This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models.
According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island area, instead of sitting below it.
In the iPhone 14 Pro, the proximity sensor is located under the display (outside the Dynamic Island). Conversely, in the iPhone 15 series, the proximity sensor is situated within the Dynamic Island, with almost no change to the Dynamic Island area.
The proximity sensor detects when the user holds the phone up to their ear and shuts off the screen. It's possible that moving the location of the sensor could be related to improvements to Face ID, but as Kuo says, the tweak is unlikely to result in any difference to the look or functionality of the Dynamic Island. Regardless, it will mark a change in components that may have simply been instigated to reduce costs.
According to Kuo, Apple supplier Finisar will shift to providing Apple with 940nm wavelength proximity sensors, compared to 1380nm for the iPhone 14 Pro. Based on additional information provided to MacRumors by leaker Unknownz21, the new proximity sensor is now part of the Single Pearl Module, codenamed "Sphinx."
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 15 lineup in September as usual. For everything we know about what's new in the new models, be sure to check out our dedicated roundups using the links below.
The United States Drug Enforcement Agency last year used an AirTag to track illegal drug making paraphernalia sent from China to a narcotics manufacturer in the U.S., according to information from a search warrant that was shared by Forbes.
Border agents in May 2022 intercepted two packages from China, which included a pill press and pill dyes. They suspected the equipment was headed to a drug dealer and notified the DEA. The DEA opted to stick an AirTag inside the package to track its movements, which appears to be the first time an AirTag has been used in such a way.
The search warrant does not provide details on why the DEA opted to use an AirTag over another kind of GPS-based tracking device, but it mentioned that the "precise location information" would let investigators "obtain evidence about where such individuals store drugs and/or drug proceeds, where they obtain controlled substances, and where else they distribute them."
A retired detective that spoke to Forbes speculated that the DEA may have used an AirTag because it offers more reliable connectivity than other devices, or because of past failures of the GPS devices available to police.
AirTags have built-in anti-tracking functions that may not make them suitable for use for this kind of tracking. They are designed to play a sound when away from an owner for a short period of time, and can also be located using the Find My app on iPhone or the Tracker Detect app for Android.
The recipient of the package was ultimately not charged in federal court, but he did end up being charged by the state of Massachusetts where the package was delivered.
Every Lucid Air electric vehicle now comes standard with wireless CarPlay from Apple, Lucid Motors announced today. With wireless CarPlay support, Lucid Air owners who are iPhone users will see their iPhone connect to CarPlay automatically when entering the car without the need to plug in.
CarPlay provides access to Apple Maps, Apple Music, Messages, and more, with the CarPlay interface mirroring the iPhone interface for an intuitive experience that's immediately recognizable to iPhone owners.
The Lucid Air from Lucid Motors was voted the 2022 MotorTrend Car of the Year because of its "level of innovation and sophistication." It is a luxury electric vehicle priced starting at $87,400 for the Pure version.
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store.
When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint customers were still technically able to activate Sprint devices through the T-Mobile network, and Apple listed Sprint carrier deals.
Given that T-Mobile completed its Sprint merger back in 2020, it is likely that this change will not affect many people. Many Sprint customers have already been transitioned to T-Mobile accounts and are no longer technically Sprint customers, but there may still be some individuals out there who have not yet completed the transfer over to T-Mobile.
Sprint customers have technically been using the T-Mobile network since shortly after the acquisition, as T-Mobile began incorporating Sprint spectrum into its network in April 2020.
Former Sprint customers who are experiencing issues related to their service should contact T-Mobile for help as they will need to move their Sprint accounts to T-Mobile to activate their devices.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 166 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Web Inspector, CSS, JavaScript, Popover, Media, MSE, Web API, and Accessibility.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is version 16.4 and is compatible with machines running macOS Ventura and macOS Monterey.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Since the release of macOS 13.2 in late January, some Mac users have complained about network file sharing via SMB not working anymore. Fortunately, with the upcoming macOS 13.3 update, it appears that Apple has fixed the issue.
