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Apple today highlighted the success of its services in 2022, including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, Apple Maps, Apple Pay, Apple Card, Apple Podcasts, iCloud, and others.

One notable statistic shared by Apple is that App Store developers have earned more than $320 billion since 2008. Meanwhile, Apple Fitness+ now has 3,500 workouts and meditations available in its library and Apple Music has over 100 million songs. More highlights are available on the Apple Newsroom website.

The press release includes a letter from Apple's services chief Eddy Cue, who reflected on a "groundbreaking year for entertainment."

2022 was a groundbreaking year for entertainment. At some point over the past year, you probably discovered a new app, a new song, a new TV show or movie, or game. An experience that made you laugh, taught you something new, or helped you see the world in a new way — and moved you to share it with others.

It's remarkable how much great content is at our fingertips; that's a testament to the extraordinary work of creators worldwide. Never before have we enjoyed instant access to more cinematic original series, more engaging films, more global music, more creative apps, more essential journalism, and more immersive games and sports — no matter where you are, across all your favorite devices.

At Apple, we have the privilege of partnering with creators of all kinds, while building products and services that enable even more creativity. Our mission has always been to enrich people's lives and to leave the world better than we found it, and we know that takes more than technical skill. It requires leading with our values in everything we do. We believe that our products and services should be made for everyone. We believe that privacy is a fundamental human right, and that our highest obligation to our customers is security. We believe that a culture where everybody belongs can drive innovation, and that we must stand up for the change we want to see in the world.

When we started Apple TV+ a few years ago, we did so to tell stories that reflect our broader humanity. And whether it was CODA winning the Oscar for Best Picture or Ted Lasso winning back-to-back Emmys for Best Comedy, we have seen, in so many ways, the validation of this kind of storytelling and the strong desire for more of it.

And believe me: There's much more to come. Moments to anticipate, enjoy, and reflect upon. Moments that will have us jumping up with excitement or at the edge of our seats, or that make us want to get up and dance. Moments that can create lasting memories and bring us closer to one another.

Last week marked my 34th anniversary at Apple, and I've never been more excited about what's ahead. This new year of Apple services will be our most exciting yet — and we can't wait to share it with you.

The press release comes one day after it was reported that Apple's vice president of services Peter Stern plans to depart the company at the end of January. Stern, a former Time Warner Cable executive, joined Apple in 2016 and was considered to be a candidate to succeed Cue as the company's services chief in the future. Apple has shared a similar press release highlighting its services in January since 2020.

The iPhone 15 Pro models could face a price hike over the iPhone 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max, according to recent reports.

According to a rumor from an unverified source on Weibo, Apple will increase the price of this year's ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models to widen the gap with the ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus. The extent of the potential price hike is not yet clear. The ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max start at $999 and $1,099, meaning that any price increase would put both high-end ‌iPhone‌ models north of $1,000 for the first time.

The report added that since the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus will gain a number of features currently exclusive to the Pro models, such as Dynamic Island and the 48-megapixel camera, there will be even more need to separate the Pro and non-Pro devices in terms of pricing this year.

Last month, it was reported that Apple is "seriously" concerned about sales of the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus, which starts at $899 – just $100 less than the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro. As a result, the company is apparently weighing up different pricing strategies to boost sales of the standard ‌iPhone 15‌ models.

The Weibo post comes from a source without a known track record, so it should be viewed with skepticism at this point in time. Nevertheless, unverified rumors from Weibo occasionally reveal accurate information, such as the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro's Adaptive True Tone flash and selection of color options.

Despite multiple reports that last year's ‌iPhone‌ 14 models would see a price increase of around $100, this did not materialize and the devices continued to cost the same as the corresponding ‌iPhone‌ 13 models. The smaller ‌iPhone‌ "Pro" model or equivalent in the lineup has been priced at $999 since 2017, so it is simply a matter of time before Apple raises prices again.

