A new patent filing shows that Apple has been working on a fairly standard external game controller device for Apple Vision Pro, backing up recent rumors of it hoping to partner with Sony.


In December 2024, it was rumored that Apple had approached Sony in a move to get a handheld game controller for the Apple Vision Pro headset. Now it appears that Apple has at least attempted to create such a controller itself, even if it seems to be much the same as existing ones.

An Apple patent application called "Handheld Input Devices," has now been made public, after being filed in August 2023. It describes in detail a system that can realistically only be a game controller.


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One patent doesn't prove Apple is making a device, but a whole series of them repeatedly applied for does suggest that we really could see a MacBook Pro you can wirelessly charge your iPhone on, while you sketch with your finger.

Leica has just announced the Leica Lux Grip, a MagSafe-compatible phone grip designed to work with its app — and it has the pricing you'd expect from Leica.


When it comes to digital cameras, Leica is known for being a premium, if not outright luxury, brand. That's why it shouldn't be terribly surprising that the company has released a luxury Mag-Safe phone grip that costs more than the average person spends on a point-and-shoot camera.

The Lux Grip is designed primarily for the iPhone photographers and photography enthusiasts with money to burn. It adds a mechanical two-stage shutter button, a precise setting dial, and two individually assignable FN buttons.


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If you're looking to play classic games on a modern Apple Silicon Mac, then Mac Source Ports can likely make it happen. Here's what the website offers and why it's worth checking out.


Mac Source Ports is a website launched in 2022 to make older games playable on 64-bit Intel Macs, and machines equipped with M1 or newer Apple Silicon chips. The site does this by offering so-called "source ports" of games and distributing them as signed and notarized macOS application bundles.

In doing so, Mac Source Ports makes it possible to run a wide variety of older PC games on modern-day Apple laptops and desktop computers. The list of available game ports includes some truly archaic titles, such as those belonging to the iconic Doom and Quake franchises of the 1990s, as well as the original Tomb Raider and Half-Life, among others.


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As of iOS 18.2, Apple's Mail app features categories to help users sort through their mail. Here's what it does, how to fine-tune it, and how to turn it off if you prefer.


After updating to iOS 18.2 or later, the Mail app now categorizes incoming email into four broad categories. These are Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions.

The idea to automatically categorize incoming emails has been kicking around Apple for years. The feature was originally intended to debut in iOS 13, but awaited further development of Apple's machine learning and Apple Intelligence features in order to ensure the work was all done on-device.


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The popular Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso is expected to return for a fourth season that primarily revolves around the creation of AFC Richmond's women's team.


Rumors surrounding the alleged fourth season of Apple's hit sports comedy continue to emerge. Following claims that filming entered pre-production in January 2025, we now have even more details about the show's fourth season, from the same source.

According to a social media post by Sigmund Judge, the fourth season of Ted Lasso will focus on the formation of AFC Richmond's women's team rather than the men's team featured in previous seasons. Judge also explains that filming for the fourth season will begin in May or June 2025 in London.


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Watch the Big Game your way with our comprehensive list of ways to watch Super Bowl LIX from your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and even the Apple Vision Pro.


Super Bowl Sunday is rapidly approaching, and that means you're probably figuring out how and where to watch the Big Game. While cable subscribers can still tune in on FOX, cord-cutters might need alternatives.

We've compiled a list of places you can watch Super Bowl LIX for all your favorite Apple devices — including Mac and Apple Vision Pro. We even offer an alternative for those who can't watch the game for one reason or another.


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Pick up an M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro at a $250 discount and enjoy the comfort of it delivered to your doorstep.


Both Amazon and B&H are competing for your business this week by discounting the M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro to $1,749 when ordered in the silver finish.




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If you're the type who prefers to take their repairs into their own hands, Apple now offers the parts and manuals required to repair the M4 MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini.


In April 2022, Apple launched its self-repair program, after years of encouraging customers to seek out professional, authorized repairs. While the program wasn't well received by right-to-repair advocates at launch, it still gives owners the option to try their hand at repairs.

