Apple has sold upwards of 200,000 Vision Pro headsets, MacRumors has learned from a source with knowledge of Apple's sales numbers. Apple began accepting pre-orders for the Vision Pro on January 19, so the headset has been available for purchase in the U.S. for 10 days.
Last Monday, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple had sold an estimated 160,000 to 180,000 Vision Pro units during the pre-order weekend for the device, so sales may have slowed somewhat since then.
Vision Pro headsets for launch day home delivery sold out within hours of pre-orders launching, and in-store pickup options followed shortly after, so it is no surprise that interest in the headset has started to wane somewhat after the initial rush of orders.
Media reviews for the Vision Pro are set to go live on Tuesday, and that could push more sales, plus there will likely be an uptick in purchases after actual consumers begin sharing hands-on experiences.
Kuo has warned that demand for the Vision Pro could taper off quickly because of the niche market for the device. The headset is priced at $3,500, which puts it out of range of many consumers. Rumors have suggested that Apple is prepared for a limited number of sales, due both to the high price of the Vision Pro and difficulty producing it.
Apple is expected to produce around half a million Vision Pro headsets, but whether it will sell that many remains to be seen.
iOS 17.4 introduces a small but useful change for the Clock app's Stopwatch function, adding the timer to Apple's Live Activities feature. When activated through the Clock app, the Stopwatch will now show up both in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen.
The Dynamic Island shows a small to-the-second timer, and the Lock Screen shows the full Stopwatch timer when the screen is being looked at. Pressing into the Dynamic Island shows options for pausing the Stopwatch or starting a new lap, with these controls also on the Lock Screen. After the Stopwatch is paused, swiping on it from the Lock Screen or tapping on the "X" in Dynamic Island will clear it.
Timers have worked with Live Activities since the feature launched with iOS 16, but the Stopwatch could only be viewed in the Clock app. The addition of Live Activities support will prevent users from activating the timer and then forgetting about it.
Code discovered by MacRumors in the first beta of tvOS 17.4 suggests that Apple's work on "homeOS" is continuing behind the scenes.
Back in June 2021, Apple listed two job postings that mentioned homeOS, but deleted the term when it was noticed by the media. We've seen no sign of homeOS since, except for in the first tvOS 17.4 beta.
Apple's 2018 HomePod ran a modified version of iOS 11 when it launched, but Apple transitioned to using the tvOS platform for the HomePod with the release of HomePod Software 13.4. As part of its effort to develop an expanded smart home presence, Apple could eventually combine the tvOS and HomePod software in the future, potentially rebranding it as homeOS.
Apple is actively working on a new smart home display that would compete with the Echo Show, Meta Portal, and Google Nest Hub, according to Bloomberg'sMark Gurman. The smart home display is said to have an iPad-like design and a camera for FaceTime calls, and it is likely meant to mount to the wall and serve as a central console for smart home products. The device could also feature HomePod-like speakers, and if the product sees a release, it could be part of Apple's HomePod lineup.
There have also been rumors of a next-generation version of the HomePod with a display at the top of the device, and this product could come out as early as 2024. homeOS could refer to either the iPad-like home hub in the works, or the HomePod with a display, but it is also possible that it is neither of these.
A SharePlay feature for the HomePod added in tvOS 17.4 beta 1 further hints at Apple's work on a HomePod with a screen. The update adds a QR code to the Apple Music app on the TV, which can be scanned by others to start a SharePlay session right on the device. A HomePod with a display could feature a similar function.
tvOS 17.4 is expected to see a public release in March alongside iOS 17.4, and the timing is close to when Apple sometimes holds a spring event. We've heard rumors of an iPad refresh coming in late March, so given the homeOS mention in tvOS 17.4 and a possible upcoming event, we may not have too long to wait before learning more about Apple's homeOS plans.
The Apple Music service is malfunctioning for some users at the current time due to an ongoing outage that started at 1:20 p.m. Eastern Time. The "Home" or "Listen Now" tab is not loading in Apple Music, and songs will not play.
On Mac, some tracks are providing an error message about the song being unavailable, and the Apple Music app is continually skipping through playlists trying to find a functional song. On iPhone, tapping play or selecting a song simply does not work.
