The Apple TV app, the Apple TV+ streaming service, and the Apple TV channels feature appear to be experiencing an outage at this time, with Apple's System Status page reflecting an issue that began at 5:13 p.m. Pacific Time.
The TV app on the Apple TV and on iOS devices is not functioning properly, and for some users, is showing no content except for TV shows and movies that have been purchased and are available in the Library.
Update: Apple's System Status page indicates the Apple TV+ outage has been resolved.
Netflix today said that it plans to roll out paid sharing "more broadly" in the first quarter of 2023, expanding a crackdown on Netflix accounts that are shared between multiple households.
In a Q4 shareholder letter explaining the changes [PDF], Netflix says that widespread account sharing undermines its ability to invest in and improve the service.
Today's widespread account sharing (100M+ households) undermines our long term ability to invest in and improve Netflix, as well as build our business. While our terms of use limit use of Netflix to a household, we recognize this is a change for members who share their account more broadly.
So we've worked hard to build additional new features that improve the Netflix experience, including the ability for members to review which devices are using their account and to transfer a profile to a new account. As we roll out paid sharing, members in many countries will also have the option to pay extra if they want to share Netflix with people they don't live with.
Based on testing in Latin America, Netflix says that it is anticipating "some cancel reaction" in each market where paid sharing is introduced, but an overall improvement in revenue is expected as "borrower households" activate standalone accounts and as extra member accounts are added. According to Netflix, an estimated 222 million paying households share passwords with an additional 100 million households that could be monetized.
Netflix will require people who share accounts with others outside of their household to pay to do so. Add-on payments have already rolled out in some Latin American countries, with Netflix charging around $3 extra for an additional non-household user. A report from The Wall Street Journalin December suggested Netflix could charge just under $6.99 for account sharing in the United States.
Netflix plans to enforce password sharing rules through IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity.
The terms of service for Netflix have never allowed for multi-household sharing, but Netflix has allowed the practice for so long that implementing fees for offering account access to friends and family could upset some subscribers.
Pricing on Netflix plans includes watching on multiple supported devices in addition to affecting streaming quality, but Netflix does not want multiple viewers using the same account unless they live together. Netflix's premium plan, for example, allows for Ultra HD 4K streaming and support for watching on four supported devices like iPhones, iPads, and Macs at one time, but in the future, access will be limited to people in the same home.
The Computer History Museum located in Mountain View, California, today released the Apple Lisa source code, including its system and applications software. Today happens to be the 40th anniversary of the original January 19, 1983 release of the Apple Lisa.
Aimed at business users, the Apple Lisa was priced at close to $10,000 when it was introduced, and the high price tag combined with software issues and problems with floppy disks caused it to be something of a commercial failure. Though it was largely replaced with the much more affordable Apple Macintosh and Lisa 2 after just two years, The Apple Lisa is known for its innovative use of a graphical user interface (GUI).
The Apple Lisa included several apps, such as a word processor, spreadsheet, and charts, all of which were bundled with the system. The GUI was inspired by Xerox PARC's Smalltalk system, but had its own innovations that ultimately inspired Apple's future operating systems as well as Microsoft's Windows software.
The code is being released as part of the Computer History Museum's ongoing "Art of Code" series, which explores historical code releases that power significant developments in computing. There will be a hybrid in-person/online event on January 31 at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time that will commemorate Apple's PC journey and highlight what made the Lisa the company's "most important flop."
Apple made some rare January product announcements this week, introducing updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, an updated Mac mini, a second-generation full-size HomePod, and a new Unity band for the Apple Watch in celebration of Black History Month. Apple also revealed that iOS 16.3 will be released to the public next week.
A recap of Apple's announcements is available below for those looking for a quick overview of all the new products introduced this week.
MacBook Pro
The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are available with Apple's latest M2 Pro and M2 Max chips for up to 20% faster performance and up to 30% faster graphics. The laptops can be configured with up to 96GB of RAM, compared to a max of 64GB previously. Other new features and improvements include Wi-Fi 6E, an upgraded HDMI 2.1 port with support for an 8K external display, and an extra hour of battery life.
The new MacBook Pros have the same design as the previous-generation models released in 2021. The laptops can be pre-ordered now on Apple's online store, with the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability to begin Tuesday, January 24. Pricing starts at $1,999 for the 14-inch model and at $2,499 for the 16-inch model.