Several users who were affected by the issue have noted that network file sharing is functional again as of the third beta of macOS 13.3 and later, with one user saying that Apple confirmed a fix was implemented. macOS 13.3 is in the final stages of beta testing and is expected to be publicly released as soon as next week.
File Sharing can be enabled in System Settings → General → Sharing and allows for a Mac's files to be accessed remotely over a local network. For example, a user may have a Mac mini set up as a server and enable File Sharing on that computer in order to remotely access files from their primary computer, such as a MacBook Pro.
watchOS 9.4 includes a change that will prevent Apple Watch users from accidentally turning off their alarm while sleeping, according to Apple's release notes for the software update, which is in the final stages of beta testing.
Specifically, Apple says that a wake-up alarm set in a Sleep Focus mode will no longer be silenced with the "Cover to Mute" gesture starting with watchOS 9.4. This means if the palm of your hand happens to cover your Apple Watch's display for three seconds while sleeping, the alarm will no longer be silenced unintentionally.
watchOS 9.4 is expected to be publicly released as soon as next week. The small but useful change was highlighted on Reddit earlier today.
A pair of discounts on Apple's 2022 13-inch MacBook Pro and 2020 MacBook Air have appeared today on Amazon, offering up to $199 off these notebooks. As of writing, these sales are only available on Amazon.
MacBook Air
Starting with the 2020 M1 MacBook Air, the 256GB model is on sale for the all-time low price of $799.99, down from $999.00. Space Gray and Gold colors are available at this price, although shipping for both has begun to stretch into April.
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.
This version of the MacBook Air sports a tapered design and does not have the updated chassis of the newer M2 MacBook Air models. It has the M1 chip and a 13-inch Retina display, and today's sale matches the previous all-time low price seen on Amazon for the computer.
Moving to the 256GB 13-inch MacBook Pro, this model is on sale for $1,149.00 on Amazon, down from $1,299.00. This is a second-best price on the MacBook Pro, but we haven't tracked record low prices since last fall and this remains the best price that we've seen so far in 2023.
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.
Secondly, the 512GB 13-inch MacBook Pro is on sale for $1,349.99, down from $1,499.00. This is another second-best price on the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and it's available in Space Gray and Silver on Amazon.
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular.
Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:
A17 chip: iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to be equipped with Apple's next-generation A17 Bionic chip, manufactured based on TSMC's 3nm process for continued performance and efficiency improvements. The standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to have an A16 Bionic chip.
Titanium frame: Like the Apple Watch Ultra, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a titanium frame instead of stainless steel.
Faster USB-C port: iPhone 15 Pro models will feature a USB-C port with support for at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which would result in the devices having significantly faster data transfer speeds with a cable compared to existing iPhones with Lightning. Kuo said the USB-C port on standard iPhone 15 models will remain limited to USB 2.0 speeds like Lightning.
Wi-Fi 6E: Like the latest Macs and iPad Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro will support Wi-Fi 6E for faster wireless speeds, according to a leaked schematic.
Increased RAM: iPhone 15 Pro models will be equipped with an increased 8GB of RAM, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce, while the standard models will likely continue to have 6GB of RAM as they do currently. Additional RAM can allow apps like Safari to keep more content active in the background, preventing the app from reloading content when reopened.
Solid-state buttons: iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to feature solid-state buttons. Instead of physically moving, the buttons will provide haptic feedback from two additional Taptic Engines inside the iPhone to simulate the feeling of movement, similar to the Home button on the iPhone 7 or the Force Touch trackpad on modern MacBooks.
Mute button: iPhone 15 Pro models are rumored to be equipped with a mute button for turning the ringer on and off. All existing iPhones have a mute switch.
Increased optical zoom for iPhone 15 Pro Max: The iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a periscope telephoto lens, according to Kuo. This could result in the device having at least 6x optical zoom, compared to 3x on iPhone 14 Pro models.
Improved LiDAR Scanner: iPhone 15 Pro models will have a more power-efficient LiDAR Scanner supplied by Sony, which could improve 3D depth scanning performance for AR apps and Night mode photos, according to Kuo.
