Apple today added a "Why Upgrade" section to its website, which is aimed at encouraging customers with older iPhones to upgrade to a newer model.
The website allows customers to compare the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Each comparison shows what new features someone with an older iPhone will get when upgrading to the iPhone 15 lineup. With the iPhone 11, for example, the iPhone 15 offers 4x better photo resolution, more base storage, Action and Cinematic mode for video, USB-C, a 60 percent faster GPU, 5G, and more.
The site highlights differences in display technology, design, sizing, connectivity, and more. Apple also provides details on the trade-in value of each older iPhone so customers know what kind of discount they can get when trading a device in with the purchase of a new iPhone.
To further soften the costs of upgrading, Apple advertises Apple Card Monthly Installments and carrier deals that can drop the price of the iPhone 15 to $0. Apple also details the ease of upgrading to a new device with features like Quick Start and eSIM.
Much of the smartphone market in the United States is saturated, and there are few new customers for Apple. Upgraders are an important market segment, and Apple is continually seeking ways to get customers to regularly purchase new iPhones to maintain sales momentum.
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4.
The macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who are still running macOS Ventura.
According to Apple's release notes, the macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 update fixes an issue that could cause USB hubs connected to external displays not to be recognized. It also addresses an issue that could cause apps with Java to quit unexpectedly, and it fixes an issue that could cause Audio Unit plug-ins for professional music apps not to open.
All three of these bugs are notable issues that Mac users have been complaining about since the launch of macOS 14.4. Oracle warned users about the Java issue last week, letting customers know that Apple silicon Mac users relying on Java should hold off on updating to macOS 14.4 if possible, and there were a number of reports about problems with hubs and monitors from customers who had installed 14.4.
This update provides bug fixes for your Mac, including: - USB hubs connected to external displays may not be recognized - Copy protected Audio Unit plug-ins designed for professional music apps may not open or pass validation - Apps that include Java may quit unexpectedly For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
Best Buy has kicked off the week with the introduction of a new sitewide sale that includes big discounts on video game consoles, TVs, headphones, and Apple products. Specifically, you can find all-time low prices on the iPad Air and M2 MacBook Air during this event.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Video Games
Sony's PlayStation 5 Slim console launched last November and Best Buy and other retailers have been hosting solid deals on the hardware for a few weeks now. At Best Buy, you can get the PS5 Slim (Disc Edition) Spider-Man 2 Bundle for $449.99, down from its launch price of $499.99.
The PS5 Slim (Digital Edition) Spider-Man 2 Bundle is available for $399.99, down from $449.99. Sony increased the price of the Digital Edition by $50 at the launch of the new Slim consoles, so this deal effectively brings the price back down to the level of the original PS5 Digital Edition.
Both bundles also include the Spider-Man 2 game as a digital download, which is an extra value worth $69.99 when not on sale. You can also find video game gift cards on sale at Best Buy this week, as well as Nintendo Switch consoles and games.
Best Buy has every model of the 5th generation iPad Air on sale at an all-time low price right now, starting at $449.99 for the 64GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $599.00. These are $150 off across the board, and also include best-ever prices on both cellular models.
Best Buy has the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 6 for $399.99 this week, down from $499.00, and the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini is available for $549.99, down from $649.00. Both of these are solid second-best prices on the iPad mini 6.
Best Buy has both the 13-inch and 15-inch M2 MacBook Air models on sale at all-time low prices right now. The steepest discounts can be found on the larger display model, with the 256GB M2 15-inch MacBook Air priced at $999.00, down from $1,299.00. You can also get the 512GB M2 model on sale at $1,199.00, down from $1,499.00.
While the Apple Pencil is currently compatible with iPads only, a future version of the accessory may work with Apple's Vision Pro headset.
Apple has internally tested a new Apple Pencil with visionOS support, according to a source familiar with the matter. This would allow the Apple Pencil to be used with drawing apps on the Vision Pro, such as Freeform and Pixelmator.
No specific details are known about this project, but one possibility is that users would be able to draw with the Apple Pencil on a desk or another flat surface, and the drawing would appear in the open visionOS app. This would essentially turn a person's surroundings into a giant canvas, complete with pressure and tilt sensitivity.
