Apple today started taking orders for the HomePod mini in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland for the first time, as spotted by iCulture.
Apple said earlier this month that it would make the HomePod mini available to order in the above countries by the end of March, but never gave a specific release date. The speaker also gained support for languages spoken in those countries as part of a software update released in December.
Customers in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland can now order the speakers from Apple's regional online stores, although delivery times vary from one business day to up to five days, so anyone wanting to pick one up sooner is better off visiting one of Apple's retail stores.
As in other countries, the HomePod mini is available in five colors, including white, space gray, yellow, orange, and blue. The small Siri-enabled speaker has a woven power cable and comes with a 20W USB-C power adapter in the box.
HomePod mini first launched in October 2020 in the United States, and the speaker is also available in Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Austria, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The speaker is also expected to launch in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland later this year.
Apple today announced that its revamped Maps experience is now available in the Canadian cities of Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver.
The update delivers more detailed maps, complete with custom-designed 3D landmarks, such as the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Notre-Dame Basilica in Montréal, and Robson Square in Vancouver. Navigation is also improved, with more detailed road markings and a 3D road-level view when approaching complex intersections.
The improved city experience is also available in London, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
"We're excited for Apple Maps users to explore the beauty and culture of Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver in an incredibly detailed new way," said Apple's services chief Eddy Cue. "Built with privacy at its core, this update is the continuation of our commitment to building the best, most accurate map of the world — with a beautifully designed experience and attention to detail that only Apple can deliver."
The rumored 15-inch Mac notebook that Apple is working on might not be called the "MacBook Air," according to information shared today on Twitter by well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Recent rumors have indicated that Apple is working on a larger-screened version of the MacBook Air that could measure in at around 15 inches and that would be sold alongside the 13-inch MacBook Air. The updated machine is expected to come out sometime in 2023, but if Kuo is accurate, it might not be in the MacBook Air family.
Kuo does not supply a possible naming alternative, but Apple has in the past used the "MacBook" name on a standalone basis for some of its Mac options. The last "MacBook" was the 12-inch MacBook that was discontinued in 2019.
Though Apple might go with another name, Kuo says the company is still aiming to use the same 30W power adapter that the MacBook Air uses as a power source, despite the larger screen. "Although a larger display generally consumes more power, the design goal is to use the same 30W power adapter as MacBook Air," Kuo writes.
Rumors yesterday from display analyst Ross Young suggested that the 15-inch machine would come out in 2023, and Kuo further narrows down the timeframe by suggesting that mass production will begin in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Apple's legal battle with Epic Games is continuing on, and today, the Cupertino company filed an opening brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Both Apple and Epic Games opted to appeal the original ruling in the Epic Games v. Apple case as neither company was satisfied with the outcome. Epic lost, while Apple was subject to App Store changes that are on hold pending the outcome of the appeal.
Following Epic's initial opening brief in January, Apple submitted its latest filing to the appeals court this afternoon. In the brief, Apple argues that Epic Games lost the case not because of legal error, but because of its "unprecedented" and "unfounded" accusations of anticompetitive conduct. Apple quotes several passages from the initial ruling that point out Epic's failings.
Epic built its case on witnesses who "lack[ed] credibility" and were "unreliable," whose testimony was "wholly lacking in an evidentiary basis," and who were "willing to stretch the truth in support of [Epic's] desired outcome." At trial, its theories were revealed to be "artificial," "misconceived," and "litigation driven." At every turn, Epic "failed to demonstrate," "failed to convince," "failed to produce," "failed to present," "failed to show," "failed to persuade," and "failed to prove" the facts of its case.
Apple argues that Epic is using the appeal to try to "change the narrative" because it can show no error in the district court's original ruling. To win its appeal, Epic needs to prove without a doubt that the first court's findings were erroneous, and Apple does not believe that's going to happen.
According to Apple, Epic made far-reaching claims at the edges of antitrust law that were unsuccessful, and there is no basis for the initial ruling to be overturned on appeal. Apple also claims that Epic lacks standing to make further arguments about the App Store because it is no longer an iOS developer, as the Epic Games developer account has been terminated.
