You'll soon be able to watch your favorite HBO shows on the Vision Pro, as streaming service Max will be available on Apple's mixed reality headset at launch. Formerly known as HBO Max, the service also offers content from CNN, the DC Universe, the Discovery Channel, the Food Network, HGTV, TBS, TLC, TNT, and more.
Apple last week confirmed that Max would be one of the entertainment options available on the Vision Pro, along with Apple TV+ and Disney+.
"Apple Vision Pro features ultra-high-resolution displays that deliver more pixels than a 4K TV for each eye, enabling users to watch movies and TV shows from Apple TV+, Disney+, Max, and other services on a screen that feels 100 feet wide with support for HDR content," said Apple, in a press release.
Max will natively support the visionOS operating system, allowing it to take full advantage of the Vision Pro's immersive capabilities. However, the exact design and functionality of the app remains to be seen.
Disney CEO Bob Iger last year said Disney+ would also be available on the Vision Pro at launch, promising "deeply personal experiences." Its app will also natively support visionOS, and it will be prominently featured in the App Store on the Vision Pro.
Some other streaming services will likely be available on the Vision Pro at launch, but not all will natively support visionOS. For example, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Netflix will simply offer its iPadOS app on visionOS without any modifications, at least to start. Apple said the Vision Pro is compatible with over one million iOS and iPadOS apps.
Vision Pro pre-orders begin in the U.S. this Friday, January 19 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, and the headset launches on Friday, February 2.
Next-generation 2nm chip technology destined for future Apple devices is on schedule to begin production next year, DigiTimes reports.
TSMC chip fabrication facilities will begin installing equipment designed for 2nm chip production in April at the earliest. Apple was the first company to utilize TSMC's initial 3nm technology with the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the company is likely to follow suit with the chipmaker's 2nm chips. With production set to begin in 2025, 2nm chips are likely to make their first appearance in Apple devices soon after.
Last month, the Financial Times reported that TSMC had already demonstrated prototype 2nm chips to Apple ahead of their expected introduction in 2025. Apple is said to be closely aligned with TSMC in the race to develop and implement 2nm chip technology, which will surpass their current 3nm chips and associated nodes in terms of transistor density, performance, and efficiency.
Today, DigiTimes added that the chip supplier is also believed to be evaluating which of its plants will be the first to produce even more advanced 1.4nm chips in 2027. The company began mass production of its enhanced 3nm node, which is likely to appear in Apple devices for the first time later this year, in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max will continue to be the best-selling iPhone model in the first half of this year, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Writing in his latest industry note on Medium, Kuo said the iPhone 15 Pro Max "will still account for 40–45% of all iPhone 15 shipments in 1H24," which will be "critical" to Taiwanese camera lens supplier Largan's buoyant off-season in the first half of the year.
Apart from being the premium model with the largest display at 6.7-inches, the iPhone 15 Pro Max also features a 5x Telephoto zoom or "tetraprism" lens that is not found in other models. The tetraprism lens in the Pro Max model alone is expected to increase Largan's first half-year revenue by $108.8 to $121.6 million, according to Kuo.
Kuo has repeatedly said he expects the tetraprism lens to expand to both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max later this year, enabling at least 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom on the Telephoto lens of both premium models.
The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to 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 would provide additional internal space for a tetraprism lens.
According to a report by The Elec, Apple will add LG Innotek as another supplier of the folded zoom module used in the technology, in an attempt to secure production yields for the increased number of units required.
The Apple Vision Pro runs on an M2 chip equipped with ten GPU cores and eight CPU cores – the same version used in Apple's higher-end MacBook Air models. That's according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.
Apple revealed early on that its mixed reality headset uses an M2 processor, but it wasn't clear until now which variant of the chip Apple had chosen.
Apple uses the M2 chip in both of its current 13.6- and 15.3-inch MacBook Air models, which launched in June 2022. Built on 5-nanometer technology, the M2 has an 8-core CPU, much like the M1, but it supports eight or ten GPU cores, up from seven or eight in the M1.
