MacRumors

Happy New Year! 2024 is shaping up to be a big year for Apple, with its Vision Pro headset perhaps being the first big launch of the year in just a few weeks' time if the latest rumors are accurate.

This week also saw an issue with a new iOS 17.3 beta that forced Apple to temporarily pull the update, the latest rumors on not only this year's iPhone 16 lineup but also next year's iPhone 17, and more, so read on below for all the details!

Vision Pro Rumored to Launch in Final Week of January

Apple's long-awaited Vision Pro headset could launch in the U.S. around Friday, January 26, according to a sketchy rumor from a Chinese investor news service. Apple promised that the headset would launch in early 2024, but it did not provide a specific timeframe.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he has also heard the January 26 date floating around, and he reiterated that the Vision Pro will have a retail launch by February.

Apple Pulls iOS 17.3 Beta 2 Due to Boot Loop Issue

Apple made the second beta of iOS 17.3 available to developers for testing earlier this week, but it quickly pulled the software after some iPhone users who installed it experienced a boot loop issue.

As of writing, Apple has yet to re-release the second beta of iOS 17.3, but it has released the second public betas of macOS 14.3 and watchOS 10.3.

iOS 17.3 includes a new Stolen Device Protection feature and re-enables collaborative Apple Music playlists.

Apple Just Broke a Tradition It Held for 12 Years

2023 was the first calendar year with no new iPads released since the original iPad was released in 2010, marking the end of a 12-year tradition.

Apple is expected to update the entire iPad lineup throughout 2024, including the iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, and the entry-level iPad. The next Pro models are widely rumored to feature OLED displays, and faster chips are expected for all models.

Here's What the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max Will Look Like

This year's iPhone 16 lineup is still moving through the development phases, but we have the latest information on what the next-generation Pro models currently look like.

Along with slightly larger displays, there's a new Capture button on the right side for quickly taking video, while the Action button appears to have the same design as on the current iPhone 15 Pro models even though Apple had been experimenting with making some changes to it.

Kuo: iPhone 17 to Feature 24MP Front-Facing Camera

While the iPhone 16 lineup is still over eight months away, rumors are already circulating about the iPhone 17 lineup coming in 2025.

According to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 17's front camera will feature a 24-megapixel sensor, up from a 12-megapixel sensor on current iPhones. He said this upgrade will significantly improve the front camera's image quality.

Apple Still Selling These Old and Often Forgotten Products

While the majority of Apple's product lineup has been updated over the past few years, there are a handful of devices and accessories that are quite old.

In an article this week, we listed seven of Apple's oldest and most obscure products that it still sells on its online store in 2024, such as the USB SuperDrive for the Mac. There are some interesting inclusions on the list, so make sure to check it out for some nostalgia.

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!

The United States Justice Department is in the "late stages" of an antitrust investigation into Apple that could soon lead to an antitrust lawsuit, reports The New York Times. The DoJ could be ready to file a "sweeping" antitrust case in the first half of 2024, with the agency considering how Apple's control over hardware and software locks consumers into the Apple ecosystem and makes it difficult for rivals to compete.

Apple officials have met with the DoJ several times during the investigation, which has covered everything from iMessage to the Apple Watch. Some of the topics looked at:

• How the Apple Watch works better with iPhone than other smart watches do.
• How Apple locks competitors out of iMessage.
• How Apple blocks other financial firms from offering tap-to-pay services similar to Apple Pay on the ‌iPhone‌.
• Whether Apple favors its own apps and services over those provided by third-party developers.
• How Apple has blocked cloud gaming apps from the App Store.
• How Apple restricts the ‌iPhone‌'s location services from devices that compete with AirTag.
• How App Tracking Transparency impacted the collection of advertising data.
• In-app purchase fees collected by Apple.

Apple competitors like Tile, Beeper, Basecamp, Meta, and Spotify have talked with antitrust investigators, as have banks that have wanted access to the ‌iPhone‌'s NFC capabilities.

The Department of Justice has not yet made a final decision about whether a lawsuit should be filed, and Apple has not yet had a chance to have a final meeting to plead its case before a lawsuit is filed.

Apple and Microsoft are the only "big five" companies not currently facing U.S. lawsuits over their business practices. Google, Amazon, and Meta are all facing off against the DoJ or the FTC.

Over the last several years, Apple has defended itself against antitrust accusations in the U.S. In 2020, the U.S. House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee said that Apple, Meta, Google, and Amazon have the "kinds of monopolies" last seen in "the era of oil barons and railroad tycoons."

