MacRumors

Google Photos users on iPhone can now lock their most sensitive images and videos in a special passcode-protected folder, thanks to a new feature rolling out to the iOS app.

Previously only available on Android phones, the privacy-oriented Locked Folder feature allows users to save photos and videos in the app within a separate space that requires Touch ID, Face ID, or a passcode to access.

Media saved in the folder remains hidden, meaning the sensitive photos don't show up as users scroll through their Google ‌Photos‌ or any other apps on their device.

Speaking to The Verge, Google said that Locked Folder content backed up to the cloud is done so securely. “We protect this data with multiple layers of security, including leading encryption technology like HTTPS and encryption at rest,” said a Google spokesperson.

Regardless, users aren't compelled to use the new backup feature if they don't want sensitive content on Google servers, and can opt to store photos in the Locked Folder on their device instead.

Google touts its photo and video backup service as "a safe home for life's memories," thanks to the "world-class security" and encryption it uses "to protect the photos that you back up or share."

Despite those safeguards, in 2020 Google was forced to contact some 100,000 users to inform them that some of their private videos backed up on its servers had been accidentally sent to strangers due to a "technical issue."

As part of the rollout, the settings screen in the Google ‌Photos‌ app is also being updated for easier access to privacy, sharing, backup, notifications, and other options.

Apple has started preparations for its upcoming September 12 iPhone-centric event, and the official hashmoji for the event has now launched. The #AppleEvent hashmoji on Twitter (or "X") now includes a custom-designed Apple logo that matches the design that Apple is using for the September event.

Hashmoji, or hashflags as they used to be called, are custom, paid icons that appear next to specific hashtags on the Twitter social network.

The hashmoji features the same Apple logo blue and gray colorway that Apple introduced this morning when event invites went out.

Apple's September 12 event will be held at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and it will be available to watch through the Apple Events page, on YouTube, and through the Apple TV app on compatible devices. For those unable to watch, MacRumors will be providing full event coverage on MacRumors.com and the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

All four iPhone 15 models launching next month are widely expected to be equipped with a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port. Alongside this change, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today reported that Apple plans to announce updated AirPods with a USB-C charging case during its event on Tuesday, September 12 at Steve Jobs Theater.

"To match the new iPhones, Apple will introduce updated AirPods at the event that include a USB-C charging port," wrote Gurman.

The report does not provide any additional details about the updated AirPods, so it's unclear if it is referring to the standard AirPods and/or the AirPods Pro, but both models will need to be updated with USB-C charging cases eventually to match the iPhone 15 models. Gurman and other sources previously claimed that the AirPods Pro would be updated with a USB-C charging case later this year, while hidden code-level references to new AirPods and a new charging case were uncovered in iOS 16.4 back in March.

It's also unclear if the updated AirPods will have any new features or changes beyond a USB-C charging case. The third-generation AirPods launched in October 2021, while the second-generation AirPods Pro were released in September 2022.

There are several other Apple products and accessories that will likely need to transition from Lightning to USB-C over time if they remain sold, such as the AirPods Max, MagSafe Battery Pack, Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, various adapters, and more. Apple already updated the Siri Remote with a USB-C port last year.

Apple today seeded a third beta of visionOS, the software that is designed to run on the Vision Pro headset. The second beta came out in July, so it has been over a month since Apple released a visionOS update.

A select number of developers have access to Vision Pro headsets at this time, with the headsets used for app testing purposes. Most people will not have access to the visionOS beta outside of Xcode, and it is not yet clear what Apple is adding in each visionOS update.

Apple is also allowing developers to attend Vision Pro labs around the world, and developers who visit these locations are able to test the Vision Pro in person and get help from Apple engineers on their visionOS apps.

The Vision Pro headset is not expected until early 2024, so Apple still has a lot of work to do on both hardware and software. Reports from developers who have been able to test the headset have suggested that there are multiple unfinished features, such as an inability to use the front-facing display.

Apple today seeded the eighth betas of upcoming iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of the seventh betas.

Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the iOS 17 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

iOS 17 is a major update that introduces a customized look for each person that calls, with the person who places the call able to customize their look. Live voicemails let you see a transcript of a message someone is leaving in real time so you can choose to pick up the phone if you want, and voice messages people send in iMessage are now transcribed into text. You can also record a video or audio message when someone misses your FaceTime call, and ‌FaceTime‌ works on the Apple TV through Continuity functionality.

In Messages, apps have been moved to a new tucked-away interface for a cleaner look, and there is a new Check In feature that is designed to let your friends and family keep an eye on you when you're traveling. Check In automatically notifies friends or family members when you arrive at a destination, such as home. Locations can also now be shared directly from the Messages app.

In a group chat, there's a catch-up arrow so you can see the first message you haven't seen in a conversation, and with search filters, you can more easily find what you're looking for. Stickers have been overhauled, and all emoji are now stickers, living alongside sticker packs and Memoji. Using the remove from background feature in iOS 17, you can turn the subject from any image into a sticker.

With StandBy, an iPhone placed horizontally turns into a little home hub that displays information like the calendar, time, home controls, and more, and Live Activities can be displayed in full screen too.

Widgets on the Home Screen are interactive, so you can do things like check off an item on a to-do list or turn off the lights without having to open an app. AirDrop has been improved and there's a NameDrop function for sharing contacts quickly, plus you can hold two iPhones together to start a SharePlay session. SharePlay also now works with CarPlay so passengers can play their music in the car too.

Other new features include a journaling app coming later this year, AirPlay in select hotel rooms, improvements to AirPods Pro 2 thanks to a new Adaptive Audio feature, offline Maps, Siri that does not require the "Hey" activation, and improvements to search and spotlight.

Apple today seeded the eighth beta of an upcoming watchOS 10 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software update coming a week after the seventh beta.

To install the watchOS 10 update, developers will need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the watchOS 10 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, watchOS 10 can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

watchOS 10 adds a whole new widget-focused interface. You can access a widget stack from any watch face using the Digital Crown, swiping through them to get to relevant information. Control Center can be activated from any app by pressing the side button, and these new quick access controls are meant to let you use watch faces that support less information while still putting everything you need at your fingertips.

There are new Palette and Snoopy watch faces, updates to Cycling and Hiking workouts, and mental health integrations. Users can log their state of mind and mood using the Apple Watch, with the device providing insights into mental health over time.

Following the announcement of an upcoming September 12 iPhone-centric event, Apple has made its Events page live with details on timing, how to watch, and more. The Apple Event page is updated ahead of every event, and typically features an interactive augmented reality easter egg viewable on iOS devices, but Apple did not create one this time around.

Rather than an AR experience, the Events page features an animated Apple logo made from grains of a metallic material. The grains float off into the distance continually, for a swirling effect. It has not gone unnoticed that the Apple logo is a metallic gray and blue shade, which happen to be two of the colors rumored for the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max.

The two higher-end ‌iPhone‌ models will feature a titanium frame instead of a stainless steel frame, with a brushed titanium finish that will look different than the shiny stainless steel. Color options are said to include a titanium gray shade (similar to the color of the Apple Watch Ultra), a blue gray color, a black shade, and a lighter silver shade.

Apple's tagline for the event is "Wonderlust," a play on the word wanderlust.

The September 12 event will take place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. There will be an in-person component for some YouTubers and members of the media, but the majority of people will watch online through the Apple Events page in any browser, on YouTube, or through the Apple TV app on compatible devices. The event is prerecorded, similar to last year's event.

For those unable to watch, MacRumors will be providing full event coverage on MacRumors.com and the MacRumorsLive Twitter account. We'll cover the event live, and we'll also have in-depth coverage of the announcements in the following days.

Apple today announced plans to hold a special event on Tuesday, September 12 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Like last year, the event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.

While the event is expected to be prerecorded, Apple is inviting members of the media to the campus to watch the presentation in person and to presumably have hands-on time with new devices after the products are introduced.

Apple's September event is always an iPhone event, and this year, we are expecting the 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ 15, the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus, the 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro, and the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max. All models are expected to feature the Dynamic Island, an updated 5G chip from Qualcomm, and most notably, a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port.

The ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max will see additional feature updates that will not be available for the standard ‌iPhone‌ 15 models. A minor redesign is expected with slimmer bezels and slight changes to the curves of the corners, plus the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro models will have a titanium frame rather than a stainless steel frame.

