Apple today announced financial results for its second fiscal quarter of 2022, which corresponds to the first calendar quarter of the year.
For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $97.3 billion and net quarterly profit of $25.0 billion, or $1.52 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $89.6 billion and net quarterly profit of $23.6 billion, or $1.40 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.
As expected, Apple's revenue and earnings set all-time records for the March quarter.
Gross margin for the quarter was 43.7 percent, compared to 42.5 percent in the year-ago quarter. Apple also declared an increased dividend payment of $0.23 per share, up from $0.22 per share. The dividend is payable May 12 to shareholders of record as of May 9.
Apple has also authorized an increase of $90 billion for its stock buyback program.
“This quarter’s record results are a testament to Apple’s relentless focus on innovation and our ability to create the best products and services in the world,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are delighted to see the strong customer response to our new products, as well as the progress we’re making to become carbon neutral across our supply chain and our products by 2030. We are committed, as ever, to being a force for good in the world — both in what we create and what we leave behind.”
As has been the case for two years now, Apple is once again not issuing guidance for the current quarter ending in June.
Apple will provide live streaming of its fiscal Q2 2022 financial results conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.
Snap today announced the launch of its latest hardware product, the Pixy drone that is designed to be used with the Snapchat social network. Pixy joins the Snap Spectacles, Snap's other hardware device.
Priced at $230, Snap's Pixy drone is essentially a pocket-sized flying camera. It has a top button that can activate one of four preset flight paths, and it can float, orbit, and follow the user without a controller.
There are two cameras on the Pixy drone, one that's used for navigation and landing (it's able to land on your hand at the end of a flight), and a second that's for recording 2.7K video. Videos captured by Pixy are transferred and saved to Snapchat Memories, and can be used with Snapchat's editing tools, Lenses, and Sounds before the content is shared on the social network.
Snap's information on the Pixy is a bit limited, but reviews have suggested that the battery lasts for about four flights before needing to be recharged. Snap is selling extra batteries for the device.
Snap has been working on this drone for some time now, and there were first rumors about a drone product back in 2017.
The camera-equipped Wristcam accessory for the Apple Watch is being updated with FaceTime-like video calling, the company announced today.
For those unfamiliar with Wristcam, it is an Apple Watch band that adds an 8-megapixel camera and a two-megapixel selfie camera to your wrist, with the camera able to hold up to 2000 photos or an hour of video. The device connects to the Apple Watch over WiFi or Bluetooth, and it enables hands-free recording.
With the new video calling feature, Wristcam owners will be able to make calls to friends and family right from their wrists. On its own, the Apple Watch supports voice calls and audio FaceTime calls, but as it has no built-in camera, there is no native video calling functionality.
Using the Wristcam app, Wristcam offers watch-to-watch calling with other Wristcam users, or Watch-to-iPhone calling. Note that this is not FaceTime or another native video calling feature -- both parties must have the Wristcam app.
Video calling is available as of today, but Wristcam's website says that users must request "early access" to use the feature. Wristcam is also gaining a new WristcamOS SDK, which will open up the device's camera capabilities to App Store developers.
We went hands-on with Wristcam last year, and found that it's quite bulky for an Apple Watch band, but it can come in handy if you need a hands-free camera option. Wristcam can be purchased from the Wristcam website for $299.
Some Mac Studio owners have noticed that their machines are making a high-pitched "whining" sound that appears to be coming from the fan. There are pages of complaints on the MacRumors forums about the issue, and it seems to be affecting a number of users.
Most of the complaints are coming from Mac Studio owners who opted for the M1 Max Mac Studio rather than the Ultra version, which is not a surprise as the two machines have different thermal setups.
Users who are experiencing issues have described the noise as a high-frequency sound that is difficult to ignore, and it is in addition to the standard fan noise. From MacRumors reader sunsetblvd:
Hi, I've been following this thread and wanted to share my experience with the Mac Studio. I ordered the M1 Max version with 32 Core GPU and 64 GB Ram. After a week or two I started noticing a high pitched whining sound. The ordinary fan noise was audible but not disturbingly so. The high pitched sound was sth I couldn't ignore. I have a relatively quite working space and the sound kept being distractive. I decided to take my studio to the apple store after contacting apple support and trying a bunch of software fixes like reinstalling the os. After a day of inspection the tech guy at the apple store claimed it was just normal fan noise within the expected range of noises and said they couldn't do anything about it. Disappointed I called apple support again and they agreed to send me a replacement, which I am currently waiting for.
