Apple’s Photos app received a major overhaul last year, and iOS 26 brings a handful of new changes. Here’s everything new coming to the Photos app in iOS 26.

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Smartphone maker Nothing today introduced the Headphone (1), the company's first set of over-ear headphones. The new audio accessory was created in partnership with high-end speaker company KEF.


Like most of the Nothing products, the Headphone (1) features a transparent design that lets you see the internal components inside. The see-through look does not work quite as well as it does for a smartphone, and the Headphone (1) will definitely draw attention.

The earpieces are rectangular, with PU-covered memory foam ear cups and an adjustable headband, with the shell made from a mix of plastic and aluminum. There are no distracting glyph lights like there are on the Nothing smartphones.

The Headphone (1) ear cups aren't as large as the ear cups on some other over-ear headphones, and there is a good amount of pressure on the ears that can get uncomfortable over time. The ear cups are where weight is concentrated and they are tight on the head, so you may feel them after a couple hours. The AirPods Max also have a lot of weight in the ear cups, so the fit of the Headphone (1) is similar to the fit of the ‌AirPods Max‌.

Sound quality is good for a set of headphones priced at $299, and it's not too far off what you'll get with over-ear headphones from companies like Sony, Bose, and Apple. Out of the box, the headphones are heavy on the bass, but the Nothing X app allows for EQ adjustments. Bumping up the mids and highs makes for a much more balanced listening experience.

The Headphone (1) supports Apple-esque features like spatial audio and dynamic head tracking, though you're going to be missing the iCloud-based functionality like automatic pairing and device switching. Active Noise Cancellation is included, and the Headphone (1) fits tightly on the head to minimize sound leakage, so the overall result is a solid sound dampening experience. The headphones are able to scan every 600ms to adapt to external noise.

There are physical control buttons on the Headphone (1), and they can be customized to the functions that you find most useful. There's a paddle button that can be used for audio playback, and a roller for adjusting volume. There's a 3.5mm audio jack along with support for LDAC and USB-C audio. As for battery life, the Headphone (1) lasts for 35 hours with ANC and 80 hours without it.

What do you think of the Headphone (1)? Let us know in the comments below.
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Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6.


Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.

No notable features have been found in the developer betas so far, but the iOS 18.6 update will bring additional changes to the App Store in the European Union. Aside from that, the updates likely focus on smaller changes and bug fixes. No new features were found in ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.6 either.

Apple is also beta testing iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. While betas are limited to developers right now, a public beta will be coming soon.
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Apple TV+ kicked off the year with a major win in Severance, but the streamer has another sci-fi series returning next week that’s much bigger in scope: Foundation season 3 is almost here, and reviews say the show’s better than ever.

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Meta just took another step in its belated but very welcome push to detach Threads from its Instagram roots. Starting today, the app is officially rolling out its own direct messaging system and a new visual highlights feature. Here’s how they work.

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While Google released a new watchOS app today, the company also got rid of Google Keep for Apple Watch.

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Apple and Major League Baseball this week announced the August schedule for Friday Night Baseball, a weekly doubleheader of MLB games streamed on Apple TV+ throughout the 2025 regular game season.


Friday Night Baseball is included with an ‌Apple TV‌+ subscription, at no additional cost. In the U.S., ‌Apple TV‌+ costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year, and it is also included in all Apple One subscription bundles with other Apple services.

