MacRumors

Apple is set to launch an Apple News service that will provide access to paywalled news content and magazines for one $9.99 monthly fee in March, but the company is still working to establish deals with newspapers.

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal said that Apple was having trouble convincing some major news publications like the Washington Post and The New York Times to sign up for the service, due to Apple wanting a 50 percent revenue split.

Apple would keep 50 percent of all subscription revenue and the other half of the revenue would be split among publishers "according to the amount of time users spend engaged with their articles."

Compared to Apple's 70/30 App Store split and the more than 70 percent of revenue that goes to Apple Music artists, the 50/50 split sounds stingy, but Recode today spoke with industry insiders and provided some insight into why Apple settled on that number.

As it turns out, there are many magazine publishers already on board with the 50/50 revenue agreement, with most convinced that Apple will get millions of people to subscribe to the new service, providing a lot of revenue to publishers despite the dramatic split. From Re/code:

And some publishers are happy to do it, because they think Apple will sign up many millions of people to the new service. And they'd rather have a smaller percentage of a bigger number than a bigger chunk of a smaller number.

In the words of a publishing executive who is optimistic about Apple's plans: "It's the absolute dollars paid out that matters, not the percentage."

Magazine publishers, though, have little to no online monetization of their content, which is not true of major newspapers. The New York Times and the Washington Post, for example, have existing digital subscription businesses that allow them to collect 100 percent of the revenue brought in by subscribers.

According to Recode, magazine publishers that have been participating in Texture, the magazine service Apple purchased, are already familiar with that kind of revenue split. Texture will form the base for the ‌Apple News‌ subscription service Apple is creating, with Apple planning to charge one fee for access to news and magazines.

Since Apple's Texture purchase, magazines have been receiving approximately half of the revenue the service generates, along with 100 percent of ad revenue. It's not clear if major newspapers will ultimately agree to a similar terms given that doing so could cannibalize more profitable subscription options available outside of ‌Apple News‌.

Apple is telling publishers that the new ‌Apple News‌ service will be heavily promoted and that it has the potential to generate millions of subscribers, which, as Recode points out, is not impossible given the success of the ‌Apple Music‌ service. ‌Apple Music‌, which launched in 2015, now has more than 50 million paid subscribers.

Apple is planning to unveil both its news service and its TV streaming service at its March 25 event, reports Bloomberg, and celebrities will be in attendance.

Apple's plans for a March 25 event were revealed yesterday, but at the time, Apple was only known to be unveiling an upcoming news subscription service in Apple News. The rumored TV service that's in the works will also reportedly be included.

Hollywood stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner, and JJ Abrams are set to attend the event, which will be held at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. All of these actresses are starring in television shows that Apple has purchased, and JJ Abrams is directing one of them.

Apple's upcoming video service is said to be similar to Amazon's Prime video option and Netflix's service. It will include TV shows and movies acquired by or funded by Apple, and Apple has more than two dozen original television shows in the works. An actual paid subscription service will launch by the summer.

There is some confusion over Apple's streaming TV plans. While Bloomberg's report suggests Apple's content will be delivered via paid streaming service, other rumors have indicated that Apple plans to provide at least some of its original content to Apple device owners for free.

These other rumors have also suggested that Apple will be teaming up with content providers like Showtime to allow Apple owners to sign up for add-on services like Showtime premium through its TV app, where the upcoming streaming service will presumably be available.

Apple's plans for its TV service will become clearer after March, when the details are officially announced.

Along with its TV service, Apple is going to unveil a premium news service that will let ‌Apple News‌ users sign up for a $9.99 per month subscription that will provide unlimited access to paywalled content from sites like The New York Times and the Washington Post, though Apple is said to be still negotiating deals ahead of the service's launch.

There's also a magazine subscription service in the works, which will provide unlimited access to dozens of magazines for $9.99 per month, similar to the Texture service that Apple acquired in 2018. All of these services could potentially be bundled into a single subscription package option in the future.

The March 25 event is believed to focus solely on services, with Apple not planning to introduce any hardware.

