A previously reported "Netflix for Games" subscription service that Apple has been working on may be shown at the Apple Event scheduled for Monday, March 25.
Bloomberg reports that beyond Apple's news and video services which are expected to debut on Monday, Apple may be ready to unveil a similar gaming service.
Apple is also working on a premium games subscription for its App Store and discussing it with potential partners, according to people with knowledge of the plans. This service won’t take on new cloud-based streaming offerings like Google Stadia. Instead, it will focus on iPhones and iPads and bundle together paid games from different developers that consumers can access for a monthly fee.
The monthly service fee would be divided amongst the games in the service based on how much time is spent in each game. The service would likely focus on paid games rather than the popular free-to-play genre.
Bloomberg isn't certain the service will debut Monday, but Apple has certainly cleared the way for a focus on new services for the event. Earlier this week, Apple quietly debuted new AirPods, iMacs, and iPads.
Japanese blog Mac Otakara posted a new report tonight which indicates that Apple will maintain the Lightning connector on the 2019 iPhones but may finally be including an 18W Fast Charger and USB-C to Lightning cable.
In addition, the next iPhone seems to continue to adopt the Lightning connector, but the charging cable has been changed to the USB-C to Lightning cable, and it seems that the attached power adapter may also be changed to the Apple 18W USB-C power adapter is.
The inclusion would represent an upgrade to the currently shipping 5W USB adapter. The 18W adapter allows fast charging with iPhone X charging from 1 percent to 79 percent in one hour.
This rumor actually contradicts a previous report by the same site which expected Apple to retain the 5W adapter. Mac Otakara also reiterates Ming-Chi Kuo's claim that this year's iPhones will have the ability to wirelessly charge other devices.
Apple will debut its rumored television service on Monday, and ahead of the event, The Washington Post has shared some new details on the planning that has gone into Apple's TV service.
When deciding how to distribute its original television content and at what cost, Apple reportedly considered offering free television shows to customers who paid the extra fee for AppleCare for their Mac and iOS devices.
Apple also considered an offering through the Apple TV, and recent rumors have suggested that the content Apple offers will actually be provided through the TV app on iOS devices and the company's set-top box. There's also a possibility that Apple will distribute its content outside of its own platform as well, which is something else the company has mulled.
Apple's plans are still not clear to industry insiders and Hollywood executives, and one source that provided the above info to The Washington Post said that Apple's plans have changed multiple times.
"Whatever they try to sell on Monday, it's not what they started with and they are trying to figure out what kind of engine to put in while the plane is in the air," the executive said.
Film and TV creators who are working with Apple have been left in the dark about the company's plans and do not know if content will be exclusive to Apple users or available to everyone. Creators received "obfuscation and ambiguous responses" when asking about distribution, with some speculating that Apple may not have made up its mind about the finer details of the streaming service.
"Apple is the only company in the world that can drop a couple million dollars in entertainment and get Reese Witherspoon and M. Night Shamalayan on board without any articulation of a plan in terms of marketing or distribution," said one well-connected Hollywood executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to upset Apple.
Recent reports from The Information and Recode have suggested Apple may be planning to offer its own content in the TV app at no cost as a way to lure Apple users to purchase subscriptions for other services, such as Showtime or Starz, within the TV app.
Apple plans to offer a range of different content from various content partners, and has plans to provide bundles of cable channels. These partnerships are said to be the true focus of Apple's TV service, and what will drive up the company's services revenue.
As we've previously heard, Apple has invested millions of dollars in its original television shows. Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, who will star in a morning show drama tentatively called "The Morning Show," are being paid approximately $1.1 million per episode each.
While there have been mixed rumors about Apple's efforts to control the content that's released on its platform, Apple has been willing to create "edgy" shows. One person involved with Apple said Apple executives in Cupertino have stayed out of the creative process.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has, however, "passed notes" to writers on Apple shows through Apple's Hollywood team because Tim Cook, as we've heard before, is aiming to protect Apple's brand and reputation. Apple, for example, shelved "Vital Signs," a show starring Dr. Dre, as was reported earlier last year. Apple could perhaps release this show sometime later, according to sources that spoke to The Washington Post.
Apple will answer at least some of the questions about its streaming service plans on Monday, March 25, which is when its "It's Showtime" event will take place. The event will start at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with MacRumors planning to offer live coverage both on MacRumors.com and the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Each year, Apple typically holds three or four events to unveil new products. There's generally a spring event around March or April, the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, a September event focused on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and sometimes, an October event that usually includes Macs and iPads.
In this guide, we're tracking the Apple events that are on the horizon, including what we're expecting to see at each one. Make sure to check in regularly, because we'll be updating this guide on a regular basis.
September iPhone Event
Apple's September event will include new flagship iPhone models and new Apple Watch models, plus it sometimes also includes updated AirPods. We've outlined some of what we're expecting below.
The standard iPhone 16 models will get the Action button added to the iPhone 15 Pro, alongside a new Capture button that's designed to make it easy to capture videos when the iPhone is held in a horizontal orientation. We're also expecting an upgraded A-series chip that's branded as an A18 chip, plus a rear camera lens setup arranged in a vertical orientation rather than a diagonal orientation.