This week, Apple has added the M4 Mac lineup to its repair page, spotted by MacRumors. Apple includes an exploded view and a list of part numbers in the repair page manual for each device.


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A newly discovered malware campaign is stealing cryptocurrency from iOS by exploiting vulnerabilities in apps available on the App Store.


Kaspersky researchers have discovered a malicious software development kit (SDK) called SparkCat hidden inside multiple apps on both iOS and Android. SparkCat is designed to steal cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrases using optical character recognition (OCR), allowing attackers to access and drain funds remotely.

Kaspersky has shared a list of MD5 hashes linked to the malicious SparkCat SDK, as well as BundleIDs for iOS apps. However, the company hasn't revealed the full list of infected apps, leaving users in the dark about whether they've installed one.


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If you're looking for a private and fast VPN for Mac, along with an antivirus and leak notification tool, Surfshark One has it bundled together to help reduce your digital footprint online.


The internet is a hazardous place these days. Users have to go out of their way to avoid unnecessary tracking, keep malware off their systems, and learn about potentially harmful data breaches.

Thankfully there's a single service that does it all called Surfshark One. You might have heard of Surfshark VPN, one AppleInsider has rated the best VPN for iPhone in 2025, and it is bundled with other industry-leading products.


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Add another one to Apple's list of third-party apps that it has endangered, as Apple Invites threatens the livelihood of event planning app Partiful.


It happens so often that there is a name for it, based on one of the earliest examples of Apple releasing an app or a feature to compete with a third-party rival. Developers know it as Sherlocking, and they know very well that it can be the end of their business.

With a glass half-full kind of view, though, there is a way to argue that Apple producing an app to rival yours will actually grow the market. There is even some logic to that, in two ways.


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Despite the airline previously banning AirTags for reasons understood only by itself, Lufthansa has now support for them in its app and is celebrating the integration.


Officially, AirTags were somehow dangerous and somehow in contravention of some laws somewhere, said Lufthansa in 2022 as it tried to find any excuse to ban them. This was not in any way a response to how all airlines were being caught out with luggage going missing or, say, baggage handlers stealing from passengers.

Lufthansa's ban lasted a whole three days before the airline said enough already, AirTags are fine. This was less from some technical testing and less from some actual reading of FCC regulations, though the airline tried to safe face by rustling up someone to say the words "risk assessment."


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South Korean media claims that Apple Silicon M5 chips are in mass production, which makes a lot of sense considering that the first devices that will use them are expected ship before the end of 2025.


A report on Wednesday morning by South Korean venue ETnews says that TSMC is in the process of packaging early M5 chip production. Packaging is the last step before a new chip can be put in devices, meaning that the M5 chip is now officially in mass production.

Rumors have already laid out the timetable for the M5 chip, and appearance in Apple products. The M5 iPad Pro is expected in late 2025, Macs will get M5 late in the year, and another rumor places it in a second-generation Apple Vision Pro product before the end of the year.


Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely


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Following the introduction of trade tariffs by the US, China is said to be considering an antitrust investigation into Apple's App Store practices.


The new US trade tariffs ostensibly imposed on China will be paid by US businesses and consumers, not China or any other foreign country. But they mean higher prices for Americans, which will mean a decrease in sales, so China has been announcing retaliatory measures.

According to Bloomberg, those measures may now also include China launching an investigation into Apple's App Store fees and practices. This is despite the country having already investigated the App Store and concluding in May 2024 that Apple was not abusing its market position.


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VirtualBox is now available for Apple Silicon-based Macs, although with spotty x86 support. Here's how to use it.


Oracle's VirtualBox emulator is a free app which allows you to run other OS'es on your Mac, PC, or Linux computer. Until this past August VirtualBox only ran on Intel x86-based Macs.

Now a "work in progress" Apple Silicon version of VirtualBox is available for download from the VirtualBox website.


