With iOS 16, Apple introduced a curious new feature that's kind of like instant Photoshop, as you can use it to pull the subject out of any image or photo, pasting it into another photo or using it as a sticker in the Messages app. It's nifty enough that we thought we'd show it off in our latest YouTube video.
Apple calls this feature "Lift subject from background," and it is part of the Visual Look Up suite of functions. To use it, you just long press on any image and then you can drag it out into a different app or copy it.
It works in Photos, Screenshot, Quick Look, Safari, and even videos, and it is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. There's not a lot of practical use for it, but it is certainly impressive and fun to use. Make sure to check out our video to see it in action.
Apple Camp will take place each week from June 20 through August 31, with a new two-hour format for families. Participants in Apple Camp will be able to create a digital comic book about protecting and celebrating the planet through the "Art Lab: Comic Book Adventure With Your Family" session.
"We can't wait for campers and their families to ignite their imaginations as they learn from our team members and each other during Apple Camp," said Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's senior vice president of Retail + People. "This special program has provided a space for connection and learning in our stores around the world for the past 20 years, and we're thrilled to be hosting these experiences again."
Apple Camp attendees will use the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to take photos and then add drawings, speech bubbles, and stickers to design their own stories.
Apple designed Apple Camp for children aged 8 to 12, with kids able to participate alongside their parents or guardians. Sessions will be available both in stores and outdoors, and devices are provided. Along with in-person sessions, Apple is also providing a downloadable Camp Field Guide that includes 20 at-home activities for the iPad.
Apple's new M2 chip is up to 20 percent faster than the M1 chip when it comes to multi-core performance, according to leaked M2 benchmarks from the upcoming 13-inch MacBook Pro that were discovered on Geekbench today.
The M2, which runs at 3.49GHz compared to 3.2GHz for the M1, earned a single-core score of 1919, which is roughly 12 percent faster than the 1707 single-core score of the M1 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M2 earned a multi-core score of 8928, up about 20 percent from the 7419 score of the M1 model.
Apple has said that the M2 chip is up to 18 percent faster than the M1, so the Geekbench 5 test is right in line with Apple's claims.
CPU Benchmarks have leaked for Apple's M2 chip!
3.49GHz CPU clock vs M1's 3.2GHz Single-core performance gain vs M1: 11.56% Multi-core performance gain vs M1: 19.45%
A little bit better than my estimates. I'm impressed!https://t.co/TGHOHw77Ds Thanks to @amoss_137 for sharing. pic.twitter.com/NS9xODnOdX
— Vadim Yuryev (@VadimYuryev) June 15, 2022
As for the Metal benchmark, the M2 chip scored 30627, a notable improvement over the 21001 score earned by the M1. The M2 chip offers up to a 10-core GPU, compared to the 8-core maximum of the M1.
The M2 chip is available in the new 2022 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. Apple has not provided information on when the MacBook Air will launch, but the new MacBook Pro will be available for pre-order starting Friday, June 17.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Monterey 12.5 update to its public beta testing group, with the update coming one day after Apple provided the beta to developers.
Public beta testers can download the macOS Monterey 12.5 update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.
There's no word yet on what new features or changes might be included in macOS Monterey 12.5, and nothing new was found in the first developer beta. Apple has provided no details on this time, so we may need to wait for release to find out what bug fixes or minor changes might be included.
macOS Monterey 12.5 is likely to be one of the final updates to the macOS Monterey operating system as Apple begins its transition to the next-generation version of macOS, macOS Ventura. macOS Ventura is set to be released this fall.
Apple today seeded the third public betas of iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, with the software updates coming two weeks after Apple seeded the second public betas of iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6.
The iOS and iPadOS 15.6 betas can be downloaded over the air after the proper profile from Apple's public beta testing website has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.
There have been no new features found in the developer betas of iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, suggesting that this is a minor update primarily focusing on bug fixes. Apple has also provided no release info at this time.
iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6 are likely to be some of the last updates to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 as Apple starts transitioning to the next-generation updates, iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, both of which were unveiled at WWDC.
Apple is planning a new 15-inch MacBook model that could launch around the second quarter of 2023 or later, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today.
In a tweet, Kuo said the notebook may be available with both M2 and M2 Pro chip options. Kuo previously claimed the new 15-inch model might not be branded as a MacBook Air, but he did not provide any further details about potential naming.
For the new 15-inch MacBook, configurations with the M2 chip would be bundled with Apple's new dual-port 35W power adapter, while configurations with the M2 Pro chip would ship with a more powerful 67W adapter, according to Kuo. These power adapters are already options for the new M2-powered MacBook Air launching next month.