Mac mini
Apple also updated the Mac mini with new M2 and M2 Pro chip options, resulting in the final Intel-based Mac mini being discontinued. There are no design changes, but the M2 Pro version of the Mac mini is equipped with four Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI 2.1 port, compared to two Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI 2.0 port on the M2 model.
The new Mac mini can be pre-ordered now on Apple's online store, with the M2 model starting at a lower $599 price and the M2 Pro model starting at $1,299. The first deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin Tuesday, January 24.
HomePod
The second-generation HomePod features a virtually identical design as the full-size HomePod that was discontinued in March 2021, including a backlit touch surface and mesh fabric exterior. The speaker features a four-inch high-excursion woofer, five tweeters, four microphones, an S7 chip for computational audio, a U1 chip for handing off music from an iPhone, and support for Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. The speaker continues to revolve around Siri and has Matter support for controlling HomeKit and other smart home accessories.
The new HomePod has two fewer tweeters and two fewer microphones compared to the original model, and it weighs slightly less as a result. A new sensor in the HomePod can measure temperature and humidity in indoor environments, and this feature has also been enabled on the existing HomePod mini with HomePod software version 16.3.
The new HomePod can be pre-ordered now on Apple's online store for $299, with white and midnight color options available. In-store availability and deliveries to customers will begin Friday, February 3 in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and 11 other countries.
Unity Band
Apple this week released a new, special-edition Black Unity Sport Loop for the Apple Watch Series 4 and later in celebration of Black History Month. Available in 41mm and 45mm sizes for $49, the band features the word "Unity" woven into the fabric with red, green, and black yarns that pay homage to the Pan-African flag, according to Apple.
The new band is available to order on Apple's online store, and will be available in select Apple Store locations beginning January 24. Apple is also releasing a companion Unity-themed iPhone wallpaper and watch face with iOS 16.3 and watchOS 9.3.
iOS 16.3 Release Timing
In its press release about the new Unity band, Apple said a matching Unity wallpaper for the iPhone will be available next week and requires iOS 16.3, which confirms that the software update will be released to the public next week.
In late January 2023, Apple released a HomePod 16.3 software update that adds humidity and temperature sensing to the second-generation HomePod and all HomePod mini models. This article explains how the features work and what you can do with them.
Apple's new second-generation HomePod features temperature and humidity sensors that can be used to measure the indoor climate. But that's not all. The new 16.3 HomePod software allows you to run automations based on these measurements.
What's more, the existing HomePod mini has a dormant temperature and humidity sensor that Apple activated with the 16.3 update, allowing the same temperature and humidity settings to be used for home automation and device activation purposes. (Sadly, that is not the case for the first-generation HomePod.)
Below, we show you how the temperature and humidity sensor information appears in the Home app, and how you can add automations. In our example, after having installed the 16.3 software on a HomePod mini, we run through the steps needed to activate a thermostat to heat a room whenever it falls below 66.2 degrees Fahrenheit (19 degrees Celsius).
Open the Home app and select the room where the HomePod mini or second-generation HomePod is located.
After a short calibration phase on first use, the readouts at the top of the room menu provide live climate measurements. We're going to tap the Temperature readout.
Tap the Temperature Sensor button in the pop-up menu to access the settings card.
Tap Add Automation.
Using the dial, choose a temperature level that activates the automation using the Rises Above and Drops Below options.
Use the Time setting to choose from Any time, During the day, At night, or Specific times.
Use the People setting to choose whether this automation should run based on When I am home or When I am not home. You can also turn this setting off.
Tap Next, then select the accessory that you want to use with this automation. Here we're selecting Thermostat.
Tap Next, then give your automation a name at the top of the menu and set your accessory to perform an action. Here, we're setting the thermostat to heat the kitchen to 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 22 degrees Celsius.
Tap Done, then tap the X to close the Temperature Sensor settings card.
Our automation is now ready to activate the thermostat to heat the room whenever the temperature drops below the specified measurement. To complement the automation, we could create an additional one that turns off the thermostat when the room reaches a certain temperature.
This is just one example of some of the new features available with the HomePod 16.3 software update. The update also brings users the ability to add remastered ambient sounds to scenes, automations, and alarms, as well as the ability to use Siri to set recurring automations and find people who are in your Find My contacts.
In the European Union, Apple has added €10 to the original €99 price in Austria, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The price increase was spotted in France by iGeneration.
