MacRumors

The Asahi Linux project has released the first conformant OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers for Apple silicon Macs in a significant update for improved gaming performance on Macs running the Linux operating system.

The Asahi Linux project is a collaborative effort aimed at bringing the Linux operating system to Macs that contain M1 or M2 chips. The OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers represent the first time that conformant GPU drivers have been made available for Apple's newest hardware running on the Linux platform.

Conformant drivers meet specific industry standards, ensuring that they function correctly with various applications. The OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers have apparently undergone extensive testing, including tens of thousands of individual tests, to ensure that they meet the necessary criteria. The drivers are recognized as conformant by Khronos, the organization responsible for overseeing the standards related to OpenGL.

Unlike Apple's proprietary drivers for the GPUs integrated into the M1- and M2-series SoCs, which do not conform to standard graphics APIs such as Vulkan, OpenGL, or OpenGL ES, the drivers released by the Asahi Linux team are in line with these official standards. This means that users running Linux on Apple silicon can expect more stable and predictable performance from graphics-intensive applications, such as games, ostensibly marking a significant milestone in the development of Linux support for Apple's latest Mac hardware.

When Apple launched AirPods Max in December 2020, many users almost immediately flagged concerns about a build-up of condensation when the wireless headphones were worn for a prolonged period of time. Two years and eight months later, the issue may have become so entrenched that some users believe it is causing units to fail.

Tech news outlet 404 Media has published a report highlighting several complaints from ‌AirPods Max‌ users across Reddit, YouTube, Twitter (now X), and Apple's Support Community where water droplets have formed inside the over-ear headphones due to humidity. In some cases, users claim that the droplets have migrated inside the speaker holes, causing water damage to the drivers.

For example, a pinned post on the AirPods Max subreddit claims that "most hardware issues originate from condensation issues," which can lead to "AirPods turning off randomly, refusing to connect, refusing to play audio, needing restarts and factory resets to work, losing audio quality,” and other problems.

The report alleges that after one of the hottest summers on record, the problem is so frequently resulting in malfunction or complete failure that some afflicted users have come to refer to it as "condensation death." To mitigate the problem, some users have reportedly gone so far as to tape up the pin hole to prevent water ingress, or regularly clean the connections, which are arguably things a consumer should not have to do to keep the headphones in working order.

Interestingly, 404 Media highlights a class-action lawsuit in California that was brought against Apple two years ago by plaintiffs arguing that "a latent and material defect causes condensation to accumulate inside the ear cups of the ‌AirPods Max‌, often after only an hour or several hours of normal use."

The plaintiffs have been reportedly negotiating a settlement with Apple over the last few months. While Apple has not disputed that condensation can accumulate inside the cups, its lawyers have argued that this is "simply more noticeable" than it is in other brands of over-ear headphones, since ‌AirPods Max‌ ear cups are magnetic and removable.

Regardless, the lawyers stated that "Apple repeatedly tells customers that its new high-end, studio quality ‌AirPods Max‌ headphones 'aren't waterproof or water resistant' and 'not to get moisture in any openings.'"

Apple's lawyers also dispute what "normal use" of ‌AirPods Max‌ are, according to the report, and have argued that the plaintiff has omitted details about when the condensation issue occurs, implying that their self-described "walk" may have constituted strenuous exercise more akin to "an arduous hike up the hills of San Francisco to Twin Peaks." Apple's lawyers have also taken issue with excerpts cited from online forum comments, which they say "show that users who claim to have experienced water damage often were exercising with or wearing their headphones for prolonged periods."

Despite these reports, there are still many ‌AirPods Max‌ users who have noticed condensation build-up who have not experienced performance issues as a result. In addition, as 404 Media notes, there are no eBay listings for water-damaged ‌AirPods Max‌. Meanwhile, inquiries with aftermarket repair businesses have not found evidence of an influx of ‌AirPods Max‌ repairs, although that could well be because faulty units have simply been repaired by Apple. Either way, the full picture is far from clear.

Are you an owner of ‌AirPods Max‌? Have you had issues with the headphones that you believe occurred as a direct result of a manufacturing defect related to condensation build-up? Let us know in the comments.

Apple is considering adding color sampling sensors to future Apple Watch models that would allow watch faces to match the color of the user's band and clothing (via Apple Insider).

