MacRumors

Apple plans to increase the production of the iPhone 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max by 10 million units for the second calendar quarter of the year, which runs from April to June, according to the Taiwanese version of DigiTimes.

From the report (machine translated):

Apple is rumored to expand its production plan for the iPhone 13 in the second quarter of 2022. Among them, the production of high-end models of the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max is planned to increase by about 10 million units, and relevant Apple supply chain players are expected to benefit.

The report suggests an improving situation with Apple’s supply chain, which has been struggling to meet demand amid COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions in China. Several of Apple's suppliers have been forced to partially or entirely suspend production, threatening the supply and availability of the ‌iPhone‌, iPad, Macs, and other consumer electronics.

The ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max, announced in September 2021, offer modest upgrades compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro from the year before. The current high-end iPhones benefited from a ProMotion display, bolstered camera capabilities with low-light improvements, a smaller notch, and faster performance. In its spring refresh of the ‌iPhone‌ lineup, Apple introduced a new Alpine Green color for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro.

Apple will announce Q2 2022 earnings this Thursday, covering the company's performance throughout this quarter, the launch of the new Mac Studio, Studio Display, and 5G-enabled iPhone SE and iPad Air, and how well the company is stacking up to supply chain constraints.

Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16-core GPU, 512GB SSD) has dropped to $2,249.00 on Amazon, down from $2,499.00. This deal is available in both colors, but Silver is beginning to see reduced stock so order soon if you're interested.

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 $250 off, this is the lowest price we've ever seen on this model of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which Apple updated last year. We typically track deals on the 14-inch model of the 2021 MacBook Pro more often, and this is one of the first notable markdowns on the 16-inch notebook in a few months.

These MacBook Pro models feature an all-new design for Apple's notebook lineup, including more ports, the removal of the Touch Bar, the reintroduction of MagSafe, a slimmer bezel, a mini-LED display, and M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. Although there's no Touch Bar, there is still Touch ID support with the Touch ID button on the keyboard.

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

Belkin's Wemo brand debuted its $250 Smart Video Doorbell with HomeKit Secure Video support back at CES in January, and the doorbell is now available through Apple's online and retail stores.

The Wemo Smart Video Doorbell, which is also available directly from Belkin, is one of the few doorbells on the market so far to support ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌, which not only allows video feeds to show up directly in the Home app on your devices, but with a paid iCloud+ subscription, video activity for the past 10 days can be securely uploaded for viewing and sharing.

A home hub device such as a HomePod, iPad, or Apple TV within range of the doorbell will also privately analyze events captured by the doorbell and can identify people via face recognition, as well as distinguish between animals, vehicles, and package deliveries.

The Wemo doorbell includes a 1600x1200 HD camera with a 223º diagonal field of view and low-light sensitivity, as well as infrared technology for nighttime motion sensing, two-way talk capabilities, and dual-band Wi-Fi support. It does require a wired doorbell system and comes with a wedge spacer to allow you to mount it at an angle if desired.

Chip supplier TSMC's Apple business is predicted to grow almost 25 percent this year as the transition to Apple silicon nears completion and the two companies grow closer ties, DigiTimes reports.

Apple is said to be expecting shipments of chips for new iPhones and other devices from TSMC in the first half of June, according to sources speaking to DigiTimes. In addition to year-on-year growth of chips for iPhones in 2022, TSMC is also expected to "substantially" grow its shipments of M-series chips as Apple completes the transition to its own custom silicon chips and "will this year totally wean itself off Intel CPUs for its Mac series."

The report added that TSMC is expected to remain Apple's sole chip supplier for the foreseeable future, with Samsung experiencing problems with advanced process yield performance and Intel unlikely to receive orders from Apple.

In total, TSMC is estimated to make $17 billion in revenue singularly from fulfilling Apple orders in 2022, up from $13.8 billion in 2021. Although Apple's semiconductor manufacturing supply chain "remains little affected" by ongoing lockdowns in China, other parts of Apple's supply chain may be severely impacted depending on how long lockdowns persist, which the report speculates could lead to Apple being forced to delay the launch of new iPhone models this year.