Epic had the burden to prove, among other things, that the challenged limitations were unreasonable restraints of trade under a framework the parties agreed on before trial began. After a 16-day bench trial, the district court found that Epic had failed to carry its burden of proof on every one of its antitrust claims. That should not surprise: Throughout the history of the App Store, it is undisputed that prices have only gone down, while output has exploded. Those are the hallmarks of competition, not monopolization. To reverse, this Court would have to depart from settled law and ignore the district court's detailed findings of fact.
Several state attorneys general joined together to file an amicus brief to support Epic Games, and Apple claims this was done to "make it easier for them to win antitrust lawsuits." Microsoft also supported Epic Games, and according to Apple, Microsoft is simply "pursuing a self-interested business strategy of distinguishing itself from other platforms even while making 'hundreds of millions of dollars' from its partnership with Epic."
The original ruling determined that Apple's anti-steering provisions preventing developers from linking to outside payment methods were unfair under the California Unfair Competition Law, leading the judge to order Apple to make changes to the App Store to allow developers to use outside payment methods. Apple's filing addresses this aspect of the appeal, with Apple claiming that the initial court made an error in the ruling.
"The UCL injunction cannot stand," Apple writes. Apple's main claim is that because it was not found to be engaging in anticompetitive behavior, the App Store rules are also not unfair under the California law, which the appeals court has upheld before. Apple also says that the district court does not have the authority to levy such an injunction.
The injunction exceeds the district court’s authority. Epic failed to prove irreparable injury to itself. Moreover, this is not a class action, and any injunctive relief must be limited to Epic as a matter of both state and federal law.
Apple says that its own cross-appeal focuses on purely legal issues, unlike Epic's appeal, which is asking the court to second guess factual findings from the original trial and change the law. Apple's full opening brief can be read over on Scribd for those interested.
Following Apple's first appeals filing, amicus briefs in support of Apple will be submitted in the near future. From there, additional briefs will be submitted by Apple and Epic before the court will set a date to hear arguments. Given the timeline, Apple expects a decision to come by summer 2023 at the earliest.
Apple has made it clear that it has no intention of considering reinstating the Epic Games developer account until the legal battle has been settled, so Fortnite will not be returning to the App Store anytime soon.
If you're currently having trouble sending iMessages to friends and family, you're not alone. Apple's iMessage service appears to be experiencing some kind of outage that is preventing messages from being delivered.
There are multiple complaints about the iMessage outage on Twitter, and MacRumors can confirm that we too are experiencing problems in our Messages testing. In some cases, messages are not being delivered at all, and in other cases, images are not going through.
Apple is developing a hardware subscription service that would allow customers to "subscribe" and receive an iPhone or other Apple device as part of their subscription, similar to the way current Apple subscriptions like iCloud work, reports Bloomberg.
Customers would be able to pay a monthly subscription fee and gain access to a device for the subscription period. This would be ideal for customers who do not have the funds to buy an expensive iPhone, iPad, or Mac up front, but who can afford a monthly price for the device, plus it would bring in more revenue for Apple.
Apple is said to be aiming to make the process of buying an iPhone or an iPad "on par" with purchasing iCloud storage or paying for an Apple Music subscription, with customers able to subscribe to hardware with their Apple ID and App Store account.
Compared to the iPhone Upgrade Program, it would differ because Apple would charge a yet-to-be-determined monthly fee rather than splitting the cost of a device across a 12 or 24 month period. It would also cover other products while the iPhone Upgrade Program is limited to the iPhone.
It is possible that Apple will allow subscription users to swap out their devices for updated models when refreshed products are released, and Apple has had discussions internally about tying the subscription program to Apple One bundles and AppleCare support plans.
Customers would be able to purchase a hardware subscription on their devices, through the App Store, through the company's website, or at an Apple online store.
According to Bloomberg, the service will be Apple's "biggest push yet" into recurring sales, but the project is still in development and little is known about it at this time. Apple has been working on it for months, but it was pushed back to allow Apple to focus on a separate "buy now, pay later" service that is designed to allow customers to pay for Apple Pay purchases in installments over time.
