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Apple's 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference will primarily be hosted online so that all developers worldwide can attend and interface with Apple employees, but there is an in-person component in the form of a special event at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.

Apple is hosting a keynote viewing party that some developers and students will be able to attend. The event will include the keynote and Platforms State of the Union, plus attendees will be able to meet with Apple experts in labs, explore Apple's campus, and participate in special activities.

At the 2024 WWDC event, developers and students were provided with refreshments to kick off the day, followed by the keynote event. Apple's Platforms State of the Union followed, and then there were ‌Apple Park‌ tours to choose from. The day ended with the Apple Design Awards and a dinner event.

Who Can Attend

Current Apple Developer Program or Apple Developer Enterprise Program members can apply to attend, as can Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni and Swift Student Challenge winners from 2023 to 2025.

350 Swift Student Challenge winners for 2025 are set to be announced on Thursday, March 27. 50 Distinguished Winners will receive an invite to a special three-day experience that includes the special event on June 9, and Distinguished Winners will not need to enter the lottery. The 300 other Swift Student Challenge winners will be able to attend if they win a spot in the lottery.

Both adults and children aged 13 to 17 can apply, but children will need to be accompanied by a legal guardian.

Lottery Selection

Because there is limited space at the ‌Apple Park‌ campus, Apple will choose attendees through a random lottery. Apple says that special event passes are allocated by a random selection process, and tickets are nontransferable.

How to Register to Go

If you're eligible to enter the lottery, you can apply on Apple's developer website. Apple is accepting special event pass requests until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, April 2.

Those who apply will be notified of their request status by the end of the day on Thursday, April 3.

Cost

While Apple is not charging for the viewing event at ‌Apple Park‌, attendees will need to cover their own travel fees, including plane tickets and accommodations at nearby hotels.

Media Attendees

Apple has not yet sent out media invites, but it is likely that select members of the media will be invited to the ‌Apple Park‌ special event.

WWDC 2025 Dates and Viewing Info

WWDC 2025 will take place from Monday, June 9 to Friday, June 13. Developers who are not selected to attend Apple's special event can watch the June 9 keynote on Apple's website or on YouTube.

For those unable to watch the live stream, or who prefer to read a text version of the announcements, we'll have ‌WWDC 2025‌ live coverage here on MacRumors.com and through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account, so make sure to follow.

Apple also plans to share all of the WWDC sessions and events in its Developer app and on its Apple Developer YouTube channel.

Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a "first look" at Apple's upcoming iOS 19 update, providing mockups of what different apps and features will supposedly look like. Prosser claims the mockups are based on "the real deal" version of ‌iOS 19‌ that he has seen, but says he is sharing replica images in order to prevent his sources from getting into trouble.

Confusingly, Prosser's video features some design changes that are "real," and others that he made up as a joke. He includes a Home Screen view with round icons rather than square icons, for example, but at the tail end of the video, he says that's not an accurate depiction of what the icons will look like.

Here's what Prosser has to say about different ‌iOS 19‌ elements:

• Lock Screen - There's no functional change, but there is a visual overhaul. In Prosser's mockup, it looks similar to the current Lock Screen, with some translucency changes to notifications and a more 3D floating look to the buttons.
• Settings and Popups - Menu elements, popups, and buttons have a more rounded aesthetic with a "glassy" styling.
• Apps - App menus and buttons will have the same look with rounded corners, circular design, and floating style modeled after visionOS.
• Keyboard - There's a more rounded design at the top with a visionOS glassy design. Prosser says that the keyboard "almost looks like it's floating."

Prior to today's video, Prosser shared mockups of the Messages and Camera apps, which have the design that he described. There are bubble-shaped floating navigation buttons and softer, rounder corners for interface elements, along with added translucency.

According to Prosser, Apple's Sports app and Invites app offer an inside peek at what the ‌iOS 19‌ redesign will look like, echoing previous discussion about how Apple has already been using glassy buttons and interface elements for its newest apps.

