Apple today announced it will hold a special "Apple Shopping Event" between Black Friday on November 25 and Cyber Monday on November 28 where customers will be eligible to get a gift card when they purchase select products.
The eligible products are as follows:
iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone SE: Up to a $50 gift card
Second-generation AirPods Pro, second-generation AirPods, third-generation AirPods with Lightning Charging Case, AirPods Max: Up to a $75 gift card
Apple Watch SE: Up to a $50 gift card
Entry-level iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air: Up to a $50 gift card
MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac: Up to a $250 gift card
Magic Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio, second-generation Apple Pencil, MagSafe Duo Charger: Up to a $50 gift card
Studio3 Wireless, Solo3 Wireless, Powerbeats Pro, Beats Fit Pro, Beats Studio Buds, Beats Flex: Up to a $50 gift card
Customers trading in their current device for a new product may still be eligible for a gift card. The event will run for four days and will be available through Apple's online store in the United States, the United Kingdom, and select other countries.
The HomePod mini was released to customers two years ago this week, marking the first addition to the HomePod family since the original speaker launched in 2018. Two years after its release, the HomePod lineup has remained relatively stagnant, but that's set to change in 2023.
When Apple announced the HomePod mini in October 2020, the original full-sized HomePod remained in the lineup. In March 2021, however, Apple discontinued the full-sized HomePod, saying it wanted to dedicate more time to the HomePod mini. The HomePod mini addressed several of the biggest concerns from customers about the original HomePod, including size and price. Unlike the original HomePod, the HomePod mini costs $99 and comes in a wider variety of color options.
Now, as the HomePod mini turns two, we look to the future and what Apple has in store.
Resurrection of Full-Sized HomePod
The biggest HomePod news we're expecting in the near future is a resurrection of the original full-sized HomePod. When Apple discontinued the original HomePod, many speculated the reason for the decision came down to the HomePod's $299 price tag and its lack of features, which led to lackluster sales.
For 2023, Apple is expected to launch an updated version of the full-sized HomePod it discontinued to fill the current gap in the HomePod lineup. The newer HomePod is rumored to feature the S8 chip from the Apple Watch Series 8, providing faster performance for Siri requests and different features.
Other features could include a larger multi-touch display at the top, but the overall form factor and design are expected to stay the same. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the new HomePod to launch in the first quarter of next year.
An Updated HomePod mini
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple could update the HomePod mini in the near future, but specific details are unknown. The current HomePod mini is powered by the S5 chip, the same chip found in the Apple Watch Series 5 and the first-generation Apple Watch SE. In a hypothetical update, Apple could include a newer and faster chip, allowing for faster processing of Siri requests and features like Handoff.
Apple TV and HomePod Combo
A HomePod product that's still under early development is an Apple TV and HomePod combo, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurmanreports that Apple is developing a HomePod speaker that includes the functionality of the Apple TV, offering an all-in-one TV entertainment system with a display. The product is also reported to have a camera, possibly allowing for FaceTime and video calls. No other details are known at this time as the product launch is likely a while away, assuming it launches at all.
What would you like to see in a future HomePod product? Let us know in the comments below.
Microsoft is offering members of its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate program a three-month free trial of Apple TV+ and Apple Music before the holiday season.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate typically costs $14.99 and comes with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks, which offers subscribers discounts, and special offers for a wide range of services, apps, and games. In its latest bonus, Microsoft, in partnership with Apple, is giving Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers three months free of Apple TV+ and Apple Music. The promotion is valid until March 31, 2023. More information on the promotion can be found on Xbox's website.
Earlier this week, Qualcomm announced its latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile chip and platform, promising to "revolutionize flagship smartphones" with "groundbreaking" experiences. The new chip is expected to launch in flagship Android smartphones later this year, but benchmarks suggest it cannot compete with Apple's A16 Bionic chip, which powers iPhone 14 Pro models.
