MacRumors

iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 will drop support for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, first-generation 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and fifth-generation iPad, according to a source with a proven track record for upcoming software updates. The devices in this list were released between November 2015 and November 2017.

If this rumor is accurate, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 would be incompatible with most devices powered by the A11 Bionic chip or older. The only exceptions would be the sixth-generation and seventh-generation iPad models with the A10 Fusion chip and the second-generation 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the A10X Fusion chip.

iPhones and iPads equipped with the A5 through A11 chip are affected by a bootrom security vulnerability that Apple cannot patch on these devices, as the bootrom operates in a read-only state. The exploit has allowed for these devices to be perpetually jailbroken on a wide range of iOS versions, allowing users to modify the iOS file system.

Last year, iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 dropped support for quite a few devices, including the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, original iPhone SE, final iPod touch, second-generation iPad Air, and fourth-generation iPad mini.

Apple is expected to announce iOS 17 during its WWDC keynote on June 5.

Amazon today has the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE for the all-time low price of $219.00, down from $249.00. Along with this model, Amazon has low prices on nearly every other configuration of the 2022 Apple Watch SE, including cellular models.

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.

For the 40mm GPS model, you can get all three colors at this price: Starlight Aluminum, Silver Aluminum, and Midnight Aluminum. Additionally, each color has both S/M and M/L sizes in stock and on sale, with delivery dates as soon as April 10 for some models.

The 44mm GPS model is on sale for $249.00, down from $279.00. Like the smaller model, this one is available in all three colors and various band sizes with a delivery date around April 6-10 for the fastest options. It's an overall second-best price.

Moving to cellular models, the 40mm cellular Apple Watch SE has hit $269.00 on Amazon, down from $299.00. Discounts on both cellular models have been more rare than the GPS versions of the Apple Watch SE, so this is a great opportunity to purchase the wearable at its lowest price.

Lastly, the 44mm cellular Apple Watch SE is available for $299.00 in all three colors, down from $329.00. As with most of the other devices, this is a record low price and one of the few times we've tracked the deal in 2023.

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

Apple's 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will not offer OLED display technology until 2026, display analyst Ross Young today reaffirmed.

In a tweet, Young shared a new Reuters report detailing Samsung Display's $3.1 billion investment in OLED production in Asan, South Korea and said that the facilities will be used to make OLED displays for 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models from 2026.

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

In the same report, Young explained that the first OLED Mac is expected to be a MacBook Air with a slightly smaller, 13.4-inch display. Simultaneously, it was reported that Samsung Display has started development of OLED displays that will be used for this future ‌MacBook Air‌ model.

In addition to the 2026 time frame, the information suggests that despite Apple's wish to get away from Samsung displays and switch to its own custom MicroLED technology, Samsung Display will have an omnipresent role in supplying OLED panels for Apple's next-generation devices – contributing to the 11.1-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, 13.4-inch ‌MacBook Air‌, and 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌.

Today we're tracking a pair of discounts on MacBook Pros on Amazon, including the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro from 2022 and the 16-inch M2 Max MacBook Pro from this year. Both of these deals are all-time low prices on the notebooks, and are being matched at B&H Photo.

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.

Starting with the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 256GB), you can get this computer for $1,099.00, down from $1,299.00 (matched at B&H). This generation of the MacBook Pro doesn't feature any external design changes, mainly focusing on internal advancements to performance and efficiency with the newer M2 chip.

Moving to the 16-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Max, 1TB), this model is down to $3,199.00, from $3,499.00 (matched at B&H). This is one of the higher-end configurations of the new 2023 MacBook Pro lineup, and today's sale is the first time we've tracked such a steep discount on this model. As of writing, it's the only 2023 MacBook Pro with a significant discount available online.

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.

Apple is preparing to release iOS 16.4.1 for the iPhone, according to a source with a proven track record for upcoming software updates. It's unclear when the update will be available, but it will likely be released this week or next week.

Minor updates like iOS 16.4.1 are typically focused on bug fixes and security improvements. Since iOS 16.4 was released last week, some iPhone users complained about having to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords. There was also an issue with data failing to load in the Weather app, but Apple's system status page says that problem has now been resolved.

iOS 16.4.1 would be a stopgap update while iOS 16.5 remains in testing. Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 16.5 last week with a few minor changes, including the addition of a Sports tab in the Apple News app and the ability to start a screen recording with Siri. iOS 16.5 will likely be released to the public at some point in May.

