MacRumors

Luxury French fashion house Balenciaga and premium German luggage brand Rimowa have launched apps for the Apple Vision Pro, expanding the headset's immersive fashion experiences.

Balenciaga has now introduced the first phase of its Apple Vision Pro app, designed to provide users with an immersive view of its fashion shows and collections. The app offers exclusive drone views and stereoscopic footage of Balenciaga's Spring/Summer 2025 show, which was held in Shanghai on May 30. Users can also access an interactive lookbook and past collection content, enabling them to explore Balenciaga's fashion in a virtual environment.

Rimowa's app for the Apple Vision Pro offers an immersive and interactive experience that allows users to explore the brand's iconic suitcases in detail. The app provides high-resolution 3D models of Rimowa's products, enabling users to examine the craftsmanship and design from various angles. It also includes features like virtual try-ons, where users can see how different suitcase models look and function in a virtual space. Additionally, the app offers a virtual showroom experience, allowing users to customize their luggage with different colors and accessories, and view the changes in real time.

Balenciaga and Rimowa's apps are part of a broader trend among luxury brands exploring the potential of the Vision Pro. Gucci, also a Kering-owned label like Balenciaga, released its own Vision Pro app in April, allowing users to access an immersive mini-documentary on creative director Sabato De Sarno and the creation of Gucci's Spring/Summer 2024 collection. Other retailers, including Mytheresa, J.Crew, and E.l.f. Cosmetics, have developed Vision Pro apps focused more on shopping than on brand storytelling.

Apple has resolved the iCloud Private Relay service outage, restoring full functionality for users around the world after several days of disruption.

The recent iCloud Private Relay outage began at 02:34 AM Eastern Time on Thursday and lasted until 10:59 PM Eastern Time on Saturday. The issue disrupted web browsing for some users for over 48 hours, which is an unusually long period for an Apple service outage. The problem was confirmed by Apple through its System Status webpage, where it noted that the service might have been slow or unavailable.

‌iCloud‌ Private Relay is a feature available to ‌iCloud‌+ subscribers, designed to enhance privacy by encrypting browsing data and routing it through two separate relay servers. One of these servers is operated by Apple, while the other is managed by a third party. This setup ensures that neither Apple, internet service providers, nor the websites visited can access users' true browsing information. The service's dual-relay mechanism helps maintain a high level of privacy by separating the user's IP address from their DNS queries, which further obscures the user's online activity.

Users who had disabled ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay to mitigate browsing issues can now go ahead and re-enable the feature to continue utilizing its privacy benefits.

Apple is working on the introduction of advertisements on Apple TV+ in the United Kingdom, according to The Telegraph.

Apple has apparently been in discussions with the UK's Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) to explore the necessary data collection techniques for monitoring advertising results. Currently, BARB provides viewing statistics for major UK networks including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Sky, as well as ‌Apple TV‌+ programming. These new discussions suggest that Apple is preparing to implement an ad-supported tier on its streaming service, similar to moves made by competitors such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video.

While BARB already monitors viewing time for ‌Apple TV‌+ content, additional techniques are required to track advertising metrics accurately. This data is vital for advertisers to assess the reach and impact of their campaigns on the platform. In addition to the UK, Apple has also reportedly held similar discussions with ratings organizations in the United States.

Apple has already included limited advertising in its live sports events, such as last year's Major League Soccer coverage, where ads were incorporated even for Season Pass holders. It is also notable that in March Apple hired Joseph Cady, a former advertising executive from NBCUniversal, to bolster its video advertising team.

Competitors like Netflix and Disney+ have successfully launched lower-cost, ad-supported tiers, which have helped them attract additional subscribers and increase revenue. For instance, Netflix recently reported record revenues, partly due to a 34% increase in subscribers to its ad-supported tier. The push towards an ad-supported tier comes at a time when Apple is reportedly reducing its spending on Apple TV+ content after investing over $20 billion in original programming.

Apple has reached a provisional agreement with its first unionized retail store in Towson, Maryland, marking a significant development in the company's labor relations (via Bloomberg).

Apple has agreed to a tentative collective bargaining agreement with retail employees at its Towson store, the first of its kind for the company's operations in the United States. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE) announced the deal on Friday, detailing improvements in pay, work-life balance, and job security. This agreement is now pending a vote by the store's approximately 85 employees on August 6.

