MacRumors

Sony this week came out with an updated version of its popular over-ear noise canceling headphones, so we picked up a pair to compare them to the AirPods Max to see which headphones are better and whether it's worth buying the $400 WH-1000XM5 from Sony over Apple's $549 ‌AirPods Max‌.

First of all, the ‌AirPods Max‌ win out when it comes to naming. WH-1000XM4 was a mouthful, and WH-1000XM5 is no better. Sony is not great at naming its TVs, headphones, and other devices, so Apple gets the edge there.

Compared to the aforementioned WH-1000XM4, the WH-1000XM5 headphones have an updated design, but the ‌AirPods Max‌ still have the classier, higher-end look. The WH-1000XM5 features a plastic body and the headphones are not as premium as the ‌AirPods Max‌, which is likely what accounts for some of the price difference. The ‌AirPods Max‌ are aluminum and come in a range of colors, while the WH-1000XM5 headphones come in a "silver" cream color and black.

The headphones do not fold down like the prior version and are slightly less portable, but Sony does offer them with a much better case option than the ‌AirPods Max‌ "bra" case. In terms of weight, the WH-1000XM5 headphones feel light on the head and are comfortable to wear, even for longer periods of time.

There are swipe and touch gestures that control playback functionality, similar to the WH-1000XM4, but connecting the WH-1000XM5 to an Apple device is not quite as convenient as Apple's quick pairing method with the ‌AirPods Max‌. ‌AirPods Max‌ also support automatic device switching, spatial audio, and other features.

Both the WH-1000XM5 and the ‌AirPods Max‌ have Active Noise Cancelation (ANC), and Sony has stepped up the ANC in this version. There are dual QN1 chips (compared to a single QN1 chip in the WH-1000XM4), and it makes a difference. In our testing, the ‌AirPods Max‌ and the WH-1000XM5 both performed well at blocking out ambient noise, but the WH-1000XM5 did just a bit better. The WH-1000XM5 and the ‌AirPods Max‌ also offer a transparency feature to let you hear what's going on around you, but transparency works best on the ‌AirPods Max‌.

As for sound quality, the WH-1000XM5 headphones have smaller drivers than the WH-1000XM4 and a different sound profile that brings them more in line with the ‌AirPods Max‌. Both sets of headphones offer depth, clarity, and low muddling at lower frequencies, and the sound is definitely improved over the WH-1000XM4. It's improved enough that it's difficult to say whether the ‌AirPods Max‌ or WH-1000XM5 headphones offer better sound, so in this category, it's a tie.

The WH-1000XM5 headphones offer up to 30 hours of battery life, which is 10 more hours than the ‌AirPods Max‌, and that's worth considering. The ‌AirPods Max‌ are supposed to last for 20 hours, but generally do not with ANC turned on. Sony's headphones have an actual power button, which is handy for not wasting battery, plus the headphones come with more customization options for ANC, gestures, and sound.

All in all, unless you like the design of the ‌AirPods Max‌ and the unique feature set that the headphones offer for Apple device users, the WH-1000XM5 headphones from Sony are worth considering as a more affordable alternative.

Warped Kart Racers, a kart racing game that supports up to eight players at a time, is now available on Apple Arcade. The game features popular characters from 20th Television animated shows, including Peter Griffin from "Family Guy," Hank Hill from "King of the Hill," Stan Smith from "American Dad" and Terry from "Solar Opposites."

There are 20 TV characters to play in total in solo battles or races with friends. Races take place in iconic locations from the television shows, with 16 maps drawn from fan-favorite episodes.

In addition to playing multiplayer with friends, ‌Apple Arcade‌ users can also go through the extensive single player campaign to unlock new characters and levels.

Warped Kart Racers is the only new game on ‌Apple Arcade‌ this week, but there are new updates for existing games that include Disney Melee Mania, Temple Run: Puzzle Adventure, Simon's Cat, Zen Pinball Party, and more.

