In the wake of the announcement of the new 15-inch MacBook Air, this week we've been tracking fresh all-time low prices on older models. Yesterday we saw the 2020 256GB M1 MacBook Air at $799.99 on Amazon, which is still available, and today B&H Photo has the 2022 256GB M2 MacBook Air at $999.00, down from $1,099.00.
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This 13.6-inch MacBook Air has a new starting price of $1,099.00 thanks to the introduction of the 15-inch model. So while this is just a $100 discount now, it is the best price we've ever tracked on the model to date and a solid new entry price for the M2 models of the MacBook Air.
B&H Photo also has the 512GB model for $1,299.00, down from $1,399.00. This is a solid second-best price on the higher storage model. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.
The first developer beta of iOS 17 includes code-level references to a new MagSafe Battery Pack with model number A2781, and a new MagSafe Charger with model number A3088, according to tech enthusiast @aaronp613.
No further details are known about the accessories at this time. Last year, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the MagSafe Battery Pack would be updated with a USB-C port for charging in the foreseeable future, alongside the iPhone 15 series moving to USB-C. The current MagSafe Battery Pack has a Lightning port.
As for the MagSafe Charger, one potential improvement could be Qi2 support, which could allow for up to 15W charging of non-Apple devices instead of the current 7.5W limit. The first Qi2-certified chargers are expected to launch later this year. It's unclear if the MagSafe Duo Charger with an Apple Watch charging puck would also be updated.
Apple released the MagSafe Battery Pack in 2021, while the MagSafe Charger has been available since 2020. The accessories have not been updated since then, but they have received several firmware updates with optimizations over the years. Last month, it was discovered that Apple prototyped the MagSafe Charger in several different colors, but it's unclear if the additional colors would ever be made available to the public.
In iOS 17, Apple has made a small but notable change to the App Store app so that it now tells users how long an app download will take once it's started.
When the "Get" app button is tapped in an app listing and the circular download symbol appears, the time remaining for the download to complete is displayed beside it in minutes and seconds. If the installation is likely to take only a brief moment, the time remaining is not shown.
Obviously the time it takes for a given app to download will depend on the user's internet speed and the app's file size, which is why users might only see how long it will take once the download has been initiated and the App Store server connection is established.
Still, it gives users a more accurate idea of how long a download is likely to take than a circular downloading symbol does, and users can always opt to cancel the download by tapping the cancel button within the circular icon if the remaining time is considered to be too long.
Apple made a wide range of hardware and software announcements during its WWDC keynote on Monday, introducing its long-awaited AR/VR headset Vision Pro, new Macs, iOS 17, macOS Sonoma, and much more. As always, there were many rumors leading up to the event that gave us an idea of what to expect, but not all of them were accurate.
Below, we have recapped some of the bigger hits and misses from the WWDC rumor mill.
iOS 17 features a new StandBy mode that can show info like the time, calendar, and widgets when an iPhone is charging in a landscape position. While the StandBy name never leaked, the feature was accurately rumored.
It was reported that Apple's headset operating system would be named xrOS, but it ended up being named visionOS. Apple does refer to the operating system as xrOS in its WWDC session videos, so the name may have been a placeholder, or perhaps there was a last-minute change.
Vision Pro was widely rumored to cost around $3,000, but it is priced at $3,499.
Nearly all claims made by previously-accurate Twitter account @analyst941 were false, including iOS 17 having a redesigned Control Center and Wallet app.
With so many rumors shared leading up to WWDC, this list is far from comprehensive, so feel free to discuss other hits and misses in the comments section.
Apple in iOS 17 improved the image recognition capabilities of the iPhone, which means the Photos app is now able to recognize pets in addition to people.
The "People" album is now the "People and Pets" album, because the Photos app can detect animals, and specifically, animals that are important to you because of the number of photos that you have of them.
Animals that you have one or two photos of won't show up in this section, but if you have multiple images of the same animal, you'll see the pet listed in the album. You can add a name for the pet and confirm additional photos.
In this album, you'll see all of the images you have of that animal, which is handy, and this function also allows specific memories of the pet to show up in the For You section.
The pet recognition feature seems to be accurate, and it is able to tell pets apart that have the same coloration. It was able to distinguish between two white cats, two orange cats, and two tabby cats with no issues and no mistakes.
