Apple's 2021 MacBook Pro lineup has seen consistent discounts over the past few weeks, but it's been rare for every model to have all-time low prices at once. Today on Amazon you'll find just that, with both 14-inch and 16-inch versions of the MacBook Pro getting record low markdowns in every configuration.
14-inch MacBook Pro
Starting with the 8-Core M1 Pro/512GB 14-inch MacBook Pro, this model is available for $1,599.00, down from $1,999.00. It's available in both Silver and Space Gray, with the latter color seeing a slight shipping delay.
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.
The 10-core M1 Pro/1TB SSD model is on sale at $2,099.00, down from $2,499.00. This is the best price we've ever tracked on this model of the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Secondly, you can get the 10-Core M1 Pro/512GB 16-inch MacBook Pro for $2,099.00, down from $2,499.00. This one is available in Space Gray and Silver as well.
On the higher end, the 10-Core M1 Pro/1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro is on sale for $2,299.00, down from $2,699.00. This is another record low price on the 2021 MacBook Pro, and it's available in Silver and Space Gray.
Finally, Amazon is offering a discount on the 10-Core M1 Max/1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro. You can get this model for $3,099.00, down from $3,499.00. Both colors are on sale at this price, and this is another all-time low price for the MacBook Pro.
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.
Apple's iPhone 14 Plus, its latest 6.7-inch non-Pro iPhone, officially launches this Friday, October 7, and Apple's website is currently showing shipping delays into next week for all models and configurations.
Apple's U.S. order page now gives delivery estimates between Tuesday, October 11 and Thursday, October 13 for iPhone 14 Plus models in Blue, Purple, Midnight, Starlight, and PRODUCT(RED) colors with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities.
The launch of the iPhone 14 Plus comes three weeks after the other models in the iPhone 14 family became available, and a full four weeks since pre-orders began.
The shipping delay is in stark contrast to a check we made one week after pre-orders opened, when there was no delay for any iPhone 14 Plus model. At the time, delivery estimates for the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max were delayed by days and in some cases weeks.
The iPhone 14 Plus is meant for customers who want a larger iPhone without all the features of Apple's high-end models, but demand for the new model has not reached the highs that Apple anticipated.
On the Monday following the start of pre-orders, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus had seen "lackluster" pre-order results that were worse than those for the third-generation iPhone SE and the iPhone 13 mini, indicating that Apple's positioning of the two new standard models may have failed.
In response to the poorer-than-expected demand, Apple is said to have asked assembly partners to transfer some iPhone 14 production capacity to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, the latter of which has reportedly seen the highest demand so far.
There have also been reports that Apple has shelved plans to increase production of the two devices. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max continue to see high demand.
Both non-Pro iPhone 14 models have also already depreciated in value more than twice as much as the iPhone 13 in the same time frame last year, according to one report.
The iPhone 14 Plus, like the iPhone 14, features the same chip as the iPhone 13 Pro, camera improvements, and other minor enhancements. Reviewers called the iPhone 14 an "iPhone 13S," noting the little improvements and changes compared to its predecessor.
YouTube may make watching videos in 4K quality on the platform exclusive to only YouTube Premium subscribers, according to screenshots posted by users on Twitter and Reddit.
On Reddit (1,2) and Twitter, some users have started to recently notice that on iOS, and presumably across other platforms also, YouTube is now saying that in order to watch videos in 4K, the user must be a paying YouTube Premium subscriber. Not all users are seeing the 4K quality option blocked behind YouTube's paywall, and it's unclear if YouTube plans to move forward with this.
So, after testing up to 12 ads on YouTube for non-Premium users, now some users reported that they also have to get a Premium account just to watch videos in 4K. pic.twitter.com/jJodoAxeDp
— Alvin (@sondesix) October 1, 2022
A standard YouTube Premium plan costs $11.99 in the United States and includes ad-free videos, background playback, and the ability to download videos for offline viewing. We've reached out to YouTube for comment on 4K video quality possibly becoming a YouTube Premium feature and we'll update this article if we hear back.
Last week, Apple's third iOS 16.1 beta expanded the Adaptive Transparency feature introduced with the second-generation AirPods Pro to the original AirPods Pro, and several users have now confirmed it works on AirPods Max, too.
Owners of Apple's premium over-ear headphones running the latest 5A304a firmware have reported access to the new Adaptive Transparency toggle in the AirPods Max section of the Settings app in both iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1 betas.
