MacRumors

Apple is exploring new security measures for Apple retail stores in an attempt to discourage and prevent smash-and-grab robberies.

In a patent titled "Product-Display System" filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, spotted by Patently Apple, Apple details a number of mechanical systems for securing iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.

The proposal effectively involves fixing a "retainer body" and "display stem" to the large tables in Apple Stores that feature a "retainer bracket" to hold devices. Some devices may feature a retractable "retaining cable" attached to the bracket to provide power and allow customers to pick up devices. Magnets placed on the top of the display stem ensure that the device returns to a predetermined position.

To maintain security and be more aesthetically pleasing, "no fasteners of the retainer may be visible or accessible" in the mounting system. The stems and brackets are considerably more heavy-duty than the tethers currently used to secure devices in Apple Stores, and are intended to make it much harder for thieves to detach devices, thereby discouraging robbery attempts.

Apple has experimented with removing security tethers in some of its stores, but the company has been subject to a large number of smash and grab robberies in recent years. The patent is not a confirmation that Apple will implement the bulky security retainers in its retail stores, but it remains a possibility given the solution is fully developed. Apple devices already automatically enter a lost mode when they are stolen from a store, rendering the device useless, but the filing indicates that more basic robbery prevention is still an ongoing area of research for the company.

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Update: Apple store aficionado Michael Steeber has noted on Twitter that the mounting system outlined in this patent is already used by a number of Apple retail partners and authorized resellers:

Amazon today is offering a big selection of Apple Watch Series 7 at a discount, including both GPS and cellular models. Every model is shipped and sold directly by Amazon, with stock available for shipping today for most devices.

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.

Prices start at $369.00 for the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7, down from $399.00. This sale price is available in five colors, and it's a second-best price and so far the best price we've seen in 2022.

41mm GPS Aluminum

• (Product)Red with (Product)Red Sport Band - $369.00, down from $399.00
• Blue with Abyss Blue Sport Band - $369.00, down from $399.00
• Green with Clover Sport Band - $369.00, down from $399.00
• Midnight with Midnight Sport Band - $369.00, down from $399.00
• Starlight with Starlight Sport Band - $369.00, down from $399.00

You can also get the 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 on sale, available for $399.00, down from $429.00. Similar to the smaller model, this is a second-best price and one of the best prices that we've tracked on the wearable so far in 2022.

45mm GPS Aluminum

• (Product)Red with (Product)Red Sport Band - $399.00, down from $429.00
• Blue with Abyss Blue Sport Band - $399.00, down from $429.00
• Green with Clover Sport Band - $399.00, down from $429.00
• Midnight with Midnight Sport Band - $399.00, down from $429.00
• Starlight with Starlight Sport Band - $399.00, down from $429.00

Last is a group of cellular models, with both 41mm and 45mm devices getting discounts this week on Amazon. These sales aren't as extensive as the GPS Series 7 models, so you'll only find a few colors marked down for the 41mm cellular option.

41mm Cellular Aluminum

• Blue with Abyss Blue Sport Band - $459.00, down from $499.00
• Green with Clover Sport Band - $459.00, down from $499.00
• Midnight with Midnight Sport Band - $459.00, down from $499.00

However, all aluminum colors are available for the 45mm cellular Apple Watch Series 7. For all Apple Watch sales listed in this article, only Amazon is currently offering these discounts, so be sure to check out the offers soon if you're interested.

45mm Cellular Aluminum

• (Product)Red with (Product)Red Sport Band - $509.00, down from $529.00
• Blue with Abyss Blue Sport Band - $509.00, down from $529.00
• Green with Clover Sport Band - $509.00, down from $529.00
• Midnight with Midnight Sport Band - $509.00, down from $529.00
• Starlight with Starlight Sport Band - $509.00, down from $529.00

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Apple's Beats Fit Pro fitness-focused wireless earbuds are set to launch internationally later this month, with pre-orders to start on Monday, January 24. The earbuds will be released globally on January 28, according to a tweet from Beats.

