MacRumors

Apple today announced the upcoming launch of several new accessibility features that are being added to its various products and services. Apple says that these options are designed for people with mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive disabilities, and showcase Apple's belief that accessibility is a human right.

"At Apple, we've long felt that the world's best technology should respond to everyone's needs, and our teams work relentlessly to build accessibility into everything we make," said Sarah Herrlinger, Apple's senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives. "With these new features, we're pushing the boundaries of innovation with next-generation technologies that bring the fun and function of Apple technology to even more people -- and we can't wait to share them with our users."

There are new features for communicating with support staff, operating the iPad, navigating the Apple Watch, and more, with a rundown below.

• Background Sounds - In support of neurodiversity, Apple is adding a Background Sounds feature that's designed to minimize distractions to help users stay focus, stay calm, or rest. Balanced, bright, or dark noise sounds are available, as well as ocean, rain, or stream sounds. All of the sounds can be set to play in the background to mask unwanted environmental or external noise. Apple says the sounds mix into or duck under other audio and system sounds.
• AssistiveTouch - For users with limited mobility, AssistiveTouch will allow the Apple Watch to be used without the need to touch the display or the controls. Built-in motion sensors, the optical heart rate sensor, and on-device machine learning will let Apple Watch detect subtle differences in muscle movement and tendon activity that will control a cursor on the screen through hand gestures like a pinch or a clench. AssistiveTouch launches later this year.
• iPad Eye-Tracking - Later this year, iPadOS will support third-party eye-tracking devices to let people control ‌iPad‌ with their eyes.
• SignTime - SignTime will allow customers to communicate with AppleCare and retail customer care using American Sign Language in the United States, British Sign Language (BSL) in the UK, or French Sign Language (LSF) in France using a web browser. SignTime launches May 20.
• New Memoji Customizations - New memojis are coming to better represent users with oxygen tubes, cochlear implants, and a soft helmet for headwear.
• VoiceOver Improvements - Recent updates to VoiceOver let users explore more details about people, text, table data, and other objects within images. VoiceOver can describe a person's position along with other objects in images, and with Markup, users can add image descriptions to personalize their photos.
• MFi Hearing Aid Improvements - Apple is introducing new support for bi-directional hearing aids, enabling hands-free phone and FaceTime conversations. Next-generation models from MFi partners are coming later this year.
• Audiograms for Headphone Accommodations - Headphone Accommodations will gain support for audiograms, so users can customize their audio by importing their latest hearing test results.
• Sound Actions for Switch Control - This replaces physical buttons and switches with mouth sounds -- such as a click, pop, or "ee" sound -- for users who are non-speaking and have limited mobility.
• Display and Text Size Settings - Will be customizable on a per app basis for users with colorblindness or other vision challenges to make the screen easier to see.

Apple is announcing these new features in celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, which takes place May 20. Apple is also celebrating through new additions to Apple Fitness+, Today at Apple, the App Store, the Apple TV app, and more.

Many of these new features are slated for release later in the year, which suggests that they'll be included in the iOS 15 update that Apple is set to introduce at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Apple's full announcement has more detail on just what's coming and when, and it's well worth checking out.

Qualcomm today announced it has upgraded its Snapdragon X65 5G modem with improved power efficiency and support for wider mmWave carriers, a key requirement ahead of the rollout of 5G mmWave networks in China.

Specifically, the modem now supports wider 200MHz carrier bandwidth in the mmWave spectrum and mmWave in standalone (SA) mode, while new power-saving technologies part of Qualcomm 5G PowerSave 2.0 allow for longer battery life. These enhancements are possible because the Snapdragon X65 has software-upgradable architecture, allowing for improvements to be made to the modem over time.

First introduced in February, the Snapdragon X65 is the world's first 10 Gigabit 5G modem and antenna system for smartphones, enabling theoretical data speeds up to 10 gigabits per second. Apple will likely use the Snapdragon X65 in 2022 iPhones, as part of a multiyear chipset supply agreement with Qualcomm, building on the Snapdragon X55 in the iPhone 12 lineup and likely the Snapdragon X60 in the iPhone 13 lineup.

