the frame ahead of time, load it with photos, and then invite other friends and family members all with no interaction from the recipient. The person I gifted a frame to doesn't upload their own photos, but has six other family members who do.
If you have multiple friends or family members with Aura frames, you can upload photos to all of the frames at the same time, making it a fun way to share photos from birthday parties, trips, and other activities with several people basically instantaneously.
You can definitely use an old iPad or other tablet in lieu of something like the Aura frame, but Aura's products are easier to use for the specific purpose of displaying photos, plus they look like an actual photo frame rather than an electronic device.
Bottom Line
Whenever I need a gift for someone and I'm not sure what to get, Aura is my go-to. I have not met anyone who doesn't like Aura's frames, and for grandparents and/or less technically inclined people, it's like magic.
I think the Walden in particular is a great choice because of its size. It's much more visible in a room than Aura's smaller frames, and the frame to get if you want to put a lot of focus on your digital images. It's also the option I'd get for grandparents or older adults who might be having a harder time with their vision, but it's not the frame I'd pick for subtlety or for displaying high-resolution images where quality is a concern.
With the launch of iOS 17.2, Apple added a camera feature that allows iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models to record 3D spatial video that will be viewable on the Apple Vision Pro when it becomes available for purchase.
To demonstrate the feature, Apple this week invited several members of the media to record spatial video with their iPhones and then view it on an Apple Vision Pro headset. Those who were able to experience their videos in 3D have now written about the experience and what it's like using the Vision Pro for reliving memories.
CNET's Scott Stein found that videos of his family members were the most compelling, and a recording of his mother in particular seemed to make eye contact and made him feel like he was "almost there." In video with a lot of motion, the 30 fps limit was noticeable, though less so in videos with less motion. HDR photos "looked great," with Stein saying they appeared as good as or better than on a Mac or a TV, with HDR that "popped" and options to zoom in.
I also got a kick out of seeing some of my favorite exhibits at the Museum of Natural History in 3D. I went to the Hall of Ocean Life, where a trio of little tanks on the top floor house dioramas of prehistoric sea creatures that I've loved since I was a kid. I captured the ammonites and trilobites, gliding from case to case. In 3D on Vision Pro, it felt like a little home diorama revisited. I could see the joy of capturing little immersive installations, or spaces, that aren't easy to go back to, and having them in front of you again.
TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff said that he was "startled by the quality and immersive nature" of panoramic images that he had captured, and the wider view showed him details he had not seen before. A video of a model train looked like it would "ride right into [his] lap." Compared to standard videos, Ulanoff said the videos "felt more real" and resulted in heightened emotions. He said the level of emotion that can be experienced from family videos in 3D "can be quite intense."
Inverse's Raymond Wong said that spatial videos "feel alive" because of the way the border becomes "glowy and dream-like" when looked at, giving the content the "characteristics of a memory." In a spatial video of his mom, he says he was transported back to the moment, and it was "surreal" to see his mom "talking, laughing, and eating in spatial video."
Wong said that spatial videos can "look life-sized" at a certain distance and window size, but even zoomed out, he felt emotional seeing his mother in 3D.
I think Apple was right in suggesting I capture sentimental content in spatial video. Cool as it was to see my colleagues at the office and a bar with a little bit of the third dimension, I don't think rewatching those clips had the same impact on me as the ones of my family. I suspect once people have the opportunity to see their own content in Vision Pro, they'll get a better sense of when and when not to tap the spatial video icon in the camera app on their iPhones.
Josh Rubin of Cool Hunting said that even in recordings where he was warned there wasn't enough light, the video on the headset was "crisp and not grainy." He found that the best scenes had multiple focal points in a two to eight foot range. Too much movement in a spatial video can be disorienting, leading to nausea.
Shots with the camera stationary (such as on a tripod) are ideal, but camera movement is often necessary or desired to make a satisfying story. I found that recording linear and gently curved movements, especially in open spaces, created videos that were easy to view. By contrast, sharp turns in close quarters created more jarring videos.
The Vision Pro headset is set to launch in early 2024, and Apple is hoping that customers who plan to buy it will have a selection of their own spatial videos ready to go when it comes out. Spatial video can be recorded right now on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, though the captured video will look normal until viewed in 3D on the Vision Pro headset.
The Philips Hue line has long been focused on lighting products, but this year, Hue parent company Signify expanded the lineup with a set of Philips Hue Secure cameras and sensors designed for home security.