The full July schedule is as follows:

Friday, 8/1
Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals
6:45 p.m. ET

Houston Astros at Boston Red Sox
7:10 p.m. ET

Friday, 8/8
Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates
6:40 p.m. ET

Houston Astros at New York Yankees
7:05 p.m. ET

Friday, 8/15
Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds
6:40 p.m. ET

Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays
7:07 p.m. ET

Friday, 8/22
Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers
7:10 p.m. ET

New York Mets at Atlanta Braves
7:15 p.m. ET

Friday, 8/29
Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies
6:45 p.m. ET

Baltimore Orioles at San Francisco Giants
10:15 p.m. ET

Available in 60 countries, Apple says Friday Night Baseball provides enhanced production quality, expert commentary, no local broadcast restrictions, and more.
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Today we are starting off our collection of the best Apple deals with some accessories. Firstly, the latest Satechi M4 Mac mini Stand & Hub as well as the brand new USB4 Slim NVMe SSD Enclosure are now at the best prices to date. But we also have the first deals on the brand’s latest collection of My Find accessories – Keychain, luggage tag, wallet card, and glasses case – as as well as 40% off all leather Burton Goods iPhone 16 cases/MagSafe wallets. From there, it’s over to the at least $200 in savings cross the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro lineup and as much as $400 in savings on Amazon Renewed Premium iPhone 16 Pro models. All of that and more awaits below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

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Apple is rumored to be making a new ‘MacBook’ device for launch later this year or in early 2026. And based on the early details, it sounds a lot like Apple’s taking the iPad approach with its new MacBook and the Mac line as a whole.

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Apple is facing renewed antitrust scrutiny in Brazil, where the country's competition regulator has formally recommended sanctions against the company over its App Store rules and restrictions on third-party access to iPhone features, including near-field communication (NFC) technology.


The recommendation was issued by the General Superintendence of Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense (SG/CADE), the technical body of the federal antitrust authority. In a public statement translated from Portuguese, SG/CADE determined that Apple's conduct with iOS constitutes a violation of Brazilian competition law and urged CADE's internal tribunal to impose penalties, including financial fines and mandatory changes to Apple's policies.

The investigation started in 2022 after formal complaints were submitted by Latin American e-commerce platform MercadoLibre and other digital service providers. The companies alleged that Apple engaged in anti-competitive practices by requiring in-app purchases to be made exclusively through its own payment system and by restricting developers from informing users about alternative purchasing options — a practice known as anti-steering.

MercadoLibre further argued that Apple abused its control over the iOS platform by denying third-party access to critical technologies such as the ‌iPhone‌'s NFC chip, effectively limiting mobile payment competition in Brazil. In a statement to the Brazilian technology publication Tecnoblog, Apple said:

For more than 16 years, the App Store has provided our users in Brazil with a safe and trusted marketplace to discover new apps and has helped Brazilian developers build successful businesses. We are concerned that CADE's proposed measures would harm the experience our users love and trust, while also introducing new risks to their privacy and security. We will continue to engage with CADE to defend the rights of users and developers on our platform.

According to Reuters, CADE's technical body has now concluded that Apple's enforcement of these restrictions creates artificial barriers to entry for competitors and harms both developers and consumers. In its ruling, CADE wrote that Apple's practices "artificially preserve its dominant position" in iOS-related markets and reduce the availability of competing digital payment solutions.

CADE's internal tribunal must now decide whether to accept the recommendation and proceed with formal sanctions. If CADE's tribunal upholds the recommendation, Apple could be required to open its NFC technology to third-party payment providers, following similar mandates already imposed in the European Union.
This article, "Brazil Recommends Sanctions for Apple Over App Store and NFC Rules" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Amazon is discounting numerous models of Apple's M4 iPad Pro this week, including both 11-inch and 13-inch models this time around. Simultaneously, Amazon has the Apple Pencil Pro for $99.00 right now, and it's compatible with these iPad Pro models.

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.

In this sale, the 256GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro has hit $899.00, down from $999.00. There are multiple record low prices on 11-inch iPad Pros right now on Amazon, including a steep $380 discount on the high-end 2TB Wi-Fi model with Nano-Texture Glass, now available for $1,719.00.




These iPad Pro models feature Apple's M4 chip, OLED displays, and support for the Apple Pencil Pro and the Magic Keyboard. Don't forget that you can get the Apple Pencil Pro for a match of its all-time low price of $99.00 today on Amazon, down from $129.00.

