MacRumors

Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro Max will offer "significant design changes," The Information's Wayne Ma reports.

iphone 16 pro models 1
The two flagship ‌iPhone 17‌ models will be the first high-end iPhones to feature an aluminum frame since the delineation of the iPhone lineup into Pro and non-Pro models. In recent years, lower-end ‌iPhone‌ models such as the iPhone SE and iPhone 16 have featured aluminum frames. Until the release of the iPhone 15 Pro, high-end ‌iPhone‌ models featured stainless steel frames. Now, the high-end iPhones feature titanium chassis – a change that was touted as one of the key upgrades of the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro. With the introduction of the ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup, Apple is reportedly planning to bring the entire selection of devices back to aluminum.

The rear of the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro Max will also feature a new part-aluminum, part-glass design. The top half of the back will be made of aluminum and feature a "rectangular camera bump made of aluminum rather than traditional 3D glass," while the bottom half will continue to be made of glass to support wireless charging. Apple introduced a glass back to the ‌iPhone‌ with the ‌iPhone‌ 8 and ‌iPhone‌ X in 2017, but prior to that, every ‌iPhone‌ except the ‌iPhone‌ 3G, ‌iPhone‌ 3GS, and ‌iPhone‌ 5C had an aluminum rear. The new, aluminum camera bump of the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro will also apparently be larger than that of previous models.

The new design will constitute one of the most significant visual changes to the high-end ‌iPhone‌ models in recent years. The Information has an excellent track record for accurate Apple rumors, so the latest report is highly likely to pan out. The ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro Max are expected to launch in the fall of 2025 alongside the ‌iPhone 17‌ and ‌iPhone 17‌ Air.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17

Black Friday is just four days away, and big discounts are in full swing across the Internet and in select retail locations. In this article, we're focusing on Apple accessories like the AirTag, iPhone 16 cases, MagSafe chargers, and more.

accessories black fridayNote: 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.

AirTag

Starting with the AirTag 4-Pack, Amazon has the tracking accessory multi-pack for $72.99, down from $99.00. This is a solid second-best price on this device, and it's just about $3 higher compared to the all-time low price.

MagSafe Chargers

For MagSafe Chargers, we're tracking two solid deals at Amazon. You can get the 1-meter MagSafe Charger for $29.99, down from $39.00, and the 2-meter MagSafe Charger for $34.99, down from $49.00.


iPad Pro Magic Keyboards

Moving to the new 2024 iPad Pro Magic Keyboards, you can get the 11-inch model in Black for $249.99, down from $299.00. This is a new all-time low price on this version of the accessory, and it beats the previous deal price by about $10.

magic keyboard 2024
Amazon also has the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard on sale, available for $274.99 in White, down from $349.00. This is another record low price on the Magic Keyboard.


Apple Pencil

Right now, the only notable Apple Pencil deal is on the Apple Pencil 2, which is available for the all-time low price of $79.99 for Black Friday on Amazon.

iPhone 16 Cases

Lastly, Amazon has quite a few discounts on Apple's official MagSafe cases for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. You can find every case listed below by model, and many are seeing multiple colors hitting record low prices.

iPhone 16

iPhone 16 Plus

iPhone 16 Pro

iPhone 16 Pro Max

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.


Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about top deals as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple today revealed its 2024 App Store Awards finalists, including pro video camera app Kino, which is in the running for iPhone App of the Year.

2024 App Store Awards Finalists
There are 45 finalists across 12 categories, including a first-ever Apple Vision Pro category. Apple said the awards recognize developers who delivered the "highest levels of user experience, design, and innovation" on the App Store this year.

Kino was released earlier this year by Lux, the makers of the popular iPhone camera app Halide.

Kino iPhone
Other notable finalists include NYT Games for the iPhone, Procreate Dreams for the iPad, Zoom for the Apple TV, NBA for the Apple Vision Pro, and more.

Apple said the winner of each category will be announced in the coming weeks. More details about each app can be found in Apple's announcement.

iPhone App of the Year Finalists

iPhone Game of the Year Finalists

iPad App of the Year Finalists

iPad Game of the Year Finalists

Apple Arcade Game of the Year Finalists

Mac App of the Year Finalists

Mac Game of the Year Finalists

Apple Watch App of the Year Finalists

Apple Vision Pro App of the Year Finalists

Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year Finalists

Apple TV App of the Year Finalists

Cultural Impact Finalists

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday made his third visit to China this year, ahead of a five-day supply chain conference with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other corporate leaders (via Bloomberg).

tim cook visits china nov 2024
The Apple chief joined more than 20 global business leaders in meetings with Premier Li Qiang, including executives from Rio Tinto, Corning, and Charoen Pokphand Group. Chinese corporate leaders from Lenovo Group and ICBC were also present at the discussions, which focused on supply chain and trade matters.

