MacRumors

The popular weather app CARROT Weather today was updated with two key new features: CarPlay support and automatic Live Activities.

When accessed via CarPlay, CARROT Weather becomes a navigation app like Google Maps. You can enter your destination and receive turn-by-turn directions, with the added benefit of being able to view the weather along your driving route. The weather features include live radar, severe weather warnings, wind speeds, visibility levels, and more.

CARROT Weather's turn-by-turn directions are as snarky as its weather forecasts, so prepare for remarks such as "turn left on Rodeo Drive, meatbag," or "you went the wrong way, idiot, now I have to recalculate your entire route."

With auto-starting Live Activities, CARROT Weather's next-hour precipitation chart can now start automatically when precipitation is in the area. Users will receive a notification around 15 minutes before rain or snow begins, and then a Live Activities widget will continuously appear on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island until the precipitation stops. Previously, you had to open the app to start a Live Activity each time.

Both new features require a CARROT Weather Premium subscription.

CARROT Weather version 6.2 is available in the App Store.

Following a false alarm last week due to a prematurely-updated Apple support document, Synchrony as of today is actually available as a buy-now, pay-later option when checking out with Apple Pay online and in apps on iPhone and iPad. However, you need a Synchrony Mastercard in order to access these payment plans.

After adding an eligible Synchrony Mastercard to the Apple Wallet app, iPhone and iPad users running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 can select from fixed monthly payment options during the Apple Pay checkout process. Look for the "Pay Later" option when checking out with Apple Pay to access payment plans available from Synchrony.

Eligible cards include the Synchrony Preferred Mastercard, Synchrony Plus World Mastercard, and Synchrony Premier World Mastercard.

Synchrony also announced that, starting later this year, users will be able to view and redeem rewards from eligible Synchrony-issued cards when checking out with Apple Pay online and in apps on the iPhone and iPad.

Apple discontinued its own buy-now, pay-later service called Apple Pay Later last year, and started partnering with third-party providers. Apple Pay Later let qualifying customers split a purchase made with Apple Pay into four equal payments over six weeks, with no interest or fees. Affirm, Klarna, and now Synchrony offer similar financing options.

Apple is in talks with Barclays and Synchrony about becoming its new financial partner for the Apple Card, according to Reuters sources.

The report today added that Apple has also been holding discussions with Chase Bank owner JPMorgan since last year, so there are at least three potential companies in the running to take over the Apple Card from current partner Goldman Sachs.

Goldman Sachs had reportedly approached American Express about taking over the Apple Card a few years ago, as well, but nothing came of it. Apple's credit card uses the Mastercard network, and that might have prevented an American Express takeover.

Goldman Sachs is in the process of winding down its consumer lending business, which has lost billions of dollars in recent years. On a recent earnings call, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said the company is contracted to be the Apple Card's lender until 2030, but he said there is a "possibility" that the partnership will end earlier.

In 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that Goldman Sachs wanted out of the Apple Card partnership, but it has yet to part ways with Apple.

Last year, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined Apple and Goldman Sachs nearly $90 million combined after finding the companies mishandled transaction disputes and misled iPhone users about interest-free payment options.

"Apple Card is one of the most consumer-friendly credit cards available, and was specifically designed to support users' financial health," said Apple, in response to the fine. "Upon learning about these inadvertent issues years ago, Apple worked closely with Goldman Sachs to quickly address them and help impacted customers."

If the Apple Card does eventually get a new financial partner, it is unclear if there would be any major changes to the card's features and policies.

Launched in 2019, Apple's credit card remains available in the U.S. only.

Amazon this week is discounting a collection of Beats audio devices, including a return of the all-time low price on the new Beats Pill. You can get this portable Bluetooth speaker for $99.99 in Champagne Gold, down from $149.95.

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

This sale includes major discounts on products like the Beats Solo Buds, which have hit $59.99, down from $79.99. These are a solid entry-level option and feature up to 18 hours of playback, USB-C, and Spatial Audio.

For an upgraded model, Amazon has the Beats Studio Buds for $99.99, down from $149.95. These have up to 9 hours of playback (up to 36 hours with charging case), USB-C, active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and an IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance.

You'll also find a few steep discounts on over-ear headphones, like the Beats Studio Pro at $249.99, down from $349.99. Many of these deals are solid second-best prices on each pair of headphones.