Moreover, Apple is said to have already placed orders for 2nm chips to be fulfilled by TSMC in 2025. The report also claims that Apple and TSMC are jointly developing 1nm chips for use in augmented-reality head-mounted devices and Apple's vehicle project.

The "Pixel Watch," Google's first flagship smartwatch aimed to become a competitor for the Apple Watch, has leaked online after a Google employee who had access to the unreleased watch apparently left it behind at a bar.

The images were shared with Android Central, which stated at the time that it had received the pictures from a source who had found the watch at a restaurant. Thanks to a Reddit thread from a user who claims to have supplied Android Central with the images, however (via The Verge), some more details about how images of the watch made their way online have been shared.

According to Reddit user u/tagtech414, their friend who works at a bar found the watch a few weeks ago and decided to keep hold of it, hoping the owner or Google would come looking for it. Neither the owner nor Google seemingly ever reached out or looked for the watch. The incident will draw stark similarities to when the iPhone 4, the biggest redesign to the ‌iPhone‌ at the time since its launch, was leaked online after an employee forgot it at a bar.

As for the watch itself, the images match with renders shared last year by Jon Prosser. Google is opting for a circular watch design, with a circular dial, a side button, and a hole on the side, likely to be a microphone. The screen size is around 1.5-inches, according to the Reddit user and an additional image shared on Reddit shows the watch with relatively large bezels.

Like the Apple Watch, the Pixel Watch will have a mechanism for changing watch bands, according to the images. An image of a blue silicone-like watch band depicts the Pixel Watch experience being similar to that of the Apple Watch regarding watch bands, letting users easily slide different options in and out.

The Pixel Watch has been rumored to launch for some time and could see an official announcement as soon as next month. Google will be holding Google I/O, its annual developers conference, from May 11 through May 12 where additional details could be shared.

The iPhone 14 models will deviate further from the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro models with different chips and Wide cameras, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman supported a range of rumors about the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup and affirmed that Apple is still working on satellite connectivity features. Gurman outlined how Apple is aiming to further differentiate its Pro and non-Pro iPhone models in the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup. The new 48-megapixel Wide camera will be exclusive to the Pro models, while the standard ‌iPhone 14‌ models will retain a 12-megapixel Wide camera like the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup.

As first suggested by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, The non-Pro ‌iPhone‌ models "are likely to stick to the A15 from last year or a variant of it," while the Pro models will feature Apple's new A16 chip. Gurman added that beyond an attempt to differentiate the Pro models, the global chip shortage may have contributed to this decision.

Gurman added that he expects the new "‌iPhone 14‌ Max," which will bring a 6.7-inch display to the non-Pro ‌iPhone 14‌ models, to be available for at least $200 less than the only current 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ option, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max.

Gurman also reiterated other rumors that the ‌iPhone 14‌ models will share a very similar design to the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 models, adding "a new notch on the Pro models," comprising a pill-shaped cutout for Face ID and a circular cutout for the camera, and "larger camera bumps to fit in new sensors."

Moreover, Gurman claimed that Apple is still working on bringing satellite connectivity features to the ‌iPhone‌. Apple purportedly intended to introduce the feature with the iPhone 13 models, but the new functionality could be ready this year for the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup. The satellite connectivity features are designed to report emergencies and send short texts to emergency contacts when no cellular service is available.

The rumor is said to be supported by satellite company Globalstar Inc. reaching an agreement to buy 17 satellites to support "continuous satellite services" for a "potential" unnamed client that had paid it hundreds of millions of dollars. Gurman recently reported that the Apple Watch is also set to get satellite connectivity features in 2022 or 2023.

Apple is already working on an iMac that features the "M3" Apple silicon chip, alongside development on at least nine new Macs that feature the company's next-generation of Apple silicon, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported.