Apple is expected to announce iOS 17 at WWDC 2023, which runs from June 5 through June 9.

Apple is currently experiencing issues with its weather data provider, leaving many users unable to see live weather information and forecasts for regions in the Weather app.

The issue appears to be affecting many users across the globe, with Weather apps on several Apple platforms impacted, including iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS.

Apple is currently trying to resolve an issue with its Weather service according to its System Status webpage, although the issue summary only lists next-hour precipitation as unavailable for Alaska "due to a data provider outage," when in fact numerous regions and forecast types are down.

Apple says the issue affecting "some users" began around five hours ago as of writing and is "ongoing," although some iPhone users are reporting that they have had intermittent issues with Weather data since the iOS 16.4 update was released a week ago. We'll update this story when the problem is reported as resolved.

Update — 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time: Apple's system status page says the issue is now resolved.

Update — 1:35 p.m. Pacific Time: Apple's system status page once again says the service "may be slow or unavailable."

Update — 1:00 a.m. Pacific Time April 5: Apple now says all issues have been resolved.

Apple is planning to cut a small number of corporate retail employees that are on its development and preservation teams, reports Bloomberg. The employees that are part of the downsizing handle the construction and upkeep of Apple retail locations worldwide.

It is not clear how many positions Apple is eliminating, but Bloomberg says the cuts are "likely very small." Still, this is the first known report of Apple culling its internal workforce to cut spending. Back in June 2022, the company laid off up to 100 contractors that handled recruiting, but contractors are not full-time workers. Apple has also cut engineers and security guards that held contracting roles.

Apple told employees that these are not layoffs, but streamlining, and that the changes are aimed at improving the upkeep of stores globally. Those who were cut have the option to reapply for positions similar to their prior job, and those who do not take on a new role could get up to four months of pay.

Apple in November paused hiring for most jobs outside of research and development, and in March of this year, Apple expanded the hiring freeze. For many teams, Apple has halted hiring, and when employees leave, positions are being left open. Slowing hiring has allowed Apple to avoid the widespread layoffs that other tech companies have announced in recent months.

Twitter has eliminated thousands of employees following the takeover by Elon Musk, and last month, Facebook announced plans to lay off approximately 10,000 employees. Microsoft cut its AI ethics team in March following several prior layoff events, and Google parent company Alphabet laid off 12,000 employees in January.

Apple in 2021 introduced the 24-inch iMac, with the redesigned machine featuring an array of bright colors and the new-at-the-time M1 chip. Since its 2021 debut, Apple has not refreshed the smaller ‌iMac‌ and the ‌iMac‌ line has all but been forgotten, but rumors suggest there is a new 24-inch ‌iMac‌ in the works.

This guide highlights everything that we know so far about a future 24-inch ‌iMac‌.

Design

We are not expecting any external design changes to the 24-inch ‌iMac‌, with rumors indicating it will use the same 24-inch display and the same bright color options. The ‌iMac‌ comes in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver, and so far, there hasn't been an indication that Apple plans to add new colors.

The ‌iMac‌ features a brightly colored back with a softer color of the same shade for the front, along with a matching stand. All models have matching accessories, including mice, keyboards, and cabling. There are thick bezels around the ‌iMac‌'s display, including a thick chin, which has been an ‌iMac‌ design staple for years.

While there are no external changes expected, Apple could tweak the internal design somewhat to accommodate updated chip technology. There may also be a new manufacturing process for the stand, which could be indicative of minor design changes to the stand's look or functionality. The Studio Display, for example, has a height and tilt-adjustable stand, so Apple could perhaps add a height adjustment option to a future ‌iMac‌.

For more on the current ‌iMac‌, we have a dedicated roundup.

Chips

A refreshed 24-inch ‌iMac‌ is expected to use the next-generation M3 chip that will follow the current M2 chip. The M3 chip will be built on TSMC's 3-nanometer process, bringing notable power and efficiency improvements.

