In honor of Black History Month this February, Apple today unveiled a new Black Unity Collection, consisting of a special-edition Black Unity Sport Loop for the Apple Watch, a Unity Rhythm watch face, and matching iPhone and iPad wallpapers.
The new Black Unity Sport Loop is available to order today, and the watch face and wallpapers will be available in the upcoming iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and watchOS 11.3 software updates, according to the band's product page. The updates are expected to be released this week, following more than a month of beta testing.
Apple said the collection is "inspired by the rhythm of humanity," with Black creatives and allies at Apple collaborating on the designs.
"The collection, Unity Rhythm, weaves together the colors of the Pan-African flag: black, green, and red," added Apple's press release. "The Black Unity Sport Loop is woven in a custom pattern of raised and recessed loops that creates a lenticular effect, revealing green on one side of each loop, and red on the other."
The new Unity Rhythm watch face features "custom numerals formed by intertwined threads of red, green, and yellow." When a user raises their wrist to check the time, the abstract brush strokes seamlessly transform into digits.
The matching iPhone and iPad wallpapers feature the word "Unity" in the same custom lettering.
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Apple is reportedly developing a version of visionOS – its operating system for Apple Vision Pro – that will work with smart glasses, as part of continuing efforts to expand its AR product lineup beyond a cumbersome headset with something that has wider appeal.
According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, the Vision Pro has so far been a flop. Many users find the $3,500 headset too heavy for extended use, expensive, and prone to overheating, relegating it to niche status. Interest in the device has reportedly waned since its launch, with sales falling short of Apple's expectations.
In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman reports that Apple's Vision Products Group is looking beyond the Vision Pro and considering launching smart glasses comparable to Meta's Ray-Ban collaboration. Executives involved in the effort reportedly don't think a product will be ready for three years or more, with plenty of research still to be done.
To that end, the company is currently conducting user studies at its offices "to gauge the appeal of features and interfaces," and is already working on a version of visionOS that will run on glasses, reports Gurman. Codenamed "Atlas," the studies are being led by Apple's Product Systems Quality team, part of the hardware engineering division.
The work continues at a secretive facility in Santa Clara, a town away from the company's home base in Cupertino. Apple laid off some employees from the site last year, while the remaining staff work on AR technology. Apple also has a manufacturing facility there to test future screens.
Apple still plans to revamp the Vision Pro headset to broaden its appeal, first by releasing a lower-end device with less expensive components. Apple is aiming to sell the more affordable model at the price of a high-end iPhone, which retails for up to $1,600. The aim was to release it at the end of 2024, but Apple is still working on a firm prototype.
Separately, Apple is also said to be working with Sony to bring support for PlayStation VR2 hand controllers to the Vision Pro for gaming purposes. The two have been collaborating for several months, and could bring VR controller support to the Vision Pro as an optional feature.
WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will allow iOS users to log into the encrypted messaging platform through different accounts within the same app, reports WABetaInfo.
Previously, the multi-account ability was only available for beta testers on Android, but now TestFlight app users on iOS have access to the feature, which should make it possible to manage more than one personal or business account on the same device. Notably, the feature will eliminate the need for users to use the WhatsApp Business app to access a separate account.
Based on WhatsApp beta 25.2.10.70, users will be able to either set up the device as a primary account or by scanning a QR code to link the new account to an existing one as a "companion" account. Notifications, chats, backups, and settings will reportedly remain distinct for each account, and users will be able to seamlessly switch from one to the other without the need for separate devices.
Instagram, also owned by Meta, already lets users switch between multiple accounts within the same app, so this addition to WhatsApp will bring more feature parity across the platforms. It's still unclear when multi-account support for WhatsApp will roll out to the public, but its appearance in beta suggests we shouldn't have to wait too long. There's still no sign of an iPad app, mind.
