MacRumors

Earlier today, Apple Music began teasing a special announcement with the tagline "Get Ready – Music is About to Change Forever." This teaser comes amid a rumor that Apple is preparing to announce the third-generation AirPods alongside a HiFi, or lossless audio streaming tier for Apple Music on Tuesday, May 18.

Now, references to "Apple Lossless," "Free Lossless," "Hi-Res Lossless," and "Dolby Atmos" have been found within the ‌Apple Music‌ web app by 9to5Mac and confirmed by MacRumors. These references indicate that Apple is likely planning to announce that users will be able to stream songs at higher quality and potentially enjoy them in some form of Spatial Audio using Dolby Atmos with the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.

Additional code also indicates that only certain songs may be capable of lossless, and Dolby Atmos audio streaming as Apple has references on multiple occasions to a badge that reads "Has Lossless" and "Has Atmos," which could be presented next to compatible songs within ‌Apple Music‌.

References to lossless and high-quality streaming were already found in the earliest beta of the upcoming iOS 14.6 update. A report regarding a lossless, or HiFi ‌Apple Music‌ tier first originated in early May, and according to that report, the new tier will cost the same $9.99 as the current individual ‌Apple Music‌ subscription.

Apple is getting ready to send out second-generation Apple TV 4K devices to those who preordered on April 30, with orders now shifting to "Preparing to Ship."

Apple began charging credit and debit cards earlier today, and orders should start shipping out soon. The earliest Apple TV 4K preorders have estimated delivery dates between Friday, May 21 and Thursday, May 27.

The second-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K is identical in design to the original ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, but it supports high frame rate HDR and comes equipped with a faster A12 Bionic processor. The new ‌Apple TV‌ is accompanied by a redesigned Siri Remote that has a more substantial body and a touch-enabled clickpad.

Pricing on the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K starts at $179 for 32GB of storage, though there's also a 64GB option available for $199. The second-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K is still widely available, and orders placed today will deliver between May 25 and June 2.

The $59 ‌Siri‌ Remote is available on a standalone basis for those who already have an ‌Apple TV‌ but want the new remote design, and it also comes bundled with the lower-cost Apple TV HD.

The new M1 iPad Pro models and the ‌M1‌ iMacs are also expected to start arriving to customers on Friday, May 21, and shipments for those devices have already begun.

The Browse tab in the Music app across Apple's platforms has started displaying a prominent teaser hinting at an upcoming major announcement for Apple Music. Under the heading "Coming soon," the headline says "Get ready – music is about to change forever." An accompanying "Tune-In Video" simply shows an animated ‌Apple Music‌ logo.

Rumors have indicated that Apple is preparing to launch a new "Hi-Fi" tier of ‌Apple Music‌ involving lossless audio and perhaps a Spatial Audio experience on compatible hardware. An announcement could come as soon as this Tuesday, May 18.

The animated ‌Apple Music‌ logo in the teaser has a spinning effect as it switches back and forth between white on black and black on white, perhaps suggestive of the surround-sound nature of Spatial Audio.

The initial rumor about the Hi-Fi ‌Apple Music‌ tier appeared two weeks ago and hints of high-fidelity audio have been found in the code of both the iOS 14.6 beta and the Apple Music app for Android beta.

Some rumors have indicated that the launch of this new Hi-Fi ‌Apple Music‌ tier could come alongside third-generation AirPods, but others have indicated that the new earphones are not expected until later in the year.

(Thanks, Carlos!)

Days ahead of their expected launch and seemingly before official review embargoes lift, one lucky customer has already gotten their hands on the brand new 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro.

Posted on Reddit, u/PeterDragon50 has already received their 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ through retailer Nebraska Furniture Mart. The Reddit user says they placed their order when pre-orders initially went live and that the retail chain informed them that their iPad was ready for pick-up, despite not yet having been officially launched from Apple. Apple says the new ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌M1‌ iMac will be available starting in the second half of May, most likely May 21.