I was able to test out the $200 Hue Secure Wired Camera to see how it measures up to some of the other smart camera options on the market. Hue's cameras can be used indoors or out, and the Hue Secure has 1080p video recording with night vision and motion trigger alerts, which at this point I'd expect from any security camera.
The camera itself has a base that mounts to the wall with a screw, but if you want to sit it on a table or another flat surface, you need to pay an extra $30 for the "Desktop" version. You can also buy the desktop stand after buying the camera, but it is $50, which I feel is unreasonable for a plastic stand that should have come with the camera at no extra cost to begin with. I didn't want to use or test the camera mounted, so I did purchase the stand. You could probably rig something up, but the placement of the cord on the bottom of the camera prevents it from laying flat without the stand, and it's angled too high to use that way.
To allow for interchangeable wall mounting and desktop use, magnets are used for base attachment. The magnets are super strong, so while the camera is meant to be mounted to the wall, I'm not worried that it's going to become detached. You can take it off the mount, and attach the mount to either the top or the bottom to optimize the view regardless of where you're mounting it. The field of view is wide enough that you're able to see an entire room if the camera is indoors, or a good section of your yard if it is outdoors.
The Hue Secure has a white plastic casing and a standard camera lens inside, and there is no mistaking it for a security camera. I was surprised at how long it is (a little over 3.5 inches), which means if you wall mount it, it's going to protrude a decent amount. The battery version of this camera is even longer in length at five inches, so it will protrude even further when mounted. I like the clean design and the magnetic attachment system, especially since the magnets allow it to be positioned in a range of ways that might not be possible with just a swivel mount.
This is the standard base the camera comes with. The other base is one I purchased for $50 to allow it to be placed on a desk.
The video quality was totally fine for a 1080p indoor/outdoor camera, and on par with the HomeKit-enabled cameras that I've tested. So, speaking of HomeKit, these don't have it. Those with a lot of Philips Hue lights know they all work with HomeKit, but that is not the case with the cameras. No HomeKit support is likely going to be a dealbreaker for those in Apple's ecosystem who want everything to be controllable through a central app.
Hue cameras do not require a Hue Bridge to function, but the Bridge is needed to integrate the cameras with other Hue products such as lights, contact sensors, and motion sensors. It also enables remote control functionality for when you are away from home, and allows the camera to serve as a motion sensor to activate lights when motion is detected. For full functionality, you will need to have a bridge, which is priced at $60 if you don't have one already for Hue lights.
It was easy to add the camera to the app, and it can be viewed through the new Hue Secure section of the app. In my testing, it never once went offline, and it was a more reliable than the Eve HomeKit Secure Video camera I have outside, which is off more than it is on and has been a total headache these last few months.
I've had similar problems with other HomeKit cameras, and I just don't find them to be the most reliable option. Compared to Ring, though, I don't think Hue has much of an edge. My Ring cameras rarely go offline or have connectivity issues, so Hue is about on par.
The cameras can be paired to Hue lights with automations to activate the lights when motion is detected, to alert you and scare off intruders. According to Signify, there is end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to keep video clips and snapshots private, along with software that helps prevent hacking. Video data is stored in the Hue Cloud if you opt for that, and content is deleted after 30 or 60 days. With E2EE, video and audio recordings cannot be viewed if the Hue Cloud were hacked because a multi-word auto-generated passcode you have is required. On that note, you need to keep the passcode somewhere safe, and you also need to hold on to the Hue Secure "Ownership Card" that's required for setup.
Like other smart cameras, the Hue Secure can recognize people, pets, and packages to send tailored alerts, and there are options to set up Activity and Package zones. There is a mimic presence function that can turn on Hue lights to make it seem like you're home when you're not, and the cameras support two-way talk so you can interface with someone if you need, but these are all functions that are available on other smart security cameras.
Up to 10 cameras can be linked to a Hue Bridge, and a Hue account is required to use them. While the cameras can be used without a subscription, some of the functionality does require a monthly payment. Live streaming, video snapshots, light and sound alarms, and notifications are accessible for free.
Recording requires a Basic or Plus plan, priced starting at $39.99 per year after a 90-day trial period that comes with the purchase. Other paywalled features include Activity zone setup, and package/people alerts. The Basic plan supports two cameras, but if you have more cameras, you need the Plus plan that costs $100/year. That basically puts the full cost of a Hue Camera at $200 for the camera itself (not counting any accessories), $60 for a Bridge (though these are sometimes on sale for less), and at least $3.30 a month if you want to have a 30-day log.