Prosser says that overall, there are no signs of any new major AI features or other significant additions, with ‌iOS 19‌ focusing primarily on design updates.

When unveiling the WWDC 2025 dates today, Apple said that it will announce this year's Swift Student Challenge Winners on Thursday, March 27.

The Swift Student Challenge tasks students with creating an innovative coding project using Swift Playground or Xcode. This year's event began on February 3, and Apple accepted submissions for a three-week period before judging began.

Apple plans to select 350 winners for the 2025 challenge, all of whom will be eligible to attend the June 9 Special Event for WWDC at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. Winners will need to enter a lottery process to get a chance to attend.

Apple will also choose 50 Distinguished Winners that will be recognized for "outstanding submissions." Distinguished Winners will be invited to Cupertino for a three-day experience that will include the Special Event keynote viewing along with other activities, and these winners will not need to enter the lottery to visit ‌Apple Park‌.

Students who entered the challenge can expect to receive an email notifying them about their status later this week.

Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a mockup of what he says the Messages app will look like in iOS 19, demoing an interface with rounded, translucent bubble-shaped navigation buttons at the top and softer, rounder corners for the keyboard and word suggestions.

The return button, a button for going back to the Messages list, and the FaceTime button have a deeper blue shade that has a bit of a glow about it, but Prosser's mockup does not show fundamental changes to the layout. The iMessage demonstration is at 42:50 in the video below, and it lasts for about a minute.

Prosser previously showed off a mockup of what the ‌iOS 19‌ Camera app supposedly looks like, with the updated design featuring visionOS-like translucency for the tool bar that gives more visibility to the underlying photo.

When sharing the Camera app mockup, Prosser said that he based it on the actual ‌iOS 19‌ Camera app that he obtained from unnamed sources. He recreated the design rather than showing actual screenshots, and it appears that's what's been done here as well. Prosser noted that the Messages app and the Home Screen have not seen significant redesigns in ‌iOS 19‌, despite rumors that we're going to see the biggest redesign since iOS 7.

Prosser says that he has an ‌iOS 19‌ video coming tomorrow, where he will share additional info on ‌iOS 19‌'s design.

‌iOS 19‌, iPadOS 19, and macOS Sequoia 16 are rumored to be getting a complete design overhaul, with Apple refreshing menus, system buttons, apps, icons, and more. Apple plans to focus on translucency and rounded buttons, design elements that are taken from visionOS. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the update will "fundamentally change" the look of each operating system while also introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience.

Apple today announced that WWDC 2025 starts June 9, and the logo for the conference hints at iOS 19's rumored new design.

Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will feature a new design that is inspired by visionOS, the software platform for Apple's Vision Pro headset. The new design is expected to include more translucent buttons and menus, with a glass-like appearance. The "25" in this year's WWDC logo also has a subtle visionOS-like appearance.

iPadOS 19 and macOS 16 are also expected to have visionOS-like designs, which would make Apple's software platforms look more uniform.

In January, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a render of a redesigned Camera app that is allegedly planned for iOS 19.

According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the Camera app will have more translucent buttons and menus, along with a larger viewfinder.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the visionOS-like design changes will extend to other interfaces on iOS 19, meaning that the new look with more transparency will likely extend to other Apple apps, notifications, and more.

Gurman believes that iOS 19 will have the most significant design changes since iOS 7.

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 19 during the WWDC 2025 keynote on June 9, so we should get an official look at the new design in a few more months.

Apple today released new firmware for the Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds that came out earlier this year. The updated firmware has a version number of 7B30, an update to the prior 7B24 firmware that Apple seeded out just after the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ 2 launched.

We don't know what's included in the firmware, but the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ 2 have a unique heart rate monitoring feature that's new to Apple earbuds, so it's possible the update is related to that feature.

Along with heart rate monitoring that's done through optical LED sensors in the earbuds, the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ 2 feature Active Noise Cancellation, Personalized Spatial Audio, Apple's H2 chip for connectivity, and a redesigned acoustic architecture that allows for better sound.