Separately, Meta recently announced that it added WhatsApp to Accounts Center, the company's hub for managing how user information is used across its platforms. The option means users can now adjust their settings from one place and share their status updates across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
If you still need convincing about the tech industry's current obsession with thinness, check out these images from Oppo's recent social media marketing spree, which has been busy hyping up the slimness of its upcoming Find N5 foldable by comparing it to Apple devices, including an iPhone 16 Pro Max and an M4 iPad Pro.
Oppo Find N5 (left) compared to iPhone 16 Pro Max
The latest images shared by the Chinese company suggest that when opened up, the Find N5 is about half as thick as an iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is 8.25mm thick. The image makes the device look barely thicker than its USB-C port. Indeed, Find series product manager Zhou Yibao has suggested that the obstacle to making it any thinner is now "the limit of the charging port."
That would seem to back up Oppo's claim that the Find N5 is the "world's thinnest foldable" – a title currently held by the Honor Magic V3, which is 4.35mm thick when unfolded. Reports suggest the Find N5 is around 4mm thick. For reference a USB-C port is 2.6mm at minimum. The company has previously compared the Find N5 to two Chinese yuan coins and a stack of four ID cards. Recently surfaced images also show that the device will have a cut-down camera bump on the back.
Oppo Find N5 (left) compared to iPhone 16 Pro Max
If you've been following our coverage, you've probably heard that for the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup, Apple is expected to replace the standard iPhone "Plus" model with an iPhone "Air," so-called because of its purported thinness.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the iPhone 17 Air will be about two millimeters thinner than the current iPhone 16 Pro, putting it at around 6.25mm, which would make it Apple's thinnest iPhone to date. Analyst Jeff Pu has also suggested that the upcoming iPhone will be around 6mm thick, but The Information has said it will be between 5mm and 6mm thick.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the iPhone 17 Air will be 5.5mm thick at its thinnest point, which likely means that it will have a 5.5mm chassis with a thicker rear camera bump area.
The thinnest iPhone we've seen so far was the iPhone 6, which measured in at 6.9mm. iPhones got thicker with the iPhone X and beyond, as Apple increased thickness to provide more space for the battery, camera lenses, Face ID hardware, and more.
Oppo Find N5 compared to Apple's "thinnest product ever"
Oppo has not officially specified the launch date for the Find N5, which is expected to be re-branded as the OnePlus Open 2 for its US release, but it is set to be released sometime in February. Apple's "iPhone 17 Air" will likely launch alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 series around Apple's typical mid-September time frame.
A new China-based AI chatbot challenger called DeepSeek has reached the number one position on Apple's App Store free charts in multiple countries, including the US, raising questions about Silicon Valley's perceived leadership in artificial intelligence development.
Released last week, the iOS app has garnered attention for its ability to match or exceed the performance of leading AI models like ChatGPT, while requiring only a fraction of the development costs, based on a research paper released on Monday.
DeepSeek has not raised money from outside funds or made significant moves to monetize its R1 model, which the company claims is on par with GPT-4o and Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet. The Chinese AI startup behind the model was founded by hedge fund manager Liang Wenfeng, who claims they used just 2,048 Nvidia H800s and $5.6 million to train R1 with 671 billion parameters, a fraction of what OpenAI and Google spent to train comparably sized models. For example, Microsoft and Meta alone have committed over $65 billion each this year largely to AI infrastructure. Just last week, OpenAI said it was creating a joint venture with Japan's SoftBank, dubbed Stargate, with plans to spend at least $100 billion on AI infrastructure in the US.
Investor Marc Andreessen is already calling DeepSeek "one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs" for its ability to show its work and reasoning as it addresses a user's written query or prompt. DeepSeek has also taken an open-source approach, allowing developers to freely inspect and build upon its technology.
What's particularly notable is that DeepSeek apparently achieved this breakthrough despite US export restrictions on advanced AI chips to China. The company's success suggests Chinese developers have found ways to create more efficient AI models with limited computing resources, potentially challenging the assumption that cutting-edge AI development requires massive computing infrastructure investments.