Amazon today has a few of Apple's 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models at up to $399 off. All of these notebooks are in stock and sold by Amazon, with delivery dates as soon as Tuesday, January 17 for most models.

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 14-inch MacBook Pro (8-Core M1 Pro, 512GB), this model is on sale for $1,599.99, down from $1,999.00. This is a match of the best price we've ever tracked on this version of the 2021 MacBook Pro, and right now it's only available in Space Gray.

Next is the 14-inch MacBook Pro (10-Core M1 Pro, 1TB) for $2,199.00, down from $2,499.00. Amazon only has this sale available in Space Gray, and in comparison to previous deals this one is a solid second-best price.

Moving to the 16-inch MacBook Pro (10-Core M1 Pro, 512GB), you can get this model for $2,099.99 in Space Gray, down from $2,499.00. This is another second-best price on the 2021 MacBook Pro.

Lastly, the 16-inch MacBook Pro (10-Core M1 Pro, 1TB) is available for $2,299.99, down from $2,699.00. This is the only notebook that's currently available in both Space Gray and Silver today on Amazon.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

The first Apple Watch with a microLED display will debut in spring 2025, according to information shared by display analyst Ross Young. Young claims that a microLED Apple Watch will launch in spring 2025, with production on the panels destined for the device set to start at the end of 2024.

Young's timeline is different from the timeline outlined recently by analyst Jeff Pu, who suggested that Apple would introduce an Apple Watch with a microLED display in 2024. The spring 2025 timing from Young is questionable because Apple has long introduced updated Apple Watch models in the fall alongside new iPhones, and there is nothing to suggest the company will move away from that timeline in the next two years.

What could happen, though, is that Apple introduces a ‌microLED Apple Watch‌ in fall 2024, shipping it later in spring 2025 when the panel technology is ready. Alternatively, Young's timeline could be off a bit, with Apple instead planning to debut a ‌microLED Apple Watch‌ in fall 2025, which would make more sense in terms of timing.

Young did not provide details on the size of the display, but the prior report from Pu suggested that it would measure in at 2.1 inches diagonally, indicating that the display is likely to be for a future version of the Apple Watch Ultra. Introduced last September, the current Apple Watch ultra features a 1.92-inch display, larger than the 1.77-inch display of the Series 8. microLED is still an emerging technology that display manufacturers are working to perfect, so it makes sense that this kind of screen would come to Apple's higher-end and more expensive Apple Watch first.

microLED technology features microscopic LEDs that form pixels, offering more accurate color, high contrast ratio for improved HDR and viewing in suboptimal lighting conditions, support for viewing at wider angles, smaller chance of screen burn-in over time compared to technologies like OLED, fast response times and low latency for higher fps support, and reduced energy usage for improved efficiency.

Apple is likely still early in the development of a ‌microLED Apple Watch‌, and so the timelines could shift over the course of the next year. Young often provides accurate information thanks to his connections in the display industry, but sometimes his timing turns out to be off as Apple's plans evolve. Most importantly, this is additional confirmation that Apple is indeed pursuing microLED for future Apple Watch models.

The iPhone 16 Pro will feature under-display Face ID technology to provide more usable display area, according to The Elec.

The Korean-language report explains that Apple will move the components required for ‌Face ID‌ authentication directly under the iPhone's display in 2024. When not in use, the TrueDepth camera for ‌Face ID‌ will not be visible under the display, which will appear seamlessly contiguous with the surrounding screen area.

The report clarified that the hole in the display for the front-facing camera will remain on the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌, but the overall display area and sense of immersion will be improved. It added that the display cutouts will remain the same from the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro to the iPhone 15 Pro later this year since the under-display technology is not yet ready.

It also corroborated rumors that all four models in the ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup will offer the Dynamic Island, expanding the feature from the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max to the two standard models later in 2023.

Further in the future, the report added that once Apple has implemented under-display ‌Face ID‌ technology, it will move to adopt an underpanel camera (UPC), thereby eliminating all of the display cutouts currently present on the ‌iPhone‌.