As with the Snapdragon X60, the Snapdragon X65 can aggregate data from mmWave and sub-6GHz bands simultaneously to achieve an optimal combination of high-speed and low-latency coverage, resulting in an improved 5G experience on the iPhone.

mmWave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it best suited for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas. mmWave support on iPhone 12 models is limited to the United States, but rumors suggest that iPhone 13 models may support mmWave in additional countries.

The Snapdragon X65 could be the last Qualcomm modem used in iPhones, as analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and other sources have forecasted that Apple may be ready to switch to its rumored in-house 5G modem for iPhones starting in 2023.

When Apple first introduced the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, a report said that the new iPad wouldn't be compatible with the previous generation Magic Keyboard due to an increase in thickness. Apple later confirmed that the older Magic Keyboard might not close properly when paired with the new ‌iPad Pro‌.

Now, however, reviews of the new M1-powered iPad have been published, revealing that the previous generation Magic Keyboard does actually work perfectly fine with the new 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌. The Verge's Dieter Bohn says that when he tested it, he wasn't able to "discern any difference between the fit on the original and the new, white Magic Keyboard" and that it worked and closed just "fine."

Engadget's Chris Velazco says it fits "quite well," but notes that the experience using the new ‌iPad Pro‌ with the older Magic Keyboard is "certainly not ideal," noting that the "keyboard layer presses into the display’s glass when closed, which means the fit could be affected by a screen protector." However, despite the annoyance, Velazco doesn't believe that customers will need to "rush out and buy a new Magic Keyboard if you already own one."

In his review of the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, YouTuber Marques Brownlee also notes that the new iPad works "perfect" with last year's Magic Keyboard but that it might feel a little snug when closed.

It's worth mentioning for customers of the $400 Kensington StudioDock, the new ‌iPad Pro‌ won't fit inside of the dock due to the 0.55mm increase in thickness, as noted by Jason Cipriani and CNET's Scott Stein.

Despite a marginal increase to compensate for the increased thickness of the ‌iPad Pro‌, the new Magic Keyboard offers the same floating design as the previous generation, but now it is also offered in a new white version. The keyboard is available in white for both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ for $299 and $349.

The embargo has lifted on reviews of Apple's new iPad Pro, providing a hands-on look at the device before orders beginning arriving to customers this Friday. Key new features include Apple's custom M1 chip for impressive performance improvements, a brighter mini-LED display on the 12.9-inch model, Thunderbolt 3 support, and 5G on cellular models.

The Verge's Dieter Bohn said the mini-LED display on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is a "dream screen" and functionally equivalent to a high-end OLED TV to his eyes:

The joke I've been telling people is that the display is so good that Tenet actually makes sense when you watch it on this iPad Pro. HDR content is incredible on this screen. I am not a display quality enthusiast, but this screen is functionally equivalent to a high-end OLED TV to my eyes, especially in a dark room.

While the new iPad Pro is around 50% faster than the previous generation model with the A12Z chip, some reviewers believe this impressive performance improvement is held back by the iPadOS operating system.

Caitlin McGarry at Gizmodo:

The iPad's hardware is a non-issue at this point. Apple's tablet gets better with every iteration, and the M1 iPad with miniLED display is truly impressive. There are no other tablets that can compare.

But the iPad Pro isn't competing against other tablets. It's competing against the Mac. And though the iPad is very, very capable, its software often feels hamstrung compared to the Mac's. I give this example all the time, but my most-used app is Airtable, a project management tool I use for my job all day every day. The iPad app looks and works perfectly, just like the Mac app, until I have to do a random task and it boots me to Airtable on the web, which would never happen on the Mac.