Apple has argued that it does not have a dominant market share in any category where it does business, and the company also often cites the opportunities and jobs provided by the ‌App Store‌. If the DoJ does opt to file an antitrust lawsuit, it will likely lead to a multi-year legal battle.

Though Apple has so far avoided regulatory action in the United States, it has been struggling against antitrust rules put in place in the European Union. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) could soon force Apple to make significant chances to the ‌App Store‌, Siri, Messages, FaceTime, and other services. Apple is, for example, already working to add support for sideloading apps to iPhones in Europe, functionality that we are expecting to see sometime later this year.

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.

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we take a look forward at all of Apple's biggest rumored announcements for 2024.

2024 is shaping up to be a very busy year for Apple, likely kicking off with the launch of the Vision Pro headset around February. Redesigned iPad Pro models with larger display and OLED technology, the M3 chip, and new accessories are expected to follow in March, as well as next-generation iPad Air models with a new, 12.9-inch size option. watchOS 11, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, visionOS 2, and tvOS 18 will likely be previewed in June at WWDC, potentially alongside the M3 Ultra Mac Studio. A refreshed Apple TV 4K with a faster chip could also launch in the first half of the year.

• What to Expect From Apple in 2024: Vision Pro, iPhone 16 Models, Revamped iPad Pro and More

September will likely see the introduction of the iPhone 16, featuring Spatial Video capture and the Action button, and the iPhone 16 Pro, touting larger displays, a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, and a new "Capture button." The "Apple Watch X," fourth-generation AirPods, and refreshed AirPods Max with USB-C are also expected to emerge around September.

Apple could close out the year with the seventh-generation iPad mini, the 11th-generation iPad, and a new Mac mini with the M3 and M3 Pro chips. We could also see new MacBook Pros with M4 series chips, but the timing of these devices is more unclear.

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Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests like Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Luke Miani, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

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If you're looking to find a few products to help stick to your fitness-related New Year's resolutions, this week's deals should help. You'll find a record low price on the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, as well as solid $50 markdowns across the Apple Watch lineup. Additionally, there are steep discounts on the iPad, MacBook Air, and AirTag as we close out the first week of 2024.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

AirPods Pro

• What's the deal? Take $60 off AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

For the first week of 2024, Amazon has brought back an all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C. You can get these earbuds for $189.00, down fro $249.00, with delivery available as soon as January 9.

Apple Watch

• What's the deal? Take $50 off Apple Watch models
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

If you want to upgrade your fitness tracking in the New Year, Amazon is also discounting a huge collection of Apple Watches right now. You can get $50 off the Apple Watch Series 9 (from $349.00), the Apple Watch SE (from $199.00), and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (from $739.99).

iPad

• What's the deal? Take $100 off 10th gen iPad
• Where can I get it? Amazon

Amazon has nearly every model of Apple's 10th generation iPad on sale this week, as well as nearly every color. Prices start at $349.00 for 64GB Wi-Fi and $499.00 for 256GB Wi-Fi, and also include cellular options. Every price listed is an all-time low price for these iPads, matching the best deals we tracked during the holidays.

MacBook Air

• What's the deal? Take $250 off M1 13-inch MacBook Air and M2 15-inch MacBook Air
• Where can I get it? Amazon

In terms of MacBooks, the best New Year's deals can be found on the older M1 13-inch MacBook Air and the new M2 15-inch MacBook Air, both of which are $250 off original prices. For the M1 model, this is a match of the all-time low Black Friday pricing.

AirTag

• What's the deal? Take $20 off AirTag 4-Pack
• Where can I get it? Amazon

Finally this week, Amazon is beating an all-time low holiday sale we saw last season, discounting the AirTag 4-Pack to $78.99 with an on-page coupon, down from $99.00.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Following the Apple Card savings account's recent rate increase to 4.35%, we have put together this guide comparing the annual percentage yields (APYs) of some popular high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) available to U.S. residents.

Apple's rate now matches 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 4.5% to low 5% range, such as Marcus by Goldman Sachs and Wealthfront. Balance limits and other requirements vary.

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	Advertised APY*
Apple (Goldman Sachs)	4.35%
American Express	4.35%
Ally	4.35%
Barclays	4.35%
Capital One	4.35%
Discover	4.35%
Citizens Bank	4.5%
Marcus (Goldman Sachs)	4.5%
SoFi	4.6%
PNC Bank	4.65%
CIT Bank	4.65% to 5.05%
Betterment	4.75%
Synchrony	4.75%
Wealthfront	5%
UFB Direct	5.25%

* Advertised APYs as of January 5, 2024. APYs may vary.