Kuo also said he has not yet heard of any plans for the previously rumored 12-inch MacBook. Last week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was considering launching a new 12-inch notebook at the end of 2023 or in early 2024. Gurman said it was unclear if the notebook would be a low-end MacBook or a higher-end MacBook Pro.
Prediction updates: 1. New 15" MacBook would go to mass production in mid-1H23, and launch date may be 2Q23 or later. 2. New 15" MacBook may offer two CPU options, M2 (with 35W adapter) & M2 Pro (with 67W adapter). 3. I haven't heard of any plans for rumored 12" MacBook yet. https://t.co/zm09nMvG7R
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) June 15, 2022
Over the last few weeks, rumors have surfaced about several new MacBook and iPad sizes planned for 2023 and beyond. Gurman recently reported that Apple was working on a new 15-inch MacBook Air, for example, which could end up being the machine that Kuo is referring to. As the devices get closer to launching, details should become clearer.
After a long wait, Meta this week announced the ability to transfer WhatsApp chat history, photos, videos, and voice messages from Android to iPhone while maintaining end-to-end encryption. The system uses Apple's Move to iOS app for Android phones, and can be initiated during the setup process for a new (or factory reset) iPhone.
This article runs through the steps involved in transferring your WhatsApp chat history from an Android phone to an iPhone. The much-requested migration feature transfers everything in your WhatsApp history including texts, voice notes, and media files to a new iPhone.
Note that WhatsApp chat history migration is only supported on Android devices running Android 5.0 or later and iPhones running iOS 15.5 or later. Also, both the Android phone and the iPhone need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network when the migration takes place. The following steps guide you through the process.
Start the iPhone setup process of your new (or factory reset) iPhone.
When the Apps & Data setup screen appears, select Move data from Android.
On your Android phone, open the Move to iOS app and follow the onscreen instructions.
On your iPhone, tap Continue when you see the Move from Android screen, then wait for a ten-digit or six-digit code to appear.
Enter the code on your Android phone, select WhatsApp on the Transfer Data screen, then tap Start.
Wait for your WhatsApp history and data to be prepared for migration. Once the process is complete, you will be signed out of WhatsApp on your Android device.
Once your iPhone is fully setup, download WhatsApp from the App Store and sign into the service using the same phone number.
After following these steps, the WhatsApp chat history from your Android phone should appear on your new iPhone.
Satechi is offering 20 percent off sitewide to coincide with Father's Day this weekend, marking a great chance to save on the company's best accessories. In order to get the discount, you can shop on Satechi's website and then enter the code FATHERS at checkout.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Satechi. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Satechi is known for its wireless chargers, USB-C hubs, keyboards, cables, and other accessories, many of which are compatible with Apple products like the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, iMac, and iPhone. Satechi has a hub showcasing all of its newest products to give you an idea of what can be bought with the discount, but remember that the FATHERS code will work sitewide.
The sale will end later this week, so browse Satechi's website soon if you're interested in using the coupon code before it expires. Additionally, be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
Qualcomm has successfully appealed a 997 million euro ($1.05 billion) fine from EU antitrust regulators for paying Apple to use its LTE chips in iOS devices (via Reuters).
The fine was imposed by regulators in 2018 after a European Commission investigation concluded that payments to Apple from 2011 to 2016 were made with the sole aim of blocking Qualcomm's LTE chipset market rivals, such as Intel.
The General Court, Europe's second-highest, annulled the EU finding and faulted the EU competition enforcer, Margrethe Vestager, over the handling of the case.
"A number of procedural irregularities affected Qualcomm's rights of defence and invalidate the Commission's analysis of the conduct alleged against Qualcomm," judges said.
"The Commission did not provide an analysis which makes it possible to support the findings that the payments concerned had actually reduced Apple's incentives to switch to Qualcomm's competitors in order to obtain supplies of LTE chipsets for certain iPad models to be launched in 2014 and 2015."
The EU competition enforcer can appeal the judgement to the EU Court of Justice, Europe's highest court. The Commission said it would carefully study the judgement before considering its next steps.
The judgement is another painful setback to Vestager's crackdown on Big Tech. The loss represents Vestager's second major defeat after failing to get the court's backing in January for a 1.06 billion euro fine on Intel 12 years ago for engaging in illegal anti-competitive practices to exclude rival AMD. Before January, the Commission hadn't lost a big antitrust case in more than 20 years.
Qualcomm's fine is one of several imposed by the EU antitrust chief on companies including Google, Facebook, and Amazon over anti-competitive practices.
As more post-WWDC interviews with Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi surface, we continue to learn more about Apple's reasoning behind iPadOS's new Stage Manager feature being limited to iPads with the M1 chip.