Cook was seen at the China International Supply Chain Expo, where he was keen to highlight the critical role of Chinese partners in Apple's operations. "I value them very highly. We could not do what we do without them," he remarked in comments shared by Chinese state media. "I am proud to be here... that Apple has an exhibit here with our partners," added Cook during his first visit to the expo.

Cook's visit comes at a sensitive time for Apple, with companies worldwide bracing for potential trade disruptions following Donald Trump's U.S. election victory. Trump has threatened to hike tariffs on Chinese goods, while China remains Apple's largest market outside the United States. Apple has around 200 major suppliers, with more than 80% producing products in China. The company also produces the majority of its iPhones there through manufacturing partner Foxconn.

The timing is particularly significant as Apple works to balance its deep ties to China while gradually diversifying its production chain to other regions like Vietnam and Indonesia. Cook's last visit to Beijing occurred only last month when he pledged Apple's continued investment in the country.

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.

Black Friday 2024 is just a few days away, and you can already find the year's best prices on nearly every Mac at Amazon. Specifically, this includes the new M4 iMac, M4 MacBook Pro, and the M2 and M3 MacBook Air. We've also included a great deal on the Apple Studio Display.

new mac holidayNote: 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.

All of the deals shared below can be found on Amazon, and a few do require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the final deal price at checkout. The deals shared in this list are focused on the entry-level models of each Mac, but there are many, many more deals to be found on Macs, all of which can be discovered in our post about all of the Apple Black Friday Deals available right now.

We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.


Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about top deals as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now over three and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development.

airtag purple
Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag.

Timing

Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

From his Power On newsletter last week:

In May, I reported that Apple is working on a new AirTag — code-named B589 — for release around the middle of next year. That accessory has now progressed in manufacturing tests, and Apple is getting ready to bring it to market.

In October 2023, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said mass production of the second-generation AirTag had been postponed from the fourth quarter of 2024 until some point in 2025, but he did not provide a reason for the apparent change in plans. Kuo and Gurman are thus in agreement that a new AirTag is coming next year.

Features

In his newsletter last week, Gurman reiterated that the new AirTag will feature an upgraded chip with improved location tracking. If so, the AirTag could be updated with the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip that debuted in all iPhone 15 models last year.

Gurman also believes the new AirTag's built-in speaker will be more difficult to remove, as an anti-stalking measure. Overall, though, he expects the new AirTag to look similar to the current model, so do not expect major design changes.

Last, he said the new AirTag will feature "better range," which could allow the Precision Finding feature to work at farther distances.

Kuo previously said the new AirTag will have some kind of integration with Apple's Vision Pro headset, but he did not share any specific details.

Update — November 24: In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the AirTag 2 will still have a coin cell battery, rather than a rechargeable battery. Not really a surprise, but now you know!

While this should come as no surprise given that Apple just updated the AirPods Max in September, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Apple currently has "no concrete plans" to update the headphones again "in a meaningful way."

airpods max 2024 colors
"I expect the company to keep the Max headphones around for the foreseeable future in their current form," he added.

AirPods Max received only two changes in September, including a USB-C charging port instead of Lightning, and new color options. The headphones did not receive Apple's H2 chip that debuted in the AirPods Pro 2 a few years ago, so they continue to miss out on Adaptive Audio features, and there were no improvements to active noise cancellation either.

This means the AirPods Max continue to have the H1 chip that Apple introduced in 2019, yet the $549 headphones did not receive a price cut.

Gurman believes that AirPods Max sales are too low for Apple to justify allocating more development resources to the headphones. So, if you are hoping for AirPods Max 2 with more significant improvements, keep your expectations low for now.

Related Roundup: AirPods Max
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

iOS 19 is not expected to be announced until June 2025, but the software update's first major new feature has already leaked.

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated his previous report that said iOS 19 will introduce a "more conversational Siri" powered by "more advanced large language models." He said this upgrade will make Siri more like OpenAI's ChatGPT, allowing the assistant to "handle more sophisticated requests."