Aside from the new Capture and Action buttons and the camera tweak, the iPhone 16 models are expected to look identical to the iPhone 15 models. Full details on the iPhone 16 feature set can be found in our iPhone 16 roundup.
As with the iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 16 Pro models will look like the prior-generation iPhone 15 Pro models, but we are going to get bigger screen sizes. The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to have a 6.3-inch display, up from 6.1 inches, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to have a 6.9-inch display, up from 6.7 inches.
The Pro models will feature the Capture button, a faster A-series chip, and an upgraded 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, plus the tetraprism 5x Telephoto lens introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be in both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the smaller iPhone 16 Pro this time around.
In 2024, we're expecting the Apple Watch Series 10 or Apple Watch X, which will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the device if you're counting from when it was introduced in 2014 rather than when it launched in 2015.
Rumors suggest that the Apple Watch this year could get a major redesign that will make it thinner, and there is a possibility that it will feature a new magnetic band system for attaching bands. If Apple does swap over to this, there is a chance that existing bands won't be compatible with the new models.
We're also counting on new health features that include blood pressure monitoring for hypertension detection and the ability for the Apple Watch to tell whether someone has sleep apnea using sleep data and breathing information.
AirPods 4
Apple is working on a fourth-generation version of the AirPods, which are expected to come out sometime around September 2024. There will be two models, one with the Active Noise Cancellation technology that has been limited to the AirPods Pro.
The AirPods 4 will come in at two different price points, and both models will feature a new design with shorter stems, and a case with USB-C charging and speakers for Find My alerts. Apple is also expected to add hearing aid functionality that will let the AirPods serve as an alternative to a traditional hearing aid.
AirPods Max
Apple will finally refresh the AirPods Max in 2024, but don't expect new features. Apple plans to keep the design and the internals the same, swapping only the Lightning port for a USB-C port. New colors are a possibility, though.
Late 2024/Early 2025 M4 Macs
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to begin refreshing the Mac lineup with M4 chips later in 2024. Several Macs are slated to be refreshed in the late 2024 or early 2025 timeframe, but Apple's exact release plans aren't yet clear.
iMac
The 24-inch iMac will be updated with the next-generation M4 chip in late 2024. The M4 is expected to feature improved performance to support AI tasks, and rumors suggest that Apple will add an updated Neural Engine with more cores.
MacBook Pro
Apple will refresh the MacBook Pro lineup with the M4-series chips in late 2024. The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro will get the M4 chip in late 2024, while the 14-inch and 16-inch models will be refreshed with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.
Mac mini
The Mac mini will be updated in late 2024. Right now, Apple sells a standard M2 version and an M2 Pro version, and we are expecting that to continue with the M4 lineup. The Mac mini will have M4 and M4 Pro chip options.
2025 M4 Mac Refresh
Several other Macs will be updated with M4-series chips across 2025.
MacBook Air
Apple plans to refresh the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models sometime in spring 2025, updating them with M4 chips. Design changes are not expected, with the focus to be on the chip refresh. Spring 2025 ranges from March 20 to June 20.
Mac Studio
The Mac Studio was updated with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips in June 2023, and it sounds like Apple will skip M3 chips in the desktop machine. Current rumors suggest the Mac Studio will be updated in mid-2025, and mid-year updates usually happen around WWDC. The Mac Studio will likely get M4 Max and M4 Ultra chips, keeping in line with the current options.
Mac Pro
Apple plans to update the Mac Pro sometime in late 2025. It will be equipped with the highest-end version of the M4 chip, which is codenamed "Hidra," and it could be either an "Ultra" or "Extreme" M4 chip. The Mac Pro is also expected to support up to 512GB Unified Memory.
Products With Unknown Release Dates
There are a number of new products in the works that don't yet have specific release dates associated with them. Some of these could come at an October event, or at other times throughout the year.
Apple TV 4K - A new Apple TV 4K with a faster A16 processor was originally said to be coming in the first half of 2024, but more recent rumors have indicated a launch is not imminent.
iPad mini 7 - The next iPad mini won't have any design updates, but it could have an upgraded A-series chip and new front and rear cameras.
Low-cost iPad - Apple is working on an 11th-generation iPad with a faster chip and support for Wi-Fi 6E.
HomePod with Display - Apple is rumored to be working on a next-generation version of the HomePod that has a touchscreen display at the top. This would look similar to the existing HomePod, but the screen would be able to be interacted with in new ways.
New Display - There have been multiple rumors of a Pro Display XDR successor, but there's no word on when an update might come.
Home Hub Device - Rumors suggest Apple is working on a smart home display that would serve as a central hub for controlling smart home products, and it could launch as soon as 2024.
Further in the Future
iMac Pro - Apple could introduce a larger 32-inch iMac, replacing the previously discontinued 27-inch iMac. Apple's plans and a potential launch date continue to be unclear.
Foldable iPhone - Apple is allegedly working on a foldable iPhone that might be between 7.5 and 8 inches, with a launch date slated for 2025 at the earliest.
Foldable iPad/Mac - Before we ever get a foldable iPhone, Apple will introduce some kind of foldable notebook and perhaps a foldable iPad. Current rumors suggest that Apple is working on a 20-inch MacBook that has a foldable display, but it won't come out for several years yet.
