MacRumors

The iPhone 13 lineup depreciates in value at almost half the rate of the Google Pixel 6, according to research by SellCell.

The Pixel 6, Google's latest flagship smartphone, launched just two months after Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup. Despite being touted as a leading Android competitor to the ‌iPhone‌, the Pixel 6 suffers from considerably worse depreciation.

In the first month after launch, all of the ‌iPhone‌ 13 models depreciated by 24.9 percent on average. The Pixel 6 models, on the other hand, lost 42.6 percent of their value on average. Since then, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 has regained some of its value, with a recovery of 3.1 percent of its value since the first month. Overall, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 models are holding their value significantly better, leading to minimized losses for customers looking to sell their new device.

Looking at the most low-cost options in the respective lineups, the 128GB Pixel 6 lost the least value of all of the Google models with depreciation of 36.6 percent. This compares to depreciation of 26.9 percent for the 128GB ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, which is among the least popular ‌iPhone‌ models.

Last month, it was reported that the ‌iPhone‌ 13 models were holding their value much better than any previous ‌iPhone‌ in the period after launch. Going into December, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 has shown continued buoyancy with the lowest depreciation rate in the entire smartphone industry. That being said, the Pixel 6 is still early in its release and the coming months will present a clearer picture of the depreciation contrast between it and the ‌iPhone‌ 13.

SellCell's research is based on data from 45 buyback vendors. See the full report for more detailed information.

Amazon has a few models of the Apple Watch Series 7 on sale this week, introducing all-time low prices on both 41mm and 45mm GPS Aluminum devices, as well as a few Cellular models. Most of these Apple Watches are in stock and will be delivered before Christmas.

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.

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. The only other 41mm GPS model on sale at this price is the Blue Aluminum with an Abyss Blue Sport Band. Target is matching the sale on this Apple Watch.

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. The only other 45mm GPS model on sale at this price is the Midnight Aluminum with a Midnight Sport Band, but it will arrive after Christmas. You can also find these sale prices being matched at Target.

Lastly, there are two Cellular devices being discounted this week on Amazon, and they're both the Green Aluminum with a Clover Sport Band device. You can get the 41mm Cellular Apple Watch Series 7 for $449.00, down from $499.00. The 45mm Cellular Apple Watch Series 7 is down to $479.00, from $529.00. The former model is in stock but the latter will arrive in January.

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

Spotify is the biggest music streaming service available, so it's not uncommon to receive a Spotify link from someone to something they want you to listen to on your iPhone or iPad. If you're an Apple Music subscriber, however, that link isn't going to work for you. The opposite of course is also true – if a Spotify subscriber receives an ‌Apple Music‌ link, they'll have to search for the content manually in the rival service.

Fortunately, there's a handy new app for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ that takes Spotify links and makes them something you can open in ‌Apple Music‌. It also works in the opposite direction for anyone who uses Spotify and often receives links from someone who uses Apple's streaming service.

It's called MusicMatch, and it's a free download on the App Store. So if the above scenario is something that's irked you or your friends before, go and download the app, and you'll be able to convert those links into something useful in a cinch. Here's how it works.

1. Receive a link to a song, album, or artist from someone.
2. Copy the Spotify link you've received to the clipboard by long pressing it and selecting Copy.
   
   

3. Open MusicMatch.
4. Tap Open in Apple Music.
   

MusicMatch also offers a Safari extension that automatically redirects links from Spotify to ‌Apple Music‌, although this option doesn't currently work in the opposite direction for Spotify users.

That's all there is to MusicMatch, a simple solution to a common problem experienced by many, if not most, ‌Apple Music‌ and Spotify users. Currently it only supports ‌Apple Music‌ and Spotify, but support for YouTube Music, Tidal, Pandora, and other services is something the developers are working on.

Apple will be donating to support relief efforts on the ground following tornadoes and other severe weather across parts of the central and southern United States, according to a tweet shared by Apple CEO Tim Cook on Saturday.

Cook did not reveal the exact amount that Apple will be donating, but the company routinely supports relief efforts following natural disasters.

At least 30 tornadoes were reported between late Friday and early Saturday across Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee, resulting in deaths and widespread property damage, according to CNN.

It was another busy week for Apple rumors, with Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo spilling a range of details about Apple's Mac roadmap, the next AirPods Pro, Apple's AR/VR headset plans, and more.