The emergence of DeepSeek has already sparked debate in Silicon Valley. While some view it as a concerning development for US technological leadership, others, like Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, suggest it could benefit the entire AI industry by making model training more accessible and accelerating real-world AI applications.
The app's success has already impacted financial markets, with some AI-related stocks experiencing volatility as investors reconsider the necessity of extensive capital expenditure for AI development. Shares of Nvidia for example slid 10% in premarket trading on Monday on the news of DeepSeek's popularity.
With Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE launch inching ever closer, new alleged dummy models have emerged online that give us further clarification on some of the details of the device.
Leaker Majin Bu shared these images on X (Twitter), along with a short video showing off the mockups, which are non-functional devices that case makers create based on information that leaks out of Apple's partner factories.
There have been conflicting rumors about whether the next iPhone SE will have a Dynamic Island or a notch, but the latter is looking increasingly likely. Despite the Island claims, the black and white mockups depicted show the older notch design with the selfie camera just left of center, backing up rumors that the device is largely based on the iPhone 14. There's also a single-lens camera on the back, as expected, along with a glass back and a aluminum band.
Suggestions that the iPhone SE 4 could get an Action Button or Camera Control button also appear off the mark, based on these mockups, which are very similar to images previously shared by leaker Sonny Dickson.
Along with the visible features from the dummy model, the iPhone SE 4 is expected to include a faster A18 chip, an Apple-designed modem chip, and 8GB RAM – the minimum amount of memory required for Apple Intelligence. The camera is expected to be the same 48-megapixel Wide camera used in the current iPhone 16.
Apple is expected to debut the next iPhone SE sometime in March or April, and it will continue to be the company's lowest-cost device. It could go up in price slightly, but Apple is said to be aiming to keep it below $500.
Apple continues to explore the idea of releasing camera-equipped AirPods in the future, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman only briefly mentioned the possibility of AirPods gaining tiny cameras, as part of his Power On newsletter intro this week, focused on Apple's future wearables ambitions. He did not explain what the cameras would be used for.
The tiny cameras would not be for taking photos, but rather serve as infrared sensors.
In a June 2024 blog post, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple planned to mass produce new AirPods with infrared cameras by 2026. He said the infrared camera component would be similar to the iPhone's Face ID receiver.
Kuo said the new AirPods with infrared cameras would provide an enhanced spatial audio experience with the Apple Vision Pro headset.
"For example, when a user is watching a video with Vision Pro and wearing this new AirPods, if users turn their heads to look in a specific direction, the sound source in that direction can be emphasized to enhance the spatial audio/computing experience," wrote Kuo.
The infrared cameras could potentially enable "in-air gesture control" as well, allowing for device interaction with hand movements.
If the alleged 2026 mass production timeframe remains on schedule, the new AirPods with infrared cameras could launch in 2026 or 2027.
A conceptual render of Apple's rumored smart home hub
Gurman believes the home hub will be "Apple's most significant release of the year," as it represents the company's "first step toward a bigger role in the smart home." In his newsletter, he said the device will be like a "smaller and cheaper iPad" that lets users "control appliances, conduct FaceTime chats, and handle other tasks."
Both a HomePod with a screen and an Apple home hub have been rumored by several sources, and it sounds like they are the same product.
Last month, for example, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a new HomePod with a 6-to-7-inch display, an A18 chip, and Apple Intelligence support would enter mass production in the second half of 2025. Kuo said smart home capabilities would be a core aspect of the device, which aligns with the home hub rumors.
Gurman previously reported that the hub can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. He said the device will run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and revolve around Siri, Apple Intelligence, and HomeKit. The hub could double as a home security system by displaying camera footage, and a built-in camera would allow for FaceTime video calls.
Apple's hub would compete with products like Google's Nest Hub and Amazon's Echo Show. It is unclear if Apple will actually use HomePod branding for the device, or if it will opt for an all-new name, such as the Apple Home.
