For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with BluShark to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of Apple's new Apple Watch Series 8 models, plus a matching BluShark Apple Watch band to go along with it.
BluShark offers a wide selection of Apple Watch bands in materials ranging from leather, to canvas, to AlphaPremier and more. There are all kinds of colors and materials to choose from, and each band is carefully crafted with high-quality materials. BluShark is not just an Apple Watch band company, and has been producing watch bands for years.
Pricing on the BluShark Apple Watch bands is affordable, ranging from $10 for silicone options to $78 for high-end crocodile leather bands. All BluShark bands are sized to fit all Apple Watch models, from older 38mm models to the large 49mm Apple Watch Ultra.
For those who are fans of the Apple Watch Ultra, BluShark makes a Multiloop band that is similar in design to the much pricier Alpine Loop that Apple just came out with. Priced at $32, the Multiloop band has an adjustable G-hook design and it comes in green, linen, orange, and black. BluShark sells all of the colors together for $78, and there are also sitewide deals for free bands if you buy two, three, or four together.
BluShark's Knit Weave bands also pair well with the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Series 8 models. They're made from a unique nylon weave material that has a texture resembling a knit fabric and an eyecatching depth of color. Knit Weave bands are priced at $32 and come in a whole range of colors from black to gray to brown, plus there are various striped options.
The company's AlphaPremier bands feature a seatbelt weave nylon and a comfortable fit with a dual-layer design, and the Leather bands come in a variety of designs and colors.
We have an aluminum Apple Watch Series 8 to give away, with the winner able to select the size and color. The winner will also be able to choose the BluShark band of their choice.
To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (November 18) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on November 25. The winner will be chosen randomly on November 25 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
While we're still around 10 months away from Apple introducing the iPhone 15 lineup, rumors already suggest that the higher-end Pro models will have even more exclusive features than usual compared to the standard models next year.
In September, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that strong sales of iPhone 14 Pro models would likely encourage Apple to increase differentiation between the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max and the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, although it's worth noting that many hardware changes are likely planned at least a few years in advance.
There are currently at least five features rumored to be exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro models:
A17 chip: iPhone 15 Pro models will be equipped with an A17 Bionic chip manufactured based on TSMC's second-generation 3nm process, providing performance and efficiency improvements, according to Japanese publication Nikkei Asia. The report claimed that 2023 could mark the second year in a row in which only the Pro models of the new iPhone lineup feature Apple's latest chip.
Faster USB-C port: iPhone 15 Pro models will feature a USB-C port with support for at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which would result in the devices having significantly faster data transfer speeds with a cable compared to existing iPhones with Lightning. Kuo said the USB-C port on standard iPhone 15 models will remain limited to USB 2.0 speeds like Lightning.
Increased RAM: iPhone 15 Pro models will be equipped with an increased 8GB of RAM, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce, while the standard models will likely continue to have 6GB of RAM as they do currently. Additional RAM can allow apps like Safari to keep more content active in the background, preventing the app from reloading content when reopened.
Solid-state buttons: iPhone 15 Pro models will feature solid-state volume and power buttons, according to Kuo. The analyst said the devices will be equipped with two additional Taptic Engines that provide haptic feedback to simulate the feeling of pressing the buttons, without them physically moving, similar to the Home button on the latest iPhone SE or the trackpad on newer MacBooks.
Increased optical zoom for iPhone 15 Pro Max: The iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a periscope telephoto lens, according to Kuo. This could result in the device having at least 10x optical zoom, compared to 3x on iPhone 14 Pro models.
Pushing customers towards the Pro models would help Apple to increase the iPhone's average selling price. The trend already began this year when only the iPhone 14 Pro models received Apple's latest A16 Bionic chip, with the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models still equipped with last year's A15 Bionic chip.
Apple will likely announce the iPhone 15 lineup next September as usual. With many months remaining until the devices launch, it's likely that additional features will surface, so the info we have right now is only a glimpse at what to expect.