The updated firmware can be installed on the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ 2 by connecting them to power and ensuring that they are in Bluetooth range of an iPhone, iPad, or Mac that's connected to Wi-Fi. Firmware can be checked on the ‌iPhone‌ by going to Settings > Bluetooth and tapping the Info button next to the Beats headphones in the list. Android users can download new Beats firmware through the Beats app for Android.

AirPods Pro 2 users in Australia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, and Malaysia will soon have access to the hearing health feature set that Apple has been rolling out for the last several months.

In these countries, ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 owners can take a Hearing Test to check for any hearing loss, and then turn on a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature to enhance sound if there is indeed hearing loss detected. The Hearing Aid option adjusts voices and sounds around the user to improve hearing, and it can also tweak music, videos, and phone calls to optimal sound levels using a personalized hearing profile.

Loud Sound Reduction, another feature, can cut down on loud noise to protect hearing. The ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 provide passive noise reduction, using the H2 chip inside to reduce loud noise at 48,000 times per second. Loud Sound Reduction is enabled automatically in Transparency and Adaptive Audio listening modes.

The Hearing Test can be accessed in the AirPods section of the Settings app when the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 are connected to an iPhone. Hearing Aid capabilities are only available to users with mild to moderate hearing loss.

Apple says that the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are coming to the new countries with the launch of iOS 18.4 and the latest firmware update.

Apple began rolling out the hearing health features with the launch of iOS 18.1. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are available in more than 100 countries and regions.

Update: Apple has also added sleep apnea detection functionality in Malaysia.

Apple today announced that its 36th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will begin on Monday, June 9, and end on Friday, June 13. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2025 will primarily be an online event that is open to all developers, with no associated cost.

Every WWDC begins with a keynote that happens on the first day of the event, and this year's keynote will take place on June 9. Apple will unveil iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16, tvOS 19, watchOS 12, and visionOS 3.

‌WWDC 2025‌ will feature online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about the new software features and how to incorporate those features into their apps. Both the keynote and the online sessions will be available on the Apple Developer app, Apple website, and YouTube.

While ‌WWDC 2025‌ is an online event, Apple is planning a special in-person component for select developers and students. The in-person WWDC event will take place on June 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. Invited attendees will be able to watch the keynote and State of the Union at ‌Apple Park‌, as well as meet with Apple employees.

Current Apple Developer Program members, Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni, prior Swift Student Challenge winners, and current Apple Developer Enterprise Program members can enter to attend the June 9 ‌Apple Park‌ event, and Apple will choose participants through a random lottery.

Apple held its Swift Student Challenge in February this year, and winners are set to be announced soon. Those who are named Distinguished Winners will be invited to Cupertino for a multi-day experience.

Apple plans to provide developers with additional information about ‌WWDC 2025‌ through the Apple Developer app and the Apple Developer website as June approaches.

Apple today announced that Apple Music is now integrated with many DJ software and hardware platforms, allowing DJs with an Apple Music subscription to build and mix sets from Apple Music's catalog of more than 100 million songs.

The popular DJing app djay by Algoriddim already offered Apple Music integration since last year, and additional platforms that are now supported include AlphaTheta, Serato, and inMusic's Engine DJ, Denon DJ, Numark, and RANE DJ. For example, you can now access the entire Apple Music catalog in AlphaTheta's rekordbox app for iPhone and iPad.

"Apple Music support has finally arrived," says the release notes for today's rekordbox update.

The integrations are part of a new "DJ with Apple Music" program, with more DJing platforms likely to participate in the future.

Apple Music has launched a related "DJ with Apple Music" page that spotlights a series of DJ-friendly editorial playlists and more.

"Apple Music is committed to supporting DJs," said Stephen Campbell, Global Head of Dance, Electronic & DJ Mixes at Apple Music, in an emailed press release. "This innovation brings the full power of Apple Music into the creative workflow, making it easier than ever for DJs to access, play, and discover music in real time."