There are a wide range of complaints, but all of them seem to describe the same general noise. From MacRumors reader h43m:
Just unboxed my Mac Studio with M1max (64GB RAM, 32 Cores GPU, 1TB SSD). There is definitely an annoying noise at exactly 2120hz (I compared it using a sinus wave generator). I am pretty sure this comes from the fan and is not a coil whine, since the frequency changes when the fan speed changes. Definitely not acceptable for a product with this price tag...
The M1 Max and M1 Ultra have different heatsinks, which explains why one machine is experiencing issues while the other is not. The M1 Ultra is equipped with a much larger copper heatsink, that likely prevents the fan from kicking on as often, and there also appears to be a problem with the M1 Max setup that causes the whine.
It is worth noting that not all M1 Max Mac Studio models appear to be experiencing this problem, as some people have said that they do not hear an unusual sound beyond the standard quiet fan noise. There are also some complaints just about the level of the fan noise alone without the whine, but many of the people who are unhappy with their machines seem to be experiencing the high-pitched sound rather than the typical fan noise.
Mac Studio buyers who are within their two week return period can get a replacement from Apple, but there are reports that replacement machines have seen the same issue. It is not clear if this is something that can be addressed in a software update or if it's a hardware issue that Apple is dealing with.
Have you noticed a high-pitched whine from your Mac Studio? Let us know in the comments.
Apple's upcoming iPhone 14 Pro models are widely rumored to feature new displays with a pill-shaped cutout and a hole for the Face ID sensors and front camera, respectively, and now a real-world look at this design has seemingly surfaced.
Front glass panels for all four iPhone 14 models have allegedly surfaced on Chinese social media website Weibo, as shared on Twitter by @SaranByte and reported by 9to5Mac. The panels reveal not only the rumored pill-and-hole design for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, but also slightly thinner bezels and a taller aspect ratio for those models.
As expected, the image also shows that the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max models will retain the same notch as iPhone 13 models.
While it is unclear if the image is legitimate, the front glass panels line up with all rumors that we have heard about iPhone 14 models so far, and similar leaks have occurred in the past. Last year, for example, MacRumors exclusively shared an image of front glass panels for all iPhone 13 models that proved to be accurate.
iPhone 14 front panels have leaked on Weibo - here are the changes to note: 1) thinner bezels on the Pro models, as reported by other sources 2) aspect ratio is also slightly different on the Pros (19.5:9 to 20:9); this corroborates with 9to5Mac’s report regarding taller displays pic.twitter.com/UtqNcBB9aP
— Saran (@SaranByte) April 28, 2022
Nvidia today announced that its cloud gaming service GeForce NOW is gaining native support for Macs with Apple silicon chips.
The updated GeForce NOW app for macOS will feature improved performance and lower power consumption on Macs powered by the M1 family of chips, including the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, 24-inch iMac, Mac Studio, and Mac mini models.
Native support for Apple silicon Macs will require version 2.0.40 of GeForce NOW, which should be rolling out soon. The update will also make it easier to discover new games to play in the app with an added "Genre" row at the bottom of the "Games" menu, and adds server-side rendering frame rates to the Streaming Statistics Overlay.
On the Mac, GeForce NOW is available on the web and as an app. The cross-platform, subscription-based service allows users to stream hundreds of games across multiple devices, including Fortnite. Pricing is set at $9.99 per month in the United States.
Apple is set to report financial results for the second quarter of the 2022 fiscal year later today, and Wall Street is expecting record-breaking figures.
On average, analysts forecast that Apple will set a new March quarter record for the company with revenue of $93.9 billion, according to Yahoo Finance. This revenue growth is expected to come from the iPhone, Mac, Services, and Wearables, while iPad revenue is expected to be relatively flat, according to estimates compiled by Philip Elmer-DeWitt.
