MacRumors

The first developer beta of visionOS 2.2 came out yesterday, and it includes a much anticipated new feature for Vision Pro users. When using the Vision Pro as a display for a Mac, there are now options to use wide and ultrawide layouts in addition to the standard virtual display.

We thought we'd check out the new display settings for those who might be interested in seeing how this changes the Vision Pro Mac workflow.

With the wide display option, there's enough screen real estate to use four apps at once without compromising on window size. Ultrawide bumps up the available space even more, and it's almost too much display space.

Using the ultrawide setting is like having multiple curved Mac displays in front of you to handle your Mac apps, and then you can also add in visionOS apps to better utilize the virtual space around you. The larger screen sizes for the Mac do improve productivity because there's so much more space to work with.

Note that you still can't use multiple Mac windows when mirroring your Mac display to your Vision Pro, but the wide and ultrawide provide so much space that it's essentially the same function. Apple says that the ultrawide mode is equivalent to using two 4K monitors side by side.

In addition to adding these display modes, Apple improved the quality of the virtual displays so they're crisper and higher resolution, plus audio plays from the Vision Pro rather than the Mac so it sounds better.

visionOS 2.2 is in beta right now, but it will see a launch alongside macOS Sequoia 15.2 and iOS 18.2 in early December.

MacRumors readers can get 20 percent off a collection of Anker's best chargers, power banks, cables, hubs, and docks this month, just in time for holiday shopping. In order to get this deal, head to Anker's website and add an accessory to your cart, then enter the code akmacrumors20ch at checkout to see the discount.

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

Our exclusive 20 percent off code works on most accessories sitewide, including Anker's new line of MagSafe-compatible products. Our code does not stack with any existing offers, including any early access Black Friday deals. We've collected some of the best accessories to use our code on in the list below. In some cases Anker's own on-page coupons are better, so we have marked them as such.

Anker is also currently hosting a new Black Friday event where you can buy two accessories to get 20 percent off, or buy three for 25 percent off, so if you plan on buying in bulk this may be a better offer. There are also mystery boxes where you can spend up to $79.99 in order to win a piece of gear worth as much as $799.00.

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Power Banks

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Accessories

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• MagGo USB-C Adapter - $23.10 with on-page coupon, down from $34.99
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Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

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Apple's employee count grew in 2024, despite reports that the company had at least four incidents of smaller-scale layoffs this year.

As of late September, Apple had approximately 164,000 full-time employees worldwide, the company disclosed in a filing last week. That's up from the 161,000 full-time employees that Apple reported a year ago. These figures include corporate employees, such as software engineers, and retail employees at its stores.

Apple now has as many employees as it did in 2022, following a slight decrease last year.

Apple's full-time employee counts by year, per the company's filings:

• 2024: 164,000
• 2023: 161,000
• 2022: 164,000
• 2021: 154,000
• 2020: 147,000
• 2019: 137,000
• 2018: 132,000

Apple laid off more than 600 employees this year after canceling its long-running electric vehicle project, according to a notice the company filed in California. The company also relocated a Siri evaluation team from San Diego, California to Austin, Texas, and some on the 120-person team who were not willing to make the long-distance move were laid off.

Apple also cut around 100 jobs across its Apple Books and Apple News teams this year, and laid off some employees after abandoning its plan to develop in-house Apple Watch displays with micro-LED technology, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

While some other tech companies like Google and Microsoft have laid off tens of thousands of employees over the past two years, Apple has managed to avoid larger-scale layoffs in that time. With its employee count once again at an all-time high, and its quarterly revenues in record territory again, Apple is heading into 2025 on a good note.

When choosing a new Mac, one of the most important decisions you'll make is how much memory to configure. This guide helps you to work out how much RAM you need.

With the advent of Apple silicon and its unified memory architecture in 2020, the traditional understanding of RAM has evolved, leading to new considerations for users when selecting a memory option. Unlike traditional PC RAM, where separate components like the CPU and GPU each have their own dedicated memory pools, Apple's unified memory architecture allows all processing units to access a single, shared pool of high-bandwidth, low-latency memory.