Vision Pro 2 - Apple is working on a new Vision Pro, or multiple new models. Rumors are a little mixed right now, but Apple seems to want a successor for the current model and also a lower-cost version that would be closer in price to the iPhone.
Events That Already Happened
February Vision Pro Launch
Apple in February launched the Vision Pro, its first new product of 2024. There was no launch event because it had already been introduced at WWDC last June, but Apple did market it through product videos and a press release. The Vision Pro is priced starting at $3,500, and as of right now, it is limited to the United States.
visionOS, the operating system that runs on the Vision Pro, also came out in February.
As an entirely new product, the Vision Pro has some cutting-edge technology and you can find all the details on the device in our Vision Pro roundup.
Surprise March MacBook Air Launch
In late 2023, there were rumors that Apple would hold a 2024 spring event to unveil new MacBook Air and iPad Pro models, but in late February, we got word that Apple had no plans for an event after all.
On March 4, Apple announced the new 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch MacBook Air models. There are few physical changes compared to the prior-generation MacBook Air models from 2022 and 2023, but both machines adopt the 3-nanometer M3 chip. The M3 is approximately 20 percent faster than the prior-generation M2 chip, and it has improved graphics capabilities such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
In late April, Apple announced an event to be held on Tuesday, May 7, with rumors pointing to new iPad Pro and iPad Air models plus some updated accessories.
The event saw the introduction of redesigned ultra-thin iPad Pro models in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, both featuring new "Ultra Retina XDR" OLED display panels that offer enhanced contrast for improved HDR, better colors, and greater power efficiency. The iPad Pro models also include the all-new M4 chip, double the starting storage at 256GB, and a relocated landscape front camera and Face ID module.
Alongside the iPad Pro, Apple also introduced an updated Magic Keyboard with an aluminum shell, function keys and a larger haptic trackpad, plus a new Apple Pencil Pro with squeeze and barrel roll gestures, haptic feedback and Find My support.
The iPad Air also saw a significant update at the event, with the lineup expanding to two sizes for the first time with 11-inch and 13-inch models now available. Both models feature Apple's M2 chip and a relocated landscape FaceTime camera.
Finally, Apple discontinued the ninth-generation iPad and reduced the price of the 10th-generation iPad by $100, with Apple's cheapest iPad now starting at $349.
June 2024 - WWDC
Apple held its annual Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on Monday, June 10, introducing new versions of the software that runs on Apple devices. WWDC focused heavily on "Apple Intelligence," which is what Apple is calling its set of AI features. AI updates are coming to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, plus there are new features for each operating system.
Apple Intelligence includes tools for helping you generate, edit, and proofread writing, major Siri updates to make Siri more useful, and image generation features for creating custom images and custom emoji, or Genmoji.
iOS 18 - iOS 18 has all of the Apple Intelligence features, along with a revamped Home Screen that lets you move app icons anywhere, recolor icons, and remove the names from your icons. Control Center has been redesigned and is customizable, plus third-party developers can create Control Center controls. There are emoji Tapbacks in Messages, an option to send messages via satellite, a feature for locking apps, and much more.
iPadOS 18 - iPadOS 18 has the same AI features as iOS 18 along with the Control Center and Home Screen updates, plus all of the app features. The iPad now has a Calculator app and in Notes, support for writing out math equations and having them solved right in line. There's also a Smart Script feature that improves your handwriting with Apple Pencil, and Safari can summarize webpages and highlight key info, a feature that's also available cross-platform.
macOS Sequoia - You can mirror your iPhone to your Mac with macOS Sequoia, fully controlling apps, interacting with notifications, and more. And you can do it while your iPhone is locked. There's a new Passwords app that's also on PCs and in iOS 18/iPadOS 18, plus updates to window tiling.
tvOS 18 - tvOS 18 adds new animated screensavers and makes it easier to switch screensavers, and in the Apple TV app, when you watch Apple TV+ shows, you can see InSights, which give you info on the actors in a TV or movie.
watchOS 11 - watchOS 11 includes a Vitals app that aggregates your health data and gives you a wellness score each day, so you can get alerted to any changes you're experiencing. There are new Training Load features for tracking the intensity of workouts and the impact on the body over time, and Smart Stack widgets have been improved with new widgets and support for Live Activities. You can also pause Activity Ring tracking without losing a streak.
visionOS 2 - Apple improved the look of Personas in visionOS 2, and there are new gestures for accessing the Control Center and Home View. Home View apps can be customized, and there's an option to create 3D photos from your 2D images.
All of the software updates are available to developers in a beta capacity right now, with Apple planning for a public release in the fall after several months of beta testing. Not all features are slated to launch right in September, and some of the Apple Intelligence additions won't be available until later iOS 18 updates in 2025.
LG recently debuted a new 32UL950 32-inch UltraFine 4K display, but this latest model, priced at $1300, wasn't designed in partnership with Apple.
It still shares quite a few design similarities with prior UltraFine models, though, so we thought we'd check it out in our latest YouTube video to see whether it's a solid option for the purchase price.
The LG 32UL950 UltraFine Display features a black front panel with slim bezels and a curved base with a plastic monitor arm. It's tilt and height adjustable, so you can get it into the perfect position, and it can even be used in portrait orientation.