While the latest chip won't officially ship in smartphones for a few months, Geekbench scores for the chip have already been spotted in an unreleased Android handset. According to the results (via DealNTech), the latest Snapdragon 8 chip scored 1483 in single-core and 4709 in multi-core. The A16 Bionic scored 1874 in single-core and 5372 in multi-core. For comparison, the A15 Bionic chip, found in the iPhone 13 Pro and the lower-end iPhone 14 models, also scored higher than Qualcomm's latest chip with 1709 in single-core compared to 1483.
In a press release for the new chip, Qualcomm said it will "define a new standard for connected computing, intelligently engineered with groundbreaking AI across the board to enable extraordinary experiences." Qualcomm's senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets, Chris Patrick, said, "Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will revolutionize the landscape of flagship smartphones in 2023."
Compared to the first-generation Snapdragon 8 chip, Qualcomm says the newer platform offers a 35% increase in CPU performance, a 25% increase in GPU performance, and an increase in power efficiency. In 2020, Apple's A14 Bionic and even the A13 Bionic chip from the year earlier beat Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 chip that launched on Android devices last year.
Performance claims made by Apple during the iPhone 14 Pro's keynote in September
The A16 Bionic chip in the iPhone 14 Pro, like the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, is built on TSMC's 4nm process, and both offer improved performance and energy efficiency. The A16 Bionic chip features 16 billion transistors, a 6-core CPU, a 5-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. "The competition is still working to catch up to the performance of the A13, which we first introduced with iPhone 11 three years ago," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, during the Apple event in September.
India is making progress on a government proposal that would enforce a standard charger, USB-C, across all smartphones, tablets, and laptops, following in the footsteps of the EU, which just recently passed a similar law.
In a government press release, India's Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution secretary, Rohit Kumar Singh, said different government and private agencies held a meeting and a "broad consensus emerged among stakeholders on adoption of USB Type – C as a charging port for electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc." The press release added: "Further, it was deliberated that a different charging port may be adopted for feature phones."
India's consideration of mandating a common charger across consumer devices was previously reported on in August, however, it seems the government is moving forward with its proposal after initially saying it would explore the possibility of such a law.
The iPhone 15 Pro models that are planned for next year will support higher wired transfer speeds thanks to the transition to USB-C, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
While all iPhone 15 models are going to feature USB-C ports instead of Lightning ports, the faster transfer speeds will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models. Standard iPhone 15 models will continue to feature USB 2.0 speeds, the same as Lightning.
(5/7) My latest survey indicates all 2H23 new iPhones will abandon Lightning and change to USB-C, but only two high-end models (15 Pro & 15 Pro Max) will support the wired high-speed transtfer, and the two standard ones (15 & 15 15 Plus) still support USB 2.0 same as Lightning.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) November 17, 2022
Kuo says that transfer speeds will likely "improve markedly" on the iPhone 15 Pro models, with support for "at least" USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3. With the upgrade, iPhone 15 Pro models will be able to transfer video files and other file types at quicker speeds, with Kuo predicting a significantly improved user experience.
USB 2.0 transfer speeds are limited to 480Mb/s, while USB 3.2 supports speeds up to 20Gb/s. Thunderbolt 3 supports data transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s, so if Kuo is correct, there will be a major difference in wired data transfer speeds between Pro and non-Pro iPhone 15 models.
Apple is transitioning to USB-C across its product lineup, and the first USB-C iPhones are due next year. Apple is making the change in order to comply with European regulations that require electronic devices to have non-proprietary, common charging methods.
One of the new features in iOS 16 is Rapid Security Response, which lets Apple push out important security fixes to users without requiring a full iOS update. For users running the iOS 16.2 beta, Apple today released one of those updates to deliver unspecified bug fixes affecting the software.
iOS Security Response 16.2 (a) arrives via the standard Software Update mechanism in the Settings app, but is a relatively quick update, requiring just a couple of minutes to download and prepare the update and then a quick restart and install process.