11-Inch iPad Pro - Wi-Fi

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $899.00 ($100 off)


• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,095.30 ($103 off)


• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,439.00 ($160 off)


• 1TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $1,554.00 ($145 off)


• 2TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $1,719.00 ($380 off)

13-Inch iPad Pro - Wi-Fi

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $1,099.00 ($200 off)


• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,299.00 ($200 off)


• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,699.00 ($200 off)


• 1TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $1,799.00 ($200 off)


• 2TB Wi-Fi - $2,099.00 ($200 off)


• 2TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $2,199.00 ($200 off)

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.

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This article, "Multiple All-Time Low Prices Hit M4 iPad Pro on Amazon, Get Up to $380 Off" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Meta’s renewed push into AI is throwing the entire market off-balance, and Apple is particularly exposed. With morale arguably at an all-time low inside Cupertino’s AI teams, Zuckerberg’s multimillion-dollar check-cutting spree may have already pulled at least one top researcher out of Apple Park. And there may be more to come.

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watchOS 26 is coming this fall as the next major Apple Watch update. It will bring a new Apple Notes app, Apple Intelligence features, Control Center upgrades, and more. One new feature is especially unique: ‘hints’ are being added to watch faces in watchOS 26 as a companion of the Smart Stack.

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Apple today shared a new ad titled "Snap-a-Mole" in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to highlight the iPhone 16 Pro's Camera Control feature.


The ad shows a photographer quickly grabbing photos with the Camera Control on the iPhone 16 Pro, using gestures to zoom in and change Photographic Styles rapidly. As a key feature of the iPhone 16 lineup, the Camera Control has been the subject of Apple ads in the past. From the latest video's description:

Never miss a shot with Camera Control. An easier way to access your camera, adjust functions like zoom, exposure, or depth of field, and toggle between Photographic Styles.

The ad ends with the words "Snap in a snap."
This article, "Apple Shares New 'Snap-a-Mole' Camera Control Ad" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple recorded the highest year-over-year growth among major computer vendors in the United States during the first quarter of 2025, with Mac shipments increasing 28.7% and market share rising from 14.2% to 16.0%, according to newly published data from Canalys.


Shipments of desktops and notebooks to the United States reached 16.9 million units in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 15% increase compared to the same period last year. Apple shipped 2.705 million units, up from 2.102 million in the first quarter of 2024. This gain was the highest among the top five vendors, outpacing Lenovo's 19.9% growth and significantly exceeding Dell's 8.3% and HP's 13.1%. Apple was the only top-five vendor to grow its U.S. market share by more than 1.5 percentage points during the quarter.

The first quarter surge in computer shipments is primarily attributed to vendor efforts to front-load inventory ahead of anticipated U.S. tariff changes. Canalys analysts noted that this proactive sell-in activity resulted in elevated inventory levels across the board. This inventory overhang, combined with increasing economic pressures on consumers, will likely continue to suppress further shipment growth for the remainder of the year.

Canalys projects total U.S. PC shipments to grow by only 2% for full-year 2025, with a more pronounced 4% growth forecast in 2026. According to Canalys, the total number of desktop and notebook shipments in the U.S. in 2024 was approximately 69.2 million units. That figure is expected to rise to 70.4 million units in 2025 and to 73.0 million units in 2026.
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Apple has accused a former senior Vision Pro engineer of stealing thousands of documents containing plans for unreleased features, and taking them to his new role working on glasses–based projects for Snap.

A lawsuit alleges that Di Liu claimed he was quitting his job for health reasons, hiding from Apple that his true plan was to join Snapchat as a developer in a “substantially similar” role…

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The MLS Season Pass price is now $49 for the remainder of the season, which lets subscribers stream all MLS regular season and playoff games, live and on-demand. The price drop reflects the fact that the 2025 season is about halfway finished.