Created by smart lock maker Level, the Level Lock+ is the one of the first Home Key-compatible smart locks on the market, designed to unlock a door automatically when a Home Key-enabled iPhone or Apple Watch is held near it.
The Level Lock+ replaces the prior-generation Level Lock, and it uses that same unassuming design. Many smart locks are immediately recognizable as smart locks, but the Level Lock+ looks like any standard deadbolt with all of the smart capabilities hidden away inside the door, with no bulky components inside or out.
There are limited color options with the Level Lock+, but it does come in satin nickel and matte black. It's not going to match well with bronze, gold, or similar door hardware, so I do wish that it came in additional color options. The Level Lock+ is sleek looking and I am a fan of the simplicity. It's unassuming on the door, and it looks like nothing special, so it doesn't draw attention.
The Level Lock+ replaces an existing deadbolt, and installation is fairly straightforward. I had a setup that had included a keypad, so I needed to paint the door and do a bit of repair before I could get it installed. I have never installed a door lock before, but the Level Lock+ instructions were simple enough to follow.
The bolt is adjustable and there are two sizes. The end of the bolt basically needs to stick out of the borehole, and if it doesn't on the smaller size, it needs to be adjusted to the larger size. For my door, the larger size was too long and the smaller size was not quite right either, so I did have to do some sanding and tweaking of the deadbolt cutout to get things to fit right.
After about five minutes of sanding, I was able to get the bolt in the right position, and from there, the Level Lock+ hardware fit right into the deadbolt cutout and snapped into the end of the bolt, which is where the battery is housed. It's a clever setup because you can change the battery just by popping the end of the deadbolt.
Once I managed to get everything aligned correctly, it was just a matter of screwing everything together. I did run into another problem with the strike plate, as it was smaller than my existing strike plate. I had to drill new holes, which wasn't a big deal. In the end, everything lined up properly and I had the lock up and functional within about 20 minutes.
The Level Lock takes a CR2 battery, and I'm not sure how long the battery lasts before it needs to be replaced. The CR2 batteries are about $4 each, and the amount of battery life you get will likely vary based on how often you're unlocking your door. There is a physical key, so access is available if the battery dies and you're not home.
After setup, I was able to add the lock to the Level app and connect it to HomeKit, making it available for use both in the Home app and the Level app. Once added to HomeKit, the Home app gave me the option to use Home Keys with the Level Lock, and I just needed to tap on the banner in the Home app to add the Level Lock to Wallet.
Home Keys are an iOS 16 feature that let you store your house key in the Wallet app, and from there, unlock your front door with your iPhone using NFC. Home Keys did not initially work for me, but I re-added the lock to HomeKit and then it worked well.
With Home Keys, you can enable "Express Mode" in the Wallet app to unlock the door without needing Face ID or a passcode, which is convenient. You just tap the top of the lock with your iPhone and it unlocks with no other authentication and even when the phone is locked. It also can continue to unlock the door for a few hours after the iPhone battery has died thanks to NFC.
There are a lot of ways to unlock the Level Lock. In addition to Home Keys, you can use the Level app, the Home app, ask Siri, use a key, or set up a key card. With a Home hub, you can open the lock remotely for guests or provide them with a pass so they can use their own smartphone to unlock your door as needed.
You can set it up so each person in your home can access the Level Lock, and the Level app has a list of every time the lock was locked or unlocked. You'll also get Home app notifications when the Level Lock is accessed. The Home app supports automations, so you can set up functions to lock the Level Lock when the last person in the home leaves, lock it at night, and unlock it when you arrive home, if you want.
Since I was able to get Home Keys set up, I haven't had an issue accessing the Level Lock with any of the available methods, and it is convenient to be able to open my lock in a multitude of ways, and to have the option to open it for a guest if I'm not home. The Level Lock takes just a few seconds to unlock when directed to do so, and you can hear the mechanism inside working.