The proposed three-year contract includes an average pay raise of 10%, with increases in starting pay for 80% of job classifications. The agreement aims to improve work-life balance through enhanced scheduling protections for both full-time and part-time employees. The deal also includes limits on the use of contracted employees, a new transparency and accountability procedure for disciplinary action, and an updated severance clause to provide financial protection in the event of layoffs. The tentative agreement maintains all current benefits and includes a commitment to negotiate any future additions.

The Towson Apple store made headlines in June 2022 when its employees voted to join IAM, becoming the first Apple retail store in the United States to unionize. Since then, IAM CORE has been in negotiations with Apple management, with discussions starting in January 2023. Frustration over the slow pace of negotiations led to a strike authorization vote in May 2024. The Towson store agreement may set a precedent for labor negotiations at other Apple retail locations and could potentially influence unionization efforts across the company's 271 U.S. stores.

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 is set to expand its manufacturing footprint in India by producing high-end iPhone "Pro" models in the country for the first time, according to a new report from MoneyControl.

Apple started ‌iPhone‌ production in India in 2017 with the original ‌iPhone‌ SE. Since then, it has progressively increased its manufacturing activities in the country, assembling models such as the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 14. The production of these models in India, however, began several months after their global launch. This changed with the ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus, which were manufactured and available in India from day one of their global release.

Now, the company apparently plans to produce the iPhone 16 Pro and ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max in the country later this year. The production of the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models will be managed by Apple's long-standing partner, Foxconn, at its Sriperumbudur facility in Tamil Nadu. The facility will soon begin the New Product Introduction (NPI) process, with mass production slated to begin once the devices launch.

The move is part of Apple's broader strategy to diversify its supply chain away from China and enhance its manufacturing capabilities in India. The company reportedly aims to manufacture a quarter of all its iPhones in India over the next few years, up from the current 14%. The Indian government has been actively encouraging such investments, offering incentives to attract major manufacturers. Apple is investing heavily in production to meet the anticipated high demand for the ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup, planning to produce 90 million units in 2024, a 10% increase from last year's ‌iPhone‌ 15 models.

Last week, it was reported that Apple is also eyeing plans to begin manufacturing the iPad in India for the first time. Likewise, the company is rumored to have plans to start manufacturing AirPods in India starting later this year.

Apple Intelligence will miss its initial expected launch date to give Apple more time to fix bugs, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

According to individuals with knowledge about Apple's plans, the company now plans to start rolling out ‌Apple Intelligence‌ in software updates by October, arriving several weeks after the launch of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. This means that ‌Apple Intelligence‌ will now effectively be split out of the initial launch of the new software updates. The reason for the delay is said to be concern about the stability of ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features and need for developers to have sufficient testing time.

‌Apple Intelligence‌ will still be made available to software developers for the first time as soon as next week with the first betas of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, which would be extremely unusual as the company does not normally release previews of follow-up software updates until the first version has been released.

Gurman notes that the new release strategy for ‌Apple Intelligence‌ means that the iPhone 16 lineup will likely launch without ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features and require a software update to obtain them at a later date. The company is now said to be aiming to have development of iOS 18.0 completed by the end of July.

Even when ‌Apple Intelligence‌ arrives with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, it will be missing aspects such as the overhauled version of Siri that uses on-device data to answer questions and understands what is on a user's screen. These features are expected to arrive in the first half of 2025.

WhatsApp this week reached a significant milestone of 100 million monthly active users in the United States, a market traditionally dominated by other messaging services such as SMS and iMessage.

The achievement, announced in an official blog post, indicates a potential shift in the American messaging landscape, where WhatsApp has steadily gained ground despite the longstanding popularity of Apple's iMessage. The Meta-owned messaging app is extremely popular in Europe owing to its cross-platform compatibility.

In recent years Meta invested heavily in U.S. marketing campaigns, including high-visibility ad placements in Times Square and television spots emphasizing privacy and end-to-end encryption. A recent campaign featured the cast of the TV show "Modern Family" highlighting WhatsApp's cross-platform capabilities.