In a patent this week granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, titled "Electronic Devices with Color Sampling Sensors," Apple describes how light sensors under the Apple Watch display could measure the color of external objects, with the aim of matching the background of the currently displayed watch face with the color of the wearer's clothing and band choice.

The patent explains how an optical sensor such as a camera, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, fingerprint sensor, or other light-based under-screen sensor could sample colors by emitting a sequence of red, green, and blue light towards an external object placed in its line of sight and measuring the RGB reflectance levels.

Control circuitry in the watch would then apply a band-specific algorithm to the color sample and match it with a predetermined list of watch band colors, while a clothing-specific algorithm would match the clothing within a specific color gamut.

After applying constraints to possible display colors, the control circuitry would mimic the sampled color on the Apple Watch face background, for a desirable uniform look.

As with any filed patent, the technology it describes is unlikely to launch in an Apple Watch anytime in the near future, if at all, but it does offer an interesting look at how Apple is exploring ways to make its flagship smartwatch a more color-coordinated timepiece as well as a health and fitness device.

Apple is continually researching ways to extend the range of sensors in the Apple Watch, which already includes heart rate tracking, irregular heart rhythm notifications, the ECG app, blood oxygen measuring, fall detection, and more.

In 2020, CEO Tim Cook said Apple is still "in the early innings" with the device, noting that the company is testing "mind blowing" capabilities in its labs, although not everything will see the light of day. "Think about the amount of sensors in your car," said Cook, adding "and arguably, your body is much more important than your car."

In February, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple has made major progress with its noninvasive blood glucose monitoring technology, allowing diabetics and others to test their blood glucose levels without needing to prick the skin for blood testing. However, it is still said to be several years away from being introduced in a future Apple Watch model.

We're now getting close to the end of the iOS 17 beta testing process as September approaches, which means we are seeing fewer new features in beta updates and more focus on small refinements and bug fixes.

We've rounded up the changes in iOS 17 beta 7 that we've found so far, but let us know if you've seen a tweak that we haven't mentioned.

Phone App

With this beta, the end call button when the keypad is fully expanded is located at the bottom middle of the iPhone's display, rather than at the right as it was positioned in prior betas.

The updated location brings the expanded keypad end call button in line with the design of the standard (non-expanded) end call button. Apple in the last beta relocated the end call button to the middle of the display.

Silent Mode Haptic Feedback

In iOS 17 beta 6, there was a bug that removed the haptic feedback that is meant to signal when the mute switch is activated and the phone is silenced. In beta 7, the haptic feedback is back, plus the vibration has changed slightly.

The haptic feedback vibrations last just a bit longer, making them easier to notice. This change comes ahead of rumors suggesting Apple will add an action button to the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro models, replacing the mute switch.

Mood Tracking

Apple is still refining the animations that are used to represent each mood for the State of Mind feature in the Health app, and it has changed the speed of the rings around each shape.

More iOS 17 Beta 7 Features

Know of a feature that we left out in this list? Let us know in the comments below.

Apple today seeded the sixth beta of the upcoming macOS 14 Sonoma update to developers for testing purposes. The beta comes two weeks after the launch of the fifth beta.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.

macOS Sonoma introduces new Apple TV-like screen savers that also serve as wallpapers after you log in, plus it moves widgets to the desktop. You can use the new widget gallery to choose from a range of widgets, and then drag them to your Mac's desktop.

Widgets can be arranged in any way that's useful, and when you're using an app, they are designed to fade into the background so they're less distracting. ‌Widgets‌ are more interactive than before, so you can use them to do things like play music, turn off the lights in your home, and more. Through Continuity, your iPhone's widgets can also show up on your Mac's desktop.

Video conferencing has improved with a new Presenter Overlay view that shows your desktop or project in new ways, plus Safari now supports web apps for the Dock and the option to create Profiles so you can separate personal browsing from work browsing.

Other new features include improved search that's faster and more responsive, password and passkey sharing, a revamped stickers interface for the Messages app, PDF integration in notes that makes it easier than ever to manage PDFs, and more.

macOS Sonoma will be in beta testing for several months, with a public release coming this fall.

Apple today seeded the release candidate of an upcoming macOS Ventura 13.6 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a month after the release of macOS Ventura 13.5. A Release Candidate is a version of beta software that is used for final testing before the update is released to the public.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.

macOS Ventura 13.6 is a security fix update and does not appear to include any new features. Apple has also seeded a macOS Monterey 12.7 beta for people who are unable to update to macOS Ventura.