CNET's Scott Stein said iPadOS's limitations extend to the iPad Pro's new Thunderbolt 3 support:

Monitor support is a big example. The iPad Pro can only use an external monitor for apps that choose to support it, which is limited now to some games, video-editing tools... and that's mostly it. It doesn't extend your iPad to a second desktop area, or allow multiple apps on different screens. This is what you'd expect monitor support on an M1-equipped iPad would add, and yet here we are. Apple's developers conference (WWDC) is weeks away, and should reveal where the next iPadOS is heading. I'd expect big changes for the M1 iPad to be announced, but it's hard to predict anything yet.

Jason Snell at Six Colors said 5G support on cellular models is a "big deal" if you live in an area with mmWave 5G coverage:

I know that 5G is an eye-roll-worthy buzzword and that in most parts of the country 5G isn't too much faster than 4G if you can even find it.

However, if you're lucky enough to live somewhere with high-speed millimeter-wave 5G available, you will find that it enables broadband-like data rates. Apple made a big deal about 5G on the iPhone, but I think the iPad Pro is a better fit since it's a device you’re more likely to use for applications that require that level of bandwidth. I went to San Francisco's Marina district and while sitting on a bench next to the Palace of Fine Arts, downloading data at two or three gigabits. My home cable connection theoretically offers one gigabit, and I almost never see speeds that approach it. If you're someone who frequently works on an iPad in an area covered with the ultra-fast form of 5G, this will be a big deal.

The Loop's Jim Dalrymple said one of his favorite new features on the iPad Pro is Center Stage. Enabled by the iPad Pro's new Ultra Wide front camera, Center Stage automatically keeps users perfectly framed during video calls:

One of the features I love the most on the iPad Pro is Center Stage. Using the TrueDepth camera system, a new 12MP Ultra Wide front camera, and the machine learning capabilities of M1, Center Stage allows users to move around while using FaceTime, and the camera will keep them centered in the frame. It's pretty amazing to see it in action.

I started a FaceTime call seated at a desk, I stood up and took a step back, and the camera zoomed out a little to make sure I was in the frame. As I walked back and forth, the camera would pan side to side, following my movements, always keeping me in the center of the window (except if I went to the extreme side). If someone else comes into the frame, it will zoom out, ensuring that the camera can see both people in the frame.

More Reviews

• Federico Viticci at MacStories
• Jake Krol at CNN Underscored
• Todd Haselton at CNBC
• Daniel Bader at iMore
• David Phelan at The Independent
• Nicole Nguyen at The Wall Street Journal
• Patrick O'Rourke at MobileSyrup
• Brenda Stoylar at Mashable
• Samuel Axon at Ars Technica
• Chris Velazco at Engadget
• Christian de Looper at Digital Trends

Video Reviews and Unboxings

Check out our complete roundup of iPad Pro unboxing videos.

The new iPad Pro became available to order starting April 30, and orders will begin arriving to customers on May 21.

The new iPad Pro featuring the M1 chip is now available to order and set to begin arriving with customers starting on Friday, May 21.

The new iPad Pro features the ‌M1‌ chip, 5G connectivity, a Thunderbolt port, a Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display on the 12.9-inch model, an improved front-facing camera with Center Stage, and more. It also comes alonside the Magic Keyboard, which is now available in white for the first time.

• iPad Pro 2020 vs. iPad Pro 2021 Buyer's Guide

Ahead of the arrival of orders this Friday, Apple has provided select YouTube channels and media outlets with an early look at its flagship tablets. We have rounded up some unboxing videos and first impressions below.

Videos

For more in-depth impressions, see our M1 iPad Pro review roundup.

ZAGG today announced two new iPad integrated keyboard cases for Apple's ‌iPad‌ models, including the ‌iPad‌, iPad Air, and iPad Pro 11-inch.

First up is the Zag Pro Keys, which is compatible with the ‌iPad Pro‌ 11-inch (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation), the ‌iPad Air‌ 10.9-inch (4th generation), and the ‌iPad‌ 10.2-inch (7th and 8th generation).

The ZAGG Pro Keys features a detachable keyboard with precision, laptop-style keys and an integrated Bluetooth trackpad. It also includes a detachable case, an integrated, adjustable stand, key backlighting, and a holder for Apple Pencil as well as the Zagg Pro Stylus.