As always, Apple TV+ members get an additional discount: MLS Season Pass is now just $39 if you are a TV+ subscriber. The monthly plan price is unchanged.

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Most enterprise apps used on macOS don’t come from the Mac App Store, so IT teams are stuck managing them manually. That includes tracking down the latest versions, packaging them up for deployment, setting up the required permissions, and making sure they’re installed and updated properly across every device. It’s a tedious process that doesn’t scale well, and it introduces security risk when apps fall behind on security updates. Addigy aims to solve this by adding a new Prebuilt App Catalog, which is now available to all its device management system customers.

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A new market intelligence report lists the eight reasons people opt to upgrade Mac or PC, divided into three categories.

It also reveals that Mac shipments grew faster than any PC brand in the first quarter of the year, with year–on–year growth of almost 29% …

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Apple’s week is off to a rough start. First, Proton filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. Almost simultaneously, a judge in New Jersey rejected Apple’s attempt to dismiss a federal antitrust case.

And on Monday night, things got a little worse: CADE, Brazil’s antitrust watchdog, formally recommended that Apple be sanctioned for the “imposition of the exclusive use of its payment system by app developers and the restriction on the distribution and commercialization of third-party digital services.”

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Apple is accusing one of its former engineers of stealing confidential design and development information related to the Apple Vision Pro headset and taking it to Snap, according to a lawsuit filed in California.


Apple filed the complaint against Di Liu on June 24, 2025, in Santa Clara County Superior Court, alleging that Liu misappropriated trade secrets during his final days of employment at the company (via SiliconValley.com). Liu had worked at Apple for seven years and was most recently a senior product design engineer. He is accused of downloading thousands of internal files to his personal cloud storage account shortly before his resignation.

According to the lawsuit, Liu informed Apple that he was leaving his position to focus on his health and spend more time with his family. However, Apple alleges that Liu had already accepted a job offer from Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat and maker of the "Spectacles" smart glasses. The complaint states that Liu failed to disclose his future employment at Snap, which is ostensibly competing with Apple in the wearable augmented reality space, and thereby avoided triggering Apple's standard protocol of revoking access to internal systems immediately upon notice of employment with a competitor.

During that time, Apple alleges that Liu accessed and copied a "massive volume" of internal documents from his company-issued MacBook, including files related to product design, testing, supply chain strategy, and unreleased features of the Vision Pro. Apple discovered Liu's alleged actions through forensic analysis of his company-issued laptop. Log data from Liu's device apparently shows he manually selected specific folders, renamed them, and uploaded them to his personal cloud account. Apple further claims that Liu deleted files from the same machine in an apparent attempt to conceal the scope of the transfer.

While Snap is not named as a defendant in the suit and is not accused of any misconduct, Apple argues that there is significant overlap between the materials Liu allegedly retained and the nature of his new role. Snap issued a statement in response to press inquiries, denying any connection between the lawsuit and Liu's current responsibilities.

Apple is seeking a court order requiring Liu to return the allegedly stolen materials and allow inspection of his devices and accounts to verify that no Apple confidential information remains. The company is also pursuing unspecified financial damages for breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets.
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Almost 700 Brother models have been found to contain a number of serious security flaws that could allow an attacker to access other devices on your network, and potentially access your documents. The same is true of some printer models made by Fujifilm, Toshiba, Ricoh, and Konica Minolta …

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Just as Google Calendar makes it debut on the Apple Watch, the Google Keep app for Apple Watch has been discontinued.


Google Keep is a free note-taking service offered by Google. Version 2.2025.26200 of Google Keep removes the watchOS app, with no other noticeable changes to the app on the iPhone or iPad. Google Keep for Wear OS continues to be available.

Google Keep for Apple Watch had not been updated meaningfully for many years, with no support for many basic platform features such as complications. Meanwhile, with watchOS 26, Apple is bringing its own native Notes app to the Apple Watch for the first time.



