Apple is likely to launch its Vision Pro headset outside the United States before WWDC 2024, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today reports.
In a new post on Medium, Kuo said that Apple plans to share new details about visionOS with developers from around the globe at its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). To make this push toward global developers worthwhile, Apple needs to make the Vision Pro available in non-U.S. markets before the event. Making the headset available internationally before WWDC would apparently enable Apple to promote a "global development ecosystem" for visionOS.
Kuo explained that Apple's reasoning for keeping sales of the Vision Pro exclusive to the United States at first is due to limited supply, a wish to ensure that the sales process goes smoothly before expanding it, and to provide time to modify its software to be suitable for other countries. Once these issues have been resolved, Kuo believes the Vision Pro will go on sale in more countries.
Apple has hosted WWDC in early June every year since 2007, so it is highly likely to fall at the same time again this year. Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the launch of Vision Pro in other countries around the world will not "actually be that much later" than its release in the United States. Apple is said to be considering the United Kingdom, Canada, and China as the next markets to receive the product.
It is not clear how much supply will be available in the rest of the world by the time the Vision Pro goes on sale outside the United States. With only 80,000 units expected to be available upon launch in the U.S., the headset is expected to sell out quickly and thereafter be subject to long shipping delays.
Apple in 2023 launched an M3-powered 24-inch iMac, as well as new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M3 series chips. But the rest of Apple's Mac lineup is still to be updated to the latest M3 processors.
Now that 2023 is over, attention naturally turns to the other Macs in the company's lineup and where they fit into Apple's M3 roadmap for the year ahead. Here's what the latest rumors say.
M3 MacBook Air
Apple sells three versions of MacBook Air: A cheaper previous-generation 13-inch model with M1 chip, and 13-inch and 15-inch models equipped with the newer M2 chip. The question is, when will Apple discontinue the M1 MacBook Air and replace its top-of-the-line 13-inch and 15-inch machines with M3 equivalents?
The existing 15-inch MacBook Air arrived in June 2023, which is not that long ago in terms of Mac update cycles. However, Apple released the M2 13-inch MacBook Air back in June 2022. It is now the oldest Mac in Apple's current crop, having not been updated in over 550 days.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has new M3 MacBook Air models in development that are scheduled for release in March this year. In October it was reported that both models had passed engineering verification testing (EVT), an early production testing phase on prototype devices. The M3 chip used in the Airs is expected to have similar CPU and GPU core counts as the M2 chip in the current models.
According to Gurman, Apple is developing the Macs alongside macOS 14.3, an update that is expected between the end of January and February, but new hardware may ship around the March timeframe. The new MacBook Air models could be timed to launch alongside updated iPad Pro and iPad Air models, which are coming around March.
Mac Mini
Apple announced M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini models in January, which at the time of writing is just over 360 days ago, but Apple could be already testing an M3 Mac mini, according to Gurman.
In August, signs of an unknown "15,12" Mac machine were found in developer code, with the Mac featuring an 8-core CPU (consisting of four efficiency cores and four performance cores), 10-core GPU, and 24GB RAM. Based on the similar specifications to the base M2 Mac mini (bar the existing model's 8GB RAM as standard), Gurman believes it represents a next-generation Mac mini.
Gurman previously said he was not expecting an M3 version of the Mac mini to launch until late 2024, but as it is already in testing, it could potentially be unveiled sooner.
Mac Studio, Mac Pro
Apple updated the Mac Studio and Mac Pro with M2 series chips in June 2023. Mac Studio models come with either the M2 Max or M2 Ultra chip, while the Mac Pro has adopted the M2 Ultra.
Both Macs are considered to be in the middle of their product cycles, and Gurman believes Apple is working on a new Mac Studio that is likely to launch in the second half of 2024.
The next Mac Studio is likely to be offered with the as-yet-unannounced fourth variant of the M3 chip. Like previous generations, this will double the components of the "Max" version, meaning that it will feature up to 32 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores. Gurman says that Apple is also likely to refresh the Mac Pro with this new high-end chip.
Taiwanese research firm TrendForce claims that Apple will launch a new Mac Studio featuring the M3 Ultra chip at WWDC in June, so we could well see the new Mac Pro alongside of it.
