MacRumors

2021 was a whirlwind of a year when it came to Apple rumors. Many of the rumors this year turned out to be accurate, like the MacBook Pro getting a notch, but some failed to materialize, like the flat-edged Apple Watch Series 7.

With the year now drawing to a close, we thought it would be fun to look back at six of the biggest Apple rumors of 2021.

1. MacBook Pro With a Notch

Out of all of the rumors that circulated throughout the year, the last-minute rumor suggesting the redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros would feature a notch stands out prominently. The rumor surfaced just a few days before Apple's highly-anticipated fall event focused on the Mac and it was met with quite a lot of skepticism.

To much surprise, the rumor ultimately came true, with Apple adding a notch to the new MacBook Pros as a means of reducing the bezels around the 14-inch and 16-inch displays.

2. Siri Leaking an Apple Event

In early April, Siri leaked that Apple would be holding an event on April 20, a few hours before Apple officially announced the event. When asked when the next Apple event is, Siri responded with "the special event is on Tuesday, April 20, at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA" and said more details were available on Apple.com. While not a "rumor" by definition, it was still a high-profile leak that confirmed Apple's first event of 2021.

As a refresher, Apple's "Spring Loaded" event in April 2021 was packed with new product announcements, including the AirTag, a redesigned 24-inch iMac, a new Apple TV and redesigned Siri Remote, and revamped 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. In 2022, it is likely that Apple will hold another event in the similar March-April timeframe.

3. Flat-Edged Apple Watch Series 7

In May, Apple leaker Jon Prosser reported that a future Apple Watch, presumed at the time to be the upcoming Apple Watch Series 7, would feature flat edges. The flat-edged design would have been a departure from the curved design of previous models and the first significant redesign to the Apple Watch since its introduction. The rumor quickly became the most talked about feature of the Series 7, when little else was known about what to expect.

To much dismay and mystery, the rumor did not prove to be true. In fact, quite the opposite happened, with Apple emphasizing the Series 7's more rounded corners. While we might never know for sure why the flat-edged Apple Watch Series 7 rumor failed to materialize, there are a few possible explanations.

4. MacBook Pro Gets Its Ports Back

In January of 2021, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo dropped a bombshell of a report outlining for the first time what the world could expect from Apple's next-generation MacBook Pros later in the year.

Kuo, some 10 months before the new MacBook Pros officially launched, revealed that they would include an entirely new design with 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, additional ports like HDMI, the removal of the Touch Bar, and the return of MagSafe. Kuo's report was largely corroborated by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who revealed that one of the connectivity options returning would be an SD card slot.

These rumors in early January were the first time we had learned new details about the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which Apple announced in October of the year.

5. Redesigned iPad mini

In the summer of 2021, credible display analyst Ross Young shared that the upcoming iPad mini would feature an 8.3-inch display with narrower bezels and the removal of the Home Button. Young's report added to information shared by Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who both claimed the iPad mini would be significantly redesigned.

One of the largest points of contention was whether Apple would include Face ID in the bezel or embed Touch ID into the Side Button, similar to the iPad Air. The later proved to be accurate, with Apple announcing the sixth-generation iPad mini with a new design, USB-C port, Touch ID built into the Side Button, 5G support, and the A15 Bionic chip.

6. Colorful New iMac

Around three months before its official unveiling, Apple leaker Jon Prosser shared that Apple's first iMac redesign in several years and the first with Apple silicon would feature a lineup of different colors. Prosser followed Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who was first to report that a new iMac with smaller bezels was in the works.

Conclusion

2021 was a busy year for Apple in which it updated several of its product lines. Looking ahead to 2022, expectations are high for Apple, as the company is rumored to announce its first AR/VR headset, continue its transition to Apple silicon across the Mac lineup, and more. Rumors and reports are always hard to keep track of, but luckily, MacRumors has a comprehensive guide to help get you ready for 2022.

I've been a swimmer for as long as I can remember, so I jumped at a recent opportunity to try out the FINIS Smart Goggle, a pair of swim goggles with a small display inside and sensors to help track your swims and keep on top of your metrics even while your head is underwater.

The FINIS Smart Goggle kit, developed in partnership with Ciye, is priced at $235 (on sale for $188 as of this review), so it's not an inexpensive purchase, but if you're a frequent swimmer who enjoys technology, it might be a worthwhile investment.

Unlike some other smart goggle options like the FORM Smart Swim Goggles, the FINIS goggles include separate Smart Goggle and Smart Coach display components. That's a nice touch that will likely come in handy over time, as swim goggles tend to wear out as the gaskets degrade, the lenses get scratched up, or some other misfortune befalls them.

While I'm much more careful with these smart goggles than I am with normal goggles that might cost $5, it's reassuring to know that if the goggle portion ever needs to be replaced, I can purchase a new pair for $35 and slip my existing Smart Coach module into them rather than having to buy an entirely new kit.

You could also purchase an extra Smart Goggle in a different color and swap the Smart Coach module back and forth as needed, such as using blue goggles indoors and smoke goggles outdoors in bright sun.

