T-Mobile is the "best" carrier in the United States when factoring in connection speed and reliability, according to PCMag's annual mobile network comparison, the results of which were released today.
PCMag drove over 10,000 miles through 30 cities to test AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon connection speeds. In the past, this study focused on the fastest connections, but this year, PCMag looked for the best overall network. T-Mobile ended up winning in 18 out of 30 cities, while Verizon won in eight and AT&T won in four.
In terms of pure speed, T-Mobile won in 19 cities, Verizon in nine, and AT&T and two, with Verizon hitting the highest download speeds at 3891Mb/s. T-Mobile had the best average download speed across all tests at 264.4Mb/s, beating out Verizon's average speed of 156.8Mb/s and AT&T's average speed of 79Mb/s. T-Mobile also had average upload speeds that beat out Verizon and AT&T.
T-Mobile has improved its service in rural areas, though it still had more data dead zones outside of the rural Northeast than Verizon and AT&T. T-Mobile had the best 5G coverage because of its Sprint acquisition, which came with mid-band spectrum, but AT&T and Verizon may catch up at some point in the future.
PCMag was testing 5G speeds, so the fastest connections will require a 5G smartphone. The testing indicates that on T-Mobile and Verizon, there is a growing gulf between 4G speeds and 5G speeds. Verizon and T-Mobile have "dramatically increased nationwide speeds" thanks to the expansion of mid-band 5G networks, but AT&T's speed has dropped.
All tests were done with the Samsung Galaxy S22+, a device that had the "best network performance" in PCMag's test. Scores were weighted with speed accounting for 60 percent of the score and reliability accounting for 40 percent. Call success, data success, download speeds, upload speeds, and latency were all taken into account.
PCMag's full results can be read over at its website for those interested in a deeper breakdown of the scores achieved by AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. The site also has detailed information by region and for each city that was visited.
Apple today updated its iWork suite of apps, introducing new features for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote on both iOS devices and Mac. These are minor version 12.1 updates, and each app has received a few new features, as outlined below.
Keynote
The Keynote apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad include an option to add subtle movement and visual interest to presentations with dynamic backgrounds that move as you transition from slide to slide.
There are new animated themes that feature dynamic backgrounds, and there is an option to skip or unskip all slides in a collapsed group.
Numbers
Numbers for iPhone, iPad, and Mac got the fewest updates, with Apple improving performance when inserting rows and columns in large tables.
Pages
Pages for iPhone, iPad, and Mac gains a new feature that allows mail merge to be used to create personalized letters, cards, and envelopes for multiple recipients, and it offers new templates for event invitations and certificates. Pages documents can also now be exported as TXT files.
The iWork apps for iOS and Mac are available for free from the App Store and Mac App Store.
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.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is built on the Safari 16 update and it includes features coming in macOS Ventura. It adds support for Live Text in videos and images, new web technologies, web push Passkeys, improved Safari Web Extensions, and more, with Apple's notes below.
Many of the new Safari 16 features are now available in Safari Technology Preview 147:
Live Text. Select and interact with text in videos or translate text in images on the web in macOS Ventura betas on Apple Silicon-based Macs.
Web technologies. Experience and test the HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other web technologies that are available in Safari 16 Beta and included in previous Safari Technology Preview releases.
Web Push. Send notifications to people who opt-in on your website or web app with Safari Technology Preview on macOS Ventura betas.
Passkeys. Preview the new type of phishing-resistant credential that makes signing in to websites safer and easier. Available through Safari's WebAuthn platform authenticator. To learn more about passkeys, see Meet passkeys.
Improved Safari Web Extensions. Test out API improvements including the ability to open a Safari Web Extension popover programmatically.
Web Inspector Extensions. Build custom tooling or convert existing developer tools extensions to use in Web Inspector.
Flexbox Inspector. Use the new visualization overlay in Web Inspector to help you more quickly and easily understand the layout of elements with Flexbox. It marks both the free space and gaps between flex items to reveal how they affect the result.
Shared Tab Groups, syncing for Tab Groups, Website Settings, and Web Extensions are not enabled in this release.
