MacRumors

As planned, Apple today expanded Emergency SOS via Satellite to Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal. In a press release, Apple said the feature requires the iOS 16.4 update released today to function in these countries.

Emergency SOS via Satellite enables iPhone 14 models to connect to Globalstar satellites in countries where the feature is available, allowing users to send text messages to emergency service dispatchers when outside the range of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. The service is free to use for two years after activating an iPhone 14, and this two-year period will begin today for users in the newly supported countries.

With iOS 16.4, Apple says a user dialing a local emergency number in the newly supported countries will automatically be redirected to 112, the European emergency number, in the event that the call fails due to no cellular or Wi-Fi connection.

In a support document, Apple warns that foliage or other obstructions can result in messages taking longer to send or failing to send, and satellite connectivity might not work in places above 62° latitude, such as northern parts of Canada and Alaska.

Emergency SOS via Satellite first launched in November in the U.S. and Canada and requires an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max. The service expanded to France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December. iPhone users should read Apple's support document for important details about the service.

Alongside the macOS Ventura 13.3 update, Apple has released new 16.4 firmware that's designed for the Studio Display.

The Studio Display firmware can be updated by connecting it to a Mac. Studio Display owners can go to System Preferences > Software Update to install the firmware.

According to Apple's release notes, the Studio Display Firmware Update 16.4 adds support for in-field recalibration of the display using the Pro Display Calibrator. It allows for specific color workflows that may require custom calibration by an in-house spectroradiometer. The update also includes minor stability improvements.

Apple today released macOS Ventura 13.3, the third major update to the macOS Ventura operating system that was released last October. macOS Ventura 13.3 comes two months after the launch of macOS Ventura 13.2, an update that added Security Keys for the Apple ID.

The ‌‌macOS Ventura‌‌ 13.3 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings.

macOS Ventura 13.3 adds new emoji characters that include pea pod, ginger, pink heart, blue heart, gray heart, donkey, moose, black bird, goose, wing, and jellyfish, among others.

There are bug fixes to fix an issue that could cause Trackpad gestures to stop working, along with a number of other small features and tweaks. Apple's full release notes for the update are below:

This update includes new emoji along with other enhancements, bug fixes, and security updates for your Mac.

• 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures, and objects are now available in emoji keyboard
• Remove background option in Freeform automatically isolates the subject in your image
• Photos duplicates album expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library
• Transliteration support for Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu keyboards
• New keyboard layouts for Choctaw, Chickasaw, Akan, Hausa, and Yoruba
• Accessibility setting to automatically dim video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected
• VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
• Resolves an issue where Trackpad gestures may occasionally stop responding
• Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent's device
• Addresses an issue where VoiceOver may be unresponsive after using Finder

Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.

For detailed information about the security content of this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

macOS Ventura 13.3 is expected to be one of the last updates to the macOS Ventura operating system as Apple shifts its attention to the next-generation of macOS that's expected this June.

Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID.

iOS 16‌.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes for the updates to propagate to all users due to high demand. Apple has also released iOS 15.7.4 for iPhone users who have older devices, with the update offering security improvements.

iOS 16.4 adds 21 total new emoji characters including shaking head, pink heart, blue heart, gray heart, donkey, moose, black bird, goose, wing, jellyfish, hyacinth, and more.

It also includes Safari web notifications for websites added to the Home Screen, Voice Isolation for clearer cellular phone calls, the return of the Apple Books page turning animation, updates to Podcasts, new HomeKit architecture, and a number of other small changes and tweaks. Apple's full notes for the update are below:

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

- 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures, and objects are now available in emoji keyboard
- Notifications for web apps added to the Home Screen
- Voice Isolation for cellular calls prioritizes your voice and blocks out ambient noise around you
- Duplicates album in Photos expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library
- VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
- Accessibility setting to automatically dim video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected
- Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent's device
- Addresses issues where Matter-compatible thermostats could become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home
- Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models

iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 may be some of the last updates that we see to the iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 operating systems as Apple shifts its focus to iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, software that will be announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference that's expected in June.