The milestone of 100 million users is particularly impressive given the competition from iMessage, which has been the preferred messaging service for many iPhone users due to its default, seamless integration with Apple's ecosystem. However, WhatsApp's ability to offer a unified messaging experience across different devices apparently resonates with a significant portion of the American population, especially in major cities like Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Seattle.

WhatsApp's milestone comes at a time when the ‌iPhone‌'s messaging landscape is poised for further changes. Apple is set to introduce Rich Communication Services (RCS) in iOS 18 later this year, a move that should significantly enhance the functionality of messages sent between iPhones and Android devices. RCS offers features like high-quality media sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators, which could potentially reduce the need for third-party apps like WhatsApp for advanced messaging capabilities. However, it is notable that ‌RCS‌ does not offer end-to-end encryption – a key WhatsApp feature.

iPhone users in the European Union can now install torrenting apps, bypassing Apple's stringent App Store policies (via The Verge).

The alternative app marketplace AltStore PAL is now offering torrenting apps, a category that has historically been banned by Apple. This follows the introduction of the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which has reduced Apple's control over apps available in the region. As a result, iOS users can now download and use apps that are not available on the ‌App Store‌ without the need to jailbreak their devices.

The new offerings on AltStore PAL include iTorrent, an iOS torrent client, and qBitControl, a remote client for managing qBittorrent on desktop systems. These apps, along with PeopleDrop, a dating-focused social discovery app, and UTM SE, an app for emulating operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and macOS on iOS devices, mark the first batch of third-party apps to be released on AltStore PAL since its launch. Unlike the other apps, UTM SE has also been approved by Apple and is available on the official ‌App Store‌, though it was initially rejected in June before gaining approval with assistance from the AltStore team.

Apple has consistently banned torrent apps from its ‌App Store‌, citing that they are "often used for the purpose of infringing third-party rights," but the DMA has weakened Apple's ability to maintain its walled garden approach, allowing alternative app marketplaces like AltStore PAL to offer apps that do not meet Apple's guidelines.

Users interested in accessing the new apps on AltStore PAL will need an ‌iPhone‌ running iOS 17.4 or later. The service requires a subscription fee of €1.50 per year to cover Apple's fees. More information about the apps and the subscription process can be found on the AltStore website.

Spain's competition authority has launched an investigation into Apple's App Store over potential anti-competitive practices that could result in hefty fines (via Reuters).

The National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) this week announced a probe into the ‌App Store‌, citing concerns that the company might be imposing unfair trading conditions on developers who distribute their applications through the platform. The investigation was initiated ex officio, reflecting the significant economic influence of app stores in Spain. Apple's practices could constitute an abuse of a dominant position, which is prohibited under Spanish competition laws and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

If the CNMC's investigation confirms these allegations, Apple could face fines up to 10% of its global annual turnover, potentially amounting to billions of euros. The inquiry, which may take up to two years to conclude, adds to Apple's growing list of regulatory challenges in Europe. An Apple spokesperson said that the company "will continue to work with the Spanish Competition Authority to understand and respond to their concerns," reiterating that Apple believes its ‌App Store‌ rules are consistent and fair, with over 90 percent of revenues being paid to developers without commission.

The investigation in Spain follows a broader trend of increased regulatory scrutiny of major tech companies' control over digital marketplaces. In March, the European Commission fined Apple 1.84 billion euros for anti-steering practices related to music streaming apps. In June, the European Commission's preliminary findings suggested that Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules violated the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by preventing developers from steering consumers to alternative payment methods. The DMA, which seeks to ensure a more level playing field for smaller competitors in the technology industry, could impose fines of up to 10% of a company's global revenue for non-compliance.

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.

Last week, OWC knocked the price of the popular 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock down to $99.99, from its original price of $279.99, and this deal is still around this weekend. This is a match of the all-time low price on the accessory, and the sale is set to end Sunday night.

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

Besides this dock, you'll find a large collection of accessories on sale for back to school on OWC, including USB-C hubs, external drives and enclosures, and internal memory upgrade kits for Mac.

In regards to the 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock, this accessory features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, five USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-C port, one Mini DisplayPort port, one gigabit Ethernet port, one S/PDIF digital audio output port, and one 3.5mm stereo audio input/output port. There are also two memory card slots for microSD and SD cards.

