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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.

Apple's AirTag 4-Pack is available for $89.00 today on Amazon, down from $99.00. The accessory is shipped and sold directly by Amazon, and currently only Amazon is offering this sale. There is only a discount on the AirTag 4-Pack right now on Amazon, not on the 1-Pack option.

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.

Earlier this month we saw the AirTag 4-Pack down to around $84, so today's deal is a solid second-best offer on the tracker accessory. Overall, there haven't been many discounts on any version of the AirTag in 2022, so if you've been shopping for the device be sure to check out Amazon soon.

AirTag provides a way to keep track of your items in the iOS Find My app, with a way to play a sound on the built-in speaker to find something locally or with precision finding when it's farther away. Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Audi today announced that Apple Music will be available directly in the infotainment systems of a large number of its vehicles via a software update.

‌Apple Music‌ integration will give Audi owners the ability to access their personal ‌Apple Music‌ library directly in their vehicle's Multi-Media Interface (MMI) screen, leveraging the in-car data connection, with no need for Bluetooth, a wired connection, or Apple CarPlay.

To activate ‌Apple Music‌, users have to open the ‌Apple Music‌ app on the Audi infotainment system, follow the on-screen instructions to log in with their Apple ID, and enter a verification code sent to their phone. Christiane Zorn, Head of Product Marketing at Audi, said:

Integrating Apple Music into the Audio infotainment system marks the next step in the collaboration between Audi and Apple. For our customers, it means that we are offering them direct access to their own personalized listening experience. This is our understanding of a premium digital in-car experience. At Audi we are systematically driving the digitalization of the vehicle and we are convinced that the interior is increasingly developing into a third living space.

Available in Europe, North America, and Japan, ‌Apple Music‌ integration will be rolled out to "nearly all" existing 2022 model year Audi vehicles via an automatic over-the-air update, and will come in many new Audis as standard. Cellular data streaming costs are billed via a data package available from Cubic-Telekom in Europe and the first three gigabytes are free of charge.

Audi is not the first automaker to integrate ‌Apple Music‌ directly into its infotainment system, with Porsche first announcing the feature in 2019 before expanding to other services like Apple Podcasts. Similarly, Mercedes began to roll out Apple Music integration from summer last year.

Apple chip supplier TSMC is exploring the potential of building a new factory in Singapore to help address the global chip shortage, the Wall Street Journal reports.

TSMC is Apple's sole chip supplier and is responsible for fabricating all of the company's custom silicon chips, such as the A15 Bionic and the M1. While Apple's chip orders have been prioritized over many other companies, limiting the impact of shortages on Apple customers, TSMC has still suffered from global supply chain issues as the world's biggest contract chip maker.

The plans to build a new multi-billion dollar factory in Singapore are still under consideration. According to individuals said to be familiar with the matter, the government of Singapore may help to fund construction of the plant.

The proposed production lines would manufacture chips with seven- to 28-nanometer fabrication processes, which are older production technologies. While Apple's latest chips are manufactured with TSMC's five-nanometer process and therefore could not be manufactured at the new plant in Singapore, the expansion could free up production capacity at other factories where Apple's chips can be manufactured and help to relieve global shortages.

Beyond the plans for a new plant in Singapore, TSMC is also building a $12 billion factory in Arizona to manufacture five-nanometer chips. TSMC's main factories are located in Taiwan, but it already operates a factory in Camas, Washington, as well as design centers in Austin, Texas and San Jose, California, meaning that the Arizona facility will be its second manufacturing site in the United States. TSMC is also building a new factory in Japan with help from the Japanese government and investment by Sony.

Privacy-focused browser Brave has updated its iOS app with a new Privacy Hub feature that displays a summary of the trackers it has blocked for specific sites or over a given time span.

Similar to Safari’s Privacy Report, the new Privacy Hub in version 1.38 of the browser is designed to educate users about trackers and other privacy threats Brave is blocking.

This update also improves protections against fingerprinting for iOS. Fingerprinting is a technique used to identify and track people by combining multiple semi-identifiers (slight differences of each person’s browser, such as the size of the browser window or computer hardware details) and combining them into a single, unique identifier.

Brave for iOS now protects against fingerprinting by adding small amounts of randomization to fingerprintable APIs rather than disabling them, which can break websites, making for a smoother, more private browser experience.

In addition, Brave has added a certificate viewer to its iOS app, allowing users to confirm that they are visiting a real site and not a spoofed copy. To view a page’s certificate, users can tap the lock icon in the URL bar, and they can then verify if a certificate is valid or revoked, trusted or not, or compliant (or not) with standards.

Brave has gained momentum and popularity in recent years for its privacy focus. Last year, Brave dropped Google as its default search engine and replaced it with the more privacy-oriented Brave Search, which uses an independent index and doesn't track users or their searches. Brave for iOS is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]