MacRumors

While Apple officially launched the visionOS App Store in mid-January, apps were not showing up on the ‌App Store‌ website. That has now changed, and the Vision Pro ‌App Store‌ is now live on the web as well.

When viewing an app's webpage, visionOS screenshots and compatibility are listed, giving more insight into which apps will support the Vision Pro.

App listings include insight into an app's visionOS capabilities as well as several screenshots of what the app looks like on the Vision Pro.

The Vision Pro is set to launch in the United States tomorrow, with customers who pre-ordered receiving their deliveries. Apple also plans to begin accepting demo appointments in its retail store locations as of tomorrow morning.

Apple Vision Pro launches in the U.S. this Friday, and you will be able to try out the headset at your local Apple Store on the same day.

Starting tomorrow at 8 a.m. local time, all Apple Stores in the U.S. will allow customers to receive a Vision Pro demo, which is expected to last around 20 to 25 minutes. From Friday through Sunday, you can only sign up for a demo in person on a first‑come, first‑served basis. Demos on Monday and later can be reserved online.

Given that the Vision Pro starts at $3,499, these free demos will be especially important for customers who want to experience spatial computing without spending a fortune. During the demo, they will learn how to navigate the visionOS operating system, and explore built-in apps such as Apple TV, Photos, and Safari.

The Meta Quest VR headset will soon be able to play spatial videos captured on an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, Meta announced today. The upcoming v62 update will add support for the feature.

Spatial videos can be uploaded to the Meta Quest headset using the Meta Quest mobile app, so that the stereoscopic videos captured on the iPhone 15 Pro models can be relived on Meta's device for those who do not have an Apple Vision Pro.

Spatial videos uploaded to the Meta Quest will be converted to the correct format for playback on the device, and it will be stored in the cloud. Spatial video content can be selected from the Files menu for an immersive viewing experience. Several demo videos are available on the Meta Quest so users can experience what spatial videos are like.

Apple added the ability to capture spatial videos specifically for ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ headset owners. On Apple devices, spatial videos can only be viewed on the Vision Pro headset, which is priced at $3,500. Other products show the spatial videos as standard 2D videos.

We are thrilled to announce support for spatial video playback on Meta Quest! If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, you can now upload spatial videos (a.k.a stereoscopic videos) to your Meta Quest headset using the Meta Quest mobile app--letting you relive the moment with surprising depth. With this new feature, you can experience your memories and media content like never before.

At $500, the Meta Quest is more affordable than the Vision Pro, so the option to watch spatial videos on a lower-cost device might be appealing to some iPhone 15 Pro owners.

For a few months in 2022, Snapchat parent company Snap sold a Pixy selfie camera drone. Sales of the device were lackluster and Snap stopped all plans for further work on the device after a four month period. Still, Snap sold 71,000 of the devices, but now it's recalling all of them.

As noted by The Verge, the batteries in the Pixy are a fire hazard and Snap has issued a recall in partnership with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. The Pixy's battery can overheat, and there have been four reports of battery issues. One incident resulted in a minor battery fire, and a second resulted in a minor injury.

The Pixy was sold on Snapchat's Pixy website and on Amazon between May 2022 and December 2023, with prices ranging from $185 to $250. Snap also sold extra batteries for $16 to $20.

According to the recall notice, customers who purchased a Pixy Flying Camera should remove the battery and stop charging it. Snap is providing refunds for all customers who bought a Pixy.

To get a refund, customers will need to visit the Pixy support site and follow the instructions. Pixy cameras must be returned to Snap, and batteries must be safely disposed of.

Apple's 9th generation 64GB Wi-Fi iPad has hit $249.00 today on Amazon, down from $329.00. You can get this deal in Space Gray and Silver, and there's an estimated February 3 - February 6 delivery date, although that may change depending on your location.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This iPad features a 10.2-inch Retina Display, 12MP front camera and 8MP rear camera, the A13 Bionic chip, and Touch ID. This is the most affordable iPad that Apple sells, and when it's discounted it's an even better deal.