The digital Smart Coach display sits off to the side of the goggle, allowing good visibility of the water in front of you, although it definitely obscures your peripheral vision to the left. The display is fairly small, so it can only show a limited amount of information, but what it does show is very clear.

Setup, syncing, and workout history are all handled through the companion Ciye app on your iPhone, and there's a very clear step-by-step walkthrough to get you up and running. It includes pairing the goggles to your phone via Bluetooth, instructions on starting workouts and getting a good fit, and adjusting the display to make sure it's aligned properly for your vision. The onscreen text can be shifted left or right and up or down, and you can also customize the brightness.

At any time, you can also head into the app to customize what you see while swimming with four options to choose from: standard swim plus three optimized displays for those who focus on swimming laps, for time, or sets. With each option, you'll see different metrics pop up while you're swimming, after each turn, and while you're resting.

For example, with the standard swim setting, you'll see a rolling time counter for your current swim, as well as a count of how many laps you've done. After each turn, it will briefly tell you your split time before switching back to the in-swim display. Once you stop to rest, it will cycle through screens telling you how far your last swim was and how long it took, how long you've been resting, and the current time. The other display options generally emphasize a subset of metrics, such as only displaying a time counter and the current time while swimming if you choose "I swim for time."

As part of the setup process, you can also specify goals for how many yards per week, number of swims per week, and total swim time per week, and the app will keep you updated with graphs at the top of your swim history page showing how well you've done over the past four weeks.

The Smart Goggle is charged with an included USB-A cable that has a proprietary two-pin magnetic charging connection on the other end. It snaps right on to the Smart Coach, and as long as you have the Ciye app open on your phone it will automatically initiate syncing of your workout data back to your phone. Alternatively, you can manually initiate syncing by opening the Ciye app on your phone and holding the button on the smart goggles for three seconds.

FINIS recommends that you fully charge the Smart Goggle after each swim, but I found it unnecessary. A swim of a little over an hour only used about 5–10% of the battery capacity in my experience, so you can easily get multiple swims in before you even need to think about recharging.

I found the goggles to be quite good at tracking my swimming and identifying which stroke I was doing at any given time, although there was one time when I was doing 200 yards of butterfly in the middle of a 2000-yard swim and it thought I was doing breaststroke. To be fair, my drowning butterfly may have looked more like breaststroke at that point so I'm not sure I can pin that one entirely on the goggles. You can always go into the app on your phone after your swim and correct any strokes that were misidentified.

The app offers several convenient views that make it easy to look back at your swims to see how you did. You can see the time, distance, stroke(s), and average split time for each set, and you can drill down further to see your times for every single lap down to the tenth of a second.

An aspect of the goggles that I found pretty handy was the fact that the display pretty much sits in your blind spot when you're looking straight ahead while swimming. That lets you completely tune out what's going on in the display if you want to focus on other things. But with a quick glance to the side, you can easily check in on your metrics.

For many years, I've used the Swim.com Apple Watch app to track my swim workouts, and it does a very solid job monitoring my yardage and intervals, all easily visible in the Swim.com ‌iPhone‌ app and synced over to Apple's Fitness and Health apps. FINIS recently added the ability for the Smart Goggle to sync with the Swim.com app and it can also sync with Apple's Health and Fitness apps and Strava, so it's easy to always keep on top of your workout history.

It's important to note that while high-level metrics like total swim/rest times and yardage will sync over from the Ciye app, detailed data like stroke identification and splits won't appear in either the Swim.com app or Apple workouts.

Another thing to be careful of is making sure you have your various syncing settings configured properly in order to prevent double counting of workouts. If you use the Ciye app to sync your FINIS-tracked workouts to both Swim.com and Apple Fitness and Health but also have Swim.com syncing to Apple's apps, for example, you'll end up with your workouts appearing twice on your Apple apps as both Ciye and Swim.com will push them to Apple. It's not a big deal to toggle your settings to make sure things are reported correctly to Apple, so it's just a source of potential confusion to be aware of.

The goggles come with an adjustable silicone-type strap that I found quite comfortable, and gaskets around the goggle lenses help them sit comfortably against your face. Six different sizes of nose bridges are also included to ensure you can find one that fits your face. A chemical-resistant anti-fog treatment on the inside of the lenses helps keep your vision clear, and so far it's holding up well for me.

I did discover one specific issue during my testing, and it's that I don't love using these goggles while doing backstroke, particularly while swimming outside without a ceiling as a frame of reference to know where I am in the lane. Typically in such situations, I'm able to glance a little to the side to keep an eye on the lane line to make sure I'm swimming in a straight line.

But with the FINIS Smart Goggle, it blocks my view of the lane line. Not only that, but there's a bit of refractive effect with the goggle lenses themselves that make it feel like I'm somehow about to simultaneously crash into the lane lines on both sides of my lane. I'd hoped I'd get used to this over time, but with half a dozen swim practices under my belt with these goggles, it's still an unnerving feeling that hampers my backstroke speed and comfort.