Apple's retail stores will be rolling out "merchandise/floor marketing updates" next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman did not explicitly say if the store updates are related to any upcoming product announcements, but he did mention that next week is around the time that Apple rolls out its annual Black Unity watch band for the Apple Watch.
In each of the past four years, Apple has announced a Black Unity campaign in the second half of January, and this has typically included a new Apple Watch band, Apple Watch face, and iPhone wallpaper featuring the colors of the Pan-African flag. We recently discovered that the upcoming tvOS 18.3 update for the Apple TV has a new UNITY25 reference hidden within its code, which suggests that the Black Unity campaign may continue in 2025. If so, it is likely that Apple will make an announcement about it next week.
It is unclear if there will be any other product announcements next week beyond a new Black Unity band. Apple is expected to announce updated MacBook Air models with the M4 chip in early 2025, and Powerbeats Pro 2 are also coming soon, but Gurman did not mention anything beyond a potential Black Unity band in his social media post today.
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.3, macOS 15.3, and other software updates next week, following more than a month of beta testing.
Cross your fingers that the merchandise updates means that Apple will have a busy week ahead, but keep your expectations tempered.
Last week, Woot brought back a massive sale on the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop bands for Apple Watch, and the sale has now been extended through January 31. All bands are in brand new condition and come with a one year Apple limited warranty.
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You can get the Solo Loop for just $19.99 ($29 off) and the Braided Solo Loop for $29.99 ($69 off). Because the sale has been going on for a few weeks now, some colors and sizes of the Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop are selling out, so be sure to place your order soon if you want one of these cheap bands.
Shoppers should note that this sale is focused on colors of the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop that Apple has stopped selling, and it doesn't include any of the new band colors. That being said, all of the bands in this sale are in new condition.
The entire sale is focused on Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop Apple Watch bands, so you'll need to know the size that works best for you before you buy. Apple has a measurement tool on its website that you can use to determine your exact size.
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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After hanging on to my iPhone 14 Pro for a few years, I will likely upgrade to an iPhone 17 model this year. Typically, I only consider the Pro models, but the rumored iPhone 17 Air sounds intriguing. After reflecting on rumors, I have realized that upgrading to this device might not have as many compromises as I first thought.
Of course, the iPhone 17 Air is not yet official. Apple should announce the device in September, and rumors could change between now and then. Below, I have compared the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 17 Air as things currently stand.
Display
The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to have a 6.6-inch OLED display, which would be considerably larger than the iPhone 14 Pro's 6.1-inch OLED display.
ProMotion, the feature that enables a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz for smoother video and scrolling, has been limited to the Pro models since it debuted on the iPhone 13 Pro models. However, the iPhone 17 Air is also rumored to support ProMotion, so going down to a non-Pro model would no longer require giving up 120Hz.
Like the iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have Face ID and a Dynamic Island, so you would not have to settle for a notch again.
A bonus with the iPhone 17 Air: It should have significantly thinner bezels around the screen.
Thickness and Weight
The main selling point of the iPhone 17 Air should be its ultra-thin, aluminum design. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the device will measure just 5.5mm at its thinnest point, which would make it the thinnest iPhone ever.
iPhone 14 Pro models are among Apple's heaviest iPhones, having not yet benefited from the newer titanium design with tapered edges introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro models. Users upgrading from an iPhone 14 Pro to an iPhone 17 Air should notice a remarkable improvement in thinness, lightness, and pocketability.
Battery Life
Okay, but that ultra-thin design means that battery life will take a considerable hit, right?
Not necessarily.
While exact battery life specs remain to be seen, remember that the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display, which would make the device physically larger than the iPhone 14 Pro. That means more internal space for a larger battery, so the iPhone 17 Air's battery life might not be as bad as one might think.
Also keep in mind that the iPhone 14 Pro is a few years old now. Not only did Apple make power efficiency improvements on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, but even further advancements are likely with the iPhone 17 models.