Apple Pencil compatibility with the Vision Pro would also require updated software, but it is unclear which version might add support. The first beta of visionOS 1.2 will likely be made available to developers as early as this week, and Apple is expected to announce visionOS 2 at its annual developers conference WWDC in June.
As with any product that Apple develops, there is no guarantee that the company will move forward with releasing an Apple Pencil with visionOS support.
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital."
Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will remain on the top and simply be centered.
Currently, the front-facing camera of both the iPad Air and iPad Pro resides on the top of the device, which means that the camera is positioned to the left when the device is being used in landscape, such as with a Magic Keyboard. Apple relocated the front-facing camera of the 10th-generation iPad to the side of the device to provide a better experience in landscape and the company has not launched a new iPad since then.
In January, code discovered in iOS 17.4 suggested the next iPad Pro's TrueDepth camera array would be moved to the side of the device. "During Face ID setup, iPad needs to be in landscape with the camera at the top of the screen," the code read.
Earlier this month, Instant Digital suggested that the switch to a landscape front-facing camera could also be made on the next-generation iPad Air. How Apple will achieve this switch to a landscape camera on the new iPad models is unclear, since the second-generation Apple Pencil connects to both the iPad Air and iPad Pro using an inductive magnetic charger located where it seems the camera will need to move to. Both the new iPad Air and iPad Pro models are expected to launch within weeks.
Apple's compliance with new EU laws designed to rein in the market power of big tech companies is set to be investigated by regulators, the European Commission has announced.
The Commission said on Monday that non-compliance investigations have been opened against Apple, Google, and Meta, under the new Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The probe into Apple will look at whether the company allows developers to "steer" users away from its App Store, as well as its default web browser choice screen. Google's rules on steering in Google Play and self-preferencing in Google searches are also being looked at, as is Meta's "pay or consent model."
The Commission has opened proceedings to assess whether the measures implemented by Alphabet and Apple in relation to their obligations pertaining to app stores are in breach of the DMA. Article 5(4) of the DMA requires gatekeepers to allow app developers to "steer" consumers to offers outside the gatekeepers' app stores, free of charge.
The Commission is concerned that Alphabet's and Apple's measures may not be fully compliant as they impose various restrictions and limitations. These constrain, among other things, developers' ability to freely communicate and promote offers and directly conclude contracts, including by imposing various charges.
[...]
The Commission has opened proceedings against Apple regarding their measures to comply with obligations to (i) enable end users to easily uninstall any software applications on iOS, (ii) easily change default settings on iOS and (iii) prompt users with choice screens which must effectively and easily allow them to select an alternative default service, such as a browser or search engine on their iPhones.
The Commission is concerned that Apple's measures, including the design of the web browser choice screen, may be preventing users from truly exercising their choice of services within the Apple ecosystem, in contravention of Article 6(3) of the DMA.
The Commission said it is also taking other investigatory steps to gather facts and information to clarify whether Apple's new fee structure and other terms and conditions for alternative app stores and distribution of apps from the web (sideloading) may be defeating the purpose of its obligations under the DMA.
The Commission has also adopted five retention orders addressed to Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, asking them to retain documents which might be used to assess their compliance with the DMA obligations. The Commission intends to conclude the proceedings opened today within 12 months.
In cases of infringement, the Commission can impose fines up to 10% of the company's total worldwide turnover. Such fines can go up to 20% in case of repeated infringement under the DMA. The Commission also has the power to adopt "additional remedies" such as "obliging a gatekeeper to sell a business or parts of it," or banning the company from acquisitions of additional services related to the non-compliance.
Apple earlier this month implemented several major changes to the way the App Store and apps operate in the EU in order to comply with the DMA. These changes are included in iOS 17.4, but are generally limited to countries that are in the European Union.
Apple is set to roll out a new system that allows retail store staff to wirelessly update the software on iPhones prior to sale, without having to take them out of their packaging.
Writing in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the new proprietary system, called "Presto," relies on MagSafe and other wireless technologies, and "looks a bit like a metal cubby for shoes." It will begin rolling out widely across the U.S. in April, with Apple's intention to have the technology in all U.S. retail stores by early summer, he added.