The new build of Safari Technology Preview is compatible with machines running macOS 13 Ventura, unlike prior versions of Safari Technology Preview. Updates to Safari Technology Preview are no longer available for macOS Big Sur, according to Apple.
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.
Philips Hue manufacturer Signify today announced the launch of several new HomeKit-enabled lights and a new smart switch. Some of the new lights are available starting today, while others will launch later this summer.
The new Philips Hue Go portable table lamp is battery powered and can be used either indoors or outdoors. The lamp, which is an upgrade to the existing Hue Go, features a silicone grip, so it's simple to carry it where you need light, and the battery lasts for up to 48 hours before it needs to be recharged with the included charging base. There are built-in preset scenes that you can cycle through without using the app.
Signify is releasing the Philips Hue Signe lamp in a new oak option, and there are new generations of the Hue White and Color Ambiance downlight (supports multiple colors) and the White Ambiance downlight (white only). The White and Color downlight has a lumen output up to 1100, while the White downlight offers up to 850 lumens. There are also now two sizes of smart recessed lights, and they are available in multipacks for the first time.
The Hue app has been updated with a new Sunrise wake-up style, which is able to mimic the sun appearing over the horizon, transitioning from blue to soft orange light. New Hue users can download the app and choose the Demo mode in the app to explore how to best take advantage of Hue lights.
To complement the Hue lights, the Philips Hue line is gaining a new Tap dial switch that is equipped with four buttons. Each button can be set to control smart lights in up to three separate rooms or zones around the home, and users can tap a button to choose or adjust any light scene. The dial includes built-in dimming control, and it can be purchased in black or white.
The Philips Hue Go is set to be available at the end of summer for $160, while the Hue Signe lamp in oak will be available in mid-July for $350. The Hue White and Color ambiance downlight is priced at $60, and the White ambiance downlight is available for $50, starting today. The Hue tap dial switch is also available today for $50.
Alongside the new M2MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, Apple unveiled and launched a pair of 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapters, which are unique among Apple's power adapter offerings because they feature two USB-C ports instead of one.
ChargerLAB, known for taking apart Apple devices and accessories, today shared a teardown of the 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter, giving us a look at the components inside.
The power adapter has a unique design that makes it easy to replace the prongs inside to make it available in different regions, plus it comes with two identical power supply circuits. ChargerLAB says that the components on the front and back of the power adapter are symmetrical.
Apple has two versions of the Power Adapter, both priced at $59. The 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter looks similar to a standard MacBook charger, while the 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter is more like an iPad charger with two ports at the bottom rather than at the side. ChargerLAB has torn apart the Compact version, so we don't yet know what the internal components of the non-compact model look like.
The 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter supports up to 35W total output, and it supports Power Delivery 3.0. It works with four fixed power delivery options including 5V3A, 9V3A, 15V2.33A, and 20V1.75A. Apple has said that if a Mac and an iPhone or iPad are connected, each device receives up to 17.5W. The same goes for an iPhone or an iPad. If a Mac notebook or iPhone and an Apple Watch or AirPods are connected, the Mac/iPhone receives up to 27.5W and the Apple Watch or AirPods receive up to 7.5W. If a single device is plugged in, it can receive the full 35W.
Apple recommends both of the new 35W chargers for the MacBook Air that's set to be released in July. Apple has not yet provided a launch date for the MacBook Air, but both power adapters are available for purchase today and will ship out immediately.
Ian works closely with leaker Jon Prosser and is behind many of the detailed, photo-realistic Apple renders that have captivated the rumor community in recent years. He is responsible for using leaked information to create accurate renders of the sixth-generation iPad mini, the Mac Studio and Apple Studio Display, green iPhone 13, purple fifth-generation iPad Air, and much more ahead of Apple's official announcements.
In this episode, we take a look at the creative process behind Ian's renders before taking a deeper dive into the design of the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple Watch Series 8, and Apple's long-rumored mixed-reality headset – three upcoming devices that Ian has painstakingly depicted. See some of Ian's renders below:
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Andru Edwards, Rene Ritchie, and Jon Rettinger. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover going forward.