As with many LG displays, it's VESA compatible so you can mount it on the wall to save desk space. It is equipped with two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, which can be used for fast data transfer, 60W charging for your MacBook, and daisychaining an additional 4K monitor if desired. There are also two USB-A ports, a DisplayPort, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and built-in speakers.
The 4K display of the LG 32UL950 UltraFine is great, with crisp, detailed images and sharp text, though it's not quite as nice as the 5K UltraFine that LG offers in partnership with Apple.
This is a 32-inch display, but it's not ultrawide, and it has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 at 60Hz. Running this display at full resolution makes the on-screen elements quite small, so buyers might want to use it at 3360 x 1890 or 3200 x 1800 instead. Other display features include HDR and DCI-P3 support for excellent contrast and color.
For content creation or digital media, the LG 32UL950 is a solid choice, but it's not the greatest for gaming because it maxes out at 60Hz. It does support Radeon FreeSync and Dynamic Action Sync, though.
LG charges $1300 for the display, but it's available on Amazon at a cheaper price of $1100. That still makes it more expensive than LG's 5K monitor, so it's not going to be for everyone.
Make sure to watch our video up above for a closer look at LG's new UltraFine display, and let us know what you think of it in the comments below.
Nomad is a company that creates useful accessories built around rugged simplicity, and in the past it has released iPhone cases, Lightning cables, and Apple Watch straps.
This year, Nomad launched its first metal strap for the Apple Watch, called the Titanium Band, a full-metal link bracelet built with over twenty titanium links and a set of custom lugs, designed for the 44mm Apple Watch Series 4 and the older generation 42mm models.
Design
Similar in design to other metal link bracelets for Apple Watch -- including Apple's own accessory -- Nomad's Titanium Band has a series of metal links connected by a slim clasp system that snaps closed around your wrist. The Titanium Band comes in both Silver and Black, to match both metal finishes available for the Apple Watch Series 4.
To adjust the fit, the accessory has up to ten removable links that lets you customize the band length so that it can fit any wrist, according to Nomad. On the clasp, which sits under your wrist, there is a small and unobtrusive Nomad logo, and the lugs on the band are designed like most other third-party Apple Watch bands, built to slide easily into the Apple Watch case.
Adjusting Size
The Titanium Band ships at the largest size, so most people will have to go through the size adjustment process before they're able to wear the band. I found this process to be lengthier and a bit more troublesome than I was expecting, and definitely not as simple as Apple's Link Bracelet.
Nomad provides you with a link removal tool, which is a small metal device with a screw system that pushes out links in the band. To start, you have to adjust the bottom part of the tool so that the Titanium Band will be at the right height, allowing the tool's needle to slide into one of the links on the band.
Then, you place the Titanium Band on this round platform and align one of the link holes on the band with the needle. Once aligned, you turn the big screw on the tool to push the link in the band out the other end, and continue doing that until you have a few links removed.
Once you have a size you think could fit your wrist, you'll have to reattach the segmented band. To do this, you line up the two sides of the band and re-insert one of the removed pins back into the pin hole. You can only insert the pin so far manually, so you must place the band back on the tool and align the protruding pin with the tool's needle, twisting the screw so that the needle head hits directly onto the pin until it slots back into the Titanium Band.
From this point, you can try on the Titanium Band and make sure it fits. If it doesn't, you'll have to remove more links and repeat the process. For me, it took upwards of 30 minutes to finally find the size that fit well on my wrist, and after much trial-and-error with the link removal tool.
As a point of comparison, Apple's removal process is a simple button-based system that requires you to press down on specific links to remove them, without the need of an external tool. Nomad's solution is noticeably lengthier and more arduous, and it definitely offset the initial excitement I had of getting a new Apple Watch band.
Daily Use
Thankfully, this is a one-time process and in the weeks since I adjusted it Nomad's Titanium Band has been one of my favorite Apple Watch bands to wear. The metal band has notable heft to it, but feels light on my wrist and once I had the right size, it sat super comfortably throughout the day and never moved up or down my wrist.
The process of putting it on and taking it off is easy thanks to the band's clasp system, which folds together and snaps shut to put on, and opens easily by pressing two small buttons on each side to remove it. When putting the Titanium Band on I would occasionally pinch myself as the two ends of clasps came down together too close to my skin, but over time the process became a bit smoother.
I tend to prefer keeping workout-friendly bands on my Apple Watch, since the process of taking bands off and on every day can get a bit cumbersome. Just to test it out, I decided to wear Nomad's Titanium Band during a few workouts, and I came away largely impressed. Although I'd still prefer to wear a Sport Loop, Nomad's metal band never felt heavy or distracting during my workouts, and although it was a bit wet afterwards the metal dried quickly and hasn't been stained in any way.
Although I haven't exactly banged or hit the Titanium Band against many other surfaces over the past few weeks, I can also say that it appears to be largely scratch-free under pretty solid daily wear. One potential worry is that the lugs that connect the Nomad band to the Apple Watch case do have a little bit of wiggle room even when they're secured, lacking the satisfying fit of a first party Apple band.
Still, I've never worried about the Titanium Band unlatching, and it's a breeze to remove it from the case when you want to swap out for a different band, which is not something I can say for all third-party link bracelets I've used over the years.
