Telegram today announced the launch of a new feature that will allow official third-party services to assign extra verification icons to user accounts and chats. The added verification is meant to cut down on scams and reduce misinformation.
While Telegram already has a verification process for public figures and organizations, trusted third-party services will be able to provide additional verification options. A chat or account that has a third-party verification will be marked with a small logo before their name, and opening the associated profile will show a more detailed explanation of the account's status and what it means.
Third-party verification is separate from the verified checkmarks that Telegram provides to public figures and organizations. A service that wants to provide third-party verification to others must first be verified by Telegram and must complete an application.
According to Telegram, third-party verification will make it easier for users to independently confirm the people they contact and services they interact with.
Along with the new verification option, Telegram added support for collectible gifts, reactions for service messages, extra message search filters, and more.
Telegram says that its first major update of 2025 was actually supposed to come in on the last day of 2024, but it was "sadly delayed by a lack of attention from Apple's review team."
Apple will pay $95 million to settle a proposed class action lawsuit involving Siri spying accusations, reports Reuters. The lawsuit alleges that Apple recorded conversations captured with accidental Siri activations, and then shared information from those conversations with third-party advertisers.
Two plaintiffs claimed that after speaking about products like Air Jordan shoes and Olive Garden, their devices showed ads for those products, while another said he received ads for a surgical treatment after discussing it privately with his doctor.
The lawsuit dates back to 2019, after a report outed the private conversations that contractors were privy to when Siri was accidentally activated. Apple was using contractors to evaluate Siri recordings to make improvements to the service, and employees claimed to have heard confidential medical information, drug deals, intimate moments, and other private data.
Apple was never secretive about the fact that some Siri recordings were analyzed by humans, but the company's privacy terms at the time did not explicitly state that there was human oversight of Siri. The customers that filed the lawsuit said that Apple did not inform consumers that they are "regularly being recorded without consent," and they claimed they would not have purchased Apple devices had they known about the Siri recordings.
While the lawsuit initially focused on Apple's lack of disclosure, the first filing was dismissed in February 2021 because it did not include enough concrete data about the recordings that Apple allegedly collected. An amended complaint that focused on Siri recordings used for "targeted advertising" was refiled in September 2021, and that was allowed to move forward.
There has been no evidence that Apple ever provided Siri recordings or information from Siri recordings to advertisers, and Apple's privacy policies have long made it clear that any data collected from Siri for the purpose of improving the feature is anonymized and not associated with a specific user.
In the settlement filing, Apple says that it "continues to deny any and all alleged wrongdoing and liability, specifically denies each of the Plaintiffs' contentions and claims, and continues to deny that the Plaintiffs' claims and allegations would be suitable for class action status." Apple is settling to avoid further costs of litigation.
The settlement has received preliminary approval from the court. According to the filing, all current or former owners or purchasers of a Siri device in the United States whose confidential or private communications were obtained by Apple between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024 are considered class members and could be eligible for a payment.
A settlement website will be set up to identify those eligible to participate within 45 days, with Apple required to share contact information for customers who purchased a device with Siri capabilities. Claim information will be collected until May 15, 2025, after which time the settlement will be finalized and payments will go out to eligible customers. Each class member will be able to submit claims for up to five Siri devices, receiving up to $20 for each one. The actual settlement payment will depend on the total number of valid claims that are submitted.
After the 2019 scandal about contractors listening to accidental Siri recordings, Apple temporarily suspended its Siri evaluation program, stopped using contractors, and implemented options that allow users to delete Siri recordings and block them from being listened to. In later updates, Apple moved some Siri processing on-device, reducing the content that's uploaded to its servers.
Amazon is kicking off the year with numerous all-time low prices on Apple Watch Series 10, perfect timing for anyone looking for a smartwatch to help fulfill any New Year's health and fitness resolutions. You'll find $70 off both 42mm and 46mm GPS Series 10 models in multiple case colors and band styles, and this time the deals do not require any coupon codes.