Several hardware products, such as the iPad mini 5, seventh-generation iPad, AirPower, updated AirPods, and seventh-generation iPod touch are in the works and are expected to be updated in the spring, but those updates are not expected at the March event and could instead come via press release.

With the AirPower having already been announced and all of the other updates being relatively minor in scale based on circulating rumors, it makes sense for the new products to debut more quietly.

The iPad mini 5, for example, is expected to be quite similar in design to the ‌iPad mini‌ 4, with the exception of an updated processor, and the same goes for the seventh-generation iPad. That device may get a slightly bigger 10-inch screen and a new chip, but the changes won't be significant.

AirPods rumors have been a bit mixed, but it looks like we may get a wireless Charging Case and "Hey Siri" functionality with other features saved for a later update in 2019 or 2020. We're also not expecting significant design changes to the seventh-generation iPod touch, which will look similar to the sixth-generation model.

Update: A separate report from Reuters suggests that Apple may be planning to hold an event to introduce its streaming television service in April, not March.

Update 2: The Hollywood Reporter also confirms that Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner, and J.J. Abrams have all been invited to an Apple event set to be held on March 25.

Apple's preliminary disengagement data for its self-driving car project surfaced yesterday pointing towards a high number of disengagements, and today, the DMV has shared the full disengagement reports from the company, providing more insight into Apple's autonomous car testing.

A disengagement report tracks the number of times an autonomous vehicle disengages and gives control back to a safety driver or the number of times the safety driver in the vehicle interferes.

Yesterday's information suggested Apple had the worst rank when it came to disengagements, but Apple has now provided details [PDF] explaining its disengagement reporting procedures and some changes that were made mid-year.

For the period between April 2017 and June 2018, Apple vehicles drove 24,604 miles autonomously and experienced 40,198 manual takeovers and 36,359 software disengagements, a number that is comparatively high based on disengagement reports from other companies.

As of July 2018, however, Apple stopped reporting its total number of disengagements and instead began focusing on "Important Disengagements," aka disengagements that might have resulted in a safety-related event (aka accident) or a violation of the rules of the road.

Using this metric, Apple vehicles have driven 56,135 miles since July 2018, with only 28 "Important Disengagements" reported. Two of these "Important Disengagements" were indeed minor collisions that weren't the fault of Apple's vehicles. One accident took place in August 2018 and the other was in October 2018.

Under Apple’s revised reporting threshold, the company’s cars experienced only one important disengagement every 2005 miles, compared to every 1.1 miles if the full data is counted. If other companies use similar thresholds to Apple’s new standard, Apple would rank much better.

Making direct comparisons between Apple's disengagement report and the results from other companies is difficult because there is no standard for reporting disengagements. It's up to each individual company to decide what constitutes a disengagement and what disengagements need to be reported.

It is clear, though, that Apple's vehicles are in the early stages of testing, as the company says itself in a DMV cover letter.

According to Apple, safety is its "highest priority" and its approach to disengagements is "conservative" because its system is not yet able to operate in "all conditions and situations."

Apple's testing parameters require drivers to proactively take manual control of a vehicle any time the system encounters a scenario beyond its current capabilities. The vehicle itself also self-monitors and returns control back to the driver when errors or issues are encountered.

Situations where drivers take over include the appearance of emergency vehicles, construction zones, or unexpected objects in the road, as Apple's vehicles cannot self-navigate these obstacles.

The autonomous software hands over control when it can't sufficiently track an object, is unable to generate a motion plan using the path planning system, when the vehicle systems don't respond as expected, and when there are communication issues.

Apple now has more than 62 vehicles out on the road, a number that will likely ramp up in 2019 as autonomous software testing continues. Apple is required to provide annual disengagement reports to the DMV, so we'll see the company's 2019 performance in early 2020, and will be able to look for improvements.

Apple is planning to launch its rumored streaming television service in April or May, but some cable content providers won't be participating, reports CNBC.