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Developers and enthusiasts continue to find new ways of running Doom on increasingly unusual hardware, the latest of which is an Apple HDMI adapter cable.


In a video uploaded on February 2, first shared by MacRumors, developer nyan_satan showed off a port of the classic video game Doom running on Apple's Lightning to HDMI adapter. The YouTuber is known for their work in creating tools and dual-booting different versions of iOS.

This is only possible because the Lightning to HDMI adapter features a dedicated system-on-chip with a processor inside. It also runs a basic version of iOS, stripped down to only the most basic of features, allowing the dongle to process video signals but not much else.


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North Korean hackers are using fake job offers and disguised app updates to sneak malware onto Macs, and while Apple's latest XProtect update blocks some threats, others are still slipping through.


Security researchers from SentinelLabs have identified fresh variants of a North Korean malware family, dubbed "FlexibleFerret," which is actively exploiting macOS users. The malware is part of a broader campaign known as "Contagious Interview," where attackers pose as recruiters to trick job seekers into installing malicious software.

Apple responded with an XProtect signature update to counter these threats, blocking several variants, including FROSTYFERRET_UI, FRIENDLYFERRET_SECD, and MULTI_FROSTYFERRET_CMDCODES.


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Just days after it was rumored to happen, Apple has officially killed off prepaid multi-year AppleCare+ plans — at retail locations, at least.


On Sunday, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman announced on X that Apple would be shifting its AppleCare+ extended warranty program to a subscription model. Gurman postulated that the change would take place sooner, rather than later.

And, as anticipated, Apple has done just that.


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While the new Apple Invites app and service sounds easy to use, it joins together so many Apple Services that it takes several steps — and can confuse your invitees. Here's how to use it.


Apple Invites has been launched, though at time of writing it's still not rolled out worldwide. If an App Store search does not turn it up for you, try this direct link.

The app is so new that there is no Apple support documentation for it, which means there are certain points that are not yet clear. Specifically, it's not sure what Android users will or will not see when they have accepted an invitation from Apple Invites.


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You have a fair share of choices when it comes to USB-C cables, but you've never seen anything like Nomad's new Universal Cable for Apple Watch. It's truly the first of its kind.


For year's, Nomad has had some of the most highly-rated cables on the market. But they're fairly standard, coming in USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to Lightning, and a universal with swappable tips — all in different lengths.

Its new Universal Cable for Apple Watch bucks that trend by integrating an Apple Watch puck directly into the cable. Ideal for compact storage and travel.


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AirPods Pro 2 are $80 off today, with the wireless earbuds dropping to the best price of 2025 as Amazon and Best Buy compete in a price war.


Steeper discounts on Apple products continue to launch at Amazon, with the retailer slashing the price of Apple AirPods Pro 2 to $169 in a price war with Best Buy. This reflects an $80 discount off retail, providing shoppers with the lowest price we've seen on the earbuds in 2025.

Grab the $169 price


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Apple has launched its Apple Invites app for iPhone, a way to help arrange events, parties, and any occasion, with invitations, RSVP managing, plus shared photo albums and music.


Reportedly known internally as Confetti, Apple Invites was expected to be launched for testing among employees. But instead it has now been released publicly, and is appears to be currently rolling out to all users.

"With Apple Invites, an event comes to life from the moment the invitation is created, and users can share lasting memories even after they get together," Brent Chiu-Watson, Apple's senior director of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apps and iCloud, said in a statement. "Apple Invites brings together capabilities our users already know and love across iPhone, iCloud, and Apple Music, making it easy to plan special events."


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You shouldn't have to touch devices or tap on apps to control them, says a new Apple patent, you should be able to just wave your iPhone and let it figure out what you want.


Sometimes you can see a clear connection between different Apple patents, and this may be one of them. For Apple was recently granted a patent for what appears to be a remote control for the expected Home Hub — and now it's gone further.

