Over the first three days of the week, Apple unveiled the new iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro with the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips. The chips offer significantly better CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine performance, improved efficiency, higher amounts of unified memory, and more.
The new iMac features USB-C Magic accessories and a refreshed palette of color options. The new Mac mini has been completely redesigned for the first time in over a decade with a radically smaller enclosure and two front-facing USB-C ports. Finally, the new MacBook Pro has a bolstered base model, longer battery life, and a brighter display.
The new iMac and MacBook Pro gain a nano-texture display option and a 12-megapixel front-facing camera with Center Stage and Desk View for the first time. Models with the M4 Pro or M4 Max support Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and almost all of the new Macs feature better external display support. All of Apple's Macs now start with 16GB of unified memory as standard, including the MacBook Air, with no increase in price.
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The first Geekbench 6 results for GPU performance are now available for the M4 Pro and M4 Max, and the Metal scores reveal some impressive year-over-year gains. Based on the Metal scores that are available so far, the M4 Pro and M4 Max are up to around 40% and 25% faster for graphics than the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, respectively.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro with the highest-end M4 Max with a 40-core GPU has up to 85% as fast graphics as the Mac Studio with the highest-end M2 Ultra chip with a 76-core GPU, despite having 36 fewer GPU cores, according to the results.
Apple's video streaming subscription service, Apple TV+, launched five years ago today.
Announced at an Apple event in March 2019, Apple TV+ was part of a major services push that included Apple News+, Apple Card, and Apple Arcade. At its inception, Apple TV+ began with a modest library of original content, focusing on high-quality, exclusive series, films, and documentaries created in collaboration with renowned creators. The platform launched with titles like "The Morning Show," "See," "For All Mankind," and "Dickinson". Unlike many other streaming services, Apple TV+ did not rely on an extensive back catalog, instead building its library from scratch with original productions.
In the years since, Apple TV+ has expanded its lineup with a wide range of content, including acclaimed series like "Ted Lasso," "Severance," and "Foundation." The service has also made strides in children's programming, documentaries, and feature films, resulting in recognition from prestigious awards organizations. Apple TV+ has garnered multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award nominations and wins.
Available across a wide range of devices and platforms, Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 per month and as part of all Apple One subscription bundles.
Globalstar today announced an amended agreement with Apple that will see an expansion of the satellite services that support Apple features like Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My location updates that can now be handled in areas with no terrestrial Wi-Fi or cellular coverage in select countries.
According to the SEC filing by Globalstar, which is Apple's existing partner in providing satellite services, Globalstar will deliver a number of improvements to Apple including a new satellite constellation, expanded ground infrastructure to support the satellites and Apple's services, and increased global licensing of the new satellite services.
In exchange, Apple will make prepayments of up to $1.1 billion to support construction and launch of the new satellites and other expenses. Apple will also take a passive 20% equity interest in Globalstar at a cost of $400 million.
Apple's satellite services debuted in late 2022 on iPhone 14 models with the launch of Emergency SOS and Find My location updates via satellite in the U.S. and Canada, allowing users in remote areas to contact emergency services via text message. Over time, Apple's satellite services have expanded to additional countries and added new functions including Roadside Assistance in late 2023, and with iOS 18 this year, users can now communicate with others using iMessage and text messages via satellite even in non-emergency situations.
At the time of Apple's original satellite services launch in 2022, the company said the services would be offered for free for the first two years upon the purchase of a compatible phone, with a fee required beyond that time to continue using them. Apple has, however, extended the free service period and has yet to begin charging a fee. It is unclear at this point if or when Apple will begin charging for use of satellite services, and if so, what the fee will be.
Amazon today has introduced the first major discounts on Apple's new iPad mini. All of the deals on the iPad mini 7 in this article require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the discounts.
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 128GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7, you can get the Purple model for $399.99 with the on-page coupon, down from $499.00. Amazon also has the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 in Blue for $499.99, down from $599.00.
Note: You won't see the deal price until checkout.
Finally, Amazon has the 512GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 in Space Gray for $699.99, down from $799.00. There are currently no on-page coupon discounts for any of the cellular models of the iPad mini 7, and right now only Amazon has any notable markdown on the Wi-Fi models of the tablet.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
Update: The deal on the 128GB Wi-Fi model has expired, but the other two remain live.
