MacRumors

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through the latest rumors about the next-generation AirTag, iPad Air, iPad mini, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Ultra.

Firstly, we react to the rumor that the second-generation ‌AirTag‌ is set to hit mass production in the fourth quarter of next year, taking a look at how we use AirTags and what a new model could offer. We also discuss the latest reports about the next-generation iPad Air and iPad mini.

We look at the new color options and features reportedly coming to the Apple Watch Series 9 and second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, Apple's plan to progressively reduce the bezels of the iPhone and ‌iPad‌, our first smartphones, and our feelings about watchOS 10 as we approach its official release.

Listen to The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. Watch a video version of the show on the MacRumors YouTube channel.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up with our discussion on how we would make changes to Apple's product lines in an attempt to make them simpler and more consumer-friendly.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Andru Edwards, Kevin Nether, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Mark Gurman, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Sara Dietschy, Luke Miani, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, and Rene Ritchie. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover in the future.

Apple's 256GB 15.3-inch MacBook Air is available for $1,199.00 today on Amazon, down from its original price of $1,299.00. We've seen this sale only a few times over the summer, and it remains the best deal tracked yet on the latest MacBook Air.

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 three of the four colors: Midnight, Space Gray, and Silver. All three models are in stock and have an estimated delivery date between August 5 and August 9.

We're also tracking an all-time low price on the 512GB 15.3-inch MacBook Air, which is on sale for $1,399.00, down from $1,499.00. This one is available in two colors (Midnight and Space Gray), and has an estimated delivery date between August 7 and August 9.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

The Apple Watch Series 9 will be "basically unchanged" compared to the current model other than a performance improvement, according to Weibo leaker "Instant Digital."

In a post shared earlier today, the Weibo user corroborated other reports that the Apple Watch Series 9 will be a minor upgrade. The refresh will apparently focus on updating the cores within the device's S-series chip, delivering a notable performance improvement, but the rest of the device will be effectively the same as the Apple Watch Series 8.

The S6, S7, and S8 chips' CPU in the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch Series 8, second-generation Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra, are virtually identical. The S6, S7, and S8 chips all feature 32GB of storage and dual-core CPUs with the identifier T8301. When Apple debuted the S6 in the Apple Watch Series 6, the last time it made performance claims about its latest smartwatch lineup, it said that the chip allowed apps to launch 20 percent faster.

The S6, S7, and S8 are based on Apple's A13 Bionic chip from the iPhone 11 lineup and are manufactured using TSMC's 7nm process. Apple transitioned to TSMC's 5nm process starting with the A14 Bionic chip in 2020.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the S9 chip will be based on the A15 Bionic chip. The new chip could bring significantly improved performance and efficiency, boosting app launch speeds and potentially improving battery life. In addition to the Apple Watch Series 9, the S9 chip is expected to be a key upgrade of the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra later this year.

The rumor echoes the essence of last year's Apple Watch Series 8, which was a minor update over the Series 7. It only added a more powerful gyroscope and accelerometer, ‌Crash Detection, and a body temperature sensor compared to its predecessor from 2021.

• Apple Watch Series 7 vs. Apple Watch Series 8 Buyer's Guide

With performance as the main focus of the Apple Watch Series 9 and second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, it seems that 2023's new Apple Watch models could be similarly small refreshes. Apple reportedly plans to introduce a couple of new color options for the product lineup this year, including pink for the Apple Watch Series 9 and black for the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra.

Apple's iPhone 16 series next year will adopt a stacked rear camera sensor design across the lineup, following similar adoption in this year's standard iPhone 15 models, according to Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

This year's lower-end ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌‌iPhone 15‌‌ Plus models are expected to feature a 48-megapixel rear camera lens with a stacked CMOS image sensor (CIS) design that can capture more light.

Production yield issues of the new sensor design have likely prevented Apple from adopting it across all ‌iPhone 15‌ models this year, and while Sony's high-end CIS capacity is expected to remain tight through 2024, Apple has secured most of Sony's orders ahead of time.