Unveiled with the debut of AirPods Pro 2, Adaptive Transparency is designed to allow the AirPods to block out loud sounds, such loud speakers at a concert, sirens, construction work, without blocking out all noise.
The feature is confirmed to be working on AirPods Max, even though the description beneath the toggle in Settings still only refers to AirPods Pro, so Apple still needs to update the menu. We're still waiting for confirmation that the feature also works on Beats Fit Pro, which like first-generation AirPods Pro include Apple's H1 chip.
In a new interview, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, and Apple's vice president of human interface design, Alan Dye, sat down to discuss the thinking behind the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island and how it was developed.
During the interview with the Japanese magazine Axis, Federighi, who oversees the development of iOS, said Dynamic Island represents the first major user experience change for the iPhone since the iPhone X five years ago.
It's probably the first major operation change in five years since the iPhone X came out. Five years ago, we lost the home button with iPhone X. This has fundamentally reviewed various iPhone operation methods, such as how to unlock the lock screen, return to the Home Screen, and how to switch apps. This new feature has also changed the appearance of the iPhone, and it made me think again about how to run multiple apps, notifications, and how to manage the ongoing behavior in the background. It was a very exciting challenge for us to consolidate what is happening on our iPhone into this small interactive place.
Dye, who presented Dynamic Island during Apple's "Far Out" event last month, said Dynamic Island further blurs the line between where the hardware ends and the software begins on iPhone, calling it an example of "Apple-like development."
For one purpose, our hardware and software partners will come together in the same studio to solve the problem together. This new feature also made it possible to display alerts, notifications, and ongoing operations in real-time without seeing the boundary between hardware and software. I think it's a good example of Apple-like development.
Speaking about where the idea of Dynamic Island originated from, Dye said that the team thought about what the extra space at the top of the display could be used for, thanks to the smaller TrueDepth camera system.
At Apple, it's very difficult to trace the source of ideas. Because our work is based on a huge discussion with different groups of people. However, one of those discussions was that if the sensor area on the screen could be made smaller, what could be done with the surplus space. It's not an argument that has come out in the past year or so, but it's one of the topics that has been discussed for many years.
Dye said the status bar area is a small yet crucially important part of the iPhone experience. "It is an area where our hard work put into every pixel has a very big effect," Dye said. "So, there was a story about doing something more special in this area anyway. Something that is very elegant, yet very useful."
So that this experience feels so smooth and natural, we brushed up with meticulous care and skills from both sides of design and engineering. Our goal was to make them forget that there is static physical hardware and make them think that the whole thing is fluid-like dynamic software.
Federighi noted that during the iPhone 14 Pro's event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park, there was an audible sense of surprise when Dynamic Island was revealed for the first time, saying that he had the same reaction when he saw it for the first time internally. "Personally, I felt as if there was a new life-saving identity on my iPhone," Federighi said. "It's a very delicate animation effect, but it's a little different from anthropomorphism, but I think it gave the iPhone a new strong personality and vitality."
As of October 1, Apple SIM is no longer available for activating new cellular data plans on supported iPad models, according to an Apple support document.
Introduced in 2014, the Apple SIM was designed to allow iPad users to activate cellular data plans from multiple carriers around the world. Initially, the Apple SIM was a physical nano-SIM card, but it was embedded inside later iPad Pro models. Apple SIM was similar to modern eSIM technology, but with more limited carrier support.
A physical Apple SIM card was included with the following cellular iPad models:
iPad Air 2
iPad mini 3
iPad mini 4
First-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro
iPad 5
iPad 6
An embedded Apple SIM was included with the following cellular iPad models:
9.7-inch iPad Pro
10.5-inch iPad Pro
Second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro
All of the iPad models listed above still have a physical SIM card tray. Apple's support document advises customers to contact their carrier for details on how to activate a cellular data plan on these iPad models going forward.
All models of the iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad released since October 2018 support standard eSIM technology without the need for an Apple SIM.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman said "the big iPhone 14 unveiling last month was probably it for Apple in 2022 in terms of major presentations," suggesting that any iPad, Mac, and Apple TV product launches would be announced with press releases, media briefings, and updates to Apple's online store.
Last week, Gurman reported that new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with M2 series chips are "highly likely to launch" before the end of 2022. He also said an updated Apple TV with an A14 chip and an increased 4GB of RAM was "getting closer and could potentially launch this year."
