MacRumors

Apple is unlikely to move Face ID components under the iPhone's display until 2025 at the earliest, according to display industry consultant Ross Young, who has a very good track record with display-related information about future Apple products.

Young had previously expected Apple to launch its first iPhone with under-display Face ID in 2024, but he now believes the timeframe has been pushed back to 2025 at the earliest due to "sensor issues," per a tweet he shared today. This means the so-called "iPhone 17 Pro" could be the first model with Face ID hidden under the display, but he still expects there to be a hole in the display for the front camera on the device.

Young's revised timeframe contradicts a report from Korean publication The Elec claiming that under-display Face ID would launch on the iPhone 16 Pro next year. Young is typically accurate, so the technology is more likely to be at least two years away.

In the meantime, it has been widely rumored that Apple will expand the Dynamic Island to all four iPhone 15 models, after introducing the feature on the iPhone 14 Pro models last year. If and when iPhones with under-display Face ID finally arrive, it is possible that the Dynamic Island will remain an optional software feature.

Young previously claimed that the iPhone could adopt an all-screen design with both Face ID and the front camera moved under the display in 2026 at the earliest.

WhatsApp would exit the U.K. market rather than be in thrall to the government's proposed Online Safety Bill if it undermined the app's end-to-end encryption, the platform's chief has said (via BBC News).

End-to-end encryption ensures that only the user and the person they are communicating with can read or listen to what is sent, and nobody in between, not even Meta/Facebook, can gain access to this content. However, the government, and some child-protection charities, argue that such encryption hinders efforts to combat the growing problem of online child abuse.

Under the bill, the government could force WhatsApp to apply content moderation policies that are impossible to implement without removing end-to-end encryption. If WhatsApp refused to do so, it could face fines of up to 4 percent of its parent company Meta's annual turnover.

But speaking during a U.K. visit in which he will meet legislators to discuss the government's internet regulation, Meta's head of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart, said it would refuse to comply if asked to weaken its encryption, since it would do so for all users.

"Our users all around the world want security - 98% of our users are outside the U.K., they do not want us to lower the security of the product," he said, adding that the app would rather accept being blocked in the U.K. "We've recently been blocked in Iran, for example. We've never seen a liberal democracy do that."

Encrypted messaging app Signal's president Meredith Whittaker also recently said it "would absolutely, 100% walk" and halt its service in the U.K. if the bill required it to scan messages.

Asked if he would go as far as Signal, Cathcart told the BBC: "We won't lower the security of WhatsApp. We have never done that - and we have accepted being blocked in other parts of the world."

"When a liberal democracy says, 'Is it OK to scan everyone's private communication for illegal content?' that emboldens countries around the world that have very different definitions of illegal content to propose the same thing," Cathcart said.

WhatsApp is the most popular messaging platform in the U.K., used by more than seven in 10 adults who are online, according to communication regulator Ofcom.

The U.K. government's Online Safety Bill is expected to return to parliament this summer.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Expercom today has a collection of previous-generation 11-inch iPad Pro tablets for up to $220 off for a limited time. Expercom is one of the only retailers to offer the M1 iPad Pros at a discount in 2023, and anyone who prioritizes savings over upgraded internals should find great deals below.

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

Starting with the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro, this tablet is on sale for $599.00, down from $799.00. Expercom has both Silver and Space Gray models, and provides a two to four day delivery estimate.

Expercom also has the 256GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro for $679.00, down from $899.00. It's also available in Silver and Space Gray, and comes with a two to four day delivery estimate.

The 2021 and 2022 iPad Pro models share an overwhelming majority of their features, so those investing in a 2021/M1 model to save money shouldn't find much that they would be missing out on in the 2022/M2 models. The central advantages on the 2022 tablets come down to the upgraded M2 chip with a 15 percent faster CPU and 35 percent faster GPU, ProRes video recording, and Apple Pencil hover.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Apple's long-awaited dedicated classical music app today appeared on the App Store and is available for pre-order ahead of its launch at the end of March.