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman has said that work on an ‌iMac‌ with an M3 chip is already underway, but specific details of the ‌iMac‌, including whether it'll be a follow-up to the updated 24-inch model or a larger model are not disclosed. Gurman added that an ‌iMac‌ Pro is also in the works but that it won't launch "anytime soon."

Since then, I've heard that the M2 chips aren't the only ones in testing within Apple. And if you're waiting for a new iMac, I'm hearing an M3 version of that desktop is already in the works—though I imagine it won't launch until the end of next year at the earliest. Also, for those asking, I still think an iMac Pro is coming. It just won't be anytime soon.

Last week, Bloomberg reported that Apple is hard at work on a host of new Macs destined to be released throughout the remainder of this year and early into 2023. The new Macs include a revamped entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip, a completely redesigned MacBook Air, and updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with the ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max chips.

Apple is rumored to showcase its ‌M2‌ chip later this year, which will be the company's first significant addition to its Mac Apple silicon family since the launch of the original M1 chip in November 2020.

The baseline ‌M2‌ chip, expected to power the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and the ‌MacBook Air‌, is rumored to include the same 8-core CPU as ‌M1‌ but with speed and efficiency improvements. As for GPU, the ‌M2‌ will consist of 9 and 10-core GPU options, up from the 7 and 8-core GPU options in the original ‌‌M1‌‌ chip.

For a full roundup of everything we know about the ‌M2‌ chip, see our guide.

Details of Sony's next-generation WH-1000XM5 headphones have been leaked, revealing a new design and more advanced specifications compared to the company's current premium offering.

When it comes to wireless noise-canceling audio, Sony's existing flagship WH-1000MX4 headphones are among the best on the market and arguably the biggest rival of AirPods Max, so what Sony has next up its sleeve naturally garners interest among Apple users.

According to an anonymous retail source who spoke to Germany-based TechnikNews, the successor to Sony's WH-1000XM4 will sport a redesign that includes thinner hinged arms connecting the earcups to a narrower headband, reminiscent of the Bose 700. This has also led to speculation that the redesigned headband is metal rather than plastic.

The ear cup padding appears to be more substantial, but Sony has seemingly ditched the collapsible foldaway mechanism that tucked one cup inside the other, although as The Verge notes, the case doesn't look likely to take up much more space when stowed away.

According to the retail source, the WH-1000XM5 will have a battery life of up to 40 hours with active noise cancelation on, which is 10 hours longer than the XM4's. Total charging time is said to be 3.5 hours over USB-C, which is about 30 minutes longer than the current generation.

The three microphones have reportedly been repositioned, and an NC/Ambient button replaces the "Custom" one found on the XM4's, although the button is likely to remain reprogrammable to activate voice assistants and the like. These cans are also said to have an additional ANC processor and a new sound driver, suggesting improved noise-canceling and sonics, but details are scant on that front.

The release date of the XM5 headphones is still unknown, but they did appear in FCC documents a few months ago, so they're likely to arrive sometime this year. Until then, the $349 XM4's remain very popular with Apple users who are unhappy with the relative heaviness and high price of the $549 ‌AirPods Max‌.

There are currently no rumors suggesting a new version of ‌AirPods Max‌ could come in the near future, yet it's worth noting that Apple reportedly removed several features from the originals like interchangeable headbands and a more affordable sport option, so these could always appear in a future model. Apple could also add support for lossless Apple Music playback, which would require a new audio protocol with higher bandwidth than Bluetooth provides.

This week saw a good mix of Apple news and rumors, including an update for Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack that will let you charge your iPhone more quickly while on the go and some fresh iPhone 14 lineup rumors.

Other topics included Samsung's new M8 display as a competitor to Apple's Studio Display, a fresh round of operating system betas, and more, so read on below for all of the details!

MagSafe Battery Pack Now Able to Charge at Faster 7.5W Speed After Firmware Update

Apple this week released a firmware update for the MagSafe Battery Pack that allows the battery pack to wirelessly charge an iPhone at up to 7.5W speeds, up from the previous 5W limit.

