MacRumors

Apple must face claims it illegally monopolized the U.S. market for heart-rate monitoring apps on Apple Watch, a California-based federal judge said on Monday.

AliveCor, a company that that markets an ECG "KardiaBand" for the Apple Watch, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in May 2021 accusing the Cupertino company of changing the heart-rate algorithm for the Apple Watch to gain an "unfair competitive edge" over rivals while endangering the lives of AliveCor users.

According to AliveCor, Apple's decision to exclude third-party heart-rate analysis providers from the Apple Watch has harmed AliveCor and impacted patients and consumers. To go along with the KardiaBand, AliveCor created the SmartRhythm app, which uses data from the Apple Watch's heart-rate algorithm to determine when a heart rate is irregular and suggest people take an ECG with the KardiaBand.

The KardiaBand received FDA approval in 2017, and in 2018, Apple debuted the Apple Watch Series 4 with built-in ECG capabilities and its own irregular heart rhythm notifications followed. AliveCor claims that Apple saw the success of the KardiaBand and changed the functionality of watchOS to sabotage KardiaBand and "corner the market for heart rate analysis on Apple Watch."

According to the latest report from Reuters, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White said Monday that AliveCor could try to prove that Apple violated federal antitrust law based on its alleged "complete control" over the market for such apps.

"AliveCor alleges that Apple made changes to the heart rate algorithm that made it effectively impossible for third parties to inform a user when to take an ECG," or electrocardiogram, White wrote. "Plaintiff's allegations plausibly establish that Apple's conduct was anticompetitive."

However, White dismissed AliveCor's separate claim that Apple maintained an illegal monopoly over ECG-capable smart watches, because AliveCor's KardiaBand wristband "complements but does not compete" in that market, he said.

Apple and its lawyers have yet to respond to the judgement. AliveCor has previously filed several patent infringement lawsuits against Apple, alleging that Apple copied AliveCor's cardiological detection and analysis technology. Those lawsuits have not yet been resolved, while today's judgement allows AliveCor to seek damages and pursue the possibility of an injunction that would require Apple to cease its perceived monopolistic conduct.

Apple has been hit with its ninth €5 million ($5.5 million) fine in the Netherlands for ostensibly continuing to insufficiently meet new requirements regarding alternative payment systems for dating apps, Reuters reports.

The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) said that Apple had sent it "new proposals" on Monday in an attempt to resolve the company's dispute over allowing dating app developers to use third-party payment methods in the Netherlands. The ACM did not disclose any details about Apple's newly proposed remedy, which it said it would now assess, and the organization continued to impose its ninth weekly penalty of €5 million on the company.

Apple has now been fined a total of €45 million ($49.5 million). The regulator will only be able to fine Apple one more time, since it will then reach its maximum total penalty of €50 million.

Apple said in mid-January that it would comply with the ACM's ruling on allowing alternative payment systems for dating apps, but the company's terms included only reducing its commission on such purchases from the standard 30% to 27%, requiring developers to maintain separate app binaries, and requiring developers to submit monthly records of sales through alternative means to Apple in order to track commissions.

The ACM said that Apple had "raised several barriers" for dating apps looking to offer alternative payment systems in the Netherlands and was forcing dating apps to choose between the App Store's standard in-app purchase system or alternative payment systems. The regulator said that dating apps must be able to offer both options in the Netherlands.

Apple has repeatedly appealed the ACM's order, arguing that alternative payment systems in the ‌App Store‌ pose privacy and security risks for customers. Apple has previously said it will be unable to assist customers with refund requests, subscription management, and other issues encountered when purchasing digital goods and services through alternative systems.

A version of Discord with native support for Apple silicon Macs is now rolling out to users, almost a year and a half after the first Macs with Apple silicon chips were shipped to customers.

Until now, Discord users have had to rely on Rosetta 2 technology to use Discord on Apple's latest Macs. While usable, Discord on Rosetta 2, which translates apps made for Intel-based Macs to run on Apple silicon, was riddled with poor performance and battery life complaints.

In the latest version of Discord for macOS, the app is now a Universal app, meaning it's designed to run both natively on Intel and Apple silicon-based systems. Discord was previously testing native Apple silicon support in beta, and it's now exited beta and is rolling out to users. The latest version of Discord for macOS can be found on its website.

Apple's new Studio Display enables the "Hey Siri" voice command on several older Macs that previously did not support the feature.