Experts anticipate a "brutal battle" between Apple and global regulators amid concerns about how the company may "exaggerate" its privacy and security claims for commercial gain and curtail interoperability to keep users locked into a "walled garden."
Global experts and leaders of competition policy convened at the Data, Technology, and Analytics Conference 2022 last week, hosted by the UK's Competition and Market Authority (CMA). The CMA's event came just weeks after it published its year-long study into Apple and Google's mobile ecosystems, which found that Apple and Google have an "effective duopoly" on mobile ecosystems that allows them to "exercise a stranglehold over these markets," including on operating systems, app stores, and web browsers.
"Without interventions," the press release claims, "both companies are likely to maintain, and even strengthen, their grip over the sector, further restricting competition and limiting incentives for innovators." The regulator subsequently sought to launch a wide-reaching "market investigation reference" into restrictions on mobile browser engines and cloud gaming on Apple's platforms.
Apple was represented at the conference by Chief Privacy Officer Jane Horvath, who discussed the importance of privacy in the context of competition and how privacy is a "cross-functional pursuit" at the company. She discussed examples of how privacy was a vital consideration when developing the Health app and the Apple Watch years before they debuted, as well as the journey toward App Tracking Transparency. Horvath also responded to the argument that Apple's privacy efforts may conveniently protect the position of a powerful incumbent.
Competition law Professor Dr. Damien Geradin of Tilburg University and Geradin Partners talked about the balance and understandings required when enforcing competition rules. With reference to the CMA's recently published Market Study, he said Apple often uses privacy and security "to justify the status quo and resist regulatory intervention, even when needed."
He explained that it is right for companies to protect the quality of their platforms, but that this can overstep the mark where there are conflicts of interest. Geradin concluded that it is vital regulators "distinguish between legitimate privacy and security claims and those that are pretextual or simply exaggerated."
Geradin went on to outline his expectations for how disputes between companies and regulators will pan out in the coming years as regulators around the world prepare to enforce unprecedented new rules for big tech companies. He was highly skeptical that there will be amicable collaboration between regulators and companies:
It will not go smoothly... I've seen studies commissioned by gatekeepers that were truly mindboggling... I think also that the DMA will trigger litigation, designation will trigger litigation, the DMU regime – tonnes of litigation. So I like the idea of [collaboration]... but in practice this will be a brutal battle. I'm betting on it. And if things can be done in a nice and smooth manner, I love it, but my prediction... is that this will be very, very challenging if you look at the rules in the DMA about the App Store – each and every of them will be challenged. There will be resistance to implement.
And I think it's legitimate in a way, if you disagree with a regulation, to challenge it and to push your view point, at the same time, I think there comes a moment where you need to implement and we're not there yet.
Writer and activist Cory Doctorow discussed how companies like Apple become both "durable and very big" with regards to competition. He used the example of how in the early 2000s Apple was forced to use interoperability to innovate and break Microsoft's dominance, when Steve Jobs ensured that Apple reverse-engineered Microsoft file formats to create the iWork Suite and allow Macs to proliferate in Microsoft-dominated networks.
What had been a walled garden had now become a feed-lot where Apple could go and gorge itself on Microsoft's formerly pent-up customers and that was a turning point for the Mac... and once you've got off the ladder you pull it up behind you and so... it's now very important that Apple stop anyone from doing unto Apple as Apple did unto Microsoft because Apple is the good kind of trillion-dollar cuddly company and Microsoft was the bad kind of trillion-dollar cuddly company. And it's true, it's often the case that Apple has your interests at heart, but sometimes they don't and one of the ways to make sure that they do is to have the option to leave.
Doctorow said that upholding interoperability is therefore vital to encourage companies to act in the interests of users and prevent abuses of market power.
Apple's ecosystem is increasingly coming under intense scrutiny by governments around the world, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, the European Union, and more, with a clear appetite from global regulators to explore requirements around issues like app store policies, app sideloading, and interoperability amid concerns about competition.
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.
Apple plans to launch its annual Back to School promotion in the United States on Friday, coinciding with the launch of the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a tweet, Gurman said Apple may offer a gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad, rather than free AirPods like last year.
