The United States Labor Department has launched a whistleblower retaliation investigation, according to a report from Financial Times.
The U.S. Labor Department did not provide details on the investigation, but Financial Times says that former Apple employee Ashley Gjovik received a December 10 letter from the Labor Department that confirmed the inquiry. Gjovik was fired from Apple in September for allegedly leaking confidential information.
Gjovik, who has been vocal on Twitter, complained about ongoing harassment and unsafe working conditions at Apple, and she believes that she was fired under a false pretext.
Apple told Financial Times that it is "deeply committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive workplace." The company said that it takes "all concerns seriously" and investigates thoroughly when a complaint is raised.
In recent weeks, Apple employees have been critical of workplace misconduct and have shared their frustrations, which has led to the creation of an "AppleToo" initiative calling on Apple executives to address the abuse, discrimination, and harassment that employees have reported.
Back in September, Apple retail and people chief Deirdre O'Brien encouraged employees who are experiencing issues to talk to their managers and their "business relations partner." Apple, she said, has a "confidential process" to investigate complaints in a way that "treats everyone with dignity and respect."
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.
Apple today released iOS 15.2, the second major update to the iOS operating system that was released in September. iOS 15.2 introduces several features that Apple initially promised would come in iOS 15, but were ultimately delayed. This guide highlights everything new that's been added in the iOS 15.2 update.
App Privacy Report is one of the iOS 15 additions that Apple showed off at WWDC. It's a privacy feature designed to allow users to see how often apps have accessed their permission-restricted info like location, photos, camera, microphone, and contacts across the last seven days.
With App Privacy Report, users can also see which apps have contacted other domains and how recently they've contacted them to keep an eye on what apps are doing behind the scenes. You can, for example, see all of the trackers that a website is using, so you know where your data is going.
App Privacy Report is available by opening up the Settings app, selecting the Privacy section, and choosing App Privacy Report. From there, you can toggle it on. After you use apps for some time, data will begin showing up in this spot.
Apple has a dedicated support document for the App Privacy report feature, which includes additional information on how it works.
Emergency SOS
Emergency SOS, the feature that lets you call emergency services with a series of button presses, has been updated in iOS 15.2. You can now press the side button rapidly multiple times to initiate, or hold down the side button and the volume button together if preferred.
Prior to the update, the rapid press worked, but there was no option for holding down the buttons together. Apple has also added a longer eight-second countdown before a call is placed if you have Auto Call enabled, up from the prior three-second countdown.
Apple Music Voice Plan
iOS 15.2 adds support for the Apple Music Voice Plan that was first introduced in October. Priced at $4.99 per month, the Voice Plan provides access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri.
There is a limited on-device interface available as the experience is meant to be Siri oriented. Users can ask Siri for music suggestions that are provided based on listening history or likes and dislikes, and a "Play it Again" feature lets users access a list of recently played music.
Legacy Contacts
With Legacy Contacts, you can set a trusted person to be able to access your Apple ID and your data (or "Digital Legacy") after you die. The person that you designate as your contact can access your photos, messages, notes, files, contacts, calendar events, apps, device backups, and more. iCloud Keychain passwords remain inaccessible, as does licensed media.
The Legacy Contact option can be accessed by opening up the Settings app, selecting "Password & Security," and choosing "Legacy Contact" from the list. From there, you can select a trusted person to access your account after you pass away. You can choose an iPhone user or an Android user, and share your special access key through Messages or by printing it out.
With this update, the Find My app can be used to locate an iPhone for up to five hours in Power Reserve, a feature activated when the iPhone's battery is dead.
TV app
In iPadOS 15.2, Apple has introduced a new design for the TV app. The TV app features a sidebar, which makes navigation between the various sections of the TV app simpler.
For iPhone users, there's a dedicated "Store" tab in the TV app for accessing movies and TV shows that can be purchased. The new design and the addition of a Store tab may help separate Apple TV+ content from paid content, as the existing design has been confusing for some users.
Hide My Email in the Mail App
You can use Hide My Email directly from the Mail app after installing the iOS 15.2 beta. When composing an email, just tap on the "From" field and select the "Hide My Email" option to generate a random email address.