Gurman also claimed that Apple has tested under-screen Touch ID in recent years, but he does not expect Touch ID to return for the iPhone 15 or other flagship models in the foreseeable future. Gurman can envision a new iPhone SE with a Touch ID power button on the side, but he hasn't "heard anything about that actually being in the pipeline."
Another tidbit mentioned in Gurman's newsletter is that Apple apparently tested sleep tracking functionality for the HomePod — it's unclear which model — but he does not expect this feature to be rolled out to the public anytime soon, if ever.
While we had been expecting a follow-up October Apple event focused on Mac and iPad announcements, it sounds like we might not be getting another event after all. Instead, the pending updates in those product segments could be considered minor enough that they may be announced via press releases.
It wasn't all bad news, however, with Apple announcing that it will be expanding an on-device version of the upcoming Stage Manager feature to older iPad Pro models rather than limiting it to M1-based models. Other news and rumors this week included the possibility of an "iPhone 15 Ultra" next year, a look at camera performance on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and more, so read on below for all of the details on these stories and more!
Apple Expands Stage Manager to Older iPad Pro Models
Stage Manager will not have external display support on older iPad Pro models, limiting its versatility. Apple has also delayed external display support for the feature on iPad models with the M1 chip — it will be reimplemented in a software update later this year.
In his latest newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said another Apple Event in October "seems unlikely." Instead, he believes Apple is more likely to announce its remaining 2022 products via press releases, updates to its website, and media briefings.
Apple often holds an October event focused on new Macs and iPads, but Gurman believes that new versions of the iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini with the M2 series of chips might not be enough for another iPhone-style keynote.
iPhone 15 'Ultra' Could Replace Pro Max Model Next Year
Another tidbit mentioned in Gurman's newsletter this week was that the iPhone 14 Pro Max might be succeeded by a newly named iPhone 15 Ultra next year.
iPhone 15 Ultra branding could make sense given that analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently claimed that Apple is planning to further differentiate the Pro and Pro Max models in its iPhone lineup by making more features exclusive to the highest-end model going forward.
iPhone 14 Pro Features Live Sports Scores in Dynamic Island on iOS 16.1
Earlier this month, Apple announced that iOS 16.1 will enable a new Live Activities feature that allows iPhone users to stay on top of things that are happening in real time, such as a sports game or a food delivery order, right from the Lock Screen.
Camera Comparison: iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max
The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max introduce some major improvements in camera technology, adding a 48-megapixel lens and low-light improvements across all lenses with the new Photonic Engine. We've spent the last week working on an in-depth comparison that pits the new iPhone 14 Pro Max against the prior-generation iPhone 13 Pro Max to see just how much better the iPhone 14 Pro Max can be.
Based on our testing, the iPhone 14 Pro Max cameras are a definite improvement over the iPhone 13 Pro Max cameras, but the new features for most people will only be used every now and then rather than on a daily basis. If you've already got an iPhone 13 Pro Max, it's probably not worth upgrading just for the camera alone, but there are of course other features to consider like Dynamic Island, always-on display technology, Emergency SOS via Satellite, and Crash Detection.
10 Things AirPods Pro 2 Tell Us About AirPods Max 2
Upon the release of the second-generation AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max became the oldest current-generation product in the AirPods lineup.
With new features like the H2 chip and Adaptive Transparency, the second-generation AirPods Pro may provide some of the best indications yet of what to expect from the second-generation AirPods Max. We've rounded up 10 potential features of the AirPods Max 2 in total.
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.
Apple has acknowledged that some Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra users may experience microphone issues, including when trying to use Siri, make a phone call, and more.
Users have reported issues with their Apple Watch microphone becoming persistently unresponsive after some time, causing apps that rely on the mic to throw up errors and stop working entirely.
In a new memo obtained by MacRumors, Apple says it's aware of the bug affecting users, specifically saying customers could face problems with Siri not being able to hear them, recording voice memos, and conducting phone calls. A "Measurement Suspended" message may also appear in the Noise app.
Apple says that restarting the Apple Watch may temporarily fix the problem and suggests the problem is not hardware related. Apple in the memo says that customers should remain updated to the latest watchOS version, indicating a fix could soon be released.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has been touring Europe this week, sitting down for interviews with various media publications. Augmented reality has been a running theme in Cook's discussions, and it is a topic he brought up again in an interview with Dutch publication Bright, which is part of RTL News.
"I think AR is a profound technology that will affect everything," Cook said, echoing comments from Italy earlier in the week. "Like I said, we are really going to look back and think about how we once lived without AR."
