MacRumors

B&H Photo this week has kicked off a new "Holiday Head Start" sale ahead of Black Friday, including notable discounts across Apple products like the new MacBook Pro, Apple TV 4K, HomePod mini, and iPad Pro. You can also save on a variety of computer storage products and other accessories, so be sure to view the full list on B&H Photo's website.

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.

HomePod mini

B&H Photo is offering one of the first straight cash discounts on the HomePod mini and its new colorful options, now available for $94.99, down from $99.99. Although a slight discount, this is still the best deal around online as no other Apple reseller has yet to offer notable savings, besides a very rare discount from Walmart a few months ago.

All HomePod mini colors are available at this price: Blue, Orange, Space Gray, White, and Yellow. All models except Blue are currently in stock, although it is limited. B&H Photo also offers free expedited shipping to users in the United States.

MacBook Pro (2021)

Starting with the MacBook Pro, B&H Photo's sale is offering all-time low prices on the new 14-inch model with the M1 Pro chip. Prices start with the 8-Core M1 Pro 512GB 14-inch MacBook Pro at $1,949.00, down from $1,999.00.

Secondly, B&H Photo has the 10-Core M1 Pro 1TB 14-inch MacBook Pro for $2,399.00, down from $2,499.00. At $100 off, this is a new record low price on this model of the brand new 14-inch MacBook Pro, and it's also being matched on Amazon.

Lastly, there is one deal on the larger-screen 16-inch MacBook Pro. You can get the 10-Core M1 Pro 512GB 16-inch MacBook Pro for $2,399.00, down from $2,499.00. This is another all-time low price, and it's also being matched at Amazon.

iPad Pro (2021)

In terms of iPad Pro discounts, you'll find a few discounts on the 12.9-inch tablet from 2021. Sales start with the 512GB Wi-Fi 12.9-inch iPad Pro for $1,249.00, down from $1,399.00. This is available in both colors, and is matched at Amazon.

The only other 2021 iPad Pro sale is on the 1TB Wi-Fi 12.9-inch model, but Amazon is beating B&H Photo's price by about $45. You can get this tablet for $1,655.00 at Amazon, down from $1,799.00.

Apple TV

Numerous Apple TV models are being discounted during the "Holiday Head Start" sale, starting with the 32GB Apple TV HD with New Siri Remote for $139.95, down from $149.95. This is the best price currently available, and Amazon is matching.

If you're shopping for the latest Apple TV 4K models, B&H Photo has the 32GB for $169.95 and the 64GB model for $189.95, both representing savings of $10. These are some of the lowest prices we've seen on the 2021 Apple TV 4K models, and the 32GB version specifically is an all-time low price.

We're keeping track of all this season's best deals in our Black Friday 2021 Roundup. You can also find more of our daily deals and other offers in our Deals Roundup.

Apple today announced the "Self Service Repair" program, allowing users to complete their own repairs via a new online store dedicated to parts and tools.

The ‌Self Service Repair‌ program will give customers who are comfortable with the idea of completing their own repairs access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and manuals, starting with the iPhone 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineups. The scheme will be introduced in phases, adding more repairs and supported devices over time. Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams said:

Creating greater access to Apple genuine parts gives our customers even more choice if a repair is needed. In the past three years, Apple has nearly doubled the number of service locations with access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and training, and now we're providing an option for those who wish to complete their own repairs.

The first phase of the program will focus on the ‌iPhone‌'s most commonly serviced parts, such as the display, battery, and camera, but more kinds of repairs will become available later next year. Apple silicon Macs with the M1 chip, including the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and 24-inch iMac, will be next to join the scheme.

The ‌Self Service Repair‌ program will be facilitated by a new Apple ‌Self Service Repair‌ Online Store, offering more than 200 individual parts and tools to complete ‌iPhone‌ 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 repairs at launch.

Customers who want to perform a repair will first be encouraged to consult the Repair Manual before placing an order for parts and tools using the Apple ‌Self Service Repair‌ Online Store. After the repair has been completed, customers who return their used or broken part to Apple for recycling will receive credit toward their purchase.

