MacRumors

Apple today released tvOS 16.2, the second major update to the tvOS 16 operating system that initially debuted in September. tvOS 16.2 comes more than a month after the release of tvOS 16.1, an update that introduced Siri improvements and iCloud Shared Photo Library.

The tvOS 16.2 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the ‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌ by going to System > Software Update. ‌‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌‌ owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to ‌tvOS 16.2 automatically. tvOS 16.2 is compatible with ‌Apple TV‌ 4K and ‌Apple TV‌ HD models.

tvOS 16.2 adds support for Apple Music Sing, the new karaoke feature designed to let ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers with an ‌Apple TV‌ sing along to their favorite songs, solo or in duets. ‌Apple Music‌ Sing is compatible with the third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, which is the newest model.

The update adds ‌Apple TV‌+ previews, displaying videos of new ‌Apple TV‌+ shows and films in the Originals tab, plus it tweaks the main TV app interface, moving down the "Watch Now" bar in favor of content previews.

Apple says that tvOS 16.2 provides video recommendations on what to watch next after you finish a show or movie, plus it introduces a new unified sports experience. You can follow your favorite teams in the ‌Apple TV‌ app and automatically have news on those teams show up in Apple News.

Apple provides additional details on tvOS releases in its dedicated tvOS support document, which is updated after each new iteration of tvOS.

Alongside iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, tvOS 16.2, watchOS 9.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1, Apple today released new software created for the HomePod and HomePod mini.

According to Apple's release notes, ‌HomePod‌ software version 16.2 adds performance and stability improvements, with no additional information. It's worth noting that alongside the new iOS and macOS updates, the ‌HomePod‌ software adds a new Home app architecture.

‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ software is installed automatically on the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌ unless the feature is disabled‌‌‌‌, but the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ can also be manually updated in the Home app by following the instructions in our HomePod‌‌ update how to.

Deals on Apple's line of MagSafe accessories have come and gone throughout the holiday season, and one of the last remaining solid deals before Christmas is on the regular MagSafe Charger. Amazon has this accessory for $29.99, down from $39.00, which is a solid second-best price.

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.

Getting Apple's products shipped and delivered in time for Christmas is getting harder as we near the 25th, and the MagSafe Charger is one of the last Apple accessories on Amazon with a delivery date before Christmas and a solid discount.

The MagSafe Battery Pack and MagSafe Duo Charger also have delivery dates before Christmas, but neither have particularly steep discounts on Amazon as of writing. Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Best Buy today announced it has expanded its Upgrade+ program to include select 24-inch iMac and Mac Studio models. Launched in October in partnership with Apple, the program provides interest-free monthly financing via Citizens Bank for select Macs purchased from Best Buy in the United States, similar to Apple's own iPhone Upgrade Program.

For example, an approved customer can finance an iMac starting at $28.17 per month for 36 months. After 36 months, customers who purchase an eligible Mac will then have the options of making a final, higher payment to keep the Mac, returning the Mac, or returning the Mac and upgrading to a newer model through the program.

For example, Upgrade+ allows customers to finance:
- An iMac from $28.17/month for 36 months and the $286 final payment is due in month 37. Based on an original price of $1,299.99.
- A Mac laptop from $19.99/month for 36 months and the $280.35 final payment is due in month 37. Based on an original price of $999.99.

Upgrade+ also offers customers the option to finance the purchase of an AppleCare+ plan for their Mac and select Apple accessories. Best Buy Totaltech members who purchase an eligible Mac through the program will receive AppleCare+ at no additional charge for up to 24 months while their membership is active.

Other models available through the Upgrade+ program include the MacBook Air with the M1 chip or M2 chip, 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip, and 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.

More details about the program are available on Best Buy's website.

Amazon today has a few models of Apple's M2 MacBook Air at a discount and with shipping in time for Christmas. Prices start at $1,049.00 for the 256GB M2 MacBook Air, down from $1,199.00, which is a match of this model's all-time low price.

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

This sale is available in all four colors, but only Space Gray and Midnight options are available to be delivered before December 25. Starlight and Silver colors have delivery dates slipping into late December and early January as of writing.

For the 512GB M2 MacBook Air, options are more limited. There are again two colors available at the all-time low price of $1,299.00, down from $1,499.00, but only Silver has a guaranteed delivery date before Christmas.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Popular writing app and markdown editor Ulysses has gained a new Projects feature that's aimed at users who tend to work on larger projects, such as books, a thesis, or a blog.

New to the app in version 29, the Projects feature only shows what's relevant to the current project and hides everything else in the app's sidebar to improve focus.

The writing goal and deadline for the project is shown in prominently in the sidebar, where there are dedicated sections for content as well as additional silos for research material, while keywords for each project are managed separately.

The interface for projects has been designed to make content easily exportable, and each project can have separate settings, such as export style and file format.