Recent rumors have suggested that along with Apple's own original content, which will be provided to Apple users for free, the service will allow Apple customers to subscribe to additional add-on subscription services on top of Apple's own offering. Customers will be able to sign up for existing digital services like Showtime and watch that content within the TV app, so long as those services are partnered with Apple.

According to CNBC, as Apple prepares to launch the service, some content providers are still not on board. HBO may not be participating because of disagreements over data sharing and revenue splits, for example, and Hulu and Netflix are not expected to participate.

Starz, Showtime, and Viacom are all expected to offer subscription streaming services through Apple's platform, though, and HBO may also join up if the disagreements can be settled.

Apple is requesting a 30 percent cut on every subscription that originates from its TV service, higher than the 15 percent cut that Apple takes when customers sign up for services like Netflix through the App Store.

The April or May target launch date is in line with past details from The Information, which suggested Apple was telling content partners to be prepared for a launch by mid-April.

Apple has more than two dozen original television shows and movies in the works for its streaming service, which rumors have suggested will be available in more than 100 countries by the end of the year.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Apple's former vice president of corporate law Gene Levoff with insider trading, according to a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for New Jersey on Wednesday.

The complaint alleges that Levoff had access to Apple's earnings results before they were publicly announced and used this information to buy Apple shares in advance of better-than-expected earnings results and to sell shares ahead of weaker-than-expected earnings results between 2011 and 2016.

Through his illegal insider trading in 2015-2016, the complaint alleges that Levoff profited and avoided losses of approximately $382,000:

For example, in July 2015 Levoff received material nonpublic financial data that showed Apple would miss analysts' third quarter estimates for iPhone unit sales. Between July 17 and the public release of Apple's quarterly earnings information on July 21, Levoff sold approximately $10 million dollars of Apple stock – virtually all of his Apple holdings – from his personal brokerage accounts. Apple's stock dropped more than four percent when it publicly disclosed its quarterly financial data.

Levoff also served on Apple's Disclosure Committee from September 2008 to July 2018. In this position, he was ironically responsible for ensuring that other Apple employees were compliant with Apple's insider trading policies, including enforcement of "blackout periods" around the time of Apple's earnings reports.

Levoff was also tasked with signing off on some Apple acquisitions in his role. He was terminated in September 2018, according to the lawsuit.

Read the full complaint here. The news was first reported by CNBC.

Update: Apple issued the following statement per Bloomberg's Mark Gurman: "After being contacted by authorities last summer we conducted a thorough investigation with the help of outside legal experts, which resulted in termination."

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced the 25 members of the Trump administration's new American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty.

The advisory board's recommendations will help guide the National Council for the American Worker's efforts to establish a strategy to ensure that American students and workers have access to "affordable, relevant, and innovative education and job training that will equip them to compete and win in the global economy."

The board, co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, is expected to help address a "skills crisis" due to the rapidly increasing use of technology, automation, and artificial intelligence that is shaping many industries across the United States.

The full list of members:

• Jay Box, President, Kentucky Community and Technical College System
  

• Walter Bumphus, President & CEO, American Association of Community Colleges
  

• Jim Clark, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
  

• Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
  

• Tom Donohue, CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  

• Juanita Duggan, President & CEO, National Federation for Independent Business
  

• Elizabeth Goettl, President & CEO, Cristo Rey Network
  

• Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President, & CEO, Lockheed Martin
  

• Eric Holcomb, Governor, Indiana
  

• Barbara Humpton, CEO, Siemens USA
  

• Al Kelly, CEO, Visa
  

• Vi Lyles, Mayor, Charlotte, North Carolina
  

• Bill McDermott, CEO, SAP America
  

• Sean McGarvey, President, North America’s Building and Trades Unions
  

• Doug McMillon, President & CEO, Walmart
  

• Craig Menear, Chairman, President, & CEO, Home Depot
  

• Michael Piwowar, Executive Director, Milken Institute
  

• Scott Pulsipher, President, Western Governors University
  

• Kim Reynolds, Governor, Iowa
  

• Ginni Rometty, Chairman, President, & CEO, IBM
  

• Scott Sanders, Executive Director, National Association of State Workforce Agencies
  

• Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President & CEO, Society for Human Resource Management
  

• Jay Timmons, President & CEO, National Association of Manufacturers
  

• Sheree Utash, President, WSU Tech
  

• Marianne Wanamaker, Professor, University of Tennessee

President Trump established the National Council for the American Worker in July 2018 to "create and promote workforce development strategies that provide evidence-based, affordable education and skills-based training for youth and adults to prepare them for the jobs of today and of the future."