We've shared step-by-step instructions on how to update the MagSafe Battery Pack's firmware. The firmware version can be checked on an iPhone in the Settings app under General > About > MagSafe Battery Pack.

Kuo: iPhone 14 Models Likely to Feature Upgraded Front Camera With Autofocus

All four iPhone 14 models that are expected to launch later this year will likely feature an upgraded front camera with autofocus and a wider ƒ/1.9 aperture, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo said these camera upgrades could result in an improved depth-of-field effect for Portrait mode photos and videos, while autofocus can enhance focus during video calls in apps like FaceTime and Zoom.

In other iPhone 14 rumors, we caught our first sight of case manufacturer molds for the lineup, giving us a better real-world idea of how the lineup will look as it transitions to two Max-sized models and no mini-sized model.

Samsung's New 32-Inch 'M8' Display vs. Apple's Studio Display

Samsung recently introduced the M8, a new 32-inch 4K display that's priced at $700, making it less than half as expensive as the Studio Display from Apple.

For one of our latest YouTube videos, we decided to compare the M8 to Apple's Studio Display to see how it performs and whether you can save some money by going with a cheaper option.

Apple Seeds Second Betas of iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5

Apple this week seeded the second betas of iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5 to developers and public beta testers. So far, these updates have only minor changes, such as tweaks to Apple Pay Cash.

iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5 will likely be the final notable updates ahead of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 being announced. Apple also seeded the second betas of macOS Monterey 12.4, watchOS 8.6, and tvOS 15.5.

The MacRumors Show: Jon Rettinger Talks WWDC 2022 Expectations, iOS 16 Wishlist, and More

Jon Rettinger, a YouTuber and founder of tech website TechnoBuffalo, joined us on The MacRumors Show podcast this week to take a deep dive into WWDC expectations and what we would like to see from Apple's forthcoming software updates.

Listen to The MacRumors Show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or subscribe by copying our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. You can also watch a video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Netflix Loses Subscribers for the First Time in 10 Years, Blames Account Sharing

Netflix this week announced that it lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, marking the streaming service's first quarter-over-quarter decline in subscribers in a decade.

In a letter to shareholders, Netflix said that its revenue growth has "slowed considerably," with the company faulting "a large number of households sharing accounts" and "competition" as reasons for the drop off.

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.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Apple today launched a repair program for the Apple Watch Series 6 to address an issue that can cause a small percentage of the devices to exhibit a permanently blank screen.

This problem impacts the 40mm Apple Watch Series 6, and affected devices were manufactured between April 2021 and September 2021. Apple says that Apple Watch Series 6 owners can use the serial number checker on the website to determine whether their devices are eligible for the repair program.

Devices that have been impacted by this issue will be repaired free of charge by Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

The program covers eligible Apple Watch Series 6 models for two years after the first retail sale of the unit.

A leaked version of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) indicates that Apple could be forced to make major changes to the App Store, Messages, FaceTime, third-party browsers, and Siri.

According to a leaked working document intended to reflect the "final" version of the DMA, seen by MacRumors, the EU is planning to enact changes that seek to have a significant impact on the way that companies like Apple will have to manage their products, apps, and services in Europe, particularly with regards to "gatekeeping."

Earlier versions of the Digital Markets Act set out demands for big tech companies to share metrics with competitors, ensure that all apps are uninstallable, and not preference their own apps and services. Companies that fail to do so may face large fines, as high as ten percent of the company's worldwide annual turnover, or even forced disinvestment.

One of the headline parts of the DMA attempts to prompt major changes to the ‌App Store‌, forcing Apple to allow users to download apps from the internet and third-party app stores and allow developers to use in-app payment systems of their choice and promote offers to users. Amendments to the DMA outlined in the leaked document seek to address browser engine gatekeeping and platform interoperability.

The document expands provisions to stop companies from requiring developers to use a particular browser engine. This change is likely intended to directly address Apple's requirement that all browsers running on iOS and iPadOS that use its own WebKit technology, and would allow third-party browsers like Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Opera to stop using WebKit and switch to Chromium like their desktop counterparts.

