MacRumors

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with MAXOAK to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Bluetti AC200P 2000Wh Portable Power Station, a Bluetti AC50S 500Wh Portable Power Station, or a Bluetti AC30 300Wh Backup Battery, all of which are fantastic to have on hand for camping, RV use, off-grid living, power outages, emergencies, and more.

bluetti AC200P 1
Priced at $1,599 after a $100 discount from Amazon, the Bluetti AC200P is just about one of the biggest and most powerful portable power stations you can get.

The AC200P features a 2000Wh battery that supports a maximum of 2000W continuous power draw, which means it can be used with a wide range of appliances. It works with refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, small air conditioners, grills, CPAP machines, heaters, and more. Many portable power stations are not able to support high-powered appliances, so this is a good choice if you need to run something that draws a lot of power.

bluetti AC200P 2
At 60 pounds, the Bluetti AC200P is hefty, but the two handles at the side make it easier to carry. There are six AC outlets, a 12V/25A RV port, two built-in wireless charging pads that support up to 15W, a 60W USB-C port, four USB-A ports, one 12V/10A car port, and two 12V/3A ports, which means it has all of the ports you could possibly need for charging up all of your devices and powering appliances. MAXOAK says that up to 17 devices can be powered simultaneously.

bluetti AC200P
Ports are all covered to protect them from the elements or small fingers, and there's an LCD display that shows charge level, current, voltage, temperature, and charging status. A power button lets you turn the AC200P off when not in use to conserve charge. The AC200P can be charged up with an AC adapter, car, or by a solar panel, with charging times varying on method used.

The Bluetti AC200P is designed to work for more than 3,500 charging cycles, and a built-in fan keeps the AC200P cool when it's charging up devices. It is designed to activate only when it's hotter than 113 degrees Fahrenheit, which means it stays quiet when used for things like CPAP machines. MAXOAK says there is a built-in Eco mode that can prevent up to 50 percent of wasted electricity cost so each charge lasts longer.

bluetti AC200P 3
MAXOAK also makes a range of smaller portable power stations that are included in the giveaway. The 500Wh Bluetti AC50S is priced at $400 and supports devices up to 300W, so it's ideal for smaller appliances and electronics. It features two AC ports, four USB-A ports, a 45W USB-C ports, two 12V/3A ports, a 12V/10A car port, and a 10W wireless charging pad.

bluetti blue
There's a built-in LCD display that provides information on charging status, and it weighs just 13.6 pounds, so it's much more portable than the pricier AC200P.

For those looking for something even smaller, MAXOAK makes the Bluetti AC30 300Wh (96,000mAh) backup battery, which is priced at $200. This smaller power station is ideal for charging up a whole group of iPhones or iPads, but it can also power small appliances. It includes a 15W wireless charging spot, a USB-C port, two USB-A ports, two AC ports, and a 12V DC port for car powered devices.

bluetti green
MAXOAK is giving away one grand prize that includes the Bluetti AC200P 2000Wh Portable Power Station. Three second prize winners will receive Bluetti AC50S 500Wh Portable Power Station, and three third prize winners will receive a Bluetti AC30 300Wh Backup Battery.

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 (May 28) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 4. The winners will be chosen randomly on June 4 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

The Chipolo ONE Spot is the first Find My-compatible accessory that's a direct AirTag competitor, offering AirTag-like tracking capabilities for your valuable items. The ONE Spot is slightly more affordable than the ‌AirTag‌ at $28 for one and $90 for four (vs $29 for one ‌AirTag‌ and $99 for four) and it has a couple benefits that make it a worthy ‌AirTag‌ alternative.

chipolo 1
Like the ‌AirTag‌, the ONE Spot is a small, circular tag that's about 1.5 inches in diameter, so similar in size to a silver dollar. It's bigger than an ‌AirTag‌, and about as thick, but it's a uniform thickness, whereas the ‌AirTag‌ has a protruding bottom where the battery is housed.