For example, while "Hey Siri" normally requires a MacBook Pro released in 2018 or later, the feature can be used on 2016 and 2017 models of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro while connected to a Studio Display. Likewise, while "Hey Siri" normally requires an iMac released in 2020 or later, the feature can be used on 2017 through 2019 models of the 21.5-inch iMac and 27-inch iMac while connected to a Studio Display.

The Studio Display also enables "Hey Siri" on Mac desktops that previously did not support the feature when paired with a non-Apple-branded display, including the 2019 Mac Pro and 2018 and newer models of the Mac mini.

"Hey Siri" is one of several features powered by the Studio Display's built-in A13 Bionic chip, with others including Spatial Audio and the Center Stage camera feature that helps keep you centered within the frame during video calls.

The full list of Macs compatible with the Studio Display on macOS Monterey 12.3 or later:

• Mac Studio
• 14-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2021
• 16-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2019 or later
• 13-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2016 or later
• 15-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2016 or later
• MacBook Air introduced in 2018 or later
• iMac introduced in 2017 or later
• iMac Pro
• Mac mini introduced in 2018 or later
• Mac Pro introduced in 2019

Released last week, key features of the Studio Display include a 27-inch screen size, 5K resolution, a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage, a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. Pricing starts at $1,599 in the United States for a model with standard glass and a tilt-adjustable stand, with upgrade options like nano-texture glass and a VESA mount adapter available.

iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 were released to the public last week, and one new change is the addition of a "Scan Text" shortcut for quickly scanning printed or handwritten text into the Notes app on the iPhone and iPad.

Apple recently shared a video with step-by-step instructions on how to use the Scan Text feature. On a device running iOS 15.4 or iPadOS 15.4, simply open the Notes app, tap the camera icon, tap "Scan Text," and tap the insert button once the text has been added to the note. The "Scan Text" shortcut has also been added to the Reminders app.

On earlier versions of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, scanning text into the Notes app required tapping on a note's text field and tapping the Live Text icon.

iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 introduced several other features, including the ability to unlock an iPhone 12 or newer with Face ID while wearing a mask, Universal Control on compatible iPad models, dozens of new emoji, a new Siri voice option, the ability to initiate SharePlay sessions directly from supported apps, and more.

Apple is experiencing a widespread outage today, with a wide range of the company's services and apps down or experiencing issues currently.

Affected services and apps include the App Store, iCloud, Siri, iMessage, iTunes Store, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple TV+, Find My, FaceTime, Notes, Stocks, and many others, according to complaints across Twitter and other platforms. Apple's developer website is also inaccessible due to server issues.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that some of Apple's internal systems are also down:

Update #1: Shortly before 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time, Apple updated its System Status page to reflect ongoing issues with several of its services.

Update #2: Users are reporting that some Apple services are starting to work again. We'll update this story once Apple indicates the issues have been fully resolved.

Update #3: Apple's system status page indicates that roughly two-thirds of the outages have been resolved, but major services like App Store, Apple Music, and Apple TV+ have yet to be fully restored.

Update #4: All of the issues have now been resolved after about two hours of downtime, according to Apple's System Status page.

While fine print on Apple's website says Studio Display stands and VESA mount adapters are "not interchangeable," customers can visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider to have their Studio Display reconfigured after purchase.

For example, if a customer bought a Studio Display with the standard tilt-adjustable stand and later decides they want to use a VESA mount adapter, they can book a service appointment with an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider and have one installed, according to internal documentation obtained by MacRumors.

Likewise, if a customer bought a Studio Display with a tilt-adjustable stand and later decides they want both a tilt- and height-adjustable stand, an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider can accommodate this request. Pricing will vary based on the region, the type of stand or mount being installed, and the cost of labor.

The standalone stands and VESA mount upgrade kits are only available to certified technicians and are not sold through Apple's online store.

Studio Display orders began arriving to customers last week. Key features of the display include a 27-inch screen size, 5K resolution, a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage, a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. Pricing starts at $1,599 in the United States for a model with standard glass and a tilt-adjustable stand, with several upgrade options available.

B&H Photo is offering a few solid deals on Apple's 24-inch iMac, starting with the 7-core GPU/256GB model for $1,199.00, down from $1,299.00. This price is only available in the Pink color, and Silver is at a second-best price of $1,229.00 on B&H Photo and Amazon.

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

At $100 off, this sale is a match of the previous all-time low price on the 24-inch iMac. We've only seen this sale one or two times so far in 2022, so if you're in the market for the M1 iMac, now is a good time to buy.

