Apple today released tvOS 14.3, the fourth update to the tvOS 14 operating system that was initially released on September 16. tvOS 14.3 comes more than a month after the release of tvOS 14.2.
tvOS 14.3, which is a free update, can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System > Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates enabled will be upgraded to tvOS 14.3 automatically.
The update brings support for Apple Fitness+, the company's new subscription workout experience that uses the Apple Watch to track workouts, and a new Fitness app will show up on the Apple TV once you've updated to tvOS 14.3.
Apple does not offer detailed release notes for most of its tvOS updates, so we may not be able to determine what else is new in the software update. Apple provides some tvOS details through a tvOS support document, but information is often limited.
The main tvOS 14 update released in September introduced Picture-in-Picture outside of the Apple TV app, introduced audio sharing features for connecting two sets of AirPods or Beats, added new HomeKit capabilities, and expanded game controller support and multiuser gaming options. More on tvOS 14 can be found in our tvOS 14 roundup.
Amazon today is discounting the Apple Pencil 2 to $99.00, down from $129.00. This is the lowest price that we've ever tracked for the Apple Pencil 2.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple Pencil 2 works with the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (third generation and later), as well as the new iPad Air. With the stylus, iPad owners can take notes, create art, and more. The second generation Apple Pencil can also magnetically attach and pair to the iPad Pro and new iPad Air.
The original Apple Pencil is also on sale for $79.00 this week, down from $99.00. We've seen this model go down a bit lower in older sales, but this is still a solid deal if you need the older model.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
"Macs with the new Apple M1 chip offer unprecedented performance, and developers can optimize their apps for the M1 to deliver game-changing speed and capabilities," says Apple. "Get started with these apps that take full advantage of the power of M1."
At WWDC 2020 in June, Apple revealed its plans to begin using its own custom Apple Silicon processors in Macs, starting with the M1 chip. Apple said that its transition away from Intel processors in Macs would take around two years to be completed, with future Apple Silicon Macs rumored to include redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, a 24-inch iMac, a smaller version of the Mac Pro, and more.
Last month, Apple released its first Macs with the M1 chip, including a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini, and benchmarks confirmed that the chip delivers industry-leading performance per watt. Apple's custom silicon is so impressive that the base model MacBook Air outperforms a maxed-out Intel-based 16-inch MacBook Pro.
iOS 14.3 and associated software updates for iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS are all launching today, bringing Apple's Fitness+ service and a number of other updates to users.
Apple's Fitness+ service will only be available in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US, but other iOS features like support for AirPods Max, new ProRAW camera support for iPhone 12 Pro models, and more will be available more broadly.
Apple has not announced when iOS 14.3 and Fitness+ will be launching today, but Apple's iOS updates tend to come out around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. While there are no guarantees Apple will stick to its usual release timing, that seems to be a pretty reasonable guess, so we've put together this list of corresponding times around the world:
Honolulu, Hawaii -- 8:00 a.m. HST
Anchorage, Alaska -- 9:00 a.m. AKST
Cupertino, California -- 10:00 a.m. PST
Vancouver, Canada -- 10:00 a.m. PST
Phoenix, Arizona -- 11:00 a.m. MST
Denver, Colorado -- 11:00 a.m. MST
Chicago, Illinois -- 12:00 noon. CST
New York, New York -- 1:00 p.m. EST
Toronto, Canada -- 1:00 p.m. EST
Halifax, Canada -- 2:00 p.m. AST
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- 3:00 p.m. BRT
London, United Kingdom -- 6:00 p.m. GMT
Berlin, Germany -- 7:00 p.m. CET
Paris, France -- 7:00 p.m. CET
Cape Town, South Africa -- 8:00 p.m. SAST
Helsinki, Finland -- 8:00 p.m. EET
Moscow, Russia -- 9:00 p.m. MSK
Istanbul, Turkey -- 9:00 p.m. TRT
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- 10:00 p.m. GST
Delhi, India -- 11:30 p.m. IST
Jakarta, Indonesia -- 1:00 a.m. WIB next day
Shanghai, China -- 2:00 a.m. CST next day
Singapore -- 2:00 a.m. SGT next day
Perth, Australia -- 2:00 a.m. AWST next day
Hong Kong -- 2:00 a.m. HKT next day
Seoul, South Korea -- 3:00 a.m. KST next day
Tokyo, Japan -- 3:00 a.m. JST next day
Brisbane, Australia - 4:00 a.m. AEST next day
Adelaide, Australia -- 4:30 a.m. ACDT next day
Sydney, Australia -- 5:00 a.m. AEDT next day
Auckland, New Zealand -- 7:00 a.m. NZDT next day
Early media reviews of Apple Fitness+ have already hit the web this morning and are generally positive, and we'll have more coverage of today's updates when they become available.