If you wanted to use Hue Secure for a whole-home security system, you're looking at $570 for a three-camera bundle (wired, not battery), and $275 for a set of four contact sensors, two motion sensors, and a Bridge. Depending on how many doors and windows you have and what you want to protect, that may only cover a small home.
I found the Hue Secure portion of the Hue app to be a bit confusing at first. I expected to have the option to see my camera feed right when opening the app, but I don't. I have to tap on the "Disarmed" or "Armed" feature under Security, then I have to tap on the feed under "Cameras." It then takes several seconds for the camera to connect to my iPhone so that I can see my feed.
The Hue Secure camera is not activated and set to recording unless the "Armed" option is enabled, so no alerts are received unless the camera is set to this state. The "Armed" feature can activate a siren or flash the lights when motion is detected, but by disabling everything, you can set it to Armed without having alarms and flashing lights going off if you simply want motion notifications.
There are separate Armed activation options for when at home and when away, each of which can be customized. If you "armed" the system and then it detected motion while you were away, you could set it to send a notification, flash the lights, and alert you so you can sound an alarm, hopefully scaring off any would-be intruders. When motion is detected, a 60 to 90 second video is captured, depending on subscription plan.
Hue also has "Take Action" buttons for turning on the lights or activating the alarm, and there are buttons for calling 911 or an emergency contact. The Armed and Not Armed features are nice for those who want a one-touch button that enables or disables all recording.
At home, if you have the camera armed, you need to ensure that it and any linked motion sensors are not in areas where they could be accidentally triggered, because there is no specific person recognition or way for the camera to tell an intruder from someone who lives in the home. If you have lights set to activate or a siren on, a middle of the night bathroom break might accidentally set everything off. I have an open floor plan, so none of the main entries in my home are sectioned off enough that I could arm an indoor Hue Secure camera and not have to worry about triggering it myself.
With a paid plan, the Hue Secure camera can tell a person from another event that triggers motion like an animal or a vehicle, but without it, it's all or nothing motion sensing. Setting boundaries for recording is also a paid feature, but there are blackout zones that can stop the camera from recording everything that's marked.
When not armed, the camera is not recording, but the live view can be accessed. If you want to record, you need to make sure you put it into armed mode before you leave the house, and there is an automation for this so you don't need to remember to do it manually. There are options to delete all timeline events under the privacy section, and individual recordings can also be removed.
From the layout of the app and the function of the camera, it's clear that Hue intends its system to be used for detecting and deterring intruders rather than something like keeping an eye on a pet or general home monitoring. The two-way talk works well, and the microphone quality is fine as long as there isn't a lot of ambient noise. I didn't have an issue being heard or understanding what was said on the camera.
I have a lot of Hue lights and also several security cameras, so I'm probably the kind of person that's the ideal target market for Hue's new camera options, but I'm struggling to find something new here to entice me to upgrade to the Hue Secure system at this price point.
At a minimum, I'd like to be able to integrate these cameras into HomeKit so I can see the cameras in the Home app on the TV, Mac, and other devices. There isn't a Hue app on the Mac or on the Apple TV so while the Hue app itself does have a live feed of the camera, I can't view it on anything but an iPhone or an iPad. I also don't have options to use the cameras with my other non-Hue HomeKit lights and sensors.
Bottom Line
Given the number of HomeKit cameras on the market, I think the lack of HomeKit integration and the lack of HomeKit Secure Video support makes these a difficult sell to HomeKit users. And for people who don't care about HomeKit integration, the cost of these cameras makes it hard for them to compete with cheaper cameras with similar specs, such as those from Ring. The Ring Stick Up Cam with 1080p video recording and a battery is $100, Hue's equivalent is $250.
There's already a lot of competition in the smart camera market, and it's tough to see where the Hue cameras quite fit in at this point given the limited integration and the price. The Hue cameras with included floodlights make the most sense because they serve a dual purpose as a light and as a camera, so those I could see investing in, but only if I was able to integrate them into HomeKit.
The Hue Secure System would most appeal to someone who has Hue lights but few other smart home products and wants to stay entirely in a single platform.
Apple today released an iTunes 12.13.1 update for Windows users, with the software introducing security improvements.
According to Apple's release notes, there are no notable new features, but the new version of iTunes should be installed as soon as possible because of the security improvements
iTunes for Windows is typically updated every few months, and this update follows an October release that saw Apple add options for listening to podcasts and audiobooks.
iTunes has been phased out on the Mac for several years now and it has been replaced with Finder and the TV app, but Apple has continued to keep the Windows version available.
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