This aligns with the roadmap set out by display analyst Ross Young in May 2022. He outlined a cycle where Apple will alternate between the Pro and the non-Pro models each year when introducing revised display cutouts or new under-display technology:

The Pro models will be first to new display innovations of this kind, as first seen last year with the Dynamic Island on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max, while the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus were left with the same "notch" as the ‌iPhone‌ 13. This also means that each configuration of display cutouts and underpanel technology will persist for a maximum of two generations on each ‌iPhone‌ before the device has total usable display area sometime around 2027.

Later this year, Apple is expected to reintroduce a new full-sized HomePod, a successor to the original smart speaker which was discontinued almost two years ago.

Apple reportedly discontinued the ‌HomePod‌ in March 2021 due to lackluster sales and a lack of features compared to the speakers offered by Amazon and Google. The ‌HomePod‌ lineup remains part of Apple's portfolio thanks to the smaller HomePod mini, which Apple announced in 2020.

The ‌HomePod mini‌, in its smaller form factor and cheaper $99 price point, has been a bigger success than the original ‌HomePod‌. In 2023, Apple is widely expected to reintroduce the full-sized ‌HomePod‌ to its lineup with several new features. Below, we outline five new features and changes we expect from the upcoming ‌HomePod‌.

1. Faster Processor

The original ‌HomePod‌ featured an A8 chip, which helped power music playback, Siri, and more. The upcoming ‌HomePod‌, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, will feature an updated S8 chip from the latest Apple Watch models.

2. U1 Ultra Wideband Chip

The ‌HomePod mini‌ features a U1 Ultra Wideband chip, which detects when other U1-equipped devices, such as the latest iPhone models, are nearby and allows it to quickly hand off the audio to the smart speaker. The upcoming ‌HomePod‌ could feature the U1 Ultra Wideband chip to bring it to parity with the ‌HomePod mini‌.

The U1 Ultra Wideband chip, in the future, could also allow for other experiences, such as close-range data transfer, improved AR experiences, and the ability to track a user's exact location within their home.

3. Larger Backlit Touch Interface

The original ‌HomePod‌ and the ‌HomePod mini‌ feature a backlit touch interface at their top. The interface is small and doesn't show images or text but instead glows different colors to indicate different statuses or when ‌Siri‌ is invoked.

For the upcoming ‌HomePod‌, Apple is expected to make the touch area even larger, according to a recent report by Gurman. It's unclear if the larger area will allow for richer information or expanded functionality.

4. Cheaper Price

When Apple first announced the ‌HomePod‌, it was priced at $349, a higher price point than competing smart speakers on the market. Apple eventually dropped the price to $299 in hopes of sparking sales.

Even at $299, users were still put off by its high price and ‌Siri‌'s shortcomings. With the upcoming model, Apple is expected to drop the price even further, according to several reports. For comparison, Amazon's Echo Studio, which has a similar overall footprint compared to the full-sized ‌HomePod‌, is priced at $199 and has direct integration with several services, including Apple Music, Spotify, Samsung's Smart Things, and more.

5. Faster Software Features

The A8 chip powered the original full-sized ‌HomePod‌, which provided adequate performance to power different ‌HomePod‌ features, such as spatial awareness, ‌Siri‌, and more. In recent years, however, users have found that the original ‌HomePod‌ struggles with certain tasks, sometimes making it difficult to use certain features.

Thanks to the S8 chip in the upcoming ‌HomePod‌, users will be able to better use new software features, such as improved ‌Siri‌ capabilities, faster ‌Siri‌ voice recognition for multiple members of a household, and more.

Apple TV users are not happy with design changes that Apple added to the ‌Apple TV‌ app with the launch of tvOS 16.2, iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1, according to a number of complaints shared on Reddit.