Hide My Email is available to everyone who has an iCloud+ plan (priced starting at $0.99 per month), and it's a useful feature for protecting your email address.
All the emails sent to the random Apple-created email address are forwarded to you so you can respond if needed, but the person on the receiving end does not see your real email address. And if you start getting spam emails from someone, you can just delete the email address and put a stop to it.
Apple promised a software update that will change an iPhone 13 policy that caused Face ID to be non-functional when repairs were made to a broken display, and that update is included in iOS 15.2.
Apple has a microcontroller that pairs the iPhone 13 to its display, and when performing a display repair, the microcontroller had to be paired to the display using Apple's tools in earlier versions of iOS. Because independent repair shops do not have access to those tools, they were upset about being unable to easily perform display repairs.
Apple has removed the microcontroller pairing requirement that disabled Face ID for iPhone 13 models with swapped displays, allowing for independent display repairs.
Communication Safety
In iOS 15.2, Apple is enabling Communication Safety in Messages for children. The feature is designed to scan incoming messages images on children's devices for nudity and warn them that such photos might be harmful.
Communication Safety is opt-in, privacy-focused, and must be enabled by parents. It is limited to the accounts of children, with detection done all on-device, and it is not the same as the anti-CSAM functionality that Apple still has in development.
Compared to earlier versions of Communication Safety that Apple described, the implemented version does not notify parents if children open a photo containing nudity. Apple removed this feature after concerns that it could be dangerous in situations of parental abuse.
Apple is also introducing expanded guidance in Siri, Spotlight, and Safari Search that will help children and parents avoid unsafe situations online. Users who ask Siri how to report child exploitation, for example, will receive information on how to file a report.
Macro Mode Toggle
iOS 15.2 adds a manual toggle for Macro mode, in the form of a flower icon that can be tapped to toggle Macro mode off when the camera is close to an object.
To get the new toggle, users need to go to Settings, navigate to Camera, and turn on "Macro Control." Then, when close enough to an object, the flower icon will Appear in the camera app. The icon can be tapped to enable or disable Macro mode.
Apple has also added a new Preserve Settings option for Macro Control. If Macro Control is disabled, the Camera will automatically switch into Macro mode when close enough to an object, so this feature is meant to give users unhappy with that function more control over when Macro mode activates.
Notification Summary
Apple tweaked Notification Summary in iOS 15.2, and it has a new look with a card-style view that shows main apps in the summary in overlapping cards, making it easier to see at a glance what's included in the summary.
Playlist Search in Music App
Apple has added a long-awaited feature that allows Apple Music users to search within playlists.
iCloud Private Relay
In the Cellular and WiFi sections of the Settings app, Apple has clarified the iCloud Private Relay wording. The toggle, which was previously called "iCloud Private Relay" has been renamed to "Limit IP Address Tracking" to make it clearer what happens when it's turned on.
The general functionality is the same, and this is just a clarification to the wording.
Turning off the "Limit IP Address Tracking" feature turns off iCloud Private Relay for the cellular provider or the WiFi network, just as it did before. There have been no changes to the iCloud Private Relay feature, which can be activated separately for cellular and WiFi traffic.
Reminders and Notes Apps
Tags can now be bulk renamed and deleted in the Reminders and Notes apps.
On the iPad, Apple has added a new Notes setting to access Quick Note with a swipe from the lower left or lower right corner of the screen.
CarPlay
The CarPlayApple Maps app is gaining enhanced detail in iOS 15.2, but only for cities where the new maps features are supported. The updated map includes road details like turn lanes, medians, bike lanes, and pedestrian crosswalks.
More detailed city maps are available in London, Los Angeles, New York, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Stocks App
The Stocks app has been updated to allow users to view the currency for a ticker and see year-to-date performance information when viewing charts.
Siri Commands
iOS 15.2 reintroduces several Siri commands that were removed in iOS 15 and that were used by low vision and blind iPhone owners. The commands that now work are those for checking voicemail messages, playing the most recent voicemail, checking call history, and providing information on recent calls.
Bug Fixes
The update includes several bug fixes for issues with Siri, ProRaw, HomeKit, and CarPlay, with a list of fixes below.