Apple cautioned that ‌Self Service Repair‌ is intended for "individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices," and encouraged "the vast majority of customers" to visit a professional repair provider with certified technicians for "the safest and most reliable way to get a repair."

The company also highlighted the significant global expansion of service locations with access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and training, as well as the growing number of Independent Repair Providers that sit alongside Apple Authorized Service Providers.

The ‌Self Service Repair‌ program will be available to users starting early next year in the U.S. and expand to additional countries throughout 2022.

The Apple Music app for LG smart TVs is today rolling out to users, with LG now promoting the app on social media.

The Apple Music app for LG smart TVs allows subscribers to stream over 90 million songs, as well as playlists, radio stations, and music videos, with no need for any external hardware such as an Apple TV. The app supports a range of core ‌Apple Music‌ features, such as synced realtime lyrics.

The user interface appears to be very visually similar to the ‌Apple Music‌ app for tvOS. The ‌Apple Music‌ app is now gradually rolling out to LG users, with a large number of posts emerging on Twitter showing the new app in action.

It is as yet unclear which exact LG TV models support the app, but it is likely that more recent model years will be supported. Users can find out if they have a supported TV by simply searching for "‌Apple Music‌" in the LG content store.

Google today announced the launch of new iOS Google Maps features aimed at helping holiday shoppers, including Area Busyness and Directories.

With Area Busyness, Google combines the busyness trends of businesses and locations that are near each other to let you know when a neighborhood or a part of town is at its busiest. Google says that this feature can help you identify busy areas to avoid, or highlight the hot spots when you're new to an area. Google says Area Busyness will roll out "in time for this holiday season."

Google is adding Directories, a feature designed to make it easier for people to navigate malls, airports, and transit stations. The Directory tab will allow users to see what types of stores are in a building and find airport lounges, parking lots, and more, along with helpful information such as whether a location is open, it's rating, and what floor it's on. This kind of indoor mapping functionality is already available in many shopping malls and airports in the Apple Maps app.

Google is also expanding its integrated grocery store pickup feature, which allows pickup orders from Kroger, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Ralphs, and Marianos to be added to Google Maps for tracking order status and allowing stores to know when you've arrived.

For restaurants, Google is adding price ranges supplied by other Google Maps users to give people a better idea of what a location charges for food, plus there's a simplified method for providing additional review details about a location you've visited.

Beats today announced the upcoming launch of a new collaboration with fragment design founder Hiroshi Fujiwara for a minimalist limited-edition version of the Beats Flex earbuds.

The new black-on-black Beats Flex will be available starting Thursday, November 18 from Apple and SSENSE and will be priced at $69.99.

Beats Flex is the current entry-level Beats earbud product, featuring two earbuds connected by a neckband wire with inline controls and Bluetooth connectivity to paired devices. Beats Flex initially launched just over a year ago priced at $49.99, with the price increasing to $69.99 about six weeks ago.

Beats and Fujiwara have collaborated on several previous projects, including limited-edition Powerbeats Pro in a similar design scheme earlier this year.

Apple today released the third beta of an upcoming iOS 15.2 update to developers for testing purposes, and the Cupertino company is continuing to refine features ahead of the software's release. Beta 3 doesn't add as many new features as prior betas, but there are some notable changes.

Playlist Search in Music App

Apple has added a long-awaited feature that allows Apple Music users to search within playlists.

Macro Mode

For the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models, there's a Macro option for taking close-up photos with the Ultra Wide lens. Apple has been tweaking controls for macro mode in the iOS 15.2 beta, and has clarified the settings available for the feature in the third beta.

There's a renamed "Macro Control" toggle in the Camera section of the Settings app that makes it clear that users can toggle on the manual macro feature that was added in the second beta.