In 2021, Apple announced that it had purchased the classical music streaming service Primephonic and would be folding it into Apple Music via a new app dedicated to the genre. "‌Apple Music‌ Classical" is now on the App Store and expected to be released on March 28, 2023. Users can pre-order the app now so that it downloads as soon as it is available. It is included for free as part of an ‌Apple Music‌ or Apple One subscription.

Speaking to TechCrunch, Apple said that the new ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app offers ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers access to over five million classical music tracks, including new high-quality releases, in addition to hundreds of curated playlists, thousands of exclusive albums, and other features like composer bios and deep dives on key works.

The app offers a simpler interface for interacting with classical music specifically. Unlike the existing ‌Apple Music‌ app, ‌Apple Music‌ Classical allows users to search by composer, work, conductor, catalog number, and more. Users can get more detailed information from editorial notes and descriptions.

Apple commissioned high-resolution digital portraits of famous composers like Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, and Johann Sebastian Bach for the app, using color palettes and artistic references from the relevant classical period, with more unique artwork to be added over time. Apple says that it has been working with classical music artists and institutions to offer exclusive content and recordings.

‌Apple Music‌ Classical will only support iOS devices running iOS 15.4 or newer at launch. A version of the app for Android is also set to arrive "soon." Users can track news and updates about the ‌Apple Music‌ Classical on the new @appleclassical Twitter account.

Apple's M2 13-inch MacBook Pro is seeing a pair of discounts today on Amazon for both the 256GB and 512GB models. Both of these deals are in stock and have estimated delivery dates between March 16 and March 20.

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.

Starting with the 256GB 13-inch MacBook Pro, this model has hit $1,149.00 on Amazon, down from $1,299.00. Compared to past sales, this is a second-best price on the computer. It's been months since we've seen all-time lows on this computer, so this is still a great markdown on the 2022 MacBook Pro.

Secondly, the 512GB 13-inch MacBook Pro is on sale for $1,399.00, down from $1,499.00. This is another second-best price on the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and it's only available in Space Gray on Amazon.

You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook. Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple is continuing to research under-screen fingerprint sensor technology for an iPhone with a view to re-introducing Touch ID in its first full-screen model, according to a new rumor.

Ever since Face ID debuted in 2017's iPhone X, Apple's roadmap for Touch ID on iPhones has been murky at best, with some industry observers suggesting that Apple considers Face ID an exclusive all-in-one biometric solution going forward.

It's no secret that Apple has been working on a Touch ID system designed to be set under the display since at least 2013, with several patents awarded to the company over the years. However, despite claims that under-screen Touch ID on a future iPhone is unlikely, Apple has, if anything, intensified its research in under-screen fingerprint sensing technology.

Just this week, Apple was granted a patent relating to under-screen Touch ID that combines shortwave infrared technology with an optical imaging system that could have multiple functions. Not only does the latest embodiment aim to read the user's fingerprint when it touches the display, it could also determine vein pattern, blood oxygenation, pulse, and the presence of gloves and wetness.

Despite this, recent predictions as to when under-screen Touch ID might be introduced, if at all, have been pushed back. In a September 2021 research note, Kuo had predicted that Apple would launch at least one new iPhone model with an under-screen fingerprint scanner in the second half of 2023. But seven months later, Kuo said Apple was unlikely to release any iPhone models with under-screen Touch ID in 2023 or 2024.

Apple did test an under-screen fingerprint scanner for at least some iPhone 13 models, according to trusted reports, but Apple apparently decided not to move forward with the idea.

In the latest development, according to news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Korean Naver blog, industry sources now believe that Apple will debut under-screen Touch ID in the two to three years following the debut of under-panel Face ID.

Judging by the pace of development of under-panel technology as outlined in industry consultant Ross Young's roadmap, this suggests we could see a new under-screen version of Touch ID in a 2026 iPhone at the earliest, possibly in the same year that Apple is expected to move both Face ID and the front-facing camera under the display.

Of course, we cannot be certain that Apple will ever put Touch ID under iPhone screens. There also remains a possibility that Apple instead introduces an iPhone with Touch ID built into the power button, in line with the latest iPad Air and iPad mini models, but there haven't been any rumors to suggest that Apple plans to go down that avenue.

