MacRumors

Alongside the app ecosystem changes that Apple is making in the European Union to comply with the Digital Markets Act, Apple has introduced new analytics information that's available to developers around the world.

There are more than 50 reports that are available through the App Store Connect API, with these reports aimed at giving developers more insight into their app performance. Apple added ‌App Store‌, iOS, and CloudKit data analytics that provide hundreds of new metrics.

Some of the new reports were shared back when Apple's app changes were first announced in January.

• App Store Engagement - Apple is offering additional insight into the number of users on the ‌App Store‌ that interact with a developer's app or share it with other people.
• App Store Commerce - Developers can get more information on downloads, sales and proceeds, pre-orders, and transactions made with the In-App Purchase system.
• App Usage - Apple now provides more information on crashes, active devices, installs, app deletions, and more.
• Frameworks Usage - Developers can get info on their app's interaction with iOS features like Widgets, CarPlay, and PhotoPicker.
• Performance - Apple offers insights into how apps perform and how users are interacting with specific app features.

The CloudKit console is also being updated with data about Apple Push Notifications and File Provider.

Apple anonymizes the data that is used in the new report options, and developers can also now grant third-party access to their performance reports.

More information on the new analytics reports will be provided by Apple later today.

iPhone and iPad owners may want to update to iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 in the near future, as the updates address two security vulnerabilities that may have been exploited to gain access to user devices.

In the security support document for the updates, Apple says that it "is aware of a report" that RTKit and kernel vulnerabilities may have been exploited by bad actors.

Impact: An attacker with arbitrary kernel read and write capability may be able to bypass kernel memory protections. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited.

Apple fixed the memory corruption issue with improved validation to patch the security hole.

iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 also address an Accessibility vulnerability and an issue with Safari Private Browsing that could allow locked tabs to be briefly visible while switching tab groups.

The software updates were released this morning and are available on eligible iPhones and iPads by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

With the launch of iOS 17.4, Apple's app ecosystem changes in the European Union have gone into effect. Apple today said that it made some last minute updates to its terms of service after receiving feedback from developers.

To distribute apps through an app marketplace, with a reduced fee to Apple, or with an alternative payment option, developers have to opt in to new business terms that accept the Core Technology Fee and other new pricing mandates. Apple did not initially provide a way for developers to try the new system and then opt back out if it does not work out, but now there is a one-time term swap option available in some circumstances.

Apple says that developers have a one-time option to terminate the new rule addendum [PDF] and swap back to Apple's standard business terms, though there is a catch. Developers who want to change back cannot have distributed an app through an alternative app marketplace or have used an alternative payment processing method.

You may terminate this Addendum without also terminating the Developer Agreement one time, provided You have never had an Application be an Alternative App Marketplace (EU), be distributed through an Alternative App Marketplace (EU), use Linking Out, or use Alternative Payment Processing.

Opt-out will be available for developers who decided to continue to distribute their apps through the App Store while adopting the Core Technology Fee and reduced commission option. The CTF is .50 euros per download after 1 million downloads, and the commission is 13 percent for small business owners and 20 percent for installs over 1 million (this includes the ‌App Store‌ payment processing fee).

Developers who want to create an alternative app marketplace can now do so without a stand-by letter of credit for €1,000,000, which would restrict marketplace creation to large companies. Developers who have been a member of good standing in the Apple Developer Program for two continuous years or more and have an app that had more than one million first annual installs in iOS in the EU in the prior calendar year can create a marketplace without the proof of funds.

There is also no longer a corporate entity requirement when signing up for new terms, so a large business can sign up at the developer account level rather than having to have each controlling membership approve the swap to the updated business terms.

With iOS 17.4 released, we should soon be seeing the first alternative app marketplaces launch. Developers are now free to adopt the new business terms, distribute their apps outside of the ‌App Store‌, and use third-party payments in their apps. Note that all of these changes are limited to developers and users in the European Union.

