Apple today released tvOS 17.3, the third major update to the tvOS 17 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 17.3 comes over a month after tvOS 17.2, an update that brought the revamped Apple TV app.
tvOS 17.3 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the Apple TV. Go to System > Software Update to get the new software. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates activated will be upgraded to tvOS 17.3 automatically.
tvOS updates are typically minor in scale compared to other operating system updates, focusing primarily on bug fixes and smaller improvements rather than notable outward-facing changes. No new features were found in the tvOS 17.3 beta testing process.
Apple shares release notes for tvOS in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each new version of tvOS comes out.
Apple does not specify what's included in the HomePod 17.3 software, and the generic release notes only say that it brings stability and performance improvements.
HomePod software is installed automatically on the HomePod unless the feature is disabled, but the HomePod can also be manually updated in the Home app by following the instructions in our HomePod update how to.
Apple today posted an ad specifically focused on the iPhone 15 Plus, the larger version of the standard iPhone 15 model. In the spot, Apple focuses on the battery life of the device, which is equipped with a higher capacity battery than the iPhone 15 due to its larger size.
In the humorous ad, a man takes a video of a child who is attempting to break a wood plank with his hand. The attempts are unsuccessful well into the night, and the iPhone 15 Plus battery is able to record for hours. "Battery goes on and on," reads the tagline at the end of the video.
This is in fact the second iPhone 15 Plus battery ad that Apple has uploaded in recent months. The first spot featured a sad receptacle that was missing being able to charge the iPhone 15 Plus.
According to Apple's technical specifications page, the iPhone 15 Plus is able to provide up to 26 hours of offline video playback and 100 hours of audio playback.
Apple has announced that it will be opening a new retail store at the Mall of Scandinavia, near Stockholm, Sweden, as noted by Michael Steeber today in his Tabletops newsletter. Apple says the store will open in 2024, but it has yet to share an exact date.
Apple Mall of Scandinavia via Feber
Apple has three other stores in Sweden, but one will be permanently closing eventually. In a statement shared with Swedish publication Feber last week, Apple said it will not be renewing its lease for its Väla Centrum store in Ödåkra, Sweden. Apple has yet to disclose an exact closure date for that location.
Anker today has a large collection of accessories on sale on Amazon, including the return of a discount on the popular 3-in-1 Charging Cube Stand with MagSafe support, available for $134.95 for Amazon Prime members, down from $149.95. You'll find chargers, USB-C accessories, portable batteries, and more on sale this time around.
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Another highlight is the 60,000 mAh portable power station for $109.99 with an on-page coupon, down from $149.99. If you're looking for a smaller portable battery, there's the 10,000 mAh Nano Power Bank with built-in USB-C cable for $39.99, down from $49.99.
Note: You need to be an Amazon Prime member to see this deal.
Shoppers should note that some Amazon deals require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the discounts. To get these discounts, click on the box next to the on-page coupon on each product page, then head to the checkout screen in order to see the final sale price.
Apple Music Classical was updated today with what appeared to be CarPlay support, but this was quickly reversed in a follow-up update.
Apple Music Classical showed up on CarPlay starting with version 1.2 today, but support was removed in version 1.2.1 just hours later, after the app failed to load when opened on CarPlay. It's unclear if or when CarPlay support will return.
Apple Music Classical first launched in March 2023, offering users with a standard Apple Music subscription access to over five million classical music tracks at no additional cost. The streaming app features advanced search functionality, exclusive artwork, extensive metadata, curated listening recommendations, and more.
The app is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. It is built upon Primephonic, a classical music streaming service acquired by Apple in 2021.
Apple sold between 160,000 and 180,000 Vision Pro headsets during its first pre-order weekend, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a new post on Medium, Kuo said that the headset sold out soon after the pre-order process opened, with shipping times for all models slipping by five to seven weeks. While the instant sell-out and extended shipping times appear to be positive at first glance, Kuo cautioned that shipping dates remain unchanged 48 hours after pre-orders opened, indicating that demand may be quickly tapering off after core enthusiasts placed their orders.