‌‌Apple Arcade‌‌ is priced at $4.99 per month, and it includes more than 200 new and original gaming titles. All of the games are free to play with no additional in-app purchases or payments required. Up to six family members can share a single ‌‌Apple Arcade‌‌ subscription through Apple's Family Sharing features.

Apple is working on an updated version of the HomePod that could come in the fourth quarter of 2022 or the first quarter of 2023, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo says that there "may not be much innovation in hardware design" for the new ‌HomePod‌, and there is no word on what size the device will be and if it will be a HomePod mini successor or a larger speaker.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously said that Apple is considering a new version of the HomePod that would be sized between the original ‌HomePod‌ and the ‌HomePod mini‌, and it is possible that this is the speaker that Kuo is talking about.

Such a speaker would perhaps replace the now-discontinued ‌HomePod‌, and it would be more expensive than the ‌HomePod mini‌ but less expensive than the larger ‌HomePod‌.

Gurman also believes that Apple is working on speakers that are equipped with screens and cameras to compete with devices like the Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show, but those devices are not expected to be launching in the near future. In addition, Apple is exploring a device that is an iPad connected to a ‌HomePod‌ via a robotic arm so that the camera can follow a user around the room, and it is testing versions of the Apple TV that are combined with a ‌HomePod‌.

Apple now plans to release a new 27-inch display with mini-LED backlighting in October due to the Shanghai lockdown, which has resulted in production of the display being delayed, according to display industry consultant Ross Young.

In a tweet, Young said Apple is in the process of moving production of the display from Quanta Computer to a different supplier and/or location, resulting in a delay. Young said it is now looking like the display will be released in October, whereas he previously claimed the display was on track for a June release, around Apple's developer conference WWDC.

Mini-LED backlighting would pave the way for the display to feature ProMotion with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. This could result in the display essentially being a "Studio Display Pro," but it's unclear if Apple would use that branding. Additional details are still unknown, including pricing. The existing Studio Display starts at $1,599.

Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, has in the past accurately revealed that the sixth-generation iPad mini would feature an 8.3-inch display and that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models would feature ProMotion.

Solid markdowns on the AirTag, AirPods 3, and a few iPad models were introduced this week, and below you'll find all of the best deals of the past few days that are still available to purchase.

AirTag

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.

• What's the deal? Take $10 off AirTag 4-Pack
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon knocked the price of the AirTag 4-Pack down to $89.00 this week, down from $99.00. Overall, this is a second-best price on the AirTag 4-Pack and still a solid discount on the tracking accessory if you're shopping for the AirTag this week.

AirPods 3

• What's the deal? Take $29 off AirPods 3
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

This week, Amazon reintroduced a second-best price on the AirPods 3, available for $149.99, down from $179.00. Only Amazon is offering this steep of a discount, and as of writing the wireless headphones are available to ship in 1-2 days.

iPads

• What's the deal? Take up to $90 off various iPads
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

On Tuesday of this week we tracked a trio of deals on the iPad, iPad mini, and iPad Air, and all of these discounts remain live as the week comes to an end. Starting with the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini, this tablet is on sale for $409.00, down from $499.00, and that's a second-best price on the iPad mini.

You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad for $429.00, down from $479.00, and the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air for $554.87, down from $599.00. Both of these models are in stock on Amazon today.

Grid Studio

• What's the deal? Take 15% off sitewide
• Where can I get it? Grid Studio

Grid Studio is offering 15 percent off sitewide for Father's Day this year with the code DAD15. Grid Studio is a company that deconstructs popular tech devices, like iPhones and Game Boys, and sells them in attractive shadowbox frames. This new sale ends May 22.

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.

Earlier this week, The Information's Wayne Ma outlined struggles that Apple has faced during the development of its long-rumored AR/VR headset. Now, in a follow-up report, he has shared several additional details about the wearable device.