• Beats Solo Buds - $59.99, down from $79.99
• Beats Studio Buds - $99.99, down from $149.95
• Beats Pill - $99.99, down from $149.95
• Beats Studio Pro - $249.99, down from $349.99

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

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Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website.

Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50.

We have outlined some examples below:

Device	New Value	Old Value
iPhone 15 Pro Max	Up to $630	Up to $650
iPhone 15	Up to $400	Up to $410
iPhone 14 Pro Max	Up to $450	Up to $500
iPhone 14	Up to $270	Up to $300
iPad Pro	Up to $520	Up to $555
iPad Air	Up to $270	Up to $275
iPad mini	Up to $200	Up to $215
Apple Watch Ultra 2	Up to $390	Up to $375
Apple Watch Series 8	Up to $145	Up to $140
Apple Watch Series 7	Up to $100	Up to $105
MacBook Pro	Up to $915	Up to $875
MacBook Air	Up to $425	Up to $445
Mac Studio	Up to $1140	Up to $1170

Apple's trade-in values also changed for some Android smartphones.

Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website or at an Apple Store, and the credit can be applied towards the purchase of a new Apple product, or placed on an Apple gift card for later use. Apple's trade-in page offers a complete list of values.

Apple today shared photos of its upcoming store at MixC Hefei in China.

The store features a combined Genius Bar and Apple Pickup station, so customers can receive support and collect their online orders in a single area. This combination now exists at a handful of Apple's new or renovated retail stores, such as Apple Bridge Street and Apple Old Orchard, according to the Retail Archive account.

Today at Apple creative sessions will also be offered at the store, for free.

Apple MixC Hefei opens to the public on Saturday, January 18, at 10 a.m. local time. The store features a wide, curved glass entrance.

In its press release previewing the store, Apple reminded customers that it is currently offering special-edition AirPods 4 with an engraving for the Year of the Snake in China. They will be available to purchase at the store.

Apple is also opening a new store at the Miami Worldcenter complex on Friday, January 24, and it is renovating two other stores in Florida and Texas.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to be the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook recently sat down for an interview with Table Manners podcast hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware when he visited London in December. Cook shared insight into his daily routine, his focus on work, and his retirement plans. He also provided some fun details about Apple and some of his favorite things.

Cook revealed that Apple collects the fruit from the trees that are around the Apple Park campus, using it to make jam. He shared spiced apple jam created from ‌Apple Park‌ trees with the podcast hosts. Apple primarily has apple trees because the land where the ‌Apple Park‌ campus is located used to be an orchard, but there are also cherry trees.

While Cook does intend to retire at some point, it won't be the "traditional definition" of retirement. He doesn't see himself "being at home doing nothing" and "not intellectually stimulated." He says he'll "always be wired in that kind of way and want to work."

Cook said that his upbringing was "centered on work." He had a newspaper route at age 11, and at age 14, he "flipped burgers" at a fast food place called Tastee-Freez. His parents "instilled hard work," and the value of it has stayed with him "for a lifetime."

As Cook has said several times before, he wakes up before 5:00 a.m. to start work. He begins his day answering emails while it's still quiet. When asked why he starts with emails, he said it's the part of the day that has no surprises. "Well, as it turns out, it's the part of the day that I can control the most," he said. "As the day starts to unfold, it becomes less predictable."

The early morning is his favorite time of the day because he can "kind of block out the world and focus on a few critical things, and just be silent for a while."

Cook said that he works from ‌Apple Park‌ four days a week, but on Fridays, he tends to work from home. He said he works at home because "nobody's in the office and it's depressing when there's nobody there." Apple has a hybrid working schedule where employees are allowed to work from home up to two days a week.

There were no real hints of new products, but Cook said that there are "so many things" in the pipeline, as he often does. "We have so many things coming up," he said.

Some other tidbits:

• Cook loves white wine, specifically Chardonnay. His favorite is Kistler.
• For breakfast, he eats a protein rich cashew cereal from Whole Foods with unsweetened almond milk.
• Cook doesn't cook, and eats most of his meals during the week at Caffé Macs. He takes dinner home.
• Ethel's Fancy in Palo Alto is one of his preferred restaurants, where he likes to get the octopus.
• He eats a lot of fish.
• Cook loves chocolate, especially dark chocolate.
• Table Manners has a tradition of asking guests about their last meal. Cook said his would be an appetizer of hamachi crudo with jalapeno, a branzino for a main dish, broccolini as a side, and anything chocolate for dessert.
• When not working, Cook likes to hike, and he likes to go to national parks for vacation.
• Cook recently went caving in Slovenia.