Apple today released iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 17 operating system that came out in September 2023. The software updates come over a month after Apple released iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3.

iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

With iOS 17.4, Apple introduces sweeping changes to the way the App Store and apps function in the European Union, paving the way for alternative app marketplaces on iPhone, alternative payment systems on iOS and iPadOS, third-party browser engine support, and NFC access for banks and third-party payment providers. These features are limited to the EU, and the changes are not applicable in other countries.

Apple did, however, make worldwide changes to gaming apps. Apple is now allowing cloud gaming apps like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce NOW. Mini games, chatbots, and plug-ins are also now able to use the in-app purchase system.

In addition to these App Store-related updates, iOS 17.4 adds new emoji characters, transcripts for podcasts in the Podcasts app, Stopwatch Live Activities, improvements to battery health reporting on the ‌iPhone‌ 15 models, and more. Apple's full release notes for the update are below.

Emoji
- New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads emoji are now available in the emoji keyboard
- 18 people and body emoji add the option to face them in either direction

Apple Podcasts
- Transcripts let you follow an episode with text that highlights in sync with the audio in English, Spanish, French and German
- Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or phrase, tapped to play from a specific point and used with accessibility features such as Text Size, Increase Contrast, and VoiceOver

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
- Music recognition lets you add songs you have identified to your Apple Music Playlists and Library, as well as Apple Music Classical
- Siri has a new option to announce messages you receive in any supported language
- Stolen Device Protection supports the option for increased security in all locations
- Battery Health in Settings shows battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models
- Call Identification displays Apple-verified business name, logo, and department name when available
- Business updates in Messages for Business provide trusted information for order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts or other transactions you opt into
- Apple Cash virtual card numbers enable you to pay with Apple Cash at merchants that don't yet accept Apple Pay by typing in your number from Wallet or using Safari AutoFill
- Fixes an issue where contact pictures are blank in Find My
- Fixes an issue for Dual SIM users where the phone number changes from primary to secondary and is visible to a group they have messaged
Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

Note that Apple's release notes in the United States do not highlight the changes in the European Union, but the update does now allow for alternative app marketplaces to be installed on iPhones in Europe. If you're in Europe and affected by the changes, you will see different release notes that include details on Apple's app ecosystem updates.

Apps in the EU
Residents of the European Union will now have new options to:

- Install apps from alternative app marketplaces
- Install web browser with alternative browser engines
- Manage your default web browser the first time you open Safari
- Use alternative payment options for apps in the App Store with the external purchases badge
- Some options require developer support

More information on what's new in iOS 17.4 can be found in our iOS 17.4 features guide.

The MacBook Air continues to be available in 13- and 15-inch sizes after Apple's latest refresh that added the M3 chip. The 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ offers almost all of the same hardware with a significantly larger display, yet there are still some key differences that are worth considering when purchasing one of the machines.

The 13- and 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ models are almost exactly the same in terms of feature set and design, both sporting high-resolution Liquid Retina displays, Touch ID, two Thunderbolt ports, and much more. Both machines can be configured with the exact same amounts of memory and storage, and they are both available in the same color options. This simplifies purchasing decisions to just a few important aspects.

Key Differences

13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌	15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌
13.6-inch Liquid Retina display	15.3-inch Liquid Retina display
M2 or M3 chip	M3 chip
Starts with 8-Core GPU	10-Core GPU
Four-speaker sound system	Six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers
Integrated 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery	Integrated 66.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
30W USB-C Power Adapter (with 8-core GPU chip) or 35W Dual Port Compact Power Adapter	35W Dual Port Compact Power Adapter
Starts at $999	Starts at $1,299

It is important to note that while the 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ has a battery that is 13.9-watt-hours larger than the 13-inch model, both machines have the same 18-hour battery life. This is likely due to the increased power consumption of the larger display.

If you plan to heavily use your laptop's built-in speakers, the 15-inch model offers a worthwhile reason to get the larger model, offering two extra speakers inside the larger chassis. The smaller ‌MacBook Air‌ also misses out on the force-canceling woofers that are present in the 15-inch model, meaning that its audio isn't quite as good.