Ordinary savings accounts at popular banks such as Bank of America and Chase typically offer APYs of only 0.01% or slightly higher.

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, and balances are fully insured by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

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 will reportedly be ending its partnership with Apple within the next year or so, but it is unclear how this might impact the Apple Card.

Apple CEO Tim Cook will meet the European Union's antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, next week amid a series of disputes with the organization (via Reuters).

Vestager is also set to meet the chief executives of Alphabet, Broadcom, and Nvidia, as well as senior executives from OpenAI. The meetings will take place in San Francisco and Palo Alto on Thursday and Friday next week, and will focus on European competition policy and digital regulation.

In December, Apple reportedly floated the ability for Apple Pay rivals to access the iPhone's NFC technology for contactless payments in the EU. The offer is designed to settle an ongoing antitrust dispute and avoid a potential fine. The European Commission is believed to be seeking feedback from rivals and customers before accepting the offer, so it is highly likely that this matter will be discussed.

Apple is also facing several other challenges in the EU that will almost certainly be the subject of discussion, such as a $14 billion tax dispute. Most strikingly, new EU rules such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) designate major tech companies as "gatekeepers" and compel them to open up their various services and platforms to other companies and developers. The DMA is expected to force Apple to make significant changes to the way the App Store, FaceTime, and Siri work in Europe. For example, Apple will next year be obliged to allow users to install third-party app stores and sideload apps, as well as give developers the ability to promote their offers outside the ‌‌‌‌App Store‌‌‌‌ and use third-party payment systems.

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.

Apple will be reopening its Bay Street retail store in Emeryville, California on Monday, January 8 at 10 a.m. local time, according to the company's website.

The store had been closed for renovations since early September, according to Tabletops, a weekly newsletter about Apple retail published by Michael Steeber. However, it is currently unclear if the store will have any public-facing changes when it reopens, or if the renovations are limited to the backroom area for staff members.

The store originally opened in 2002, becoming Apple's 50th retail location in the U.S., and moved to its current location on Bay Street in 2016.

Steeber recently released a major update for Facades, an app that provides comprehensive information about Apple's retail stores around the world. Users can now explore the history and grand opening of any store, track multiple store visits, and more. The app is available for free on the App Store for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

A new Mac Studio model with the M3 Ultra chip—which could be more powerful than expected—will launch in mid-2024, according to a new report.

The report comes from Taiwanese research firm TrendForce citing ICsmart. The current ‌Mac Studio‌, which contains M2 Max and ‌M2‌ Ultra chip options, was introduced at WWDC in June 2023. With TrendForce forecasting another mid-year update for the ‌Mac Studio‌, a repeat appearance at WWDC seems likely this year.

The Mac Pro is the only other Mac model that contains an "Ultra" Apple silicon chip, so its absence from today's report discussing the M3 Ultra is noticeable. While, logically, the ‌Mac Pro‌ should receive an update to add the M3 Ultra chip alongside the ‌Mac Studio‌, just like it received the ‌M2‌ Ultra chip last year, there have been no rumors to suggest this will be the case again this year as of yet.

Interestingly, TrendForce claims that the M3 Ultra chip will be fabricated with TSMC's N3E node, just like the A18 chip that is expected to debut in the iPhone 16 lineup later in the year. This means it would be Apple's first N3E chip. The M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips are fabricated with TSMC's N3B process, just like the A17 Pro. N3E is an enhanced version of TSMC's 3nm process, offering slightly better performance and higher production yield.

It would be somewhat odd for Apple to make the M3 Ultra its first N3E chip, since Apple's "Ultra" chips comprise two "Max" chips linked via its UltraFusion chip interconnect technology, meaning that an N3E M3 Ultra would effectively be two M4 Max chips. To date, each generation of Apple's custom silicon chips have used the same fabrication process across the lineup, since the chip architecture is simply scaled up. Using different nodes in the same family of chips, especially on the "Ultra" chip variant, would be an unprecedented move.

The only explanation if Apple does opt for this route would be that the company plans to introduce the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips sooner rather than later, perhaps in late 2024, and would want to ensure that the M3 Ultra ‌Mac Studio‌ remains competitive with the newer chips. Even so, in this instance, it would surely be more straightforward to brand the chip "M4 Ultra" and skip the M3 Ultra entirely.

As a result, this part of the report should be treated with some skepticism. Nevertheless, a mid-year time frame for the launch of a new ‌Mac Studio‌ seems likely.

