Apple today seeded the fourth beta of macOS Ventura 13.3 to developers for testing purposes, with the new software update coming a week after the release of the third macOS 13.3 beta.
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.
macOS Ventura 13.3 adopts the same new emoji characters that are in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, including pink heart, light blue heart, left and right hand, moose, black bird, goose, wing, jellyfish, pea pod, finger, and more.
The update adds the new HomeKit architecture that was initially removed from iOS 16.2 and its sister updates, and the revised version should have fewer bugs that affect HomeKit setups.
macOS Ventura 13.3 will go through a few more rounds of beta testing, with Apple planning to release it in the spring.
Apple today seeded the fourth betas of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the launch of the third betas.
Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates over-the-air after installing the appropriate profile from the Developer Center. Going forward, beta updates will not require a profile and will instead be done directly on device through an Apple ID linked to a developer account.
iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 add new emoji characters, including shaking head, pink heart, light blue heart, donkey, moose, jellyfish, hyacinth, ginger, black bird, and more. There are 31 new emoji in total, including left and right hand options in several skin tones.
Safari Web Push notifications have been added on the iPhone and iPad, and you can receive them from websites that have been added to the Home Screen on your device. Web Push notifications are identical to the notifications that you get from websites on the Mac, and behave like any other iOS notification.
Third-party browsers like Chrome are now able to let users add websites and websites to the Home Screen, and Apple has reintroduced the HomeKit architecture upgrade. There are also changes to Podcasts, minor updates to Apple Music, new options for Shortcuts, a reintroduced page turning animation for Apple Books, and more, with a full list of new features in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 available in our features guide.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 9.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software update coming one week after launch of the third beta.
To install the watchOS 9.4 update, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center.
Once installed, watchOS 9.4 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it has to be placed on the charger, and it will need to be in range of the iPhone it is paired with.
watchOS 9.4 gains support for new emoji characters that include donkey, goose, black bird, shaking head, hyacinth, pea pod, and more, with 31 new characters available in total.
Through iOS 16.4, the update adds support for Web Push notifications that are sent to an iPhone, with the notifications able to be set up for a website that is added to the iPhone's Home Screen.
watchOS 9.4 will go through a few more rounds of beta testing, and it is expected to see a launch in the spring alongside iOS 16.4.
ZAGG today introduced a St. Patrick's Day savings event with 25 percent off sitewide, including all of ZAGG and Mophie's best charging and protection accessories. This discount does not require any coupon code and will be applied automatically in the cart.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with ZAGG. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
In regards to Mophie products, this includes wireless chargers, power banks, and battery cases. This will exclude items that are already marked down, and you can only get 25 percent off up to three items. ZAGG's sale will last through March 17 at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time.
Note: The 25% discount will be applied in the cart.
There are a variety of power banks on sale at Mophie, including the Snap+ Juice Pack Mini, which is compatible with MagSafe and is down to $37.46, from $49.95. There are regular portable batteries as well, including the Powerstation XXL ($44.96), Snap+ Powerstation Stand ($52.46), and more.
For higher-priced items, you can save big on Mophie's 3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe, priced at $112.46, down from $149.95. There's also the Powerstation Pro at the same price of $112.46, down from $149.95.
There are plenty of other accessories on sale during this event, including car mounts, Apple Watch chargers, iPhone battery cases, screen protectors, and audio equipment. You can head to ZAGG's website to browse the full sale across all of its brands before the sale ends on Friday. Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
Apple's next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely be more expensive than previous Pro models, according to Jeff Pu, a tech analyst at Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities.
In a research note this week, Pu predicted the iPhone 15 Pro models will see a price increase due to several rumored hardware upgrades, including a titanium frame, solid-state buttons with haptic feedback from extra Taptic Engines, an A17 Bionic chip, increased RAM, a periscope lens for increased optical zoom on the Pro Max model, and more.