In addition, Ulysses 29 overhauls the dashboard and Revision mode toolbars on Mac and the menus on iOS, and fixes a bug where italics would fail to show in the editor. The whole process of moving groups and sheets has also been reworked, so that Ulysses drag-and-drop interactions finally work as they should.

Ulysses can be downloaded for free on the App Store. After a 14-day trial period, a subscription is required to unlock the app on all devices. A monthly subscription costs $5.99, while a yearly subscription is $39.99.

Students can use Ulysses at a discounted price of $10.99 per six months. The discount is granted from within the app. Ulysses is also included in Setapp, the subscription-based service for Mac applications created by MacPaw.

Microsoft Authenticator for iOS will drop support for the Apple Watch companion app from January 2023, the company has revealed.

Used principally for signing into Microsoft accounts with two-step verification enabled, the Microsoft Authenticator for iOS gained an Apple Watch companion app in 2018.

The watch app supports Microsoft personal, work, and school accounts that are set up with push notifications and lets users bypass the need to pick up their iPhone at all to complete the authentication process.

However, this functionality is being removed at the beginning of next year. Microsoft documented the change to the iOS app in an updated FAQ webpage. In answer to the question "Is Apple Watch supported for Authenticator on iOS?" Microsoft gives the following reply:

In the upcoming Authenticator release in January 2023 for iOS, there will be no companion app for watchOS due to it being incompatible with Authenticator security features. This means you won't be able to install or use Authenticator on Apple Watch. We therefore recommend that you delete Authenticator from your Apple Watch. This change only impacts Apple Watch, so you will still be able to use Authenticator on your other devices.

Microsoft did not specify which security features the watchOS app is incompatible with going forward, and instead simply directs users to the ‌iPhone‌ or iPad app to authenticate login attempts.

The Microsoft Authenticator app for Apple Watch joins a long list of abandoned third-party watchOS apps that have been discontinued over the last few years, either because of perceived redundancy or lack of user uptake. Other notable Apple Watch apps that have got the chop include Twitter, Instagram, Target, Trello, Slack, Hulu, and Uber.

Tim Cook today publicly paid tribute to Sony's long-term partnership with Apple in creating cutting-edge camera sensors for successive iPhone models for over a decade.

In a tweet posted during his visit to Sony's camera development facility in Kumamoto, Japan, Cook acknowledged the company's successful partnership with Apple to create "the world's leading camera sensors for ‌iPhone‌," and thanked the team at the facility for showing him around.

Apple doesn't usually reveal the specific makers of the hardware components that it uses in iPhones, but its use of Sony camera hardware has long been known by close followers of the company's supply chain.

Apple reportedly used Sony's camera sensor for the iPhone 6, and subsequent hardware teardowns by the likes of iFixit have identified Sony-made components in successive ‌iPhone‌ models.

Cook's tweet suggests Apple's partnership with Sony remains strong, and rumors to that effect already signal the Japanese company's contributions to future Apple products. For example, According to a November report from Nikkei, next year's ‌iPhone‌ 15 models will be equipped with Sony's newest "state of the art" image sensors.

Compared to standard sensors, Sony's image sensor doubles the saturation signal in each pixel, allowing it to capture more light to cut down on underexposure and overexposure. Nikkei said that it is able to better photograph a person's face even with strong backlighting.

Apple is working on a periscope telephoto lens that will improve the ‌‌iPhone‌ 15‌ Pro's optical zoom capabilities, allowing for up to 10x optical zoom to match some Android smartphones that are on the market. The Sony image sensor technology would likely be used for the Wide camera that Apple considers the ‌iPhone‌'s "main" camera as Apple typically uses different technology for each lens.

Also for next year, Sony is expected to supply Apple with an OLED on silicon (OLEDoS) – also known as micro-OLED – display for the company's first-generation mixed-reality headset.

Apple today announced the expansion of Emergency SOS via Satellite and Find My via satellite functionality to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Ireland.

iPhone 14 users can now connect with emergency services when cellular and Wi-Fi coverage are not available, and calls from the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature will be routed to local emergency services facilities.

Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature is available to all ‌iPhone‌ 14 users running iOS 16.1 in supported countries and it is free to use for two years. It is designed to allow ‌iPhone‌ users to make emergency calls using satellite connectivity outdoors when no cellular or WiFi connection is available.

Apple says that with the release of iOS 16.2, expected later today, users who dial a local emergency service number will automatically be routed to 112, the European emergency phone number, if the call does not go through due to a cellular or Wi-Fi connection not being available, enabling them to utilize Emergency SOS via satellite even if they don't dial 112.

"Emergency SOS via satellite makes emergency communications over satellite more accessible, which is very exciting,” said Gary Machado, the European Emergency Number Association's CEO. "In practice, it means that many more people will be able to contact 112 when they have no mobile coverage and need urgent assistance. We are confident that this will save many lives and offer significant help to emergency services dealing with these often very complicated rescues."