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Over the past 24 hours, we've seen a handful of reports talking about a new update to the speaking voice of Siri on HomePod in a few regions. These reports are mostly located in the United Kingdom and Australia, and mention the British (Male and Female) and Australian (Male and Female) speaking voices for the assistant, specifically on Apple's ‌HomePod‌ smart speaker.

The change appears to be very subtle. MacRumors readers described the Australian Female and British Male voices as "more natural" and "much clearer," and similar reports have emerged about other voices. Although there are many different descriptions for each voice, the consensus appears to be that the tweaks make ‌Siri‌ sound more human-like.

‌HomePod‌ users can choose any ‌Siri‌ voice no matter the region they are located in, but as of now the vast majority of these reports appear to be located in the same regions as the voice they represent. This may be the beginning of a wider rollout, but that's still unclear at this point.

Twitter user @callumjcoe recorded the difference between the current iteration of the Australian Female voice (on an iPad) and the updated voice (on ‌HomePod‌). Of course, distortion and muddled sound quality from a recording don't provide a perfect example, but there is a slight change between the two heard in the video, which is likely much more pronounced in person.

As of writing, MacRumors hasn't noticed any similar updates to ‌Siri‌ on ‌HomePod‌ (for any voices) in the United States. Apple has updated ‌Siri‌ over the past year with improvements to the assistant's ability to recognize local businesses and destinations, as well as new jokes, but many Apple users remain frustrated with the technology. One of the last major updates to ‌Siri‌ came in iOS 11 in 2017, when Apple gave ‌Siri‌ a more natural voice that had better pronunciation and different inflection depending on what's being said.

In early 2018, ‌Siri‌ creator, co-founder, and former board member Norman Winarsky talked about the origins of Siri and the company's intentions for the assistant before Apple acquired it. According to the co-founder, ‌Siri‌ was originally meant to be incredibly intelligent in just a few key areas -- travel and entertainment -- and then "gradually extend to related areas" once it mastered each. Apple's acquisition pivoted ‌Siri‌ to an all-encompassing life assistant, and Winarsky said that this decision has likely led Apple to search "for a level of perfection they can't get."

Although unconfirmed, the new voice changes to ‌Siri‌ may be Apple's latest attempt to make the voice assistant more personable and easy to talk to, in the wake of ongoing user complaints. If the changes roll out to other regions, we'll update this article.

(Thanks Sebastian, Robert, and Jared!)

Apple Watch is the "clear market leader" in the burgeoning U.S. smartwatch market, according to a new report from consumer research firm The NPD Group.

Market data shows U.S. smartwatch sales showed strong growth in the 12 months ending November 2018 when compared to the same timeframe a year ago. Apple, Samsung, and Fitbit made up 88 percent of smartwatch unit sales in that time.

The report found dollar sales of the devices were up 51 percent, amounting to nearly $5 billion in sales, while unit sales experienced a 61 percent increase, indicating an impressive acceleration in demand for the wearables.

"Over the last 18 months smartwatch sales gained strong momentum, proving the naysayers, who didn't think the category could achieve mainstream acceptance, had potentially judged too soon," said Weston Henderek, director, industry analyst for NPD Connected Intelligence. "The ability to be truly connected via built-in LTE without the need to have a smartphone nearby proved to be a tipping point for consumers, as they now recognize the value in being able to complete a wide range of tasks on the device including receiving notifications, messaging, accessing smart home controls, and more."

According to the report, 16 percent of U.S. adults now own a smartwatch, which is up from 12 percent in December of 2017. Interest from the younger 18-34 age demographic is said to be responsible for the overall growth in the smartwatch market, but NPD analysts expect Apple Watch will continue to entice older consumers thanks to health features like Fall Detection and ECG and greater control over home automation.

