MacRumors

The third-generation AirPods are still on track to be launched before the end of this year, despite their lack of appearance during the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 event earlier last month, according to DigiTimes.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported the weekend before Apple's September 14 "California streaming" event that the third-generation AirPods would make an appearance during the fully digital event. While that did not happen, the new AirPods are rumored to already be in mass production, and Apple is seemingly gearing up to launch them before the end of the year.

The new AirPods will be the first significant update to the AirPods lineup since the AirPods Pro three years ago. The new AirPods are expected to feature an updated design that takes inspiration from the higher-end ‌AirPods Pro‌ but lacking in "Pro" features. Rumors are unclear on whether the new AirPods will feature silicone ear tips or not, as leaked images and renders depict both possibilities.

Apple announced its ‌AirPods Pro‌ via a press release in 2019, and besides their initial announcement on stage in 2016, AirPods have not yet been given dedicated airtime during an Apple event. Apple could announce the new third-generation AirPods via a press release in the coming weeks, or alternatively include them in its rumored second event for the fall, expected to take place later this month or in November.

Apple supplier Foxconn has agreed to buy a former General Motors factory in Ohio, a move that potentially puts it in a better position to assemble cars for Apple, should the tech giant choose to formally enter the automotive sector in the future (via Bloomberg).

The purchase is part of a $280 million deal Foxconn has agreed with embattled automaker Lordstown Motors, which will sell the factory to the Taiwanese company for $230 million after buying it from GM for just $20 million two years ago.

Under the terms of the deal, Foxconn will also buy $50 million worth of common stock in Lordstown Motors and will assemble the automaker's Endurance electric pickup truck. Foxconn plans to start mass producing the vehicle in April, according to Bloomberg's sources.

Foxconn said in August that it plans to begin construction of all-electric vehicle plants in the United States and Thailand this year, with the aim of being operational by 2023.

The Lordstown deal is one of Foxconn's biggest vehicle-related investments it has made over the past two years. Foxconn has yet to commercially release any vehicle following the debut of its EV platform last year, but its purchase of the Ohio plant means it won't have to build capacity from scratch, which could help the iPhone manufacturer in any attempt to court Apple's business if it enters the market, although that isn't expected for at least several years.

Apple is widely reported to be working on its own vehicle and is thought to be exploring the potential for third-party companies to help it launch the Apple Car. One report vaguely referenced Foxconn as a potential candidate for the ‌Apple Car‌'s production, but Apple is also looking at other possible suppliers.

Apple reportedly wants to ensure that the battery used in the ‌Apple Car‌ is produced in the United States, and that sentiment could extend to other auto parts, which could work in Foxconn's favor if it's able to demonstrate proof to Apple of vehicle manufacturing expertise.

The Apple Watch Series 7 will ship in mid-October with pre-orders to begin "as early as next week," claims leaker Jon Prosser, citing sources "familiar with the release."

Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 7 at its September "California Streaming" event alongside the iPhone 13 models, but at the time, said the new Apple Watch would ship later in the fall.

There has been no official word on when the Series 7 will be available, but most Apple Watch Series 6 models have been sold out in the United States for a couple of weeks now. Rumors suggest the Apple Watch Series 7 was delayed because of manufacturing issues caused by the complexity of the device, which pushed back mass production.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in early September that Apple had resolved the production issues and that manufacturing would ramp up in mid to late September.

Prosser says that Apple has started "informing the press" inquiring about review units to expect more information on the Series 7 "in the coming weeks," with no other information available. Prosser has a mixed track record when it comes to leaks, particularly with launch date predictions, so this information should be viewed with some skepticism.

Still, mid-October is a reasonable guess and timeline for the Apple Watch Series 7 launch, especially as we are still expecting one more event this year that could take place in mid to late October.

The Apple Watch Series 7 did not get the design changes we were expecting, including the flat-edged design described by Prosser earlier this year. There is a redesign with a larger display, slimmer borders, and new 41mm and 45mm size options, but the general curved design of the Apple Watch remains the same.

The Apple Watch Series 7 does not feature new health tracking capabilities, but Apple improved durability and added a fast charging feature. Pricing on the Apple Watch Series 7 will start at $399.

