MacRumors

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

AgileBits has released a version of 1Password for web browsers that brings Touch ID integration to the popular password management service.

The addition of support for biometric authentication means that if 1Password is locked and you have the desktop app installed, you can use the ‌Touch ID‌ ring that comes with Apple's latest MacBooks and Magic Keyboards to unlock your passwords.

The web version of the app has also gained a dark mode, which should please users who browse at night and suffer from eye fatigue as a result. The dark mode update should also make 1Password dialogs sit more harmoniously with websites that adopt dark themes.

Another significant change for subscribers appears in the save window, which now shows everything that will be added to a new item, and allows users to adjust the contents and add tags to stay organized. The password generator also now suggests strong passwords that fit the requirements of the website being viewed.

Version 2.0.0/2.0.1 of 1Password for browsers also includes a giant list of changes, fixes, and improvements, all of which you can find on the new 1Password release page.

Apple's unreleased Beats Studio Buds were today spotted out in the wild in a set of Instagram photos shared by LeBron James. James appears to be wearing the Beats Studio Buds in white, based on the shape and design of the earbuds in his ears.

It's difficult to get a good look at the Beats Studio Buds worn by James, but we've already seen several closer views of the upcoming earbuds. The wire-free in-ear Beats-branded earbuds were first spotted by MacRumors in the tvOS 14.6 and iOS 14.6 betas earlier this month.

The Beats Studio Buds are easy to identify at a glance because they're unlike any prior Beats headphones that Apple has released to date, as there is no ear wrap as with the Powerbeats Pro. Compared to other Beats-branded headphones, the Beats Studio Buds are tiny in design and look similar to in-ear earbuds from companies like Samsung and Google, but with a distinctly Beats-like look and feel.

Apple plans to offer the Beats Studio Buds in red, black, and white, with a matching oval-shaped charging case available with the headphones. As with the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌, the Beats Studio Pro feature silicone ear tips that fit into the ears.

Beats Studio Buds are particularly interesting in light of AirPods Pro 2 rumors. Apple's AirPods Pro 2 could feature a similar design, with rumors suggesting the updated AirPods will have a rounded, compact design that's stemless, a description that sounds a lot like the new Beats.

There's no word yet on when the Beats Studio Buds might be launching, but since they've already received FCC approval, we could be seeing them in the near future.

When Apple releases a new product with upgraded camera technology, the developers behind popular photography app Halide often take a deep dive into the revamped camera features to provide us with some insight into how things work behind the scenes.

Halide developer Sebastiaan de With today shared a look at the cameras in the new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, uncovering a hidden macro capability. The ‌iPad Pro‌'s camera has a different lens design than the iPhone camera, which allows it to focus on things that are much closer to the sensor.

The ‌iPhone‌ focuses to about eight centimeters, but the iPad's camera can get a lot closer, allowing for macro shots that aren't possible on an ‌iPhone‌.

de With says that he was using the ‌iPad‌ on his lap when he noticed that it focused perfectly on his pant leg, leading him to try it with other objects. "‌iPad‌ basically comes with a microscope," he says.

The rear camera in the 11 and 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models has not changed from the prior-generation camera used in the 2020 models, so older ‌iPad‌ Pros also seem to be able to use this close-up shot functionality.

It can be difficult to get the ‌iPad Pro‌ camera to focus with the LiDAR sensor-assisted autofocus feature, so de With recommends a camera app like Halide for ‌iPad‌ to put it into a manual focus mode.

The biggest change to the 2021 M1 ‌iPad Pro‌ models comes in the form a revamped front-facing camera that enables a new Ultra Wide "Center Stage" feature that's designed to pan and zoom with you as you move around a room while on video calls.

The Ultra Wide camera functionality used for Center Stage has a 120 degree field of view, but it's all done with software rather than hardware. There's still a single front-facing camera in the ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ that handles both the standard focal length and the wider view.

The M1 iPad Pro has those 12 megapixels packed into the front-facing camera system to enable a more seamless 'dual camera system': one that is entirely created in software. The camera is ultra-wide and only ultra-wide; thanks to software corrections and extra megapixels, the system can just crop that wide and detailed camera feed down to its old focal length.

The standard front-facing camera view is cropped in from the wide-angle view, something that Apple has also done on the latest ‌iPhone‌ models. de With says that Apple's Center Stage feature is a "very impressive bit of software" that can only be achieved with a tight integration of software and hardware.

The full overview of the ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ camera can be read on the Halide website.