MacRumors

At its "Unleashed" event last week, Apple announced that the HomePod mini will be available in three new colors starting in November, including yellow, orange, and blue. The new colors will be sold alongside the existing space gray and white options.

Apple has yet to provide a specific release date for the new colors, but in Europe and India, the timeframe is slightly narrowed down. Specifically, Apple's online store says the HomePod mini will be available in yellow, orange, and blue in "late November" in the U.K., Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and India.

In other countries where the new HomePod mini colors will be available, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Taiwan, Apple's online store simply mentions "November" availability.

AppleTrack's Sam Kohl today reported that he is "hearing" that the new HomePod mini colors will be available to order starting Monday, November 1, which is the same day that the Beats Fit Pro are rumored to launch. If this date is accurate, it would suggest that the new colors will be released first in countries like the U.S. and Canada, followed by European countries and India. We'll find out if this rumor is true in just five days.

Beyond the new colors, there are no hardware-related changes to the HomePod mini, and pricing will remain at $99 in the United States.

Apple today released Safari 15.1 for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina, giving Mac users who do not have macOS Monterey installed access to the latest Safari features.

Safari 15.1 reintroduces the previous tab design that was available prior to Safari 15. With Monterey and Safari 15, Apple introduced a new "Compact" look that changed the design of the tabs and unified them with the URL bar, but many people were not fond of that design.

In Safari 15.1, Apple undid those design changes and returned Safari to its pre-Monterey look, doing away with the updated design and the feature that blended the top bar in Safari with the background color of websites. Those who liked the new design can still enable it in Safari preferences, but the old design is the default.

Safari can be downloaded on machines running macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina by going to System Preferences > Updates. If you have macOS Monterey 12.0.1 installed, you already have Safari 15.1.

Update: We've learned from Apple that the Communication Safety code found in the first iOS 15.2 beta is not a feature in that update and Apple does not plan to release the feature as it is described in the article.

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Apple this summer announced new Child Safety Features that are designed to keep children safer online. One of those features, Communication Safety, appears to be included in the iOS 15.2 beta that was released today. This feature is distinct from the controversial CSAM initiative, which has been delayed.

Based on code found in the iOS 15.2 beta by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, Communication Safety is being introduced in the update. The code is there, but we have not been able to confirm that the feature is active because it requires sensitive photos to be sent to or from a device set up for a child.

As Apple explained earlier this year, Communication Safety is built into the Messages app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It will warn children and their parents when sexually explicit photos are received or sent from a child's device, with Apple using on-device machine learning to analyze image attachments.

If a sexually explicit photo is flagged, it is automatically blurred and the child is warned against viewing it. For kids under 13, if the child taps the photo and views it anyway, the child's parents will be alerted.

Code in iOS 15.2 features some of the wording that children will see.

• You are not alone and can always get help from a grownup you trust or with trained professionals. You can also block this person.
• You are not alone and can always get help from a grownup you trust or with trained professionals. You can also leave this conversation or block contacts.
• Talk to someone you trust if you feel uncomfortable or need help.
• This photo will not be shared with Apple, and your feedback is helpful if it was incorrectly marked as sensitive.
• Message a Grownup You Trust.
• Hey, I would like to talk with you about a conversation that is bothering me.
• Sensitive photos and videos show the private body parts that you cover with bathing suits.
• It's not your fault, but sensitive photos can be used to hurt you.
• The person in this may not have given consent to share it. How would they feel knowing other people saw it?
• The person in this might not want it seen-it could have been shared without them knowing. It can also be against the law to share.
• Sharing nudes to anyone under 18 years old can lead to legal consequences.
• If you decide to view this, your parents will get a notification to make sure you're OK.
• Don't share anything you don't want to. Talk to someone you trust if you feel pressured.
• Do you feel OK? You're not alone and can always talk to someone who's trained to help here.

There are specific phrases for both children under 13 and children over 13, as the feature has different behaviors for each age group. As mentioned above, if a child over 13 views a nude photo, their parents will not be notified, but if a child under 13 does so, parents will be alerted. All of these Communication Safety features must be enabled by parents and are available for Family Sharing groups.

• Nude photos and videos can be used to hurt people. Once something's shared, it can't be taken back.
• It's not your fault, but sensitive photos and videos can be used to hurt you.
• Even if you trust who you send this to now, they can share it forever without your consent.
• Whoever gets this can share it with anyone-it may never go away. It can also be against the law to share.

Apple in August said that these Communication Safety features would be added in updates to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey later this year, and iMessage conversations remain end-to-end encrypted and are not readable by Apple.