Apple is working to implement hardware subscriptions by the end of 2022, but it could be delayed into 2023 or canceled entirely should Apple decide to go in a different direction.
Samsung will add a third foldable device to its smartphone lineup this year that will likely feature a unique rollable form factor, according to a reliable leaker of Samsung's plans.
Oppo X 2021 rollable phone concept
The existing Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 have been relatively successful additions to Samsung's smartphone family, and the company reportedly plans to ship over 10 million foldables in 2022 with successor models to the Flip 3 and Fold 3, along with a third unnamed addition to its foldable lineup.
The codenames that Samsung is using internally for the models expected this year are said to include B4, Q4, and N4, with B4 and Q4 believed to relate to the Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4, respectively, and the N4 referring to a completely new device.
Mobile leaker @UniverseIce, who is a well-regarded source of Samsung rumors, today claimed that Samsung's third foldable device is set for release in the second half of the year. However, the leaker believes the codename of the new device is in fact "Diamond" and says it has a "high probability" of having a rollable form factor. Responding to the claim, reputable display analyst Ross Young said he last heard that production of the device had been pushed out beyond 2022, and that he would now seek to confirm if that was still an accurate assessment.
Rollable/slidable phones don't yet exist on the consumer market, but plenty of concept devices have been advertised by mobile makers as they search for the next big innovation in smartphone technology. The Oppo X is a case in point. It used a motorized powertrain mechanism to unroll or extend the screen uniformly while avoiding visible kinks or folds in the display.
The Oppo X 2021 was the first rollable phone that was expected to come to market, but the device was never made available, although Oppo apparently has plans to release an updated version this year. Samsung also showed off a concept smartphone with a slidable OLED display in 2021, but it wasn't tied to a real consumer product launch.
Apple has explored rollable displays in the past, based on patents from the company. In March 2020, a patent attributed to Apple appeared on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that describes an "Electronic device with flexible display structures."
Apple patent
The patent details a flexible display that can be wrapped around one or more internal roller mechanisms, allowing the screen to expand out of the chassis. A rigid section remains to house the printed circuit boards and other electronic components, but with the addition of the rollable display layers.
"Elongated bistable support members may run along the edges of the display or may be overlapped by a central active area of the display to help stiffen and support the display in its extended position," explains the patent, which conceives the technology as adaptable to anything from a smartphone to a smartwatch.
As with all Apple patents, there's no indication that Apple has plans to bring such a device to market, but it is interesting to see what sorts of future solutions Apple is eyeing as it seeks to innovate beyond current consumer-use technologies and compete with future generations of devices with hybrid form factors.
A few iPad deals have emerged online today, focusing on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and 10.2-inch iPad. These are both 2021 models of the iPad, and Amazon is offering up to $199 off select devices, with all-time low prices on numerous tablets.
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.
12.9-Inch iPad Pro
Starting with the iPad Pro, Amazon today is discounting the 12.9-inch iPad Pro to new all-time low prices in several configurations, starting at $949.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 12.9-inch iPad Pro. These discounts reach up to $199 off the 2021 iPad Pro, and particularly focus on the larger screen model as 11-inch iPad Pro tablets aren't seeing as many markdowns.
Many of these sale prices will not be seen until you reach the checkout screen on Amazon, due to automatic on-page coupons that will be applied once you begin the checkout process. Most of the iPad Pros listed below are in stock and ready to ship out today, so be sure to browse the list soon if you're interested.
Note: You won't see the deal prices until checkout.
128GB Wi-Fi - $949.99, down from $1,099.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
256GB Wi-Fi - $1,099.00, down from $1,199.00 ($100 off)
512GB Wi-Fi - $1,249.99, down from $1,399.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
1TB Wi-Fi - $1,649.99, down from $1,799.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
2TB Wi-Fi - $1,999.99, down from $2,199.00 ($199 off, lowest ever)
128GB Cellular - $1,149.99, down from $1,299.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
256GB Cellular - $1,249.00, down from $1,399.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
512GB Cellular - $1,499.99, down from $1,599.00 ($99 off, lowest ever)
10.2-Inch iPad
Amazon today also has a rare discount on the 10.2-inch iPad (256GB Wi-Fi), priced at $429.00, down from $479.00. This sale is only available in Space Gray at the time of writing.