In another sale, B&H Photo is discounting the 8-core GPU/256GB 24-inch iMac to $1,349.00, down from $1,499.00. You can get the iMac in Orange and Silver at this price point, and B&H does point out that there is limited supply.

You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.

Update: The Mac Studio requires an IPSW restore after changing its SSD modules to ensure that they are readable and able to boot. Running a Device Firmware Update (DFU) restore using the macOS IPSW package for the ‌Mac Studio‌ should enable the machine to boot from a different SSD, providing that both of the modules are of the same size and make, meaning that storage upgrades still appear to be feasible.

---

Despite being easily removable since it is not soldered down, the ‌Mac Studio‌'s SSD storage is not currently user-upgradeable due to a software block, YouTuber Luke Miani has discovered.

Initial teardowns suggested that the Mac Studio's storage could be upgradeable since it is not soldered in place. Each ‌Mac Studio‌ contains two internal SSD slots, and the SSDs themselves can be freely swapped between the connectors.

In a video on his YouTube channel, Miani tested if the ‌Mac Studio‌'s storage is user upgradeable in practice. Miani wiped the SSD of a ‌Mac Studio‌, removed it from the machine, and inserted it into an empty SSD slot in another ‌Mac Studio‌, but the Mac's status light blinked SOS and would not boot.

The ‌Mac Studio‌ recognizes the SSD, but Apple's software prevents it from booting, suggesting that this is a conscious decision by Apple to prevent users from upgrading their storage themselves. On its website, Apple claims that the ‌Mac Studio‌'s SSD storage is "not user accessible" and encourages users to configure the device with enough storage at the point of purchase.

It now seems that the purpose of the easily replaceable storage is to aid repairs performed by authorized technicians, who likely will have software tools that enable the ‌Mac Studio‌ to boot from different internal storage. Since the prevention of user-upgradeability appears to simply be due to a software block, Apple could enable users to upgrade their own storage in the future via an update.

It was originally impossible for users to manually upgrade the storage of the Mac Pro, but Apple went on to offer a kit to upgrade the Mac Pro's storage in mid-2020, so a similar move for the ‌Mac Studio‌ is not out of the question, particularly given the announcement of Apple's Self Service Repair Program.

Apple has seemingly removed the ability to buy and rent TV shows and movies in the Apple TV app for Android TV and Google TV in the latest update to the app.

When the ‌Apple TV‌ app launched on Google TV early last year and Android TV in the summer, it included the ability to purchase and rent movies and TV shows from the iTunes store, as well as access to ‌Apple TV‌+. The app is available for devices such as the Nvidia Shield and Google Chromecast.

After the latest update to the app, users must now buy and rent TV shows and movies on a separate device in order to view them in the ‌Apple TV‌ app for Android TV and Google TV. The buttons to buy and rent have been replaced with a new "How to Watch" button, which suggests that users should "buy, rent or subscribe in the ‌Apple TV‌ app on iPhone, iPad, and other streaming devices." Previous purchases and rentals initiated in the ‌Apple TV‌ app for Android TV and Google TV continue to be available.

The change was spotted by users who took to Reddit (via FlatPanelsHD) to bemoan the change. Users who avoid updating the ‌Apple TV‌ app can seemingly continue to purchase and rent movies and TV shows, but it is not clear how long this solution will last.

FlatPanelsHD suggested that Apple may have stripped back the functionality to avoid Google's 30 percent commission on in-app purchases. Not all TV in-app purchases were covered by the commission previously, but it is possible that Google introduced new terms, prompting Apple to scale back the app.

The change also seems to include smart TVs that run Android TV and Google TV natively, such as some Sony Bravia models, but other smart TVs with the ‌Apple TV‌ app seem to be unaffected.

The first teardowns of the third-generation iPhone SE have surfaced on YouTube, providing a look at components inside the device.

The teardowns reveal the new iPhone SE has a larger 2,018 mAh battery compared to 1,821 mAh for the previous-generation model. The new iPhone SE offers up to an extra two hours of video playback and up to an extra 10 hours of audio playback on a full charge versus the previous model, according to Apple's tech specs.

The new iPhone SE is also equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X57 modem, according to Nikkei's xTECH. This modem does not appear to be listed on Qualcomm's website, so it may be a custom model designed for Apple, but no further details are known. The modem enables 5G on the iPhone SE, but support is limited to sub-6GHz bands, whereas iPhone 13 models also support faster mmWave bands in the United States.

A few weeks ago, it was confirmed that the new iPhone SE also features 4GB of RAM, up from 3GB in the previous model.