Apple will likely unveil the revamped Siri when it unveils iOS 19 at WWDC 2025 next June, but Gurman said it will not be available until as early as spring 2026. That suggests the feature will be released as part of an iOS 19.4 update.

In his newsletter, he revealed that additional features have been "postponed" until iOS 19.4.

"I'm told that a larger-than-usual number of features scheduled for iOS 19 (beyond the new Siri) are already postponed until spring 2026 (when iOS 19.4 debuts)," he wrote.

He did not provide any details about those other planned features.

In the meantime, iOS 18.2 adds ChatGPT integration to Siri, and Gurman expects an integration with Google's Gemini to follow in a later update. Apple previously confirmed that iOS 18.2 will be released to the public in December. And with iOS 18.4, Siri will gain on-screen awareness, deeper per-app controls, and a few other enhancements, but it will still not offer fully-fledged ChatGPT-like conversational abilities directly.

Once the new Siri is released, iPhone users should not have to tap into third-party services like ChatGPT and Gemini as often. iOS 19.4 is still around a year and a half away from being released, though, so a long wait remains.

Related Roundup: iOS 19

We're less than one week away from Black Friday on November 29, and Best Buy and Amazon currently have all-time low prices across Apple's entire iPad lineup. This includes Apple's 9th and 10th generation iPad, iPad mini 7, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.

ipads early bf dealsNote: 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.

Most of the deals in the list below can be found at Best Buy, but Amazon has a few low prices on the 10th generation iPad and all new iPad mini 7. The deals shared in this list are focused on the entry-level models of each iPad, but there are many, many more deals to be found on iPads, all of which can be discovered in our post about all of the Apple Black Friday Deals available right now.

As a bonus mention, Amazon currently has steep discounts on the M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard. You can get the 11-inch M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard for $249.99 ($49 off) and the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard for $274.99 ($74 off).

We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.


Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about top deals as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

While the action comedy film "Wolfs" recently became the most-viewed movie in Apple TV+ history, plans for a sequel have been canceled.

Apple TV Wolfs
In an interview shared by Deadline today, Wolfs director Jon Watts said he canceled the sequel because he "no longer trusted" Apple as a creative partner.

Watts told the publication that Apple made a last-minute decision to pivot away from widely releasing the movie in theaters, without discussing that decision with him in advance. He also said that Apple ignored his request to not mention the planned "Wolfs" sequel in its press release regarding the movie switching to a limited, one-week theatrical release before becoming available to stream on Apple TV+.

Apple announced that a "Wolfs" sequel was planned in an August press release. Apple's head of feature films Matt Dentler said the company was "excited to see fans embrace the movie as we start working with Jon on the sequel."

Here is the full quote from Watts explaining why the sequel is off the table:

"I showed Apple my final cut of Wolfs early this year," Watts told Deadline. "They were extremely enthusiastic about it and immediately commissioned me to start writing a sequel. But their last minute shift from a promised wide theatrical release to a streaming release was a total surprise and made without any explanation or discussion. I wasn't even told about it until less than a week before they announced it to the world. I was completely shocked and asked them to please not include the news that I was writing a sequel. They ignored my request and announced it in their press release anyway, seemingly to create a positive spin to their streaming pivot. And so I quietly returned the money they gave me for the sequel. I didn't want to talk about it because I was proud of the film and didn't want to generate any unnecessary negative press. I loved working with Brad and George (and Amy and Austin and Poorna and Zlatko) and would happily do it again. But the truth is that Apple didn’t cancel the Wolfs sequel, I did, because I no longer trusted them as a creative partner."

This drama might be enough for an Apple TV+ movie of its own!

"Wolfs" stars Brad Pitt and George Clooney as two professional "fixers" who are assigned to cover up a high-profile crime. The two "lone wolves" are forced to work together, despite not wanting to, and comedy ensues. The movie also stars Amy Ryan.

The movie debuted in select theaters on September 20, and on Apple TV+ a week later.

Watts is best known for directing the "Spider-Man" films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Apple is able to repair individual MacBook Pro speakers without replacing other components too.

2024 MacBook Pro Space Black
In a memo shared with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, Apple said it is offering speakers as standalone repair parts for the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips. This is the first time Apple has made individual MacBook Pro speaker parts available since 2015.

For all MacBook Pro models released between 2016 and 2023, Apple replaces the entire "top case" with the battery and other components for speaker repairs. This results in out-of-warranty speaker repairs costing hundreds of dollars more than they should, so standalone speaker parts will make these repairs far more affordable.