An ‌iMac‌ with an M3 chip would see significant performance improvements over the 2021 ‌M1‌ chip model, both in terms of the CPU and GPU.

Launch Timing

A new 24-inch ‌iMac‌ is in an "advanced stage of development," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It could come in the second half of 2023 at the earliest, and given that there are no design changes, it's likely ready to go and waiting on Apple to have new M3 chips ready.

A Larger iMac

Along with a refreshed 24-inch ‌iMac‌, Apple may have plans for a larger-screened ‌iMac‌ Pro, but rumors about such a machine have been mixed. The 27-inch ‌iMac‌ was discontinued in March 2022 and was ultimately replaced with the Mac Studio and matching Studio Display.

There was talk of an "‌iMac‌ Pro" with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips that would be sold alongside the 24-inch ‌iMac‌, but we haven't heard much about it since last year.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the upcoming 24-inch ‌iMac‌ or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

The "iPhone 17 Pro" will be the first iPhone to feature under-panel Face ID technology, according to display analyst Ross Young.

In an updated roadmap shared on Twitter earlier today, Young claimed that the under-display ‌Face ID‌ technology will still be accompanied by a circular cutout for the front-facing camera. This implementation is expected to persist until 2027's "Pro" ‌iPhone‌ models, which will also move the camera under the display for a true "all screen" appearance.

The forecast differs from Young's initial roadmap shared in May 2022. Previously, he expected 2024's iPhone 16 Pro models to be the first to feature under-panel ‌Face ID‌ technology. Last month, Young said that this one-year delay was due to "sensor issues." The change means that the two display cutouts that currently compose the Dynamic Island will apparently persist unchanged through three successive "Pro" ‌iPhone‌ generations.

Young also said that the standard iPhone 17 models will adopt ProMotion, a feature that is currently exclusive to Apple's high-end devices.

Apple will expand ProMotion to the standard iPhone models in two years, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants. ProMotion was first introduced on the iPhone 13 Pro models in 2021 and remains exclusive to Pro models for now.

In a tweet today, Young provided a roadmap outlining various display-related technologies coming to future iPhones. Notably, the roadmap indicates that low-power LTPO display technology will be expanded to the standard iPhones in 2025, which Young said will enable ProMotion on these devices, allowing the display to ramp up to a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and video content when necessary.

ProMotion would also allow the display to ramp down to a more power-efficient refresh rate. iPhone 13 Pro models can ramp down to 10Hz, while iPhone 14 Pro models can go as low as 1Hz, allowing for an always-on display that can show the Lock Screen's clock, widgets, notifications, and wallpaper even when the device is locked.

All in all, the roadmap suggests that the so-called "iPhone 17" and "iPhone 17 Plus" will feature ProMotion, and likely an always-on display too. Apple has routinely expanded Pro-only features to standard models over time, such as OLED technology, and the Dynamic Island is also expected to expand to all four iPhone 15 models later this year.

Young also outlined when Apple will adopt under-screen Face ID and cameras in future iPhones, which we discuss in more detail in a separate story. Over the past few years, the analyst has accurately leaked many display-related details about future Apple products, including ProMotion coming to the iPhone 13 Pro and MacBook Pro, the sixth-generation iPad mini featuring a larger 8.3-inch display, and much more.

It's been a few months since we tracked an all-time low price on the Apple Watch Ultra, and today Amazon is back with the best price we've ever seen on Apple's wearable. You'll find multiple configurations of the Apple Watch Ultra available for $729.99, down from $799.00. Every model in this sale requires you to add the Apple Watch Ultra to your cart in order to see an automatic discount worth $50 get applied to your order.

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 is a match of the lowest price we've ever tracked on any model of the Apple Watch Ultra, beating the most recent sale we saw in March by about $20. In total you'll find seven configurations of the Apple Watch Ultra priced at $729.99 today on Amazon, all focusing on the Alpine Loop in various colors and sizes.

Remember that you will need to add these watches to your cart and head to the checkout screen in order to see the $729.99 deal price. Configurations include:

• Green Alpine Loop (Large)
• Green Alpine Loop (Medium)
• Orange Alpine Loop (Large)
• Orange Alpine Loop (Medium)
• Starlight Alpine Loop (Large)
• Starlight Alpine Loop (Medium)
• Starlight Alpine Loop (Small)

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

Apple has designs on a future AirPods case featuring a built-in touchscreen display that would enable users to control audio sources and interact with apps associated with the connected device, according to a newly published patent.