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.
Every price listed below is a match of the record low prices on the Apple Watch Series 10, and in some cases delivery is slipping into February. If you've been eyeing an Apple Watch Series 10 as a way to help keep up with your New Year's resolutions, and didn't get one for the holidays, now is the time to purchase one at these best-ever prices.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today announced that Apple has added a warning label to the AirTag's box that says to keep its coin-cell battery out of reach of children due to the severe risk of injury or death if the battery is ingested. Apple added a corresponding warning symbol inside the AirTag's battery compartment too.
Apple made these changes at some point after "Reese's Law" went into effect in March 2024, according to the announcement. The CPSC did not indicate if the warnings were added to the AirTag in the U.S. only or worldwide.
"Reese's Law" aims to prevent injuries and deaths caused by the tiny, circular coin-cell batteries. The law was named after Reese Hamsmith, a baby who died in 2020 after swallowing a coin-cell battery that was inside of a remote control.
Given that many AirTags without these warnings had already been sold, the CPSC said Apple now displays a warning about the hazards of coin-cell batteries in the Find My app each time a user is prompted to change the AirTag's battery.
Apple is expected to release an AirTag 2 this year with longer range for item tracking. It is also rumored that the AirTag 2's built-in speaker will be more difficult to remove compared to the original AirTag, as an anti-stalking measure.
It's nearly the end of the road for the Apple Watch Series 4, which was added to Apple's public-facing vintage products list today.
All aluminum and stainless steel 40mm and 44mm models of the Apple Watch Series 4 are now considered vintage worldwide. Apple considers a device to be vintage once five years have passed since the company stopped distributing it for sale. Apple and Apple Authorized Service Providers may offer repairs for vintage devices if parts remain available.
Apple Watch Series 4 models launched in 2018, ushering in a major new design with a thinner case and a 30% larger display than before.
Apple also added the final 15-inch MacBook Pro model to the vintage products list today. This particular model launched in May 2019, and it was pretty quickly succeeded by the first 16-inch MacBook Pro in November of that year.
Apple has announced rare direct discounts on its flagship iPhone models and other products in China, signaling an effort to counter mounting competition and fluctuating consumer demand in one of its largest markets.
Between January 4 and January 7, Apple will provide discounts of up to 500 yuan (approximately $68) on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models through its website and Apple Stores in mainland China. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models will be discounted by 400 yuan, while iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models will receive markdowns of up to 300 yuan. Other products, including the MacBook Air, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Pencil, will also see price reductions, with the MacBook Air eligible for a discount of up to 800 yuan. The promotional items are available in limited quantities, with only 29,300 iPhones included in the sale. The promotion is tied to specific payment methods, such as WeChat Pay and Alipay.
Apple rarely offers direct discounts on its latest products, particularly its flagship iPhone models. Such promotions are usually handled by third-party retailers in China, especially during major shopping events like Singles Day, when platforms like Alibaba's Tmall and Pinduoduo slash prices to drive sales. For instance, during the last Singles Day shopping festival in November, iPhone 16 models were discounted by as much as 1,600 yuan on Tmall. The timing of the latest promotion comes as Apple faces heightened competition from Huawei and other Chinese brands, although the company did offer a similar promotion last year.
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
Below, we outline which U.S. states and territories offer the feature, and additional states that have committed to rolling it out in the future. 2025 just began, and many of the states listed below will likely roll out the feature throughout the year.
Apple said the following states have "signed on" to adopt the feature in the future:
Montana
West Virginia
Connecticut
Kentucky
Mississippi
Oklahoma
Utah
The feature will also work with Japan's My Number Card in the future, according to Apple.
Participating Airports
Apple Wallet app IDs can be used at select TSA checkpoints within select U.S. airports:
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG)
John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC)
Los Angeles International (LAX)
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
Eastern Iowa Airport (CID)
Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)
Lea County Regional Airport (HOB)
Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU)
Apple says travelers should refer to TSA checkpoint signage to confirm availability of the feature, and the TSA's website offers more details.