Gurman first reported on the wireless system in October, describing it as a "proprietary pad-like device" on which retail store staff can place a sealed iPhone box. The system wirelessly turns on the iPhone inside, updates its software to the latest version available, and then powers it off.
Apple developed "Presto" as a way to avoid selling iPhones in retail stores with outdated software. For example, the iPhone 15 series shipped with iOS 17, but Apple subsequently released iOS 17.0.1 before the devices launched. The point update was required to fix an issue that prevented the transfer of data directly from another iPhone during the initial setup process.
That meant new iPhone 15 owners had to update the devices themselves as part of the setup process, or manually via the Settings app under General → Software Update if they opted to set up the device as new and transfer data later. Following the rollout of "Presto," such a scenario will be avoidable, making the setup process more straightforward for end users.
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter.
While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce the ability to create blank spaces, rows, and columns between app icons.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman was first to report that the iPhone would get a "more customizable" Home Screen starting with iOS 18. It is already possible to customize the Home Screen and create blank app icons with apps such as Shortcuts and Widgetsmith, but Apple's own personalization options will be more convenient and official.
iPhone users have already been able to customize the Lock Screen since iOS 16, and we expect the Home Screen to receive similar treatment with iOS 18. The update will introduce additional customization options for the Home Screen, according to our sources, and this could result in the biggest Home Screen revamp in several years.
Apple will announce iOS 18 at its annual developers conference WWDC in June. Other features and changes rumored for the update include new generative AI functionality for Siri and multiple apps, RCS support in the Messages app for improved messaging between iPhones and Android devices, design changes, and more.
iOS 18 will feature a revamped Home Screen that is "more customizable," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He revealed this information in his Power On newsletter today, but he did not provide any specific details.
Apple will announce iOS 18 at its annual developers conference WWDC in June. Other features and changes rumored for the software update include new generative AI functionality for Siri and multiple apps, RCS support in the Messages app for improved messaging between iPhones and Android devices, design changes, and more.
With iOS 18, Gurman believes Apple will focus on new "AI tools that help manage your daily life" more than "ChatGPT-like generative AI features."
Apple CEO Tim Cook today confirmed that the Vision Pro headset will go on sale in China later this year (via Reuters).
Responding to a question from the press at the China Development Forum in Beijing, Cook confirmed that Apple's first spatial computer will launch in the country in 2024. He added that Apple will continue to increase research and development investment in China. Earlier this week, Cook visited Apple's new Jing'an store in Shanghai.
This is the first explicit confirmation of a specific country other than the United States that the Vision Pro will launch in this year. Apple says that the Vision Pro will launch in additional countries later in 2024, but the company has not provided a more specific timeframe or, until now, indicated exactly where the headset will become available. Last month, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he believed the Vision Pro would launch internationally before Apple's annual developers conference WWDC, which typically takes place in the first week of June.
Apple has a new home at Canada's second-largest indoor shopping mall. Following months of construction, the new Apple Square One retail store opened its doors today in Mississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto. The store is now located above the Food Central food court on the second floor of the mall, across from Sephora.
The store's first visitors were greeted with a round of applause from Apple's team members. MacRumors reader Kyle attended the grand opening and shared photos with us, providing a first look at the curved glass facade and expansive interior.
On the positive side, the new store is much larger than Apple's previous location in the mall, which was often overcrowded. The original store closed its doors for good on Thursday evening, after nearly 15 years of serving customers. Another plus is that the store is the first in Canada to offer a dedicated Apple Pickup station where customers can conveniently collect their online orders placed on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app.
On the negative side, the store lacks some of Apple's latest retail design elements that were first introduced last year at the relocated Apple Tysons Corner in Virginia and all-new Apple Battersea in London, England, such as a Genius Bar with varied table and seating heights for improved accessibility, and an Apple Watch Studio for mixing and matching case and band combinations. Customers can still receive hardware support from a Genius at the store, and participate in free creative sessions through the Today at Apple program.