As a result, in Apple silicon systems, data doesn't need to be copied between multiple memory areas, significantly improving speed and power efficiency. By uniting memory, Apple devices with this technology theoretically deliver superior performance across multitasking, creative workflows, and demanding applications while minimizing the latency typically associated with data transfer between separate memory types. With the optimizations of macOS, this means that less memory can go further than before, for most Mac users.

All Mac models now start with 16GB of memory, up from 8GB, with the option to upgrade to higher configurations with build-to-order models. However, choosing to do so can add considerable cost to the base price of a new Mac.

To help you make the best choice for your workflow and budget, here's a breakdown of who should choose each memory tier currently available in the entire Mac lineup and why it may be the right fit for you:

• 16GB: General users, students, and professionals with standard workloads should opt for 16GB. This configuration is perfect for those who primarily browse the web, stream content, use productivity apps, and perform multitasking. Thanks to the performance of Apple silicon and the efficiency of macOS, 16GB is more than sufficient for a smooth experience with everyday tasks.
• 24GB: Users who need slightly more headroom for multitasking and moderate creative work should consider 24GB. This tier is ideal for those who work with slightly heavier applications such as video editing, gaming, graphic design, or coding but do not push these tasks to the absolute extreme. It provides an additional buffer for users who run multiple intensive apps simultaneously and perform more multitasking than what 16GB can handle comfortably.
• 32GB, 36GB, or 48GB: Professionals engaging in intensive creative workflows, such as video editing in 4K, music production with multiple tracks, or large-scale coding projects, should opt for 32GB, 36GB, or 48GB. These configurations suit users who frequently use memory-heavy applications like Adobe Creative Cloud apps, Xcode, or virtual machines. It provides sufficient power for consistent performance without frequent reliance on disk swapping, even under substantial workloads.
• 64GB: Power users and creative professionals who manage high-resolution media and extensive multitasking should choose 64GB. It is ideal for those working on large 3D modeling projects, editing 8K video, or handling complex simulations and data analysis. This memory quantity should support running multiple virtual machines or advanced software development environments without any slowdown.
• 96GB: High-end creative professionals and developers handling intensive projects involving large datasets or media should consider 96GB. This tier offers significant overhead for those who need more than 64GB, ensuring seamless performance when editing multiple streams of high-resolution video, detailed 3D rendering, or working with substantial datasets that need to be kept in active memory.
• 128GB: Professionals in specialized fields like film editing, data science, or engineering should look at 128GB. This memory configuration is designed for workflows that involve extremely large projects and require vast amounts of data to be kept in active memory. It is perfect for those working on high-resolution visual effects in cinema, simulation-based software, or advanced scientific computations, providing robust multitasking and peak performance across demanding tasks.
• 192GB: Enterprise-level users, researchers, and industry professionals dealing with mission-critical, memory-intensive applications should opt for 192GB. This option is suitable for large-scale data processing, machine learning, or AI development, ensuring maximum efficiency and reducing the need for data swapping between RAM and storage. It is also ideal for developers working on complex server-side projects requiring powerful single-machine testing.

With Apple silicon's Unified Memory Architecture and macOS's efficient memory management, the base 16GB configuration now meets the needs of most users, providing a good balance of cost and performance for everyday computing tasks and moderate creative work.

The increasing importance of demanding artificial intelligence features like Apple Intelligence and the potential for more intensive applications over time mean that those with more demanding workflows or plans for longevity should consider upgrading the memory. Opting for 24GB or 32GB can provide an added buffer for the future, supporting heavier multitasking, creative software, and emerging AI features. Higher configurations, such as 64GB or more, are better for professionals in fields that require significant data handling, including video production, 3D rendering, and machine learning.

For users who already own an Apple silicon Mac, it will be worthwhile to evaluate your current system's performance to determine whether you'll need more memory next time around. Consider whether your current memory configuration handles your typical workload efficiently or if you experience slowdowns during multitasking or when using resource-intensive applications. Ultimately, your decision should balance your current workload, any anticipated future requirements, and cost—especially since adding memory can be expensive and it cannot be changed after purchase.