We are expecting to see Apple's first 3-nanometer chip, the A17, included in the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and Pro Max, and rumors suggest that it will have an Action button instead of a mute switch. The Action button may be customizable, much like the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra.

While the Pro models will both get camera upgrades, the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max is expected to gain a periscope zoom lens that will allow for 5x or 6x optical zoom, up from 3x. The size of the hardware required for the feature will limit it to the largest Pro Max device.

Given all the new features the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and Pro Max are getting, plus the cost of the upgraded 3-nanometer chip, base prices for these devices could increase. The ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro may start at $1,099, while the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max could be priced starting at $1,199. Pricing on the standard ‌iPhone‌ 15 models is not expected to change.

Alongside the new ‌iPhone‌ 15 models, we are also expecting the Apple Watch Series 9 and a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra.

Apple plans to stream the fall event live on its website, on YouTube, and through the Apple TV app. For those unable to watch, MacRumors will be providing full event coverage on MacRumors.com and the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

While it is widely expected that Apple will release new iPad Pro models with OLED displays and an M3 chip in 2024, rumors about the next iPad mini, iPad Air, and entry-level iPad models have been fewer and farther in between.

Below, we recap all rumors about the next iPad mini, iPad Air, and entry-level iPad, and speculate about potential launch timing.

iPad mini

In January, established Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the next iPad mini would likely enter mass production in the first quarter of 2024. At the time, he also said there may be no new iPad releases in the following 9-12 months.

The next update to the iPad mini would likely amount to a spec bump. For example, the device's A15 Bionic chip could be bumped up to the A16 Bionic chip. Like other recent Apple devices, the next iPad mini could also gain support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

The current iPad mini was released in September 2021.

iPad Air

In July, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was developing a new iPad Air with improved specs, but he did not provide a release timeframe. Following in the footsteps of the iPad Pro, the next iPad Air will likely be equipped with the M2 chip. Like other recent Apple devices, the next iPad Air could also gain support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The update is expected to be a minor spec bump, with no major design changes rumored.

Apple last updated the iPad Air in March 2022 with the M1 chip, 5G connectivity on cellular models, an upgraded 12-megapixel front camera with support for Center Stage, up to a 2x faster USB-C port for data transfer, and new color options. This launch came one year after Apple updated the iPad Pro with the M1 chip.

If the iPad Air were to be updated with the M2 chip one year after the iPad Pro was, that would point to an October 2023 launch. However, given Kuo said there might not be any new iPads released this year, a 2024 launch is also possible.

iPad

Apple has updated the entry-level iPad on an annual basis since 2017, so there will either be an 11th-generation iPad released later this year, or Apple will break a six-year tradition. The 10th-generation iPad was released in October 2022, so it would make sense if the next model launched in October 2023, but there are no definitive rumors yet.

Like the iPad Air and iPad mini, the next entry-level iPad will likely receive a minor spec bump, perhaps including the A15 Bionic chip. Perhaps the next model will also receive a price cut, allowing it to replace the 9th-generation iPad in Apple's lineup.

Recap

The iPad mini, iPad Air, and entry-level iPad are all due for spec bumps over the coming months. It would be reasonable for at least one or two of these models to be updated in October 2023, but 2024 launches cannot be ruled out.

Meta today released its overhauled WhatsApp app for macOS, introducing support for group calls, dragging and dropping files, and more.

The new native Mac app is optimized for large displays and desktop-class experiences like dragging and dropping files into chats and viewing more messages in chat histories. It also touts better performance and supports WhatsApp group calls from macOS for the first time, supporting up to eight people on video calls and up to 32 people on audio calls. Users can join a group call after it has started, see their call history, and choose to receive incoming call notifications even when the app is closed.

The new WhatsApp experience debuted on Windows earlier this year. Following a lengthy beta testing period, the native Mac app is now available to download from whatsapp.com and will soon be released on the Mac App Store.

When iOS 17 arrives next month, it won't just add new features to your iPhone – it also promises to bring several new functions to second-generation AirPods Pro.

Below are six improvements to AirPods Pro 2 that owners can look forward to when Apple's new mobile operating system is officially launched.

