MacRumors

Apple has announced Tap to Pay on iPhone in Japan, allowing independent sellers, small merchants, and large retailers in the country to use ‌iPhones‌ as a payment terminal.

Tap to Pay first arrived in February 2022 in the US, and allows iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets‌‌‌. All transactions are encrypted, and Apple has no information about what is purchased or the person who made the purchase.

No additional hardware or credit card machine is required‌ to use Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌. The feature uses NFC technology to securely authenticate the contactless payments, plus the feature also supports PIN entry, which includes accessibility options.

"In Japan, a country where innovation and tradition merge, new payment methods have been introduced all over the country, and at the same time, the transition from cash payment to electronic payment is progressing rapidly on the consumer side," said Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. "We are very pleased that through our new partnership with the payment platform, we can provide iPhone touch payment that can seamlessly support contactless payments for millions of businesses. This allows almost all iPhones in the country to be used as payment terminals without additional hardware, reducing the cost of responding to electronic payments by Japanese businesses, making it easy and secure for customers, and protecting their privacy. It will be possible to provide a contactless payment experience."

GMO Financial Gate's stera tap app, Recruit's Air Pay Touch app, and Square's Square POS register app will be the first payment platforms in Japan to offer touch payment with ‌iPhone‌ to businesses, according to Apple. Additionally, Adyen will support it in the coming months, and it will also be available at Apple Stores in Japan. ‌iPhone‌'s touch payment supports contactless credit and debit cards from the four major payment networks: American Express, JCB, Mastercard, and Visa.

Tap to Pay on ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌ requires ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌ XS or newer models, and works for customers as any normal ‌‌‌‌‌Apple Pay‌‌‌‌‌ transaction would. Sellers just need to open up the app, register the sale, and present their ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌ to the buyer, who can then use an appropriate contactless payment method.

Japan becomes the ninth region to support Tap to Pay, following similar rollouts in the U.K., Australia, Taiwan, Brazil, Ukraine, France, and the Netherlands last year.

Threads is working on a new web view that features the option to pin customized columns, similar to the TweetDeck feature that used to be available on Twitter. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared an image of the new web option, which he said is currently being tested.

The screenshot shows several custom columns, including a "For you" and several topic-based columns. Favorite searches, topics/keywords, accounts, saved posts, and notifications can be pinned at the current time, and there is an auto-refresh option to keep columns up to date with the newest posts.

Twitter, now renamed to X, has a similar "X Pro" feature that has the same format as the former TweetDeck option, but it requires an $8/month subscription to access. The Threads version would be free, and it could replicate much of the functionality that Twitter used to offer.

A column-based web view that's customizable could encourage more users to adopt Threads, and it prevents Threads users from being forced into the For you feed when opening Threads on the web. According to Bloomberg, Threads users that have the feature can pin up to 100 feeds to their homepage.

As of now, the multi-column view is being tested with a small number of users.

Earlier this week, Threads also added a new option to organize searches by recency, making it easier to find timely and relevant content on the social network.

The iMessage service that Apple users to send messages to one another appears to be down for some users, and messages are failing to go out or are taking an extra long time to send.

There are numerous reports about the issue on social networks and a spike of outage reports on Down Detector, but Apple's System Status page is not yet reporting an outage.

Update: Apple's status page says iMessage service has been restored, with the outage lasting approximately 45 minutes from 2:49 p.m. to 3:35 p.m. Pacific Time. Apple says FaceTime, HomeKit, and Apple Messages for Business were also affected.

In April, Apple updated its guidelines to allow retro game emulators on the App Store, and several popular emulators have already been released.

The emulators released so far allow iPhone users to play games released for older consoles from Nintendo, Sony, SEGA, Atari, and others.

A list of some popular emulators available on the App Store so far follows.

Released

Delta

Delta is a well-polished emulator for several Nintendo consoles, with beautiful on-screen controller skins, support for a wide range of physical controllers, and more. Developed by Riley Testut, Delta is the successor to the GBA4iOS emulator.

