MacRumors

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss WWDC 2023 and whether Apple's long-awaited mixed-reality headset will emerge at the event.

Earlier this week, Apple announced that 2023's WWDC will take place between June 5 and June 9. Apple is believed to have recently shown off the headset to its top 100 executives in a "polished, glitzy, and exciting" event at the Steve Jobs Theater ahead of the device's expected announcement at WWDC.

However, reports claim that Apple employees have serious concerns about many aspects of the headset, such as its price, weight, and usefulness – questioning if the device is "a solution in search of a problem." Most recently, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo corroborated many of these worries and reported that Apple has pushed back mass production of the headset yet again and cut shipment expectations for this year, casting doubt over whether it will appear at WWDC at all.

We also discuss Apple Music Classical, iOS 17, Apple Watch blood glucose monitoring, the rumored MacBook Air with an OLED display, and Apple TV+.

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If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about iPadOS 17 and the next-generation iPad Pro with Christopher Lawley.

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 Frank McShan, 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.

Apple's AirPods Pro 2 have seen a consistent discount to $199.99 over the past few months, but Verizon today has introduced a new all-time low price on the headphones: $194.99, down from $249.99. This beats the previous record low price we tracked very briefly last holiday season, and only Verizon has the deal.

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.

You don't need to be a Verizon customer to get this deal, and Verizon offers free two-day shipping to most residents in the United States. There is also a free express pickup option for select stores and same day delivery for select areas as well.

Verizon has been the best place to get discounts on AirPods, so be sure to read our article from earlier in the week about the current best prices on other models, including AirPods 3. Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

General Motors (GM) will phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its vehicles starting this year, shifting to a built-in infotainment system co-developed with Google (via Reuters).

GM owns Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC in the United States. It will stop offering Apple ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, which goes on sale this summer. The company plans to continue offering Apple ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto in its combustion models, which are expected to be phased out by 2035 in favor of electric vehicles. Owners of existing GM cars that currently have Apple ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto will be able to continue using the systems.

GM has worked on infotainment software with Google since 2019 that tightly integrates with other vehicle systems such as navigation and GM's Super Cruise driver assistant. Future GM infotainment systems will offer applications such as Spotify and Audible, and iPhone users will still be able to listen to music and make phone calls using Bluetooth. EV buyers will also get access to Google Maps and Google Assistant at no extra cost for a period of eight years.

The move is expected to help the automaker gather more data about how consumers drive and accelerate a strategy to incentivize vehicle-related digital subscription services. Notably, GM was not included in Apple's list of automakers that plan to offer the next-generation CarPlay experience.

Today is World Backup Day, an annual event created to protect your devices from data loss and data theft by reminding you to back everything up to an external storage device. Of course, various retailers are marking the special day with deals on digital storage solutions, and we're rounding up the best sales below.

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.

Samsung

Samsung has a few memory and storage solution offers that will last through this Sunday, April 2. The highlight of the sale is Samsung's 4TB Portable SSD T7 Shield for $269.99, down from $349.99. You can also get a 2TB model for $139.99 ($60 off) and 1TB model for $79.99 ($30 off).

If you need internal storage, Samsung's 2TB 980 PRO PCIe 2.0 NVMe SSD is available for $159.99, down from $249.99. There are also various storage capacities for this model, including 1TB for $79.99 ($60 off) and 500GB for $69.99 ($20 off).

The internal SSD is aimed for PC gaming, but it is also compatible with the PlayStation 5 as well. Users should note that this model does not come with a heatsink, and if they aim to use the SSD in the PS5 a heatsink will need to be purchased separately.

Lastly, Samsung's 2TB 870 QVO SATA III 2.5" SSD is on sale for $129.99, down from $149.99. You'll also find higher capacities like 8TB for $499.99, down from $549.99 during this event.

Adorama

Adorama has a sale dedicated to World Backup Day, including storage solutions from a variety of companies like SanDisk, WD, Seagate, LaCie, Sony, and more. These deals are expected to last for one day only, so be sure to check out our highlighted list below and then the full sale on Adorama soon.

• SanDisk 400GB Ultra UHS-1 microSDXC Memory Card - $28.99, down from $69.99
• SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable 2TB SSD - $174.99, down from $499.99
• LaCie Rugged 5TB External Hard Drive - $179.99, down from $189.99
• WD Elements 20TB Desktop External Hard Drive - $279.99, down from $549.99
• WD Black SN850X 4TB NVMe PCIe Internal SSD - $299.99, down from $699.99

B&H Photo

Similar to Adorama, B&H Photo has a special sale dedicated to World Backup Day going on right now. During the event, you can save on external drives, internal drives, NAS drives, USB flash drives, memory cards, docking stations, memory card readers, and much more.

