MacRumors

Apple will face additional antitrust charges in the European Union related to a music streaming probe triggered by a complaint from Spotify, Reuters reports.

The charges are part of an ongoing investigation by the European Commission into accusations of anti-competitive conduct in the music streaming market from Spotify and suggest that the EU is strengthening its case against Apple amid growing scrutiny into big tech across the region.

In 2019, Spotify filed a complaint with the European Commission, alleging that Apple enforces App Store rules that "purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experience," accusing the company of "acting as both a player and referee to deliberately disadvantage other app developers."

In particular, Spotify highlighted that Apple's 30 percent commission on ‌App Store‌ purchases, including in-app subscriptions, forces the music streaming service to charge existing subscribers $12.99 per month for its Premium plan on the ‌App Store‌, just to collect the $9.99 per month it usually charges.

It is proposed that this gives Apple an "unfair advantage," since Spotify is unable to fairly compete with Apple Music's standard $9.99 per month price within the ‌‌App Store‌‌. If Spotify chooses not to collect payments via the ‌‌App Store‌‌, Apple purportedly "applies a series of technical and experience-limiting restrictions" on the company. It is also said that Apple was "locking Spotify and other competitors out of Apple services such as Siri, HomePod, and Apple Watch," thereby making ‌Apple Music‌ a more attractive option for subscribers.

In April 2021, the investigation found Apple to be in breach of EU competition law. Apple denied allegations of anti-competitive behavior, and said at the time of Spotify's complaint that its rival was using "its financial motivations in misleading rhetoric."

An individual familiar with the matter speaking to Reuters said that the European Commission now intends to set out extra antitrust charges in a supplementary statement of objections, which are normally used when an EU competition enforcer has changed parts of its case or obtained new evidence. The additional charges will reportedly be issued in the coming weeks.

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

Amazon today knocked the price of the 64GB Apple TV 4K down to $169.99, from $199.00. This model is sold directly from Amazon and it's in stock and ready to ship out today.

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.

This deal now matches the same sale price of the 32GB Apple TV 4K, allowing you to double the storage of the set-top box at no extra cost. Compared to past sales, this is a match of the all-time low price on this version of the 2021 Apple TV 4K.

Apple updated the Apple TV 4K in April 2021, including an A12 Bionic processor, 4K high frame rate HDR support, and the redesigned Siri Remote. This version of the Siri Remote is larger than the previous model, and it includes a clickpad control wheel, a dedicated power button, and a side button for Siri controls.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Following a lengthy testing period, YouTube's picture-in-picture support for iOS will begin rolling out in the next few days, allowing all users, including non-premium and premium subscribers, to close the YouTube app and continue watching their video in a small pop-up window.

Google in June announced that picture-in-picture support would be rolling out to both premium and non-paying YouTube app users in the U.S., but many people outside the country have been able to get it working, so the company could be making it globally available.

Only YouTube Premium subscribers have had access to picture-in-picture mode on iOS as an "experimental feature," and at one stage this was interpreted to mean it would remain a premium-only feature, until Google clarified that it would eventually be coming to all users in the country.

On Sunday, in a tweeted response to a user having problems accessing the experimental feature, YouTube said picture in picture would be available in "a matter of days" for devices running iOS 15 and later.

For those unfamiliar with the feature, picture-in-picture allows videos to be watched while using other apps. When watching a video, users can tap the picture-in-picture button to move the video to a smaller window that floats over the Home Screen or other apps.

YouTube has extended the testing period for the feature several times in an effort to improve the experience before an official launch, and it now appears that the company is almost ready for it to go live.

• How to Use Picture in Picture Mode on iPhone

The availability of YouTube picture-in-picture has been back and forth, with the feature sometimes working via the YouTube website on Safari. Some users have resorted to Shortcuts to turn off built-in parameters on the YouTube site that disables picture-in-picture. But with official support just around the corner, those workarounds will no longer be needed.

Update: YouTube has clarified its earlier comment about the rollout "in a matter of days," and said that it was made in reference to YouTube TV, not YouTube.

"What's currently being rolled out is the YouTube TV picture-in-picture for iOS 15+ devices," YouTube said on Twitter. "If you're referring to the YouTube app, it's only available to Premium members on Android mobile phones.