Apple today seeded the seventh betas of upcoming iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of the sixth betas.

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 17 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

iOS 17 is a major update that introduces a customized look for each person that calls, with the person who places the call able to customize their look. Live voicemails let you see a transcript of a message someone is leaving in real time so you can choose to pick up the phone if you want, and voice messages people send in iMessage are now transcribed into text. You can also record a video or audio message when someone misses your FaceTime call, and ‌FaceTime‌ works on the Apple TV through Continuity functionality.

In Messages, apps have been moved to a new tucked-away interface for a cleaner look, and there is a new Check In feature that is designed to let your friends and family keep an eye on you when you're traveling. Check In automatically notifies friends or family members when you arrive at a destination, such as home. Locations can also now be shared directly from the Messages app.

In a group chat, there's a catch-up arrow so you can see the first message you haven't seen in a conversation, and with search filters, you can more easily find what you're looking for. Stickers have been overhauled, and all emoji are now stickers, living alongside sticker packs and Memoji. Using the remove from background feature in iOS 17, you can turn the subject from any image into a sticker.

With StandBy, an iPhone placed horizontally turns into a little home hub that displays information like the calendar, time, home controls, and more, and Live Activities can be displayed in full screen too.

Widgets on the Home Screen are interactive, so you can do things like check off an item on a to-do list or turn off the lights without having to open an app. AirDrop has been improved and there's a NameDrop function for sharing contacts quickly, plus you can hold two iPhones together to start a SharePlay session. SharePlay also now works with CarPlay so passengers can play their music in the car too.

Other new features include a journaling app coming later this year, AirPlay in select hotel rooms, improvements to AirPods Pro 2 thanks to a new Adaptive Audio feature, offline Maps, Siri that does not require the "Hey" activation, and improvements to search and spotlight.

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming tvOS 17 beta to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a week Apple introduced the sixth beta.

Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 17 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.

tvOS updates don't typically garner as much attention as updates to iOS and macOS, and are never as feature rich, but tvOS 17 brings FaceTime to the TV for the first time. The ‌Apple TV‌ 4K can connect to an iPhone or iPad that serves as the camera, with the ‌FaceTime‌ interface showing up on the TV's screen.

All of the ‌FaceTime‌ features are available, including Center Stage to keep you front and center, plus there are new gesture-based reactions that let you use your hands to generate on-screen effects. For example, if you make a heart with your hands, the screen will display hearts.

Split View for ‌Apple TV‌ lets users watch television with friends and family using SharePlay, and there are controls for transferring calls between the TV and an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ as needed. Third-party apps like Zoom will also be able to take advantage of this functionality, so those apps will also work on the TV screen.

Control Center on ‌Apple TV‌ has been revamped and it is easier for users to access key settings and information, plus there is a new feature that allows the ‌iPhone‌ to locate a Siri Remote that's been misplaced.

tvOS also features a range of new aerial screen savers, adds support for third-party VPN apps, introduces Dolby Vision 8.1 on compatible devices, and more. Details can be found in our Apple TV roundup.

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming watchOS 10 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software update coming a week after the Sixth beta.

To install the watchOS 10 update, developers will need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the watchOS 10 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, watchOS 10 can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

watchOS 10 adds a whole new widget-focused interface. You can access a widget stack from any watch face using the Digital Crown, swiping through them to get to relevant information. Control Center can be activated from any app by pressing the side button, and these new quick access controls are meant to let you use watch faces that support less information while still putting everything you need at your fingertips.

There are new Palette and Snoopy watch faces, updates to Cycling and Hiking workouts, and mental health integrations. Users can log their state of mind and mood using the Apple Watch, with the device providing insights into mental health over time.

Apple's bigger, more expensive Apple Watch Ultra has been out for nearly a year now, and with a second-generation version on the horizon, MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera decided to do a long term review and take a look back at what it's been like using the current model since last September.

Measuring in at 49mm, the Apple Watch Ultra is the largest Apple Watch that's come out to date. Apple marketed it toward people who need something that can handle more extreme activities than the standard Apple Watch, and it has better durability and features for more specialized endeavors like diving and hiking.

The titanium material has held up well, though there are some small scratches and scuffs. The screen has remained scratch free, and in Dan's case, it was able to resist scratching better than the standard Apple Watch models.