Beats Fit Pro are Apple's newest Beats earbuds, featuring flexible wingtips to keep them in the ear, a charging case, silicone tips, Active Noise Cancellation, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and an H1 chip for "Hey Siri" support.

The $200 earbuds launched in the United States in November and in China in December of last year, and at the time Apple said an international release would follow sometime in early 2022.

Apple on Monday began listing Beats Fit Pro on its regional online stores outside the U.S. for the first time in advance of pre-orders.

Beats Fit Pro come in four colors: Stone Purple, Sage Gray, White, and Black. For a better idea of what Beats Fit Pro can do, check out our in-depth hands-on review.

Apple's rumored AR/VR headset will use the same 96W USB-C power adapter included with the higher-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a research note today with TF International Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said that Apple's headset using a 96W power adapter proves that it will have Mac-level computing power, as he has predicted previously.

Kuo also reiterated that Apple's headset will be equipped with two processors, including one 5nm chip and one 4nm chip, each manufactured by TSMC. In November, Kuo said the higher-end processor would have similar computing power as the M1 chip for the Mac, whereas the lower-end processor would manage sensor-related aspects of the headset.

Apple's headset will offer an innovative experience with seamless switching between AR and VR modes, according to Kuo, who added that Apple's headset will be two to three years ahead of competing products in terms of computing power.

Kuo has previously claimed that Apple's headset will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2022, with shipments ramping up in the first quarter of 2023.

Apple will let App Store developers offer alternative payment systems in South Korea after the country passed a law that bans app store operators from requiring developers to use their own in-app purchase systems, reports The Korea Herald.

Apple still plans to charge a reduced fee on purchases made through alternative payment systems, according to plans the company submitted to the Korea Communications Commission. Apple did not indicate when the new policy will take effect or what its commission structure will be for alternative payments, the report said.

"We look forward to working with the KCC and our developer community on a solution that benefits our Korean users," Apple said in a statement shared with The Korea Herald. "Apple has a great deal of respect for Korea's laws and a strong history of collaboration with the country's talented app developers. Our work will always be guided by keeping the App Store a safe and trusted place for our users to download the apps they love."

In November, Google announced it would also let developers offer alternative in-app billing systems in its Play Store in South Korea, and said it would reduce its fee for alternative payment systems by four percentage points. For the "vast majority" of developers, Google said its fee would drop from 15% for transactions through Google Play's billing system to 11% for transactions through an alternate billing system.

Apple might release an iPad with an OLED display provided by Samsung in 2024, according to a report from The Elec. Samsung is developing the necessary equipment to create the OLED panels that Apple wants for its iPads, but Apple will need to make a big enough order to make the project financially viable.

The Elec says that Apple and Samsung were working together to create a 10.86-inch OLED panel in 2021, but work on the display was halted in the third quarter. Apple asked for panels with a "two stack tandem structure," but the project was too expensive for Samsung and Samsung was not able to manufacture enough of the panels at the right price.

For the second collaboration, if Apple places a "large enough order," Samsung will be able to finalize its spending plans during the second quarter of 2022, ordering the necessary equipment during the third quarter. The equipment is expected to be delivered in 2023 for Samsung to manufacture displays destined for a 2024 OLED ‌iPad‌.

The report suggests that Samsung is working to expand its Gen 8.5 IT OLED panels to offer the technology that Apple wants at the price Apple wants, but it needs new machinery to do so as well as Apple's approval. Samsung's current Gen 5.5 and Gen 6 substrates make the panels too expensive because there are not enough units cut out per substrate.

The South Korean display panel maker's development of a vertical deposition machine, in collaboration with Japan's Ulvac, for use in Gen 8.5 IT OLED panel that started last year was ongoing as of January 2022, sources told TheElec.

The equipment, along with fine metal masks (FMM) used to deposit organic materials precisely on the substrate, is a key technology needed to commercialize Gen 8.5 IT OLED panels.

