Apple today released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3, the third major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 software that came out last year. iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 come six weeks after Apple released iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2.


The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iPadOS 17.7.4 for iPads that aren't able to run ‌iPadOS 18‌.

For iPhone 16 models, iOS 18.3 adds Visual Intelligence support for adding events to the Calendar app and identifying plants and animals. The update removes Apple Intelligence Notification summaries for news and entertainment apps in an effort to prevent misleading alerts, plus it italicizes all summaries done by ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

There are also several bug fixes, and a change to the Calculator app. Apple's release notes are below.

Visual intelligence with Camera Control (All iPhone 16 models)
- Add an event to Calendar from a poster or flyer
- Easily identify plants and animals

Notification summaries (All iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)
- Easily manage settings for notification summaries from the Lock Screen
- Updated style for summarized notifications better distinguishes them from other notifications by using italicized text as well as the glyph
- Notification summaries for News & Entertainment apps are temporarily unavailable, and users who opt-in will see them again when the feature becomes available

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes: - Calculator repeats the last mathematical operation when you tap the equals sign again
- Fixes an issue where the keyboard might disappear when initiating a typed Siri request
- Resolves an issue where audio playback continues until the song ends even after closing Apple Music

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit:
https://support.apple.com/100100

We are expecting iOS 18.3 to be followed with an iOS 18.4 beta that includes new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features for Siri.
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Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.3, the third major update to the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ operating system that launched in September. ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3 comes six weeks after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.2.


Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. Apple has also released macOS 14.7.3 and macOS 13.7.3 with security fixes for older Macs.

‌macOS Sequoia‌ brings Genmoji to Macs that support Apple Intelligence, which means it's now possible to create custom emoji characters using the Messages app.

The update also removes Notification summaries for news and entertainment apps to prevent misleading ‌Apple Intelligence‌ headline summaries. Apple's release notes for the update are below.

This update introduces Genmoji, powered by Apple Intelligence, and also includes other enhancements, bug fixes, and security updates for your Mac.
- Genmoji creation in Messages and other apps
- Calculator repeats the last mathematical operation when you click the equals sign again
- Easily manage settings for notification summaries from the Lock Screen (Mac with Apple silicon)
- Updated style for summarized notifications better distinguishes them from other notifications by using italicized text as well as the glyph (Mac with Apple silicon)
- Notification summaries for News & Entertainment apps are temporarily unavailable, and users who opt-in will see them again when the feature becomes available (Mac with Apple silicon)
Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit: https://support.apple.com/100100

More information on what's new in ‌macOS Sequoia‌ can be found in our macOS Sequoia roundup.
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Apple today released visionOS 2.3, the third update to the visionOS 2 operating system that came out in September. visionOS 2.3 comes over a month after the launch of visionOS 2.2, and almost a year after the release of the Vision Pro headset.


visionOS 2.3 can be downloaded on all Vision Pro headsets by navigating to the Settings app, selecting the General section, and choosing the Software Update option.

To install an update, the Vision Pro headset needs to be removed, and there is a software progress bar available on the front EyeSight display.

According to Apple's release notes, visionOS 2.3 includes bug fixes and security updates, and the software is recommended for all users.

More information on the Vision Pro and ‌visionOS 2‌ can be found in our roundup.
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Apple today released watchOS 11.3, the third major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.3 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2.


watchOS 11.3 can be downloaded on an iPhone running iOS 18.3 by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery and it needs to be placed on a charger.

The watchOS 11.3 update introduces a new Black Unity watch face for the Apple Watch, which is designed to match a new band that came out today. According to Apple, the new watch face and band are "inspired by the rhythm of humanity," with Black creatives and allies at Apple collaborating on the designs.

More of the features available in watchOS 11 can be found in our watchOS 11 roundup.
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Apple today released tvOS 18.3, the newest version of the tvOS 18 operating system that came out in September. tvOS 18.3 comes more than a month after Apple released tvOS 18.2, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and the ‌Apple TV‌ HD models.


tvOS 18.3 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌‌Apple TV‌‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ owners who have automatic software updates activated will be upgraded to tvOS 18.3 automatically.

There were no notable new features found during the tvOS 18.3 beta testing period, but the update adds a new notice about digital movie and TV show sales.

Apple shares full release notes for tvOS in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each new version of tvOS comes out.

Apple has also released a new version of the HomePod Software 18.3 for the ‌HomePod‌ and HomePod mini. ‌HomePod‌ software is based on tvOS.
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It might be hard to believe, but the HomePod mini launched alongside the iPhone 12 series all the way back in November 2020. Fortunately, after more than a four-year wait, a new model is finally expected to launch later this year.


Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is aiming to launch the new HomePod mini "toward the end of the year." According to his reporting, the speaker will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, with Wi-Fi 6E support. The current HomePod mini supports Wi-Fi 4, so Wi-Fi 6E would be an upgrade, enabling faster and more reliable Wi-Fi connectivity for Siri, music playback, and more.

While there are no other firm rumors yet, likely upgrades for the next HomePod mini include a newer "S" chip, improved sound quality, new color options, and a newer Ultra Wideband chip for a lower-latency Handoff experience. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the S5 chip, which debuted in 2019's Apple Watch Series 5.

In addition to a new HomePod mini, Apple reportedly plans to release an all-new smart home hub at some point this year. The hub is expected to feature around a 6-inch to 7-inch display that can be mounted on a wall, or attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, so the device could be similar to the HomePod mini in some ways.

The home hub is expected to support Apple Intelligence, but the next HomePod mini is not. Read our HomePod mini roundup for more details.
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For ‌iPhone 16‌ models, Apple's imminent iOS 18.3 software update adds new Visual Intelligence features to the Camera Control button. Keep reading to learn what you can do with the new capabilities and how to use them.

New Visual Intelligence Features

In iOS 18.2, Apple's previous point update, the company added Visual Intelligence functionality to its latest iPhone 16 models, allowing device owners to point the camera at the world around them and get details about places, summarize and translate text, go to website links, call phone numbers, and more.

In iOS 18.3, Apple adds new capabilities to Visual Intelligence, including an option to create a calendar event when viewing a poster or flyer, as well as the ability to easily identify plants, animals, and insects.


Bear in mind that ‌Visual Intelligence‌ is an Apple Intelligence feature that is exclusive to the ‌iPhone 16‌ models – if you have an older model, you won't have a Camera Control button below the Side button on the right-hand side of your device.

Activating Visual Intelligence

To activate Visual Intelligence, press and hold the Camera Control button for a few seconds. A regular press simply opens the camera with Camera Control, so the press-and-hold gesture is necessary. Ensure the Camera app isn't already active, as Visual Intelligence won't work if the camera is already in use.

The Visual Intelligence interface includes a camera view, a capture button, and "Ask" and "Search" options. The "Ask" button interacts with ChatGPT, while "Search" sends the captured image to Google Search.


To use Visual Intelligence, you must take a photo of the object or scene you're observing. Use the Camera Control button to snap a picture, then select your desired option. It doesn't support live camera views or previously saved photos.

Create a Calendar Event From a Poster

Using ‌Visual Intelligence‌ to add an event to Calendar was a promised function that Apple showed off when introducing Camera Control, and it will be usable in iOS 18.3.


To add an event, view a document such as a poster with a date, and then tap on the date when the feature pops up in the ‌Visual Intelligence‌ interface.

Identify Pets, Animals, and Insects

The Photos app is already able to provide insight into plants, animals, and insects when opting to view additional information in the editing interface, but Camera Control will now show these details in real-time.


When viewing an animal or a plant with ‌Visual Intelligence‌, you may see a tappable bubble at the top of the viewfinder that lets you know what you're looking at. Simply tap it to view more information. If the output is incorrect, you can use the thumbs up and thumbs down icons below the card to submit feedback to Apple.
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Amazon is kicking off the week with numerous all-time low prices on Apple Watch Series 10, focusing mainly on GPS models. 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 mid-February. If you've been eyeing an Apple Watch Series 10 as a way to help keep up with your New Year's resolutions, now is the time to purchase one at these best-ever prices.

42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10

• Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band (S/M) - $329.00, down from $399.00


• Jet Black Aluminum Case with Ink Sport Loop - $329.00, down from $399.00


• Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band (M/L) - $329.00, down from $399.00


• Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Plum Sport Loop - $329.00, down from $399.00


• Silver Aluminum Case with Blue Cloud Sport Loop - $329.00, down from $399.00


• Silver Aluminum Case with Denim Sport Band (S/M) - $329.00, down from $399.00

46mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10

• Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band (M/L) - $359.00, down from $429.00


• Jet Black Aluminum Case with Ink Sport Loop - $359.00, down from $429.00


• Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band (M/L) - $359.00, down from $429.00


• Silver Aluminum Case with Denim Sport Band (S/M) - $359.00, down from $429.00


• Silver Aluminum Case with Denim Sport Band (M/L) - $359.00, down from $429.00

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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Apple today updated its Apple Sports app for the iPhone with several enhancements, including improved navigation, broadcast information for nationally-televised games in the U.S., and support for additional soccer leagues.