Apple today released watchOS 9.4, the fourth major update to the watchOS 9 operating system that first launched last September. watchOS 9.4 comes two months after the release of watchOS 9.3.

watchOS 9.4 can be downloaded for free through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by opening it up and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌‌.

The watchOS 9.4 update adds support for new emoji characters that include donkey, goose, black bird, shaking head, hyacinth, pea pod, and more. The update also introduces a change to wake-up alarms, preventing them from being silenced with the mute gesture to prevent accidental cancellations.

AFib History and Cycle Tracking have been expanded to new countries, with Apple's full release notes for the update below.

watchOS 9.4 includes improvements to Apple Watch and brings features to new regions.

• Wake-up alarms are no longer silenced with cover to mute gesture to avoid accidental cancellations during sleep
• Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates and cycle deviation alerts now supported in Moldova and Ukraine
• AFib History now available in Colombia, Malaysia, Moldova, Thailand, and Ukraine

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

watchOS 9.4 is expected to be one of the last updates to the watchOS operating system as Apple works on transitioning to watchOS 10, expected to be previewed at WWDC in June.

Alongside the iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, tvOS 16.4, and macOS Ventura 13.3 updates, Apple has released new 16.4 software created for the HomePod and HomePod mini.

According to Apple's release notes, the update adds stability and performance improvements to the ‌HomePod‌.

‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ software is installed automatically on the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌ unless the feature is disabled‌‌‌‌, but the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ can also be manually updated in the Home app by following the instructions in our HomePod‌‌ update how to.

Apple today released tvOS 16.4, the fourth major point update to the tvOS 16 operating system that came out last September. Available for the Apple TV 4K and ‌Apple TV‌ HD, tvOS 16.4 comes two months following the release of tvOS 16.3.

The tvOS 16.4 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the ‌‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌‌ by going to System > Software Update. ‌‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌‌ owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to ‌tvOS 16.4 automatically.

tvOS updates are often minor in scale, focusing on internal bug fixes and improvements rather than outward-facing changes. The 16.4 update adds a Dim Flashing Lights option that is meant to dim the display when there are flashes of light or strobe effects.

This update adds Dim Flashing Lights, an accessibility option to automatically dim the display of video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected, and includes performance and stability improvements.

Apple shares information on tvOS releases in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each tvOS launch.

Verizon today introduced a new all-time low price on the AirPods 3 with Lightning Charging Case, available for $134.99, down from $169.99. This beats the previous record low price on the headphones by $5, and right now only Verizon has the deal.

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

Additionally, the AirPods 3 with MagSafe Charging Case is down to $144.00 on Verizon, from $179.00. This is the best price we've tracked so far this year on the MagSafe model.

Deals on the AirPods 3 were rare earlier in 2023, but in the past few weeks Verizon has finally kicked off fresh discounts, leading up to today's low prices. Shoppers should remember that you don't need to be a Verizon customer to take advantage of these deals.

Verizon also has the year's best prices on other AirPods models, including the AirPods Pro 2 for $199.99 ($50 off) and the AirPods 2 for $89.99 ($39 off).

We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones. Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple Music Classical is scheduled to launch on Tuesday, March 28. The app is already beginning to roll out for some iPhone users in countries with earlier time zones than the U.S., including Australia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and others. The rollout will continue around the world as the calendar turns to March 28.

Apple Music Classical became available for pre-order on the App Store earlier this month. The app offers over five million classical music tracks and is free to use with a standard Apple Music subscription on iOS 15.4 and later.

Apple Music‌ Classical is based on Primephonic, a classical music streaming service that Apple acquired in 2021. The standalone app leverages Primephonic's playlists and audio content, search capabilities, metadata, and more. Apple says the app features thousands of composer biographies, descriptions of key works, and more.

Apple Music Classical is available for the iPhone only at launch, with an Android version of the app coming soon, according to Apple. The app is currently available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Dutch.

Apple originally planned to launch a classical music app in 2022, but the app was not announced until this year. Apple shut down Primephonic in September 2021 and offered subscribers six months of access to Apple Music for free at the time.

Apple recently acquired WaveOne, a California-based startup that was developing AI algorithms for video compression, according to TechCrunch.