This is the second time that a price increase has been rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models, following an unverified claim on Chinese social media website Weibo in January, but whether Apple finally raises pricing for the devices remains to be seen. In the U.S., the Pro model has started at $999 since the iPhone X was released in 2017, while the Pro Max has started at $1,099 since the iPhone XS Max launched the following year.
Outside of the U.S., Apple has increased the prices of iPhones multiple times in recent years, largely due to foreign currency fluctuations. In the U.K., for example, the iPhone 14 Pro starts at £1,099, compared to £949 for the iPhone 13 Pro.
A price increase in the U.S. is plausible given above-average inflation rates. Apple has managed to keep starting prices unchanged for six straight generations of Pro models, but prices will likely have to increase eventually for the company to maintain its profit margins. It's unclear if the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus would also see a price increase over the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, which start at $799 and $899, respectively.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 series in September as usual. All four devices are rumored to feature a USB-C port, the Dynamic Island, and a slightly more curved frame, while over 10 additional features and changes are rumored for the Pro models.
Apple is testing generative AI concepts that could one day be destined for Siri, despite fundamental issues with the way the virtual assistant is built, the New York Times reports.
Employees were apparently briefed on Apple's large language model and other AI tools at the company's annual AI summit last month. Apple engineers, including members of the Siri team, have reportedly been testing language-generation concepts "every week" in response to the rise of chatbots like ChatGPT.
These next-generation AI technologies have highlighted how Siri, Alexa, and other voice assistants have squandered their lead in the AI race, the report explains. Siri, in particular, has faced multiple roadblocks to meaningful improvements. Speaking to the New York Times, former Apple engineer John Burkey, who worked on Siri and was made responsible for improving it in 2014, explained that the voice assistant is built on "clunky code that took weeks to update with basic features."
Its "cumbersome design" made it very difficult for engineers to add new features. For example, Siri's database contains a large list of phrases in almost two dozen languages, making it "one big snowball." If someone wanted to add a word to Siri's database, Burkey added, "it goes in one big pile."
This means that simple updates like adding new phrases to the data set requires rebuilding the entire Siri database, which could take up to six weeks. Adding more complicated features like new search tools could take up to a whole year.
As a result, there was no path for Siri to become a "creative assistant" like ChatGPT, Burkey believes. Earlier this week, OpenAI unveiled GPT-4, its next-generation AI engine, enabling even more advanced responses from ChatGPT.
Last week, DigiTimes reported 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.
Apple today shared a new ad for the second-generation AirPods Pro on its YouTube channel. The one-minute video is focused on the second-generation AirPods Pro offering up to twice as much Active Noise Cancellation as the original AirPods Pro.
Set to the song "Where Is My Mind?" by Tkay Maidza, the ad shows a woman wearing AirPods Pro as she walks through a busy city. With Active Noise Cancellation mode enabled on her AirPods Pro, she is able to block out the loud noises surrounding her.
Priced at $249, the second-generation AirPods Pro also feature improved audio quality, longer battery life, swipe-based volume control, an improved built-in skin-detect sensor that more accurately turns on or off audio playback, and an updated charging case with a built-in speaker and U1 chip for Find My support. In addition to Lightning and MagSafe, the AirPods Pro case can now be charged with an Apple Watch charger.
Spotify says it still plans to launch a lossless music experience, although when that will be and what form it will take still appear undecided.
It's been more than two years since Spotify announced it would introduce a "HiFi" premium tier that would give users access to a catalog of CD-quality music tracks. Originally it said the tier would go live by the end of 2021, but similar moves by rival streaming services upended Spotify's lossless strategy.
Since then, Apple Music has included lossless listening options as part of its standard subscription price, and Amazon has stopped charging extra for its lossless music library. That's made the idea of Spotify asking users to pay more for a like-for-like service sound a lot less reasonable.