Apple Music Classical was updated today with time-synced listening guides, curated stations, and personalized recommendations on the Home tab of the app.

"Dive deeper with time-synced listening guides for 150+ popular works, enjoy nonstop music with curated stations, and get daily personalized recommendations on Home," says the release notes for Apple Music Classical version 2.2, released today.

Listening guides provide details about classical music in real time, with descriptions appearing on the screen as you listen. At launch, the feature is available for more than 100 works, in English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese.

"From identifying the instruments they're hearing to explaining the drama behind a symphony or a concerto, the expert commentary turns the listening experience into a learning experience by opening doors on some of the most enduring and admired works of classical music," an Apple spokesperson said, in an email.

As for the curated stations, they are arranged by instrument, composer, period, and genre. They are curated by Apple Music Classical's editors.

Last, personalized recommendations improve classical music discovery based on your Apple Music Classical listening history.

"The features in this update are the most significant additions to Apple Music Classical since launch," said Apple Music Classical director Anjali Malhotra.

Apple Music Classical is available in the App Store for the iPhone and iPad, and it also recently became available on the web. Apple Music Classical is also available on CarPlay and Android, but there is still no Mac app for the service.

Apple Music Classical launched in most countries in March 2023, allowing users with a standard Apple Music subscription to stream more than five million classical music tracks, at no additional cost. Apple Music Classical is based on Primephonic, a classical music streaming service that was acquired by Apple in 2021.

Apple is on the cusp of releasing iOS 18.4, which brings Apple Intelligence to the European Union for the first time. However, iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay Screen Sharing is still missing from Apple's RC build of the operating system in the EU because of regulatory concerns.

Apple this week seeded to developers and beta testers its RC (Release Candidate) build of iOS 18.4, which is meant to be a near-final version that, unless major issues are found, will be the same as the public release expected in April.

With the upcoming software update, iPhone and iPad users in the EU will have access to Apple Intelligence features, with the AI suite of features also available in more languages. However, the RC build indicates that Apple is still leaving out iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay Screen Sharing features in the EU due to the regulatory uncertainties brought about by the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

iPhone Mirroring lets users mirror their iPhone to their Mac, while SharePlay Screen Sharing lets users share their iPhone or iPad screen during a FaceTime call, enabling them to watch videos, listen to music, or browse apps together with others. It is not clear how long it will take Apple to expand these features to the EU, nor what changes Apple might have to make to introduce them under the DMA. We've reached out to Apple for comment and will update readers if we hear back.

Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing.

Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1.

Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any major last-minute software bugs. iOS updates are typically released one week after the Release Candidate, and next week will be early April, so that would align with the timeframe that Apple has provided.

There is always a possibility of a Release Candidate 2, however, which could push back the release schedule by up to one more week.

iOS 18.4 is compatible with the iPhone XS series and newer, and it will be available in the Settings app under General → Software Update once it is released.

While the personalized Siri features that were originally expected to launch as part of iOS 18.4 have been delayed, the update still includes a handful of new features. There are a few Apple Intelligence additions, including Priority Notifications, along with an Ambient Music feature in Control Center, new emoji options, support for lossless audio and low-latency audio on AirPods Max with a USB-C port, and more.

• All of the New Features in iOS 18.4
• Top 5 New Features Coming in iOS 18.4
• AirPods Max to Gain Lossless Audio and Low-Latency Audio in iOS 18.4
• iOS 18.4 Adds New Emoji: Face With Eye Bags, Splatter, Fingerprint, Shovel, and More
• Vision Pro App for iPhone Available in iOS 18.4
• iOS 18.4 Lets You Select a Default Maps App in the EU
• iOS 18.4 Includes a Small Change for CarPlay

Other software updates like iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, watchOS 11.4, tvOS 18.4, visionOS 2.4, and more should also be released as soon as next week.