Apple did not confirm the acquisition, but former WaveOne executive Bob Stankosh said a "sale of the company to Apple" was finalized earlier this year. In addition, the report notes that WaveOne's website was taken offline around January and that several of the company's employees now work at Apple on various machine learning teams.

WaveOne was working on "content-aware" video compression and decompression algorithms to reduce the size of video files, according to the report:

Leveraging AI-powered scene and object detection, the startup's technology could essentially "understand" a video frame — allowing it to, for example, prioritize faces at the expense of other elements within a scene to save bandwidth.

It's unclear how much Apple paid for WaveOne or when the startup's technologies might be integrated into Apple's software platforms.

Satechi today kicked off a new springtime sale, offering 20 percent off sitewide when entering the code SPRING20 at checkout. This sale is available on all Satechi products sitewide with the exclusion of the new 200W USB-C 6-port GAN charger, and it will last through March 31.

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

Satechi is known for its wireless chargers, USB-C hubs, keyboards, cables, and other accessories, many of which are compatible with Apple products like the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, iMac, and iPhone. We've collected a few examples of the accessories you can buy during this sale below, but remember that the code SPRING20 will work sitewide through March 31.

• 30W USB-C Wall Charger - $24.00, down from $29.99
• USB-C Magnetic Charging Cable for Apple Watch - $32.00, down from $39.99
• 2-in-1 Headphone Stand and Wireless Charger - $64.00, down from $79.99
• Slim X3 Bluetooth Backlit Keyboard - $72.00, down from $89.99
• Pro Hub Max - $80.00, down from $99.99
• 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand - $96.00, down from $119.99
• USB-C Slim Dock for 24-inch iMac - $120.00, down from $149.99

The sale will end in one week, so browse Satechi's website soon if you're interested in using the coupon code before it expires. Additionally, be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Update: We've updated this article with a correction about the sale's end date, which is Friday, March 31.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models could launch without a SIM card tray in France this year, according to information obtained by French website MacGeneration. This means the devices would work with eSIMs only for cellular connectivity.

If the SIM card tray is removed in France, it would likely be removed in at least some other European countries as well, as Apple typically sells one iPhone model in most of Europe. For example, the iPhone 14 Pro model A2890 sold in France is also sold in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and dozens of other countries.

Apple already removed the SIM card tray from all iPhone 14 models in the U.S. last September, forcing customers to use an eSIM, a digital SIM that allows users to activate a cellular plan without having to use a physical nano-SIM card. Apple has a support document with a list of carriers that support eSIM technology around the world.

When the iPhone 14 series launched in the U.S., Apple promoted eSIMs as being more secure than a physical SIM since they cannot be removed from an iPhone that is lost or stolen. Apple added that up to eight eSIMs can be managed in the iPhone's Settings app, eliminating the need to obtain, carry, and swap physical SIM cards while traveling. iPhone 13 and newer models can have two eSIMs active at the same time.

With eSIM availability rapidly expanding, the removal of the SIM card tray beyond the U.S. seems inevitable, even if the transition takes a few more years to be fully completed. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 series in September as usual.

Apple has made advancements with its self-driving system and could use LiDAR sensors from Wenmao, Economic Daily News reports.

Apple has reportedly improved its vehicle project's self-driving capabilities and is expanding testing. The self-driving system apparently heavily relies on LiDAR sensors, which Apple may source from Chinese supplier Wenmao – a supplier that already provides LiDAR scanners for the iPhone and iPad Pro. While the company may take some time to develop capacity for automotive-grade LiDAR sensors, Wenmao's quality and existing relationship with Apple could make a partnership likely. Apple is likely to choose long-term supply chain partners like Wenmao early in the development process.

Another Economic Daily News report says that Apple supplier Foxconn's collaboration with German industrial giant Siemens to make advanced driver assistance systems could align with Apple's automotive strategy. Taiwanese companies like Foxconn are believed to have sufficient production capacity to build the vehicle. Apple is expected to continue testing until the car is a viable consumer product.