• Should Apple Continue to Ban Rival Browser Engines on iOS?

New wide-reaching interoperability obligations will require companies to ensure that, under certain circumstances, their messaging, voice-calling, and video calling apps and services will work with rival services and include end-to-end encryption. This could have implications for iMessage and ‌FaceTime‌, but it is not clear how far Apple will need to make changes to its services to meet the DMA's interoperability requirements.

The DMA has also been amended to add provisions for regulating virtual assistants like ‌Siri‌, stating that users should be given the option to change the default virtual assistant to a third-party option when using it for the first time. Other changes to the DMA relate to preventing companies from giving their own apps and services preferential treatment, such as when presenting rankings or search results.

EU lawmakers provisionally approved the DMA in March. Once the final document is officially published, the European Parliament and the Council will need to approve it before it can come into effect. Digital competition chief Margrethe Vestager said last month that she expects the DMA to come into force "sometime in October."

Earlier this week, members of the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in support of legislation that will compel Apple to offer a USB-C port on all iPhones, iPads, and AirPods in Europe.

For this week's giveaway and to celebrate Earth Day, we've teamed up with GRID Studio to offer a range of great prizes for MacRumors readers, including deconstructed Apple device art pieces and a 256GB iPhone 13 in green.

GRID Studio is best known for creating art from vintage Apple devices that are an important part of Apple's history, tearing down iPhones, Apple Watches, and iPods for their component parts. What you may not know is that GRID Studio is also helping the environment.

Since starting to create art pieces, GRID Studio has turned more than 10,000 old smartphones from e-waste into treasure. The company says that sustainability is a major part of its business, and it aims to help protect the environment by recycling trash into art pieces beloved by Apple fans.

In honor of Earth Day, Grid Studio is offering a 20 percent site wide discount on all of its products, and 10 percent of sales are being donated to Earthday.org. The site is also providing several prizes for MacRumors readers. The main prize winner will receive a 256GB ‌iPhone‌ 13 and a GRID iPhone 4S, while a second prize winner will get a customized Earth Day frame and a GRID 4S. Two third prize winners will receive a GRID iPhone 3GS.

GRID Studio focuses primarily on classic iPhones, and pricing on the art pieces starts at around $140. Each one is around 13x13x8, and includes all of the internal components of the device separated out and organized with labels so you can see everything that made the ‌iPhone‌ special at a glance.

With the ‌iPhone‌ 4S and 3GS, for example, the ‌iPhone‌ shell is displayed next to individual components like the power button, headphone socket, speaker, logic board, circuit board, ear piece, lightning port, and other components.

If you have a favorite classic ‌‌iPhone‌‌, there's a good chance that GRID has taken it apart. In addition to the original ‌‌iPhone‌‌, there are also GRID pieces for everything up to the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ X, along with A-series chips like the A5X, the Apple Watch, the Magic Mouse, and more.

Every GRID Studio piece includes all of the original parts of the device, but the company does not use real batteries to prevent any issues with the battery expanding or exploding with age. GRID's artwork is perfect for an office decoration or as a gift for an Apple fan. Disassembled devices are attractive to look at, informative, and offer a fun glimpse into Apple's history.

To enter to win an ‌iPhone‌ 13, GRID's special Earth Day globe, or a deconstructed ‌iPhone‌ 3GS or 4S, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (April 22) at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on April 29. The winners will be chosen randomly on April 29 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Originally announced at CES back in January, the U.S. version of Anker's highly anticipated 736 USB charger is now available through Amazon for $75.99 in black/silver.

Using Anker's GaN II technology, the 100-watt 736 charger is 34% smaller than Apple's 96-watt charger, yet offers the flexibility of three USB ports to charge multiple devices when needed.

