MacRumors

Samsung's "Space Zoom" feature has come under fire amid complaints that images of the moon are being artificially enhanced to an extreme extent.

Samsung introduced a 100x zoom feature with the Galaxy S20 Ultra in 2020, becoming a mainstay on recent flagship handsets from the company. Since its debut, Samsung has touted its devices' ability to take impressive pictures of the moon. Unlike brands such as Huawei, which simply overlay a PNG of the moon on such images, Samsung says that no overlays or texture effects are applied.

Yet on Friday, a Samsung user on the subreddit r/Android shared a detailed post purporting to "prove" that Samsung's moon shots are "fake." Their methodology involved downloading a high-resolution image of the moon, downsizing it to just 170 by 170 pixels, clipping the highlights, and applying a gaussian blur to heavily obscure the moon's surface details. This low-resolution image was then displayed on a monitor and captured at a distance from a Samsung Galaxy device. The resulting image has considerably more detail than its source.

Samsung devices seemingly achieve this effect by applying machine learning trained on a large number of moon images, making the photography effect purely computational. This has led to accusations that a texture is functionally still being applied to images of the moon and that the feature is a disingenuous representation of the camera hardware's actual capabilities, triggering heated debate online, even bringing into question the iPhone's reliance on computational photography.

Japanese website Mac Otakara has shared a video in which supposedly size-accurate 3D-printed iPhone 15 dummies are compared to iPhone 14 cases, and it looks as if the tweaks that Apple has made to the dimensions of its next flagship iPhone series mean that in most cases they won't fit cases made for the previous generation.

In the video, 3D-printed versions of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max are shown that are allegedly based on accurate schematics. The Pro dummies feature curved edges, smaller bezels, and a slightly larger rear camera housing, in line with design rumors. There's also a USB-C port replacing the Lightning port on all four models.

Assuming the 3D printouts sourced from Alibaba are accurate, Mac Otakara's tests seem to confirm that small changes in the chassis dimensions of the new handsets make them incompatible with iPhone 14 cases, with the exception of the iPhone 15 Plus, which did fit iPhone 14 Plus cases.

Apple is bringing the Dynamic Island to all four iPhone 15 models this year, after having made the feature exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro models last year. That means Apple will be doing away with the notch that it has used since the iPhone X for the flagship iPhone lineup.

Rumors suggest the iPhone 15 Pro models will feature thinner, more curved bezels than the iPhone 14 Pro models. These deeper curves will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models, and the iPhone 15 models will look like the iPhone 14 models with flatter edges, an aluminum frame, and a glass front and back.

The iPhone 15 Pro lineup is also expected to feature more curved front glass that better disappears into the frame, and Apple is expected to use titanium instead of stainless steel for the chassis, with Apple adopting solid-state volume and power buttons.

For all the details on what we can expect from the iPhone 15 series, be sure to check out our dedicated roundups using the links below this article.

Apple's AirPods could gain more prominent hearing health features in the next year or two, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that he believes Apple will "upgrade the AirPods to become a health tool in the next year or two," adding "the ability to get hearing data of some sort."

Apple has already added several hearing-focused features to the AirPods in recent years such as Live Listen and Conversation Boost, but Gurman noted that such features are not yet FDA approved or designed to serve as a hearing aid replacement. Given Apple's health objectives, he expects AirPods to take on these sorts of functions "more officially" in the near future.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously highlighted the company's intention to add biometric health monitoring capabilities to future AirPods models. Apple patent filings have described an earbud-based fitness monitoring system that integrates an advanced biometric sensor to detect physiological metrics including temperature, heart rate, perspiration levels and more, through skin contact and via built-in motion sensors. Apple's vice president of technology, Kevin Lynch, has also hinted that AirPods could be a source of additional health data in the future.

New hearing health capabilities would not necessarily be contingent on new AirPods being released, since current models already contain speakers and microphones to support such features, and they could be pushed to existing devices via a firmware update.

Apple CEO Tim Cook sided with operations chief Jeff Williams in pushing to launch a first-generation mixed-reality headset device this year, against the wishes of the company's design team, the Financial Times reports.

The timing of the mixed-reality headset's launch has apparently been a cause of considerable contention at Apple. The company's industrial design team cautioned that devices in the category were not yet ready for launch and wanted to delay until a lightweight AR glasses product had matured several years later. On the other hand, Apple's operations team wanted to ship an early version of the product in the form of a VR-focused ski goggle-like headset that allows users to watch 3D videos, perform interactive workouts, or make FaceTime calls with virtual avatars.