Since it's the same thickness, you can't put the ONE Spot in places an ‌AirTag‌ can't go, such as a wallet, so there's no real difference in design functionality.

chipolo
The Chipolo ONE Spot is made from a lightweight plastic, and it is not as well made as the ‌AirTag‌. The ‌AirTag‌ has a premium design with a shiny plastic cap and a silver bottom complete with Apple logo, while the ONE Spot is made from a simple black plastic material.

Apple's ‌AirTag‌ is heavier than the ONE Spot and holding both, there's no comparison - the ‌AirTag‌ is much nicer. Those concerned with aesthetics will want to opt for the ‌AirTag‌, but I'm not of the opinion that an item tracking tag needs to stand out.

airtag chipolo 1
Given their popularity, AirTags are going to be immediately noticeable when attached to an item, and for some people, that's a plus. AirTags can be engraved and are designed to be seen. Those who want something more unassuming will prefer the Chipolo ONE Spot, which blends in better and is less well known.

Both the ONE Spot and the AirTags share similar base designs, but the ONE Spot boasts a built-in hole that can be attached to a keyring, strap, or another accessory. The ‌AirTag‌ does not have any native way to attach to items and needs a holder of some kind if you want to put it on keys, a pet, the outside of a bag, or similar places.

airtag chipolo 2
Chipolo has used the ONE Spot's built-in hole as a feature that sets it apart from the ‌AirTag‌ because there are no additional accessories needed to use it, which is a plus. When you buy an ‌AirTag‌, if you want to attach it to something, you need to spend at least $5 to find a case, and oftentimes more. Apple's own ‌AirTag‌ cases are priced starting at $29, which is the same price as an ‌AirTag‌.

To test the ‌AirTag‌ and Chipolo ONE Spot tracking abilities, I tucked both into a suitcase and then checked that suitcase on a recent flight, watching the journey from departure airport to plane to destination airport, and then tracking them at a hotel while I was away.

chipolo find my interface
During this test, I noticed no discernible difference between the two item trackers. Each time I checked, both showed up right in the Items tab in the Find My app at the same time, and locations were updated at about the same intervals based on the iOS devices that were nearby. I did notice that the ‌AirTag‌ seemed to update a bit more frequently, but it was a difference of just a couple of minutes every time that I checked.

There was no difference in the distance that they seemed to be trackable at and there was no clear difference in the intervals in which their location was updated when away from me. Functionality was identical, and if I had done a blind test where I hadn't known which was the ‌AirTag‌ and which was the ONE Spot in the ‌Find My‌ app, I would not have been able to tell which was which.

chipolo airtag time tracking
The ‌AirTag‌ and the ONE Spot seem to offer the same basic functionality, and can be tracked in the ‌Find My‌ app alongside Apple devices. Both of these use Apple's ‌Find My‌ network, so if either the ‌AirTag‌ or the ONE Spot become lost and are out of your range, they will ping other nearby Apple devices to provide an updated location. There are more than 1.65 billion active Apple devices around the world, which makes Apple's ‌Find My‌ network a valuable feature.

chipolo tracking distance
The core feature set between the ONE Spot and ‌AirTag‌ is largely the same, but there are a few things worth highlighting that are standout options on each accessory. The ‌AirTag‌ is easier to set up, because you just hold it near an iPhone and it connects right away. With the Chipolo, I held it near my ‌iPhone‌ and was then instructed to press on it (there's a built-in button function). It wasn't difficult, but it was an extra bit of friction.

Chipolo's ONE Spot and AirTags both have an identical Lost Mode that lets you leave a phone number or email address for contact purposes and get a notification if a lost item is found. This feature also lets you play a sound, and it's worth noting that the ONE Spot is easier to hear. I don't think that one is louder than the other in a direct sound comparison, but when tucked away in a bag or couch cushion, the ONE Spot is not as muffled.