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The first Geekbench 6 benchmark results for the high-end M4 Max chip with a 16-core CPU surfaced today, and they show that the chip is up to 25% faster than the high-end M2 Ultra chip with a 24-core CPU in terms of peak multi-core CPU performance.
M4 Pro chip benchmark results already surfaced in the Geekbench 6 database on Thursday. Based on the results available so far, the M4 Max appears to be up to 20% faster than the M4 Pro in terms of peak multi-core CPU performance.
Here is a comparison of the results (averaged):
MacBook Pro with M4 Max (16-core CPU): 26,675 multi-core score (highest result), 26,445 multi-core score (3 results)
Mac mini with M4 Pro (14-core CPU): 22,094 multi-core score (11 results)
M4 Max is now the fastest-ever Apple silicon chip in the Geekbench 6 database, surpassing the M2 Ultra that Apple released in the Mac Studio and Mac Pro in June 2023.
As we mentioned in our previous reporting, you can now purchase a Mac mini with a 14-core M4 Pro for $1,599 in the U.S. and get similar to faster peak performance than a Mac Studio with the 24-core M2 Ultra, a configuration that starts at $3,999. And if you want up to 25% faster performance than the M2 Ultra, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the 16-core M4 Max starts at the same $3,999 price as the Mac Studio.
WhatsApp has made it easier to organize your conversations with the global rollout of custom chat lists. This new feature expands on the chat filters introduced earlier this year, and offers a more personalized way to manage your messaging.
To create a custom list, tap the plus (+) icon in the filter bar at the top of the Chats tab. You can add both individual contacts and group chats to your lists, similar to how you might use favorites. For instance, you could create separate lists for family members, work colleagues, or neighborhood groups, allowing you to quickly find important conversations in your chats inbox.
New lists will appear alongside existing chat filters like "All," "Unread," and "Groups" in the filter bar. If you need to make changes, simply long-press on any list name to edit its contents, which will allow you to add or removing conversations as needed. Lists are rolling out to users today, and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks, according to WhatsApp.
WhatsApp recently also added a new Home Screen widget for iPhone users. After updating to version 24.21.81 or later, you can add the widget to access recent chats, favorites, pinned conversations, or frequently contacted friends directly from your iPhone Home Screen.
Google Maps is rolling out several new features to iOS and Android users this week, focusing on improved navigation and travel planning tools.
A new prominent "Add stops" button is being added alongside the Start button with the idea of simplifying route planning: It displays restaurants, gas stations, and points of interest along the way. This week's update also introduces weather disruption reporting, allowing drivers to mark and avoid hazards such as unplowed roads, flooding, or low visibility conditions.
In addition, arrival assistance is getting enhanced. Google Maps will now highlight nearby parking lots and prompt users to save their parking location. The app can then provide walking directions to the final destination using AR Live View navigation.
A more substantial navigation update is scheduled for next month, launching in over 30 metropolitan areas. This enhancement will provide clearer visualization of lanes, crosswalks, and road signs, with a blue line indicating the correct lane position during turns and merges.
Looking further ahead, Google has announced plans to integrate its Gemini AI technology into Maps in the coming months. This feature will allow users to ask natural language questions about locations and receive curated recommendations based on data from over 250 million places worldwide. The AI implementation will also provide summarized reviews and detailed answers about specific venues.
The iPhone SE 4 that's set to come out early next year is expected to debut Apple's first in-house 5G modem, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain.
In a research note this week with Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said Apple is expected to roll out its custom-made 5G modem starting with the next-generation iPhone SE 4. Apple's in-house modem will then be joined by a secondary Apple-made Wi-Fi 7 chip in the iPhone 17 Pro in the second half of 2025.
Pu has previously said that iPhone 17 Pro models in 2025 will be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip, which matches his latest expectations for adoption. Pu believes that both custom modem and Wi-Fi 7 chips will achieve majority adoption in iPhones by 2027.
Pu's forecast also tallies with predictions recently made by Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. On Thursday, Kuo said that at least one iPhone 17 model launching next year will be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip. Kuo also expects Apple's 5G modem to be used in the rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 model.