Overall, the third-generation iPhone SE appears to have a very similar internal design as the second-generation model. Repair website iFixit will likely share a comprehensive teardown of the device in the coming days for a closer look.

Amazon today has Apple's AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case for $174.98, down from $249.00. This price is a match of the 2022 low price on the AirPods Pro, and overall it's the second-best price we've ever tracked.

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 headphones are in stock now on Amazon and ready to ship, with a delivery window between March 22-26. The new AirPods Pro launched in 2021, and are essentially the same as the 2019 model with the addition of the new MagSafe Charging Case.

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.

Apple may finally discontinue the Apple Watch Series 3 when it reaches five years of age in the third quarter of 2022, according to reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a tweet, Kuo said that the Apple Watch Series 3 may reach the end of its life in the third quarter of 2022 because its computing power will not be able to meet the requirements of a new version of watchOS.

The Apple Watch Series 3 was released in September 2017, making it almost five years old. It is the oldest device to support the latest version of watchOS 8, but its S3 chip significantly lags behind the Apple Watch SE's S5 chip and Apple Watch Series 7's S7 chip in terms of performance. The Apple Watch Series 3 is also the only remaining Apple Watch to feature the older, thicker Apple Watch design with large bezels and angular corners around the display.

Following the iOS 14.6 and watchOS 7.5 updates last year, Apple Watch Series 3 users have to unpair and re-pair the device from its linked iPhone when updating watchOS because the Apple Watch does not have enough internal storage to complete an update independently.

At WWDC later this year, Apple is expected to unveil watchOS 9, which according to Kuo could finally drop support for the Series 3. watchOS 9 would therefore only be available for the Apple Watch Series 4 from 2018 or newer. While the unveiling of major new versions of Apple's operating systems usually takes place in early June, the updates themselves are not typically released to the public until the fall, which would coincide with Kuo's proposed timeframe and the launch of new Apple Watch models.

Little is currently known about what watchOS 9 may offer, but the second-generation ‌Apple Watch SE‌ and the Apple Watch Series 8 are expected to launch later this year, potentially including additional health features such as a body temperature sensor, faster chipsets, enhanced activity tracking, and an all-new "rugged" model.

Given the Apple Watch Series 3's age, design, S3 chip, limited storage space, and the extra step required to install software updates, it seems inevitable that Apple will discontinue it sooner rather than later, likely when new Apple Watch models are released later this year. Apple is still selling the Apple Watch Series 3 as a low-cost option for $199, but we do not recommend purchasing it over a $279 ‌Apple Watch SE‌ for these reasons.

A former Apple employee involved in the company's supply chain and responsible for making order purchases and invoicing them back to Apple has been charged by U.S prosecutors for defrauding the tech giant of over $10 million, Reuters reports.

According to court filings in San Jose, California seen by Reuters, Dhirendra Prasad, a former employee in Apple's supply chain, is facing five criminal counts of misusing his position as a buyer in Apple's global service supply chain to make Apple pay for items and services it never actually received.

Apple fired Prasad in December 2018 after he had worked for the company for over ten years. In the court filings, Prasad is also accused of evading taxes and is facing charges of wire and mail fraud and money laundering. His hearing is set for March 24.

Apple's Studio Display contains 64GB of onboard storage, but only 2GB are actually used by the display, a developer has discovered.

As highlighted by developer "Khaos Tian" on Twitter, the Studio Display only uses 2GB of its 64GB of internal NAND storage. Some free space is likely needed for firmware updates, but the 62GB of unused space is seemingly otherwise useless at the current time. Apple has not confirmed the quantity of the Studio Display's internal storage in its technical specifications.

The discovery may be unsurprising given that the Studio Display contains an A13 Bionic chip. The A13 Bionic was introduced with the iPhone 11 lineup in 2019, before being offered in the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE and the ninth-generation iPad. None of these devices have ever been available in any storage configurations below 64GB, which may suggest that smaller quantities of NAND storage are incompatible with the A13's storage controller.

Economies of scale may also be responsible, with production costs for pairing the A13 with a smaller amount of storage potentially costing more than the same 64GB system currently used in the ‌iPhone‌ 11 that is still on sale and the ninth-generation ‌iPad‌.

The finding means that, overall, the Studio Display contains the exact same 2.65GHz A13 Bionic chip, 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera setup with Center Stage, and 64GB base configuration of storage as the ninth-generation ‌iPad‌. It is also now clear that the Studio Display has better specifications than the second-generation Apple TV 4K, which sports an A12 Bionic chip and a base storage configuration of just 32GB.