Apple with tvOS 16.2 and its sister updates demoted the "Up Next" section in the "Watch Now" tab of the ‌Apple TV‌ app, instead adding a large featured content section with no option to disable it. The previews also autoplay content with audio, much to the annoyance of ‌Apple TV‌ users. From Reddit user Sean310:

I absolutely HATE the new format.
And they roll right into previews with audio. WTF Apple?
Up Next is tiny now & easily skipped over (on purpose).
And when you are on the Up Next row, the same Apple TV+ shows take up 85% of the screen below.

When tvOS 16.2 was being beta tested, there was a full "Featured" section that was shown above Up Next, but after a number of complaints, Apple changed the design. "Up Next" continues to be visible at the bottom of the Watch Now tab, but the majority of the interface is taken up by a rotating carousel featured shows and TV moves.

There is no way to toggle off the featured section or to revert to the interface that put more focus on Up Next, and as it transitions through content, Apple offers options to "Go to Show" or "Go to Movie" quick links. Though the interface change has been available since tvOS 16.2 was released on December 13, it appears the tvOS auto update function recently sent out the update on a more widespread basis. From Reddit user WikiWikiWhat:

Same, mine updated last night and it's feels like a massive downstep. No longer feels like a premium product and more like a cheaper ad driven platform, would at least like the option to revert back to the old "up next" view at the very least

Apple TV users have been complaining about these design tweaks since tvOS 16.2 was in testing, and Apple has not made an effort to offer options to swap back to the old interface. It is not clear if the uptick in complaints will sway the company, and for now, the interface is here to stay. It's also worth noting that these same design changes have also been implemented in the TV app for iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

Apple today shared a new iPhone 14 ad promoting Action Mode, a camera feature that was added to the latest devices. Action Mode provides additional stabilization when capturing video while moving, making it ideal for shots that would otherwise not be possible on a smartphone without specialized equipment.

In the ad spot, a mother uses Action Mode to film her son in a race, running alongside him to capture the action. Apple has said that Action Mode is meant to replicate the stable video that you can typically only get when using a gimbal. This is the second Action Mode-specific ad that Apple has shared, first introducing a two minute Action Mode spot back in November. Action Mode is not enabled by default, but can be activated through the Action Mode icon when in video mode.

Apple has also uploaded an ad featuring the iOS 16 message undo send feature, which allow an iMessage to be unsent for a short period of time after it goes out. In the ad, a man pet sitting a lizard appears to have killed the lizard as it looks dead. He sends a text message letting his friend know that the lizard dies, when suddenly it moves. He's able to unsend the message before his friend sees it.

While Action Mode is limited to the new models, the undo send feature for the Messages app is available on all devices that are able to run iOS 16.

Apple wants to start replacing the Qualcomm modem chips that it uses in iPhones as soon as 2024, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Apple has been working on in-house modem chip technology for several years now, with the aim of reducing its reliance on Qualcomm.

Apple initially wanted to introduce its own modem chips as early as 2023, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in late 2022 that Apple would need to continue to rely on Qualcomm in the near future as Apple's development efforts "failed." At the time, Kuo said that Apple would continue working on its 5G chips, but that development would not be done in time for the launch of the 2023 iPhones, which Bloomberg's report agrees with. Modem chip development has seen delays, and Apple will use a slow rollout to end its reliance on Qualcomm. Apple will start with using its own modem chip in a single device before expanding the rollout to other devices. The transition away from Qualcomm could take up to three years.

In addition to transitioning to its own in-house chips starting in 2024, Apple wants to stop using wireless components from Broadcom in 2025. Apple is working on a WiFi and Bluetooth chip that would replace the components that it is currently sourcing from Broadcom. Apple in 2020 signed a three and a half-year deal with Broadcom for wireless components and modules, with that deal set to expire midway through 2023.

While separate components to replace hardware sourced from Qualcomm and Broadcom are in development right now, Bloomberg says Apple is also working on a chip that will combine the cellular modem, WiFi, and Bluetooth functions into a single component. Broadcom also supplies Apple with radio-frequency chips and chips for wireless charging, both of which Apple is working on replacing.