Kuo believes that Apple's 5G and Wi-Fi chips are currently two different chips that will gradually be used in new products simultaneously starting in the second half of 2025. The early switch-over timelines will differ due to separate production schedules, according to Kuo. As Pu also suggests, the iPhone SE 4 will move to an Apple 5G modem but still use a Broadcom Wi-Fi chip.
Apple's shift to develop its own modem and Wi-Fi chip technology would be a significant strategic move. Currently, Apple relies on Qualcomm to supply its modems, and Broadcom for its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth components. For example, all four iPhone 16 models already support Wi-Fi 7 with Broadcom's chip, but with some limited specifications. By creating its own equivalents, Apple aims to reduce dependency on third-parties, gain more control over the technology, and potentially lower costs in the long run.
The fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to have a similar design as the base iPhone 14, with rumored features including a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, a newer A-series chip, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of RAM to enable Apple Intelligence support, and of course the first-ever Apple-designed 5G modem. The new iPhone SE is expected to be released in the first half of 2025, with a launch in March or April most likely.
The first Geekbench 6 benchmark results for the M4 Pro chip surfaced today. Impressively, the results that are available so far show that the highest-end M4 Pro chip is faster than the highest-end M2 Ultra chip in terms of peak multi-core CPU performance.
Here is a comparison of the results:
Mac mini with M4 Pro (14-core CPU): 22,094 multi-core score (average of 11 results)
Based on these results, the M4 Pro now holds the record of being the fastest Apple silicon chip ever in the Geekbench 6 database. Of course, it will soon be surpassed by the M4 Max chip with a 16-core CPU, but no results are available for that chip as of writing. We will publish a follow-up report with the M4 Max results once they are available.
What this means is that you can now purchase a Mac mini with a 14-core M4 Pro for $1,599 in the U.S. and get similar to faster peak performance than a Mac Studio with the 24-core M2 Ultra, a configuration that starts at $3,999.
As for year-over-year performance improvements, the M4 Pro is up to 45% faster than the highest-end M3 Pro chip in terms of multi-core CPU performance, based on the Geekbench 6 results that are available so far.
Here is a comparison of the results:
Mac mini with M4 Pro (14-core CPU): 22,094 multi-core score (average of 11 results)
Apple held its earnings call for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2024 today (third calendar quarter), announcing quarterly revenue of $94.9 billion, up six percent year over year. During the call, Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri provided a look into Apple's performance, sales of the iPhone 16 models, Apple's services growth, and more.
We've rounded up the most interesting tidbits from the Q4 2024 earnings call below.
Apple's Profit
Revenue was up, but profit was down during the quarter because Apple had to make a one-time payment of $10.2 billion to settle tax issues in the European Union.
Apple Intelligence
In an interview with CNBC, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that iPhone 18.1 is encouraging customers to upgrade, and adoption rates are exceeding iOS 17.1 during the same time period last year.
"We're getting great feedback from customers and developers already and a really early stat, which is only three days worth of data: Users are adopting iOS 18.1 at twice the rate that they adopted 17.1 in the year ago quarter," Cook told CNBC.
Cook also said that Apple believes Apple Intelligence is a "compelling upgrade reason," but since it just launched three days ago, there's little data. "I could not be more excited about Apple Intelligence and the rollout in front of us," Cook said. He is using "future releases" and said it is "changing [his] daily life."
Apple is "moving as fast as possible" to bring Apple Intelligence to more countries "while ensuring quality." As for R&D, the level of intensity that Apple is putting into AI has "increased a lot," with some existing resources allocated to the new technology as well.
iPhone Sales
It's no surprise that iPhone sales were up during the quarter, as the iPhone 16 models launched in September. iPhone revenue was $46.2 billion, up from $43.8 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Cook said that iPhone 16 sales in September 2024 were stronger than iPhone 15 sales in September 2023.
Mac and iPad Sales
Mac and iPad Sales were up, with the Mac coming in at $7.7 billion, up from $7.6 billion in Q4 2023, and iPad revenue at $7 billion, up eight percent from $6.4 billion last year.