Apple and its main supplier Foxconn are now producing the iPhone 13 in India, the company confirmed to Reuters, signaling a continued push to diversify its product supply chain outside of China.

India has become the home of production for several of Apple's products. Last year, the company began to produce the iPhone 12 in the country and according to Reuters, Apple has plans to begin iPad production locally.

Apple has taken advantage of several government schemes aimed to boost local production of products, cut down costs, and offer employment opportunities. Apple began production in India first with the iPhone SE in 2017, according to Reuters.

In 2020, Apple launched its online store in India, offering customers a direct way to purchase products directly from the company without having to go through a reseller. Apple had promised that its first retail store will open in India by the end of 2021, however with that deadline now passed, it remains to be seen how soon an Apple Store opens in the country.

Yesterday, MacRumors reported on a growing number of Studio Display owners who were unable to update their display to iOS 15.4, and now, less than a day later, Apple has resolved the issue which originated from the software being unverified by the servers.

As highlighted on Twitter and confirmed by MacRumors, iOS 15.4, the latest software update for the Studio Display, had been unsigned by Apple as of late last week, making software updates for the display impossible. A few hours later, Apple resigned iOS 15.4 for the Studio Display, making software updates for customers once again possible.

The Studio Display does run iOS 15.4, and that's currently the latest software update for the display. While it does run iOS, updates for the Studio Display do not seem to be coordinated with typical iOS and iPadOS releases.

Apple released iOS and iPadOS 15.4.1 for iPhone and iPad users last month, but the Studio Display remains with iOS 15.4. Apple has promised an update for the Studio Display that addresses poor webcam quality but has offered no timeline on when the update would be made available.

iOS 16, codenamed "Sydney" and set to be previewed at WWDC in June, will feature "significant" improvements to notifications and new health-tracking features but will not a feature major redesign of iOS, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said today.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman writes that he is not expecting a major redesign of iOS but that instead, the next version of iOS will include enhancements to notification and new health-tracking features.

On the iOS side, I'm looking for some fairly significant enhancements across the board, including an update to notifications and new health-tracking features.

I'm not expecting an end-to-end redesign of iOS's interface, even though it hasn't changed much since iOS 7 nearly a decade ago. But there might be a new iPadOS multitasking interface.

Apple will preview iOS 16, alongside iPadOS 16, macOS 13, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16 during WWDC, which will officially be held on June 6 until June 10.

Gurman said today that watchOS 9 may feature "major upgrades to activity and health tracking." No details are known of what macOS 13 will include, including what it will be called. macOS Big Sur featured a major redesign and was followed by a less significant update with macOS Monterey.

Staying on the Mac side of things, however, Gurman did today reiterate that Apple is working on several new Macs, including a new redesigned MacBook Air, a revamped 13-inch MacBook Pro, an updated 24-inch iMac, and a new Mac mini. For a complete rundown of what Apple could announce at WWDC this year, see our detailed roundup.

Some owners of the new Studio Display are facing issues when attempting to update Apple's newest monitor to its latest firmware, causing some customers to be told by Apple Support to bring in their display for repair at an Apple Store or authorized repair center.

A growing thread on the Apple Support forum (1, 2) includes owners of the Studio Display reporting that as they try to update the display, they're being presented with an error message that reads "Apple Studio Display firmware update could not be completed. Try again in an hour. If the problem persists, contact an authorized Apple service provider." According to users on the thread, reconnecting the display to another Mac and/or restarting the monitor does not address the issue.

Users on the MacRumors Forums are also reporting similar problems, with some being told by Apple Support to bring in their display for repair. Apple's Studio Display does run iOS, and users can update it through System Preferences on macOS.

Following reviews of poor webcam quality, Apple has promised a new update in the future that addresses poor camera quality. That same update could include a patch for the issue being experienced by users when trying to update their Studio Display.

It took until April to get official word, but we finally have a few details on the 2022 edition of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. WWDC will once again be a free online event for all developers, and we can expect to see lots of software announcements and perhaps a few hardware ones too, if we're lucky.

Other news this week included the start of a new cycle of operating system betas with iOS 15.5, macOS Monterey 12.4, and more, as well as some fresh rumors about the iPhone 14 Pro Max and AirPods Pro 2, so read on for details on these stories and more!