The full Table Manners podcast with ‌Tim Cook‌ can be listened to through Apple Podcasts on the web, iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Apple CEO Tim Cook will be one of several tech CEOs in attendance at the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, reports Bloomberg.

Earlier this month, Cook personally donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, and when Trump won in November, Cook sent congratulations on social media site X. Cook also visited Mar-a-Lago in December, where he had dinner with Trump.

Tech CEOs and tech companies have been lavishing Trump with money and attention since November. Google, Amazon, Meta, Uber, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Coinbase, Toyota, Ford, GM, AT&T, and more made donations to Trump's inauguration fund, and as a result, Trump has raised $200 million.

Trump has made it clear that he plans to put new tariffs in place, and Cook is likely aiming to avoid them with an exemption. During Trump's first term, Apple was able to skirt tariffs on its the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, though it had to pay some tariffs for the Apple Watch, AirPods, and HomePod. In 2019, Trump said Cook "made a good case" that tariffs would put Apple at a disadvantage.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and Tesla's Elon Musk will also be at the inauguration.

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.

Four months have passed since Apple released the iPhone 16 lineup. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using an ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max since launch, and over on our YouTube channel, he did a multi-month review to provide his thoughts on durability, battery life, Camera Control, and other features.

The titanium chassis has held up well, with just minor scratches and scuffs on the edges. Battery health remains at 100 percent at 101 cycles and battery life has been impressive, but this is the ‌iPhone 16‌ with the biggest battery.

Camera Control has been a hit or miss feature. It's useful for opening the camera quickly to snap photos, but digging into the extra menus with swipes and gestures is clunky and takes too long.

Apple Intelligence is about the same, and it's not always super useful. One of the better features is Clean Up, which removes unwanted images from photos. Clean Up has improved over time since it was first introduced in iOS 18.1, and it's more useful than it was initially. Genmoji is fun, but it needs improvement because a lot of simple requests just don't pan out.

Unsurprisingly, the camera has been great, especially the improved 48-megapixel Ultra Wide lens that Apple added. Photographic Styles adds useful customization options, and it's easier to make quick edits that give your images a uniform look.

Have an ‌iPhone 16‌? Let us know what you think of it after using it for a few months.

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said that there's "some possibility" the company's Apple Card partnership with Apple could end early, reports Reuters. Goldman Sachs and Apple have a contract that is supposed to last until 2030, but the financial services company wants to get out of consumer banking and out of its deal with Apple.

Back in November 2023, a report from The Wall Street Journal suggested that Apple was aiming to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months. The 12 month mark has already passed, and 15 months is coming up at the end of February, but there hasn't been recent news on the dissolving of the partnership.

Apple partnered with Goldman Sachs for the ‌Apple Card‌ and the Apple Savings account, so Apple needs to find a replacement partner for these services before it can move on from Goldman Sachs.

Goldman Sachs initially approached American Express about taking over the deal, but the ‌Apple Card‌ needs to run on the Mastercard network until 2026 because of a prior contract. Apple held discussions with Synchrony Financial and Capital One, but those talks seem to have ended. As of September 2024, Apple was reportedly in talks with JPMorgan Chase about an ‌Apple Card‌ takeover, but establishing a deal could take months.

Goldman Sachs has faced customer service issues and customer complaints over the ‌Apple Card‌ and Apple Savings account, which ultimately led to an investigation by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Customers were unhappy with long wait times for disputed ‌Apple Card‌ transactions and issues with transferring money from the Apple Savings account, and Apple is not happy with the poor customer service reputation its financial products have as a result.

Apple's financing partner Affirm this month started offering interest-free financing on iPhone purchases in Canada again, after stopping doing so in mid-2023. With a 0% loan from Affirm, you can pay for an iPhone over 24 months with zero interest added.

This change, first reported by the blog iPhone in Canada, could help to boost iPhone sales in Canada following the recent holiday shopping season.

Affirm is still charging interest on iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro purchases in Canada, with APRs ranging from 4.99% to 7.99%.