The Smart Coach display unit also sits fairly close to the eye, and while it allows for very clear visibility, I can actually feel my eyelashes brush against it slightly as I blink. I am pretty much able to ignore it once I get into my workout and am focused on my swimming, but it's something I do notice as I get started each time I use them for a workout.

That's a minor nitpick, and while the backstroke issue is a bit annoying, I don't do a lot of backstroke, so it's something I can live with. I've otherwise found the FINIS Smart Goggle to be an excellent companion that helps keep me on target during my workouts and maintain records of my workouts over time.

The FINIS Smart Goggle kit is priced at $235 (on sale for $188 at the time of writing) and is available with smoke, blue, or blue mirror goggle lenses. The Smart Coach is available separately for $200 while the Smart Goggle alone is priced at $35. The full kits are also available at Amazon.

Note: FINIS provided MacRumors with the Smart Goggle kit 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.

Telegram today announced it has updated its iPhone and iPad app with several new features, including message reactions, translation, hidden text, additional interactive emoji options, themed QR codes for users and channels, and more.

With the addition of reactions, users can now double tap on a message bubble and a small thumbs-up emoji will appear at the bottom of that message. You can change the emoji for this quick reaction in the app under Settings > Stickers and Emoji > Quick Reaction. For more reactions, tap and hold on a message bubble.

Similar to the invisible ink option in iMessage, Telegram now offers spoiler formatting for hiding text. When typing a message, select the text you wish to hide, tap on B/I/U in the black popover menu, and tap Spoiler. Messages sent with spoiler formatting will appear blurry in a chat, and you can tap the message to reveal the hidden text.

Telegram now offers the ability to translate any message into another language, right in the app. Translation can be enabled in the app under Settings > Language, and then you can tap and hold a message to translate it into your language. You can also exclude any languages you speak fluently to hide the translate button for those messages. On the iPhone and iPad, this feature requires iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 or later.

Another new feature is the ability to generate themed QR codes for any users that have a public username, as well as for groups, channels, and bots. There are also additional interactive emoji that animate when sent, like the fire emoji and loudly crying face.

Telegram version 8.4 is available now on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

Today we're tracking the return of a rare discount on Apple's 10.2-inch 64GB Wi-Fi iPad from 2021. You can get this tablet for $299.00 on Amazon, down from $329.00.

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.

This sale is only available in Space Gray, and it's shipped and sold by Amazon. We're still experiencing shipping delays following the Christmas holiday, and the iPad today is no exception as it has an estimated delivery date of late January. Since we don't know when this sale will come back once it's gone, it's still a good idea to lock in this rare all-time low price today.

For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.

Apple announced several new products this year, ranging from the colorful 24-inch iMac to four iPhone 13 models, but we also said goodbye to some other products. Below, we've recapped five products and accessories discontinued by Apple in 2021.

HomePod

In March 2021, Apple announced that it was discontinuing the full-sized HomePod in order to focus its efforts on the HomePod mini. At the time, Apple said it would continue to provide software updates, service, and support for the larger HomePod.

When the HomePod launched in February 2018, reviews praised the speaker for its sound quality, but its original $349 price was significantly more expensive than competing smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home. Even after Apple lowered the HomePod's price to $299, sales of the speaker reportedly remained lackluster.

iMac Pro

The full-sized HomePod wasn't the only Apple product discontinued in March 2021, as the iMac Pro was also axed in the same month. At the time, Apple said the 27-inch iMac was the preferred choice for the vast majority of pro iMac users, and added that customers who needed even more performance and expandability could choose the Mac Pro.

Released in December 2017, the iMac Pro received no substantial hardware refreshes over its lifetime, resulting in the 27-inch iMac eventually becoming faster and more affordable than the standard ‌iMac‌ Pro with a 10-core Xeon W processor.

While the iMac Pro has been discontinued, Apple is expected to release a high-end 27-inch iMac with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips next year.

Space Gray Magic Accessories

A few months after the iMac Pro was discontinued, Apple stopped selling Space Gray versions of the Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse 2 for the Mac on a standalone basis. Apple continues to sell the accessories in silver.

21.5-Inch iMac

In October 2021, Apple discontinued its final 21.5-inch iMac model, which had remained available as a low-end configuration suitable for educational institutions. The discontinuation came as no surprise, as Apple had introduced an ultra-thin and colorful 24-inch iMac powered by its custom-designed M1 chip six months prior.

Apple only has three Intel-based Macs remaining in its lineup, including the 27-inch iMac, the high-end Mac mini, and the Mac Pro tower.

iPhone XR

After launching the iPhone 13 series in September 2021, Apple discontinued the iPhone XR. The lineup now consists of four iPhone 13 models, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, the iPhone 11, and the second-generation iPhone SE.

Introduced in September 2018, the iPhone XR features a 6.1-inch LCD display with Face ID, an A12 Bionic chip, and a single rear camera.

Other products discontinued by Apple this year after being refreshed include the iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 6, fifth-generation iPad mini, eighth-generation iPad, and the first-generation Apple TV 4K. Apple also stopped selling the original Powerbeats, Beats Solo Pro, and Beats EP headphones.