A magnetic flap holds the cover closed, while the polycarbonate case is lightweight but has a rigid core, rubberized edges, button covers, and corner bumpers, all of which combine to provide up to 6.6 foot (2 meters) of drop protection.

The Zagg Pro Keys supports multi-device pairing, and trackpad can be independently turned off to save battery when not in use. Meanwhile, the backlit keys come in seven different colors, the on-board battery lasts for three months, and the keyboard is charged via USB-C.

The Pro Keys with Trackpad wireless keyboard and detachable case for the Apple ‌iPad Pro‌ 11-inch (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation), and the ‌iPad Air‌ 10.9-inch (4th generation) for $149.99. The Pro Keys with Trackpad for the ‌iPad‌ 10.2-inch (7th and 8th generation) will be available on May 25 for $139.99. For comparison, Apple's Magic Keyboard with trackpad costs $299 for the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌iPad Air‌, and $349 for the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌.

The second new model, the ZAGG Rugged Book is designed to be tough and versatile, featuring an interlocking key design on the wireless keyboard that locks the keys in place so they don't pop off.

The detachable keyboard includes backlit, laptop-style keys, while the rugged design offers up to 6.6 feet (2m) of drop protection and includes a magnetic hinge for multiple viewing angles. The Rugged Book also supports multi-device pairing.

The Rugged Book wireless keyboard for the ‌iPad Pro‌ 11-inch (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation) and ‌iPad Air‌ 10.9-inch (4th generation) is available now for $149.99.

ZAGG also offers a Pro Keys wireless keyboard and detachable case for ‌iPad Pro‌ 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th, and 5th generation) and ‌iPad Pro‌ 11-inch (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation), for RRP $169.99 and $109.99, respectively.

The above models include a one-year limited lifetime warranty, and are available now or will be available on ZAGG.com, ZAGG Franchise locations, and at Best Buy stores nationwide.

As part of the Apple vs. Epic Games legal battle, Apple has filed a motion asking for a judge ruling on one of the ten claims that ‌Epic Games‌ had made against it. Specifically, Apple is seeking a partial judgment on the claim that iOS is an "essential facility" and denies Epic's claim that it has been unlawfully barred from accessing it through the App Store.

The claim, specified in court filings as Count 2, refers to Epic's argument that it's been denied access to iOS, which it claims is an "essential facility" due to the fact it's been blocked access to the ‌App Store‌. The Count specifically accuses Apple of violating Section 2 of the Sherman Act through "its unlawful denial to Epic and other app distributors of an essential facility—access to iOS."

Apple is asking the judge to move forward with a judgment due to Epic's lack of "factual, expert, or legal support for its theory of essential facility" and that it has practically given up on attempting to prove it. Apple also cites testimony from one of Epic's own witnesses, who said during the trial regarding the ‌App Store‌ that nothing they say is referencing anything that can be deemed an "essential facility."

Epic’s experts did not opine on whether iOS is an essential facility, or whether Epic has been denied access to iOS. Rather, Dr. Evans admitted in his written direct testimony that Epic and other developers are provided "access to the tools and permissions for writing iOS apps."

And on the stand, Dr. Evans admitted that he was not "expressing any opinion on anything termed an essential facility or anything related to an essential facility claim in this case."

In the court filing, Apple says that the iOS ‌App Store‌ can easily be replicated and duplicated, and per the court's own definition, iOS is not an essential facility. Apple goes on to say that essential means "essential" and not what's "best," "most profitable or preferable."

Apple removed Fortnite and stripped Epic of access to its developer account in August of last year after it violated ‌App Store‌ Guidelines. To the court, Apple reiterated that Epic has access to the ‌App Store‌, despite its claim it's been unlawfully stripped of access to an "essential facility," as long as it follows the same rules that all developers are adhered to.

Apple notes that ‌Epic Games‌ had full access to the app distribution platform before it began "Project Liberty," Epic's codename for its legal fight against Apple.