Siri may not respond while VoiceOver is running and iPhone is locked
ProRAW photos may appear overexposed when viewing in third-party photo editing apps
HomeKit scenes that include a garage door may not run from CarPlay when your iPhone is locked
CarPlay may not update Now Playing information for certain apps
Video streaming apps may not load content on iPhone 13 models
Calendar events may appear on the wrong day for Microsoft Exchange users
Guide Feedback
Know of an iOS 15.2 feature we left out or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.
Apple is not expected to introduce a foldable iPhone until 2023 at the earliest, with 2024 being the more likely target date, according to display analyst Ross Young.
Rumors about a foldable iPhone have died down in recent months, but there continues to be evidence that Apple is at least working on prototypes of foldable devices. In September 2020, it was suggested that Samsung had provided foldable display samples to Apple for testing purposes, and there have also been rumors that Apple is working with LG Display.
Back in May, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple was working to launch a foldable iPhone with an 8-inch flexible OLED display in 2023, but he has said little else about Apple's work on foldable devices since then. Bloomberg in January said that Apple had started "early work" on a foldable iPhone, but development at the time had not expanded beyond a display.
Going forward, Kuo believes that foldable smartphones are going to become a "must-have" for all major smartphone brands, and Samsung at least has definitely been working on perfecting its foldable smartphone options. Earlier this year, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Z Fold3, the third-iteration of its foldable smartphone.
Early Galaxy Fold devices from Samsung were riddled with issues, but Samsung has now had three years to iron out bugs with little competition in the foldable smartphone field. If Apple does opt to come out with a foldable smartphone in 2023 or 2024, it will need to compete with Samsung, a company that now has several years of expertise with foldable devices.
Kuo has previously said that Apple will need to solve "key technology and mass production issues" to launch a foldable iPhone by 2023, so it would be no surprise at all to have the technology delayed until 2024.
Apple's next-generation larger-screened "iMac Pro" is expected to launch next spring, according to a forward looking article on Apple's upcoming devices penned by display analyst Ross Young.
Young says that the new iMac is "expected in the spring," with spring in the Northern Hemisphere starting on March 20 and ending on June 21. Apple often holds an event in the spring, so we could perhaps see the new iMac come out at the annual spring event.
There were rumors of an iMac with a display larger than 27 inches, but more recent information, including details from Young, have pointed toward Apple maintaining the 27-inch display size. The device will use a mini-LED display similar to the MacBook Pro, and it will feature support for 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates.
To simplify its naming strategy, the new iMac could be called the "iMac Pro," which would differentiate it from the 24-inch iMac and put it on par with the MacBook Pro machines. The new 27-inch iMacs are expected to use the same M1 Pro and M1 Max chips as the 2021 MacBook Pro models.
There have been rumors about Apple transitioning to OLED displays for some Macs and iPads instead of mini-LED, and Young also touches on that subject in his analysis. Young believes that we shouldn't expect an OLED iPad or MacBook until 2023 at the earliest.
Right now, prices for Apple's mini-LED panels are more expensive than similar OLED panels, but the adoption of OLED vs. the continued adoption of mini-LED will depend on how fast mini-LED prices drop. Young says that pricing differences "will be critical" in the "OLED vs. mini-LED battle."
Apple has officially delayed Universal Control, a hallmark feature of macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15 announced in June, until Spring 2022.
In an update to the iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey feature pages, Apple now indicates that Universal Control will be "available this spring." Universal Control, which allows users to use one mouse and keyboard across all of their Macs and iPads, has been absent from all versions of both macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15 thus far.
Apple had initially indicated that Universal Control would be launching in the fall of this year, presumably alongside the initial releases of macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15, but that promise did not materialize. Apple just today released macOS Monterey 12.1, including SharePlay and other new features, but lacking Universal Control. With the fall season officially ending on December 21, it seemed likely to be the case that the feature would be delayed until next year.
Apple today released a new "Tracker Detect" app on the Google Play Store, with the app designed to allow Android users to locate AirTags that might be nearby.
According to the app's description, Tracker Detect looks for item trackers that are separated from their owner and that are compatible with the Find My Network, so it will locate AirTags and other Find My-enabled devices like the Chipolo Bluetooth item tracker.