"Show Camera control for automatically switching to the Ultra Wide lens to capture macro photos and videos," reads the description of the toggle. With this enabled, ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and Pro Max owners can tap on a little flower-shaped icon in the Camera app to toggle on Macro mode when close to an object. This was introduced in the second beta, but it was confusing because Apple had not yet updated the wording for the toggle in the Settings app.

iCloud Private Relay

In the Cellular and WiFi sections of the Settings app, Apple has clarified the iCloud Private Relay wording. The toggle, which was previously called "‌iCloud‌ Private Relay" has been renamed to "Limit IP Address Tracking" to make it clearer what happens when it's turned on.

The general functionality is the same, and this is just a clarification to the wording.

Turning off the "Limit IP Address Tracking" feature turns off ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay for the cellular provider or the WiFi network, just as it did before. There have been no changes to the ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay feature, which can be activated separately for cellular and WiFi traffic.

Reminders App

According to Apple's release notes, tags can be bulk renamed and deleted in the Reminders app.

Bugs

There are a few remaining bugs in the beta. From Apple's release notes:

• Streaming in the Music app could result in higher CPU usage, causing faster battery drain in some scenarios
• Users who import a verifiable vaccination record aren't able to add it to the Wallet app, and the Health app may freeze

Additional Features

Know of new feature in the third beta of iOS 15.2 that we left out? Let us know in the comments.

Apple today released a new 4A402 firmware update for the AirPods Pro, which is up from the prior 4A400 firmware that was released back in October. Apple has also updated the AirPods 3 firmware to 4B66, up from the 4B61 that was previously available.

Apple does not offer information on what's included in refreshed firmware updates for the AirPods‌, so we don't know what improvements or bug fixes the new firmware brings.

There's no standard way to upgrade the ‌AirPods‌‌ software, but firmware is generally installed over-the-air while the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ are connected to an iOS device. Putting the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ in the case, connecting the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ to a power source, and then pairing the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ to an iPhone or an iPad should force the update after a short period of time.

You can check your ‌‌‌AirPods‌‌ or ‌‌‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌‌‌‌ firmware by following these steps:

• Connect your ‌‌AirPods‌‌ or ‌‌‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌‌‌ to your iOS device.
• Open the Settings app.
• Tap General.
• Tap About.
• Tap ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌.
• Look at the number next to "Firmware Version."

If we find notable changes after the firmware updates are installed, we'll share details, but the software likely includes performance improvements and bug fixes.

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Monterey 12.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming a week after the second beta and three weeks 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. Apple has also seeded a new beta of macOS Big Sur 11.6.2 for those who have not yet updated to Monterey or who can't on an older machine.

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.

Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 15.2 updates to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the second betas and three weeks after the launch of iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1.

iOS and iPadOS 15.2 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.

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.

For a full list of features that have been added with each beta, we have dedicated guides for the initial beta and the second beta.

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 8.3 beta to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming a week after the launch of the second beta and three weeks after the release of watchOS 8.1.

To install ‌‌‌watchOS 8‌‌‌.3, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, ‌‌‌watchOS 8.3‌‌‌ can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update.

To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌.

No new features were found in the first two betas of watchOS 8.3, so we don't yet know what's included in the update.

Qualcomm is preparing for the launch of Apple's own modem chips, which will cut into Qualcomm's modem business starting in 2023. At today's Investor Day event, Qualcomm CFO Akash Palkhiwala said that Qualcomm expects to supply just 20 percent of Apple's modem chips in 2023.

If that's an accurate estimate, it means that 2022 will be the last year that Qualcomm enjoys a modem monopoly in iPhone devices. Apple has been working on in-house modem chips for years now, and prior rumors have indeed suggested that Apple's chips will be ready to launch in 2023.

Back in May, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple's 5G baseband chips could debut in the 2023 ‌iPhone‌ models, which is in line with Qualcomm's expectations. Should this occur, Apple will likely use its own chips in most regions, but rely on Qualcomm for chips in certain areas. Qualcomm said that this is just a "planning assumption for forecast purposes," but it appears the company is counting on a 2023 launch.

The assumption we use for this forecast is that for Apple 2023 launch, our share is down to 20%. This is a planning assumption for the forecast purposes. Just to be clear, there is no new data point that makes us do this forecast versus our discussions in the past. We just wanted to set a base for this forecast, and so we've used that as a planning assumption.

