MacRumors

With the launch of the iPhone 7 in 2016, Apple debuted a new "Jet Black" color, which was a glossy, shiny finish that was a departure from the standard brushed aluminum finishes of the iPhones that preceded it.

Jet Black was unique because of how dark it was in comparison to other "black" and "space gray" finishes at the time. Apple hasn't used the same Jet Black finish for another phone to date, but according to images shared today by leaker Mr. White, Apple tested a Jet Black ‌iPhone‌ X.

The ‌iPhone‌ X was available in a silver color that was close to white and a space gray color that was quite dark, but it was not as dark as the Jet Black color shown off in the prototype photos.

The alleged prototype device does not have an Apple logo or other certification marks, nor a finished camera design, but it is otherwise identical to an ‌iPhone‌ X. It's not clear if Apple will bring back the Jet Black colorway in the future, but Apple has been using a standard black color for the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and 12 models.

With the AirPods 3 rumored to be launching as soon as this month, we've been seeing an increasing number of leaks showing off the design of the new earbuds. Renders were shared yesterday, and today, 52audio has published a series of images said to feature the third-generation AirPods.

As with prior leaks, the AirPods 3 have an AirPods Pro-like design with a shorter stem and a more rounded body design that's close to identical to the AirPods Pro. The stem will still be a bit longer than the ‌AirPods Pro‌ stem, but it's much shorter than the AirPods stem.

Rumors have suggested the AirPods 3 will have snap-in silicone ear pieces for a more comfortable and customizable in-ear fit, much like the ‌AirPods Pro‌, but that doesn't appear to be the design depicted in the images. If accurate, these images suggest the AirPods 3 will have a design similar to the AirPods without silicone tips.

The AirPods 3 case will be similar in design to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ case. It's wider than the standard AirPods case to accommodate the new body design, and not as tall because it no longer needs to fit such long stems. It does not appear to have room in the top for silicone ear tips, which also suggests a tipless design.

While the AirPods 3 will look like the ‌AirPods Pro‌, rumors suggest they will not have Pro-level features. Active Noise Cancellation will remain limited to the ‌AirPods Pro‌, and other features like spatial audio may also be a premium feature.

AirPods 3 are expected to continue to feature an Apple H1 chip and all of the standard functionality currently available to the AirPods 2 and the ‌AirPods Pro‌ like fast device pairing, pressure relief functionality, quick switching, clear call quality enabled through beam-forming microphones, and long range.

52audio believes that the AirPods 3 will be priced at $150. AirPods 2 sell for $159 without a Wireless Charging Case and $199 with a Wireless Charging Case. It's not clear if Apple will offer both options with the AirPods 3, but it seems likely Qi-based wireless charging functionality will be the standard option.

AirPods 3 are believed to be ready to go, and they're expected to launch early in 2021. In fact, rumors suggest that Apple could hold an event on March 23, and if that happens, it's likely that event will see the debut of the new AirPods.

This week, Adobe updated Photoshop with official support for Apple silicon, offering customers native support on Apple's latest M1-powered Mac computers. In an interview with Computerworld, Photoshop Product Manager Mark Dahm promoted official Apple silicon support, saying that Photoshop runs 50% faster on an M1 MacBook compared to last year's Intel-based MacBook.

Speaking to the team's challenges during the transition to Apple silicon, Dahm said that performance was of utmost priority. Adobe wanted to ensure that it matched Photoshop's performance on older architectures for customers running Apple silicon.

Photoshop has been fortunate enough to have been serving Mac customers for over 30 years and having lived through the transition from Power PC to Intel chips in the 2005/2006 timeframe, a few familiar considerations came to mind as the Apple silicon announcement was made.

For one, performance is top-of-mind for our creative professional customers, so we wondered how long it might take for us to match the years of performance-tuning that ensured smooth operation for Photoshop's sophisticated blending and rendering capabilities.