For comparison, new iPhone models similarly sell out soon after pre-orders open, but they usually continue to see a steady increase in shipping dates in the following days, indicating ongoing demand. Kuo believes that shipping 500,000 Vision Pro units this year "should not be challenging," but demand is a key question as "Vision Pro is still a very niche product."
Ahead of the Apple Vision Pro launching on February 2, developers are in the process of preparing their apps for the mixed reality headset. So far, over 250 apps with native support for visionOS have been submitted to Apple, according to a source.
Box
By natively supporting visionOS, apps can take full advantage of "spatial" design elements and offer more immersive features.
In addition to some Apple apps, well-known third-party apps that will natively support visionOS at launch include Airmail, Box, CARROT Weather, Fantastical, Facades, JigSpace, MUBI, Night Sky, OmniPlan 4, Parcel, PCalc, Red Bull TV, Sky Guide, Tides, Webex, Zoom, and more, according to data compiled by app analytics firm Appfigures.
CARROT Weather
Webex
Fantastical
Microsoft will offer a variety of native visionOS apps at launch, such as Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams, based on App Store marketing images shared by developer Steve Troughton-Smith on Mastodon and @M1Astra on X/Twitter. Additional images show native apps for Crunchyroll, J.Crew, LEGO Builder's Journey, Lowe's, and others.
Microsoft PowerPoint
J.Crew
Lowe's
In addition to native apps, iPhone and iPad apps will automatically be available on the Vision Pro, unless a developer opts out using the App Store Connect tool. As a result, Apple says more than one million apps will be available for the headset at launch.
Apple last week listed some additional entertainment apps that will be available on the Vision Pro at launch, including Disney+, ESPN, NBA, MLB, PGA Tour, Max, Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi, Fubo, IMAX, and TikTok. Some of the apps will be native, while others will be compatible iPad apps.
Disney+
Disney+ will natively support the Vision Pro at launch, and its app will offer users a selection of 3D movies to watch on the headset, such as Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Elemental, and Encanto.
"At launch, viewers can transform their space into one of four Disney+ environments, bringing them even closer to the story," said Disney, in a press release last week. "Each environment includes animations and sounds that make the space feel alive, and Easter eggs from films and franchises that will surprise and delight fans."
Some popular apps will not offer Vision Pro apps of any kind at launch, including Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube, according to Bloomberg, but users can still access these services via Safari. It's also unclear if Meta-owned apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp will be available on the headset at launch.
With around two weeks remaining until the Vision Pro launches, there is still time for developers to prepare their apps, so expect more to follow soon.
Apple plans to release new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air models in the spring this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this timeframe, the devices could be released as early as this March or April. After the devices are released, he said attention will shift to Apple's annual developers conference WWDC in June.
Below, we outline rumored features and expectations for these upcoming devices.
Rumored and/or likely features for the next iPad Air models include Apple's M2 chip for faster performance, a redesigned rear camera bump, Wi-Fi 6E support, and Bluetooth 5.3. No major external design changes are expected.
The current fifth-generation iPad Air with the M1 chip was released in March 2022.
iPad Pro
The next 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models are widely expected to be the first iPads equipped with OLED displays.
OLED technology would enable the next iPad Pro displays to offer increased brightness, higher contrast ratio, lower power consumption, and other benefits compared to existing models with LCD panels. Apple already uses OLED displays for the latest iPhone and Apple Watch models, excluding the lower-end iPhone SE.
Due to the switch to OLED, the next iPad Pro models are expected to be more expensive.
iPad Pro models released in 2017 and later support ProMotion, allowing for a variable refresh rate between 24Hz and 120Hz. The switch to OLED would likely allow for the refresh rate to drop down even further to 10Hz or lower to save battery life. iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models can reach as low as 1Hz while in always-on display mode.
Other rumored and/or likely features for the next iPad Pro models include Apple's latest M3 chip for faster performance, MagSafe wireless charging, and a redesigned Magic Keyboard with a larger trackpad and an aluminum top casing. As with the iPad Air, changes to the rear camera bump are also possible for the iPad Pro.
The current iPad Pro models with the M2 chip were released in October 2022.