According to Apple's system status page, Apple Music and the iTunes Store are both down. Apple says that users may be experiencing "intermittent issues" with the services.
Update: Apple says that the issue has been fixed as of 1:47 p.m. Eastern Time.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 10.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the release of watchOS 10.3.
To install the watchOS 10.4 update, developers need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the watchOS 10 Developer Beta. An Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.
Once beta updates have been activated, watchOS 10.4 can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.
watchOS 10.4 includes new emoji characters such as a lime, an edible brown mushroom, a phoenix, a broken chain, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), and shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake).
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of macOS Sonoma 14.3.
Registered developers can opt-in to the beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Note that an Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.
macOS Sonoma 14.4 introduces some of the features in the iOS 17.4 beta, such as new emoji characters. We don't know what Mac-specific features are included, but if we find anything new in the beta, we'll update this article.
Samsung came out with its 2024 flagship smartphone lineup in January, with the new devices competing directly with the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Samsung's high-end S24 Ultra adopts some Apple-like features like a titanium chassis and a 5X zoom lens, but it also has standout additions that set it apart. We have an S24 Ultra, and thought we'd see how one main feature compares to the iPhone 15 Pro Max -- the camera.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera (Apple's Wide lens is 50 megapixels), a 12-megapixel ultra wide camera (equal to Apple's), a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto lens, and a 50-megapixel 5x telephoto lens (Apple has a single 12-megapixel Telephoto lens). A higher pixel count equates to a higher resolution for printing and cropping in, but it doesn't necessarily make for better images because the size of the sensor is more important.
In the sample images, you'll see that there's not too much of a difference between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the S24 Ultra. The S24 Ultra is a little bit more saturated and the highlights are brightened, so the S24 images can look brighter in straight from the camera comparisons. The iPhone images tend to be sharper for the most part, but Samsung's algorithm works well for night mode images.
Samsung primarily focused on AI this year, so the S24 Ultra camera is almost identical to the S23 Ultra camera, but the telephoto lens is a major difference. Samsung ditched its 10x telephoto lens and opted instead for a 5x telephoto lens that more closely matches the 5x telephoto lens on the iPhone. Telephoto images are close to the same, but in Portrait mode, Samsung's photos come out crisper.
There are two telephoto lenses in Samsung's smartphone, so it supports up to 10x optical zoom, and Samsung has long had the edge when it comes to digital zoom. The S24 Ultra can zoom in up to 100x, and while the iPhone's digital zoom is good, it's not able to zoom in to that level.
On the topic of AI, Samsung added some AI-supported features for post processing. You can use generative fill to remove objects from images and change the crop, cut down on noise with remastering, add slow motion to any video, and record with both the front and rear-facing cameras at the same time. We may see camera-related AI additions on the iPhone 16 models or in iOS 18, but for now, Samsung has the edge when it comes to fun AI-based tools.
No smartphone is able to measure up to the iPhone when it comes to video quality because of its stabilization and resolution, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the closest competitor, and it has an edge when it comes to microphone quality. The S24 Ultra's microphone has great noise isolation and clarity, and the Cinematic mode looks nice, though Samsung's Cinematic mode overdoes it on the blur. 4K video is supported at 30 and 60fps, but not 24fps, which is problematic for those who want to shoot high-quality 24fps video. On iPhone, there is a setting for recording 4K video at 24fps.
As smartphone cameras get better and better, it gets more difficult to distinguish which smartphone takes superior images. Both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy Ultra S24 take excellent quality pictures, and it's impossible to pick an overall winner. We think these cameras are about on par.
Samsung and Apple are using different algorithms and processing for image capture and to make pictures look sharper in lower light, so you'll see some differences in brightness, white balance, saturation, and similar parameters, and "better" becomes a matter of preference.
Which images do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below.
For the past few weeks, some iPhone users have been unable to view the latest app reviews left by customers in the App Store. Specifically, affected users are only able to read reviews submitted up until January 16 this year.
It's unclear how widespread this issue is, but it seems to be very inconsistent, with recent reviews showing for some users and not for others depending on the app. We were able to reproduce the issue on iPhones in the U.S. and Canada, but not on an iPhone the U.K., while the Mac App Store does not appear to be affected whatsoever.