Since size is the main difference between the two ‌MacBook Air‌ models, prospective customers may wish to drill into the specific dimensions and weight of the machines. The 15-inch model adds 0.6 pounds (0.27 kg) and may be more difficult to get into a bag or backpack due to its larger footprint.

Dimensions

	13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌	15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌
Height	0.44 inch (1.13 cm)	0.45 inch (1.15 cm)
Width	11.97 inches (30.41 cm)	13.40 inches (34.04 cm)
Depth	8.46 inches (21.5 cm)	9.35 inches (23.76 cm)
Weight	2.7 pounds (1.24 kg)	3.3 pounds (1.51 kg)

While the 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ with the M3 chip starts at $1,099, making it $200 cheaper than the 15-inch model, if you choose the 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ with a 10-core GPU, this price difference shrinks to $100. If you add the 35W Dual Port Compact Power Adapter, the difference shrinks to just $80. With this in mind, most users considering an M3 model should opt for the 15-inch model since it provides much more screen real-estate and better speakers.

You should only buy the M3 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ if you specifically want a lighter, more portable device and are concerned about having to carry a device as large as the 15-inch model around. Likewise, the 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ is a better buy if you are price-conscious and don't need anything more than an 8-core GPU and the 30W USB-C Power Adapter. The $1,099 13-inch model is still quite a bit more affordable than the 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌, with virtually no compromises in terms of features.

• M2 vs. M3 MacBook Air Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared

The 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ is also available with the ‌M2‌ chip for $999. This is the ‌MacBook Air‌ Apple introduced in mid-2022 and it now represents an entry-level model. If affordability is your main concern, this 13-inch model is the best choice, coming in at $300 less than the 15-inch M3 model.

Apple this week updated the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with several new features and changes. The laptops can be ordered now, with in-store availability and deliveries to customers set to begin on Friday, March 8.

Below, we outline key new features added to the MacBook Air, including the M3 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, expanded external display support, and more.

M3 Chip

Both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air are now available with Apple's latest M3 chip for faster performance and improved power efficiency.

As expected, an early benchmark result has revealed that the M3 chip is up to 20% faster than the M2 chip in the previous MacBook Air models in terms of CPU performance. These results are consistent with the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip.

With the M3 chip, the MacBook Air has also gained hardware-accelerated ray tracing for improved graphics rendering in games, along with AV1 video decoding.

Two External Displays

While previous MacBook Air models with Apple silicon officially support only one external display, the new models support two external displays. However, a second display can only be used when the MacBook Air's lid is closed.

When the lid is open, the new models support one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz. When the lid is closed, a second display with up to 5K resolution at 60Hz can be connected, according to Apple's tech specs.

Even more displays can be connected to the MacBook Air with the use of DisplayLink adapters.

Wi-Fi 6E

The new MacBook Airs support Wi-Fi 6E for "up to twice as fast" wireless download speeds compared to the previous models with Wi-Fi 6, according to Apple.

Wi-Fi 6E extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds and reduced signal interference with a compatible device and router. The entire current-generation Mac lineup now supports Wi-Fi 6E.

Microphone Upgrades

Apple says the microphones in the new MacBook Air models offer "enhanced voice clarity in audio and video calls" compared to the previous models. The microphones also gained support for "Voice Isolation" and "Wide Spectrum" modes.

Fingerprint Seal for Midnight Color

Just like the Space Black MacBook Pro, the Midnight MacBook Air now features an "anodization seal to reduce fingerprints," according to Apple.

Samsung has kicked off a Discover Samsung Spring Sale, which is set to run through the end of the week. During this event you'll find discounts on 4K and 5K Samsung monitors, including the popular ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor and Smart Monitor M8, as well as storage, audio, TVs, smartphones, and home appliances.

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

The highlight of the sale is the 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor for $899.99, down from $1,599.99. At $700 off this a new all-time low price on the 2023 display, which has a matte display, modular 4K SlimFit camera, and support for Thunderbolt 4.