As things stand, Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro will launch on February 2 with what is officially a last-generation processor, given that Apple has since released 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by M3 chips.
The M2 chip in Vision Pro is responsible for processing content, running the visionOS operating system, executing computer vision algorithms, and providing graphical content. However, it does not work alone.
Vision Pro offloads the processing of information coming from the cameras, sensors, and microphones to a dedicated custom-built R1 chip. Apple says that it can stream images to the displays within 12 milliseconds, providing a "virtually lag-free" view of the world.
The entry-level Vision Pro is equipped 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space. Apple could offer models with up to 1TB of storage, but the existence of bigger capacities has not yet been confirmed.
In the same post on X, Gurman additionally confirmed that Apple customers will be able to purchase the Vision Pro online and at retail stores using Apple Card installments. Typically, Apple Card installments let customers spread the purchase over monthly payments with no interest. iPhone purchases can be made over 24 monthly payments, for example. Apple Vision Pro pre-orders open on Friday, January 19 at 5.00 a.m. PST in the United States.
Anyone paying attention to Apple's Vision Pro headset unveiling at WWDC 2023 will have seen its virtual keyboard demo. The 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.
"The Vision Pro virtual keyboard is a complete write-off at least in 1.0," wrote Gurman in an X post. "You have to poke each key one finger at a time like you did before you learned how to type. There is no magical in-air typing. You can also look at a character and pinch. You'll want a Bluetooth keyboard."
According to Apple, the buttons on the virtual keyboard are raised above the platter to mimic the affordance of pushing physical keys, and the keyboard even includes feedback via spatial sound effects to "compensate for the missing tactile information."
Going on what Gurman said though, it doesn't sound like Apple has quite perfected the experience, which is probably always going to be degraded by the fatigue caused by having to hold your hands in the air to type, regardless of what Apple does to improve it in future software updates. Fortunately, Vision Pro can wirelessly connect to Mac accessories including the Magic Keyboard and the Magic Trackpad for more traditional tactile input.
The Vision Pro virtual keyboard is a complete write-off at least in 1.0. You have to poke each key one finger at a time like you did before you learned how to type. There is no magical in-air typing. You can also look at a character and pinch. You’ll want a Bluetooth keyboard.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) January 12, 2024
Starting at $3,499, Apple Vision Pro pre-orders open on Friday, January 19 at 5.00 a.m. PST, and the device goes on sale in the U.S. on Friday, February 2, with availability in Canada and the United Kingdom expected to follow later in the year.
Apple will launch a rare promotional discount on its iPhones in China, offering customers as much as 500 yuan ($70) off the price of its flagship devices ahead of the Lunar New Year in February.
The promotion, which runs from January 18 through January 21, applies to everything from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and also includes smaller discounts off other major Apple products like Macs, iPads, AirPods, and Apple Watch models.
Apple's discounts are notable because the company does not typically offer promotions on its website around the Lunar New Year, usually leaving promotions to Apple authorized resellers instead.
The move comes as Apple tries to stave off falling iPhone sales in China, with last year's double-digit decline projected by analysts to deepen through 2024 owing to strong interest in Huawei's latest home-grown lineup, the Mate 60 series.
Released in September just weeks before the iPhone 15, Huawei's Mate 60 phones use a new China-made 7-nanometer processor tailored for the local market, showcasing the kind of advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities that US sanctions were originally designed to prevent.
Despite the promotions, Apple's efforts to counter its sales slump are likely to be hampered by China's decision last year to ban iPhones from the offices of multiple government agencies and state companies.
Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models will both feature 8GB of RAM, an increase over the 6GB of RAM in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, according to information shared today by technology analyst Jeff Pu.