The EU price rise now matches or approximately reflects the original price of the HomePod mini in other European countries where the speaker launched only last year, such as Belgium, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
In the UK, where the cost of a HomePod mini went up from £89 to £99, Apple also quietly increased the starting price of the iMac by £150, rising from £1,249 to £1,399.
Apple next week will push out an update for the HomePod mini that activates the dormant temperature and humidity sensors in the speakers. Given that it also applies to HomePod mini devices already purchased at the lower price, that is likely to be scant consolation for anyone thinking of buying a HomePod mini today.
Apple just announced new models of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with faster M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, and Amazon and Expercom are already offering savings on the new notebooks. At Amazon you can get a straight cash discount and at Expercom you can save on AppleCare+ bundles.
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.
Amazon
Amazon has three models at a discount, starting with the 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro 512GB) in both Space Gray and Silver for $1,949.99, down from $1,999.00. The new MacBook Pros don't launch until January 24, so this is a pre-order sale and Amazon will ship the computer when it launches next week.
Although only $49 off, these are the first straight cash discounts we have tracked for the new line of MacBook Pros, so it's a great chance for early adopters to save a little bit of money. If you want to get AppleCare+ with your new MacBook Pro, however, read on below for Expercom's deals.
Expercom
All of the savings listed below require you to bundle the new MacBook Pros with AppleCare+. When doing so you can save up to $280 off these notebooks. Shoppers should also note that Expercom does not yet have stock yet so these are pre-orders for the new MacBook Pros, and they should ship within 7-14 days.
You'll see these bundle prices if you scroll a bit to the middle section of the Expercom MacBook Pro pages, and find the area under "Get a discount." Here you can add both the MacBook Pro and AppleCare+ for Mac to your cart with the similarly labeled button, and get the savings.
14-inch MacBook Pro
M2 Pro 512GB - $2,141.32 with AppleCare+, down from $2,278.00 ($137 off)
M2 Pro 1TB - $2,329.32 with AppleCare+, down from $2,478.00 ($149 off)
M2 Pro 2TB - $2,987.32 with AppleCare+, down from $3,178.00 ($191 off)
16-inch MacBook Pro
M2 Pro 512GB - $2,666.16 with AppleCare+, down from $2,898.00 ($232 off)
M2 Pro 1TB - $2,850.16 with AppleCare+, down from $3,098.00 ($248 off)
M2 Pro 2TB - $3,218.16 with AppleCare+, down from $3,498.00 ($280 off)
Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
Apple continues to work on a standalone classical music app, according to hidden code changes discovered by @iSWUpdates in the iOS 16.3 Release Candidate today. The software update is in the final stage of beta testing and is expected to be released to the public next week, but it is unclear if or when the app will launch.
For example, Apple changed a line of text that will appear in the iPhone's standard Music app from "A Shortcut to Apple Classical" to "Open in Apple Music Classical," suggesting that Apple has changed the name of the app, at least tentatively. Another line of code says "Explore this artist in the app designed for classical music."
In August 2021, Apple announced it acquired classical music service Primephonic and planned to release a dedicated classical music app in 2022, but the app has yet to launch and Apple has remained silent about the plans. Primephonic shut down in September 2021, with subscribers receiving a free six-month Apple Music subscription.
"Apple Music plans to launch a dedicated classical music app next year combining Primephonic's classical user interface that fans have grown to love with more added features," said Apple's press release in 2021. Apple promised that it would incorporate the best features of Primephonic, including "better browsing and search capabilities by composer and by repertoire" and "detailed displays of classical music metadata."
Apple has confirmed that the third season of hit comedy drama series "Ted Lasso" will arrive on Apple TV+ in the spring, although it did not offer a specific date.
"Ted Lasso" is one of Apple's most popular TV shows to date, and it has won a number of awards. In the series, Jason Sudeikis plays a small-time college football coach from Kansas who is hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer.
The return of the award-winning series will likely be its final outing. Cast members said their goodbyes on social media immediately after filming of the third season wrapped up in November, and Apple has said nothing about a fourth season.
News of the show's return in the spring came as Apple presented on Wednesday at the winter Television Critics Association press tour, where it also gave a first look at several more original series coming to Apple TV+ in the spring.
An increasing number of third-generation Apple TV 4K owners are reporting connection issues with the Siri Remote that are only temporarily resolved by either restarting the remote or power cycling the set-top box.