Last week, it emerged that the Studio Display runs the full version of iOS 15.4, with the exact same build used by the ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌, meaning that updates to the display's functionality will come as part of iOS updates.

Apple has seemingly delayed the launch of the redesigned MacBook Air until later this year, and will likely not launch new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models until 2023, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple originally planned to launch its new ‌MacBook Air‌ with "an all-new design, MagSafe, the M2 chip, and more" at the end of 2021 or in early 2022, but this timeframe has now seemingly slipped to the second half of 2022.

Apple analyst ‌Ming-Chi Kuo‌ expects mass production of the new MacBook Air to begin in the late second quarter or early third quarter, suggesting that the device could launch sometime around September.

Gurman also said that he does not expect Apple to update its high-end 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models this year, with an update bringing the "‌M2‌ Pro" and "‌M2‌ Max" chips being more likely to arrive next year. This year, Gurman said that the only ‌MacBook Pro‌ update will likely be a refreshed entry-level ‌MacBook Pro‌ with a 13-inch display and the ‌M2‌ chip.

Launching a series of new Macs with the ‌M2‌ chip toward the end of 2022 could take similar shape to how Apple unveiled the M1 ‌MacBook Air‌, 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, and entry-level Mac mini in November 2020, suggesting that the company's M-series chips have a upgrade cycle of approximately two years. Other than the ‌MacBook Air‌ and the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, the entry-level ‌Mac mini‌, 24-inch iMac, and iPad Pro would also be viable candidates for the ‌M2‌ chip, but timeframes for updates to these devices is still unclear.

Some fifth-generation iPad Air users are complaining about a purported downgrade in build quality, according to posts on social media.

The complaints claim that the ‌iPad Air‌ has a noticeably thinner aluminum enclosure, resulting in creaking, a hollow sensation in the hand, and light pressure on the back of the device warping the display. A thread on Reddit (via iMore) contains a large number of complaints from ‌iPad Air‌ users who say they have build quality concerns about the device. The opening post on the thread states:

I ordered and received two blue iPad Air 2022 today and I'm a bit shocked. The aluminum backplate is a lot thinner than on the iPad 4 which I also have. You can almost feel the battery through the plate when you hold the device. Both iPads have the same feeling and are making creaking noises when you hold them. This did not happen on the iPad Air 4...

A multitude of responses on the thread agreed and expanded upon the issues, suggesting that it is not an isolated case, and some users have even posted videos of creaking noises coming from gentle taps on the device's display to highlight some of the problems. Some replies said that the ‌iPad Air‌ "feels very low quality" compared to its predecessor, noting that there is a detectable difference on the rear of the device. It "feels like I can feel the inside from the back," one reply claimed.

The first reviews of the fifth-generation ‌iPad Air‌ were shared earlier this week, but no reviewers mentioned any downgrade in build quality, and other than new color options, the ‌iPad Air‌ is externally identical to the previous-generation model. Key new features of the ‌iPad Air‌ include the same M1 chip found in the iPad Pro, 5G connectivity on cellular models, an upgraded 12-megapixel front camera with support for Center Stage, up to a 2x faster USB-C port for data transfer, and new color options. Pricing continues to start at $599 in the U.S. for 64GB of storage.

The Mac Studio's SSD storage is not soldered in place and could be upgradeable, according to a teardown performed by YouTube channel Max Tech.

In a detailed teardown video of the new ‌Mac Studio‌, Max Tech revealed that the ‌Mac Studio‌'s SSD storage is located in two slots, and is relatively easy to remove or replace since it is not soldered down. The individual SSDs can be swapped between the two slots and appear to be modular.

On its website, Apple claims that the ‌Mac Studio‌'s SSD storage is "not user accessible" and encourages users to configure the device with enough storage at the point of purchase. This is likely because the internals of the ‌Mac Studio‌ remain difficult to access from the outside. The rubber ring on the base of the machine has to be removed to reveal four screws that provide a way to open the device, but once inside, the SSD storage is fairly easy to access and remove.

Max Tech suggested that Apple could offer SSD storage upgrades at a later date, similar to how it introduced a kit to upgrade the Mac Pro's storage in mid-2020, but the easy access could be intended for use in repairs only, enabling repair technicians to remove and replace SSDs more conveniently.

The SSD storage in Apple's other custom silicon-based Macs, such as the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini, is soldered in place and cannot be easily upgraded, but some skilled technicians have attempted to do so.