13-inch MacBook Pro
Apple has discontinued the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro – and along with it the Touch Bar – replacing it with a 14-inch model that's equipped with a next-generation M3 chip.
Apple says that the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is up to 60 percent faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1. The M3 14-inch MacBook Pro also comes with a number of other benefits that make it worth the upgrade for anyone with the original 13-inch machine. So do not expect to see an M3-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro anytime soon, if ever.
M3 Chip Speed and Performance Gains
The M3 series of chips are built on TSMC's 3-nanometer process, bringing performance and efficiency improvements over Apple's previous M2 chips, which are based on the earlier-generation 5-nanometer process. Since its transition to Intel chips, Apple's strategy has been as follows.
In the M1 and M2 series of Apple silicon, each generation has a baseline version, then a "Pro" chip with more cores for its central processing unit and graphics. Next is an even more powerful "Max" version that doubles the number of graphics cores. Lastly, an "Ultra" model doubles the number of main processing cores and graphics cores found in the "Max." Things are slightly different with the M3 series, as explained below.
In terms of the actual real-world gains, this of course depends on the M3 processor version, coupled with the particular Mac model and other component factors like RAM and thermal dissipation. Nevertheless, all of Apple's M3 chips also boast GPU improvements not found in the M2 series, including Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and hardware-accelerated mesh shading.
M3
Apple's base M3 chip will likely feature in future MacBook Air models, as well as an updated lower-end version of the Mac mini. At least in the MacBook Airs, the M3 chip is expected to have similar CPU and GPU core counts as the M2 chip in the current models, but that could be true for the Mac mini as well.
Based on Geekbench benchmarks, the M3 chip has single-core and multi-core scores of around 3,000 and 11,700, respectively. The standard M2 chip has single-core and multi-core scores of around 2,600 and 9,700, respectively, so the M3 chip is up to 20% faster than the M2 chip, which is what Apple claimed during its "Scary Fast" event in October.
M3 Pro
Going on what we know from the recently released 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 models, the M3 Pro chip outperforms the M2 Pro, but not by a lot. Based on Geekbench benchmarks, single-core speed is up around 16.7 percent, while multi-core speed is up approximately 6.7 percent. For context, the M3 Pro has 150GB/s memory bandwidth, while the M2 Pro had 200GB/s.
The M3 Pro and M2 Pro chips in the 16-inch MacBook Pro have 12 CPU cores, but the M2 Pro actually featured one additional GPU core over the M3 Pro. Despite that, Apple claims it is 10 percent faster than the M2 Pro GPU and 40 percent faster than the M1 Pro GPU.
M3 Max
With the M3 series, Apple deviated slightly from the doubling strategy it followed with the M2 Max by adding several more CPU cores to the M3 Max compared to the M3 Pro. Benchmarks indicate that Apple's M3 Max chip in the 16-inch MacBook Pro is around as fast as the M2 Ultra chip used in the current-generation Mac Pro and the higher-end Mac Studio. In other words, the M2 Ultra Mac Pro is outperformed by what is on paper a lower-end machine, just four months after it was released.
Note that the M3-powered 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $3,499 in the U.S. when configured with the M3 Max chip, while the Mac Studio with the M2 Ultra chip starts at $3,999, so you can effectively get the same performance for $500 less by buying a 16-inch MacBook Pro, which also includes display, keyboard, and trackpad.
Will this performance imbalance alone encourage Apple to bring forward the launch of M3-powered Mac Studio and Mac Pro models? Unlikely. But we can always hope.
M3 Ultra
Having not yet been announced, the M3 Ultra chip is something of an unknown quantity. The existing M2 Ultra encompasses two M2 Max chips for double overall CPU and GPU performance, as well as twice the memory bandwidth (800GB/s), so it would seem safe to expect Apple to follow the same strategy as it did with the M3 Ultra, with similar performance gains over the M3 Max from Apple's next-generation high-end M3 Ultra chip.
In a small deviation, Apple did add several more CPU cores to the M3 Max compared to the M3 Pro. However, if Apple continues to double both the CPU and graphics configurations with the Ultra, the M3 Ultra could end up having 32 CPU cores and 80 graphics cores.