Apple Announces Digital WWDC 2022: June 6-10

Apple this week announced that its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is returning June 6 through June 10. For the third consecutive year, the event will take place in an online format, but a limited number of developers will be able to apply to attend an in-person viewing party for the Keynote and State of the Union videos at Apple Park.

As usual, expect Apple to unveil its latest software platforms, including iOS 16 for the iPhone, iPadOS 16 for the iPad, macOS 13 for the Mac, watchOS 9 for the Apple Watch, and tvOS 16 for the Apple TV. Hardware announcements sometimes occur at WWDC too, with rumors suggesting that a new Mac Pro with Apple silicon may be previewed this year.

Apple Releases First iOS 15.5 Beta: Here's Everything New

Apple finally seeded the first betas of iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5 to developers and public beta testers this week. As usual, a handful of new features and changes have been discovered.

We've rounded up everything new in the first iOS 15.5 beta, including Apple Pay Cash tweaks, more Apple Classical app references, and more.

Apple also seeded the first betas of macOS 12.4, watchOS 8.6, and tvOS 15.5.

iPhone 14 Pro Max Rumored to Feature 20% Thinner Display Bezels

While we are still around five months away from Apple unveiling its "iPhone 14" lineup, rumors are starting to ramp up about the devices.

The latest rumor suggests that the iPhone 14 Pro Max will feature 20% thinner bezels around the display, if leaked CAD drawings prove to be accurate. iPhone 14 Pro models are also rumored to feature a 48-megapixel main camera lens with a wider sensor.

Five Years Ago, Apple's Uncharacteristic Apology Set the Stage for the Mac's Renaissance

Five years ago, the Mac lineup was in a bad state. Over three years had passed since Apple had redesigned the Mac Pro with a sleek but constrained "trash can" enclosure, while the iMac, MacBook Air, and Mac mini had also gone years without updates.

Then came along Apple's uncharacteristic apology to pro Mac users, which set the stage for the Mac's renaissance over the past few years.

AirPods Pro 2 Expected to Launch in Second Half of 2022

Nearly two and a half years after Apple introduced the AirPods Pro, new ones may finally be on the horizon, if the latest rumor is to be believed.

Apple plans to release second-generation AirPods Pro in the second half of 2022, according to reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Rumors suggest the new AirPods Pro could have a more compact design, motion sensors for fitness tracking, and many other new features.

Budget Phone Comparison: Apple's iPhone SE vs. Samsung's Galaxy A53 5G

Apple in March came out with the updated 2022 iPhone SE, a budget iPhone that's equipped with 5G. Samsung also recently came out with its own budget 5G smartphone, the Galaxy A53 5G, so in one of our latest videos, we compared the two to see how they measure up.

In short, the A53 5G is offering up a better feature set, but it can't match the iPhone SE in terms of lifespan and build quality.

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!

Every year we like to take a fresh look at the different shortcut options that are available to use with the Shortcuts app on iOS devices and Mac, just to see what's new. We've found several useful shortcut options and rounded them up for MacRumors readers.

• Internet Radio Search - Internet Radio Search is designed to allow you to search for, select, and play various internet radio stations.
• Play Entire Current Album - If you're playing an Apple Music song and you want to listen to the entire album, this is the shortcut to get. It finds the album that the currently playing track belongs to and then plays the full album.
• Search On - Search On is a search anything tool. When you run the shortcut, it provides a sheet of options, so you type in what you're looking for and then you can choose to search Google, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, Amazon and other sources.
• Shazam++ - Shazam++ lets you Shazam a song and then open it on your favorite music platform, giving you a quick way to listen to Shazamed content on any music service of your choice. It also provides artist, album, and song info, lyrics, sharing tools, and more.
• iPod Shuffle - iPod Shuffle creates a random 100 song shuffle list of the songs you have added to ‌Apple Music‌ over the years. You can select different timeframes, such as the past year, past two years, or past three years.
• Redditer - Redditer is a simple shortcut that lets you go directly to your favorite subreddit.
• Built-in Sounds - This shortcut plays the Background Sounds built into iOS devices, but you don't need to go to the Accessibility settings to get to them.
• Open App on Apple TV 1 - This simple shortcut is designed to wake up your Apple TV and launch the app that you select, such as the TV app.

Do you have a favorite Shortcut? Let us know in the comments and we may feature it in a future video.