Apple today seeded a macOS Big Sur 11.6.1 beta to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after the launch of macOS Big Sur 11.6.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.

According to Apple's release notes, the update "improves the security of macOS." It's not clear why it's being released as a beta rather than to all users, but there's also a developer beta of a security update available for macOS Catalina as well.

Apple is offering customers in India free AirPods with the purchase of an iPhone 12 or an iPhone 12 mini in celebration of the upcoming Diwali festival, which starts on November 4.

Apple's promotion will kick off on Thursday, October 7, and last year, it was highly popular with supplies selling out in just a couple of hours. According to Apple, the deal will be available from October 7 to November 4, though it's not clear how long supplies will hold up this year.

There is limited stock available on a per model basis, and Apple says that the promotion will only be available while stock lasts, so those in India hoping to take advantage of the deal should order early on October 7.

Customers in India can get the standard AirPods with Charging Case free with the promotion savings of INR 14900, or can pay extra to upgrade to the AirPods with Wireless Charging Case or the AirPods Pro. Pricing on the ‌iPhone‌ 12 starts at INR 59900, but monthly payments are available, as are discounts with older device trade-ins.

(Thanks, Purav!)

All four iPhone 13 models still ship with EarPods in the box in France due to a law in the country that requires all smartphones to include a "hands-free kit" in order to protect children under 14 years of age from potential electromagnetic radiation.

Apple's website in France confirms the inclusion of EarPods with a Lightning connector with all iPhone 13 models sold in the country, as was the case with iPhone 12 models. To accommodate this, Apple ships the iPhones in two boxes in France, with the standard iPhone box placed inside a larger white box that contains the EarPods.

Starting in October 2020, Apple stopped including EarPods and a charger in the box with all new iPhones that it sells. The company said omitting these accessories helps to reduce carbon emissions and avoids the mining and use of rare-earth elements. Apple added that many customers have switched to wireless headphones like AirPods. Outside of France, all new iPhones only include a Lightning to USB-C cable in the box.

Apple continues to sell EarPods separately, with pricing set at $19 in the United States.

We've teamed up with Flexispot to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk, which is the perfect work from home accessory and a great complement to any Apple product workflow. Flexispot makes a whole range of standing desks, ergonomic chairs, and desk bikes.

Available with a rectangular or curved design, the Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk has a simple, clean look that works with many office designs. It measures in at 48 inches long by 24 inches wide, with an adjustable frame that comes in white, black, or gray.

As the name suggests, the desktop is made from bamboo, which Flexispot says has twice the durability of ordinary wood, plus it's been protected with a lacquer coating to provide protection from scratches, dings, and water damage. The height of the desk can be adjusted from 23.6 inches to 49.2 inches high using the dual-motor lifting system, and it can hold up to 275 pounds, which is enough for a desktop computer setup with multiple displays.

The desk's controls are located on the right side, and there are simple touch controls that can be used to adjust the height. There are up/down movements and four memory slots for saving favorite positions. At the right side, there's a USB-A port that can be used for charging, and an LED screen lets you know the height of the desk.

An anti-collision feature aims to detect and prevent collisions with the desk before they happen, and a child lock option locks the height in a certain position until it's deactivated so children cannot play with the controls.

At the bottom, there's a built-in cable tray with a groove that's meant to hide cables below the desk to keep them organized and out of sight, and there's an optional Socket Outlet that adds three sockets, a USB-A port, and a USB-C port right to the top of the desktop.

We have one Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (September 30) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 7. The winner will be chosen randomly on October 7 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

Apple today updated its list of vintage and obsolete products to add the 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch models to the vintage list, marking the first time that the Apple Watch has been included.

The first Apple Watch was introduced more than six years ago in April 2015, with the "Series 1" replacement and Series 2 upgrade following in 2016. Apple has continued on updating the Apple Watch each year, and in 2021, we're expecting the Apple Watch Series 7 to see a release sometime in October.

The original 2015 Apple Watch now qualifies for Apple's "vintage" list, which includes devices that Apple stopped distributing for sale more than five years ago and less than seven years ago.