Apple says that Android users can scan to find a nearby AirTag if they think that someone is using an AirTag or another device to track their location. The app is designed to alleviate fears from experts worried that AirTags can be used maliciously to track the location of individuals.
For iPhone users, Apple previously introduced several safety features, including an alert that will let an iPhone user know if an AirTag that does not belong to them is following them. There was no such protection for Android users prior to the introduction of the Tracker Detect app, which Apple said it was working on back in June.
An Apple Support document on the feature says that if the app detects an AirTag or Find My-compatible item tracker nearby for at least 10 minutes, a sound can be used to help locate it. Conducting a scan will reveal any nearby AirTags, and after offering up a tool to play a sound to locate the AirTag, Apple will offer information on how to disable it by removing the battery.
The macOS Monterey update can be downloaded on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Preferences. Apple has also released a macOS Big Sur 11.6.2 update for those still running macOS Big Sur and a Security Update 2021-008 for those running macOS Catalina.
macOS Monterey 12.1 adds a major missing feature to the Mac -- SharePlay. With SharePlay, Mac owners can watch TV, listen to music, and play games with friends and family members over FaceTime.
Using SharePlay, all kinds of apps integrate with FaceTime, and content is synced for all people who are part of the FaceTime call. You can listen to music and access shared playlists using Apple Music, watch synced TV shows and movies together with the TV app, work out together with Apple Fitness+, and even share your screen with friends and family members for things like group trip planning or device troubleshooting.
SharePlay was designed to work with first-party apps like Apple TV and Apple Music, but Apple designed an API for developers so third-party apps can also use FaceTime for shared games and other experiences.
macOS Monterey 12.1 brings support for the $4.99 Apple Music Voice Plan that's designed to work with Siri, and it adds Communication Safety for children in the Messages app. There are updates to the Memories feature in Photos to bring macOS 12 in line with iOS 15, and the update includes the same Digital Legacy feature being introduced in iOS 15.2.
Digital Legacy lets you designate a person as a Legacy Contact to give them access to your iCloud account when you die. Apple has also added Hide My Email support for the Mail app, a Store tab in the TV app, and bug fixes for the trackpad, HDR video playback on YouTube, charging, and notch display issues. Apple's full release notes for the update are below.
macOS Monterey 12.1 adds SharePlay, an entirely new way to have shared experiences with family and friends in FaceTime. This update also includes the Apple Music Voice Plan, new safety features for children and parents in Messages, redesigned Memories in Photos, and other features and bug fixes for your Mac.
SharePlay
SharePlay is a new way to share synchronized experiences in FaceTime with content from the Apple TV app, Apple Music, and other supported apps
Shared controls give everyone the ability to pause, play, rewind or fast forward
Smart volume automatically lowers the audio of a movie, TV show or song when you or your friends speak
Screen sharing lets everyone on a FaceTime call look at photos, browse the web, or help each other out
Apple Music Voice Plan
Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
Just Ask Siri suggests music based on your listening history and likes or dislikes
Play it Again lets you access a list of your recently played music
Photos
Memories has been redesigned with a new interactive interface, new animation and transition styles, and multiple image collages
New Memory types include additional international holidays, child-focused memories, trends over time, and improved pet memories
Messages
Communication safety setting gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or send photos that contain nudity
Safety warnings contain helpful resources for children when they receive photos that contain nudity
Siri and Search
Expanded guidance in Siri, Spotlight and Safari Search to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations
Apple ID
Digital Legacy allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your iCloud account and personal information in the event of your death
TV App
Store tab lets you browse, buy, and rent movies and TV Shows all in one place
This release also includes the following enhancements for your Mac:
Hide My Email is available in the Mail app for iCloud+ subscribers to create unique, random email addresses
Stocks allows you to view the currency for a ticker and see year-to-date performance when viewing charts
Reminders and Notes now allow you to delete or rename tags
This release also includes bug fixes for your Mac:
Desktop and Screen Saver may appear blank after selecting photos from the Photos library
Trackpad could become unresponsive to taps or clicks
External displays may not charge some MacBook Pro and MacBook Air computers when connected using Thunderbolt or USB-C
HDR video playback on YouTube.com could cause 2021 MacBook Pro computers to panic
Menu bar extras may be obscured by the camera housing on 2021 MacBook Pro computers
MagSafe may stop charging on 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro computers when lid is closed and system is shut down
The HomePod 15.2 software adds support for the $4.99 per month Apple Music Voice Plan, a Siri-based option for listening to Apple Music on HomePod and other devices.