In a research note with investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu reiterated his belief that all iPhone 16 models will be equipped with 8GB of RAM. Increased RAM can contribute to improved performance for multitasking on the iPhone.
iPhone 15 lineup:
iPhone 15: 6GB
iPhone 15 Plus: 6GB
iPhone 15 Pro: 8GB
iPhone 15 Pro Max: 8GB
iPhone 16 lineup, according to Pu:
iPhone 16: 8GB
iPhone 16 Plus: 8GB
iPhone 16 Pro: 8GB
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 8GB
Pu also expects the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to support Wi-Fi 6E, which works with the 6 GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds and reduced signal interference with a compatible router. For the iPhone 15 lineup, Wi-Fi 6E is limited to the Pro models.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 16 lineup in September.
Qualcomm's latest cellular modem may be limited to the iPhone 16 Pro models this year, according to technology analyst Jeff Pu.
In a research note today with investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu reiterated his belief that the iPhone 16 Pro models will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 modem. However, he expects the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to retain the Snapdragon X70 modem found in all iPhone 15 models. This modem differentiation between the standard and Pro models would be a change in strategy for Apple.
Announced in February 2023, the Snapdragon X75 features improved carrier aggregation and other technology advancements for faster 5G download and upload speeds compared to the X70. The modem's combined mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G transceiver takes up 25% less circuit board space, and uses up to 20% less power, according to The Verge.
The Snapdragon X75 also supports the latest "5G Advanced" standard, which is described as "the next phase of 5G" and an "evolution towards 6G." 5G Advanced will include artificial intelligence and machine learning enhancements for improved 5G performance, and it will also expand 5G to additional device types and use cases.
Apple is likely to advertise 5G Advanced support on the iPhone 16 Pro models, like it did with LTE Advanced on the iPhone 6s in 2015.
Apple is rumored to have been working on its own 5G modem for iPhones since 2018, but the project has reportedly faced development challenges, and the modem is not expected to be announced until 2025 or later should it ever materialize. In the meantime, Apple extended its 5G modem agreement with Qualcomm through 2026.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 16 lineup in September.
Starting on February 2 at 8 a.m. local time, Apple Stores in the U.S. will allow customers to sign up for a demo of the Vision Pro headset. In an email, Apple said it will be offering demos from February 2 through February 4 on a first‑come, first‑served basis.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said each demo will last around 20 to 25 minutes. After a calibration process, he said the customer will view still photos, panoramas, spatial photos, and spatial videos in the Photos app. Next, he said customers will learn how to position multiple app windows and scroll through pages in Safari. Then, they will view immersive 3D content, including movie clips, sports, and a tightrope scene.
Media personnel, YouTube creators, and some others invited to attend WWDC 2023 at Apple Park last June received a similar demo experience.
Vision Pro demo units will also be preloaded with various third-party apps that will be available on the App Store at launch, according to the newsletter. Apple began allowing developers to submit visionOS apps for approval earlier this month.
Apple will begin accepting Vision Pro pre-orders in the U.S. on January 19, with pricing starting at $3,499. The headset launches February 2.
Apple's upcoming Vision Pro headset is powered by an external battery pack that attaches with a cable. For customers who want to use the headset on the go without pockets or a backpack, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Belkin is planning to release a clip that allows the battery pack to be attached to clothing.
Belkin will begin selling the clip when the Vision Pro launches in the U.S. on February 2, and Apple will also offer it, according to Gurman.
Belkin offers a range of Apple-endorsed accessories, including iPhone screen protectors, MagSafe charging stands, a Continuity Camera mount for Macs, and more. Many of its accessories are available on Apple's online store.
Apple is relocating a team of around 120 people focused on improving Siri from San Diego to Austin later this year, according to multiple affected employees.
The reorganization was confirmed by Apple today in a statement shared with MacRumors.