Several MacRumors forum and Redditthreads have been created to bring attention to the issue, which seems to relate to the Siri Remote's inconsistent Bluetooth connection with the latest Apple TV 4K, even at close proximity.
Users report the Siri Remote losing connection with the Apple TV 4K intermittently, which can only be remedied by either re-pairing or restarting the remote, or unplugging the set-top box and then plugging it in again to re-establish the connection.
Notably, the problem doesn't occur when the same users try controlling their Apple TV 4K with the Remote app on their iPhone or with their TV remote via HDMI-CEC, suggesting the fault is indeed a Bluetooth issue between the remote and Apple TV 4K.
Whether the issue is down to a software bug or is hardware-related remains unknown, although there is some indication that the problem only began for some users after updating to tvOS 16.2, which could be the reason it has only now become a more widespread issue.
Some users have gone through several Apple TV 4K replacement units from Apple to try to solve the connection problems, with mixed results. Apple is clearly aware of the issue but has yet to respond publicly.
The third-generation Apple TV 4K was released in October 2022, featuring an A15 Bionic processor, 64GB or 128GB of storage, and HDR10+ support. It comes with a USB-C Siri Remote.
Geekbench scores for the newly announced Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro chips have revealed a significant increase in performance compared to the previous-generation Mac mini and previous M1 Pro and M1 Max devices.
The scores reveal that the Mac mini with M2 Pro achieved a single-core score of 1,952 and a multi-core score of 15,013 for a configuration with 16GB of unified memory. For comparison, the previous M1 Mac mini achieved a single-core score of 1,715 and a multi-core score of 7,442.
The Geekbench scores are the first we've seen for the new M2 Pro, which is also available on updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. While we've yet to see Geekbench scores for the updated MacBook Pros, M2 Pro's performance with the Mac mini is unlikely to differ greatly from its performance with the new Mac notebooks.
The M1 Pro in the previous-generation 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro scored a single-core score of 1,734 and a multi-core score of 10,076 compared to a single-core of 1,952 and a multi-core score of 15,013 for the M2 Pro. The M2 Pro, according to these results, also beats the M1 Max, which achieves 1,727 single-core and 12,643 multi-core scores.
Geekbench scores for the Mac mini with the M2 chip have also surfaced, revealing similar performance to the M2 MacBook Air announced in June 2022.
Users can configure the Mac mini with M2 with up to 24GB of unified memory, compared to 16GB with the previous M1 model. With the M2 Pro, Mac mini models can be configured with 32GB of unified memory. 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros powered with the high-end variant of M2 Max can have up to 96GB of RAM.
Both the updated Mac mini and 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro are available for pre-order on Apple's website and will begin arriving to customers on Tuesday, January 24.
Apple this week unexpectedly announced the second-generation full-sized HomePod, around two years after it discontinued the original smart speaker.
Priced at $299, the new HomePod joins the HomePod mini in Apple's line of TV and home products. A lower price tag at launch, a slightly tweaked design, and new features could help to make the second-generation HomePod more successful than its predecessor, which failed to capture mainstream market share and was ultimately discontinued. Below, we've highlighted what exactly has changed with the second-generation HomePod compared to the first-generation smart speaker.
S7 Chip
The new HomePod is equipped with the same S7 chip as found in the Apple Watch Series 7, whereas the original HomePod uses the A8 chip from the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Apple says the new chip offers "even more advanced computational audio."
Fewer Microphones and Tweeters
The new HomePod has four built-in microphones, compared to six in the original model. Apple says the microphones support "far-field Siri," allowing users to activate the voice assistant from a distance.
The latest HomePod also has fewer tweeters than the original model. Apple's specs sheet reveals the new HomePod has five tweeters around its base, compared to seven in the original smart speaker. The tweeters help power HomePod's acoustic performance by optimizing "high frequencies to produce detailed, articulate audio with stunning clarity." The reduction in the number of tweeters and microphones was likely a cost-cutting measure by Apple. Whether this will result in a noticeable drop in audio performance is currently unknown.
Temperature and Humidity Sensing
Unlike the original HomePod, the second-generation model is equipped with a temperature and humidity sensor. Apple has also enabled the HomePod mini's temperature and humidity sensor in HomePod software version 16.3.
The sensor can measure indoor environments, allowing users to create automations that close the blinds or turn on a fan or heater automatically when a certain temperature is reached in a room, for example. This information is exposed in the Home app like any other smart home accessory.