"We announced it, but then the industry changed for a bunch of reasons," Spotify co-president Gustav Söderström said on Tuesday in an interview with The Verge. "We are going to do it, but we're going to do it in a way where it makes sense for us and for our listeners. The industry changed and we had to adapt."
"We want to do it in a way where it works for us from a cost perspective as well," Söderström continued. "I'm not allowed to comment on our label agreements, nor on what other players in the industry did, for obvious reasons," he added.
According to The Verge, Spotify HiFi has been ready to launch for more than a year, and Spotify employees have access to HiFi, but it was originally intended to cost more than the standard plan. Given Apple and Amazon's moves, Spotify's lossless is now expected to appear as part of a more extensive plan that includes access to spatial audio tracks and other perks to do with audiobooks and podcasts.
When the plan will arrive, however, is still unknown, with Söderström only able to confirm to The Verge that HiFi "is coming at some point."
Apple's next operating system update will be iOS 16.4, with the software in beta testing as of February 16. Software updates go through several rounds of testing with developers and public beta testers ahead of launch, so when can we expect to see iOS 16.4 provided to the public?
Officially, Apple says that the iOS 16.4 and its sister updates iPadOS 16.4, macOS Ventura 13.3, tvOS 16.4, and watchOS 9.4 will be released in the "spring." The spring equinox (aka the first day of spring) is on Monday, March 20, and the season will last through June 21.
Apple delivered a release candidate version of iOS 16.4 to developers and public beta testers on Tuesday, March 21, indicating that a full release is very close. Unless a significant issue is discovered, this will be the version distributed to all users.
A public release typically comes about a week after the release candidate version is provided to beta testers, as seen in previous updates:
iOS 16.3 - The RC was released on January 18 after two betas, a launch followed on January 23.
iOS 16.2 - The RC was released on December 7 after four betas, a launch followed on December 13.
iOS 16.1 - The RC was released on October 18 after five betas, a launch followed on October 24.
iOS 15.6 - The RC was released on July 12 after six betas, a launch followed on July 20.
iOS 15.5 - The RC was released on May 12 after four betas, a launch followed on May 16.
With these dates in mind, the most probable candidate for an iOS 16.4 launch is Tuesday, March 28. The new Apple Music Classical app is also being released on March 28, so it's likely we will see everything on the same day. Software updates can also come on Mondays and Wednesdays and Apple Music Classical does not technically require iOS 16.4, so a release on March 27 or March 29 is also possible.
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, and maracas.
At launch, iOS 16.4 will be able to be installed on all devices that are capable of running iOS 16, and it will be a free update. We are expecting iOS 16.4 to be one of the last major updates to iOS 16, with Apple set to turn its attention to iOS 17 as June's WWDC event approaches.
Amid falling revenue, Apple has decided to expand its hiring freeze to encompass additional roles, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The company also plans to delay bonuses for some of its employees.
Apple late last year paused hiring for most jobs outside of research and development to cut down on costs, after slowing down on hiring and spending last July. At the time, the hiring moratorium did not apply to teams working on future devices and long-term Apple initiatives, but the freeze is now applicable for more jobs. Apple is leaving positions open as employees depart the company as a way to cut down on the workforce.
In addition to slowing hiring, Apple is planning to reduce the frequency of bonuses for some of its corporate workforce. Apple normally provides bonuses and promotions once or twice per year depending on division, with the extra money paid out in April and October, but the company is shifting entirely to a once-per-year bonus schedule. Bonus payments will be provided in October for all teams, and employees are still set to receive their full bonuses.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is also being paid less this year, and he is set to receive $49 million in salary, bonuses, and stock awards, down approximately 50 percent from the $99 million he was paid in 2022.
Unlike many tech companies, Apple has not announced layoffs, focusing instead on cutting down on hiring. Twitter has seen thousands of employees cut following a takeover by Elon Musk, and just this week, Facebook announced plans to lay off approximately 10,000 employees. Microsoft cut its AI ethics team this month following several prior layoff events, while Google parent company Alphabet laid off 12,000 employees in January.