There is no dispute that Epic actually has access to iOS. Epic, like all other developers, may obtain "access to the tools and permissions for writing iOS apps," and may distribute those apps through iOS, by agreeing to the DPLA. And Epic clearly did (prior to Project Liberty) distribute its apps through iOS and the App Store. So do millions of other developers.

Apple says that ‌Epic Games‌' real argument is not that it is illegally being denied access to the ‌App Store‌ and iOS, but that instead it does not like the terms and conditions that developers must follow on the platform.

The Epic Games vs. Apple trial officially started on May 3, and Apple is asking that its request for a partial judgment be entrained on May 24 or as soon as the court may hear its request.

Apple appears to be ironing out a bug that meant some iOS 14.5 users were unable to adjust the "Allow Apps to Request to Track" setting that was rolled out as part of Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature.

In iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, ATT requires that apps ask for permission before tracking your activity across other companies' apps and websites for targeted advertising purposes.

On iPhone and iPad, users can manage tracking permissions on an app-by-app basis in the Settings app under Privacy -> Tracking, where a new "Allow Apps to Request to Track" switch resides. The setting is off by default.

On devices with the "Allow Apps to Request to Track" setting turned off, all apps that request to track are denied permission by default and cannot access the device's random advertising identifier, known as the IDFA.

Apps are also not permitted to track your activity using other information that identifies you or your device, such as your email address, although this policy is not enforced at a technical level.

Apple says there are a few circumstances where the setting may be legitimately grayed out, but a significant minority of users had still found that they were unable to adjust the setting despite meeting Apple's criteria for full access.

A May 3 update from Apple had been expected to fix the problem, but reports from users unable to control the feature persisted after the update was installed. Based on the latest reports from social media, however, Apple appears to be resolving the issue.

Shortly after ATT was launched, an early analysis suggested that 96% of iOS users did not plan to allow tracking for any app.

Apple recently shared a video with more details about its new App Tracking Transparency requirement for those interested in learning more.

Google Photos is getting a new AI-driven feature that can take two similar pictures in your iPhone's camera roll and turn them into a single moving shot, reports The Verge.

Google says the feature achieves this by using machine learning to generate additional frames between the two images, which creates the appearance of movement.

If you've taken several shots in succession, for example, Google ‌Photos‌ can now bring the scene to life by turning it into a moving picture. Think of the result as a sort of synthesized version of a Live Photo.

The new feature is called "Cinematic Moments," and is not to be confused with Google's existing Cinematic Photos, which use machine learning to add an animated depth effect to pictures.

The Cinematic Moments option is expected to make its way to both Android and iOS versions of the Google ‌Photos‌ app soon. Google ‌Photos‌ is a free download for ‌iPhone‌ and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Apple customers who own faulty Powerbeats 2 devices have begun receiving payouts from a class action lawsuit that Apple settled last year, according to multiple MacRumors readers that have started receiving funds.

Powerbeats 2 owners sued Apple after it was found that some of the headphones had a defect that could cause them to stop working and fail to retain charge after "minimal usage." The plaintiffs in the case alleged that Apple misrepresented the battery life of the Powerbeats 2, and that Apple had said they were sweat and water resistant.

Powerbeats 2 were first released in 2015, and at least some of the failures may have been due to moisture exposure. Apple was also accused of failing to replace or repair defective Powerbeats 2 within the one-year warranty period.

The case did not play out in court as Apple agreed to pay $9.75 million last summer to settle the lawsuit. At the time that it agreed to the payout, Apple said that it denied all allegations and was paying the settlement fee to avoid expensive litigation.

The settlement was approved in January of 2021, and now the money obtained from Apple is being split between all Class Members who submitted claim forms after attorneys' fees and related costs were paid. Anyone who had purchased Powerbeats 2 earbuds before August 2, 2020 were eligible to claim a payment from the settlement.

Amid the ongoing legal battle between Epic Games and Apple, Spotify's chief legal officer and head of global affairs Horacio Gutierrez penned an anti-App Store op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, where he summarizes Spotify's issues with Apple.