As the iPhone 15 series inches closer to launching, additional features will likely be rumored.
Apple plans to increase its spend on movies for Apple TV+ to $1 billion annually, as well as release them in theaters globally, Bloomberg reports.
The Apple TV+ movies "CODA" and "Cherry" debuted in select theaters for a few weeks in 2021, but Apple apparently plans to instigate broader, more conventional theatrical releases in the future, facilitated by bigger movie budgets. The move is designed to raise the profile of Apple TV+ in Hollywood, attract subscribers, and create "cultural events."
Apple is believed to have already approached several third-party distributors about collaborating to release Apple TV+ titles in theaters this year, including Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," Matthew Vaughn's "Argylle," and Ridley Scott's "Napoleon." The movies are expected to be in theaters around the world for at least a month. Apple is purportedly looking to third-party studios owing to its lack of expertise in movie distribution across thousands of cinemas worldwide, but it has concerns around the hefty fees and marketing budgets that such partners would demand.
Apple is considering a bid for the rights to stream the English Premier League in the United Kingdom, among other lower league matches run by the English Football League, according to a Bloomberg report citing "people familiar with the situation."
From the report:
The rights under consideration would allow Apple to show Premier League games in the UK, as well as lower league matches run by the English Football League, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private.
If Apple went ahead with the plan, it would become the fourth major player in contention to purchase domestic broadcasting rights for top-flight soccer (or football, as it's called outside North America).
That would likely see a marked increase in the current £5.1 billion ($6.23 billion) valuation for domestic EPL rights, which operates on a three-year renewal cycle. Tender rights are currently being reviewed, with existing rights for the current three-year period set to expire in 2025.
Recent years have seen bidding wars play out between Sky Sports, BT Sport, and Amazon Prime Video, with Sky Sports often being the dominant player, although Amazon has been increasingly wielding its bidding power in recent years. Packaging terms ensure that no one broadcaster gains rights to all English Premier League matches, so any Apple deal for EPL broadcasting rights would necessarily fall short of the exclusivity deal the company successfully negotiated with MLS.
Apple has been pursuing sports content in an effort to attract new viewers to the Apple TV+ streaming service. The company has signed deals with Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer, which is currently available on Apple TV+ via an MLS Season Pass priced at $14.99 per month or $99 per season. Apple has also reportedly expressed interest in acquiring an NBA streaming package.
Apple TV+ is also the home of hit sports comedy drama "Ted Lasso," in which an American college football coach is hired to coach an English soccer team.
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer.
Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least three days per week.
Employees are required to be in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with most able to work remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays. However, it appears that Apple is doubling down on this strategy as it looks for ways across the company to cut costs.
In a post on Twitter, Schiffer said that Apple is now actively tracking in-person attendance using badge records and will give employees "escalating warnings" if they don't come in the required three times per week.
According to Schiffer, some Apple offices have even warned staff that failure to comply could result in job termination, although that "doesn't appear to be a company-wide policy."
The development follows a recent report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in which he outlined several cost-cutting measures being newly enacted by Apple, including managers becoming "as strict as ever" about office attendance, with some staff believing it to be a harbinger of Apple firing employees who don't meet the requirement.
In this regard, Gurman has also reported an overlap in retail stores, with Apple taking a closer look at work attendance and hours, and the company ditching its "special sick time" for time missed due to Covid, asking staff to use their normal sick time instead.
According to the report, Apple isn't always filling positions when employees leave, suggesting the crackdown on staff who do not fulfill the in-person work requirements is at least in part one aspect of its wider strategy to cut costs while avoiding the sort of mass layoffs that have recently befallen other tech giants, including Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
The Video Doorbell G4 features a 1080p camera and is compatible with HomeKit Secure Video, along with support for local streaming to Amazon Alexa and Google Home smart devices.
It features on-device AI facial recognition, which can trigger customized automations for different people. For example, a "welcome home" scene is activated when the G4 recognizes a family member coming home. Or in the case that it detects the postman, the doorbell will play a pre-recorded message.
