It's a milestone day for MacRumors, as today marks our 25th birthday. MacRumors was coincidentally founded on Steve Jobs' birthday of February 24, 2000, with articles starting just a few days later.


MacRumors was founded by medical student Arnold Kim, and it remained a side project for over eight years until he decided to give up medicine to focus on MacRumors as a full-time career. That backstory and additional perspective were shared in a July 2008 New York Times profile.

Through the years, MacRumors grew along with Apple's popularity and added additional writers, editors, and other staff members, with the team now numbering roughly a dozen dedicated folks who live and breathe Apple news and rumors.


For those of us who have been around MacRumors since nearly the beginning, the past quarter century has somehow simultaneously felt like both a lifetime and a blink of an eye, and we certainly couldn't have done it without our loyal readers and forum members. For 25 years now, MacRumors has been known for its active and passionate community that has reached over a million registered members and over 32 million forum posts. If you're not a member, we invite you to register for our forums and add your voice to our community.

To all who have helped make MacRumors the best place on the internet to learn about and discuss all things Apple, thank you, and here's to another 25 years.
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Apple last week seeded the first iOS 18.4 beta to developers for testing, but the software update has been pulled for some devices due to issues.


According to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, the first iOS 18.4 beta is no longer available for installation on any of the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, or iPhone 12 Pro Max models, along with select older iPad Air and entry-level iPad models.

The first iOS 18.4 beta was causing some iPhone 12 models and other affected devices to experience a "boot loop," rendering the device unusable. This is one reason why Apple always stresses backing up your iPhone before installing iOS betas, as pre-release software can experience critical bugs and issues from time to time.


There may have been other issues affecting some of the cellular iPad Air models in particular, rather than the boot loop problem.

Apple also pulled the first watchOS 11.4 beta for Apple Watch Series 6 models.

Apple should eventually make iOS 18.4 and watchOS 11.4 betas available again for the affected devices, but it is unclear when that will happen.

Unfortunately, this is far from the first time this has happened.
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Apple today seeded the first public betas of upcoming iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, watchOS 11.4, and tvOS 15.4 updates, allowing public beta testers to try out the new features in the software ahead of its public launch. The public betas come a few days after Apple provided the beta updates to developers.


Public beta testers can download the updates from the Settings app on each device after opting into the beta through Apple's public beta testing website.

The new software for iPhone, iPad, and Mac includes Priority Notifications, an Apple Intelligence feature designed to show you your most important notifications first, plus it adds a new Sketch style for Image Playground.

There is a new Apple News+ Food section for ‌Apple News‌+ subscribers that aggregates recipes, food stories, and tips for healthy eating, plus an Ambient Music feature for playing chill music from Control Center.

iOS 18.4 will include a Vision Pro app that will allow Vision Pro owners to manage the headset. It will support content discovery and acquisition, letting new apps, games, and TV content to be downloaded on the Vision Pro with the ‌iPhone‌. The ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ will also support managing Vision Pro Guest Mode, making it easier for people to try out someone's headset.

On the ‌iPad‌ and Mac, the new updates introduce Mail Categorization, a feature that was previously limited to the ‌iPhone‌.

More on the new features in the updates can be found in our iOS 18.4 beta post.
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Apple's chip factory planned for Houston, Texas will manufacture AI servers that are equipped with high-end M5 chips, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today.


Apple is working with Foxconn to open a 250,000 square foot server manufacturing facility in Houston in 2026, with the hardware produced at the location set to be used for AI. While Apple did not provide any insight into the servers that it will be making, Kuo says that the servers will be equipped with TSMC's high-end M5 chips, which are set to enter mass production as soon as the second half of 2025.

Foxconn already has a facility in Houston, and it bought additional land for new projects last year. Servers will be produced at existing facilities starting in the second half of 2025, with assembly expanding to the new facility when it launches in 2026.

Back in December, Kuo said that Apple would accelerate its Private Cloud Compute infrastructure for Apple Intelligence when the mass production of M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra chips started. Kuo expects the M5 Pro and M5 Max to enter mass production this year, with M5 Ultra chips to be mass produced starting in 2026.
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After switching to Apple silicon by adopting the M2 Ultra chip in 2022, the Mac Pro is widely expected to receive an upgrade to the as-yet-unannounced M4 Ultra chip this year.