Cook went on to say that it "won't be that long" before we live in a world where we wonder how we did without augmented reality. Cook said that virtual reality also has its uses because of how immersive it is, but it is not a replacement for real life.
"It's something you can really immerse yourself in. And that can be used in a good way. But I don't think you want to live your whole life that way. VR is for set periods, but not a way to communicate well. So I'm not against it, but that's how I look at it."
On Facebook's "metaverse," Cook said that it's important that people have an understanding of a product. "I'm really not sure the average person can tell you what the metaverse is," he added. Metaverse is a word that precedes Facebook, having first been used in the sci-fi novel "Snow Crash," but Facebook has embraced it, going as far as renaming the company "Meta." Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that the company is committed to developing a "metaverse," aka a future digital reality.
Apple is hard at work on its own virtual and augmented reality headset that's expected to be released in 2023, followed by AR "Apple Glasses" that could come out in 2024, but Cook has made it clear that Apple does not want to keep people from actual reality.
As he often does, Cook also spoke on the importance of programming as a universal language, and he touched on topics like climate change, recycling, and politics. Cook's full interview can be read over at Bright using Google translate for those who do not speak Dutch.
Cook this week also spent time in London visiting AFC Richmond, home of "Ted Lasso," Italy where he was awarded with an Honorary Degree in Innovation and International Management, and Germany, where he celebrated Oktoberfest and met up with developers.
Apple today updated its list of vintage and obsolete products to add the iPhone 6 because it has now been more than five years since the device was last offered for sale. The iPhone 6 has something of a unique launch situation, so the timing of its addition to the list is a little bit off.
The iPhone 6 was released in September 2014 alongside the iPhone 6 Plus. It was sold in 2015 as a lower-cost option following the launch of the iPhone 6s, and then discontinued in 2016 alongside the launch of the iPhone 7. It was reintroduced as a low-cost iPhone in select countries in 2017, and it continued to be sold until September 2018.
The iPhone 6 Plus, the sister phone to the iPhone 6, was added to the vintage list earlier this year.
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were notable for being the first devices to offer support for Apple Pay and for marking the first year that Apple offered the iPhone in multiple size options. Apple has continued on with the multi-size release strategy since the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch.
The vintage products list features devices that Apple stopped distributing for sale more than five years ago and less than seven years ago. Apple provides service and parts for vintage devices for up to 7 years, or as required by law, but repairs are subject to parts availability.
Obsolete products are products that Apple stopped distributing for sale more than seven years ago. All hardware service is discontinued for obsolete products, with the exception of Mac notebooks eligible for battery-only repair.
In addition to adding the iPhone 6 to the vintage list, Apple has moved the 2012 iPod nano 7 and the fifth-generation iPod touch from the vintage list to the obsolete list, while the 2015 iPod nano models are now listed as vintage. The fourth-generation iPod shuffle from 2012 was moved to the obsolete list, and the 2015 version is now listed as vintage.
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, MacRumors editor Hartley Charlton and videographer Dan Barbera talk in depth about their experiences using the new Apple Watch Ultra and the AirPods Pro 2, both of which launched last week.
Apple today shared a new ad designed to highlight iPhone 14 Pro camera features that include the 48-megapixel Main camera, Action mode when capturing video, Cinematic mode for movie-like shots, and zoom options.
In the spot, a filmmaker uses the iPhone 14 Pro to shoot a series of action sequences, including a chicken running, a restaurant fight scene, a dance number, stop motion animation, a car chase, a helicopter ride, and more. The ad ends with the tagline "Our most Pro camera ever."
Apple improved all three cameras in the iPhone 14 Pro models, with the 48-megapixel Main camera allowing for full resolution ProRAW footage. Action mode is able to capture 2.8K video with gimbal-like stabilization, while Cinematic mode now works in 4K at 24 frames per second.
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are priced starting at $999 and can be purchased from Apple's website.
The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern recently traveled to Michigan to test Apple's new crash detection feature on the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Ultra. In response, Apple provided some additional information about how the feature works.
Stern recruited Michael Barabe to crash his demolition derby car with a heavy-duty steel frame into two unoccupied vehicles parked in a junkyard — a 2003 Ford Taurus and a 2008 Dodge Caravan. The results were mixed, with the iPhone and Apple Watch only detecting some of the crashes, which Apple said was the result of the testing conditions in the junkyard failing to provide enough "signals" to trigger the feature every time.