MacBook Air
Gurman said Apple plans to release multiple MacBook Airs with the M3 chip in the spring, so it sounds like the next 13-inch and 15-inch models will be released simultaneously this year, rather than separately like in the past.
With the M3 chip, the next MacBook Air models will gain hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading for improved graphics rendering in games, including more accurate lighting, reflections, and shadows. Apple already updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and 24-inch iMac with the M3 chip last year.
No major design changes are expected for the MacBook Air this year, but the laptop will likely gain support for Wi-Fi 6E like other Macs.
Apple last updated the 13-inch MacBook Air in July 2022, while the first-ever 15-inch MacBook Air was released in June 2023.
Apple today premiered an iPhone 15 ad entitled "New Driver" on its YouTube channel, using the stress of being a parent of a new teenage driver to highlight the Check In feature of the Messages app in iOS 17.
Check In allows you to automatically notify a friend or family member when you've arrived at your destination, reassuring them of your safety. In the new ad, an anxious father watches as his daughter awkwardly backs a car out the family's driveway, hitting a skateboard and a garbage cart on her way.
The scene then transitions to the father nervously sitting at the family's dining room table until he receives a Check In alert letting him know his daughter has arrived at school. The father breathes a sigh of relief as the tagline "Relax, it's iPhone" appears onscreen.
The design of Apple's upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Air model has today allegedly been revealed in new CAD renders shared by 91Mobiles.
As expected, the renders show an overall appearance that is very similar to the iPad Air design used for the fourth- and fifth-generation models, but simply scaled up to accommodate a larger display.
The most striking difference on the device is a redesigned rear camera unit, which now protrudes from the rear in a longer pill-shape, unlike the single, round protruding cutout on the current iPad Air. This new design seems to be somewhat reminiscent of the rear camera unit of the iPhone X and iPhone XS.
On the front of the tablet, the iPad Air looks very similar to the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but with noticeably thicker bezels, just like how the 10.9-inch iPad Air has thicker borders around the display compared to the 11-inch iPad Pro.
The device is expected to be targeted at those who want a bigger tablet than the current, 10.9-inch iPad Air, but have no need for the high-end features of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro such as ProMotion or a LiDAR scanner. This is similar to Apple's approach with the 13.6- and 15.3-inch MacBook Air, as well as the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 and 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus.
91Mobiles also reiterated reports that the next-generation iPad Air will feature the M2 chip. The device is rumored to enter production in the first quarter of 2024, so it could already be underway. It is expected to launch "early" this year, likely in March.
After years of rumors and months of waiting following its unveiling, Apple's headset is finally just about here, with pre-orders going live in the U.S. ahead of an early February launch.
While Vision Pro was the biggest news of the week, there were also big developments in the ongoing Apple Watch blood oxygen patent dispute, with Apple being forced to start selling Series 9 and Ultra 2 models with the sensor disabled for the time being.
We also got a release time frame for upcoming iOS 17.3 and associated updates, while Apple is now begrudgingly allowing developers to offer non-Apple Store payment options for in-app purchases, so read on below for all the details!
Apple Vision Pro Now Available for Pre-Order
Apple is now accepting pre-orders for the Apple Vision Pro, the company's first spatial computing device. Orders are live in the U.S. online store ahead of the February 2 launch date with the Vision Pro limited to the United States for the time being, although shipping estimates for new orders quickly began slipping into March.
As a longer-term solution, Apple is reportedly working on changes to the Blood Oxygen app's algorithm in an attempt to avoid Masimo's patented technology, but it's unclear when these changes will be ready.
Apple Releasing iOS 17.3 Next Week With These New Features
U.S. Developers Can Now Offer Non-App Store Purchasing Option, But Apple Will Still Collect Commissions
In adherence with a U.S. court ruling, Apple is now allowing App Store apps to feature a single link to a developer website that leads to an alternative payment option for in-app purchases, but Apple plans to continue to collect a 12 to 27 percent commission on content bought in this manner.
Apple previously announced that the Vision Pro would be released in additional countries later this year, but it did not list any specific countries. Canada, the UK, and other English-speaking nations are reportedly among the places where the headset is likely to launch next.
