Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming tvOS 17.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming one week after the release of the fourth tvOS 17.4 beta.
Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 17.4 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.
tvOS software releases are usually minor in scale compared to other operating system updates, focusing primarily on smaller improvements rather than outward-facing changes.
The tvOS 17.4 update adds support for Apple Music SharePlay on the Apple TV. The Apple TV user can pull up an Apple Music QR code that can be scanned by anyone, which then allows multiple people to contribute to what's playing via Apple Music. An Apple Music subscription is not required.
Sonos, known for its range of speakers and home theater products, is set to enter the headphone market in 2024. Rumors last year indicated Sonos would release headphones as soon as April 2024, but a new report today from Bloomberg suggests Sonos has delayed the launch due to a software issue.
The headphones are expected to be available for purchase in the first half of June, with the launch pushed back while the software problem is addressed. Sonos is solving a problem with how the headphones connect to Wi-Fi networks.
Sonos is aiming to take on the AirPods Max with the Sonos headphones, which will have a price tag of $449 and an over-ear design. The headphones will be available in black and white, and are expected to include features like voice control navigation and synchronization with Sonos speakers, soundbars, and subwoofers.
Apple's AirPods Max headphones are priced at $549, but third-party retailers often have them available at a discount. Apple has not updated the AirPods Max since their 2020 launch, and they are nearing four years old.
We are expecting a refresh at some point this year, but rumors indicate Apple doesn't have plans for major new features. Instead, the AirPods Max will get a USB-C port, new colors, and little else.
Sonos is well-established in the speaker market and is the go-to for those who don't mind an expensive home theater setup, so the Sonos headphones could sell well if Sonos offers high-quality sound and deeper customization than is available with Apple's audio products.
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence confirmed in November 2023 that Sonos is set to enter a new market, and he said the company's offering would "delight customers and drive immediate revenue." Spence said Sonos will generate more than $100 million from new products in 2024, and that the new device would account for a large portion of the revenue in the second half of 2024.
In addition to headphones, Sonos also plans to unveil a set-top box to rival the Apple TV. That device could come as soon as late 2024. If Sonos sees success with the headphones, earbuds that rival the AirPods could come in the future.
Apple's 13.6-inch 256GB M2 MacBook Air has dropped to $949.00 today on Best Buy, down from $1,099.00. Best Buy offers free next-day shipping as well as in-store pickup for most locations, and has all four colors of Space Gray, Silver, Midnight, and Starlight at this price.
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This is a second-best price on the 13.6-inch 256GB M2 MacBook Air and it's been a few months since we last tracked an all-time low price on this model. MacBook Air deals in 2024 have so far been focused on the 15-inch M2 models, so if you've been waiting for a markdown on the 13.6-inch M2 computer, now is a great time to buy.
Best Buy also has the 512GB model of the 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air on sale, available for $1,199.00, down from $1,399.00. Compared to past sales, this is a second-best price and still a solid discount on the 2022 notebook.
Apple today updated an internal support document about "unannounced or unreleased products," according to a proven source familiar with the matter. The update comes amid rumors that Apple is planning to release new iPads and Macs soon, although there is no guarantee that these things are directly related, and coincidences happen.
The document informs Apple support advisors how to respond to a customer's potential questions about unannounced products and services, or announced but still unreleased products. The document was "restructured and optimized" today, according to Apple's changelog, but we do not know what specific changes were made.
A larger 12.9-inch iPad Air is expected alongside an updated 10.9-inch model. Other rumored or likely features for the iPad Air include the M2 chip, a redesigned rear camera bump, Wi-Fi 6E support, and Bluetooth 5.3.
The 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air are expected to be updated with the M3 chip simultaneously, with key benefits over the M2 chip including faster performance and hardware-accelerated ray tracing for improved graphics rendering in games.
No major design changes are expected for the MacBook Air this year, but the laptops will likely gain support for Wi-Fi 6E like other Macs.
Apple already updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and 24-inch iMac with the M3 chip in October 2023.
Apple often releases a new iPhone color option in March or April too.
iPadOS 18 will drop support for iPad models equipped with the A10X Fusion chip, according to a post on X today from a private account with a proven track record of sharing build numbers for upcoming iOS and iPadOS updates.
This means that iPadOS 18 would not be compatible with the first-generation 10.5-inch iPad Pro or the second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro models released in 2017. It almost certainly means that iPadOS 18 would drop support for iPad models powered by the regular A10 Fusion chip too, including the sixth-generation and seventh-generation iPads.