Amazon this week is hosting a "Big Spring Sale," which includes deals and offers on everything from Apple devices to clothes, kitchen electronics, furniture, and much more. The new event is set to run through March 31, so you'll have a few days of discounts to shop, with new markdowns appearing every day.

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 Prime Day-like event has record low prices and great deals on a huge variety of Apple products and related accessories, and in this article we're focusing mainly on Apple devices. Below you'll find big discounts on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and more.

Our Top Picks

• AirTag 4-Pack for $69.99 ($29 off)
• Apple Pencil Pro for $99.00 ($30 off)
• AirPods 4 for $99.99 ($29 off)
• AirPods Pro 2 for $169.99 ($79 off)
• M3 iPad Air for $549.00 ($50 off)

AirPods

Some of the best overall discounts during the Big Spring Sale are on Apple's AirPods, with as much as $79 off select models. This includes the AirPods 4 for just $99.99, the match of the all-time low price on this pair, as well as the popular AirPods Pro 2 for $169.99, the best price of the year so far.

11th Gen iPad

Amazon has a few discounts on Apple's 11th generation iPad during the Big Spring Sale, including all-time low prices on each of the three Wi-Fi configurations of the tablet. Prices start at $328.86 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00.

This sale is available in Silver and Blue, while Pink and Yellow are just a few cents higher. Although this is just a $20 discount, it remains the lowest price we've ever tracked for the new iPad, and right now only Amazon has these record low prices.

M3 iPad Air

Amazon recently introduced even steep discounts on the new M3 iPad Air, offering as much as $70 off these tablets, which just debuted this month. Prices start at $549.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M3 iPad Air, down from $599.00.

One of the most notable new discounts is on the 1TB Wi-Fi 13-inch M3 iPad Air, available for $1,229.00, down from $1,299.00. This one is only available in Space Gray, and it's the deepest pre-order discount we've tracked so far on the M3 iPad Air. Amazon also has the new 13-inch iPad Air Magic Keyboard for $299.99, down from $319.00, which is the accessory's first discount.

11-inch M3 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $549.00, down from $599.00
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $649.00, down from $699.00
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $849.00, down from $899.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,049.00, down from $1,099.00

13-inch M3 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $738.08, down from $799.00
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $849.00, down from $899.00
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,049.00, down from $1,099.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,229.00, down from $1,299.00

iPad Mini 7

Amazon this week is providing record low prices on multiple models of the iPad mini 7, starting at $399.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $499.00. Amazon has all four colors of the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 on sale at this price, and it's a match of the best price we've ever tracked on the tablet.

M4 MacBook Pro

Amazon's Big Spring Sale includes a collection of discounts on Apple's M4 MacBook Pro at Amazon, including as much as $450 off select models of the computer. Deals include both 14-inch and 16-inch models, and the biggest savings will be found on the latter group.

The steepest discount is on the 16-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Max 48GB RAM/1TB), available for $3,549.00, down from $3,999.00. At $450 off this is a new all-time low price on the high-end model. You can get the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro (16GB RAM/512GB) for $1,399.00, down from $1,599.00, which is just a few dollars higher when compared to the all-time low price on the computer.

14-inch MacBook Pro

• M4 10-Core/16GB RAM/512GB - $1,399.00 ($200 off)
• M4 10-Core/16GB RAM/1TB - $1,589.00 ($210 off)
• M4 10-Core/24GB RAM/1TB - $1,779.00 ($220 off)
• M4 Pro 12-Core/24GB RAM/512GB - $1,779.00 ($220 off)
• M4 Pro 14-Core/24GB RAM/1TB - $2,129.00 ($270 off)
• M4 Max 14-Core/36GB RAM/1TB - $2,849.00 ($350 off)

16-inch MacBook Pro

• M4 Pro 14-Core/24GB RAM/512GB - $2,229.00 ($270 off)
• M4 Pro 14-Core/48GB RAM/512GB - $2,591.00 ($308 off)
• M4 Max 14-Core/36GB RAM/1TB - $3,129.00 ($370 off)
• M4 Max 16-Core/48GB RAM/1TB - $3,549.00 ($450 off)

Apple Pencil Pro

Amazon has the Apple Pencil Pro for $99.00, down from $129.00. This is a match for the record low price on the Apple Pencil Pro, and it's a deal that doesn't typically stick around long on Amazon, so if you've been waiting for it to return, be sure to check it out soon.