In addition to participating TSA checkpoints, Apple in September announced that users would soon be able to present an Apple Wallet ID for CLEAR member enrollment at airports. Apple Wallet IDs can also be used to show proof of age or identity at select businesses and venues in the U.S., although Apple does not maintain a list of specific locations for this.
One of Apple's first product announcements of 2025 will likely be updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M4 chip.
Below, we recap rumors about the next MacBook Air models.
New Features
Expected
The new MacBook Air models are expected to be equipped with Apple's already-released M4 chip, which has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU.
Apple already updated the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini with M4 chips a few months ago. Geekbench 6 results showed that the M4 chip is up to 25% faster than the M3 chip in terms of multi-core CPU performance, while the chip's power efficiency improvements should contribute to the MacBook Air getting longer battery life.
Apple recently increased the minimum RAM included in all MacBook Air models from 8GB to 16GB, so expect 16GB of RAM for base 2025 configurations.
Apple last redesigned the MacBook Air in 2022. No major external design changes have been rumored for the next MacBook Air models.
Likely
Following in the footsteps of the MacBook Pro, the next MacBook Air models will likely have an upgraded 12-megapixel camera with support for Center Stage, a feature that automatically keeps you centered on video as you move around. The camera will likely also support Desk View, which shows an overhead view of your desk.
Center Stage is available in video calling apps like FaceTime and Zoom. The feature was previously limited to newer iPad models and Macs connected to Apple's external Studio Display. The new MacBook Pro and iMac models were the first Macs to support Center Stage without needing to rely on a Studio Display.
The new MacBook Air models will likely be equipped with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, whereas the current models have two Thunderbolt 3 ports. The new models will likely support up to two external displays, even when the lid is open.
Possible
The latest MacBook Pro and iMac models can be configured with a nano-texture display, which has a special coating that better scatters light to further minimize glare on the screen. It is possible that Apple will extend this option to the new MacBook Air models, unless it opts to keep the option exclusive to the MacBook Pro among its laptops.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently said the new MacBook Air models will be announced "earlier" than some other devices rumored to launch this spring, such as a new iPhone SE. This likely means the new MacBook Air models will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website at some point from January through March, whereas the other devices might be announced at Apple's usual spring event in March or April. Apple would be getting the minor MacBook Air update out of the way early.
Based on rumors and historical product release information, 2025 is going to be an exciting year for Apple. As we outlined in our annual What to Expect Guide, Apple is redesigning the iPhone, jumping into new smart home tech, and preparing to launch new Apple-designed chips.
Early in the year, we're expecting to get the iPhone SE 4, a low-cost iPad, M4 MacBook Air models, and a new iPad Air, then later, we'll get a new smart home "Command Center," a whole new iPhone 17 lineup, new Apple Watch models, the Mac Pro and Mac Studio, plus a bunch more.
While we know what's likely to launch based on rumors and past release information, we want to hear from the MacRumors community. What are you hoping to see Apple release this year?
Are you looking forward to a new version of Siri? New iPhone features? A more cohesive smart home strategy? What do you want to see in iOS 19 and macOS 16?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and take a look at our What to Expect guide for an overview of the current rumors. We'll be hearing a lot more about Apple's 2025 plans in the coming months, and as always, we'll have in-depth coverage at MacRumors.com.
If you want to discuss Apple's upcoming products, our MacRumors forums are an excellent resource, plus they're a great place to get help on current Apple products, software, and just to find like-minded folks in the Apple community.
A big thank you to our readers and our forum members for continuing to make MacRumors the number one source for Apple news, rumors, and advice. MacRumors celebrated its 24th birthday this year, thanks to our dedicated supporters. We're looking forward to another year of rumors and product launches in 2025. Happy New Year!
Apple recently announced it will be opening a new retail store at the MixC Hefei shopping mall in Hefei, China on January 18 at 10 a.m. local time.