Cameras
If photography is important to you, the iPhone 17 Air's rear camera system will likely be one of its biggest downsides. The device is rumored to be equipped with only a single 48-megapixel rear camera, with no dedicated Telephoto or Ultra Wide cameras.
That said, upgrading from an iPhone 14 Pro to an iPhone 17 Air might not be all that bad in this department. While it may lack a Telephoto camera, it will likely have Apple's so-called "Fusion" camera, which enables a 2x "optical-quality" Telephoto option. "Optical-quality" is not true optical zoom, but it is meaningfully better than blurry digital zoom.
There will undoubtedly still be a lot of advanced camera features that remain limited to the Pro models, but the iPhone 17 Air will likely be a perfectly fine choice for casual users who mostly take point-and-shoot photos.
One plus is that the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to have a 24-megapixel front camera, whereas the iPhone 14 Pro has a 12-megapixel front camera.
That means you will have access to tools that can help you to write, summarize your notifications, create custom emoji, automatically remove objects from the backgrounds of photos, and more. A variety of Siri enhancements are also coming in iOS 18.4, including on-screen awareness, understanding of personal context, and deeper per-app controls.
Other Specs
Beyond having a larger display and a thinner design, the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to have many other upgraded specs compared to the iPhone 14 Pro:
A19 chip (vs. A16 Bionic chip)
USB-C port (vs. Lightning port)
8GB of RAM (vs. 6GB)
Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 (vs. Wi-Fi 6)
On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Air's single speaker would be a downgrade.
While this has yet to be rumored, the iPhone 17 Air is also likely to have an Action button, in place of the iPhone 14 Pro's Ring/Silent switch. It is less clear if the iPhone 17 Air will have a Camera Control button, but given that the feature is available on all four iPhone 16 models, it seems like there is a decent chance that it will.
One more thing to keep in mind is that the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be eSIM-only, with no physical SIM card slot. If you purchased your iPhone 14 Pro in the U.S., this won't matter, as that model is already eSIM-only there. In other countries, it is a change to take into consideration, but note that the entire iPhone 17 lineup might be eSIM-only in more countries regardless. It is a change that you will have to face eventually.
Rumors about upcoming Apple hardware updates continue to circulate, with the iPhone 17 lineup, iPhone SE 4, and new Powerbeats Pro all in the news over the past week.
On the software side, the public release of iOS 18.3 and related updates is right around the corner while we got a potential first glimpse at what could be some design tweaks for iOS 19 later this year, so read on below for all the details!
Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be
Apple is rumored to be releasing an ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air" later this year, and one recent rumor claims it could be just 5.5mm thick. To provide an idea of just how thin this would be, we've mocked up what such a device would look like compared to the current iPhone 16 Pro Max at 8.25mm and the 13-inch iPad Pro at just 5.1mm.
In other iPhone 17 rumors, an alleged photo of a pair of rear shells for an upcoming iPhone model appeared this week, with the model presumably being the iPhone 17 Air considering it appears to only feature one rear camera. The unique design includes a horizontal bar across the top of the rear shell, so we'll have to see whether or not this turns out to be accurate.
Here Are Apple's Full Release Notes for iOS 18.3
Apple seeded release candidate versions of iOS 18.3 and related updates this week, suggesting a full public release is likely to come next week.
Despite a recent rumor that Apple could call the new model the "iPhone 16E," code leaked by Blass refers to the device as "iPhone SE (4th Gen)." That could be a placeholder, but it still casts more uncertainty on the 16E naming possibility.
A purported image of the upcoming devices also depicts the fourth-generation iPhone SE as having a Dynamic Island rather than a notch at the top of the display. There have been conflicting rumors about which way the next iPhone SE will go on that front, so we'll have to wait and see on that one as well.
iOS 19 Rumored to Feature Redesigned Camera App Inspired by visionOS
Prosser obtained video of the alleged new Camera app, but he elected to share his own re-created images to protect his sources. The images reveal that the app will allegedly gain translucent menus for various camera controls, with the design of these menus looking very similar to the visionOS interface on the Apple Vision Pro headset.