I used an ‌iPhone‌ app to test decibel level, and while I'm not sure how accurate an ‌iPhone‌ app is, the ‌AirTag‌ came in at 86 decibels max and the ONE Spot was 83 decibels max, but again, the ONE Spot was easier to hear when covered up. The ‌AirTag‌'s sound also stops after a few seconds, while the ONE Spot's sound lasts longer, so it easily wins in a direct sound comparison.

airtag chipolo 3
Both the ‌AirTag‌ and the ONE Spot use CR2032 batteries that are designed to last for about a year and that are replaceable, so there's little difference there. The ‌AirTag‌ is, however, more water resistant, which makes it better in situations where it might be exposed to liquids or to the elements.

There's one other main difference between the two item trackers, and that's Precision Finding. Apple added a Precision Finding feature that uses the U1 chip in the ‌AirTag‌ when paired with an ‌iPhone‌ 11 or ‌iPhone‌ 12 model, with the option designed to make it easier to track down an item that's lost nearby by pointing you in the right direction.

airtag precision finding 2
This is kind of a hit or miss feature that doesn't always work as you might expect it to work, but it's definitely nice to have, especially when an item like a set of keys is lost indoors. There is no equivalent feature on the ONE Spot because it doesn't have an Ultra Wideband chip, but even if it did, Apple doesn't let yet third-party companies access the U1 chip in the ‌iPhone‌ (though this is coming).

Bottom Line

When it comes to key functionality, the ‌AirTag‌ and the ONE Spot are basically identical. Both integrate into the ‌Find My‌ app and take advantage of the ‌Find My‌ Accessory Network to make lost items easier to locate.

The ONE Spot wins out when it comes to attachment points and sound thanks to its built-in hole for a keyring or strap and its speaker that isn't as easily muffled.

The ‌AirTag‌ wins out when it comes to aesthetic design, setup, indoor item location, and water resistance, so both have their pros and their cons. You're going to get the same general performance with either of these item tracking tags, and it just comes down to the add-on features that are most important to you.

Both the ‌AirTag‌ and the ONE Spot are recommendable and perform well, and the ONE Spot is definitely a solid alternative to the ‌AirTag‌ if you're looking for a simpler design that's more utilitarian. It's also worth noting that if you're buying in bulk, you can save about $10 going with the ONE Spot over Apple's AirTags.

How to Buy

The Chipolo ONE Spot can be purchased from the Chipolo website. A single Chipolo ONE Spot costs $28, while a pack of four is available for $90. Preorders placed now will ship out in August.

Note: Chipolo provided MacRumors with a ONE Spot for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Today we're tracking the first Amazon discount on Apple's 2021 M1 11-inch iPad Pro. Specifically, you can get the 128GB Wi-Fi model for $749.00, down from $799.00. The tablet is available to ship in one to two business days, and it's only available in Space Gray at this price.

ipad pro m1 featureNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Apple updated the iPad Pro last month, introducing a faster M1 chip, 5G connectivity, a Thunderbolt port, and more. The 11-inch model's display features wide color support, True Tone for adjusting to ambient light, an anti-reflective coating, and ProMotion 120Hz refresh capabilities.

Out of all the new 2021 iPad Pro models, only the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch tablet is on sale on Amazon. For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

In a report focused on upcoming third-generation AirPods and second-generation AirPods Pro, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman added that Apple has yet to start working on second-generation AirPods Max, although he said the company has discussed launching additional color variations for the over-ear headphones in the future.

airpods max blue
The relevant bit from the report:

The last AirPods-related hardware introduction from Apple was the over-ear AirPods Max headphones in December. That $549 pair earned criticism for bugs and its high price but praise for its materials and sound. Apple only recently caught up with demand for the product, and it is not currently working on a second generation of the AirPods Max, though it has discussed launching additional color variations in the future.

AirPods Max are currently available in Space Gray, Silver, Green, Sky Blue, and Pink, although interchangeable ear cushions allow for many color combinations. Prior to the AirPods Max being announced, Gurman said Apple also planned to make the headband interchangeable, but the company ultimately decided against that idea.