According to Kuo, Sony's tight capacity is expected to benefit rival supplier Will Semi, which will obtain more orders for high-end CIS from Chinese smartphone brands as a result.

Rumors suggest the 48-megapixel wide-angle camera used in the iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature an eight-part hybrid lens with two glass elements and six plastic elements, along with improvements for the telephoto and ultra wide camera lenses.

Both the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max could get periscope telephoto lenses in 2024. In 2023, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max will be the only device to get the new camera technology because of size constraints.

Apple today held its third earnings call of 2023, covering the second calendar quarter of the year. During the call, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri shared tidbits on recent product sales, services results, future plans, and revenue impacts.

We've highlighted the most interesting parts of the call below for those who weren't able to listen.

AI

Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ was asked about Apple's approach to AI, and he said that AI and machine learning are "core fundamental technologies integral to virtually every product" that Apple builds, which is the same answer that Cook has given before on the topic.

It is "absolutely critical" to Apple, with Cook confirming that Apple has been investigating AI (including generative AI) "for years."

"We will continue to responsibly advance our products with these technologies," Cook said, adding that Apple tends to "announce things as they come to market."

Vision Pro

Cook said that Apple is "very excited" about Vision Pro. "Everyone who has gone through the demos have been blown away," said Cook. "We're looking forward to shipping it next year.

Services Revenue

Apple set an all-time revenue record in Services during the quarter, which it says was driven by more than a billion paid subscriptions. Services revenue was $21.2 billion, up from $19.6 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Subscriptions have grown 150 million in the past year, and have more than doubled over the last three years.

All-time revenue records were set in cloud, video, AppleCare, and payments, with June quarter revenue records for the App Store, advertising, and Apple Music.

iPhone, iPad, and Mac Sales

iPhone, iPad, and Mac revenue dropped during the quarter across all three categories. ‌iPhone‌ revenue was $39.7 billion, down from $40.7 billion in 2022, while ‌iPad‌ revenue was $5.8 billion, down from $7.2 billion in the year-ago quarter. Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that the drop in ‌iPad‌ sales was due to a tough compare as last year, Apple had introduced a new iPad Air during the quarter.

Mac revenue was $6.8 billion, down from $7.4 billion. Almost half of Mac buyers in the quarter were new to the product.

Wearables

Apple saw growth in the Wearables, Home and Accessories category, which brought in $8.3 billion, up two percent from $8.1 billion in the year-ago quarter. Two thirds of new Apple Watch customers during the quarter were new to the product.

Wearables are nearly the size of a Fortune 100 company, earning $40 billion in the last 12 months.

R&D

Apple's research and development spending is growing slower than it has in prior years, which Luca Maestri said is due to Apple being more careful about controlling spending during the "uncertain period" across the last few quarters. Apple has successfully decelerated some of its expense growth by slowing hiring, and plans to continue to "manage deliberately." Even amid the slowdown, Maestri said that R&D costs are continuing to grow faster than the rest of the company.

"Our focus continues to be on innovation and product development," he said.

Next Quarter

For the September quarter, Apple said that year-over-year performance will be similar to the June quarter provided the macro outlook doesn't worsen, with a year-over-year revenue impact of more than two percent. ‌iPhone‌ and Services revenue is expected to be up compared to June, but Mac and ‌iPad‌ revenue will drop double digits due to difficult compares.

Rumors have suggested that we won't see notable updates to iPads or Macs, with Apple having no plans to refresh the iPad Pro or the higher-selling Mac models until 2024. Apple will not have new products to offer this fall to attract ‌iPad‌ and Mac buyers.

Apple is, however, expecting gross margin of 44 to 45 percent, which Luca Maestri attributed to a strong product mix, cost savings, and Services.

Read More

A more complete picture of Apple's earnings on a per-category basis can be found in our full live blog.

Apple today announced financial results for its third fiscal quarter of 2023, which corresponds to the second calendar quarter of the year.

For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $81.8 billion and net quarterly profit of $19.9 billion, or $1.26 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $83.0 billion and net quarterly profit of $19.4 billion, or $1.20 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.