Back in August, T-Mobile suffered a massive data breach impacting more than 50 million current, former, and prospective T-Mobile users, and now the cellular company is dealing with another smaller data breach incident.

Reports yesterday suggested that T-Mobile was aware of unauthorized activity affecting some customer accounts, and now, T-Mobile has confirmed that those reports were due to SIM swap attacks affecting a "very small number of customers."

In a statement to Bleeping Computer, T-Mobile said that impacted customers had been informed that they had been the victim of SIM swap attacks. In a SIM swap attack, social engineering is used to persuade T-Mobile employees to reassign the phone numbers linked to a person to someone else, allowing attackers to take over a phone number. This can be devastating, as phone numbers are often linked to email accounts, banking accounts, and other sensitive information.

We informed a very small number of customers that the SIM card assigned to a mobile number on their account may have been illegally reassigned or limited account information was viewed.

Unauthorized SIM swaps are unfortunately a common industry-wide occurrence, however this issue was quickly corrected by our team, using our in-place safeguards, and we proactively took additional protective measures on their behalf.

T-Mobile says that the attack has been mitigated and that the issue has now been corrected, but the company has not provided specific details on the number of customers impacted nor how the hackers were able to execute the SIM swap attacks.

In the August data breach, attackers were able to obtain phone numbers, addresses, birth dates, social security numbers, driver's license and ID info, IMEI numbers, and IMSI numbers for more than 50 million people, with the information offered up for sale.

T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert apologized for the breach at the time, and said that T-Mobile was "truly sorry" for the incident, which was the result of a "bad actor" who used knowledge of T-Mobile's technical systems to gain access to testing environments, using brute force attacks to access T-Mobile's IT servers.

To prevent future attacks, T-Mobile entered into a long-term partnership with cybersecurity experts at Mandiant and with consulting firm KPMG LLP, and the company said that it was planning a multi-year investment to improve security.

2021 is about to come to an end, and as with years past we're tracking a few sales that are offering solid year-end discounts on Apple-related accessories. In this article, we've rounded up the best sales you can find online for Apple accessories from companies like Nomad, Speck, Twelve South, Belkin, Brydge, ZAGG, and more.

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.

Sale duration varies from site to site, but for a large portion of them, you'll have until New Year's Eve to take advantage of the discounts.

Flexibits Premium

MacRumors readers can exclusively save on their first year of Flexibits Premium through December 31. This deal will take 50 percent off the first year of the subscription service, and it can be applied to Individual Plans or Family Plans.

Flexibits Premium includes the apps Fantastical and Cardhop. The subscription supports apps across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. You can find more information about our exclusive offer in this article.

1Password

In our second software exclusive of the season, you can get 50 percent off your first year of 1Password Families through December 31. This deal is only for the Families subscription plan, and it's only for new customers.

To redeem it, you'll just need to create an account on this landing page, no coupon code is needed for the deal. When your first year of 1Password Families ends, it'll renew at the regular price, or you can cancel before that time.

This version of 1Password supports five family members on unlimited devices, shared vaults among members, advanced security with authenticated encryption, and alerts for compromised websites and vulnerable passwords. It's available on Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, Chrome OS, and Linux.

Belkin

At Belkin, you can take 15 percent off sitewide with the code NY22 at checkout. Belkin offers accessories like speakers, headphones, chargers, MagSafe-compatible devices, screen protectors, and much more.

Brydge

Brydge has brought back its Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotion for the last week of 2021, offering 20 percent off Brydge's tablet keyboards and MacBook vertical docks.

Brydge keyboards on sale include those compatible with iPad Pro, iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini. Brydge also sells keyboards that are compatible with the Surface Pro tablets.

MacBook

• MacBook Vertical Dock - $129.99, down from $169.99

iPad

• Brydge 10.2 - $99.99, down from $129.99
• Brydge 10.2 MAX+ - $99.99, down from $129.99

iPad Air

• Brydge Air MAX+ - $119.99, down from $149.99

iPad Pro

• Brydge MAX+ for iPad Pro - $199.99, down from $249.99

iPad mini

• Brydge 7.9 - $79.99, down from $99.99

Incase/Incipio

Incase is offering 25 percent off sitewide now through December 30. Incase sells a large variety of accessories built for Apple prodcuts, including new textured hardshell cases for the MacBook Pro, classic sleeves for MacBook Air, cases for AirPods, backpacks, and more.

Sister site Incipio is holding an end of the year sale as well, giving customers a chance to take up to 30 percent off sitewide this week. Incipio's sale is more focused on iPhone-related accessories, with plenty of iPhone 13 cases and screen protectors available at a discount.

Nomad

Nomad has 20 percent off sitewide this week with the code TREATYOURSELF, which is only valid on full price items that are in stock. Nomad sells a variety of popular accessories, including wireless chargers, USB-C chargers, cables, MagSafe-compatible chargers, and more.