The battery-powered video doorbell supports both wireless and wired installation and can use a pack of six AA batteries that lasts about four months, according to Aqara. Alternatively, users can opt to wire the G4 doorbell to an AC/DC transformer for 24/7 recording, and use the battery pack as a back-up power source.
The doorbell also offers adjustable sensitivity, configurable motion detection, and a power saving mode for users who live in a high traffic area to extend the battery life. Additionally, the G4's chime repeater, which has a 95 dB speaker, includes a USB-C port, allowing users to place the repeater indoors.
Video footage can be stored locally or remotely via iCloud or the Aqara platform. The latter offers subscription-free cloud storage of up to seven days of critical event clips such as motion detection, facial recognition, doorbell ring, and tamper alerts.
Priced at $119.99, the Aqara Smart Video Doorbell G4 comes in both Shadow Gray and Black colors, with optional local storage via a microSD card slot. Support for the new Matter standard will come via a future over-the-air update, according to Aqara. The G4 is available on Amazon in both North America and Europe, as well as selective Aqara retailers worldwide.
With the ThunderBay 8, OWC expands its vast range of professional-grade Thunderbolt accessories, offering an ultra high-capacity storage solution with eight hot-swappable universal bays for 3.5- or 2.5-inch hard drives or SSDs.
The ThunderBay 8 can serve as a high-performance personal data center with multiple configuration options to suit ever-growing storage requirements. It can accommodate the needs of individuals with data-intensive video editing, high-resolution image, and VR workflows, who need abundant drive space to store large format files, as well as fast data transfer speeds to ensure that they remain workable.
The ThunderBay 8 offers up to 160TB of storage depending on the configuration you choose, with additional options for standard and enterprise drives, pushing beyond the limits of more common four-bay storage solutions.
Having eight drive bays allows for greater flexibility and customization in terms of drive configuration and RAID options. Users can choose to arrange the drives in various RAID modes to optimize performance, data redundancy, or a balance of both. For example, users can choose RAID 0 for maximum performance, RAID 5 for data redundancy, or RAID 10 for a balance of both.
An enclosure with eight drive bays also cuts down on unnecessary cables and power wastage compared to single or dual drive solutions, and offers massive, highly flexible storage potential that users can scale over time.
The ThunderBay 8 arrived very well packed for transit, generously using high-density foam buffers, air bags, and thick cardboard – a key consideration for transporting a large number of fairly delicate drives. The enclosure itself came in a blue woven nylon bag to help lift it out of the box, which was a much welcome aid considering it weighs almost 20 pounds. This is relatively heavy compared to some other external storage solutions, which may mean it isn't ideal for users who need good portability, even for a drive array of this size. The sturdy bag is worth definitely keeping around to help move the ThunderBay around in the future.
Design
The ThunderBay 8's enclosure is made of thick aluminium with a matte black anodized finish. The device is very well built and clearly designed for durability and heat dissipation, with plenty of opportunity to last through changes to your setup and multiple drives.
The ThunderBay comes with two keys to unlock the perforated panel at the front that leads to the hard drives. Once unlocked, you simply pull the cover up and off to get access inside.
Each drive is stored in a tray, labeled A to H, that can be easily released with a thumb screw. The drives are a little difficult to remove even after they have been released, requiring quite a bit of force to come loose. Since OWC offers additional drive trays, it's possible to keep some extra drives nearby so they are ready to swap in if necessary. This could be particularly useful for repairing a RAID-5 array with minimal inconvenience.
The rear of the enclosure features a Kensington lock, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and a DisplayPort 1.2 port for connecting a display with a resolution up to 4K. Each drive has an indicator light, as do the rear ports, clearly showing when a drive or wired connection is in use. A single large fan at the back pulls in cool air.
The bottom of the ThunderBay has four rubber feet to keep it secure on a surface, but also offers the opportunity to stack several ThunderBay enclosures on top of each other if you require. The power supply is integrated and there is no need for an external transformer on the power cable, which cuts down on cable mess compared to some other devices in this class.