Software version 15.2 includes support for Apple Music Voice Plan, a new subscription tier designed to access music using Siri, and extends Siri voice recognition to new languages. This update also includes performance and stability improvements.
Today's update adds several new languages to the HomePod in addition to introducing Apple Music Voice Plan. There's now support for the following languages:
- Dutch (Belgium) - Dutch (Netherlands) - French (Belgium) - French (Switzerland) - German (Switzerland) - Italian (Switzerland) - Russian
HomePod software is installed automatically on the HomePod unless the feature is disabled, but the HomePod can also be manually updated in the Home app by following the instructions in our HomePod update how to.
Apple today released iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2, the second major updates to the iOS and iPadOS 15 operating systems that were released in September 2021. iOS 15.2 comes more than a month after the launch of iOS 15.1.
The iOS and iPadOS 15.2 updates can be downloaded for free and the software is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings > General > Software Update. It may take some time for the update to roll out to all users.
iOS 15.2 adds App Privacy Report, a feature designed to let you know how often apps are accessing permissions-restricted info like the camera and the microphone, plus it lets you know the domains that apps and websites are contacting so you can keep an eye on what's going on behind the scenes.
The update includes Communication Safety for devices owned by children and the Apple Music Voice Plan, plus it introduces Legacy Contacts for managing your data after you die, and it adds improvements to Find My, Hide My Email, and more. Apple's full release notes for the iOS 15.2 update are below:
iOS 15.2 adds Apple Music Voice Plan, a new subscription tier that provides access to music using Siri. This update also includes the App Privacy Report, new safety features for children and parents in Messages, and other features and bug fixes for your iPhone.
Apple Music Voice Plan
Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
Just Ask Siri suggests music based on your listening history and likes or dislikes
Play it Again lets you access a list of your recently played music
Privacy
App Privacy Report in Settings lets you see how often apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts and more during the last seven days, as well as their network activity
Messages
Communication safety setting gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or send photos that contain nudity
Safety warnings contain helpful resources for children when they receive photos that contain nudity
Siri and Search
Expanded guidance in Siri, Spotlight and Safari Search to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations
Apple ID
Digital Legacy allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your iCloud account and personal information in the event of your death
Camera
Macro photo control for switching to the Ultra Wide lens to capture macro photos and videos can be enabled in Settings on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
TV app
Store tab lets you browse, buy, and rent movies and TV Shows all in one place
CarPlay
Enhanced city map in Apple Maps with road details like turn lanes, medians, bike lanes, and pedestrian crosswalks for supported cities
This release also includes the following enhancements for your iPhone:
Hide My Email is available in the Mail app for iCloud+ subscribers to create unique, random email addresses
Find My can locate iPhone for up to five hours when in Power Reserve
Stocks allows you to view the currency for a ticker and see year-to-date performance when viewing charts
Reminders and Notes now allow you to delete or rename tags
This release also includes bug fixes for your iPhone:
Siri may not respond while VoiceOver is running and iPhone is locked
ProRAW photos may appear overexposed when viewing in third-party photo editing apps
HomeKit scenes that include a garage door may not run from CarPlay when your iPhone is locked
CarPlay may not update Now Playing information for certain apps
Video streaming apps may not load content on iPhone 13 models
Calendar events may appear on the wrong day for Microsoft Exchange users
For a complete overview of all of the features that are available in iOS 15, we have a dedicated iOS 15 roundup.
Apple today released watchOS 8.3, the second major update to the watchOS 8 operating system that first launched in September. watchOS 8.3 comes more than a month after the launch of watchOS 8.1, and it is not known why Apple skipped version 8.2.
watchOS 8.3 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.
The watchOS 8.3 update is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 3 and later like all watchOS 8 updates.