Many of Apple's financing options in the U.S. are not available in Canada, including the iPhone Upgrade Program and Apple Card Monthly Installments, leaving customers in the country with no other options directly from Apple beyond Affirm.

Affirm acquired Apple's former financing partner in Canada, PayBright, in 2021.

There is a good chance that Apple's first product announcement of 2025 will be updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M4 chip.

Last month, Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.2, and in doing so it accidentally confirmed new MacBook Air models are coming this year (unsurprisingly).

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the new MacBook Air models will be announced "earlier" than some other devices rumored to launch this spring, such as a new iPhone SE and iPad 11. He has repeatedly said the new MacBook Air models are already in production, so a release as early as January or February rather than March or April seems possible.

Below, we recap rumors about the next MacBook Air models.

The new MacBook Air models are expected to be equipped with Apple's already-released M4 chip, which has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU.

Apple already updated the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini with M4 chips in late October. Geekbench 6 results showed that the M4 chip is up to 25% faster than the M3 chip in terms of multi-core CPU performance.

Apple recently increased the minimum RAM included in all MacBook Air models from 8GB to 16GB.

Following in the footsteps of the MacBook Pro, the next MacBook Air models will likely have an upgraded 12-megapixel camera with support for Center Stage, a feature that automatically keeps you centered on video as you move around. The camera should also support Desk View, which shows both you and an overhead view of your desk.

Center Stage is available in video calling apps like FaceTime and Zoom. The feature was previously limited to newer iPad models and Macs connected to Apple's external Studio Display. The new MacBook Pro and iMac models were the first Macs to support Center Stage without needing to rely on a Studio Display.

The new MacBook Air models will likely be equipped with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, whereas the current models have two Thunderbolt 3 ports. And the new models will likely support up to two external displays, even when the lid is open.

The latest MacBook Pro and iMac models can be configured with a nano-texture display, which has a special coating that better scatters light to further minimize glare on the screen. It is possible that Apple will extend this option to the new MacBook Air models, but it might opt to keep the option exclusive to the MacBook Pro for differentiation.

No major external design changes have been rumored for the next MacBook Air models. Apple last redesigned the MacBook Air in 2022.

Amazon and Best Buy are discounting Apple's 13-inch M2 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD storage down to $799.00 in every color. This is a $200 discount on the M2 MacBook Air, and neither sale requires any coupon code in order to see the final deal price.

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

Compared to past sales, this is a match of the all-time low price on this model of the M2 MacBook Air. Although this is a previous generation device, it remains in Apple's current lineup and will work great for anyone who doesn't need the performance gains introduced with the M3 chip, especially at this discounted price.

There are a few deals on the M3 MacBook Air, and these are all located at Amazon. You can get the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD storage for $1,099.00 on Amazon, down from $1,299.00. Only the Space Gray color is available at this record low price.

Finally, if you are looking for a larger model, Amazon has the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD storage for $1,299.00, down from $1,499.00. This one is available in three colors on Amazon, and it's another match of the record low price on the M3 MacBook Air.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device.

Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM card slot worldwide, and an A19 chip instead of the more powerful A19 Pro chip. Of course, the device will also be equipped with a smaller battery than other iPhone 17 models.

Below, we recap 10 key changes rumored for the "iPhone 17 Air" as of January 2025:

• The thinnest iPhone ever, measuring just 5.5mm at its thinnest point
• 6.6-inch OLED display with Face ID and Dynamic Island
• ProMotion support for up to 120Hz refresh rate
• A19 chip instead of A19 Pro chip
• 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence support
• A single 48-megapixel rear camera
• A 24-megapixel front camera
• A single speaker in the earpiece, no bottom speaker
• eSIM only, no physical SIM card slot
• Apple-designed 5G modem

Bookmark our iPhone 17 roundup to stay up to date with more rumors over the coming months.

Apple is making it easier for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users in the U.S. to donate towards wildfire recovery efforts in the Los Angeles, California area.

Apple has added an American Red Cross donation flow to the App Store and Apple Music apps.

"Our hearts go out to all impacted by the ongoing devastation in LA," said Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a social media post today. "In addition to Apple's donation, we're making it easy to support recovery efforts. If you're in the US, just open the App Store or Apple Music & click to donate to help make a difference." He also shared a direct link to the donation flow.