I do want to touch on the physical security of the Level Lock as there is a popular video from Lockpicking Lawyer that shows him accessing the Level Lock in just seconds with a simple rake tool. The Level Lock is not a hard lock to pick, and anyone who has a small amount of lockpicking knowledge and common tools can likely get into it. My partner, for example, does lockpicking as a hobby and was able to pick the Level Lock in less than 30 seconds.
There are a lot of deadbolts and door locks that are simple to pick and take little effort to access, so this is not a major surprise, but Level could have ramped up the security here. Some easily acquirable deadbolts from companies like Schlage are more secure, which makes them pickable, but with more of a time investment and more specialized tools.
A door lock is more of a social contract than anything else, serving as a signal that your house is locked up and should not be accessed. Someone who really wants to get into a locked house likely has many alternative means to do so beyond lockpicking, such as breaking a window. Still, I think the pickability is something that any potential buyer should be aware of.
Level says that its lock has a BHMA AAA rating, but this rating is based on weight, withstanding a sledgehammer, and withstanding an attempt to pull the door open. It also takes into account durability, such as smooth functionality and resistance to dents, but it is in no way a measure of security from lockpicking. If security is a top priority, you'd be better off with specialized high security locks than the Level Lock+ or anything that can be bought off the shelf at a big box store.
Bottom Line
The Level Lock+ is super convenient, plus it's sleek and looks unassuming. It's so nice to be able to tap my iPhone on my lock and open the door, and I have found it handy to be able to unlock the door for guests from another room, as well as letting in workers when I am not home.
That said, this is a pricey lock at $329, and I would have liked to see a more robust, secure product at that price point. Level has pointed out that the Level Lock+ has a typical C lock cylinder used by hundreds of lock brands on the market, and that many consumer grade locks can be easily picked, but that doesn't seem like a great excuse for a lock that's over $300. Most locks that Level is talking about are around $30 at Home Depot, and that's a major price difference.
Hopefully the next iteration of the Level Lock will include some additional security features. It doesn't need to be unpickable because that's not the main way criminals are breaking into houses, but just an extra layer of security would have been nice to keep it from popping open with basic tools in 30 seconds.
Note: Level provided MacRumors with the Level Lock+ for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Level. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Verizon today is discounting Apple's 2021 AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case to $159.99, down from $249.99. As with other Verizon sales, free two day shipping is available and you don't need to be a Verizon customer to get this deal.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Verizon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This price point on the AirPods Pro is a match of the previous all-time low price that we most recently saw very briefly on Amazon. Stock for the 2021 AirPods Pro has been dwindling since the announcement of the second generation model, so Verizon's deal today makes for a great chance to get the previous generation model at its best price before it disappears again.
This model of the AirPods Pro was introduced in 2021 with the MagSafe Charging Case, but otherwise the headphones themselves are the same as the 2019 AirPods Pro.
Verizon also has a great deal on the HomePod mini, with every color dropping to $79.99, down from $99.99. HomePod mini deals are also very rare, making for another solid early Black Friday offer from the carrier.
We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2022.
Following the release of the Emergency SOS via satellite feature for the iPhone 14 lineup earlier this week, we talk through demoing the feature and our expectations for where it will truly be useful in the future. We also look at Apple's ecosystem of MagSafe accessories after it emerged that the company abanoned plans to release a "Magic Charger" for the iPhone.
Last week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that work on realityOS, the operating system designed for Apple's mixed-reality headset, is "wrapping up internally" as the company's focus turns to apps on the new platform. Meanwhile, DigiTimes reports that Apple is targeting March 2023 to begin mass production of the headset – a time frame that fits in with other key reports. As signs of the headset's introduction in the first half of the next year appear to solidify, we discuss how the device's announcement and launch is likely to take place, as well as Apple's AR/VR roadmap for the future.
If you haven't already listened to the last episode of The MacRumors Show, be sure to catch up for a deep dive into the key features of macOS Ventura and expectations about upcoming Mac models with John Gruber.