In a newly-granted patent called "Controlling Electronic Devices Based On Wireless Ranging," Apple expands its idea to remotely controlling anything from real-life physical devices, to virtual ones. Right now you can control a TV set from your iPhone or unlock a car, but this new patent wants one device that controls everything, and figures out for itself what you want.


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Cybercriminals are upping their game in 2025 with smarter AI and stealthier ransomware targeting Mac users, leaving defenders scrambling to keep up.


The year 2025 may mark the turning point for AI's role in cybersecurity, according to a recent report from Malwarebytes. While generative AI tools like ChatGPT have made minor waves since their debut, their capabilities have largely been limited to assisting with coding and research tasks.

However, the arrival of agentic AI — artificial intelligence capable of acting autonomously and solving complex tasks — is set to change this dynamic.


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A significant enhancement in the iOS 18 Calendar app is its integration with Reminders, allowing you to manage everything in one app. Here's how to get started.


Managing schedules and tasks can quickly become overwhelming when juggling apps. Apple's iOS 18 update addresses this issue by allowing you to create reminders directly within the Calendar app, streamlining the process and ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.

With this new feature, there's no need to constantly switch between apps to keep track of tasks. It's worth noting that this functionality isn't entirely new — similar integration has long been available when using third-party apps like Fantastical.


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The first native porn app for iPhone called "Hot Tub" may have passed notarization checks, but Apple wants everyone to know it certainly doesn't "approve" of such dangerous things on its devices.


Apple's App Store Review Guidelines have almost always explicitly stated that apps featuring "overtly sexual or pornographic material" are not allowed, period. However, alternate app stores in the EU can publish anything that passes a notarization check, and that's happened with the first-ever native porn app for iPhone.

When AltStore promoted the app, named Hot Tub, it used the phrase "the first Apple-approved porn app" in marketing. Apple was quick to deny that it "approved" of the app, and released a statement to MacRumors.


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Time is running out to pick up Apple's M4 Pro Mac mini at the discounted price of $1,279.


This Mac mini is a top seller due to its blend of affordability with the performance of the M4 Pro chip. Featuring a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, this retail model also has 24GB of unified memory and 512GB of storage. Normally $1,399, B&H is knocking $120 off the upgraded configuration (MCX44LL/A) exclusively for AppleInsider readers.

Get the exclusive deal


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It's not just Spotify that has a year-end wrap-up feature — Apple Music does too, and it's year round! Here's how to get your Apple Music Replay playlist, today.


Spotify has a unique feature called Spotify Wrapped that shows off your top artists, songs, and genres of the year. It is a trendy function that gets shared all over social media at the end of each year, but Apple Music fans need not miss out. In fact, the 2025 Replay playlist has already been released.

The Apple Music Replay function isn't as in-depth as Spotify Wrapped, but it does offer some interesting stats and specialized playlists. Stats include the number of hours of music listened to for the entire year, the number of artists listened to, and top artists with the number of hours listened to each.


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Apple has rereleased iOS 18.3, but this time it's specifically for an iPhone lineup that is more than five years old.


No, you aren't experiencing deja vu — Apple has released iOS 18.3 again. But this time, the update arrives solely for the iPhone 11 family.

While iOS 18.3 build 22D63 was released for other iPhone models last week, a new build, build 22D64, has been rolled out to address issues that seemingly only affect the older model.


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Apple's Swift Student Challenge is officially open, with participants vying for the top prize — an all-inclusive three-day trip to Apple Park.


Just as it did in 2024, Apple will select 350 winners in total and, recognize 50 of them as Distinguished Winners for their "outstanding submissions." Distinguished Winners will need to demonstrate "excellence in innovation creativity, social impact, or inclusivity."

All 350 Challenge winners will receive a year of membership in the Apple Developer Program, a complimentary voucher to take the App Development with Swift certification exam, and a special gift from Apple.


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Apple's motion for a stay on the forthcoming Google remedy trial has been quickly denied, meaning Apple will have little say in the potential end of its annual $20 billion iPhone search deal with the search giant.