In other news, it looks like the next round of Apple software updates will be arriving shortly with iOS 15.2, macOS 12.1, and related releases. The updates will bring several new features like the Apple Music Voice Plan, SharePlay for Mac, and more, but apparently not the much-anticipated Universal Control. Read on for details on these stories and more!

Apple Planning Five New Macs for 2022 Amid Apple Silicon Transition

Apple's transition from Intel processors to its own custom-designed chips in Macs is set to continue with the introduction of at least five new Macs in 2022, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said the new Macs will include updated versions of the MacBook Air, entry-level MacBook Pro, larger iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro, with some of the machines expected to be powered by Apple's next-generation M2 chip.

Gurman outlined several other products that he expects to launch in 2022, including a rugged version of the Apple Watch, a redesigned iPad Pro with support for wireless charging, and an AR/VR headset with a focus on gaming, content consumption, and communications.

iPhone 14 Pro Rumored to Feature Hole-Punch Display

Apple is planning to launch iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models with hole-punch displays next year, according to Korean website The Elec.

The hole-punch display design would allow Apple to remove the notch while still providing a cutout for the front-facing camera, and it is a design that some Android smartphones have used for a few years now, such as Samsung's Galaxy S10 and newer.

AirPods Pro 2 With New Design and Improved Chip Expected to Launch in Late 2022

Apple plans to release second-generation AirPods Pro with a new design in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The new AirPods Pro are rumored to feature a more compact, stemless design similar to the Beats Studio Buds, while additional built-in sensors might allow for new fitness tracking capabilities and more. Catch up on our AirPods Pro 2 guide for everything we know so far.

Universal Control Not Expected to Launch With macOS 12.1 and iPadOS 15.2

Apple this week seeded Release Candidate versions of multiple software updates, including macOS 12.1 and iPadOS 15.2, but the release notes do not include any mention of Universal Control.

Given that a Release Candidate typically mirrors the final release of an update, it appears that Universal Control is not launching with macOS 12.1 and iPadOS 15.2, despite Apple having said the feature would be available this fall.

The good news is that macOS 12.1 fixes several bugs related to Tap to Click, HDR video playback on YouTube, MagSafe charging, and more.

Here's a First Look at Apple Music's Voice Plan Launching With iOS 15.2

iOS 15.2 is expected to be released to all users as early as next week, and one of the update's key new features will be the Apple Music Voice Plan, which is designed to let users access Apple Music exclusively through Siri for a lower price of $4.99 per month.

Ahead of iOS 15.2 being released, we were able to provide an early first look at the Apple Music Voice Plan, courtesy of MacRumors contributor Steve Moser.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Apple could be looking to simplify the naming of its product lineups, most noticeably with the launch of a "MacBook" and "iMac Pro" in 2022, according to recent rumors.

Apple is believed to be preparing to launch five new Macs in 2022, including a new high-end ‌iMac‌, a redesigned MacBook Air, an updated Mac mini, entry-level MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro with Apple silicon.

While multiple reports indicate that Apple is working on a direct successor to 2020's ‌MacBook Air‌, a recent rumor from the leaker known as "Dylandkt" claimed that this new model may not be branded as the "‌MacBook Air‌." Instead, it would simply be the "MacBook."

This would not be the first time Apple has offered a "MacBook." The company sold a MacBook from 2006 to 2012, and again from 2015 to 2019. The last 12-inch MacBook model offered the same low-powered, tapered, USB-C-centric, and fanless design of the subsequent ‌MacBook Air‌, so they were clearly positioned as similar devices.

Elsewhere in the product lineup, the inverse may happen with the ‌iMac‌. In recent years, Apple has sold two main ‌iMac‌ models: a 21.5-inch model and a more powerful 27-inch model. Earlier this year, the 21.5-inch model was replaced with an all-new 24-inch model with the M1 chip. The 27-inch model has yet to receive a redesign or an update with Apple silicon, but another rumor from Dylandkt claims that the new model could actually be called the "‌iMac‌ Pro."

Apple previously offered an ‌iMac‌ Pro in Space Gray from 2017, in addition to the other two ‌iMac‌ models, but the machine was discontinued in early 2021. The high-end ‌iMac‌ model rumored to launch next year is expected to feature a different design, more ports, and more powerful chips compared to the 24-inch model. The "‌iMac‌ Pro" moniker could make it clearer to customers that the larger, high-end ‌iMac‌ is a professional machine that is significantly different from its smaller sibling, rather than just calling both models the "‌iMac‌" as in previous years.