Apple supplier TSMC is making strides to improve its production capacity for chips based on its cutting-edge 3-nanometer process technology, according to industry sources, which is expected to debut in this year's iPhone 15 Pro and upcoming MacBook models.

DigiTimes reports that TSMC's 5nm fabrication capacity began to loosen in November 2022 as a result of reduced orders from Apple, amongst other partners, with orders for iPhone chips alone having been slashed by 30%. However, the Taiwanese manufacturer has apparently been able to keep its utilization rate at 70% or higher thanks to Apple's thirst for 3nm:

TSMC continues to improve its capacity utilization for 3nm process technology, which is expected to approach 50% at the end of March, the sources said. The foundry will also grow the process output to 50,000-55,000 wafers monthly in March, with Apple being the main customer.

Apple's upcoming ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models are expected to feature the A17 Bionic processor, Apple's first ‌iPhone‌ chip based on TSMC's first-generation ‌3nm‌ process, also known as N3E.

The first-gen ‌3nm‌ process is said to deliver a 35% power efficiency improvement over TSMC's 5nm-based N4 fabrication process, which was used to make the A16 Bionic chip for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The N3 technology will also offer significantly improved performance compared to current chips manufactured on 5nm.

Apple's next-generation 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models are both expected to be equipped with an M3 chip, which is also likely to be manufactured on the ‌3nm‌ process for further performance and power efficiency improvements. Apple is also reportedly planning to release an updated version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 chip. The M2 chip and its higher-end Pro and Max variants are built on TSMC's second-generation 5nm process.

Orders for new AI processors from Nvidia and AMD, as well as Apple's new ‌iPhone‌ chip, are expected to help TSMC avoid further fab utilization declines in the second quarter, DigiTimes' sources said.

Apple's 2024 OLED iPad Pro models could be vastly more expensive than its existing iPad Pros and even more costly than some MacBook Pros currently on sale, claims a new Korean report.

According to industry sources cited by The Elec, Apple is already considering its pricing strategy for next year's two OLED iPad Pro models, with current estimates starting at $1,500 and $1,800 for the 11-inch and 13-inch models, respectively.

That would make the 11-inch device over 80 percent more expensive than the existing 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with LED Liquid Retina display, which starts at $799, and the 13-inch model over 60% more expensive than the current 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display, which starts at $1,099.

The OLED price estimates even eclipse the price of some MacBook Pro models currently on sale. For example, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip starts at $1,199, while the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip starts at $1,299.

According to the Korean-language report, the industry response to the price hikes is divided: Some consider them a reasonable increase given the switch to superior OLED technology that will attract Apple's loyal customer base, while others believe the prices will make it difficult to maintain sales because iPads lack the replacement demand of iPhones.

The main reason for the increases is said to be the large proportion of material costs taken up by OLED panel procurement. Apple is currently believed to be in discussion with Samsung and LG Display about the price of supplying the panels, the specifications for which will require the use of production processes that have not been combined before for OLED panels of the required size.

According to The Elec, the supply price of OLED panels for existing 10-inch devices is around $100 to $150, whereas the outlay for the processes involved in making Apple's required 11-inch and 13-inch panels may be closer to $270 and $350, respectively.

The report notes that current OLED iPad Pro price estimates from the industry could change in the future. The OLED panels scheduled to be delivered by LG and Samsung are still in the development stage, so the panel prices have not been finalized.

Still, there are reportedly concerns among panel suppliers Samsung, LG, and BOE about how Apple's OLED iPad Pro prices and shipment forecasts could negatively affect profits and production line investment. Samsung is set to invest in eighth-generation OLED production lines, which should "theoretically" result in lower-costing panels, but they have already been earmarked for Apple's future OLED MacBooks, which are also expected to debut in 2024.

Apple is changing the way that its international businesses are managed in order to focus more attention on India, reports Bloomberg.

India is set to be its own sales region within Apple, which will give the country "increased prominence" within the company. India has become more important at Apple over the last few years due to the growing demand for Apple products. Though most people in India use Android devices, it is the second largest smartphone market in the world and Apple has the potential to make inroads with more affordable product options.