A major recent report from Bloomberg claims that Apple has scaled back its initial vision for the vehicle and dropped its proposed $120,000 price point, eliminating ambitions for a full self-driving system with no steering wheel or pedals, and an interior design focused on communal seating. Now, the car is expected to have a much more conventional design with more limited self-driving capabilities, for a price under $100,000. The car is now expected to launch around 2026.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has praised his company's "symbiotic relationship" with China during his first visit to the country in the last three years.

In his first visit since the pandemic began in 2020, the Apple chief gave a keynote speech over the weekend at the China Development Forum, where he said he "could not be more excited" to celebrate Apple's 30th anniversary in the country, where the company makes the vast majority of its iPhones.

"Apple and China . . . grew together and so this has been a symbiotic kind of relationship," said Cook, according to a report by the Financial Times.

Cook was among several U.S. tech company chiefs in Beijing, where the forum has been billed as an opening-up party after three years of lockdowns and restrictions as a result of President Xi Jinping's strict zero-Covid policy, which heavily impacted Apple's operations and led to a shortage of iPhone 14 models during the holiday period.

According to the FT report, Cook avoided mention of tensions between the U.S. and China during his keynote, which occurred during a session about technology and education, and instead talked up the millions of iOS developers in the country, as well as the success of its Apple stores in the region.

Bloomberg on Monday reported that Cook went on to meet China's minister of commerce Wang Wentao. "Both sides exchanged views about Apple's development in China and stabilizing the industry supply chain," according to a statement given to the outlet by Wang's ministry. Wang also reportedly told Cook that China will continue to open up and provide good services to foreign firms including Apple.

Apple last month released its financial results for the quarter ending in December, reporting a roughly 5% decline in revenue compared to the year-ago quarter. Apple cited a "challenging environment" that included iPhone supply issues due to COVID lockdowns in China, which hampered its ability to ship devices to customers.

China's smartphone market finished 2022 with an annual shipment of 287 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 14% and the first time since 2013 that the country's market shipment has fallen below 300 million units, according to a report by Canalys. Apple reached an all-time-high market share of 18% for the year, despite growth for the fourth quarter dropping by 24% due to supply issues, said the report.

Apple has been trying to diversify its supply chain outside of China to reduce its reliance on the country and mitigate the impact of geopolitical unrest, with Vietnam, and more recently India, emerging as important locations for supply chain expansion and investment.

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.

Gordon Moore, co-founder and former chairman of Intel, died on Friday, March 24. He was 94. Tributes to the technology pioneer were shared on social media by Silicon Valley industry leaders over the weekend, including one from Apple CEO Tim Cook.

"The world lost a giant in Gordon Moore, who was one of Silicon Valley's founding fathers and a true visionary who helped pave the way for the technological revolution," said Cook in a tweet. "All of us who followed owe him a debt of gratitude. May he rest in peace."

In 1965, Moore famously claimed that the capacity and complexity of computer chips would double every year (10 years later, he revised this prediction to a doubling every two years). His prediction regarding the exponential growth of computer chip technology, which held up for decades, became known as Moore's Law.

Moore and business partner Robert Noyce founded Intel, originally named Integrated Electronics, in 1968. The two advocated for the use of semiconductor chips to power a wealth of consumer electronics, and made laptop computers affordable for hundreds of millions of people. Moore eventually became chairman and CEO of the company in 1979, and served as CEO for eight years.

In 2005, Apple transitioned the CPUs of its Mac and Xserve computers from PowerPC to the x86 architecture from Intel. The partnership lasted for 15 years until Apple announced that it would shift its Mac line to Apple silicon in 2020.

Apple OLED supplier Samsung Display will start manufacturing OLED panels for the iPhone 15 series a month earlier than planned due to production problems with one of Apple's other suppliers, according to a new report out of Korea.

According to The Elec, Samsung will now begin manufacturing the OLED panels in May instead of June to compensate for the lack of planned initial orders from BOE, which is having problems with light leakage around the portion of the OLED display where the pill and hole cutouts secure the space necessary for the TrueDepth camera and Face ID.

Apple gave the order to Chinese partner BOE to manufacture some OLED panels for the standard model of ‌iPhone 15‌, but the issues appear to have been so entrenched that Apple has dropped the order, and BOE has now missed its chance to become one of the initial suppliers.