Apple tried to transition away from Qualcomm chips once before following a heated legal battle between the two companies. Apple wanted Intel to supply its 5G chips for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models, but Intel could not meet Apple's expectations.

In 2019, Apple and Qualcomm settled their legal issues and Apple agreed to a multi-year partnership because it had no other place to get the appropriate chips it needed for its devices. Apple also began work on its own in-house modem chips with the aim of eventually getting away from Qualcomm, with Apple purchasing Intel's modem chip business to get a head start.

Qualcomm today announced plans for next-generation Arm-based System on Chips (SoC) designed to rival Apple's M-series chips in the PC space (via The Verge).

At Qualcomm's 2021 investor day event, chief technology officer Dr. James Thompson announced the plans for the new generation of chips. The chips are "designed to set the performance benchmark for Windows PCs" and are being developed by the Nuvia team. Qualcomm acquired Nuvia, a chip startup company founded by former Apple chip designers, for $1.4 billion earlier this year.

Qualcomm said that it will directly compete with Apple's M-series chips, including the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max, and hopes to lead the industry for "sustained performance and battery life." Moreover, the company promised that it would be scaling up its Adreno GPUs to offer desktop-class gaming capabilities in future PCs. Qualcomm hopes to be able to send samples to clients in around nine months, ahead of the first products containing the chips launching in 2023.

Apple's development of its rumored augmented reality (AR) headset is beginning to mirror the period before the launch of the Apple Watch, according to Morgan Stanley analysts.

In a note to investors, seen by Investor's Business Daily, Morgan Stanley analysts explained that after years of building expertise and a number of setbacks, Apple's long-awaited AR headset is "approaching liftoff." This is evidenced by the fact that Apple's AR project is purportedly beginning to match the development of the Apple Watch before its announcement in late 2014.

The company has published a huge number of patents related to augmented reality and virtual reality, including hardware, input mechanisms, and user interfaces. Now, "Apple's patent portfolio is beginning to mirror the period prior to the Watch launch."

Ahead of the Apple Watch's unveiling in 2014, Apple heavily patented the technology behind the device, including iPhone connectivity and sensors, pedometer functionality and step detection, low-power Bluetooth, and more. While MacRumors has been covering many of Apple's patents over a decade, there has been a noticeable uptick in patent filings related to head-mounted displays in recent times.

• Apple's Work on Mixed Reality Headsets Revealed in New Patent Filings

For example, today, Apple was granted a patent for wrist-based devices, such as the Apple Watch, "to produce a virtual representation of the hands or otherwise be used to receive and interpret gestures as user input" in a head-mounted display.

Morgan Stanley highlighted that while Apple has faced difficulties with the development of its AR technology, the project is steadily nearing launch:

The enormity of the technical challenge — compressing daylong battery, 5G, compute, cameras, lidar, projectors and wave guide lenses into a lightweight, attractive pair of glasses — is hard to overstate, but we are approaching liftoff.

The note added that "Apple's entry into the eyewear market will be the game changer for all participants as the technology gets normalized and popularized."

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple's "mixed reality" headset will launch in late 2022 to early 2023, with a separate smart glasses device following between 2023 and 2025.

The security provided by Apple's Mail Privacy Protection feature is seemingly undermined by a lack of Apple Watch support, security researchers have found.

Mail Privacy Protection is a new feature introduced with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey that hides your IP address so senders are not able to determine your location or link email habits to your other online activity. It also prevents senders from tracking whether you opened an email, how many times you viewed an email, and whether you forwarded the email.

• iOS 15: How to Prevent Emails From Tracking You With Mail Privacy Protection

The feature works by routing all content downloaded by the Mail app through multiple proxy servers to strip your IP address, and then it assigns a random IP address that corresponds to your general region, making email senders see generic information rather than specific information about you.

Apple's legal documentation on Mail Privacy Protection indicates that the feature is available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac only, but security researchers and developers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk have discovered that since the Apple Watch does not hide a recipient's IP address, it can compromise the overall security provided by Mail Privacy Protection.