Launched in December 2020 for $549, the AirPods Max are high-end wireless over-ear headphones, with key features including premium sound quality with Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation with Transparency mode, an Apple-designed H1 chip in each ear cup for seamless integration with Apple devices, and more.

Related Roundup: AirPods Max
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Apple's work on a new combined HomePod and Apple TV device is ongoing, according to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman.

HomePod With Screen and Arm FaceTime Feature 2
As has been previously reported, Gurman reiterated that the new device will feature a built-in screen and a camera for FaceTime calls.

As part of its broader home, audio and accessories strategy, Apple has also begun early development of a HomePod speaker with a built-in screen as well as a device that combines the features of a HomePod, FaceTime camera and Apple TV, Bloomberg News has reported. Competition for speakers with screens is already widespread. Apple released a HomePod mini speaker last year and outlined a minor update to the Apple TV set-top box last month.

The report suggests that, given the fairly minor update to the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K that was announced last month, the new combined ‌HomePod‌ device will represent a much more significant advancement in the ‌Apple TV‌ product line.

Gurman has also explained in the past that Apple is exploring a future high-end ‌HomePod‌ speaker that could include an iPad connected via a robotic arm that tracks and follows users around a room.

Apple was planning to release an updated HomePod model in 2022 as a successor to the 2017 ‌HomePod‌, but these plans were apparently shelved after the larger ‌HomePod‌ was outright discontinued. The company now appears to be focusing on this new combined HomePod-Apple TV product instead.

Gurman's report earlier this morning also laid out Apple's plans for third-generation AirPods coming later this year and second-generation AirPods Pro coming in 2022 with health tracking features.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini

Apple is preparing to launch third-generation AirPods this year, and plans to release second-generation AirPods Pro next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

AirPods3
In line with previous leaks and rumors, Gurman explained that Apple is readying third-generation AirPods for launch later this year. The updated earbuds will apparently come with a new case and feature shorter stems, broadly mirroring the design of the current ‌AirPods Pro‌.

Looking to 2022, Gurman said that the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ will feature updated motion sensors and have a focus on fitness tracking.

The AirPods Pro coming next year will be the first change to that product since October 2019 and will include updated motion sensors with a focus on fitness tracking, the people said, asking not to be named because the plans are private.

Apple has apparently tested a smaller design that eliminates the stems on ‌AirPods Pro‌. This stemless design is expected to debut on new Beats Studio Buds that are rumored to launch next month.

Apple purportedly originally planned to release the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ in 2021, but for reasons that are unclear, the launch has been pushed back to 2022.

Moreover, Apple is said to not currently be working on a second-generation of its AirPods Max over-ear headphones, but it has discussed launching additional color options in the future.

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Max, AirPods Pro
Related Forum: AirPods

Despite Apple offering the M1 iPad Pro in configurations with 8GB and 16GB of RAM, developers are now indicating that apps are limited to just 5GB of RAM usage, regardless of the configuration the app is running on.

ipad pro with m1 chip
The ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ comes in two memory configurations; the 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models feature 8GB of RAM, while the 1TB and 2TB variants offer 16GB of memory, the highest ever in an iPad. Even with the unprecedented amount of RAM on the iPad, developers are reportedly severely limited in the amount they can actually use.

Posted by the developer behind the graphic and design app Artstudio Pro on the Procreate Forum, apps can only use 5GB of RAM on the new ‌M1‌ ‌iPad‌ Pros. According to the developer, attempting to use anymore will cause the app to crash.

There is a big problem with M1 iPad Pro. After making stress test and other tests on new M1 iPad Pro with 16GB or RAM, it turned out that app can use ONLY 5GB or RAM! If we allocate more, app crashes. It is only 0.5GB more that in old iPads with 6GB of RAM! I suppose it isn't better on iPad with 8GB.