Supported Devices:

• iPhone

iPad support is coming soon.

Supported Consoles:

• Game Boy (all models)
• Nintendo DS
• Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
• Nintendo 64 (N64)

RetroArch

RetroArch is a frontend that provides all-in-one access to many different emulators for consoles from Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, SEGA, Sony, and others. The app offers RetroAchievements, which are essentially custom challenges added on top of classic games, such as "find and collect a Fire Flower" in Super Mario Bros. for NES.

Supported Devices:

• iPhone
• iPad
• Apple TV

Supported Consoles:

• Atari 2600
• Commodore 64
• PlayStation (PS1)
• PlayStation Portable (PSP)
• SEGA Genesis
• SEGA Saturn
• Game Boy (all models)
• Nintendo DS
• Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
• Nintendo 64 (N64)

RetroArch's full list of supported consoles is in the app's description on the App Store.

PPSSPP

PlayStation Portable emulator PPSSPP is built into RetroArch, but it is also available as a standalone app for those who want a more distilled experience.

Supported Devices:

• iPhone
• iPad

Supported Consoles:

• PlayStation Portable (PSP)

Gamma

Gamma is an emulator for the original PlayStation. It is developed by ZodTTD, who has been creating emulators for jailbroken iPhones for around 15 years.

Supported Devices:

• iPhone
• iPad

Supported Consoles:

• PlayStation (PS1)

Coming Soon

Provenance

Provenance is another frontend with all-in-one access to emulators for consoles from Atari, Nintendo, SEGA, Sony, and others. The app is currently available in beta via TestFlight, and it will be launching on the App Store soon. Provenance has been in development since 2016, and it could already be sideloaded on the iPhone.

Supported Devices:

• iPhone
• iPad
• Apple TV

Supported Consoles:

• Atari 2600
• ColecoVision
• PlayStation (PS1)
• PlayStation Portable (PSP)
• SEGA Genesis
• SEGA Saturn
• SEGA Dreamcast
• Game Boy (all models)
• Nintendo DS
• Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
• Nintendo 64 (N64)

A full list of supported consoles is available on Provenance's website.

Not Coming

Dolphin

The popular GameCube and Wii emulator Dolphin will not be available in the App Store, as its developers said Apple will not allow the emulator to use just-in-time (JIT) compilation, and PowerPC-based games are "basically unplayable" without it:

The GameCube and Wii have a PowerPC-based CPU inside them. All modern Apple devices use an ARM-based CPU. It isn't possible to directly run PowerPC code on an ARM CPU, and vice versa. Therefore, if we want to run a GameCube or Wii game on an iPhone, it is necessary to translate the game's PowerPC code to ARM so that the CPU can understand it.

Dolphin uses something called a Just-in-Time (JIT) recompiler to achieve this. Whenever the emulated console wants to run game code, Dolphin will use its JIT to translate the PowerPC code to ARM, and then execute the results.

Unfortunately, Apple generally does not allow apps to use JIT recompilers on iOS.

Production on displays destined for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models will start in June, according to display analyst Ross Young. In a tweet limited to subscribers, Young said that panel production will begin next month, with the smaller-sized ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ to have the highest volume production projected for June.

Apple suppliers will manufacture the displays and send them off to the factories that will start assembling the finished ‌iPhone 16‌ models.

The ‌iPhone 16‌, ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus, ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌, and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max are expected to come out in September, which is Apple's typical iPhone release month. The devices will look similar to the iPhone 15 models, but Apple is increasing the size of the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max.

The ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ will have a 6.3-inch display (up from 6.1 inches) while the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max will have a 6.9-inch display (up from 6.7 inches). Display sizes for the standard ‌iPhone 16‌ models will not change, and the ‌iPhone 16‌ will measure in at 6.1 inches while the ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus will have a 6.7-inch display.