American automaker General Motors (GM) last year announced it would be phasing out support for CarPlay and Android Auto in its new electric vehicles, in favor of its own software platform called Ultifi. The decision has been very controversial, as many drivers consider CarPlay to be a must-have feature in a new vehicle. In 2022, for example, Apple said 79% of U.S. buyers would only consider a vehicle that works with CarPlay.

To make matters worse, GM's rollout of Ultifi went rather poorly, with some early reviewers of the Chevrolet Blazer EV last year experiencing technical issues with the platform. Some of those problems have since been resolved, but it is clear that the automaker might not be as effective at developing software as a tech company like Apple.

In a statement shared with MacRumors last year, GM said its software strategy is "driven by the benefits of having a system that allows for greater integration with the larger GM ecosystem and vehicles." In other words, the automaker wants to control the entire in-vehicle experience, which is both a reasonable and a risky decision.

In a recent interview with The Verge's Nilay Patel, GM's senior vice president of software Baris Cetinok further attempted to defend the automaker's decision to phase out CarPlay. Cetinok worked at Apple between 2012 and 2021, helping to spearhead the launch of Apple Pay, Find My, iCloud Drive, and more, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Cetinok joined GM months after it announced its decision to phase out CarPlay and Android Auto, but unsurprisingly he stands by the automaker's decision. He told Patel that GM believes with "strong conviction" that creating its entire in-vehicle experience provides "a better customer experience" with "end-to-end magic."

"But we have a strong conviction that effort pays off in a better customer experience," said Cetinok, speaking on the Decoder podcast. "You get the most out of your vehicle because now we're the company that builds the vehicle and is also creating the infotainment experience, the cluster experience, the app, and everything. We're going to build that one day and maybe a voice assistant on top of it. The only way you can create that end-to-end magic is to have a strong conviction that you want to own all of these."

He said GM wants to offer a seamless experience that does not require having to switch in and out of phone mirroring systems like CarPlay and Android Auto.

"When you want to create something so seamless, it's hard to think about getting into a car and going, 'Okay, so I'm doing highway trailering, but let me flip to a totally different user interface to pick my podcast,'" said Cetinok. "By the way, it's a single app-obsessed interface — it's still hard to believe. So I pick my podcast, flip back to trailering. Oh, now I can also do Super Cruise trailering. Let me manage that. Then, wait, we're now getting into potentially Level 3, Level 4 autonomy levels that should be deeply integrated with talking to the map where the lanes lie. But wait a minute, the map that I'm using doesn't really talk to my car."

The full transcript of the interview with more CarPlay commentary is available on The Verge.

Black Friday is still a few weeks away, but you can already find great prices on numerous iPads, including the 9th generation iPad, 10th generation iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini.

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.

Of course, there is a chance that we could see better deals on these iPads arrive as Black Friday gets closer. This is a risk anyone has to take while shopping during the holidays, so with that in mind, many of the deals shared below are currently their best prices ever seen. More information on these sales can be found in our Black Friday Roundup.

Unless otherwise noted, all the deals in this guide will be found on Amazon.

Best iPad Deals

• 9th Gen iPad (64GB Wi-Fi) for $199.99 ($129 off)
• 10th Gen iPad (64GB Wi-Fi) for $296.00 ($53 off)
• Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Pro for $249.99 ($49 off)
• Apple Pencil Pro for $91.99 ($37 off)

Best Early Black Friday Deals

• The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals
• The Best Early Black Friday AirPods Deals

9th Gen iPad

We've been tracking a great all-time low discount on the ninth generation iPad since Prime Day, and that discount is still around in November. You can get the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad for $199.99, down from $329.00. At this price, the iPad is a perfect entry-level tablet for a kid or family member who doesn't need the tablet for work-intensive projects.

10th Gen iPad

Apple's 64GB Wi-Fi iPad from 2022 is being discounted to the all-time low price of $297.00 right now on Amazon, from $349.00. This upgraded model comes with a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, A14 Bionic chip for a performance boost, Wi-Fi 6, and more.