The release notes for version 2.4 of Apple Sports:

• The Apple Sports soccer lineup keeps getting bigger with the FA Cup, EFL Championship, and League Cup.
• Navigating between your favorites is even faster now. Swipe left or right to browse all of the leagues and teams you follow.
• Tune in to all the national games with broadcast information now available on game pages.

Launched in February 2024, the Apple Sports app shows scores, stats, standings, upcoming games, and more for a variety of leagues, such as the NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL, Premier League, and others. The free iPhone app is available in the App Store.


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Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the original iPad 15 years ago today, marking one and a half decades of the company's "revolutionary" tablet.


Jobs unveiled the first-generation ‌iPad‌ at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on January 27, 2010. Designed to fill the gap between smartphones and laptops, the original ‌iPad‌ featured a 9.7-inch LED-backlit multitouch display, Apple's first custom designed chip, a 30-pin dock connector, and up to 64GB storage. With a starting price of $499, it offered users a new way to browse the web, read eBooks, watch videos, and interact with Apple's growing app ecosystem. Jobs described it as "a magical and revolutionary device."

iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price. iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.

The ‌iPad‌ used a version of iOS tailored for its larger display, bringing a big-screen experience to familiar mobile apps like Safari, Mail, and Photos. It introduced the iBooks app and iBookstore as part of an effort to compete in the e-reading space dominated by Amazon's Kindle. Its design was characterized by thick black bezels, a physical home button, and a convex aluminum back. It weighed 1.5 pounds and offered 10 hours of battery life.

The initial reception to the ‌iPad‌ was mixed. While many praised its lightweight computing and media consumption experience, others questioned its necessity and potential to replace laptops.

Nevertheless, the ‌iPad‌ sold over 300,000 units on its launch day in April 2010 and one million within its first month. It catalyzed the creation of a new product category, sparking competition from rivals such as Samsung, Microsoft, and Amazon. By the end of 2010, Apple had sold over 15 million iPads, generating $9.5 billion in revenue and solidifying the device as a key pillar of the company's product lineup.

The ‌iPad‌ has since become a tentpole device for Apple, expanding into product lines including the iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro and accessories such as the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. Subsequent models introduced cameras, multitasking, different display size options, USB-C connectivity, and more. See Apple's original press release from 2010 for more information.
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Update: Apple has released iOS 18.3.

In its press release unveiling a new Black Unity Sport Loop for the Apple Watch today, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.3 is "upcoming." According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple Stores are being instructed to update the software on demo devices today, so iOS 18.3 should be released either today or within the next few days.


Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.3.

Notification Summary Changes

Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news apps are temporarily unavailable on iOS 18.3, after the feature inaccurately summarized some news stories.

Starting with iOS 18.3, notifications that have been summarized have italicized text, which makes them stand out visually compared to regular notifications. Apple also promised that improvements to notification summaries are coming in a future iOS update.

Last, iOS 18.3 lets you easily manage settings for notification summaries from the Lock Screen.

Visual Intelligence Upgrades

All four iPhone 16 models are equipped with a Camera Control button that enables Visual Intelligence, a new feature that can provide information about items or places in a person's surroundings. For example, Apple says users can click and hold the Camera Control to bring up the hours or ratings for a restaurant that they pass by.

iOS 18.3 includes a few Visual Intelligence upgrades for all iPhone 16 models. First, you can now add an event to the Calendar app from a poster or flyer. Second, Visual Intelligence can now identify animals and plants.

Visual Intelligence is not available on any other iPhone models.

Calculator App Enhancement

iOS 18.3 reintroduces a small but useful Calculator app function that had been removed in an earlier software update. Now, when you tap the equals sign a second time, the Calculator app repeats the last mathematical operation. This functionality is useful for calculating compound interest or other repeat operations.

Black Unity

In honor of Black History Month this February, Apple today unveiled a new Black Unity Collection, consisting of a special-edition Black Unity Sport Loop for the Apple Watch, a Unity Rhythm watch face, and matching iPhone and iPad wallpapers.

The new Black Unity Sport Loop is available to order today, and the watch face and wallpapers will be available in the upcoming iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and watchOS 11.3 software updates, according to the band's product page.

More

iOS 18.3 fixes these two bugs related to Siri and Apple Music:

• Fixes an issue where the keyboard might disappear when initiating a typed Siri request


• Resolves an issue where audio playback continues until the song ends even after closing Apple Music

Apple also added references to robot vacuum support in the Home app to iOS 18.3's code, but it seems this functionality never went live. Apple's website says the feature is coming in a future update, so perhaps we will see it with iOS 18.4.