Communication Safety was also announced alongside a new CSAM initiative that will see Apple scanning photos for Child Sexual Abuse Material. This has been highly controversial and heavily criticized, leading Apple to choose to "take additional time over the coming months" to make improvements before introducing the new functionality.

At the current time, there is no sign of CSAM wording in the iOS 15.2 beta, so Apple may first introduce Communication Safety before implementing the full suite of Child Safety Features.

Apple's long-awaited third-generation AirPods launched yesterday alongside new MacBook Pro models, and we picked up a pair to compare them to the AirPods Pro. If you're wondering whether you should choose the ‌AirPods Pro‌ or the AirPods 3 when buying AirPods for the first time or upgrading, this comparison video should help.

There are a couple of key differences between the AirPods 3 and the ‌AirPods Pro‌. The AirPods 3 have no silicone ear tips and they don't offer Active Noise Cancellation, so if you prefer the kind of fit you get with silicone tips or really want ANC, that rules the AirPods 3 out right away.

There's also price to consider. Apple is charging $179 for the AirPods 3 and $250 for the ‌AirPods Pro‌, so that's a $70 upgrade if you're going for ‌AirPods Pro‌ over AirPods 3. That sounds like a lot, but you can often get discounts on the AirPods Pro on Amazon and other sites, which makes price a bit less of a factor. Right now, AirPods are $220 (or $200 without the new MagSafe case), so if you score a deal, you can pick up ‌AirPods Pro‌ for around $40 more.

Some people will get a better fit with silicone tips, and some will prefer the tipless design of the AirPods 3. Apple introduced a new contoured shape for the AirPods 3 that's meant to better stay in the ears, and we've found that they fit well and provide a good seal for improved sound compared to prior-generation models. Reviewers with smaller ears have found the AirPods 3 to be a bit big, so if that's your situation, you might want to choose the ‌AirPods Pro‌.

Adaptive EQ customizes sound for each person's ears based on the fit of the AirPods 3, which also boosts sound. There's less difference in sound quality between the AirPods 3 and ‌AirPods Pro‌ than there was with the AirPods 2 and the ‌AirPods Pro‌ because of the new fit and the Adaptive EQ, but you're going to get the tightest fit and most noise blocking with the ‌AirPods Pro‌.

With the exception of the silicone tips and ANC, AirPods 3 and ‌AirPods Pro‌ share the same general feature set. Quick pairing, fast device switching, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and Hey Siri support are features of both models, and they share the same force sensor for controlling music and MagSafe Charging Case (so long as you get the upgraded ‌AirPods Pro‌ model).

As for battery life, if you're looking for the longest lasting earbuds, pick the AirPods 3. The case and AirPods combined offer up to 30 hours of listening time, while the ‌AirPods Pro‌ offer 24 hours.

The AirPods 3 and ‌AirPods Pro‌ have a lot in common, so it comes down to fit and sound preference. For ANC and the best quality sound among Apple's in-ear AirPods, choose the ‌AirPods Pro‌. For the best battery life and the best price, choose the AirPods.

Make sure to watch the video up above for our full comparison, and if you're still having trouble deciding, we have a more in-depth breakdown in our AirPods 3 vs. AirPods Buyer's Guide.

Just a few days after releasing iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1, Apple has seeded the first betas of iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 to developers for testing purposes, with the update adding promised iOS 15 features like App Privacy Report.

App Privacy Report

App Privacy Report is one of the iOS 15 additions that Apple showed off at WWDC. It's a new privacy feature that's designed to allow users to see how often apps have accessed their sensitive info like location, photos, camera, microphone, and contacts across the last seven days.

It's also set up to show which apps have contacted other domains and how recently they've contacted them so you can keep an eye on what apps are doing behind the scenes.

App Privacy Report is available by opening up the Settings app, selecting the Privacy section, and choosing App Privacy Report. From there, you can toggle it on. After you use apps for some time, data will begin showing up in this spot.

Emergency SOS

Auto Call, the feature that lets call emergency services with a series of button presses, has been updated in iOS 15.2. You can now press the side button rapidly multiple times to initiate, or hold down the side button and the volume button together.

There's now a longer eight-second countdown before a call is placed, which is up from the prior three-second countdown.

Notification Summary

As noted on Reddit, Notification Summary has a new look with more of a card-style view that makes it easier to see at a glance what's included in the summary.

Communication Safety

According to iOS 15.2 code, the update adds the Communication Safety feature that Apple announced earlier this year. Communication Safety is built into the Messages app on
iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and it will warn children and their parents when sexually explicit photos are received or sent from a child's device, with Apple using on-device machine learning to analyze image attachments.

Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 15.2 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming one day 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.