Apple Vision Pro Virtual Keyboard Blasted As 'Complete Write-Off'
Vision Pro's keyboard floats in mid-air, allowing you to input text in your spatial computing environment while wearing the device.
However, anyone planning to ditch their physical keyboard may want to hold onto it for a little while longer. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the virtual keyboard experience in visionOS 1.0 is "a complete write-off," and most people will want to use a Bluetooth keyboard instead.
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As previously announced, Apple will be permanently closing its Infinite Loop and Royal Hawaiian retail stores in the U.S. later today. Apple said all employees at both stores would be given the opportunity to remain with the company.
Apple Infinite Loop
Infinite Loop served as Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California from 1993 until 2017, when Apple Park opened nearby. The store on the campus is located at street level near the entrance to the main office building, and it has sold a mix of Apple products and Apple-branded merchandise, such as shirts, reusable bottles, mugs, and notebooks.
After the Apple Park Visitor Center opened in 2017, the Infinite Loop store became redundant. The newer and larger Visitor Center carries Apple-branded merchandise, and it features a café, a rooftop terrace, and an augmented reality model of Apple Park. Apple also has a store at the Valley Fair shopping mall to serve customers in the area.
"After many years of serving customers at our stores in the Bay Area, we plan to close our store at Infinite Loop," said Apple, in a statement shared last month. The store will permanently close its doors at 6 p.m. local time today.
Apple's store at Infinite Loop first opened in 1993 as The Company Store, and it mostly sold Apple-branded merchandise. The location became a more traditional Apple retail store in 2015 following renovations, but it still lacked a Genius Bar.
Apple Royal Hawaiian
Apple Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu will follow suit and permanently close its doors at 9 p.m. local time today, after over 15 years of operations.
"Apple continuously evaluates its retail footprint to ensure it is in the best possible position to provide exceptional customer service and support for its customers," the company said in a letter to Hawaii's Department of Labor and Industrial Relations last year. Apple has two other stores in Honolulu at Ala Moana and Kahala.
Apple operates 271 other retail stores across the U.S., and it opened a new store in Seoul, South Korea earlier today.
Apple has proposed opening its NFC payment technology to third-party developers in Europe, allowing direct rivals to Apple Pay to operate on the iPhone for the first time.
Historically, the use of Apple's NFC chip in iPhones and Apple Watches for payments has been exclusively utilized by Apple Pay, limiting the ability of banks and other financial services to offer their own contactless payment solutions on Apple's platforms. In a statement to Reuters, Apple said:
We have offered commitments to provide third-party developers in the European Economic Area with an option that will enable their users to make NFC contactless payments from within their iOS apps, separate from Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.
The concession comes as part of Apple's efforts to address antitrust charges levied by the European Commission, which accuse the company of stifling competition by restricting third-party access to NFC capabilities on iOS devices.
Under the proposed commitments, developers of payment, banking, and digital wallet applications in the European Economic Area (EEA) will be able to integrate their own solutions with the NFC chip on Apple devices. This change means that consumers could have the option to use NFC-enabled apps from other providers, alongside or instead of Apple Pay. The commitment reportedly includes additional functionalities such as defaulting to preferred payment apps and integrating with Apple's security features like Face ID.
While the focus of these changes is within the EEA, a region broader than the European Union, the implications of the shift could have a broader impact on the mobile payments market globally. The EEA covers the overwhelming majority of the European market, and Apple's decision could set a precedent for its operations in other areas of the world in the future as antitrust scrutiny increases.
As part of the review process, the European Commission is currently seeking feedback from rival companies and customers on Apple's proposed concessions. The final decision will consider the responses from these stakeholders. If approved, the implementation of Apple's proposed commitments will be monitored by a trustee reporting to the Commission.
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.
With pre-orders now available for the Vision Pro, the first accessories for the upcoming device are starting to come out. So far, both Belkin and Spigen have announced Vision Pro-related products.
Belkin worked with Apple to design a Battery Holder for the Vision Pro Battery Pack. Priced at $50, the Belkin Battery Holder for Apple Vision Pro is the only non-Apple accessory that Apple is selling for Vision Pro at this time.