Apple is encouraging all developers to build and recompile their apps with official support for Apple silicon. Until apps get updated, they run on Apple silicon using Apple's Rosetta 2 technology, which enables apps built for Intel processors to run on the newer architecture. Dahm said that Photoshop ran sufficiently with Rosetta, in some cases even faster than it did natively on Intel Mac computers.

Fortunately, Apple's Rosetta mode allowed Photoshop to run reliably and fast on M1 devices on day one, without requiring significant changes to the code base. And many features were running as fast, or even faster than on the previous systems, so those earlier questions about performance were being resolved quite satisfactorily.

In its testing, Adobe found that Photoshop on an ‌M1‌ MacBook runs 50% faster compared to Photoshop on a 2019 Intel-based MacBook with similar configurations. Even with the significant jump in performance, Dahm claimed it's just the beginning.

We compared an M1 MacBook to a previous-generation MacBook similarly configured, and found that under native mode, Photoshop was running 50% faster than the older hardware. These great performance improvements are just the beginning, and we will continue to work together with Apple to further optimize performance over time.

The power of the new ‌M1‌ chip motivated the team to push features that have become a staple of Photoshop even further, said Dahm. Features such as Content Aware Fill, Auto Select Subject, Sky Replacement tools, and others were re-energized thanks to ‌M1‌.

We were eager to tap into the more specialized aspects of the M1 chip to see how they could re-energize some of the seemingly magical features that have since become staples of the Photoshop experience over the years; features like Content Aware Fill, the healing brush, specialized filters and even relative newcomers, like the machine-learning-based Auto Select Subject and Sky Replacement tools.

Moving forward, Dahm said Adobe is looking forward to "bringing even more performance gains and Photoshop magic to life" on future Apple silicon chips. Dahm also said that the continued evolution of the Apple silicon platform will enable Adobe to constantly tune and optimize Photoshop to run at peak performance without the need to rely on Rosetta.

In a research note shared with MacRumors today, Barclays analysts said they expect Apple to report record Mac shipments in the 2021 fiscal year. Apple has seen strong demand for Macs driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and the release of Apple silicon Macs.

With rumors indicating that Apple plans to release redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon in the second half of this year, at least one supplier is planning to ramp up capacity in anticipation of strong demand.

According to DigiTimes, Taiwanese manufacturer Compeq has already seen its high-density circuit board production capacity fully booked for the first half of 2021, and it will be expanding its capacity in the second half of the year to help ease the situation. The publication claims that Compeq will register a strong first half of 2021, bolstered by volume shipments of the circuit boards for new MacBooks and iPads.

Nikkei Asia recently reported that Apple will begin mass production of two new MacBooks with Apple silicon in the second half of the year. This timeframe should provide ample time for Apple's suppliers to ramp up production for a launch later in the year. A redesigned iMac with Apple silicon is also expected to debut at some point this year.

According to well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new MacBook Pro models will feature brighter displays with Mini-LED backlighting, a new design with a flat-edged top and bottom, an HDMI port and SD card reader, classic MagSafe charging with a magnetic power cable, and physical function keys instead of the Touch Bar.

Apple stopped disclosing unit sales a few years ago, but in Q1 2021, Apple reported record quarterly Mac revenue of $8.7 billion. The quarter encompassed the launch of the first three Macs with Apple's custom-designed M1 chip, which has received rave reviews.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Jackery to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Power Station that's ideal for keeping all of your Apple devices charged up for emergencies, camping, road trips, power outages, and more.

Priced at $500 and often available on sale, the Explorer 500 is Jackery's mid-range power station, offering a 518 watt-hour lithium-ion battery.

It's equipped with a pure sine wave AC outlet, a 12V/10A carport, and three 5V/2.4A USB-A ports. It can power any of your Apple products from iPhones to MacBooks, plus it has enough juice to run TVs, projectors, fans, and other appliances that draw under 500 watts.