These changes would mean that there was simply the "MacBook" and "‌MacBook Pro‌" in terms of Apple laptops, and the "‌iMac‌" and "‌iMac‌ Pro" for Apple all-in-one desktops. This would also bring the Mac more in line with the iPhone, where there is primarily only the "‌iPhone‌ 13" and "‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro."

As machines that are expected to get a major overhaul, it seems plausible that Apple could use the launch of the "MacBook" and "‌iMac‌ Pro" to simplify the Mac lineup's naming. Apple once considered launching an "Apple Watch Pro", but there is no sign of the "Pro" label coming to the Apple Watch for 2022 even though a new model with a "rugged" casing designed for sports and challenging environments is reportedly on the way.

The iPad lineup, on the other hand, remains an open question due to the prominence of the iPad Air, which is offered in between the entry-level ‌iPad‌ and the high-end iPad Pro, so Apple could yet have some way to go before it achieves consistency across the naming of its major products.

Starting early next week, Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers will gain access to a new AirPods Firmware Updater diagnostic tool for updating AirPods Pro to the latest firmware, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors.

The tool will allow technicians with access to Apple Service Toolkit 2 to download the latest firmware on a customer's AirPods Pro during repair appointments in certain scenarios, such as if one of the customer's left or right AirPods Pro failed to update, the customer is using a non-iOS device, or the customer received replacement AirPods Pro with a different firmware version than the AirPod and/or charging case still in their possession.

Apple lists the tool as being compatible with AirPods Pro with a wireless charging case or a MagSafe charging case. It's unclear if the tool will work with any other AirPods models, such as the recently released third-generation AirPods.

The tool is necessary because there is no manual way for customers to update the firmware on their AirPods. In general, AirPods connected to an iPhone or iPad should automatically update to the latest firmware after a fairly short period of time, and it may help to keep the AirPods in their charging case and connected to a power source.

As of now, the AirPods Firmware Updater will be for Apple's internal use only, with no indication that the tool will be released to the public. Twitter account @StellaFudge was first to share information about the tool earlier today.

Back in 2017, Sony was planning to launch the PlayStation Now cloud gaming service on mobile phones, according to a leaked document sourced from the Epic v. Apple trial by The Verge.

An Apple document referenced an unannounced "mobile extension of an existing streaming service for PlayStation users, streaming access to over 450+ PS3 games to start, with PS4 games to follow."

No such mobile device expansion ever materialized. PS Now is still available, offering PS4, PS3, and PS2 games that can be played on PS5, PS4, or Windows PCs, but there has never been a version for iOS or Android, nor has PlayStation made it available for the Mac.

Apple may have been discussing PS Now because at the time, it had started work on the Apple Arcade gaming service that ultimately launched in 2019.

Sony was early to cloud gaming with PS Now. It launched in 2014, years before its competitors were working on cloud gaming offerings. GEForce NOW followed in 2015 in a beta capacity, but Google Stadia didn't launch until 2019 and Xbox Cloud Gaming didn't come out until 2020.

It's not clear why Sony never followed through with a mobile version of PS Now, as the software would have launched before Apple introduced strict cloud gaming rules in the App Store with the debut of Google Stadia and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The Verge speculates that Sony decided it wasn't worth taking on Apple at the time, or that Sony may have decided to focus on console sales instead.

Sony does have Remote Play for accessing Sony games on various devices, but Remote Play requires a PlayStation console, while PS Now does not. Rumors suggest that Sony could in the future unveil an updated cloud gaming service to rival Xbox Game Pass, but it is unclear if the new service will come to mobile devices. If so, Sony will likely need to take the path that Microsoft and Google took, offering a web-based solution on iPhones and iPads.

If you've ever wanted to have a web browser on your wrist, there's now an app for that. µBrowser is an app designed to let you enter a web address or execute a search with DuckDuckGo so you can view websites on Apple Watch.

Available for $0.99 from the App Store, µBrowser offers a lightweight browsing experience that's useful if you have no other device on you but want to look something up quickly. In addition to visiting a specific URL or searching the web, you can also see your last visited pages or save pages to your favorites. You can use the companion app on iPhone to manage your bookmarks.