7th Gen iPad Mini

Apple's new 8.3-inch iPad mini 7 is down to $399.99 on Amazon, down from $499.00. You'll need to clip an on-page coupon in order to see this deal. This iPad mini has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, A17 Pro chip, Wi-Fi 6E, and more.

M2 iPad Air

For the latest iPad Air models, Amazon has a few all-time low prices, including the 256GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Air for $596.00 ($103 off) and the 128GB Wi-Fi 13-inch iPad Air for $691.00 ($108 off). There are a few cellular discounts as well on select M2 iPad Air tablets.

Accessories

• Apple Pencil (USB-C) - $69.00 ($10 off)
• Apple Pencil Pro - $91.99 ($37 off)
• Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Pro - $249.99 ($49 off)
• Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Pro - $273.99 ($75 off)

We've begun tracking all of the season's best deals in our dedicated Black Friday Roundup, so be sure to bookmark the page and visit it throughout the season as you do your online shopping. Our roundup mainly focuses on Apple products and related tech accessories.

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Apple on Monday seeded the first beta of tvOS 18.2 to developers for testing, and the upcoming update includes hidden code-level references to new screen savers coming soon, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.

The code shows there will be four categories of screen savers added to the Apple TV, including Snoopy, TV and Movies, Music, and Soundscapes.

The new screen savers will likely become visible in a later tvOS 18.2 beta version. Apple's website indicates that the Snoopy and TV and Movies options are "coming late 2024," and the Music and Soundscapes options will likely be available then too. We expect tvOS 18.2 to be released to the public in December, in line with the late 2024 timeframe.

At least some of the new screen saver options, including Snoopy, will require a second-generation Apple TV 4K or newer, according to Apple.

Existing screen saver categories on the Apple TV include Aerials and Memories, along with a Portraits option with clocks added in tvOS 18.0.

Apple News is providing Live Activities support for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, allowing iPhone and iPad users to track electoral results in real time directly from their Lock Screen.

The feature is rolling out for U.S. users over the course of Election Day, November 5, providing continuous updates of the electoral count. So if you're interested, you don't need to repeatedly check news websites or unlock your device.

If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or later model running iOS 16.1 or newer, or an iPad running iPadOS 17 or later, you can activate the feature through the Apple News app. Setting it up in advance ensures you won't miss any updates when coverage begins. Open the Apple News app and tap the prominent "Follow Live" button when prompted.

When active, the Live Activity will appear as an interactive widget on your Lock Screen – you can quickly access detailed coverage with a tap. For iPhone 14 Pro and newer models, updates will also be visible in the Dynamic Island at the top of the display, even if you're doing something else on your iPhone.

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.

A new rumor suggests Apple is developing 90Hz display technology that could make its way to future versions of the Studio Display, iPad Air, and 24-inch iMac, all of which currently feature 60Hz refresh rates.

The claim, spotted by 9to5Mac, comes from an anonymous source who contacted the Upgrade podcast, hosted by Myke Hurley and Jason Snell. According to the source, Apple is working on "a higher refresh rate LCD display with a new liquid motion panel fixed at around 90Hz," with plans to implement the technology across multiple products.

Such a development would be particularly noteworthy for the Studio Display, which hasn't received any hardware updates since its March 2022 launch. Many Apple users had hoped to see a refreshed model before the end of 2024, amid on-again, off-again rumors about a potential upgrade featuring mini-LED technology and ProMotion support. Apple's higher-end Pro Display XDR has also remained unchanged since its 2019 debut.

Display analyst Ross Young, who is known for accurate predictions about Apple's display technology, reported in April 2023 that Apple had abandoned plans for a 27-inch monitor with mini-LED backlighting. That canceled project, which could have been a next-generation Studio Display, was said to include the use of ProMotion technology with refresh rates up to 120Hz. Earlier, Young had anticipated such a display launching in 2022, but the release never materialized.