The launch of a 2024 OLED ‌iPad‌ may depend on whether Apple decides to order a substantial number of OLED display panels from Samsung, but Apple could also opt to go with panels from another display provider.

Recent rumors have suggested that Apple is working with BOE on larger-sized OLED panels destined for Macs and iPads, with BOE's recently converted factory able to manufacture OLED displays that are up to 15 inches in size.

At the current time, Apple uses OLED displays for the iPhone and the Apple Watch, but Macs and iPads are limited to LCD and mini-LED. There have been continuous rumors about Apple's interest in OLED panels for devices like Macs and iPads, but the technology may still be a few years away due to the high cost of OLED display panels.

Apple at the end of 2021 appears to have quietly released a new Shazam extension for Chrome users, which can be used to identify songs that are playing using the popular music recognition service.

Apple has owned Shazam since 2017, but even before that, Shazam was built into Apple devices at the operating system level. On an iPhone or a Mac, users can ask Siri to identify any song that's playing without the need for the Shazam app.

The same functionality is built into the iPhone as a Control Center option, and now it's also available as an easy-access option for Chrome users on PCs and Macs.

Once installed, the Shazam Chrome extension can be accessed next to the address bar, and it opens up a Shazam interface that's meant to listen to what's playing. When the extension recognizes a song, it opens up an option to play in Apple Music (subscribers can access full songs by logging in).

The Shazam extension offers up access to Shazam song history so Chrome users can keep track of songs they've identified, and it provides lyrics, music videos, and more for ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers.

Apple has not advertised the Shazam extension except on the Shazam website, and 9to5Google speculates that it might be because there are issues with the extension. For some users, the Shazam extension does not appear to be working at all. Multiple reviews suggest that the extension is unable to recognize any songs, though for others, it works as expected.

Apple may have updates to the Shazam Chrome extension coming soon, and once it's working well for all users, we may hear more about it.

Google for the last several years has been pushing a new communications protocol called Rich Communication Services, or RCS, which is designed to replace the current SMS standard. ‌RCS‌ offers support for higher resolution photos and videos, audio messages, bigger file size, improved encryption, and more.

For the last few months, Google's senior vice president of Android, Hiroshi Lockheimer, has been publicly trying to persuade Apple to adopt support for ‌RCS‌, and over the weekend, he once again took to Twitter to speak out on Apple's lack of ‌RCS‌ support for iMessages.

On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal published an article about teens with iPhones ostracizing peers who have Android phones with "green bubble" chat messages. Lockheimer tweeted the story and accused Apple of using "peer pressure and bullying" to sell products, stating that Apple could implement ‌RCS‌ to solve some of the messaging issues that exist between iPhone and Android users.

Today, Lockheimer tweeted again to offer some clarification on the statement, which had sparked quite a bit of discussion on Twitter. According to Lockheimer, Google is "not asking Apple to make iMessage available on Android," the company simply wants Apple to "support the industry standard for modern messaging," aka ‌RCS‌.

Lockheimer's Twitter thread offers a list of reasons why Apple should adopt ‌RCS‌, such as cross-platform read receipts and typing indicators, secure 1:1 messages between Android and iPhone users, and improved group texting.

"Supporting ‌RCS‌ would improve the experience for both iOS and Android users alike," Lockheimer said. "That's right, ‌RCS‌ will also improve the experience and privacy for iOS users." By not adopting ‌RCS‌, Apple is "holding back the industry" and preventing both iPhone and Android customers from having the best possible messaging interactions.

Lockheimer ended his Twitter thread by stating that Google is happy to "work with Apple" to make ‌RCS‌ interoperability a reality, which is something that he's said before.

Apple is the last major ‌RCS‌ holdout, as U.S. carriers that include Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have already started adopting ‌RCS‌ support for Android devices. Apple has not commented either way on whether it plans to add ‌RCS‌ support in the future, so the company's position is still unknown.