Following the release of its M1-optimized app, Procreate also noted on Twitter that with either 8GB or 16GB of available RAM, the app is limited by the amount of RAM it can use.


The previous maximum RAM in an ‌iPad‌ was last year's ‌iPad Pro‌ which featured 6GB of RAM, regardless of storage configuration. Given, a 5GB limit on apps imposed by iPadOS wouldn't necessarily ring any alarm bells as developers would have access to the majority of the available memory. Although, with the ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌, developers cannot tap the full potential of the available hardware.

The added RAM, especially in the higher-end 1TB and 2TB models, will still benefit the user by allowing them to keep more apps open in the background. iPadOS itself can access the ‌M1‌'s entire pool of unified memory, while apps can reportedly only access 5GB of it.

‌iPad‌ users have long voiced the mantra that iPadOS doesn't take full advantage of the available hardware and potential of the ‌iPad Pro‌, and now thanks to the ‌M1‌ chip inside of the ‌iPad Pro‌, that's certainly more of a case.

Apple will hold its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7, where it's expected to announce iOS 15, watchOS 8, macOS 12, tvOS 15, and iPadOS 15. Bloomberg has reported that iPadOS 15 will include the biggest redesign to the iPad homescreen since the iPad first launched, including the ability for users to place widgets anywhere on the grid.

We've contacted Apple for clarification regarding the amount of RAM apps can access and will update this post if we hear back.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Neutral)

Twitter appears to have mistakenly confirmed its plans to launch a new subscription tier called "Twitter Blue," with the new purchase option now listed in the iOS App Store.

twitter blue
Under In-App Purchases, there's now a "Twitter Blue" option that's priced at $2.99, though the feature does not appear to be live in the iOS app at this time.

The Twitter Blue in-app purchase option was discovered by researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who has previously shared details on Twitter Blue that were found buried in the Twitter for iOS code.

Twitter Blue will include an "Undo Tweet" option that holds a tweet for a set period of time before sending it out so you can choose to undo it, and a "Reader Mode" that makes it easier to read long threads.


There are also new color themes to choose from and custom app icons, plus a Collections feature for saving and organizing favorite tweets to make them easier to find in the future.

It's not clear when Twitter Blue will become available, but with the in-app purchase option live in the ‌App Store‌, it signals that the feature is set to launch in the near future. When asked for more information, Twitter said it had no comment at this time.

Tag: Twitter

Following the iOS 14.6 and watchOS 7.5 updates, Apple Watch Series 3 owners who update their devices to a new version of watchOS are prompted to unpair and re-pair the Apple Watch from the iPhone during the update process because of storage space constraints.

apple watch series 3 trio
The GPS-only version of the Apple Watch Series 3 only has 8GB of internal storage, which limits the amount of space available for software updates, and Apple's solution to this problem is to wipe the Apple Watch Series 3 and start fresh from a backup whenever an update is required.

As 9to5Mac points out, prior to the iOS 14.6 update, Apple Watch Series 3 owners who attempted to install new versions of watchOS continually ran into an issue with not having enough storage space to download and install new software.

Rather than requiring users to clear apps and media from their Apple Watches, iOS 14.6 prompts users to go through the extra step of unpairing and re-pairing. "To install the watchOS update, unpair your Apple Watch and pair it again in the Apple Watch app on your ‌iPhone‌," reads the notification that Apple Watch Series 3 owners receive. The popup is depicted below, but shown in Portuguese.


It's worth noting that prior to this update, Apple did recommend unpairing and re-pairing for Apple Watch Series 3 owners experiencing issues, but now it appears to be part of the installation process.