Samsung's 27-inch Smart Monitor M8 is also being discounted during this sale, available for $349.99 in Sunset Pink, down from $699.99. Other colors, like Warm White, are priced at $399.99. This is a 4K smart monitor with a design that looks similar to the new iMac line, and it's at another new record low price during Samsung's Spring Sale.

We've rounded up a collection of other discounts you can find during the new Discover Samsung Spring Sale below. Shoppers should note that some of these deals are timed and will only last today, while others are slated to stick around all week.

Monitors

• 27-inch Odyssey HDR10 Gaming Monitor - $249.99, down from $349.99
• 34-inch ViewFinity HDR10 Curved Monitor - $549.99, down from $699.99
• 49-inch Odyssey G9 Curved Gaming Monitor - $899.99, down from $1,299.99
• 34-inch OLED Curved Smart Gaming Monitor - $999.99, down from $1,499.99
• 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,199.99, down from $1,799.99

TVs/Audio

• Q-Series Wireless Dolby ATMOS Soundbar - $899.99, down from $1,399.99
• 55-inch QLED 4K TV - $899.99, down from $999.99
• 55-inch Neo QLED 4K Smart TV - $999.99, down from $1,499.99
• The Frame - Save up to $1,000 on select models
• 65-inch OLED S90C TV - $1,599.99, down from $2,599.99
• 85-inch Samsung Neo QLED 4K Smart TV - $2,399.99, down from $4,799.99

Smartphones

• Galaxy S24+ - Save up to $1,050 with participating carriers
• Galaxy S24 Ultra - Save up to $1,220 with participating carriers
• Galaxy Z Fold5 - Save up to $950 with participating carriers
• Galaxy Z Flip5 - Save up to $660 with participating carriers

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

A refreshed Apple Pencil model will be announced this month, according to a rumor shared on Chinese social media.

The rumor comes from Weibo user "Instant Digital," who notes that after over five years without an update, Apple finally plans to refresh the second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ this month. This corroborates Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman's recent claim that new Apple Pencils are on the way "in the next several weeks."

There is a limited amount of information about what an updated ‌‌Apple Pencil‌ might feature‌, but there have been rumors about magnetically interchangeable tips, color sampling capabilities, and a shorter design with a glossy finish.

Apple's next-generation iPad Pro models with OLED displays are widely rumored to launch this month, so it would make sense for a new ‌Apple Pencil‌ to arrive alongside them. The company is also expected to introduce a redesigned Magic Keyboard accessory, so it seems that both of the iPad's accessories may be refreshed simultaneously.

Instant Digital has a mixed track record in terms of revealing accurate information about Apple's plans, but its claims are worth paying attention to. The source was first to report the iPhone 14's Yellow spring refresh, Spatial Video capture on the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro, and the Apple Watch Series 9's minor hardware update, as well as being the only source of the only rumor claiming that the ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus would feature frosted back glass. However, they also made claims about several iOS 17 features and the release of a new iPad Air in October 2023 that did not pan out.

We're tracking a new record low price on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 today at Amazon, available for $663.99, down from $799.00. Only the Indigo Alpine Loop in size medium is available at this best-ever price on Amazon.

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 provides an estimated delivery date of Friday for free delivery, although Prime members should get it by Thursday. This deal beats the previous all-time low price by nearly $60, and also beats many of the deal prices we've seen recently on the first generation Apple Watch Ultra.

There are a few other Apple Watch deals going on right now for anyone interested in cheaper models. You can get the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE for $189.00 and the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE for $219.00 right now on Amazon.

As of January, a sales ban was reenacted in the United States on any Apple Watch model sold by Apple that has blood oxygen sensing. While Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models purchased directly from Apple currently come with blood oxygen sensing disabled, retailers like Amazon are able to continue selling through their existing stocks that include the feature.

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Update: This deal has now expired.

An early benchmark result for the new MacBook Air has surfaced, providing a closer look at the M3 chip's performance in Apple's latest laptops.

