MacRumors

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.

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.

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.

• 34-inch ViewFinity Monitor - $499.99, down from $599.99
• 34-inch ViewFinity Curved Monitor - $699.99, down from $799.99
• 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,299.99, down from $1,799.99
• 57-inch Odyssey Mini-LED Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,999.99, down from $2,499.99
• 55-inch Odyssey Ark Mini-LED Curved Gaming Screen - $1,999.99, down from $2,999.99

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

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.

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.

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.

Apple has big plans for iOS 18, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

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).

Huge news this week for iOS users in the European Union, with major changes to Apple's policies coming with iOS 17.4 related to alternative app stores, default browsers, NFC payment options, and more.

This week also saw the public release of iOS 17.3 with several new features, rumors about upcoming hardware, the end of an era for Apple retail, and more, so read on below for all the details!

iOS 17.4 Introduces Alternative App Marketplaces With No Commission in EU

Apple this week seeded the first developer beta of iOS 17.4, and it comes alongside significant changes, particularly for users in the European Union to comply with the Digital Markets Act that goes into effect in early March.

Most notably, iOS 17.4 will allow EU users to install apps from marketplaces other than the App Store. Apple will not charge a commission on purchases for these apps, but there will be a per-install Core Technology Fee.

Other changes coming as part of iOS 17.4 include worldwide support for game streaming apps, allowing EU users to set third-party browsers as default, and opening up the iPhone's NFC capabilities in the European Economic Area to support payments by systems other than Apple Pay and the Wallet app.

Apple Releases iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 With Stolen Device Protection, Collaborative Apple Music Playlists and More

The initial beta of iOS 17.4 comes just after the public release of iOS 17.3 and related operating system updates this week. iOS 17.3 brings a new Stolen Device Protection feature to help keep your device and accounts secure.

The update also brings collaborative Apple Music playlists with emoji reactions, support for using AirPlay to stream content directly to select hotel TVs, and more.

New iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air Models Likely to Launch in March or April

Apple plans to release new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air models in the spring this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this time frame, the devices could be released as early as this March or April.

The iPad Pro is expected to see a significant redesign including OLED displays, an M3 chip, and perhaps a landscape Face ID camera system. Meanwhile, the iPad Air is expected to see a new 12.9-inch option join the existing 10.9-inch size, while the MacBook Air should see largely internal upgrades such as a move to the M3 chip.

Here's What Apple Vision Pro's Huge Box Looks Like

Apple has yet to officially reveal to the public what the box for the Apple Vision Pro will look like, but MacRumors has seen an internal employee video that offers a glimpse of the packaging and we've created a rendering that approximates the design.

The box is somewhat larger than might be expected, with the headset, bands, and other various parts all packaged inside a relatively plain white box with a front-on view of the headset on top.

iPhone 7 Users in U.S. Could Receive Up to $349 Payment From Apple

Apple last year agreed to pay $35 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit alleging that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were prone to audio issues due to a defective chip in the devices, and it has now started notifying eligible customers by email.

You may be eligible for a payment from Apple if you are a U.S. resident who owned an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus between September 16, 2016 and January 3, 2023, and reported audio issues covered by the settlement to Apple, and/or paid Apple out of pocket to have your iPhone repaired or replaced as a result of the covered audio issues.

Apple's Infinite Loop Store Permanently Closes

As previously announced, Apple permanently closed its Infinite Loop and Royal Hawaiian retail stores in the U.S. on January 20. Apple said all employees at both stores would be given the opportunity to remain with the company.

Infinite Loop served as Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, from 1993 until 2017, when Apple Park opened nearby. The store on the campus existed in various forms for over 30 years and was located at street level near the entrance to the main office building. In its most recent incarnation, it sold a mix of standard Apple products and unique Apple-branded merchandise, such as shirts, reusable bottles, mugs, and notebooks.

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 believed to be working on a new full-sized HomePod that features a touchscreen display for the first time. The device is rumored to launch as soon as the first half of this year, so here's everything we know about it so far.

Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman was first to suggest in 2021 that Apple is working on new HomePods with displays and cameras. The ‌HomePod‌'s OS is now built upon tvOS, and it appears that the groundwork for a ‌HomePod‌ with a screen has been slowly laid in the background for some time.

Design and Functionality

The first specific report of Apple's intention to launch a new HomePod model with a display came from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in March 2023. He said the device will feature a 7-inch display supplied by China's Tianma.

In October 2023, the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami" shared information about an upcoming HomePod model with an LCD display. The device will purportedly feature a virtually identical design to the second-generation ‌HomePod‌, but with a large LCD touch screen at the top instead of the LED array used on all ‌HomePod‌ models to date.

This report was subsequently corroborated by other sources, which added that the model is in active development under the codename "B720". Code in tvOS 17 apparently suggests that Apple Music and Apple Podcasts are among the first apps being rewritten to be compatible with the new display, which will show a blurred animation based on the colors of the album art when a song or podcast is playing. The screen could also potentially show important notifications.

In December, Kosutami shared further images of the prototype device, showing a curved, convex LCD screen to display content at the top.

Chip

There is also the potential for a new chip. The 2023 ‌HomePod‌ contains the S7 chip, the same chip used in 2021's Apple Watch Series 7. Despite the introduction of the S8 chip in late 2022 in the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and second-generation Apple Watch SE, Apple elected to use the S7 chip.

Apple's latest Apple Watch models feature the S9 chip, which is significantly more capable than all of its predecessors because it is based on the A15 Bionic. Many Siri requests are processed locally, meaning that responsiveness could benefit from an improved chip. The S9 could also open the ability for health and fitness-related enquiries, but the exact chip the device will use is unknown.