ZAGG

ZAGG is hosting a year-end event that lets you take 35 percent off up to three products on its website. This excludes items that are already discounted, and the sale will last through January 4, 2022.

As usual, ZAGG's sale includes ZAGG products as well as those from Mophie and Halo. These sale events are always a great time to buy Mophie's popular accessories, like its MagSafe-compatible "Snap+" collection of chargers.

Pad & Quill

Pad & Quill is taking up to 60 percent off select accessories during its end of the year "Warehouse Sale." This sale has limited quantities and all sales are final. You can save on Apple Watch leather bands, iPhone cases, iPad folios, MacBook sleeves, and much more.

Twelve South

Twelve South has brought back its "Happy New Gear" sale from last year, offering 20 percent off sitewide through the end of the year. This sale will be applied automatically at the checkout screen on Twelve South's website.

Twelve South sells numerous products that are tailor made for Apple products like the Curve Riser for iMac, BookBook for iPhone, AirSnap Pro for AirPods Pro, PowerPic Mod wireless charger for iPhone and AirPods, and much more. Head to Twelve South's website to shop the full sale before it ends later this week.

Other Deals

• B&H Photo - Save on tech, photograph equipment, and more
• Best Buy - Save on TVs, tablets, video games, and more
• Casely - Take 30 percent off sitewide with code CHEER
• JBL - Take up to 50 percent off speakers and headphones
• Speck - Take 25 percent off sitewide

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple has put Foxconn's factory near Chennai in southern India on probation following worker protests and the discovery of substandard living conditions (via Bloomberg).

The factory in Sriperumbudur, which assembled iPhone 12 models prior to operations being suspended, has been shut down until "necessary improvements" are made. An Apple spokesperson told Bloomberg:

Following recent concerns about food safety and accommodation conditions at Foxconn Sriperumbudur, we dispatched independent auditors. We found that some of the remote dormitory accommodations and dining rooms being used for employees do not meet our requirements and we are working with the supplier to ensure a comprehensive set of corrective actions are rapidly implemented.

Earlier this month, Foxconn shut the factory after protests triggered by 150 employees being admitted to hospital with food poisoning. Apple now says that the Sriperumbudur facility will remain on probation until it is satisfied that its standards have been met sufficiently.

Foxconn apologized in a statement, commenting that it was "very sorry for the issue our employees experienced" and is "taking immediate steps to enhance the facilities and services we provide." The manufacturer plans to restructure its management team in India and will continue to pay all employees during the downtime.

A statement from the local government added that the improvements will include expansion of living areas, upgraded bathing facilities, and available drinking water. Foxconn did not specify when it plans to reopen the plant.

The Sriperumbudur probation is Apple's second suspension in India in a year. In December 2020, workers at a Wistron factory in India ransacked the facility over unpaid wages, leading Apple to put the factory on probation. Following improvements, the facility resumed production in March 2021.

Wistron's suspension delayed Apple's manufacturing push into India, where it pledged to invest $1 billion dollars while the company seeks to diversify its global supply chains. Apple was planning to begin production of the iPhone 13 at the Sriperumbudur factory in February, but the status of these plans is now unclear.

Apple is providing stock bonuses to some engineers in order to prevent them from moving on to companies like Meta, reports Bloomberg. Last week, select engineers in silicon design, hardware, software, and operations were informed that they would be receiving a $50,000 to $180,000 stock bonus, which Bloomberg says is "unusual and significant."

Most engineers received stock worth $80,000 to $120,000, with the bonuses provided as restricted stock units that are set to vest over the course of four years provided the employees stay with Apple and do not take jobs at other companies.

The payouts aren't part of normal Apple compensation packages, which include a base salary, stock units and a cash bonus. Apple sometimes awards additional cash bonuses to employees, but the size of the latest stock grants were atypical and surprisingly timed, the people said. They were given to about 10% to 20% of engineers in applicable divisions.

Apple told managers that the bonuses could be provided to engineers as a reward for high performers, and it is likely meant to keep companies like Facebook parent company Meta from poaching employees. Meta has hired approximately 100 engineers from Apple in recent months, though Apple too has hired some Meta employees.

Meta is recruiting from Apple's augmented reality, AI, and engineering divisions. Meta is planning to launch a smart watch in the near future that will directly compete with the Apple Watch, and when Apple launches its planned AR/VR headset, it will compete with the Meta-owned Oculus virtual reality headsets.

Wireless CarPlay is seeing increasing adoption across car manufacturers, and one of the most recent to adopt the technology is Honda, which debuted it in the 2021 Accord and has now expanded it to the Civic for 2022. I recently had a chance to spend some time in the new Civic, which delivers a familiar infotainment experience with several handy additions.

My test vehicle was a top-end Touring trim, featuring a 9-inch main infotainment screen with SiriusXM and built-in navigation compared to the 7-inch screen lacking those other features found on other trims.

Honda Infotainment

I took a look at the 2018 Accord with wired CarPlay a few years ago, and the overall look of the Honda infotainment system remains remarkably similar with a Home Screen featuring color-coded tiles based on function, such as blue for audio functions, yellow for system functions, green for phone/messaging functions, and red for navigation.