In a Geekbench 5 result spotted by MySmartPrice, the MacBook Air with the M3 chip and 16GB of unified memory achieved a single-core score of 3,157 and a multi-core score of 12,020. The results have a "Mac15,13" identifier, which indicates they are for a 15-inch MacBook Air.

For context, the previous MacBook Air with the M2 chip and 16GB of unified memory achieved a single-core score of 2,610 and a multi-core score of 10,120. The M3 chip in the new MacBook Air therefore scored approximately 20% more in single-core and 18% more in multi-core compared to the M2 chip in the earlier model, and is on par with the M3 chip in the 14-inch MacBook Pro as far as straight CPU benchmarks go.

Featuring an 8-core CPU, up to a 10-core GPU, and support for up to 24GB of unified memory, the new MacBook Air is up to 60 percent faster than the model with M1 and up to 13x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, according to Apple.

Apple began accepting pre-orders for the new MacBook Air on Monday, March 4, and the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin on Friday, March 8. Pricing for the new MacBook Air starts at $1,099 in the United States, while the previous-generation 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip remains available for $999.

Apple's iPhone sales in China saw a significant decline in the first six weeks of this year that saw it lose the title of China's best-selling smartphone maker to a local vendor.

‌iPhone‌ sales dropped by 24 percent, pushing Apple down to fourth among smartphone makers in the country, according to Counterpoint Research. Vivo took the top spot, thanks to its success in the budget segment of the market.

That's despite both companies selling fewer phones, owing to a 7 percent drop in the overall Chinese market, which is suffering the effects of a nationwide deflation.

Meanwhile, Huawei saw its market share grow to 16.5 percent from 9.4 percent, thanks to the popularity of its home-grown Mate 60 series. Apple recorded a 15.7 percent market share, falling from 19 percent a year ago, according to Counterpoint's data. Overall growth is likely to remain in the red during Q1 2024 on muted spending and a few new product launches, said the analysts.

Apple's ‌iPhone‌ struggled during the first few weeks of the year for several reasons, according to Counterpoint. "Primarily, it faced stiff competition at the high end from a resurgent Huawei while getting squeezed in the middle on aggressive pricing from the likes of OPPO, vivo and Xiaomi," said Senior Analyst Mengmeng Zhang.

"Although the ‌iPhone‌ 15 is a great device, it has no significant upgrades from the previous version, so consumers feel fine holding on to the older-generation iPhones for now," he added.

Apple resellers in China have been increasingly dependent on discounts to shift ‌iPhone‌ 15 stock in a market that has entered a general malaise. The discounts followed Apple's own rare price reductions on its website ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in February.

Apple sales in China dropped 13 percent to $20.8 billion in the quarter ended December, falling short of the $23.5 billion predicted by analysts, and forecasts for a quick improvement in 2024 do not look particularly optimistic.

OpenAI has announced a new Read Aloud feature for its official ChatGPT app for iPhone and iPad that allows users to have the chat bot read responses out loud in one of five voice options.

In the app, tap and hold the chat bot's text response, and then tap Read Aloud. You can also play, pause, or rewind the readout. The feature, which is also available on the web version of ChatGPT, adds another layer of voice-based interaction, and builds on the existing Voice Chat feature, which gives users the option of speaking conversationally with the chat bot instead of typing.

Read Aloud can speak 37 languages and can auto-detect the language of the text that it is reading. OpenAI says the feature should enhance accessibility for users with visual impairments or reading difficulties, such as dyslexia. It also hopes Read Aloud improves engagement by personalizing the interaction, while also supporting language learning.

As most people will know by now, ChatGPT is an AI-based chatbot that uses generative artificial intelligence to answer questions and provide advice on all manner of subjects. History is synced across devices, so you can see your ChatGPT interactions both on the web and on iOS devices, and it integrates the Whisper speech recognition system.

Apple was today fined €1.8 billion ($1.95 billion) for anti-competitive conduct against rival streaming music services in the European Union, and following the ruling, Spotify has praised the European Commission for its decision.