AirTag

Amazon has the AirTag 4-Pack on sale for $69.99, down from $99.00. This is a solid second-best price, and you can find the 1-Pack on sale as well on Amazon, available for $24.00, down from $29.00.

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.

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The European Commission is set to close its year-long investigation into Apple's default browser choice screen on iPhones in the EU after the company made changes to comply with the requirements in the Digital Markets Act (via Reuters).

The Commission launched a non-compliance investigation in March last year under the DMA, concerned that Apple's design of the web browser choice screen could be preventing users from properly exercising their choice of alternative default apps to Safari.

With iOS 17.4. Apple made it so that users in the EU who open Safari for the first time are presented with a choice screen that allows them to opt for a new default browser from a list of popular alternatives in their country. However, browser companies have been openly critical of the way Apple originally designed the screen, and the Commission's probe was conducted in consultation with those companies.

The browser companies encouraged regulators to push for a stronger implementation to level the competitive playing field, and it sounds like they got the improvements they wanted. Apple made several changes to the screen in question last October with the release of iOS 18.2.

Apple had good reason to abide by its DMA requirements. In cases of infringement, the Commission can impose fines up to 10% of the company's total worldwide turnover. Such fines can go up to 20% in case of repeated infringement under the DMA. The Commission also has the power to adopt "additional remedies" such as "obliging a gatekeeper to sell a business or parts of it," or banning the company from acquisitions of additional services related to the non-compliance.

Apple is still under non-compliance investigation by the Commission for anti-steering rules. The probe is looking at whether the company allows developers to "steer" users away from its App Store and link to alternate payment methods.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has praised the artificial intelligence models developed by Chinese start-up DeepSeek, as the company moves closer to launching Apple Intelligence on the Chinese mainland pending regulatory approval, the South China Morning Post reports.

Speaking at the China Development Forum in Beijing, a state-organized annual event designed to attract global investment, Cook reportedly referred to DeepSeek's AI models as "excellent." He did not elaborate on whether Apple would pursue a partnership with the company. Cook previously commented during Apple's January earnings call that "innovation that drives efficiency is a good thing," in reference to AI companies like DeepSeek, which have been able to deliver impressive performance with lower cost and compute requirements.

DeepSeek has been praised for developing large language models that achieve comparable results to those from U.S. firms such as OpenAI, while requiring significantly fewer resources. The firm claims that its R1 model was developed in just two months with a total cost of $5.6 million.

In February, it was reported that Apple had reached an agreement with Alibaba Group to integrate the Chinese conglomerate's Qwen models into ‌Apple Intelligence‌ for mainland users. The company is also believed to be in talks with Baidu to serve as an additional provider of large language models for the Chinese market.

In addition to his comments on AI, Cook announced plans to expand Apple's cooperation with the China Development Research Foundation, alongside continued investments in clean energy development. Throughout his visit, Cook posted updates on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, showcasing a range of Apple products being used in classrooms, creative environments, and more.

Cook's comments mark a continuation of Apple's intensified focus on the Chinese market at a time when the company is facing declining iPhone shipments and heightened competition from domestic brands. Apple's smartphone shipments in China are believed to have fallen by 25% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2024, while annual shipments dropped 17% to 42.9 million units, placing Apple behind local competitors Vivo and Huawei.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple's AirPods 4 and second-generation AirPods Pro have an Adaptive Audio feature that includes Adaptive Noise Control, Personalized Volume, and Conversation Awareness, which are all features that adjust sound and Active Noise Cancellation in response to the environment around you. If you haven't used Adaptive Audio, it could be worth a look – especially since iOS 18 allows you more control over the feature.