The carport and USB-A ports can power car appliances like coolers, air pumps, vacuums, and more, along with smartphones, iPads, and other small electronics.

With the ability to hold a charge on standby for weeks at a time, the Jackery Explorer 500 is ideal for power outages and other emergencies. It can run a router or a cable modem to keep you connected, or run lights and other accessories when you're out camping.

There's a handle that makes the Jackery Explorer 500 easy to carry, and there are built-in fans to keep it cool. An LCD screen on the front displays the current power level and the watts that are being drawn so you can keep track of your power usage.

Jackery will soon celebrate Jackery Day, which will see brand new power station models coming out on March 17. Jackery will also be hosting a giveaway on its own site in addition to the E500 giveaway that MacRumors is offering.

We have two of the Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Battery Stations to give away. To enter to win our giveaway, 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 (March 12) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 19. The winners will be chosen randomly on March 19 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

HBO Max parent company AT&T today unveiled plans to introduce a more affordable version of HBO Max that will include ads to drive the cost down.

A full ad-free HBO Max subscription is priced at $14.99 per month, and it's not yet clear what the price of the ad-supported version will be.

In addition to including ads, the ad-supported version of HBO Max will not include Warner Bros. theatrical releases. Earlier this year, AT&T said that all Warner Bros. movies in 2021 would debut on HBO Max and theaters at the same time.

HBO Max subscribers will get access to titles like "The Matrix 4," "Dune," "In the Heights," "The Suicide Squad," and more on the same day that those films premiere in theaters.

All other HBO Max content, including HBO Max Originals, will be included in the ad-supported tier. HBO Max Original TV shows will not have ads, but ads will be included for other kinds of content.

AT&T expects to have between 120 and 150 million HBO Max and HBO subscribers by the end of 2025. By the end of 2021, AT&T expects to have between 67 and 70 million subscribers worldwide, up from 61 million at the end of 2020.

AT&T plans to make the ad-supported version of HBO Max available sometime in June.

Apple on Tuesday released new 3C39 firmware for the AirPods Max, and there was speculation that the new software was meant to address a battery life problem that users had been experiencing. Some ‌AirPods Max‌ headphones were seeing excessive battery drain while in the Smart Case, and now there's evidence that the update does indeed fix the problem.

Developer Guilherme Rambo tested ‌AirPods Max‌ battery drain before and after the firmware update to see how much battery life was being lost while the ‌AirPods Max‌ were in the Smart Case. Battery drain was measured in half hour intervals, and as the charts show, the ‌AirPods Max‌ lost more battery life in the Smart Case prior to the firmware update.

In addition to Rambo's testing, there are also anecdotal reports on the MacRumors forums that suggest the ‌AirPods Max‌ are no longer losing large amounts of battery life in the case overnight. From MacRumors reader F23:

Updated yesterday. 24 hours later, they did NOT lose a single percent. Still at 97% after 24 hours in the case. On previous software version i would lose 10%+ overnight consistently.

Other MacRumors readers have noted improvements to automatic switching when using the ‌AirPods Max‌, and a fix for a bug that could sometimes cause them to disconnect between devices. From MacRumors reader TechKris:

I can report a 6% battery drop with the new FW after about 8h overnight placed in the case. Automatic switching between M1 MacBook Air and iPhone seems to be much better now. It was unusable before and just had in manual on the Mac.

According to 9to5Mac, the firmware update appears to put the ‌AirPods Max‌ into an ultralow power mode after 30 minutes. Prior to the firmware update, ‌AirPods Max‌ would go into a low power mode when placed in the case, and an ultralow power mode after 18 hours. If this is the case, though, Apple has yet to update its support document to reflect the charging changes.

There's no clear cut way to update firmware for the ‌AirPods Max‌ like there is for devices like the iPhone, but connecting the ‌AirPods Max‌ to a power source and then listening to music for a few seconds to connect them to an ‌iPhone‌ or iPad typically forces the update.