The post was spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, and it has since been deleted. However, this was likely because the account prefers to keep a low profile, and many of its previously-deleted posts contained accurate information.
If this rumor is accurate, iPadOS 18 would be compatible with the following iPad models:
iOS 18 will be compatible with the iPhone XR, and thereby also the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max models with the same A12 Bionic chip, according to a post on X today from a private account with a proven track record of sharing build numbers for upcoming iOS updates.
The post was spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, and it has since been deleted. However, this was likely because the account prefers to keep a low profile, and many of its previously-deleted posts contained accurate information.
If this rumor is accurate, iOS 18 would be compatible with the same iPhone models as iOS 17:
Some of Apple's biggest investors are set to pressure the company tomorrow to reveal its use of artificial intelligence tools (via the Financial Times).
Apple's annual shareholder meeting takes place tomorrow, allowing those with a major stake in the company to put forward proposals. One resolution proposed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) asks Apple to disclose its use of AI and any ethical guidelines that the company has adopted regarding the technology.
The resolution is set to be supported by Norges Bank Investment Management and Legal & General, Apple's eighth and 10th-largest shareholders. Norges Bank, which operates the world's biggest sovereign wealth fund, wrote in its voting disclosures that Apple's board should account for "social consequences of its operations and products." Likewise, Legal & General said that Apple "discloses very little about its approach to managing AI-related risks."
Legal & General met with Apple to discuss AI, but it declined to increase transparency around its development and use of the technology. "Apple should be transparent in their uses of AI and their risk management processes," the company said.
The major investor advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services is encouraging Apple investors to support the AI resolution, arguing that Apple's guidelines "do not specifically identify the potential risks resulting from the use of AI" and, as a result, "there are concerns regarding shareholders' ability to properly evaluate the risks associated with the use of AI."
Meanwhile, Apple is urging investors to reject the resolution, claiming that "the scope of the requested report is overly broad and could encompass disclosure of strategic plans and initiatives harmful to our competitive position." Shareholder petitions in the United States are usually non-binding, but those that review support from more than 30% of investors usually put sufficient pressure on the company to act. Apple is widely expected to announce a range of new AI features for its devices at WWDC later this year.
Next year's iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus will adopt OLED displays with low-power backplane technology, bringing ProMotion to Apple's standard iPhone models for the first time.
The current iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus use low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panels, while Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models use more advanced low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panels. LTPO panels support ProMotion, allowing the display to ramp up to a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and video content when required.
ProMotion also allows the display to ramp down to a more power-efficient refresh rate as low as 1Hz, which is why the iPhone 15 Pro screens feature an always-on capability that shows the Lock Screen's clock, widgets, notifications, and wallpaper even when the device is locked.
Apple is expected to retain the use of the less advanced LTPS panels in this year's iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to maintain differentiation between its standard and Pro models, meaning Apple's 2025 iPhone series will be the first to feature ProMotion and always-on displays across the lineup.
According to The Elec, Chinese supplier BOE is hoping to supply Apple with LTPO panels for the iPhone 17 series, but questions still remain about whether it can reach the required production capacity while maintaining Apple's quality control standards.
If BOE cannot meet the requirements, Apple will likely turn to other suppliers like Samsung and LG Display for the LTPO panels, and rely on BOE for LTPS-based OLED panels for its legacy iPhone models and the rumored iPhone SE 4.
According to display analyst Ross Young, this year's iPhone 16 Pro models will feature a taller aspect ratio of 19.6:9, a change that will trickle down to the standard iPhone 17 models the following year. The devices are expected to increase from 6.12- and 6.69-inches to 6.27- and 6.86-inches, respectively. This represents a display size increase of 2.5% on both devices.
All in all, this means that the standard iPhone 17 models look set to receive a substantial panel upgrade, with larger sizes as well as LTPO for ProMotion and always-on displays.
Netflix subscribers who still pay their monthly fees through the App Store in-app purchase system will soon need to add a new payment method to keep their accounts active, Netflix is telling customers.
Though Netflix stopped allowing customers to subscribe to its streaming service on iOS devices way back in 2018, it has allowed customers that were already subscribed that way to continue using in-app purchase to pay. Payment through Apple's platform is set to stop, however, because Netflix does not want to continue to pay Apple a 15 percent cut of those subscription fees.
As noted by 9to5Mac, the U.S. Netflix support site now says that customers in "some" countries will need to add a new payment method. It isn't clear which countries the new Netflix policy is applicable to, but given that it was added to the U.S. site, it likely applies to customers in the United States.