Even better, the speaker parts will not be limited to technicians at the Genius Bar and Apple Authorized Service Providers. Apple has already shared speaker repair manuals for the new MacBook Pro models on its website, so it should make the standalone speaker parts available to order through its self-service repair store soon.

The repair procedure is fairly complex, involving the use of Kevlar thread, speaker installation caps, and a single-use battery cover, so the average customer will likely want to rely on an experienced technician to ensure it is done correctly. Fortunately, those who opt to go down that route should pay far less than they would have before.

Update: According to a reliable source, Apple is now giving technicians access to individual speaker parts for ALL 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon, going back to models with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. It remains to be seen if those parts for older models will be added to the self-service repair store too.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

2024 may be winding down, but things are still busy in the Apple universe as the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear with massive deals while we're also tracking a number of rumors about upcoming Apple products.

top stories 23nov2024
This week also saw several operating system updates from Apple to address some security issues, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

It's been over three years since Apple debuted its AirTag item tracker, and it looks like the company is gearing up to launch a next-generation version around the middle of next year.

airtag purple
Among the changes we're expecting or hoping to see are a new chip for improved location tracking and better range, as well as design changes that will make it harder to remove the speaker, making it more difficult for those who might try to silence an AirTag to use it for stalking purposes.

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now: AirPods, iPads, and More

Black Friday is quickly approaching, and deals are already in full swing. Keep an eye on our Apple Black Friday roundup and our ongoing news coverage to be alerted about the best deals as they drop.

General Black Friday Deals 24 Green Tinsel
We're already seeing record-low prices on a number of Apple products, as well as major sales from Anker, Sonos, and Samsung.

Apple will also be running its traditional Black Friday/Cyber Monday gift card promo, though better deals can usually be found through other retailers.

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

In a research note this week, Barclays analysts said they have "confirmed" with suppliers that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previous rumors, that time frame suggests the new iPhone SE will be announced in March, just like the current model was in 2022.

iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb 3
The fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to have a similar design as the base iPhone 14, with rumored features including a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, a newer A-series chip, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of RAM to enable Apple Intelligence support, and the previously-mentioned Apple-designed 5G modem.

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Apple this week released several software updates, including iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1.

ios 18 1 1 security
Users are encouraged to update their devices, as these versions include fixes for security issues that have been actively exploited on Intel-based Macs, though the vulnerabilities exist on other platforms.

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

iPhone thicknesses have been growing over the years as Apple has packed more hardware and battery into the devices, but Apple is rumored to be taking things in the other direction with at least one model next year, a device being informally called the "iPhone 17 Air."

iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux
Apple analyst Jeff Pu this week said he agrees with rumors indicating the iPhone 17 Air could be as thin as 6mm, compared to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus at 7.8mm and the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max at 8.25mm.

Hide iPhone Find My Location Without Raising Suspicion

Ever need a moment of privacy without raising suspicion? If you're secretly shopping for a holiday gift or planning a surprise party, you might want to temporarily obscure your actual location in Apple's Find My app on your iPhone without completely turning off location sharing.

FindMy Feature
Check out a clever trick that lets you keep sharing enabled while displaying a different location – all by using another Apple device you own.

MacRumors Newsletter

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.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Apple is working on a new Home accessory that is designed to serve as a central hub or "Command Center" for smart home management. The Apple TV and the HomePod are already home hubs and almost all Apple devices can control a HomeKit setup, but Apple is designing an all-in-one home management product to make control even easier.

Apple AI Command Center Concept Mock 5
This guide aggregates everything that we know about Apple's smart home hub.

Design

Apple's upcoming smart home product will somewhat resemble an iPad, and it will have an all-display design. It is expected to be square rather than rectangular, and it will measure in at six inches with thick bezels around the edges.

In terms of size, it will look similar to two iPhones that are side-by-side, and it will be small and lightweight to allow it to be moved from room to room. The device will support touch input for opening apps and controlling connected devices.

Apple AI Command Center Concept Mock 3
It will be able to be mounted on a wall, but Apple is also designing a dock that it can slot into that will let it sit on a table or desk. The desktop base could include additional speakers for playing music.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested that the smart home device will have a hemispherical base similar to the iMac G4, with the small screen positioned at an angle on the base.

the new imac g4 featureThe original ‌iMac‌ G4

Built-in speakers will be included, and it will have a camera on the front for FaceTime and video calls, along with a rechargeable battery. Apple is planning two colors, including silver and black.