Apple is planning to move India to its own sales region following the retirement of Hughes Asseman, the vice president in charge of India, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, East Europe, and Africa. Ashish Chowdhary will become head of India, and will report directly to Apple's head of product sales. Though India will become more of a focus within Apple, regional sales reports will continue to group India with Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Apple has started producing some iPhone models in India, including the iPhone 14, as it looks to diversify beyond China. Apple supplier Foxconn has invested $500 million in the country to boost production capabilities.

There are no physical Apple retail locations in India right now, but Apple has been working to open stores in Mumbai and New Delhi for years now. Apple stared hiring for the stores in January, which suggests they could open in the near future.

Customers in India can purchase Apple devices online, as Apple has been operating an online store in India since 2020.

Apple released a second-generation version of the AirPods Pro back in September 2022, and the updated earbuds have now been available for six months. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 regularly in order to update readers and viewers with a longterm review.

As a refresher, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 offer improved Active Noise Cancellation compared to the original version, along with Adaptive Transparency to cut down on sudden, loud sounds like sirens and construction work without blocking out all noise.

Sound quality has been improved with a new audio driver, there's an H2 chip, and Apple swapped over to Bluetooth 5.3. Touch controls are available for adjusting volume, battery life is up, the Apple Watch Charger can be used to charge the earbuds, and a speaker makes it easier to find AirPods lost nearby. Ultimately, there are a lot of improvements, but are the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 worth the upgrade over the original ‌AirPods Pro‌?

Dan answers that question and more in his video review that covers durability, Adaptive Transparency, battery life over time, ANC, and other quality of life improvements. Make sure to watch the video, and let us know what you think of the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 in the comments below.

Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of its launch. Today's betas come one week after the release of the second public betas.

Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's free beta testing program can download the ‌iOS 16.4‌ beta over the air after installing the proper certificate from the Public Beta website.

This is the last beta that will use certificates in this way as future beta updates will be linked to an Apple ID for both developers and public beta testers.

The iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates add a number of new emoji characters, including shaking head, pink heart, blue heart, gray heart, donkey, moose, black bird, goose, wing, jellyfish, hyacinth, pea pod, ginger, fan, comb, flute, maracas, and left and right facing hand options.

Safari Web Push notifications are available, but web developers will need to add support. With this feature, you can add a website to your Home Screen and the website can send you push notifications, just like on the Mac. These notifications behave like any other iOS notification and can be filtered out with Focus mode, delivered on Apple Watch, and more.

There's a new add to ‌Home Screen‌ option for third-party browsers so you can add a favorite Chrome site directly to your ‌Home Screen‌, plus the HomeKit architecture upgrade that was pulled from iOS 16.2 is now available again. The second beta reintroduces the page turning animation in Apple Books, and it has hints of Apple Music Classical.

Apple has made minor tweaks to the Podcasts app, ‌Apple Music‌ app, and the AppleCare coverage interface, plus there are new Shortcuts, 5G connectivity in Turkey, an option to add an always-on display filter to Focus more, and more. Full details on everything new can be found in our dedicated iOS 16.4 guide.

Apple today seeded the third beta of macOS Ventura 13.3 to its public beta testing group, letting the general public test out the features ahead of the software's release. The public beta comes one week after Apple provided the second public beta.

Public beta testers can download the macOS 13.3 Ventura update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.

As with iOS 16.4, macOS Ventura 13.3 adds new emoji characters that include shaking head, pink heart, blue heart, gray heart, donkey, moose, black bird, goose, wing, jellyfish, hyacinth, pea pod, ginger, fan, comb, flute, maracas, left hand, and right hand.

The update supports updating to the new HomeKit architecture that Apple has reintroduced after the update was pulled from iOS 16.2. The Messages app also offers content previews for shared Mastodon links, and there are new options in Shortcuts for creating workflows that include Siri notification announcements.

Apple says that macOS Ventura 13.3 will be released in the spring, a timeline that ranges from March 20 to June 20.

Google today announced that its Google VPN feature is expanding to all Google One subscribers, instead of being limited to those who subscribe to the Premium 2TB Google One plan.

VPN by Google One is designed to mask a user's IP address, preventing sites and apps from collecting that information for location tracking and monitoring activity across the web. It also offers protection from hackers and network operators, similar to any other VPN.