Some Apple-billed members in select countries may be prompted to add a new payment method to continue their subscription.
There is no word on how many Netflix subscribers are still paying through in-app purchase since it's been nearly six years since Netflix removed the option. Since 2018, Netflix has required customers who have Apple devices to sign up for a new Netflix subscription on the Netflix website. There is no option to subscribe through the Netflix app on the iPhone or iPad, and these devices open to a sign-in screen.
When Netflix first removed the option to pay through the App Store, it said customers who paid for subscriptions with in-app purchases could continue to use that billing method until their accounts were canceled, but Netflix seems to have run out of patience.
Update: Netflix has clarified that the changes affect basic plan members in some countries including the US and Canada, and it does not impact all Netflix users.
Samsung kicked off a new sale on computer monitors this week, including a match of the all-time low price on the 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor. You can get this display for $999.99 on Samsung's website, down from $1,599.99. Amazon is matching this sale.
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This is a massive $600 discount on the Smart Monitor, which features a matte 5K display, modular 4K SlimFit camera, and support for Thunderbolt 4. The monitor is a good (and cheaper) alternative to Apple's Studio Display. The last time we tracked this deal was about one month ago, so if you've been waiting for a solid markdown on the Samsung display, now is definitely the time to buy.
In addition to the ViewFinity display sale, Samsung has a few other monitor discounts right now, which we've listed below. You can also find other Samsung products on sale this week, including offers and savings on Galaxy smartphones, watches, and tablets.
iOS 18's rumored AI features could revive faltering iPhone sales in China, according to DigiTimes.
In a paywalled report, DigiTimes explains that despite the Chinese market pivoting toward high-end devices, iPhone sales have reportedly struggled since the start of 2024 in the region against rival brands offering generative AI features and foldable displays.
In December 2023, Apple reportedly saw a 13% decline in revenue in China, following months as the top smartphone brand in the country by shipments, and there have been further reports of even more severe declines of up to 40% in recent weeks. Chinese consumers apparently see Apple's diminutive selection of AI features as contradictory to its image as a pioneering brand.
DigiTimes reiterated previous rumors suggesting that iOS 18 will contain a number of new AI features, but cautioned that Apple needs to make significant progress in the AI space to meet consumer expectations and revive the company's popularity in China amid fierce competition from brands like Huawei, which are heavily investing in AI research and development.
On an earnings call earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company was working on generative AI and would share details "later this year." Apple is expected to preview iOS 18 at its annual developers conference WWDC in June, and the update should be released in September. Some new AI features could be exclusive to the iPhone 16 models later in the year, with the lineup rumored to get a "significantly" upgraded Neural Engine.
Some game developers are dissatisfied with Apple Arcade amid concerns about the subscription service's future, a new report claims.
Sources speaking to mobilegamer.biz described a "smell of death" around Apple's games subscription service and noted the difference between the company's investment in TV and music, and its interest in games. "At the very top of the company there needs to be a passion and respect for games, and there just isn't," one developer said. "It all depends on how much buy-in there is from those guys at the top, and I don't think they really value Arcade or invest in it the same way you see them invest in music or TV."
The service initially touted generous upfront payments to developers. Most games released on Apple Arcade in the service's first few years were apparently profitable, providing a lifeline for studios. "Despite its imperfections, we're very very happy Arcade exists. It has made premium games viable on mobile," one games studio executive said, explaining that their company would not exist without Apple's support.
The report claims that Apple Arcade's payouts to developers have been falling for several years, noticeably starting in October 2020. Both upfront payments and the per-play "bonus pool" have shrunk, and Apple is said to be evasive about how these sums are calculated. "They have this opaque metric that they call a qualifying session, and bonus pool payments are made based on that," one source said. "But no-one knows what a qualifying session actually is – it has something to do with if the game was launched, how long the player played for and how often they return. But it's a black box, really."
"App Store Greats" are not eligible for upfront payments, receiving bonus pool contributions only. As a result, games with shorter narratives and premium indie titles earn less than games with longer-term retention. This apparently explains the slow loss of certain types of games on the service. Moreover, there has apparently been a strong shift toward prominent family-friendly IP in Apple's commissioning decisions, with one or two new "App Store Greats" per month. Very few original games are greenlit for the service unless they meet these requirements.
While some developers spoke about their relationship positively, others described the company as "vindictive" or "spiteful" in its dealings. Some developers claim that the Apple Arcade team has not made its strategy shift and overall direction clear, and often simply stops replying to emails. "I got the sense they didn't really know where they were going with it all – almost like they weren't sure if they'd have jobs at the end of it," one studio representative said.