For starters, one of the headset's marquee features is said to be lifelike avatars with accurate facial expressions captured by 14 cameras:

Other challenges, such as incorporating 14 cameras on the headset, have caused headaches for hardware and algorithm engineers. The cameras include those that will track the user's face to ensure virtual avatars accurately represent their expressions and mouth movements, a marquee feature.

The report adds that Apple's former design chief Jony Ive has remained involved with the headset project as an external consultant to the company:

One person familiar with the matter said Ive's consulting work for Apple since he left includes the headset, adding that he is often brought in to help his former team push through their preferences in areas such as battery, camera placement and ergonomics over those of engineers. Two people said even after Ive left Apple, some employees on the headset project were still required to make the trek from Cupertino to San Francisco, where Ive has a home, to get his approval on changes.

Ive has continued to tweak the headset's design. While earlier prototypes had the battery in the headband, he prefers a design that would tether the headset to a battery the user wears, similar to Magic Leap’s headset design. It couldn't be learned if this approach will make it into the final design.

The initial version of Apple's headset is said to lack a focus on gaming:

Four people who have worked on the project also criticized its lack of focus on gaming, a category of software that appeals to early adopters, which was important to the success of the iPhone and has been a big priority for Meta's VR group. Those people said Rockwell's group almost never mentioned games in internal presentations about possible uses for the headset. Apple isn't developing game controllers for the device and is aiming to use hand tracking or in combination with a clothespin-like finger clip as inputs for the device, multiple people familiar with the project say.

As previously reported, Apple was considering having its headset be tethered to an external base station for some computing tasks, but the headset is now expected to be a fully standalone device. The report claims that the base station was going to use the same chip that was later announced as the M1 Ultra for the Mac Studio.

The headset itself is expected to be powered by two chips, with a streaming codec to reduce latency. The main chip in the headset will be equivalent to the M2 chip that is expected to debut in new MacBook Air and iPad models later this year, the report claims.

The full-length report can be read at The Information with a subscription.

Apple's headset is currently expected to be released in 2023. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that Apple's board of directors received a demo of the headset last week, suggesting that the device is nearing completion.

1Password has introduced a new deal this week, offering 50 percent off the first year of both its individual and family plans. Like previous offers, this sale is available for new 1Password subscribers only, and it does not require a coupon code.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with 1Password. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

To get the deal, head to 1Password's website and click "Try FREE for 14 days" on either the individual or family plan to create an account. The 50 percent savings on your first year will be applied automatically.

This deal brings the price of 1Password Individual down to $18.00/year or $1.50/month, from $35.88/year or $2.99/month, and it's billed annually. The price of the 1Password Family plan will be priced at $30.00/year or $2.50/month, down from $59.88/year or $4.99/month, also billed annually.

Once your first year ends, the pricing on the plan will return to $2.99/month, billed annually. 1Password is a password management app that is compatible across Apple devices, including iPhone and Mac. It allows you to create and store strong passwords across all of your most important online accounts, and alert you when your passwords are compromised.

The 1Password app informs you when sites that you're storing information for support two-factor authentication, helping you improve and strengthen your login information. If you're on a Touch ID or Face ID-supported Apple device, you can also open the 1Password app even quicker with Apple's biometric authentication systems.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

iPhone demand this quarter has thus far remained "surprisingly resilient" despite the widespread supply chain issues and other factors affecting the tech industry, according to Wedbush analysts Daniel Ives and John Katsingris.

Summing up their research findings in a new investor note, the market analysts said Apple's flagship devices had been holding up well despite "compression across the board in tech" and fears of a growth slowdown rising, as reflected in Apple's reduced share price.

The albatross for the June quarter in our investor conversations over the past month have naturally been the Covid lockdowns in China which will negatively impact revenue by between $4 billion and $8 billion as a headwind according to Cook & Co.'s guidance given last month.

As of now we believe iPhone demand is holding up better than expected (despite the various supply issues that have plagued Apple and the rest of the tech sector) and are trending better than management's guidance thus far in the quarter.

Apple last month said that lockdown disruptions in China and silicon shortages would continue to make it difficult to make enough product to satisfy strong consumer demand as the year progresses, and that this would ultimately affect Apple's June quarter revenue.