What is Adaptive Audio?

Adaptive Audio on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 combines three powerful features. Adaptive Noise Control intelligently blends Transparency and Active Noise Cancellation based on your environment. Personalized Volume automatically adjusts audio levels according to your preferences and surroundings. Meanwhile, Conversation Awareness lowers volume and enhances voices when you're speaking with someone.

Prior to iOS 18, Adaptive Audio was an all-or-nothing setting, but with an iPhone or iPad with up-to-date software, you can customize how aggressively these features respond to your environment.

How to Customize Adaptive Audio

1. Connect your AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods 4 to your iPhone running iOS 18 or later.
2. Open the Settings app.
3. Tap your AirPods at the top of the Settings menu.
4. Tap Adaptive in the "Noise Control" menu, then scroll down to the "Audio" menu sub-section and tap Adaptive Audio.
5. Use the slider to adjust between Less Noise and More Noise.

Moving the slider toward "Less Noise" will strengthen noise cancellation, while moving it toward "More Noise" will allow more ambient sound to filter through when Adaptive Noise Control is active.

When Would You Use This?

This customization is particularly useful in varying environments. If you commute on noisy public transport but still want to hear announcements, you might prefer a middle setting. If you work in an open office and need to focus while still being able to hear your desk phone, you could slide toward "More Noise." If you're studying in a coffee shop but find even small distractions pull your focus, you might try "Less Noise."

Apple has been tying AirPods updates to iOS updates in recent years. In iOS 18, for example, Apple added a suite of hearing health capabilities that test for hearing issues and allow AirPods Pro 2 to be used as a hearing aid if problems are detected. Looking ahead, Apple says that AirPods will gain a new live translation feature later this year.

Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4.

For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Codec), which result in some data loss. Then, there are lossless compression standards like Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC), which preserve all of the original data. The entire Apple Music catalog of more than 100 million songs is encoded in both AAC and ALAC.

In a post on X today, Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak said lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio are the "ultimate" audio upgrades for the AirPods Max, promising "mind-blowing sound quality." However, this marketing claim appears to be at odds with what Apple states in a support document on its website.

In the document, Apple says AAC already delivers audio that is "virtually indistinguishable" from an original studio recording. Accordingly, the company also says "the difference between AAC and lossless audio is virtually indistinguishable."

If lossless audio offers no major improvement over AAC, according to Apple, then calling it an "ultimate" upgrade is unjustified marketing hype.

As for lower latency, that does not directly impact sound quality.

All in all, lossless audio is far less significant of an upgrade than Joswiak is making it out to be, as Apple admits on its very own website.

Update — March 25: While the increased sound quality of lossless audio is not perceptible to everyone, it is worth keeping in mind that the upgrade will unlock another benefit when paired with ultra-low latency. According to Apple's announcement, these two upgrades combined will make the AirPods Max with a USB-C port the only headphones that enable musicians to both create and mix in Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking.

Some Mac users who have an M4 MacBook Air or M4 Max/M3 Ultra Mac Studio are unable to update to the latest macOS 15.4 beta that came out today, according to complaints on Reddit.

Multiple people have reported that attempting to download and install the macOS 15.4 release candidate results in an error message. "macOS could not be downloaded. Make sure you're connected to the internet and try again, or contact Apple support for assistance," reads the error.

It turns out that Apple failed to provide the appropriate decryption key for the M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌ models to install the update. Apple encrypts its software updates and a server-side decryption key is required for installation. The key for new Macs is not available from Apple's software server at this time.

If you have one of the new Macs that's running the software that it came with when it arrived, you won't be able to update to the macOS Sequoia 15.4 release candidate until Apple fixes the issue.

This problem will not affect new ‌MacBook Air‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌ models that were previously running macOS 15.4 beta 4, as these machines can install the release candidate.