For most products, the vintage designation means that they're no longer eligible for repairs at the Genius Bar in Apple retail stores or from Apple Authorized Service Providers, but Apple does offer extended repairs of some vintage products and in locations where extended repairs are required by law.

In another couple of years, the original Apple Watch will move on to the obsolete list and hardware service will be entirely discontinued.

Alongside the new iPhone 13 models, Apple introduced an updated version of the MagSafe Wallet that has Find My built in. The new MagSafe Wallet is designed to be easier to find should it slip off of an ‌iPhone‌ or fall out of a pocket, but some new ‌MagSafe‌ Wallet owners are unable to get ‌Find My‌ to connect.

According to a long thread on Reddit, affected users do not get the proper ‌Find My‌ pop up when attaching a ‌MagSafe‌ Wallet to an ‌iPhone‌. The issue seems to be impacting ‌iPhone‌ 13 models in particular, but there are also some complaints from ‌iPhone‌ 12 owners.

The ‌MagSafe‌ Wallet is meant to connect to ‌Find My‌ automatically when attached to an ‌iPhone‌, as we demonstrate in our hands-on video below, but it simply does not work for some people.

Some users have been directed by Apple Support to Erase Network Settings and have had success with that method, but others say that this method does not work.

I had 3 calls with customer support and we were able to get it working for my iPhone 13 pro max. This is what worked: they told me to go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase > Erase Network Settings. The phone restarted, and after restarting and attaching the wallet to the back of my phone, the animation popped up and wallet is now in my Find My app!

Reddit user EndlessApology was told by Apple Support to take more drastic measures and put his ‌iPhone‌ into Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode to reinstall the OS using a Mac.

Got my own Wallets today and immediately had this issue with both my 13 Pro & Pro Max. Spoken to Apple tech, and followed what they said and it fixed it. Put the phones into DFU mode, and reinstall the OS and Firmware. Set the phone up again without doing any recovery. Once set back up, pop the wallet on and it'll pop up after about 5 seconds, and let you pair to Find My. After that, if you need to, reset the phone on the device itself, and restore from back up in set up. Sorted :)

DFU mode has been largely successful for most of the Reddit users who have attempted to fix the issue, but it is a huge hassle that shouldn't be necessary for a simple accessory pairing process. Based on the Reddit thread, Apple is aware of the issue, so it's possible that a fix will be coming in a future update.

• How to Enter DFU Mode on iPhone 13 Models

For now, users who want to get their ‌MagSafe‌ Wallets working right away should try the Reset Network Settings option and if that doesn't work, the DFU method to reinstall iOS 15.

iOS 15 adoption has reached an estimated 19.3% since the software update was released September 20, according to mobile analytics company Mixpanel.

Mixpanel measures iOS adoption based on visits to websites and apps that use its mobile analytics SDKs, so the data is not official. Apple has yet to share iOS 15 adoption stats, having last reported an 85% adoption rate for iOS 14 back in June.

iOS 15 adoption appears to remain slower than iOS 14 adoption so far, and there are likely several reasons for that, including Apple providing iOS 14 users with the option to continue receiving important security updates, several iOS 15 features being delayed, and iOS 15 suffering from a handful of early bugs that still need to be fixed.

For example, Apple said an issue preventing some iPhone 13 users from using the Unlock with Apple Watch feature will be fixed in an upcoming software update. The feature is designed to let you unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask, but some users have encountered an "Unable to Communicate with Apple Watch" error message.

There's another iOS 15 bug where performing an iCloud Backup can result in photos saved from an iMessage conversation that is later deleted to disappear from the Photos app, intermittent touchscreen issues on iPhone 13 models, and other problems.

Apple is currently beta testing iOS 15.1, which includes a fix for the Unlock with Apple Watch bug at a minimum, but there is no timeframe for the software update's release. It's quite possible that Apple will opt to release a smaller update such as iOS 15.0.1 to more quickly address some of the bugs and security vulnerabilities that have surfaced.

In celebration of International Podcast Day, Apple today revealed the most popular free and paid Apple Podcasts Subscriptions worldwide from June 15 through September 15.