Wearables
Apple's wearables revenue fell this quarter, coming in at $9 billion, down three percent from $9.3 billion last year. Wearables revenue for fiscal 2024 was $37 billion, down from $39.9 billion in fiscal 2023.
Though wearables revenue was down, the Apple Watch install base reached a new all-time high, and more than half of customers who purchased an Apple Watch during the quarter were new to the product.
Services
Services revenue was almost $25 billion during the quarter, up from $22.3 billion in Q4 2023, and a new all-time record. Fiscal 2024 services revenue was $95 billion, up from $90 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Paid and transacting accounts reached a new all-time high, and paid accounts and paid subscriptions grew double digits year over year. Apple has more than 1 billion paid subscriptions across the services on its platform, which is double what it had four years ago.
Next Quarter
For the December quarter, Apple expects revenue to grow low to mid single digits year over year, with services revenue to grow double digits.
Farewell to Luca Maestri
This is Apple's final earnings call with Maestri, who is stepping down from his role on January 1, 2025 to lead the Corporate Services teams. Kevan Parekh will take over as Chief Financial Officer, joining Apple's executive team.
During the earnings call, Cook thanked Maestri for his "extraordinary service as Apple CFO," and said that during his 10 years in the role, Luca had done "truly exceptional work in shaping Apple as we know it today." Maestri said that serving as Apple CFO has "been a real privilege and an amazing journey."
The new Apple Intelligence features that Apple released in iOS 18.1 are spurring people to update to the new software, Apple CEO Tim Cook said today in an interview with CNBC.
Customers are downloading and installing iOS 18.1 at twice the rate that they adopted iOS 17.1 during the same timeframe last year, according to Cook.
Apple has not yet provided installation numbers for the iOS 18 update, so this is the first insight we've had into how iOS 18 adoption compares to iOS 17.
iOS 18.1 was released on Monday, and it brings Apple Intelligence capabilities to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the iPhone 16 models. It includes Writing Tools for proofreading text, a new Siri look and Type to Siri functionality, summaries and smart replies, a "Clean Up" tool for Photos, and more.
iOS 18.2, which is set to be released in December, is likely to encourage even more people to update, because it has the first Apple Intelligence image generation features like Image Playground and Genmoji.
Apple today announced financial results for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2024, which corresponds to the third calendar quarter of the year.
For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $94.9 billion and net quarterly profit of $14.7 billion, or $0.97 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $89.5 billion and net quarterly profit of $23.0 billion, or $1.46 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.
While revenue was up 6 percent year-over-year, Apple's profits were hit hard by a one-time charge of $10.2 billion over tax issues in the European Union. Without that one-time charge, Apple's profits would have been $1.64 per share, up 12 percent year-over-year.
Gross margin for the quarter was 46.2 percent, compared to 45.2 percent in the year-ago quarter. Apple also declared a quarterly dividend payment of $0.25 per share, payable on November 14 to shareholders of record as of November 11.
For the full fiscal year, Apple recorded $391.0 billion in sales and $93.7 billion in net income, compared to $383.3 billion in sales and $97.0 billion in net income for fiscal 2023.
"Today Apple is reporting a new September quarter revenue record of $94.9 billion, up 6 percent from a year ago," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "During the quarter, we were excited to announce our best products yet, with the all-new iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4, and remarkable features for hearing health and sleep apnea detection. And this week, we released our first set of features for Apple Intelligence, which sets a new standard for privacy in AI and supercharges our lineup heading into the holiday season."
As has been the case for over four years now, Apple is once again not issuing guidance for the current quarter ending in December.
Apple will provide live streaming of its fiscal Q4 2024 financial results conference call at 2:00 pm Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.
With the launch of new M4 Macs this week, Apple introduced USB-C versions of the Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard to continue on with phasing out the Lightning port. Apple users who plan to buy these new accessories should be aware that there are some software limitations currently.
The new USB-C accessories require macOS Sequoia 15.1 to work properly, and as noted on the MacRumors forums, earlier versions of macOS do not work. There are reports from users running macOS Sonoma and Ventura who are having issues with the new devices. With the keyboard, Touch ID and function keys don't work, and with the Magic Mouse, the scrolling doesn't function. In some cases, the accessories are recognized as older devices, inhibiting proper functionality.