Pets are now denoted by more accurate icons with the Look Up feature, and the app will try to better determine a specific species.
Apple has also improved the iOS 17 Photos app with Visual Look Up for food items, which brings up recipes for similar dishes, and an option to look up information about the subject of a photo when you remove it from the background. Visual Look Up also now works in videos.
The changes to the Photos app are available to developer running the iOS 17 beta, with Apple planning to release an iOS 17 public beta next month.
The Messages app on the iPhone and iPad has supported stickers for several years now, but Apple in iOS 17 is overhauling the sticker experience to make them more important.
All emoji are now considered stickers and can be used in the Messages app like stickers, with emoji listed right alongside Memoji stickers and sticker packs that you've downloaded from the App Store.
In addition, you can make your own stickers using the remove subject from background tool that Apple added for images in iOS 16.
In any of your images in Photos (or images from Safari or another location), you can long press on the subject of the photo to highlight it and to bring up an options interface.
Choosing the "Add Sticker" option ports the selected subject into the sticker interface. From there, you can add an effect or delete it. Effects include adding a white sticker outline, a "puffy" sticker effect, a glittery effect, and more. Subjects pulled from Live Photos have the option of animating.
Stickers that you have created can be used through the sticker interface in the Messages app, accessible by tapping on the "+" button and then "Stickers." You can insert stickers as single images, or add them to messages and photos, which is how stickers have worked since the feature was introduced.
Apple Vision Pro is a standalone hardware device that has its own processors and does not require a connection to a Mac or an iPhone to operate, but it is able to interface with other Apple devices. With the Mac, for example, the Vision Pro can serve as a Mac display.
Apple says that there's a Mac Virtual Display feature that works wirelessly with the Mac. You can bring your Mac's display into Vision Pro and "place it anywhere in space." You can see each of your Mac apps individually, arranging them in a way that works for you.
According to Apple, the Vision Pro is meant to serve as a "private, portable 4K display" when used with a Mac. Connecting is as simple as looking at a compatible Mac while wearing the Apple Vision headset.
You can connect Mac accessories to the Vision Pro, including the Magic Keyboard and the Magic Trackpad for input purposes. Attaching Bluetooth accessories allows for a typical Mac workflow to continue to be used, with the display replaced by Vision Pro.
Vision Pro is set to launch in early 2024, so we won't know more about how it functions as an actual Mac display replacement until closer to that date. The headset is priced starting at $3,499.
Starting with iPadOS 17, the built-in camera on the Studio Display and other external displays can be used with iPads for FaceTime calls and other video purposes. This functionality is available on any iPad model equipped with a USB-C port.
As it turns out, this feature actually goes beyond external displays. In its Platforms State of the Union video for developers, Apple revealed that any USB-C webcam can now be used with iPads on a plug-and-play basis, as demonstrated in the video below from Stephen Robles. USB-A webcams are also supported with an adapter.
Rumors about Apple's Vision Pro headset have been circulating for years, but something that was never quite clear was how it would be controlled. There were some early rumors of control devices, which eventually faded away as leaks focused more on gesture control, and as it turns out, that's the way Apple went.
The Apple Vision Pro uses hand gestures, eye movements, and spoken commands for navigation. You can choose something on the display by looking at it, for example, and then select it by tapping your fingers together. Scrolling is done with a quick flick, and only small movements are required. You can look at the microphone button in a search field and then start speaking in order to dictate text, and Siri voice commands can be used to open and close apps, play songs, and more.
Reviewers have said that the Vision Pro navigation experience takes time to get used to, so there will be an adjustment period. Most other headsets on the market use some kind of handheld control mechanism, so the gesture-based control system will be unfamiliar to almost everyone.
Typing can be done with a connected iPhone or Bluetooth keyboard, but there's also a virtual keyboard to type on, and dictation can be used as an alternative as well.
The interface won't be easy to get used to for many, but on the plus side, the app layout and navigation will be immediately recognizable to those who have used an iPhone or an iPad. Apps are arranged in a "Home View" that's similar to the Home Screen so not everything will be unfamiliar.
Apple's developer betas have historically been limited to developers who have a paid account that costs $99 per year, but with the launch of the most recent betas, that's changing.
Anyone can now enroll in the free version of the Apple Developer program and get access to beta releases. All that's required to download betas is an Apple ID.