The app is only able to offer a limited browsing experience on the wrist. The developer warns that there are limitations with Javascript and large webpages, and logins most likely will not work. There is also no back button.

Note that the Apple Watch does have a built-in browsing experience, but only in apps like Messages where someone has sent you a link. You can tap on that link and browse a webpage, but you can't enter a URL or search for a page like you can in µBrowser.

µBrowser is not the most practical app because most people probably aren't going to want to browse the web on the tiny Apple Watch display, but it's an interesting utility to have in a pinch.

Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of an upcoming macOS Monterey 12.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming a few days the first release candidate and more than a month after the official release of macOS Monterey.

Registered developers can download macOS Monterey 12.1 beta profile through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, the beta will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.

macOS Monterey 12.1 brings SharePlay to Macs for the first time. SharePlay is a new feature that's designed to let you watch TV, listen to music, and play games with friends and family members over FaceTime.

SharePlay allows all kinds of apps to work with ‌FaceTime‌, with content synced for all people who are part of the ‌FaceTime‌ call. You can listen to music with Apple Music and access shared playlists, watch synced TV shows and movies together, work out together, and even share your screen for things like group trip planning or device troubleshooting.

Apple designed SharePlay to work with first-party app options like Apple TV, Apple Fitness+, and ‌Apple Music‌, but there's also an API for developers so third-party apps can also use SharePlay ‌FaceTime‌ features for games and other experiences.

SharePlay is already available in the release versions of iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, and tvOS 15.1, so the Monterey 12.1 update brings Macs in line with other Apple devices.

The full release notes for macOS 12.1:

macOS Monterey 12.1 adds SharePlay, an entirely new way to have shared experiences with family and friends in FaceTime. This update also includes the Apple Music Voice Plan, new safety features for children and parents in Messages, redesigned Memories in Photos, and other features and bug fixes for your Mac.

SharePlay

• SharePlay is a new way to share synchronized experiences in FaceTime with content from the Apple TV app, Apple Music, and other supported apps
• Shared controls give everyone the ability to pause, play, rewind or fast forward
• Smart volume automatically lowers the audio of a movie, TV show or song when you or your friends speak
• Screen sharing lets everyone on a FaceTime call look at photos, browse the web, or help each other out

Apple Music Voice Plan

• Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
• Just Ask Siri suggests music based on your listening history and likes or dislikes
• Play it Again lets you access a list of your recently played music

Photos

• Memories has been redesigned with a new interactive interface, new animation and transition styles, and multiple image collages
• New Memory types include additional international holidays, child-focused memories, trends over time, and improved pet memories

Messages

• Communication safety setting gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or send photos that contain nudity
  

• Safety warnings contain helpful resources for children when they receive photos that contain nudity

Siri and Search

• Expanded guidance in Siri, Spotlight and Safari Search to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations

Apple ID

• Digital Legacy allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your iCloud account and personal information in the event of your death

TV App

• Store tab lets you browse, buy, and rent movies and TV Shows all in one place

This release also includes the following enhancements for your Mac:

• Hide My Email is available in the Mail app for iCloud+ subscribers to create unique, random email addresses
• Stocks allows you to view the currency for a ticker and see year-to-date performance when viewing charts
• Reminders and Notes now allow you to delete or rename tags

This release also includes bug fixes for your Mac:

• Desktop and Screen Saver may appear blank after selecting photos from the Photos library
• Trackpad could become unresponsive to taps or clicks
• External displays may not charge some MacBook Pro and MacBook Air computers when connected using Thunderbolt or USB-C
• HDR video playback on YouTube.com could cause 2021 MacBook Pro computers to panic
• Menu bar extras may be obscured by the camera housing on 2021 MacBook Pro computers
• MagSafe may stop charging on 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro computers when lid is closed and system is shut down

We expect macOS Monterey 12.1 to see an official public launch next week.

Apple today seeded the second RC version of an upcoming iOS 15.2 update to developers and public beta testers, less than a week after seeding the first RC and six weeks after the launch of iOS 15.1.

iOS 15.2 beta can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or an iPad. Public beta testers can also download the software over the air after installing the profile from Apple's beta testing website. The new beta is only available for ‌iPhone‌ 13 models.

iOS and iPadOS 15.2 add support for App Privacy Report, a feature that Apple first highlighted back at WWDC. With App Privacy Report, you can see how often apps are accessing sensitive info granted to them through privacy permissions, such as location, camera, microphone, and contacts.