This isn't a problem limited to just people running older versions of macOS, because there are also reports from developers who have installed the first macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta. It appears that the macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta was released before Apple could add in support for the new Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad.
macOS Sequoia 15.1 seems to be required to use the accessories as intended at the current time. For those who had an older version of macOS, updating to macOS Sequoia 15.1 did solve the functionality issues, and Apple should be adding support to the macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta in the near future.
For Snoopy fans who use the Snoopy watch face on the Apple Watch, Apple has a selection of Halloween-themed animations that are available today.
The Snoopy watch face cycles through different animated scenes featuring Snoopy and Woodstock, so the Halloween options will come up randomly if you're using the Snoopy watch face.
There are at least three Halloween faces, including a mummy version Snoopy that walks across the watch display before disappearing, Snoopy in a pumpkin jumping out to say Boo to Woodstock, and Snoopy with a treat bag that Woodstock drops a treat into. Apple added these last year, but they are available for a limited time again.
Apple has quite a few different Snoopy watch faces available, but the Halloween options will likely come up at least a few times during the day with the Snoopy watch face set.
OpenAI today announced the addition of ChatGPT Search to ChatGPT, allowing for improved AI-based internet searches. OpenAI says that ChatGPT is able to search the web "in a much better way than before," with the chatbot able to provide links to relevant web sources like a traditional search engine.
ChatGPT Search uses ChatGPT-4o, and it is available now on the ChatGPT website and in the desktop and mobile apps for those who have ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Teams. ChatGPT users who have been on the SearchGPT waitlist will also have access today, with OpenAI planning to bring the feature to enterprise and education users in the next few weeks. ChatGPT Search will roll out to all free users over the coming months.
Searches can be initiated based on what you ask or by clicking on the web search icon in the ChatGPT interface. With ChatGPT Search, you can ask a question using conversational language and get web info, along with more information through follow-up questions. ChatGPT maintains context, so the entire conversation can be used to get a tailored answer to a query.
OpenAI says that it has partnered with news and data providers to offer up-to-date information for categories like weather, stocks, sports, news, and maps. Searches with ChatGPT will include links to sources like news articles and blog posts for learning more about an answer. The sources button below the response will provide a sidebar with all of the references used.
OpenAI has partnered with multiple media companies, including Axel Springer, Condé Nast, Dotdash Meredith, Financial Times, GEDI, Hearst, Le Monde, News Corp, Prisa (El País), Reuters, The Atlantic, Time, and Vox Media. Websites and publishers can opt-in to appearing in ChatGPT searches.
SearchGPT, a prototype AI search engine, was introduced earlier this year, and OpenAI tested it with a select group of users before rolling out ChatGPT search integration.
Apple's 256GB 13-inch M2 MacBook Air is back down to its all-time low price of $699.99 with the use of an on-page coupon. This is $299 off the original price of the 2022 computer.
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.
Shoppers should note that this is the older version of the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM. This week, Apple updated the entire MacBook Air lineup and it now starts with 16GB of RAM. We haven't yet tracked discounts on the 16GB models, but today's discount is still a great deal if you think 8GB of RAM is enough for your needs.
Note: You won't see the deal price until checkout.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
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Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well.
While not all advertised Apple Intelligence features will be available immediately, iOS 18.2 introduces several capabilities that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 10 new things your iPhone will be able to do when the update rolls out in December.
Adjust Media Volume on Lock Screen
Prior to 2022, the volume slider was a familiar presence on the Lock Screen whenever media was playing. When Apple released iOS 16, however, it removed the control without explaining the reason, much to the dismay of many users.
Thankfully, Apple is bringing the control back as an option in iOS 18.2. If you're already on the iOS 18.2 beta, you'll find a toggle in Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Audio & Visual, labeled "Always Show Volume Control". Enable the switch, and you'll be able to adjust volume from the Lock Screen without having to unlock your iPhone or use the physical volume buttons.
Play Daily Sudoku Puzzles
With iOS 18.2, Apple News+ subscribers in the U.S. will gain access to daily sudoku puzzles, offering easy, moderate, and challenging difficulty levels. A scoreboard will keep track of your sudoku statistics, including the total number of puzzles solved and your fastest completion times for each difficulty level.