Apple doesn't break out Apple Watch unit sales from its overall earnings. However in its recent earnings call for the first quarter of the 2019 fiscal year, CEO Tim Cook said the company's wearables revenue was being driven by the "amazing popularity" of Apple Watch and AirPods, and that the category alone was "approaching the size of a Fortune 200 company."

Apple has been testing Lexus SUVs equipped with its autonomous driving software out on the roads around Cupertino since April 2017, and for the first time, the company has filed a disengagement report with the DMV.

A disengagement report tracks the number of times an autonomous vehicle disengages and gives control back to a safety driver or the number of times the safety driver in the vehicle interferes. All of Apple's self-driving SUVs have safety drivers able to take over in the event of an emergency.

The DMV will be publishing the full reports later this week, but they appeared briefly on the website and The Last Driver License Holder was able to get a brief look at some of the data. The information covers the period from December 2017 to November 2018 for all companies operating self-driving vehicles in California, including Apple.

According to the data, Apple registered 871.65 disengagements per 1000 miles, with a disengagement approximately every 1.1 mile. For comparison's sake, Waymo, Google's autonomous vehicle arm, had 0.09 disengagements per 1000 miles with 11,154.3 miles per disengagement.

Apple's total number of disengagements was higher than any other company doing autonomous vehicle testing, suggesting Apple drivers need to take over for the self-driving vehicle more frequently than other companies as it works out kinks in the software. This could be because Apple is driving more challenging routes, Apple drivers are abundantly cautious, or it could be because its self-driving software is less evolved.

There are likely multiple factors at play when it comes to Apple's performance, and it's worth noting that Apple has not been testing self-driving vehicles for as long as other companies.

Disengagements are self-reported numbers and companies are able to take some liberties with how this data is reported and just what counts as a disengagement, so the data should be viewed with that in mind.

According to the data, Apple has 62 self-driving vehicles out on the road, though earlier reports have suggested that number is a little low. As of November, Apple reportedly had 72 vehicles on the road.

Apple's self-driving vehicles were involved in two minor collisions in 2018, one in August and one in October, though neither collision was Apple's fault. In the August collision, the vehicle was in self-driving mode, while in the October collision, it was in manual mode.

More detail on Apple's self-driving car performance will be available later this week when the full reports are released.

The MacRumors guide to upcoming products provides an overview of everything that we're expecting to see from Apple in both the near and more distant future, and the products that have already come out in 2024.

While the dates listed here are not always concrete, they are based on the most recent rumors and information that we have. This guide is updated on a regular basis, and it is the go-to place to see every Apple product that's on the horizon at a glance. For more detailed information, make sure to click on the included links to visit our individual product roundups.

September 2024

In September, Apple will introduce the iPhone 16 lineup and new Apple Watch models.

• iPhone 16 - The iPhone 16 models are getting an Action button, a Capture button for taking video when the iPhone is in landscape orientation, and vertically arranged rear cameras that will likely allow for capturing spatial video when the device is held in landscape orientation. We're also expecting the iPhone 16 to adopt a faster A18 chip built on Apple's 3-nanometer process.
• iPhone 16 Pro - The iPhone 16 Pro models will have larger 6.3- and 6.9-inch displays, but will otherwise look much like the iPhone 15 Pro models. They'll also get the new Capture button for taking video, with the mmWave antenna set to be relocated to the other side of the device. An A18 Pro chip is rumored to be in the works, but it will likely only bring minor speed improvements. An upgraded 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera is expected, and the smaller iPhone 16 Pro will get the 5x Telephoto camera that was previously limited to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
• Apple Watch X - Apple could have a major Apple Watch update in store for the 10th anniversary of the device. Rumors suggest Apple is planning for a redesigned, thinner Apple Watch X that has a magnetic band attachment system to make it easier to swap out bands and to cut down on the space that bands use up inside the device. New health features are rumored, including blood pressure monitoring for detecting hypertension and sleep apnea detection.
• New Apple Watch Ultra - We haven't heard specific rumors about a refreshed Apple Watch Ultra in 2024, but Apple will likely do a minor update to add any new health features that are introduced.
• AirPods 4 - New AirPods are expected to come out alongside the iPhone 16 lineup. Apple plans to debut two different models for the first time, one that is lower cost and one that has Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which has previously been an AirPods Pro-only feature. The ANC version will be the more expensive version, but both are said to have a new design with shorter stems and an upgraded USB-C charging case that has a built-in speaker for Find My.