Gross margin for the quarter was 44.5 percent, compared to 43.3 percent in the year-ago quarter. Apple also declared a quarterly dividend payment of $0.24 per share, payable on August 17 to shareholders of record as of August 14.

"We are happy to report that we had an all-time revenue record in Services during the June quarter, driven by over 1 billion paid subscriptions, and we saw continued strength in emerging markets thanks to robust sales of iPhone," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "From education to the environment, we are continuing to advance our values, while championing innovation that enriches the lives of our customers and leaves the world better than we found it."

As has been the case for over three years now, Apple is once again not issuing guidance for the current quarter ending in September.

Apple will provide live streaming of its fiscal Q3 2023 financial results conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.

Conference call recap ahead...

➜ Click here to read rest of article...

Apple in iOS 17 is improving the AirDrop sharing feature that is designed to allow two Apple devices to share content with one another quickly and easily. Proximity sharing has been improved, it's easier to exchange content, and more.

This guide highlights all of the new AirDrop features you'll find in iOS 17.

NameDrop

NameDrop is an AirDrop feature that lets you exchange contact information with someone by touching two iPhones together. Bringing two devices together will automatically pop up a contact sharing interface.

Tapping on the popup shows a person's contact information and their Contact Poster, with options to "Receive Only" or share your own contact information in response. You can choose the phone number and email address that you want to share with someone on the other end, and if someone is already in your Contacts app, it updates contact information.

Note that NameDrop works between two iPhones running iOS 17 and later this year, it will work between an iOS 17 iPhone and an Apple Watch running watchOS 10.

Proximity Sharing

If you need to share a file or a photo with someone who is right next to you, there's a new proximity sharing feature available for AirDrop.

To initiate a transfer, choose the photo or file that you want to share with someone. From there, bring your unlocked ‌iPhone‌ next to the person's unlocked ‌iPhone‌, and it will pop up a share interface without you having to tap on the Share Sheet.

You can tap on the Share option that pops up to send the photo or file to the person next to you. It will be received on the other device automatically, with permission granted through proximity.

Note that sharing files this way works even if AirDrop receiving is turned off or limited to contacts, so it is a way to share a file with someone without having to change your overall AirDrop settings. AirDrop normally works with someone in the same room, but the proximity sharing feature requires the two iPhones to be close to touching.

Sharing through proximity can be enabled or disabled by going to Settings > General > AirDrop and toggling "Bringing Devices Together" on or off.

Transfers Over the Internet

Apple plans to allow AirDrop transfers that have been initiated to finish over the internet in iOS 17. That means if you start sharing a bunch of files or photos with someone, you won't need to stay nearby for the transfer to complete.

AirDrop is a fairly fast file sharing method, but if you're sharing large videos, it can be frustrating to have to stay close by to someone for a transfer to finish. File transfers over the internet requires iOS 17 and for both participants to be signed into iCloud, and this is a feature that will be coming in an update to iOS 17.

SharePlay

If you want to listen to music or watch a movie with someone nearby, there's a new SharePlay feature that allows SharePlay to be initiated through proximity much like AirDrop.

Starting SharePlay content and then bringing your ‌iPhone‌ next to another ‌iPhone‌ will initiate a SharePlay session through the Messages app. It's the same SharePlay function that can be accessed through the Share Sheet, but the proximity method is a quicker way to begin a SharePlay session.

Proximity SharePlay is useful for situations like flights where each person may want to use their own device but share the same content.

Developers can build support for SharePlay over AirDrop into their apps, but as with standard SharePlay, both people will need to have the app installed and have access to the content.

Read More

Additional details on the new features in the iOS 17 update can be found in our iOS 17 roundup.

B&H Photo today kicked off a big sale on a few of Apple's Mac computers, including the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, 15.3-inch MacBook Air, and M2 Mac mini. As of writing, these all-time low prices are only available from B&H Photo.