Gutierrez says that Spotify is one of the few companies that insists Apple is a "ruthless bully that uses its dominance to hobble competitors."

Spotify has long been upset with Apple's App Store fees, as the 15 to 30 percent cut that Apple takes from subscriptions means that Spotify has to either raise its prices for those who sign up via the ‌App Store‌ or decline to offer subscriptions on iOS at all, which is what Spotify has opted for.

Apple's "antisteering" rules prevent Spotify from directing iPhone and iPad customers to the Spotify website to sign up, which Spotify argues gives Apple Music some major advantages.

The company has also argued that Spotify pays 15% of its revenue on only 0.5% of its subscriptions. But that's because Apple's exorbitant 30% tax on new subscriptions forced us to turn off in-app purchases in 2016. It made more business sense to cut iPhone and iPad users off from a path to subscriptions than to absorb the 30% cut for new ones.

Gutierrez points out the many regulatory issues that Apple is facing in Europe and the United States. The European Commission in April found that Apple breached EU competition law with ‌Apple Music‌, and in April, the Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee questioned Apple's App Store policies. Spotify, Tile, and others attended the latter hearing and said that if Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules aren't changed, Apple will take over the internet, "limiting innovation, squashing small businesses, and all but eliminating customer choice."

Spotify is asking the U.S. to speed up its regulatory initiatives against Apple with "urgent, narrowly tailored updates" to antitrust law to "end such egregious abuses."

Gutierrez says that Spotify isn't asking for special treatment, but wants "fair treatment," and he sums up his piece by stating that Apple's "ability to strangle its competitors is unprecedented." He says that those in a position "to do something" have now "seen past Apple's facade" and are now acting on the behalf of "innovators and consumers around the world."

During its Google I/O developers conference today, Google previewed Android 12, the next version of Android that will ship to millions of Android devices around the world later this year.

Google is mainly targeting customization as the theme for this year's new release and a new design language that it's calling "Material You." Google says this new design language brings a "humanistic approach to design," an approach that "celebrates the tension between design sensibility and personal preference, and does not shy away from emotion."

Google is offering users nearly unlimited customizability for system shapes, colors, and overall feel. Google aims to offer users customization through color extraction, which automatically detects colors that are most dominant in a user's wallpaper and then applies them throughout the system, such as on the lockscreen, widgets, and more.

With Android 12, Google is also introducing more fluid systemwide animations that are aimed at making devices feel "alive with every tap, swipe, and scroll." Google is ensuring, however, that these systemwide animations have minimal impact on battery life and system performance.

Your Android devices are now faster and more responsive with better power efficiency so you can use your device for longer without a charge. This was achieved by some under-the-hood improvements including reducing the CPU time needed for core system services by up to 22% and reducing the use of big cores by the system server by up to 15%.

Beyond design changes, Google introduced new privacy features that take some inspiration from iOS 14, released this past September. One new feature is a microphone and camera indicator, which provides a dot in the top-right hand corner of a device whenever an app is accessing the camera or microphone. Google is also making it easier to disable a specific app's access to the microphone and camera through new toggles in Quick Settings.

Another privacy-centric feature coming with Android 12 is the ability for users to give apps access to either their precise or approximate location. Much like iOS, whenever an app requests access to a user's location, an option to provide "Precise" and "Approximate" locations are given.

Android 12 also includes under-the-hood privacy changes enabled by new AI technologies that help minimize user data collection.

Beyond these new privacy features in Android 12, we’re also building privacy protections directly into the OS. There are more opportunities than ever to use AI to create helpful new features, but these features need to be paired with powerful privacy. That’s why in this release we’re introducing Android Private Compute Core. It allows us to introduce new technologies that are private by design, allowing us to keep your personal information safe, private and local to your phone.

Beyond adopting some iOS 14 privacy features, Google is also taking inspiration in some other areas. Google introduced "Google Digital Car Key," which, much like Apple's Digital Car Key feature available on iOS 13 and ‌iOS 14‌, lets car owners use NFC on their supported Android device to unlock compatible vehicles.