Adaptive Audio

When the second-generation AirPods Pro were introduced, their Adaptive Transparency feature offered a new way to reduce loud environmental noise for more comfortable everyday listening.

Adaptive Audio, or Adaptive Noise Control, promises to take that approach to the next level by dynamically blending the existing Transparency and Active Noise Cancellation modes together to deliver the best audio experience in the moment. Apple says that it can tailor the noise control as you move between different environments and interactions.

This way, loud or distracting noises surrounding you will be automatically reduced, while other noises will still be audible. Apple gave the example of leaf blowers getting reduced but sudden traffic noises coming through on the user's AirPods.

Conversation Awareness

Conversation Awareness is able to detect when someone starts talking to you, and will lower the volume of the audio you're listening to and cut down on background noise accordingly.

Conversation Awareness helps when you're on a call as well, reducing noise around you while you speak. As a sub-component of Adaptive Audio, this feature also enhances the voices in front of you so you can hear what's going on.

Personalized Volume

Similar to Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume uses machine learning to fine-tune your listening experience by understanding environmental conditions and listening preferences.

Thanks to this feature, your ‌‌iPhone‌‌ is able to learn more about the volume that you prefer over time, and will tweak it as necessary to match your desired sound level.

Mute Controls

Perhaps surprisingly, AirPods Pro do not currently have an assignable on-board mute function. With iOS 17, however, that's set to change. If you press the stem of your ‌AirPods Pro‌ earbuds, you will be able to mute and unmute yourself while you're on a call.

First-generation AirPods and third-generation AirPods also support this feature, and it also works on AirPods Max headphones if you press the Digital Crown.

Fast Automatic Device Switching

AirPods have been criticized in the past for sluggish performance when attempting to automatically switch between Apple devices. Fortunately, ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 will automatically switch between Apple devices much quicker in ‌iOS 17‌.

Hey Siri

This fall, Apple is simplifying the voice command to invoke Siri on the ‌iPhone‌ and other Apple devices, including the iPad, Mac, HomePod, and the second-generation AirPods Pro.

Instead of "Hey ‌Siri‌," you'll be able to simply say "‌Siri‌" to activate the voice assistant when wearing your AirPods. Not only that, you'll also be able to issue multiple queries and commands in succession without having to say "‌Siri‌" again.

Read More

Apple is expected to release iOS 17 alongside firmware updates for AirPods in September 2023. For more information on all the new features in the ‌iOS 17‌ update, be sure to check out our dedicated iOS 17 roundup.

Apple is considering switching production of micro-OLED displays for future versions of the Vision Pro headset from Sony to Chinese manufacturers like BOE and SeeYa amid supply chain challenges, The Information reports.

Sony, the current supplier of micro-OLED displays for Vision Pro, has apparently shown reservations about expanding its production capabilities for the components amid Apple's effort to ramp up mass production of the headset. Chinese technology firms BOE Technology and SeeYa Technology, on the other hand, are showing significant commitment to the technology, supported by local government initiatives. Apple is currently testing displays from these two suppliers for both a next-generation Vision Pro model and a future low-cost mixed-reality headset device.

If BOE and SeeYa can meet Apple's rigorous quality standards, there is the potential for them to outright replace Sony as the principal Vision Pro display supplier in the future. Even so, Apple's increased engagement with Chinese entities presents different potential operational challenges, evidenced by recent legal issues between Samsung and BOE, as well as various labor concerns.

Regardless, Chinese companies are already deeply integrated in Apple's current production processes for Vision Pro, with firms like Lens Technology and Genius Electronic Optical being key contributors to the headset's production. Likewise, Luxshare Precision Industry has replaced Taiwan's Pegatron as the primary assembler for the device.

China in the second quarter became the biggest iPhone market in the world, overtaking the United States for the first time in history, based on data analyzed by global market research company TechInsights (via The Elec).

According to the research firm's Global Shipment Report, China accounted for 24% of all ‌iPhone‌ shipments in Q2 2023, while the U.S. market accounted for 21%.