To celebrate the store's upcoming grand opening, Apple has shared both a special wallpaper and Apple Watch face featuring a custom-designed Apple logo.
The wallpaper is available for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Ahead of the Chinese New Year later this month, Apple will be running a promotion in China that offers savings on select products. The promotion runs from January 4 through January 7, and details are available on Apple's online store.
The device succeeding the third-generation iPhone SE will be named the iPhone 16E, according to a December 13 post from Fixed Focus Digital, an account with over two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. On December 31, another leaker known as Majin Bu on X also cited a source who said the device's name will be iPhone 16E.
It is unclear if the name would use a capital E, or if the name would end up being iPhone 16e, or iPhone 16 with an E inside a square. Or perhaps iPhone 16 SE? Or, this rumor is simply wrong and Apple sticks with iPhone SE branding.
"Fixed Focus Digital" doesn't have a very established track record with Apple rumors yet. The account accurately claimed the iPhone 16 Pro models would be available in a new bronze finish, which ended up being Desert Titanium, but the color had already been rumored at the time. On the other hand, the account was wrong about the number of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus color options that would be available. The account's make-or-break moment will mostly come down to whether its claims about the iPhone SE's successor using the same chassis as the iPhone 16 and being named iPhone 16E prove to be accurate.
In any case, the device is said to have a similar design as the base iPhone 14, which is similar to the base iPhone 16. Rumored features include a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, a newer A-series chip and 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence, and the first Apple-designed 5G modem. It is not clear if the device will have an Action button, which debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro models.
Apple announced the current iPhone SE during an online event in March 2022. The device looks similar to the iPhone 8, with outdated features such as a Touch ID button, Lightning port, and thick bezels around the display. In the U.S., the iPhone SE currently starts at $429, but at least a slight price increase seems likely for the next model.
Apple's website still says the first vehicle models with support for next-generation CarPlay would "arrive in 2024," but that did not happen.
At this point, it is unclear if next-generation CarPlay will ever launch. Apple has not publicly commented on its plans in quite a long time, but it continued to make preparations behind the scenes throughout 2024. In November, for example, a few redesigned next-generation CarPlay icons appeared within iOS 18.2's code.
Apple did not respond to our several requests for comment about next-generation CarPlay throughout 2024. It would not be surprising if the timeframe listed on Apple's website is quietly updated to 2025 over the coming days.
It is unclear if Apple needs more time to finish developing next-generation CarPlay, or if car makers have decided not to adopt the system, or something else. Apple first previewed next-generation CarPlay at WWDC 2022, more than two and a half years ago. Just over a year ago, Aston Martin and Porsche previewed next-generation CarPlay instrument cluster designs, but neither brand has rolled out the system.
Apple said other committed car makers included Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Renault, and Volvo.
Apple promised that next-generation CarPlay would have deep integration with the instrument cluster and climate controls, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, a dedicated FM radio app, customizable widgets, and more. The interface would be tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's brand identity.
Here is how Apple describes it:
This next generation of CarPlay is the ultimate iPhone experience for the car. It provides content for all the driver's screens including the instrument cluster. This ensures a cohesive design experience that is the very best of your car and your iPhone — with designs for each automaker that express your vehicle’s character and brand. Vehicle functions like radio and temperature controls are handled right from CarPlay. And personalization options ranging from widgets to selecting curated gauge cluster designs make it unique to the driver.
Next-generation CarPlay is expected to be available in new vehicles only, if it ever launches. It is not an update to the standard CarPlay software.
Will next-generation CarPlay eventually launch, or will it become vaporware? We don't know, but it certainly did not "arrive in 2024" as planned.
For over a decade, Apple has consistently announced all-new hardware product lines, from the iPad in 2010 to the Vision Pro in 2023. But for the first time in 14 years, Apple failed to announce any major new hardware products in 2024, focusing solely on updates and refinements to its existing product lines.