Bottom Line
Nomad's Titanium Band is a quality, good-looking Apple Watch accessory that's comfortable to wear and has a more reasonable price tag compared to Apple's Link Bracelet. At $179.95 for Nomad's watch band, you'll be saving about $170 when compared to Apple's $349.00 Link Bracelet.
The downside of this trade off means that you'll also be spending more time adjusting the size of Nomad's Titanium Band, a process that is streamlined and far easier with Apple's option. But once this slightly annoying process is completed, the Nomad band is a sleek accessory that pairs nicely with any 42mm or 44mm stainless steel Apple Watch.
How to Buy
You can head to Nomad's website to purchase the Titanium Band for $179.95.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Tile to give MacRumors readers a chance to win a set of Tile Bluetooth trackers that are designed to help you keep track of your most precious and essential items.
Tile makes small Bluetooth enabled tracking accessories that you can put on anything that you don't want to lose, from keys and wallets to your phone, your camera, your watch, your purse, or anything else you don't want to lose.
The idea is that you attach a Tile to something like your keys, and then if and when those keys are misplaced, you open up the Tile app and use the Bluetooth connection between the Tile and your phone to see a map with the location of your keys and to play a sound on the Tile itself. If you lose your phone, you can tap on the Tile and it'll ping your phone, so there's two-way tracking available.
Tile makes a whole range of trackers for different items and purposes. The Tile Pro, for example, is Tile's most advanced tracking accessory. It has a Bluetooth tracking range of 300 feet and it's 3x as loud as other Tile trackers, so it's best for your most valuable items.
With Tile Pro's long tracking range and loud volume, it's appropriate for your purse, your camera bag, your laptop bag, and other things you want to make sure you can keep an eye on and protect from being lost or stolen. Tile Pro is Tile's most expensive tracker at $35, but discounts are available for multi-pack purchases.
Tile Mate is similar to the Tile Pro, but it's a bit more compact and it's more affordable at $25. Tile Mate, like Tile Pro, has a user replaceable battery so you can use it indefinitely. Tile Mate can work from up to 150 feet away over Bluetooth, and 1.5 times louder than other Tile products.
Tile Slim, priced at $30, is Tile's slimmest Bluetooth tracker that's perfect for tucking into a wallet, a passport, or sticking onto the back of a device like a laptop or iPad. Tile Slim has a 100 foot range and it's not quite as loud as the other Tile trackers, but it's still perfect for items where thinness is key.
All of Tile's trackers, from the Pro to the Mate to the Slim will last for one year with the original battery that ships with them. On all trackers but the Slim, you can replace this battery when the year is up, a feature that was added to Tile trackers last October. If you don't want to hassle with battery replacements, Tile has a premium program that offers free battery replacements along with a detailed location history and unlimited sharing, so you can let friends and family help you find a misplaced item.
Tile's trackers are designed to locate your devices close by when they're in Bluetooth range, but the Tile app has a Community Find feature that leverages all the Tile trackers out in the wild to find a lost item if it's not in the vicinity of your own phone, which is a useful bonus.
For MacRumors readers, Tile is offering two tracker bundles that include four Tile Pros, four Tile Mates, and 1 Tile Slim so you can add Bluetooth tracking to all of your important belongings. To participate in the giveaway, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (March 22) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 29. The winners will be chosen randomly on March 29 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Later on Friday, Cook met with politician Sun Chunlan, a Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China. The state-run news agency Xinhua claims that Sun made positive remarks about Apple and the company's role in Sino-U.S. relations.
Cook will then likely take a direct flight back to California in time for Apple's media event on Monday at Steve Jobs Theater, where the company is widely expected to introduce two new services for streaming video and magazines/newspapers.
Apple's Beats brand will soon release an entirely wire-free version of its Powerbeats Wireless Earphones designed for workouts, reports CNET. The updated earphones will be similar to the AirPods, in that there will be no wire between them.
Apple won't be cannibalizing its own AirPods sales because Powerbeats are designed for working out, running, and other athletic activities that aren't really meant for AirPods.
Apple's current Powerbeats earphones
The newly updated AirPods that Apple launched this week feature an updated H1 chip that brings faster switching between devices, quicker connections when making phone calls, "Hey Siri" support and longer talk time, and this chip could also be included in updated Powerbeats.
The W1 chip that Apple used in the previous version of the AirPods was also incorporated into its Beats headphones.
CNET says that the information comes from a source that has provided reliable details on Apple's plans in the past, with Apple's Beats brand set to release the new earphones in April. Compared to the AirPods, the upcoming Powerbeats could offer better bass and water resistance, as well as the ability to better stay in the ears during rigorous activity.
There's no word on what the new Powerbeats will cost. Apple priced the new AirPods with Wireless Charging Case at $199, and current Powerbeats also cost $199, so the price could potentially go up.
It's not clear if there are other headphone updates in the works that would be announced at the same time as the wire-free Powerbeats, but Apple's Beats brand has not introduced a significant update since summer 2018 when the Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones were updated with a W1 chip.
Starting with the iOS 12.2 beta, AT&T began displaying a 5G Evolution or 5GE icon on iPhones, misleading AT&T subscribers into thinking they're getting 5G transfer speeds when in fact, 5G on iPhone is not supported and AT&T has no 5G network as of yet.