Each year, Apple's Back to School promotion offers college/university students and educators a free gift with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Last year, the U.S. promotion began on June 17 and offered free second-generation AirPods with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad model, in addition to 20% off AppleCare+ plans for devices.
Last year, eligible devices included the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad Air, while the eighth-generation iPad and fifth-generation iPad mini were excluded from the offer. Refurbished devices are also typically ineligible.
The promotion is typically available to students attending or accepted to a higher-education institution, faculty and staff of higher-education institutions, parents purchasing on behalf of an eligible student, employees of a K-12 institution, and select others.
The promotion will likely launch in Canada at the same time as in the U.S., followed by European and Asian countries a few weeks later.
Since the release of iOS 14.2 in 2020, the iPhone has included a built-in Music Recognition feature in Control Center powered by Shazam. And with iOS 16, and also the iOS 15.6 beta, the feature has received a small but useful upgrade.
As noted by Twitter user @someone_andrew, songs identified with Music Recognition in Control Center finally sync with the Shazam app.
It also remains possible to view a list of previously identified songs by long pressing the Music Recognition control in Control Center, but syncing with the Shazam app is a useful addition for those who rely more on the app, which is free on the App Store.
Apple acquired Shazam in 2018 for a reported $400 million and has been steadily improving the service since by removing ads from the app and more. In September 2021, Apple announced that the Music Recognition feature in Control Center had surpassed one billion cumulative recognitions across the iPhone and iPad since launching.
Music Recognition can be added to Control Center in the Settings app under the Control Center menu. From there, scroll down and tap the "+" button next to the "Music Recognition" option, which is shown with a Shazam logo.
Twelve South today announced the "HiRise 3" stand charger for iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, priced at $99.99. The stand supports MagSafe-compatible charging and holds an iPhone 12 or later vertically, and also includes a charging puck for Apple Watch and a Qi charging mat on the base that supports AirPods or any Qi-compatible smartphone.
The HiRise 3 is available in black and white color options and requires a 20W USB-C power adapter, which is not included. Twelve South noted that the HiRise 3 has a minimal footprint and was designed to declutter bedside tables and desks, while propping up your iPhone to easily read incoming notifications.
In regards to charging, the HiRise 3 does not include an official MFi MagSafe charging puck or 15W wireless charging. Instead, it has a magnetic Qi stand with 7.5W wireless charging, as well as 3W for the Apple Watch charger and 5W for the charger on the base.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Twelve South and Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Amazon today has the 64GB Apple TV 4K for $149.99, down from $199.00. This price drop disappeared over the past few days after first emerging last week, but it's now back in stock on Amazon. Only the 64GB model is on sale this time.
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.
At $49 off, this remains the best discount we've ever tracked for the 2021 64GB Apple TV 4K, and at this time no other retailer is matching the sale. As of writing, the Apple TV 4K is estimated to arrive between June 23-26 for most locations in the United States.
This is the version of the Apple TV 4K that Apple updated in 2021 with the A12 Bionic processor and an all-new Siri Remote. Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
While the summer months following WWDC are often a relatively quiet time of the year for Apple, there are still some notable items on the agenda through July. Below, we've rounded up six things to expect from Apple over the next six weeks or so.
Public Betas of iOS 16 and More
As part of WWDC 2022, Apple announced that public betas of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, tvOS 16, and HomePod software version 16 will be released at some point in July, allowing members of Apple's free Beta Software Program to test out the software updates before they are released to all users later this year.
Apple said the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip will be available in July, but the company has yet to announce exactly when orders will begin. Pricing will start at $1,199 in the United States, and the MacBook Air with the M1 chip remains available for $999.
The new MacBook Air has been redesigned with a larger 13.6-inch display, a notch, flatter edges, and new Starlight and Midnight color options alongside Space Gray and Silver. The notebook also features MagSafe charging, an upgraded 1080p camera, and more.
Apple says the M2 chip has an 18% faster CPU, a 35% faster GPU, and a 40% faster Neural Engine compared to the M1 chip. With the M2 chip, the MacBook Air can now be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory, compared to a max of 16GB with the M1 chip. Like the previous model, the new MacBook Air can be configured with up to a 2TB SSD.