Given the age of the Apple Watch Series 3, the limited storage space, and the extra step to install new software, it's likely that Apple is planning to discontinue the Apple Watch Series 3, likely when new Apple Watch models are released later this year. Apple is at the current time still selling it as a low-cost option, but we do not recommend purchasing it over a Series 6 or an Apple Watch SE, both of which feature much newer technology.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Apple is teaming up with the University of Nevada, Reno to develop a program that will offer a common learning platform and deliver equal access to technology. As part of the "Digital Wolf Pack initiative," all incoming freshmen that will be attending the university in Fall 2021 will receive an iPad Air, an Apple Pencil, and the Apple Smart Keyboard Folio at no cost.

university of nevada ipad air
Along with an ‌iPad Air‌, students will be offered focused training to improve digital literacy and fluency with productivity, creativity, and communication apps. Freshmen will have access to Apple's suite of apps, such as Keynote, Pages, Numbers, Swift Playgrounds, and more, along with custom apps that are designed to support their experience on and off campus.

In a statement, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations and Education said that Apple is "proud" that its products and curriculum have been chosen by the university.

"At Apple, we believe education is the great equalizer, and that access to technology is key to learning and workforce opportunities today," said Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations and Education. "We are proud that Apple products and curriculum have been selected by the University of Nevada, Reno for all incoming freshmen. Together, we aim to ensure these students have the opportunity to learn, code, create, and grow in new ways."

University of Nevada, Reno president Brian Sandoval said that the initiative will ensure that students "have the same level of innovative technology, digital tools and learning materials, anywhere and anytime from their first day on campus through graduation and beyond."

The Digital Wolf Pack Initiative will be part of NevadaFIT, a program that's meant to offer a realistic orientation into college courses. Students will be trained with Apple products and apps used for creativity and coding will be provided by Apple Professional Learning using curriculum created by Apple. University faculty will also receive training from Apple to learn how to use digital tools to help students thrive academically.

Kia today announced that the first 1,500 customers who purchase a 2022 EV6 First Edition are eligible for a free Apple Watch, EV charging credits, or an at-home EV charger.

kia ev6
As highlighted by CNET, Kia is offering the free Apple Watch to help new EV6 owners access the Kia Connect services that are bundled with the vehicle.

The EV6 is Kia's first pure electric crossover SUV with a 77.4kWh battery, dual motor e-AWD, 513 horsepower, augmented reality heads up display, and more. The vehicle is able to charge up to 210 miles of range in 18 minutes with an appropriate charger, and it features 446lbs-ft of torque to reach 0-60 miles per hour in 5.2 seconds.

The Kia EV6 is able to pair with an Apple Watch using the Kia Connect app, allowing the watch to be used to remotely start or stop charging, see energy usage, check charging status, and more.

Notably, the EV6 is Kia's first vehicle built on the E-GMP architecture, and those who follow Apple Car rumors will know that Apple has considered using Kia's E-GMP platform for the Apple Car. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in February that Apple would partner with Hyundai and use the Kia E-GMP architecture, but since then, it has become less clear if Apple will end up working with Hyundai at all.

Reservations for the EV6 First Edition will open on June 3, with deliveries of the first vehicles set to begin in the United States in the first quarter of 2022.

Tag: Kia

Apple's shipments of wearables continued to grow year-on-year in the first quarter of 2021, but the company lost overall market share to smaller rivals, according to newly-published IDC data.

apple watch 6s 202009
Companies shipped a total of 104.6 million units in the first quarter of this year, marking a 34.4 percent increase from the 77.8 million units shipped at the same time last year. This is also the first time that first-quarter shipments have topped 100 million units worldwide.

While market leaders like Apple and Samsung maintained their lead during the quarter, most of the growth came from smaller companies like BoAt.

Apple started 2021 the same way it ended 2020: as the clear leader in the worldwide wearables market. Appetite for its smartwatches remained strong with the less expensive SE and Series 3 gaining further traction in the market while its earwear – inclusive of AirPods and Beats – showed sequential declines after reaching record levels in 4Q20.