After the update has been installed, the system will report an updated version of iOS 16.2 (a), and tapping on the version in the About section of Settings will display information about your installed iOS version and the Rapid Security Response update, with the ability to remove the security update if desired.
Update: According to Apple documentation shared by Appleosophy, the Rapid Security Response update issued today is "for testing purposes only and does not contain security content."
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 158 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for CSS, JavaScript, WebCodecs, and more.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is version 16.4 and is compatible with machines running macOS Ventura and macOS Monterey.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Apple today released a tvOS 16.1.1 update, which is available for the third-generation Apple TV 4K. Apple says that the update fixes an issue that could cause the Apple TV to be unable to install apps.
The third-generation Apple TV 4K was released in early November, and this update is only available for the new models. It is likely that this bug fix addresses the issue that could cause 128GB Apple TV 4K owners to see a warning that they had run out of storage when using just 64GB.
The tvOS 16.1.1 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System -> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to tvOS 16.1.1 automatically.
Last week, B&H Photo introduced the first-ever discount on Apple's 10.9-inch iPad, and today the retailer has expanded this deal slightly with a new color. You can get the Blue and Silver 64GB Wi-Fi iPads for $399.00, down from $449.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This remains the lowest price we've ever seen for these brand-new iPads, which Apple just updated last month. The 10th generation iPad comes with the A14 Bionic chip, support for the Apple Pencil, and Touch ID.
As of writing, only B&H Photo has this record low sale on the new iPad. In terms of stock, B&H Photo says that the Blue color option is facing limited quantities, while the Silver model is readily available.
We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2022.
Apple today seeded the third beta of macOS Ventura 13.1 to its public beta testing group, allowing non-developers to try out the new features ahead of the software's release. The public beta comes one week after Apple released the second public beta.
Public beta testers can download the macOS 13.1 Ventura update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.
macOS Ventura 13.1 introduces the Freeform app, which Apple has designed for creative collaboration. The app can be used for brainstorming, planning out ideas, jotting down notes, and more. Users can insert drawings, sticky notes, shapes, text boxes, photos, videos, PDFs, links, and other documents, with Freeform serving as a blank canvas.
Freeform "boards" can be shared with other people and discussed over FaceTime, with updates from all participants synced to everyone in real-time.
The update also introduces support for an updated Home app architecture that improves performance for smart home devices.
Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 updates to public beta testers, providing the software to the general public. Today's beta comes one week after Apple released the second public betas.
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's free beta testing program can download the iOS and iPadOS 16.2 betas over the air after installing the proper certificate from the Public Beta website.
iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 introduce the Freeform app, which can be used for jotting down notes, sketching, drawing, brainstorming ideas, creating mood boards, and more. Multiple people can work on the same Freeform board, with changes synced for all participants in real time.
For the iPad, the update brings external display support to the Stage Manager multitasking feature, allowing up to eight apps to be used at once. External display support is available for the M1 and M2 iPad models.
There is a new Home app architecture coming in iOS and iPadOS 16.2, which Apple says is designed to bring faster, more reliable performance, especially in homes with a lot of smart home accessories. The new architecture requires the HomePod 16.2 beta software, and it causes the Home app not to work with devices updated to iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, or macOS Ventura 13.1.
Unintentional Emergency SOS calls can be reported to Apple in iOS 16.2, and the latest beta added options to turn off notifications and wallpaper when using always on display on the iPhone 14 Pro models. There are several other changes that can be found in our iOS 16.2 feature guide.
Astropad today announced an update to the Astropad Studio app, which adds support for the Apple Pencil hover feature that Apple introduced with the new M2iPad Pro models. Astropad Studio is designed to allow you to draw on your Mac using your iPad, so the hover gesture can be used with the macOS software on the iPad.
Astropad says that users have been asking for Apple Pencil hover support for years, and it is one of the last features that Wacom tablets offered that the iPad did not. With the hover option, the iPad serves as a more feature rich Wacom alternative for digital artists.