Apple may be planning to introduce a two-port 35W USB-C charger in the near future, based on a leaked support document that was found by 9to5Mac. The support document was apparently only on Apple's site for a brief time, but there was a clear mention of the unreleased charger.

As there is no dual USB-C port power adapter available right now, it may be something that Apple has in the works. 35W would charge or power a wide range of Apple devices, from the MacBook Air to iPads, iPhones, Apple Watch, and the HomePod. For the iPhone and the iPad, it would be powerful enough to accommodate fast charging.

The power adapter will support the following modes: 5VDC/3A or 9VDC/3A or 15VDC/2.33A or 20VDC/1.75A, and it will provide 35W of total charging power, not 35W for each USB-C port.

Use the Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter and a USB-C cable (not included) to charge your device. Connect a USB-C cable to either port on the power adapter, extend the electrical prongs (if necessary), then plug the power adapter firmly into the power outlet. Ensure the power outlet is easily accessible for disconnecting. Connect the other end of the cable to your device.

There is no word on when this accessory might launch, but it could possibly be the GaN power adapter that Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was working on in early March. Kuo said that Apple is working on a "30W power adapter" that has a new form factor design, with the company planning to introduce it at some point in 2022.

He said that the charger will use gallium nitride or "GaN" technology, allowing for a smaller, lighter form factor because of improved power efficiency. Apple's first GaN charger (140W) launched last year alongside the MacBook Pro.

Other accessory companies like Anker and Belkin have been making GaN chargers for some time now, and they offer several multi-port options.

Package tracking app Deliveries is losing functionality because shipping companies are not willing to provide the shipping data that the app needs to work, according to developer Mike Piontek.

In a blog post penned earlier this week, Piontek said that Deliveries is no longer able to maintain the same service that it used to provide because it relies on shipping companies, and "without their help" the app is not able to work the way that customers expect.

In time, the Deliveries app will likely stop showing direct tracking information in the app for additional services. Delivery date, map route, and other details will not be available, nor will notifications about status changes. To see tracking information, customers will need to use the "View Online" button to see tracking information on the shipping company's website.

According to Piontek, Deliveries understands that the app will become less useful to users, but the Deliveries team will aim to keep making it as useful as possible for those who continue to use it.

At the current time, Deliveries seems to be able to show shipping information from major U.S. shipping companies like the United States Postal Service and UPS, but over the course of the last few months, Amazon deliveries have stopped working.

Deliveries used to be able to track Amazon shipments just from an order link, but that is no longer possible. Tracking either does not work, or it requires logging in to Amazon with a login and password, which is a hassle. The app also recently stopped working with FedEx tracking numbers, and there are also complaints about DHL shipments not being able to be tracked.

Prior to when these changes were made by shipping companies, Deliveries was a very useful package tracking app, but for many, it may no longer be worth the $4.99 per year subscription price.

Google today announced it is partnering with iFixit to make do-it-yourself repairs available for Pixel smartphones in select regions.

Starting later this year, genuine Pixel parts will be available for purchase on iFixit's website for the Pixel 2 through Pixel 6 Pro, as well as future Pixel models, in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and European Union countries where Pixel smartphones are available, according to Google. Batteries, displays, cameras, and other parts will be available both individually and as part of iFixit toolkits.

Google's announcement comes one day after the European Parliament voted in support of proposed "Right to Repair" legislation planned for later in 2022. Samsung last week announced plans to launch a similar self-service repair program for some Galaxy smartphones, also in partnership with iFixit.

"If we're going to build a sustainable electronics industry, consumers must have options to repair products themselves," said iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens. "Google is making repair more affordable and accessible, even in places without repair shops. We are committed to enabling repairs at a place and time of your choosing."

iFixit said it will be continuing to write its step-by-step repair guides for Pixel smartphones, with guides for the Pixel 5a, 6, and 6 Pro in progress.

In November 2021, Apple also announced that it would be launching a self-service repair program in the United States in early 2022, followed by additional countries throughout the year. Apple said the initial phase of the program would focus on the most commonly serviced parts for all iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, such as displays, batteries, and cameras, and expand to Macs with M1 chips later in the year.

Apple has yet to launch its self-service repair program or publicly share any further details since its initial announcement.

An all-time low price on the white version of Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro Magic Keyboard has returned to Amazon this week, available for $293.00, down from $349.00. The keyboard is in stock and sold directly from Amazon, and only the US English version of the accessory is receiving the discount.