The latest interview was published by Forbes contributor David Phelan, who asked Federighi if Apple attempted to make Stage Manager work with iPad models without the M1 chip. In response, Federighi said Apple did some early testing of the feature on other iPads, but Apple was not satisfied with the experienced delivered on those devices.
"We began some of our prototyping involving those systems and it became apparent early on that we couldn't deliver the experience that that we were designing toward with them," he said. "Certainly, we would love to bring any new experience to every device we can, but we also don't want to hold back the definition of a new experience and not create the best foundation for the future in that experience. And we really could only do that by building on the M1."
In an interview with TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino shared earlier this week, Federighi said the M1 chip's performance ensures that all apps being used in Stage Manager are "instantaneously responsive," as customers expect from a touch-based interface.
In a statement last week, shared by Rene Ritchie, Apple asserted that Stage Manager "requires large internal memory, incredibly fast storage, and flexible external display I/O, all of which are delivered by iPads with the M1 chip."
The M1 iPad Pro is available with up to 16GB of RAM and a Thunderbolt port, while the previous-generation iPad Pro features 6GB of RAM and a USB-C port. The M1 iPad Pro also features up to 2x faster storage and up to 40% faster GPU performance compared to the previous model. The fifth-generation iPad Air is also equipped with the M1 chip, but the iPad mini, entry-level iPad, and older iPad Pro models are not.
Introduced as part of iPadOS 16, Stage Manager allows users to resize iPad apps into overlapping windows for an improved multitasking experience. The feature fully supports an external display with up to 6K resolution, allowing users to work with up to four apps on the iPad and up to four apps on the external display simultaneously. A version of Stage Manager is also available on macOS Ventura for keeping windows front and center.
As of this week, Apple will begin shipping repaired iPhone 12 models in a new brown box that is 100% plastic free and created with bleach-free paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, according to a company memo obtained by MacRumors. Until now, all repaired iPhones shipped by Apple were packaged in a white box.
In the memo, Apple said it is trialing the new packaging for repaired iPhones as part of the company's commitment to eliminate plastics in all packaging by 2025. In April, Apple announced that it had reduced plastic in its packaging by 75% since 2015, and said that plastics accounted for just 4% of the company's packaging in 2021.
The eco-friendly packaging will be used for repaired iPhone 12 models shipped from Apple Repair Center depots to Apple Stores, Apple Authorized Service Providers, and/or directly to customers in the United States and other countries.
Apple did not indicate whether it would expand the more eco-friendly packaging to all repaired iPhones if the trial is deemed successful.
Apple previously announced that its global operations have been carbon free since 2020, and the company said it has used 100% renewable energy to power its offices, stores, and data centers since 2018. As of March 2022, Apple said 213 of its manufacturing partners have also committed to 100% renewable electricity for Apple-related production.
International Day of Yoga is set to take place on Tuesday, June 21, and Apple is celebrating with a new Activity Challenge that will let Apple Watch users earn a new yoga badge and a set of animated yoga stickers.
Earn this award inspired by the International Day of Yoga. On June 21, do a yoga workout of 20 minutes or more. Record your time with any app that adds workouts to Health.
To earn the award, Apple Watch users will need to complete a yoga workout that lasts for 20 minutes or more on June 21. The award for completing the challenge looks similar to the award provided for past Yoga Day challenges, and there are several sticker options for various yoga poses.
Apple holds Activity Challenges for various holidays and events throughout the year, and began offering awards for International Day of Yoga back in 2019.
Any yoga workout will fulfill the requirement, as long as you select the yoga workout type from the Workout app on the Apple Watch or use an app that adds yoga workouts to the Health app. Apple's Fitness+ service, available for $9.99 per month, offers built-in yoga workouts that you can do.
Apple is working on a refresh of the low-cost entry-level iPad, which will expand the feature set of the device. According to 9to5Mac, Apple's 10th-generation iPad will include several updates that will bring it in line with the rest of the iPad lineup.
The 2022 iPad is said to include a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port, which would expand USB-C across the iPad lineup. The iPad Air, iPad Pro, and iPad mini are all equipped with USB-C at this point, leaving the iPad as the sole tablet that is using Lightning.
The updated device is expected to include a larger 10.5-inch display, which would be an upgrade from the current 10.2-inch display. Display analyst Ross Young, who often provides accurate info on Apple's display plans, has confirmed that the iPad will have a 10.5-inch display.
Apple is planning to update the iPad with the A14 Bionic chip. The A14 was first used in the iPhone 12 lineup and the fourth-generation iPad Air, and it will bring faster performance compared to the A13 in the existing model.
Along with the display and chip updates, Apple will add 5G connectivity to the iPad, allowing it to connect to 5G networks. There's no word on design updates at this time, so it is unclear if Apple will add a Touch ID power button or stick with the Home button.