As reported by 9to5Google, Google is also adding support for Apple's Beats headphones to its "Google Fast Pair" process, which aims to make it easy to pair Bluetooth headphones and accessories by simply bringing them near your device. The new feature takes heavy inspiration from Apple users' seamless experience when pairing AirPods, HomePod, and other accessories to their iPhone or iPad.

Android 12 will be under beta testing throughout the summer starting today, and Google says it will be available for a wide range of Android devices later this year.

Apple in June 2021 added new Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless tiers to Apple Music, but so far, it's a bit confusing trying to determine which devices support ‌Apple Music‌'s Lossless Audio and which devices do not.

This guide covers everything that we know so far about Lossless Audio, and we'll be updating it as we learn more.

What is Lossless Audio?

Apple upgraded its entire streaming music catalog to lossless audio using the ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) format. ALAC is a lossless compression format that lets Apple make smaller file sizes without impacting the integrity of the original audio recording.

Lossless means that after compression and then decompression, the audio that you're hearing is identical to the audio as it was recorded by the artist, preserving the texture, detail, and sound that went into the music when it was created.

With lossless audio, ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers can listen to songs exactly as the artists recorded them in the studio and intended them to be heard.

Lossless Device Support

Supported

According to Apple, lossless audio on ‌Apple Music‌ can be listened to on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Support for lossless audio will be added to the HomePod and HomePod mini via a future software update.

The ‌HomePod‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌ are expected to gain lossless audio support with the launch of iOS 15. The ‌HomePod‌ 15 software that was released in July adds Lossless Audio support for the ‌HomePod‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌, and it will see a public release this fall.

Unsupported

None of Apple's headphones, however, work with lossless audio. The AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max are limited to the Bluetooth AAC codec and simply cannot support the ALAC format.

In regard to a wired connection for ‌AirPods Max‌, Apple says that ‌AirPods Max‌ can be connected to devices playing Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless recordings with exceptional audio quality, but because of the analog to digital conversion in the Lightning to 3.5mm audio cable, playback will not be completely lossless.

Lossless Audio Quality

The standard Lossless tier starts at CD quality, which is 16-bit at 44.1 kHz, and it goes up to 24-bit at 48 kHz. Apple is also adding a Hi-Res Lossless tier for audiophiles, which is available at 24-bit 192 kHz, but Hi-Res Lossless will require a USB digital-to-analog converter, or DAC.

Even when connected by a physical wire, the ‌AirPods Max‌ won't support true lossless audio.

It is not clear if ALAC support is something that Apple can add in the future because technically, Bluetooth 5.0 should support higher bitrates, nor is it known if Apple plans to add support to future audio devices.

Lossless Audio Songs

At launch, 20 million songs supported lossless quality, with Apple planning to bring support to all 75 million+ songs on ‌Apple Music‌ by the end of 2021.

The feature is limited to ‌Apple Music‌ streaming subscribers. Lossless quality will not be available for iTunes purchases and there is no way to upgrade owned music to lossless via iTunes Match.

Can You Even Hear Lossless Audio?

Lossless audio is not a new concept, and has in fact been supported via iTunes and the ‌Apple Music‌ app for Mac for years now. There is some controversy over lossless audio, and there are quite a few people out there who are unable to hear the difference between lossy audio and uncompressed lossless audio files.

There are also other considerations to take into account, such as the quality of the device that you're listening to music on. Lossless audio is designed for audiophiles and most people will not miss lossless quality on their ‌HomePod‌, AirPods, ‌AirPods Pro‌, and ‌AirPods Max‌.

Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos

Apple's more notable ‌Apple Music‌ announcement has been somewhat overshadowed by the lossless music feature. The ‌HomePod‌, all AirPods, and all Beats headphones with Apple's H1 or W1 chip automatically support a new Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos feature that Apple is bringing to ‌Apple Music‌. Spatial Audio for other headphones paired with an Apple device can be enabled manually via the Settings app on your device.