Apple's revenue over the last five March quarters:
2022 (Estimated): $93.9 billion
2021: $89.6 billion
2020: $58.3 billion
2019: $58.0 billion
2018: $61.1 billion
Apple's second quarter ran from December 26 through March 26, according to the company's fiscal calendar. During this period, Apple launched its all-new Mac Studio desktop computer and Studio Display, the third-generation iPhone SE, the fifth-generation iPad Air, and new green color options for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro.
Apple will report its earnings results at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time today. Apple's CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will discuss the results on a conference call at 2 p.m. Pacific Time today, and MacRumors will have live coverage of the remarks.
Our deals today include a collection of markdowns on the AirPods Pro, Apple TV 4K, and the high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro. All of the sales can be found on Amazon, and none require any coupon codes in order to see the sale prices.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
AirPods Pro with MagSafe
Amazon is offering the AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case for $174.99, down from $249.00. This is the second-best price we've ever tracked, and it's a match of the 2022 all-time low price on this version of the AirPods Pro.
The headphones are in stock today, and they are shipped and sold directly by Amazon. The new AirPods Pro launched in 2021, and are essentially the same as the 2019 model with the addition of the new MagSafe Charging Case.
Apple TV 4K
Secondly, Amazon has the 2021 32GB Apple TV 4K for $169.98, down from $179.00. The Apple TV 4K is available for the usual free Prime shipping options, and it's in stock and ready to ship today.
This sale is a second-best price on the 32GB Apple TV 4K, but steeper discounts have been rare for the first few months of 2022. If you're on the market for one of Apple's newest streaming boxes, this will be the best price currently available.
You can also get the 64GB Wi-Fi Apple TV 4K for $189.98, down from $199.00. We've seen this Apple TV 4K discounted by an additional $10, so this sale is another second-best price. This model is also sold by Amazon, and it's in stock and ready to ship today.
MacBook Pro
Finally, we're tracking an offer on the 16-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16-core GPU, 1TB SSD), now priced at $2,449.00, down from $2,699.00. At $250 off, this is an all-time low price on this model of the 2021 MacBook Pro.
This new deal comes a few days after we shared a similar record low price on the 16-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16-core GPU, 512GB SSD), available for $2,249.00, down from $2,499.00. Both of these discounts are available in both Silver and Space Gray right now on Amazon.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
New images of 3D-printed mockups, likely based on relatively accurate dimensions for the upcoming iPhone 14 lineup, have offered a close look at the design changes Apple is planning for the 2022 iPhones, particularly the enlargement of the camera systems compared to the latest iPhone 13 series.
The iPhone 14 series will feature larger camera systems on the back, according to previous rumors and schematics. Images shared today by Mac Otakara offer a clearer real-world look at that design change by attempting to put iPhone 14 physical mockups in iPhone 13 cases and seeing if they will fit.
The 6.7-inch "iPhone 14 Max," shown in the image below, fits almost perfectly inside a case for the 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max, indicating the two devices will be essentially the same physical size. The simpler dual-lens camera system on non-Pro models is smaller than the triple-lens Pro camera system, so the camera bump on the new non-Pro iPhone 14 Max will be significantly smaller than seen on Apple's current 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max.
iPhone 14 Max mockup in iPhone 13 Pro Max case
Moving to more like-for-like comparisons, the smaller 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and 14 Pro mockups do not fit well into corresponding iPhone 13 and 13 Pro cases. Images show that the camera bump in particular causes fit issues, as it is significantly larger on the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro. The overall device sizes also appear slightly larger, as the phones can't even be squeezed into the cases.
iPhone 14 mockup paired with iPhone 13 case and camera cover
Moving to the highest-end model of the iPhone 14 lineup, the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max, Mac Otakara says that it shares similar overall dimensions with the iPhone 13 Pro Max and therefore fits into a case for the current model, albeit with some caveats. As is true with other models in the iPhone 14 lineup, the larger camera bump prevents an exact fit with the existing case.
iPhone 14 Pro Max mockup paired with iPhone 13 Pro Max case and camera cover
Mac Otakara also examined how screen protectors for the iPhone 13 lineup fit the corresponding iPhone 14 model mockups and they suggest that some models may indeed see thinner display bezels with different corner radii.