For context, the European Commission's investigation into Apple's practices started due to a 2019 complaint from Spotify over App Store policies. Spotify has long railed against Apple's 30 percent fee, and has complained that it is unfairly disadvantaged compared to Apple Music.

In a blog post, Spotify says that the European Commission has sent a clear message that "Apple's behavior limiting communications to consumers is unlawful."

Apple's rules muzzled Spotify and other music streaming services from sharing with our users directly in our app about various benefits--denying us the ability to communicate with them about how to upgrade and the price of subscriptions, promotions, discounts, or numerous other perks. Of course, Apple Music, a competitor to these apps, is not barred from the same behaviour. By requiring Apple to stop its illegal conduct in the EU, the EC is putting consumers first. It is a basic concept of free markets--customers should know what options they have, and customers, not Apple, should decide what to buy, and where, when and how.

It is worth noting that the scope of the investigation in Europe has changed several times. While Spotify complained over Apple's ‌App Store‌ fees and the requirement to use in-app purchase, the European Commission was unable to target Apple for those actions. Instead, the investigation ended up pertaining to Apple's anti-steering rules, and the rule that keeps Spotify from informing customers about lower prices on the web within the Spotify app.

The European Commission decided that Apple's restrictions preventing developers from letting iOS users know about alternative and cheaper music subscription services available outside the app is "illegal under EU antitrust rules." The EC claims that Apple caused customers to "pay significantly higher prices for music streaming subscriptions."

Spotify in its blog post further says that Apple has "routinely defied laws and court decisions in other markets," and that it is waiting for the next steps that will "clearly and conclusively address Apple's long-standing unfair practices." Spotify claims that it plans to continue to push against Apple until it is able to secure a "truly fair digital marketplace everywhere."

Apple has been ordered to "remove the anti-steering provisions" and keep from repeating the infringement or adopting similar practices in the future. Apple plans to appeal the decision and has claimed that the EC's view is misguided and has been heavily influenced by Spotify's complaints.

Spotify will soon be able to release an app outside of the ‌App Store‌ with support for alternative app marketplaces coming to the EU in iOS 17.4, but the streaming music company has complained that Apple's plans do not comply with the DMA and that the changes coming in Europe are a "complete and total farce."

Apple will soon release the first major software update for the Vision Pro, and the new version of visionOS will bring improvements not only to Personas, but also to the EyeSight feature.

Personas and EyeSight are Vision Pro additions that many people have poked fun at since the headset's release. Personas are a digital representation of the user that's shown in video calls, while EyeSight uses an external display to show the Vision Pro wearer's eyes if there are other people in the room. Personas and EyeSight are aimed at making the Vision Pro less of an isolating experience, but neither has been particularly well-received.

As we've previously shared, the visionOS 1.1 beta makes Personas look more realistic, and Apple's release notes provided with the visionOS 1.1 release candidate offer more insight. Specific improvements have been made to hair and makeup appearance and neck and mouth representation, and these tweaks make a big difference.

The update also apparently improves rendering of the eyes for EyeSight, which isn't something that was previously noticed during the beta testing period. EyeSight draws on the Persona feature to capture a person's eyes to show on the external display. Presumably the EyeSight feature now looks somewhat better on the Vision Pro headset, but that it's gone so under the radar suggests Apple still has more work to do.

Other new features in the update include improvements for the virtual keyboard and the Mac virtual display.

visionOS 1.1 will be officially released as soon as this week.

Alongside iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, and tvOS 17.4, Apple plans to release a HomePod 17.4 software update that adds a small but meaningful change to Siri.

‌Siri‌ will be able to learn what a user's preferred media service is, which means that there won't be a need to include an app name when asking ‌Siri‌ to play content or go through the process to set a default third-party app.

‌HomePod‌ users have been able to play songs, podcasts, audiobooks, and other media using supported third-party apps through a ‌Siri‌ request for quite some time now, but this needed to be set up in the Settings section of the Home app. The option was fairly hidden, so some ‌HomePod‌ users might have forgotten the feature was even available. From Apple's release notes:

This update enables Siri to learn your preferred media service, so you no longer need to include the name of the media app in your request.