‌Tim Cook‌, who served as Apple's operations chief prior to becoming CEO, reportedly sided with Jeff Williams, overruling objections from Apple's designers and pressing for an early launch with a more limited product. Speaking to the Financial Times, former Apple engineers who worked on the device described the "huge pressure to ship."

Upon the departure of design chief Jony Ive in 2019, Apple's design team now reports directly to Williams. While design led the direction of Apple's products under Steve Jobs, employees have noticed that operations is increasingly taking control over product development under Cook's leadership. One former engineer said that the best part of working at Apple was devising engineering solutions to meet the "insane requirements" of the design team, but that has apparently changed in recent years.

Apple's headset has reportedly been in active development for seven years, twice as long as the original iPhone prior to its launch. The device is seen as being tied directly to ‌Tim Cook‌'s legacy, as Apple's first new computing platform developed entirely under his leadership.

The company is still expecting to sell only around a million units of the headset during its first year on sale at a ~$3,000 price point. Nevertheless, Apple is purportedly preparing a "marketing blitz" for the product later this year.

Update: The headline on this article has been updated to clarify that Apple's designers reportedly preferred to wait for technology to advance sufficiently to release slimmer AR glasses rather than a bulkier headset, not that the headset itself is being released prematurely.

The rumors were right! This year's mid-cycle color addition for the iPhone 14 is indeed a bright yellow, and it's available for pre-order now alongside the usual spring color refresh for iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands.

This week also saw the surprise announcement of Apple Music Classical, a new iPhone app for Apple Music subscribers that will launch later this month. iPhone and Mac rumors also continue to surface as we look toward upcoming hardware launches that involve more than just a new color, so read on for all the details on these stories and more!

Apple Announces New Yellow Color Option for iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

Apple this week introduced a new Yellow color option for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. The devices can be pre-ordered in the new color now in the U.S. and more than 60 other countries. In-store availability will begin Tuesday, March 14.

There are no changes to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus beyond the new Yellow color option. Apple first released the devices in September in Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and (PRODUCT)RED.

Apple Music Classical Launching Later This Month

Apple's long-awaited classical music app is now available for pre-order on the App Store and will be released on March 28. The app will be free to use with an Apple Music subscription on iOS 15.4 and later, and offers over five million classical music tracks.

Apple Music Classical is based on the former classical music streaming service Primephonic, which Apple acquired and shut down back in 2021. As a brief overview, we've put together a list of 15 things to know about the app ahead of its launch.

iPhone 14 Silicone Cases Now Available in Four New Colors

Alongside the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in Yellow, Apple made its silicone cases for the devices available in four new color options this week, including Canary Yellow, Olive, Sky, and Iris.

There are also new colors for a variety of Apple Watch bands and AirTag accessories, as part of Apple's usual spring refresh of colors. All of the new accessories are available to order now on Apple's online store.

iPhone 15 Pro Front Glass Leak Reveals Ultra-Thin Bezels Around Display

While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away, front glass panels for the devices were allegedly leaked this week on Chinese social media sites.

As previously rumored, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will feature even thinner bezels around the display compared to the previous generation. Moreover, the Dynamic Island is expected to be expanded to all four iPhone 15 models, after debuting on the iPhone 14 Pro models last year.

New MacBook Airs Expected to Launch by Summer

Apple will likely release new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models "between late spring and summer," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Both new MacBook Air models and an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro will be equipped with Apple's M3 chip, built on TSMC's 3nm process, according to 9to5Mac. An updated 24-inch iMac with an M3 chip is also expected to be released in the second half of this year.

tvOS 16.3.3 Released With Fix for Siri Remote Connectivity

If you have been experiencing connectivity issues with the Siri Remote while using your Apple TV, a fix is finally available with tvOS 16.3.3.

The software update is only available for the new third-generation Apple TV 4K and "fixes an issue where the Siri Remote can become unresponsive," according to Apple's release notes. On the Apple TV, the update can be installed via Settings > System > Software Updates.

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Some Apple fans have long wanted Apple to combine the functionality of the iPad with the Mac, and it appears that it's finally going to happen. Apple is rumored to be working on touchscreen Mac technology, and we could see the first touchscreen Mac in just a couple of years.

This guide highlights everything that we know so far about Apple's work on a touchscreen Mac.

