iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 were released to the public last week, and one new change is the addition of a "Scan Text" shortcut for quickly scanning printed or handwritten text into the Notes app on the iPhone and iPad.
Apple recently shared a video with step-by-step instructions on how to use the Scan Text feature. On a device running iOS 15.4 or iPadOS 15.4, simply open the Notes app, tap the camera icon, tap "Scan Text," and tap the insert button once the text has been added to the note. The "Scan Text" shortcut has also been added to the Reminders app.
On earlier versions of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, scanning text into the Notes app required tapping on a note's text field and tapping the Live Text icon.
iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 introduced several other features, including the ability to unlock an iPhone 12 or newer with Face ID while wearing a mask, Universal Control on compatible iPad models, dozens of new emoji, a new Siri voice option, the ability to initiate SharePlay sessions directly from supported apps, and more.
Apple is experiencing a widespread outage today, with a wide range of the company's services and apps down or experiencing issues currently.
Affected services and apps include the App Store, iCloud, Siri, iMessage, iTunes Store, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple TV+, Find My, FaceTime, Notes, Stocks, and many others, according to complaints across Twitter and other platforms. Apple's developer website is also inaccessible due to server issues.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that some of Apple's internal systems are also down:
In addition to Apple’s online services - Music, Maps, Podcasts and more facing outages — I’m told Apple’s corporate and retail internal systems are down too, limiting remote work and retail operations like product pick-ups and repairs.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) March 21, 2022
Update #1: Shortly before 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time, Apple updated its System Status page to reflect ongoing issues with several of its services.
Update #2: Users are reporting that some Apple services are starting to work again. We'll update this story once Apple indicates the issues have been fully resolved.
Update #3: Apple's system status page indicates that roughly two-thirds of the outages have been resolved, but major services like App Store, Apple Music, and Apple TV+ have yet to be fully restored.
Update #4: All of the issues have now been resolved after about two hours of downtime, according to Apple's System Status page.
While fine print on Apple's website says Studio Display stands and VESA mount adapters are "not interchangeable," customers can visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider to have their Studio Display reconfigured after purchase.
For example, if a customer bought a Studio Display with the standard tilt-adjustable stand and later decides they want to use a VESA mount adapter, they can book a service appointment with an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider and have one installed, according to internal documentation obtained by MacRumors.
Likewise, if a customer bought a Studio Display with a tilt-adjustable stand and later decides they want both a tilt- and height-adjustable stand, an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider can accommodate this request. Pricing will vary based on the region, the type of stand or mount being installed, and the cost of labor.
The standalone stands and VESA mount upgrade kits are only available to certified technicians and are not sold through Apple's online store.
Studio Display orders began arriving to customers last week. Key features of the display include a 27-inch screen size, 5K resolution, a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage, a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. Pricing starts at $1,599 in the United States for a model with standard glass and a tilt-adjustable stand, with several upgrade options available.
B&H Photo is offering a few solid deals on Apple's 24-inch iMac, starting with the 7-core GPU/256GB model for $1,199.00, down from $1,299.00. This price is only available in the Pink color, and Silver is at a second-best price of $1,229.00 on B&H Photo and Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
At $100 off, this sale is a match of the previous all-time low price on the 24-inch iMac. We've only seen this sale one or two times so far in 2022, so if you're in the market for the M1 iMac, now is a good time to buy.
In another sale, B&H Photo is discounting the 8-core GPU/256GB 24-inch iMac to $1,349.00, down from $1,499.00. You can get the iMac in Orange and Silver at this price point, and B&H does point out that there is limited supply.
You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.
Update: The Mac Studio requires an IPSW restore after changing its SSD modules to ensure that they are readable and able to boot. Running a Device Firmware Update (DFU) restore using the macOS IPSW package for the Mac Studio should enable the machine to boot from a different SSD, providing that both of the modules are of the same size and make, meaning that storage upgrades still appear to be feasible.
Despite being easily removable since it is not soldered down, the Mac Studio's SSD storage is not currently user-upgradeable due to a software block, YouTuber Luke Miani has discovered.