We previously shared Apple's full iOS 18.3 release notes.
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In honor of Black History Month this February, Apple today unveiled a new Black Unity Collection, consisting of a special-edition Black Unity Sport Loop for the Apple Watch, a Unity Rhythm watch face, and matching iPhone and iPad wallpapers.


The new Black Unity Sport Loop is available to order today, and the watch face and wallpapers will be available in the upcoming iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and watchOS 11.3 software updates, according to the band's product page. The updates are expected to be released this week, following more than a month of beta testing.

Apple said the collection is "inspired by the rhythm of humanity," with Black creatives and allies at Apple collaborating on the designs.

"The collection, Unity Rhythm, weaves together the colors of the Pan-African flag: black, green, and red," added Apple's press release. "The Black Unity Sport Loop is woven in a custom pattern of raised and recessed loops that creates a lenticular effect, revealing green on one side of each loop, and red on the other."

The new Unity Rhythm watch face features "custom numerals formed by intertwined threads of red, green, and yellow." When a user raises their wrist to check the time, the abstract brush strokes seamlessly transform into digits.

The matching iPhone and iPad wallpapers feature the word "Unity" in the same custom lettering.
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Apple is reportedly developing a version of visionOS – its operating system for Apple Vision Pro – that will work with smart glasses, as part of continuing efforts to expand its AR product lineup beyond a cumbersome headset with something that has wider appeal.


According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, the Vision Pro has so far been a flop. Many users find the $3,500 headset too heavy for extended use, expensive, and prone to overheating, relegating it to niche status. Interest in the device has reportedly waned since its launch, with sales falling short of Apple's expectations.

In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman reports that Apple's Vision Products Group is looking beyond the Vision Pro and considering launching smart glasses comparable to Meta's Ray-Ban collaboration. Executives involved in the effort reportedly don't think a product will be ready for three years or more, with plenty of research still to be done.

To that end, the company is currently conducting user studies at its offices "to gauge the appeal of features and interfaces," and is already working on a version of visionOS that will run on glasses, reports Gurman. Codenamed "Atlas," the studies are being led by Apple's Product Systems Quality team, part of the hardware engineering division.

The work continues at a secretive facility in Santa Clara, a town away from the company's home base in Cupertino. Apple laid off some employees from the site last year, while the remaining staff work on AR technology. Apple also has a manufacturing facility there to test future screens.

Apple still plans to revamp the Vision Pro headset to broaden its appeal, first by releasing a lower-end device with less expensive components. Apple is aiming to sell the more affordable model at the price of a high-end iPhone, which retails for up to $1,600. The aim was to release it at the end of 2024, but Apple is still working on a firm prototype.

Separately, Apple is also said to be working with Sony to bring support for PlayStation VR2 hand controllers to the Vision Pro for gaming purposes. The two have been collaborating for several months, and could bring VR controller support to the Vision Pro as an optional feature.
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WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will allow iOS users to log into the encrypted messaging platform through different accounts within the same app, reports WABetaInfo.


Previously, the multi-account ability was only available for beta testers on Android, but now TestFlight app users on iOS have access to the feature, which should make it possible to manage more than one personal or business account on the same device. Notably, the feature will eliminate the need for users to use the WhatsApp Business app to access a separate account.

Based on WhatsApp beta 25.2.10.70, users will be able to either set up the device as a primary account or by scanning a QR code to link the new account to an existing one as a "companion" account. Notifications, chats, backups, and settings will reportedly remain distinct for each account, and users will be able to seamlessly switch from one to the other without the need for separate devices.

Instagram, also owned by Meta, already lets users switch between multiple accounts within the same app, so this addition to WhatsApp will bring more feature parity across the platforms. It's still unclear when multi-account support for WhatsApp will roll out to the public, but its appearance in beta suggests we shouldn't have to wait too long. There's still no sign of an iPad app, mind.

Separately, Meta recently announced that it added WhatsApp to Accounts Center, the company's hub for managing how user information is used across its platforms. The option means users can now adjust their settings from one place and share their status updates across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
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If you still need convincing about the tech industry's current obsession with thinness, check out these images from Oppo's recent social media marketing spree, which has been busy hyping up the slimness of its upcoming Find N5 foldable by comparing it to Apple devices, including an iPhone 16 Pro Max and an M4 iPad Pro.


The latest images shared by the Chinese company suggest that when opened up, the Find N5 is about half as thick as an iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is 8.25mm thick. The image makes the device look barely thicker than its USB-C port. Indeed, Find series product manager Zhou Yibao has suggested that the obstacle to making it any thinner is now "the limit of the charging port."