Apple's new Fitness+ workout service launches later today, and ahead of time, some media outlets and YouTube channels have shared their first impressions of the platform. We've gathered up some opinions and videos below.
CNET's Vanessa Hand Orellana trying out Apple Fitness+
As a refresher, Fitness+ will provide users with access to a library of workout videos covering strength, yoga, dance, running, walking, cycling, rowing, and more, with new content delivered each week from a team of trainers hired by Apple. Fitness+ integrates personal metrics such as heart rate from the Apple Watch to motivate users, animating them on the screen during key moments in the workout.
Priced at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year, Fitness+ requires iOS 14.3, iPadOS 14.3, watchOS 7.2, and tvOS 14.3, coming later today. The service will be available through a new tab in the Fitness app on iPhone, while iPad users will be able to get the Fitness app from the App Store. On the Apple TV, the Fitness app will automatically appear once users install tvOS 14.3. The service requires an Apple Watch Series 3 or later.
CNET's Vanessa Hand Orellana notes that Apple Watch integration helps set Fitness+ apart from competitors, as does its "beginner-friendly" approach that provides users with both standard and beginner variants of exercises:
Under normal circumstances, I would have been too intimidated to even go near a rower at the gym. But Fitness Plus makes it easier to step out of your comfort zone with an entire beginners section with short, easy workouts along with a "getting started" video that teaches you how to use the equipment.
Hand Orellana believes that Fitness+ is a "no-brainer" for Apple Watch users, although she said it is not the best option for very experienced exercisers looking for personalized feedback on form, as the service seems to be targeted at a broader audience:
Fitness Plus is a no-brainer if you already own an Apple Watch, or are considering getting one, as you get a free three-month trial. It's also included as part of the $30 a month Premier Apple One subscription bundle. But with so many fitness apps out there, it's probably not reason enough to buy an Apple Watch.
It's also not the best option if you're a pro in any of the workout categories, or you're really looking to hone your skills, as it seems to be geared for a broader audience and it can't offer personalized feedback on form.
The Wall Street Journal's Nicole Nguyen believes that Fitness+ is a "great value," but she found it doesn't quite stack up to Peloton's workout service. One advantage to Fitness+ is that workout videos can be downloaded and played offline:
Overall, Fitness+ feels like a Peloton Digital Lite (which doesn't otherwise exist). Apple's app and Peloton Digital have high production value, motivating music playlists and charismatic trainers. But Fitness+ doesn't have as many workout types, and the library of workouts isn't as large. It also lacks Peloton's live and social features. The Apple app does have one edge over Peloton's: You can download classes and play them offline. While you can preload Peloton content for more stable playback, the workouts require an active internet connection to play.
Fast Company's Mark Sullivan believes that most Fitness+ workouts are best viewed on a TV, rather than on an iPad or iPhone:
For most workout types, Fitness+ is probably best when displayed on a big TV in front of you. The iPad works fine for some workouts—like yoga or strength training—but the iPhone is just too small.
Apple Fitness+ will be available later today in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Apple is offering a one-month free trial to all users, and an extended three-month trial to customers who purchased a new Apple Watch Series 3 or newer after September 15, 2020.