The sluggish U.S. smartphone market in the second quarter is said to have been due to the psychology of consumers delaying the purchase of new phones in anticipation of new ‌iPhone‌ models launching in the second half of this year. However, TechInsight said its results at the same time reflected "China's [growing] economic power, the burgeoning middle class, and the premium phone preferences of Chinese consumers."

iPhone 14 Pro Max Was Best-Selling Model

Asian consumers have long been known to prefer larger-sized smartphones, and a separate analysis suggests this factor may have boosted overall sales of ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max models. According to Omdia's Smartphone Model Market Tracker for 2Q23, in the January-to-June period, Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max shipped 26.5 million units globally — the most out of any model from any manufacturer. The ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro came in second place with 21 million units.

There were no devices from Chinese manufacturers in the top 10, following double-digit declines from 2022 due to a slump in the mid- to low-end smartphone market.

Last year, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 was the bestselling device on the market, indicating a preference among consumers for entry-level rather than top-end devices. The landscape appears to have changed since then, with successive smartphones offering incremental upgrades over wholesale changes and a growing malaise among consumers pushing them to higher-end models.

That trend is expected to continue, and Apple will likely milk the situation this year by further differentiating between its ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro lineup. Not only is Apple expected to make its new, more powerful A17 processor exclusive to the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro, the company is also expected to segment its higher tier options by reserving periscope zoom lens technology for the top-end ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max as a standout feature.

Apple will receive all of TSMC's first-generation 3-nanometer process chips this year for upcoming iPhones, Macs, and iPads, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes.

As early as May, Apple was known to have booked nearly 90% of the Taiwanese pure-play foundry for its upcoming next-gen devices. However, Apple is now projected to take 100% of TSMC's capacity in 2023, due to delays in Intel's wafer needs owing to later modifications to the company's CPU platform design plans.

Intel's lack of orders means TSMC's sales of 3nm chips will be significantly lower this year. While TSMC is still expected to experience significant growth in the fourth quarter as it starts mass producing ‌3nm‌ chips for Apple's needs, they too have been downgraded, according to DigiTimes' industry sources.

The report suggests TSMC's ‌3nm‌ process output may be reduced to 50,000-60,000 wafers monthly in the fourth quarter, down from the 80,000-100,000 units previously anticipated, due to a cutback in Apple's orders. The current monthly output of TSMC's ‌3nm‌ process is estimated at approximately 65,000 wafers, the outlet's sources said.

Apple's upcoming ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models are expected to feature the A17 Bionic processor, Apple's first ‌‌iPhone‌‌ chip based on TSMC's first-generation ‌‌3nm‌‌ process, also known as N3B. The ‌‌3nm‌‌ technology is said to deliver a 35% power efficiency improvement and 15% faster performance compared to 4nm, which was used to make the A16 Bionic chip for the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and Pro Max.

• When Will the iPhone 15 Be Released?

Apple's M3 chip for Macs and iPads is also expected to use the ‌‌3nm‌‌ process. The first M3 devices are expected to include an updated 13-inch MacBook Air and 24-inch iMac, both of which could arrive as early as this October.

New OLED iPad Pro models coming early next year are also likely to be powered by M3 chips, while Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models coming in 2024 will feature ‌M3‌ Pro and ‌‌M3‌‌ Max chips.

According to an App Store developer log obtained by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple is currently testing a new chip with a 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, and 36GB of memory, which could be the base-level M3 Pro for the next-generation 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models launching next year.

Apple may also be actively testing an M3 version of the Mac mini, according to Gurman. The Mac is said to be carrying the model identifier "Mac 15,12" and includes eight CPU cores (consisting of four efficiency cores and four performance cores), 10 graphics processor cores, and 24GB of RAM.

According to The Information, future Apple silicon chips built on the ‌‌3nm‌‌ process will feature up to four dies, which would support up to 40 compute cores. The M2 chip has a 10-core CPU and the ‌‌‌M2‌‌‌ Pro and Max have 12-core CPUs, so ‌‌3nm‌‌ could significantly boost multi-core performance. At minimum, ‌‌3nm‌‌ should provide the biggest performance and efficiency leap to Apple's chips since 2020.

TSMC is also working on an enhanced ‌‌3nm‌‌ process called N3E. Apple devices will eventually migrate to the N3E generation, which is expected to enter commercial production in the second half of 2023, but actual shipments will not ramp up until 2024, according to DigiTimes.