Initial teardowns suggested that the Mac Studio's storage could be upgradeable since it is not soldered in place. Each Mac Studio contains two internal SSD slots, and the SSDs themselves can be freely swapped between the connectors.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Miani tested if the Mac Studio's storage is user upgradeable in practice. Miani wiped the SSD of a Mac Studio, removed it from the machine, and inserted it into an empty SSD slot in another Mac Studio, but the Mac's status light blinked SOS and would not boot.
The Mac Studio recognizes the SSD, but Apple's software prevents it from booting, suggesting that this is a conscious decision by Apple to prevent users from upgrading their storage themselves. On its website, Apple claims that the Mac Studio's SSD storage is "not user accessible" and encourages users to configure the device with enough storage at the point of purchase.
It now seems that the purpose of the easily replaceable storage is to aid repairs performed by authorized technicians, who likely will have software tools that enable the Mac Studio to boot from different internal storage. Since the prevention of user-upgradeability appears to simply be due to a software block, Apple could enable users to upgrade their own storage in the future via an update.
Apple has seemingly removed the ability to buy and rent TV shows and movies in the Apple TV app for Android TV and Google TV in the latest update to the app.
When the Apple TV app launched on Google TV early last year and Android TV in the summer, it included the ability to purchase and rent movies and TV shows from the iTunes store, as well as access to Apple TV+. The app is available for devices such as the Nvidia Shield and Google Chromecast.
After the latest update to the app, users must now buy and rent TV shows and movies on a separate device in order to view them in the Apple TV app for Android TV and Google TV. The buttons to buy and rent have been replaced with a new "How to Watch" button, which suggests that users should "buy, rent or subscribe in the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, and other streaming devices." Previous purchases and rentals initiated in the Apple TV app for Android TV and Google TV continue to be available.
The change was spotted by users who took to Reddit (via FlatPanelsHD) to bemoan the change. Users who avoid updating the Apple TV app can seemingly continue to purchase and rent movies and TV shows, but it is not clear how long this solution will last.
FlatPanelsHD suggested that Apple may have stripped back the functionality to avoid Google's 30 percent commission on in-app purchases. Not all TV in-app purchases were covered by the commission previously, but it is possible that Google introduced new terms, prompting Apple to scale back the app.
The change also seems to include smart TVs that run Android TV and Google TV natively, such as some Sony Bravia models, but other smart TVs with the Apple TV app seem to be unaffected.
The first teardowns of the third-generation iPhone SE have surfaced on YouTube, providing a look at components inside the device.
iPhone SE 2 on top vs. iPhone SE 3 on bottom via PBKreviews
The teardowns reveal the new iPhone SE has a larger 2,018 mAh battery compared to 1,821 mAh for the previous-generation model. The new iPhone SE offers up to an extra two hours of video playback and up to an extra 10 hours of audio playback on a full charge versus the previous model, according to Apple's tech specs.
The new iPhone SE is also equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X57 modem, according to Nikkei's xTECH. This modem does not appear to be listed on Qualcomm's website, so it may be a custom model designed for Apple, but no further details are known. The modem enables 5G on the iPhone SE, but support is limited to sub-6GHz bands, whereas iPhone 13 models also support faster mmWave bands in the United States.
Overall, the third-generation iPhone SE appears to have a very similar internal design as the second-generation model. Repair website iFixit will likely share a comprehensive teardown of the device in the coming days for a closer look.
Amazon today has Apple's AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case for $174.98, down from $249.00. This price is a match of the 2022 low price on the AirPods Pro, and overall it's the second-best price we've ever tracked.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The headphones are in stock now on Amazon and ready to ship, with a delivery window between March 22-26. The new AirPods Pro launched in 2021, and are essentially the same as the 2019 model with the addition of the new MagSafe Charging Case.
We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.
Apple may finally discontinue the Apple Watch Series 3 when it reaches five years of age in the third quarter of 2022, according to reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a tweet, Kuo said that the Apple Watch Series 3 may reach the end of its life in the third quarter of 2022 because its computing power will not be able to meet the requirements of a new version of watchOS.
The Apple Watch Series 3 was released in September 2017, making it almost five years old. It is the oldest device to support the latest version of watchOS 8, but its S3 chip significantly lags behind the Apple Watch SE's S5 chip and Apple Watch Series 7's S7 chip in terms of performance. The Apple Watch Series 3 is also the only remaining Apple Watch to feature the older, thicker Apple Watch design with large bezels and angular corners around the display.