"We're bringing our Data Operations Annotations teams in the US together at our campus in Austin, where a majority of the team is already based," an Apple spokesperson said. "Everyone currently employed will have the opportunity to continue their role with Apple in Austin. We are deeply committed to San Diego where we have grown significantly, and are continuing to hire as we expand our world-class engineering teams."
The news was first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who said employees in San Diego willing to relocate to Austin by June will be able to continue in their roles. The report said employees who do not relocate or find another role within Apple will receive severance pay, and outlines many other specific details.
While some other large tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have laid off thousands of employees over the past year, Apple has so far avoided this outcome. However, it is unlikely that all affected employees in San Diego are willing to relocate over a thousand miles away to Austin, so some may be facing termination.
"Data Operations Annotations" employees are primarily tasked with evaluating Siri's responses to queries from customers who have opted in to the Siri grading program. In the U.S., this work will continue entirely in Austin going forward. Apple has similar teams in China, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, and other countries around the world.
Apple had approximately 161,000 full-time employees as of September 30, according to a company filing last year.
Apple's Vision Pro headset finally has a release date in the U.S., and it's coming up quickly! Alongside that announcement, we learned a bit more about the device and what to expect with the ordering process.
Other news this week included Apple starting to pay out claims for the high-profile class action lawsuit that claimed Apple was "secretly throttling" older iPhones with degraded batteries, an approaching release of iOS 17.3 and related updates, and the annual CES tech event in Las Vegas, so read on below for all the details!
Apple Vision Pro Launches February 2, Pre-Orders Start Next Week
After being unveiled at WWDC 2023 last June, Apple's long-awaited Vision Pro mixed reality headset now has a release date: Friday, February 2. Pre-orders begin on Friday, January 19 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time. Availability is limited to the U.S., with more countries to follow later this year.
Apple refers to the Vision Pro as a "spatial computer," and it offers a combination of augmented reality and virtual reality features. The headset is powered by an all-new visionOS operating system, which can be controlled with a user's eyes, hands, and voice.
Apple says the headset will ship with two types of head bands (a Solo Knit Band and a Dual Loop Band), a light seal, two light seal cushions, a cover for the front glass, a polishing cloth, an external battery pack, a USB-C power adapter, and a USB-C charging cable.
Our finding in Apple's app development tool confirms a June 2023 report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that said the Vision Pro would be equipped with 16GB of RAM, and that is also the same amount of memory that was included in Vision Pro development kits.
Apple Sends $92 'Batterygate' Payments to iPhone Users
iPhone users have received $92.17 per claim from Apple, according to multiple MacRumors readers. The deadline to submit a claim was in October 2020.
iOS 17.3 Coming Soon With These Two New Features for Your iPhone
iOS 17.3 has been in beta testing since mid-December, and the upcoming software update includes two new features for the iPhone, including Stolen Device Protection and collaborative Apple Music playlists.
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.
Recent iPhone 16 Pro prototypes seen by MacRumors indicate that Apple has again tweaked the design of the Action button, and now it looks much like the Action button found on the iPhone 15 Pro. Apple has been toying with the size and design of the Action button for the iPhone 16 Pro, but in the latest "Proto2" development stage, the company is sticking with a tried and true design.
During the different iPhone 16 Pro development stages, Apple has tested four button configurations and two sizes for the Action button.
Unified volume button with small Action button
Unified volume button with large Action button and new Capture button
Separate volume buttons with large Action button and Capture button flush with frame
Separate volume buttons with small Action button and Capture button flush with frame (current)
The earliest known prototypes of the iPhone 16 Pro had a unified volume button and small multi-purpose Action button, both on the left side, with a power button on the right. This design was initially developed as part of Project Bongo, which was an attempt to bring haptic buttons the iPhone 15 Pro. While the project was ultimately canceled due to unsatisfactory test results and high hardware failure rates, parts of the Bongo design, namely the unified volume button, found their way onto early designs of the iPhone 16 Pro.