Yesterday, Google released a Calendar app for the Apple Watch, bringing its native calendar and task functionality to watchOS for the first time. Now, only Google Maps, YouTube Music, and Google Calendar have dedicated watchOS apps.

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Apple introduced new HomeKit architecture back in 2022, with the primary aim of making the smart home system more reliable. At the time, users could choose between upgrading or remaining on the original version of the platform.

Fast–forward to March of this year, and 9to5Mac discovered code showing that the company was planning to drop support for the old version. That was subsequently confirmed by Apple, and a further reminder has now been found in the latest iOS 18.6 beta – with a little more detail …

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macOS Tahoe 26 represents one of the more dramatic changes we’ve seen to the look and feel of the Mac operating system in recent years.

There’s new functionality too, of course, and Apple thinks the blend of the two will greatly enhance the experience of Mac users …

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While Google released a new watchOS app today, the company also got rid of Google Keep for Apple Watch.

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Apple is surveying Vision Pro owners, and some of the questions go beyond the device’s comfort or resolution. In addition to features like Guest Mode, and which accessories people actually use, Apple wants to know what its users see in rival products (even in categories where it doesn’t compete yet).

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Heads up if you’ve been using Microsoft Authenticator as a password manager: the app is phasing out support for password autofill, and all saved passwords will be deleted by August. Here’s what to do.

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Apple today sent out surveys to some Vision Pro users, asking them a series of questions about the utility of various features, owned accessories, and most interestingly, competing devices.


Much of the survey asked for feedback on screen resolution, fit, and other factors, but there are some highlights. Apple asked about Guest Mode, whether the Vision Pro iPhone app is useful, and what accessories, if any, are used with the headset.

There were specific questions about competing mixed reality and virtual reality headsets, along with a question about smart glasses. Users were asked if they owned the following: Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, Other Meta Quest headset, PlayStation VR, Valve Index, or ByteDance Pro. As for smart glasses, Apple asked about the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, the Amazon Echo Frames, and the Snapchat Spectacles.

The PlayStation VR and Meta Quest devices are Vision Pro competitors, but Apple does not have a product that is the equivalent of the Meta Ray-Bans or Amazon Echo Frames as of now. Apple wants to compete with those products, though, and rumors suggest that it is developing smart glasses that will be similar in function and form to the Meta Ray-Bans.

Over the weekend, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple will release its first smart glasses in 2027, though other sources like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believe they will launch in 2026.

Kuo says the smart glasses will have multiple frame and temple material options for a custom look, along with support for voice control, gesture recognition, and audio playback. Integrated cameras will allow users to capture photos and videos, with the cameras also feeding information to a built-in AI assistant that will have environmental awareness. The 2027 smart glasses will be followed by "XR Glasses" with an integrated display for augmented reality features.

As for the Vision Pro, a revised model could come as soon as this year, with Apple adding an M5 chip but no other features. In 2027, Kuo claims Apple will release the "Apple Vision Air," a new Vision Pro model that's "substantially lighter" and less expensive, incorporating an ‌iPhone‌ chip instead of a Mac chip. In 2028, Apple is planning for the second-generation Vision Pro with an overhauled design, Mac-grade processor, and lower price.
This article, "Apple Surveys Vision Pro Users About Competing Headsets and Smart Glasses" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Bitwarden: Check out Bitwarden Password Manager, featuring a new Apple Watch authenticator integration, secure autofill on Safari and iOS apps, and enterprise-grade security tools that help you manage credentials with confidence.

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This is a bit of a gimmick, but it’s also kind of cool. I didn’t type a word of what you are about to read. I dictated everything in this text into Wispr Flow, a cool dictation keyboard I have been trying for a few weeks. Here’s how it did: warts and all.

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Swiss company Proton today filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing Apple of violating U.S. antitrust law. Proton is technically joining an existing May 23 class-action lawsuit against Apple that includes several Korean developers, but it has filed its own legal complaint. Proton is known for Proton Mail, an email service that uses client-side encryption for security.