We're just one week away from Black Friday, and today Target has decided to share a sneak peek of what shoppers can expect online and in stores next week. This includes the typical range of Black Friday sales, like TVs and streaming devices, as well as a few Apple products.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Target. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Target's Black Friday Schedule
Target's circular this week confirms that most deals will be valid from this Sunday, November 20 through Saturday, November 26 (there are some exceptions with a few deals already going live today). All Target stores will be closed on Thanksgiving day, and will open at varying local times on the morning of Black Friday.
Sunday, November 20 - Online sales begin
Thursday, November 24 - Stores closed, online sales continue
Friday, November 25 - Specific opening hours vary by location
Saturday, November 26 - Target's Black Friday sales end
Target Black Friday - Deals Start 11/20
Target is offering a wide variety of discounts this season, ranging from video game consoles to kitchen appliances, TVs, Apple products, and more. We've divided up some of the major discount categories in the sections below, and remember that you won't see many of these sale prices until Sunday, November 20.
Video games are always a popular category for Black Friday sales, and this year is no different at Target. Nintendo's annual Switch and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle has returned in 2022, priced at $299.99 and including a three month Nintendo Online membership. Otherwise you'll find the usual collection of discounted games and accessories.
In regards to Apple products, you can get up to $300 off an iPhone when you activate a new line, or up to $200 off when you upgrade an existing line. To go with the iPhone deals, Target is offering 25 percent off MagSafe cases and accessories. You can find the rest of the deals listed below.
We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2022.
Users still want a "mini" form factor iPhone, but a complete redesign is the most-desired feature from the iPhone 15 lineup, according to a survey conducted by SellCell.
SellCell asked over 2,500 iPhone users in the United States to gather its data. The most popular Apple device to buy over the holiday period this year is the iPhone, with 37.4 percent of survey respondents planning to buy one for Christmas. AirPods take second place with 18.7 percent of respondents, followed by the Apple Watch with 16.3 percent. The HomePod mini is the least popular Apple device to buy for Christmas, with just 2.9 percent of respondents planning to purchase one. It is also worth noting that 40.6 percent of respondents had no plans to by an Apple device for the holidays.
When asked if they had plans to upgrade to an iPhone 14 model, 13.6 percent of respondents said they had already done so – but a further 29.7 percent still have plans to do so in the immediate future. Of the 56.7 percent who have no plans to upgrade, 45.3 percent said they plan to hold onto their current device for longer, and 5.1 percent said that they are waiting for the launch of the iPhone 15 lineup next year. 2.4 percent of respondents are apparently waiting for the launch of the fourth-generation iPhone SE. 59.4 percent of respondents who plan to buy an iPhone 14 model say they are happy to wait five weeks to get hold of a new device.
When asked specifically if they liked the iPhone 14 Plus, 20.4 percent of respondents said that they already had one or planned to buy one soon. 22.5 percent said that it is too expensive, 12.1 percent said it is too big, 7.8 percent said that it had a poor mix of features compared to the iPhone 14 Pro, 6.6 percent said that the price is too near that of the iPhone 14 Pro, and 6.6 percent said that they would have preferred a smaller, "iPhone mini" form factor device.
Looking to the iPhone 15 models, aesthetics were at the forefront of the survey responses when asked what they most want from next year's new iPhone lineup. 35.2 percent of respondents said that they are most eager to see a design overhaul for the device, while 30.3 percent most want to see new color options.
28.8 percent want to see the return of accessories like EarPods and a power adapter, 23.9 want the iPhone 15 to have a periscope zoom camera, 23.6 percent would like to see the return of Touch ID, 20.3 percent want the iPhone to switch to USB-C, and 11.7 percent want the Dynamic Island to expand across the entire range of iPhone 15 models. 8.5 percent want to see the "mini" form factor make a return in the iPhone 15 lineup, which makes sense given that 6.6 percent of people who will not buy the iPhone 14 Plus refuse to because they prefer smaller devices.