Following the iOS 14.6 and watchOS 7.5 updates last year, Apple Watch Series 3 users have to unpair and re-pair the device from its linked iPhone when updating watchOS because the Apple Watch does not have enough internal storage to complete an update independently.
At WWDC later this year, Apple is expected to unveil watchOS 9, which according to Kuo could finally drop support for the Series 3. watchOS 9 would therefore only be available for the Apple Watch Series 4 from 2018 or newer. While the unveiling of major new versions of Apple's operating systems usually takes place in early June, the updates themselves are not typically released to the public until the fall, which would coincide with Kuo's proposed timeframe and the launch of new Apple Watch models.
Given the Apple Watch Series 3's age, design, S3 chip, limited storage space, and the extra step required to install software updates, it seems inevitable that Apple will discontinue it sooner rather than later, likely when new Apple Watch models are released later this year. Apple is still selling the Apple Watch Series 3 as a low-cost option for $199, but we do not recommend purchasing it over a $279 Apple Watch SE for these reasons.
A former Apple employee involved in the company's supply chain and responsible for making order purchases and invoicing them back to Apple has been charged by U.S prosecutors for defrauding the tech giant of over $10 million, Reutersreports.
According to court filings in San Jose, California seen by Reuters, Dhirendra Prasad, a former employee in Apple's supply chain, is facing five criminal counts of misusing his position as a buyer in Apple's global service supply chain to make Apple pay for items and services it never actually received.
Apple fired Prasad in December 2018 after he had worked for the company for over ten years. In the court filings, Prasad is also accused of evading taxes and is facing charges of wire and mail fraud and money laundering. His hearing is set for March 24.
Apple's Studio Display contains 64GB of onboard storage, but only 2GB are actually used by the display, a developer has discovered.
As highlighted by developer "Khaos Tian" on Twitter, the Studio Display only uses 2GB of its 64GB of internal NAND storage. Some free space is likely needed for firmware updates, but the 62GB of unused space is seemingly otherwise useless at the current time. Apple has not confirmed the quantity of the Studio Display's internal storage in its technical specifications.
The discovery may be unsurprising given that the Studio Display contains an A13 Bionic chip. The A13 Bionic was introduced with the iPhone 11 lineup in 2019, before being offered in the second-generation iPhone SE and the ninth-generation iPad. None of these devices have ever been available in any storage configurations below 64GB, which may suggest that smaller quantities of NAND storage are incompatible with the A13's storage controller.
Economies of scale may also be responsible, with production costs for pairing the A13 with a smaller amount of storage potentially costing more than the same 64GB system currently used in the iPhone 11 that is still on sale and the ninth-generation iPad.
The finding means that, overall, the Studio Display contains the exact same 2.65GHz A13 Bionic chip, 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera setup with Center Stage, and 64GB base configuration of storage as the ninth-generation iPad. It is also now clear that the Studio Display has better specifications than the second-generation Apple TV 4K, which sports an A12 Bionic chip and a base storage configuration of just 32GB.
Last week, it emerged that the Studio Display runs the full version of iOS 15.4, with the exact same build used by the iPhone and iPad, meaning that updates to the display's functionality will come as part of iOS updates.
Apple has seemingly delayed the launch of the redesigned MacBook Air until later this year, and will likely not launch new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models until 2023, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple originally planned to launch its new MacBook Air with "an all-new design, MagSafe, the M2 chip, and more" at the end of 2021 or in early 2022, but this timeframe has now seemingly slipped to the second half of 2022.
Gurman also said that he does not expect Apple to update its high-end 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models this year, with an update bringing the "M2 Pro" and "M2 Max" chips being more likely to arrive next year. This year, Gurman said that the only MacBook Pro update will likely be a refreshed entry-level MacBook Pro with a 13-inch display and the M2 chip.
Launching a series of new Macs with the M2 chip toward the end of 2022 could take similar shape to how Apple unveiled the M1 MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and entry-level Mac mini in November 2020, suggesting that the company's M-series chips have a upgrade cycle of approximately two years. Other than the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the entry-level Mac mini, 24-inch iMac, and iPad Pro would also be viable candidates for the M2 chip, but timeframes for updates to these devices is still unclear.
