Apple is bringing support for the Apple Account Card in the Wallet app to the UK, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and Austria, according to Nicolás Alvarez.
The Apple Account Card option for Wallet started rolling out in 2022, but it has been limited to a small number of countries since launch. The card displays the Apple credit balance associated with a user's Apple Account, and the card can be used to make purchases in the Apple Store, online, or for apps, subscriptions, and other Apple services.
Money can be added to an Apple Account Card in Wallet using the included "Add Money" feature, which relies on a linked credit or debit card. Apple Store gift cards also add to the Apple Account balance.
Adding an Apple Account Card can be done by opening up the Wallet app, tapping the "+" button, and choosing the option from the Available Cards list.
The Apple Account Card shows the account balance associated with the Apple Account, as well as transactions that have been made with the card.
Support for Apple Account Cards in additional countries is either available now, or will be coming soon, per Alvarez.
On Friday, March 14, Apple plans to release a new Apple Immersive Video featuring Metallica, with Apple retail stores offering a preview for customers who do not have a Vision Pro headset.
The Metallica concert experience was filmed in Mexico City during the second-year finale of the band's M72 World Tour. It includes full performances of three songs, including "Whiplash," "One," and "Enter Sandman."
The concert was captured using Apple Immersive Video, and it provides a high-resolution 180-degree video along with Spatial Audio. Apple built a custom stage layout with 14 Apple Immersive Video cameras using a mix os stabilized cameras, cable-suspended cameras, and remote-controlled camera dolly systems that moved around the stage.
Apple says that the experience provides "unprecedented access" to Metallica members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo, with views as close as the Snake Pit.
"Game changing is putting it lightly," said Lars Ulrich of Metallica. "Seeing our concert like that, along with the energy of the Mexico City fans -- it's very immersive, and it's super fun. We've always been interested in pushing the boundaries, and Metallica on Apple Vision Pro is exactly that."
The video launches on Friday, and Apple Vision Pro demos at retail stores will provide a preview. Metallica's new EP, M72 World Tour: Mexico City is also launching on Apple Music on Friday.
Apple last week introduced new versions of the iPad, iPad Air, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio, with plans to launch the devices on March 12. It's already Wednesday, March 12 in New Zealand and Australia, which means customers who pre-ordered one of Apple's new iPads or Macs have started receiving their devices.
Apple's updates focused primarily on introducing more powerful chips, with few other changes. The MacBook Air received an M4 chip and a new Sky Blue color option, while the Mac Studio is available with Thunderbolt 5 ports and either an M4 Max chip or an M3 Ultra chip.
The low-cost 11-inch iPad now comes with an A16 chip (which does not support Apple Intelligence), while the iPad Air has an updated M3 chip, an improvement over the prior M2. Pricing on the iPad starts at $349, while pricing on the iPad Air starts at $599. Apple's MacBook Air is its most affordable notebook with a $999 starting price, while the Mac Studio starts at $1,999.
Customers who did not pre-order will be able to visit an Apple retail store to pick up one of the new iPads or a stock MacBook Air or Mac Studio configuration. Apple should have adequate stock of base iPad and Mac configurations around the world, and customers in Australia will be the first to be able to purchase one of the new products from an Apple Store.
The new iPads and Macs are available in Australia and New Zealand now, and will soon launch in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and finally, North America.
Did you get a new iPad or Mac? Let us know what you think and share your first impressions in the comments below.
With new iOS software updates, Apple has been automatically turning Apple Intelligence on again even for users who have disabled it, a decision that has become increasingly frustrating for those that don't want to use Apple Intelligence.
After installing iOS 18.3.2, iPhone users have noticed that Apple Intelligence is automatically turned on, regardless of whether it was turned off prior to the update being installed. There is an Apple Intelligence splash screen that comes up after updating, and there is no option other than tapping "Continue," which turns on Apple Intelligence.
If you've updated to iOS 18.3.2 and do not want Apple Intelligence enabled, you will need to go the Settings app, tap on Apple Intelligence, and then toggle it off. When Apple Intelligence is enabled, it consumes up to 7GB of storage space for local AI models, which is an inconvenience when storage space is limited.
Auto-on for Apple Intelligence was also a problem for some users with the prior iOS 18.3.1 update, and Apple has not changed the setting despite complaints after iOS 18.3.1 was released. The issue can also affect iPadOS and macOS users, so make sure to check your Apple Intelligence settings on each device after updating.
The iOS 18.3.2, iPadOS 18.3.2, macOS Sequoia 15.3.2, and visionOS 2.3.2 updates that Apple released today include an important security fix for a WebKit vulnerability that may have been actively exploited.