Apple said Top Subscriptions is ranked in order of total subscribed listeners worldwide over the three-month period and includes both individual shows and channels with multiple shows, while Top Free Channels is ranked in the same way but does not include any fully paid or "freemium" channels with a mix of free and paid content.

Top Subscriptions

1. Wondery+ from Wondery
2. Luminary from Luminary
3. Sword and Scale +PLUS Light from Incongruity
4. TenderfootPlus+ from Tenderfoot TV
5. PushNik from Pushkin Industries
6. QCODE+ from QCODE
7. Imperative Premium Series from Imperative Entertainment
8. Podimo Deutschland from Podimo
9. U Up? from Betches Media
10. The Handoff from CNN

Top Free Channels

1. The New York Times
2. audiochuck
3. iHeartPodcast Network
4. Barstool Sports
5. Dateline NBC
6. ABC News
7. TED Audio Collective
8. ESPN
9. Crooked Media
10. Ramble

Apple Podcasts Subscriptions launched in June and allows users to subscribe to premium podcasts with a variety of benefits, such as ad-free listening, access to additional content, and early or exclusive access to new series.

"Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels launched just a few months ago and already listeners around the world are enjoying spectacular new shows and exclusive benefits from a variety of incredible creators such as Wondery, Luminary, and now Marvel Entertainment," said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and Beats.

Apple today released a standalone "Device Support Update" for macOS Big Sur. The minor update ensures proper updating and restoring for iOS and iPadOS devices with a Mac, according to Apple, but no further details were provided.

It's likely that the update improves Finder support for newly released devices, including iPhone 13 models, the new iPad mini, and the ninth-generation iPad.

The update can be installed by clicking on the Apple logo in the macOS menu bar in the top-left corner of the screen, clicking on About This Mac, and clicking on Software Update. The update is listed with a file size of 195.6MB.

Adding to the list of issues facing iOS 15 and iPhone 13 users, a new, seemingly widespread bug is causing CarPlay to suddenly crash whenever a user attempts to play music, such as through Apple Music or third-party providers like Spotify.

Dozens of posts on Apple Support [1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6], the MacRumors Forums [1],[2],[3],[4], and Twitter include users complaining that only on their new ‌iPhone‌ 13 does ‌CarPlay‌ not work correctly. According to users, attempting to play music from any ‌CarPlay‌ app causes the system to crash, but it works just fine when they try on older iPhones. As one MacRumors reader chronicles:

Updated my iPhone 11 to iOS 15, drove to store with no issues with Carplay. While there, I activated my new iPhone 13 mini (and disabled the 11) and now Carplay does not work. Trying to play any music causes it to crash and not come back. Unpaired and re-paired the phone, powered phone off and on a bunch of times, reset the stero/display, tried new cable, nothing works. Now I drive in silence, and it's miserable.

Other users report that the issue persists in either wired and wireless form. If Bluetooth does work, the active music app, such as Spotify, must stay on the screen and will stop playing if the user switches to another app. A user on the Apple Support forums explains:

I had an iPhone 12 with iOS 15, everything was working fine and dandy. I upgraded to iPhone 13 and now music does not play using CarPlay when I am using either Spotify or Apple Music. I have a 2018 Audi and I use lighting to connect to CarPlay. When I click on a song either using Spotify or Apple Music my CarPlay app shuts down. CarPlay works and does not shut down when I use Google maps or Apple podcasts. But as soon as I click on a song Apple CarPlay just shuts down.

Frustrated users have also taken to Twitter to voice their complaints, asking Apple Support for solutions, only to be referred to Apple Support articles that do little to amend the issue. Amid the lack of guidance from Apple Support, users have found that disabling EQ or the equalizer, specifically ensuring that the "Late Night" toggle is turned off within ‌Apple Music‌ settings, fixes the problem, while others have found that resetting all network settings on the ‌iPhone‌ also helps.

One reader of MacRumors claims that Apple Support informed them that this is a widespread issue and could be patched in an upcoming update. The ‌CarPlay‌ issue adds to a growing list of bugs in the initial release of iOS 15, including serious bugs that could cause users' photos to delete from their library, touch screen issues, and storage, ‌Apple Music‌, and widget problems.