Some fifth-generation iPad Air users are complaining about a purported downgrade in build quality, according to posts on social media.
The complaints claim that the iPad Air has a noticeably thinner aluminum enclosure, resulting in creaking, a hollow sensation in the hand, and light pressure on the back of the device warping the display. A thread on Reddit (via iMore) contains a large number of complaints from iPad Air users who say they have build quality concerns about the device. The opening post on the thread states:
I ordered and received two blue iPad Air 2022 today and I'm a bit shocked. The aluminum backplate is a lot thinner than on the iPad 4 which I also have. You can almost feel the battery through the plate when you hold the device. Both iPads have the same feeling and are making creaking noises when you hold them. This did not happen on the iPad Air 4...
A multitude of responses on the thread agreed and expanded upon the issues, suggesting that it is not an isolated case, and some users have even posted videos of creaking noises coming from gentle taps on the device's display to highlight some of the problems. Some replies said that the iPad Air "feels very low quality" compared to its predecessor, noting that there is a detectable difference on the rear of the device. It "feels like I can feel the inside from the back," one reply claimed.
The first reviews of the fifth-generation iPad Air were shared earlier this week, but no reviewers mentioned any downgrade in build quality, and other than new color options, the iPad Air is externally identical to the previous-generation model. Key new features of the iPad Air include the same M1 chip found in the iPad Pro, 5G connectivity on cellular models, an upgraded 12-megapixel front camera with support for Center Stage, up to a 2x faster USB-C port for data transfer, and new color options. Pricing continues to start at $599 in the U.S. for 64GB of storage.
The Mac Studio's SSD storage is not soldered in place and could be upgradeable, according to a teardown performed by YouTube channel Max Tech.
Image via Max Tech
In a detailed teardown video of the new Mac Studio, Max Tech revealed that the Mac Studio's SSD storage is located in two slots, and is relatively easy to remove or replace since it is not soldered down. The individual SSDs can be swapped between the two slots and appear to be modular.
On its website, Apple claims that the Mac Studio's SSD storage is "not user accessible" and encourages users to configure the device with enough storage at the point of purchase. This is likely because the internals of the Mac Studio remain difficult to access from the outside. The rubber ring on the base of the machine has to be removed to reveal four screws that provide a way to open the device, but once inside, the SSD storage is fairly easy to access and remove.
Max Tech suggested that Apple could offer SSD storage upgrades at a later date, similar to how it introduced a kit to upgrade the Mac Pro's storage in mid-2020, but the easy access could be intended for use in repairs only, enabling repair technicians to remove and replace SSDs more conveniently.
Apple this week released an update for Boot Camp, its solution for running Windows on Intel-based Macs, to support the newly-launched Studio Display.
Boot Camp Update 6.1.17, released to the public earlier this week, adds support for the Studio Display and updates drivers for AMD and Intel GPUs. To update to the latest Boot Camp drivers, users need to navigate to the Start menu in Windows and open the Apple Software Update app.
When connected to any Windows system, the Studio Display's Center Stage, True Tone, and Spatial Audio functionality will be unavailable, as will any features that require firmware updates. The webcam, speakers, and USB-C ports will continue to function, but much like the Pro Display XDR, the Studio Display works best with macOS.
Macs powered by Apple silicon do not officially support Windows and there is no Boot Camp feature like there is on Intel Macs, meaning that the update will only benefit the minority of users who have purchased the new Studio Display but have an older, non-Apple silicon based system with Boot Camp set up. Microsoft has declined to make a version of Windows 11 available for Apple's M1 series of Macs that are built on an Arm architecture, potentially due to an exclusivity deal with Qualcomm.
We picked up a new Mac Studio and a Studio Display on order day last week, but unfortunately they arrived a bit late in the day so we weren't able to unbox them yesterday morning. MacRumors videographer Dan did a late night unboxing, though, which we're able to share today for those who want a closer look at Apple's newest studio devices.
We'll have a much more in-depth hands-on video coming next week, but for now, Dan shares some initial first impressions on the new machines and shows off just what comes in the box when you purchase a Mac Studio or a Studio Display.