Noise
While the OWC ThunderBay 8 is designed to be relatively quiet, some users may find that the noise level is noticeable, especially if they work in a quiet environment. It mainly comes from the fan that helps cool the drives inside the enclosure.
The fan is large and spins at a low speed, which helps reduce high-frequency noise, but it can still produce a low-frequency hum that may be noticeable in quiet environments. The fan also seems to take quite some time to turn off when the ThunderBay is idle, which some users may find a little bit annoying.
That being said, it is inevitable that eight high-capacity drives and the cooling they require will produce a certain amount of noise. The sound level is also highly dependent on the type of drives that have been installed, with faster and higher-capacity drives typically producing more noise than slower and lower-capacity drives.
While OWC has done a relatively good job at minimizing the noise the ThunderBay 8 makes, I still thought the ThunderBay was quite loud compared to other similar devices. It is easily loud enough to fill a room and even be heard in adjacent rooms – which could be a problem if you work with audio or sleep near your workstation. For this reason, some users may find it unsuitable as a desktop storage solution, especially if you think the constant clicking of the drives could irrirate you or impede your work. OWC supplies a 0.5 meter Thunderbolt 3 cable with the ThunderBay 8, which requires placing the unit quite close to the computer. It may be better to utilize a 2m Thunderbolt cable and tuck the enclosure more out of the way, if possible.
Set Up
The ThunderBay 8 is not a hardware RAID system, so it relies on SoftRAID to create, monitor, and manage RAID sets. The software allows users to configure and manage RAID arrays with ease, providing advanced features and performance enhancements over Apple's Disk Utility.
SoftRAID is theoretically not a necessity for using the ThunderBay unless you want to use the drives individually, but you will need to use it if you want to use RAID.
One of the key advantages of SoftRAID is performance. According to OWC, it uses advanced algorithms to optimize disk performance and provides faster data transfer rates compared to traditional hardware RAID solutions. This is particularly important for users who work with large files and high-resolution media content, as it can significantly reduce the time required to transfer and process data.
Another advantage is its ease of use. The software provides a relatively simple interface for configuring and managing RAID arrays, allowing users to create, delete, and modify arrays, with a minimal level of experience. SoftRAID also includes features like disk health monitoring, email notifications, and SMART data analysis to detect potential drive failures before they occur.
The enclosure contains a printed license number for SoftRaid XT, and it was fairly easy to install and get running, but you will need to restart and enter recovery mode to enable full disk access. My experience with SoftRAID was fairly robust, but I thought the printed instructions could have been a little more detailed and I think a newcomer could struggle a little bit with the process.
Upon connecting the ThunderBay 8 to a Mac via Thunderbolt and with SoftRAID XT installed, a RAID 5 array formatted in HFS+ appears on the desktop and is ready to use. You can then split the disks up into new RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, and 10 arrays however you see fit, and reformat as you wish.
It's worth noting that the drives are not clearly labeled in SoftRAID, meaning that the only way to identify a particular drive is via the LED indicator. SoftRAID's design also feels a little bit outdated, but this could, of course, be improved via future software updates. The most important thing is that it works very reliably.
Performance
With eight bays, the ThunderBay 8 can reach up to 2,586 MB/s, according to OWC. In my series of tests, the ThunderBay 8 performed extremely well – surpassing SSD speeds via USB. With only HDDs, I achieved speeds of around 1,460 MB/s write and 1,900 MB/s read in RAID 0, which should be more than sufficient for even the most demanding professional workflows.
In RAID 5, this barely slowed to read and write speeds of around 1,200 MB/s and 1,150 MB/s, respectively, which is still impressive considering the added data redundancy provided by this configuration. Its fast transfer speeds and high-capacity also make it an ideal machine for Time Machine backups, although SoftRAID does not support encryption of APFS formatted arrays at this time.
Overall, this level of performance is ideal for users who work with high-resolution media content, such as 4K and 8K video, allowing for smooth playback and editing of large files. The ThunderBay 8's performance results in Blackmagic speed tests are on par with other high-performance storage solutions on the market, making it a reliable choice for professional content creators and power users who demand top-tier performance from their storage devices.