AT&T uses the 5GE labeling to describe its 4G LTE networks that offer features like three-way carrier aggregation, 256 QAM, and 4x4 MIMO. These options are in no way limited to AT&T and are offered by other carriers, but no other carrier has chosen to use fake 5G branding.
As should come as no surprise, a recent test from OpenSignal has proven that AT&T's 5GE network is no faster than 4G networks from Verizon and AT&T that have the same speed upgrades.
AT&T users that have a 5GE capable smartphone, which includes modern iPhones and some Android devices, receive a "better experience" than other AT&T users with less capable smartphone models, but those same iPhones and Android devices get similar speeds on other carriers. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are all offering the same LTE advancements on iPhones with the newest LTE technology, but only AT&T is confusing customers with 5G branding.
What Opensignal's data shows is the extent to which LTE, or 4G, networks have improved since LTE's original launch. Technologies like carrier aggregation -- where two or more bands are used to simultaneously connect a user's smartphone -- 256 QAM or 4x4 MIMO, which together are normally called LTE Advanced Pro, offer a much faster experience than the initial version of 4G that was launched back in 2009-2011.
AT&T's fake branding has struck a nerve with other carriers, especially Sprint. Sprint has launched a full anti-AT&T campaign, filing a lawsuit against AT&T for its misleading branding and taking out ads in The New York Times.
Sprint rightly claims that AT&T is confusing customers and damaging the understanding of true 5G, which has the potential to impact Sprint's own 5G launch.
5G smartphones are only now just beginning to trickle out, and Apple isn't expected to launch one until 2020. No existing iPhone will be able to connect to a 5G network because it requires new hardware. 5G networks from the four major carriers in the United States will become available starting in 2019, but the technology is still new and there will be many bugs and coverage issues to work out.
Artist Billie Eilish has achieved a new streaming milestone on Apple Music, breaking the service's all-time record for users "pre-adding" an album to their libraries ahead of its release. According to Apple, Eilish's upcoming album "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" has earned more than 800,000 pre-adds on Apple Music ahead of the album's launch on March 29 (via Music Business Worldwide).
By pre-adding an album, subscribers can save it in their Apple Music libraries and listen to any songs that may already be out for it. Then, when the full album is released Apple adds the entire album to their account.
Although this process can be unreliable on Apple Music, and sometimes the full album isn't added at the time of its release, Apple Music executive Oliver Schusser sees pre-adds as a sort of modern pre-order feature for the streaming era. Schusser said that, "While most services focus the majority of their efforts around playlists, Apple Music still emphasizes albums because we understand their value as a storytelling tool for artists to create context around their music."
“To that end, pre-adds are great early indicators of engagement around an artist and the intention of the fans. To actively pre-add an album, much like the pre-order we invented with iTunes, means that the fan is excited about the content and wants to be among the first to enjoy it the moment its available. That kind of engagement is very valuable to an artist and to us.”
He added: “For Billie in particular it’s really exciting because she is such a big part of the Apple artist community and someone the whole company has really rallied around. It’s amazing to see the positive reaction from our subscribers.”
Apple has been a longtime supporter of Eilish, first featuring her as the Up Next artist for September 2017, showcasing her in interviews with Beats 1 Radio hosts, exclusively premiering some of her songs and videos, and partnering with her to host her own Beats 1 show. Apple also worked with Eilish on its holiday commercial "Share Your Gifts" last year, where her single "Come Out and Play" was featured.
Eilish's team also commented on the pre-add numbers, with Interscope vice chairman Steve Berman stating, "These pre-add numbers are incredibly exciting for Billie, and a real validation of everything we – the artist, Darkroom, Apple and Interscope – have worked together on over the last three years. Internally, hearing these [Apple pre-add] results, it makes us all incredibly proud – and it makes us want to work that much harder, because we can see exactly what the opportunity is."
According to Schusser, the criticism that streaming music services have taken the personality out of artists is incorrect, and he points toward Eilish as the prime example: "Apple has always given creators platforms to connect with audiences around the world and the space and freedom to be creative. It goes to the core of who we are as a company."
Apple Music recently updated the New Music section of the "Browse" tab with a small refresh that highlights an assortment of different playlists from various musical genres. Apple sometimes pushes silent updates to Apple Music, like last summer when it added a "Coming Soon" section, more specific launch dates for albums, and updated artist profiles.
Now, in the central Browse tab of Apple Music, you'll find Apple's "Daily Top 100" playlist featured prominently at the top of the section, just below the traditional carousel of new music. These Global Top 100 playlists launched last September and have been available to listen to by navigating to Browse, scrolling down, and finding the Top Charts area. Now, they're much easier to find right at the top of Browse.
The section under Daily Top 100 is "Weekend Warrior," a list of pop, dance, hip-hop, country, and more music all centered around celebrating the weekend. Just like the Daily Top 100, these playlists have all been available in Apple Music before, but the service's organization and presentation of them is new. Slightly lower in Browse you can now find an area that features "Just Updated" playlists across genres and moods.
The rest of Browse looks mostly the same, with Hot Tracks and New Music showcasing the most popular new songs on the service. Near the bottom of the tab are a few more changes, including a "We're Loving" area that features new album recommendations from the Apple Music editors, and a "Get Down Tonight" section curating dance music. Because a few of these sections are dedicated to the weekend, it appears that Apple will more frequently update Browse with new themed areas.