Filed by Apple in September 2021 and published last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, "Devices, Methods, and Graphical User Interface Interactions with a Headphones Case" clearly depicts various embodiments for such a design, complete with images of AirPods and a touchscreen on the case's front.

"Audio output device cases are commonly passive devices used to charge audio output devices," reads the patent. "The utility of a headphone case can be enhanced, and user control over a user's wireless headphones can be improved, by configuring a headphone case with an interactive user interface to enable user control of operations associated with the wireless headphones." The patent continues:

There is a need for a headphone case device that can control operations that are traditionally associated with headphones (e.g., playback controls, changing audio sources, changing audio output modes, etc.). There is a further need for a headphone case that can also convey information to a user, through haptics and/or display devices. Such methods and interfaces optionally complement conventional methods for controlling wireless headphones. Such methods and interfaces reduce the number, extent, and/or nature of the inputs from a user and produce a more efficient human-machine interface.

In one embodiment, Apple envisions controlling Apple Music via the case through the use of a capacitive touchscreen with a GUI that also provides tactile feedback, allowing the user to control audio playback, adjust volume, favorite songs, and interact with their music in other ways without necessarily looking at the case to do so.

In another embodiment, the case responds to specific gestures such as taps and swipes to navigate onscreen content and invoke Siri. In one scenario, Apple describes how squeezing the case could even be a way to change the listening mode of the AirPods – likely referring to Noise Cancelation and Transparency.

Apple suggests that the case could include additional processors and memory modules that would allow it to carry out specific instructions that are traditionally associated with smartphones, computers, and other connected devices. For instance, some embodiments show the case's touchscreen providing interactive access to iPhone apps including Phone, Mail, Messages, Camera, Calendar, Weather, Maps, and more.

By integrating an interactive touchscreen display in such a way, the patent argues, "deficiencies associated with user control of wireless headphones are reduced or eliminated."

As with any filed patent, the technology it describes is unlikely to appear in a product anytime soon, if at all, but it does offer an interesting look at how Apple is exploring ways to make an AirPods case more of a functional intermediary between the AirPods themselves and the connected audio source.

Since the first AirPods launched in 2016, Apple has worked to enhance the functionality of the AirPods Case for different models. The AirPods Pro case in particular has benefited from the addition of MagSafe wireless charging, a U1 Ultra Wideband chip that supports Precision Tracking with Find My, a lanyard loop, a built-in speaker for locating and status updates, and increased battery life.

(Via Patently Apple.)

Apple still plans to announce its long-rumored AR/VR headset during the WWDC 2023 keynote on June 5, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Sunday newsletter, Gurman said Apple will also unveil the headset's xrOS operating system.

"The showcase at WWDC, the Worldwide Developers Conference, will likely include the headset itself, but also its onboard xrOS operating system, accompanying services, and — perhaps most critically — a software development kit and platform that will let developers write new types of apps," wrote Gurman, in his weekly "Power On" newsletter.

Last week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said mass production of the headset was pushed back by an additional one to two months to the mid-to-late third quarter of 2023. Kuo said the delay added "uncertainty" to whether the headset would be announced at WWDC this year, but Gurman is still confident the device will be unveiled then.

Apple CEO Tim Cook alluded to the headset in a recent interview, saying that AR could "greatly enhance people's communication" and "connection."

Apple announced that WWDC 2023 will take place from June 5 through June 9, with sessions, labs, and other content to be made available online for free. There will also be an in-person component in the form of a "special day" at Apple Park, where randomly selected developers and students can watch the keynote and State of the Union videos together, meet teams at Apple, take part in evening activities, and more.

Nearly every model of Apple's 2022 iPad Air has been discounted today on Amazon, offering numerous all-time low prices on these tablets in multiple colors. In total, you'll find up to $99 off the iPad Air, with record low prices available for both Wi-Fi and cellular models.

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.

The 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air is available in all colors except Purple at $499.99 on Amazon, down from $599.00. This is a record low price for this tablet on Amazon, and most color selections are in stock now and can arrive as soon as April 6.