Sensors

The smart home hub will be able to determine how close a person is standing to it, adjusting features from there. When no one is nearby, for example, it might show the temperature, but as someone approaches, it could shift to an interface for adjusting the thermostat.

Person detection will likely allow it to be used in smart home automations for doing things like turning on the lights when someone enters a room. The sensor might be able to tell one person from another, and it could recognize hand gestures for longer range control.

Apple is also considering extra sensors that would plug into outlets throughout the home to interface with the hub, but it is not clear if these will be manufactured.

Speakers

Gurman says there will be built-in speakers and perhaps an optional dock that adds additional speakers, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the device could be positioned as a ‌HomePod‌. In a late 2024 report, Kuo said that a ‌HomePod‌ with a display would launch in the second to third quarter of 2025.

Gurman has not referred to the home hub as a ‌HomePod‌, but it seems that Gurman and Kuo are referencing the same product. Kuo says that the built-in display for the ‌HomePod‌ will "emphasize smart home functionalities more," and that the product will be a "strategic repositioning of the ‌HomePod‌ product line."

Chip

Apple's upcoming smart home accessory is expected to use an A18 chip for Apple Intelligence support. Given that ‌Apple Intelligence‌ requires 8GB RAM minimum, it will have at least 8GB RAM.

Interface

Apple does not plan to create a dedicated App Store for the home hub, but it will come with several apps pre-installed. The main view will be a customizable home screen with widgets that can show the weather, important home controls, photo slideshows, upcoming events, and more.

Bloomberg's ‌Mark Gurman‌ has described the interface as a mix between watchOS and the iPhone's StandBy mode. A software-based dock will be available for launching various apps, and it will support Siri.

Apple is planning to integrate ‌Siri‌ with ‌Apple Intelligence‌ for accessing and performing tasks in apps. By the time the device launches, the smarter version of ‌Siri‌ will be available, and will be able to control apps and tasks.

There will be a focus on controlling smart home products and also security, with Apple providing alerts and camera footage from connected smart home cameras.

Apps

Several Apple apps will be installed even though there won't be a dedicated ‌App Store‌. Apps that are rumored:

Intercom

More than one of the devices can be used throughout the home, and two or more can serve as room-to-room intercoms.

AirPlay

With its built-in speakers, the device will support music playback and it will be able to work as an AirPlay receiver.

Future Smart Home Accessories

Apple is reportedly considering creating its own line of smart home accessories like an indoor security camera, but the company wants to see how the hub device does first. If that's successful, Apple could prioritize smart home products.

Apple analyst ‌Ming-Chi Kuo‌ thinks Apple is already working on a smart home camera that will be manufactured starting in 2026. Kuo says that Apple will sell "tens of millions" of these devices over the long term, with wireless connectivity and deep integration with ‌Siri‌ and ‌Apple Intelligence‌ planned.

Apple could have an edge with security cameras because of its focus on privacy. Privacy would be a focus, providing an alternative to cameras from companies like Ring and Nest.

Pricing

It's not clear what Apple will price the device at, but Amazon's similarly sized Echo Show costs $90. By keeping the display size small at six inches, Apple may be able to keep the price low and competitive with similar products.

Competition

An Apple-designed smart home management product with an integrated display would compete with other smart home devices from companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google. Facebook, for example, makes the Meta Portal, a device that can control Alexa-based products and that allows for video calls with friends and family.

echo show
Amazon makes the Echo Show, a smart display with a speaker that comes in sizes up to 21 inches. It can be used for controlling smart home products, watching video, making calls, and more. Google offers the Nest Hub Max for streaming content, listening to music, and controlling products that integrate with the Google smart home system.

With almost all of Apple's major competitors offering an in-home device that is designed to serve as a hub for controlling smart home products and making calls, it's not hard to imagine a similar device from Apple.

Launch Date

Apple's upcoming iPad-like smart home accessory could be released as soon as early 2025, according to Gurman. Kuo believes the device will not be released until the second or third quarter of 2025.

Repair site iFixit today shared a teardown video of the M4 Pro MacBook Pro, giving us a look inside of the machine. Apple didn't make any external design changes to the ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, but iFixit was hopeful for repairability improvements.


Unfortunately, the M4 Pro ‌MacBook Pro‌ that iFixit took apart was almost identical to the M3 ‌MacBook Pro‌, which means Apple kept almost the same internal design as well.