Possible Models

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple engineers are "actively engaged" in the development of a Mac with a touchscreen, and one of the first Macs with a touchscreen could be an OLED version of the MacBook Pro.

How Touchscreen Macs Will Work

The first touchscreen Mac is expected to continue to feature a traditional laptop design, complete with a trackpad and a keyboard.

While a standard notebook design will continue to be used, the machine will feature a display that supports touch input like an iPhone or an ‌iPad‌.

Operating System

Gurman says that the first touchscreen Macs are likely to use macOS, the operating system that runs on the Mac. Apple is not looking to combine iPadOS and macOS at this time, though the lines have blurred between the operating systems with the launch of Apple silicon Macs.

‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ apps are already able to run on Macs with Apple silicon chips, unless a developer opts out of the cross platform functionality.

Touchscreen Mac History

Apple executives have said many times over the years that Apple does not have plans to release a touchscreen Mac. In 2021, for example, Apple hardware engineering chief John Ternus said that the best touch computer is an ‌iPad‌, with the Mac "totally optimized for indirect input" rather than touch. "We haven't really felt a reason to change that," he said.

Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi in 2020 said that Apple believed Mac ergonomics require the hands to be rested on a surface, claiming that "lifting your arm up to poke a screen" is "fatiguing." Touchscreen laptops from other companies were also not compelling to Apple. "I don't think we've ever looked at any of the other guys to date and said, how fast can we get there?"

Later in 2020, Federighi said that a touch-based interface was not considered for the Mac and that Apple had no secret plans to change the way the Mac works. Apple has been dismissing claims of a touchscreen Mac for almost a decade at this point.

The Competition

Almost all PC manufacturers make some kind of touch-based tablet/laptop hybrid device, many of which are positioned as all-in-one or convertible machines.

HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus, Microsoft, Google, and Samsung all have notebook options with touch displays. Major Apple competitor Samsung, for example, offers the Galaxy Book, which has a traditional keyboard and trackpad paired with a touchscreen.

Release Date

The first touchscreen Mac could come out as soon as 2025, but there is time for Apple to change its plans.

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, Frank McShan joins us to discuss Apple's Yellow iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus, as well as the range of new Apple Watch bands and AirTag accessories.

Frank is a MacRumors alumnus and Apple-focused content creator on TikTok with over two million followers. He had a first-hand look at the Yellow ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus earlier this week. We talk through our thoughts on Apple's current selection of color options across its devices and accessories in detail and discuss some of the latest news, including the official announcement of the Apple Music Classical app, as well as the redesigned HomePod with a 7-inch display that is rumored to arrive in the first half of next year. Visit Frank's TikTok to see more of his work.

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 for our discussion on some of the top features and changes we would like to see in iOS 17.

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 David Lewis, Andru Edwards, 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, Rene Ritchie, and Mark Gurman. 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.

This week's best Apple-related deals include the return of 25 percent off MagSafe chargers on Verizon, all-time low prices on the iPad mini 6, and rare discounts on the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro. Expercom also has an opportunity for saving on previous-generation M1 iPad Pro tablets in a sale that will end sometime next week.

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.

MagSafe Chargers

• What's the deal? Take 25% off MagSafe chargers
• Where can I get it? Verizon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Verizon this week returned with savings across Apple's trio of MagSafe charging accessories, including discounts we haven't tracked since the holidays. You can save 25 percent on MagSafe chargers with this sale, and no coupon is required. You can get the MagSafe Charger for $29.99, down from $39.00. The MagSafe Duo Charger is down to $96.74, from $129.00; and the MagSafe Battery Pack is down to $74.24, from $99.00.

M1 iPad Pro

• What's the deal? Take up to $220 off M1 iPad Pro
• Where can I get it? Expercom
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Expercom this week kicked off a new sale focusing on previous-generation iPad Pro models, providing up to $220 off M1 11-inch iPad Pro from 2021. This is a good chance to save money on a high-end Apple tablet, particularly given that the 2021 and 2022 iPad Pro models share an overwhelming majority of their features.

iPad mini 6

• What's the deal? Take up to $109 off iPad mini 6
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

In the middle of the week Amazon began discounting nearly all models of the iPad mini 6, and some of these are still available today. Prices start at $399.99 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model and increase to $539.99 for 256GB Wi-Fi (an all-time low price) and $549.99 for 64GB cellular.