13.6-Inch MacBook Air

Starting with the M2 13.6-inch MacBook Air from 2022, B&H Photo has both models of this notebook at all-time low prices. You can get the 256GB MacBook Air for $949.00 in all four colors, down from $1,099.00.

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.

B&H Photo also has the 512GB M2 13.6-inch MacBook Air at the record low price of $1,249.00, down from $1,399.00. This one is available in Midnight and Starlight, and B&H Photo offers free two-day shipping in the contiguous United States.

15.3-Inch MacBook Air

For the newest M2 15.3-inch MacBook Air, B&H Photo has just one model on sale at an all-time low price. You can get the 256GB computer in Midnight for $1,199.00, down from $1,299.00.

M2 Mac Mini

Lastly, B&H Photo is discounting the 256GB M2 Mac mini to the best-ever price of $499.00, down from $599.00. It's been a few months since we last tracked any deal on this computer, which originally launched back in January.

The 512GB model is available for $679.00, down from $799.00, and this is also a record low price. Similar to the MacBook Air deals, B&H Photo is offering free two-day shipping in the contiguous United States on the Mac mini models.

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

Apple is now allowing Mac users running macOS Ventura and macOS Monterey to try out its latest Safari 17 browser before it officially launches alongside macOS Sonoma in the fall. Keep reading to learn what's new and how to download it.

Last month, Apple quietly began making beta versions of Safari 17 available to download as a standalone package. Prior to this, the only way to try out the revamped version of Safari was to install the macOS Sonoma Beta, but now anyone running macOS Ventura or macOS Monterey can try out Safari 17 without having to install Apple's latest beta operating system on their Mac.

What's New in Safari 17 for macOS

As of writing, Safari 17 for macOS Ventura and Monterey has reached its fourth beta. Not only is it snappier with faster search responsiveness, it also has more relevant search suggestions – and easier-to-read suggestions. Here's what else is new:

• Locked Private Browsing: Private browsing windows in Safari can now be locked when not in use, and require secondary authentication via Touch ID or your Mac's password to unlock and access for added privacy.
• One-Time Code AutoFill from Mail: One-time verification codes you receive in Apple Mail now autofill in Safari, making it easy to log in without leaving the browser.
• Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection: URLs in ‌Safari 17‌ can be stripped of all tracking information appended to the end of the URL so that websites cannot track your browsing using URL identifiers.
• Multi-Tab Selection: You can now select multiple open tabs at once to move them around the tab bar or create a Tab Group for them.
• Favicons in the Favorites Bar: You can now identify sites in the Favorites bar more easily with favicons.
• Hide IP Address From Websites: There's a new option to hide IP address from both trackers and websites or only trackers when using the iCloud Private Relay feature.
  

• Reading List Widget: You can now add your Safari Reading List to your Mac's Notification Center for quick access.
  

• Privacy Protections for App Extensions: You can now set per-site privacy settings for app extensions in addition to web extensions.
• Safari Profiles: Safari has gained a new feature called Profiles, which is designed to help keep your browsing separate for topics like Work, School, or Personal. Each profile gets its own icon and silos your history, Tab Groups, favorites, and cookies. You can even assign specific extensions to profiles to optimize your browsing experience based on the task at hand.

How to Install Safari 17 on macOS Ventura/Monterey

In an unexpected change for 2023, anyone who signs in to Apple's developer account website with their Apple ID gets access to developer beta releases as well, even if they are not a paying member of Apple's Developer Program. So if you're still interested in trying out Safari 17, simply follow the steps below.

Note that Safari 17 Beta 4 requires macOS Ventura 13.4 or macOS Monterey 12.5 to run, and that installing it will overwrite your current Safari version. Also, bear in mind that this is beta software, so you may potentially experience bugs and issues that negatively impact your browsing. Having said that, beta 4 is very stable in our experience.

1. Open Safari on your Mac and go to Apple's developer website.
2. Under "Sign in to Apple Developer," enter and submit your Apple ID and password using the arrow buttons, then if required, enter the two-factor authentication code sent to your Apple devices.
3. Now click through to the Safari Beta Downloads page.
4. Under Safari 17, click View Details, then click the Safari 17 Beta DMG link to download the installation package applicable to your macOS version.
5. Once the package is downloaded to your Mac, double-click it and follow the onscreen instructions to complete installation.