You can check the firmware on your ‌AirPods Max‌ by following these steps:

1. Connect your ‌‌AirPods Max‌‌‌ to your iOS device.
2. Open the Settings app.
3. Tap General.
4. Tap About.
5. Tap ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌.
6. Look at the number next to "Firmware Version."

Have you noticed better battery life since upgrading to the 3C39 firmware? Let us know in the comments.

iPhone 13 models slated for release later this year will "likely" feature a fingerprint scanner embedded under the display for authentication, in addition to Face ID, according to Barclays analyst Andrew Gardiner and three of his colleagues.

In a research note shared with MacRumors today, the analysts added that iPhone 13 models will feature a smaller notch and that the LiDAR Scanner will remain limited to iPhone 13 Pro models this year, which lines up with information shared by well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo earlier this month. Barclays said its research is at least partly based on "extensive industry conversations" with suppliers in recent weeks.

The analysts believe that a smaller notch on iPhone 13 models will be the result of a "more tightly integrated version of the current structured light system" for Face ID, adding that a "bigger shift" is likely to come in 2022, with Apple apparently aiming to adopt time-of-flight architecture for Face ID that would allow for an "even smaller footprint." This lines up with Kuo's prediction that at least some 2022 iPhones could feature a hole-punch display, with only a small hole visible on the screen, like many of Samsung's recent smartphones.

Here's the excerpt from the research note, with emphasis added:

For the coming iPhone 13 cycle in 2H21, we foresee a more tightly integrated version of the existing structured light system, which will enable the long awaited reduction in the notch. On the rear, we do not anticipate Apple to broaden the adoption of the Lidar 3D sensor beyond the Pro models.

For the 2H22 product cycle, we anticipate an architectural shift from structured light to time-of-flight, allowing for an even smaller footprint. Based on our industry conversations, we do not think structured light beneath the screen is likely to be ready for mass deployment in 2H22. We also view the adoption of fingerprint-under-glass, that likely is added in the 2H21 iPhones, as a structural headwind for additional 3D sensing content at Apple and could be the security feature of the future.

The return of Touch ID with a fingerprint scanner under the display has been rumored several times. Back in August 2019, Kuo said Apple planned to launch an iPhone equipped with both Face ID and a fingerprint scanner under the display in 2021, but in his research note earlier this month, he did not mention this feature coming to iPhone 13 models.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern have also claimed that Apple is at least testing an under-display fingerprint scanner for iPhone 13 models, so time will tell whether the feature makes the cut.

Barclays analysts were the first to claim that Apple was planning to stop including a charger with iPhones. In the past, they also accurately revealed True Tone coming to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, the removal of the headphone jack adapter with iPhone XS and iPhone XR models, and the removal of 3D Touch on all iPhone 11 models.

Disney today announced MagicBand support for iPhone and Apple Watch in a service called "Disney MagicMobile," which uses the Wallet app.

Disney's MagicBand is a colorful wristband that guests can wear at Walt Disney World to enter the theme parks, unlock their hotel room, and buy food and merchandise. MagicMobile brings a contactless way to access many MagicBand features using only an ‌iPhone‌ or Apple Watch.

Guests will be able to create a Disney MagicMobile pass through the My Disney Experience app and add it to the Wallet app. The user's ‌iPhone‌ or Apple Watch can then be used at the same contactless access points as with a MagicBand. There is also the option to use a MagicBand alongside a MagicMobile mobile pass, so guests do not need to choose one over the other.

Initially, MagicMobile will be exclusive to Apple devices only, but the service is expected to come to Android devices at a later date.

Apple's next-generation AirPods are "ready to ship," and the second-generation AirPods will be discontinued this month as a result, a proven leaker known as "Kang" said today on Chinese social media website Weibo.

Apple is widely rumored to be working on third-generation AirPods, with leaked images and renders suggesting that the new earphones will have a similar design as the AirPods Pro, including shorter stems. While the new AirPods may look similar to the AirPods Pro, they are not expected to feature Active Noise Cancellation.