That would seem to back up Oppo's claim that the Find N5 is the "world's thinnest foldable" – a title currently held by the Honor Magic V3, which is 4.35mm thick when unfolded. Reports suggest the Find N5 is around 4mm thick. For reference a USB-C port is 2.6mm at minimum. The company has previously compared the Find N5 to two Chinese yuan coins and a stack of four ID cards. Recently surfaced images also show that the device will have a cut-down camera bump on the back.


If you've been following our coverage, you've probably heard that for the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup, Apple is expected to replace the standard iPhone "Plus" model with an iPhone "Air," so-called because of its purported thinness.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the iPhone 17 Air will be about two millimeters thinner than the current iPhone 16 Pro, putting it at around 6.25mm, which would make it Apple's thinnest iPhone to date. Analyst Jeff Pu has also suggested that the upcoming iPhone will be around 6mm thick, but The Information has said it will be between 5mm and 6mm thick.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the iPhone 17 Air will be 5.5mm thick at its thinnest point, which likely means that it will have a 5.5mm chassis with a thicker rear camera bump area.

The thinnest iPhone we've seen so far was the iPhone 6, which measured in at 6.9mm. iPhones got thicker with the iPhone X and beyond, as Apple increased thickness to provide more space for the battery, camera lenses, Face ID hardware, and more.


Oppo has not officially specified the launch date for the Find N5, which is expected to be re-branded as the OnePlus Open 2 for its US release, but it is set to be released sometime in February. Apple's "iPhone 17 Air" will likely launch alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 series around Apple's typical mid-September time frame.
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A new China-based AI chatbot challenger called DeepSeek has reached the number one position on Apple's App Store free charts in multiple countries, including the US, raising questions about Silicon Valley's perceived leadership in artificial intelligence development.


Released last week, the iOS app has garnered attention for its ability to match or exceed the performance of leading AI models like ChatGPT, while requiring only a fraction of the development costs, based on a research paper released on Monday.

DeepSeek has not raised money from outside funds or made significant moves to monetize its R1 model, which the company claims is on par with GPT-4o and Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet. The Chinese AI startup behind the model was founded by hedge fund manager Liang Wenfeng, who claims they used just 2,048 Nvidia H800s and $5.6 million to train R1 with 671 billion parameters, a fraction of what OpenAI and Google spent to train comparably sized models. For example, Microsoft and Meta alone have committed over $65 billion each this year largely to AI infrastructure. Just last week, OpenAI said it was creating a joint venture with Japan's SoftBank, dubbed Stargate, with plans to spend at least $100 billion on AI infrastructure in the US.

Investor Marc Andreessen is already calling DeepSeek "one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs" for its ability to show its work and reasoning as it addresses a user's written query or prompt. DeepSeek has also taken an open-source approach, allowing developers to freely inspect and build upon its technology.

What's particularly notable is that DeepSeek apparently achieved this breakthrough despite US export restrictions on advanced AI chips to China. The company's success suggests Chinese developers have found ways to create more efficient AI models with limited computing resources, potentially challenging the assumption that cutting-edge AI development requires massive computing infrastructure investments.

The emergence of DeepSeek has already sparked debate in Silicon Valley. While some view it as a concerning development for US technological leadership, others, like Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, suggest it could benefit the entire AI industry by making model training more accessible and accelerating real-world AI applications.

The app's success has already impacted financial markets, with some AI-related stocks experiencing volatility as investors reconsider the necessity of extensive capital expenditure for AI development. Shares of Nvidia for example slid 10% in premarket trading on Monday on the news of DeepSeek's popularity.
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With Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE launch inching ever closer, new alleged dummy models have emerged online that give us further clarification on some of the details of the device.


Leaker Majin Bu shared these images on X (Twitter), along with a short video showing off the mockups, which are non-functional devices that case makers create based on information that leaks out of Apple's partner factories.

There have been conflicting rumors about whether the next iPhone SE will have a Dynamic Island or a notch, but the latter is looking increasingly likely. Despite the Island claims, the black and white mockups depicted show the older notch design with the selfie camera just left of center, backing up rumors that the device is largely based on the iPhone 14. There's also a single-lens camera on the back, as expected, along with a glass back and a aluminum band.


Suggestions that the iPhone SE 4 could get an Action Button or Camera Control button also appear off the mark, based on these mockups, which are very similar to images previously shared by leaker Sonny Dickson.

Along with the visible features from the dummy model, the ‌iPhone SE 4‌ is expected to include a faster A18 chip, an Apple-designed modem chip, and 8GB RAM – the minimum amount of memory required for Apple Intelligence. The camera is expected to be the same 48-megapixel Wide camera used in the current ‌iPhone 16‌.