Wrapping Up

When Safari 17 is officially released to the public as part of macOS Sonoma, users can expect some additional features, including the ability to save your favorite websites to the Dock as streamlined Web Apps, as well as the ability to share website passwords and passkeys with trusted contacts.

Twitter or "X" CEO Elon Musk today said that he plans to speak with Apple CEO Tim Cook about lower App Store fees for creators who earn money through subscriptions on the Twitter/X social network.

In a post on creator support, Musk said that he plans to ask Apple to collect 30 percent of the creator fee that Twitter keeps rather than 30 percent of the total fee that a creator on Twitter earns. That would potentially give Apple a much lower cut of the money that Twitter is paying out to creators.

Musk said that Twitter does not plan to collect any fees from creators who earn under $100,000. After the $100k mark, Twitter will collect 10 percent of a creator's earnings, though the first 12 months will be free for all creators. If Apple agreed, Apple would be entitled to 30 percent of the 10 percent cut that Twitter takes from creators earning more than $100k.

Apple collects in-app purchase fees from subscription purchases that are made through the Twitter app on iOS devices. Apple earns 30 percent for the first year of a subscription, and 15 percent for each subsequent year. Apple takes the same cut of all digital purchases on the ‌App Store‌, and the Cupertino company is not known for making exceptions to its rules.

Musk's request would not work with the current in-app purchase setup as Apple is collecting its fee from each subscriber who pays a creator rather than from the creator directly.

Facebook has protested the fee that Apple collects from the Facebook subscription option for creators, but Apple has not changed its policies. Facebook instead encourages people to support creators by subscribing on the web rather than on a mobile device, which is a method that Musk could use to limit the fees that Apple takes.

Musk has in the past criticized Apple's App Store fees, calling the cut that Apple collects "definitely not ok" and likening it to a "30% tax on the internet."

With the launch of the iPhone 15 lineup fast approaching, MacRumors video editor Dan Barbera thought he'd take a look back at his last year (almost) using the iPhone 14 Pro Max before it's time to move on to the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max.

The ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max introduced the Dynamic Island for the first time, and it's been a feature that Apple doesn't seem to have taken full advantage of yet. It also brought the higher-end 48-megapixel camera sensor and the Always-On display.

Dan goes into depth on how the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max (used caseless!) has held up over the course of the last 11 months, what battery life is like, and how the latest feature set has worked out for him. The video provides an thoughtful retrospective on a year with Apple's flagship iPhone as we head into ‌iPhone‌ launch season.

We're expecting the ‌iPhone 15‌ models to come out in September as usual. The standard models won't get much in the way of an upgrade aside from a transition to the ‌Dynamic Island‌ and a USB-C port, but we can expect slimmer bezels, faster chips, and a periscope telephoto lens for the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max that will replace the 14 Pro Max. More details on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models can be found in our roundups.

Apple Card holders have deposited more than $10 billion in ‌Apple Card‌ Savings accounts that are provided by Goldman Sachs, Apple announced today.

The Savings accounts first launched in April, so that milestone comes at the four month mark. Apple says that 97 percent of Savings customers have opted into having their ‌Apple Card‌ Daily Cash automatically deposited into the account, which offers a 4.15 APY.

"With each of the financial products we've introduced, we've sought to reinvent the category with our users' financial health in mind. That was our goal with the launch of Apple Card four years ago, and it remained our guiding principle with the launch of Savings," said Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. "With no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements, Savings provides an easy way for users to save money every day, and we're thrilled to see the excellent reception from customers both new and existing."

In a statement, Goldman Sachs Head of Enterprise Partnerships said that the company is "very pleased" with the Savings account success.

‌Apple Card‌ continues to be limited to iPhone users in the United States, which means the Apple Savings account is only available in the U.S. Apple's announcement comes amid reports that its relationship with Goldman Sachs is on the rocks. Goldman Sachs is allegedly looking to get out of its partnership with Apple as it aims to exit the consumer banking business.