Powerbeats Pro 2 Coming Soon: Apple to Announce Them 'Imminently'
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon.
In his Power On newsletter this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is planning to hold product briefings with the media "in a week or so" to go over the new features of the wireless earbuds.
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Samsung this week announced the Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25+, and the top-of-the-line Galaxy S25 Ultra. The new devices will directly compete with Apple's iPhone 16 and upcoming iPhone 17 lineup.
Similar to the iPhone 16, AI is a major focus for the S25 lineup, with Samsung touting a new "Personal Data Engine" with a Dynamic Island-like "Now Bar" with a "Now Brief" that guides users through their day, Circle to Search, generative photo editing, context-aware searches with suggested actions, improved natural language understanding, third-party integrations via Gemini, Portrait Studio, and more.
Samsung also previewed the all-new "Galaxy S25 Edge," a super-thin variant of the S25 set to launch in the first half of 2025. It appears to be positioned as a direct rival to Apple's upcoming "iPhone 17 Air," which is expected to be the thinnest iPhone ever at just 6mm and a radical departure from previous devices with a 6.6-inch display with ProMotion, a single speaker, a single rear camera, and Apple's custom 5G modem.
Finally, Samsung unveiled its upcoming "Project Moohan" AR/VR headset, which it has designed in collaboration with Google. It is intended to compete with Apple's Vision Pro and bears a striking similarity to it in terms of design.
If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about all of Apple's expected hardware announcements for 2025.
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This week's deals-related headliner is focused on Samsung's new lineup of Galaxy S25 smartphones, with as much as $1,250 in savings when you pre-order these devices before their February launch. Otherwise, you can also still find great all-time low prices on Apple's AirTag 4-Pack, M3 MacBook Air, and M4 iMac.
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.
Samsung
What's the deal? Save up to $1,250 when pre-ordering the new Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphones
Samsung announced its new lineup of Galaxy S25 smartphones this week, and you can find multiple pre-order discounts and offers on Samsung's website. This includes up to $1,250 in trade-in credits and Samsung credits when pre-ordering the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Amazon and Best Buy introduced solid discounts across the M3 MacBook Air lineup this week, starting at $899.00 for the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air, and including a few 15-inch models as well.
M4 iMacs are still available at up to $175 off this week on Amazon, starting at $1,194.00 for the 256GB model in multiple colors.
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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A private account on social media platform X today leaked the final build number for Apple's upcoming iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 updates: 22D61. That is a very slight change compared to the 22D60 build number for the iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 Release Candidates, which are essentially the final beta versions of each update.
The account has a good track record of sharing iOS-related information, but it has had some occasional misses. We continue to respect the account owner's request to not link to its posts, as they wish to remain anonymous and maintain a low profile.
The change suggests that iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 could include a very minor, last-minute change or two. Exactly what those changes might be remains to be seen, but we can speculate about one possibility: a 2025 Black Unity collection.
In each of the past four years, Apple has announced a Black Unity campaign in the second half of January, and this has typically included a new Apple Watch band, Apple Watch face, and iPhone wallpaper featuring the colors of the Pan-African flag. We recently discovered that the upcoming tvOS 18.3 update for the Apple TV has a new UNITY25 reference hidden within its code, which suggests that the Black Unity campaign may continue in 2025. If so, it is likely that Apple will make an announcement about it next week.
February is Black History Month in the United States, and Apple typically features content from Black creators across apps like Apple Books and Apple Podcasts.
In 2021 and 2022, Apple announced its Black Unity campaign just hours before it released watchOS 7.3 and watchOS 8.3, respectively, with a corresponding Black Unity watch face. Starting in 2023, and continuing in 2024, Apple included a matching iPhone wallpaper as well. As a result, it mentioned the Black Unity wallpaper in its release notes for the iOS 16.3 and iOS 17.3 Release Candidates in those years.