The update adds 3D gestures for panning, zooming, and rotating the 3D canvas, along with support for new default shortcuts. There are also a range of new Magic Gestures that use combinations of tap, touch, and the Apple Pencil to trigger actions. Per-app custom gestures are available, so users can set up different gesture sets for apps like Photoshop and Blender, and there is a new one-finger tap gesture.
Astropad Studio is currently offering a 30 percent discount off annual subscriptions with the promo code FESTIVE. Subscriptions are priced at $70/year. Astropad's Luna Display software has also been updated with Apple Pencil hover for the M2 iPad Pro models.
Apple and Major League Soccer today announced that the MLS Season Pass is set to launch on February 1, 2023, with the new subscription service available to fans in more than 100 countries and regions. Available in the Apple TV app, the MLS Season Pass can be accessed on Apple devices, Smart TVs, consoles, set-top boxes, and on the web with the tv.apple.com website.
The Season Pass will include every live MLS regular-season match, the playoffs, and the Leagues Cup, with no blackouts. Apple says that the MLS Season Pass will bring MLS to a much bigger worldwide audience.
"There isn't a more perfect time to introduce MLS Season Pass, coming off the heels of the most dramatic MLS Cup in history and with MLS as the fastest-growing soccer league in the world," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services. "We're counting down the days to February 2023 when fans everywhere can enjoy MLS Season Pass on billions of devices -- all with no blackouts."
Apple and Major League Soccer have inked a deal for a 10-year partnership. All 29 MLS clubs will have an Apple TV patch in a different color to mark agreement.
The MLS 2023 regular season will begin on February 25, with the 2022 MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC to face off against the LA Galaxy at the Rose Bowl Stadium. All matches during the opening weekend will be free to watch through the Apple TV app.
Apple today rolled out a new design on iCloud.com following several weeks of beta testing. The page now features a colorful wallpaper with tiles for your Apple ID account and Apple apps like Photos, Mail, iCloud Drive, Calendar, and Notes. There is also a tile with icons for additional apps like Find My, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and more.
The page can be customized, with users able to choose which apps appear in each tile or remove a tile entirely. The bottom of the page displays your iCloud storage plan and usage, as well as a link to recover recently deleted files from iCloud Drive and other apps.
In the top menu bar, users can click or tap on the plus sign to create a new email, note, calendar event, and more. The menu also provides access to settings for iCloud+ features such as Hide My Email, iCloud Private Relay, and HomeKit Secure Video.
All in all, the redesigned iCloud.com page provides a more streamlined experience that makes it easier to view information at a glance.
Apple plans to release iOS 16.2 in December, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and a report about the update enabling 5G support in India. The update remains in beta testing for now, with many new features and changes already uncovered.
iOS 16.2 introduces a number of new features, including Apple's new whiteboard app Freeform, two new Lock Screen widgets for Sleep and Medications, the ability to hide the wallpaper and notifications on the iPhone 14 Pro's always-on display, Live Activities enhancements, a rearchitected Home app, and more.
Freeform App
iOS 16.2 includes Apple's new digital whiteboard app Freeform on the iPhone. The app provides an infinite canvas for you to draw on and insert sticky notes, text boxes, shapes, photos, videos, links, PDFs, and more. The app is also available on the iPad and the Mac, and you can collaborate with others in real time via FaceTime and iMessage.
Freeform is more useful on the iPad given the device supports the Apple Pencil, but you can still use a capacitive stylus on the iPhone.
Two New Lock Screen Widgets
There are two new Lock Screen widgets for Sleep and Medications on iOS 16.2. With the Sleep widget, you can view your most recent sleep session and sleep stages, while the Medications widget can let you quickly access your medication schedule.
New Always-On Display Options
Starting with iOS 16.2, you can hide the wallpaper and notifications in always-on display mode on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. This results in the Lock Screen having a solid black, minimal appearance in always-on mode, similar to Android.