One change over the past few years is the customizable shortcuts have been moved from the top status strip to their own row at the bottom of the display, allowing for six larger tabs that will take you straight to your most frequently used apps from wherever you are in the native Honda system, but not ‌CarPlay‌.

The system includes smart shortcuts, which use your past listening, music, and navigation behavior to predict what functions you might want to use at any given time. You can provide thumbs up or down feedback on suggestions, and they will improve over time as they gather more data about your usage patterns.

While Honda says it has improved the responsiveness of the infotainment system in the Civic, it still felt a bit sluggish to me, especially when opening apps for the first time after the system booted up. SiriusXM stations sometimes took up to a minute to start playing after starting the car, and the navigation app was routinely quite slow to fully launch the first time I accessed it after starting the car, though it was much better on return visits to the app during the same drive.

A conveniently placed volume knob is nice for quick adjustments, while hard buttons for home, back, and audio forward/back offer some quick-access controls that don't require using the touchscreen.

Wireless CarPlay

Importantly, wireless ‌CarPlay‌ on the 2022 Civic is only available on the highest-end Touring trim, with all other trims limited to wired ‌CarPlay‌. That's an unfortunate limitation, as the upgrade to wireless makes ‌CarPlay‌ so much more convenient for short trips where you might not even want to bother taking your phone out of your pocket.

Wireless ‌CarPlay‌ setup was extremely simple as expected, with the usual prompts appearing after connecting my phone to the system via Bluetooth, and from that point on connecting automatically and seamlessly every time I started the car.

‌CarPlay‌ takes up the entire screen on the Civic, and with the 9-inch screen it's plenty large. With no split-screen functionality or persistent status bar, you can't see information from the native Honda system alongside ‌CarPlay‌, but at least the physical Home button next to the screen makes it easy to hop out of ‌CarPlay‌ and you can use the shortcuts to simplify getting into ‌CarPlay‌.

Also mitigating the lack of visibility for the native system on the main screen while in ‌CarPlay‌ is the large 10.2-inch digital driver's display on the Touring trim, which can helpfully display some data such as your audio information and navigation prompts from either the built-in system or ‌CarPlay‌.

The Bose audio system on the Touring trim offers solid audio quality, with 12 speakers scattered throughout the cabin. Audio prompts from ‌CarPlay‌ have a directional aspect to them, coming from a speaker located behind the screen itself. Other audio also turns itself down a bit while Siri is speaking in order to make sure ‌Siri‌ can be heard.

Wireless Charging and Ports

Wireless phone chargers also seem to be hit-or-miss, with manufacturers coming with a wide variety of designs. It feels like it should be a straightforward concept, but I'm always surprised that some of them fail to work consistently.

Supporting an array of device sizes and keeping them positioned properly while being subjected to various forces in a moving vehicle has apparently proven to be challenging, but I'm pleased to say that Honda has done a solid job with its wireless charger in the new Civic. As with wireless ‌CarPlay‌, however, the phone charger is also limited to the Touring trim.

The Civic's charging solution is a simple rubberized pad in a cubby at the base of the center stack. A pair of subtle plastic rails helps to keep devices relatively centered over the charging coils in the cubby, and my iPhone 13 Pro Max in an Apple case had some room to spare. The charger had no troubles initiating or maintaining charging with my phone, and my phone consistently stayed right where I put it.

Update: Several readers and one MacRumors staff member have said that they have had significant issues with wireless charging in the Civic. I experienced no issues with my ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max, so perhaps the size of the phone plays a role.

Honda is still relying on USB-A for wired connectivity in the Civic, providing a total of four ports on the EX and Touring trims: one charge-and-data port and one charge-only port up front adjacent to the wireless charging cubby and two charge-only ports on the rear of the center console for backseat passengers. The lower-end LX and Sport trims have only a single USB-A port, located up front for wired ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto connectivity.

Wrap-up

Wireless ‌CarPlay‌ on the 2022 Civic is certainly a welcome addition, making the feature accessible on one of the most popular cars in the United States, particularly among first-time and younger buyers. Unfortunately, it's limited to the Touring trim, so you'll have to add more than $7,000 to the base price of the vehicle in order to get wireless ‌CarPlay‌, though you obviously get a lot of other upgrades along with that.

The same is true for the wireless phone charger. It's not unusual for wireless ‌CarPlay‌ and wireless phone chargers to be paired up on trim levels given their interrelated utility, so this isn't a surprise, but still, it would be nice if these features were available on some lower trims, even as a standalone option that didn't require you to also add all of the upgrades included in higher trims.

Even at the top-end Touring trim required to get these features, the 2022 Civic comes in at under $30,000, so it's within the range of many mainstream new car buyers. I just wish it was accessible to the crowd looking to stick to the under $25,000 segment.

Apple this week unveiled limited-edition Beats Studio Buds in celebration of the Lunar New Year on February 1, 2022. The custom Beats feature a red design with gold tiger print accents on the earbuds and charging case as a tribute to the Year of the Tiger.