Apple is expected to debut the next ‌iPhone SE‌ sometime in March or April, and it will continue to be the company's lowest-cost device. It could go up in price slightly, but Apple is said to be aiming to keep it below $500.
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Apple continues to explore the idea of releasing camera-equipped AirPods in the future, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Gurman only briefly mentioned the possibility of AirPods gaining tiny cameras, as part of his Power On newsletter intro this week, focused on Apple's future wearables ambitions. He did not explain what the cameras would be used for.

The tiny cameras would not be for taking photos, but rather serve as infrared sensors.

In a June 2024 blog post, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple planned to mass produce new AirPods with infrared cameras by 2026. He said the infrared camera component would be similar to the iPhone's Face ID receiver.

Kuo said the new AirPods with infrared cameras would provide an enhanced spatial audio experience with the Apple Vision Pro headset.

"For example, when a user is watching a video with Vision Pro and wearing this new AirPods, if users turn their heads to look in a specific direction, the sound source in that direction can be emphasized to enhance the spatial audio/computing experience," wrote Kuo.

The infrared cameras could potentially enable "in-air gesture control" as well, allowing for device interaction with hand movements.

If the alleged 2026 mass production timeframe remains on schedule, the new AirPods with infrared cameras could launch in 2026 or 2027.
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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that a new HomePod-like smart home hub with a 7-inch screen remains on track to launch in 2025.


Gurman believes the home hub will be "Apple's most significant release of the year," as it represents the company's "first step toward a bigger role in the smart home." In his newsletter, he said the device will be like a "smaller and cheaper iPad" that lets users "control appliances, conduct FaceTime chats, and handle other tasks."

Both a HomePod with a screen and an Apple home hub have been rumored by several sources, and it sounds like they are the same product.

Last month, for example, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a new HomePod with a 6-to-7-inch display, an A18 chip, and Apple Intelligence support would enter mass production in the second half of 2025. Kuo said smart home capabilities would be a core aspect of the device, which aligns with the home hub rumors.

Gurman previously reported that the hub can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. He said the device will run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and revolve around Siri, Apple Intelligence, and HomeKit. The hub could double as a home security system by displaying camera footage, and a built-in camera would allow for FaceTime video calls.

Apple's hub would compete with products like Google's Nest Hub and Amazon's Echo Show. It is unclear if Apple will actually use HomePod branding for the device, or if it will opt for an all-new name, such as the Apple Home.

Kuo and Gurman both said Apple is also planning an indoor camera that would work with the hub.

It is unclear if the current full-size HomePod speaker will be updated this year, but a new HomePod mini is expected to launch later this year.
This article, "New 'HomePod' Hub With 7-Inch Screen on Track to Launch This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's retail stores will be rolling out "merchandise/floor marketing updates" next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Gurman did not explicitly say if the store updates are related to any upcoming product announcements, but he did mention that next week is around the time that Apple rolls out its annual Black Unity watch band for the Apple Watch.

In each of the past four years, Apple has announced a Black Unity campaign in the second half of January, and this has typically included a new Apple Watch band, Apple Watch face, and iPhone wallpaper featuring the colors of the Pan-African flag. We recently discovered that the upcoming tvOS 18.3 update for the Apple TV has a new UNITY25 reference hidden within its code, which suggests that the Black Unity campaign may continue in 2025. If so, it is likely that Apple will make an announcement about it next week.


It is unclear if there will be any other product announcements next week beyond a new Black Unity band. Apple is expected to announce updated MacBook Air models with the M4 chip in early 2025, and Powerbeats Pro 2 are also coming soon, but Gurman did not mention anything beyond a potential Black Unity band in his social media post today.

Apple is expected to release iOS 18.3, macOS 15.3, and other software updates next week, following more than a month of beta testing.

Cross your fingers that the merchandise updates means that Apple will have a busy week ahead, but keep your expectations tempered.
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Last week, Woot brought back a massive sale on the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop bands for Apple Watch, and the sale has now been extended through January 31. All bands are in brand new condition and come with a one year Apple limited warranty.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You can get the Solo Loop for just $19.99 ($29 off) and the Braided Solo Loop for $29.99 ($69 off). Because the sale has been going on for a few weeks now, some colors and sizes of the Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop are selling out, so be sure to place your order soon if you want one of these cheap bands.



Shoppers should note that this sale is focused on colors of the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop that Apple has stopped selling, and it doesn't include any of the new band colors. That being said, all of the bands in this sale are in new condition.