Other new features rumored for the ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup include a new "Capture" button for taking images and videos in landscape mode, faster A-series chips, camera updates, and Wi-Fi 7 and faster 5G modems for some models.

More on what to expect from the ‌iPhone 16‌ can be found in our dedicated roundup.

Amazon today has one of the first $99 discounts on Apple's AirPods Max since February, available for $449.99 in four colors, down from $549.00. Most models can deliver as soon as May 18 with Prime delivery, and May 21 for regular shipping.

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

On Amazon, colors being discounted include Space Gray, Sky Blue, Silver, and Pink. AirPods Max deals above $50 have been very rare in 2024, with this deal being just the second time we've tracked a $99 discount so far this year. This isn't quite the all-time low price seen on the headphones, but it's still a solid discount if you've been waiting for something more notable to come along for the high-end AirPods.

Apple is rumored to be updating the AirPods Max sometime in 2024, and the new models should be getting a USB-C port and new color options. There is only one other AirPods deal happening right now on Amazon: you can get the the AirPods 2 for $79.99 ($49 off).

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Apple has discontinued the iOS Developer University Program as of May 15, according to a notice on its website and an email sent to program members.

The program allowed university professors and other eligible instructors to create a development team with up to 200 students, who could create and test apps without needing to pay the usual $99 annual fee for Apple Developer Program membership.

Apple says accredited educational institutions can still enroll in the Apple Developer Program at no cost by submitting a fee waiver request.

Thanks, Nicolás Álvarez!

The first M4 iPad Pro bend tests are in, and the initial consensus appears to be that Apple has managed to make its thinnest device ever just as durable as the previous generation M2 iPad Pro that it replaces.

Two approaches were taken in bend tests by prominent tech YouTubers. JerryRigEverything for example forcibly applied pressure by bending the new device with his hands, while MobileReviewsEh took a different tack by placing the iPad under a force meter and applying gym weights on top to exert pressure within a limited contact area.

When bending the iPad Pro from the back in the horizontal position, JerryRigEverything found that the device held up "surprisingly well," as if "suspicious levels of black magic structural integrity" were going on.

When forcibly bent from the back, the glass screen eventually rippled away from the frame, yet the display and operating system continued to function normally. When it came to putting pressure on the device vertically, however, it was a different story, and the iPad Pro quickly suffered a catastrophic split up the middle, originating from the USB-C port.

JerryRigEverything then removed the display to reveal and remove the internals, including the new metal cowling that runs down the middle of the device. "If Apple could add another more perpendicular spine running width-wise near the charging port, this thing probably would have survived," he added.

JerryRigEverything concluded that the central spine of the new iPad Pro is "definitely providing enough structure for horizontal bends," and should stand up to everyday use in a backpack or luggage. In his own AppleTrack test, Sam Kohl agreed: "Is [its thinness] a durability risk? The answer is no. The spine that Apple put along the logic board is very good unless you are bending the corners in."

After placing in excess of 70 pounds of weight on the center of the iPad Pro display until complete structural failure, MobileReviewsEh concluded that the new iPad Pro is "just as tough if not a little bit tougher" than the one it replaces, despite being 18-20% thinner than the M2 iPad Pro.

All in all, another "bendgate" looks unlikely. For those unfamiliar with the controversy, Apple in 2019 admitted to shipping its then-new models with a "very slight bend in the aluminum chassis," which it blamed on a "side effect of the manufacturing process."

Despite videos indicating that the 2018 iPad Pro models bent more easily than other models, Apple said the bend did not worsen over time or negatively affect the iPad's performance, and that concerns over the device's durability were unfounded. Nevertheless, some iPad owners were understandably upset to find defects in devices that cost hundreds of dollars.

iPhone users often find themselves toggling between different keyboard layouts to type messages, emails, or fill out forms. This can slow down communication and disrupt your flow. But there are ways to streamline the process. If this quick tip is new to you, it could revolutionize the way you type on your iPhone and save you precious time.