With ‌HomePod‌ 17.4, ‌Siri‌ will learn preferences and use those preferences to select apps. If you have YouTube Music, for example, you won't need to say "Play [song name] on YouTube Music" to bypass Apple Music, nor will you need to set YouTube Music as your default music service in the Home app.

‌Siri‌ already works this way on the iPhone and the iPad, and asks users for their preferred app when playing content for the first time. As ‌Siri‌ has been updated to set a preference automatically, Apple has removed the Home app option that let users select a default media service.

Third-party apps that work directly with the ‌HomePod‌ include YouTube Music, Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio. Streaming music services need to support ‌HomePod‌ for the feature to work, and not all do. Note that popular music service Spotify can play content through a ‌Siri‌ request on ‌HomePod‌, but it uses the ‌iPhone‌ to do so.

Along with ‌Siri‌ support for a preferred music service, the ‌HomePod‌ 17.4 update also includes performance and stability improvements. The ‌HomePod‌ 17.4 software will see a release as soon as this week.

Apple today announced the newest models of the MacBook Air, which include the M3 chip and come in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes. Just a few hours later, Best Buy now has the first notable discounts on these computers exclusively for My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total members.

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

If you're a Plus/Total member, you can get $50 off both the 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air. My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total begins at $49.99/year, so these new MacBook Air discounts will only make sense for people who already have paid for the service.

With these discounts, the 256GB 13-inch M3 MacBook Air is available from $1,049.00 and the 256GB 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is available from $1,249.00. You'll find every new MacBook Air model on sale with Best Buy's exclusive $50 discounts, including those with increased RAM.

If you're willing to invest in a previous generation model, you can also find the 13-inch M1 MacBook Air on sale at Best Buy. We covered this deal earlier today, and it's a good option for anyone willing to sacrifice the internal upgrades of the M3 chip for a much lower price tag of $749.99.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Apple today increased the trade-in values for some Macs, with the update coming alongside the launch of new 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air models.

Mac users who opt to trade in an old machine can get between $120 and $1315, with the values increased from the prior $115 to $1070 range. Most of the trade-in values have seen only minor increases or have stayed the same, but the Mac Studio has driven values up.

Apple is now offering up to $1315 when trading in a ‌Mac Studio‌, with the prior maximum at $1070.

• MacBook Pro - Up to $1000 (Up from $990)
• MacBook Air - Up to $550 (No change)
• MacBook - Up to $160 (Up from $150)
• iMac - Up to $440 (No change)
• iMac Pro - Up to $500 (No change)
• Mac mini - Up to $400 (Down from $410)
• Mac Studio - Up to $1315 (Up from $1070)
• Mac Pro - Up to $800 (Down from $900)

Trade-in values vary based on the condition, year, and configuration of the Mac that's being traded in. Macs can be traded in toward the purchase of a new device or the value can be added toward an Apple Gift Card.

Values for trading in other devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch have not changed.

Apple is planning a software update that will add multi-display support to the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro model, the company confirmed to 9to5Mac. The M3 MacBook Air models that were introduced today include support for up to two 5K external displays when used in clamshell mode, a feature that is not currently available on the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with the same M3 chip.

With the two machines using the same M3 chip, it was not clear why the ‌MacBook Air‌ has the feature while the ‌MacBook Pro‌ does not, but it is an issue that Apple plans to rectify. In the near future, a software update will add the option for the 14-inch M3 ‌MacBook Pro‌ to drive two external displays when the lid of the machine is closed.

Both the M3 ‌MacBook Air‌ and the M3 ‌MacBook Pro‌ offer support for one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz when the display is open, and with the update, the M3 MacBooks will also be able to power two 5K external displays with a resolution of up to 60Hz. That is equivalent to the Studio Display, so users can expect to be able to run two of Apple's 5K displays in clamshell mode.

The higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are already able to drive multiple displays, so this change only applies to the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ that has the M3 chip. This machine replaced the prior-generation 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, which Apple has now done away with.