Additional Features

The next-generation ‌‌HomePod‌‌'s display could facilitate deeper integration with Apple's other hardware products, Kuo believes. For example, a new ‌HomePod‌ could conceivably introduce a lower-latency Handoff experience with the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip used in the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro.

It could also tout improved audio hardware and microphones, as well as specification upgrades like Wi-Fi 6E support.

Release Date

In his original March 2023 report, Kuo said that the new ‌HomePod‌ would launch in the first half of 2024. There are no concrete rumors about any other new full-sized HomePods at the current time. Meanwhile, Kuo said that Apple will begin mass shipments of the second-generation HomePod mini in the second half of 2024.

It is not clear if the touchscreen ‌HomePod‌ will be a direct replacement for the second-generation ‌HomePod‌ or a new, high-end offering in the lineup, but it may not be long before we know for sure.

In the long term, Apple is believed to be rethinking its smart home strategy and is reportedly working on a combined Apple TV and HomePod device, as well as a ‌HomePod‌ with a screen mounted on a robotic arm.

Apple is sending out push notifications to Apple Savings account holders letting them know about yet another rate increase. The Apple Card Savings Account APY is now at 4.50%, up from 4.35%.

This is the third APY rate increase the ‌Apple Card‌ Savings Account has seen since December. The first increase brought it from 4.15% to 4.25%, and the second, which happened in early January, increased it from 4.25% to 4.35%.

Apple's prior rate increase put it on par with the APY offered by many other popular high-yield savings accounts from American Express and Discover, and with the newest hike, the Apple Savings Account also matches the APY of Marcus by Goldman Sachs.

Apple's high-yield savings account has been available to U.S. ‌Apple Card‌ holders since April 2023, and it is offered in partnership with Goldman Sachs.

‌Apple Card‌ users are able to earn interest on their automatic Daily Cash deposits and also personal funds that are added to the account. Apple allows users to deposit up to $250,000.

The App Store, Mac App Store, Apple Music, subscription purchases, and AppleCare on Device are all experiencing an outage, according to Apple's System Status page.

Apple says that the services have been unavailable for some users since 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Affected users may be unable to make purchases in the iTunes Store, ‌Mac App Store‌, and ‌App Store‌, and are also experiencing intermittent issues with ‌Apple Music‌.

Update: Apple has fixed the outage.

When the Vision Pro launches, it will not feature some popular apps like Netflix, YouTube, or Spotify, with users instead relegated to accessing these services through the Safari web browser on the device.

In an interview with Stratechery, Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters explained earlier this week that Netflix does not plan to develop a Vision Pro app at this time because the device is "so subscale" that it is "not really particularly relevant" to most Netflix members.

Peters said that Netflix needs to be careful about how money is spent, ensuring that resources are not invested in areas that will not yield a return.

You got to a good one really quick there already. Not by any unwillingness or lack of desire to do that, but even when you note we look at as close to ubiquity on devices perspective, the decisions that lead to that are we try and be very rigorous about, "What's the effort to integrate on any given set of devices and what's the benefit for the members that we serve?". We have to be careful about making sure that we're not investing in places that are not really yielding a return, and I would say we'll see where things go with Vision Pro. Certainly we're always in discussions with Apple to try and figure that out but right now, the device is so subscale that it's not really particularly relevant to most of our members.

Peters implied that Netflix is not ruling out a future Vision Pro app. "We've always had active discussions to how we could help each other out," he said about Apple. "Sometimes we find a great space of overlap. We can move very, very quickly. Sometimes it takes a little longer."

The Vision Pro is priced at $3,500, which puts it out of range of many of Apple's customers, and Apple is manufacturing a limited number of the devices in 2024, according to rumors. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said that Apple sold between 160,000 to 180,000 units when pre-orders launched, and that the company will only ship around 500,000 units for the year.

Despite early demand, Kuo said that the Vision Pro is "still a very niche product," a view that appears to be shared by some notable companies not creating apps for the device.

The Vision Pro is able to run iPad apps with little to no effort from developers, but Netflix has opted not to allow the Netflix ‌iPad‌ app to be available on the headset. Peters did not explain why. Instead, Netflix subscribers will need to watch Netflix through the Vision Pro web browser.

The iOS 17.4 beta that Apple seeded to developers yesterday introduces major app ecosystem changes in the European Union, but there are also a handful of other features that have been overshadowed. Once such new addition is a transcript option in the Apple Podcasts app, which is similar to the lyric feature in Apple Music.

Recent uploads in the Podcasts app have a new transcript icon, and if tapped, it shows a full transcript of the entire podcast. As with ‌Apple Music‌, the transcript scrolls as the episode plays.

Transcripts are automatically generated, but appear to be fairly accurate. The transcripts take just a few seconds to generate when a new podcast is played, so they can be useful for determining whether the content in a show is something worth the time to listen to. Searching for a specific word or phrase is supported, and tapping on that word or phrase jumps to that spot in the episode.

Note that not all podcast episodes have transcripts right now, but Apple says that transcripts for back catalog episodes are being added over time. Transcripts are available in English, French, German, and Spanish, and podcast hosts also have the option to upload their own transcripts rather than using the automatically generated version.

iOS 17.4 is available to developers at the current time, and Apple plans to release it to the public in March. Other features include sweeping updates in Europe, hints of new features coming to the updated CarPlay experience, and more, with details available in our iOS 17.4 beta 1 feature guide.