All of the devices listed below are in new condition at OWC, although the retailer does provide various item condition options for anyone who might want to save money by purchasing open box items. Be sure to visit OWC's sale landing page to browse the full sale, which also features deals on cables, Mac accessories, keyboards, and headphones.

Docks and Hubs

• Atlas Dual SD Card Reader - $79.99, down from $89.99
• Thunderbolt Mini Dock - $109.99, down from $129.99
• Thunderbolt Hub - $139.99, down from $149.99
• 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock - $99.99, down from $279.99
• Thunderbolt Go Dock - $299.99, down from $349.99

External Drives and Enclosures

• 4TB Mercury Elite Pro External Storage - $124.99, down from $199.99
• 8TB Mercury Elite Pro RAID External Storage - $198.99, down from $394.99

Memory

• 32GB Memory Upgrade Kit - $74.74, down from $89.98
• 64GB Memory Upgrade Kit - $148.99, down from $179.96

Miscellaneous

• 2M USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable - $2.99, down from $14.99
• Matias Wireless Multi-Pairing Keyboard - $47.99, down from $69.00

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

iOS 18 is an update designed for the iPhone, but it adds several new features to the AirPods Pro 2, Apple's latest earbuds. The new capabilities require iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS Sequoia and a firmware update that will be released when Apple releases its new software this fall.

This guide highlights all of the changes that are coming to the AirPods Pro 2.

Head Gestures

If you've ever been in a situation where you needed to confirm a Siri request or decline a call without using a voice command or your hands, there's a solution coming.

Head gestures are a new form of AirPods Pro control that will let you nod your head up and down or shake it back and forth to decline a call or interact with ‌Siri‌. When you get a call, you can essentially shake your head no to decline it or nod yes to accept it.

When you're responding to ‌Siri‌ for controlling notifications and incoming or outgoing messages, you can use the same gestures for yes and no without having to speak.

Voice Isolation

With Voice Isolation, the AirPods Pro can cut down on loud background sounds when you're on a phone call, allowing the person you're speaking with to hear you more clearly.

The AirPods Pro will use machine learning to detect and isolate ambient noise such as wind, cars nearby, people speaking, and more, blocking out the sound and prioritizing your voice. Voice Isolation is a feature coming to both the original AirPods Pro and the AirPods Pro 2.

Better Adaptive Audio Controls

Adaptive Noise Control is designed to adjust Active Noise Cancellation and the sound you hear in response to the ambient noise in your environment. Adaptive Audio has been an all or nothing setting, but with iOS 18, there are more granular controls for tweaking the feature to allow for more or less noise to come through.

Personalized Spatial Audio for Gaming

Personalized Spatial Audio is a feature that already exists for movies, TV shows, and music. It uses the TrueDepth camera on your ‌iPhone‌ to scan your face and ears, developing a personal profile that customizes Spatial Audio just for you.

With iOS 18, Apple is expanding Personalized Spatial Audio to gaming, with the aim of delivering more immersive sound for gameplay. Game developers can incorporate spatial audio in their games as part of this change. Personalized Spatial Audio for Gaming is actually coming to the AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and the third-generation AirPods.

Voice Quality in Games

The AirPods Pro 2 feature voice quality improvements for in-game chat and streaming, along with dynamic head tracking and support for 16-bit 48kHz audio in games.

Lower Latency

According to Apple, the AirPods Pro provide the best wireless audio latency ever for mobile gaming, thanks to improvements coming in iOS 18. Improved latency means that you'll see little to no delay when taking an action in the game and hearing the resulting sound, making for a more responsive experience.

Other AirPods Models

Many of these features are limited to the latest AirPods Pro models. Head gestures and Voice Isolation won't be available on devices other than the AirPods Pro 2, but Personalized Spatial Audio for gaming will be more widely accessible.

Read More

Much more on all of the new features that Apple added in iOS 18 can be found in our iOS 18 roundup.

T-Mobile customers have filed a lawsuit [PDF] against the carrier, alleging that it failed to honor a guarantee not to raise the prices of select cellular plans.

The lawsuit, first spotted by Wired, claims that back in 2017, T-Mobile advertised several of its plans with a price lock, but then went on to increase prices starting in May 2024.