Samsung was always slated to also supply the OLED panel for the standard model of ‌iPhone 15‌, but now will start production early in light of the Chinese display panel maker's problems.

The standard and Plus ‌iPhone 15‌ models are set to use low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) thin-film transistor (TFT), suggesting that the devices will continue to lack ProMotion support and an always-on display option like Apple's Pro models have.

Meanwhile, LG Display will start producing LTPO TFT OLED panels aimed at the higher-tier models of ‌iPhone 15‌ in June. The LPTO panels feature 120Hz ProMotion support and a 1Hz refresh rate capability that enables an idle Lock Screen to stay visible without significantly impacting battery.

Samsung's early start doesn't necessarily mean the end for BOE as an Apple supplier, according to the report. The Chinese display panel maker is reportedly showing progress in solving the light leak issue, and could start supplying OLED panels for ‌iPhone 15‌ within the year.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ series is expected to arrive in September, as usual. For everything we know about the new models, be sure to check out our dedicated roundups by clicking the links below.

Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports.

Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone reportedly marks an unprecedented level of concern about a new Apple product inside the company, in stark contrast to previous product launches that were pursued with single-mindedness and enthusiasm.

The first-generation headset is purportedly seen as a bridge to future products that require technological breakthroughs, but many employees are said to have worries about the device's $3,000 price point, utility, and unproven market. Skeptics have questioned if the device is "a solution in search of a problem," unlike the iPod and iPhone. The headset has apparently not been "driven by the same clarity" as Apple's other products.

Some Apple employees have defected from the project due to doubts about its potential, while others have been fired over lack of progress with some of the device's functionality, including Siri. The discontent is said to extend to members of Apple's leadership, some of whom have questioned the device's prospects.

The headset was apparently presented to many of Apple's top 100 executives via a video at a corporate retreat five years ago made by design chief Jony Ive. The video depicted a man in a London taxi wearing an augmented reality headset calling his wife in San Francisco, sharing the sights of London through the husband's eyes.

The New York Times reaffirmed previous reports that the headset will feature a carbon fiber frame, a hip-mounted battery, outward-facing cameras, two 4K displays, prescription lenses for wearers of glasses, and a "reality dial" to increase or decrease real-time video pass-through from the surrounding environment.

Apple has focused on ensuring that the device excels at videoconferencing and time spent as virtual avatars, calling the headset's main application "copresence." There will also be custom high-resolution TV content from Hollywood filmmakers including Jon Favreau. Despite similarities with Meta's headsets and the "metaverse," Apple is expected to pitch the device as something that differs from existing offerings.

The device will also offer tools for artists, designers, and engineers, enabling drawing and image editing in 3D space. There will also be applications for editing virtual reality video using hand gestures. As a result, it is expected to appeal to businesses and design companies more than ordinary consumers. Some employees have allegedly speculated that Apple could again delay the headset's launch, even though manufacturing is now underway for an unveiling in June.

Blood glucose monitoring technology designed for the Apple Watch is unlikely to launch for several years, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman believes.

In February, Gurman reported that Apple has made major progress with its noninvasive blood glucose monitoring technology, allowing diabetics and others to test their blood glucose levels without needing to prick the skin for blood testing.

Apple's system apparently uses a silicon photonics chip to shine light from a laser under the skin to determine the concentration of glucose in the body. In Bloomberg's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple "still needs to perfect the algorithms and on-board sensors" to bring the technology to market. Crucially, the company also needs to "shrink it down to the size of a module that can fit in the small and thin package that is an Apple Watch." Gurman believes this process "will take another three to seven years at least."

Apple began working on alternative glucose monitoring methods following its aquisition of RareLight in 2010. The company then used a startup called Avolante Health LLC to develop the technology at a secret facility before moving it to the Exploratory Design Group (XDG).

Apple has been conducting human trials for the past 10 years and seeks to be able to warn Apple Watch users if they are prediabetic to encourage lifestyle changes before diabetes develops. It is believed to be holding early discussions about getting regulatory approval for the technology.