Finally, Mac Otakara was unable to determine the layout of the front camera and sensors on the Pro models, as the mockups do not include those details. Rumors and leaks have suggested Pro models will include a pill and hole-punch layout rather than a notch.
As a reminder, the iPhone 14 lineup is rumored to consist of four models, with two lower-end 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes and two higher-end Pro models of the same size. The iPhone 14 lineup will mark the end of the road for the smaller 5.4-inch iPhone "mini." For a full rundown of everything we're expecting with this year's new iPhone, see our comprehensive roundup.
Apple will be accused of breaking EU law by unfairly limiting access of its mobile payment system on iPhone to third-party service providers, such as PayPal and Venmo, according to the Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to the report, Apple will be accused of "unfairly blocking groups such as PayPal and leading banks from accessing its mobile wallet system" by the European Union and could face heavy penalties if the accusation moves forward. In specific, the EU is taking issue with Apple's restriction of NFC technology on the iPhone, which Apple does not allow third-party app developers to access.
By limiting access to the NFC chip, services such as PayPal, Venmo, banks, and other financial providers, are unable to provide a similar experience to that of Apple Pay for iPhone users. Apple claims that its restrictions on NFC are in place as a safeguard for user privacy and security.
The new development from the EU comes as Apple faces increasing pressure to open its iPhone to third-party app stores and possibly make iMessage a cross-platform messaging service. New details this week of the "Digital Services Act" soon planned to make its way through the European Parliament and the European Council could force Apple to open its iPhones to other app stores and sideloading, a move that CEO Tim Cook warns would fundamentally change the iPhone.
For those who want to repair their iPhones on their own without having to visit an Apple retail store or service provider, Apple now has a dedicated Self Service Repair program that provides the repair manuals, parts, and tools necessary for fixing the display, battery, bottom speaker, camera, display, SIM Tray, and Taptic Engine.
Repairs are available for the 2022 iPhone SE, the iPhone 12 models, and the iPhone 13 models at this time, and are limited to the above listed iPhone components. Apple has plans to expand to additional repairs and additional devices in the future, but for now, you can only do a limited number of fixes on the latest iPhones.
Before any repair can be completed, you need to read through the manual to see what it entails, and the manuals are also available if you want to attempt a repair on your own without Apple's components.
To get to a repair manual, you just need to visit Apple's Self Service Repair website. From there, click on the "Apple Repair Manuals" link under "Support." You can also click below to get directly to the manual that you're looking for. Note that all of the links are PDFs on Apple's site.
Each repair manual explains how the repair process works and it walks through the parts that are available for purchase. Repair manuals include details on how to set up for a repair, the steps required, and what to do if something goes wrong.
Many of Apple's repairs require a toolkit that is priced at $49 and weighs in at 70 pounds, so major fixes like swapping out a battery or replacing a display are rather involved compared to visiting an Apple retail store.
After downloading and reviewing a repair manual, those who want to proceed with Apple's tools and equipment can initiate an order on Apple's Self Service Repair website.
Apple's new Self Service Repair program leaves iPhone owners with too many hoops to jump through to successfully fix their own devices, right to repair advocate Nathan Proctor said in a statement today. Proctor leads the U.S. PIRG's right to repair campaign, working to pass legislation that would allow consumers to repair their own electronics.
Proctor said that the program is encouraging because Right to Repair is "breaking through," but Apple is exerting too much control by locking parts to a specific device and requiring Apple verification during the repair process.
"We are really pleased to see public access to Apple service guides for the first time in decades. However, it's clear that Apple is doubling down on requiring each part be encoded to a specific phone, and then requiring a connection to Apple to verify the part before it gains full functionality. I don't see how locking parts to a specific device and requiring manufacturer approval to install it offers any benefit to the product owner, but it does allow Apple to maintain a lot of control over the repair process. It also means that Apple can decide to stop supporting repairs. If Apple decides that a phone is too old, they can effectively put an expiration date on any product needing repair, defeating one of the most important aspects of repair -- minimizing toxic electronic waste.