"Being able to use a satellite connection to contact 999 or 112 if there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage is a breakthrough that Apple has brought to the general public with iPhone 14," said John Anthony, the British Association of Public Safety Communications Officials' president. "The feature will mean that emergency services can be alerted when it was not previously possible and are then able to do their jobs to better effect, in part because of the initial information that can be shared with dispatchers, such as location and essential details about the emergency. Ultimately, this will help save lives."

Emergency SOS via Satellite launched in the United States and Canada last month, and at the time, Apple said that it would expand to France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December. Support for more countries will follow next year, according to Apple.

• How to Share Your Location via Satellite With Find My
• How to Demo the Emergency SOS via Satellite Service on iPhone 14

Satellite connectivity can also be used to update a ‌‌Find My‌‌ location without WiFi or cellular connectivity through the ‌‌Find My‌‌ app.

Sonos today updated the Trueplay feature available for the Sonos app, allowing Trueplay to work with iPhone 14 models. Trueplay uses the ‌iPhone‌ to take a scan of the room where a Sonos product is located, measuring how sound reflects off of walls, furnishings, and surfaces in the area.

Trueplay is designed to use that information to fine tune a Sonos speaker or device to optimize the sound output. A three minute process, Trueplay can be done through the Settings tab of the Sonos app on iOS devices.

Since the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ 14 models, Trueplay has not been available, which means ‌iPhone‌ 14 users with Sonos speakers and no other ‌iPhone‌ have not been able to use the tuning feature. Sonos implemented over-the-air support as of today, so Trueplay is able to work with the ‌iPhone‌ 14, ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus, ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max.

All Sonos products support Trueplay with the exception of the Port, Connect, and Roam SL.

(Thanks, Steve!)

Apple today released a new firmware update designed for its AirTag item trackers, with the firmware featuring an updated build number of 2A36, up from the 2A24e firmware that Apple started releasing in November. Note that when you install the update, you will see a 2.0.36 version number.

There is no word yet on what's included in the update, but Apple may provide a support document with details.

It is not possible to force an ‌AirTag‌ update, as it's something that's done over-the-air through a connected iPhone. To make sure the update happens, you can put your ‌AirTag‌ in range of your ‌‌iPhone‌‌, but you have to wait for the firmware to roll out to your device. You can check your current ‌AirTag‌ firmware version through the Find My app, with instructions available in our how to.

Curiously, Apple started providing the prior 2A24e AirTags firmware on a rolling basis in November, but ultimately pulled the update before it saw a full launch. The new firmware released today replaces that version.

Anker is back today with a new Gold Box deal on Amazon, offering up to 50 percent off a collection of its most popular charging accessories. In total these deals include savings on wireless chargers, USB-C wall chargers, portable batteries, MagSafe-compatible chargers, 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.

Many of the Anker products on sale today have delivery dates ahead of Christmas day, so if you're shopping for the holiday season these accessories can make for solid gifts and stocking stuffers. You can find all of the items on sale listed below, including markdowns on wireless chargers, portable chargers, USB-C hubs, wall chargers, and charging cables.

Wireless Chargers

• Magnetic Desktop Charging Station - $63.99, down from $99.99

Portable Chargers

• PowerCore Fusion 5,000 mAh 2-in-1 Hybrid Charger - $23.99, down from $39.99
• MagGo with PopSockets Grip 5,000 mAh - $39.99, down from $69.99
• MagGo 5,000 mAh Foldable Charger - $41.99, down from $69.99
• PowerCore 20,000 mAh - $48.99, down from $69.99
• PowerCore 40,000 mAh - $59.99, down from $99.99
• Portable Power Station - $749.99, down from $999.99

USB-C Hubs

• 5-in-1 USB-C Hub - $26.24, down from $49.99
• 11-in-1 USB-C Hub - $64.99, down from $99.99

Wall Chargers

• 3-Port Compact 65W USB-C Charger - $39.99, down from $59.99
• 5-in-1 USB-C Power Strip - $43.99, down from $69.99
• 3-Port Compact 120W USB-C Charger - $56.99, down from $94.99

Cables

• USB-C to USB-C Cable (2-Pack) - $12.99, down from $19.99
• USB-C to USB-C Cable (6ft) - $12.99, down from $19.99
• USB-C to Lightning Cable (2-Pack) - $19.19, down from $29.99
• USB-A to Lightning Cable (3-Pack) - $19.99, down from $39.99
• USB-C to Lightning Cable + 30W Charger - $26.59, down from $37.99

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Smart home accessory company Eve Systems today announced the rollout of an over-the-air firmware update that will bring Matter support to the recent Eve Energy, Eve Door and Window, and Eve Motion devices.