The Apple Watch downloads remote content, such as images, using the recipient's real IP address, both when receiving a Mail notification and when opening an email, meaning that even for users who have enabled Mail Privacy Protection on their ‌iPhone‌, their IP address is exposed.

While Mail Privacy Protection is a feature exclusive to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey, the fact that simply receiving a Mail notification on the Apple Watch can reveal a user's IP address and bypass Mail Privacy Protection on other devices seems to be an oversight and we have reached out to Apple for comment.

Update: The same security researchers have now highlighted that iCloud Private Relay is also unavailable on the Apple Watch, meaning that a user's IP address can be exposed when opening links in the Messages app.

‌iCloud‌ Private Relay is an Apple service that ensures Safari traffic leaving an ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, or Mac is encrypted. It uses two separate internet relays to ensure that companies cannot access personal information like IP address, location, and browsing information to create a detailed profile about you.

Users who have ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay enabled on their other devices should be aware that their IP address is still discoverable from Apple Watch activity.

Amazon is offering a match of previous record low prices on Apple's 2020 M1 Mac mini, for both the 256GB and 512GB storage options. For both models, you won't see the sale price until you reach the checkout screen and receive an automatic coupon on your order.

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.

Starting with the 256GB M1 Mac mini, you can get this version for $599.99, down from $699.00. This is beating the previous Amazon low price of $639.00, and it's in stock and ready to ship today.

Amazon is offering an even steeper discount on the 512GB M1 Mac mini, available for $749.99, down from $899.00. This is another all-time low price on the M1 Mac mini, beating the previous record low of $779.00 on Amazon and other retailers.

This model will be in stock soon on Amazon, and has a late November shipping estimate. You can still lock in the $149 off sale price today and Amazon will charge you once the Mac mini ships around November 29.

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

WhatsApp is working on an app for iPadOS, and thanks to Mac Catalyst, an app for macOS too, according to WABetaInfo.

WhatsApp's rumored app for iPad will be a Catalyst app, enabling it to run seamlessly on macOS. This effectively allows the same app to share code while running on separate platforms.

The new WhatsApp app for macOS apparently looks very similar to the app for iPadOS, featuring the same basic interface, but there are some minor UI changes to accommodate a desktop experience. Presumably, this new Mac app will replace the existing macOS WhatsApp app and no longer rely on a connected smartphone.

The new apps will be supported by multi-device capability, allowing users to use their WhatsApp account on up to four different linked devices even when their main smartphone is not connected to the internet. WABetaInfo said that WhatsApp will enable support for macOS at a later date, suggesting that the iPad app may be released first.

Apple is not doing enough to comply with South Korean legislation that forbids app store operators from forcing developers to use their payment systems, according to lawmaker Jo Seoung-lae, Reuters reports.

Via an amendment to the Telecommunication Business Act, South Korea is the first country endeavouring to stop developers from being forced to use a single payment system offered by app store operators. The law came into effect in September, but the exact details of what companies need to do to comply with it had not yet been fully drafted.

This month, Apple reportedly told the South Korean government that it was already complying with the new law and did not need to change its App Store policies. Jo Seoung-lae, the lawmaker who spearheaded the amendment, told Reuters:

Frankly, we are not satisfied... Apple's claim that it's already complying is nonsensical. Excessive fees take away developers' chances for innovation ... parliament is to be closely informed as the government drafts detailed regulations to make sure there is accountability.

It is as yet unclear how platform operators will be sanctioned if the regulations are breached, but according to a draft seen by Reuters, it could involve fines of up to two percent of revenue.

The initial details of what Apple will need to do to meet its new obligations in South Korea are expected to be made public by the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) tomorrow, ahead of them coming into full effect by March 2022.

In an interview at the Global Conference for Mobile Application Ecosystem Fairness in Seoul today, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney renewed his ongoing attack on Apple and called for a single, universal app store.

Elsewhere, Law Street reports that an antitrust lawsuit has been filed against Apple in Northern District of California, accusing the company of charging supracompetitive prices on the ‌App Store‌.