Secondly, the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad Air has hit $649.99 on Amazon, down from $749.00. This is another record low price, and it's available in Blue, Pink, and Space Gray. Most of these models have an estimated delivery date between April 5 and April 9 for residences in the United States.

Moving to cellular models, the 64GB cellular iPad Air is available for $649.99, down from $749.00. This one is available in all five colors, and it's a best-ever price on Amazon. If you're interested in the Space Gray option, note that you'll need to add the tablet to your cart and head to checkout to see the deal price.

Lastly, the 256GB cellular iPad Air has hit $799.99, down from $899.00. You'll find all colors except Space Gray are available at this discounted price, which is also another all-time low price on the iPad Air. You'll also need to add these to your cart and head to checkout in order to see the discounts.

For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has seemingly teased the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset in an extensive interview with GQ.

Cook features on the cover of GQ's Global Creativity Awards 2023 issue. The interview with GQ's Zach Baron, titled "‌Tim Cook‌ Thinks Different," delves into multiple aspects of Cook's career, premiership, and personal life. Explaining why Apple may, hypothetically, be interested in AR/VR hardware, Cook said:

If you think about the technology itself with augmented reality, just to take one side of the AR/VR piece, the idea that you could overlay the physical world with things from the digital world could greatly enhance people's communication, people's connection. It could empower people to achieve things they couldn't achieve before. We might be able to collaborate on something much easier if we were sitting here brainstorming about it and all of a sudden we could pull up something digitally and both see it and begin to collaborate on it and create with it. And so it's the idea that there is this environment that may be even better than just the real world—to overlay the virtual world on top of it might be an even better world. And so this is exciting. If it could accelerate creativity, if it could just help you do things that you do all day long and you didn’t really think about doing them in a different way.

Cook went on to suggest that measuring physical objects and placing digital art on walls are just the start of the potential use-cases for AR, seemingly implying that there are far greater possibilities. Baron then raised the fact that in 2015 Cook told The New Yorker that he was highly skeptical of Apple manufacturing smart glasses, similar to Google Glass, as an early AR product. At the time, Cook said:

We always thought that glasses were not a smart move, from a point of view that people would not really want to wear them. They were intrusive, instead of pushing technology to the background, as we've always believed. We always thought it would flop, and, you know, so far it has.

Now, Cook admitted that he is willing to say that he was wrong:

My thinking always evolves. Steve taught me well: never to get married to your convictions of yesterday. To always, if presented with something new that says you were wrong, admit it and go forward instead of continuing to hunker down and say why you're right.

Baron then asked Cook if the fact that neither Google Glass nor Meta's Quest headsets have made considerable impact among consumers would make him skeptical of Apple offering a product in the AR/VR space. Cook responded that Apple has a history of succeeding in areas where people have doubted it:

Pretty much everything we've ever done, there were loads of skeptics with it. If you do something that's on the edge, it will always have skeptics. [...] Can we make a significant contribution, in some kind of way, something that other people are not doing? Can we own the primary technology? I'm not interested in putting together pieces of somebody else's stuff. Because we want to control the primary technology. Because we know that's how you innovate.

Read the full interview for more information about Cook's thoughts on leadership, his public image, comparing himself with Steve Jobs, working at Apple Park, his pay, and more.

Dark Noise today announced it has switched to a subscription pricing model on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The popular white noise app was previously available as a one-time purchase for $9.99, but the full version now costs $2.99 per month or $19.99 per year for new users. A one-time purchase option remains available for $49.99 for new users.

The bad news is that the full version of Dark Noise is now considerably more expensive for new users, but the good news is that the app is now available for free on the App Store, with eight sounds now available without charge. Another bit of good news is that existing Dark Noise users who purchased the app before the version 3.0 update released today retain access to the full app with over 50 sounds without a Dark Noise Pro subscription.

"There may be features in the future that require Dark Noise Pro, but for now original users will get all of the same features," says Dark Noise's announcement. New users can try out the Pro tier with a free three-day trial.

The updated Dark Noise app includes four stereo remasters of existing sounds: Rain, Thunderstorm, Beach, and Airplane Interior. Dark Noise said future updates will include additional remasters, as well as an increasing variety of sounds.