Likewise, the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad is on sale for $379.00, down from $479.00. This one is also available in both Silver and Space Gray, with the same delivery estimates as the 64GB model. It's also a match for the all-time low price on this version of the 9th generation iPad.

If you're interested in the iPad Air, it's worth checking out Best Buy's current sale. Right now you can get every 5th generation iPad Air model for $150 off at Best Buy, with prices starting at $449.99 for the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Images purporting to depict some of the potential color options heading for Apple's 2024 spring accessory refresh have surfaced on the MacRumors forums, providing an early look at what to expect.

The information comes from Apple Watch band collector and MacRumors forums member known as "mikedop," who explained that the pictured Sport Loop units originate from China. mikedop's source referred to the colors as "Navy Blue" and "Emerald," although they noted that these names might not be the official titles. Historically, the exact names of Apple's new color options are often lost in translation prior to their release.

Apple reportedly prototypes around twice as many new color options as it actually releases, so it is not yet known if these ones were approved or not. Apple's annual spring refresh of its accessory colors is likely to launch in early March, perhaps alongside a new iPhone 15 color option.

Apple today announced that over 600 apps with native support for visionOS will be available on the Vision Pro when the headset launches in the U.S. this Friday.

For entertainment, streaming and sports apps like Disney+, IMAX, Max, MLB, NBA, PGA TOUR Vision, and Red Bull TV have all been optimized to take full advantage of the Vision Pro's spatial design elements and immersive capabilities. In addition, soccer fans can subscribe to MLS Season Pass in the Apple TV app.

With the NBA app and an NBA League Pass subscription, for example, Apple says basketball fans can use the Multiview feature to watch up to five broadcasts live or on demand, view real-time stats and scores at a glance, and more.

Other apps optimized for the Vision Pro include Airmail, Box, CARROT Weather, djay, Fantastical, Facades, J.Crew, JigSpace, Lowe's, MindNode, MUBI, Navi, Night Sky, Numerics, OmniFocus, OmniPlan, Parcel, PCalc, Sky Guide, Tides, Voyager by ForeFlight, Wayfair, Webex, Zillow, Zoom, and many others. Microsoft 365 apps like Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, and Word also natively support visionOS.

Apple Arcade subscribers will have access to several optimized games for the Vision Pro, including Super Fruit Ninja, LEGO Builder's Journey, WHAT THE GOLF?, Cut the Rope 3, Jetpack Joyride 2, Patterned, Illustrated, Wylde Flowers, and more.

In addition, more than one million compatible iOS and iPadOS apps will automatically be available on the Vision Pro at launch. These apps have not been optimized for visionOS, so they will have a more iPad-like appearance. In the streaming space, for example, compatible apps that will be available include Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, and Peacock. Other compatible apps include Slack, Todoist, Comcast Xfinity, Sling TV, ESPN, and more.

Tim Cook has been finally pictured wearing the Apple Vision Pro headset. The photographs accompany a Vanity Fair article about the device, which leads on the digital cover of the magazine.

This is the first time the Apple CEO has been seen wearing the device since its unveiling at WWDC 2023 in June. Given that Cook is usually keen to model and be seen using Apple devices, particularly during keynote events and speeches, it's interesting that the company appears to have been a little more reticent to take the same approach with Vision Pro, until now.

The article includes interview quotes from ‌Tim Cook‌, Greg Joswiak, James Cameron, Jon Favreau, and others on their experience with ‌Apple Vision Pro‌, how the headset was developed, and more. Here are some select quotes from the piece, which was written by Nick Bilton:

You can actually lay on your sofa and put the displays on your ceiling if you wish," Cook told me. "I watched the third season of [Ted] Lasso on my ceiling and it was unbelievable!" When I got home and hooked up my own Apple Vision Pro, I watched Ford v Ferrari on my ceiling, and with the spatial audio it felt like Ken Miles’s Ford GT40 was in the room with me. "I think meditation is on a different level than anything I’ve ever experienced, and I've meditated for a long time," Cook said. I've always had trouble meditating, and he was right about that too. "And I use it for productivity," Cook told me.