Apple overtook Samsung as the top global smartphone manufacturer in 2023, according to preliminary data from market research firm IDC. If the data is accurate, it is the first time Samsung has lost the top spot to another company in 13 years. In 2013, Nokia held the number one spot, Samsung was second, and Apple didn't even feature in the top five.
IDC bases its analyses on market share of global smartphone shipments across the year. According to the report, Apple took a 20.1% market share, while Samsung took 19.4% of the share.
Apple was also the only company in the top three to achieve positive growth year-on-year, increasing shipments from 226.3 million units to 234.6 million units.
"While we saw some strong growth from low-end Android players like Transsion and Xiaomi in the second half of 2023, stemming from rapid growth in emerging markets, the biggest winner is clearly Apple," said Nabila Popal, research director with IDC's Worldwide Tracker team. "Not only is Apple the only player in the Top 3 to show positive growth annually, but also bags the number 1 spot annually for the first time ever. All this despite facing increased regulatory challenges and renewed competition from Huawei in China, its largest market."
Samsung's drop in rank is interpreted as only partly down to strong sales of Apple's iPhone 14 models and the company's debut of the iPhone 15 series, while diversification in the Android market is also said to be a factor. Other impacting variables are said to include Huawei's resurgence in China, and brands like OnePlus, Honor, Google, and others launching competitive devices in the lower price range of the high-end market.
Overall, the smartphone market declined by 3.2% to 1.17 billion units shipped across the year, driven largely by macroeconomic challenges and elevated inventory early in the year. However, a growth spurt in the latter stages of 2023 suggests the market could see a recovery this year, with foldable devices and increased interest in AI capabilities also said to be gaining traction.
OLED displays for both of Apple's next-generation iPad Pro models will have entered the production phase by this week in time for device shipments to begin in April, claims a new report by The Elec.
According to the Korean-language outlet, LG Display recently began manufacturing the thin film transistor (TFT) for the new 13-inch iPad Pro displays, while Samsung will this week similarly kickstart its own TFT production for the new 11-inch iPad Pro. The TFT essentially acts as a switch to turn off and turn on individual OLED pixels.
Finished 11-inch and 13-inch OLED iPad Pro models are expected to go into mass production around March, in time for a scheduled release in April, according to today's report. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said he expects the new iPad Pro models to launch in the second quarter of 2024, which runs from April to June.
The timeframe given by The Elec also dovetails with an earlier Bloomberg report that claimed the new iPad Pro models could be announced at a March event, along with a new iPad Air that will be available in two sizes for the first time. Apple usually opens pre-orders during an event or a week or two after it, and then begins delivering the devices to customers the following week.
OLED displays are a first for the iPad lineup. Apple has been using OLED technology for the iPhone and the Apple Watch, but larger OLED screens are more expensive. Compared to LED or mini-LED, OLED brings deeper blacks and more vivid colors.
Apple's OLED iPad Pro shipments forecast for the year have reportedly decreased to 8 million units, down from the 10 million units that were projected for 2024 last year. The reduction is said to be a reflection of broadly sluggish performance across Apple's product lineup. Apple did not release any new iPad models last year, so it will be interesting to see if pent-up demand can offset poor sales.
Along with new displays, the iPad Pro models are expected to be powered by Apple's latest M3 chip, which debuted in new MacBook Pro models last year. The M3 is built on 3-nanometer technology, and should bring a notable graphics improvement over the M2 chip that is currently used in the iPad Pro.
The displays are expected to be three times the price of those used in iPhones, which could translate to much higher prices for customers. Apple is also rumored to be releasing a redesigned Magic Keyboard accessory for the devices, since the screens will be slightly larger and the tablets themselves could be slightly thinner.
Apple has readied modified Apple Watch models that "do not contain pulse oximetry functionality," medical technology company Masimo said in a document filed today with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
The filing, viewed by MacRumors, suggests that Apple will be removing the Blood Oxygen app from new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models sold in the U.S., at least temporarily. This change would allow Apple to sidestep an import and sales ban on Apple Watch models with blood oxygen sensing, which the U.S. International Trade Commission ordered last year after ruling that Apple violated Masimo's pulse oximetry patents. The ban was already temporarily paused shortly after it began last month, but it could have resumed as early as this month, which likely spurred Apple to take this measure.