Overall, you'll find many of the same deals from Adorama and Samsung mirrored at B&H Photo, particularly those products from brands like SanDisk and LaCie. You can again expect the sale prices to only last for one day, and B&H Photo also offers free two-day shipping to most United States residences.

• WD 2TB Portable Hard Drive - $61.99, down from $99.99
• Samsung 2TB T7 Portable SSD - $139.99, down from $179.99
• SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD - $139.99, down from $449.99
• Samsung 2TB T7 Portable SSD - $139.99, down from $179.99
• Samsung 2TB 980 PRO PCIe Internal SSD - $159.99, down from $249.99

Other Sales

• PNY - Save on flash drives and more on Amazon
• OWC - Save on computer storage and accessories

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.

Specialist jeweler De Billas Lux has caused a stir among timepiece collectors by offering a custom Apple Watch Ultra model with an anodized blue titanium case.

The Digital Crown is anodized in gold, and the Action button, while retaining an International Orange outline, has also been given an anodized blue finish. Inside the custom box is a gold-plated link bracelet to boot.

According to a video on its Watch Plating Pros YouTube channel, De Billas is able to create a range of unique colors for Apple Watch Ultra enthusiasts, however unfortunately it has not been able to achieve a black finish, which is one of its most requested colors.

Among its stall of prestigious brands like Rolex and Audemars Piguet, the Arizona-based jeweler is currently offering custom Apple Watch Ultra models for $1,499, with buyers paying an extra $700 on top of Apple's official $799 price for the ultra-premium finish.

Apple only offers the Apple Watch Ultra with a silver titanium finish, and there's no word on whether it will offer different finishes in a future update.

(Via iPhoneSoft.fr)

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users will be able to customize the sensitivity of the solid-state buttons on their device, thanks to a new sensitivity toggle in Settings. That's according to details provided by a hitherto reliable source that shared additional details on the MacRumors forums.

Earlier this week, the same anonymous tipster revealed that the iPhone 15 Pro models will use a new ultra-low energy chip allowing the new volume, power, and "Action" solid-state buttons to remain functional when the handset is powered off or out of battery.

Some iPhone users immediately raised concerns about how the new capacitive buttons will work properly when a case is fitted or when gloves are worn. In response, the tipster has revealed that iOS 17 will include a new toggle in Settings that will enable users to customize the sensitivity of the buttons to accommodate these different usage scenarios.

iPhone case makers typically receive design details about Apple's upcoming models ahead of launch that allows them to make tweaks for button positioning and other external changes. Combined with the new sensitivity setting, this should avoid any potential issues with the peculiarities of the new capacitive buttons, which will detect presses, holds, and respond to various levels of pressure via the use of a new Force Touch-style mechanism and Taptic Engine feedback.

In line with previous rumors, solid-state capacitive buttons are expected to be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro models, with the standard iPhone 15 models retaining the same traditional button mechanism as on the iPhone 14 series. The iPhone 15 Pro is also gaining a new customizable Action button in lieu of the mute switch, with a unified volume button replacing the separate up/down volume buttons.

The iPhone 15 series is expected to be announced in September, as per Apple's typical iPhone launch timeframe. For everything else we know about the new iPhone 15 series, check out our dedicated roundups using the links below.

Apple has been embroiled in a patent dispute with VirnetX for well over a decade, and the company today won an appeals verdict that could ultimately save it from having to pay VirnetX $502.8 million in patent infringement fees.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Thursday confirmed a ruling by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office invalidating a pair of patents that VirnetX used in its patent infringement lawsuit against Apple, according to Reuters.

Apple in 2020 was ordered to pay VirnetX $503 million for infringing on VPN patents owned by VirnetX with the iPhone's VPN on demand feature. The two patents that have been invalidated were involved in that lawsuit, and now Apple might get the entire judgment vacated.

Apple appealed the $502.8 million award verdict after it was rendered, with both Apple and VirnetX presenting arguments in the appeal back in September. VirnetX attorney Jeff Lamken said at the time that if the court ultimately sided with the USPTO and invalidated the patents in the patent validity case, VirnetX could "have a big problem." He said that he did not think VirnetX would have an "enforceable judgment" in that situation, so this is potentially a major win for Apple.