M1 MacBook Air

• What's the deal? Take $199 off M1 MacBook Air
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

We also tracked a deal on the 2020 M1 MacBook Air on Amazon this week, with the 256GB model down to $799.99, from $999.00. As of Friday, this notebook is only available in Space Gray at this price, so be sure to shop soon if you're interested.

13-Inch M2 MacBook Pro

• What's the deal? Take $150 off M2 13-inch MacBook Pro
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Moving to the newer 13-inch MacBook Pro model from 2022, Amazon has this 256GB notebook on sale for $1,149.00, down from $1,299.00. While not an all-time low price, this is a solid second-best price on the computer given that it is very rare that we see deals on this one.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Apple CEO Tim Cook could receive close to $50 million in compensation if Apple meets all of its financial goals, shareholders decided today in an annual meeting that was highlighted by Bloomberg.

Cook is set to receive a $3 million base salary, a $6 million cash bonus, and stock awards that are worth approximately $40 million. Cook's salary is down around 50 percent, as he received $99 million in 2022. His pay will be tied closely to overall company performance, with the shift introduced after shareholders became upset about his pay package.

Shareholders approved a proposal that will see executive salary decided with an annual vote, and other Apple executives will earn around $27 million each in 2023. This includes chief operating officer Jeff Williams, general counsel Katherine Adams, retail head Deirdre O'Brien, services chief Eddy Cue, software head Craig Federighi, chief financial officer Luca Maestri, and others.

Several measures that Apple asked investors to reject did not receive enough votes to pass. Shareholders had proposed a civil rights audit on Apple's diversity efforts, called for Apple to report on its reliance on China on an annual basis, and asked Apple to report on pay gaps at the company.

All Apple board members were reelected, despite proposals calling for the removal of Al Gore and ‌Tim Cook‌.

Pre-orders for the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in Yellow have opened up today, and that means you can now get a few early deals on the smartphone from various cellular carriers. Today we're sharing discounts and offers on the yellow iPhone 14 from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

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.

Shoppers should note that all deals listed below are pre-orders for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the smartphones will officially launch on March 14.

Verizon

Verizon has the iPhone 14 Plus model for as low as $5 per month when purchased on select 5G Unlimited plans. As of now, only the Plus model is seeing any sort of discount on Verizon, but you can also save $200 when you switch from another carrier to Verizon.

The deal for the iPhone 14 Plus requires you to purchase the 128GB model at $899.99 on a device payment plan or at full retail price with a new smartphone line. Eligible smartphone plans include: One Unlimited for iPhone, 5G Start, 5G Do More, 5G Play More, or 5G Get More. Verizon will then apply $719.99 promo credit to your account over 36 months.

If you're shopping for tablets or smartwatches, Verizon is offering a 9th generation iPad and 2022 Apple Watch SE at no cost. To get this, you'll need to buy a 5G iPhone and then you'll get up to $459.99 off an iPad in promo credits over 36 months. Similarly, you'll save $299.99 on the Apple Watch SE and you'll need a new line for a watch and service plan.

It's also worth noting that Verizon has 25 percent off MagSafe chargers right now for all shoppers, not just Verizon users. You can get the MagSafe Charger for $29.99, down from $39.00. The MagSafe Duo Charger is down to $96.74, from $129.00; and the MagSafe Battery Pack is down to $74.24, from $99.00.

AT&T

AT&T's offers start with the yellow iPhone 14 for $0 when you trade in a select smartphone and purchase or upgrade to an eligible unlimited plan. After this you can get up to $800 off after 36 monthly bill credits, which would net you the 128GB iPhone 14 at no cost.

AT&T also has the yellow iPhone 14 Plus at up to $800 off with select trade-in and purchase or upgrade of an eligible unlimited plan. With these savings, which will be applied in bill credits over 36 months, the 128GB iPhone 14 Plus would drop to around $2.78/month.

T-Mobile

At T-Mobile, both the yellow iPhone 14 and yellow iPhone 14 Plus are seeing the same deals. You can get up to $1,000 off with trade-in and a new line on Magenta MAX. To get the $1,000 off you'll need to trade in an iPhone 11 Pro or newer, which you'll receive in monthly bill credits over 24 months.

T-Mobile also has a buy one, get one deal where you can get up to $700 off a second iPhone 14 when you first buy one at regular price. Additionally, you can get a 2022 Apple Watch SE at no cost when you buy an eligible iPhone on a qualifying installment plan.