Apple has started shipping modified Apple Watch models to retail stores in the U.S., according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, but it's unclear when they will go on sale. Apple has yet to respond to our request for comment.
Apple's website still advertises the Blood Oxygen app as an available feature on the Series 9 and Ultra 2 order pages in the U.S. as of writing. The feature can measure and display your body's blood oxygen percentage, and is intended for "wellness purposes only." Existing owners of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 will likely retain access to the feature, and it is not expected to be removed on models sold in other countries.
The feature's removal is likely a stopgap, as Gurman reported that Apple is preparing a software update that would adjust the Blood Oxygen app's algorithms, in an attempt to avoid Masimo's patented technology. It's unclear if this effort will be successful, and the legal battle between Apple and Masimo is likely far from over.
"Apple's claim that its redesigned watch does not contain pulse oximetry is a positive step toward accountability," a Masimo spokesperson told MacRumors. "It is especially important that one of the world's largest and most powerful companies respects the intellectual property rights of smaller companies and complies with ITC orders when it is caught infringing."
Apple is preparing to split the App Store "in two" in the coming weeks ahead of European Union requirements that will force Apple to enable app sideloading in the region, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that Apple is gearing up to make changes to the App Store in the EU to comply with the region's impending Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple is apparently planning to roll out adjustments to comply with the new legal requirements in the coming weeks, including splitting off the App Store in the EU from the rest of the world. The deadline for Apple to comply with the DMA is March 7, so the company has just over seven weeks to enact the changes.
Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook met the European Union's antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, at Apple Park. Vestager reminded Cook of Apple's impending obligation to allow users to install third-party app stores and sideload apps under the DMA. Apple will also be obliged to give developers the ability to promote their offers outside the App Store and use third-party payment systems. The DMA is expected to force Apple to make a range of significant changes to the way the App Store, FaceTime, and Siri work in Europe.
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You'll soon be able to watch your favorite HBO shows on the Vision Pro, as streaming service Max will be available on Apple's mixed reality headset at launch. Formerly known as HBO Max, the service also offers content from CNN, the DC Universe, the Discovery Channel, the Food Network, HGTV, TBS, TLC, TNT, and more.
Apple last week confirmed that Max would be one of the entertainment options available on the Vision Pro, along with Apple TV+ and Disney+.
"Apple Vision Pro features ultra-high-resolution displays that deliver more pixels than a 4K TV for each eye, enabling users to watch movies and TV shows from Apple TV+, Disney+, Max, and other services on a screen that feels 100 feet wide with support for HDR content," said Apple, in a press release.
Max will natively support the visionOS operating system, allowing it to take full advantage of the Vision Pro's immersive capabilities. However, the exact design and functionality of the app remains to be seen.
Disney CEO Bob Iger last year said Disney+ would also be available on the Vision Pro at launch, promising "deeply personal experiences." Its app will also natively support visionOS, and it will be prominently featured in the App Store on the Vision Pro.
Some other streaming services will likely be available on the Vision Pro at launch, but not all will natively support visionOS. For example, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Netflix will simply offer its iPadOS app on visionOS without any modifications, at least to start. Apple said the Vision Pro is compatible with over one million iOS and iPadOS apps.
Vision Pro pre-orders begin in the U.S. this Friday, January 19 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, and the headset launches on Friday, February 2.
Next-generation 2nm chip technology destined for future Apple devices is on schedule to begin production next year, DigiTimes reports.
TSMC chip fabrication facilities will begin installing equipment designed for 2nm chip production in April at the earliest. Apple was the first company to utilize TSMC's initial 3nm technology with the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the company is likely to follow suit with the chipmaker's 2nm chips. With production set to begin in 2025, 2nm chips are likely to make their first appearance in Apple devices soon after.
Last month, the Financial Times reported that TSMC had already demonstrated prototype 2nm chips to Apple ahead of their expected introduction in 2025. Apple is said to be closely aligned with TSMC in the race to develop and implement 2nm chip technology, which will surpass their current 3nm chips and associated nodes in terms of transistor density, performance, and efficiency.