Since the ThunderBay 8 has two Thunderbolt ports, it's possible to daisy-chain other USB and Thunderbolt devices from it. I tried this with a Thunderbolt 3 SSD as well as standard USB hard drives and it worked extremely well, though I did have to remember to eject these drives before turning the ThunderBay off.
Bottom Line
Overall, the OWC ThunderBay 8 is an excellent professional-grade storage solution that works very well with the Mac, offering high-volume, high-performance storage to meet a broad range of intense demands. Across multiple RAID arrays, the device manages large libraries of video and audio production files, as well as concurrent backups, oustandingly well after months of constant use.
The ThunderBay 8 is a premium storage solution that comes at a premium price, but its features and performance justify its cost, especially for professionals who require reliable storage for their workflows. Moreover, its modular design allows for easy upgrades and maintenance, making it a long-term investment that can scale with your storage needs.
The ThunderBay 8 also comes with OWC's five-year limited warranty and customer support. If you don't need as much space as the ThunderBay 8 can provide, OWC also offers a four-bay version with the ThunderBay 4.
How to Buy
The ThunderBay 8 is available from OWC's website for a starting price of $779.00. The 16TB ThunderBay 8, which includes SoftRAID XT, starts at $1,479.00.
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash.
The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1), and Nothing has used the same general form factor. Nothing's products stand out because of the clear design that lets you see some of the internals, and it's definitely a unique and appealing look. There's a clear body for the stem, with additional components housed in the white plastic top that also has a silicone tip for a comfortable fit in the ear. Compared to the AirPods Pro 2, the Nothing Ear (2) are just about as comfortable, even for longer periods of wear.
Like the AirPods Pro 2, the Ear (2) earbuds feature Active Noise Cancellation. Nothing advertises some bells and whistles like personalization that tailors ANC to the shape of a user's ear, but the ANC on the Ear (2) is about on par with the AirPods Pro 2 ANC. There is a transparency mode that is meant to adjust noise reduction based on environment in real time, like Apple's Adaptive Transparency, but as we've encountered before, no one seems to be able to do Transparency like Apple. The Ear (2)'s transparency options just aren't great.
As for sound quality, Nothing has added Hi-Res Audio certification and LHDC 5.0, which is a low latency audio codec meant to deliver better sound. There's also an 11.6mm driver and a "dual-chamber" design for better sound quality and "smoother airflow," and while the sound is good, it is not quite at the AirPods Pro 2 level.
The Ear (2) earbuds are also lacking many of the features that you get using AirPods Pro 2 with Apple devices, such as instant pairing, automatic device switching, and Spatial Audio, which is something to keep in mind.
Nothing highlights a range of features like Dual Connection for connecting to two devices at the same time, a personal sound profile for customization, and clear voice technology for better call quality. The customization in particular is something that you can't get with the AirPods, so that might appeal to some who want more control over the listening experience.
The Nothing Ear (2) buds feature 36 hours of total playback time with the charging case battery life included and ANC turned off, and they offer IP54 water resistance so they're able to hold up to sweat. There are on-device controls that are activated with a press, and if you have an Android device or a Windows device there are some quick pairing options to take advantage of.
Make sure to watch our video to see the earbuds in action, with a full overview of all of the available features.
The Nothing Ear (2) earbuds are priced at $149, and they are available for purchase from the Nothing website starting today.
Apple today announced that its weekly MLB doubleheader "Friday Night Baseball" returns in April. While the games were free to watch last season, an Apple TV+ subscription is now required, with U.S. pricing set at $6.99 per month or $69 per year.
"Friday Night Baseball" will include two live MLB games each Friday throughout the 2023 regular season. The games will be available to stream in 60 countries and regions, up from 13 last season, with no local broadcast restrictions. The action will begin on Friday, April 7, with the Chicago Cubs facing the Texas Rangers at 2 p.m. Eastern Time and the Atlanta Braves taking on the San Diego Padres at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
In the U.S., DirecTV will make "Friday Night Baseball" games available to more than 300,000 restaurants, bars, hotel lounges, retail stores, and other venues throughout the regular season on existing satellite TV equipment, according to Apple.