Apple now lets users rate and review pre-installed iPhone apps on the App Store, such as Maps, Podcasts, Mail, and others, bringing the company's apps to parity with how users criticize and/or laud third-party apps on the platform.

Spotted first by 9to5Mac, Apple now lets users leave a zero to five-star rating for a number of its pre-installed apps, further enabling users to write their reviews. At the time of writing, the Podcasts app, which has faced a flurry of criticism, has a 2 out of 5-star rating out of 156 reviews, with other Apple apps varying.

Presently, no Apple app has a perfect five-star rating, with even the company's built-in Stocks app struggling to reach a 4 out of 5 grade. Notes has earned just 3.6 out of 5, while even Maps, which has received more attention from Apple over the years, has only a 3 out of 5 ratings.

By opening up its apps to ratings and reviews, Apple and its teams are now better able to receive more direct feedback for individual apps on ‌‌iPhone‌‌ and iPad. In light of recent ‌App Store‌ litigation, this move also nixes a potential criticism from Apple's detractors, who could have previously argued that by withholding ratings and reviews for pre-installed apps, Apple was being anti-competitive.

Apple's pre-installed apps, such as Mail, Podcasts, and Maps, don't receive regular ‌App Store‌ feature updates as other apps do; instead, their major updates are bundled with significant iOS releases.

Apple refines and tweaks all of its apps with each minor update for iOS and iPadOS, but significant changes, such as the ones that are likely to be requested through ratings and reviews, are not expected to come sporadically throughout the year, but instead, users will have to wait for the next major iOS release to see if their wishes have come true.

Researchers in the U.K. have demonstrated how large unauthorized contactless payments can be made on locked iPhones by exploiting Apple Pay's Express Transit feature when set up with Visa.

Express Transit is an ‌Apple Pay‌ feature that allows for tap-and-go payment at ticket barriers, eliminating the need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. The device does not need to be wakened or unlocked to use Express Transit.

Computer Science researchers from Birmingham and Surrey Universities demonstrated to the BBC how the attack works by exploiting a weakness in the Visa contactless system through the use of a small piece of commercially available radio equipment, which is placed near the phone and masquerades as a ticket barrier.

An Android phone running an app developed by the researchers is used to relay signals from the iPhone to a contactless payment terminal and modifies the communications to fool the terminal into acting as if the ‌iPhone‌ has been unlocked and a payment authorized.

In demonstrating the attack, researchers made a contactless Visa payment of £1,000 from a locked ‌iPhone‌. The scientists only took money from their own accounts. The researchers said the Android phone and payment terminal used don't need to be near the victim's ‌iPhone‌ as long as there's an internet connection.

Apple told the BBC the matter was an issue with the Visa system.

"We take any threat to users' security very seriously," said Apple. "This is a concern with a Visa system but Visa does not believe this kind of fraud is likely to take place in the real world given the multiple layers of security in place. In the unlikely event that an unauthorized payment does occur, Visa has made it clear that their cardholders are protected by Visa's zero liability policy."

The researchers said the attack might be easiest to deploy against a stolen ‌iPhone‌, although there's no evidence that the hack has been used in the wild. Visa said payments were secure and attacks of this type were impractical outside of a lab.

"Visa cards connected to Apple Pay Express Transit are secure, and cardholders should continue to use them with confidence," said a Visa spokesperson. "Variations of contactless fraud schemes have been studied in laboratory settings for more than a decade and have proven to be impractical to execute at scale in the real world."

The researchers told the BBC they first approached Apple and Visa with their concerns almost a year ago, but despite "useful" conversations, the problem has not yet been fixed. The researchers also tested Express Transit with Mastercard but found that the way its security works prevented the attack.

"It has some technical complexity," said Dr Andreea Radu, of the University of Birmingham, who led the research. "But I feel the rewards from doing the attack are quite high. In a few years these might become a real issue."

Dr Tom Chothia, also at the University of Birmingham, advised ‌iPhone‌ users to check if they have a Visa card set up to use Express Transit and if so, disable it. "There is no need for ‌Apple Pay‌ users to be in danger, but until Apple or Visa fix this they are," he said.