While Apple unveiled a large number of significant hardware refreshes in 2024, such as the redesigned iPad Pro and Mac mini, these were all evolutions of existing categories, not entirely new product lines. The only entirely new announcement of note, Apple Intelligence, was software-based and does not qualify as new hardware. This makes 2024 the first year since 2009 in which Apple did not release a completely new hardware product. Here's a look back at the major new products announced each year from 2010 to 2023:
2024 stands out for its lack of a new category, focusing instead on enhancing existing devices and introducing new software features.
It's worth noting that many of Apple's product lines have reached a high level of maturity. Instead of creating entirely new categories, Apple is seemingly doubling down on perfecting its existing lineup, as demonstrated by the introduction of OLED display technology to the iPad Pro, the more refined design of the Apple Watch Series 10, or the M4 family of Apple silicon chips.
While Apple Vision Pro was announced in 2023, it did not launch until February 2024, and constitutes a major new "spatial computing" product line for the company. It demanded a whole new OS, accessory ecosystem, retail store space, and more. As a result, is likely that Vision Pro dominated Apple's focus in 2023 and 2024.
Similarly, Apple's pivot toward AI in the form of Apple Intelligence was announced in June 2024. Apple Intelligence seeks to reshape how users interact with their devices, introducing unprecedented levels of personalized automation and generation on Apple devices. Since Apple Intelligence exists solely as software for existing product lines, Apple focused on expanding Apple Intelligence support in 2024, exemplified by the introduction of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and seventh-generation iPad mini, as well as bumping the entire Mac lineup up to 16GB of memory as standard.
Apple's long-rumored, but ill-fated, electric vehicle project, may also have diverted substantial resources before its reported cancellation. This effort, combined with the monumental development demands of Apple Intelligence and the Vision Pro, likely consumed a significant portion of Apple's recent R&D capacity.
Moreover, Apple's 2024 product lineup is still likely feeling the lingering effects of the global slowdown during COVID-19, as most Apple products operate on a development cycle of two to four years. These overlapping factors may explain why 2024 lacked the introduction of an entirely new hardware product line.
Compounding this, the global tech market has seen slowing growth in consumer hardware, with many buyers opting to extend the lifecycle of their devices. It would therefore make sense that Apple has prioritized incremental upgrades such as the Apple Pencil Pro and fourth-generation AirPods, over launching new product categories that require significant consumer adoption and investment.
2025 is rumored to see the introduction of a smart home "Command Center" resembling a HomePod with a 7-inch display, which could constitute an all-new product line amid Apple's expected refocus on the smart home. Beyond this, no totally new hardware product lines are expected this year.
Apple's first-generation Vision Pro headset may have now ceased production, following reports of reduced demand and production cuts earlier in the year.
In October, The Information's Wayne Ma reported that Apple had abruptly reduced production of the Vision Pro headset ahead of potential plans to stop making the current version of the device completely by the end of 2024. With the year now coming to an end, this means that the device may no longer be in active production.
Citing multiple people "directly involved" in making components for the headset, the report said that the scaling back of production began in the early summer. This indicated that Apple now has a sufficient number of Vision Pro units in its inventory to meet demand for the device's remaining lifespan through to 2025. Historically, it is not unusual for Apple to do this with low-demand products, such as the iPhone 12 mini.
The Vision Pro is widely reported to have seen weak demand due to insufficient content and its high price point. The Information said that Vision Pro suppliers have now produced enough components for between 500,000 to 600,000 headsets. Some factories suspended production of Vision Pro components as early as May based on Apple's weak sales forecasts, and warehouses remain filled with tens of thousands of undelivered parts.
Apple is said to have told Luxshare, a Chinese company that serves as the Vision Pro's assembler, that it would need to wind down production in November. Luxshare was making around 1,000 Vision Pro headsets per day as of October, which was half that being produced at its peak. Apple will apparently still be able to resume Vision Pro production if sales pick up since the production lines are not yet due to be dismantled.