The new Apple Square One is the company's fourth modern store in Canada, alongside Apple Fairview and Apple Eaton Centre in Toronto, and Apple Pacific Centre in Vancouver. All of Apple's other stores in Canada have a classic design. A leaked document last year revealed that Apple has considered relocating its Sainte-Catherine store in Montréal, Québec as early as 2025, but the company has not publicly confirmed these plans.
"Come say hello," says Apple, on the Apple Square One page. "We can't wait to see you there."
OWC has again knocked the price of the popular 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock down to $99.99, from its original price of $279.99. This is a match of the all-time low price on the accessory, which we last tracked earlier in March. Besides this dock, you'll find a large collection of accessories on sale at this time on OWC, including USB-C hubs, external drives and enclosures, and internal memory upgrade kits for Mac.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with OWC. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
In regards to the 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock, this accessory features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, five USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-C port, one Mini DisplayPort port, one gigabit Ethernet port, one S/PDIF digital audio output port, and one 3.5mm stereo audio input/output port. There are also two memory card slots for microSD and SD cards.
All of the devices listed below are in new condition at OWC, although the retailer does provide various item condition options for anyone who might want to save money by purchasing open box items. Be sure to visit OWC's sale landing page to browse the full sale, which also features deals on cables, Mac accessories, keyboards, and headphones.
We're getting closer to the launch of new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, while rumors about iOS 18 are continuing to ramp up with this week's surprise revelation that Apple has been talking to Google and others about potentially helping power the generative AI features expected to be a major part of this year's update.
Other news this week saw the release of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 updates with bug fixes, but we're still awaiting an update to address some of the problems introduced in macOS 14.4 earlier this month. We've also been continuing to keep our eye on the iPhone 16 lineup due in September and upcoming AirPods updates, so read on for details on all of these stories!
iOS 18: Apple in Talks With Google to Bring Gemini AI Features to iPhone
iOS 18 is widely rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and a range of built-in Apple apps on the iPhone, including Messages, Apple Music, Health, Shortcuts, Pages, Keynote, Numbers, and others.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 16 series in September.
macOS Sonoma 14.4: Reasons Not to Update
Since Apple unveiled macOS Sonoma 14.4 earlier this month, the transition to the latest software update has not been entirely smooth for everyone, and a number of issues have been reported by users that significantly impact their daily workflow.
If you anticipate that any of these problems could significantly impact your daily operations or productivity, it may be prudent to delay updating to the latest version of macOS Sonoma until Apple addresses these concerns with a subsequent fix.
The MacRumors Show: Apple's Four Upcoming AirPods Models
On the latest episode of The MacRumors Show podcast, our hosts Hartley Charlton and Dan Barbera discussed circulating rumors on four upcoming models of AirPods, including two variants of fourth-generation AirPods, a very minor refresh of the AirPods Max, and next-generation AirPods Pro.
Last week's episode saw Dan and Harley discussing whether the next-generation iPad Air models will be a big enough upgrade for customers. Apple is expected to release a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air, but no major design changes are expected for the mid-range tablet. Key new features expected include the M2 chip and a landscape front camera.
MacRumors Newsletter
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.
The latest 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models have been available for two weeks now, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using the 15-inch version since it launched. Over on our YouTube channel, Dan shared a review now that he's been able to spend some quality time with the machine.
The M3 MacBook Air is a perfect all-around laptop, and the Air models are what we recommend for most people. In fact, the M3 MacBook Air is more machine than the average consumer likely even needs. For web browsing, sending emails, and other simple tasks, a more affordable M1 MacBook Air or M2 MacBook Air is more than enough, and the M1 MacBook Air is even available at a super low $650 price right now.
For photo editing, video editing, and tasks that require a little more power, even the base model M3 MacBook Air with 8GB Unified Memory is more than enough for many people. Upgrading the memory will give you a bit more leeway in terms of future proofing, and adding more storage is a good idea if you need space for file storage, games, and apps.
Compared to the M2 MacBook Air, the M3 has faster CPU and GPU speeds, hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading for 3D rendering and games, Wi-Fi 6E support, and support for two displays in clamshell mode. If you need these options, or don't mind shelling out a bit more money for a machine that will last longer, it's worth getting the M3, but we also think the more affordable M1 and M2 MacBook Air models are perfectly great for many people.