Late 2024 to Early 2025

Apple will begin updating the Mac lineup with M4 chips starting in late 2024 and early 2025.

• 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, while the 14-inch and 16-inch models will be equipped with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.
• Mac mini - The Mac mini will be refreshed at the same time as the MacBook Pro 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 include M4 and M4 Pro chip options.

2025 Mac Refreshes

M4 Mac updates will continue into 2025, and will be spread out throughout the year.

• 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 the 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 several new products in the works that don't yet have specific release dates associated with them at this time.

• 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.
• AirPods Max - Apple is expected to refresh the AirPods Max with a USB-C port and new colors.
• 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.
• 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.
• New Display - There have been multiple rumors of a Pro Display XDR successor, but there's no word on when an update might come.

Further in the Future

• iMac Pro - Apple could introduce a larger 32-inch iMac, replacing the previously discontinued 27-inch iMac and iMac Pro at some point. Apple's plans continue to be unclear, and it's not clear if and when a larger iMac will see a launch.
• 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 2027 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 17-to-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.

What's Already Been Announced in 2024

This is everything that Apple has released in 2024 to date.

February 2024 Vision Pro Debut

In February 2024, Apple released the Vision Pro headset in the United States, marking the company's entrance into its first new product category since 2015 when the Apple Watch came out. The Vision Pro is priced starting at $3,500, and it is equipped with cutting-edge technology like 4K micro-OLED displays, the option to swap between augmented and virtual reality, more than a dozen cameras for gesture and eye-based control, the ability to use it as a display for a Mac, a personal theater-like experience when watching movies, and tons more.

Apple also launched visionOS alongside the Vision Pro. visionOS is the operating system that runs on the headset.

Early March MacBook Air Launch

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. Other new additions to the MacBook Air include Wi-Fi 6E, a fingerprint-resistant coating for the Midnight color, and microphone improvements, with details available in our MacBook Air roundup.

May iPad Pro and iPad Air Event

A virtual Apple event on May 7 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.

2024 Product Refresh Timeline

• February 2024 - Vision Pro
• February 2024 - visionOS
• March 2024 - 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air
• May 2024 - iPad Pro
• May 2024 - iPad Air
• May 2024 - Apple Pencil Pro
• May 2024 - iPad Pro Magic Keyboard
• June 2024 (Announced) - iOS 18
• June 2024 (Announced) - iPadOS 18
• June 2024 (Announced) - macOS Sequoia
• June 2024 (Announced) - visionOS 2
• June 2024 (Announced) - tvOS 18
• June 2024 (Announced) - watchOS 11

2023 Product Refreshes and Announcements

We have a list of all the products that Apple released in 2023, which can be useful for predicting 2024 launch timelines.

• January 2023 - 14 and 16-inch M2 Pro/Max MacBook Pro
• January 2023 - M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini
• January 2023 - HomePod
• June 2023 - 15-inch MacBook Air
• June 2023 - Mac Studio
• June 2023 - Mac Pro
• June 2023 (Announced) - Apple Vision Pro
• June 2023 (Announced) - visionOS
• June 2023 (Announced) - iOS 17
• June 2023 (Announced) - iPadOS 17
• June 2023 (Announced) - macOS Sonoma
• June 2023 (Announced) - tvOS 17
• June 2023 (Announced) - watchOS 10
• September 2023 - iPhone 15
• September 2023 - iPhone 15 Plus
• September 2023 - iPhone 15 Pro
• September 2023 - iPhone 15 Pro Max
• September 2023 - Apple Watch Series 9
• September 2023 - Apple Watch Ultra 2
• September 2023 - AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C Case)
• October 2023 - USB-C Apple Pencil
• October 2023 - 24-inch iMac
• October 2023 - 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro/Max chips
• October 2023 - 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro/Max chips