This discount is providing the best price we've ever seen on this model of the entry-level 256GB iPad. Deals on the iPad have been rare in 2022, and this is one of the first times we've tracked a notable sale on the 256GB model.
For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
Following the latest macOS Monterey 12.3 update, users are reporting several problems when using external monitors, ranging from Macs not detecting displays at all to inaccurate screen output, according to posts on the Apple Support and MacRumors forums.
According to users on the Apple Support and MacRumors forums, some external displays connected over USB-C are no longer detected by Macs after updating to the latest macOS update. As one user on Apple Support reports:
After updating my Mac mini today to 12.3, my monitor now no longer displays an image via USB-C, just keeps saying on no signal on the monitor.
I have tried HDMI and same issue. The odd occasion it will display a picture but once I shutdown or restart the mac mini it does not display a picture. The mac is booting up. I have had to resort to connecting it to my old TV with HDMI connection.
This is so frustrating.
Other users have shared similar experiences. While many also report issues with USB-C displays, others also say that HDMI connections to the Mac are not being recognized. Some users have been able to crowdsource potential workarounds in the meantime. According to one user on the MacRumors Forums, the issue stems from macOS not recognizing a DisplayPort protocol version, which meant they had to change the version to an earlier one with poorer quality output.
I've solved this problem (on 2022-03-15). On my monitor (LG LCD 27 27UN880-B IPS) I've went into settings, and I've lowered the DisplayPortVersion from the default v1.4 to v1.2. As soon as I've lowered the monitor's DisplayPortVersion, my Mac with OS X 12.3 has started recognizing the second display correctly. It seems that the new OS X update has issues with a DisplayPortVersion 1.4 protocol (has faster data rate, faster refresh, and stream compression). Hope this helps.
Another short-term fix floated on both the Apple Support and MacRumors forums is to unplug the external display for a short time, plug it back into the Mac, and then plug the display back into a power outlet, after which it should work. Some users have also reported problems when using two external monitors with their Mac.
The issue of only one external display being recognized when two are connected to a Mac seems to have been present throughout the beta testing period for macOS 12.3. Even after release, however, the issue remains. As one user on the Apple Support forums relates:
2018 Mac Book Pro 15" and I have 2 external monitors (same viewsonic model), have been using fine for just under 2 years. After updating to 12.3, one is recognized and one is not and I have no clue why. I have swapped cables, connected other devices, including a iPad Pro (all fine) I have tried all 4 ports on the machine no difference. The Mac book flashes when the unrecognized monitor is plugged in, but never displays an image. the monitor seems to think it's connected (I don't get the no signal warning) nothing.... 8* the monitor is powered and the screen it bright (bleed from the backlight). The other monitor (same exact model) connects and works fine.
The online reports suggest that these issues are not arising when using Apple's new Studio Display, but instead with third-party monitors, such as those offered by BenQ and LG.
macOS 12.3 is Monterey's largest point-update since launch, bringing with it Universal Control along with several other new feature additions. MacRumors earlier this week reached out to Apple for comment on the issues users are experiencing so far with the latest macOS update. We'll update this post if we receive a response.
Twitter has bolstered its search feature for direct messages so that users can now search their inbox using keywords and names to find the specific message they are looking for.
The DM search bar isn't new, but previously it only allowed you to find the name of a person or a group chat in your inbox. The latest development means you can now refine searches to find particular content in your messages.
The feature addition works in the iOS app when using the search bar at the top of your messages. Keywords can be used to look for content, and results can be also be filtered to return people, groups, or messages that match them. The function is also available to some users of Twitter on the web.
We know you’ve been waiting for the option to search your DMs…
Now you can use the search bar in your inbox to find specific messages using keywords and names. pic.twitter.com/A41G8Y45QI
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) March 23, 2022
As noted by The Verge, the improved search can surface fairly old messages, but it doesn't seem to be totally comprehensive, with messages more than three years old not appearing in some results.
Earlier this week, Twitter introduced a new camera feature in its official iOS app that allows users to create their own animated GIFs for posting to the social media platform.