The entire sale is focused on Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop Apple Watch bands, so you'll need to know the size that works best for you before you buy. Apple has a measurement tool on its website that you can use to determine your exact size.

Solo Loop

• Black/White Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00


• Blue Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00


• Green Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00


• Purple Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00


• Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00

Braided Solo Loop

• Black/White Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Blue Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Green Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Purple Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Pride - $29.99, down from $99.00

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, "Get Apple Watch Solo Loop for $19.99 and Braided Solo Loop for $29.99 in Woot's Sale (Up to 70% Off)" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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After hanging on to my iPhone 14 Pro for a few years, I will likely upgrade to an iPhone 17 model this year. Typically, I only consider the Pro models, but the rumored iPhone 17 Air sounds intriguing. After reflecting on rumors, I have realized that upgrading to this device might not have as many compromises as I first thought.


Of course, the iPhone 17 Air is not yet official. Apple should announce the device in September, and rumors could change between now and then. Below, I have compared the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 17 Air as things currently stand.

Display

The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to have a 6.6-inch OLED display, which would be considerably larger than the iPhone 14 Pro's 6.1-inch OLED display.

ProMotion, the feature that enables a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz for smoother video and scrolling, has been limited to the Pro models since it debuted on the iPhone 13 Pro models. However, the iPhone 17 Air is also rumored to support ProMotion, so going down to a non-Pro model would no longer require giving up 120Hz.

Like the iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have Face ID and a Dynamic Island, so you would not have to settle for a notch again.

A bonus with the iPhone 17 Air: It should have significantly thinner bezels around the screen.

Thickness and Weight

The main selling point of the iPhone 17 Air should be its ultra-thin, aluminum design. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the device will measure just 5.5mm at its thinnest point, which would make it the thinnest iPhone ever.

iPhone 14 Pro models are among Apple's heaviest iPhones, having not yet benefited from the newer titanium design with tapered edges introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro models. Users upgrading from an iPhone 14 Pro to an iPhone 17 Air should notice a remarkable improvement in thinness, lightness, and pocketability.

Battery Life

Okay, but that ultra-thin design means that battery life will take a considerable hit, right?

Not necessarily.

While exact battery life specs remain to be seen, remember that the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display, which would make the device physically larger than the iPhone 14 Pro. That means more internal space for a larger battery, so the iPhone 17 Air's battery life might not be as bad as one might think.

Also keep in mind that the iPhone 14 Pro is a few years old now. Not only did Apple make power efficiency improvements on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, but even further advancements are likely with the iPhone 17 models.

Cameras

If photography is important to you, the iPhone 17 Air's rear camera system will likely be one of its biggest downsides. The device is rumored to be equipped with only a single 48-megapixel rear camera, with no dedicated Telephoto or Ultra Wide cameras.

That said, upgrading from an iPhone 14 Pro to an iPhone 17 Air might not be all that bad in this department. While it may lack a Telephoto camera, it will likely have Apple's so-called "Fusion" camera, which enables a 2x "optical-quality" Telephoto option. "Optical-quality" is not true optical zoom, but it is meaningfully better than blurry digital zoom.

There will undoubtedly still be a lot of advanced camera features that remain limited to the Pro models, but the iPhone 17 Air will likely be a perfectly fine choice for casual users who mostly take point-and-shoot photos.

One plus is that the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to have a 24-megapixel front camera, whereas the iPhone 14 Pro has a 12-megapixel front camera.

Apple Intelligence

Whether you think Apple Intelligence is useful or overhyped, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to support it, whereas the iPhone 14 Pro does not.

That means you will have access to tools that can help you to write, summarize your notifications, create custom emoji, automatically remove objects from the backgrounds of photos, and more. A variety of Siri enhancements are also coming in iOS 18.4, including on-screen awareness, understanding of personal context, and deeper per-app controls.

Other Specs

Beyond having a larger display and a thinner design, the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to have many other upgraded specs compared to the iPhone 14 Pro:

• A19 chip (vs. A16 Bionic chip)


• USB-C port (vs. Lightning port)


• 8GB of RAM (vs. 6GB)


• Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 (vs. Wi-Fi 6)

On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Air's single speaker would be a downgrade.

While this has yet to be rumored, the iPhone 17 Air is also likely to have an Action button, in place of the iPhone 14 Pro's Ring/Silent switch. It is less clear if the iPhone 17 Air will have a Camera Control button, but given that the feature is available on all four iPhone 16 models, it seems like there is a decent chance that it will.