Apple designs its own A-series chips for the iPhone and M-series chips for the Mac, and replacing modem chips and wireless components has been a priority ever since its Qualcomm dispute. Apple launched a legal battle against Qualcomm in 2017, accusing Qualcomm of unfairly collecting royalties for technologies it had nothing to do with. Apple wanted to transition away from Qualcomm with the shift to 5G to stop paying Qualcomm's fees and instead use Intel technology, but Intel was not able to manufacture 5G chips that met Apple's standards.

Apple was forced to settle its lawsuit with Qualcomm and has since used Qualcomm 5G modem chips for the ‌iPhone‌ and iPad lineups. Apple in 2019 purchased Intel's modem chip business to get a head start on chip development, and 2024 may be the soonest that the technology is finally advanced enough for Apple to phase out Qualcomm.

Apple is working on a restructuring of its services division to account for the departure of services executive Peter Stern, reports Business Insider. Stern, who serves as Apple's vice president of services overseeing Apple TV+, Sports, Apple News+, iCloud, Apple Fitness+, Books, Apple Arcade, and Apple One, is reportedly leaving the company.

Stern has worked for Apple for over six years, reporting to services chief Eddy Cue, and prior to that, he was the executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Time Warner Cable.

Alongside Cue, Stern has recently been involved in pursuing sports content for ‌Apple TV‌+ as well handling Apple's other key services. With Stern's departure, Apple will be restructuring its services business, splitting the services unit and Stern's responsibilities into three divisions.

Stern told colleagues that he is leaving in order to spend more time on the East Coast, and he is set to depart at the end of the month. According to Business Insider, he was seen as someone who could be a possible successor to ‌Eddy Cue‌ in the future, taking over Apple's services division.

Apple's services category is of increasing importance to the company as it supplements device sales. In fiscal 2022, Apple's services division earned $78 billion, up $10 billion from 2021. Apple recently increased the price of both ‌Apple TV‌+ and Apple Music, the former because of a growing content catalog and the latter because of increased licensing costs.

Apple today released a second Rapid Security Response (RSR) update for the macOS Ventura 13.2 beta, with the update coming almost a month after Apple provided the first Rapid Security Response test on the Mac.

macOS Rapid Security Response 13.2 (b) is applied to the Mac automatically upon restart, and it is also added to Safari when the Safari app is exited and then reopened.

The first RSR release for the Mac appeared to be a test that did not add new features, with Apple instead making sure the feature works before it is deployed for an actual security update. Today's update is just 13.4MB in size, suggesting it is once again a test. Rapid Security Response is an iOS 16 and macOS Ventura feature released as part of those updates.

Apple has also previously released ‌several iOS 16‌ Rapid Security Responses in a test capacity.

A sketchy app claiming to be the bot ChatGPT has soared up App Store charts, charging users a $7.99 weekly subscription to use a service that is entirely free to use on the web and seemingly has no affiliation to the actual bot.

ChatGPT has soared in popularity recently, with some calling it the "iPhone moment" for AI, given its mainstream appeal. ChatGPT can articulate short and long-form responses when given a simple prompt, such as to write an email, essay, message, and more. The bot has seen its popularity grow with students and those in academia who have used it for research and assignments.

ChatGPT is free to use on the web for anyone with an OpenAI account, but it has inspired scammers and sketchy developers to take advantage of its popularity for ill-gained profit. One app in particular, named "ChatGPT Chat GPT AI With GPT-3," gives the impression it is the official app for the ChatGPT bot, but appears to have no affiliation to Open AI, the creators of ChatGPT, or the bot itself.

The app charges users a $7.99 weekly or $49.99 annual subscription to use the bot unlimited times and eliminate intrusive in-app ads. The app and its bot are inconsistent, sometimes providing generic or entirely irrelevant responses to a prompt offered by the user.