Hundreds of Twitter employees today resigned from the company rather than opting in to be part of "Twitter 2.0" under Elon Musk, according to The Verge. Musk earlier this week told workers that Twitter will be "extremely hardcore" going forward, with employees expected to put in long hours at high intensity. "Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade," he said.
Musk on Wednesday sent out a Google form and asked employees to respond "Yes" by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday if they wanted to stay at the company. Hundreds decided not to, and have said their goodbyes in Slack and on Twitter. Departing employees will receive a severance package.
When he took over Twitter, Musk laid off approximately half of the 7,500 employees that were at the company at the time, and since then, he has continued firing employees who have been critical of him, including longtime engineers.
Twitter employees that spoke to The Verge said that given the number of people that have left, Twitter could "start breaking soon" and that it will be "extremely hard for Twitter to recover."
With the exodus of employees, Twitter temporarily closed all office buildings and suspended badge access. According to Zoë Schiffer, Musk and his team are "terrified employees are going to sabotage the company."
In the final hours ahead of the deadline, Musk reportedly attempted to convince employees to stay. Bloomberg says that key staff were brought into meetings and Musk also walked back his in-office work demands. He had said that all employees needed to work from the office 40 hours a week, but today he said that working from home was allowed with monthly in-person meetings and managerial approval.
At the current time, Musk's first initiative is on pause as Twitter makes changes. Last week, Twitter introduced a more expensive $8 version of Twitter Blue that included a verification badge, and it turned out that debuting widespread verification led to account impersonation that impacted numerous companies.
GRID Studio is known for creating unique wall art showcasing the history of iconic devices, ranging from the original iPhone to the original Game Boy. Each device is disassembled and the components are artistically displayed and labeled in a frame.
The company recently sent me their iPod touch frame for review. The original iPod touch was the first Apple product that I ever owned, and led me down the path of becoming an Apple reporter, so the device is very meaningful to me. However, note that the frame contains the second-generation iPod touch, released in September 2008.
Priced at $139 in the United States, the iPod touch frame is one of GRID Studio's more affordable options and would make a great gift for an Apple fan this holiday season, especially after the final iPod touch was discontinued earlier this year. It also offers frames for several iPhones, the iPad mini, the iPod classic, and the Apple Watch.
The frame is nicely packaged in thick black paper with a ribbon and a wax seal. Inside, my frame was in good condition with the exception of two small scuffs on the rear side of the black border near the clips that keep the backboard secured. While unideal, this damage is very minor and is out of sight when the frame is hanging on the wall.
The front plastic cover is covered in protective film that needs to be removed. I immediately started tearing off the plastic film, but this resulted in pieces getting stuck under the black border, at which point I realized that it would have been a better idea to take off the back cover and remove the plastic film in one piece, so keep that in mind.
Components in the frame include the iPod touch's front panel with a printed screenshot, Home button, 3.5-inch multi-touch display, logic board, rear shell with a headphone jack and 30-pin dock connector, various flex cables and buttons, and more. The frame also includes the original iPod touch's wordmark and September 5, 2007 introduction date, along with a quote from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
There are some scratches and a tiny dent on the rear shell of the iPod touch, as the device is used, but this isn't an issue to me and the frame would be much more expensive if it contained a brand new device. I do wish it were the original iPod touch, but the second-generation model is still old enough to capture the nostalgia of the device.
There are two small hooks on the back of the frame for hanging the artwork on a wall, and an additional pair of hooks in the box.
All in all, the frame is high quality and is a very cool piece of wall art. Beyond two tiny scuffs on the back of the frame, which may have arisen during shipping, I have no complaints. There is certainly cheaper wall art out there, but GRID Studio frames are worth considering if you are a devoted Apple fan or know someone who is.
GRID Studio's frames can be purchased on its website, with many options still available for delivery before December 25.
Note: GRID Studio provided MacRumors with a framed iPod touch for the purpose of this review, but no other compensation was received. This is not a paid advertisement.