The optional Matter update will be available on iPhones and iPads running iOS or iPadOS 16.2, which is currently available in a beta capacity. Updating to Matter will also require a Thread Border Router capable Home Hub like the HomePod mini or the second/third-generation Apple TV 4K, and users will need to sign up for the Eve Matter Early Access Program, which will include a link to the Eve TestFlight app.

Eve says that these are the first products that have Matter support on the market. Eve devices updated with Matter will continue to work with HomeKit, with no change to the Home app experience, but once a device has been updated to Matter, it cannot be migrated back to ‌HomeKit‌.

Devices with Matter support will work with ‌HomeKit‌, Samsung SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home, though Amazon and Google have not yet rolled out support.

The Matter-compatible Eve Door and Window, Eve Energy, and Eve Motion can be purchased from the Eve website or from Amazon.com.

The Apple Pencil 2 is once again available for its all-time low price today on Amazon, priced at $89.00, down from $129.00. The accessory is in stock and available to deliver as soon as December 17 for Prime delivery, or December 20 - 21 for free delivery.

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

The Apple Pencil 2 is compatible with the following iPads: iPad mini (6th generation), iPad Air (4th generation and later), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation and later), and 11-inch iPad Pro (1st generation and later). The second generation Apple Pencil can also magnetically attach and pair to the iPad Pro, iPad mini, and iPad Air.

If you have the newest iPad Pro models, the second-generation Apple Pencil can now be detected while hovering up to 12mm above the display. This allows users to see a preview of their drawing before they make it, and with Scribble text fields automatically expand when the pencil gets near the screen.

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

Apple plans to introduce new 13-inch MacBook Air, 11-inch iPad Pro, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models with OLED displays in 2024, according to display industry consultant Ross Young, who has shared accurate information about future Apple products in the past. Young shared his latest information in a tweet with his subscribers on Sunday.

Young did not share any additional details, but earlier this year he said all three devices would have "two-stack" OLED displays with two red, green, and blue emission layers for increased brightness and lower power consumption. Young previously said all three devices would also support ProMotion for up to a 120Hz refresh rate.

2017 and newer iPad Pro models already feature ProMotion with a 24Hz to 120Hz refresh rate, while ProMotion would be all new to the MacBook Air. Apple added ProMotion to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2021, also with a 24Hz to 120Hz range.

There are currently no Macs or iPads with OLED displays. Apple's latest MacBook Air and iPad Pro models are equipped with LCDs, with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro featuring mini-LED backlighting for increased brightness and an improved 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Unlike LCDs with mini-LEDs, OLED displays have self-emitting pixels and do not require backlighting, which would give the devices even better contrast ratio and battery life.

Young is the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC). In the past, he accurately revealed that devices like the iPhone 13 Pro and MacBook Pro would feature ProMotion, that the sixth-generation iPad mini would be equipped with an 8.3-inch display, that the latest MacBook Air would have a slightly larger 13.6-inch display, and much more, giving him a very successful track record with Apple product rumors.

YouTube's Apple TV app is crashing and causing some issues for users when they try to exit out of the app, according to user reports online.

On Twitter and Reddit, users report that when trying to exit out of the YouTube app, their ‌Apple TV‌ becomes unresponsive and shows a black screen. The issue begins when users press the back button on their ‌Apple TV‌ remote, which then causes the YouTube app to ask users to confirm they wish to exit the app. Doing so causes the screen to go black, with users having no choice but to force close the app or disconnect and replug their ‌Apple TV‌. To force close an app on ‌Apple TV‌, double press the TV button on the remote, find the desired app, and swipe up on the trackpad.

YouTube has remained relatively quiet on the issue, telling frustrated users on Twitter to try deleting and reinstalling the app, despite those steps doing little to resolve the issue. Users affected by the bug are advised to make sure their YouTube app and ‌Apple TV‌ are up to date.

Apple reportedly wants to triple its iPhone production capacity in India within the next two years, part of a larger plan to diversify its supply chain out of China and into other parts of the world.

According to a report by Mint, an unnamed "senior industry executive" said, "[Apple is] looking to scale up the volumes that they make from India. It can rise by more than three times what they aim to make this year." The report cites a second executive who said Apple has instructed Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron, three of its biggest suppliers, to increase their capacity and manpower in the country.

Just this week, it was announced Foxconn had invested $500 million in its Indian subsidiary in hopes of increasing its operational capacity in the country. Apple and its suppliers already produce several ‌iPhone‌ models in India, including the new iPhone 14, with reported plans to expand production to other products, including the iPad.

Supply of ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro models ahead of the holiday season has been heavily limited due to disruptions in Foxconn's main plant in China. Apple said in a press release last month that it was "working hard" to restore supply to normal levels, but as the holidays approach, customers looking for a high-end ‌iPhone‌ will face a tough challenge.