Wedbush said lockdowns and supply chain issues should be "peak worry" in the June quarter, but that then they would subside into the key September and December quarters on the heels of Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 14 launch.

We believe the initial bogey and production plans for iPhone 14 should be up modestly from iPhone 13 out of the gates which speaks to Apple's confidence that pent up demand for this next release remain healthy despite the jittery macro.

Wedbush analysts claim the stickiness of Apple's upgrade cycle is being underestimated by investors and Apple's installed user base will be key to ‌iPhone‌ 14 sales this year, with almost a quarter of the 1 billion iPhones in general circulation having not been upgraded for roughly 3.5 years.

On top of this advantage Apple holds over rivals, Wedbush expects Apple's services business to account for roughly $80 billion of annual revenue this year and is set to grow at a "steady double- digit clip" into 2023. "We believe Apple's services business is worth alone north of $1 trillion which coupled with the flagship hardware business makes the risk/reward very compelling at current levels," said the analysts.

The European Union is pressing ahead with legislation to heavily regulate companies like Apple, setting plans to force "gatekeepers" to open up access to hardware and software, and even set up an internal department to meet new rules, according to an endorsed agreement from the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee.

The provisional agreement on the Digital Markets Act (DMA) was reached earlier this week by EU governments, with 43 votes in favor, one against, and one abstention, showing a broad consensus from European lawmakers to aggressively regulate big tech companies. Apple is almost certain to be classified as a "gatekeeper" and be affected by the regulation due to the size of its annual turnover in the EU, its ownership and operation of platforms with a large number of active users, and its "entrenched and durable position" due to how long it has met these criteria, and will therefore be subject to the rules set out in the DMA.

The DMA could force Apple to make major changes to the App Store, Messages, FaceTime, third-party browsers, and Siri in Europe. For example, it could be forced to allow users to install third-party app stores and sideload apps, give developers the ability to closely interoperate with Apple's own services and promote their offers outside the ‌App Store‌ and use third-party payment systems, and access data gathered by Apple.

One of the more recent additions to the DMA is the requirement to make messaging, voice-calling, and video-calling services interoperable. The interoperability rules theoretically mean that Meta apps like WhatsApp or Messenger could request to interoperate with Apple's iMessage framework, and Apple would be forced to comply.

The latest provisional agreement sets out plans to establish a "High-Level Group" of central European digital regulators to coordinate national regulators across EU member states and requires "gatekeepers" to create an independent "compliance function." The new group must include compliance officers to monitor their company's compliance with EU legislation using sufficient authority, resources, and access to management, and be headed by an "independent senior manager with distinct responsibility for the compliance function." The rule would effectively require companies like Apple to set up an internal department dedicated to meeting pro-competition regulations.

In addition, new rules specifically targeted to address companies like Apple that have "a dual role" with control over both hardware and software look to allow any developer to gain access to any existing hardware feature, such as "near-field communication technology, secure elements and processors, authentication mechanisms, and the software used to control those technologies." This could have major implications for the level of integration that developers can achieve on Apple platforms, such as allowing contactless payment services to operate on the iPhone and Apple Watch just like Apple Pay.

EU lawmakers provisionally approved the DMA in March. Next, the proposals will be put to a final vote in the European Parliament in July before being formally adopted by the European Council and published in the EU Official Journal. 20 days after publication, the DMA will come into force and affected companies will have six months to comply.

Beyond the European Union, Apple's ecosystem is increasingly coming under intense scrutiny by governments around the world, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and more, with a clear appetite from global regulators to explore requirements around app sideloading and interoperability.

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.

Some iPhone users on T-Mobile's cellular service are reportedly experiencing an eSIM bug that causes iMessage and FaceTime to deactivate for their phone number, with no way to reactivate it.

Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman brought the issue to light by tweeting about his own experience with the issue. Gurman said the only solution that worked for him was getting a physical SIM card.