Apple with iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 is introducing the Freeform app, which is designed for brainstorming ideas, creating sketches, and collaborating with others on projects. Freeform is basically a blank canvas that you can use for anything.
In this guide, we've highlighted the various tools that you can use with the Freeform app on the iPhone and the iPad.
Shapes
There are hundreds of pre-designed "clip art" shapes that are available in Freeform, across the following categories: Basic, Geometry, Objects, Animals, Food, Nature, Symbols, Education, Arts, Science, People, Places, Activities, Transportation, Work, and Ornaments.
You can stack multiple shapes on top of one another with layering, change the color, draw over them, resize them with drag and drop gestures, break the component pieces apart and manipulate the design, add various borders, group them together, adjust opacity, and more. There are a huge number of tools for working with shapes for your projects.
Images, Scans, and Documents
The Freeform app supports all kinds of documents. You can add photos and videos directly from your Camera Roll in the Photos app, or take a photo with your iPhone or your iPad.
Photos and videos that you add to your project can be resized with drag and drop gestures, cropped, viewed in full, and layered with other images and shapes.
You can scan documents using the iPhone or iPad's camera in either color or black and white, add various documents from iCloud Drive, or add any link from Safari. Links and files are shown in little card-like tiles and can also be rearranged on the canvas with drag and drop gestures and layered over shapes, images, and other files for a visual look at your documents you've added.
Stickies
With the Freeform app you can add digital post-it notes, or Stickies as Apple calls them. The Stickies are basically the same as the Stickies app that is available for Mac. You can change the color of Stickies, choosing from one of seven, and add text.
On an iPad, you can use an Apple Pencil to write directly on one of the Stickies, but if you use typed text, you also have various formatting options available like bold, bullet lists, different font sizes, and more.
Text Insertion
Using the text box, any typed text can be inserted anywhere on the Freeform canvas. Text can be as long or as short as you want, and all of the standard formatting options are available for changing font, color, size, and alignment, as well as adding styles like bolding and underlining.
Drawing Tools
Freeform has the same set of drawing tools that you might be familiar with from Markup. You can draw with a finger on the iPhone, or on the iPad, with an Apple Pencil. There are pens, markers, and crayons to choose from, all with adjustable opacity, color, and line thickness.
You can also access an eraser, a select tool for targeted selections of items on your canvas, and a lasso fill tool that fills lines that you draw.
Colors
Freeform has support for a huge range of colors. You can pick a simple color from a grid, choose a color from a spectrum interface, use sliders, or manually type in color hex codes for a specific shade. Favorite colors can be saved to the bottom of the interface, and opacity can be adjusted for any color as well.
An eyedropper tool is available to match any color that's already on the canvas.
Object Movement
Any object in a Freeform document can be quickly rearranged and resized with drag and drop gestures. Tapping provides an interface where you can send an object to the "Back" or the "Front" for layering purposes, but there are no true layers to work with.
Objects can be locked in place, duplicated, and constrained or unconstrained in proportion, useful if you want to change one dimension and not another.
File Management
Freeform boards can be saved as a PDF document or printed out, and they can also be saved to apps like Files and Dropbox. You can also email, text, and otherwise share links to boards with others.
Multiple Boards
You can have multiple Freeform boards, which can be viewed as icons or a list, and sorted in various ways such as by name or date. Groups are available to organize a large number of boards, and there are also separate sections for Recents, Shared, and Favorites.
Collaboration
Freeform has been designed as a collaboration tool, and you can share Freeform boards with other iPhone and iPad users. All Freeform board participants can work on the same board, adding images, texts, links, and more for group brainstorming sessions.
Changes made to Freeform boards are synced for all users in real time, though it is worth noting that collaboration has not yet been fully fleshed out during the beta testing process.
Availability and Device Compatibility
Apple's Freeform app is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It requires iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, or macOS Ventura 13.1 to work, and it is a standalone app that will not be available on devices not able to run these updates.
