Top Stories: Nintendo Emulators on App Store, Two New iOS 17 Features, and More

It was a big week for retro gaming fans, as iPhone users are starting to reap the rewards of Apple's recent change to allow retro game emulators on the App Store.

top stories 20apr2024
This week also saw a new iOS 17.5 beta that will support web-based app distribution in the EU, the debut of the first hotels to allow for direct AirPlay streaming to room TVs, a fresh rumor about the impending iPad Air update, and more details on the sequence of Apple's M4-based Mac updates starting later this year, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone

A few weeks after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to allow retro game console emulator apps, the popular Nintendo emulator Delta is now available in the App Store. Delta can emulate games released for many older Nintendo consoles, including the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, and all Game Boy models.

Delta Emulator Pokemon Gen 3 Feature
We published an article explaining key facts about emulators in the App Store and the legality of downloading games.

New iOS 17.5 Beta Lets EU iPhone Users Download Apps Directly From Websites

Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, released this week, large developers in the EU can now distribute apps directly on the web instead of through the App Store or an alternative app marketplace.

Apple EU iOS Changes Orange 1
To be eligible for this new Web Distribution feature, Apple says a developer must meet several requirements, including having an app that had more than one million annual installs on iOS in the EU in the prior calendar year.

iOS 17's New AirPlay Feature for Hotel Room TVs Begins Rolling Out

Apple has announced that AirPlay is now available at around 60 hotels operated by IHG Hotels & Resorts in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

IHG Hotel AirPlay
At hotels that offer the feature, guests can scan a unique QR code on their room's TV to establish an AirPlay connection, allowing them to wirelessly stream content from their iPhone or iPad. For example, they could stream Apple TV+ or Netflix shows, listen to music on Apple Music or Spotify, play games on Apple Arcade, or work out with Apple Fitness+.

iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro: 30 Rumored Upgrades Compared

While the iPhone 16 lineup is still months away from being announced, there are already many rumors about the four devices that have been circulating for months.

iPhone 15 Pro vs 16 Pro Feature Cyan Magenta
If you own an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max model, and will be considering upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro family, check out our new comparison chart that outlines over 30 rumored new features and changes for the iPhone 16 Pro models, and if you're an iPhone 15 or 15 Plus user, we're tracking over 15 changes expected for the iPhone 16 models.

12.9-Inch iPad Air Now Rumored to Feature Mini-LED Display

The rumored 12.9-inch iPad Air that is expected to be announced in May will be equipped with a mini-LED display like the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro, according to info shared this week by Ross Young, CEO of research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants.

iPad Air 12
The existing 10.9-inch iPad Air is equipped with a standard LCD panel, and the move to mini-LED technology for the 12.9-inch model would provide increased brightness for HDR content, deeper blacks, and more.

M4 Macs Are Expected to Launch in This Order Starting Later This Year

In his Power On newsletter this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman outlined the order in which he expects Macs with the M4 family of chips to be released.

M4 AI Optimized Feature Teal
Gurman said the entire Mac lineup will be updated with the M4 chip or higher-end variants, starting with the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini between late 2024 and early 2025, followed by the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro between the spring and end of 2025.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.2 With Bug Fixes

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:33 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.3.2 come a month after Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release...

Top Rated Comments

jlc1978 Avatar
12 months ago
D/L Delta to give it a try. An ATV version would be nice, especailly if it could load ROMs from a NAS. Retrocade/RaspberryPI is nice but on the ATV it would be a lot easier to setup.

Now if Delta supports my xArcade TankStick and StarWars Yoke...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)