According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 15.2 introduces App Privacy Report, a feature that allows users to view App Activity in a new section of the Settings app. Go to Settings > Privacy > App Privacy Report > Turn on App Privacy Report. Data will begin showing up once apps are in use.

There are also some other iOS 15 features that have yet to be released, so we could perhaps also see those introduced in the new betas. Legacy Contact, the feature that allows users to choose a person to access their Apple ID in the event of their death, has not been added to iOS 15 as of yet, and Apple still hasn't implemented Universal Control in iPadOS or macOS Monterey, nor has it added support for keys and IDs in the Wallet app.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 8.3 beta to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming just a few days 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 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.

We don't yet know what's new in the watchOS 8.3 update, but if new features are found, we'll update this article.

Apple Music is available on the PlayStation 5 from today, offering the first fully integrated ‌Apple Music‌ experience on a game console, Sony has announced.

The news comes after weeks of the ‌Apple Music‌ app intermittently appearing for PS5 users with no official word on the development from Apple or Sony. ‌Apple Music‌ on the PS5 allows subscribers to play more than 90 million songs, as well as a host of curated playlists and radio stations directly from their console. The app also supports music video playback in resolutions up to 4K.

‌Apple Music‌ allows users to listen in a variety of ways, including in the background or during gameplay. Music videos also support continuous playback when navigating to and from the ‌Apple Music‌ app.

In addition to opening the ‌Apple Music‌ app, users can access ‌Apple Music‌ during gameplay by pressing the PS button on the DualSense wireless controller to access Control Center and the Music Function card. The Music Function card can display ‌Apple Music‌ recommendations to match the game that is currently being played, present playlists from a user's library, or even offer options to play ‌Apple Music‌ playlists specifically curated for gaming.

PS5 users can download the ‌Apple Music‌ app from the Media space and simply need to follow the on-screen instructions to link their ‌Apple Music‌ account. The process involves either scanning a QR code from an Apple device or manually entering Apple ID credentials. Apple also today updated its support document for Apple Music on Smart TVs to include game consoles.

iFixit has shared a teaser of its 14-inch MacBook Pro teardown, and one noteworthy detail is the inclusion of pull tabs for the battery cells, which the repair website said will allow for easier do-it-yourself battery replacements.

The four outer battery cells have easily-noticeable iPhone-like pull tabs, and once the trackpad is removed, there are cutouts in the chassis to access the pull tabs that hold the middle two battery cells in place, according to iFixit. The pull tabs are likely in the new 16-inch MacBook Pro too given it has a similar internal layout as the 14-inch model.

Since the release of the first MacBook Pro with a Retina display in 2012, the battery cells have been glued into the "top case," a large part housing the keyboard and trackpad. When an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider needs to replace the battery in these previous MacBook Pro models, they must replace the entire top case, although the customer only pays a battery service fee of $129 to $199 out of warranty. It's unclear if the pull tabs will result in a change to this procedure, but they will certainly benefit do-it-yourself repairs by making the battery cells more easily accessible.

The new MacBook Pro models launched on Tuesday after being unveiled last week. iFixit said it will be sharing its full teardown of the new MacBook Pro soon, and in the meantime, some customers have already popped theirs open, giving us a first look inside.

2018 and newer MacBook Air models are also equipped with battery pull tabs.

Amazon's Omni and 4-Series Fire TVs will support AirPlay 2 and HomeKit in a future update, the company has announced (via The Verge).

Amazon's Omni and 4-Series Omni TVs launch today, featuring 4K HDR, voice controls with Amazon Alexa, and close integration with the Fire TV user experience. Upon the launch of the new TVs, Amazon today announced that it plans to add support for ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and ‌HomeKit‌ "soon."

‌AirPlay‌ 2 will allow users to easily play content from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to an Amazon TV, while ‌HomeKit‌ integration allows some of the TV's functions to be controlled from the Home app or with Siri.

Amazon first expressed interest in ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and ‌HomeKit‌ when it enabled these features on its 2020 model year "Fire TV Edition" TVs made by Toshiba and Insignia, but they are unavailable on standalone plug-in Fire TV streaming devices. Progressively more brands have been adding AirPlay 2 and HomeKit functionality in recent months, but it is still unavailable on most TV sets.

Adorama today has further discounted Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro, beating the current Amazon sale on the 8-core 512GB model by about $50. You can get the 512GB 14-inch MacBook Pro for $1,899.00, down from $1,999.00.

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

This is now the best deal we've ever tracked on this MacBook Pro model among the major Apple resellers online, and as of writing it's only available at Adorama. Adorama lists the notebook as "coming soon," so the MacBook Pro won't ship out immediately, but you can still lock in the sale price today ahead of a later shipping date.