Google is bringing a new augmented reality Live View feature to its Maps app, allowing smartphone users to visually search for restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses that are located nearby.
Using Live View, you can open up Maps and tap the camera icon in the search bar to see what's around you, from shops and banks to ATMs and bars. Google Maps will provide AR-powered directions and arrows, giving you an idea of how far a location is from you and how you can get there. In addition, you can also see key information about each place overlaid right on the screen, such as whether it's open, what the price range is, and how it's rated.
Google says that users can tap on place categories to see what restaurants, bars, dessert shops, parks, and transit stations are within walking distance.
Google previewed search with Live View back in September, but now the feature is ready to launch. It will be rolling out in London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco, and Tokyo starting next week.
Google is also rolling out new features that will make it easier for electric vehicle owners to find the best charging station for their vehicles with a "fast charge" filter, plus Google is expanding information about wheelchair accessible, stair-free places around the world.
The price on Apple's 11-inch M2 iPad Pro (128GB Wi-Fi) has continued to slip throughout the month, and it's now down to a new all-time low price of $729.00 on Amazon, from $799.00. This time it's only available in Silver at this price, and besides Amazon you can find the sale at B&H Photo.
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.
This version of the M2 iPad Pro remains one of the only models that we've seen get a notable discount. These tablets were just updated last month and come with the M2 chip, Apple Pencil's hover feature, Wi-Fi 6E, and more features.
We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2022.
Apple's next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a USB-C port with support for at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which would give the devices a significant speed advantage over existing models.
Thunderbolt 3 theoretically offers bandwidth of up to 40 Gbps, while the Lightning connector has USB 2.0 speeds of up to 480 Mbps on all existing iPhones. Even with real-world performance limitations, an iPhone 15 Pro with a Thunderbolt-enabled USB-C port would offer significantly faster data transfer speeds with a Thunderbolt cable, making it much quicker to get large files on and off of the iPhone, such as 48-megapixel ProRAW photos.
Even if the iPhone 15 Pro models only get USB 3.2 support, that would mean theoretical transfer speeds of between 5 Gbps and 20 Gbps depending on the exact specification, which would still be significantly faster than Lightning.
Most iPads with USB-C ports already offer faster transfer speeds. iPad Pro models with the M1 chip and newer support Thunderbolt 3 for bandwidth of up to 40 Gbps, the fifth-generation iPad Air is capable of 10 Gbps, and the fourth-generation iPad Air and latest iPad mini are capable of up to 5 Gbps. The sole exception is the new 10th-generation standard iPad with a USB-C port, which remains limited to USB 2.0 speeds.
Like the 10th-generation iPad, Kuo said the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will remain limited to USB 2.0 speeds, despite switching to a USB-C port. AirDrop would remain an option for faster wireless data transfers on these devices.
Popular password management service 1Password today confirmed that it will begin supporting passkeys in early 2023, allowing users to sign in to supported websites and apps without a password. Instead, biometric authentication on trusted devices is used to confirm your identity, and removing passwords from the equation means they can not be compromised or phished.
Apple rolled out support for passkeys in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, tvOS 16, and macOS Ventura, using iCloud Keychain to sync across devices for ease of use and redundancy. Apple has been working with members of the FIDO Alliance, including Google and Microsoft, to ensure interoperability of passkeys, and Apple's implementation of passkeys will be able to work with non-Apple devices by using your iPhone to scan a QR code and authenticate.
1Password contends that its implementation of passkeys is superior to single-ecosystem ones like Apple's, as 1Password's passkeys can work anywhere 1Password does rather than having to rely on workarounds like QR-code scanning.
For 1Password users interested in seeing how passkeys work, the company has set up a demo on its website that requires a 1Password account and the latest version of the 1Password extension for Chrome or Edge. Support for Safari and Firefox has yet to be rolled out. 1Password also maintains a directory of websites and apps that have already started supporting passkeys, including Google, Microsoft, Twitter, eBay, Best Buy, GitHub, and more.