Official reviews of the M1-powered ‌iPad Pro‌ have yet to be published, leaving many to ask the customer for first impressions and thoughts. The customer says that the new mini-LED, Liquid Retina XDR display is impressive with deep blacks and colors that are "definitely up to Apple quality." Two videos (second one) were shared showing the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ playing back HDR content.

Alongside images and videos of the new ‌iPad Pro‌, Antutu benchmarking scores were also posted, showing that the new ‌iPad Pro‌ performs significantly faster than last year's model. Geekbench scores posted earlier this week also found the new ‌iPad‌ is 50% faster than the previous-generation.

Some customers who placed their pre-orders for the new ‌iPad Pro‌ on April 30 are beginning to notice their order status switch to "Shipping" rather than "Preparing to Ship." The new ‌iPad Pro‌ has proven to be an early success, with estimated shipping dates already slipping into mid-July. You can learn more about about the new ‌iPad Pro‌ using our guide.

Twitter has been working on some kind of subscription service since last summer, and Jane Manchun Wong, who often digs into new features coming in apps, has shared details on just what Twitter is exploring.

Twitter's subscription service could be called Twitter Blue, and at the current time, it's priced at $2.99 per month. There will be a "Collections" section that allows users to save and organize their favorite tweets to make them easier to find at a later date.

It will also include an "Undo Tweets" feature, which will give customers a short time to "Undo" a tweet that has a mistake before it's actually posted on the social network. The Tweet Undo period looks to be customizable, so users can set their preferred interval.

Users will also be able to select where the Undo Tweet feature will be applied, with options that include original tweets, replies, tweetstorms, and quote tweets.

Wong says that Twitter is working on a tiered subscription pricing model, so one tier could have more paid features than another.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said last July that Twitter would set a "really high bar" for when Twitter would ask customers to "pay for aspects of Twitter."

There is no word on when Twitter's subscription functionality could roll out, nor what it will cost when it launches. Pricing and feature set could change because the subscription option is still in testing.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear their masks outdoors or in most indoor settings, paving the way for many companies to relax their mask rules.

Following the recommendation change, several stores announced that they would no longer require vaccinated customers to wear masks inside, including Walmart, Trader Joe's, Starbucks, and Costco, but for the time being, Apple retail stores will continue to ask customers to wear masks.

According to Bloomberg, Apple has told its U.S. retail store locations that the mask mandate and other COVID-19 procedures will remain in place for the time being, though it is evaluating health and safety measures. Apple said that its priority is employee and customer safety, and did not provide employees with a timeline for when its guidelines might shift.

The CDC's mask guidelines do not overrule mandates put in place by states, and while some states have changed their rules to match the CDC's recommendations, others have not. States like Michigan, Connecticut, North Carolina, Minnesota, and others have updated their mask wearing guidance and will no longer require masks in most settings, but other states like Hawaii and Massachusetts have opted to keep restrictions in place. California, where Apple's main corporate campuses are located, has not yet announced any mask changes.

Mask rules are likely to continue to change as states and retailers adjust to the CDC's new recommendations. Apple has required masks in retail locations since the beginning of the pandemic and has opened and closed stores on a rolling basis since last year based on local conditions.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Anticipation is building for the new iMac and iPad Pro models, which have started shipping out ahead of a launch around May 21. Benchmarks for the new machines are starting to come in, and the M1 chips inside of them are registering at around the same figures seen with other M1-based Macs, making for significant upgrades over previous-generation models.

This week also saw some rumors about future MacBook Air models in the same colors as those seen on the new iMac, more details on the iPhone 13, and a sketchy rumor about a Nintendo Switch competitor from Apple. Read on for details on these stories and more!

M1 iMac is Up to 56% Faster Than Prior High-End 21.5-Inch iMac

The new 24-inch iMac powered by Apple's custom M1 chip will begin arriving to customers next week, and ahead of time, early benchmark results have revealed that the computer is up to 56% faster than the previous-generation, high-end 21.5-inch iMac with an Intel Core i7 processor.

Based on Geekbench 5 results, the new iMac has virtually identical performance as other M1 Macs, including the MacBook Air, lower-end 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.