Easily Detachable Power Cable
First-generation HomePod
While force was required to remove the original HomePod's power cable, the new HomePod has an easily detachable power cable. The original HomePod came with the cable attached, and Apple did not recommend trying to detach it forcibly.
Larger Backlit Touch Interface
One of the noticeable design changes with the updated HomePod is a larger backlit touch interface on the top of the speaker. Compared to the original HomePod, the new model features a significantly larger interface that glows and illuminates different colors to show varying statuses of the speaker and when Siri is in use.
Lighter and Shorter Design
The new HomePod weighs 5.16 pounds, compared to 5.5 pounds for the original smart speaker. The upgraded HomePod is also 6.6 inches tall, while the original stood at 6.8 inches. Both HomePods feature the same width of 5.6 inches.
Thread and U1 Ultra Wideband Chip
The new HomePod supports Thread, a connectivity standard for smart home devices that improves connectivity by letting Thread devices talk directly to each other via a low-power mesh network. The original HomePod lacked Thread support, with only the HomePod mini having compatibility.
The new HomePod also has a built-in U1 Ultra Wideband chip, which detects when other U1-equipped devices like newer iPhone models are nearby and allows them to quickly hand off audio to the smart speaker.
What's Not Changed
With the new HomePod, there are two things that have not changed: Lack of Bluetooth audio support and line-in audio. Unlike many other portable speakers, the new HomePod cannot function as a standalone Bluetooth speaker. While the HomePod includes Bluetooth to communicate with HomeKit and other devices, users must pair the HomePod with their iPhone or iPad and use Apple's AirPlay protocol or Siri to play audio.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the new HomePod also lacks an audio jack, optical audio port, or any other ports. All interaction with the HomePod is done wirelessly using Apple devices.
The report states that Genius Electronic Optical (GSEO) will supply lens modules for Apple's upcoming headset, rumored to be called "Reality Pro," with shipments starting as soon as next month.
Genius Electronic Optical (GSEO) will supply lens modules for VR head-mounted devices, to be launched by Apple in 2023, with shipments to begin in February-March 2023, according to GSEO's supply chain makers.
Apple has been working on its AR/VR headset for several years, with a launch expected to take place this year. A timeline set forth by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests that Apple will reveal the headset prior to WWDC, which takes place in June. At WWDC, Apple will detail its new xrOS operating system and introduce developers to its new capabilities before shipping the headset in the fall.
It is widely expected that Apple's first AR/VR product will be a high-end niche product aimed at developers and professionals. Several advanced technologies are rumored to be included in the headset, including over a dozen cameras to capture and translate real-world movements to virtual movements, two 4K micro-LED displays, iris scanning, facial expression tracking, powerful Apple silicon chips, and more.
The advanced nature of the headset will likely make it expensive, with rumors suggesting a price somewhere around $3,000. The headset will be Apple's first entry into a new AR/VR market and is just the start of Apple's roadmap. A new report this week said that Apple is working on a lighter, more affordable version of the headset while its augmented reality glasses face an indefinite delay.
Apple plans to release a new MacBook Air in the second half of 2023, and it may be equipped with a 3nm chip, according to a report today from Taiwanese publication DigiTimes. This chip would likely be Apple's next-generation M3 chip, which would offer faster performance and improved power efficiency compared to Apple's current 5nm chips.
"The supply chain is more focused on the more affordable MacBook Air, which is expected to be updated in the second half of 2023 and may be equipped with a 3nm processor," the report says, citing industry sources. The report does not provide any additional details about the MacBook Air or a more specific launch timeframe.
Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC kicked off mass production of 3nm chips in late December. The M3 chip in the next MacBook Air could be one of Apple's first 3nm chips alongside the A17 Bionic chip in iPhone 15 Pro models later this year.
Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro will also be updated with 3nm M3 Pro and M3 Max chips in 2024. This would be a familiar pattern for Apple, as the M1 and M2 chips debuted in the MacBook Air, followed by Pro and Max versions of those chips in the MacBook Pro later.
There's a few caveats to consider with this report. First, these are the same DigiTimes authors who claimed that the just-announced 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips would be "delayed" beyond early 2023, which was incorrect. Second, display industry analyst Ross Young last month claimed that a 15-inch MacBook Air would be released in the first half of 2023. If today's report is accurate, then perhaps both 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs with 3nm chips will launch in the second half of 2023 instead.