[...]

"I would say my experience was religious," the director James Cameron told me when I asked him about his first encounter with the Apple Vision Pro. "I was skeptical at first. I don’t bow down before the great god of Apple, but I was really, really blown away."

[...]

If there's one consistent grumble about the Apple Vision Pro, it's about the size and weight. It's around 20 ounces, which might not sound like a lot, because you cook with ounces, you don't necessarily wear them. But that's the same as five sticks of butter—imagine walking around with five sticks of butter on your face all day. Carolina Cruz-Neira, a pioneer of virtual reality, told me that the way a device sits on your face really impacts how you respond to the technology. "I’ve been working in VR for over 30 years, and until we can get the scuba diving mask off your face and we make it less noticeable, we’re not going to make this a mass-adoption technology," Cruz-Neira said. "And the size and weight of these scuba diving masks are not going to be solved in a year."

[...]

"There’s nothing we could have done to make it lighter or smaller," Richard Howarth [Apple VP of industrial design] explained. "This is the state of the art." Everyone else I spoke to at Apple proffered a similar sentiment. "It feels like we've reached into the future and grabbed this product," Joswiak said to me. "You’re putting the future on your face." As did Rockwell, who told me: "We packed just about as much technology as you could possibly pack into that small of a form factor."

You can read the full review on the Vanity Fair website.

‌Apple Vision Pro‌ starts at $3,499 and launches in the U.S. this Friday, February 2. Apple has said the Vision Pro will launch in additional countries later this year.

Apple's iron-clad grasp on the top spot of Fortune's "World's Most Admired Companies" shows no signs of weakening, with the tech giant finishing ahead of the 300+ pack for the 17th consecutive year.

Apple was placed above Microsoft in second place, followed by Amazon in third. All three companies have rounded out the top three for the fifth year in a row. Notably, Nvidia, whose GPU chips are powering servers for generative AI around the world, soared to its highest-ever ranking at number 10.

Fortune ranks companies through a collection of "key attributes of reputation," such as innovation, quality of management, social responsibility, use of corporate assets, financial soundness, quality of products and services, and global competitiveness. Apple topped the list in every category.

As it has in the past, Fortune collaborated with partner Korn Ferry on its survey of corporate reputations.

To select our 50 All-Stars, Korn Ferry asked 3,720 executives, directors, and securities analysts who had responded to the industry surveys to select the 10 companies they admired most. They chose from a list made up of the companies that ranked in the top 25% in last year’s surveys, plus those that finished in the top 20% of their industry. Anyone could vote for any company in any industry.

To see the full ranking of the World's Most Admired Companies, visit Fortune's website.

Apple is putting the final retail preparations in place for the U.S. launch of its Apple Vision Pro headset on Friday, with dedicated areas in flagship retail stores where customers can test out the device. But Apple's Fifth Avenue retail store in New York appears to be getting special treatment, with a giant replica Vision Pro headset being constructed within the glass cube.

Photos shared by 9to5Mac show scaffolding in front of the glowing Apple logo in the giant skylight above the centerpiece stairway down to the store, where a window display is being erected in the distinctive shape of the Vision Pro goggles.

It's unclear whether the display is unique to "The Cube" or is set to appear in other retail stores around the country, but Apple is certainly hoping to make a splash at possibly Apple's most high-profile U.S. store, and the promotional installation is sure to catch the eyes of passersby and further rouse queueing customers in case they weren't excited enough already.

Steve Jobs originally hired firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson to help with the design of Apple's iconic Fifth Avenue store. He and Peter Bohlin worked closely to create the centerpiece stairway made entirely of glass, the material that would become Apple's signature architectural statement in its flagship stores. The Cube boasted 50,000 visitors a week in its first year, and by 2010 grossed more per square foot than any store in the world.