"While this is a start, there are still too many hoops to jump through to fix phones. As it's becoming clear that Apple and other manufacturers can give us the Right to Repair, we should require them to. And we should have more options. Not just one set of parts. Not just a few manufacturers. No product should be tossed in the scrap heap, wasting money and adding to our toxic electronic waste problem, because the manufacturer doesn't properly support repair."
Proctor believes that Apple and other tech companies should give consumers more options and better access to parts from different manufacturers rather than requiring parts supplied by the company itself.
Repair outlet iFixit expressed similar thoughts on the program, and said that it is a "great step" forward, but restrictive because of the part verification requirements that tie new components to serial numbers.
Apple's new Self Service Repair program launched this morning, and customers can currently opt to receive repair kits to fix the battery, bottom speaker, camera, display, SIM Tray, or Taptic Engine of an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 device.
Initiating a repair requires a serial number or IMEI, and after some of the repairs are complete, customers will need to initiate System Configuration with Apple. Repairs can be done with the rental toolkit from Apple, which costs $49 to rent for a seven day period.
Apple's rental toolkit includes all of the tools necessary to get into an iPhone, but the actual replacement components are a separate charge. Apple's toolkit is massive at a total weight of 79 pounds, and kits must be returned to a UPS location when a repair is complete.
The toolkit rental and return process, the cost of replacement parts, and the verification may be more effort than some users want to put into iPhone repair, so it is unclear how popular Apple's program will be with iPhone users. On the plus side, repairs do not have labor costs associated, and all of the parts and tools are genuine Apple components, which isn't always the case with third-party repairs from companies other than Apple.
With Mother's Day approaching on Sunday, May 8, Apple today shared a series of Apple Pay promotions that are aimed at providing savings on gifts for mothers. Discounts are outlined below.
1-800 Flowers - $15 off when spending $39.99 or more with the promo code APPLEPAY.
Apoktheke - 20 percent off fragrances, body care, and more with promo code APPLEPAY.
Zazzle - 25 percent off personalized gifts, decor, and more with promo code APPLEPAY2022.
Apple Pay must be used for all of the purchases to get the discount, and the offers are valid through May 8, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The discounts cannot be combined with other promotions.
In addition to providing Apple Pay discounts, Apple has also put together a Mother's Day gift guide with Apple product suggestions for mothers such as iPads, iPhones, and the Apple Watch.
Last week, Transcend launched a 1TB version of its JetDrive Lite 330 expansion card for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, giving users a convenient way to add significant amounts of storage to their machines without any extra bulk. I've had a chance to spend some time with the new card, and while there are limitations for some of the things you might want to do with it, the JetDrive Lite 330 can be a very handy addition to your setup.
While the JetDrive Lite 330 is at its heart simply an SD card, the novel aspect of it is that it's designed to specifically fit flush with the MacBook Pro's edge, allowing you to essentially leave the card inserted at all times without having to worry about the card or the slot being damaged from pressure being put on a normal-sized SD card that sticks out a bit.
The JetDrive Lite 330 has a thin plastic face that rests up against the edge of the MacBook Pro, and it provides just enough of a surface to get a fingernail behind it to remove the card. It's a simple but great design that all but guarantees the card will stay in place throughout day-to-day usage, packing your machine in and out of a bag, and more.
Transcend says the JetDrive Lite 330 card offers read speeds of up to 95 MB/s and write speeds of up to 75 MB/s per second, and I came close to that in my testing, with Blackmagic Speed Test registering roughly 90 MB/s and 75 MB/s respectively. That's of course well over an order of magnitude slower than the internal SSD on a MacBook Pro or even a Thunderbolt or USB 3.1+ external drive, but for certain tasks, it's definitely sufficient.
Given the transfer speeds, you definitely can't use the JetDrive Lite 330 as a boot drive or anything where you're rapidly reading and writing data. It's simply not designed for those tasks, but it's ideal as some extra onboard storage for documents, media, and other types of data.
One popular use case for the JetDrive Lite is as an onboard Time Machine backup drive, and the new 1 TB capacity option makes this a more reasonable solution than ever. My 16-inch MacBook Pro has a 1 TB SSD, but only about 230 GB is currently used. It's frequently recommended that your Time Machine drive be at least two or three times as large as the drive you're backing up, in order to have enough room to save a sufficient amount of history, so this new 1 TB JetDrive Pro 330 is perfect for me as a test case.