The new "Show Wallpaper" and "Show Notifications" toggles are located in the Settings app under Display & Brightness → Always On Display.
Live Activities: Sports Scores via Apple TV App
iOS 16.2 adds Live Activities support for sports scores via the Apple TV app. The feature allows iPhone users to view live scores of MLB, NBA, and Premier League games at a glance on the Lock Screen, and in the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models.
During a Premier League match, for example, the Dynamic Island shows a live-updating scoreboard with the number of goals scored by each club. When long pressed, the Dynamic Island expands to show the time elapsed and play-by-play action. When an iPhone 14 Pro is locked, and on all other iPhone models, the score is shown in a Lock Screen banner.
To test the feature with an iPhone on the iOS 16.2 beta, open the TV app and tap on the "Follow" button for a supported game. Apple says the feature is available for NBA and Premier League games for users in the U.S. and Canada, and for MLB games for users in the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea.
Live Activities: More Frequent Updates
Live Activities will update more frequently on iOS 16.2 when a new "More Frequent Updates" option is enabled, allowing users to view more up-to-date information, but Apple warns this setting can drain your iPhone's battery faster.
It's unclear what the refresh interval is for Live Activities currently, but the new option will be even faster, which would be useful for tracking the arrival of an Uber vehicle or a Starbucks delivery order once those apps support the feature.
New Home App Architecture
After updating to iOS 16.2 and opening the Home app, an update to the app is available with new underlying architecture. Apple says the new architecture improves the app's performance, efficiency, and reliability for controlling smart home accessories. This comes after the Home app gained support for Matter accessories in iOS 16.1.
Unintentional Emergency SOS Call Reporting
If you accidentally trigger an Emergency SOS phone call, iOS 16.2 lets you report the incident to Apple and share iPhone diagnostics.
5G in India
iOS 16.2 will enable support for 5G networks in India on the iPhone 12 and newer, starting with carriers Airtel and Reliance Jio.
Amazon has a fresh batch of all-time low prices on Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro today, starting at $1,999.99 for the 10-Core M1 Pro/512GB model, down from $2,499.00. You can get this sale in both Silver and Space Gray.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This is $99 below the previous record low price on this model, and right now only Amazon is offering this steep discount.
Additionally, Amazon also has the 10-Core M1 Pro/1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro on sale, available for $2,199.99, down from $2,699.00. This is a match of the model's previous all-time low price, and it's only available in Silver.
If you're looking for even more deals on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, we have the best early Black Friday deals on these notebooks in our dedicated article. These markdowns include up to $499 off 14-inch MacBook Pro models as well.
We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2022.
Apple earlier this month acknowledged that customers faced longer wait times for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models because of reduced supply chain capacity, but the delays appear to have gotten worse.
On Apple's online store in the United States, the devices' estimated shipping times are currently hovering around the six-week mark, with deliveries for all iPhone 14 Pro models now only available from December 27, already putting them out of reach of many would-be gift-buying customers before Christmas Day.
The delays corroborate analyst expectations that Apple's iPhone 14 Pro models will fall short of earlier shipment estimates for the year, following lockdowns at the main Foxconn factory in China where the devices are assembled.
Foxconn is now expected to ship 79 million units in the current quarter, down from the previous 85 million handsets estimate, due to the stringent COVID-19 restrictions imposed on the factory in Zhengzhou in recent weeks, according to investment firm Morgan Stanley (via Bloomberg).
"The wait time for 14 Pro/Pro Max has extended to four to five weeks as of late versus two to four weeks a month ago, implying demand stays healthy, even with supply gap," wrote the analysts in a note.
Looking ahead, Morgan Stanley predicts higher-than-usual output in the first few months of 2023 to make up for unfilled demand. Meanwhile, operations at the Zhengzhou facility have already resumed, with workers having been ferried to the plant over the weekend as Foxconn seeks to make up for lost ground.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. 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 some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