Following the macOS 12.3 update that was released on March 14, some Mac users have run into issues with game controllers after installing the new software.
Complaints on the Apple Developer Forums and Reddit suggest that some Xbox, PlayStation, and other third-party controllers are not functioning over Bluetooth. Not all users appear to be affected, as some people have said that their controllers are operating as expected, so it's not quite clear what's going on.
Those who are experiencing problems connect their controllers to their Macs using Bluetooth and then are unable to use the controllers in Mac games. Some with problematic controllers have been able to use the controllers on the web, but for some, the controllers do not work at all. From the Apple Developer Forums:
Also experiencing the same issue. My Nimbus + Controller won't work with Apple Arcade after updating to Monterey 12.3. I'm able to connect via bluetooth, but none of the buttons work. I'm sure there are a lot of Mac Gamers with the same issue and hopefully Apple fixes this soon.
Other users have been able to get their controllers working for some games, but not others:
Same problems here. My controller is working in some games, but not everywhere:
Working in apps: - Steam - Pac-Man Party - The Pathless
NOT working in apps: - Sonic racing - Asphalt 8+ - Agent Intercept
Those with controllers experiencing issues have attempted to remove the controller from the Bluetooth menu and re-connect it, but that does not appear to fix the problem. There is no known fix for problematic controllers at this time, so it may be something that Apple has to address in a future software update.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 142 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Web Inspector, CSS Subgrid, CSS Container Queries, CSS, Web Animations, Rendering, JavaScript, Forms, Shared Workers, Workers, Dialog Element, Web API, Experimental Model Element, and Web Extensions.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is built on the Safari 15.4 update and it includes Safari 15 features introduced in macOS Monterey.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
iFixit today disassembled Apple's new M1 MaxMac Studio, giving us a first glimpse at the components inside the machine. This is not iFixit's traditional, more detailed teardown, which has not yet been published, but it does provide a few interesting details about the Mac Studio.
"If Apple squeezed a Mac Pro into a Mac mini, you'd get something that looks a lot like the new [Mac Studio]," iFixit said, describing the internals of the machine.
An earlier teardown found that the Mac Studio's SSD is not soldered and can be removed, which iFixit confirmed, but it's still not clear if upgrades are possible. iFixit found a spare slot on the logic board and attempted to put the SSD from a second Mac Studio into the empty slot, but couldn't get it working. Swapping drives of the same capacity between machines did, however, work.
Time to find out if this modular storage is actually upgradeable. After a lot of testing, some of it interrupted by Apple's server issues, we actually have some definitive answers. We popped this stick into another base model Mac Studio's empty slot, but Configurator kept giving us DFU restore errors. No matter the configuration, we haven't gotten two base model drives to boot in a single machine.
However, when we swapped the spare Studio's drive for the one in the teardown unit and used Configurator to do a DFU restore, it worked. Storage swaps are possible, at least between two drives of the same size, but jury's still out on upgrades.
Unlike storage, RAM is built-in, which means memory upgrades to the Mac Studio won't be possible after purchase.
The M1 Max Mac Studio features a massive heatsink with a dual-fan assembly, and the fans are "so much more massive than other Mac fans," according to iFixit. The site also said the heatsink "positively dwarfs the M1" with more than six times the weight.
The internals of the Mac Studio are complicated with brackets, connectors, and torx screws, which impacts repairability and user accessibility. iFixit praised the modular ports and the heat management system, but wasn't pleased with the buried fans, potentially non-upgradeable storage, and baked-in RAM. The Mac Studio earned an iFixit repairability score of 6 out of 10. It's a "worthy successor to the Mac mini, but isn't quite ready for the pros," said the site.
iFixit also took a quick look inside the Studio Display, and it turns out the internals look a whole lot like an iMac. The webcam in the Studio Display is similar to the camera in the iPhone 11, but iFixit didn't have much more to say about the Studio Display at this time as a more in-depth teardown is coming in the near future.
Apple has updated its dedicated Apple TV+ website with an Up Next queue for shows, making it easier to keep track of and watch Apple TV+ content on the web.