The limited-edition Studio Buds will be available on January 1 and only in China, with pricing set at 1,099 yuan, which is the same price as the standard Studio Buds.

Beats Studio Buds launched in June 2021 and are available in red, black, and white for $149 through Apple's online store. The wireless earbuds feature a compact round design without any "stems" dropping below the ears, active noise cancellation with up to five hours of listening time per charge, hands-free "Hey Siri" support, IPX4-rated sweat and water resistance, Find My support, and a USB-C wired charging case.

Apple is also celebrating the Year of the Tiger with a limited-edition AirTag in Japan. As part of a Japanese New Year promotion, the first 20,000 customers in Japan who order a new iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, or iPhone SE from Apple on January 2 or January 3 will receive the AirTag, which is stamped with a custom-designed tiger emoji.

Apple has been revamping its Maps app over the last few years, with the updated experience providing more detailed coverage of roads and buildings, faster and more accurate navigation, 3D views of landmarks in major cities, and more.

In light of those efforts, Apple recently sent a unique gift to some employees working on the Maps team, according to a LinkedIn post shared on Reddit. The gift package includes some custom Apple Maps pins, stickers, and imagery, along with a small card thanking employees for their contributions to the Maps app.

"Each and every one of you has your fingerprints on Springfield," the card reads, suggesting that "Springfield" might be Apple's internal codename for the revamped Maps experience. "Thank you for all of your distinct contributions to this product and for building on the legacy of great work here at Apple," the card adds.

Apple's revamped Maps experience is available in the United States, Canada, Australia, UK, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

"The map has been rebuilt from the ground up, with better navigation, richer detail, more accurate information for places, and remarkable features that only Apple can deliver, like Look Around, Share ETA, and more," said Apple's services chief Eddy Cue, when the revamped Maps experienced rolled out to Australia. "Now it is easier than ever for users to find the places they love and get to where they're going."

A few pre-Christmas deals on the Apple Watch Series 7 have returned this week, taking $50 off the 41mm and 45mm GPS models of the latest Apple Watch. Starting with the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 in Green Aluminum with a Clover Sport Band, this model is available for $349.00, down from $399.00.

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.

The only other 41mm GPS model on sale at this price is the Starlight Aluminum with a Starlight Sport Band, but stock is dwindling. We did see this Series 7 model go down by another $10 before Christmas, but today's sale is a solid second-best price.

If you're looking for the larger watch, Amazon also has the 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 in Blue Aluminum with an Abyss Blue Sport Band for $379.00, down from $429.00. As of writing, this is the only 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 model on sale at Amazon.

Lastly, there is one Cellular device being discounted this week on Amazon. You can get the 45mm Cellular Apple Watch Series 7 for $479.00, down from $529.00. Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

In celebration of the Japanese New Year, Apple has revealed a two-day promotion that will offer customers in Japan a free Apple gift card worth up to ¥24,000 with the purchase of an eligible Apple product on January 2 and January 3.

In addition to a gift card, Apple said the first 20,000 customers in Japan who purchase a new iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, or iPhone SE during the promotion will also receive a limited-edition AirTag with a custom-designed engraving.

The exact gift card values for each eligible product are as follows:

• ¥3,000 for AirPods (2nd generation), AirPods (3rd generation), Beats Flex, Beats Studio Buds, Apple Pencil (2nd generation), AirTag (4-pack), and select other accessories
• ¥6,000 for iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, or iPhone SE (plus a limited-edition AirTag for the first 20,000 customers who place an order)
• ¥6,000 for Apple Watch Series 3, Apple Watch SE, AirPods Pro, Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, Beats Studio3 Wireless, Beats Solo3 Wireless, Powerbeats Pro, and Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro
• ¥12,000 for iPad Pro, MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini
• ¥24,000 for 27-inch iMac

Apple has shared full terms and conditions for the promotion with more details. Notably, iPhone orders placed through the Apple Store app will not qualify for a limited-edition AirTag for reasons unclear, so make sure to order through Apple's online store.

Here's a look at the limited-edition AirTag celebrating 2022 as the Year of the Tiger:

Through the free Today at Apple program, customers can also celebrate the Japanese New Year by creating handmade holiday cards.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the number of Apple retail stores in the U.S. that are temporarily closed today has surpassed 20. Not all of the closures are related to the virus, with five stores closed in Washington state following inclement weather.

The latest high-profile locations to be shut for business include Apple Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C., Apple Century City in Los Angeles, and Apple Walnut Street in Philadelphia. Apple also has six stores temporarily closed in Texas, in addition to three in Ohio, two in Virginia, two in Georgia, and a handful of others.