In a blog post explaining the decision to file against Apple, Proton said it wants to make sure that a future settlement or ruling in the class-action suit affects "real changes" to Apple's App Store policies rather than just "cosmetic changes." The lawsuit Proton is joining is seeking monetary damages for developers, but Proton said that any funds it receives will be donated.

Proton claims Apple's ‌App Store‌ fees encourage the "surveillance capitalism business model" used by companies like Meta and Google, while harming smaller privacy-focused companies that don't monetize data. Free apps that exploit data don't pay Apple's fees, but apps that offer services in exchange for money do have to give a cut to Apple.

Proton believes that Apple's control over the ‌App Store‌ gives it too much power over app distribution, which Proton says is an issue when Apple has to comply with government app removal requests in different countries.

Finally, Proton suggests Apple's policies disadvantage end users by controlling the information that developers can provide to customers and by increasing prices that consumers pay. Proton says that it has been unable to link to FAQs and customer support pages from its apps because of Apple's restrictions on links, which is a worse experience for consumers. Proton also argues that it is unable to offer lower prices to customers because it has to pay Apple's fees.

The remedies we are seeking would address many of the social ills mentioned above, ensuring that the internet of the future can continue to protect privacy and democracy. Mobile apps are now the dominant platform of the internet and the way the bulk of the world interacts with one another and with the web. Even if app stores started out as niche markets, today they are a critical component of the internet and fundamental to democracy. It is more essential than ever that we fight to create mobile ecosystems that are truly free, competitive, and not beholden to whichever dictator corporate leaders are currently bowing down to.

Proton's filing includes a long list of requested ‌App Store‌ changes that it asks the court to put in place, including support for distributing apps through alternative app marketplaces and websites, and using alternative payment methods.
This article, "Proton Sues Apple Over 'Artificial and Arbitrary' App Store Fees" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple TV+ has so far had its most successful year ever. Severance was a big part of that, but so too were several hit new series. For example, Jon Hamm’s Your Friends & Neighbors was Apple’s most watched new drama ever, and now season 2 is in the works. Here’s what we know so far.

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Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup will be unveiled in early September, just over two months from now. And one question on many shoppers’ minds each year involves the Pro models: what’s different between the two? Here’s how Apple plans to differentiate the iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro this year.

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Update: Apple has responded to the decision with a statement provided to 9to5Mac. See full statement below.

Apple’s attempt to shut down the U.S. government’s antitrust case over its alleged smartphone monopoly has just hit a wall. Here’s the latest.

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Apple failed in its attempt to get the antitrust lawsuit that the U.S. Department of Justice filed against it dismissed, reports Reuters. U.S. District Judge Julien Neals, who is overseeing the case, today denied Apple's motion for dismissal.


Apple asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit in August of last year, arguing that the DOJ's complaint failed to demonstrate anticompetitive conduct, harm to consumers, or that Apple has a monopoly over the U.S. smartphone market.

The government's antitrust case against Apple will take years to play out, but it will now move forward. It is not unusual for a case to fail to be dismissed, because when filing for a dismissal, there are limits on the information that can be provided and cases often go in favor of the plaintiff.

The DOJ accused Apple of a smartphone monopoly in the United States, citing Apple's restriction of third-party access to Apple services and features and claiming that consumers are "locked" into Apple's ecosystem. Apple argues that the DOJ is attempting to force it to spend money on enriching its competitors, and that it is not a monopolist because it faces competition from companies like Samsung and Google.

Apple will now file an answer to the DOJ's initial complaint, and a discovery period will begin where Apple and the DOJ provide documents, expert testimony, and depositions. After that, there will be a summary judgment with additional arguments, and finally, a trial. The case is unlikely to make it to trial until 2028 or even later.