With the patents now invalidated, VirnetX and Apple will again meet in court over the initial appeals case that Apple filed to determine whether Apple will need to pay up, and it's looking like the $502.8 million verdict will be thrown out.

Regardless of how this case plays out, Apple was forced to pay VirnetX $440 million for violating VirnetX's communications security patents with the FaceTime and iMessage features.

VirnetX is largely viewed a patent holding company or "patent troll" that does not offer actual products or services. It generates revenue by litigating technology companies that infringe on its patents, though it does also market its "War Room" software for authenticated meetings.

Netflix this week brought its more affordable ad-supported plan to the Apple TV, which means subscribers who have the cheaper plan can now watch content through their set-top boxes from Apple.

When Netflix launched its ad-supported plan back in November, it did not work on the ‌Apple TV‌. Netflix at the time said that support for the plan would be "coming soon," with access to Netflix on the ‌Apple TV‌ limited to the more expensive Basic, Standard, and Premium plans.

As noted by TechCrunch, a Reddit user noticed that the Basic with Ads plan was available on the latest version of the Netflix app on the ‌Apple TV‌, and Netflix confirmed that the ad-supported tier is now on tvOS.

The Netflix Basic with Ads plan is priced at $6.99 per month, $3 cheaper than the Basic $9.99 per month plan with no ads. The ads range in length from 15 to 30 seconds, and there are four to five minutes of ads per hour.

Apple today updated its Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps for iPad with Apple Pencil hover support. Apple says this feature "makes it easy to navigate, write, sketch, and illustrate with greater precision" on the latest 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

The latest iPad Pro models can detect the second-generation Apple Pencil while it hovers up to 12mm above the display, allowing users to preview their drawing before they make it. And for the Scribble feature, which converts handwriting to text on the iPad, text fields automatically expand when the Apple Pencil is hovered over the screen.

Apple Pencil hover gained tilt and azimuth support with iPadOS 16.4, released earlier this week. Apple discussed the feature in a recent interview.

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote received a few other improvements on both iOS and macOS, including bug fixes and the ability to export and send a copy of a document, spreadsheet, or presentation in a different format from the Share menu. The updates are available for free on the App Store and Mac App Store.

Apple today released the first beta of macOS Ventura 13.4 to its public beta testing group, allowing the general public to try out the software ahead of its official launch. The macOS Ventura 13.4 public beta comes two days after Apple provided the software to developers.

Public beta testers can download the macOS 13.4 Ventura update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.

There is no word as of yet on what's included in macOS Ventura 13.4, and no notable new features were found in the developer beta.

Work on macOS Ventura is winding down as Apple prepares to shift its focus to macOS 14, the as-of-yet-unnamed next-generation version of macOS that we expect to see introduced this June at WWDC.

Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 updates to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test out the software head of its official launch. The public betas come two days after Apple provided the betas to developers.

Those who have signed up their accounts for Apple's free beta testing program can enable the beta by opening up the Settings app, going to General, selecting Software Update, tapping on Beta Updates, and selecting the iOS 16 Public Beta option.

iOS 16.5 appears to be a relatively minor update, and few changes were found in the first developer beta. There is a new Sports tab located in the Apple News app, and Siri can now be asked to start a screen recording.

Development on iOS 16 is slowing down as Apple prepares for the upcoming June debut of iOS 17, the next-generation version of iOS.

Apple has also seeded a new public beta of watchOS 9.5 to public beta testers.

Apple today added refurbished Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE 2 models to its online store in the United States, offering the latest Apple Watches at a discounted price for the first time.

The Apple Watch Series 8 is available starting at $339 for the 41mm GPS model, which is $60 off of the original price. The 45mm GPS model is priced at $359, a $70 discount off of the original price, and the total available discount goes up to $80 for the highest-end 45mm option.

The ‌Apple Watch SE‌ is available starting at $209 for the 40mm GPS model and $239 for the 44mm GPS model, with slightly higher prices for cellular connectivity.

Apple has a range of discounted Apple Watch Series 8 and SE 2 models for sale, in both GPS only and GPS + Cellular configurations. At the current time, Apple is only offering the aluminum Apple Watch Series 8 models, and there is no sign of a refurbished Apple Watch Ultra.

The Apple Watch Series 8 and ‌Apple Watch SE‌ 2 models initially came out in September 2022, alongside the iPhone 14 models and the Apple Watch Ultra.

As with all refurbished products, available stock will fluctuate over time as Apple refreshes what is available, so you may need to check back often if you're looking for a specific color or size.