There is a very nasty iPhone and @TMobile bug where iMessage and FaceTime for a device's phone number will randomly deactivate and there is no way to reactivate it. The only solution that worked for me is getting a new physical SIM card. An extremely disappointing issue.

In a follow-up tweet, Gurman said another solution that had worked for some was to remove the eSim account from the ‌iPhone‌ and then set it up again. "But that's complex for most people and shouldn't need to ever be done," he added.

Gurman said the T-Mobile store representative who helped him quickly activate a physical SIM for his ‌iPhone‌ revealed that other customers had visited the store with the same eSIM issue after Apple had been unable to resolve it, suggesting it could be an increasingly widespread problem.

"This issue for sure has existed on iOS 15.4, iOS 15.5, and iOS 15.6 beta 1," Gurman continued in another tweet. "Potentially earlier too, but that's all I can confirm right now."

The Twitter thread has since received replies from other T-Mobile customers chiming in with similar experiences, with some reporting that Apple is aware of the issue but the company has not been able to resolve it. We'll update this post if we learn more about the eSIM issue, which appears to be limited to T-Mobile customers at this time.

Update: T-Mobile said they are working with Apple to try to resolve the issue, according to a follow-up tweet from Gurman.

Apple supplier BOE is still waiting to receive approval from Apple to manufacture OLED panels for the upcoming iPhone 14 series, after the company was found to have made design changes without Apple's approval (via The Elec).

Earlier this month, Apple cut the Chinese display manufacturer out of the iPhone 13 supply chain after it was found to have changed the design of its OLED panels by expanding the circuit width of thin-film transistors.

The change was likely made in a bid to increase the yield rate, according to The Elec's sources, but when Apple discovered what had been done, it told BOE to halt production immediately. As a direct result, BOE is said to have not received any orders from Apple for OLED panels for the iPhone 14.

The latest report claims BOE visited Cupertino to explain why it unilaterally made the circuit design changes, but it appears the explanation didn't wash with Apple, which is now considering giving the order originally intended for BOE to Samsung and LG instead.

The Chinese display panel sent a C-level executive and employees to Apple’s headquarters following the incident to explain why they changed the circuit width of the transistors.

They also asked the iPhone maker to approve the production of OLED panels for iPhone 14, but didn’t receive a clear response from Apple, they also said.

Cupertino seems poised to give the order for around 30 million OLED panels it intended to give BOE before the incident to Samsung Display and LG Display instead.

Apple is said to want over 150 million OLED panels for the iPhone 14 series, up from the 140 million units it originally intended to order. Display panel makers will likely begin production next month at the earliest, with Samsung expected to manufacture the panels for the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro models and LG expected to supply the panels for the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max.

BOE has manufactured OLED panels for the iPhone 12 and ‌iPhone 13‌ at two factories in China, accounting for just 10 percent of all ‌iPhone‌ displays in 2021, but the company had been planning a significant expansion to overtake LG Display as one of Apple's main suppliers of ‌iPhone‌ displays in 2023.

Costco appears to have recently started selling subscriptions to Apple services at discounted yearly prices. On the Costco website, Costco members can purchase a subscription to Apple TV+, Apple News+, or Apple Arcade at a lower cost.

‌Apple Arcade‌ is available for $44.99, down from the standard yearly price of $49.99, and ‌Apple TV‌+ is also available at the same $44.99 price point. ‌Apple News‌+ is available for $89.99 for a year of service.

Apple does not offer a yearly subscription to ‌Apple News‌+, selling it for $9.99 per month for a total yearly price of $120, so the $90 price point from Costco is a notable discount.

Costco appears to have just recently started offering Apple subscriptions for purchase, and there is a banner on the main Costco website that reads "Now at Costco. ‌Apple TV‌+, ‌Apple News‌+, and ‌Apple Arcade‌. Get 1 year subscriptions at incredible values."

(Thanks, Jordan!)

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Monterey 12.5 update to its public beta testing group, with the update coming one day after Apple provided the beta to developers.