Back to School Promotion
Apple's annual Back to School promotion typically launches in June or July in the United States, Canada, and select other countries. Last year, the U.S. promotion began on June 17 and offered qualifying students and educators free second-generation AirPods with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad model, as well as 20% off AppleCare+ plans.
For 2022, it appears likely that Apple will once again offer free second-generation AirPods with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad model.
Apple's Third Quarter Earnings Call
Apple has yet to announce a date for its third quarter earnings results, but they are typically released in late July each year. As usual, the earnings report will be followed by a conference call where Apple's CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will discuss the financial results, and there's always a chance they reveal some interesting tidbits of information.
WWDC 2022 "Behind the Design" Interviews
Starting June 27, Apple will be sharing a series of interviews with the creators of apps that won 2022 Apple Design Awards. "Go behind the design and learn about our winners' creative process, challenges, and how they brought their bold and distinctive ideas to life," says Apple. A full schedule of interviews is available on Apple's website.
Apple Camp
Apple Camp is returning to Apple Store locations around the world this summer, with sessions taking place each week from June 20 through August 31. The free program, designed for kids ages 8 to 12 and their guardians, will consist of two-hour sessions in stores and outdoors in which kids use products like the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to create their own digital comic book about protecting and celebrating the planet.
U.S. President Joe Biden this morning said that he was "proud" of Apple employees in Maryland who voted to unionize over the weekend, reports Reuters. Though other Apple retail locations have been discussing unionization, the Maryland employees are the first Apple retail workers to unionize in the United States.
"Workers have a right to determine under what condition they are going to work or not work," Biden told reporters. He went on to say that "everyone is better off, including the final product is better off," in reference to the unionization.
Over 100 employees at the Apple Store in Towson, Maryland participated in a unionization vote, which took place from last Wednesday to last Saturday. 65 employees voted to join the Machinists Union, while 33 voted against joining. The National Labor Relations Board will need to verify the votes, a process that might take around a week, and then Apple will begin negotiations with the union.
The Maryland Apple Store employees are aiming for improved pay and working conditions. "The decision to form a union is about us as workers gaining access to rights that we do not currently have," Towson organizers said in a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Apple has opposed unionization efforts, but the Maryland store's unionization vote could encourage other stores that have been discussing unionization to proceed. Back in May, Apple's head of retail Deirdre O'Brien aimed to thwart employee unionization efforts through a video that was sent out to retail stores.
O'Brien said that a union would make it more difficult for Apple to implement "immediate, widespread changes," and it could "make it harder for [Apple] to act swiftly to address things" that employees bring up.
Amid the unionization efforts, Apple said that it would improve working conditions for retail employees. Apple plans to make sure that there are at least 12 hours between each shift an employee must take on, up from the current 10 hour minimum. Employees will not have to work past 8:00 p.m. for more than three days a week unless they choose to work late shifts, and they will no longer be scheduled to work more than five days in a row except during holidays and major product launches.
Apple in February also bumped up the number of available paid sick days, began offering more vacation days, and upped parental leave time. Apple retail locations in Washington State, New York, and Atlanta have also taken steps toward unionization, with employees asking for higher pay, better retirement options, and more vacation time.
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.
Tapping on images of traffic lights or deciphering squiggly text to prove you are human will soon be a much less common nuisance for iPhone users, as iOS 16 introduces support for bypassing CAPTCHAs in supported apps and websites.
The handy new feature can be found in the Settings app under Apple ID > Password & Security > Automatic Verification. When enabled, Apple says iCloud will automatically and privately verify your device and Apple ID account in the background, eliminating the need for apps and websites to present you with a CAPTCHA verification prompt.
Apple recently shared a video with technical details about how the feature works, but simply put, Apple's system verifies that the device and Apple ID account are in good standing and presents what is called a Private Access Token to the app or website. This new system will offer a better user experience for tasks such as signing into or creating an account, with improved user privacy and accessibility compared to CAPTCHAs.