"T-Mobile ONE customers keep their price until THEY decide to change it. T-Mobile will never change the price you pay for your T-Mobile ONE plan," T-Mobile said in a press release in January 2017. T-Mobile ONE was priced at $40 per line for a family of four with AutoPay enabled, and T-Mobile made similar pricing promises for other plans, including the Simple Choice Plan, Magenta, Magenta Max, Magenta 55+, and Magenta Amplified options.

T-Mobile raised prices by $2 to $5 per line for the legacy plans, and while there was a price promise, fine print did give the company an out. T-Mobile released an FAQ that said if prices did increase, T-Mobile customers could cancel and get their final bill paid, a policy applicable for accounts activated between January 2017 and April 28, 2022.

The lawsuit claims that T-Mobile's FAQ wording is "contrary to the language" provided at the time that T-Mobile customers signed up for their legacy plans, and as such, T-Mobile has "breached its agreement" with customers and caused them monetary injury.

T-Mobile is being accused of making false or misleading statements, deceiving customers, and intentionally concealing plans to raise rates. Plaintiffs are seeking class action status for the suit, an injunction preventing T-Mobile from raising prices, restitution for "all amounts" T-Mobile earned from its misconduct, refunds for the additional money paid after price increases, and additional damages for injuries suffered.

This week's best deals include huge savings on Samsung's popular monitors, 40 percent off Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps for new subscribers, and more. In terms of Apple devices, the best all-around deal this week is on the M3 iMac, which is seeing $150 discounts on multiple models.

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.

Samsung

• What's the deal? Save on Samsung monitors
• Where can I get it? Samsung
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Samsung kicked off a new "Black Friday in July" sale this week, and it includes matches of the best prices of the year on popular monitors like the Smart Monitor M80D and ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor.

Adobe

• What's the deal? Take 40% off Adobe Creative Cloud
• Where can I get it? Adobe
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Adobe this week brought back a notable discount on the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps subscription, allowing new users to get 40 percent off for a limited time.

Charging Accessories

• What's the deal? Save on accessories from Anker, Eufy, and Jackery
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Anker, Eufy, and Jackery are hosting a large collection of discounts on Amazon this week, with great deals on portable batteries, power stations, Bluetooth trackers, and more. We've collected a few notable discounts below, but be sure to visit our original article for the full list.

• Eufy SmartTrack Link 2 Pack - $29.88, down from $35.99
• Eufy SmartTrack Link 4 Pack - $48.99 for Prime members, down from $69.99
• Jackery Explorer 100 Plus with Solar Panel - $199.99 with on-page coupon, down from $229.00
• Jackery Solar Generator 240 with Mini Solar Panel - $249.00, down from $349.00
• Jackery Explorer 1000 Power Station - $549.00 with on-page coupon, down from $999.00
• Jackery Explorer 1000 Power Station V2 - $599.00, down from $799.00
• Jackery Explorer 2000 PRO Power Station - $999.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,899.00
• Anker Portable Power Station with Smart Display + Retractable Light - $104.99 for Prime members, down from $149.99

iMac

• What's the deal? Take $150 off M3 iMacs
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Prime Day prices are still around on the M3 iMac, starting at $1,149.00 for the 8-core/256GB computer. You'll find $150 off multiple models of the M3 iMac on Amazon right now, and every one is seeing a match of its all-time low price.

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

Apple today seeded new fourth betas of upcoming iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a few days after Apple initially released the betas. It is not clear what is different with the original beta 4 software (build (22A5316j) and the new beta 4 software (build (22A5316k), but the update is available to all developers.

Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the ‌iOS 18/iPadOS 18‌ Developer Beta setting. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

iOS 18 introduces Apple Intelligence, a set of AI features that are built deeply into the operating system. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ won't be coming until later in the beta testing process, but it includes features for refining and editing writing, generating images and emoji, and most notably, improving Siri and search. ‌Siri‌ is gaining a better understanding of natural language, improved contextual awareness, and the personal assistant will integrate with ChatGPT to answer more complex queries.

‌Apple Intelligence‌ features are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models and iPads with an M-series chip, but there are a number of other features that are coming. Apple is allowing users to rearrange Home screen apps to have open spaces, plus there's a dark mode for app icons and tinting options.