According to Apple, all refurbished Apple Watch models go through a rigorous refurbishment process prior to being offered for sale. Refurbishment includes testing, replacement for any defective parts, inspections, cleaning, and repackaging.

All refurbished products are covered by the same one-year warranty that is applicable to new products, with the warranty able to be extended with AppleCare+.

Apple is developing a MacBook Air with a 13.4-inch OLED display, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants. The new model would have a slightly smaller display compared to the existing MacBook Air with a 13.6-inch LCD panel.

In a tweet shared with paid subscribers today, Young added that the MacBook Pro is unlikely to adopt an OLED display until 2026, when Apple's supply chain is expected to have sufficient notebook-optimized OLED display production capacity. Until then, Young said suppliers will be focused on OLED displays for tablets, such as the iPad Pro.

In December, Young said Apple plans to launch the MacBook Air and 11.1-inch/13-inch iPad Pro models with OLED displays in 2024. Macs and iPads with OLED displays would feature increased brightness and improved contrast ratio compared to LCD models, and the displays would also be more power efficient for longer battery life.

It was reported earlier today that Samsung Display has started development of OLED displays that will be used in the future MacBook Air. In the meantime, Young expects Apple to release a larger 15-inch MacBook Air with an LCD panel this year.

Young has accurately leaked many display-related details about future Apple products, including ProMotion coming to the iPhone 13 Pro and MacBook Pro, the sixth-generation iPad mini featuring a larger 8.3-inch display, and much more.

With the Apple Music Classical app and an Apple Pay Later early access program now available, the list of previously-announced iOS features that have yet to launch is beginning to shrink. However, there are still a few features we are waiting for.

Below, we have recapped three more iOS features that are expected to launch in 2023, including an Apple Card savings account for Daily Cash, iMessage Contact Key Verification for enhanced messaging security, and the next generation of CarPlay.

iMessage Contact Key Verification

In December 2022, Apple previewed a new iMessage Contact Key Verification security feature and said it would launch globally in 2023. It's unclear if the feature will be added in an iOS 16 update or introduced as part of iOS 17 later this year.

iMessage Contact Key Verification allows users who face "extraordinary digital threats," such as journalists, human rights activists, and government officials, to further verify that they are messaging only with the people they intend. In conversations between users who have enabled iMessage Contact Key Verification, users are alerted if a state-sponsored attacker or other malicious actor were ever to succeed breaching cloud servers and inserting their own device to eavesdrop on the conversation.

As an additional layer of security, iMessage Contact Key Verification users can compare a Contact Verification Code in person, on FaceTime, or through another secure call to further verify they are communicating only with whom they intend.

Apple Card Savings Account

In October 2022, Apple announced that Apple Card users would "soon" be able to open a new high-yield savings account from Goldman Sachs and have their Daily Cash automatically deposited into it, with no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements. The account would be managed through the Wallet app on the iPhone.

Once the account is set up, all Daily Cash received from that point on would be automatically deposited into it and start earning interest, unless a user opts to continue having Daily Cash added to their Apple Cash balance. Apple Card provides 2-3% Daily Cash on purchases made with Apple Pay and 1% on purchases made with the physical card.

The savings account was listed in the release notes for the iOS 16.1 Release Candidate in October, and Goldman Sachs updated its Apple Card customer agreement for the feature in December, but it is still not available as of the first iOS 16.5 beta.

Next-Generation CarPlay

At WWDC 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of its iPhone-based software platform CarPlay, which will feature support for multiple displays, widgets, and integration with vehicle functions like the instrument cluster, climate controls, and FM radio.

Apple says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in late 2023, with committed automakers including Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Volvo, and others. Apple plans to share additional details about the next generation of CarPlay later this year.

A few weeks ago we shared a deal on the 2021 10.2-inch iPad on Amazon, but stock quickly disappeared. Amazon is back today with fresh markdowns on even more models of the 2021 iPad, including the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad, available for $269.00, down from $329.00, which is an overall second-best price for this tablet.

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.

Despite being a second-best price, this deal is notable due to Amazon's stock appearing to be more stable this time around. Any discounts on this iPad have been pretty rare so far in 2023, so Amazon's sale today (which includes both the Space Gray and Silver color options) is a solid purchase for those who have been waiting for a deal on the iPad.

In addition, we're now tracking a new sale on the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad, available for $399.00, down from $479.00. This one is another second-best price, and it's only about $10 higher than the previous low that we tracked last year.