You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.

Ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, Apple today announced that it is adding 10 new projects for its "Power for Impact" initiative, which looks to bring clean energy solutions to communities around the world, and has more than doubled the number of its suppliers committed to using 100 percent clean energy over the past year.

Apple announced its Power for Impact initiative in 2019, designed to provide communities with renewable energy while promoting economic and social growth. One of the 10 new Power for Impact projects involves working with the Oceti Sakowin Power Authority in the United States to collaboratively develop renewable energy resources for the wholesale market, with the objective of creating a large-scale wind power development in the Midwest. Apple CEO Tim Cook said:

Every company should be a part of the fight against climate change, and together with our suppliers and local communities, we're demonstrating all of the opportunity and equity green innovation can bring. We're acting with urgency, and we're acting together. But time is not a renewable resource, and we must act quickly to invest in a greener and more equitable future.

Other projects in South Africa, Nigeria, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Colombia, and Israel seek to provide renewable energy to healthcare and educational institutions, as well as surrounding households, using rooftop solar installations. Apple believes that this will create a source of local revenue and lower energy costs, freeing up funds for educational scholarships, equipment, and medication.

Apple added that 175 of its suppliers have now committed to using renewable energy. This includes 19 suppliers in the United States, 19 in Europe, 50 in China, and 31 in India, Japan, and South Korea. The company said that the suppliers are also scaling up their use of renewable energy across their operations, beyond their business with Apple alone. Apple and its suppliers will bring more than nine gigawatts on-grid around the world, avoiding over 18 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, the equivalent of taking over four million cars off of the road each year.

Apple has also expanded the amount of recycled material that it uses in its products, working with suppliers to move toward a "circular system" that attempts to reduce the need for carbon-intensive mining. This includes recycled sources of gold, cobalt, aluminum, rare earth elements, and more.

Related to its recycling efforts, Apple highlighted that the iPhone 13 Pro has an 11 percent smaller carbon footprint compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, while the new 16.2-inch MacBook Pro has an eight percent smaller carbon footprint compared to the previous model.

The efforts are part of Apple's goal to reach carbon neutrality across its business by 2030, meaning that every Apple device sold will have a net-zero climate impact. Apple has already reduced its carbon emissions by 40 percent over the past five years.

DJI today announced the launch of its latest compact camera, the DJI Action 2, which is an update to the original DJI Action. DJI constructed the Action 2 with an interchangeable and adaptive magnetic design that can accommodate a number of accessories for framing, shooting, and monitoring.

The Action 2 is smaller and more powerful than the original Action camera, weighing in at 56 grams. The modular design and accompanying accessories allow the Action 2 to be used for a range of activities, from biking to surfing to vlogging.

According to DJI, the Action 2 is dustproof, waterproof, and drop-proof, so it is ideal for adventuring and extreme sports. There's a 1/1.7-inch sensor that can record 4K video at up to 120 frames per second, and it has a 155 degree super wide field of view for capturing more of a scene.

There's a Color Temperature Sensor that's designed to maintain color tones in complex lighting conditions and underwater recording, plus the camera includes DJI's Electronic Image Stabilization technology to keep footage smooth.

Other video features include Slow Motion, Hyperlapse and Timelapse, QuickClip for capturing short videos, and livestreaming support. The Action 2 can also be used as a USB video device class for a computer for live gaming broadcasts and conference calls.

The DJI Action 2 has a 1.76-inch OLED touchscreen, and an additional OLED screen can be added on with a front touchscreen module that attaches to the bottom of the camera unit. With this setup, the Action 2 turns into an ideal selfie and vlogging camera option.

On its own, the DJI Action 2 lasts for up to 70 minutes, but there are also several add-on options to increase battery life. The Front Touchscreen Module boosts battery life to 160 minutes, and the Power Module allows for 180 minutes of usage before a recharge is needed.

DJI has designed a whole range of accessories for the Action Cam 2. In addition to the aforementioned Front Touchscreen Module and Power Module, there's a Magnetic Lanyard for wearing the camera, a Magnetic Ball-Joint Adapter Mount, a Magnetic Adapter Mount, a Remote Control Extension Rod, a Floating Handle for use in the water, a Waterproof Case, a Magnetic Headband for head-mounted video, a micrphone with a recording range of 200 meters, and a Macro Lens for close-up shots.

The DJI Action 2 Dual-Screen Combo will be available for purchase starting on November 2 from the DJI website, with other accessories set to come out in mid-November. The Dual-Screen Combo is priced at $519 and includes a Front Touchscreen Module, Magnetic Lanyard, Magnetic Ball- Joint Adapter Mount, and Magnetic Adapter Mount.