The second prototype variant of the iPhone 16 Pro also used a unified volume button, but it had a larger Action button that was close in size to the volume buttons. This prototype also had an additional "Capture button" on the right side below the power button.
Later prototypes (pictured above) featured separate volume buttons rather than the unified button design. With these more recent units, Apple planned to include a capacitive Action button and Capture button, both of which were flush with the frame and featured force sensor technology.
With the most recent "Proto2" design, Apple has once again changed the Action button. Apple has now adopted a smaller Action button that mirrors the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro, doing away with the larger, flush look. While it is currently unclear how this affects the future of Apple's work on a capacitive Action button, a design change as significant as this indicates it has been canceled or postponed for future iPhone iterations.
Although the information presented here accurately describes existing internal designs, it is important to note that additional design changes are always possible, and the information presented here may not reflect finalized design of the iPhone 16 Pro.
For additional information on what to expect from the 2024 iPhone lineup, check out our dedicated rumor roundups for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.
This week's best deals include record low prices on the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, Apple Watch Series 9, iPad, and MacBook Air. Amazon is hosting every deal listed below, and some do require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the discount at checkout.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
AirPods Pro
What's the deal? Take $60 off AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C
Amazon kicked off the New Year with an all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, and this deal is still available to purchase this week. You can get the earbuds for $189.00, down from $249.00.
Apple Watch
What's the deal? Take up to $70 off Apple Watch models
Apple Watches have also seen solid discounts at the start of the year, and Series 9 models got even better deals this week. You can get both 41mm and 45mm GPS models of the Series 9 at all-time low prices on Amazon right now, while SE and Ultra 2 models are at solid second-best prices.
iPad deals reach up to $99 off this week, starting at $249.00 for the 9th gen iPad and rising to $349.99 for the 10th gen iPad. We're also tracking a good iPad mini deal on Amazon at $399.99 for the 64GB Wi-Fi tablet.
MacBook Air
What's the deal? Take $249 off M1 13-inch MacBook Air and M2 15-inch MacBook Air
If you're shopping for a MacBook in early 2024, the MacBook Air is the way to go. Amazon has the previous generation M1 13-inch MacBook Air at just $749.99, while the M2 15-inch MacBook Air is at a second-best price of $1,049.99 with an on-page coupon.
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.
Hundreds of companies are at CES in Las Vegas this week showing off new products, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been spending time on the show floor to check out what's new, exciting, and worth taking note of.
We wrote about the Clicks physical keyboard for the iPhone last week, but Dan was able to test it out in person and he said that the keys feel great under the fingers and those who want a tactile typing experience will like it. The case is easy to put on and take off the iPhone, and there are handy shortcut keys for Spotlight search, webpage scrolling, and getting back to the Home Screen.
Withings was demoing the BeamO, an all-in-one device that can take your temperature, capture an ECG, monitor blood oxygen, and even serve as a digital stethoscope, and there were Qi2 chargers galore from brands like Hyper, Anker, and ESR. Qi2 is the latest charging technology, and it's bringing more affordable 15W wireless charging to the iPhone.
Targus was showing off an ambidextrous mouse that can be used by both right and left-handed people, and the company also had a dock that can connect two laptops together with three monitors, serving as a KVM.
Sony and Honda had the Afeela electric car on the show floor with its dozens of sensors for driver safety, and Dan also took note of the Barsys 360, a smart cocktail machine that mixes and pours bartender-grade drinks.
Unsurprisingly, there were a ton of AR/VR devices, some of which seemed to be inspired by the Vision Pro. One standout was the XREAL AR Glasses, but they're only compatible with Samsung's latest smartphones.
CES is just about wrapped up with the show coming to a close on Friday, but make sure to check out our CES 2024 hub for anything that you might have missed.
When the holiday festivities are done with and January rolls around, people naturally look to improving their health and usually turn to smart devices to get their lifestyle back on track. Weight loss is typically part of that calculation, and while smart scales can help, there's little to distinguish between the majority of offerings on the market.