According to the anonymous source, the 90Hz display technology will debut first in the next-generation M3 iPad Air, expected in early 2025, before expanding to other products. The 24-inch iMac, which just received an M4 update, likely wouldn't see this display improvement until late 2025 at the earliest.

The current Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K LCD panel with 60Hz refresh rate, P3 wide color support, and up to 600 nits brightness, starting at $1,599.

Apple has proposed investing nearly $10 million in Indonesian manufacturing operations in an effort to lift the country's recent ban on iPhone 16 sales, according to sources familiar with the matter (via South China Morning Post).

The investment would establish a factory in Bandung, near Jakarta, where Apple would partner with its suppliers to produce accessories and components for Apple devices. The proposal has been submitted to Indonesia's Ministry of Industry for review.

The manufacturing investment comes in response to Indonesia blocking iPhone 16 sales last month, after it was determined that Apple's local unit failed to meet the country's requirement for 40% domestic content in smartphones. The ban is part of broader protectionist policies implemented under new President Prabowo Subianto's administration, which has also restricted sales of Google's Pixel phones for similar reasons.

Indonesia represents a significant market for Apple, with the country's population of 280 million operating some 354 million active mobile phones. Apple has established four developer academies in Indonesia to train students and engineers, but the country's officials have pressed for more substantial manufacturing investments.

The proposed $10 million facility would mark Apple's first manufacturing presence in Indonesia, potentially helping the company comply with local content requirements. The Ministry of Industry is currently reviewing the proposal and is expected to make a decision soon.

About 9,000 iPhone 16 units have entered Indonesia through personal imports, but these devices are restricted to personal use and cannot be sold commercially under the current ban.

Apple is working on more advanced Siri functionality as part of its Apple Intelligence feature set, and to prepare, it has been providing developers with App Intent APIs so apps will be ready for the new capabilities.

With the latest wave of betas, Apple has a new API that lets developers make onscreen content in their apps available to ‌Siri‌ and ‌Apple Intelligence‌. From Apple's documentation:

When a user asks a question about onscreen content or wants to perform an action on it, Siri and Apple Intelligence can retrieve the content to respond to the question and perform the action. If the user explicitly requests it, Siri and Apple Intelligence can send content to supported third-party services. For example, someone could view a website and use Siri to provide a summary by saying or typing a phrase like "Hey Siri, what's this document about?"

In the iOS 18.2 beta, ChatGPT integration with ‌Siri‌ allows users to ask questions about photos and documents, such as PDFs and presentations, and get information about them. You can, for example, ask ‌Siri‌ "what's in this photo?" and ‌Siri‌ will take a screenshot and hand it over to ChatGPT. ChatGPT then relays what's in the image, and the same feature works for PDFs and other documents.

It does not seem that the iOS 18.2 ChatGPT integration is the onscreen awareness functionality that Apple has planned for ‌Siri‌, but it could be related. Apple describes onscreen awareness as the ability for ‌Siri‌ to understand and take action on things on the screen. If someone texts you an address, for example, you'll be able to say "Add this address to their contact card," and ‌Siri‌ will do it. This functionality is not available in iOS 18.2, and ChatGPT is limited to assessing screenshots, but it is somewhat confusing.

Onscreen awareness, like personal context and in-app actions, is a feature that Apple has planned for ‌Siri‌, but it's probably not something that we're getting this year. Many of the ‌Siri‌ features are coming in a future version of iOS 18, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said we can expect to see them in iOS 18.4, an update set to be released in the spring of 2025.

While there are multiple ‌Siri‌ features that won't be coming until next year, Apple is providing developers with APIs in advance so that developers have several months to prepare and so the features are ready for the public when the updates actually come out.

Apple today provided developers with the first beta of tvOS 18.2, and the update adds support for the 21:9 aspect ratio that projectors use.

As noted by Sigmund Judge, the update includes a new option that lets the Apple TV automatically detect the best aspect ratio for a television or projector. Options include 16:9, 21:9, 2.37:1, 2.39:1, 2.40:1, DCI 4K, and 32:9.