DJI is also offering a Power Combo for $399 that includes the Action 2 Camera, Power Module, Magnetic Lanyard, and Magnetic Adapter Mount.

Several customers awaiting deliveries of their new redesigned MacBook Pros are being told that their shipments are being delayed due to "mechanical" issues impacting UPS, a courier used by Apple to ship its devices worldwide.

"A mechanical failure has caused a delay" is the message several customers are being told when they track their new MacBook Pro shipment. Customers on the MacRumors Forum are also reporting that UPS is sending emails to customers informing them of unknown mechanical failures and that estimated delivery dates will vary depending on the conditions on the ground.

The mechanical failures, possibly about aircraft, are causing shipments of MacBook Pros, and presumably, other consumer electronic devices, to be left stationary on the ground in cities in China. Some shipments are still on-the-ground in Shanghai and Seoul, South Korea, and publicly available flight records show few UPS flights scheduled to depart either city today, at the time of writing.

Cologne, Germany, serves as one of UPS' main hubs in Europe and is where ‌MacBook Pro‌ shipments are likely to arrive from Asia before being sent to customers across Europe. One UPS flight from Seoul to Cologne that was scheduled for later today has been canceled, as noted on Reddit. Customers are also sharing their frustrations on Twitter.

"Your shipment is currently within the UPS network; however, an unforeseen event has occurred which could result in a change to the scheduled delivery date" is another message being broadcast to customers. Customers awaiting delivery for their new MacBook Pros should keep an eye out on their tracking page for any updates. Customers can also keep a close tab on the MacRumors Forums for updates.

It remains unclear if other Apple shipments, such as the newly launched third-generation AirPods, are also being impacted.

If you bought a new MacBook Pro and you're having a hard time acclimatizing to the notch at the top of the screen in the middle of the menu bar, there's an app for that.

The inclusion of a display notch on the redesigned MacBook Pros was a surprise to most observers and was one of the few last-minute rumors that surfaced ahead of their unveiling.

Some have since criticized Apple's design choice of adding a notch, but Apple has pushed back against criticism by saying that it's a "smart way" of giving users more room for their content, because it allowed the bezels to be made thinner for added screen real estate.

If that logic doesn't pass your scrutiny, the following apps are available. While they don't outright cancel the notch, they at least make its existence less obvious by forcing a black menu bar, similar to how macOS Monterey adds a black bezel to the top of the display when apps are in fullscreen mode, only by adapting your chosen wallpaper instead, like so.

Forehead (free): Besides letting you switch between your default wallpaper and a black notchless one, Forehead includes options to round the corners of the screen, similar to the rounded top corners of the new MacBook Pros. The ability to simulate a notch on older Macs is coming in an update.

TopNotch (free): Offers the same features as Forehead, and also supports Dynamic Wallpapers, works with multiple displays and spaces, and remains in the background and detects for wallpaper changes.

De-Notch-ifier (€9.95): Offers the same features as TopNotch, just in the form of a dropdown menu in the menu bar. De-Notch-ifier isn't a completely new app, rather it's a pre-configured version of Boring Old Menu Bar that gives you a boring old non-transparent menu bar on macOS Big Sur and later. If you buy one app, you get the other for free.

Own a new MacBook Pro? What do you think of the notch now that you've spent some time with it? Let us know in the comments.

Russia's FAS, or Federal Antimonopoly Service, has launched a formal investigation into Apple over alleged violation of antitrust laws about the App Store and Apple's restrictions that do not allow developers to link to third-party payment methods outside of the platform.

In August, FAS issued a warning to Apple to "stop violating antimonopoly legislation" by not inhibiting developers from directing users to make in-app purchases from outside the ‌App Store‌, such as on the web. Apple "did not comply with the warning," according to a press release from the agency, and therefore a case has been opened against Apple on the grounds of violating antitrust laws.

"If Apple is found to be in violation of the Competition Law, it could face a turnover penalty on the amount of market revenue," the agency added. FAS stopped short of specifying how much a fine would be or under what timeframe.

Apple is no stranger to being scrutinized in Russia and by the FAS. This past April, the Cupertino tech giant was fined $12 million for violating anti-monopoly rules with the ‌App Store‌. Just a month earlier, Apple had agreed to comply with the Russian government's request that users be shown government-approved apps to download during initial device setup.

Apple has already announced steps it plans to take early next year to ease ‌App Store‌ restrictions. As part of a deal to close an investigation in Japan, Apple announced in September that it would allow "reader" apps to link to external websites in their apps. These links to external websites can help users set up or manage an account.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.