The current MacBook Air with the M2 chip was released in July and features an all-new design with a notch in the display, MagSafe charging, a 1080p camera, and more. Apple also continues to sell a MacBook Air with the M1 chip.
iOS 16.3 fixes an issue where horizontal lines flash across the screen on some iPhone 14 Pro Max devices when powered on or unlocked, according to Apple's release notes for the software update, which is in the final stage of beta testing.
Apple acknowledged the issue in an internal memo last week and said a fix was incoming, but it's unclear what the underlying cause is or how many iPhone 14 Pro Max devices are affected. The bug fix indicates it's a software issue, rather than a hardware defect, so installing iOS 16.3 when it's available should resolve the problem for affected customers.
Apple made the iOS 16.3 Release Candidate available to developers for testing today, and the update is expected to be released to the public next week.
Apple today released a new HomePod 16.3 software beta, which will accompany the iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, tvOS 16.3, watchOS 9.3, and macOS Ventura 12.3 releases. The update adds support for the new HomePod and HomePod mini features that were announced today alongside the surprise introduction of the second-generation HomePod.
Installing the 16.3 HomePod software adds support for temperature and humidity sensing, both on the HomePod mini and on the second-generation HomePod.
As we highlighted this morning, the HomePod mini has a dormant temperature and humidity sensor that Apple is finally activating, allowing temperature and humidity settings to be used for home automation and device activation purposes.
Ambient sounds have been remastered to be more immersive and can be added to scenes, automations, and alarms in the Home app, and recurring Home automations can be set up using Siri commands. Apple has also added a unique confirmation tone that will play when smart home requests are enacted for accessories that are located in a different room or that do not show a visible change. Find My integration for HomePod also lets you ask Siri for the location of friends and family.
For the first and second-generation larger HomePod models, optimized audio tuning provides improved clarity for spoken content like podcasts and audiobooks, and on the first-generation HomePod, there are updated volume controls for more granular adjustments at lower volumes. Apple's full release notes for the update are below.
HomePod software version 16.3 includes support for new features for your HomePod. This update also includes bug fixes and stability improvements.
- Temperature and humidity sensing measures your indoor climate with HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod mini - Remastered ambient sounds are more immersive and can now be added to scenes, automations, and alarms in the Home app - Find My on HomePod now enables you to ask Siri for the location of friends and family, if they have shared it with you Recurring Home automations can be set up using just your voice - Siri confirmation tone will now play to indicate when smart home requests are completed for accessories that may not visibly show a change or are located in a different room - Audio tuning optimizes spoken content such as podcasts for even greater clarity on HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod (1st generation) - Updated volume controls on HomePod (1st generation) give you more granular adjustments at lower volumes
The HomePod 16.3 update is set to be released to the public sometime next week, and it will be able to be installed on HomePods using devices that are running iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, or macOS Ventura 13.2. The updates will bring new features to existing HomePods, and enable features for the second-generation HomePod that launches on February 3.
Apple is developing an Apple TV with a faster processor, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The set-top box will have a new chip, and it is slated to come out in the first half of 2024.
The Apple TV will have the same design as the current Apple TV 4K, with Apple not tweaking the look. Little else is known about the update at this time, but Bloomberg says that though it will have an upgraded chip, it is unlikely to support 8K video streaming.
Along with a minor update to the Apple TV, Apple has other smart home products in the works. There is a device that combines an Apple TV, smart speaker, and FaceTime camera into one, but launch timing on such a product is unclear as it has suffered some design setbacks.
Apple is also developing a smart display that would serve as a sort of home hub for controlling HomeKit devices, making FaceTime calls, and more. That product could launch as soon as 2024.
Apple is designing a new display that will be used for smart home management purposes, reports Bloomberg. The device will be a sort of low-end iPad that can be used for controlling HomeKit devices, streaming video, FaceTime calls, and more.
It is designed to be mounted to walls or other objects using magnetic fasteners, so it will be more integrated into the home than an iPad. Such a product would compete with devices like the Meta Portal or the Echo Show from Amazon.
Past rumors from Bloomberg have described this device as something akin to the HomePod and the Apple TV, meant for home use rather than use while on the go. Apple is also considering larger smart home display options, and a product that combines an Apple TV set-top box, smart speaker, and FaceTime camera is in development, but the project has suffered setbacks.
As of right now, Apple is targeting a 2024 launch for iPad-like smart home display.
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