Public beta testers can download the macOS Monterey 12.5 update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.

There's no word yet on what new features or changes might be included in macOS Monterey 12.5, and nothing new was found in the first developer beta. Apple has provided no details on this time, so we may need to wait for release to find out what bug fixes or minor changes might be included.

macOS Monterey is likely to be one of the final updates to the macOS Monterey operating system as Apple begins its transition to the next-generation version of macOS.

Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6 updates to public beta testers, with the new software coming one day after the release of the first developer beta.

The iOS and iPadOS 15.6 betas can be downloaded over the air after the proper profile from Apple's public beta testing website has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

There were no new features found in the developer betas of iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, suggesting that this is a minor update primarily focusing on bug fixes. Apple has also provided no release info at this time.

iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6 are likely to be some of the last updates to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 as Apple starts transitioning to the next-generation updates, iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, both of which will be unveiled in June at WWDC.

Apple has also seeded public betas of tvOS 15.6 and watchOS 8.7.

Apple last week demonstrated its upcoming AR/VR headset to Apple board members, indicating that the device is in an advanced stage of development and could see a debut in the not too distant future, reports Bloomberg. Apple has also ramped up development of the software that runs on the headset, with that software expected to be called "RealityOS," or rOS for short.

Work on a headworn AR/VR device has been ongoing for years now, and Apple's first product is believed to be a hybrid headset that has a curved visor and a soft mesh that fits against the face. It is expected to have an Apple Watch-like strap to hold it in place, and Apple is aiming to make it lighter and more comfortable than other AR/VR headsets that are on the market.

It will feature two 4K micro-OLED displays, 15 camera modules, powerful processors equivalent to the M-series chips, eye tracking capabilities, hand gesture support, spatial audio, and other features. When it launches, the headset is expected to cost somewhere around $3,000.

Apple has reportedly been working to release the headset since 2019 but there have been multiple delays in 2020, 2021, and now, 2022. Apple has been dealing with issues such as overheating and problems with the camera and the software, which has caused the debut date to be pushed back several times.

Bloomberg suggests that we could see the AR/VR headset as early as the end of the year, though a consumer release isn't planned until 2023.

The AR/VR headset will be Apple's first major new product category since the Apple Watch that came out seven years ago in 2015. Apple is expected to follow the AR/VR headset with a second-generation version and a set of augmented reality smart glasses that are going to launch sometime around 2024.

Apple shipped an estimated 20 million iPhones in North America in the first calendar quarter of 2022, marking notable growth, according to shipment estimates that were shared today by Canalys.

iPhone shipments were up nearly 20 percent from the 17 million iPhones shipped in the year-ago quarter, and Apple's market share hit 51 percent, up from 45 percent.

Apple was the number one smartphone vendor in North America, with Samsung coming in second with 10.5 million smartphones shipped. Lenovo was a distant third with 4 million smartphones shipped, and TCL, Google and others sent out even fewer. Apple, Google, and Lenovo saw market share growth during the quarter, while TCL, Samsung, and other smaller vendors did not.

Canalys attributes Apple's notable growth to the popularity of the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup, which came out last September. The ‌iPhone‌ 13 models introduced camera improvements, faster A15 chips, battery life improvements, smaller notches, new colors, and more. The $429 5G iPhone SE also helped Apple boost sales during the quarter.

"The North American smartphone market has been buoyed by Apple's strong growth," said Canalys Analyst Brian Lynch. "This quarter, the iPhone 13's high popularity was the key driver. With global demand more uncertain, Apple has shifted more devices back into North America after prioritizing other regions in Q4 2021, allowing it to greater fulfill demand and deliver on backorders from the previous quarter. In addition, the launch of the latest edition of the iPhone SE offers an affordable option for many of North America's fiercely loyal iOS users. Despite not being mmWave-enabled, carriers' increasing investments in C-band and sub-6GHz spectrums will open the door for the iPhone SE's market growth in the coming quarters."