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.

This is a second-best deal on the 12.9-inch Magic Keyboard, and for the white color option it's the lowest price we've ever seen. Only Amazon is offering this sale, and you won't need any coupon code to see the deal.

This is the new 2021 model of the Magic Keyboard, so it's been optimized to fit the slightly thicker 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro with mini-LED display, but it also fits the 2018 and 2020 models. It features a full QWERTY keyboard, trackpad, USB-C port for charging, backlit keys, and a floating cantilever design.

The iPad Pro attaches magnetically to the keyboard with passthrough charging for the iPad Pro via its Smart Connector, and the Magic Keyboard provides front and back protection when closed.

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

WhatsApp is changing the way the platform handles media sent over chats with disappearing messages enabled, reports WABetaInfo.

Going forward, WhatsApp will no longer automatically save images and other visual media to your iPhone’s Photos library if they appear within a chat thread that has disappearing messages turned on. The "Save to Camera Roll" option is now automatically turned off for disappearing chats, meaning images, videos, and GIFs won't be saved even if the general auto-save setting is enabled.

The previous default of saving images from disappearing chats to the Photos app was a discrepancy given the privacy focus of disappearing messages, so the change is likely to be welcomed by those who depend on the feature to share sensitive media.

• How to Enable Disappearing Messages in WhatsApp
• How to Stop WhatsApp Auto-Saving Images and Video to Your iPhone's Camera Roll

Having said that, WhatsApp users can still manually save media that appears in disappearing chats they’ve received, or even take a screenshot of the chat thread, so what you send using the feature can still be potentially saved by the recipient after the message has disappeared.

In another change coming to WhatsApp and highlighted by WABetaInfo, the drawing interface is being tweaked so that the blur tool appears at the bottom of the screen, where it will sit alongside two new drawing pencils.

The change to the way WhatsApp handles media in disappearing messages is rolling out now to all users on iOS, but it’s not clear when the drawing interface tweaks will come out of beta and be made available to the chat platform’s wider user base.

Following the March 31 release of iOS 15.4.1, Apple has stopped signing iOS 15.4, the previously available version of iOS that came out earlier in March. As iOS 15.4 is no longer being signed, it is not possible to downgrade to that version of iOS once you've installed iOS 15.4.1.

Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date, so it is not unusual that iOS 15.4 is no longer being signed.

iOS 15.4 was a major update featuring support for unlocking an iPhone while wearing a mask, new emoji characters, Universal Control on the iPad, and tons more.

iOS 15.4.1 added a fix for a battery drain issue on the ‌iPhone‌, but more importantly, it addressed AppleAVD issue that could allow an application to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. Apple said this exploit may have been actively exploited, so it is a good idea to update to iOS 15.4.1 if you have not done so already.

Apple has also stopped signing tvOS 15.4 and HomePod 15.4 software.

Apple's first Apple TV+ live sports content is set to premiere tomorrow with the debut of "Friday Night Baseball." Apple inked a deal with Major League Baseball to the rights for the 2022 season, with games set to air each Friday.

Ahead of the first game, Apple announced that baseball fans can access exclusive related programs like "Countdown to First Pitch" and "MLB Daily Recap" starting today in the ‌Apple TV‌ app. There is a new "Major League Baseball" heading in the ‌Apple TV‌+ section of the TV app that serves as a hub for all Friday Night Baseball-related content.

The section features daily coverage, highlights, expert analysis, classic games, and more, with this content exclusive to ‌Apple TV‌+ subscribers. The actual Friday Night Baseball games are available through the Apple TV app with no subscription required.

Friday Night Baseball will officially begin tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, which is when the New York Mets will face off against the Washington Nationals. After that, Apple will show the Houston Astros versus the Los Angeles Angels at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Apple today announced its broadcast team, which will feature Melanie Newman (play-by-play), Chris Young (analyst), Hannah Keyser (analyst), and Brooke Fletcher (reporter) at 7 p.m. ET, and Stephen Nelson (play-by-play), Hunter Pence (analyst), Katie Nolan (analyst), and Heidi Watney (reporter) at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Pre and postgame coverage will be hosted by Lauren Gardner, with a group of rotating analysts and former MLB players like Carlos Peña, Cliff Floyd, and Yonder Alonso.

Friday Night Baseball games will be available in United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.