"Private Access Tokens are a powerful alternative that help you identify HTTP requests from legitimate devices and people without compromising their identity or personal information," said Apple, in the description of a WWDC 2022 video related to the topic.
Cloudflare and Fastly have already announced support for Private Access Tokens, meaning that the ability to bypass CAPTCHAs could be coming to millions of apps and websites powered by those platforms, and the feature will roll out more widely over time.
In the first betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Automatic Verification is enabled by default. Apple said the feature is also supported on macOS Ventura. All of the software updates are currently in beta and will be released later this year.
Amazon has knocked the 2020 M1 MacBook Air (256GB) down to $899.99 in all three colors, from an original price of $999.00. Gold and Silver are in stock today, while Space Gray has a slight shipping delay with an estimated delivery of June 28.
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.
Compared to previous 2022 deals, Amazon's price today is a second-best discount on the M1 MacBook Air. The notebook is shipped and sold by Amazon, and the two models that are in stock can be delivered as soon as June 22 for most locations in the United States.
This version of the MacBook Air launched in 2020 with the M1 chip, a 13-inch Retina display, and Touch ID support. Apple just announced the updated MacBook Air with the M2 chip, which will start at a higher $1,199 price tag. The M2 MacBook Air won't launch until next month, and the M1 model will remain in the lineup.
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.
Google has urged Apple to adopt Rich Communication Services (RCS) in its Messages app in a "lyric explainer video" for Drake's "Texts Go Green."
RCS is designed to replace SMS messaging and touts support for higher resolution photos and videos, audio messages, bigger file size, improved encryption, and more. Google has advocated the new communications protocol for several years.
Google's senior vice president of Android, Hiroshi Lockheimer, has repeatedly tried to persuade Apple to adopt support for RCS, and now, a video posted on the official Android Twitter account once again urges Apple to support RCS.
The video seeks to explain the meaning behind a song called "Texts Go Green," the third track on Drake's latest album, "Honestly, Nevermind," which explains the need to move on from a toxic relationship. The title is a reference to how when an iPhone user is blocked, they no longer see their messages sent as blue iMessage bubbles and send green SMS bubbles instead. "If only some super talented engineering team at Apple would fix this," the video says.
Apple is the last major RCS holdout, as U.S. carriers that include Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have adopted RCS support for Android devices. Apple has not commented on whether it plans to add RCS support in the future, so the company's position is still unknown.
Apple is evaluating OLED displays for the iPhone 14 this week ahead of mass production, The Elec reports.
The OLED display panels in question are reportedly destined for the standard, 6.1-inch iPhone 14 model, with mass production due to begin between July and August.
The displays are from Chinese display panel maker BOE, which was embroiled in controversy earlier this year after Apple discovered that the supplier secretly changed the circuit width of thin-film transistors on OLED panels for the iPhone 13. After BOE executives visited Cupertino to resolve the situation with Apple, the OLED panels were approved once again, not least because its presence in the supply chain puts pressure on Samsung Display and LG Display to be more competitive and cut prices.
The debacle with changes to the iPhone 13's display is likely to cap the number of displays that Apple orders from BOE at around five million. BOE hopes to receive Apple's approval before the end of June, but the supplier is said to be several weeks behind Samsung and LG. Despite delays with manufacturers in China, the iPhone 14 lineup is expected to launch as normal in the fall.
Apple has gradually sold an increasing number of AirTags, despite not receiving much attention, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a tweet, Kuo explained that he believes Apple shipped around 20 million AirTag item trackers in 2021, rising to 35 million in 2022:
AirTag, which has not received much attention, has gradually grown in shipments since its release. Shipment estimations of AirTag reach about 20 mn & 35 mn units in 2021 & 2022, respectively. If AirTag shipments continue to grow, I believe Apple will develop the 2nd generation.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) June 19, 2022
He added that if the trend continues and AirTag shipments grow further, Apple may be more likely to develop a second-generation version of the device. It is unclear what an upgraded AirTag could offer, but early rumors and patent filings related to the device suggested that it could be rechargeable instead of using a disposable CR2032 battery, feature motion sensing for AR and VR, or even offer proximity-based experiences for commercial settings.
Redesigned 
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.
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.