Battery life is one of the major selling points of the Apple Watch Ultra, and it is easily able to last for two to three days. On an average day, Dan hits about 70 or 80 percent battery at the end of the day. The long battery life is worth the extra weight and bulk of the Ultra for those who prioritize battery.

The Action Button is another Apple Watch Ultra exclusive feature, but it has limited functionality on the Apple Watch. It can start a dive, a workout, or execute compass functions like setting a way point, but there aren't a lot of options beyond that for those who don't use the Apple Watch Ultra for those activities. It can, however, activate any Shortcut, which is the most useful way to get more out of it.

If you're thinking about buying an Apple Watch Ultra with the upgrade this year, it's worth it for the larger display and the battery life, so long as you don't mind the size and bulk of the larger casing.

Make sure to watch Dan's full video to get his complete overview, and let us know how the Apple Watch Ultra has worked out for you if you already have one.

Apple today shared a new video in a new "Made on iPhone" series that features an adorable puppy that has a prosthesis. Chip was born with limb deformities, and he needed to have two of his legs amputated.

The prosthesis that Chip uses was created by 3DPets, a small business that designs pet prosthetics using the LiDAR Scanner and TrueDepth camera on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro. 3DPets walks through the steps that it takes to create a 3D scan that is then used to create custom hardware.

Apple's video shows Chip wearing his prosthesis to run, swim, and do other dog activities, plus it features other dogs with similar equipment. The video was shot on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, and it is also part of Apple's Shot on ‌iPhone‌ series.

The iPhone 15 lineup could come with a braided USB-C charging cable that is 50% longer than the Lightning cable that comes with current iPhone models, according to new reports.

The length of the cables seen in recent reporting led some to speculate that they would be too long for an ‌iPhone‌, but the latest information suggests that Apple plans to offer a substantially longer charging cable with the ‌iPhone‌ for the first time.

Apple device collector "Kosutami," who has revealed most of the details about the color-matched and braided USB-C to USB-C cables allegedly accompanying the ‌iPhone 15‌ models, now says that the cable is 1.5m in length. The rumor was also shared by "Majin Bu," who added that the new cables should be much more durable. The longer cable will presumably necessitate redesigned packaging.

The Lightning cable packed with current ‌iPhone‌ models is rubberized, white, and just one meter in length. The new braided cables are expected to come in black, white, yellow, blue, and orange, at minimum, mirroring a new selection of color options for the ‌iPhone 15‌ series.

Apple-owned Shazam version 15.38 was released earlier today, and the latest update to the music recognition app adds two new Lock Screen widgets.

The latest version of the Shazam app adds Lock Screen widgets for the iPhone and iPad in two different sizes. The smaller widget allows users to open Shazam and identify songs directly from the Lock Screen, while the wider widget displays the last identified song.

Apple acquired Shazam in 2018, and has been gradually bringing the app into closer alignment with ‌Apple Music‌ ever since, offering trials to the streaming service through the app and the ability to sync Shazams directly to ‌Apple Music‌. The app has surpassed 200 million monthly active users worldwide and over one billion Shazams per month.

Shazam can be downloaded from the App Store for free. It can be accessed through the Control Center on ‌‌iPhone‌‌ and ‌‌iPad‌‌, through ‌Siri‌ commands, or on the Mac, as well as via widgets. Shazam is also available on Android devices and select features can be accessed on the web.

Apple's Beats brand is announcing two new metallic colors of the Beats Studio Buds + today in collaboration with nail brand Olive & June. The new Cosmic Silver and Cosmic Pink colors will be available starting Thursday, September 7.

Cosmic Silver and Cosmic Pink expand upon the Transparent, Ivory, and Black options that were included in the initial debut back in May. The launch saw Beats' popular earphones updated with new fit options, improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency modes, and better battery life, among other upgrades.

Alongside the Cosmic color options, Beats is presenting a new ad campaign featuring influencer, YouTuber, and podcaster Emma Chamberlain, entitled "The Beauty of Immersive Sound."

Finally, the collaboration with Olive & June will see the nail brand introduce new polish shades and press-on designs that complement the latest Beats Studio Buds + colors, with the new products launching on Olive & June's website on September 6.

The new Beats Studio Buds + colors are priced at the same $169.99 as the original colors and will be available worldwide at Apple. Third-party retailers will vary by country, with Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target carrying Cosmic Silver, while Target will be the exclusive third-party retailer for Cosmic Pink in the U.S.