Powered by the same M1 chip as found in Macs, the new iPad Pro is also over 50% faster than the previous-generation iPad Pro models with the A12Z / A12X chips, according to early benchmark results. Impressively, this means the new iPad Pro is up to 8% faster than a maxed-out 16-inch MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i9 processor.

The new iMac and iPad Pro became available to order starting April 30, with shipments expected to begin arriving to customers on May 21. Reviews of the devices should be published next week.

Mockups Reveal Colorful New MacBook Air Design

Apple's new iMac is available in up to seven vibrant colors, including green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver, and rumors suggest the next MacBook Air will receive the same colorful treatment.

According to leaker Jon Prosser, the same source who informed him that the iMac would be getting new colors has now told him that the new MacBook Air will also be available in a variety of new colors. Prosser worked with a graphic designer to create mockups of what the new colors might look like.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple is working on a redesigned MacBook Air for release as early as the second half of 2021, but he cautioned that the notebook might not arrive until 2022. Gurman said the notebook would be thinner and lighter with a 13-inch display, multiple USB4 ports, and a magnetic charging cable.

Apple last updated the MacBook Air in November 2020, equipping the computer with the M1 chip for significantly improved performance compared to the previous-generation Intel-based MacBook Air.

iPhone 13 Models Will Be Slightly Thicker and Will Have Larger Camera Bumps

Apple's upcoming iPhone 13 models will be slightly thicker than the iPhone 12 models and will also feature larger, thicker camera bumps with lenses that protrude less, according to ‌iPhone 13‌ schematics seen by MacRumors.

The camera bumps are getting thicker in part to prevent the lenses from protruding quite as much on the ‌iPhone 13‌ models. Rather than the individual lenses protruding as we saw on the ‌iPhone 12‌ models, the camera bump itself on the ‌iPhone 13‌ family will protrude more while the lenses will sit closer to a flush position, similar to the design of the 2020 iPad Pro.

This information appears to be in line with rumors we've heard previously that suggest some decent camera improvements for the ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro to bring it more in line with the camera offerings of the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro Max, which lends credibility to the details we've received.

Make sure to read our iPhone 13 roundup for more features expected, including a 120Hz display on the Pro models.

Analytics Suggest 96% of Users Leave App Tracking Disabled in iOS 14.5

An early look at an ongoing analysis of Apple's App Tracking Transparency suggests that the vast majority of iPhone users are leaving app tracking disabled since the feature went live in iOS 14.5.

According to the latest data from Verizon-owned analytics firm Flurry, just 4% of ‌iPhone‌ users in the U.S. have actively chosen to opt into app tracking after updating their device to iOS 14.5, which was released April 26. The data is based on a sampling of 2.5 million daily mobile active users.

MacRumors ran a Twitter poll and saw similar results, with 96% of respondents saying they opt out of tracking and only 4% saying they allow tracking, which allows apps to deliver personalized ads.

Starting with iOS 14.5, as well as iPadOS 14.5 and tvOS 14.5, apps must ask for permission before tracking your activity across other companies' apps and websites. If a user asks an app not to track, the app is prevented from accessing the device's random advertising identifier, known as the IDFA, and the app must not track the user by alternative means.

Sketchy Rumor Claims Apple Developing Nintendo Switch-Style Gaming Console

Apple is allegedly working on a Nintendo Switch-style handheld games console, according to a sketchy new rumor that came out of Asia this week.

According to a post on a Korean forum, Apple is developing a portable hybrid games console, comparable to the Nintendo Switch. While the sourcing of the rumor is suspect, it has gained some visibility in larger news outlets, so we figured it was at least worth acknowledging.

The console will apparently feature an entirely new Apple-designed application processor, neglecting to use an A-series or M-series chip. This chip appears to be specifically designed for gaming and is said to feature enhanced GPU performance and improved ray tracing.

Previous rumors suggested that Apple was working on a gaming-focused Apple TV with an A14X chip and an Apple-branded game controller, but this device has yet to materialize. Instead, the Apple TV 4K received a spec bump last month with an A12 chip and a redesigned Siri Remote.