At the conclusion of the Department of Justice's case against the company, Google was legally declared to be a search and advertising monopoly in August 2024. A remedy trial is planned to determine what steps Google can take to address this, and Apple has been trying to be a major part of the process.

According to MLex, however, Judge Amit Mehta has now denied Apple's motion to obtain what's called an emergency stay of the trial. The ruling came 24 hours after Apple filed its motion in response to Judge Mehta's previous refusal to allow it any significant participation.


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Apple's 24-inch iMac is on sale today, with limited-time discounts driving prices down to as low as $599.99.


The lowest price across closeout models can be found at Amazon-owned Woot, where the closeout M1 spec with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is marked down to $599.99. This is a refurbished model that comes with a 90-day Woot limited warranty.


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On this episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, your host covers the latest news for the week including the release of iOS 18.3, AirTag 2 rumors, and a Matter update for the Govee ice maker.


Last week, Apple released iOS 18.3 to the masses. While this was expected to include support for robots vacuum cleaners, it ultimately did not.

Perhaps it will arrive in the upcoming iOS 18.4 beta. That's likely to have its first beta released this week.


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Kendrick Lamar is set to headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show for Apple Music, so Apple has packed its services with special features related to Kendrick and the Super Bowl.


Last September, Apple announced that Kendrick Lamar would be heading up the 2025 Super Bowl Half-Time show. In preparation, Apple Music has a week's worth of exclusive interviews, new playlists, and even a new Apple Music offer for new subscribers ahead of the February 9 event.

"Throughout his career, Kendrick Lamar hasn't met the cultural moment so much as he's defined it," Rachel Newman, Apple Music's global head of content and editorial, said in the press release.


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Apple's iPhone 15 led global sales in 2024, with Pro models close behind, as premium device demand drove a revenue rebound.


According to Counterpoint Research, global smartphone revenue grew 5% year-over-year, with the average selling price (ASP) reaching an all-time high of $356. Despite economic challenges in previous years, improved consumer sentiment and demand for premium smartphones fueled the turnaround.

Global smartphone shipments also rose by 4%, marking the first annual increase since 2021. Analysts attribute this to expanding 5G adoption, better cameras, and faster processors, making upgrades more appealing.


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Mac utility app SuperDuper! will no longer always fail to make a bootable backup because of a bug in macOS Sequoia — but Apple's fix doesn't remove all problems.


The newly-released macOS Sequoia 15.3 has corrected a problem that saw the SuperDuper! backup utility fail at particular step in making a bootable copy of a drive. Developer Dave Nanian reported in December 2024 that the then-new macOS 15.2 had changed a feature called the Replicator.

Nanian thought the change might have been accidental, but whatever the cause, it was causing his app — and presumably other backup utilities — to fail. "Towards the end of replicating the Data volume," he wrote at the time, "seemingly when it's about to copy either Preboot or Recovery, it fails with a Resource Busy error."


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To celebrate 2025, I compiled Apple's top ten major areas of innovation over the past 25 years. Let's look at the decisions that led to this blockbuster success of the iPod and implications for new products today.

Certain iPhone components including iPhone circuit boards will no longer face import taxes in India as the country positions itself to weather changes in global trade.


In 2024, the Indian government reduced its import taxes on chargers, printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) and smartphones themselves, from 20% to 15%. That 5% cut was estimated to mean Apple would earn between $35 million and $50 million more annually.

According to Reuters, though, India has now entirely dropped import taxes on certain components and accessories, although not on smartphones. India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the removal of the tax during her annual budget speech and the government has prepared a list of affected components.


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Amazon's latest Apple deals provide bargain hunters with the lowest price on record for AirPods 4, along with 2025's best price on the Apple Watch SE 2.


Kicking off the sale is a stellar price drop on AirPods 4, which are now marked down to $99.99. This is the lowest price we've seen on the earbuds without ANC. Those looking for Active Noise Cancellation can also pick up AirPods 4 with ANC for $149, also reflecting a $30 discount (and within a buck of the lowest price ever at Amazon).


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