Although Apple sold five million more wearables in the first quarter of 2021 and stayed the market leader, it lost 3.5 percent overall market share to competitors, most of which were much smaller.

idc wearables q1 2021
IDC wearables data includes both smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch, and earwear, such as AirPods. Apple does not provide specific breakdowns of the number of Apple Watch and ‌AirPods‌ models shipped, so IDC's data is based on estimates.

During an earnings call earlier this, Apple said that wearables set a new revenue record in the first fiscal quarter of 2021. Apple's wearables business is now the size of a Fortune 120 company.

Tag: IDC

While sensor-shift optical image stabilization is currently limited to the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the feature will be expanded to all iPhone 13 models later this year, according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes.

iPhone OIS Feature2
From the report, with emphasis added:

The VCM makers mainly deliver shipments for Android handsets in the first half of the year, but such shipments are expected to be surpassed by those for iPhones in the second half, given that all new iPhones will feature the sensor-shift OIS (optical image stabilization) function, the sources said, adding that the makers have been told to raise capacity by 30-40% to meet strong demand for iPhones.

DigiTimes already floated this rumor in January, but today's report provides further assurance as iPhone 13 models move towards mass production.

Apple first introduced sensor-shift stabilization on the Wide lens of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The technology stabilizes the camera's sensor instead of the lens for even greater image stabilization and improved photo quality.

"Until now, sensor‑shift stabilization was only on DSLR cameras," explains Apple's website. "This is the first time it's been adapted for iPhone. Whether you're shooting video of your kids as you chase them around the park or holding your iPhone out the window on a bumpy road, you'll get more precise stabilization than ever."

iPhone 13 models are expected to have slightly larger rear camera bumps, likely to accommodate larger sensors and other camera improvements.

Related Forum: iPhone

Amazon today is hosting a deal on Apple's 10.2-inch iPad from 2020, marking one of the first notable sales on this version of the iPad in months. You can get the 32GB Wi-Fi iPad in Gold and Space Gray for $299.00, down from $329.00.

f1600191751Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Apple introduced the new iPad in September 2020 with an upgraded A12 Bionic processor with Neural Engine. This iPad is the most affordable tablet in Apple's lineup, and today's deal on Amazon is the second-best price that we've ever seen for the 32GB Wi-Fi model.

If you're looking for a bit more storage, you can also get the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad on sale, priced at $395.00, down from $429.00. All colors are available at this price and in stock on Amazon.

For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.

Related Roundups: Apple Deals, iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)
Related Forum: iPad

Sony has committed to bringing its PlayStation brands and IP to third-party mobile devices, potentially as soon as this year (via VideoGamesChronicle).

ps5 controller apple online store
Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan today explained during an investor relations session that the company plans to launch its major franchises on non-console platforms such as mobile, encouraged by its "very successful" first steps into the PC gaming market.

Ryan presented research suggesting mobile gaming generated $121 billion worldwide in 2020, compared to $62 billion brought in by the console market and $42 billion generated by the PC gaming market, demonstrating the case for the company to move into mobile gaming.

We are beginning our journey to take PlayStation first-party IP off console. We started last year by publishing two of our games on PC, Horizon Zero Dawn and Predator, and both were profitable and really had a very successful publishing debut... In FY21 we will begin to publish some of our iconic PlayStation IP on mobile.

PlayStation intends to publish an increasingly large number of titles on mobile, hoping that it will "become steadily more important as time passes" relative to console gaming.

Sony previously claimed that its move into mobile gaming would occur with at least five titles by March 2018, but it never came to fruition.

According to VideoGamesChronicle, PlayStation opened a new business unit to adapt its "most popular franchises" for mobile earlier this year and was hiring for developers to achieve a mobile product roadmap within a three to five-year time frame.

PlayStation has a huge catalog of diverse first-party IP that can transition to smartphone gaming and complement our AAA games or live service games. We are exploring the mobile market with some wonderful PlayStation franchises so please stay tuned.