Apple has ended a project to develop microLED displays in-house, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in a reversal of his prior reporting on the development of the technology. Apple invested billions in developing microLED displays, with plans to first add microLED to the Apple Watch Ultra.
MicroLED was too expensive and too complex for Apple to design, so Apple is now reorganizing its display engineering teams and laying off employees in the U.S. and Asia. Some of the displaced employees may be able to find other roles in the company, and others will be provided with severance.
Rumors that Apple had canceled plans for an Apple Watch with microLED first surfaced in February when supplier ams OSRAM said that a "cornerstone project" related to microLED had been canceled. Soon after, there were rumors that Apple had ended its relationship with Kulicke & Soffa, another company in the advanced display market.
Both analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Display Supply Chain Consultants confirmed that Apple had canceled work on a microLED Apple Watch after these rumors, but Gurman claimed that Apple was still working on the device. In a now-deleted tweet, Gurman said that ams OSRAM was "one supplier" on the project, and that there were several other suppliers Apple was working with. "I doubt it was canceled," he wrote.
DigiTimes and ETNewsalso suggested that ams OSRAM was replaced due to a performance drop and that Apple had another supplier lined up, but it appears that information was incorrect.
MicroLED technology uses microscopic LEDs for individual pixels. It's more energy efficient than traditional LED, offers improved contrast, and has faster response times. Colors are brighter and better, and there's no risk of burn-in as there is with OLED. Apple is said to have abandoned the project because it was not economically viable.
Gurman claims that Apple will stick with OLED display technology for the Apple Watch "for now," but that the company is "eyeing microLED for other projects down the road." Apple is "identifying" potential new suppliers and processes for microLED, but it "won't likely happen anytime soon."
Amazon has further discounted Apple's brand new 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, now reaching $95 off the original price. Only one model is on sale: the 256GB 15-inch M3 MacBook Air in Starlight is available for $1,204.00, down from $1,299.00.
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 best price we've seen to date on the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, and it beats the previous record low price seen on Amazon by about $30. Amazon provides an estimated delivery date of Monday, March 25 for the fastest option and Wednesday, March 27 for free delivery.
This version of the 15-inch MacBook Air just launched earlier in the month, alongside updated models of the 13-inch size as well. Both of the new MacBook Air machines include the M3 chip and focus on internal upgrades. Apple did not change the design of the MacBook Air with the 2024 update, using the same design that was first introduced in 2022.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
A rare Apple Computer business card signed by Steve Jobs recently sold for $181,183 at auction, according to Boston-based RR Auction.
The business card is from 1983, and it has been authenticated by well-known memorabilia grading service PSA, according to the auction listing. It features Apple's old six-color logo, and it lists the company's former address of 10495 Bandley Drive, in Cupertino, California. Jobs is listed as the Chairman of Apple's Board of Directors.
RR Auction believes this sale has set a new record-high price for a signed business card.
Jobs passed away in 2011 at the age of 56. Throughout his career, he was reluctant to sign autographs, so items with his signature on them often sell for large sums of money. Last year, for example, a check signed by Jobs sold for over $100,000 at auction.
The fourth-generation AirPods will reportedly feature a new design with a better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C port. For the first time ever, Apple is also apparently planning to offer a higher-end version of the AirPods with active noise cancelation and a speaker in the charging case to play a sound for easy location via Find My.
The second-generation AirPods Max are expected to be a minor refresh, simply swapping the Lightning port of the current model for USB-C and adding Bluetooth 5.3 support. New color options are also a possibility, but it looks like Apple's most premium audio device will continue to miss out on the H2 chip, Adaptive Audio, improved Active Noise Cancellation, skin-detect sensors, sweat and water resistance, the ultra wideband chip, Precision Finding, and support for additional charging methods.
Both the fourth-generation AirPods and the second-generation AirPods Max are expected to launch in late 2024. Further in the future, Apple is expected to launch the third-generation AirPods Pro with an updated design that is focused on improved comfort and a faster chip.
If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about Apple's upcoming iPad Air models, which are expected to be announced in just a matter of weeks.
The MacRumors Show is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
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The new Apple Square One via 
Apple Pickup in the new Apple Square One via 
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with OWC. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