The 736 includes two USB-C ports and a USB-A port, and it will intelligently divide power among the ports depending on how many are in use. When either USB-C port is used alone, it will deliver a full 100 watts of power, fully supporting any Mac notebook other than the fast charging capabilities of the 140-watt charger that comes with the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

Two-port setups allow for the largest number of possible combinations depending on which ports are used. If the two USB-C ports are used together, the top one will provide 60 watts while the bottom one will provide 40 watts. Combining the top USB-C port and the USB-A port will deliver 80 watts and 18 watts respectively, while combining the bottom USB-C port and the USB-A will provide a 60-watt and 22.5-watt split.

If all three ports are used, the top USB-C port will deliver 45 watts, the bottom USB-C port will deliver 30 watts, and the USB-A port will deliver 18 watts.

The 736 joins the similar Anker 735 charger introduced earlier this month that also includes two USB-C ports and a USB-A port, but only delivers a maximum of 65 watts of power.

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

The iPhone 14 lineup will be available in a refreshed lineup of color options, including an all-new purple color, and feature a new True Tone flash design, according to a sketchy rumor shared by an unverified source (via AppleTrack).

The post, which has since been deleted, comes from an unverified source on Chinese social media site Weibo and claimed to reveal the full range of color options for Apple's upcoming ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro models.

The ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Max will reportedly be available in black, white, blue, red, and purple, while the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max will allegedly come in graphite, gold, silver, and purple. The purple color option for both the ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro is said to be a unique finish that shifts tone based on lighting conditions.

The post also claimed that the ‌iPhone 14‌ models will feature a new True Tone flash that looks like "a small circle in a big circle," as opposed to the current design that contains two small LEDs in two separate hemispheres.

In recent years, Apple has offered eye-catching new color options alongside more neutral tones when launching new iPhone models. A purple color option for the ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro seems plausible given that Apple introduced a Purple ‌iPhone‌ 12 and iPhone 12 mini in a mid-cycle refresh in April last year to a positive response from customers, and the 24-inch iMac, sixth-generation iPad mini, and fifth-generation iPad Air are all available in Purple.

Assuming that the post's black and white options for the ‌iPhone 14‌ actually refer to Midnight and Starlight, the new color lineup would mean the discontinuation of the ‌iPhone‌ 13's Pink and Green, and the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro's Sierra Blue and Alpine Green. Excluding mid-cycle color additions, such as Green and Alpine Green for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro earlier this year, the rumor suggests that the ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro will launch with the same number of color options as their predecessors.

It is not clear if the unique purple finish is actively supposed to have a kaleidoscopic effect to change based on lighting conditions, or simply use the technique behind the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro's Sierra Blue, which varies in appearance more than the other color options. This is because Apple adopted a new production process exclusively for Sierra Blue that uses "multiple layers of nanometer-scale metallic ceramics applied across the surface for a stunning and durable finish."

Overall, the ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro's selection of color options could look fairly similar to those of the ‌iPhone‌ 12, ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, ‌iPhone‌ 13, and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, headlining with the re-introduction of a purple shade.

The rumor is getting traction on Twitter and the information is seemingly being mirrored by other unverified posts on Weibo. Nevertheless, the post comes from a source without a known track record and it is not clear why it was deleted, so it should be viewed with skepticism at this point in time.

The Apple Cash virtual debit card appears to be switching networks from Discover to Visa, as revealed in some updated images on Apple's website and noted by Twitter user @Kanjo.

Since its launch, Apple Cash (originally known as Apple Pay Cash) has been operated through a partnership with Green Dot Bank on the Discover network. Discover is one of the smaller card networks and is accepted in far fewer places than heavyweights Visa and Mastercard.

Over the past few days, several Apple Cash virtual card images on Apple's website have been swapped out for new ones displaying a Visa debit logo, and the transition to the more widely accepted network appears to be underway.

It's unclear whether Apple will be imminently transitioning existing Discover-based Apple Cash accounts to the Visa network, but in our testing it appears that new Apple Cash accounts are now being created with Visa.

If you currently have a Discover Apple Cash account, deactivating Apple Cash in Settings on your device and then reactivating it will generate a new Apple Cash Device Account Number on the Visa network.