Apple plans to limit sales of the Vision Pro to customers in the United States to start with, before expanding availability to other countries later in the year. The Vision Pro starts at $3,500, and online pre-orders ship to customers on launch day, February 2.

Apple has extended its modem chip licensing agreement with Qualcomm through March 2027, Qualcomm said today during its first earnings call of 2024. Apple's existing agreement has now been extended for two years, so we can expect to see Qualcomm modems in the next several iPhone generations.

Apple has been working on developing its own 5G modem chip in-house for the last several years. The technology would keep it from having to rely on Qualcomm for 5G chips, but Apple's progress has seen several delays.

In November 2023, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple's work on a modem chip had been postponed until late 2025 or 2026, and it is possible it could see further delays. Apple was initially aiming to have an Apple-designed modem chip ready to go by 2024, but it missed that target. The company then wanted to introduce the modem chip in an iPhone SE that would launch in spring 2025, but it will not be able to make that goal either.

Gurman said at the time that Apple was "years away" from creating a chip that is able to perform as well or better than chips from Qualcomm.

Apple has reportedly run into issues with the Intel code that it has been using from its acquisition of Intel's modem chip business. Apple has had to rewrite code, and adding new features has caused existing features to break. Apple also has to avoid infringing on Qualcomm's patents during its modem development.

The upcoming iPhone 16 Pro models set to be released in 2024 are rumored to be using Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 modem with improved carrier aggregation, and a more power efficient transceiver.

The cable that connects the Vision Pro battery pack to the headset for power purposes appears to be fixed in place, but it can in fact be removed if necessary.

Journalist Ray Wong was able to use a SIM card pin to "unlock" the cable, and after he did that, it was able to be removed from the battery pack. There is a small hole located next to the cable, which is apparently a locking mechanism.

The cable that attaches the battery pack to the headset looks similar to a Lightning cable, but it has too many pins to be Lightning. Instead, it is a proprietary cable that won't be able to be connected to other accessories or used for another purpose.

Apple likely made the cable removable so that it can be swapped out without the need to replace the entire battery pack should the cable get damaged in some way.

The Vision Pro ships with one battery, and additional modules can be purchased for $199 each. Each battery powers the Vision Pro for somewhere around two to three hours depending on content. The battery also has a USB-C port that can be used with a USB-C cable for charging the battery, with passthrough charging supported.

Anker today has a new sale on its popular MagSafe-compatible accessories, offering the chance to save 15 percent on these devices when you purchase two or more at once. We're also tracking a similar sale, with a few different products, over at 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.

Anker's sale is on its "MagGo" line of products, which include charging stations and portable power banks, all of which are compatible with any iPhone that has MagSafe. To get the deal, just add two or more of the full-priced products on this page to your cart and you'll automatically get 15 percent off each product.

Note that there are already-discounted products on this page as well, but these do not count toward the buy two, get 15 percent off sale. They are still worth checking out, with a few solid deals on even more MagSafe-compatible accessories, like the popular 3-in-1 MagSafe Charging Cube.

Because of this, we've broken down the sale into two lists below. Note that the prices in the first list represent the discounted price that you'll see after you add two or more products to your cart and head to the checkout screen. Also remember that Amazon has a few of these products in a similar buy two, save 15 percent offer going on right now.

Buy 2, Get 15% Off

• MagGo 321 Battery - $23.79, down from $27.99
• Magnetic 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand - $42.49, down from $49.99
• MagGo Power Bank - $59.49, down from $69.99
• MagGo Magnetic Wireless Charger - $67.99, down from $79.99
• MagGo Magnetic Charging Station - $84.99, down from $99.99
• MagGo Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station - $93.49, down from $109.99

More Anker Discounts

• MagGo 622 Magnetic Battery (5,000 mAh) - $34.99, down from $49.99
• MagGo 621 Magnetic Battery (5,000 mAh) - $36.00, down from $49.99
• MagGo 622 Magnetic Battery (5,000 mAh) - $39.99, down from $49.99
• MagGo 633 Magnetic Battery (10,000 mAh) - $51.99, down from $79.99
• 3-in-1 MagSafe Charging Cube - $134.95, down from $149.95

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.4 update to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of its launch. The public beta comes a day after Apple released the developer beta.