"OS beta releases" is now listed as an available resource even for those who are not members of the Apple Developer Program.
This change means that anyone with an Apple ID can download and install the iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma betas without waiting for the public betas to launch.
Of course, it is not a good idea to install these betas on a main device as there can be notable bugs and issues with early software. More information can be found on Apple's membership page.
Apple's decision to make betas free follows a beta installation change introduced in iOS 16. Apple began requiring an Apple ID linked with a developer membership to prevent people from using profiles and other means of getting the beta without being a registered developer. Apple will now be able to keep track of everyone who is installing the developer betas with the Apple ID link.
With watchOS 9 on the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple introduced a new battery feature called Optimized Charge Limit, which uses on-device machine learning to analyze your daily usage and dynamically set a maximum charge limit for your watch.
Available now as a developer beta and coming to all users later this year, watchOS 10 will extend this Optimized Charge Limit to additional Apple Watch models, including Apple Watch SE, Series 6, Series 7, and Series 8. Any new models released later this year alongside the public release of watchOS 10 will undoubtedly also support the feature.
Optimized Charge Limit is an extension of the Optimized Battery Charging feature that waits to fully charge your battery until just before your device expects you to need your Apple Watch, in order to limit battery degradation due to overcharging. Optimized Charge Limit augments this by predicting how much battery life you are likely to need on any given day and only charging up to a level sufficient for your expected needs.
As a result, on some days your Apple Watch may charge all the way to 100%, while on other days it might charge to only 80% or 90%. The feature is optional but on by default, and it only engages in locations where you spend a lot of time such as at home or at work, recognizing that less frequently visited locations are more likely to have unpredictable impacts on your watch usage and charging patterns.
You can also manually override a planned Optimized Charge Limit by tapping the open charging icon after connecting to a charger and selecting the "Charge to Full Now" option.
Just a day after Apple debuted its Vision Pro headset, The Verge reports that Apple has acquired AR headset startup Mira, a firm most known to the public for providing some of the lens technology found in headsets used on Mario Kart rides in Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood.
The Verge says Mira CEO Ben Taft shared a private photo on Instagram showing a number of Apple employee badges with the comment "Excited for Mira’s next chapter, at Apple :). 7 year journey from dorm room to acquisition." At least 11 Mira employees have reportedly joined Apple, which essentially confirmed the acquisition by issuing its standard press statement to The Verge, saying only that "we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."
In addition to the Mario Kart ride partnership, Mira has also been involved in military contracts and has promoted its headsets for use in manufacturing and mining settings, but it's unlikely most of these efforts will continue under Apple's ownership.
Apple has obviously already developed significant expertise in augmented and virtual reality, so it's unclear exactly why it has acquired Mira, but it's likely to be related to continuing to bolster its talent in the area or perhaps intellectual property rights.
Update June 7: This article has been updated to clarify Mira's contributions to the Mario Kart ride headset.
It looks like Apple's Vision Pro headset is only going to come in silver, despite rumors of multiple color options, but some level of customization will be available through the headset accessories.
There is a "Light Seal" that attaches magnetically to the headset display, creating a tight fit between the device and the wearer's face in order to block out light, and there's also a headband that fits at the back of the head to hold the headset in place. Both are removable and can be replaced.
Apple plans to offer the Light Seal in a wide range of size and shape options. The magnets in the Light Seal adhere to the curved display, and it's important to have the right size. The Light Seal needs to fit firmly against the face to keep light out.
The headband snaps on to the Audio Straps that include speakers that provide spatial audio. Apple designed the headband from a flexible, 3D knitted material with a ribbed structure that is designed to be comfortable to wear. It is breathable while offering stretch, and a fit dial customizes the size to each individual's head.
Apple when introducing the Vision Pro said that the headband can be removed and exchanged for a different size, indicating headbands will also come with size options. Apple also said a "different kind of band" could be used, so there is an open possibility for Apple to make other Apple Vision bands in the future.
There are also opportunities for third-party manufacturers to create seal and band accessories for Apple Vision, and we've already seen some third-party band options. In the future, Apple Vision may work a lot like the Apple Watch, with a multitude of bands to choose from.
Apple this week previewed macOS Sonoma, the latest version of its Mac operating system. Launching later this year, the software update includes several new features, but not all of them are available on Intel-based Macs, as noted by 9to5Mac.