According to Apple's release notes, watchOS 8.3 adds support for the voice-only Apple Music Voice Plan, which is designed to allow users to ask Siri to play Apple Music songs, playlists, and stations.
The update also introduces support for App Privacy Report, a feature that monitors when apps access sensitive data and sensors that are restricted by privacy settings, such as location information, and it fixes an issue that could cause notifications to interrupt Mindfulness sessions unexpectedly. Though not included in the release notes, watchOS 8.3 expands AssistiveTouch to the Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5.
Details on what's included in the watchOS 8 update can be found in our watchOS roundup.
Apple today released tvOS 15.2, the second major update to the tvOS operating system that first launched in September 2021. tvOS 15.2 comes more than a month after the launch of tvOS 15.1, an update that introduced SharePlay support.
tvOS 15.2 can be downloaded over the air on the Apple TV through the Settings app by going to System > Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates enabled will be upgraded to tvOS 15.2 automatically.
Apple's tvOS updates are typically minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes, performance updates, and small tweaks rather than major outward-facing changes. We found no new features in tvOS 15.2 during the beta testing process, so it's not yet clear what's included in the update.
Apple does not provide detailed release notes for its tvOS updates, but it does offer some tvOS details through its tvOS support document.
Adobe today announced the launch of Creative Cloud Express, an app and web-based service that allows for drag-and-drop content creation, ranging from social media posts to marketing materials like logos, flyers, and banners.
Creative Cloud Express offers thousands of templates, 20,000 fonts, 175 million royalty-free Adobe stock images, and other design assets. "Quick Actions" powered by Adobe Sensei machine learning allow users to remove backgrounds from photos, trim and merge videos, turn videos into GIFs, convert/export PDFs in a few clicks, and more.
Adobe's head of Creative Cloud, Scott Belsky:
Creative Cloud Express is perfect for people with no creative training. But it's also a great addition to the toolkit of creative professionals. If you just want to make a social media post, produce a simple flyer, resize an image, or craft a quick thumbnail image for your Premiere Pro video, Creative Cloud Express is the fast and easy way to go. And Creative Cloud and Creative Cloud Express are connected through Libraries, Shared Templates and Shared Brands, which makes it easy for creative pros to share work with people with less formal training.
The free version of Creative Cloud Express includes basic editing and photo effects, access to a limited collection of design assets, and 2GB of cloud storage. For $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, users can get access to the entire collection of design assets, premium "Quick Actions" like Refine Cutout and Resize, the ability to convert and export to and from PDFs and other file types, 100GB of cloud storage, and more.
Creative Cloud Express is also included with existing Creative Cloud Single App plans over $20.99 per month and the Creative Cloud All Apps plan.
Today you can get Apple's 24-inch 8-Core GPU, 256GB iMac for a new record low price of $1,399.00 at B&H Photo, down from $1,499.00. This sale is available in Silver, Orange, and Yellow, and it's in stock today with free expedited shipping available to most states.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The best discounts we previously tracked on this model, and on most models of the M1 iMac, reached only to $50 off original prices. This is one of the best all-around markdowns on the M1 iMac line to date, and you'll also find the $1,399.00 sale price on Amazon this week, but it won't deliver until January.
You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.
The Pixel 6, Google's latest flagship smartphone, launched just two months after Apple's iPhone 13 lineup. Despite being touted as a leading Android competitor to the iPhone, the Pixel 6 suffers from considerably worse depreciation.
In the first month after launch, all of the iPhone 13 models depreciated by 24.9 percent on average. The Pixel 6 models, on the other hand, lost 42.6 percent of their value on average. Since then, the iPhone 13 has regained some of its value, with a recovery of 3.1 percent of its value since the first month. Overall, the iPhone 13 models are holding their value significantly better, leading to minimized losses for customers looking to sell their new device.
Looking at the most low-cost options in the respective lineups, the 128GB Pixel 6 lost the least value of all of the Google models with depreciation of 36.6 percent. This compares to depreciation of 26.9 percent for the 128GB iPhone 13 mini, which is among the least popular iPhone models.