The Up Next queue is a new addition to the Apple TV+ website, introduced earlier this week, according to 9to5Mac. Prior to now, the Apple TV+ website had an option for adding a show to the Up Next queue, but the Up Next queue did not actually display on the website.
Viewing the Up Next queue on the Apple TV+ website requires logging in to an Apple ID with an Apple TV+ subscription on a web browser like Chrome or Safari. Mac, iPhone, and iPad users can instead use the dedicated Apple TV app, as can those who have compatible consoles, smart TVs, and set-top boxes with the TV app, but the website's Up Next queue is handy for tracking viewing on platforms without the TV app.
Windows users and Android users who are also Apple TV+ subscribers will now be able to manage the shows that they watch right through the web browser.
Apple is developing a larger 15-inch MacBook Air that could come out in 2023, according to research shared today by Display Supply Chain Consultants in its quarterly report.
The full report is limited to those in the display industry who subscribe, but display analyst Ross Young provided a bit of color on what can be expected. Apple is working on a MacBook Air that's somewhere around 15 inches in size, with the machine set to debut alongside a "slightly larger" 13-inch MacBook Air.
According to Young, the larger-sized 15-inch MacBook Air is slated for release in 2023, but a specific launch date unknown. This is not the first time that we've heard about a 15-inch MacBook Air, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurmansaid last year that Apple was working on a larger MacBook Air with a 15-inch display size.
At the time, Gurman said that Apple had "considered" building a larger version of the MacBook Air, but decided not to move forward with it "for the next generation." Gurman did not mention whether Apple had nixed the idea all together, but it appears that the larger MacBook Air project has not been abandoned.
Internal Apple emails that came out during the Epic Games v. Apple trial also indicate that Apple considered a larger 15-inch MacBook Air as early as 2008, but instead went with the smaller 13-inch model.
Apple this year is expected to introduce a redesigned version of the MacBook Air that brings new color options and does away with the tapered design, but it is expected to have the same general 13-inch screen size. It will be a surprise if Apple introduces a total redesign in 2022 and then a larger redesigned version of the MacBook Air in 2023, but it's a possibility.
Along with a larger version of the MacBook Air, DSCC says that Apple is working on a base model iPad that could be "slightly larger" than the current 10.2-inch model.
With the unveiling of Apple's new 27-inch 5K Studio Display earlier this month, it immediately drew comparisons to LG's similar UltraFine 5K display that's been on the market for a number of years.
The LG display is $300 cheaper than the Studio Display, and while availability has been spotty, LG says it will continue to be available, so we decided to compare the two displays to determine which is a better value.
With both displays coming in at 27 inches and the same 5K resolution, the overall viewing experience is similar between the two displays, although the Studio Display can hit a brightness of 600 nits while the UltraFine maxes out at 500 nits, which translates to a noticeable difference.
The Studio Display also wins out when it comes to color and contrast, as it looks just a bit more vibrant than the UltraFine while offering deeper blacks and crisper bright areas without blowing out the highlights. The UltraFine has also seen a lot of complaints over the years about image retention or "burn-in," something we've definitely experienced with our own units, and we've yet to see any issues with that on the Studio Display.
Moving beyond the display itself, both models include several additional features, with one major one being a webcam. Both displays feature 1080p webcams, but the Studio Display's 12-megapixel Ultrawide camera with Center Stage driven by the onboard A13 chip is designed to help keep you centered in the frame and incorporate additional people as they come in and out of view.
Unfortunately for the Studio Display, we've seen the same poor image quality issues many earlier users have complained about, so until the issues are addressed with updates, we have to say that the UltraFine and the Studio Display have pretty similar webcam quality, which is to say not great.
When it comes to audio, the Studio Display's speakers easily take the win, offering a decent amount of low end and a full sound that should be sufficient for most users. The microphones on both displays performed well in our testing, and we didn't have much of a reason to prefer one over the other, though audio captured by the Studio Display perhaps sounds a bit more full.
For connectivity, both displays offer a Thunderbolt port and three USB-C ports on the rear, but the Studio Display's USB-C ports support faster 10 Gbps transfers, so you'll see better performance for more demanding accessories like external drives.