This addition will be the fourth puzzle game available with an Apple News+ subscription, joining Crossword, Crossword Mini, and Quartiles.
Easily Manage Default Apps
iOS 18.2 includes a new "Default Apps" section that can be found in the Settings app, which can be used to manage your default apps for the iPhone. This is a feature that Apple promised would be coming to the European Union, but it looks as if it may become available worldwide, based on the beta.
In the latest beta, US users can access the Default App interface to choose their preferred Email, Call Filtering, Browser, and Passwords, and Keyboards. EU users should have more options for choosing non-Apple apps as their default, as they are able to delete core apps like Messages, App Store, Safari, Camera, and Photos.
Categorize Emails in Mail
In iOS 18.2, Apple is introducing an updated version of the Mail app for built-in categorization. Mail Categories effectively organize your incoming emails into distinct sections for easier navigation.
Important emails are grouped in a "Primary" category, while other types are categorized into three additional sections. The "Transactions" section streamlines access to receipts, orders, and shipping information, allowing you to quickly locate your purchases. Meanwhile, the "Updates" section gathers newsletters, appointment reminders, and various subscription emails, keeping you informed. Lastly, the "Promotions" category highlights special offers and promotional messages, to make sure you don’t miss out on any deals.
Generate Images Using Prompts
Image Playground is a totally new app designed to help you create images based on your ideas. Similar to ChatGPT, you can generate images by providing a prompt, and Apple offers suggested categories like themes, locations, and costumes to inspire your creativity. The app specializes in stylized content, meaning the generated images won't be realistic, but can choose from Animation and Illustration styles.
Additionally, you can include likenesses of friends and family by pulling images directly from your Photos app. While Image Playground functions as a standalone app, it can also be integrated into apps like Notes and Messages and added to third-party applications.
Generate Images With Sketches
In the Notes app, Image Wand can be used to generate an image that fits into the content of your note. You can use it by circling an empty space – Image Wand will create a new image that's inspired by your text. Alternatively, you can draw something with your finger and circle it with the tool to get a new related image. And on iPad, you can draw a sketch with the Apple Pencil to have Image Wand generate an appropriate image.
Create Custom Emoji Characters
Genmoji are akin to traditional emojis but offer enhanced functionality. With Genmoji, you can create virtually any emoji you desire, freeing you from the limitations of the standard emoji set.
While they function like emojis on Apple devices, they are not encoded characters from the Unicode Consortium. Instead, Apple developed a unique API for Genmoji, ensuring they display correctly in any application that supports rich text. You can generate a Genmoji by providing a description of your desired design, and you even have the option to create Genmoji that resemble individuals from your Photos library.
Query ChatGPT via Siri
Apple is collaborating with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT into the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This partnership allows Siri to handle complex requests by referring them to ChatGPT, such as generating images or creating text from scratch. With the Writing Tools feature, ChatGPT can produce and illustrate original content, expanding its capabilities beyond what Siri can currently offer.
For instance, you can open a lengthy PDF and ask Siri to summarize information on a specific topic; Siri can then pass this request to ChatGPT to generate a comprehensive summary. Apple envisions Siri as a facilitator for AI models and tools, optimizing available resources to provide you with answers without the need to switch between multiple apps.
Visual Intelligence
If you have an iPhone 16, you can make use of Visual Intelligence, a feature that offers insights about your surroundings. For instance, when you open the camera and aim it at a restaurant, you'll receive details such as opening hours and reviews.
Additional capabilities of Visual Intelligence include reading text aloud, identifying phone numbers and addresses for adding to Contacts, copying text, and summarizing information. Users can also search Google to find where to purchase a specific item they see, and by pointing the camera at an object, they can access further information through ChatGPT. Apple intends to enhance this feature by introducing more functionalities in the future.
More Options in Writing Tools
Apple is upgrading the Writing Tools feature to include options for more open-ended modifications. In iOS 18.1, Writing Tools can only adjust the tone to friendly, professional, or a simplified version. However, with the release of iOS 18.2, users will be able to specify the desired tone or content changes, such as incorporating more action words or transforming an email into a poem.
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.
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.