Apple and Goldman Sachs have worked together on the ‌Apple Card‌ since 2019, but Goldman Sachs wants to abandon the deal because it is not making enough money and it has had trouble dealing with customer service issues. The Savings account in particular soured the relationship between the two companies because early customers saw long wait times when attempting to withdraw money.

Goldman Sachs is said to be aiming to have American Express or another company take over its deal with Apple, but the terms are not favorable because the ‌Apple Card‌ lacks fees, and other companies do not find the deal appealing.

Amazon and Expercom are offering steep discounts on the 2021 and 2023 MacBook Pro, with up to $450 off select models. All deals listed below have been automatically applied and do not require a coupon code.

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.

M1 Pro

Expercom has the 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro (512GB) for $1,549.00, down from $1,999.00. This is one of the best prices we've ever tracked on this model of the 2021 MacBook Pro, and given that sales have shifted to focus on the 2023 models it has been some time since we saw a solid deal on these previous generation models.

Despite being a few years old now, the 2021 MacBook Pro is still a great computer with solid performance stats, especially if you're upgrading from an Intel-based device. You can find all of the similarities and differences between the two generations in our 2021 vs. 2023 MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide.

M2 Pro

If you're looking for the latest models, Amazon has a few discounts on the 16-inch M2 Pro MacBook Pro. You can get the 512GB notebook for $2,249.00, down from $2,499.00.

The 1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro is on sale for $2,449.00, down from $2,699.00. Both of these discounts represent all-time low prices on the 2023 16-inch MacBook Pro.

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

Apple in July began inviting developers to Vision Pro-focused developer labs in cities that include Cupertino, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo, but so far, developers don't appear to be expressing a lot of interest in attending.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the developer labs have been "under-filled with small amounts of developers." One issue is that Apple is not offering U.S. developer labs outside of Cupertino, which means any developer that wants to try the Vision Pro must travel to Apple's headquarters in California.

The Vision Pro developer labs that Apple is hosting are meant to give developers hands-on time with the Vision Pro headset as well as help from Apple engineers as they begin to develop apps for the upcoming device. The labs will provide testing and optimization for visionOS apps, with Apple experts on hand.

Any developer can apply to attend a developer lab, but Apple is not reimbursing for travel, and developers located on the east coast of the United States will have to fund cross-country travel to get to the lab. Apple's choice to host only one U.S. lab location is curious as the company has said that the Vision Pro will be launching first in the United States before becoming available in other countries.

The visionOS simulator has not been available for long, so many developers may still have apps in development and might not be ready to attend a lab. Other developers may not be motivated to create apps when the Vision Pro isn't slated to launch in their countries for some time.

Apple is also planning to send Vision Pro developer kits to some developers, and applications opened two weeks ago. The developer kits are available in limited quantities, with Apple prioritizing apps that best take advantage of the Vision Pro features and capabilities. Apple has strict rules for the developer kits, such as limiting them to one development site and keeping them in a private, secure workspace, which may not be possible for some smaller developers.

Developers will have more than six months to test and develop apps for the Vision Pro as it is not expected to launch until early 2024, a timeline that could range from January 2024 to April 2024, and that's provided there are no launch delays.

Belkin today announced the launch of a new accessory in its BoostCharge Pro lineup, debuting a 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad with MagSafe integration.

Priced at $80, the ‌MagSafe‌ Charging Pad has a ‌MagSafe‌ puck for charging a compatible iPhone at up to 15W. iPhones have supported ‌MagSafe‌ since the ‌iPhone‌ 12, and all models will work with 15W charging with the exception of the iPhone 12 mini and ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, which max out at 12W.

There is also a charging space for the AirPods that delivers up to 5W of power. There is no Apple Watch charging available with the new BoostCharge Pro, and because this is a flat charger, it is not compatible with the StandBy mode coming to the ‌iPhone‌ in iOS 17.