"Kang" also shared their belief that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro will outsell the 11-inch model in 2021, suggesting that the next-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro could have at least one exclusive feature compared to the 11-inch model. Apple is widely rumored to have a new iPad Pro with a Mini-LED display in the pipeline, but most rumors have only mentioned the 12.9-inch model, so perhaps Mini-LED will be exclusive to the 12.9-inch model.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro is also expected to feature a faster A14X chip and support for 5G networks on models with cellular connectivity. It's possible these two features could extend to a new 11-inch model, but it's unclear.

"Kang" recently suggested that Apple plans to host an event on Tuesday, March 23, where the new AirPods and new iPad Pro could be announced. Other products rumored to be in Apple's pipeline include the long-awaited AirTags item trackers, a new Apple TV with more of a gaming focus, and a redesigned iMac powered by Apple silicon, but it's unclear if any of those products will be unveiled this month.

"Kang" has a nearly perfect track record with Apple rumors, having previously leaked accurate details about iPhone 12 models, Apple Watch Series 6 models, the fourth-generation iPad Air, the HomePod mini, and many other devices in recent months.

Google's Chrome browser has been criticized for years for being a system resource hog, but Chromium developers are making some loud claims about how much smarter the latest version is at using and freeing up memory on macOS.

According to a new post on Google's Chromium blog, Chrome developers recently managed to shrink the memory footprint of background tabs on Mac by up to 8%, or just over 1GB on some systems in version 89 of the browser.

Tab Throttling, which acts on pages that are not currently active, is also said to have led to significant improvements by reducing JavaScript Timer wake-ups. Background tabs no longer wake up the CPU as often and preserve battery life, and as a result, Chrome uses up to 5x less CPU, while battery life is up to 1.25 hours better, says Google.

According to the developers, since its introduction in Chrome 87 and wider rollout in Chrome 88, the feature has been responsible for a 65% improvement on Chrome's Apple Energy Impact score for pages in the background.

The highlighted improvements are in stark contrast to recently reported independent measurements which claimed to demonstrate that Google Chrome uses 10x more RAM than Safari on macOS Big Sur.

The interpretation of those measurements has since been contested, but separately Apple still claims that Safari on ‌macOS Big Sur‌ is "50% faster on average at loading frequently visited websites than Chrome." Apple also says Safari can stream video for up to one and a half hours longer, and can keep users browsing normally on a single charge for up to one hour longer, compared to Chrome and Firefox.

Google Chrome for Mac is a free download available directly from Google's servers. Google Chrome for iOS is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

In its latest emailed Apple Pay promotion, Apple is offering deals on three different grocery and meal plan delivery services from now until March 17 when using the company's digital payments service.

The first deal partners with Instacart to offer new subscribers a two-month Express membership for free. People who sign up for the offer also get $5 off their first order when they use ‌Apple Pay‌ at checkout.

The second deal is for meal plan and delivery service HelloFresh. New customers can get 50% off their first box and 25% off the next three boxes they order when using the code APPLEPAY at checkout.

The third and final deal is for Daily Harvest, another meal plan delivery company. New customers can get $30 off their first box by using the code APPLEPAY at checkout.

‌Apple Pay‌ users can still take advantage of Apple's last emailed promotion, which runs until March 18 and offers Bed Bath & Beyond customers 10% back on purchases in the form of My Funds rewards.

T-Mobile has plans to rapidly expand the availability of 5G across the United States, with the company aiming to offer "Ultra Capacity 5G" to 90 percent of Americans by the end of 2023.

"Ultra Capacity 5G" includes T-Mobile's mid-band and millimeter wave 5G connectivity, with the company also planning to offer slower "Extended Range 5G" across 97 percent of the U.S. by the end of 2022.