Switching away from the alphabetic keyboard layout when you need to type a number or symbol is an all-too-often occurrence on ‌iPhone‌, so here's a quick tip for making the transition super-swift.

Rather than tap the "123" key in the bottom-left corner to switch to the number/symbol keyboard, hold down on the key and then slide your finger over to the number/symbol that you want to type, then let go.

This single action types the number/symbol and automatically switches you right back into the alphabetical layout, avoiding the need to perform three separate taps to achieve the same result.

So next time you find yourself needing to insert a number or symbol, remember this trick and you can type away without pause.

Samsung has sought to capitalize on the fallout of Apple's controversial "Crush!" ad for iPad Pro by releasing a Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra ad that includes the tagline "Creativity cannot be crushed."

When Apple last week introduced the new M4 iPad Pro models, it showed a video of a hydraulic press crushing creative tools, including musical instruments, electronic equipment, arcade games, paint and brushes, computers, cameras, and more, with the aim of demonstrating how the iPad represents all of the tools condensed into a single device.

This imagery sparked significant backlash from the creative community and the social media-using public, who interpreted it as a metaphor for Big Tech's destructive impact on creative industries and individual creativity.

The negative reception was so strong that Apple decided to cancel planned TV spots for the ad and publicly apologized, acknowledging that the ad "missed the mark" by not aligning with their intention to celebrate and empower creatives​.

Seizing on a perceived marketing opportunity, Samsung has now released an ad of its own, in which a musician walks through the destructive wake of the hydraulic press and picks up a damaged guitar. The musician then sits beside an easel holding a Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra with musical notation on the screen, and proceeds to perform the piece of music. The video was shared on X (Twitter) by Samsung with the accompanying caption, "We would never crush creativity."

Samsung mocking Apple in its ads is nothing new. The company has mocked Apple for everything from design decisions such as the iPhone's removal of the headphone jack (which it also eventually removed) to Apple's lack of a foldable smartphone lineup.

Apple has new Smart Folio cases for its latest M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air models that boast a wider range of viewing angles, and thanks to Marques Brownlee, we now know how it's done.

With the help of some magnet paper, MKBHD reveals that Apple has added bigger, more cubic magnets to the M4 iPad Pro that align with a new longer rail of stripe magnets in the Folio Case, thereby achieving a wider range of viewing angle adjustment.

The magnet paper also reveals that, because of how thin the new iPad Pro is compared to the previous generation model, Apple has had to use flatter, more circular speaker drivers, which appear to be closer to the top of the device.

Apple is selling the new Smart Folio for the 11-inch iPad Pro in Denim, Black, and White. There's also a Smart Folio for the 13-inch iPad Pro in the same color options.

Similarly, you can get the Smart Folio for 11-inch iPad Air in Light Violet, Charcoal Gray, Sage, and Denim. There's also the Smart Folio for the 13-inch iPad Air in the same color options.

The 11-inch and 13-inch versions of the Smart Folio case for iPad Pro and iPad Air are priced at $79 and $99, respectively.

Netflix's ad-supported streaming tier has 40 million global monthly active users, up 35 million from a year ago, Netflix said today at its Upfront advertising presentation. Netflix has 270 million total subscribers worldwide, so the majority of its users are still on the ad-free tiers.

Netflix resisted implementing an ad-supported tier for many years, but confirmed in 2022 that it had plans to implement a cheaper option in order to boost revenue. The Standard with ads plan launched in late 2022, and it has grown more popular as Netflix has increased the pricing of its ad-free tiers.

In the United States, the Standard with ads plan is priced at $6.99 per month for HD streaming on up to two devices at one time, with all but a "few movies and TV shows available." The basic ad-free plan is $15.49 per month, while the premium plan is $22.99 per month. Netflix's ad-supported plan does not include the option to download content for offline viewing, nor does it support spatial audio.