Video: Make Your iPhone Last Longer With These Battery Preserving Tips

Maximizing battery life is something that many iPhone users deal with on a regular basis, as we all want our iPhones to last as long as possible. Sometimes there are bugs in iOS that make the battery drain faster, and sometimes we just need to eke out as much as possible on a long day out and about.

On our YouTube channel this week, MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera demonstrated some useful battery saving tips that can help you get the most out of your iPhone's battery, so make sure to give it a watch. We also have a detailed, in-depth guide with tons of additional tips on maximizing your battery life, which is well worth taking a look at if your iPhone (or iPad) battery just isn't lasting long enough throughout the day.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Following an app update, Twitter today began asking users to enable ad tracking under Apple's App Tracking Transparency rules.

After updating to version 8.65, which adds Spaces support, Twitter users will begin seeing a popup that asks them to "keep ads relevant" by allowing Twitter to track data from other companies like apps used and websites visited.

Tapping "Continue" on the popup will bring users to the actual App Tracking Transparency setting where they can "Ask App Not to Track" or allow tracking.

Apps have been required to ask for user permission for tracking purposes since the release of iOS 14.5 on April 26, but Twitter didn't implement support for the feature until today.

Compared to some other apps, Twitter's messaging about ad relevancy is rather tame. Facebook and Instagram, for example, adopted a fear mongering tactic of suggesting that ads are keeping the two social networks free of charge.

In a list of reasons why people should enable App Tracking Transparency, Facebook listed personalized ads and supporting small businesses in addition to "help keep Facebook free of charge."

Analytics have suggested that 96 percent of users are leaving app tracking disabled, with just four percent of iPhone users in the United States actively choosing to opt into tracking after updating to iOS 14.5.

Following the discontinuation of the iMac Pro, Apple also appears to be discontinuing Space Gray "Magic" accessories that it sold separately alongside the iMac Pro. The ‌iMac‌ Pro was the only Space Gray Mac, and Apple designed special matching accessories for it.

The Space Gray Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad all now say "While supplies last" in small wording at the bottom of each product listing, which means that these accessories will be available for a limited time.

When existing supplies of the Space Gray Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad are exhausted, Apple will only have these accessories available in a silver color option.

Following the 2017 release of the ‌iMac‌ Pro, Apple began offering standalone versions of the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, and Magic Trackpad 2 for customers who purchased the ‌iMac‌ Pro and wanted matching accessory options. Now that there is no longer a Space Gray ‌iMac‌ Pro available, Apple apparently does not plan to continue making the Space Gray peripherals.

The new M1 ‌iMac‌ comes in seven different colors, complete with matching trackpads, mice, and keyboards, and right now, those accessories are only available when purchasing one of the new iMacs. It is not known if Apple eventually plans to sell the colorful Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboards on a standalone basis, but it's a future possibility. The ‌iMac‌ Pro accessories did not become available for purchase separately until several months after that machine was released, so we could see colored accessory options in the coming months.

Following a report that Apple could announce a brand new HiFi Apple Music tier as soon as Tuesday, May 18, new warnings within the music streaming services app on Android have confirmed that lossless audio is in the works.

As reported by 9to5Google, the ‌Apple Music‌ beta for Android has multiple warnings within the app that inform users that streaming audio at lossless, another term often used for high-fidelity streaming, will consume more data and bandwidth.

Lossless audio files preserve every detail of the original file. Turning this on will consume significantly more data.

Lossless audio files will use significantly more space on your device. 10 GB of space could store approximately: – 3000 songs at high quality – 1000 songs with lossless – 200 songs with hi-res lossless

Lossless streaming will consume significantly more data. A 3-minute song will be approximately: – 1.5 MB with high efficiency- 6 MB with high quality at 256 kbps- 36 MB with lossless at 24-bit/48 kHz- 145 MB with hi-res lossless at 24-bit/192 kHzSupport varies and depends on song availability, network conditions, and connected speaker or headphone capability.

Suggestion of a lossless audio tier for ‌Apple Music‌ first sparked earlier this month with a report from Hits Daily Double. The report stated a launch is imminent and that the new tier will cost the same $9.99 as the current individual ‌Apple Music‌ package; however, how Apple will allow existing customers to upgrade to HiFi remains unknown.