The Control Center is customizable and third-party developers can add controls for their apps, with the Lock Screen Flashlight and Camera icons able to be replaced or removed. Messages is gaining Rich Communication Services support to improve conversations with Android users, the option to schedule texts to be sent later, new text effects, messages over satellite when there's no cellular, and the option to use any emoji for Tapback responses.

There's a dedicated Passwords app for logins, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes, and there's now an option to lock and hide apps, which means they can't be opened without secondary Face ID or Touch ID authentication even when your phone is unlocked.

Safari has a highlights feature that summarizes articles and surfaces key information on websites, the Photos app interface has been overhauled, and there's a new Tap to Cash feature for privately and securely transferring money using Apple Cash. Other features include equation solving and voice memo transcription in Notes, a game mode for improving game performance, and an option to respond to ‌Siri‌ on AirPods with head gestures.

iOS 18 is only available to registered developers at the current time, but Apple plans to make a public beta later this month. iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will see a public launch this fall.

Social network X (formerly Twitter) recently activated a setting that gives it permission to train Grok AI on user tweets. All X users are opted in by default, with X failing to notify customers about the change.

The hidden setting gives X permission to use all posts, interactions, inputs, and results for "training and fine-turning" Elon Musk's Grok AI model.

To continuously improve your experience, we may utilize your X posts as well as your user interactions, inputs and results with Grok for training and fine-tuning purposes. This also means that your interactions, inputs, and results may also be shared with our service provider xAI for these purposes. Learn more

While X turned the setting on for all users by default, it can be turned off on the website. Here's how:

1. Open up X using a web browser on a Mac or PC and log in.
2. Click on More.
3. Choose Settings and privacy.
4. Click on Privacy and safety.
5. Click on Grok.
6. Uncheck the setting that allows Grok to use your content.

This privacy setting is not available through the X app, so it must be disabled using the desktop version of X, though an option to turn it off on mobile devices is supposedly coming soon.

Turning on a data collection feature surreptitiously and automatically opting in users without their consent is underhanded, and many X users are not happy with the social network's decision.

Sometime in the last month, X updated its Help Center to change the wording around Grok. It previously said that "user interactions, inputs, and results" would be used for Grok training, but now the wording also includes X posts.

June 27 wording:

To continually improve the AI system and provide a better user experience, we may utilize user interactions, inputs and results for training and fine-tuning purposes. This means that when you interact with Grok, your interactions, inputs and results may be used to train and enhance the system's performance.

Today's wording:

To continuously improve your experience, we may utilize your X posts as well as your user interactions, inputs and results with Grok for training and fine-tuning purposes. This also means that when you interact with Grok, your interactions, inputs and results may be used to train and enhance the system's performance.

Grok has previously been able to access "real-time public X posts" to respond to user queries, but it is not clear if X posts were being used for training. The opt-out toggle seems to have been enabled around May, so it's possible that's when user posts were first used for improving the chatbot.

X says that user interactions with the chatbot and X posts are used for the following:

• Enhance Grok's understanding of human language and communication.
• Improve Grok's ability to provide accurate, relevant, and engaging responses.
• Develop Grok's sense of humor and wit to make interactions more enjoyable.
• Ensure Grok remains politically unbiased and provides balanced answers.

Elon Musk claimed earlier this week that Grok was being trained on "the most powerful AI training cluster in the world." Grok is currently available to X premium subscribers.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with GRID Studio to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a 256GB 13-inch M3 MacBook Air from Apple. For those unfamiliar with GRID Studio, it is a company that creates clever art for Apple fans by disassembling old iPhones and Apple products.

GRID Studio's pieces feature a deconstructed Apple product with the components displayed and labeled underneath a glass frame. There are multiple options, so you can choose your favorite classic iPhone.

The GRID 1 is one of GRID Studio's most popular options because it features the first ‌iPhone‌ that Apple released. Priced at $400, the GRID 1 includes the iconic curved shell from the original ‌iPhone‌, which is displayed alongside components like the home button, power button, headphone socket, speaker, logic board, ear piece, circuit board, and more.

Each component is labeled so you know what's what, and there are also interesting and useful tidbits about the original ‌iPhone‌ included. Note that because these pieces are made from old, recycled iPhones, there may be a bit of wear and tear.