The issue was mentioned last week in a Reddit post spotted by Jeff Johnson, developer of the popular web browser extension StopTheMadness for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Johnson said he could see a review for his app submitted on January 20 in the App Store Connect developer tool, but he could not see it on the App Store.
Update — January 30: This issue appears to be fixed.
Samsung has 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.
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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 in early December, 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. One of the steepest is on the 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 Curved Gaming Monitor, which is $500 off at $1,299.99 during this discount event. You can find more of these sales in the list below.
Apple's M2 15-inch MacBook Air has returned to an all-time low price today at Best Buy, starting at $999.00 for the 256GB model. You can get this deal in all four color options, and you don't need a My Best Buy Plus/Total membership to see this deal.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The notebooks have an estimated delivery between February 5 and February 8, although those dates could change depending on your location. This is a match of the record low price on the 15-inch MacBook Air, and it's a deal we haven't tracked since the holiday season.
For more storage, Best Buy has the 512GB 15-inch M2 MacBook Air for $1,199.00, down from $1,499.00. At $300 off, this is the best price we've ever seen on this model of the MacBook Air, and it's available in all colors as well.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
Update: This article originally highlighted deals from Amazon on the MacBook Air, but those sales quickly expired. All links have been replaced with Best Buy links, which should have more stock on the notebooks.
Meta is "optimistic" that the launch of Apple Vision Pro will help reinvigorate the headset market and drive more users towards its Quest devices, according to Wall Street Journal report.
Meta Quest 3
Formerly known as Facebook, Meta in 2021 changed its name in part to communicate its vision of a future "metaverse" in which people don its headsets and interact with each other in a completely virtual reality.
Three years on and after pouring $50 billion into investment, Meta's Quest devices barely count as 1% of the social media company's revenue, and the metaverse remains a largely nebulous concept that has so far failed to capture the imagination of customers.
But with the February 2 launch of the Apple Vision Pro just days away, executives at Meta are viewing Apple's entry into the market as a potential validation of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s AR/VR gamble that could draw more consumers into the headset space, according to sources who spoke to WSJ.
Meta employees "see the Quest and its software ecosystem emerging as a primary alternative to Apple in the space, filling the role played by Google's Android in smartphones," claims the report.
Meta is hoping that software makers will be inspired to develop apps that increasingly draw users into the space, enabling more people to experience the new virtual environments, with the company's sub-$500 Quest devices offering a more affordable alternative to Apple's high-end $3,499 headset.
Executives at Meta have also reportedly been influenced by Apple's concept of spatial computing, which emphasizes mixed reality by overlaying virtual images onto real-world surroundings. Apple unveiled the Vision Pro in June 2023, and in the meantime Meta has been "increasingly focusing on mixed reality," claims WSJ's sources.
In addition, some developers are simplifying their apps and favor Apple’s design that allows wearers to use their eyes and fingers to control or manipulate what they see. Meta’s Quest primarily relies on the use of controllers for games or applications, although it can work with finger gestures.
Notably, Apple has shunned Meta's digital reality vision at every opportunity. For example, Apple VP of global marketing Greg Joswiak has said that "metaverse" is a word he will never use. Similarly, Tim Cook was quoted in 2022 as saying he's "not sure the average person can tell you what the metaverse is."
Apple-owned Shazam has released an updated version of the app with a new feature that can identify songs from other apps while you're listening using headphones.
Shazam has been able to recognize songs from other apps for some time, but if headphones were connected to your iPhone, the feature wouldn't work, until now. The latest version of the app, v17.3, fixes that limitation.
The feature works when wired or bluetooth headphones are connected, and they don't have to be Apple-made accessories, so third-party headphones are also supported.
To use the feature, open the Shazam app, check for the headphone icon to confirm your headphones are connected, and then you'll be able to start recognizing music around you or within apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Apple acquired Shazam in 2018, and has been gradually bringing the app into closer alignment with Apple Music ever since, offering trials to the streaming service through the app and the ability to sync Shazams directly to Apple Music.
Shazam can be downloaded from the App Store for free. It can be accessed through the Control Center on iPhone and iPad, through Siri commands, or on the Mac, as well as via widgets.