Apple is currently testing iOS and iPadOS 14.6 with developers, which compared to iOS 14.5 released in April, the upcoming update seems more subdued with new features and changes. Code within the update, although, has indicated that users will have the option to switch between different streaming qualities and that ‌Apple Music‌ may be able to dynamically switch between lossless and standard audio depending on factors such as signal strength, battery life, and data consumption.

Earlier this year, three doctors in Michigan found that iPhone 12 models can "potentially inhibit lifesaving therapy in a patient" due to the MagSafe system causing magnetic interference with implantable medical devices, like pacemakers.

Following its own testing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week announced that while certain newer cell phones, smart watches, and other electronics with magnets may temporarily affect the normal operation of implanted medical devices, such as pacemakers and implantable defibrillators, the risk to patients is "low." The FDA added it is "not aware of any adverse events associated with this issue at this time."

However, the FDA has advised patients with implanted medical devices to consider taking the following precautions:

• Keeping consumer electronics, such as certain cell phones and smart watches, six inches away from implanted medical devices.
  

• Refraining from carrying consumer electronics in a pocket over the medical device.
  

• Talking to your health care provider if you have questions regarding magnets in consumer electronics and implanted medical devices.

The FDA's precautions are in line with guidelines shared by Apple, which advises customers to keep their iPhone and MagSafe accessories more than six inches away from their medical device, or more than 12 inches apart if the iPhone is being wirelessly charged. Apple says to consult with a physician and the device manufacturer for specific guidelines.

The FDA's announcement was highlighted earlier by 9to5Mac.

The iconic and industry-classic rivalry between Apple and Microsoft, which has arguably seen a slowdown in recent years, is poised to begin heating up as both companies target the future of augmented reality and renewed competition in the PC industry, according to an analysis from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Both Apple and Microsoft have strong ambitions for the future of augmented reality. Apple so far has committed to the AR space by offering developers tools and frameworks, such as ARKit, that enable AR experiences through the iPhone and iPad. The company has yet to offer a hardware device solely focused on augmented reality; however, that is set to change in the coming months, and more so later on next year.

Microsoft, on the other hand, has invested heavily in its Hololens product line, pursuing a more hardware-based strategy for augmented reality while Apple focuses, at least for now, on the underlying technologies that will eventually drive future experiences. The two companies are also facing competition in AI, cloud computing, and of course, control over the PC industry.

Microsoft has also thrown its hat behind Epic Games, which's pursuing a significant legal battle against Apple for its App Store. Last year, Apple and Microsoft were in a clear public dispute over the Redmond-based company's xCloud game streaming service which allowed users to stream games with a single service.

Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules originally forbid all-in-one game streaming services on the platform. However, it later tweaked the rules. Despite the change in stance from Cupertino, Microsoft has ultimately abandoned its plans to launch xCloud via the ‌App Store‌ and will instead offer it via the web and Safari.

For those interested, the Bloomberg piece offers a more detailed analysis of the future of the rivalry between the two companies.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Throwboy to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an Apple-themed t-shirt. In addition to pillows and blankets that look like classic Apple products, Throwboy also has a whole range of t-shirts with designs that will be immediately recognizable by Apple fans.

There's a 9:41 shirt, which is the exact time that Steve Jobs first unveiled the iPhone, plus a "Think Different (again)" shirt, and a 1984 design, with mouse pointer and iconic Apple typeface. Throwboy's most popular t-shirt is the "Command" shirt, which features the same well-known and iconic Command logo that's prominent on Apple's Macs.

The Think Different shirt comes in black with white and classic rainbow wording, while the 1984 shirt is available in red. The 9:41 shirt is available in black, as is the Command shirt, which features a rainbow logo.

Throwboy's shirts are unisex and come in sizes ranging from XS to 4XL, with all of the shirts priced at $32.99. The t-shirts are made from 100 percent cotton and are preshrunk, plus they're constructed with double stitched sleeves and hems and shoulder to shoulder taping for durability.