As highlighted by The Verge, T-Mobile shared the forecast during a virtual analyst event that took place today. At the current time, 125 million people have access to T-Mobile's Ultra Capacity 5G, a number that will expand to 200 million by the end of 2021.

According to T-Mobile, those who have access to Ultra Capacity 5G can expect an increase in speed from 300Mb/s to 400Mb/s as T-Mobile builds out its 5G network with spectrum acquired during its merger with Sprint.

T-Mobile recently purchased C-band spectrum (which was also made available to Verizon and AT&T) that will become usable in 2023 and will help the company reach its availability goals.

As Apple prepares to implement App Tracking Transparency changes in iOS 14.5, CNBC spoke with several former Facebook employees to get details on why Facebook has been so heavily against the planned privacy updates.

Starting this spring, Facebook and other app developers will need to get express permission to access a user's advertising identifier, or IDFA, which is used to track usage across apps and websites for ad targeting purposes. Facebook has campaigned heavily against App Tracking Transparency, taking out full page newspaper ads and attempting to position Apple as an enemy of small businesses.

One of Facebook's main arguments is that Apple's changes will hurt businesses that use Facebook's advertising tools, but former Facebook employee Henry Love told CNBC that for many businesses, the change might not even be noticeable.

Less ad tracking data will prevent Facebook and its clients from targeting ads as effectively as they can now, but a lot of businesses may not need much data for effective ad targeting. A small coffee shop in Texas, for example, likely uses broad targeting categories like zip code and age range for ads, which is data that Facebook can collect from its own apps without the need for the IDFA.

"If you talked to any restaurant owner anywhere and asked them what IDFA is, I don't think any of them would know what that is," Love said. "It's affecting Facebook at scale. Not the small business owners."

Among the few "small business owners" who might feel the effects of the IDFA change are start-ups backed by venture capital money who have hired professionals with the skills to target users with sniper precision, Love said.

People who are targeting users across mobile, web, and the Facebook Audience Network with the IDFA are "not small businesses," with Love calling such companies "sophisticated, VC-backed startups."

App Tracking Transparency will threaten Facebook's view-through conversion tracking, a metric that lets ad companies figure out how many people saw an ad, didn't click it, but later made a purchase related to the ad. Retailers can record the info of the person who bought an item and then share it with Facebook, with Facebook able to determine whether that person's IDFA matches with a user who saw an ad for the product purchased.

CNBC says that the loss of this info could heavily impact Facebook because if advertisers can't accurately measure the effectiveness of Instagram and Facebook ads, they might shift more of their budget to other apps and services.

Facebook's Audience Network, which provides advertisements in non-Facebook apps, will also be impacted because it uses IDFA data to choose the best ads to show to users based on Facebook data. If users opt out of sharing the IDFA, Facebook's ad personalization efforts will be rendered useless outside of its own apps.

Facebook is planning to ask users for permission to access the IDFA, and is testing wording that suggests the tracking will provide a better ad experience. Facebook test prompts encourage customers to allow IDFA usage to "support businesses that rely on ads to reach customers."

Netflix may be cracking down on those who share passwords between separate households, according to a test found by The Streamable. Some Netflix subscribers have been getting a message about not living with the account holder when attempting to stream content.

"If you don't live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching," reads the warning message. From there, users are prompted to verify the account with an email or text verification code, or to sign up for a separate Netflix account.

Netflix told The Streamable that the test is "designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so." It's not clear if the warning is popping up based on IP address or another metric.

Netflix's terms of service do prohibit subscribers from sharing their passwords with people outside of their households, but many people do so anyway. Back in 2020, Netflix chief product officer Greg Peters told The Wall Street Journal that Netflix monitors password sharing, but at the time, had no plans to announce on the topic.

There are built-in limits to the number of devices that can simultaneously stream content from Netflix. The $8.99 basic plan is limits streaming to a single device, while the $13.99 standard plan allows for streaming on two devices. The $17.99 plan allows for streaming on up to four devices.