Lastly, there is one cellular model on sale: the 256GB cellular iPad is down to $529.99 in Silver, from $609.00. You'll need to add the iPad to your cart and head to checkout in order to see a coupon worth $9.01 added to your order, which will knock the tablet down to this 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. 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 has again pushed back mass production of its mixed-reality headset and the device may not appear at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said.

In a tweet, Kuo explained that Apple "isn't very optimistic" about whether the headset will be able to create an "iPhone moment." As a result, the company has chosen to delay the device's mass production schedule to the middle to the end of the third quarter of 2023. Kuo believes that the delay adds uncertainty around "whether the new device will appear at WWDC 2023, as the market widely expects."

The delay also means that shipment forecasts of the headset for 2023 will be even lower than previously thought, reducing to just 200,000 to 300,000 units. Previously, around half a million units were expected to ship this year.

Apple's cause for concern with the device is allegedly in anticipation of poor market feedback, catalysed by the economic downturn, hardware specification compromises, the weight of the device, the readiness of the headset's ecosystem and applications, and its high selling price. Kuo believes that the headset will be priced at $3,000 to $4,000, or even higher.

Kuo's comments mirror a recent report from The New York Times, which claimed that Apple employees have serious concerns about the headset's prospects, calling it "a solution in search of a problem."

Apple yesterday announced that WWDC 2023 will be held between June 5 and June 9. Until now, all indications have suggested that this would be when Apple introduces the headset.

Samsung Display is developing a 13.3-inch OLED panel for a future MacBook Air model amid plans to switch several of Apple's product lines to the display technology, The Elec reports.

LG Display is apparently developing OLED displays for both of the next-generation iPad Pro models in 11- and 13-inch sizes, and lacks sufficient production capacity for the ‌MacBook Air‌, leading Apple to choose Samsung for the device instead. Samsung Display is also purportedly developing an 11-inch OLED panel for a future iPad model planned for launch next year, suggesting that it could take a share of the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ orders from LG.

Apple apparently plans to sequentially introduce new ‌iPad Pro‌, MacBook Pro, and ‌MacBook Air‌ models with OLED displays. The Elec is unsure when the OLED ‌MacBook Air‌ will be released, but suggests it could be around two years away due to Apple's product development timescales. Display analyst Ross Young has previously said that he expects a ‌MacBook Air‌ with an OLED panel to launch as soon as 2024.

It is believed that Apple originally wanted Samsung Display to supply a 10.86-inch OLED panel for a future iPad Air model, which would have been its first OLED ‌iPad‌, before the project was scrapped due to the single stack panel's price and quantity issues, as well as concerns around the need to differentiate the iPad Air from the ‌iPad Pro‌. Apple is now said to have moved to a more reliable two-stack OLED panel that is expected to debut on the ‌iPad Pro‌ next year.

The Elec also claims that the project to develop an 13.3-inch OLED panel for a ‌MacBook Air‌ is also effectively a test for mass production of OLED panels for future ‌MacBook Pro‌ models.

With Apple's rumored mixed reality headset potentially being unveiled on June 5 during Tim Cook's opening WWDC keynote address, established leaker Sonny Dickson has shared clearer images on Twitter of the only leaked components we have seen for the device thus far.

The high-resolution pictures provide close-ups of ribbon cables shaped in such a way as to resemble a goggles enclosure that surrounds the eyes, indicating that they are used to connect display components on a surrounding circuit board.

The images were previously leaked by a Twitter user with a track record for sharing accurate information about Apple components, but in the original images the part numbers were blurred out. In contrast, Dickson's images show the numbers, which could potentially allow for other parts to be more easily identified and confirmed as legitimate if further leaked components emerge.

Rumors suggest the headset will have two to three displays. There will be two high-resolution 4K micro OLED displays with up to 3,000 pixels per inch, for an 8K total resolution. Sony is expected to supply the display modules that Apple will use, though Apple may also use some OLED displays from Samsung.

Micro OLED displays are said to be built directly on to chip wafers rather than a glass substrate, which results in displays that are thinner, smaller, and more power efficient.

Meanwhile an outward-facing display will allegedly be able to show the facial expressions of the headset's wearer to the people around them, to cut down on the sense of isolation felt when using the device. The display will have an ultra-low refresh rate and reduced power consumption to keep it from draining battery.

Apple reportedly showcased the mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week. Apple is expected to launch the headset later in the year, sometime after its debut at WWDC. Mass production of the headset is already underway, but some Apple employees are said to be concerned about the usefulness and price point of the headset, according to one report.