The Vision Pro battery fits inside the Battery Holder, which can be worn with a cross-body strap or a cable clip that clips on to a belt or pants. Apple is selling the accessory as an add-on for those that do not have a pocket to put the battery in while wearing the Vision Pro.
Spigen has debuted a Vision Pro pouch that offers protection for the device when it's not in use. Priced at $90, Spigen's case is more than $100 cheaper than the $200 Vision Pro Travel Case that Apple is selling.
Spigen's case features a nylon exterior, leather carrying strap, and an EVA shell for protection. There's a padded interior that secures the Vision Pro in place, along with a secret AirTag compartment for tracking the Vision Pro. It also appears to have space for the Vision Pro battery pack, cable, and ZEISS lens inserts. The case is set to deliver between February 21 and 23, so it won't be available right at launch day.
Other accessory makers like Speck have started teasing Vision Pro products ranging from carrying cases to battery holders, so it shouldn't be long before we see a whole range of Vision Pro accessory options.
The Vision Pro comes with a number of Apple apps that are also available on the iPhone and the iPad. We've seen some of the apps over the past few months in tidbits of information that Apple has provided, but the Vision Pro technical specifications that went live today alongside pre-orders list every app that the device comes with.
Pre-installed apps optimized for Vision Pro:
App Store
Encounter Dinosaurs
Files
Freeform
Keynote
Mail
Messages
Mindfulness
Music
Notes
Photos
Safari
Settings
Tips
TV
Pre-installed apps not optimized for Vision Pro:
Books
Calendar
Home
Maps
News
Podcasts
Reminders
Shortcuts
Stocks
Voice Memos
Curiously, while there is a Keynote app that's pre-installed, Apple does not list the other iWork apps like Pages and Numbers. Find My is not on Apple's list, nor are the Health, Clock, Contacts, and Weather apps. FaceTime is not on the list, but the fine print confirms that there is indeed a FaceTime app and also a Capture app for taking video and photos on the device.
There may be some Apple apps that are not pre-installed but able to be downloaded from the App Store after launch, and there will be a number of third-party apps designed for the Vision Pro.
We'll be sharing a list of Vision Pro apps closer to when the headset debuts, and it is also worth noting that many iOS apps will run on the device automatically unless developers opt out.
Content that is displayed on the Apple Vision Pro display can be mirrored to an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, or AirPlay-compatible smart TV using AirPlay, Apple confirmed today.
Apple's technical specifications page for the Vision Pro says that what's on your Vision Pro can be mirrored to any AirPlay-enabled device at up to 720p, which will allow you to show people what you're seeing on your headset.
iPhones and iPads were updated with the ability to receive content from the Vision Pro in iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2, and to use the feature, the AirPlay Receiver toggle must be turned on under General > AirPlay & Handoff.
While the Vision Pro's display can be mirrored to an AirPlay device, the headset can also serve as a display for a Mac. With the Mac Virtual Display feature, AirPlay 2 connects the Vision Pro wirelessly to a Mac, and a virtual representation of the Mac's display can be placed anywhere in space. Used this way, the Vision Pro essentially serves as an enormous, portable 4K display, according to Apple.
Note: Apple's specifications page previously said that content could be AirPlayed at 1080p, but later updated it to say 720p.
Apple today made a tweak to the iTunes Store app in iOS 17.3, giving users access to their TV show and movie wishlists. Apple with iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2, and tvOS 17.2 killed wishlists without warning when it moved the option to purchase TV shows and movies from the iTunes Store app to the TV app.
Wishlist access was actually re-added to tvOS 17.2 just a few days after the update went live, but there has been no way to access a wishlist on an iPhone or iPad updated to iOS 17.2 or iPadOS 17.2.
With Apple's over-the-air update, iPhones and iPads running the iOS 17.3 beta will now have a "Go to Your Wish List" button under the Movie and TV Show sections, which provides access to everything that's been added to the list in the past. The list was first noticed by Twitter user Federico.
It may be a good idea to write down the TV shows and movies that are in the list because it might not be around forever. The Apple TV app that Apple has transitioned to does not have a wishlist function and instead adds content to the "Up Next" interface.
iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 are set to be released to the public next week.
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