For those that prefer hoodies and thicker material, many of these designs are also available in sweatshirt form, and there's a Command hat. For kids, there are also children's versions of the most popular designs.

Throwboy's t-shirts are great gifts for Apple enthusiasts or an excellent purchase to show off your favorite classic Apple designs. We have 15 t-shirts to give away to MacRumors readers, and each winner can choose their favorite design and appropriate size. 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 14) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on May 21. The winners will be chosen randomly on May 21 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Amid surging interest in electric cars, Volkswagen recently made a splash with the ID.4, its fully electric small SUV that has gone with a futuristic and minimalistic interior that relies on its massive main infotainment screen to handle a wide array of vehicle functions.

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 was launched in a special 1st Edition trim with special badging and other details, and while this was the trim I had on my test vehicle, it has sold out for general customers. VW is currently taking reservations for the mainstream ID.4 launch this summer, which will include two trims, a Pro trim starting at $39,995 and a Pro S trim starting at $44,995. Both of these prices are before potential federal and other tax credits for electric vehicles.

Compared to the base Pro trim, the Pro S trim adds several features such as premium LED headlights, front grill/logo illumination, a panoramic glass roof, easy open/close liftgate, and seat upgrades. The Pro S (and 1st Edition) also includes a larger 12-inch Discover Pro Max infotainment screen rather than the 10-inch Discover Pro screen found on the Pro trim, but VW says the infotainment experience is the same between the two trims aside from the screen size.

Infotainment

The thing that immediately jumped out at me about the MIB3 infotainment system on my ID.4 was its gorgeous 12-inch display. It's a widescreen display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1920x869 at 175 pixels per inch, which results in extremely crisp text and graphics at the typical viewing distance.

Not only is the ID.4's display beautiful, but it's home to one of the most modern-looking infotainment interfaces I've seen in a car, closely mimicking the experience we've become accustomed to on our phones with a clean look, glanceable app icons, and widget-based home screens. The HERE-based navigation system is main exception to the overall design aesthetic, but most users will likely opt for phone-based navigation anyway.

A persistent strip along the left side offers a large home button to exit out of various app functions, as well as status information like time, outside temp, cellular signal strength, and settings for interior temp and heated seats.

Home screens can be customized to rearrange app icons in your preferred layout, and there are a variety of color theme options to choose from that give very different vibes for the system.

The ID.4 offers few physical hardware controls, with really only two strips of capacitive buttons below the main screen: The first directly below the display offers quick access to temperature settings for driver and passenger and volume control. The buttons also support swipe actions, so you can easily slide your finger left or right to raise or lower the temperature or volume.

The second row includes four buttons for accessing parking assist functionality, detailed climate controls, driver assistance technology settings, and drive mode, with the hazard light control in the middle.

And that's pretty much it. There's a cluster of buttons to the left of the driver for headlight settings and quick access to front and rear defrosters, and of course you'll find the usual set of steering wheel and stalk controls, but the center stack is quite sparse. Most buttons throughout the vehicle are capacitive, which feels technologically advanced but which can also make it harder to control by feel.

Volkswagen has pushed things pretty far in its quest for simplicity, and it does result in some compromises such as the climate controls being almost entirely housed in the infotainment system where it can require multiple taps and taking your eyes off the road in order to make adjustments. Easy-access temperature controls and the Smart Climate options help mitigate this, but I still prefer more physical controls I can adjust by feel and a glance.

Some early reviews of the ID.4 mentioned lag in the infotainment system, but I didn't notice any significant issues in that regard. VW tells me it has updated the infotainment system since those early reviews and fortunately, the ID.4 can also receive over-the-air updates so VW can continue to optimize performance going forward.

CarPlay

While Tesla has attracted the lion's share of attention in the electric vehicle revolution, one thing it's missing is support for CarPlay, and that's one area where Volkswagen has gone all-in. The ID.4 supports wireless ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto standard, delivering a seamless smartphone experience in the car.

‌CarPlay‌ takes over most of the massive main screen, providing an expansive view that makes things very glanceable to minimize distractions. The status strip along the left side remains active, so you can continue to see some important information from the native system.