The AirPods charging station can also be used to charge other Qi-based devices such as an additional ‌iPhone‌, albeit at a slower speed than ‌MagSafe‌. The 2-in-1 Charging Pad is available in either black or white, and it has a slim design that is ideal for travel.

The BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad can be purchased from the Belkin website for $80.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today predicted that demand for the iPhone 15 series will be lower than that of the iPhone 14 series this year. Kuo said the lower demand could make it challenging for Apple suppliers to grow revenue in the second half of 2023.

The upcoming iPhone lineup should consist of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. All four models are rumored to be equipped with a USB-C port and the Dynamic Island, which is currently exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro models. Additional features are rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro models, including a faster A17 Bionic chip, titanium frame, customizable Action button, thinner bezels around the display, Wi-Fi 6E support, up to 5-6x optical zoom for the Pro Max camera, and more.

iPhone 15 Pro models will likely cost $100 to $200 more than iPhone 14 Pro models in the U.S., according to Tim Long, an analyst at British bank Barclays. These price increases could temper demand for the devices, especially as some consumers may be reducing their discretionary spending due to above-average inflation over the past few years.

In the end, Kuo's prediction is still just a prediction, and we'll have to wait and see how well the iPhone 15 series sells. The addition of a USB-C port has been a long-awaited feature among tech enthusiasts, and the Dynamic Island expanding to the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus could help to boost sales of those lower-end models.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 series in early September. Are you planning to upgrade? Let us know in the comments section.

Google today announced a new Chrome downloads experience for its desktop browser, with the update aimed at making it easier to interact with recently downloaded files.

Chrome's updated download tray is located to the right of the address bar, and it replaces the interface at the bottom of the display. The new look is closer to the Safari download window, which is also at the top of the browser.

When a download is in progress, an animated ring will provide a quick way to monitor the download at a glance, and when the download has finished, the tray will open up briefly before dismissing itself for uninterrupted browsing. The download tray houses Chrome downloads from the past 24 hours, and it includes in-line options for opening the folder that a download went to. Downloads can be canceled, retried, paused, and resumed from the download tray.

Potentially malicious downloads will continue to trigger an alert, with the new interface providing additional context if malware or a virus is detected in a download. Google says that a more advanced deep scan function will be coming in the near future.

Google today also highlighted several new features that have been added to Chrome for iOS. When tapping on the address bar of an eligible site, Chrome will bring up relevant search suggestions. As an example, if you're reading an article about Japan, Chrome will show related searches for restaurants and tourist attractions in a new "Related to this page" interface.

Chrome is also now offering more search suggestions. When starting a search, you'll see 10 suggestions for things you might want to search for, up from six. The most relevant suggestions in the list will show up first.

Later this year, Google plans to add a trending feature to iOS. Already available on Android devices, the trending feature shows you what's popular with Google searches directly from the Chrome address bar.

More information on the new features can be found on the Chrome blog.

Samsung today kicked off a new monitor sale, providing up to $700 off select monitors. Within this sale is one of the first discounts on the latest model of the 32-inch iMac-like Smart Monitor M8, available for $599.99, down from $699.99.

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

Samsung launched this refreshed version of the Smart Monitor M8 back in June, including updates like HDR10+ support and a portrait orientation option. Today's sale is the lowest price we've tracked since the monitor debuted, although it's not quite as low as we've seen the previous generation monitor get in past sales.

Besides the Smart Monitor M8, there are five other Samsung monitors being discounted this week. The sale is focused on Samsung's line of curved gaming monitors, ranging in price from $1,099.99 to $2,499.99 and totaling up to $700 in savings.

• 32-inch Odyssey Neo G7 Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,099.99, down from $1,299.99
• 34-inch Odyssey OLED G8 Curved Smart Gaming Monitor - $1,299.99, down from $1,499.99
• 49-inch Odyssey G9 Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,299.99, down from $1,499.99
• 49-inch Odyssey Neo Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,499.99, down from $2,199.99
• 55-inch Odyssey Ark 4K Curved Gaming Monitor - $2,499.99, down from $2,999.99

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