Apple introduced a similar Background Sounds feature in iOS 15 and macOS Ventura. Available in the Settings app under Accessibility → Audio/Visual → Background Sounds, the feature allows you to play rain sounds and a selection of other ambient sounds for free. White noise can help some people to relax, sleep, or stay focused on a task.

Apple halted production of its M2 series chips at the start of 2023 following a pronounced slump in global demand for MacBooks, claims a new report out of Korea.

Facing "plummeting" Mac sales amid a severe PC market downturn, Apple in January completely suspended production of its custom-designed M2 series processors that power new MacBook Pro and Mac mini models and the latest MacBook Air, according to The Elec.

Taiwan's TSMC did not send 5 nano-process M2 chip wafer workpieces to the outsourced semiconductor package test (OSAT) in January and February, according to the OSAT industry on the 3rd. It is believed that it was because Apple requested to stop production as demand for MacBooks dwindled.

As the report notes, TSMC finalizes its fabrication process by sending the wafer-processed products to Amkor Technology's Korean factory for packaging work. However, in January and February there were reportedly no products forthcoming, which also forced the package material parts company for M2 chips to stop supplying the usual materials.

The suspension is said to have continued through February, after which production of M2 series chips resumed, but they were "only half the level of the previous year," said the Korean-language report, quoting a person familiar with the matter.

Apple's revenue was down approximately 5% year-over-year in the first quarter, a steeper decline than had been expected by analysts as Apple grappled with iPhone supply issues in particular but which also saw declines in Mac and wearables.

iPad revenue was up 30% thanks to the launch of new M2 ‌iPad‌ models, but Mac revenue saw a notable drop because there were no new Macs released in the final months of 2022. Mac revenue was $7.7 billion, down from $10.9 billion in the year-ago quarter. ‌

During his Q1 2023 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook admitted that Apple faced a "challenging" situation in the PC market. "The industry is contracting," said Cook. "We have a low share but we have a competitive advantage with Apple silicon, so strategically we are well positioned within the market. But I think it will be a little rough in the short term," added the Apple chief.

Apple unveiled the M2 chip in June 2022, when it appeared in an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro and a new MacBook Air. In January 2023, Apple then added M2 Pro and M2 Max variants to its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, and also added M2 and M2 Pro chips to its Mac mini configuration options.

Apple's first custom processor, the M1, was announced in late 2020 and still powers Apple's 24-inch iMac, which was launched in April 2021. Almost a year later the Mac Studio was unveiled with Max and Ultra versions of the same chip.

An updated version of the iMac with the M2 chip is seemingly missing from Apple's plans, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and there is no word on if or when a refreshed version of the ‌Mac Studio‌ with M2‌ Max and ‌M2‌ Ultra chips will launch.

Spotify has yet to implement native support for the HomePod and HomePod mini, despite Apple opening up the speakers to third-party streaming music services in 2020. As a result, Spotify cannot be controlled with Siri on the HomePod.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman touched on the matter in his newsletter this weekend, noting that Spotify told him there hasn't been a "significant volume" of complaints about the lack of HomePod support. A post on Spotify's community website advocating for native HomePod support has over 5,800 votes in favor of the idea since it was submitted in 2020, but Spotify has refused to budge despite Apple making the necessary APIs available.

In 2019, Spotify accused Apple of anticompetitive behavior in a complaint filed in the EU. Alongside the complaint, Spotify launched a "Time to Play Fair" website that lists alleged examples of Apple's unfair practices, including preventing Spotify from natively supporting the HomePod. Yet nearly three years after Spotify has been able to support the HomePod without any further action from Apple, it has yet to follow through.

Spotify has also repeatedly promised to update its iPhone and iPad app with AirPlay 2 support, but it has failed to deliver so far. The app does support the original version of AirPlay, but has yet to adopt AirPlay 2, which launched in 2018 with enhancements such as less buffering and support for stereo-paired HomePods.

Spotify told Gurman that it "remains committed to supporting AirPlay 2 at some point in the future" and is "on a path towards making it happen eventually," but the company was unable to provide a definitive timeframe. Spotify has been promising to support AirPlay 2 since at least 2021, so subscribers have waited a long time.