Last month, it was reported that the iPhone 13 models were holding their value much better than any previous iPhone in the period after launch. Going into December, the iPhone 13 has shown continued buoyancy with the lowest depreciation rate in the entire smartphone industry. That being said, the Pixel 6 is still early in its release and the coming months will present a clearer picture of the depreciation contrast between it and the iPhone 13.
SellCell's research is based on data from 45 buyback vendors. See the full report for more detailed information.
Amazon has a few models of the Apple Watch Series 7 on sale this week, introducing all-time low prices on both 41mm and 45mm GPS Aluminum devices, as well as a few Cellular models. Most of these Apple Watches are in stock and will be delivered before Christmas.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Spotify is the biggest music streaming service available, so it's not uncommon to receive a Spotify link from someone to something they want you to listen to on your iPhone or iPad. If you're an Apple Music subscriber, however, that link isn't going to work for you. The opposite of course is also true – if a Spotify subscriber receives an Apple Music link, they'll have to search for the content manually in the rival service.
Fortunately, there's a handy new app for iPhone and iPad that takes Spotify links and makes them something you can open in Apple Music. It also works in the opposite direction for anyone who uses Spotify and often receives links from someone who uses Apple's streaming service.
It's called MusicMatch, and it's a free download on the App Store. So if the above scenario is something that's irked you or your friends before, go and download the app, and you'll be able to convert those links into something useful in a cinch. Here's how it works.
Receive a link to a song, album, or artist from someone.
Copy the Spotify link you've received to the clipboard by long pressing it and selecting Copy.
Open MusicMatch.
Tap Open in Apple Music.
MusicMatch also offers a Safari extension that automatically redirects links from Spotify to Apple Music, although this option doesn't currently work in the opposite direction for Spotify users.
That's all there is to MusicMatch, a simple solution to a common problem experienced by many, if not most, Apple Music and Spotify users. Currently it only supports Apple Music and Spotify, but support for YouTube Music, Tidal, Pandora, and other services is something the developers are working on.
Apple will be donating to support relief efforts on the ground following tornadoes and other severe weather across parts of the central and southern United States, according to a tweet shared by Apple CEO Tim Cook on Saturday.
Cook did not reveal the exact amount that Apple will be donating, but the company routinely supports relief efforts following natural disasters.
At least 30 tornadoes were reported between late Friday and early Saturday across Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee, resulting in deaths and widespread property damage, according to CNN.
Our hearts go out to all those affected by the devastating weather and tornadoes across the South and Midwest. Apple will be donating to support relief efforts on the ground.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 11, 2021
It was another busy week for Apple rumors, with Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo spilling a range of details about Apple's Mac roadmap, the next AirPods Pro, Apple's AR/VR headset plans, and more.
In other news, it looks like the next round of Apple software updates will be arriving shortly with iOS 15.2, macOS 12.1, and related releases. The updates will bring several new features like the Apple Music Voice Plan, SharePlay for Mac, and more, but apparently not the much-anticipated Universal Control. Read on for details on these stories and more!
Apple Planning Five New Macs for 2022 Amid Apple Silicon Transition
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said the new Macs will include updated versions of the MacBook Air, entry-level MacBook Pro, larger iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro, with some of the machines expected to be powered by Apple's next-generation M2 chip.
The hole-punch display design would allow Apple to remove the notch while still providing a cutout for the front-facing camera, and it is a design that some Android smartphones have used for a few years now, such as Samsung's Galaxy S10 and newer.
AirPods Pro 2 With New Design and Improved Chip Expected to Launch in Late 2022
The new AirPods Pro are rumored to feature a more compact, stemless design similar to the Beats Studio Buds, while additional built-in sensors might allow for new fitness tracking capabilities and more. Catch up on our AirPods Pro 2 guide for everything we know so far.
Universal Control Not Expected to Launch With macOS 12.1 and iPadOS 15.2
Apple this week seeded Release Candidate versions of multiple software updates, including macOS 12.1 and iPadOS 15.2, but the release notes do not include any mention of Universal Control.
Here's a First Look at Apple Music's Voice Plan Launching With iOS 15.2
iOS 15.2 is expected to be released to all users as early as next week, and one of the update's key new features will be the Apple Music Voice Plan, which is designed to let users access Apple Music exclusively through Siri for a lower price of $4.99 per month.
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.
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