Apple's release notes for the iOS 18.3 Release Candidate made no mention of a Black Unity wallpaper, but perhaps it is something that will still arrive in the final iOS 18.3 release, and this could explain the revised build number.
iOS 18 adoption is on pace with iOS 17 adoption last year, according to iOS 18 adoption statistics provided by Apple. iOS 18 is installed on 76 percent of iPhones introduced in the last four years, while 63 percent of iPads from the last four years are running iPadOS 18.
68 percent of all iPhones have iOS 18 installed, and 53 percent of all iPads have iPadOS 18 installed.
For all iPhones, 19 percent are still running iOS 17 and 13 percent are running an earlier version of iOS. For all iPads, 28 percent are running iPadOS 17 and 19 percent are running an earlier version of iPadOS.
This is the first time that Apple has provided insight into iOS 18 adoption numbers since the operating system was released last September.
Last year, iOS 17 was installed on 76 percent of iPhones from the last four years as of February 5, with 66 percent of all iPhones running the update. 61 percent of iPads from the last four years had iPadOS 17 installed, while 53 percent of all iPads were running the software.
iOS 18 adoption is about the same as iOS 17 adoption, but it is worth noting that Apple is sharing the numbers slightly earlier this year. iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 are expected to see a launch next week, which could push more people to upgrade to the operating system.
Major new Siri features are also coming to Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhones with an iOS 18.4 update that's expected in April, so iOS 18 adoption could see another major jump at that time.
iOS 18 is available to iPhones that are up to six years old, as it is compatible with the iPhone XS/XR and later. Apple Intelligence features are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, however, which could discourage some iPhone users with older devices from updating.
Apple is making an internal staffing change that it hopes will improve Siri and its artificial intelligence offerings, reports Bloomberg. Kim Vorrath, a 37-year Apple veteran, will join the AI team to work under AI chief John Giannandrea.
Vorrath is a program management VP, and has a reputation for meticulously managing software projects at Apple and ensuring employees meet deadlines. She has been described as Apple's "bug wrangler" and as a "powerful force" in the company. For the last few years, she has been working on Apple's AR/VR team developing the Vision Pro headset, but now she is being moved to AI.
The news comes just after a widely circulated story about Siri's failure to accurately provide basic knowledge about Super Bowl results. Siri has long been seen as inferior to other personal assistants, and in recent years, Siri has been unable to measure up to AI-based chatbots.
Apple attempted to improve Siri by integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence, but there are still serious problems with Siri. Additional Siri features are going to be coming in the near future as part of an iOS 18.4 update, and in iOS 19, Apple is rumored to be planning to introduce an LLM version of Siri that will be comparable to ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.
According to Bloomberg, Vorrath's move to the AI team is a signal that the company sees AI as more important than the Vision Pro. Vorrath is known for organizing engineering groups and redesigning workflows with new processes.
In a memo announcing the change, Giannandrea said that Apple plans to focus on improving the Siri infrastructure as well as Apple's in-house AI models.
On social media, he said that he is expecting the size of the Dynamic Island to remain "largely unchanged" across the iPhone 17 lineup. His statement is contrary to prior rumors that we've heard about planned changes for the iPhone 17 models.
Analyst Jeff Pu said several times last year that Apple would adopt a "metalens" for Face ID on the iPhone 17 Pro, resulting in a "much narrowed" Dynamic Island, but it sounds like that might not happen after all.
Apple first introduced the Dynamic Island with the 2022 iPhone lineup, and it has changed little since then. There have been persistent rumors suggesting Apple is eventually aiming to have a much smaller cutout that provides more available screen space, but it is not clear Apple will be able to make that hardware change.
While the iPhone 17 models might not get a new look for the Dynamic Island, Apple is planning to make other design changes. There will be a super slim "iPhone 17 Air" that features Apple's first redesign in years. Both the iPhone 17 Air and the iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to be getting a redesigned horizontal camera setup.
A conceptual render of Apple's rumored smart home hub
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