On the macOS Sonoma features page, fine print indicates that the following features require a Mac with an Apple silicon chip:
Presenter Overlay, a feature that displays the user on top of the content they are sharing in any video conferencing app.
Game Mode, which prioritizes CPU and GPU performance while gaming by limiting the performance of background tasks.
A new high-performance mode in the Screen Sharing app.
The ability to pair Made for iPhone hearing devices directly with a Mac.
The ability to invoke Siri by saying "Siri" instead of "Hey Siri."
Apple does not indicate why the features are not available on Intel Macs, but it likely relates to performance considerations, and only Apple silicon Macs have a Neural Engine for machine learning tasks. The last Intel Macs were released in 2020, and Apple has since moved to its own custom-designed processors. The transition to Apple silicon is now complete following this week's introduction of a new Mac Pro with the M2 Ultra chip.
Apple's new Vision Pro headset is equipped with an array of cameras for everything from eye scanning to gesture tracking, but it also has an external camera for capturing photos and videos.
The 3D camera on the Vision Pro takes 3D photos and records 3D videos that can be viewed back on the headset. Apple says that the feature is designed to allow users to relive their memories like never before. Standard photos from an iPhone or another device can also be viewed on the headset, but the 3D images will be much more immersive.
Spatial videos and photos are designed to have "incredible depth" according to Apple, which lets the user "see into a moment." They can be expanded and zoomed in just like a regular photo.
There is a button at the top of the headset that is designed to let users capture spatial videos or photos, and while recording is ongoing, the headset's external display flashes with an animation that lets the people around you know that video is being recorded.
With the recording indicator, no one will be able to use Vision Pro record video or take images in secret, which is a problem that prior headsets have faced. Google Glass, Google's now-defunct AR smart glasses, allowed for surreptitious photo and video recording in public spaces. Google came under fire for its capabilities, and some businesses even began banning the use of Google Glass.
It is not clear if Apple will face some of the same issues with Vision Pro, but it at least makes it clear when a video is being recorded thanks to the unique external display. It's also not as lightweight and wearable as Google Glass, so it is unlikely many people will be wearing the Vision Pro out in public.
With the release of the first iOS 17 beta in the hands of developers, early adopters continue to discover smaller changes in the new version of Apple's mobile operating system. Below are some of the more notable differences that have come to light since Monday's WWDC keynote.
Ping Apple Watch
If you have an Apple Watch paired to your iPhone, Apple has added an optional button in Control Center that enables you to ping your watch if you have misplaced it. (H/T Aaron.)
When pulling down on the Home Screen to access search, you'll see some neat new contextual tricks have been added to Siri Suggestions, like the suggestion to create a timer or a new note if you've used those apps recently. When you search for a specific app like Photos, you'll also get app shortcuts to your next action, allowing you to jump right into your Favorites album, for example.
You can now also toggle certain system settings directly from within Siri Suggestions results. You can, for example, enable a Focus, turn on Airplane Mode, or disable your iPhone 14 Pro's Always On Display.
Multiple Timers
It's taken this long, but iOS finally supports multiple timers.
Each timer you set can be given a label, which helps you identify it in a list. For added convenience, the list will also include any recent completed timers that you used. When several timers are running simultaneously, all of them will be listed on the Lock Screen, and the last one you set will appear in the Dynamic Island.
Safari "Listen to Page" Feature
In Safari, Apple has added a new "Listen to Page" option to the aA menu in the address bar. Tap it, and Siri will read the contents of the currently loaded webpage out loud.
When Siri is reading it to you, the same option changes to "Pause Listening," and if you choose to pause, it switches to "Resume Listening" so you can pick up where you left off.
Visual Look Up for Meals
When viewing photos, Apple has enhanced Visual Look Up in a few ways, the most notable being the ability to find recipes for similar dishes when meals are recognized in the picture.
In addition, you can now look up information from a subject you just lifted from a photo, and you can also pause video on any frame to look up info on a subject.
Fitness+ Custom Plans
Fitness+ includes a new feature called Custom Plans, where you can create your own weekly workout and meditation schedule to enhance your motivation.
Plan options include the ability to set a total workout/meditation time per day, set a plan length, and choose your activity types. You can also select preferred Fitness+ trainers and the type of music that you want in your plan.