Moreover, Apple has purportedly suspended work on the original second-generation Vision Pro for at least a year to focus on developing a lower-cost headset. Interestingly, Apple told suppliers to prepare to build four million low-cost headsets over the entire lifespan of the future product. This is half the total number of Vision Pros that Apple told suppliers to produce, suggesting that sales expectations are even lower for the cheaper headset.
Weak demand for the Vision Pro has been attributed to its high $3,499 price point and insufficient content ecosystem. Apple CEO Tim Cook described the device as an "early-adopter product," targeting users interested in cutting-edge technology rather than the broader mass market.
Although Apple's work on the second-generation Vision Pro has apparently stalled, there are some indications that the company could release "an incremental update to the product with limited changes to its physical design," such as a chip upgrade, according to The Information. Corroborating this, Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman have indicated that a more iterative second-generation Vision Pro is in active development, adding the introduction of an M5 chip and Apple Intelligence. Gurman has projected the device could launch between fall 2025 and spring 2026. This updated model is expected to reuse many components from the first-generation Vision Pro to offset the surplus inventory in Apple's supply chain.
As 2024 comes to an end, Apple Intelligence's memory maker provides a new tool to revisit your highlights, milestones, and cherished moments of the year.
The memory maker tool is a powerful new feature in iOS 18's revamped Photos app, found within the Memories collection. It allows users to create personalized "Memory Movies" from their photo libraries using simple written prompts.
By leveraging advanced machine learning, the memory maker identifies relevant photos and videos, arranges them into a cohesive narrative, and pairs them with curated music and animations. One standout aspect of the new memory maker is its ability to weave together moments with a beginning, middle, and end, creating a narrative that is designed to feel intentional and cinematic.
Like other Apple Intelligence features, the memory maker is only available on iPhones and iPads with the A17 Pro or M1 chip or newer. Likewise, you need to be running iOS 18.1 or iPadOS 18.1 or newer.
How to Use the Memory Maker
Launch the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad. Tap on the Memories tab to view auto-generated slideshows or start creating your own.
Tap the Create button within Memories. You'll be prompted to enter a short text description of the memory you want to create, such as "My family trip to Greece," "Celebrating Mia's 18th birthday," or "Fun moments from summer 2024." Be as specific or general as you like—the more detailed your description, the more targeted the memory maker's selections will be.
Wait while the Photos app creates your memory. Once completed, watch the video. You can also scroll through the images at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the three dots at the top right of the screen to edit the movie's timeline or title, or loop it. If you're an Apple Music subscriber, you can choose a different soundtrack to accompany your movie by tapping the music icon.
When you're happy with the Memory Movie, you can tap the three dots to share, export, AirPlay, or delete it, and well as add it to Favorite Memories.
As the new year approaches, the memory maker is the perfect new tool to try out to relive your 2024 highlights. What do you think of the feature? Let us know in the comments.
Apple launched almost 30 new hardware products in 2024. Here's a look back at exactly what we got this year.
With the exception of Vision Pro, Apple's 2024 hardware releases largely marked a year of steady refinement. It wasn't a year of massive overhauls across the board, but it did feature some key themes.
The Vision Pro, released in February, stands out as Apple's biggest product launch. While its $3,499 price tag keeps it squarely in early-adopter territory, Apple's first spatial computing device provides a hint at where the company expects technology to move over the coming years. Despite both excitement and criticism surrounding its capabilities, it's clear that 2024 was about laying the foundation, with its true impact likely to unfold in the years to come.
With minor refreshes to the MacBook Air and iPad Air, and no new hardware releases at WWDC, the star of the first half of the year was undoubtedly the iPad Pro, which gained OLED displays, a thinner design, the M4 chip, an all-new Magic Keyboard, a landscape front-facing camera, and more.
MacBook Pro (M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max) (14-inch, 2024)
MacBook Pro (M4 Pro and M4 Max) (16-inch, 2024)
In the second half of the year, Apple virtually completed its transition to USB-C with the long-awaited refresh of the AirPods, AirPods Max, Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse. All that's left is the iPhone SE, which is now expected around March 2025.