When I contacted Apple with the results, a company spokesman said that the testing conditions in the junkyard didn't provide enough signals to the iPhone to trigger the feature in the stopped cars. It wasn't connected to Bluetooth or CarPlay, which would have indicated the car was in use, and the vehicles might not have traveled enough distance prior to the crash to indicate driving. Had the iPhone received those extra indicators—and had its GPS shown the cars were on a real road—the likelihood of an alert would have been greater, he said.
Apple says its crash detection feature relies on "advanced Apple-designed motion algorithms trained with over a million hours of real-world driving and crash record data." Stern outlined the various hardware sensors and software algorithms that assist with detecting a crash on supported iPhone and Apple Watch models:
• Motion sensors: All the devices have a three-axis gyroscope and high-g force accelerometer, which samples motion more than 3,000 times a second. It means the devices can detect the exact moment of impact and any change in motion or trajectory of the vehicle.
• Microphones: The mics are used to detect loud sound levels that might indicate a crash. The microphones are only turned on when driving is detected, and no actual sound is recorded, Apple says.
• Barometer: If the air bags deploy when the windows are closed, the barometer can detect a change in air pressure.
• GPS: Readings can be used to detect speeds prior to a crash and any sudden lack of movement, as well as inform the device that it's traveling on a road.
• CarPlay and Bluetooth: When connected, these give the algorithms another signal that the phone is on board a car, so it knows to look out for a crash.
Crash detection is enabled by default on the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 8, second-generation Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra. The feature can be found in the Settings app under Emergency SOS → Call After Severe Crash and is not available on older iPhone and Apple Watch models.
Apple's website says that the crash detection feature is designed to detect "severe" car crashes, such as "front-impact, side-impact, and rear-end collisions, and rollovers" involving "sedans, minivans, SUVs, pickup trucks, and other passenger cars." Apple warns that the feature "cannot detect all car crashes," so it is not failproof.
When a severe car crash is detected, a supported iPhone or Apple Watch displays an alert and sounds an alarm, according to Apple. If a user is able, they can call emergency services by swiping the Emergency Call slider on the iPhone or Apple Watch, or dismiss the alert. If they do not respond to the alert after 10 seconds, the device begins another 10-second countdown. If they still haven't responded, the device calls emergency services.
Apple says if a severe car crash is detected, users will interact with the Apple Watch if they are wearing one. Otherwise, users interact with the iPhone.
All in all, while Stern said her test was not exactly scientific, it is reassuring that the feature detected some of the crashes. However, tests involving stationary vehicles in a controlled environment can never truly replicate an on-street collision.
This week's best Apple deals focus on the AirPods Pro, AirPods Pro 2, and M2 MacBook Air, including numerous all-time low prices on these devices. You'll also find up to 50 percent off discounts on Anker and Eufy accessories on Amazon.
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.
Earlier in the week we shared discounts on the M2 MacBook Air lineup, and now Amazon has an even steeper discount on the 256GB model. It's available for $1,049.00, down from $1,199.00, making this a new all-time low price on the notebook. The 512GB model is still at $1,349.00, down from $1,499.00, which is also a record low price.
AirPods Pro
What's the deal? Take $9 off AirPods Pro 2 and $69 off AirPods Pro
We're continuing to track a $9 discount on the all-new AirPods Pro 2 on Amazon this week, priced at $239.98, down from $249.00. If you're looking to save more money and are okay with investing in a previous-generation model, the 2021 AirPods Pro with MagSafe are priced at $179.98 on Amazon, down from $249.00.
Anker Accessories
What's the deal? Take up to 50% off Anker and Eufy products
Anker and Eufy kicked off the week with a collection of discounts across a variety of products, centered around a $200 markdown on the Eufy Security SmartDrop Package Box. Additionally, the Eufy Solo IndoorCam P24 for $44.99with an on-page coupon, down from $54.99. The Eufy Smart Scale P2 Pro is $59.99with the code eufyscale, down from $79.99.
Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.
The iPhone 14 models have depreciated in value more than twice as much as the iPhone 13 in the same time frame last year, according to data gathered by SellCell.
SellCell's analysis is based on averaged trade-in values from over 40 buyback vendors. The data shows that the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are performing poorly in terms of value retention, depreciating twice as much as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini in the same 10-day period after launch. In the 10 days after launch, the standard iPhone 14 models lost 38.4 percent of their value on average, over double the 18.2 percent depreciation of the iPhone 13 models in the same timeframe last year.