The full list of locations that are temporarily closed today per Apple's website:

• Apple Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C.
• Apple Century City in Los Angeles, CA
• Apple Beverly Center in Los Angeles, CA
• Apple Walnut Street in Philadelphia, PA
• Apple Baybrook in Friendswood, TX
• Apple First Colony Mall in Sugar Land, TX
• Apple Highland Village in Houston, TX
• Apple Memorial City in Houston, TX
• Apple Willowbrook Mall in Houston, TX
• Apple The Woodlands in The Woodlands, TX
• Apple Crocker Park in Westlake, OH
• Apple Eton in Woodmere, OH
• Apple Summit Mall in Akron, OH
• Apple Fair Oaks in Fairfax, VA
• Apple Potomac Town Center in Woodbridge, VA
• Apple Cumberland Mall in Atlanta, GA
• Apple Lenox Square in Atlanta, GA
• Apple Saddle Creek in Germantown, TN
• Apple The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens, FL
• Apple Pheasant Lane in Nashua, NH
• Apple Towson Town Center in Towson, MD

Five stores in Washington state are also closed today following inclement weather:

• Apple Alderwood in Lynnwood, WA
• Apple Bellevue Square in Bellevue, WA
• Apple Southcenter in Tukwila, WA
• Apple Tacoma Mall in Tacoma, WA
• Apple University Village in Seattle, WA

Apple did not comment on the closures, but it said many of the stores that are temporarily closed continue to serve customers with orders placed for pickup or same-day delivery. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that many store closures have been due to rising COVID-19 cases among employees.

"We regularly monitor conditions and we will adjust our health measures to support the well-being of customers and employees," Apple told Bloomberg earlier this month, adding that it remains committed to comprehensive health and safety measures. Several other Apple retail stores that were temporarily closed this month have since reopened.

Update: Apple has also closed its major retail stores in New York City due to COVID-19 cases, including its Fifth Avenue, Grand Central, SoHo, and World Trade Center locations, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Now that Christmas has come and passed, many people have opened up a brand new iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, or Apple Watch over the past few days. In this article we've rounded up the current best deals on official Apple iPhone cases, Apple Watch bands, power bricks, MagSafe accessories, and more, which should all be helpful for new Apple device owners. The sales below will be found at Amazon.

iPhone 13 Cases

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

iPhone 13

• Clear - $39.99, down from $49.00
• Silicone - $40.99, down from $49.00
• Leather - $49.99, down from $59.00

iPhone 13 mini

• Clear - $39.99, down from $49.00
• Silicone - $41.99, down from $49.00
• Leather - $54.99, down from $59.00

iPhone 13 Pro

• Clear - $39.99, down from $49.00
• Silicone - $44.99, down from $49.00
• Leather - $48.99, down from $59.00

iPhone 13 Pro Max

• Silicone - $44.99, down from $49.00
• Leather - $54.99, down from $59.00

MagSafe and Charging Accessories

• MagSafe Charger - $34.00, down from $39.00
• MagSafe Battery Pack - $89.95, down from $99.00
• Apple 20W USB-C Power Adapter - $15.69, down from $19.00

Apple Watch Bands

41mm Apple Watch

• Sport Band - $39.00, down from $49.00
• Sport Loop - $39.00, down from $49.00

45mm Apple Watch

• Sport Band - $39.00, down from $49.00
• Sport Loop - $39.00, down from $49.00

Other Accessory Sales

• Siri Remote (2nd Gen) - $54.98, down from $59.00
• Magic Trackpad - $112.00, down from $129.00
• Magic Mouse - $74.99, down from $79.00
• Apple Pencil 2 - $99.00, down from $129.00
• Smart Keyboard for iPad (9th Gen) - $95.00, down from $159.00

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.

This week through January 31, new Apple Card customers can receive 5% Daily Cash back for purchases made through Apple compared to the 3% reward typically offered to customers.

New ‌Apple Card‌ customers who create an account between December 26 and January 31 will be eligible for the 2% higher cash back on iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, iPad, and other purchases when paid in full. Customers will receive 3% Daily Cash back when paying via installments.

The new promotion is not available to existing ‌Apple Card‌ customers, who will continue to receive the standard 3% Daily Cash back rate.

‌Apple Card‌'s Daily Cash is credited to customers daily and can be used as normal cash, sent to friends or family, or transferred to a bank account. Apple ran a similar promotion for all ‌Apple Card‌ users in 2019, but that year, it offered 6% Daily Cash back, double the standard rate.

Apple has debuted three new "Shot on iPhone" ads highlighting the camera capabilities of the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, with each of them focusing on a specific feature in a humorously dramatic way.

In "Detectives," a pair of detectives sitting in a car discuss Cinematic mode, which lets you shift focus between subjects in a shot. The foreground detective mentions that the focus is on him since he's the main character while the background "supporting cast" detective asks whether he's out of focus and "what if my character had a big reveal?"

In "The Basement," a woman wanders through a dimly lit house as a ghostly voice repeatedly cries "Help me!" As she opens the door to the basement, the woman says "I'm scared...that the picture quality will suffer in such low light," but the voice from the basement reassures her that she "looks really good."

The final ad is entitled "Pavel" and it features black-and-white footage zooming in on a man sitting alone in a chair while somber music plays. A woman enters and begins speaking to him in Russian, asking if he is okay and saying "this slow unnerving zoom suggests you are descending into madness."