Two out of four iPhone 13 models set to launch next year (presumably the Pro models) will use OLED displays with low-power LTPO technology, paving the way for a 120Hz refresh rate, according to Korean website The Elec.
The report claims that Samsung and LG will remain Apple's primary suppliers of OLED displays, which are expected to be used across the entire iPhone 13 lineup, with Chinese manufacturer BOE also aiming to win some orders. The displays are said to be "more technologically sophisticated" to manufacture compared to those used in iPhone 12 models.
LTPO technology would result in a more power efficient backplane, which is responsible for turning individual pixels on and off on the display. In turn, this could allow for a 120Hz refresh rate for more fluid scrolling and smoother motion without causing too much of a hit on battery life. Similar to recent Apple Watch models, LTPO could also enable iPhone 13 models to have an always-on display, and contribute to longer battery life.
While some rumors had suggested that iPhone 12 Pro models would support a 120Hz refresh rate, display industry analyst Ross Young accurately claimed otherwise, noting that the feature will be added alongside LTPO in 2021.
iPad Pro models have supported up to a 120Hz refresh rate since 2017 through a feature called ProMotion, which automatically adjusts the refresh rate depending on the content. A wide variety of Android smartphones now have 120Hz displays as well. If this report proves to be true, at least a few iPhone models will soon follow suit.
Shazam has today been updated with a new design, notifications for missed or offline Shazams, global trending Charts, and sync improvements.
Shazam 14.2 brings a refreshed look to the music-discovery app, with a simpler swipe-up card to access your past Shazams and an improved design. Shazam will now actively search for a user's missed or offline Shazams and notify them when they are found.
In addition, users can see what is trending with Charts, now available in Search, to see what is trending globally. The feature provides specific trending lists with up to 200 top songs for countries, and even specific cities, around the world.
There have also been improvements to sync for both Apple Music and Spotify users. For Apple Music, the app will now sync more of users' past Shazams, and if a user deletes a song in Apple Music, it will not be added again by Shazam. For Spotify, the app will now find and sync more new Shazams. If Spotify users lose connection, Shazam will now attempt to sync again during the next Shazam search.
Apple acquired Shazam in 2018, and has been gradually bringing the app into closer alignment with Apple Music ever since.
Update: Apple has also launched Shazam as a web app for this first time at shazam.com, as spotted by 9to5Mac. The website has launched in beta and is currently only compatible with Safari, Chrome, and Firefox on macOS and Chrome OS, allowing users to check Charts and identify music directly from a browser.
Gmail, YouTube and Google Docs are all experiencing severe outages, with reports of problems accessing the services across much of Europe, the U.S., and India.
Google News, Google Translate, Google Ads, Google Domain, Google Cloud Platform Dashboard, and Google My Business are also down. Other services that use Google to log in are similarly affected.
It's not clear right now what's causing the issues, but the DownDetector website indicates that all three services went down at approximately 3:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
We'll update this article when we learn more.
Update: Some users are able to access the services using Incognito mode or a private browsing tab, suggesting it's Google's authentication servers that are at fault.
Update 2 @ 4:40 a.m. PT: Services appear to be slowly coming back online now, based on multiple user reports.
Google is reportedly testing a dark mode for its desktop web search site, following a trend of introducing darker user interfaces across its mobile apps.
Image via 9to5Google
Apple introduced Dark Mode in macOS Mojave and iOS 13, and support for the system-wide option is now a staple feature of most third-party apps on both mobile and desktop.
For example, Google has added belated support for Dark Mode to its Gmail and Search apps, but it looks like Google for desktop web could be on its way, too.
According to 9to5Google, the tech giant is performing A/B testing of a dark interface for desktop-based browser searches for a random selection of users.
Instead of the traditional plain white background, users are seeing a dark grey color on the Google search page, with results appearing in lighter text. Black text is now gray, while a different shade of blue is being used for page names/links.