One more thing to keep in mind is that the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be eSIM-only, with no physical SIM card slot. If you purchased your iPhone 14 Pro in the U.S., this won't matter, as that model is already eSIM-only there. In other countries, it is a change to take into consideration, but note that the entire iPhone 17 lineup might be eSIM-only in more countries regardless. It is a change that you will have to face eventually.
This article, "iPhone 14 Pro vs. Rumored iPhone 17 Air: Upgrade or Downgrade?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Rumors about upcoming Apple hardware updates continue to circulate, with the iPhone 17 lineup, iPhone SE 4, and new Powerbeats Pro all in the news over the past week.


On the software side, the public release of iOS 18.3 and related updates is right around the corner while we got a potential first glimpse at what could be some design tweaks for iOS 19 later this year, so read on below for all the details!

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Apple is rumored to be releasing an ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air" later this year, and one recent rumor claims it could be just 5.5mm thick. To provide an idea of just how thin this would be, we've mocked up what such a device would look like compared to the current iPhone 16 Pro Max at 8.25mm and the 13-inch iPad Pro at just 5.1mm.


In other iPhone 17 rumors, an alleged photo of a pair of rear shells for an upcoming iPhone model appeared this week, with the model presumably being the iPhone 17 Air considering it appears to only feature one rear camera. The unique design includes a horizontal bar across the top of the rear shell, so we'll have to see whether or not this turns out to be accurate.

Here Are Apple's Full Release Notes for iOS 18.3

Apple seeded release candidate versions of iOS 18.3 and related updates this week, suggesting a full public release is likely to come next week.


In addition to previously discussed changes around Apple Intelligence notifications summaries, iOS 18.3 brings several other changes including improvements to the visual intelligence feature for the Camera Control on iPhone 16 models.

iPhone SE 4 Leak Shows Dynamic Island, Casts Doubt on Rumored 'iPhone 16E' Name

Noted mobile phone leaker Evan Blass this week shared some information indicating near-term updates for the iPhone SE, iPad, and iPad Air, but the most intriguing tidbits relate to the next iPhone SE.


Despite a recent rumor that Apple could call the new model the "iPhone 16E," code leaked by Blass refers to the device as "iPhone SE (4th Gen)." That could be a placeholder, but it still casts more uncertainty on the 16E naming possibility.

A purported image of the upcoming devices also depicts the fourth-generation iPhone SE as having a Dynamic Island rather than a notch at the top of the display. There have been conflicting rumors about which way the next iPhone SE will go on that front, so we'll have to wait and see on that one as well.

iOS 19 Rumored to Feature Redesigned Camera App Inspired by visionOS

iOS 19 will feature a redesigned Camera app inspired by visionOS, according to a recent video from Jon Prosser, host of the YouTube channel Front Page Tech.


Prosser obtained video of the alleged new Camera app, but he elected to share his own re-created images to protect his sources. The images reveal that the app will allegedly gain translucent menus for various camera controls, with the design of these menus looking very similar to the visionOS interface on the Apple Vision Pro headset.

Powerbeats Pro 2 Coming Soon: Apple to Announce Them 'Imminently'

In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon.


In his Power On newsletter this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is planning to hold product briefings with the media "in a week or so" to go over the new features of the wireless earbuds.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
This article, "Top Stories: iPhone 17 and iPhone SE 4 Rumors, iOS 18.3 Incoming, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The MacRumors Show is back for 2025! On this week's episode, we look at how Samsung's latest announcements challenge Apple.


Samsung this week announced the Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25+, and the top-of-the-line Galaxy S25 Ultra. The new devices will directly compete with Apple's iPhone 16 and upcoming iPhone 17 lineup.

Similar to the ‌iPhone 16‌, AI is a major focus for the S25 lineup, with Samsung touting a new "Personal Data Engine" with a Dynamic Island-like "Now Bar" with a "Now Brief" that guides users through their day, Circle to Search, generative photo editing, context-aware searches with suggested actions, improved natural language understanding, third-party integrations via Gemini, Portrait Studio, and more.

Samsung also previewed the all-new "Galaxy S25 Edge," a super-thin variant of the S25 set to launch in the first half of 2025. It appears to be positioned as a direct rival to Apple's upcoming "‌iPhone 17‌ Air," which is expected to be the thinnest iPhone ever at just 6mm and a radical departure from previous devices with a 6.6-inch display with ProMotion, a single speaker, a single rear camera, and Apple's custom 5G modem.

Finally, Samsung unveiled its upcoming "Project Moohan" AR/VR headset, which it has designed in collaboration with Google. It is intended to compete with Apple's Vision Pro and bears a striking similarity to it in terms of design.

The MacRumors Show also has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.



You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about all of Apple's expected hardware announcements for 2025.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kevin Nether, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: Samsung's 2025 Challenge to Apple" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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