1Password says full support for passkeys will be coming to its browser extensions and desktop apps in early 2023, with mobile support to follow later.
Alongside its Black Friday promotion announcement, Apple today also released its holiday shipping guide in the United States and other countries that outlines deadlines for customers looking to order gifts for arrival by December 24.
As we noted yesterday, shipping estimates for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have already slipped past Christmas in the U.S. after Apple issued a shipment warning about those models. Production of iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max has been hampered due to to COVID-19 restrictions at the Foxconn factory where the devices are primarily assembled.
All of Apple's other main products remain available for Christmas delivery at this time, with the earliest other deadlines in the U.S. being November 30 for iPad mini and third-generation AirPods.
Customers looking to order AirTags will need to do so by December 9 if they wish to have them engraved or December 14 without engraving, while most other products are expected to be readily available with orders through December 21 arriving in time for Christmas. Customers in areas with Apple Stores may even be able to order for in-store pickup or two-hour delivery as late as Christmas Eve.
Apple may update the deadlines on this page in the coming weeks as it assesses product availability, so it pays to keep an eye on it and ensure you order in plenty of time to receive your items in time for the holidays.
Apple's extended return policy is also now in effect, allowing items purchased in most countries between November 4 and December 25 to be returned through January 8, 2023. Select countries have a longer window with items purchased between November 4 and January 6 able to be returned through January 20, 2023.
Amazon has Apple's AirPods 3 with Lightning Charging Case for $139.99 today, down from $169.00. This is an all-time low price on this model of the AirPods 3, and as of writing only Amazon is offering the deal.
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Shipping for the AirPods 3 is delayed by a few weeks right now, with delivery windows around mid-December. You can still lock in this all-time low price today and guarantee Christmas delivery, with the likelihood that Amazon will ship out sooner once more stock arrives.
Readers should note that the model of the AirPods 3 on sale comes with the wired Lightning Charging Case, which was introduced this past September. As of now, we're not tracking any sales on the AirPods 3 with MagSafe Charging Case.
We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2022.
Apple today released a new "Share the Joy" holiday ad highlighting the ability to share audio with AirPods Pro. The ad revolves around two people listening to the song "PUFF" by Bhavi and Bizarrap as they run around a city wearing AirPods Pro.
Throughout the 90-second video, various objects and eventually the couple themselves vanish into a cloud of snow, as part of the holiday theme. Should this be Apple's annual holiday ad, it represents a change of pace from more heartfelt editions in the past and is instead more upbeat with hip-hop music and fast transitions.
"Share the joy of the holidays with Audio Sharing on AirPods Pro," says Apple, in the video description. Audio sharing is compatible with all AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max models, as well as select Beats headphones. To share audio, connect AirPods to an iPhone or iPad, tap the AirPlay icon in Control Center, and tap on Share Audio.
As the holiday shopping season gets underway, Apple has announced its annual Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event, offering customers a free Apple gift card with the purchase of select products. Apple's extended holiday return policy is also in effect, with most items purchased since November 4 eligible for return until early January.
The latest beta of iOS 16.2, released to developers and public beta testers earlier this week, has addressed long-standing issues faced by iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro customers that cause system animations to lag and stutter when closing and switching between apps, unlocking the phone, and across other instances on iOS 16.
Seemingly originating from the initial release of iOS 16, some iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro users have experienced animations stuttering on iOS and not running at 120Hz. None of the subsequent iOS 16 updates have yet addressed the issue, including iOS 16.1 released last month. But, the latest beta of iOS 16.2 has improved the performance of animations and the stuttering, according to user reports on the MacRumors Forums and Reddit.
The issue seems to impact iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro models the most as they have ProMotion displays, allowing them to run up to 120Hz. However, some users of other iPhone models have also reported similar experiences, so it appears to impact several different iPhone models.
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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.
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.