Other affected page elements include the Google logo altered to match the background, and the search filters like Images and News, which are now blue.
It's not clear how long Google plans to test the feature before rolling it out to all users, but if it's anything like how long it took to bring Dark Mode to Gmail, it could be a while yet.
In the meantime, users who want to try a web browsing experience that's easier on the eyes should check out the browser extension Dark Reader, available for Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.
An Apple TV+ series chronicling the rise of controversial blogging network Gawker Media was reportedly canned after Tim Cook learned about the project and intervened, according to a new report.
Earlier this year, Vanity Fair claimed Apple was in the early stages of developing a series about Gawker. Called "Scraper," the series was reportedly pitched by two former Gawker staffers, Max Read and Cord Jefferson.
According to a New York Times report on Sunday, however, Apple scrapped the show after Cook heard about its development. Sources told the publication that Cook was "surprised" to learn Apple was making the show and emailed an Apple executive to express his "distinctly negative view" towards the project.
Mr. Cook, according to two people briefed on the email, was surprised to learn that his company was making a show about Gawker, which had humiliated the company at various times and famously outed him, back in 2008, as gay. He expressed a distinctly negative view toward Gawker, the people said. Apple proceeded to kill the project. And now, the show is back on the market and the executive who brought it in, Layne Eskridge, has left the company. Gawker, it seems, is making trouble again.
As the report notes, Apple had a fraught relationship with the now-defunct media company. Notably in 2010, it was Gawker-owned Gizmodo that got its hands on an iPhone 4 prototype that had been accidentally left in a bar by an Apple employee.
This isn't the first time we've heard about Apple executives influencing Apple TV+ content development. In 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported that Cook killed off a Dr Dre biopic "Vital Signs" after being troubled by the show's scenes depicting drawn guns, sex, and drug use.
In addition, Sunday's NYT report claims that Eddy Cue, Apple's senior VP for internet software and services, has informed Apple TV+ partners that "the two things we will never do are hard-core nudity and China."
As the report notes, Apple has explained its "corporate red lines" to creators before. As early as 2018, when Apple's original programming production got underway, company executives reportedly gave guidance to some show creators to "avoid portraying China in a bad light."
The full report about the Gawker show development and Tim Cook's intervention is available to read at The New York Times.
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.
Workers reportedly went on the rampage at an iPhone production plant in India on Sunday and caused widespread damage to the Wistron-run factory over claims of unpaid wages.
Video posted on social media showed smashed CCTV cameras and glass panels, broken lights and upturned vehicles at Wistron's manufacturing facility in Bangalore. According to the Times of India, many of the 2,000 employees leaving at the end of their Friday-night shift were involved in the violence.
Disgruntled staff claimed that they have not been fully paid for four months and are being forced to do extra shifts. One worker alleged an engineering graduate was promised Rs 21,000 ($285) per month, but instead they initially got Rs 16,000 ($217), which had been reduced down to Rs 12,000 ($163) in the last three months. Non-engineering graduates' monthly salary was said to have been reduced to Rs 8,000 ($108).
According to a worker who spoke to the Times, employees had started discussing their salaries and some alleged that they had received as low as Rs 500 ($7) in their bank accounts. The anger had turned into violence by the time the shift ended.
1/4 #Violence at @Apple#iPhone production plant run by Taiwan-based #Wistron Corp at Narasapura near #Bengaluru in India Nearly 2,000 employees, alleged not been paid, went on a rampage destroying the company’s furniture, assembly units and even attempted to set fire to vehicles pic.twitter.com/qtlHyJiRAh
— Crisbin Joseph Mathew (@CrisbinJoseph) December 12, 2020
According to BBC News, Apple partner Wistron told AFP news agency that "the incident was caused by people of unknown identities from outside who intruded into and damaged its facility with unclear intentions."
Wistron employs about 15,000 workers at the factory, according to local media, with most contracted via recruitment firms. Indian police reportedly arrested over 100 staff as a result of the rampage. Wistron said it would resume operations as soon as possible.