In Apple's security notes for each update, Apple says that maliciously crafted web content could break out of the Web Content sandbox. Most of the issue was addressed with iOS 17.2, but Apple has added an additional supplementary fix in today's updates.
Apple says that it is aware of a report that the vulnerability may have been exploited "in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals," though it is worth noting that these attacks happened prior to iOS 17.2.
The issue was addressed with improved checks to prevent unauthorized actions.
Given that there is a vulnerability that is known to have been exploited in the wild, it is a good idea to update your devices to the latest software for optimal protection.
There is a section called "The start of a new era for Siri," that previously suggested Siri was more capable and helpful than ever thanks to personal context, a feature that is not yet available.
Now the wording has been updated to point out more expansive product knowledge instead, as this is a feature that Apple rolled out with iOS 18.2.
Before: With richer language understanding and awareness of your personal context, Siri is more capable and helpful than ever.
After: With richer language understanding and expansive product knowledge about your devices, Siri is more helpful than ever.
Apple has been highlighting unavailable Siri features since last June, both on its website and in ads, but with the Siri delay, Apple is cleaning up its wording to avoid misleading customers. Apple Intelligence features were a main selling point of the iPhone 16, but none of them were available when the iPhone 16 models launched. Some capabilities came in iOS 18.1, iOS 18.2, and iOS 18.3, but not the Siri features that Apple has been demonstrating.
Apple tied the new Siri features to the iPhone 16 models, leading to disappointment when it became clear the updated Siri will not be available in the near future. Earlier this week, Apple removed an iPhone 16 ad showing off a "more personal Siri," so it is no surprise that the website wording is being updated as well.
Last week, Apple said that the more personalized Siri that is able to do more in and across apps is "taking us longer than we thought to deliver," with the capabilities set to start rolling out "in the coming year."
Apple planned to release Siri features that include personalized context, onscreen awareness, and deeper app integration with iOS 18.4, but when the first couple of iOS 18.4 betas came out with no new Siri functionality, it became clear that Siri was not ready. There was some speculation that Apple could bring the abilities to iOS 18.5, but it's now sounding like the smarter, more capable Siri that's been promised won't be introduced until iOS 19.
Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham today published his review of the new Mac Studio. In it, he confirmed that the Mac Studio with the M4 Max chip lacks High Power Mode for intensive workloads. He also tested the higher-end Mac Studio with the M3 Ultra chip, and he did not mention anything about High Power Mode for that model either.
Mac Studio review units are running macOS Sequoia 15.3, according to the Geekbench database. macOS Sequoia 15.4 is currently in beta testing, but it is unclear if that update will expand High Power Mode to the Mac Studio.
Apple says High Power Mode allows a Mac's fans to run at higher speeds, and this additional cooling allows the system to deliver higher performance for graphics-intensive sustained workloads, such as 8K video color grading. On supported Macs, the setting can be turned on when the computer is on battery power or plugged in.
High Power Mode is currently available on 14-inch MacBook Pro models with the M3 Max, M4 Pro, or M4 Max chips, 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M4 Pro or M1 Max through M4 Max chips, and on the Mac mini with the M4 Pro chip.
Given that High Power Mode is offered on MacBook Pro models with the M4 Max chip, it seems like Apple has made a deliberate choice to not offer it on the Mac Studio with the same chip. It could simply be that the Mac Studio is a large desktop computer, meaning that High Power Mode is not necessary due to the lack of battery life or thermal constraints to begin with. However, we have not confirmed Apple's actual reasoning behind this decision.
It might not matter much, regardless.
In his Mac mini review last year, Cunningham said High Power Mode performance gains were "essentially negligible," despite "considerably increased" fan noise. However, he acknowledged that his tests were short and that High Power Mode could be more beneficial "over many hours of activity." Apple says the feature is for "sustained" workloads.
High Power Mode can be enabled in the System Settings app under "Battery" or "Energy."
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.3.2, a minor update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that came out last September. macOS 15.3.2 comes a month after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3.1.
Mac users can download the macOS Sequoia update through the Software Update section of System Settings.
According to Apple's release notes, macOS Sequoia 15.3.2 includes important bug fixes and security updates, and it is recommended for all users.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, the iOS 18.3.2 update adds important bug fixes and security updates. On some devices, it fixes an issue that could prevent playback of some streaming content.
Apple is also working on iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, which are more significant updates that are set to come out in early April.