The Beats Studio Buds + earphones represent one of two significant product updates for Beats so far in 2023, with the other being the Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones introduced last month.

Amazon today has a few Apple Watch Ultra models at their lowest-ever price of $699.99, down from $799.00. Only Amazon has this deal, and all discounts require you to first add the Apple Watch Ultra to your cart in order to receive the $80 coupon and see the final sale price.

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.

Models on sale include the M/L Apple Watch Ultra Trail Loop, Medium Apple Watch Ultra Alpine Loop, and the Apple Watch Ultra Ocean Band. Only select colors of each band style are seeing this discount, which is now the best price we've ever tracked on the wearable.

The Trail Loop model is in stock and has an estimated delivery date of late August, but the other two are slightly delayed into September. 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 iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus will be available in a refreshed selection of colors, with at least five different shades to choose from, recent rumors suggest.

According to the Twitter leaker known as "Unknownz21," who has provided an extensive amount of information about Apple's upcoming devices, at least six different colorways were tested for the ‌iPhone 15‌:

Yesterday, it emerged that Apple appears to be planning to accompany each of the devices in the ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup with a color-matched braided USB-C to USB-C cable for the first time. With the exception of the black version, each of the cables has a glossy white plastic shell at either end. Unlike the Apple Watch magnetic charging cable and MagSafe 3, the braided USB-C cables feature strain relief tubes.

To date, all ‌iPhone‌ models have come with a white cable featuring a white rubber jacket, regardless of the color option chosen for the device itself. Apple has gradually been moving to braided cables across most of its devices, and all MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with ‌‌MagSafe‌‌ 3 come with a color-matched braided cable, so doing the same for the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ seems plausible amid its transition to USB-C.

Apple device prototype collector "Kosutami" affirmed that they had seen design validation test (DVT) samples of the new cables. Now, Kosutami has shared images of what they claim are genuine Apple cables:

The orange cable shown by Kosutami has appeared to look pink in other images, causing some confusion online, suggesting that it is, in fact, more of a coral shade. This may also explain the "inconsistent mentions" of the orange ‌iPhone 15‌ highlighted by Unknownz21. Apple offered a Coral version of the ‌iPhone‌ XR in 2018, so there is precedent for the color option being offered in the past.

A single report from February suggested that the ‌iPhone 15‌ would be available in Pink and Blue. Blue is still expected according to the latest information, but the rumored pink shade may have become coral.

The shades of the braided USB-C cables match up with several of the color options Unknownz21 says Apple tested. All in all, this may be roughly what to expect in terms of colors to choose from on the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus compared to the current models:

‌iPhone‌ lineups in recent years have launched with just five options, with a sixth following in the spring to boost sales midway through the device's product cycle. It looks like that could continue this year, with only five different USB-C cable colors having been spotted.

In April 2021, Apple made the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini available in Purple. Apple introduced a new Green color for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, and a new Alpine Green color for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro models, the following year. As part of a spring color refresh earlier this year, Apple introduced a new Yellow color option for the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus.

Since PRODUCT(RED) is noticeably absent from Unknownz21 and Kosutami's information, it seems possible that there may be no ‌iPhone‌ in that color this year. In early 2017 and 2018, the new hue introduced for the ‌iPhone‌ 7 and ‌iPhone‌ 8 was PRODUCT(RED), so it is entirely possible that PRODUCT(RED) could return on the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus as an additional color option in the spring of 2024.

The iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max will be at least $100 more expensive than their predecessors, according to DigiTimes.

The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999 and the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099. DigiTimes' forecast places the price of the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro at $1,099 to $1,199 and the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max at $1,199 to $1,299.

The significant price increase could suppress sales of the new Pro ‌iPhone‌ models this year, reduced to around 77 million units in 2023. Initial estimates placed shipments at around 83 million units. This corresponds to a wider decline in the smartphone industry of more than five percent year-on-year.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was contemplating raising the price for both the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max. Analyst Jeff Pu has also said that the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models could be more expensive than the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro models. Pu believes the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro could be priced starting at $1,099, up from the $999 starting price of the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models are expected to be unveiled at an Apple event on Tuesday, September 12. With that timing, pre-orders would likely take place on Friday, September 15, with launch following on Friday, September 22.