Weight and body composition analysis have become de rigueur features these days, but Withings' Body Scan Connected Health Station aims to go above and beyond the competition by offering an almost dizzying array of information about your physiological makeup.
Features
At $400 in the U.S. and £350 in the U.K., the Withings Body Scan is definitely at the higher end of the market for a smart scale. But when you consider its comprehensive set of body measurements, the price is a little easier to swallow. Biometrics include:
Weight
Metabolic Age
Basal Metabolic Rate
BMI
Segmental body composition analysis including:
Muscle Mass (across five zones)
Fat Mass (across five zones)
Bone Mass
Visceral Fat Index
Lean Mass
Water Mass
Nerve health
Pulse Wave Velocity
ECG
Vascular Age
Heart Rate
Connecting via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the scale feeds all of this information into the Withings Health Mate app, which connects to Apple Health or Google Fit to provide a comprehensive hub for pretty much everything to do with your body (more on this later).
While the scale measures weight to 0.11 pounds (50g) precision and provides several insightful metrics not seen on other scales, its standout feature is the segmental body composition analysis. This is made possible by a retractable handle that has a series of metal plates on it. When standing on the scale and with the handle held in both hands, the device sends an imperceptible electrical current through your body and analyzes the fat and muscle mass for your torso, arms, and legs independently. The idea here is to spot fat and muscle imbalances so that you can target your efforts on the specific areas of your body that need more work.
A similar technique is also used to measure arterial stiffness, by tracking how long it takes for a wave created in the blood as the heart beats to arrive at the foot — a measure Withings calls Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV). The retractable handle also features a 6-lead ECG that, like Apple Watch, can detect AFib, the most common cardiac rhythm disturbance that can cause stroke and heart failure.
Due to differing clinical regulatory hurdles based on region, there are also a couple of differences between the Body Scan that's sold in the United States and models available in the EU.
The U.S. version includes an Electrodermal Activity (EDA) Score. This biomarker measures and assesses the activity of the sweat glands in the soles of your feet. According to Withings, the EDA score can provide care teams with insight into a patient's stress levels, diet, and overall health. Meanwhile, the EU version tracks nerve health by providing a Nerve Health Score, which can help to detect signs of peripheral autonomic neuropathies, a damage in small nerves, one of the most prevalent complications of diabetes, and other common chronic conditions.
Design and Performance
The Body Scan's design is robust and visually inoffensive, combining a sleek striped tempered glass surface with a durable plastic base. However, measuring approximately 12.5 x 14 inches, it's larger and quite a bit heavier than most smart scales. It also lacks non-slip feet on the base, so it's probably not suited to super-smooth flooring. The scale interface also includes a large, vibrant color display that's easy to read from standing height.
The initial setup process of the Body Scan is user-friendly and intuitive enough. After charging the scale via the supplied USB-C cable and downloading the Withings Health Mate app to your phone, pairing the scale is generally straightforward, although this can be subject to the usual challenges of Wi-Fi connectivity, such as signal strength and interference, so make sure you have coverage in your bathroom or wherever you plan to keep it.
To get a Body Scan, you need to stand on the scale barefoot and grip the handle with both hands. This allows the scale to conduct its comprehensive health check, but the duration for a complete scan is around one and a half minutes, so there's some waiting around. If you step off early, you'll still get your weight and some of the other standard biometrics, but things like Pulse Velocity and the segmental body composition analysis will usually fail. Fortunately, the app lets you customize which health metrics are recorded and displayed on the scale's screen, so you can tailor the experience to your own needs.
The scale can support up to eight individual user profiles, making it suitable for family use. However, its user recognition system is not foolproof and may occasionally misidentify the user standing on it, especially if two people in your household have a similar weight. Fortunately, the scale includes a neat solution that usually works – if it's not sure who you are, it will show you each family member's profile as a list, which you can scroll through by balancing on the foot of the direction you wish to scroll.