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.

Apple today began accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in a new Yellow color option in the U.S. and more than 60 other countries and regions. Deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin Tuesday, March 14.

There are no changes to the devices beyond the new Yellow finish, announced earlier this week. Pricing also remains the same, with the iPhone 14 starting at $799 and the iPhone 14 Plus starting at $899. Apple first released the devices in September with Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and (PRODUCT)RED color options.

Apple also made its iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus Silicone Cases available in new Canary Yellow, Olive, Sky, and Iris color options last week.

Apple often releases at least one new iPhone color in the spring to boost sales midway through the product cycle. While an Alpine Green color was introduced for iPhone 13 Pro models last spring, there is no new color for the Pro models this time.

As a refresher, the iPhone 14 is equipped with a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 14 Plus is a larger 6.7-inch model. Key new features of the devices include camera enhancements like Action mode, longer battery life, Crash Detection, and Emergency SOS via Satellite. In the U.S., the devices are compatible with eSIMs only.

Pre-orders can be placed on Apple.com or in the Apple Store app, and most Apple Store locations should have stock beginning Tuesday.

Be aware that Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus in September with a USB-C port, Dynamic Island, and more.

Apple's iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models in a new Yellow color will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, March 14, following pre-orders starting later today. Ahead of time, several unboxing videos of the new models have surfaced online, offering a closer real-world look at the new color.

MKBHD's Marques Brownlee provides what is probably the most comparative look at the new iPhone 14 Plus in Yellow. Brownlee describes it as a "really safe, light, pale yellow - lighter than anything I've compared it to."

To demonstrate, Brownlee shows it next to a New York City MetroCard, a banana, and a Snapchat Pixy drone. One aspect of the device that is dark is the sides, which he calls a "slightly closer to gold color."

For contrast, Brownlee also includes a comparison shot of the new color alongside the Yellow that Apple offered the iPhone XR in a few years ago.

Meanwhile, Japanese blog Mac Otakara has uploaded an unboxing video that provides a good look at how the new Yellow color appears outdoors in sunny conditions.

Apple usually introduces new ‌iPhone‌ color options in the spring to boost sales midway through the device's product cycle. Apple will later today begin accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in Yellow in the U.S. and more than 60 other countries and regions. As mentioned, deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin Tuesday, March 14.

Apple has taken its online store down ahead of pre-order availability for the iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus in a new Yellow color, starting at 5.00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Announced by Apple earlier this week, the new Yellow shade joins the iPhone and ‌‌iPhone 14‌‌ Plus's existing Midnight, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, Blue, and Purple color options. There are no changes to the devices beyond the new Yellow finish.

Apple last offered a Yellow color option for the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ in 2019 with the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 11, which came just one year after the Yellow ‌‌iPhone‌‌ XR. There are no new color options for the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌‌iPhone 14‌ Pro‌ Max.

Availability for the new Yellow models starts next week on Tuesday, March 14. Apple has also added four new colors for the ‌‌iPhone 14‌‌ and ‌‌iPhone 14‌‌ Plus Silicone Cases, including Canary Yellow, Olive, Sky, and Iris.

Apple will release a redesigned HomePod with a 7-inch display in the first half of 2024, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a brief post on Medium, Kuo wrote that the next-generation ‌HomePod‌'s display could facilitate deeper integration with Apple's other hardware products.

Tianma apparently will be a beneficiary of Apple's "revamped smart home strategy," becoming the sole supplier of the redesigned ‌HomePod‌'s display. If its participation in manufacturing the new ‌HomePod‌ goes well, Tianma may be entrusted to supply iPad panels in the future.

In 2021, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman was first to suggest that Apple is working on new ‌HomePod‌ models with displays and cameras. He has also reported that Apple is working on multi-touch functionality for the ‌HomePod‌. In the long term, Apple is believed to be rethinking its smart home strategy and is reportedly working on a combined Apple TV and HomePod device, as well as a HomePod with a screen mounted on a robotic arm. The ‌HomePod‌ already runs a variant of tvOS, but there are some indications that Apple is working on a new "homeOS" platform.

Apple today announced that its expanded range of App Store price points is now available to developers for use with all ‌App Store‌ purchase options, including paid apps and one-time in-app purchases.

When the updated pricing options were first introduced in December, they were limited to auto-renewable subscriptions. Apple at the time said the pricing changes would also expand to other app and in-app purchases starting in spring 2023.