Apple in the first fiscal quarter of 2023 saw a five percent drop in revenue year-over-year, and for the second fiscal quarter, the company is expecting a notable decline in Mac and iPad revenue, which will lead to similar sales numbers.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 16.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the launch of the third tvOS 16.4 beta.
Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 16.4 update by downloading a profile on the Apple TV using Xcode.
tvOS updates are usually minor, focusing on internal bug fixes and improvements rather than notable outward-facing changes. There is no word as of yet what's included in the tvOS 16.4 update, but we'll update this article if we find anything new.
Apple shares some information on tvOS releases in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each tvOS launch.
Though we don't often know what's new in tvOS during the beta testing process, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download it upon release.
Apple this week announced that it will be opening its fifth retail store in South Korea on Friday, March 31 at 5 p.m. local time. The new store will be located in the central Gangnam district of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea.
To celebrate the occasion, Apple has made a special wallpaper for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac available to download on the store's page. The Apple Gangnam wallpaper has a black background with an Apple logo in a unique style.
The new store will offer typical Apple Store services, ranging from Genius Bar appointments for product repairs to Today at Apple creative sessions.
Apple Gangnam is Apple's first new retail store to open since Apple American Dream opened in New Jersey in December. Apple operates over 520 retail stores around the world, including four other locations in Seoul.
Apple's retail chief Deirdre O'Brien shared an animated version of the Apple logo on Instagram.
Apple's rumored 5G modem project has multiple suppliers interested in assisting with final assembly of the chip, according to a new report.
While the custom-designed modem will likely be manufactured by Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC, the final packaging stage may be handled by other suppliers. Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes today reported that ASE Technology and Amkor Technology are "competing" to package the modem chips. The two companies already have experience packaging Qualcomm's modem chips, the report states.
Qualcomm is currently the exclusive supplier of 5G modems for Apple devices, including the entire iPhone 14 lineup, but Apple has long been rumored to be designing its own 5G chip as an in-house replacement. Last month, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said he expected Apple's 5G modem to be ready in 2024, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that it could take up to three years for Apple to fully transition away from Qualcomm.
The first device expected to be equipped with Apple's custom 5G modem is the fourth-generation iPhone SE, which will likely be released around March 2024. It's unclear how Apple's chip would perform compared to Qualcomm's modems, but the switch to an in-house design would likely reduce Apple's production costs over time.
In the meantime, all iPhone 15 models are expected to be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X70 modem, which has further cellular speed and power efficiency improvements compared to the Snapdragon X65 in all iPhone 14 models.
Apple has shared a new "Hello Yellow" ad promoting the new Yellow finish that launched today for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. The ad features a mix of live action and animation and is set to the song "Le Banana Split" by Lio.
The new color option gives the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus some renewed attention after the devices launched in September 2022. Pre-orders began on Friday, and the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability began today. There are no changes to the devices beyond the new Yellow finish, and pricing remains the same.
As a refresher, the iPhone 14 is equipped with a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 14 Plus is a larger 6.7-inch model. Key new features of the devices include camera enhancements like Action mode, longer battery life, Crash Detection, and Emergency SOS via Satellite. In the U.S., the devices are compatible with eSIMs only. Other color options available include Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and (PRODUCT)RED.
Customers should be aware that Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 series in September as usual, so all-new devices are around six months away.
Apple's 64GB Wi-Fi 10.2-inch iPad from 2021 has returned to its all-time low price of $249.99 today on Amazon, down from $329.00. Delivery dates for this iPad have slipped into late March, and as of now only Amazon has this record low price.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Although we've tracked sales on the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad model a few times this year, discounts on the 64GB Wi-Fi tablet have been more difficult to come by. As of writing, Amazon only has the Space Gray color on sale at this 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.
Update: Amazon's stock on this iPad has been fluctuating today, so if you don't see it available to purchase be sure to check back soon and it'll likely reappear.