Bangalore is the capital of southern Karnataka state and is India's technology hub.
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 last week announced the AirPods Max, the first Apple-branded over-ear headphones. Now, AirPods Max preorders are beginning to ship to customers around the world ahead of the December 15 launch date.
Although several orders for the headphones are still in the "Processing" or "Preparing to Ship" stages, one MacRumors reader has shared a screenshot of an AirPods Max order marked as "Shipped" on Apple's online store.
Priced at $549, AirPods Max have a mesh headband with a stainless steel frame that connects to memory foam ear cups. The headphones offer several features including high-fidelity audio, Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio. Many reviewers have been impressed by the sound quality of the headphones.
AirPods Max will be available starting on December 15 in the United States and over 25 markets worldwide, according to Apple. Delivery estimates for all five AirPods Max colors have already slipped into 2021 on Apple.com, suggesting that either Apple is facing supply constraints or demand for the headphones is quite high.
Samsung's Galaxy S21 smartphone lineup is set to be released in 2021, and a new video shared on YouTube compares an alleged Samsung Galaxy S21+ with an iPhone 12 Pro.
The back of the iPhone 12 Pro features precision-milled matte glass, while the back of the alleged Galaxy S21+ seems to be constructed from a plastic-like material. Additionally, the three distinct cameras of the Galaxy S21+ appear to be arranged vertically, whereas the cameras of the iPhone 12 Pro are arranged in a triangular-shaped array. The individual cameras themselves look to be approximately the same size in both smartphones.
On the front of the Galaxy S21+, the bezels seem to have decreased in size. Similar to the current Galaxy S20 lineup, the smartphone appears to maintain the current hole-punch selfie camera centered in the top portion of the display.
Another difference between the two smartphones will be their respective chips, as Apple has fitted the latest iPhone 12 models with its own A14 Bionic chip. Samsung is rumored to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100 chips in its new smartphones depending on the region, according to PhoneArena.
When first announced that the iPhone 12 lineup and other iPhone models wouldn't ship with a power adapter and headphones, Samsung mocked Apple on its social channels by pointing out that the Samsung Galaxy smartphones continue to ship with a power adapter. However, recent reports have said that Samsung may too remove the power adapter and headphones from its smartphones beginning with the Galaxy S21 lineup.
Apple Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri and former Chief Design Officer Jony Ive are reportedly candidates to be Ferrari's next CEO, reports Reuters, citing Italian media.
Former Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri departed the company last week citing personal reasons, and potential successors have since emerged, among those reportedly being Maestri and Ive. Additionally, former Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao was allegedly in the running for the position, but Reuters says a source close to Colao has called the claim "groundless."
It remains to be seen if Maestri or Ive would be interested in pursuing such a position. Maestri has held the position of Apple's CFO since 2014 and previously served as the company's Corporate Controller. Ive left Apple in 2019 to form an independent design company named LoveFrom, and Apple said it would remain one of Ive's primary clients.
It's not uncommon for Apple executives to be named as potential candidates for a CEO position. Johny Srouji, Apple's chipmaking chief, was reportedly on Intel's list of candidates for its CEO position in 2019. The position was ultimately filled by Bob Swan.
Apple CEO Tim Cook today delivered a brief speech during the 2020 Climate Ambition Summit, stressing that leaders of nations and companies around the world have a "burden to act" to address climate change during this "moment of historic urgency." The summit is co-hosted by the United Nations, United Kingdom, and France.
In his prepared remarks, Cook highlighted Apple's environmental initiatives, including its global facilities being powered by 100% renewable energy and its ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality across its entire supply chain and product usage by 2030.