Apple has entered into discussions with Major League Baseball about a potential deal that would see the company broadcasting MLB games next season, reports The New York Post.

The talks are described as "substantial" and "serious," and a deal would provide Apple with a way to establish Apple TV+ as a destination for sports content. At the current time, ‌Apple TV‌+ offers TV shows and movies, but compared to competitors, it is not able to appeal to sports fans.

A lack of live sports access is a serious negative for ‌Apple TV‌, as competitors like Amazon do have established deals. Amazon has inked a deal to air "Thursday Night Football" games starting this fall, and Amazon paid more than $1 billion for the access.

At the current time, ‌Apple TV‌+ does not offer support for any kind of live television, providing access only to on-demand television and movie content, so Apple would likely need to build in a new sports-oriented section with live TV access.

‌Apple TV‌+ does integrate with the TV app, which in turn integrates with apps that provide access to live sports through the Sports tab. You can, for example, choose a favorite team in the TV app and it will suggest streaming a game in the appropriate app whenever the team is playing.

MLB is shopping its weekday national games that used to be exclusive to ESPN, so it's likely that ‌Apple TV‌+ would offer the Monday and Wednesday games that ESPN no longer has access to if a deal works out. Discussions have also been held with Barstool Sports and Amazon, but no deal was reached.

Google recently updated the Gmail app for iOS devices, and though it's not mentioned in the release notes, the new version of the app introduces a second Gmail widget.

The new Gmail widget displays the last three emails in the Gmail inbox, along with a button to compose a new email. The widget joins the existing widget that displays a compose button, a search interface, and lets users know how many unread emails are in the inbox.

Google's new widget is much more informative because it provides actual email content, unlike the prior version.

The widget can be added to either the Today screen alongside other widgets or to the Home screen among apps. To add the new widget, long press on the Home screen, tap the "+" button upper left corner, and scroll down to Gmail.

You will need the latest version of the Gmail app, which can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Uber appears to have silently ended support for its Apple Watch app last month, and multiple Uber users have noticed that they are no longer able to hail a ride from their wrists.

Curiously, Uber has not removed the Uber Apple Watch app from the App Store. The app is still able to be downloaded and installed on an Apple Watch, but opening it up reveals a poorly-worded message about dropped support, ending with a sad face emoji.

Uber has not updated its support site to reflect the change either, even though the app has been unavailable since around December 8. As with the ‌App Store‌ entry, the support site continues to suggest that the Uber app can be used to summon an Uber ride.

The Uber Apple Watch app has been available since the Apple Watch app launched in 2015, but it always had more limited functionality than the iPhone app. It did not support uberPOOL, fare splitting, ETA sharing, or contacting an Uber driver, which could be why it's now been discontinued.

Uber is now suggesting that Apple Watch users swap over to the iPhone app to request an Uber ride, but it is not clear when the Uber Apple Watch app will be removed. It makes little sense to keep it around, and the messaging is confusing.

Uber competitor Lyft pulled its Apple Watch from the ‌App Store‌ back in 2018, and has not offered Apple Watch integration beyond notifications since then.

Apple today discontinued the Beats Pill+ Bluetooth Speaker that's been available since 2015, removing it from the online Apple Store. Searching for the speaker brings up no results on Apple's store, and as noted by 9to5Mac, it has also been removed from the Beats website.

The Beats Pill+ Speaker first came out in 2015, and it was priced at $230 at launch, but Apple had been selling it for $180. Apple did not update the Beats Pill+ speaker following its release, but the company did update it with new color options over the years.

The Beats Pill+ was a Bluetooth speaker able to connect to an iPhone, iPad or Mac, and it came with a Beats Pill+ companion app for pairing two speakers and playing music. It featured a 12-hour rechargeable battery, a built-in speakerphone, and an option to charge the iPhone and other devices.