The home button of the native system lets you easily get out of ‌CarPlay‌ and into the regular system, but I do wish it was a little bit easier to hop back and forth between ‌CarPlay‌ and specific native functions like the radio app.

The large, high-resolution display is simply gorgeous for ‌CarPlay‌, especially for navigation apps like ‌Apple Maps‌ and Waze where you can see a tremendous amount of the area around you on the map and card overlays for turns and other information only obscure small portions of the map.

ID. Cockpit

While many vehicles have moved toward expansive digital cockpits in front of the driver, the aptly named "ID. Cockpit" features a remarkably small display that offers only a few key pieces of information. With no need for traditional gauges like a tachometer and engine coolant temperature, an EV can get away with some simplicity here, and the ID.4 does exactly that.

The ID.4's cockpit screen can be divided into up to three sections with several view options available. The most prominent center section is of course the speedometer (battery range and current speed limit are also shown), while a section to the left can show information on driver assistance technologies like lane-keeping assist and automatic cruise control. A section to the right offers navigation prompts, and yes, as with the VW Tiguan I recently reviewed, this integrates with ‌CarPlay‌ for a second-screen experience when using ‌Apple Maps‌.

Navigation prompts include a simple set of arrows with some text describing upcoming movements such as the name of the street and the distance until the movement. It's a simple display, but I appreciate the native look to it that feels like it really fits in with the rest of the information on the screen.

As on the Tiguan, I found that the one missing aspect with ‌CarPlay‌ was lane guidance, which does not appear on the cockpit display, while it does with the native navigation system. Second-screen navigation prompts also do not work with third-party navigation apps like Waze and Google Maps.

A pair of View buttons on the steering wheel let you adjust the look of this cockpit display, expanding turning off either the left or right pane while expanding the other one to take up two-thirds of the screen to show more detail.

Other Details

Similar to the Tiguan, the ID.4 includes VW's proximity sensing feature, which lets certain interface elements recede or disappear when you're not interacting with the system, bringing them back to visibility as your hand approaches the screen. This includes elements like text labels on icons and widgets, which in some cases disappear when you're not interacting with the screen, leaving only graphics to provide a cleaner view.

I noticed on the ID.4 that this feature even extends to ‌CarPlay‌ a bit, such as with ‌Apple Maps‌ where information cards like those for search disappear after a few seconds of inactivity. Typically, you need to tap on the screen if you want to bring those back up, but thanks to VW's proximity sensing, they automatically reappear as you reach toward the screen.

The ID.4 also supports some basic gesture controls, allowing you to wave your hand left or right to perform some functions such as swiping between home screen pages and slide-over menus. This functionality does not extend to ‌CarPlay‌, but I'm still not convinced it's a terribly useful real-world feature, so I don't miss its absence in ‌CarPlay‌.

As with many vehicles, the ID.4 supports voice control of many functions, and I found the functionality to be fairly flexible. By simply prefacing a request with "Hello ID," you can control vehicle functions or receive information, and it responds to natural language queries with a broad ability for interpreting requests.

For example, you can use Hello ID to open or close the sunshade, set a navigation location, change SiriusXM stations, or even hear jokes. Simply telling Hello ID that you're cold or hot will adjust the temperature settings a bit in the corresponding direction, and with dual microphones, the car can tell whether the driver or passenger is making the request and respond accordingly.

The ID.4 also includes VW's ID. Light system, an LED strip that runs along the base of the windshield and which can deliver information to the vehicle occupants. For instance, it shows green while the vehicle is charging with a pulsing portion of it to indicate the current level of charge. It flashes red to alert for emergency braking, can flash green when there's an incoming phone call, and a small portion of it lights up white on either the driver or passenger side when Hello ID voice control has been activated, indicating where it believes the person speaking is sitting.

Wireless Phone Charging and Ports

In addition to wireless ‌CarPlay‌, the ID.4 also includes a 5-watt wireless phone charger as standard equipment, recognizing the important pairing of these features. The wireless charger is a slot in the center console that mostly tucks your phone out of the way.