With this change, storage space is the primary differentiating factor between Google One plans. The basic plan offers 100GB of storage, while the Premium plan offers 2TB. There's also a free tier with 15GB of storage, but it does not include VPN access.

In addition to expanding VPN access to all Google One members, Google is introducing a new feature that will allow users to monitor for their personal information on the dark web. Google will alert users if data like name, address, email, phone number, or Social Security Number is found.

VPN access is expanding to all Google One members starting today, with the basic Google One plan priced at $1.99 per month. It will be available in 22 countries across Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac devices, and VPN access can be shared with up to five others on the same Google One plan.

Apple's 2020 M1 MacBook Air has hit its best-ever price on Amazon today, with the 256GB model on sale for $799.99, down from $999.00. Silver and Gold colors are available at this price, and the former color has a quicker shipping estimate of March 14-15.

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 version of the MacBook Air sports a tapered design and does not have the updated chassis of the newer M2 MacBook Air models. It has the M1 chip and a 13-inch Retina display, and today's sale matches the previous all-time low price seen on Amazon for the computer.

You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Apple's next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are once again rumored to feature an improved LiDAR Scanner supplied by Sony.

In a research note shared with investors this week, Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O'Malley said Sony could supply the majority, if not all, of LiDAR Scanner components for the iPhone 15 Pro models launching later this year.

Sony could take a majority, if not all, of the share on the world facing sensor in this years' models with the company providing a module, VCSEL, receiver and driver. This is a negative headwind to both LITE and COHR which we view as likely.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo last month said Sony would replace Lumentum and WIN Semiconductors as the exclusive supplier of LiDAR Scanner components for the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo said Sony's solution is more power efficient and could result in the LiDAR Scanner offering improved performance at the same level of power consumption as now, or equal performance with less of an impact on battery life.

Introduced on iPhone 12 Pro models in 2020, the LiDAR Scanner can measure light distance and capture depth information, and the hardware is expected to remain exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro models. An improved LiDAR Scanner could be beneficial to augmented reality apps, Night mode photos, and camera autofocus.

Other rumored iPhone 15 Pro features include an A17 Bionic chip, a USB-C port, a titanium frame with solid-state buttons, thinner bezels around the display, and more.

Amazon today has Apple's 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 6 at $399.99 in select colors, down from $499.00. You can get the tablet in Space Gray, Starlight, and Purple at this price, and each color has varying delivery dates between March 11 and March 18.

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.

At $99 off, this sale is a match of the previous all-time low seen on this model earlier in the year. Discounts on the 2021 iPad mini have been fairly rare so far in 2023, so if you've been holding off now is a good time to get the smaller tablet at its lowest price.

There are a few other deals on iPad mini models on Amazon, and these all require you to add the tablets to your cart then head to the checkout screen to see the discounts. The 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 6 is down to $539.99 in Space Gray, from $649.00. This is another all-time low price on the iPad mini 6 and it's only available on Amazon.

Lastly, one cellular model is on sale: the 64GB cellular iPad mini 6 is available for $549.99, down from $649.00. This one is available in Pink, Space Gray, and Starlight, and it's another all-time low price.

For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Apple is planning to "re-examine" its development of artificial intelligence, according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes.

The paywalled report suggests that the growing interest in generative AI catalyzed by ChatGPT has motivated a re-evaluation of how the technology is developed at major companies like Apple, Meta, and Amazon. These companies are purportedly making efforts to ensure Microsoft does not maintain its lead in AI. Apple and Tesla, in particular, are said to be reconsidering their approach to AI.

The trend is set to stoke the development of next-generation CPUs optimized for AI operations, supply chain sources claim. Apple already has a significant upper hand in this area in terms of local processing thanks to Apple silicon's Neural Engine, but the company has yet to develop the AI software to fully take advantage of it for content generation and the deeper insights that new-wave AI tools are able to offer.

Until now, Apple appears to have mostly stayed out of the race to develop generative AI tools. While the company recently held its annual AI summit for employees, the following sessions reportedly focused on aspects like healthcare, privacy, and computer vision, rather than its own generative AI technologies.