Apple now offers more than 900 price points, with the 100 highest price points available by request only. The price points start at $.29 and go up to $9,999.99 in the United States, so developers can set both lower and higher prices and choose more granular pricing options.

Choose from 900 price points -- nearly 10 times the number of price points previously available for paid apps and one‑time in‑app purchases. These options also offer more flexibility, increasing incrementally across price ranges (for example, every $0.10 up to $10, every $0.50 between $10 and $50, etc.).

Apple is also adding globally equalized pricing that follows the most common pricing conventions in each country or region, along with worldwide options for a base price.

Starting on May 9, Apple also plans to update pricing for existing apps and one-time in-app purchases across all 175 global storefronts, all of which will be globally equalized to a selected base country or region using publicly available exchange rate information.

More information about the changes can be found on Apple's website.

The dedicated MLB app for the iPhone now supports Live Activities following an update that was introduced yesterday. With Live Activities, MLB users can follow their favorite teams without the need to open the app, keeping track of scores right from the Lock Screen.

On the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, scores can also be tracked through the Dynamic Island. After updating to the latest version of the app, users can choose the "Track" option from the list of games to add the up-to-date scoring to the Lock Screen and ‌Dynamic Island‌.

Live Activities for MLB games was already offered through Apple's own TV app, but until this week, the MLB app itself did not support the feature. Live Activities have been available for third-party apps since the October release of iOS 16.1. Given that the MLB partners with Apple for content, it is not clear why it took so long for the feature to be implemented.

The MLB app was updated for the 2023 season yesterday, and in addition to Live Activities support, the app now includes a new onboarding experience, a Watch tab with 24/7 programming available, 2023 team schedules and tickets, a refreshed standings page, and more.

The MLB app can be downloaded from the App Store for free, but unlocking all content will require a subscription. Access to every out-of-market game costs $24.99 per month or $150 for the year. [Direct Link]

Friday Night Baseball games will resume on Apple TV+ when the 2023 season begins. The first games are set to premiere on Friday, April 7, with the Texas Rangers playing the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres playing the Atlanta Braves.

Apple today unveiled Apple Music Classical on the App Store. Here are 15 things you need to know about the new app:

• ‌Apple Music‌ Classical is based on Primephonic, a classical music streaming service that Apple acquired in 2021. The new app leverages Primephonic's playlists and audio content, search capabilities, metadata, and more.
• ‌Apple Music‌ Classical works in tandem with the existing ‌Apple Music‌ app, providing dedicated features to engage with classical music on the ‌Apple Music‌ platform more directly, but with many of the same features like support for Spatial Audio.
• As its name suggests, the app singularly contains classical music, offering over five million tracks, hundreds of curated playlists, and thousands of exclusive albums.
• Apple says that it has been working with classical music artists and institutions to offer exclusive content and recordings in ‌Apple Music‌ Classical, including Hi-Res Lossless and Spatial Audio tracks.
• The app's design is based on ‌Apple Music‌, but with a simplified UI that heavily uses Apple's New York font instead of SF Pro.
• There is no Radio tab in the ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app, and it is not yet clear if it will support classical Radio Stations from ‌Apple Music‌.
• The app features a more capable search experience, allowing users to search by composer, work, conductor, catalog number, and more.
• The Now Playing screen has an all-white or all-black background, unlike ‌Apple Music‌, which generates a background from the currently playing track's album artwork.
• The Now Playing screen features an info button instead of lyrics, providing detailed written descriptions of songs.
• The app features rich composer bios, editorial notes, and detailed information about key works.
• Apple has commissioned unique artwork of famous artists for ‌Apple Music‌ Classical using color palettes and artistic references from the relevant classical period. The first portraits include Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, and Johann Sebastian Bach, with more to come in the future.
• There is no version of ‌Apple Music‌ Classical for iPadOS, making it an iPhone-only app.
• An Android version of ‌Apple Music‌ Classical is in the works and set to arrive "soon," according to Apple.
• Apple has launched a new Twitter account for ‌Apple Music‌ Classical, @appleclassical, to track news and updates about the app.
• ‌Apple Music‌ Classical is included for free as part of an existing ‌Apple Music‌ or Apple One subscription, but it is not included in the $4.99-per-month ‌Apple Music‌ Voice plan.

‌Apple Music‌‌ Classical is now available for pre-order on the App Store and due to be released on March 28, 2023.