For a reminder about the DOJ's antitrust claims against Apple, we have a dedicated guide that explains the details in the U.S. vs. Apple legal fight.
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Apple is in talks with Anthropic and OpenAI to power the revamped version of Siri, potentially sidelining its own in-house AI models in the process. Here are the details.

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Apple may fix its Siri failings by partnering with ChatGPT creator OpenAI or Claude creator Anthropic, reports Bloomberg. Apple has been meeting with OpenAI and Anthropic to discuss a potential deal that would see a third-party large language model used as the backbone for ‌Siri‌.


Both companies are training versions of their models that would work with Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, and Apple is running tests, but hasn't made a final decision on whether to abandon ‌Siri‌. So far, Apple has found that Anthropic's AI models are the best fit for ‌Siri‌, and Apple and Anthropic have already discussed some preliminary financial terms. Bloomberg says that Anthropic is asking for a multibillion-dollar annual fee that increases over time, which is why Apple is also considering partnering with other companies like OpenAI.

Apple has been training a large language model for a future version of ‌Siri‌, but it is no secret that Apple has been struggling with AI. Apple previewed several new ‌Siri‌ capabilities at the June 2024 WWDC keynote and advertised the iPhone 16 models with the functionality, but ultimately wasn't able to develop the technology in time.

In March, Apple said that the Apple Intelligence ‌Siri‌ features would be delayed until 2026, sparking customer outrage and spurring several lawsuits. Apple now plans to introduce those features in an update to iOS 26.

Apple's work on an LLM version of ‌Siri‌ is separate from the personalized ‌Siri‌ features that are coming in iOS 26. LLM ‌Siri‌ is planned as a follow up to the new features coming in ‌iOS 26‌, and it will presumably debut in iOS 27 in the fall of 2026.

Partnering with Anthropic or OpenAI would give Apple time to work on its own AI models while still delivering modern AI features that customers have come to expect. Apple already partners with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into ‌Siri‌, and iOS 18 users are able to have ‌Siri‌ pass requests on to ChatGPT for more detailed answers.
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Apple is officially ending support for the prior version of Apple Home this year, and the company has been encouraging users to update to the new HomeKit architecture by that time to avoid interruptions with accessories and automations.


So far, Apple has warned that support for the current version of Apple Home is ending soon and asked users to upgrade, but it appears some homes that have yet to transition to the updated architecture will be moved over automatically.

In the latest beta of iOS 18.6, there is code that says automatic upgrades are coming.

Support for your current version of Apple Home will end this fall. Some homes will be automatically updated at that time, but others need to be updated manually. You can update now to avoid interruptions with your accessories, automations, and critical alerts.

Prior versions of this message did not mention the possibility of an automatic upgrade, but it makes sense for Apple to ensure that ‌HomeKit‌ users who aren't checking the Home app settings won't experience an interruption in service when iOS 26 rolls out this fall. Apple does not clarify the criteria for the automatic upgrade, so it's not clear who will need to do the manual update.

Apple first introduced the updated ‌HomeKit‌ architecture in December 2022, but users ran into issues with missing devices, home sharing invitations that didn't work, and problems with HomeKit Secure Video, so Apple pulled the update. It then rolled out again in March 2023 alongside iOS 16.4, and it has been stable since then.

The new ‌HomeKit‌ architecture does not work on devices that are running older versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, so this fall, some users will be unable to control their ‌HomeKit‌ setups on Apple products that aren't able to run at least iOS 16 or macOS Sonoma.

Apple's ‌HomeKit‌ upgrade adds support for guest access, robot vacuum cleaners, and Activity History. It also offers faster, more reliable performance for smart homes with a lot of ‌HomeKit‌ and Matter accessories installed.

If you haven't upgraded to the new architecture, it can be installed in the Home app by tapping on the More button, choosing Home Settings, and selecting Software Upgrade.
This article, "Still Running Old HomeKit Architecture? Apple is Planning Automatic Upgrades" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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