The North American smartphone market reached 39 million units shipped in total, up 3.7 percent compared to last year. Going forward, Canalys believes supply chain issues are going to be a continued problem for smartphone vendors, but the North American market is expected to take priority and "maintain healthy supply levels."

Item tracking company Pebblebee today announced the launch of two new products that are designed to integrate with the Find My app. The Pebblebee Clip and the Pebblebee Card are the latest accessories that can be tracked through the ‌Find My‌ network on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Both the Clip and the Card are similar to Apple's own AirTag and other Find My-compatible tracking devices like the Chipolo ONE Spot. Each one can be added to the items tab in the ‌Find My‌ app with just a couple of taps, and they can be tracked right alongside your other Apple devices.

Like other ‌Find My‌ devices, the Pebblebee Clip and Pebblebee Card take advantage of the ‌Find My‌ network. When attached to an item that is lost or misplaced outside of the range of the item owner, the accessories are able to leverage other nearby Apple devices to relay their position back to the item owner.

The Clip and the Card are unique in that they can also alternatively be used with the Pebblebee app to take advantage of the CrowdGPS network, so Apple's ‌Find My‌ app isn't the only tracking solution when purchasing these trackers. Both ‌iPhone‌ and Android users can use the Pebblebee app, so these are cross-platform compatible. You will need to choose ‌Find My‌ or the Pebblebee app, however, as both do not work simultaneously.

Design wise, the Pebblebee Clip is a standard looking black item tracker with a metal frame, and it is designed to attach to keys, bags, bicycles, luggage, and other valuables. It offers a 500 foot tracking range along with water resistance and a loud buzzer to make it easier to locate. The Clip also includes LED lights that are designed to make it easier to locate in the dark.

The Pebblebee Card is best for wallets, bags, coats, passports, and other similar items. It is made from a soft touch black plastic material and it is the thickness of a couple of credit cards. For comparison's sake, the Pebblebee Card is just about the same size as the Chipolo CARD Spot that we reviewed earlier this year. It has a loud leave behind alert and is able to play a notably loud sound when activated through the ‌Find My‌ app.

Unlike the AirTags, the Clip and the Card feature built-in rechargeable batteries, so there is no need to regularly replace the battery. In the Clip, the battery lasts for up to six months on a single charge, and on the Card, the battery works for up to 12 months on one charge.

Recharging the Card can be done through an included proprietary charging cable that attaches to the item trackers magnetically. You'll need to supply your own power adapter and make sure not to lose the charger, but on the whole, it's a better charging solution than a replaceable battery (or non-replaceable like the Chipolo). The Clip is even easier to charge because it includes a USB-C port and can be charged with any USB-C cable.

The inclusion of a rechargeable battery in the Clip and Card does not make them much thicker than other item tracking solutions. The Card is slim enough to fit inside even a thin wallet, and the Clip is similar in thickness to the AirTag.

The Pebblebee Clip and the Pebblebee Card can be purchased from the Pebblebee website. Each is priced at $30, and there is a Clip four-pack available for $100.

Following several months of beta testing, Nvidia today announced that popular battle royale game Fortnite is now available to all GeForce NOW subscribers via Safari on iOS, complete with optimized on-screen touch controls and game menus.

Fortnite had been unavailable to play on the iPhone and iPad since Apple removed the game from the App Store in August 2020, after developer Epic Games added a direct payment option to the game in violation of the App Store's rules. However, the game can now be streamed on iOS via GeForce NOW or Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming.

MacRumors tested Fortnite on iOS via GeForce NOW while it was in beta for those interested in a hands-on look at the gameplay experience.

GeForce NOW is a cross-platform, subscription-based service that allows users to stream hundreds of games across multiple devices. On the iPhone, the service is only available on the web due to App Store rules. On the Mac, there is a GeForce NOW app available that was recently updated with native support for Apple silicon chips.

GeForce NOW offers a basic, limited membership option available for free, with upgraded membership tiers starting at $9.99 per month.