Apple is expected to update the low-cost iPad at some point in 2022, likely in the fall.
The 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE has dropped to $229.00 on Amazon today, down from $279.00. You can get this deal in Gold Aluminum with Starlight Sport Band, Silver Aluminum with Abyss Blue Sport Band, and Space Gray Aluminum with Midnight Sport Band.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This is the first time in a few weeks that we've seen the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE return to this all-time low price. All three models are in stock and ready to ship from Amazon today.
The 44mm GPS model is also seeing an all-time low price, but stock has dwindled and caused a shipping estimate of mid-July. It's available for $229.00 as well, down from $309.00, only in Silver Aluminum with Abyss Blue Sport Band.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Monterey 12.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new update coming two weeks after the release of the second macOS Monterey 12.5 beta.
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.
There's no word yet on what new features or changes might be included in macOS Monterey 12.5, and nothing new was found in the first two betas. It's likely this update focuses on bug fixes and other minor improvements to the operating system.
macOS Monterey 12.5 could be one of the final updates to the macOS Monterey website as Apple is now shifting its focus to macOS Ventura, the next-generation Mac operating system coming this fall.
Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming two weeks after the release of the second beta.
Developers can download iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6 through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.
We don't yet know what might be introduced in iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, as Apple has now implemented all of the features that were announced as coming in the iOS and iPadOS 15 updates, and work on iOS 15 is likely winding down with iOS 16 approaching.
There were no new features discovered in the first two betas of iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, suggesting these are updates focusing on bug fixes and other under-the-hood improvements.
iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6 could be some of the last updates to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 as Apple is now working on iOS 16, which is set to be released this fall.
Apple has also seeded new developer betas of tvOS 15.6 and watchOS 8.7.
Last week, well-connected display industry analyst Ross Young said he confirmed with his supply chain sources that Apple is planning a new 14.1-inch iPad Pro, but he has since revised his prediction and now believes the device may be a standard iPad after all.
In a tweet shared with his Super Followers today, Young said he confirmed that the 14-inch iPad will not have a mini-LED display after all. He also said the 14-inch iPad is unlikely to feature ProMotion, leading him to believe that the device may not be branded as an iPad Pro, given that all iPad Pro models released since 2017 feature ProMotion.
It sounds rather odd that Apple's largest iPad would not be a Pro model, but Young has accurately revealed many details about future Apple products, so we'll have to see how this rumor plays out. Apple will likely release the iPad in the first quarter of 2023, he said.
In another tweet shared with his Super Followers today, Young reiterated that the next 11-inch iPad Pro is not expected to feature mini-LED backlighting, despite the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro adopting the technology in April 2021. Apple is expected to update both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the M2 chip and more later this year.
Apple today announced a partnership with Major League Soccer that will see every single MLS match streamed through the Apple TV app for the next 10 years, with the deal to kick off in 2023.
Soccer fans will be able to stream every live match, with no local blackouts or restrictions of any kind. It will include access to all MLS and League Cup games, along with select MLS Next Pro and MLS Next matches.
"For the first time in the history of sports, fans will be able to access everything from a major professional sports league in one place," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services. "It's a dream come true for MLS fans, soccer fans, and anyone who loves sports. No fragmentation, no frustration -- just the flexibility to sign up for one convenient service that gives you everything MLS, anywhere and anytime you want to watch. We can't wait to make it easy for even more people to fall in love with MLS and root for their favorite club."
Apple will provide access to MLS matches through a new MLS streaming service that will be exclusively available through the Apple TV app. Along with all matches, it will include a weekly live match whip-around show and game replays, highlights, analysis, and in-depth behind-the-scenes views of players and clubs.
A selection of MLS and League Cup matches will be available at no additional cost to Apple TV+ subscribers, with a limited number of matches available for free. The new MLS streaming service will be included as part of MLS full-season ticket packages.
MLS live and on-demand content on the Apple TV app will be available on all Apple devices, along with smart TVs from companies like Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, and Vizio. The Apple TV app can also be accessed on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV, Comcast Xfinity, PlayStation, and Xbox. Customers without a device that supports the Apple TV app can watch on the web.
When the service launches, all MLS and Leagues Cup matches will include announcers calling the action in English and Spanish, and all matches involving Canadian teams will be available in French. Additional details on the service, such as subscription pricing, programming information, and when fans can sign up will be announced in the coming months.
Apple says that the deal is a "historic first" for a major professional sports league, and it will last through 2032. In an effort to ramp up its sports offerings, Apple has already established a deal with Major League Baseball, and rumors suggest that it is pursuing the National Football League's Sunday Ticket package.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
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