Last week, Apple said it would be making its own donation towards recovery efforts on the ground. Apple frequently donates towards recovery efforts following natural disasters around the world, but it typically does not disclose the donation amount.

In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and now further evidence of the wireless earbuds has surfaced.

Apple submitted Powerbeats Pro 2 regulatory documents to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in mid-December. The documents were made available to the public this week, and they were spotted by 91Mobiles.

The documents confirm that Apple has continued to take the necessary steps to launch the Powerbeats Pro 2 this year. They also reveal that the left and right earbuds will have model numbers of A3157 and A3158, respectively, while the charging case will be A3160. Beyond that, we have not uncovered any significant details.

Apple also submitted Powerbeats Pro 2 regulatory documents to the Bureau of Indian Standards in November, according to the 91Mobiles report.

Powerbeats Pro are a sportier, fitness-focused alternative to AirPods Pro with built-in, adjustable ear hooks for a secure fit. Apple's teaser video last year showed MLB star Shohei Ohtani wearing the Powerbeats Pro 2, revealing a more vertical, slimmer design compared to the original Powerbeats Pro, which are now discontinued.

We previously reported that the Powerbeats Pro 2 will offer heart rate monitoring during workouts. Based on our iOS 18 code findings, you will be able to connect the Powerbeats Pro 2 to gym equipment like a treadmill to measure heart rate, and the data will be visible in the Health app and other supported apps on the iPhone.

We also confirmed that Powerbeats Pro 2 will support Active Noise Cancellation, Spatial Audio, and Adaptive Audio. The earbuds and charging case will be available in orange, purple, black, or beige, and the case should have a USB-C port.

Based on other recent Beats headphones, other potential upgrades for the Powerbeats Pro 2 include improved sound quality, longer battery life, and improved cross-platform compatibility with Android features like Find My Device.

Apple did not reveal a specific release date in 2025 for the Powerbeats Pro 2, but the regulatory filings hint at a launch within the next few months.

Update: The four colors have the following names: Jet Black, Quick Sand, Electric Orange, and Hyper Purple.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the MacBook Air 17 years ago today at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, captivating audiences with a groundbreaking design that set new industry standards.

Jobs famously revealed the ‌MacBook Air‌ by pulling it out of an interoffice envelope to emphasize its unprecedentedly slim profile. The original model featured a 13.3-inch display, Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and an optional 64GB solid-state drive, which was a rarity for consumer laptops in 2008, in a sleek aluminum unibody design. It lacked features considered standard at the time, such as an optical drive and Ethernet port. The single headphone, USB, and Micro-DVI ports popped out of a small door on the right of the machine. Jobs said:

We've built the world's thinnest notebook — without sacrificing a full-size keyboard or a full-size 13-inch display. When you first see MacBook Air, it's hard to believe it's a high-performance notebook with a full-size keyboard and display. But it is.

Seventeen years later, the ‌MacBook Air‌ remains a cornerstone of the Mac lineup, providing the entry-level point for customers who want an Apple laptop. In 2020, Apple brought its own custom silicon processor to the ‌MacBook Air‌ in the form of the M1 chip, enabling a massive leap in performance and energy efficiency. It completely redesigned the machine in 2022, and added a 15-inch model in 2024. In the first half of this year, Apple is expected to bring its latest-generation M-series chips to the device.

WaterField Designs today introduced the Shield Case, a small, protective case that's designed for Apple's latest Mac mini. The shield case has a rugged ballistic nylon or waxed canvas exterior, along with a soft, padded fleece interior that keeps the ‌Mac mini‌ safe during transport.

The M4 Mac mini is Apple's smallest desktop machine to date, measuring in at just five inches by five inches. It's small enough that it can be easily taken from one desktop setup to another, hence the reason behind a case for a desktop Mac.

There is a plush interior pocket for the ‌Mac mini‌ power cord, along with a rear mesh pocket and a padded, zippered front pocket for SD cards, cords, and an AirTag for tracking purposes.

A nylon loop at the top allows the Shield Case to be carried or attached to another bag with a carabiner, and there are waterproof YKK zippers that can be locked with a padlock. A zipper guard ensures the zipper does not damage the ‌Mac mini‌.

The Shield Case can be purchased from the WaterField Designs website for $99, and it will ship out to customers this month.