Apple today announced that customers in the U.S. can now connect with an Apple Specialist over a live video session while shopping for an iPhone on the company's online store. With this new service, customers can learn about the latest iPhone models and features, switching to iOS, trade-in offers, carrier deals, and financing options.
"Shop with a Specialist over Video" is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific Time every day on the Shop iPhone page of Apple's website. During the one-way session, Apple says the retail employee will be on camera sharing their screen, but they will not be able to see the customer. Apple promises that the video session is "safe and secure."
"With Shop with a Specialist over Video, our team members are excited to connect with customers and provide exceptional service as they learn about which iPhone best suits them," said Karen Rasmussen, the head of Apple's online store.
Apple's online store continues to allow customers to connect with a Specialist via phone, online chat, or an American Sign Language session.
Accessory company ESR is launching a new crowdfunding campaign today for what it says is the first MagSafe-compatible wallet accessory for iPhones with full Find My support, the HaloLock Geo Wallet Stand. I've been testing out an early review unit for a couple of weeks now, and I've found it to be a handy accessory while on the go.
While Apple offers a first-party MagSafe wallet with Find My support, the accessory does not include any location tracking of its own with the Find My app only able to determine the location where the wallet was last detached from your phone.
ESR's new wallet accessory goes a significant step further by including full Find My support, enabling much more useful location tracking thanks to an onboard module that can leverage the hundreds of millions of Apple devices out in the wild to report its location. An onboard speaker can also help you audibly locate a misplaced wallet within relatively close range.
As a wallet, the Geo Wallet Stand is capable of holding around three physical cards whether they be driver's licenses, credit/debit cards, membership cards, or other similarly sized cards.
With the onboard Find My module, the Geo Wallet Stand obviously requires a power source, and ESR says its rechargeable battery should last about three months. Charging is accomplished using an included 0.5-meter USB-C cable that terminates in a magnetic three pogo-pin connector that snaps onto charging contacts on the wallet.
ESR says it takes about 90 minutes for a full recharge, and a small status light next to the charging contacts shines orange while charging and green once fully charged. There is also a power button that lets you turn the unit off, but of course it won't be able to be tracked while powered off.
I haven't had my review unit long enough to fully test the battery life and charging time estimates, but after several weeks of use the rough battery status displayed in the Find My app still shows as full.
Setup takes place in the Find My app just like any other supported accessory, with a long press on the wallet's button putting it into pairing mode. Once you walk through the setup process in the app to give the wallet a name and emoji icon, it shows up on the Devices tab of the Find My app just like AirTags and other Find My-compatible accessories.
As you might guess from its name, the Geo Wallet Stand has another trick up its sleeve, and that's its ability to function as a phone stand in either portrait or landscape mode. The wallet is constructed of two flaps with a hinge at the top connecting the card-holding half to the MagSafe and Find My half, allowing the card portion to swing out and act as a kickstand.
There's enough tension in the hinge that you can set it at a range of angles from 15º to 170º for optimal viewing in virtually any setting.
The two-part design certainly makes the Geo Wallet Stand thicker than Apple's MagSafe wallet, but I don't find it too thick or heavy for my liking, though that's of course a subjective assessment. The full Find My support in the wallet unavoidably adds some weight and bulk compared to Apple's accessory, and ESR's hinged design is a clever way to wring some extra functionality out of it.
Still, there's no getting around the fact the the Geo Wallet Stand is more than twice as thick and nearly three times as heavy as Apple's MagSafe wallet. I've used various magnetic batteries and battery cases on my iPhones from time to time over the years, so an extra hump on the back of my phone isn't a deal-breaker for me, and the Geo Wallet Stand feels similar in bulk to something like Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack.
I weighed the Geo Wallet Stand at 84 grams empty and 107 grams with a driver's license, a regular credit card, and a hefty Apple Card onboard. That compares very closely to Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack at 113 grams and it has a similar thickness. Both are of course substantially thicker and heavier than Apple's MagSafe Wallet, which weighs just 32 grams empty.