Today, DigiTimes added that the chip supplier is also believed to be evaluating which of its plants will be the first to produce even more advanced 1.4nm chips in 2027. The company began mass production of its enhanced 3nm node, which is likely to appear in Apple devices for the first time later this year, in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max will continue to be the best-selling iPhone model in the first half of this year, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Writing in his latest industry note on Medium, Kuo said the iPhone 15 Pro Max "will still account for 40–45% of all iPhone 15 shipments in 1H24," which will be "critical" to Taiwanese camera lens supplier Largan's buoyant off-season in the first half of the year.
Apart from being the premium model with the largest display at 6.7-inches, the iPhone 15 Pro Max also features a 5x Telephoto zoom or "tetraprism" lens that is not found in other models. The tetraprism lens in the Pro Max model alone is expected to increase Largan's first half-year revenue by $108.8 to $121.6 million, according to Kuo.
Kuo has repeatedly said he expects the tetraprism lens to expand to both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max later this year, enabling at least 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom on the Telephoto lens of both premium models.
The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to feature a larger 6.3-inch display, compared to the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro. This change would increase the overall size of the device, which would provide additional internal space for a tetraprism lens.
According to a report by The Elec, Apple will add LG Innotek as another supplier of the folded zoom module used in the technology, in an attempt to secure production yields for the increased number of units required.
The Apple Vision Pro runs on an M2 chip equipped with ten GPU cores and eight CPU cores – the same version used in Apple's higher-end MacBook Air models. That's according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.
Apple revealed early on that its mixed reality headset uses an M2 processor, but it wasn't clear until now which variant of the chip Apple had chosen.
Apple uses the M2 chip in both of its current 13.6- and 15.3-inch MacBook Air models, which launched in June 2022. Built on 5-nanometer technology, the M2 has an 8-core CPU, much like the M1, but it supports eight or ten GPU cores, up from seven or eight in the M1.
As things stand, Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro will launch on February 2 with what is officially a last-generation processor, given that Apple has since released 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by M3 chips.
The M2 chip in Vision Pro is responsible for processing content, running the visionOS operating system, executing computer vision algorithms, and providing graphical content. However, it does not work alone.
Vision Pro offloads the processing of information coming from the cameras, sensors, and microphones to a dedicated custom-built R1 chip. Apple says that it can stream images to the displays within 12 milliseconds, providing a "virtually lag-free" view of the world.
The entry-level Vision Pro is equipped 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space. Apple could offer models with up to 1TB of storage, but the existence of bigger capacities has not yet been confirmed.
In the same post on X, Gurman additionally confirmed that Apple customers will be able to purchase the Vision Pro online and at retail stores using Apple Card installments. Typically, Apple Card installments let customers spread the purchase over monthly payments with no interest. iPhone purchases can be made over 24 monthly payments, for example. Apple Vision Pro pre-orders open on Friday, January 19 at 5.00 a.m. PST in the United States.
Anyone paying attention to Apple's Vision Pro headset unveiling at WWDC 2023 will have seen its virtual keyboard demo. The keyboard floats in mid-air, allowing you to input text in your spatial computing environment while wearing the device.
However, anyone planning to ditch their physical keyboard may want to hold onto it for a little while longer: According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the virtual keyboard experience in visionOS 1.0 is "a complete write-off," and most people will want to use a Bluetooth keyboard instead.
"The Vision Pro virtual keyboard is a complete write-off at least in 1.0," wrote Gurman in an X post. "You have to poke each key one finger at a time like you did before you learned how to type. There is no magical in-air typing. You can also look at a character and pinch. You'll want a Bluetooth keyboard."
According to Apple, the buttons on the virtual keyboard are raised above the platter to mimic the affordance of pushing physical keys, and the keyboard even includes feedback via spatial sound effects to "compensate for the missing tactile information."
Going on what Gurman said though, it doesn't sound like Apple has quite perfected the experience, which is probably always going to be degraded by the fatigue caused by having to hold your hands in the air to type, regardless of what Apple does to improve it in future software updates. Fortunately, Vision Pro can wirelessly connect to Mac accessories including the Magic Keyboard and the Magic Trackpad for more traditional tactile input.