Distinct from the Apple Card credit card, Apple Cash is similar to a debit card (though without a physical card) and allows users to easily send and receive money via ‌Apple Pay‌ and the Messages app. Users can keep funds stored in Apple Cash for easy access, link it to a bank account or other debit card to pull money out, or use the funds to pay off ‌Apple Card‌ balances. ‌Apple Card‌ cash back earnings are also paid out as Apple Cash.

We're ending the week with a collection of discounts on Apple products including AirPods and Apple Watch, as well as a sitewide discount at Grid Studio. For the AirPods and Apple Watch, you'll find all-time low deals on AirPods 2, AirPods Pro, and Apple Watch SE.

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.

AirPods 2

Amazon still has the AirPods 2 at $99.00, down from $129.00. This deal is a solid second-best price, and only about $10 higher than the all-time low price seen on this version of the AirPods.

This is the model of AirPods that comes with the Wired Charging Case. Apple discontinued the AirPods 2 with the Wireless Charging Case so we haven't seen any notable deals on that accessory in months.

AirPods Pro with MagSafe

Next, Apple's AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case are available for $174.00 on Amazon, 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.

The headphones are in stock today, and they are shipped and sold directly by Amazon. 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.

Apple Watch SE

Switching to the Apple Watch SE, we're tracking an ongoing best-ever price on a few models of the Apple Watch SE. Specifically, you can get the 40mm GPS Gold Aluminium Case with Starlight Sport Band for $229.00, down from $279.00.

You can also get the Space Grey Aluminium Case with Midnight Sport Band at this sale price, and both models are in stock and shipped by Amazon.

Grid Studio

Lastly, Grid Studio is taking 20 percent off sitewide for one day only with the code EARTH2022. Grid Studio is a company that deconstructs popular tech devices, like iPhones and Game Boys, and sells them in attractive shadowbox frames.

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

Apple later this year will discontinue Fleetsmith, its mobile device management (MDM) solution for administrators needing to manage fleets of Apple devices.

The company announced the decision in a support document, in which it says that as of April 21, 2022, it has discontinued new signups for Fleetsmith. Existing Fleetsmith customers can continue to use the service until October 21, 2022.

After that date, customers will no longer be able to log into the service and devices will no longer receive configuration profiles from the Fleetsmith server.

The nature of MDM is that it lets customers securely and wirelessly configure devices, whether they're owned by the user or their organization, and Fleetsmith lets users oversee a fleet of Apple products, automatically managing apps, settings, and security preferences while implementing best practices for IT and security.

Apple acquired the enterprise security software in June 2020, and many Apple devices have a built-in framework that supports mobile device management.

To help customers migrate from Fleetsmith to other MDM solutions before its discontinuation, Apple has provided support documents for choosing an MDM solution and planning your MDM migration.

Apple could adopt the 2nm process for its iPhone and Mac chips as early as 2025 as the company's main chip supplier, TSMC, has set in motion a plan to produce that process in the early parts of that year, DigiTimes reports.

All of Apple's latest chips feature the 5nm process, including the A15 Bionic in the ‌iPhone‌ 13 series and the entire M1 Apple silicon line. According to a new DigiTimes report today, TSMC will begin mass production of 3nm chips later this year with 2nm following in 2025 with Apple and Intel being among the first to use the newer technology.

TSMC has set a timetable to move its 2nm GAA process to production in 2025 while commercializing its 3nm FInFET process with improved yield rates in the second half of 2022, with Apple and Intel among the first clients to adopt both nodes, further consolidating its dominance in the advanced foundry sector, according to industry sources.

A report from last year claimed that the next iPad Pro, expected to be announced later this year, will feature a 3nm process. The current ‌iPad Pro‌ features the ‌M1‌ chip and the 2022 version is expected to include Apple's all-new "M2" chip. The ‌3nm‌ process technology features performance improvements of up to 15% while being at least 25% less battery-hungry, according to TSMC.