Apple today increased the Apple Card savings account's APY to 4.35%, according to a notification sent to cardholders, including MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.

This is the second increase to the savings account's APY in as many months, after Apple raised it from 4.15% to 4.25% in December. Apple's rate now matches that offered by popular high-yield savings accounts from American Express and Discover, but there are still some other options that offer even higher APYs up into the 4.5% to low 5% range in the U.S., such as Marcus by Goldman Sachs and Wealthfront.

Apple launched the high-yield 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 personal funds deposited via a linked bank account, or from their Apple Cash balance. The maximum balance allowed is $250,000, and balances are fully insured by the U.S. government's Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

The rate increase comes after The Wall Street Journal in November reported that Goldman Sachs is looking to terminate its Apple Card partnership, as part of its broader exit from the consumer lending business. The partnership is expected to end within the next year or so, but it's unclear how this might affect the Apple Card in the future.

BlackBerry fans that miss having a physical keyboard on their smartphones may want to check out Clicks, a company that has developed a keyboard case that's designed for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models.

Clicks is showing off its keyboard accessories ahead of CES, and the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro version of its keyboard will be ready to ship out in February. The keyboard is priced at $139, with an ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro version coming in mid-March and a $159 ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max version set to release in the spring.

The Clicks Creator Keyboard is available in "BumbleBee" yellow and "London Sky" gray, and it adds a small physical keyboard to the bottom of an ‌iPhone‌. Clicks says that the case design is meant to "feel like a natural extension" of the ‌iPhone‌, and the keys have been designed for ideal click resistance and feedback for fast and accurate typing.

The standard QWERTY keyboard features keys for activating dictation, accessing emoji, and activating shortcuts like returning to the Home screen and scrolling. At night, a built-in backlight can be turned on.

An ‌iPhone‌ connects to the keyboard via Lightning (‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro) or USB-C (‌iPhone 15‌ Pro), and passthrough charging is supported. The case also supports wireless charging capabilities, though it does not have MagSafe.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro version of the Clicks keyboard measures in at 188.45mm, so it is 41.85mm longer than the 146.6mm ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro. That is equivalent to 1.65 inches, so expect an ‌iPhone‌ equipped with this keyboard to be over an inch and a half longer. It's a little over 3mm wider than the ‌iPhone‌, and 2.50mm thicker. The case weighs in at 62 grams, a little under half of the 187 gram weight of the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro.

Dimensions are similar for the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max models, so the keyboards do add some considerable bulk to the ‌iPhone‌. Clicks says that the keyboard is easy to put on and remove, and while in use, it does serve as a hardware-based keyboard, so you won't see the software keyboard on the display.

Clicks for ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro can be pre-ordered from the Clicks website, while the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max version can be reserved for $30.

MacRumors recently received new information on Apple's 2024 iPhone lineup, including a look at prototypes of the Pro devices. We've created a series of mockups based on Apple's internal designs, and while the prototypes are not quite finalized, our images represent the clearest look yet of what we can expect from the next-generation iPhones at this point in time.

Building on the curved edges and titanium frame that Apple introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro, the next-generation iPhone 16 Pro and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max are set to feature increased display sizes and a new capacitive Capture button.

As reported by multiple sources, the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ (codename Diablo) and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max (codename Lightning) will have larger displays, measuring in at 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, up from 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches. One possible explanation for this change has to do with the 5x tetraprism Telephoto camera, which is expected to be available on both Pro iPhone models this year. With the ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup, only the larger ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max includes the 5x Telephoto lens, while the smaller ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro does not. The increased size of this year's devices will give Apple the space to add the tetraprism Telephoto camera to both ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and 16 Pro Max.

While the overall form factor and general design of the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max have remained consistent through Apple's development phase, the company has experimented with different design details for the devices. There were four total button configurations that were tested, and Apple appears to have settled on a button design similar to the one on the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, though with an added button on the right side of the ‌iPhone‌.

As with the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, both Pro models in the iPhone 16 range will be equipped with a multi-purpose Action button. The button can be configured to perform a range of functions, depending on the user's preference. While Apple has experimented with larger sizes and different designs for the Action button, current design documentation suggests that the Action button will be the same size as the one found on the current ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro.

An earlier Action button design, developed under the codename Atlas, was envisioned as a larger capacitive button with a force sensor. Given that the most recent designs for the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and Pro Max do not feature this bigger Action button, the future of the Atlas project remains unclear, and it is possible that Apple canceled the Atlas project in favor of a standard mechanical Action button.