The Vision Pro virtual keyboard is a complete write-off at least in 1.0. You have to poke each key one finger at a time like you did before you learned how to type. There is no magical in-air typing. You can also look at a character and pinch. You’ll want a Bluetooth keyboard.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) January 12, 2024
Starting at $3,499, Apple Vision Pro pre-orders open on Friday, January 19 at 5.00 a.m. PST, and the device goes on sale in the U.S. on Friday, February 2, with availability in Canada and the United Kingdom expected to follow later in the year.
Apple will launch a rare promotional discount on its iPhones in China, offering customers as much as 500 yuan ($70) off the price of its flagship devices ahead of the Lunar New Year in February.
The promotion, which runs from January 18 through January 21, applies to everything from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and also includes smaller discounts off other major Apple products like Macs, iPads, AirPods, and Apple Watch models.
Apple's discounts are notable because the company does not typically offer promotions on its website around the Lunar New Year, usually leaving promotions to Apple authorized resellers instead.
The move comes as Apple tries to stave off falling iPhone sales in China, with last year's double-digit decline projected by analysts to deepen through 2024 owing to strong interest in Huawei's latest home-grown lineup, the Mate 60 series.
Released in September just weeks before the iPhone 15, Huawei's Mate 60 phones use a new China-made 7-nanometer processor tailored for the local market, showcasing the kind of advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities that US sanctions were originally designed to prevent.
Despite the promotions, Apple's efforts to counter its sales slump are likely to be hampered by China's decision last year to ban iPhones from the offices of multiple government agencies and state companies.
Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models will both feature 8GB of RAM, an increase over the 6GB of RAM in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, according to information shared today by technology analyst Jeff Pu.
In a research note with investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu reiterated his belief that all iPhone 16 models will be equipped with 8GB of RAM. Increased RAM can contribute to improved performance for multitasking on the iPhone.
iPhone 15 lineup:
iPhone 15: 6GB
iPhone 15 Plus: 6GB
iPhone 15 Pro: 8GB
iPhone 15 Pro Max: 8GB
iPhone 16 lineup, according to Pu:
iPhone 16: 8GB
iPhone 16 Plus: 8GB
iPhone 16 Pro: 8GB
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 8GB
Pu also expects the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to support Wi-Fi 6E, which works with the 6 GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds and reduced signal interference with a compatible router. For the iPhone 15 lineup, Wi-Fi 6E is limited to the Pro models.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 16 lineup in September.
Qualcomm's latest cellular modem may be limited to the iPhone 16 Pro models this year, according to technology analyst Jeff Pu.
In a research note today with investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu reiterated his belief that the iPhone 16 Pro models will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 modem. However, he expects the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to retain the Snapdragon X70 modem found in all iPhone 15 models. This modem differentiation between the standard and Pro models would be a change in strategy for Apple.
Announced in February 2023, the Snapdragon X75 features improved carrier aggregation and other technology advancements for faster 5G download and upload speeds compared to the X70. The modem's combined mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G transceiver takes up 25% less circuit board space, and uses up to 20% less power, according to The Verge.
The Snapdragon X75 also supports the latest "5G Advanced" standard, which is described as "the next phase of 5G" and an "evolution towards 6G." 5G Advanced will include artificial intelligence and machine learning enhancements for improved 5G performance, and it will also expand 5G to additional device types and use cases.
Apple is likely to advertise 5G Advanced support on the iPhone 16 Pro models, like it did with LTE Advanced on the iPhone 6s in 2015.
Apple is rumored to have been working on its own 5G modem for iPhones since 2018, but the project has reportedly faced development challenges, and the modem is not expected to be announced until 2025 or later should it ever materialize. In the meantime, Apple extended its 5G modem agreement with Qualcomm through 2026.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 16 lineup in September.
Starting on February 2 at 8 a.m. local time, Apple Stores in the U.S. will allow customers to sign up for a demo of the Vision Pro headset. In an email, Apple said it will be offering demos from February 2 through February 4 on a first‑come, first‑served basis.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said each demo will last around 20 to 25 minutes. After a calibration process, he said the customer will view still photos, panoramas, spatial photos, and spatial videos in the Photos app. Next, he said customers will learn how to position multiple app windows and scroll through pages in Safari. Then, they will view immersive 3D content, including movie clips, sports, and a tightrope scene.