I initially found the charger to be a bit finicky with my iPhone 12 Pro Max in an Apple MagSafe case, with the system sometimes displaying a warning that the device could not be charged and that I should remove all other items from the charging area even though my phone was the only thing in there. Once or twice the charger also failed to recognize that the phone was on the pad at all and did not initiate charging.

Things got better over the course of my time with the car, so perhaps I just got more familiar with the required positioning for the phone on the pad and it became more natural. The large size of the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ may also be reducing the margin of error for getting the phone into alignment with the charging coil, but that's just a guess on my part.

VW tells me it has been closely tracking wireless charger performance and feedback and hasn't seen any other signs of problems, so this doesn't appear to be a widespread issue. Regardless, VW says it'll be looking further into the situation to see what it can find.

If you prefer to use a wired connection, the ID.4 is well equipped with a total of four USB-C ports: two charge-and-data ones in the center console adjacent to the wireless charging pad and two charge-only ones on the rear of the console for backseat passengers.

Wrap-up

Volkswagen is just one of many car manufacturers making a push into EVs, and the ID.4 is its most ambitious effort so far. VW has fully embraced the use of technology on that platform, and it's fantastic to see a pairing of a modern infotainment system with standard wireless ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto to deliver the best of both worlds to owners.

The 12-inch widescreen display on the Pro S trim is beautiful, and I imagine the 10-inch display on the Pro trim will look nearly as good even at the smaller size. ‌CarPlay‌ looks amazing on the giant screen, and it integrates well with the native system. The second-screen ‌Apple Maps‌ navigation in the digital cockpit is simple but a great feature that I hope will continue to expand across manufacturers and models, and it looks right at home on the ID.4's cockpit display.

Standard wireless phone charging is also something I really appreciate in the ID.4. Even though I experienced a few issues with it in my testing, I wouldn't consider them deal-breakers for me and they may not even affect many users.

Christopher Stringer, a key member of Jony Ive's design team who spent 21 years at Apple before departing in 2017, is resurfacing today with his new venture Syng, which seeks to make an impact in the high-end audio market.

Stringer, who contributed to many of the most iconic product designs in Apple's history, announced his plans roughly a year ago, and Syng is today introducing its flagship product, the Cell Alpha.

Priced at $1,799 with a table stand or $1,969 with a floor stand, Cell Alpha uses "Triphonic" audio technology to create a dynamic, immersive sound field, and multiple Cells can work together for even greater spatial control. Both wired and wireless connections are supported, and Cell Alpha includes support for AirPlay 2.

A Syng Space app is used to manage the Cell speakers from initial setup to customization of the audio experience, and will be flexible to add future capabilities. Spotify integration is also included along with an audio visualization component.

The Cell Alpha is available today through Syng's website.

Twitter will re-launch its long-awaited verification program next week, according to researcher Jane Manchum Wong.

Twitter verification has been a mainstay of the social media platform since 2009. A blue checkmark by a user's name indicates that they are verified, helping observers to distinguish genuine notable account holders, such as celebrities, politicians, or organizations, from impostors or parodies, and proves that the account is actually owned by the person or organization it claims to represent.

Wong explained that "multiple sources" have said that Twitter will launch its new Verification Request form as soon as next week, allowing unverified users to put themselves forward for the blue checkmark.

Earlier this month, Wong revealed images purporting to show the stages of Twitter's redesigned Verification Request form. Users will need to explain who they are, give account qualifications such as news coverage, provide identification, and wait for a response.

Twitter originally reached out to notable users themselves to confirm their identities for a verified badge and launched a verification request system in 2017. Later that year, Twitter suspended the verification program after a number of controversies and an inability to cope with the volume of requests, leaving no official way for users to put themselves forward for verification.

Unverified Twitter users have had to wait years for the company to re-launch its verification program after it was suspended. In November of last year, the company announced that it would start reviewing applications for verification in early 2021 under new guidelines.

To be eligible for verification, users must be both "notable" and "active." Notable users must fall under the category of "government," "companies, brands, and organizations," "news organizations and journalists," "entertainment," "sports and gaming," or "activists, organizers, and other influential individuals."