Apple today released tvOS 18.3.1, the newest version of the tvOS 18 operating system that came out in September. tvOS 18.3.1 comes almost two months after the release of tvOS 18.3, and it is only available for the third-generation Apple TV 4K. Other Apple TV models will not have an update available.
tvOS 18.3.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the Apple TV. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates activated will be upgraded to tvOS 18.3.1 automatically.
Apple shares full release notes for tvOS in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each new version of tvOS comes out. Today's update addresses an issue that could prevent playback of some streaming content on the third-generation Apple TV 4K.
Update: This article has been updated to note that the tvOS 18.3.1 software is only available for the third-generation Apple TV 4K.
Apple today released visionOS 2.3.2, a minor update to the visionOS 2 operating system that came out in September. visionOS 2.3.2 comes a month after the launch of visionOS 2.3.1.
visionOS 2.3.2 can be downloaded on all Vision Pro headsets by navigating to the Settings app, selecting the General section, and choosing the Software Update option.
To install an update, the Vision Pro headset needs to be removed, and there is a software progress bar available on the front EyeSight display.
According to Apple's release notes, visionOS 2.3.2 provides important bug fixes, security updates, and addresses an issue that may prevent playback of some streaming content.
Apple today seeded the third public betas of upcoming iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 updates, allowing public beta testers to try out the new features in the software ahead of its public launch. The public betas come a day after Apple provided the beta updates to developers.
Public beta testers can download the updates from the Settings app on each device after opting into the beta through Apple's public beta testing website.
The new software for iPhone and iPad includes Priority Notifications, an Apple Intelligence feature designed to show you your most important notifications first, plus it adds a new Sketch style for Image Playground on all Apple Intelligence devices.
There is a new Apple News+ Food section for Apple News+ subscribers that aggregates recipes, food stories, and tips for healthy eating, plus an Ambient Music feature for playing chill music from Control Center On the iPad and Mac, the new updates introduce Mail Categorization, a feature that was previously limited to the iPhone.
In beta 2, Apple added new emoji characters and debuted the Vision Pro app for iPhone. The update also brings Visual Intelligence to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
In recent years, Apple has often released new iPhone color options as a mid-product cycle refresh, but the chances of a similar announcement in 2025 are looking increasingly unlikely.
Apple has added new iPhone colors on six occasions in the past, consistently in either the March or April following an iPhone's launch:
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: (PRODUCT)RED (Tuesday, March 21, 2017)
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus: (PRODUCT)RED (Monday, April 9, 2018)
iPhone 12 and 12 mini: Purple (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)
iPhone 13 and 13 mini: Green (Tuesday, March 8, 2022)
iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max: Alpine Green (Tuesday, March 8, 2022)
iPhone 14 and 14 Plus: Yellow (Tuesday, March 7, 2023)
The last two times Apple released new iPhone color options midway through the year, it did so on the second Tuesday in March—which falls today in 2025.
There are currently no rumors about new color options for the iPhone 16, and it's possible Apple could skip this year like it did for the iPhone XR, iPhone 11, and iPhone 15 in 2019, 2020, and 2024. That being said, Apple has released new colors many more times than it has chosen not to do so since 2017.
The iPhone 16 is available in Black, White, Teal, Pink, and Ultramarine. A new red, yellow, purple, or grey seem possible since these have all been offered on iPhone models in the past and are not too similar to any of the existing shades.
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, as well as a range of new iPads and Macs, we're swiftly approaching the latest likely period for Apple to announce a new color option. There are usually rumors that point to which new color to expect, but with no sign of this, it looks like Apple will probably skip this year's new color option just like it did for the iPhone 15.
Intuit QuickBooks today announced Tap to Pay on iPhone for QuickBooks Online customers in the United States, allowing small and mid-market businesses to accept in-person contactless payments without additional hardware.
The feature integrates with the QuickBooks mobile and GoPayment iOS apps, enabling businesses to receive payments using only an iPhone. Customers can accept contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets without requiring external devices. Transactions processed through the feature are automatically categorized and reconciled within QuickBooks Online.
By providing a direct, integrated payment solution, Tap to Pay on iPhone is intended to help small businesses receive payments faster, reducing delayed transactions and reliance on invoice processing. The feature also allows businesses to accept immediate payments on open invoices or generate new invoices at the point of sale.
Tap to Pay on iPhone is available exclusively to U.S.-based QuickBooks Online customers with an active QuickBooks Payments plan. The rollout begins today, with wider availability expected in the coming weeks.
RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic comes to Apple Arcade on April 3 across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac:
Combining features from two of the series' most successful and beloved games, RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, this new game invites players to create and run amazing parks with the most outrageous rides imaginable. Enhanced for iPhone and iPad, RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic+ delivers the same depth of gameplay and unique graphical style of Chris Sawyer's original best-selling PC games. It also includes three expansion packs — Wacky Worlds, Time Twister, and Toolkit — and is playable across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The first original Katamari game in nearly eight years is also coming to Apple Arcade on April 3, across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.