The feature also gives you details on the various domains that apps and websites are contacting, so you can keep an eye on what your apps are doing behind the scenes and where your data might be going.

App Privacy Report can be enabled by opening up the Settings app, selecting the Privacy section, and choosing App Privacy Report. From there, you can toggle it on. After you start using apps, data will begin showing up in this spot. Apple shows seven days worth of data.

iOS 15.2 introduces an updated version of Apple's Messages Communication Safety feature for kids, and it adds a Legacy Contacts feature that lets you set a person who can access your Apple content like photos in the event of your death.

Apple added a new "Items That Can Track Me" option in the Find My app for scanning for nearby items, and the TV app on ‌iPad‌ has a new sidebar to make navigation simpler. In the Mail app, there's also a new option to use the Hide My Email feature when composing or replying to an email.

There's a tweaked Notification Summary that gives summaries more of a card-style look, a toggle in the Camera app for Macro mode on ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro models, and an update to Emergency SOS. The Auto Call feature can now be enabled by pressing on the side button rapidly or holding down the side button and the volume button together. Apple has added a longer eight-second countdown (up from three seconds) to give you more time to cancel an accidental dial.

Apple's release notes for iOS 15.2 are as follows:

OS 15.2 adds Apple Music Voice Plan, a new subscription tier that provides access to music using Siri. This update also includes the App Privacy Report, new safety features for children and parents in Messages, and other features and bug fixes for your iPhone.

Apple Music Voice Plan

• Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
• Just Ask Siri suggests music based on your listening history and likes or dislikes
• Play it Again lets you access a list of your recently played music

Privacy

• App Privacy Report in Settings lets you see how often apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts and more during the last seven days, as well as their network activity

Messages

• Communication safety setting gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or send photos that contain nudity
• Safety warnings contain helpful resources for children when they receive photos that contain nudity

Siri and Search

• Expanded guidance in Siri, Spotlight and Safari Search to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations

Apple ID

• Digital Legacy allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your iCloud account and personal information in the event of your death

Camera

• Macro photo control for switching to the Ultra Wide lens to capture macro photos and videos can be enabled in Settings on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max

TV app

• Store tab lets you browse, buy, and rent movies and TV Shows all in one place

CarPlay

• Enhanced city map in Apple Maps with road details like turn lanes, medians, bike lanes, and pedestrian crosswalks for supported cities

This release also includes the following enhancements for your iPhone:

• Hide My Email is available in the Mail app for iCloud+ subscribers to create unique, random email addresses
• Find My can locate iPhone for up to five hours when in Power Reserve
• Stocks allows you to view the currency for a ticker and see year-to-date performance when viewing charts
• Reminders and Notes now allow you to delete or rename tags

This release also includes bug fixes for your iPhone:

• Siri may not respond while VoiceOver is running and iPhone is locked
• ProRAW photos may appear overexposed when viewing in third-party photo editing apps
• HomeKit scenes that include a garage door may not run from CarPlay when your iPhone is locked
• CarPlay may not update Now Playing information for certain apps
• Video streaming apps may not load content on iPhone 13 models
• Calendar events may appear on the wrong day for Microsoft Exchange users

We expect iOS 15.2 to see an official public launch next week.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Jackery to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Power Station and a SolarSaga 100W Solar Panel, a combo that's perfect for keeping Apple devices charged in emergencies, when camping, on road trips, and in power outages and other emergency situations.

Available for $800 with solar panel included, the Explorer 500 is Jackery's mid-range power station with a 518 watt-hour lithium-ion battery. Jackery also makes a range of larger and smaller batteries to suit various needs.

The Explorer 500 features a pure sine wave AC outlet, a 12V/10A carport, and three 5V 2.4A USB-A ports. It can provide power to Apple products ranging from Macs to iPhones, and it can also run TVs, fans, humidifiers, projectors, and other appliances that draw under 500 watts of power.

The built-in carport and USB-A ports can be used to power car appliances like coolers, air pumps, and vacuums, along with smartphones, tablets, and other small electronic devices.

A charge can last for weeks on standby, so the Jackery Explorer 500 is ideal to have on hand for emergencies. It can run a router or a cable modem to keep you connected while working from home, or run lights and other accessories when you're camping.

A handle at the top makes the Explorer 500 easy to carry, and a set of built-in fans keep it cool even when it's running at full power. There's an LCD screen on the front that displays the current charge level and the watts being drawn, which lets you track power usage.