Sony Interactive Entertainment owns a large number of popular video game franchises, including "God of War," "Gran Turismo," "Killzone," "The Last of Us," "LittleBigPlanet," "Ratchet & Clank," "Until Dawn," "Uncharted," and more. The company's intention to move into mobile gaming will presumably see some of these titles arrive on iOS and iPadOS. Sony's PlayStation 5 DualSense controller also now works with iOS and iPadOS, which may aid the gaming experience with Sony's new mobile games.

Six years ago, rival company Nintendo announced its foray into mobile gaming on iOS and other platforms. Although the company has seen some success in the business move, it has also experienced some misfires, and there have since been indications that Nintendo is "retreating" from its mobile gaming plans.

The arrival of Sony's "iconic IP" on mobile platforms will occur by the end of the financial year in March 2022.

Apple has shared a video offering a deeper look into the making of upcoming Apple TV+ thriller "Lisey's Story," based on the novel by Stephen King.


All eight episodes of "Lisey's Story" were personally written by King, who was also executive producer on the show, and in the short video the horror legend describes his process of adapting it for the screen.

Lisey's a different thing for me. It's very close to my heart. I had pneumonia around the year 2000 and came really close to stepping out. When I came home from the hospital my wife had cleaned out my study, and I thought to myself, I've died, I'm a ghost. And the idea for "Lisey's Story" came from that.

Viewers also hear from director Pablo Larraín, producer J.J. Abrams, and the show's cast as they discuss their experience working with King to turn the story into an ‌Apple TV‌+ original.

The series follows Lisey Landon (played by Julianne Moore) two years after the death of her husband, famous novelist Scott Landon (played by Clive Owen). A series of unsettling events causes Lisey to face memories of her marriage to Scott that she has deliberately blocked out of her mind, according to Apple.

The series premieres on ‌Apple TV‌+ on Friday, June 4.

Ahead of the second all-digital Worldwide Developers Conference kicking off on June 7, Apple today updated its Developers Forum with several new features that aim to make it easier for developers to filter different tags and keep up-to-date on topics that they care about.

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Before last year's WWDC, Apple redesigned the forum completely, updating its design and adding broad new capabilities. During the digital conference, the forum serves as a place for developers to interact amongst themselves and with Apple engineers regarding new technologies and APIs showcased during the week.

Building on last year's improvements, Apple is adding the ability for developers to post comments directly on questions to help provide context for the answer, the ability to subscribe to an RSS feed for a specific tag, the ability to see the description of a tag so developers are better able to choose the appropriate one, and more. Here's the full list of changes coming to the forum:

  • Post comments on questions or answers to provide context or ask for clarification.
    Search for content across multiple tags.
  • Add and manage favorite tags.
  • Upload images to your question or answer to provide supporting visual details.
  • See tag descriptions when choosing tags for your question so you can quickly select the most appropriate ones.
  • Subscribe to RSS feeds for tags you’re interested in.
  • See your authored and watched content, favorite tags, and trending tags on the newly designed home page.

WWDC begins on June 7 at 10:00 a.m PT where Apple is expected to announce iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS 12, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8. You can learn more about everything we're expecting using our guide.

Google is adding a new "Save to Photos" button to Gmail that, when pressed, automatically saves emailed picture attachments to Google ‌Photos‌.

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The new feature means Gmail users will no longer have to download photo attachments from messages in order to manually back them up to Google ‌Photos‌.

The "Save to ‌Photos‌" option will go alongside the existing "Add to Drive" button that appears when you view an email attachment in your browser. Note that the new feature will only available for JPEG attachments to begin with.

Google says the change is being rolled out over the next couple of weeks to all users with a personal Gmail account, as well as users of Google Workspace, G Suite Basic, and G Suite Business.

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The feature comes ahead of the cutoff date when Google ‌Photos‌ stops offering free unlimited storage for uploaded pictures.

Google ‌Photos‌ has always offered free unlimited storage for uploading images at a reduced yet good enough quality for most users. From June 1, however, all photos and videos uploaded to Google accounts will count against users' cloud storage.