Here is how Apple describes that game:
In this quirky action game — an Apple Arcade exclusive — players expand their Katamari by rolling up objects scattered across the earth. Featuring unique and whimsical gameplay, and a captivating soundtrack that blends different genres, the game invites players to energize the king's "live stream" by rolling their Katamari to create stars. As users advance, comments from in-game fans appear, and the longer they play, the larger their audience grows. By completing the king's challenges and boosting their subscriber count, players can unlock dynamic new stages.
Accessible through the App Store, Apple Arcade is a subscription-based service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, all free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month and is bundled with other Apple services in all Apple One plans.
We've been highlighting pre-order discounts on the new line of Apple products over the past few days, and today we're focusing on deals for the 11th generation iPad on Amazon. Prices start at $329.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00.
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.
This sale is available in Silver and Blue, and Amazon remains one of the only major retailers offering pre-order discounts on the new iPad. The iPad launches tomorrow, March 12, so this will be your last day to get these pre-order discounts, and Amazon provides an estimated delivery between March 18-20.
You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad for $429.00, down from $449.00, and the 512GB Wi-Fi iPad for $614.00, down from $649.00. We're not tracking any pre-order discounts on the cellular models of the 11th generation iPad right now.
The 11th generation iPad is mainly a spec bump for the tablet line, now featuring the A16 chip and more storage, with the same design as the 10th generation iPad. The new iPad starts with 128GB of storage, and is also available in 256GB and a new 512GB configuration. The previous model was only available in 64GB and 256GB configurations.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
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The new Mac Studio with the M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip launches tomorrow. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the device have been shared by select publications and YouTube channels.
This is the first Mac Studio refresh since the desktop computer was updated with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chip options in June 2023. The overall design of the machine has not changed. The front of the computer has two Thunderbolt 5 or USB-C ports depending on the configuration, and an SD card slot, while the rear side has four Thunderbolt 5 ports, an HDMI port, a 10-Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB-A ports, a headphone jack, a power cord connector, and a power button.
With the M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, the Mac Studio catches up to other newer Macs by gaining hardware-accelerated ray tracing for the first time. It can also now be configured with up to 16TB of SSD storage, up from the previous model's 8TB maximum.
Highlights
M4 Max Chip
With Apple's latest chip technology, the M4 Max Mac Studio mode outpaces the M3 Ultra in single-core performance, despite being considerably cheaper. The Verge's Chris Welch:
It's important to note that there are objective benefits to choosing the M4 Max Mac Studio model. It outpaces the M3 Ultra in single-core performance, which is the most critical element in making most everyday apps feel "fast."
The M4 Max chip was already released last year in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. It can be configured with up to a 16-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, and up to 128GB of unified RAM. Geekbench 6 benchmark results indicate that the M4 Max is up to 75% faster than the M2 Max chip available in the previous-generation Mac Studio.
M3 Ultra Chip
The all-new M3 Ultra chip features up to a 32-core CPU, with 24 performance cores and eight efficiency cores, and up to an 80-core GPU. Apple says the M3 Ultra chip is up to 1.5x faster than the previous Mac Studio's M2 Ultra chip, which has up to a 24-core CPU. Graphics performance is up to 2x faster than the previous Mac Studio with the M2 Ultra chip, which was available with up to a 72-core GPU. The M3 Ultra chip supports up to 512GB of unified RAM, whereas the M2 Ultra maxed out at 192GB of unified RAM. The Verge's Chris Welch:
The M3 Ultra chip is overkill for many. If you need this level of power, you already know exactly how you'll get the most from it. It's for visual effects artists and animators. It's for professionals doing ambitious audio and video production work. Are you regularly crunching big medical datasets? Maybe you can use all those cores and memory to their fullest potential. And as AI development continues to flourish, the kitted out configurations with 256GB or 512GB of memory could prove appealing to anyone interested in running sophisticated LLM models locally on their machine.
It's the magnitude of Apple's generation-over-generation updates that makes this Studio refresh feel odd, though. The lower-end Studio gets an M4 Max processor like you'd expect—the same chip Apple sells in its high-end MacBook Pros but fit into a desktop enclosure instead of a laptop. But the top-end Studio gets an M3 Ultra instead of an M4 Ultra. That's still a huge increase in CPU and GPU cores (and there are other Ultra-specific benefits, too), but it makes the expensive Studio feel like less of a step up over the regular one.