It should be obvious, but it's important to note that onboard Time Machine storage isn't an ideal solution, as if your Mac is lost or stolen, so is your backup. I back up to an Apple Time Capsule at home (offsite backups would be even safer to protect against larger losses such as a fire or home burglary), but I'm currently doing a lot of international travel and the JetDrive Lite is a great way to tide me over with some sort of backup without needing an online service or potentially cumbersome external drive solutions.
Setting the JetDrive Lite up as a Time Machine drive was incredibly simple, with the card being recognized as a standard drive in Finder immediately after insertion, and then showing up in Time Machine settings as an available backup destination. Once I selected it and initiated Time Machine, it took a little over 80 minutes to complete the initial backup. Subsequent backups have taken no more than a minute or two as Time Machine looks for changes and pushes 500 MB or so onto the card.
Overall, backups are actually much faster and smoother than my usual Time Machine backups over Wi-Fi to the spinning hard drive of my Time Capsule at home. Browsing through Time Machine backups is also smoother.
Banana for scale
Once I'm done with my international travels and back to regularly backing up at home, I'll be able to make more use of the JetDrive Lite 330 for general storage, perhaps bringing some music and photos over that currently live on external drives. Having all of that accessible right from my Mac without having to worry about carrying external drives is nice.
Apple charges $400 to double the storage on a MacBook Pro from 1 TB to 2 TB, and of course a single speedy 2 TB drive has certain benefits over this JetDrive Lite solution, but the reverse is also true. The JetDrive Lite offers additional flexibility as it can be easily added after the fact and can be removed as needed for safe storage or transfer to another machine.
The 1 TB JetDrive Lite 330 is available now for $249.99 from Amazon, and for those who don't need as much storage, there are cheaper 512 GB, 256 GB, and 128 GB options also available.
In addition to the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models from 2021, the JetDrive Lite 330 is also compatible with 13-MacBook Pro models (Late 2012 through Early 2015 generations), and Transcend offers other JetDrive Lite products to fit various 2010–2017 MacBook Air and 2012–2015 MacBook Pro models with different SD card slot designs.
Transcend offers a JetDrive Toolbox app for Mac and Windows that supports a couple of functions like tools for recovering deleted files and automatically unmounting and remounting the card depending on your machine's standby status in order to save power, but unfortunately, it's not compatible with M1-based Macs.
Note: Transcend provided MacRumors with the JetDrive Lite 330 for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. 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.
Apple's newly-launched Self Service Repair program is a "great step" forward, but "not the unqualified win for repair enthusiasts that Apple's marketers would have you believe," according to do-it-yourself repair website iFixit.
In a blog post today, iFixit's Elizabeth Chamberlain said the biggest problem with Apple's program is that parts must be paired with a device. When purchasing parts from Apple's Self Service Repair Store, a customer must enter a device's serial number or IMEI, and any parts ordered need to be paired with the same device after installation.
"Integrating a serial number check into their checkout process is a dire omen and could allow Apple the power to block even more repairs in the future," said Chamberlain. "Building the technology to provision individual repairs easily sets Apple up as the gateway to approve—or deny—any repairs in the future, with parts from any source."
To initiate the pairing process, known as System Configuration, Apple says customers will need to contact the Self Service Repair Store's support team by chat or phone. The parts store is operated by third-party company SPOT, not Apple.
iFixit said there is still "a lot to be excited about" with the details Apple announced, including availability of tools that only certified Apple technicians could access until now and free step-by-step visual repair manuals on Apple's website.
"We are really happy to see Apple making repair manuals available for everyone for free online," said Chamberlain. "Like, seriously happy. Like, we've-been-asking-for-this-for-twenty-years happy. They're selling their own proprietary repair tools to the public, too, again for the very first time. You can buy official Apple battery presses and display adhesive removal devices—or even, to our surprise, rent those devices."
iFixit remains optimistic that as Right to Repair legislation advances around the world, companies like Apple will be required to take further steps.
"At least Apple is getting some of their homework done in advance," said Chamberlain, about the initial phase of the program. "Manufacturers know the right to repair is coming—we'll get the rest of their assignments in due time."