The Browser Company has released a new iPhone app called Arc Search that aims to reimagine the online search experience by using artificial experience to present web results in a more easily digestible, curated presentation.
The app follows the company's Arc Browser for Mac, and could be described as an AI chat bot with web access (think perplexity.ai), wrapped in a clean, minimalist browser interface that quickly builds webpages on the fly based on your search query.
The app opens with a search bar and keyboard, and its main AI-powered feature, "Browse for me," reads at least six websites and returns key information about the search query in a neatly presented webpage.
For example, when searching "How to change a car tyre," Arc Search creates a page with sections including steps for changing the tyre, safety precautions, necessary tools, positioning the car, and fitting the spare wheel, with links for further reading.
While Arc Search webpages don't always cite sources, the app does feature a "Dive Deeper" section at the bottom of the page so users can check whether the information that is being delivered to them is credible.
Apart from the "Search for me" feature, which is powered by large-language models from OpenAI and others, users can opt to search with more traditional services like Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Ecosia.
In addition, there's a reader mode for clearing cruft from websites, along with the ability to bookmark pages. To keep things tidy, Arc Search also archives tabs after a user-defined period, and blocks GDPR banners and ads/trackers automatically.
a little Sunday surprise for you...
meet @browsercompany's 2nd product:
🔍Arc Search🔎
it's a default browser for your iPhone ...that BROWSES FOR YOU
the origin story is a bit unusual so I wanted to give you the full backstory: pic.twitter.com/pkVQJYN0QQ
— Josh Miller (@joshm) January 28, 2024
Arc Search is available for free on the App Store [Direct Link] and requires iOS 16 or later, while Arc Browser for Mac can be downloaded from the company's website.
DJ Novotney, one of Apple's top hardware engineering architects, is leaving Apple for Rivian Automotive, Bloomberg reported over the weekend.
Novotney has worked at Apple for 25 years and been highly influential in the development of the iPod and iPhone over multiple generations of the hardware. He also helped lead development of the iPad and bring the Apple Watch to market, according to the report's sources at Apple.
Novotney was also involved in "Project Titan," the company's stalled attempt to develop an autonomous electric vehicle. Most recently he was the senior executive in charge of developing future home devices, with a special focus on robotics and AI. Apple is said to have explored a future high-end HomePod speaker that could include an iPad connected via a robotic arm that tracks and follows users around a room.
Novotney will become senior VP of vehicle programs at Rivian, which makes electric SUVs and pickup trucks. The executive informed colleagues of his exit on Friday, according to the report.
"Great products are what we do best and I have been so very lucky along the way to be part of so many amazing teams that developed everything from iPod, iPhone, iPad, Watch and so many more," Novotney wrote in a memo to colleagues that was seen by Bloomberg. "Apple has been my life, but now is the time for me to move on and help bring to life a new set of products."
Several senior Apple executives are leaving or have left the company in recent years. Notable figures among them include Tang Tan, Apple's VP of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch, who is joining Jony Ive's LoveFrom design firm next month, and hardware technologies leader Steve Hotelling, who left Apple last year.
Apple today promoted the Vision Pro in a new video ad shared on its YouTube channel, ahead of the headset launching in the U.S. this Friday, February 2.
The ad demonstrates wearing the Vision Pro and navigating the visionOS operating system.
"Apple Vision Pro is here," the video description says. "Now, digital content blends seamlessly with your physical space. You can do the things you love in ways never before possible."
As noted by Dylan McDonald, this ad is a shorter and slightly modified version of a video that Apple originally showed at the end of its WWDC keynote last June, shortly after introducing the Vision Pro. It aired during today's NFL playoff games.
In the subscriber-only Q&A section of his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said iOS 18 has the potential to be the "biggest" software update in the iPhone's history.
"I'm told that the new operating system is seen within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates — if not the biggest — in the company's history," he wrote.
Gurman said he plans to share more details about specific iOS 18 features and changes that are planned in the future, but we already know about two new features that are likely to be included in the update, as outlined below.
iOS 18 will be released in September, and the first beta for developers will come out during Apple's annual developers conference WWDC in June.
RCS Support
In November 2023, Apple announced that it would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting "later" in 2024, so it will likely be an iOS 18 feature based on that timeframe.