The extra weight and bulk doesn't really bother me considering the functionality the wallet offers, but if a slim feel in the hand is a priority for you or you're going to be taking it in and out of a pocket in skinny jeans on a regular basis, it's definitely something to be aware of.
Of course, there's little reason to keep the wallet attached to your phone at all times unless you're really interested in using the stand functionality around the house, so outside of my extra review testing I only slap the wallet on my phone when I'm headed out of the house.
For a little bit of extra security, the card slot section includes a finger loop on the back if you like to hold your phone that way. That's not my preferred way to hold my phone, but the loop sits fairly flush with the wallet when not in use so I don't find it bothersome.
ESR says the Geo Wallet Stand's magnetic holding force is more than twice that of Apple's official MagSafe standard, which helps ensure that it stays attached however it's being used. I can definitely tell the difference in strength compared to Apple's MagSafe accessories like the wallet and the battery pack, and I have no concerns about ESR's wallet coming detached accidentally.
One of my complaints about Apple's MagSafe wallet is that cards typically sit deep enough in the card slot that you can't get a grip on the edge of one to easily pull it out. Apple intends for users to remove the wallet from their phone and use an opening on the back of the wallet to push the cards out when needed. While this helps keep cards secure in the wallet, I find the inconvenience outweighs the benefit, and even then cards can feel quite loose in the slot if you're only carrying a single card.
The Geo Wallet Stand's slot holds cards more tightly with what ESR calls a "dynamic tension spring" down inside the card slot. It provides a little extra stability regardless of how many cards are inserted, and I don't have much concern about them falling out. A small cutout at the bottom of the slot makes it easy to push the cards up to access them without having to remove the wallet from your phone, which I find to be a much better design than Apple's.
The ESR HaloLock Geo Wallet Stand is being offered in two colors, midnight black and caramel brown, and the crowdfunding campaign is live now with worldwide shipping available. The regular price for the Geo Wallet Stand will be $39, but ESR is offering a variety of limited-quantity discounted offers starting at around $27.
ESR says that relevant certifications and quality testing for the wallet stand have been completed, and the review unit I've been testing certainly looks and feels like a completed product, so ESR appears to be in a good position to meet its shipping estimate of May once the Kickstarter campaign wraps up late next month.
Note: ESR provided the HaloLock Geo Wallet Stand to MacRumors for hands-on impressions, and no other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Kickstarter/ESR. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
India plans to force smartphone makers like Apple to allow removal of pre-installed apps and mandate screening of OS updates under proposed new security rules, reports Reuters.
Under the new rules, smartphone makers will need to include an uninstall option for pre-installed apps and new models will be checked for compliance by a lab authorized by the Bureau of Indian Standards agency, according to people with knowledge of the plan.
Apple already allows many of its own apps to be deleted, but core apps like Messages, Photos, and Phone cannot be deleted, only removed from the Home screen and hidden in the App Library.
According to the report's sources, India's IT ministry is considering the rules over concerns about spying and abuse of user data, with explicit references to the risk from China.
"Pre-installed apps can be a weak security point and we want to ensure no foreign nations, including China, are exploiting it," said an unnamed official. "It's a matter of national security."
Since a border clash with China in 2022, India has banned more than 300 Chinese apps in the country, including TikTok. It has also intensified scrutiny of investments by Chinese firms.
According to government documents seen by Reuters, a closed-door meeting was attended by representatives from Xiaomi, Samsung, Apple and Vivo to discuss the plan.
The government is said to be giving smartphone makers a year to comply with the rules when it comes into effect, but there are concerns that they could delay launch timeframes for new smartphones and lead to business losses. Currently it takes about 21 weeks for a smartphone and its parts to be tested by India's IT ministry for safety compliance.
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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.