Support for the 21:9 aspect ratio was announced as a tvOS 18 feature, but it was not in the initial tvOS 18 release. tvOS 18.2 includes an option to show or hide volume feedback from external devices like sound bars in addition to the aspect ratio change.

We are also waiting on new Snoopy screen savers, but those do not appear to be included in tvOS 18.2.

Apple is surveying its employees about smart glasses as it continues to consider releasing its own version of Meta's Ray-Ban glasses, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple has launched an internal study of products that are on the market, and is currently gathering feedback from Apple employees.

In an email sent out to employees, Apple's Product Systems Quality team called for participants for "an upcoming user study with current market smart glasses." According to Gurman, it is common for Apple to use focus groups when it is deciding on whether to enter a new market. Using employees for the focus groups allows Apple to keep its plans secret, something that wouldn't be possible with recruiting the public.

While a product is several years away, Apple is mulling making smart glasses that are similar to the Meta Ray-Bans. Meta's glasses have a camera and integrated AI so that users can ask questions about what's around them.

Apple could potentially design a simple set of glasses with a camera, Siri integration, and built-in speakers for listening to music, plus there could be included health capabilities. The glasses would essentially be an upgraded version of the AirPods with additional capabilities.

Smart glasses that integrate just a camera, speakers, and AI would be easy for Apple to produce, and it could be a way to boost wearable profits while work continues on augmented reality glasses. Apple has not been able to make AR glasses due to high costs and technical limitations that the company has not yet been able to overcome.

Gathering feedback from employees about Meta's glasses and other similar devices could provide Apple with valuable information on what features customers prefer.

Apple today stopped signing iOS 18.0.1, preventing iPhone users who have upgraded to iOS 18.1 from downgrading to iOS 18. Apple released iOS 18.1 a week ago on October 28.

It is not unusual for Apple to stop signing older versions of iOS shortly after a new version of iOS is released. When Apple stops signing an update, it can no longer be installed on an ‌iPhone‌ due to a server-side software verification check that happens before new software is installed, so those who have upgraded to the latest version of ‌iOS 18‌ cannot downgrade to iOS 18.0.1.

Apple prevents downgrading to older versions of iOS to encourage ‌iPhone‌ users to keep their operating systems up to date with the latest security fixes.

The iOS 18.1 update added the first Apple Intelligence features, including Writing Tools, a new look for Siri, summaries and smart replies, and more. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said that ‌iPhone‌ users are upgrading to iOS 18.1 twice as fast as iOS 17.1 during the same timeframe last year.

In the latest macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta, there is a new option to add the weather in your current location to the menu bar of the Mac. The menu bar weather feature shows the temperature along with an icon for the weather conditions, like a cloud if it's cloudy and a sun if it's sunny.

Clicking into the icon shows an hourly view of the upcoming conditions and temperature, along with the weather in other locations that you have saved. You can also open the Weather app from the menu bar interface.

The Weather icon can be enabled by opening up the Mac's Settings app, going to Control Center, and scrolling down to the "Menu Bar Only" section. Weather joins other options that include Clock, Spotlight, Siri, and Time Machine.

The ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.2 beta is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple may release a public beta in the not too distant future. ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.2 will be released in early December.

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about.

Find My

Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced. Choosing the Share Item Location option creates a link that lets someone view the location of a lost item when they open the link.

The link can be opened on a non-Apple device, so an iPhone or Mac is not required to provide someone with your item's location. Links expire after a week or when you're reunited with your lost item.

There's also an option to Show Contact Info, which lets any phone or tablet connect to an item to view a website with more information about it, including the phone number and email address of the owner.

Siri ChatGPT Limit

The ChatGPT section of ‌Apple Intelligence‌ for Siri now shows the ChatGPT limits that are in place for free users, while also offering an option to upgrade to the paid ChatGPT Plus plan. With ChatGPT integration, users have free access to ChatGPT, but only a small number of requests that use the latest ChatGPT-4o engine and a small number of DALL-E 3 images that can be created.