RCS support should result in the following improvements to the default messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices:
Higher-resolution photos and videos
Audio messages
Typing indicators
Read receipts
Wi-Fi messaging between iPhones and Android devices
Improved group chats, including the ability for iPhone users to leave a conversation that includes Android users
Improved encryption compared to SMS
These modern features are already available for iPhone-to-iPhone conversations with blue bubbles, via iMessage, and many of the features are also available in third-party messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Telegram. RCS support on the iPhone will extend the features to green bubbles in the Messages app.
Smarter Siri
Gurman expects iOS 18 to feature generative AI technology that "should improve how both Siri and the Messages app can field questions and auto-complete sentences." He said Apple has also explored generative AI features for other apps across its platforms, including Apple Music, Pages, Keynote, and Xcode.
The Information reported that Apple plans to incorporate large language models into Siri to let users automate complex tasks, a feature that would involve deeper integration with the Shortcuts app. The report said this feature is expected to be released in an iPhone software update coming in 2024, which would likely be iOS 18.
Generative AI surged in popularity in 2022 when OpenAI released ChatGPT, a chatbot that can respond to questions and other prompts. Google and Microsoft released similar chatbots last year, as more companies race into the space. The chatbots are trained on large language models, allowing them to respond like a human.
Apple will likely launch new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air models "around the end of March," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said production is well underway for the new iPad Pro models and a new 13-inch MacBook Air at a minimum within Apple's supply chain in Asia.
Below, we reiterate Gurman's expectations for the new iPads and Macs, along with other rumored features and changes for the devices.
iPad Air
The iPad Air lineup is expected to gain a new 12.9-inch display size alongside an updated 10.9-inch model.
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, more vivid colors, 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. OLED and LTPO display technology would likely allow for the refresh rate to drop down 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, a redesigned Magic Keyboard with a larger trackpad and an aluminum top casing, and a landscape-oriented front camera. There may also be rear camera design changes, like on the next iPad Air models.
The current iPad Pro models with the M2 chip were released in October 2022.
MacBook Air
While the current 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air launched a year apart due to production delays, the models should be updated simultaneously this March. The key new feature for the laptops will be Apple's latest M3 chip.
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.
Following the Apple Card savings account's recent rate increase to 4.5%, we have updated our guide comparing the annual percentage yields (APYs) of some popular high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) available to U.S. residents.
Apple's rate now exceeds that of popular HYSAs offered by the likes of American Express, Capital One, and Discover, but there are a handful of other options that offer even higher APYs in the 4.6% to low 5% range, such as Synchrony Bank and Wealthfront. Balance limits and other requirements vary by provider.
There are many other HYSAs not listed in our chart, so be sure to do your research before deciding which option is best suited for you.
Provider
Maximum APY*
American Express
4.35%
Ally
4.35%
Barclays
4.35%
Capital One
4.35%
Discover
4.35%
Citizens Bank
4.5%
Apple (Goldman Sachs)
4.5%
Marcus (Goldman Sachs)
4.5%
SoFi
4.6%
PNC Bank
4.65%
Betterment
4.75%
Synchrony
4.75%
Wealthfront
5%
CIT Bank
5.05%
UFB Direct
5.25%
* Advertised APYs as of January 27, 2024, excluding limited-time/affiliate rates. APYs may vary.
These rates will continue to increase or decrease over time, often in line with U.S. Federal Reserve rate decisions. Money can be withdrawn from the Apple Card savings account and switched to a different HYSA at any time.
Apple launched its savings account in April 2023, in partnership with Goldman Sachs. The account can be opened and managed in the Wallet app on the iPhone, and it has no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements. You must have an Apple Card, be a U.S. resident, and be at least 18 years old to open an account.
The account allows Apple Card holders to earn interest on their Daily Cash cashback balance, and on funds deposited via a linked bank account or an Apple Cash balance. The maximum balance allowed is $250,000, which is lower than some HYSAs.
To open a savings account in the Wallet app, tap on your Apple Card, tap on the circle with three dots at the top of the screen, tap Daily Cash, and select Set Up Savings.
Goldman Sachs reportedly plans to end its partnership with Apple, but it is unclear how this might impact the Apple Card. In any case, balances up to the $250,000 limit are fully insured by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. 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 Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