You can charge the Explorer 500 with a standard cable, but when paired with the SolarSaga 100W, you have off-grid power so long as you have sun. According to Jackery, the SolarSaga has high conversion efficiency up to 23 percent for powering the Explorer 500. The 9.1 pound SolarSaga folds down to be more portable, plus it has a carry handle to make it easier to transport.

We have a Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Battery Station and 100W SolarSaga panel to give away to one lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (December 10) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on December 17. The winner will be chosen randomly on December 17 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

Today we're tracking a new Amazon low price on the 2021 32GB Apple TV 4K, available for $149.99, down from $179.00. This $29 discount is now the lowest price we've ever seen on this model of the Apple TV 4K.

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 TV 4K is available for the usual free Prime shipping options, and it's in stock and ready to ship today. There are shipping options that will get the device to you by Christmas, but estimates are getting tight as the holiday is now only two weeks away, so order soon if you're interested.

You can also get the 64GB Apple TV 4K for $189.98, down from $199.00. We've seen this Apple TV 4K discounted by an additional $10, so this sale is a second-best price. Both of these Apple TVs are sold by Amazon, and they're in stock and ready to ship today.

Although the sales on these Apple TV models aren't particularly steep, they are the best offers around and worth checking out if you're still on the market for the newest Apple TV 4K. You can keep an eye out on Apple TV deals in our Best Apple TV 4K Deals guide.

Apple Music is now available to stream on Google Assistant-enabled devices like the Nest Mini and Nest Audio in five more countries, including Australia, Canada, India, Mexico, and South Korea, according to a recently updated Apple support document.

Apple Music first became available on Nest speakers and displays in the United States, UK, France, Germany, and Japan late last year.

Just like with Siri on the HomePod, Apple Music subscribers can ask Google Assistant to play songs, albums, and playlists, and it's also possible to set Apple Music as the default music service to avoid saying "on Apple Music" for each request.

Apple's support document provides instructions for setting up Apple Music on Nest devices:

Set up Apple Music on your Google Nest device

1. On your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, open the Google Home app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Music.
4. Under "More music services," tap the Link icon next to Apple Music.
5. Tap Link Account.
6. Sign in with the Apple ID that you use with Apple Music and follow the onscreen steps to complete setup.

Set Apple Music as your default music service

1. On your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, open the Google Home app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Music.
4. Under "Your music services," select Apple Music.

Google shared more details about this rollout in a blog post first spotted by iPhone in Canada.

Amazon today is beating the Black Friday price we tracked on Apple's AirPods 3 last month, now available for just $139.99, down from $179.00. On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we tracked the AirPods 3 at $149.99.

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 now an all-time low price on the AirPods 3, and Costco is matching this deal. In regards to Amazon, the AirPods 3 are in stock now and will ship in time for Christmas if you order soon.

Shoppers should note that this is another Amazon deal that will be seen on the checkout screen, where you'll get an automatic coupon worth $29.01 applied to your order. This is a new pair of AirPods 3, and they're shipped and sold directly from Amazon.

We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.

British vehicle leasing company Vanarama has taken a stab at imagining what the first Apple Car could look like, taking inspiration from iPhones, MacBooks, and other Apple products, and combining them with real Apple patents to come up with a 3D concept render that can be explored inside and out.

Given that Apple remains tight-lipped about its electric self-driving car plans, the concept is of course entirely speculative, but Vanarama says it has based the coupe SUV model on "genuine patents filed by Apple."

Vanarama's renders have several features based on Apple patents, such as the way the seats fully rotate to transform the interior into a living room setup, and the pillar-less design providing ease of access.

Other areas inspired by Apple patents include the coach doors, which "offer greater flexibility for passenger movement and loading, with scooped windows that increase headroom when boarding."

Interior touches also based on Apple patents include Siri built into the steering column (based on a patent for an intelligent automated assistant), and a seamless, fully customizable dashboard and navigation screen.

The stylistic flourishes meanwhile are inspired by Apple products, such as the retractable door handles that resemble iPhone buttons, and the mesh-like grille inspired by the Mac Pro's circular vents, complete with glowing logo from previous generations of MacBook. The frosted white finish is "a popular color scheme since the ‌iPhone‌ 4 launched in 2010."