According to Netflix, more than 40 percent of all signups in the countries where the ad-supported plan is available are for the ads plan. More than 70 percent of Netflix's ad-supported members watch Netflix content for more than 10 hours per month, and Netflix says subscribers are twice as likely to respond to an ad compared to subscribers of other streaming services.

Since Netflix launched its ad-supported tier, it has partnered with Microsoft for ads, but in 2025, it will launch an in-house ad platform.

In addition to boosting revenue through a cheaper ad-supported option, Netflix has also cracked down on password sharing. After putting an end to multi-household account use, Netflix saw strong subscriber growth and an increase in revenue.

With Apple's decision to allow game emulators on the App Store, several popular emulators like Delta have now launched for iPhone and iPad. RetroArch is the latest emulator to come to the ‌App Store‌, allowing gamers to play games from a wide range of systems.

RetroArch supports multiple versions of Atari and Commodore systems, as well as the Nintendo DS, Game Boy, NES, SNES, and Virtual Boy. Multiple Sega and Sony systems are also included, as are the NEC PC Engine and Neo Geo Pocket.

RetroArch is free to download, has no ads, and is open source. It supports save states, cheats, custom overlays, fast forward and rewind, AI translations, and RetroAchievements. RetroAchievements adds trophies to all manner of classic games, providing incentives to unlock new content and top leaderboards.

RetroArch is fairly well-known because it was previously available on PC and Mac, it just was not able to be released for iOS devices until Apple's rule change. RetroArch is also the first console emulator that works on the Apple TV, allowing games to be played with an MFi controller on a larger screen.

RetroArch can be downloaded from the ‌App Store‌ for free. [Direct Link]

Popular note taking app Goodnotes today announced new features that are designed to work with the Apple Pencil Pro that launched alongside the 2024 iPad Pro models. The ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro supports a squeeze gesture with haptic feedback, as well as a barrel roll for better control over shaped pen and brush tools.

Palette is a set of tools that pops up in Goodnotes with a squeeze of the ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro. It allows users to swap between essential tools, undo, and change ink stroke, thickness, and color. Normally these features would need to be accessed through a tool panel, but the Palette makes it much quicker to swap between options without interrupting a workflow.

Goodnotes' Fountain Pen now includes Dynamic Ink with an ink flow that is able to respond to the rotation of the ‌Apple Pencil‌. Instead of just responding to pressure sensitivity, the Fountain Pen is able to make thinner or thicker lines based on the orientation of the ‌Apple Pencil‌, for a more natural pen-like feel.

Strokes will vary with calligraphic flourishes as a physical fountain pen would, which Goodnotes says can bring more personal expression to digital writing. Rolling the barrel of the ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro can also provide more precise control over stroke thickness, and stroke preview is available using ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover.

Goodnotes 6 can be downloaded from the App Store for free, but it costs $9.99 per year after a free trial. [Direct Link]

Astropad today confirmed that its updated version of Rock Paper Pencil is compatible with the 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air models. Rock Paper Pencil is a screen protector and Apple Pencil tip duo designed to mimic the feel of writing on paper with a pen.

Rock Paper Pencil combines a removable screen protector with a unique ‌Apple Pencil‌ tip to replicate the feel of writing on paper. The NanoCling Screen Protector adheres to the iPad's display using static cling, and it can easily be put on and taken off when it's not needed, with no adhesive residue.

The Pencil tip can hold up to heavy daily use with a wear-resistant copper alloy core and palladium coating. The tip is equivalent to a standard 0.7mm ballpoint pen for a pleasant note taking experience. The kit includes two pencil tips and a protective storage sleeve for the screen protector.

Rock Paper Pencil is priced at $40 and can be purchased from the Astropad website. The 13-inch version is compatible with the 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌iPad Air‌, while there are separate versions for the 11-inch ‌iPad Air‌ and the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌.