Looking at the overall design, the Studio Display wins hands down. Constructed primarily of aluminum, the Studio Display looks and feels premium, while the UltraFine is encased in chunky black plastic.
The Studio Display has received criticism for the fact that by default it only comes with a tilt adjustment, with an upgraded tilt- and height-adjustable stand being a $400 upgrade. The LG UltraFine includes the ability to adjust both tilt and height and the stand can be easily removed if you want to convert to a VESA mount, but the display does have a fair bit of wobble.
Overall, the Studio Display feels like the better buy, even taking into account the $300+ price premium over the LG UltraFine. With a better design and build quality, a superior display panel, and LG's history of issues like image retention and reports of compatibility issues, the Studio Display has fewer compromises and should last users for many years. The webcam remains a key issue that needs to be addressed, but that's something Apple should be able to fix through firmware updates.
Instagram today rolled out new Following and Favorites feed options, allowing users to sort their feeds to see content posted chronologically from the people they follow or content just from their favorite people.
The new Following option is a traditional chronological feed, and it displays the latest posts from the accounts that each Instagram user follows in reverse chronological order. Favorites shows the latest posts from a selected group of accounts that are followed, also in chronological order.
Favorites shows you the latest from accounts that you choose, like your best friends and favorite creators. In addition to this view, posts from accounts in Favorites will also show up higher in your home feed.
Following shows you posts from the people you follow. Both Favorites and Following will show you posts in chronological order, so you can quickly catch up on recent posts.
Instagram is rolling out the new chronological feeds as of today, and they can be accessed by tapping on the Instagram logo in the top left corner of the home page to choose either Following or Favorites.
Following incorporates all Instagram accounts that a person follows, while Favorites includes up to 50 accounts added to the user's favorites list. Posts from accounts marked as favorites will also show up higher in the standard home feed and will be marked with a star icon.
It's worth noting that the standard Home view, which is Instagram's feed ranked using a proprietary algorithm, is still the default option. Instagram told CNET that it believes that "people have a better experience on Instagram with a ranked feed," so the company does not plan to be "defaulting people into a chronological feed." Because the Home view is still the standard view, the new Following and Favorites feeds cannot replace it as the default.
In 2020, Apple introduced a digital car key feature that allows users to unlock and start a compatible vehicle by bringing an iPhone or Apple Watch near the driver-side door. The feature has been limited to select BMW models since launching.
According to Apple, the feature has now expanded to select 2022 vehicle models from Genesis and Kia, which are both divisions of Korean automaker Hyundai. Apple updated a list of vehicles on its website this week to indicate that the 2022 Genesis GV60, 2022 Genesis G90, and 2022 Kia Niro now support the iPhone's car key feature.
It is unclear if the car key feature is widely available for the aforementioned Genesis and Kia models or if it is still in the process of rolling out. A spokesperson for Kia declined to specifically comment on support for Apple's car key feature, but did say that the company's Digital Key 2 system announced in January will be coming to the 2023 Niro. Genesis and Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Apple began preparing for Genesis to support the feature last year.
Similar to credit cards and boarding passes, digital car keys are stored in the Wallet app on an iPhone or Apple Watch running iOS 13.6 or watchOS 6.2.8 or newer. The feature originally used NFC technology only, which required the iPhone or Apple Watch to be held near the vehicle, but a new version of the feature based on Ultra Wideband technology allows users to use the feature without having to remove their iPhone from their pocket.
The improved Ultra Wideband version of Apple's car key feature requires devices with the U1 chip like the iPhone 11 and Apple Watch Series 6 and newer. NFC support is maintained to ensure backward compatibility and the ability to use the car key feature to unlock a vehicle for up to five hours after an iPhone has run out of battery power.
This feature is part of Apple's efforts to offer digital versions of commonly carried items. Apple today announced that its driver's license and state ID feature in the Wallet app has launched in Arizona, with more U.S. states to follow soon.
Update March 25: This article has been updated to clarify that Kia declined to comment on Apple car key support specifically, but said that its previously announced Digital Key 2 system will be coming to the 2023 Kia Niro.
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