After that, access reverts to a more basic version of ChatGPT that's less expensive for OpenAI to run. Unfettered access requires ChatGPT Plus, priced at $19.99 per month.

Battery Life and Device Temperature

In the iOS 18.2 beta 2 release notes, Apple says that it has improved battery life and device temperature.

Settings App Icons

In Dark Mode, the icons in the Settings app have a new, darker look that shows color on a black background rather than icons that are a solid color with white accents.

Camera Control

For iPhone 16 users, there's now an option lock your auto exposure and auto focus settings with a light press. The AE/AF Lock toggle can be turned on by going to Settings > Camera > Camera Control.

There is also an option to adjust the double click speed of Camera Control. Options include Default, Slow, and Slower. The adjustment options join prior options to tweak the double light press speed and the light press force.

Adjusting Camera Control can be done by opening Settings and going to Accessibility > Camera Button.

iPhone Mirroring With Hotspot

iOS 18.2 allows you to use ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring while your ‌iPhone‌'s hotspot connection is being shared with your Mac. Having your Mac connected through Personal Hotspot previously did not allow you to use ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring.

Fitness Shortcut Actions

There are new Fitness app Shortcut actions that you can use when creating a Shortcut, including Open Fitness Settings, Open Award, Open Session History, and Open Trophy Case.

Safari Downloads

The progress of Safari downloads can now be tracked on the ‌iPhone‌'s Lock Screen and Dynamic Island.

Vehicle Motion Cues

There's an option see Vehicle Motion Cues in the ‌Dynamic Island‌ when the feature is activated. Vehicle Motion Cues are designed to cut down on motion sickness while riding in a vehicle.

Mac Connection

When connecting to a Mac, you can use Face ID to trust a device.

Apple Music

Apple Music now displays the disc number in some albums.

Web Restrictions in Utah

Utah residents under the age of 17 will be opted in to web content restrictions that block adult content in iOS 18.2. This is required by Utah law.

EU Default Browser Changes

In the European Union, iPadOS 18.2 requires selecting a Default Browser when opening Safari. This is a Digital Markets Act requirement, with Apple adding an updated interface that will let users select a default web browser of their choice from a list of options.

Apple has already implemented this change in iOS 18.

More Features

Know of a new feature in iOS 18.2 beta 2 that we left out? Let us know in the comments below.

Apple in iOS 18.2 beta 2 added a new feature to the Find My app, which is designed to allow you to share a lost item's location with a trusted person. Apple says that the feature is meant to help you locate an item through a third-party, like an airline employee.

In the ‌Find My‌ app, there's now an option to "Share Item Location" and "Show Contact Info." Choosing the Share Item Location option creates a link that allows someone to see the location of a lost item when they open the link. The link can be opened on a non-Apple device, so people without an iPhone or Mac can help you find something that's lost. ‌Find My‌ links that you share expire after a week and you can see how many people visited the link. Shared links stop working when an item is returned to you or when the link sharing date expires.

Choosing Show Contact Info lets any phone or tablet connect to a lost item to open a website with more information about it, including the phone number and email address of the person who owns it.

‌Find My‌ already allowed you to share an item with a person in your Contacts list, but now it also lets you temporarily provide an item's location to someone else who might be able to help you find it. The new feature for sharing a lost item works with AirTags and other devices that connect to Apple's ‌Find My‌ network.

Apple today seeded the first beta of visionOS 2.2 to developers, and it adds the promised "Wide" and "Ultrawide" modes to the Mac Virtual Display feature.

Mac Virtual Display allows Apple's Vision Pro headset to be used as an external display for a Mac. The feature has been available since visionOS was first released earlier this year, but the wider options are new in the latest beta.

Apple has previously said the ultra-wide version of Mac Virtual Display is equivalent to having two physical 4K displays sitting side by side on a desk.

Mac Virtual Display is now available in three sizes: Normal, Wide, and Ultrawide.

visionOS 2.2 will likely be released to the public in December alongside iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, watchOS 11.2, tvOS 18.2, and other updates.

Apple has yet to offer public betas of visionOS.