The $199 GRID 3G features Apple's second-generation ‌iPhone‌, which came out in 2008. The ‌iPhone‌ 3G was similar in design to the original ‌iPhone‌, but it had a black or white polycarbonate chassis instead of aluminum. It was notable because it was the first ‌iPhone‌ that included GPS and 3G data connectivity, an upgrade over 2G.

The $139 GRID 4 showcases yet another classic ‌iPhone‌, the ‌iPhone‌ 4. Released in 2010, the ‌iPhone‌ 4 marked the first redesign to the ‌iPhone‌ since its 2007 launch. The design included a stainless steel frame with squared-off edges, and it's a look that Apple re-adopted starting with the ‌iPhone‌ 12.

The ‌iPhone‌ 4 had Apple's first Retina Display and the first front-facing camera with accompanying FaceTime videochatting service. It was equipped with the A4 chip and a gyroscopic sensor, with all of these components included in the GRID piece.

GRID Studio has plenty of other options, including multiple iPhones, A-series chips, iPads, and even MacBooks. GRID Studio is running a promotion right now, so MacRumors reader can use the promo code MG15 to get a 15 percent discount off of anything on the site through August 2.

We have a 13-inch M3 ‌MacBook Air‌ for one lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (July 26) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on August 2. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after August 2 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss all of the latest rumors about the iPhone 17 "Slim" – a whole new kind of iPhone coming next year.

The ‌iPhone 17‌ "Slim" is expected to sit above the iPhone 17 Pro Max in 2025's ‌iPhone‌ lineup with a starting price of approximately $1,299. The main selling point is said to be its all-new design touting a super-thin aluminium-titanium chassis and a relocated rear camera that could feature a variable aperture for the first time. It is expected to have a 6.6-inch display and Apple's custom 5G modem, and it may also feature up to 2TB of storage. Despite its high price point, the device is rumored to contain lower-end specifications than the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models, such as a single rear camera, a standard A19 chip, and 8GB of memory.

We also discuss the iPhone 16 Pro's rumored Rose color option that looks set to replace Blue Titanium, Apple's progress on a clamshell foldable iPhone, and the fourth-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE, which is apparently set to hit mass production in October. The new low-cost ‌iPhone‌ is expected to feature an ‌iPhone‌ 14-like design with an OLED display and Face ID, a USB-C port, a single rear 48-megapixel camera, Apple's custom 5G modem, and the Action button.

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If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about revisiting the Apple Vision Pro and first impressions of the iOS 18 public beta.

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 such as Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, 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, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

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For the first time in years, Apple has fallen out of the top five smartphone vendors in China, ranking sixth in the second quarter of 2024.

Data from Canalys, a market research firm, shows that Apple's iPhone shipments in China declined by 6.7% year-on-year. This drop has been attributed to fierce competition from domestic brands such as Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, Honor, and Xiaomi. Huawei, in particular, has seen a resurgence in the high-end smartphone market, fueled by advanced chips produced entirely in China.

Canalys reported that the overall Chinese smartphone market experienced a 10% year-on-year growth in the second quarter of 2024, with shipments exceeding 70 million units. Vivo reclaimed the number one spot by shipping 13.1 million units, capturing a 19% market share. Oppo followed with 11.3 million units, Honor with 10.7 million units, and Huawei with 10.6 million units. Xiaomi re-entered the top five with a 17% year-on-year increase, shipping 10 million units. In contrast, Apple's shipments dropped to 9.7 million units, representing a 14% market share.

The increased competition and market dynamics in China have posed significant challenges for Apple. The company's market share decreased from 16% in the previous year to 14%, pushing it from third to sixth place. Despite promotional efforts, including significant discounts of up to 23%, Apple has struggled to maintain its market position. The competitive landscape has been further complicated by the overall growth of local vendors, which have benefited from their localized supply chains and strong brand loyalty among Chinese consumers.

Apple's Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams recently visited China, meeting with officials in Beijing and Shenzhen to reinforce Apple's commitment to the Chinese market. Canalys analyst Lucas Zhong emphasized the importance of the company localizing Apple Intelligence for China within the next year to regain market share. The anticipated release of the iPhone 16 lineup later this year is also expected to drive demand and potentially improve Apple's market position.