Beta testers can opt-in through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Under Beta updates, simply toggle on the Sonoma Public Beta. Note that you must sign up to participate on Apple's beta testing website.

macOS Sonoma 14.4 introduces some of the features in the iOS 17.4 beta, such as new emoji characters. We don't know what Mac-specific features are included, but nothing new was found in the developer beta.

Apple today released a visionOS 1.0.2 update for the Vision Pro headset, according to developer Nicolás Álvarez. The software comes a week after the release of the visionOS 1.0.1 update.

There is no word on what is included in visionOS 1.0.2, and while the Vision Pro has yet to be released, review units are in the hands of members of the media, and they will be able to download and install this update.

visionOS 1.0.2 addresses a WebKit vulnerability that Apple says may have been actively exploited. The issue was also fixed in visionOS 1.0.1 for developers, but the fix is in visionOS 1.0.2 for those updating from visionOS 1.0.

It is worth noting that Vision Pro owners will have a day one update to install this software when they begin receiving their headsets on Friday.

The Vision Pro will ship with version one of the visionOS software, but we are expecting to see visionOS 2 with new features at WWDC in June.

Webex today announced the launch of its new Webex app that's designed for the Apple TV 4K. The app is designed to allow hybrid workers to join meetings from the biggest screen they have, which is often a television.

Users are able to scan the QR code on the sign-in screen and log in to the Webex app on ‌Apple TV‌ in order to join a meeting. Participating in a chat will require wirelessly connecting an iPhone or iPad to the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K to use the iOS device as a microphone and video camera.

Apple has previously used the iPhone/‌iPad‌ to ‌Apple TV‌ connection for FaceTime, but the functionality is available to third-party apps as well.

Webex says that users can expect "crystal-clear audio and video," with the app offering a preview of video and microphone status ahead of when a meeting is joined. Calendar integration is available, and the Siri Remote can be used for browsing through meetings and accessing in-meeting controls such as the camera on the connected iOS device.

Up to 25 simultaneous attendees can be shown on one screen with the Webex app for the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, and the app can be downloaded from the App Store on the device. To use Webex on a TV, users must have a second-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K or later and an iOS device with either iOS 17 or iPadOS 17.

Apple today added the Mid 2012 model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro to its obsolete products list worldwide, according to its website.

Released in June 2012, this 13-inch MacBook Pro model was the last Mac with a built-in CD/DVD drive sold by Apple, and it remained for sale until October 2016 as a lower-priced option. Apple continues to sell an external SuperDrive for customers who need a CD/DVD drive, but a USB-C adapter is required to use it with modern MacBooks.

Apple considers a device to be "technologically obsolete" once more than seven years have passed since the company last distributed it for sale. Apple says MacBooks "may be eligible for an extended battery-only repair period for up to 10 years from when the product was last distributed for sale, subject to parts availability."

On the software side, Apple dropped support for the Mid 2012 model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with macOS Big Sur in 2020.

Apple discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro entirely last year.

Best Buy today has every model of the 5th generation iPad Air for up to $150 off, with multiple all-time low prices. These deals are available to all shoppers and do not require a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Starting with the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air, you can get this tablet for $449.99, down from $599.99. Best Buy has every color on sale at this record low price, which we haven't tracked since the holidays.

Best Buy also has the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad Air on sale for $599.99, down from $749.99. You'll again find this model on sale in all colors, and it's another all-time low price.

Finally, there are cellular discounts as well during this sale, starting at $599.99 for the 64GB cellular iPad Air and rising to $749.99 for the 256GB cellular iPad Air. Both of these are again $150 discounts and all-time low prices on the iPad Air, and available in every color at Best Buy.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.