With the discontinuation of the speaker, the Beats line now focuses solely on headphones, and there is no longer a Beats-branded speaker option nor does Apple offer a battery-powered speaker. Apple does have the HomePod mini for those who are looking for a speaker, and the ‌HomePod mini‌ is now Apple's sole available speaker following the discontinuation of the HomePod.

Apple today highlighted the continued growth and expansion of its services in 2021, including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Maps, Apple Pay, Apple News, Apple Podcasts, Apple Fitness+, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and more.

"Apple's world-class portfolio of services proved essential in 2021, as people worldwide sought new ways to keep entertained, informed, connected, and inspired," said Apple's services chief Eddy Cue, adding that Apple has over 745 million active paid subscriptions across its services, including in-app subscriptions via the App Store.

A few notable details shared by Apple:

• Developers selling digital goods and services have earned more than $260 billion since the App Store launched in 2008, setting a new record for yearly earnings. The figure stood at over $200 billion a year ago.
• App Store customers spent more than ever before between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve in 2021, with double-digit growth over the same year-ago period. Apple did not disclose a specific dollar amount.
• Customers used 30 million digital tickets in the Wallet app for sports games, concerts, and other events across the U.S. and Canada in 2021.
• Apple TV+ has received 763 award nominations and 190 wins since launching.

Apple also reiterated the following upcoming features:

• iPhone and Apple Watch users will be able to add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app in participating U.S. states later this year. Apple's website indicates the feature will be available in early 2022.
• Apple Music plans to launch a dedicated classical music app later this year after acquiring classical music service Primephonic last year.
• 3D Apple Maps will be available in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver later this year.

The full press release has been posted to the Apple Newsroom and is a worthwhile read for those interested in learning the latest about Apple's services.

Microsoft's 365 Defender Research Team this morning published details on a new "Powerdir" macOS vulnerability that let an attacker bypass the Transparency, Consent, and Control technology to gain unauthorized access to protected data.

Apple already addressed the CVE-2021-30970 vulnerability in the macOS Monterey 12.1 update that was released in December, so users who have updated to the latest version of Monterey are protected. Those who have not done so should update. Apple in its security release notes for the 12.1 update confirmed the TCC vulnerability and credited Microsoft with its discovery.

According to Microsoft, the "Powerdir" security flaw could allow a fake TCC database to be planted. TCC is a long running macOS function that lets users configure the privacy settings of their apps, and with the fake database, a malicious person could hijack an app installed on a Mac or install their own malicious app, accessing the microphone and camera to obtain sensitive info.

Microsoft has a detailed outline of how the vulnerability works, and the company says that its security researchers continue to "monitor the threat landscape" to discover new vulnerabilities and attacker techniques that affect macOS and other non-Windows devices.

"Software vendors like Apple, security researchers, and the larger security community, need to continuously work together to identify and fix vulnerabilities before attackers can take advantage of them," wrote Microsoft's security team.

Apple's supply chain is finally recovering from shortages as it prepares for a slate of new product launches in 2022, DigiTimes reports.

In a paywalled report, DigiTimes claims that Apple's supply chain partners are expected to "remain in high gear" through February 2022 as demand for the latest iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro models remain strong. Apple faced severe component shortages and logistical difficulties late last year, hindering its ability to meet demand for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro. Component shortages for the iPhone 13 models were said to be so severe in the fall that Apple reallocated iPad components to be used in the iPhone.

Apple's suppliers reportedly started to overcome these shortages between November and December, enabling a gradual resumption of normal shipments through to the start of 2022. Sources speaking to ‌DigiTimes‌ claim that Apple's supply-side constraints will totally recover in the first-half of 2022.

With this increased confidence, Apple has now started volume shipments of the 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, sixth-generation iPad mini, and ninth-generation ‌iPad‌. There are reportedly no signs of Apple planning to decrease its 2022 component orders for new devices, indicating that the company is optimistic about sustained production momentum moving through the year.