Following last week's Apple event, this week remained busy with the launch of all of the hardware introduced at the event, as well as the next round of operating updates.
Ahead of Friday's hardware launch, we saw early media reviews of the Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPad Air 5, iPhone SE 3, and even some hands-on looks at the new green iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro colors.
We also saw the public release of iOS 15.4 and associated updates with a bunch of new features including the long-awaited Universal Control, so read on for all of the details on these stories and more!
Mac Studio Reviews: Faster Than a $13,000 Mac Pro
Just over a week after Apple introduced the Mac Studio, the first reviews of the desktop computer have surfaced.
Apple began accepting Mac Studio pre-orders last week ahead of a launch on Friday, March 18. Mac Studio pricing starts at $1,999 with an M1 Max chip and at $3,999 with an M1 Ultra chip.
Apple to Improve Studio Display's Camera in Software Update After Several Poor Reviews
The first reviews of Apple's Studio Display are out, and one common criticism among reviewers was that the webcam's image quality ranges from equivalent to an "old BlackBerry" to downright "awful."
iPhone SE 3 Reviews: Impressive Performance in a 'Tired Design'
While reviews of the third-generation iPhone SE praised the addition of a faster A15 chip and 5G support at a budget-friendly $429 price point, the device still has the same design as the iPhone 8 from 2017.
Other key features of the new iPhone SE include longer battery life, more durable glass, new camera features, the return of a 256GB storage option, and an increased 4GB of RAM.
iPad Air 5 Reviews: Great Value With M1 Chip From $599
Overall, the new iPad Air remains a great value, with performance now on par with the iPad Pro thanks to the addition of the M1 chip. The new iPad Air also features 5G connectivity on cellular models, an upgraded 12-megapixel front camera with support for Center Stage, up to a 2x faster USB-C port for data transfer, new color options, and more.
iOS 15.4 Released: Here is Everything New
Apple this week released iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 to the public following nearly two months of beta testing, and there are several new features for iPhone and iPad users to check out.
Should this information be accurate, it seems plausible that Apple might only offer a new chip with the "Pro" models, and then that chip would trickle down to the two cheaper iPhone models the following year.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Apple last week introduced an updated iPad Air with an M1 chip, and now the new tablet is available for purchase. We picked one up to see how it compares to the iPad Pro, which also has an M1 chip, to give you an idea of which of Apple's iPads is right for you.
Design wise, the fifth-generation iPad Air looks just like the fourth-generation iPad Air, with the exception of the colors. You can get the new model in purple and a new shade of blue, along with pink, starlight, and space gray.
There are no other visual updates, and the iPad Air features the same all-display design with 10.9-inch screen and Touch ID Power Button. Unlike the iPad Pro, it does not have 120Hz ProMotion support, which is now one of the main differences between the Pro and Air iPad lines. If you're used to ProMotion, the lack of it on the iPad Air can be jarring, but if you've never had ProMotion, you won't know the difference.
Though Apple didn't change the look of the iPad Air, there are internal changes. Most notably, the iPad Air is using the same M1 chip as the iPad Pro, so in terms of performance, they're identical. You won't see any speed differences between the two lines until the iPad Pro gets an update with a faster chip, which is expected to happen later this year.
Apple added a new 12-megapixel Ultra Wide front-facing camera to bring the iPad Air in line with the iPad Pro, and it supports Center Stage, the feature that keeps you in frame as you move about the room.
The iPad Air has also been upgraded with 5G connectivity, but it is sub-6GHz 5G and it doesn't work with the fastest mmWave 5G networks. The iPad Pro does work with the faster 5G network, so that's worth keeping in mind.
If you have the prior-generation iPad Air or the last two iPad Pro models, it's not going to be worth upgrading to this new fifth-generation iPad Air, but if you're coming from anything else, it's worth choosing the iPad Air over the iPad Pro because it has almost the same feature set and it's $200 cheaper.
You're only going to be missing out on the faster 5G mmWave connectivity, the ProMotion display, and Face ID, and if these are important to you, you should hold out for the next-generation iPad Pro before upgrading.
Did you pick up a new iPad Air? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
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