The M4 Pro ‌MacBook Pro‌ has a larger heatsink than the M3 ‌MacBook Pro‌ for improved heat dissipation, but the battery build and size are the same. Removing the battery still requires removing the trackpad because the battery's adhesive tabs are under the trackpad hardware. Getting to the logic board is "incredibly complex and tedious" due to all the screws and the cables that are in the way.

Overall, repairing and replacing parts in the ‌MacBook Pro‌ has not changed. Apple provides repair information, parts details, tools, and guides on its website.

Apple this week expanded Tap to Pay on iPhone to New Zealand, which means independent sellers, small businesses, and other merchants in the country can use an ‌iPhone‌ as a contactless payment terminal.

Apple Tap to Pay iPhone
With Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌, an ‌iPhone‌ is able to accept payment using Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets thanks to NFC technology. Transactions are encrypted and Apple does not have information about what is purchased or the person that made the purchase.

On the customer end, using Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ works like any standard ‌Apple Pay‌ transaction. Sellers open up an app on an ‌iPhone‌ XS or later, register a sale, and present an ‌iPhone‌ to the buyer, who can then use a contactless payment method to complete the transaction.

Adyen, ANZ Bank, Stripe, Windcave, and Worldline offer Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ in New Zealand.

Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ launched in February 2022 in the United States, and since then, Apple has been working to expand it to additional countries. The feature is available in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Next year's iPhone 17 and all-new "iPhone 17 Air" will not have a 5x optical zoom lens, according to Korean publication The Elec (via 9to5Mac).

iPhone 17 Slim Feature
The report said the tetraprism camera system that enables 5x optical zoom will remain exclusive to the Pro models in next year's iPhone lineup, meaning that it would only be available on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Of course, with the iPhone 17 Air expected to be very thin, this is no surprise.

In the iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, the tetraprism camera system has a "folded" design that allows it to fit inside the smartphones, enabling up to 5x optical zoom and up to 25x digital zoom on those devices. The smaller iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max are limited to up to 3x optical zoom.

The standard iPhone 16 offers up to 2x optical-quality zoom, so the iPhone 17 should too at a minimum. However, zoom specifications for the iPhone 17 Air are still unclear, as the device is rumored to feature only a single 48-megapixel rear camera.

iPhone 17 Air rumors have been a mixed bag so far. The device could become the thinnest iPhone ever, but some of its specifications will seemingly be lacking compared to the Pro models, which will make for a tough purchasing decision. In other words, if you want the cool new iPhone with the thin, new design, there will be tradeoffs.

There have been conflicting rumors about the iPhone 17 Air's design and specifications, but most sources have agreed that it will have around a 6.6-inch display. In July, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects the device to have a standard A19 chip, a Dynamic Island, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G modem.

That means the iPhone 17 Air would have quite a large display, but the 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max would still be larger. With an A19 chip, the device would certainly be performant, but the iPhone 17 Pro models will get a superior A19 Pro chip. A single camera would put the device on the same tier as the iPhone SE for photography.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Air could be one of the first devices with an Apple-designed 5G modem, but it is unclear if it will have any obvious consumer benefits over the Qualcomm modems that are expected to be used for iPhone 17 Pro models. Nevertheless, Apple's cellular future will debut in this device rather than the flagship Pro models.

It's still early, so we should learn a lot more about the iPhone 17 Air over the coming months.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17

Apple today began selling certified refurbished iPad 10 models through its online store in the U.S. for the first time since the device was released in October 2022.

10th Gen iPad Feature Fanned Blue
Apple lowered the iPad 10's starting price to $349 in the U.S. in May, and the refurbished models are discounted by an additional 15%, bringing the starting price down to $299. 256GB models are also available for $419, down from $499 brand new.

The refurbished iPad 10 models are not yet available in any other countries that we checked.

Apple says its refurbished iPads include a new battery and outer shell, a new white box, and all manuals and accessories, including a USB-C charging cable and power adapter. Apple says it puts refurbished devices through a "thorough cleaning process and inspection," and it performs full functionality testing to ensure there are no defective units.

All refurbished iPads are covered by Apple's one-year limited warranty and 14-day return policy, and eligible for AppleCare+ coverage.

Be aware that Amazon not only has a better deal on the iPad 10 right now, but they are brand new models instead of refurbished. After applying an on-page coupon, you can currently get the iPad 10 for as low as $249.99 on Amazon in the U.S., which is a great value and an all-time low price for the tablet as far as we have seen.

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.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)
Related Forum: iPad

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