The 512GB iPhone 14 is the worst-performing model, depreciating 40.3 percent during the 10 days after launch. Last year, the 512GB iPhone 13 mini was Apple's fastest depreciating model, losing 29.8 percent of its value 10 days after launch, followed by the 512GB iPhone 13, which lost 27.2 percent of its value.
While the iPhone 14 Plus is not yet available, aftermarket prices for the device are already in place, showing an expected average depreciation of 38.6 percent for the device. Naturally, this is subject to change once the device is available and the market can better evaluate demand.
The situation is markedly better for the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has depreciated by just 19.6 percent. This is 1.8 percent better than last year's iPhone 13 Pro Max in the 10 days after launch. With deprecation of 18.2 percent, the 512GB iPhone 14 Pro Max is the best-performing model overall, compared to the 256GB iPhone 13 from last year, which lost just 9.9 percent of its value. As a whole, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are depreciating at a similar rate to the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, indicating similar strong demand.
The information is in line with multiple other reports claiming that there is low demand for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Earlier today, display analyst Ross Young tweeted that panel orders for the iPhone 14 are down 38 percent versus the iPhone 13 at the same time last year. He added that iPhone 14 Pro Max panel orders are up 18 percent compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Shortly after launch, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that demand for the two devices is "lackluster," with worse pre-order results than the third-generation iPhone SE and the iPhone 13 mini. He went as far as to claim that "Apple's product segmentation strategy for standard models fails this year" and Apple is believed to have shelved plans to increase production of the two devices. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max continue to see high demand.
Following the launch of iOS 16.0.2 last Thursday, Apple has stopped signing iOS 16 and iOS 16.0.1, the two previously available versions that came out in mid-September. Since the two versions are no longer being signed, it is not possible to downgrade to those versions of iOS after installing iOS 16.0.2.
Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date, so it is not unusual that iOS 16 and iOS 16.0.1 are no longer being signed.
Apple released iOS 16 to the general public on September 12 following several months of beta testing. Key new features include a highly customizable Lock Screen, the ability to temporarily edit or unsend iMessages, improvements to Focus modes, and more. The free software update is compatible with the iPhone 8 and newer.
Apple then released iOS 16.0.1 as a day-one update for the iPhone 14 models to fix bugs including an issue with activation and migration during setup, a problem that could cause photos to appear soft when zooming in in landscape orientation on iPhone 14 Pro Max, and a bug that could cause enterprise single sign-on apps to fail to authenticate.
Although it's no longer possible to downgrade to the earlier versions of iOS outlined above, users can still revert to iOS 15 by connecting to a Mac or PC, thanks to a security fix that Apple issued alongside iOS 16 in the form of iOS 15.7.
Anker has one-upped Apple by launching new Soundcore Liberty 4 earbuds with in-ear heart rate sensors – a feature that was rumored to be coming to the AirPods Pro 2 but ultimately never made the cut.
Anker's new earbuds feature a stemmed design reminiscent of Apple's AirPods, while the right-hand earbud includes a special sensor that can monitor your heart rate continuously or just when you're working out. The HR data is linked to Anker's Wellness app, which also features tracking options for guided, freestyle, and custom exercise routines.
The Liberty 4 also come with spatial audio support, active noise cancelation, a customizable equalizer, and support for AAC, LDAC, and SBC codecs, but not aptX. The earbuds also include support for multiple connection switching.
Battery life is stated at up to nine hours on a single charge, but this decreases to seven hours with noise canceling enabled, six hours in LDAC mode and no noise cancelation, and five hours with spatial audio on.
The wireless charging case has a USB-C port for wired charging, provides up to 28 hours of battery life, and it can fast charge the earbuds in 15 minutes to provide three hours of playback, or fully charge them in an hour.
Anker's Soundcore Liberty 4 earbuds cost $149.99 and come in either black or white, with the latter available from today on Soundcore.com. The black earbuds are also coming to Amazon on October 10, while the white set it due to go on sale on October 7 on Soundcore's website and October 17 on Amazon.
As for Apple, it's not clear whether heart rate tracking was a feature the company pulled from its second-generation AirPods Pro or if it's something Apple is developing for future AirPods models. Apple has been rumored to be developing health-monitoring functions for AirPods for some time, with even Apple executives hinting at the possibility.
According to documents seen by The Wall Street Journal, prototypes of AirPods with temperature sensors for monitoring a wearer's core body temperature from inside the ear are being developed by Apple, but which model they are for and when they will make an appearance, if ever, remains unknown.
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.
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.