Weibo leaker "Instant Digital" claimed in October that the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ would feature an Action button that lies flush with the frame of the device. Although internal documentation seen by MacRumors corroborates this claim, it was a feature of the earlier "Proto1" development stage. With the current "Proto2" design that we've seen, the Action button is no longer flush with the frame, and is no longer as large.

On the right side, the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models feature an all-new Capture button, which we showed off in our December renders of the standard ‌iPhone 16‌ models. The Capture button, developed under the codename Nova, is expected to be a capacitive-type button with force-sensor functionality, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently confirmed that it will be used for taking video. It is located below the power button, which means that on U.S. models, Apple is relocating the mmWave antenna from the right side of the device to the left side. The Capture button will be flush with the ‌iPhone‌'s frame and it will not protrude like the power and volume buttons.

In terms of materials, the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max will continue to use the same Grade 5 Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) used for the iPhone 15 Pro, with no significant changes to the overall finish. As far as colors are concerned, Apple's prototypes use a "Silver" color, which is marketed by Apple as "White Titanium." Documentation suggests that Apple has so far used the existing colors from the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and Pro Max for testing purposes, with plans to add another color option. Unfortunately, there are no details on the new color option at this time.

While the mockups we've created accurately portray the current design of the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and Pro Max, changes are always possible as the devices are still in an early stage of development and Apple may make further design tweaks.

For more details on what to expect from the 2024 ‌iPhone‌ lineup, check out our dedicated rumor roundup pages for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.

Over the past few months, some users have been unable to sync their Apple Music library between their iPhone and Mac, seemingly due to a bug.

Affected users receive the following error message in the Music app on the Mac:

Genius results can't be updated right now. An unknown error occurred (18004).

There are complaints about the issue across the Apple Support Community, MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and elsewhere on the internet.

The underlying cause of the issue is unclear, and it's not entirely clear if a fix will require software updates, or if Apple can implement a server-side fix. We've reached out to Apple for comment, and we'll update this story if we receive a response.

This issue comes after another Apple Music bug related to playlists was fixed last month.

Apple today seeded the second public beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.3 update, allowing non-developers to test out the software ahead of its release. The second public beta comes three weeks after the first public beta.

Beta testers can opt-in through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Under Beta updates, simply toggle on the Sonoma Public Beta. Note that you must sign up to participate on Apple's beta testing website.

macOS Sonoma 14.3 includes support for collaborative playlists in Apple Music, allowing ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers to build playlists with others. When creating a new playlist or selecting an existing playlist, there's a person-shaped icon that can be tapped to turn on collaboration.

Enabling collaboration provides a link that can be shared with others, and anyone with the link is able to contribute to the playlist and listen to the songs. The person who started the playlist can choose to approve those who want to join or open it up to everyone. Anyone with the link to a playlist can add music, though the owner can turn off collaboration at any time or remove people.

macOS Sonoma 14.3 is expected to see a launch at some point in January 2024. Apple has also released public betas of watchOS 10.3 and new HomePod 17.3 software.

Apple last night stopped signing the iOS 17.2 update, preventing iPhone users from downgrading to that version of iOS going forward. iOS 17.2 is no longer being signed following the December 19 release of iOS 17.2.1, an update that brought bug fixes.

It is not unusual that iOS 17.2 is no longer being signed. Apple routinely stops signing older versions of iOS after new releases in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date and to prevent users from downgrading to older, less secure versions of the ‌iPhone‌ operating system.

The iOS 17.2 update brought the Journal app, spatial video recording on the iPhone 15 Pro models, updates to Messages and Apple Music, and more. Apple did not ever provide details on the bug fixes included in iOS 17.2.1.

Apple is already testing iOS 17.3, an update that is expected to come out later in January.

Samsung this week announced its 2024 Unpacked event, which is set to be held on January 17 in San Jose, California. Samsung is expected to introduce its S24 line of Galaxy smartphones, which will directly compete with Apple's iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro lineup.

Samsung's event announcement teases a "new era of mobile AI," so it's safe to say that Samsung's new smartphones will have enhanced AI capabilities on par with ChatGPT and other AI products. In fact, Samsung says that the new Galaxy S series will feature the "most intelligent mobile experience yet."

Galaxy S24 rumors have suggested that the high-end Ultra model will include a 200-megapixel AI-enhanced camera that is able to identify 12 kinds of objects and optimize them for improved image quality. The AI could also be used to translate messages to more than a dozen languages in real time.