The app is currently the second most popular productivity app on the App Store in the United States, indicating it is rather popular. The app has nearly 12,000 ratings, with a number of positive and negative reviews. "This is a fake app," one review said. "This is just faking openai endorsement and more bad stuff," another user said. Despite its suspicious activity, presence, and soaring popularity, the app has passed Apple's ‌App Store‌ review process multiple times since its initial launch three weeks ago.

The developers behind the app, named "Social Media Apps & Game Sports health Run Hiking Runing fitness tracking," have other sketchy apps on the platform, including an "Activity Lock Screen Widget 16" app and "BetterTrack Ride Hike Run Swim" app.

Apple is known to be facing a tough battle against scams and sketchy apps on the ‌App Store‌, with some raking in millions of dollars in revuene. Apple, however, calls the ‌App Store‌ a "trusted platform" where apps are "held to the highest standards for privacy, security, and content."

Update January 10, 11:45 am: The app has been removed from the ‌App Store‌.

In partnership with parking platform SpotHero, Apple Maps now provides parking information for more than 8,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Parking availability can be filtered based on EV charging, wheelchair accessibility, and more.

On the iPhone, users can open the Apple Maps app and search for a popular destination such as Madison Square Garden in New York or Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, tap on the "More" button in the place card, tap on the "Parking" option in the menu, and proceed to search for and reserve nearby parking on the SpotHero website without leaving Apple Maps. SpotHero says the feature will also be available on the Mac.

In 2019, Apple started rolling out a revamped Maps app with more detail, improved navigation, custom-designed 3D models of popular landmarks, immersive turn-by-turn walking directions powered by augmented reality, and more. The new parking feature is another step towards Apple's goal of making the app an all-in-one resource for navigation.

Apple's 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 6 is back down to its all-time low price of $399.99 on Amazon today, down from $499.00. This sale is available in Purple, Pink, and Starlight, all of which are in stock and ready to ship directly from Amazon.

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 the first sale of 2023 on the iPad mini 6, and as of writing only Amazon is offering the discount. Additionally, the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 6 is on sale at $549.99 in three colors, down from $649.00.

The iPad mini 6 features an all-screen design, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the top power button, and an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

The iPhone 15 has entered early "machine trial production" with main iPhone assembler Foxconn ahead of launch later this year, according to a report today by Economic Daily News.

According to the report, Foxconn has received instructions to begin "new machine trial production" for the ‌iPhone 15‌ and begin new product introduction (NPI) for the device. This process is taking place before the ‌iPhone 15‌ is expected to enter mass production later this year and is meant to introduce the device's specific design and production needs to Foxconn.

The report notes that this year's process for mass production of the upcoming ‌iPhone 15‌ will differ from previous years due to production taking place in both China and India. A machine-translated copy of the report reads:

It is worth noting that the NPI of the new iPhone this year is a little different from previous years, mainly because the gap between the mass production time of iPhones in mainland China and India will narrow. In previous years, the mass production time of the two places was about six to nine months apart. Last year, it was shortened to two months, and this year it will be shortened to a few weeks.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup is expected to feature four models matching the sizes of this year's ‌iPhone‌ 14 series, including the ‌iPhone 15‌, ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus, ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, and ‌iPhone 15‌ Ultra.

Rumors suggest that the higher-end ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Ultra will feature a titanium frame, solid-state haptic volume buttons, and USB-C with faster transfer speeds. The standard models are expected to gain Dynamic Island, a USB-C port with Lightning transfer speeds, and possibly a 48MP camera.

Supply of the iPhone 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max has been restored to normal levels following months of production disruptions that severely impacted the availability of Apple's highest-end iPhones.

In November, in a rare press release on its website, Apple warned that supply of the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max would be heavily constrained due to lockdown restrictions impacting its main ‌iPhone‌ assembly plant in China.

"We continue to see strong demand for ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max models. However, we now expect lower ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated, and customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products," the company said. "We are working closely with our supplier to return to normal production levels."

The disruptions resulted in customers being forced to wait several weeks to receive their new iPhone 14 Pro models in the United States and other markets. Availability of the models started to improve around late December, but now appear to have been fully restored.