With this feature, artists are able to record multi-dimensional audio that will make it sound like the music is coming from all around you.

Apple Music Lossless Launch Date

Apple laid the groundwork for the new ‌Apple Music‌ update in iOS 14.6, tvOS 14.6, and macOS Big Sur 11.4, then later enabled lossless quality in June.

Just three days before the new iPad Pro begins arriving to customers, the developers of award-winning iPhone camera app Halide have announced the release of an iPad app, complete with a custom user interface that takes advantage of the larger screen.

To keep the viewfinder minimally obscured, the iPad app has an expandable "honeycomb" of controls next to the shutter button for manually adjusting shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and more. Other key features are readily reachable at the edges of the screen, with Halide offering Smart RAW and RAW+JPEG capture, instant RAW processing, a dedicated Depth mode, manual focus with focus peaking, and more.

Unique to the iPad is a new Pro View that shrinks the viewfinder to be within the limits of your central vision, according to Halide:

Ever notice that taking a photo on an iPad is a challenge? It’s not just the iPad part. Our human vision is split into central and peripheral vision - allowing you to see detail only in a small area. As you hold iPads closer to you than iPhones and their screens are larger, it is nearly impossible to see your entire composition well. […]

Pro View is a toggle in the bottom left that shrinks the viewfinder up to the limits of your detailed central vision. It makes it large enough to use a large iPad screen, but small enough to judge composition and take a good photo. This also creates extra space for manual mode, a big histogram (we made it much larger), waveform, manual focus, and the pro features. Even enabling manual controls for shutter and ISO do not interfere or overlap on the viewfinder.

Halide said there are several other new features, refinements, and bug fixes, including a left-handed user interface option and a space gray app icon option.

Existing users can update the Halide app to automatically get access to the iPad app at no additional cost. New users can subscribe to the app for $1.99 per month or $11.99 per year or unlock the app for a one-time purchase of $39.99.

Halide is available on the App Store.

Apple is working on a high-end version of the Mac mini, featuring a more powerful Apple silicon chip and extra ports, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In a wide-reaching report, Gurman explained that Apple is developing a more powerful version of the ‌Mac mini‌, positioned as a high-end version of the current M1 model. The new ‌Mac mini‌ is expected to use the same chip as the next-generation MacBook Pro.

The next-generation ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are expected to feature an improved version of the ‌M1‌ chip with a 10-core CPU, containing eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores, and 16-core or 32-core GPU options, meaning this is also what we can expect from the new ‌Mac mini‌. Gurman said that this Apple silicon chip will also support up to 64GB of memory, a significant increase compared to the current maximum of 16GB.

The high-end ‌Mac mini‌ is also expected to feature four Thunderbolt ports on its rear, rather than the two that are available on the rear of the current ‌Mac mini‌ with an ‌M1‌ chip, which is also a change supported by the next-generation Apple silicon chip.

Apple has also been working on a more powerful version of the Mac mini (code name J374) with the same chip as the next MacBook Pro. It's expected to have four ports versus the pair available on the current low-end version and to sit above the current entry-level M1 Mac Mini. Apple could delay or cancel the new mini's launch - as it has in the past - but eventually the company will likely replace the Intel-equipped version it now sells.

When Apple introduced the ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ last year, it retained the Intel Mac minis with two additional ports in the product lineup as a high-end option. Apple did the same with the ‌MacBook Pro‌ and iMac, where the ‌M1‌ option replaced the entry-level version of the machine, and kept the high-end Intel models with more ports on sale.

The new high-end ‌Mac mini‌ is expected to replace the current Intel-based ‌Mac mini‌ that is still on sale, meaning that the whole ‌Mac mini‌ product lineup will have transitioned to Apple silicon. Gurman added the caveat that the new ‌Mac mini‌ may yet be delayed or cancelled, but said that the company will likely replace the current high-end Intel-based ‌Mac mini‌ with an Apple silicon version eventually.

Gurman also disclosed an extensive amount of information earlier this morning regarding upcoming MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Pro models.