The S24 Ultra is also expected to feature a flatter screen design with a more square shape, and it appears that Samsung is going to transition to a titanium frame, mimicking an Apple design decision for the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro. Samsung is expected to offer the S24 Ultra in black, gray, violet, and yellow titanium shades.

Other Ultra rumors include a 50-megapixel 5x telephoto lens, which is a downgrade from the prior 10x telephoto lens, and Wi-Fi 7 support. The S24 and S24 Plus are expected to be largely similar to the S23 models, though there will be new color options and lager 6.7 and 6.2-inch displays.

Samsung's event will take place on January 17 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and customers who plan to pre-order can reserve a device and receive a $50 Samsung credit. The reservation system does not charge automatically, requiring only a name and an email address to reserve devices. Credits will be able to be redeemed when pre-ordering after the devices debut.

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.

It's been a few months since Apple accessory maker Pad & Quill announced the closure of its business, ending a 13 year run as a creator of leather accessories for Apple products. This week, former Pad & Quill president Brian Holmes has announced his new venture, Burton Goods, and it has a 20 percent off grand opening discount.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Holmes detailed everything that happened from the closure of Pad & Quill to the founding of Burton Goods in a blog post. Burton Goods will follow in Pad & Quill's footsteps in many ways, focusing on high-quality leather accessories for iPhone and iPad, leather bags for tech enthusiasts, and more.

In regards to the grand opening sale, Burton Goods is offering a 20 percent discount sitewide for the entire month of January. This sale will be applied in your cart and does not require a coupon code. It's also specifically a pre-order discount, as Burton Goods' first wave of products doesn't launch until the first week of February.

Some featured accessories include the Heritage Leather Strap for Apple Watch ($63.96), Luxury Leather Slim Case for MacBook Pro ($119.96), Modern Pocket Book Wallet Case for iPhone 15 Pro ($79.96), and the Magnetic Leather iPad Case ($143.96).

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple Arcade will be getting two new games on February 1, including action game BEAST: Bio Exo Arena Suit Team and puzzle game Words in Progress. All games available on Apple Arcade are ad-free and do not offer in-app purchases.

Apple revealed the new titles in a press release:

On February 1, players can blast off on a cosmic adventure in BEAST: Bio Exo Arena Suit Team, a unique 3v3 online action game featuring animal heroes piloting powerful mechanized armors, and master Words in Progress, an intriguing new puzzle game.

Apple Arcade also added three new games this month, including Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom, Cornsweeper, and Blackjack by MobilityWare+.

Launched in November 2019, Apple Arcade is accessible through the App Store. The service provides subscribers with access to around 300 games on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, with new titles added periodically.

Apple Arcade received its first price increase in many countries last year. In the U.S., for example, pricing went from $4.99 per month to $6.99 per month.

One of the most common New Year's resolutions is to exercise more, and Apple Fitness+ will be adding more content next week to help out.

Apple today announced that Fitness+ will be gaining a variety of new workouts, meditations, and "Time to Walk" audio episodes starting January 8.

The following new workouts will be available:

• Starting January 8, 10 new workouts with music by Rihanna will be available.
• Starting January 15, new workouts with music by Britney Spears will be available.
• Starting January 22, new workouts with music by U2 will be available.
• Starting February 5, Artist Spotlight workouts will feature music by Usher, who will be headlining this year's Apple Music Halftime Show at Super Bowl LVIII.

Seven new "Sound" meditations coming to Fitness+ will allow you to relax with a variety of "soothing tones and rhythms." Apple is also adding a new workout program called "Strength, Core, and Yoga for Golfers," which it says is designed to improve strength, balance, flexibility, and mobility for golfers of all skill levels.

Similar to podcasts, "Time to Walk" episodes feature influential people sharing stories and music that users can listen to while walking. Upcoming episodes will feature new guests, including Al Roker, Trixie Mattel, Lilly Singh, Common, and Colman Domingo. For the first time ever, select episodes will be available on Apple Podcasts for free in the 21 countries where Fitness+ is available, even without a subscription.

Apple Watch users can earn a new limited-edition award called "Ring in the New Year" when they close all three Activity rings for seven days in a row any time in January.

"From sound meditations to help you relax, to building strength for an improved golf swing, or turning up the volume on your workouts, Fitness+ has something for everyone to help them stay active and support their wellbeing in the new year," said Jay Blahnik, Apple's Vice President of Fitness Technologies, in a press release.

Fitness+ is available in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. In the U.S., the service costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year, with free trial options available.

Fitness+ subscribers can read Apple's press release for more information.