We're tracking an ongoing slate of record low prices on the Apple Watch Series 7 and Apple Watch SE this week, all of which can be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
41mm GPS Aluminum Series 7
Starting with the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7, you can get this model for $329.00 in most colors, down from $399.00. We saw a slightly lower price on this model earlier in the month, but at $70 this is a solid second-best price on the Apple Watch Series 7 and the most consistent deal we've seen in 2022.
The 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 has three colors on sale at a new record low price, which is $359.00, down from $429.00. Colors on sale at this price include (Product)Red Aluminum with (Product)Red Sport Band, Blue Aluminum Case with Abyss Blue Sport Band, and Green Aluminum Case with Clover Sport Band.
For the Cellular aluminum models of the Apple Watch Series 7 you'll find similarly solid discounts on Amazon today. The 41mm Cellular Apple Watch Series 7 is priced at $429.00, down from $499.00, and coming in about $20 under the previous record low discount.
Lastly, Amazon has every aluminum model of the 45mm Cellular Apple Watch Series 7 at $459.00, down from $529.00. Similar to the other sales, this price beats the previous best deal by about $20 and only Amazon is offering the sale.
If you want to save even more money, we're tracking best-ever prices on a few models of the Apple Watch SE. You can get the 40mm GPS Silver Aluminum model with Abyss Blue Sport Band for $229.00, down from $279.00.
This is one of the lowest prices we've ever seen for the Apple Watch SE, and it's available in Silver Aluminum with Abyss Blue Sport Band, Gold Aluminium Case with Starlight Sport Band, and Space Grey Aluminium Case with Midnight Sport Band.
Likewise, the 44mm Apple Watch SE is being discounted to the record low price of $229.00, down from $309.00. This one's only available in the Silver Aluminium Case with Abyss Blue Sport Band.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
Apple is researching a one-way mirror finish, wireless charging systems, and charging stands for headset devices, according to newly granted patent applications.
In a patent filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office simply called "Display system," first spotted by Patently Apple, Apple outlines how a head-mounted display device may be wirelessly charged via inductive coils placed inside the headband.
Apple explains how a headset's adjustable headband may contain a number of spaced-apart receiving coils connected to the device's power storage or battery. The headband continues to function as expected, with adjustable left and right sides to comfortably support the display unit on the front of a user's face. Apple also describes separate charging modes to allow wireless charging via this method even when the user is wearing the headset.
The patent describes a "power supply device" to accompany the headset, including a base that is connected to a transmission coil. In some embodiments, the power supply device is a charging stand to hang the headset on via its headband, while in others it is a flat charging base to simply place the headset on top of.
Apple says that the "head-mounted display and the power supply device are cooperatively configured to align the transmission coil" to charge, as to prevent users from needing to carefully align the charging coils manually. This could simply relate to the layout of the charging system, as is the case with the stand configuration, but it could also potentially even extend to a MagSafe-like alignment system.
In another patent filing granted earlier this week titled "Electronic device with infrared transparent one-way mirror," Apple describes how a head-mounted display device may feature a mirror-effect finish like some sunglasses or ski goggles. The one-way mirror allows optical components in the interior region, such as cameras and infrared sensors, to function correctly but be hidden from view by the reflective finish of the headset's exterior.
Apple's rumored mixed-reality headset is often the focus of the company's patent filings, with previous patents including a finger-mounted control device, adjustable lenses, eye-tracking, and even software. While patent applications cannot be taken as concrete evidence of the exact hardware Apple is planning to sell, it is difficult to look past the way in which the company's large number of patent filings may fit into the bigger picture surrounding its rumored headset project.
Late last year, Morgan Stanley analysts noted that Apple's portfolio of patents related to mixed-reality headsets are now mirroring the scale of the company's portfolio of patents related to smartwatches directly before the launch of the Apple Watch, indicating that the device could be "approaching liftoff."
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iPhone 14 Max mockup in iPhone 13 Pro Max case
iPhone 14 mockup paired with iPhone 13 case and camera cover
iPhone 14 Pro Max mockup paired with iPhone 13 Pro Max case and camera cover
Banana for scale
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.
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