It's also worth mentioning that Apple Music is highlighting a collection of classical music today in the Browse tab's main carousel, aimed at celebrating the Los Angeles Philharmonic's 100 year anniversary. This new area has albums, playlists, brief histories about the Los Angeles Philharmonic's conductors and relevant albums, music videos, and an exclusive playlist curated by Deutsche Grammophon celebrating the anniversary. Many problems still remain for classical music on Apple Music, but it's reassuring to see Apple highlight a major event in the classical world among new modern album releases.
You can check out the updates to the New Music section of the Browse tab on both macOS and iOS devices.
Apple plans to release its long-awaited wireless charging mat AirPower in "late March" according to Taiwanese publication DigiTimes. We're in late March now, so if the report is accurate, then a release should be imminent.
The report cites unnamed "industry sources" within Apple's supply chain:
Lite-On Semiconductor, a maker of discrete and analog IC components, is expected to see its second-quarter revenues register a double-digit sequential growth as it will soon kick off volume shipments of GPP (glass passivated package) bridge rectifiers needed for Apple's wireless charger AirPower, according to industry sources.
The sources said that Apple's AirPower wireless charger for iPhones, Apple Watch and AirPods is set to be officially launched in late March, which will significantly drive up Lite-On's revenues for the second quarter of 2019.
There are 10 days remaining in March including today.
DigiTimes has a mixed track record when it comes to predicting the timing of Apple product releases. While the publication has sources within Apple's suppliers in Asia, particularly in Taiwan, supply chain sources are typically more privy to what is coming rather than when. In short, we'll see.
There is certainly increasing evidence pointing towards an upcoming release.
AirPower is designed to charge multiple Apple devices at once, including the iPhone 8 and newer, Apple Watch Series 3 and newer, and AirPods when they are placed in the new optional wireless charging case introduced on Wednesday.
Apple has inked a deal with Vox for Vox to become a part of its upcoming subscription service that will be available in Apple News, reports Bloomberg.
Vox is owned by Vox Media, which also owns the Verge, Recode, Eater, and SB Nation, but Apple's deal is only for the Vox site for now. Vox does not have a subscription offering at the current time, but Vox CEO Jim Bankoff recently said that paid subscriptions would be added to the Vox site later this year.
Apple News subscribers who sign up for Apple's paid service, set to be called Apple News Magazines, will be able to access a variety of magazines and paywalled news from participating publishers.
Rumors have suggested Apple plans to charge around $9.99 for the service, with the Cupertino company keeping 50 percent of the fee while splitting the rest of the fee among publishers.
The Wall Street Journal and many magazine publishers have signed up to participate, but other news sites like the Washington Post and The New York Times have declined.
Apple plans to unveil its new Apple News Magazine service at an event that will take place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 25.
Just ahead of when Apple plans to launch a new subscription video service that will give customers access to bundled cable channels, Comcast has introduced Xfinity Flex, a streaming service that combines video on demand content, ad-supported, free live streaming content, and access to add-on subscription apps.
Xfinity Flex is priced at $5 per month and is available to customers who subscribe to Comcast's Xfinity internet service. It comes with a 4K set-top box and X1 voice remote for accessing content.
Comcast says that thousands of free movies and shows will be offered, with free content from Tubi TV, YouTube, Xumo, Pluto TV, and more offered alongside subscription content from apps like Netflix, HBO, EPIX, and Prime Video. It will also be paired with podcasts and music services from Pandora, iHeart Radio, NPR One, among others.
The app will have an interface that's not unlike the interface of the Apple TV, with a content library, access to a "Watch" section for TV content, a listen section for music, and an apps section for accessing different apps and home WiFi settings.
"Xfinity Flex will deepen our relationship with a certain segment of our Internet customers and provide them with real value," said Matt Strauss, Executive Vice President, Xfinity Services for Comcast Cable. "For just five dollars a month, we can offer these customers an affordable, flexible, and differentiated platform that includes thousands of free movies and shows for online streaming, an integrated guide for accessing their favorite apps and connected home devices, and the ease of navigating and managing all of it with our voice remote."
Comcast plans to allow customers to subscribe to third-party video services through its platform, which is something that Apple is also going to offer with its own streaming service.
According to Comcast, more than 10,000 free online movies and TV shows will be included alongside the streaming services that its customers subscribe to, along with options to purchase and rent movies and TV shows.
Comcast plans to make Xfinity Flex available to Comcast subscribers on March 26. It will be available to residential customers who have internet service with 25Mb/s or above that's compatible with xFi gate.
Amid launch rumors that Apple is preparing to release the AirPower sometime soon, the Cupertino company has finally secured the rights to the AirPower trademark.
To get the AirPower trademark, Apple had to jump through quite a few hoops over the course of the last few months, ultimately seeming to purchase access from a company that had previously applied for the trademark.
Apple first attempted to trademark the AirPower name in the summer of 2018, but found that a company named Advanced Access Technologies had filed an earlier application to trademark the term.