Apple announced many new features coming to iOS 17 during yesterday's WWDC keynote. Although Apple Music was only mentioned briefly, today we have a better grasp on all the new features coming to the Music app thanks to the developer beta of iOS 17.
Crossfade
The first major update is the ability to crossfade between songs, which Apple says will let you smoothly transition between songs so your music never stops. Apple Music iOS users have been waiting for this feature for a while now, making it one of the headlining additions to the Music app in iOS 17.
Anyone on the current developer beta should be warned that enabling crossfade under the Music tab in the Settings app will cause the entire app to crash. Users are reporting that this happens every time they try to tap on the Music tab in the Settings app.
UI Changes
Similar to iOS 16 last year, iOS 17 is bringing a few slight tweaks to the user interface in Apple Music. The most notable update is found within the music player, which now features full-screen animated artwork for albums that support animated artwork.
With this change, these albums seamlessly blend into the bottom of the music player where the controls are located. This compares to the current iOS 16 style, where the album art is in a traditional square box with color-matching gradient surrounding it.
Lastly, the minimized version of the music player now has a hovering style over the Apple Music interface. This provides a depth effect to the minimized player as you browse through the Music app, and it still has play/pause and skip buttons.
Collaborative Playlists
Apple briefly mentioned in its press release that Apple Music is gaining Collaborative Playlists in iOS 17, but as of yet there are not many details on the feature. In a screenshot, we can see four friends working on a "Game Night" playlist, which shows a song and a profile picture of the person who added it, similar to how Apple Music's current Friends Mix looks.
There's also a button at the top of the playlist that appears to be an option for adding and removing people from the playlist, and the playlist text mentions a way to "react" to your favorite songs. Apple said that Collaborative Playlists will be available in an update later this year, so this feature likely won't launch on the same day as iOS 17.
CarPlay Update
There's a small update to Apple Music in CarPlay with iOS 17. Using SharePlay in the car will allow all passengers to contribute to what's currently playing, letting friends and family add music to up next or play/pause and skip the current song.
Other Small Updates
Previously on Apple Music, lyrics that weren't synced had a very small font that some users found difficult to read, especially compared to the songs with lyrics that played along to the music. In iOS 17, these songs with lyrics that aren't synced have a bigger and more legible font.
There also appears to be a new star button on the music player in some images shared by Apple, although we haven't seen this for ourselves in the current iOS 17 beta. This button looks similar to the star button found on artist pages in the current iteration of Apple Music, which lets you favorite an artist to stay up-to-date on their releases.
This new star button on the music player may simply be a quick way to favorite the artist currently playing, or it could be a new feature entirely.
Apple on Monday unveiled the Vision Pro, its long-awaited AR/VR headset. While the headset is not launching until early next year, some media outlets and YouTubers received a 30-minute guided demo of the device and shared their first impressions. The testers were not allowed to take photos or videos of the demo experience.
In a tweet, tech columnist Joanna Stern described the Vision Pro as "by far the best headset out there." In a report for The Wall Street Journal, she elaborated that "the interface and hand gestures are intuitive, 3-D movies are finally making sense and a huge dinosaur felt like it really broke through a wall right in front of me."
Stern did point out some negative aspects, including the headset feeling heavy and making her feel a bit nauseous when switching between virtual reality and augmented reality modes. And while the Vision Pro has some innovative features to reduce feelings of isolation, such as showing the wearer's eyes through the front glass, Stern said it will still be a challenge for Apple to convince customers to wear the device.
In a video, well-known tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee said the Vision Pro has some features that are "the best I have ever seen in any VR headset, by a mile," including eye tracking and hand tracking. These advanced technologies do not come cheap, of course, as the Vision Pro will be priced at a staggering $3,499. Brownlee also pointed out that the headset lacks haptic feedback since it does not have controllers.
TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino said Apple has "delivered nothing less than a genuine leapfrog in capability and execution" with the Vision Pro.
"Every bit of this thing shows Apple-level ambition," said Panzarino. "I don't know whether it will be the 'next computing mode,' but you can see the conviction behind each of the choices made here. No corners cut. Full-tilt engineering on display."
MacRumors is in attendance at WWDC and will be publishing our own first impressions of the Vision Pro soon. In the meantime, check out our first in-person look at the headset. For more details about the Vision Pro and its visionOS operating system, check out our coverage of Apple's announcement from Monday.
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