Apple's online store in the United States shows all configurations of the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max as in stock and ready to be shipped to customers within 24 hours, a stark difference from the three to four-week wait time from several weeks ago.

Today marks 16 years since Apple CEO Steve Jobs stood on stage at Macworld Expo in San Francisco, California, on January 9 and introduced the iPhone to the world for the first time.

Standing on stage at Macworld Expo, Jobs uttered words that would go down in history as introducing a device that would change everything. "Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone," Jobs said, unveiling the ‌iPhone‌ that stood apart given, at the time, its futuristic design, a multi-touch display with no physical keyboard, and iPhoneOS, a proper mobile operating system.

Jobs famously described the ‌iPhone‌ as an iPod with touch controls, a phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device, three distinct areas that no device at the time managed to tackle all at once. The original ‌iPhone‌ had a 3.5-inch LCD display, a 2-megapixel camera, and an aluminum and plastic body.

Every year since the original ‌iPhone‌, Apple has continued to update it with new features and capabilities. The first significant redesign of the ‌iPhone‌ came with the iPhone 4 in 2010, three years after the introduction of the original ‌iPhone‌. The ‌iPhone‌ 4 marked a turning point in the history of the ‌iPhone‌, offering an entirely new design with flat edges, a brand new Retina display, the A4 processor, a 5-megapixel camera, LED flash, and more.

Two years later, the iPhone 5 marked another redesign for the ‌iPhone‌, making it taller with a larger Retina display, the A6 chip, a thin design making it the "thinnest smartphone in the world" at the time, a new 8-megapixel iSight camera, and more.

In the years that followed, Apple would introduce several innovations that continue to live on to this day, such as Touch ID and Face ID, advanced cameras, industry-leading smartphone performance and battery life, sleek designs, and a tightly integrated ecosystem of devices.

Fast forward to today, the ‌iPhone‌ lineup has five different models: the ‌iPhone‌ SE, ‌iPhone‌ 14, ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus, ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max. Current-day iPhones include features unthinkable at the time of the original ‌iPhone‌, including an all-screen display with no Home Button and thin bezels, facial recognition, 4K video recording, a 48MP camera, Dynamic Island, a higher-refresh rate display, and all the features and capabilities of iOS 16.

Apple has begun hiring staff for its first flagship stores in India, reports The Financial Times. Job listings for 12 store worker roles have been found in "various locations" throughout the country, indicating that Apple is almost ready to establish a retail presence in the Indian market.

The job listings directly refer to the Apple Store, with roles including store leaders, store managers, technical specialists, and Genius Bar staff. Separately, at least five employees based in Mumbai and New Delhi have announced on LinkedIn that they have been hired for the yet-to-be-announced stores, according to the report.

Apple has not confirmed its plans to open stores in India, but a report last year by The Economic Times claimed that Apple planned to launch its first store between January and March 2023, with a flagship 22,000-square-foot Mumbai store scheduled to open first. The store was originally planned to open in 2021, but the global health crisis and economic uncertainty reportedly forced Apple to delay the opening.

Apple is also said to be planning a second, smaller 10,000 to 12,000-square-foot store in New Delhi, and possibly other stores in locations such as malls and high-end shopping districts across India, with the intent of making retail a large part of its presence in the country.

In 2020 Apple opened its online store in India, offering Indian customers a direct way to purchase products directly from Apple without having to go through an authorized premium reseller. Apple's online store offers a full range of Apple products and accessories with shopping assistance from Apple Specialists, EDU pricing for students, free no-contact delivery, financing options, a trade-in program for iPhone sales, and more.

In the past, Cook and other Apple executives have remarked on the importance of India, which is home to the world's second biggest smartphone market. Apple has also been working to build out a manufacturing supply chain in the country, and in an indication of the country's perceived importance as a production hub, Apple shifted ‌iPhone‌ 14 assembly from China to India in the weeks following its release.