The AirPower trademark registered by Advanced Access Technologies was then provisionally granted and published for opposition in December 2018. Ahead of when a trademark is officially granted, the USPTO takes opposition filings from anyone who believes the trademark could result in confusion with an existing product.
Apple opposed Advanced Access Technologies' trademark of AirPower in January 2019, claiming that it would interfere with similar trademarked Apple product names, including AirPlay, AirPort, AirPods, and AirPrint.
After fighting to prevent the AirPower trademark from being granted to Advanced Access Technologies for several months with multiple different filings with the USPTO, Apple yesterday suddenly withdrew its opposition and the dispute was terminated.
Just after Apple withdrew opposition on Advanced Access Technologies' trademark of the AirPower name, an Apple lawyer was appointed the attorney of the trademark case, suggesting that Apple purchased rights to the AirPower trademark from Advanced Access Technologies ahead of an imminent AirPower launch that would not give Apple time to secure the trademark through other means.
Advanced Access Technologies is still listed as the owner of the trademark, but Apple appears to be in the process of getting that changed, with Apple lawyer Thomas Perle now named as the attorney on the trademark application.
Apple's acquisition of the AirPower trademark comes amid new rumors suggesting a launch for the long-delayed accessory isn't too far off. There's new code in the iOS 12.2 beta related to charging multiple devices at once, which wasn't there before, indicating Apple may be planning to release the AirPower sometime around when iOS 12.2 comes out.
The Wall Street Journal recently confirmed that Apple approved production of the AirPower earlier this year, and just today, we found an image of the AirPower with an iPhone XS and the new AirPods Wireless Charging Case hidden in the source code on Apple's website in Australia.
It's still not clear when the AirPower is actually going to launch, but with increasing signs of its arrival, it could come at any time. Apple this week released new iPads, iMacs, and updated AirPods on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, leading to speculation the company was gearing up to introduce the AirPower, but there's still no sign of the device.
We could potentially hear word on when we can expect the AirPower at Apple's March event, which will take place next Monday. Apple is using the event to introduce a new Apple News service and streaming TV service. Rumors have, however, suggested the event will not focus on hardware, so we could be waiting until later in the spring for an AirPower update.
Update: According to a new document filed with the USPTO on March 22, [PDF], the AirPower trademark has indeed been transferred to Apple.
Apple today updated a number of its video-related Mac apps, including Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor, and iMovie. Most of the updates are minor in scale, focusing on bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements.
For all four apps, Apple has added a feature that detects media files that could be incompatible with future versions of macOS after Mojave. In Final Cut Pro and iMovie, these files will be converted to a compatible format, while just highlighted in Motion and Compressor.
Apple is phasing out support for 32-bit Mac apps after Mojave, which is why this new feature has been introduced. All three software updates also include improved reliability when sharing video to YouTube.
In Final Cut Pro, Apple has also added a number of bug fixes, with the release notes listed below:
- Detects media files that may be incompatible with future versions of macOS after Mojave and converts them to a compatible format - Fixes an issue that could cause share destinations to disappear from the share menu after quitting Final Cut Pro - Fixes an issue that could cause the workflow extension button to disappear when resizing the interface - Fixes an issue in which the Select Clip command could incorrectly select the clip beneath the playhead - Fixes an issue in which a successful share notification appears after the share operation was cancelled - Fixes an issue in which frames saved to the frame browser in the Comparison Viewer may appear differently than they do in the viewer - Fixes an issue in which frequency information for Hum Removal may not be visible in the audio inspector - Fixes an issue in which relinked media may appear with black thumbnails in the browser and timeline - Fixes an issue in which the share menu may be obscured behind the viewer when using Final Cut Pro in fullscreen mode - Improves reliability when sharing video to YouTube
Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor, and iMovie are all available from the Mac App Store. iMovie is a free download, while Final Cut Pro is priced at $299, Motion is priced at $49.99, and Compressor is priced at $49.99.
Facebook today announced that during a routine security review it discovered "some user passwords" were stored in a readable format within its internal data storage systems, accessible by employees.
As it turns out, "some user passwords" actually means hundreds of millions of passwords. A Facebook insider told KrebsOnSecurity that between 200 and 600 million Facebook users may have had their account passwords stored in plain text in a database accessible to 20,000 Facebook employees. Some Instagram passwords were also included, and Facebook claims many of the passwords came from Facebook Lite users.
Facebook says that there's no "evidence to date" that anyone within Facebook abused or improperly accessed the passwords, but KrebsOnSecurity's source says 2,000 engineers or developers made around nine million internal queries for data elements that contained plain text user passwords.
Facebook employees reportedly built applications that logged unencrypted password data, which is how the passwords were exposed. Facebook hasn't determined exactly how many passwords were stored in plain text, nor how long they were visible.
Facebook plans to notify users whose passwords were improperly stored, and the company says that it has been looking at the ways certain categories of information, such as access tokens, are stored, and correcting problems as they're found.
"There is nothing more important to us than protecting people's information, and we will continue making improvements as part of our ongoing security efforts at Facebook," reads Facebook's blog post.
Facebook and Instagram users who are concerned about their account security should change their passwords, using unique passwords that are different from passwords used on other sites. Facebook also recommends users enable two-factor authentication.
Apple has inked a deal with Vox for Vox to become a part of its upcoming subscription service that will be available in 