Developers similarly spoke about their difficulties getting marketing support or obtaining features on the App Store, even when their games are struggling to get traction on Apple Arcade. "We have to basically beg for featuring from Apple. Getting that banner featuring at the top is like squeezing blood from a stone," one developer added.
Apple "rebooted" the subscription service in April 2021, cancelling a large number of projects. Some developers believe that Netflix's competitive move into gaming subscriptions has prompted Apple to consider another Apple Arcade reboot, but the long-term future of the service is unclear.
The European Commission is considering investigating Apple's move to disable Home Screen web apps in the EU, the Financial Times reports.
Following the release of the second beta version of iOS 17.4, it emerged that Apple had restricted the functionality of iOS web apps in the EU. Web apps can no longer launch from the Home Screen in their own top-level window that takes up the entire screen, relegating them to a simple shortcut with an option to open within Safari instead. Critics argue that the move undermines the role of web apps as viable alternatives to native apps in iOS.
EU competition regulators sent questions to developers last week to determine the impact of the change in what is apparently seen as a precursor to an in-depth probe. The European Commission confirmed its scrutiny to the Financial Times:
We are indeed looking at the compliance packages of all gatekeepers, including Apple. In that context, we're in particular looking into the issue of progressive web apps, and can confirm sending the requests for information to Apple and to app developers, who can provide useful information for our assessment.
Apple claims that it had to make the change to how web apps work in iOS to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), arguing that third-party browsers used with web apps in Europe could expose users to unlawful security and privacy risks. It believes that the adjustments will only affect a small number of users.
A potential probe into web apps could come after the March 6 deadline for Apple to comply with the DMA, but formal proceedings could be prevented if Apple makes further concessions.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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.
Apple's $59 FineWoven cases for iPhone 15 took heavy flak when they were released last September for being subpar compared to the leather Apple cases they replaced. Now, The Wall Street Journal columnist Joanna Stern has distilled customers' ire by sharing her own experience with the case after five months of use.
There it is, everyone. My iPhone 15 Pro Max's FineWoven case after five months of use. The edges are peeling, the fabric is scratched up like an old CD and it's browning like a rotten banana. I've been waiting for the CDC to show up at my house to declare it a biomedical concern. Some of you will say: "JOANNA! How gross are you?" Others—those who bought this case for $59 when it came out in September—will likely say: "Yep. Same issues here."
[...]
Early on, tech news sites like The Verge complained about scratches in the fabric. At online retailers, the people who gave the case one or two stars all point out the same issues—peeling edges, scratches, proclivity to get dirty. On Best Buy, many say they'll never buy an Apple case again and that it’s the worst product Apple's ever made. Same on Amazon.
An Apple spokesman said that the company's cases are engineered at the highest standard to protect iPhones and that the FineWoven case's durable microtwill will protect an iPhone for years.
An Apple support document offers advice about cleaning its FineWoven cases, but the section's small print admits that "The material may look different and show wear over time as the fibers get compressed with normal use" and that "some scratches may diminish over time."
Responding to Stern's five-month review, Daring Fireball's John Gruber created identical polls across multiple social media platforms asking FineWoven case owners for their opinion, and respondents appear to have overwhelmingly voted in agreement that "It's a piece of junk."
Despite the continued bad publicity almost six months on from the cases' debut, Apple still appears unwilling to admit that its leather alternative material is a letdown. But in the court of public opinion, all the evidence suggests this is an open and shut case: FineWoven is just bad.
Apple plans to expand the iPhone 15 Pro Max's tetraprism camera with up to 5x optical zoom to both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max this year, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce. This is a rumor we have heard from other sources before, including Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and our own reporting.
TrendForce briefly mentioned this information today in a press release focused on the overall smartphone camera lens market:
Following the successful launch of the iPhone 15 Pro Max with its exclusive Tetraprism telephoto zoom lens, the industry is expected to see an increase in the adoption of periscopic lens modules. Apple plans to bring this advanced hardware upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro, making it accessible to more users in the Pro series.
In the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the tetraprism camera system has a "folded" design that allows it to fit inside the smartphone, enabling up to 5x optical zoom and up to 25x digital zoom. By comparison, the smaller iPhone 15 Pro remains limited to up to 3x optical zoom, in line with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
It has been rumored that the iPhone 16 Pro will feature a larger 6.3-inch display, compared to the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro. This change would increase the overall size of the device, which could provide additional internal space for a tetraprism camera.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 16 series in September.