The report also reaffirmed Apple's plans to release the third-generation iPhone SE in the first half of this year, which is believed to assist suppliers in sustaining shipment momentum through to other product launches. In particular, the iPhone assemblers Foxconn and Pegatron, as well as Apple's PCB suppliers, are all moving to replenish their workforces to fulfill Apple's 2022 orders.

The company is expected to announce five new Macs, three new Apple Watches, its first mixed-reality headset, and more this year. For a detailed overview of everything Apple is anticipated to announce in 2022, see our What to Expect guide or listen to The MacRumors Show podcast.

Amazon today has Apple's 256GB 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro for $1,149.99, down from $1,299.00. As of writing, the notebook is in stock but with a slight shipping delay; it's currently estimated to be delivered between January 18 and 22.

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.

Compared to past deals, this is a second-best price on this model of the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro, and it's available in both Space Gray and Silver. This model of the MacBook Pro has the Touch Bar and larger bezels.

If you're looking for a little more storage, you can also get the 512GB model for $1,299.99, down from $1,499.00. This is another second-best price that's available in both colors on Amazon.

You can find the best monthly deals on all new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air notebooks in our Best Deals guide. Be sure to visit the guide and bookmark it if you're on the hunt for a new Apple notebook; we'll be updating it weekly as we discover new MacBook offers across the web.

A Redditor has highlighted that it is possible to join FaceTime calls from their TV using an Xbox, a feature that is not possible on the Apple TV.

In a post on Reddit, user u/JavonTEvans explained how they are able to make ‌FaceTime‌ calls on their TV using an Xbox. The simple setup involves using a Logitech C930 webcam connected to an Xbox Series S. To join a ‌FaceTime‌ call, they simply open Microsoft Edge on the Xbox, navigate to their email provider, and open an email with a ‌FaceTime‌ link.

The setup is theoretically possible from any device with Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge installed thanks to ‌FaceTime‌ links. Apple introduced FaceTime links with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey last year, providing a way for users of non-Apple devices such as Android smartphones and Windows PCs to join ‌FaceTime‌ calls easily, with no need for a dedicated app.

• How to FaceTime a Windows PC User From Mac
• iOS 15: How to FaceTime Android Users

Since Apple TVs do not have a ‌FaceTime‌ app, additional ports to connect a camera, or a browser to open ‌FaceTime‌ links, Apple's own TV device is completely unable to make ‌FaceTime‌ calls. The only option available to ‌Apple TV‌ users is to AirPlay a ‌FaceTime‌ call from another device, but the video feed will still be streamed from the host device's camera.

After discontinuing the HomePod in March 2021, multiple reports claimed that Apple was working on a combined Apple TV and HomePod device that could feature a camera to support ‌FaceTime‌ calls. This appears to be supported by the Apple adding the FaceTime and iMessage frameworks, as well as AVFCapture for capturing images, to the underlying software that runs on the HomePod, in a move that could accommodate a future ‌combined device.

January is a month known for having less consistently good deals in comparison to November and December, and January 2022 has been no different. Still, if you're shopping for a pair of AirPods after having missed out on the 2021 holiday season prices, there are some discounts you can take advantage of as we start off 2022.

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.

Starting with the 2021 AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case, you can get this model for $189.99, down from $249.00. These are shipped and sold by Amazon, and they're in stock today and have an estimated January 12 - 15 delivery date for most places in the United States.

Next, the new AirPods 3 have a small discount of $9 on Amazon. You can get these for $169.98, down from $179.00. Similarly to the AirPods Pro, the AirPods 3 are sold by Amazon and can be delivered as soon as later this week.

The regular 2019 AirPods 2 are available for $109.00, down from $129.00. This is one of the best prices we've tracked since the holidays. Overall, these still remain the most consistently discounted pair of AirPods, and you can also get these delivered by the end of the week.

Last are the AirPods Max, which are on sale for $479.00 in all colors, down from $549.00. The pink model of AirPods Max had a rare $399.99 price tag last week on Woot, but otherwise we haven't seen prices below $479.00 since the holidays.

We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.