Cook's full speech:
Thank you to all of the advocates and leaders joining us today. This is an important gathering, and we at Apple don't take our presence in this group lightly. We wear it as a badge of duty. At this moment of historic urgency, every leader of nations, of companies, and of communities has a particular burden to act. This year, Apple has accelerated our progress. We became carbon neutral for our worldwide corporate emissions. Already, we're helping 95 of our suppliers transition to 100% renewable energy, a number we continue to grow. We've unveiled a plan, unrivalled in its ambition, to achieve carbon neutrality for our entire supply chain and product usage by 2030 — 20 years before the goal set by the United Nations. We see every part of our device lifecycle, from design, to manufacturing, to durability and repair, to recycling, as an opportunity for environmental innovation, moving us towards our goal of a closed-loop supply chain. The choice between the bottom line and the future of our planet is a false one, and each new green innovation offers the proof. This is no time for changes of the margins. Together, we can transition to a carbon-neutral economy and usher in a new era of inclusive opportunity. This is a moment for ambition, cooperation, and leadership. We at Apple are proud to be your partner, and we call on companies and governments around the world to do all we can to make 2021 the year we turn the corner for good.
Last month, the UK Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee said tech companies like Apple are contributing to e-waste by making their products difficult to repair, and charging expensive repair fees. The committee added that the current business model for electronics is "reliant on continuous consumption, a throwaway culture and short-lived products," and called on tech companies to embrace environmentally-friendly business models.
In a statement, Apple said that it was "surprised and disappointed" with the Environmental Audit Committee's report, arguing that it "does not reflect any of Apple's efforts to conserve resources and protect the planet we all share."
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.
While the iPhone 12 lineup launched later than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today forecasted that mass production of so-called iPhone 13 models with a new A15 chip will revert back to Apple's usual timeframe.
In a typical year, Apple begins mass production of iPhones in the early summer, but reports indicated that mass production of iPhone 12 models did not begin until September, leading Apple to postpone its usual iPhone event in September until October for the first time since 2011. iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models launched on October 23, followed by the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max on November 13.
Kuo also dismissed concerns that Apple supplier TSMC's capacity utilization rate for A14 chips is set to drop from 100% to 80% in the first quarter of 2021, noting that this is largely due to seasonality factors. The analyst said iPhone demand remains strong, particularly for iPhone 12 Pro models, which have faced some camera-related component shortages contributing to extended shipping estimates on Apple.com.
With mass production of iPhone 13 models expected to follow a more typical schedule next year, it is certainly possible that the devices could be unveiled in September again as usual, but nothing is for certain amid the global health crisis.
The Apple product launches just keep on coming, with Apple this week introducing AirPods Max, the premium over-ear headphones that were rumored over the past few months under the "AirPods Studio" name.
We also learned this week that Apple's Fitness+ subscription service will be launching on Monday, December 14 alongside the release of iOS 14.3 and related operating system updates, while we heard a bit more about Apple's ambitions for future Mac chips based on Apple silicon. Check out the details on those stories and more below!
Apple Announces AirPods Max Over-Ear Headphones With Noise Cancellation, Priced at $549
Key features of the AirPods Max include high-fidelity audio powered by an Apple-designed H1 chip in each ear cup, spatial audio, active noise cancellation, and adaptive EQ. Design wise, the headphones have magnetically-attachable memory foam ear cushions, stainless steel telescoping arms, and a headband with a "breathable knit mesh" that distributes weight to reduce on-head pressure, according to Apple.
Similar to the Apple Watch, AirPods Max feature a Digital Crown on one ear cup for precise volume control and the ability to play or pause audio, skip tracks, answer or end phone calls, and activate Siri voice control. There's also a noise control button for switching between active noise cancellation and transparency mode, which lets some outside sound in so you can interact naturally with your surroundings.
AirPods Max feature up to 20 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation and spatial audio enabled, and they come with a carrying case called the "Smart Case" that puts the headphones in an ultra-low power state that helps to preserve battery charge when not in use.
Priced at $549, the AirPods Max are significantly more expensive than some other popular over-ear headphones, including Sony's WH-1000XM4, which are currently priced as low as $278. AirPods Max can be ordered now, with availability starting December 15, but the headphones are already backordered until March on Apple.com. There are five color options, including silver, space gray, green, sky blue, and pink.