Microsoft repeatedly attempted to persuade Apple to switch to Bing as the default search engine for Safari or even buy it outright, it has emerged.
The information was disclosed in documents as part of Google's ongoing antitrust case against the U.S. Justice Department (via CNBC). According to the filings, Microsoft approached Apple in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020, proposing that Bing should replace Google as the default search engine in Safari.
Apple consistently declined these offers, citing concerns over Bing's search quality relative to Google's. The documents reveal that in 2018 Microsoft not only suggested making Bing the default search engine but also offered to sell Bing to Apple or establish a joint venture around the search engine. These proposals were similarly turned down by Apple.
The court filings provide insight into Apple's decision-making process, highlighting the company's evaluation of Bing's capabilities against Google's. Eddy Cue, Apple's Senior Vice President of Services, is quoted in the filings expressing skepticism about Bing's search quality and Microsoft's investment in search technology.
Google pays billions of dollars to remain the default search engine on Apple devices. Google argues that Microsoft's repeated pitches to Apple demonstrate the competitive nature of the search engine market, countering allegations that Google holds a monopoly in web search advertising.
As part of its generative AI push, Apple is expected to feature tight integration between Siri and the Messages app in iOS 18. We won't have a fuller idea about how that will work until Apple previews its next major software update at WWDC in June, but in the meantime, Google has just announced its own equivalent feature for Android.
In an update for the beta version of Google Messages arriving this week, users will be able to interact with Google's Gemini chatbot (previously called "Bard") right inside the app, where it can help to draft messages, brainstorm ideas, plan events, or simply allow for a "fun conversation." Google says the feature is only available to English-language Messages users for now.
Android Auto is also getting an AI assistant that can automatically summarize long texts or busy group chats while users are driving. It will also suggest relevant replies and actions that users can tap once to send a message, share their ETA, or start a call. We have not heard rumors mention AI in relation to CarPlay, so whether or not Apple has similar features in the works is unknown.
iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will include a "slew of new AI features," according to a recent report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The report claims Apple is training both Siri and Spotlight search on large language models, with the goal of improving each feature's ability to answer complex questions accurately. The revamped version of Spotlight could also offer deeper integration with "specific" functions and features in apps.
Gurman says that one of the tentpole AI features Apple is developing is an improved interaction between Siri and the Messages app, which would let Siri auto-complete sentences more effectively and answer complex questions. Apple has also explored AI-powered features that would allow users to automatically generate playlists in Apple Music and presentation slides in the Keynote app. Some new AI features announced later on in the year could well be exclusive to iPhone 16 models, which are rumored to get a "significantly" upgraded Neural Engine.
According to the latest data from TF International Securities, Apple's weekly smartphone sales in the Chinese market have declined by 30-40% in recent weeks, which is said to be partly due to rival Chinese smartphones already offering generative AI features of their own.
Starting at $3,500, Apple's Vision Pro price puts it at the top-end of the AR/VR headset market, but a significant portion of the cost is down to the device's premium "bill of materials," which is thought to come in at just over $1,500.
According to Omdia's research, the components used in Vision Pro are estimated to cost Apple a total of $1,542. The most expensive component is said to be the two 1.25-inch micro-OLED displays inside the headset, one for each eye. The displays provide a total of 23 million pixels, which Apple says is "more pixels than a 4K TV." Omdia estimates that Apple pays $228 for each display, or $456 per headset.
The second most expensive components are the M2 and R1 chips. The M2 is the main processor, which is the same chip that was first introduced in the 2022 MacBook Air. The M2 is responsible for processing content, running the visionOS operating system, executing computer vision algorithms, and providing graphical content. The R1 chip is responsible for all of the information coming from the cameras, sensors, and microphones. Together they cost Apple a total of $240.
As noted by CNBC, it is hard to extrapolate Apple's profit margin from these estimated figures, since they do not take into account research and development costs, packaging, shipping, sales, marketing, and any capital expenditures that can add up-front costs to large parts orders. Nevertheless, they do give an idea of how expensive the parts alone are in a given device.
Apple is expected to produce fewer than 400,000 Vision Pro headsets in 2024 due to the complexity of manufacturing, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. However, Apple is said to be already working on a new version of the Apple Vision Pro that will be priced more affordably. The chips in the device are likely to be on par with the iPhone rather than Mac-level chips, and Apple may also use lower resolution internal displays and cheaper materials. It could also drop the outward-facing EyeSight feature that lets other people see a simulated rendering of the wearer's eyes.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that Apple is working on a next-generation version of the Vision Pro that could see a launch sometime in late 2025.
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