Thunderbolt 5 and Improved External Display Support
Following in the footsteps of MacBook Pro and Mac mini models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, the Mac Studio now supports Thunderbolt 5. There are four Thunderbolt 5 ports on Mac Studio configurations with the M4 Max chip, and six Thunderbolt 5 ports on configurations with the M3 Ultra chip. Thunderbolt 5 provides up to 120 Gb/s data transfer speeds. Tom's Guide's Alex Wawro:
While the USB-C ports on our Mac Studio M4 Max are capable of transmitting up to 10 GBp/second, the Thunderbolt 5 ports are theoretically capable of achieving up to 120GBp/second in certain conditions. And in standard use Thunderbolt 5 is specced to offer double the bandwidth capacity of Thunderbolt 4 (80 Gbps vs. 40 Gbps), which means it can move more data faster than its predecessors.
The practical payoff is that you can use a higher number of more capable displays via Thunderbolt 5 than Thunderbolt 4, for example, our Mac Studio M4 Max is rated to support up to five external displays (4 @6K/60Hz via Thunderbolt 5, 1 @4K/144Hz via HDMI) while the upgraded M3 Ultra model can supposedly support up to eight (at 6K/60Hz or 4K/144Hz) at once.
Alternatively, our M4 Max review unit can support a single 8K/60Hz display while the M3 Ultra version can support up to four 8K/60Hz displays. So if you really want to be future-proofed against a potential 8K future, the new Mac Studio has you covered.
If I were considering buying one of these Macs in 2025, I'd be more excited about the potential to build the ultimate workstation by investing in a great Thunderbolt 5 dock, along with a good display (honestly, I can live without Thunderbolt 5 speeds for my display needs) and a great Thunderbolt 5 external SSD for moving big files around fast.
And frankly, Thunderbolt 5 gear is still pretty sparse on the market despite the fact that the standard debuted in 2023. While you can buy 8K displays and 8K TVs right now, the fact is that 8K content only started arriving in small doses in 2023, and it's still very rare in Mac apps and streaming services.
So while it's great to get Thunderbolt 5 ports on the most powerful Mac desktop for the first time, it's not a great reason to upgrade unless you're really excited about investing in a lot of Thunderbolt 5 accessories.
The new Mac Studio is available to pre-order now, and it will launch on Wednesday, March 12. In the U.S., pricing continues to start at $1,999 for configurations with an M4 Max chip, and at $3,999 for configurations with an M3 Ultra chip.
The new MacBook Air with the M4 chip launches this Wednesday. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the laptop have been shared by selected publications and YouTube channels, offering a closer look at new features and changes.
While it is a minor spec-bump year for the MacBook Air, the new model does offer a few upgrades beyond the M4 chip. There is an improved 12-megapixel camera with support for Center Stage, support for two external displays even when the MacBook Air's lid is open, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a new Sky Blue color option. And in the U.S., the latest-generation 13-inch MacBook Air now starts at $999, down from $1,099 previously.
Since the M4 chip existed prior to the new MacBook Air, we already know that it offers up to 30% faster multi-core CPU performance compared to the M3 chip in the previous model. Geekbench 6 results for the new MacBook Air already confirmed this 30% performance increase, before Apple's review embargo lifted.
Highlights
Center Stage Camera
Engadget's Devindra Hardawar said the Center Stage camera offers a small but noticeable quality-of-life improvement during video calls:
The leap to a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera isn't exactly Earth-shattering, but I appreciated having a slightly better picture during video calls. I typically turn off the actual Center Stage feature on Macs, but I'm sure some will appreciate its ability to track you around a room. The new camera also supports Desk View, which projects a slightly skewed view of the area directly in front of the MacBook Air.
$999 Value
Jason Snell of Six Colors said it is "generous" for Apple to offer 16GB of RAM in the MacBook Air at the base $999 price point:
That's why perhaps the most important change in the M4 MacBook Air is its base configuration, which starts at $999. When Apple introduced a winning new flat-with-rounded-corners Air design in 2022, it had to keep selling older models in order to get down under a thousand dollars. Three years later, Apple is finally able to sell a brand-new Air—with a generous 16GB of unified memory—at that important price.
The laptop comes in four finishes—the traditional silver, the gold-ish Starlight, Midnight (still a bit smudge-prone), and a new Sky Blue option that replaces Space Gray. I like Sky Blue, and it's probably my favorite of the three light-colored options, though I do wish it was more saturated. It's similar in hue to the blue finish Microsoft offers for its Surface devices, but I prefer Microsoft's version because it's more noticeably blue.
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