With Apple's iPhone 15 series announcement likely now just two weeks away, a concept render has been shared online that is said to be based on the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro packaging, or more specifically, the box that the devices will be sold inside.

The above render shared on X (now Twitter) by @chandlerbongzz shows a familiar white box on top of which is a front-facing image of the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro or ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max, with an "S" curve showing on an otherwise black display.

The render is based on a hand-drawn illustration of the alleged box shared by Weibo sources and subsequently described by several leakers. It is vaguely reminiscent of Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro packaging, however there are reasons to remain skeptical about its accuracy.

Since the ‌iPhone‌ XS was released, Apple has annually alternated the topside graphics on its Pro packaging so as to show the front display of the device one year, then the back of the ‌iPhone‌ the next. Last year's ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro box showed the front display, so this year Apple would be expected to highlight the back of its ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro models. If the render is accurate, Apple will have broken a pattern it has stuck to for half a decade.

That in itself isn't beyond the realm of possibility – Apple can change up its packaging as it chooses and need not necessarily be wedded to any particular design timeline. Another point of concern however is that it seems reasonable to assume that Apple would want to make the rumored thinner bezels of its Pro devices more noticeable by using a more impactful image, rather than concealing the edges of the screen with a largely black wallpaper.

• How Much Will the iPhone 15 Cost?

As such, we're sharing this image with the requisite grain of salt. Besides, it won't be long before we know for sure what kind of packaging Apple has chosen for its ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro models. Apple is expected to announce the new lineup at an event likely to be held on Tuesday, September 12. All being well, pre-orders would therefore likely take place on Friday, September 15, with a launch to follow on Friday, September 22.

Apple is aiming for the highest-end iPhone 15 Pro Max to account for roughly 35–40% of initial shipments for the ‌iPhone‌ 15 series when it launches next month, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. That would give Apple's most expensive model the highest share among the four models in the lineup, with Apple planning for Pro Max shipments to be 10–20% higher than for the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max last year.

One of the main features pushing users toward the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max is expected to be the periscope lens camera, which will allow for higher optical zoom of 5x–6x compared to the 3x optical zoom available in the current models. The new periscope lens camera will be exclusive to the Pro Max model this year before expanding to the smaller iPhone 16 Pro next year.

iPhone 15 Pro Max, the most expensive iPhone, accounts for 35–40% of iPhone 15 series shipments, the highest share. iPhone 15 Pro Max shipments in 2H24 also grew 10–20% YoY compared to iPhone 14 Pro Max in the same period. It means Apple is optimistic about the selling point of the periscope, which is only available in iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The staged rollout to the Pro lineup will allow Apple and its exclusive supplier of periscope lenses, Largan, to start with production of 15–20 million ‌iPhone‌ units equipped with the component this year before growing by 70–80% to around 30 million next year.

Kuo notes that the periscope lens costs about three to four times more than a traditional high-end lens, meaning Largan will benefit significantly from its partnership with Apple to provide the component. The new lens for the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max and other improvements could see Apple increase the cost of the Pro models by at least $100 compared to the current lineup.

The ‌iPhone‌ 15 lineup will be debuting in just a few weeks, with rumors pointing to an event on Tuesday, September 12. Pre-orders should begin a few days later, with a launch following on Friday, September 22.

Some rumors had indicated the Pro Max model could see a delayed launch by a few weeks, but Kuo reported earlier today that mass shipments of that model are beginning this week, so while there may be some early supply constraints, the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max is likely to become available alongside the rest of the new lineup.

The latest version of the Google Maps app for the iPhone includes hidden code-level references to Live Activities, according to MacRumors contributor Steve Moser. The feature remains in development and it is not yet functional in the app.

Live Activities will allow Google Maps users to view turn-by-turn directions and the ETA in a single live-updating Lock Screen notification, and in the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Apple is expected to expand the Dynamic Island to all four iPhone 15 models, which should be unveiled on September 12.

Apple has allowed third-party iPhone apps to offer the feature since the release of iOS 16.1. In February, the Google Maps team announced that it would roll out Live Activities support "in the coming months," but the feature is still not available.