There are a few other notable features that may be appealing to different members of a household. An eyes-closed mode hides the numbers from the scale screen at weigh-ins, offering motivational messages instead, while a baby mode will give you an accurate weight of your child just by holding them in your arms and stepping on the scale. There's also a pregnancy mode and an athletic mode for tracking health with different measurement algorithms.
All of this is customizable within the app, which is generally well designed and intuitive. It includes a visual 3D map of your segmented body composition (which tells you whether you are in or outside a normal range versus other users like you), trending graphs for several metrics like weight and BMI, and actionable health insights based on your weekly and monthly trends. It also allows you to export a health report PDF for a healthcare specialist or personal trainer.
The app is definitely aiming to be more than just a scale accompaniment, and will also track your physical activity and sleep. It also suggests long-term goals, challenges, and reminders for continuing healthy habits. The optional Withings+ subscription ($10/month) goes further by offering programs and workouts, but unless you are invested in the Withings ecosystem, many of these things can already be achieved with an Apple Watch and Fitness+.
Final Thoughts
Priced significantly higher than many smart scales in the market, the Withings Body Scan represents a considerable investment over other smart devices. It costs almost double that of Withings' next most expensive model, but that fairly reflects the depth and breadth of health data it provides. For those readings that I could compare on another smart scale, the Body Scan appeared accurate over time, although it's worth noting that occasionally the fat mass measurements on its body segmentation scan appeared to be unrealistically low, and I had to re-take the scan once or twice to get a correct reading.
Overall, its ability to provide detailed insights into various health aspects should make it particularly appealing to health enthusiasts and anyone closely monitoring specific health conditions. That said, if all you want from a smart scale is something to track your weight and general body composition, there are plenty of other cheaper alternatives out there.
Available on both Amazon (UK) and the Withings website, the FDA-cleared Withings Body Scan Connected Health Station is available in a white or black finish, and costs $399.99 (£349.99).
Note: Withings provided MacRumors with a Body Scan scale for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
The 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 9 has hit $329.00 today on Amazon, down from $399.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the wearable, and a deal we haven't tracked since the Black Friday shopping season.
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.
Colors on sale at this price include Pink Aluminum, Midnight Aluminum, Silver Aluminum, and Starlight Aluminum. For every color, you can get both the Sport Loop and Sport Band at this record low price, and some also have multiple band sizes available as well.
Additionally, the 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 9 is available for $359.00 on Amazon, down from $429.00. You'll find many of the same colors and band styles on sale in this larger size, but there are fewer options overall in stock right now on Amazon.
Apple today provided customers in the U.S. with some tips for pre-ordering the Vision Pro starting next Friday, January 19 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time.
First, Apple says to have an iPhone or iPad with Face ID nearby.
"When you order Apple Vision Pro, you'll need to scan your face with an iPhone or iPad with Face ID," wrote Apple, in an email. "This helps us determine the right size Light Seal and head bands, which work together to give you a precise fit."
Third, Apple says customers with vision correction needs will be required to upload a valid, unexpired prescription from a U.S. eye‑care professional after checkout.
"Because Apple Vision Pro is designed to be worn without glasses, we've partnered with ZEISS to create custom optical inserts that accommodate most prescriptions," wrote Apple, with fine print noting that not all prescriptions are supported. "When you order, we'll ask a few quick questions to find out if you need optical inserts. If you do, you'll upload a valid, unexpired prescription from a U.S. eye‑care professional after checkout."
Following pre-orders, the Vision Pro will launch in the U.S. on Friday, February 2. Starting at 8 a.m. local time that day, customers are invited to sign up for a demo of the headset at their local Apple Store, with slots to be available through the weekend on a first-come, first-served basis, according to Apple's email.
Vision Pro starts at $3,499 in the U.S. with 256GB of storage. For more details about the headset, read our Vision Pro roundup.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
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.