The company also released new iPhone and Apple Watch models as usual in the fall, followed by a minor iPad mini refresh that added the A17 Pro chip and more memory for Apple Intelligence support. The iPhone 16 lineup focused on Apple Intelligence and the Camera Control, while the Apple Watch Series 10 saw the introduction of a more refined design and sleep apnea detection.
Closing out the year, Apple turned its attention to its Mac lineup. The M4 family of chips made its way to the iMac, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, with the latter receiving a complete redesign for the first time in well over a decade. Next up to gain M4 chips are the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro in 2025.
What do you think of Apple's 2024 product releases? Let us know in the comments.
On iPhone, listening to YouTube audio in the background usually requires paying for a YouTube Premium subscription, but there is a simple workaround that allows you to keep listening to a video when you are doing other things on your iPhone or when your device is locked. Keep reading to learn how it's done.
As YouTube has grown in popularity over the years, Google has opted to park several features of the video hosting service behind a paywall, such as ad-free viewing, SharePlay on iOS, and the ability to listen to YouTube audio on your iPhone when the app is closed.
Unfortunately, YouTube Premium costs $13.99 a month to access these features. But if all you want to do is listen to YouTube-hosted audio like podcasts, music, or lectures when you are in other apps or when your iPhone is locked and in your pocket, there is a way to achieve this without paying for the subscription.
The following steps show you how it's done.
Launch Safari on your iPhone and visit youtube.com, then search for the video whose audio you want to listen to.
Tap the left-hand icon in Safari's address bar.
Next, tap the More (three dots) button in the bottom-right corner, then select Request Desktop Website from the popup menu.
Tap the play button or tap the video to begin playback, while ignoring or dismissing any popups encouraging you to open the YouTube mobile app. (You will need to watch or skip a few ads before video playback begins.)
Now, lock your iPhone with the device's Side button. The audio will pause, but you can just tap the Play button in the Lock Screen playback controls widget to resume listening.
After following the above steps, the audio from YouTube will continue to play on your locked iPhone for as long as the video lasts, leaving you free to pocket your device and listen on headphones.
Alternatively, if you want to use other apps while listening, simply swipe up from the bottom of the screen to exit out of Safari, and then use the media controls in your iPhone's Dynamic Island or Control Center to resume playback when it automatically stops.
Apple recently invited CNET's Patrick Holland to tour its specialized laboratories in Cupertino where company engineers test and calibrate the iPhone 16's audio and video capabilities.
Holland's visit centered on a long wave anechoic chamber, where walls, ceiling, and floor are covered with foam wedges to eliminate echoes. The facility is used for testing the iPhone 16's four microphones, which despite their small size, are engineered to deliver professional-grade audio quality.
"The iPhone is such a ubiquitous recording device and gets used in so many different environments that we want to make sure that we're able to capture the memory that our users are trying to capture in the truest form," explained Ruchir Dave, senior director of acoustics engineering at Apple.
"The approach we took was to go after both quality as well as utility. And as part of that, we developed a novel microphone component that allows us to deliver some of the best acoustic performance in a phone product," said Dave. "At the same time, [we] developed a feature like Audio Mix that gives users the flexibility to be able to capture different sounds and gives you that creative freedom in the edit to adjust it how you like."
The testing process Apple uses includes a sophisticated array of speakers that play chimes while the iPhone rotates, creating a spherical sound profile. This data forms the foundation for features like spatial audio and Audio Mix, which allows users to adjust recorded audio to simulate different microphone types. In separate soundproof studios, Apple conducts comparative playback tests with multiple testers to ensure consistent audio quality.
The tour's highlight was a theater-sized video verification lab, where Apple engineers calibrate display performance across various lighting conditions. The facility features a massive screen that simulates how videos appear on iPhone displays, whether viewed in dark rooms, offices, or bright sunlight. For all the details, check out the full writeup over at CNET.