2022 Product Refreshes and Announcements

• March 2022 - 5G iPhone SE
• March 2022 - 5G iPad Air
• March 2022 - Mac Studio
• March 2022 - Studio Display
• June 2022 - iOS 16
• June 2022 - iPadOS 16
• June 2022 - watchOS 9
• June 2022 - tvOS 16
• June 2022 - macOS Ventura
• June 2022 - MacBook Air
• June 2022 - 13-inch MacBook Pro
• September 2022 - iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus
• September 2022 - iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max
• September 2022 - AirPods Pro 2
• September 2022 - Apple Watch Ultra
• September 2022 - Apple Watch Series 8
• September 2022 - Apple Watch SE
• October 2022 - 10th-generation iPad
• October 2022 - iPad Pro
• October 2022 - Apple TV 4K

2021 Product Refreshes and Announcements

• April 2021 - M1 iPad Pro
• April 2021 - M1 iMac
• April 2021 - AirTag
• April 2021 - Apple TV 4K
• April 2021 - Podcast subscriptions
• May 2021 - Apple Music Lossless and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos
• June 2021 - macOS 12 Monterey (Announced)
• July 2021 - MagSafe Battery Pack
• September 2021 - iPhone 13 models
• September 2021 - iPhone 13 Pro models
• September 2021 - iPad mini 6
• September 2021 - Ninth-generation iPad
• September 2021 - Apple Watch Series 7 (Announced)
• September 2021 - iOS 15
• September 2021 - iPadOS 15
• September 2021 - watchOS 8
• September 2021 - tvOS 15
• October 2021 - AirPods 3
• October 2021 - 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro
• November 2021 - Beats Fit Pro
• November 2021 - New HomePod mini colors

Guide Feedback

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Apple is planning to hold an event on March 25, its first of 2019, according to a new report from BuzzFeed. The event will reportedly take place at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus.

Apple will use the event to unveil its rumored news service, which will add paid subscription options to Apple News.

While Apple has many products in the works that are rumored to be debuting in the spring, BuzzFeed says not to expect the company to unveil a new iPad mini or second-generation AirPods, as their appearance at the event is "unlikely."

Instead, the event will be "subscription services focused," though it is unclear if it will also include details on the upcoming TV news service that Apple has in the works. That service is expected to launch as early as April, so it's certainly possible.

Recent rumors suggest Apple is planning to offer a $9.99 per month subscription for ‌Apple News‌ that would allow users unlimited access to paywalled content on sites like The New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.

Apple is, however, said to be still negotiating financial terms, as it is requesting 50 percent of revenue from the service, with the rest to be split among publications. News sites are said to be wary to enter into this deal with Apple due both to pricing issues and Apple's desire to control email addresses and credit card information.

There have been rumors suggesting that Apple will bundle the news service with iCloud storage tiers and its television service, providing all-in-one Apple services package, which could mean both the news and TV services will be introduced all at once. The news subscription service could also include magazines, as Apple is said to be working on a $9.99 per month service that would offer magazine access much like the Texture app that it acquired last year.

With the event reportedly focused on services, it sounds like we also won't be seeing an upgraded iPad, a new 7th-generation iPod touch, or the AirPower at the event, along with the lack of a new ‌iPad mini‌ and new AirPods.

If March isn't the planned launch target for these items, it's not known when we might see them. Apple could plan a second spring event, though it has never done so, or opt to introduce them later in the year at WWDC. Eventless launches are also a possibility, so Apple could release these products via press release without highlighting them at an event.

Apple has held events in March in 2015, 2016, and 2018, so it makes since that the company is planning a 2019 March event as well. There is always a chance that BuzzFeed is wrong and Apple will debut these new devices at the event, but the site often provides accurate information on Apple's plans.