Patents don't guarantee that Apple will build an Apple Car, but they do provide evidence that the company is researching vehicle development, and plenty of reports suggest Apple is going down the car track wholesale.

Last month, Bloomberg reported that Apple is picking up its work on an Apple-designed car and is aiming to create a fully autonomous vehicle. Apple is said to want to design a car that lacks a steering wheel or pedals, and with an interior that's aimed at hands-off driving. That said, Apple is still discussing the inclusion of a steering wheel, which may be required so people can take over in an emergency situation.

Bloomberg also reported that Apple has considered a design similar to the Lifestyle Vehicle from Canoo, in which passengers sit along the sides of the vehicle, facing one another.

Apple is said to be aiming to launch its self-driving car in four years, which would put a debut right around 2025. Whether Apple will be able to hit that goal will depend on whether Apple can develop a full self-driving system. For more details, check out our dedicated Apple Car roundup.

So-called mobile phone "roaming" will remain free within the European Union for another decade, the European Commission has confirmed.

The governing body said that a political agreement had been reached between the member states and the European Parliament to extend the practice until 2032.

In a press release announcing the agreement to extend the free roaming policy, the European Commission said:

Citizens will be able to call, text and use mobile data while travelling within the EU at no extra costs and with the same quality they experience at home; they will have improved access to emergency communications regardless of where they are in Europe; and, they will have the right to clear information when a service they use while roaming might cause inadvertent extra charges. The regulation will enter into force on July 1st 2022.

Prior to 2017, when roaming charges were abolished in the EU, holidaymakers and business travelers across Europe would often be stung by excessive phone bills when they got home, with network operators charging exorbitant fees for calls, text, and data used abroad.

Years of campaigning saw the practice scrapped in the EU, meaning mobile customers generally no longer have to worry about roaming charges when using their phone in the EU, with most phone tariffs counting calls, texts, and data used in EU countries as equivalent to domestic use.

Commenting on the latest agreement to extend the practice, commissioner for the internal market Thierry Breton said: "Spending holidays in Greece, Austria or Bulgaria, visiting customers or suppliers in Italy or Estonia… traveling abroad without having to worry about phone bills is a tangible part of the EU Single Market experience for all Europeans."

Given that the United Kingdom has formally exited the European Union, UK residents won't be able to enjoy the benefits of free roaming when they use their phones abroad.

Indeed, when the EU trade deal was signed in December 2020, mobile operators were once again able to charge customers when traveling in Europe with "transparent and reasonable rates."

Originally, EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone, representing the largest mobile operators in the UK, stated they had no plans to reintroduce roaming charges after Brexit, but all have since announced changes, some under a "fair use" clause.

Mozilla has released Firefox 95, featuring a new version of its security sandboxing subsystem called RLBox, and additional performance and efficiency improvements for the macOS version of the web browser.

According to the release notes, RLBox is a new technology that hardens Firefox against potential security vulnerabilities in third-party libraries.

The sandbox subsystem works by compiling a process in WebAssembly before re-converting it into native code, which restricts its access to system memory and stops it from jumping to unexpected parts of the program, thus limiting its potential for exploiting vulnerabilities.

As Mozilla's Bobby Holley explains:

This technique, which uses WebAssembly to isolate potentially-buggy code, builds on the prototype we shipped last year to Mac and Linux users. Now, we're bringing that technology to all supported Firefox platforms (desktop and mobile), and isolating five different modules: Graphite, Hunspell, Ogg, Expat and Woff2.

Going forward, we can treat these modules as untrusted code, and — assuming we did it right — even a zero-day vulnerability in any of them should pose no threat to Firefox. Accordingly, we’ve updated our bug bounty program to pay researchers for bypassing the sandbox even without a vulnerability in the isolated library.

In other improvements, Firefox 95 reduces CPU usage on macOS during event processing, and reduces the power usage of software decoded video on macOS, especially in fullscreen. This includes streaming sites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

This version also provides faster content process startup and improves page load performance by speculatively compiling JavaScript ahead of time.

Meanwhile, it's now possible to move the Picture-in-Picture toggle button to the opposite side of the video. Users can find the new context menu option Move Picture-in-Picture Toggle to Left (Right) Side.

Lastly, Mozilla says that Site Isolation is now enabled for all Firefox 95 users to better protect them against side-channel attacks such as Spectre.

Firefox 95 for macOS is available now from the Mozilla website.