The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) today sent a cease and desist letter to Spotify, accusing the music streaming service of using its members' copyrighted content without appropriate licensing. The letter was shared by Billboard, and it suggests that Spotify is "hosting unlicensed musical works in its lyrics, videos, and podcasts."

Spotify has been asked to remove the unlicensed content from its platform or face a "copyright liability" for its continued use. The NMPA is a trade association that represents music publishers and songwriters in the U.S., and the group focuses on protecting music copyrights.

The NMPA claims that while Spotify has mechanical and public performance licenses, the use of lyrics and music in videos and podcasts requires rights that must be negotiated directly with rightsholders.

It has come to our attention that Spotify displays lyrics and reproduces and distributes music videos and podcasts using musical works without the consent of or compensation to the respective publishers and/or administrators (our members) who control the copyrights in the musical compositions. As such, these uses of musical works on the Spotify platform are not licensed or will soon become unlicensed.

U.S. copyright law generally grants copyright owners the exclusive right to, among other things, reproduce, distribute, display, perform publicly, and create derivative works from their copyrighted works under 17 U.S.C. Sn. 106. Violation of these exclusive rights constitutes copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. Sn. 501.

Spotify thus appears to be engaged in direct infringement by hosting unlicensed musical works in its lyrics, videos, and podcasts, and by distributing unauthorized reproductions, synchronizations, displays, and derivative uses of these musical works to its users. Making matters worse, Spotify profits from such infringement.

Accordingly, on behalf of our members, NMPA demands that unlicensed lyrics, music videos, and podcasts be removed from the platform or Spotify will face copyright liability for continued use of these works.

A spokesperson for Spotify told Billboard that the letter is a "press stunt filled with false and misleading claims." Spotify went on to say that it paid a "record amount" to songwriters in 2023, and is on track to surpass that amount in 2024.

Ubisoft today announced plans to release Assassin's Creed Shadows, the next game in the Assassin's Creed franchise, on November 15. It will be available on Macs with Apple silicon through the Mac App Store, as well as Windows PCs, the Xbox Series X or Series S, and the PlayStation 5.

Assassin's Creed Shadows takes place in 16th century Japan, with players set to take on the role of Naoe, a shinobi assassin from the Iga Province and Yasuke, a powerful samurai. Each character offers a different playstyle, progression path, skills, weapon options, and stats. Naoe focuses on stealth skills, while Yasuke excels at combat.

The game has a vast open world to explore, and Ubisoft says players can expect a variety of landscapes that have evolving weather and seasons. There will be castle towns, bustling ports, pastoral landscapes, and peaceful shrines.

As with past Assassin's Creed games, players will need to hunt down targets and build spy networks, with the game featuring a customizable hideout and recruitable allies.

The standard version of the game will be priced at $70, but there are more expensive Gold, Ultimate, and Collector's Edition options that include additional unlocks and merchandise. Pre-orders are available from the Mac App Store starting today.

Apple's previous generation M1 iPad Air has dropped further in price this week on Amazon, now available at $399.00 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model, down from $599.00. These price drops follow just one week after Apple unveiled the new M2 iPad Air.

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

You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi M1 iPad Air on sale for $599.00, down from $749.00. Both of these deals are new all-time low prices on the 2022 tablet, and right now only Amazon has the discounts.

Additionally, both cellular models are on sale right now on Amazon. The 64GB cellular model has hit $599.00, down from $749.00, while the 256GB cellular model is available for $749.00, down from $899.00. Stock on the cellular models is far more sparse compared to the Wi-Fi tablets, so be sure to order soon if you're interested.

There are numerous differences between the M1 and M2 iPad Air, mainly including display sizes and the various internal upgrades that the M2 chip introduced in the 2024 models. Our buyer's guide has a more detailed breakdown of these two iPad Air models and should help make any buying decision a bit easier.

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