AirPods Max Unboxing Videos: 'More Than Good Enough to Compete With Other High-End Headphones'
While more time is needed for in-depth reviews and comparisons, The Verge's Nilay Patel said AirPods Max sound "more than good enough to compete with other high-end headphones." Likewise, CNET's David Carnoy believes AirPods Max "raise the noise-canceling bar," edging out both Sony's WH-1000XM4 and Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 in his testing.
AirPods Max come with a magnetic carrying case called the "Smart Case," which puts the headphones in an ultra-low power state to preserve battery charge when not in use, according to Apple. The case has already become the butt of a joke on social media, and many of the first impressions articles shared so far agreed that the case looks rather peculiar.
More detailed reviews of the AirPods Max will be available following their launch on December 15, so stay tuned for more coverage.
Apple Fitness+ will provide users with access to a library of workout videos related to strength, yoga, dance, running, walking, cycling, rowing, and more, with new content delivered each week from a team of trainers hired by Apple. Fitness+ integrates personal metrics such as heart rate from the Apple Watch to motivate users, animating them on the screen during key moments in the workout.
Fitness+ requires an Apple Watch Series 3 or later. The workout videos can be watched on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV.
Priced at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year, Fitness+ will automatically appear as a new tab in the Fitness app on iPhone, while iPad users will be able to download the Fitness app from the App Store. On the Apple TV, the Fitness app will automatically appear once users upgrade to tvOS 14.3.
Next-Generation Apple Silicon Chips for Macs Could Include 16- and 32-Core Options
Last month, Apple released its first Macs with its custom-designed M1 chip, including a new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Ian King, Apple is working on several successors to the M1 chip for new MacBook Pro and iMac models next year, including designs with as many as 16 power cores and four efficiency cores. And for a future Mac Pro planned for launch by 2022, Apple is said to be testing a chip design with as many as 32 high-performance cores.
Apple is also said to be working on ambitious graphics chips that will feature between 16 and 128 cores depending on the Mac model. These chips could be introduced in late 2021 or potentially 2022.
Useful macOS Big Sur Features You Might Not Know
macOS Big Sur has been out for about a month now, but macOS releases never get quite as much attention as iOS releases, so there may still be some features that you're not aware of. In our latest YouTube video, we rounded up some useful but lesser known macOS Big Sur tips that are worth checking out on the Mac.
One example is drag-and-drop menu bar icons. If you open up the Control Center on macOS Big Sur, you can click and drag on any of the options to add it to the menu bar. So if you want Do Not Disturb to have a one-click menu bar toggle, just drag it to the menu bar from Control Center. This works for music playback controls, AirDrop, Do Not Disturb, and more.
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.
Apple this week updated its Apple Pay page in Mexico to make it clear that the payment service will not be launching in the country until 2021. The website now says "Disponible en el 2021," which means available in 2021.
Signs of Apple Pay in Mexico first surfaced in March 2020 when some iPhone users in Mexico were able to add their Banregio cards to the Wallet app after changing their region to the United States, suggesting Apple Pay support was in the works.
Apple in October 2020 added an Apple Pay page to its Mexico website, and the addition of Apple Pay details is usually a sign of an imminent launch. It's not clear if there has been some kind of delay, but prior to now, the page only said "Coming Soon" with no specific release date listed.
There's no word yet on which banks will support Apple Pay as the page says it will be compatible with "credit and debit cards of the most important payment networks, issued by various banks." The page also features American Express, Visa, and Mastercard logos.
When Apple Pay launches in Mexico, it will be the second Latin American country to support the service. Apple Pay launched in Brazil in 2018, but it has not yet expanded to other countries in Latin America.
Apple maintains a complete list of the countries where Apple Pay is available on its support site, and we have an Apple Pay roundup with everything you need to know about Apple's payments service.
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