Apple and the MLB shared the "Friday Night Baseball" schedule for the first half of the season, through June 30. Each game will feature "state-of-the-art cameras to present vivid live-action shots," along with live pre-game and post-game coverage.
2023 "Friday Night Baseball" Schedule on Apple TV+
Friday, April 7 Texas Rangers at Chicago Cubs 2 p.m. ET
San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves 7 p.m. ET
Friday, April 14 San Francisco Giants at Detroit Tigers 6:30 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Angels at Boston Red Sox 7 p.m. ET
Friday, April 21 Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees 7 p.m. ET
Houston Astros at Atlanta Braves 7 p.m. ET
Friday, April 28 Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros 8 p.m. ET
St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers 10 p.m. ET
Friday, May 5 Chicago White Sox at Cincinnati Reds 6:30 p.m. ET
Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Guardians 7 p.m. ET
Friday, May 12 Kansas City Royals at Milwaukee Brewers 8 p.m. ET
Chicago Cubs at Minnesota Twins 8 p.m. ET
Friday, May 19 Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays 7 p.m. ET
Seattle Mariners at Atlanta Braves 7 p.m. ET
Friday, May 26 San Diego Padres at New York Yankees 7 p.m. ET
Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers 6:30 p.m. ET
Friday, June 2 Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds 5 p.m. ET
Cleveland Guardians at Minnesota Twins 8 p.m. ET
Friday, June 9 Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles 7 p.m. ET
Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels 9:30 p.m. ET
Friday, June 16 Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers 8 p.m. ET
Chicago White Sox at Seattle Mariners 10 p.m. ET
Friday, June 23 Pittsburgh Pirates at Miami Marlins 6:30 p.m. ET
New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies 7 p.m. ET
Friday, June 30 Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates 7 p.m. ET
Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Angels 9:30 p.m. ET
Samsung today refreshed its "Discover Samsung" event with new discounts on monitors and more markdowns on TVs. All of these sales can be found directly on Samsung's website, and if you want more monitor-focused deals be sure to visit our post from Monday.
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.
This time we're focusing on TV-related deals offered by Samsung, with up to $3,000 off select TVs during the event. You'll find both 4K and 8K TVs with notable markdowns, as well as Samsung soundbars and a 4K laser projector on sale.
A few highlights of the sale are markdowns on Samsung's QN90B Neo QLED 4K Smart TVs, starting at $999.99 for the 43-inch model, down from $1,199.99. In total, you can save up to $2,200 on these models. Additionally, there's the cheaper Q60B QLED 4K TVs available from $429.99 for 43-inch sets.
Remember to check out every category during the event if you're interested in smartwatches and audio, tablets and computers, or monitors and memory. Each of these categories have plenty of deals going on this week, as well as highlighted deals of the day that will expire at the end of the day.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
iOS 16.4 includes additional Crash Detection optimizations for all iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, according to Apple's release notes for the software update, which is expected to be released to the public as early as next week.
Apple does not provide any specific details about the optimizations, but the company has been working to improve Crash Detection after emergency dispatchers in several U.S. states and Canada complained about the feature triggering an influx of false 911 calls from skiers and snowboarders throughout the winter. This is the third update with Crash Detection optimizations after iOS 16.1.2 in November and iOS 16.3.1 last month.
Crash Detection launched last year for all iPhone 14 models and the latest Apple Watch models. The feature is designed to detect a severe car crash and automatically call emergency services if a user does not respond to the device within 20 seconds, but has sometimes mistaken a skier or snowboarder falling down as a car crash, according to reports out of Colorado, Utah, New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and other popular skiing areas.
It's unclear if the latest optimizations will fully resolve the issue. The skiing season is drawing to a close in the U.S. and Canada, so we will have to wait until next winter in order to know if iOS 16.4 leads to a reduction in false 911 calls.
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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.
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.