Media personnel, YouTube creators, and some others invited to attend WWDC 2023 at Apple Park last June received a similar demo experience.
Vision Pro demo units will also be preloaded with various third-party apps that will be available on the App Store at launch, according to the newsletter. Apple began allowing developers to submit visionOS apps for approval earlier this month.
Apple will begin accepting Vision Pro pre-orders in the U.S. on January 19, with pricing starting at $3,499. The headset launches February 2.
Apple's upcoming Vision Pro headset is powered by an external battery pack that attaches with a cable. For customers who want to use the headset on the go without pockets or a backpack, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Belkin is planning to release a clip that allows the battery pack to be attached to clothing.
Belkin will begin selling the clip when the Vision Pro launches in the U.S. on February 2, and Apple will also offer it, according to Gurman.
Belkin offers a range of Apple-endorsed accessories, including iPhone screen protectors, MagSafe charging stands, a Continuity Camera mount for Macs, and more. Many of its accessories are available on Apple's online store.
Apple is relocating a team of around 120 people focused on improving Siri from San Diego to Austin later this year, according to multiple affected employees.
The reorganization was confirmed by Apple today in a statement shared with MacRumors.
"We're bringing our Data Operations Annotations teams in the US together at our campus in Austin, where a majority of the team is already based," an Apple spokesperson said. "Everyone currently employed will have the opportunity to continue their role with Apple in Austin. We are deeply committed to San Diego where we have grown significantly, and are continuing to hire as we expand our world-class engineering teams."
The news was first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who said employees in San Diego willing to relocate to Austin by June will be able to continue in their roles. The report said employees who do not relocate or find another role within Apple will receive severance pay, and outlines many other specific details.
While some other large tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have laid off thousands of employees over the past year, Apple has so far avoided this outcome. However, it is unlikely that all affected employees in San Diego are willing to relocate over a thousand miles away to Austin, so some may be facing termination.
"Data Operations Annotations" employees are primarily tasked with evaluating Siri's responses to queries from customers who have opted in to the Siri grading program. In the U.S., this work will continue entirely in Austin going forward. Apple has similar teams in China, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, and other countries around the world.
Apple had approximately 161,000 full-time employees as of September 30, according to a company filing last year.
Apple's Vision Pro headset finally has a release date in the U.S., and it's coming up quickly! Alongside that announcement, we learned a bit more about the device and what to expect with the ordering process.
Other news this week included Apple starting to pay out claims for the high-profile class action lawsuit that claimed Apple was "secretly throttling" older iPhones with degraded batteries, an approaching release of iOS 17.3 and related updates, and the annual CES tech event in Las Vegas, so read on below for all the details!
Apple Vision Pro Launches February 2, Pre-Orders Start Next Week
After being unveiled at WWDC 2023 last June, Apple's long-awaited Vision Pro mixed reality headset now has a release date: Friday, February 2. Pre-orders begin on Friday, January 19 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time. Availability is limited to the U.S., with more countries to follow later this year.
Apple refers to the Vision Pro as a "spatial computer," and it offers a combination of augmented reality and virtual reality features. The headset is powered by an all-new visionOS operating system, which can be controlled with a user's eyes, hands, and voice.
Apple says the headset will ship with two types of head bands (a Solo Knit Band and a Dual Loop Band), a light seal, two light seal cushions, a cover for the front glass, a polishing cloth, an external battery pack, a USB-C power adapter, and a USB-C charging cable.
Our finding in Apple's app development tool confirms a June 2023 report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that said the Vision Pro would be equipped with 16GB of RAM, and that is also the same amount of memory that was included in Vision Pro development kits.
Apple Sends $92 'Batterygate' Payments to iPhone Users
iPhone users have received $92.17 per claim from Apple, according to multiple MacRumors readers. The deadline to submit a claim was in October 2020.
iOS 17.3 Coming Soon With These Two New Features for Your iPhone
iOS 17.3 has been in beta testing since mid-December, and the upcoming software update includes two new features for the iPhone, including Stolen Device Protection and collaborative Apple Music playlists.
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