Apple last updated the ‌Mac Pro‌ in June 2023, adding an ‌M2‌ Ultra chip and officially completing the transition away from Intel chips. Apple will refresh the ‌Mac Pro‌ in the summer of 2025, according to Mark Gurman. Like the Mac Studio, the next ‌Mac Pro‌ will skip the M3 series. Instead it will be equipped with the highest-end version of the M4 chip, codenamed "Hidra." Based on the description of the chip, it could be positioned as an "Ultra" or "Extreme" chip. Gurman has said the M4 Ultra chip in the next ‌Mac Pro‌ will "probably" have up to a 32-core CPU and up to an 80-core GPU, which would be double the M4 Max's up to 16-core CPU and up to 40-core GPU. It could also support up to 512GB of memory, a notable increase over the current 192GB limit.

By the time the M4 Ultra ‌Mac Pro‌ is released, the current ‌Mac Pro‌ design will be over five years old. While there was a strong case for extensive PCIe expansion with the Intel-based ‌Mac Pro‌ in 2019, because it supported MPX modules and third-party graphics cards, that is no longer the case since the transition to Apple silicon. Likewise, though reviewers praised the Apple silicon ‌Mac Pro‌'s performance, questions have been raised about the device's purpose and high price point. It is also noticeable that by the summer of 2025, the current ‌Mac Pro‌ will be three years old.

Throughout 2022, there were rumors about Apple developing an "‌M2‌ Extreme" chip that doubled the capabilities of the ‌M2‌ Ultra chip for superlative performance. The chip option was apparently cancelled because "[b]ased on Apple's current pricing structure, an ‌M2‌ Extreme version of a ‌Mac Pro‌ would probably cost at least $10,000—without any other upgrades—making it an extraordinarily niche product that likely isn't worth the development costs, engineering resources and production bandwidth it would require." Considering that Apple was weighing up an all-new top-tier Apple silicon chip prior to the release of the current model, it isn't out of the question that the company could revisit the idea in 2026 or beyond.

Likewise, before the release of the Apple silicon ‌Mac Pro‌, there were a multitude of rumors about the company redesigning the ‌Mac Pro‌ to feature a similar but more compact enclosure that was "about half the size." This smaller, redesigned Apple silicon model that was once believed to be in development could move forward after the release of the M4 Ultra version in 2025.

Apple could also revitalize the ‌Mac Pro‌ by offering new optional MPX modules that integrate with the Apple silicon architecture, such as a next-generation Afterburner accelerator card. Of course, it is also possible that the product line could ultimately merge with the ‌Mac Studio‌. For now, ‌Mac Pro‌ rumors center on the long-awaited upgrade to the M4 Ultra chip later this year.
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While the iPhone 17 lineup is still around seven months away from launching, rumors about the devices continue to surface.


The latest word comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter over the weekend, he said that Apple plans to emphasize the iPhone 17 Pro's improved video recording capabilities when it unveils the device later this year, although he did not reveal any specific new features that may be coming.

Here is what he said:

In past years, Apple has focused more heavily on the camera's photo-taking abilities. This year it will stress improvements to video recording. One of the goals for 2025's iPhone line is to get the vlogging community and other video creators to move away from standalone cameras and use the iPhone for even more of their work. Look for Apple to more heavily than ever tout these video recording capabilities when the new iPhones debut in September.

Video recording capabilities already added to iPhones over the years include an Action mode for stabilization, Cinematic mode for shallow depth-of-field, and more.

Multiple sources have claimed that the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a redesigned rear camera system. An alleged render of the iPhone 17 Pro revealed that the back of the device will supposedly have a large rectangular camera bar with rounded corners. The device is expected to have three 48-megapixel rear cameras.

Gurman's newsletter also reiterated that Apple plans to launch its first foldable iPhone in 2026.
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Graphics benchmarks for Apple's yet-to-be announced MacBook Air models with M4 processors have popped up on Geekbench, giving us an idea of how much faster the GPU component of Apple's second-generation 3-nanometer chips are compared to the existing M3 models.


A Geekbench 6 result listing for a "Mac16,12" was recorded on February 23 whose specs include a 10-core chip and 24GB of RAM. Notably, the machine is running a special 24C2101 build of macOS Sequoia 15.2 – the same version that Apple accidentally released back in December that originally confirmed the existence of next-generation 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models. This strongly suggests the benchmark is legit.

As for the result, the machine recorded a Metal score of 55,516. Scores for the existing 13-inch M4 iPad Pro are in the same ballpark, which we would expect. For added context, the existing M3 MacBook Air averages a Metal score of around 48-49,000.

Both the MacBook Air and iPad Pro lack fans for thermal management, so it makes sense that there would be little if any difference between the chips' graphics performance. For comparison, an M4 MacBook Pro with fans can average around ~57,000 on the same benchmark.

According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman's latest report, Apple is preparing its marketing, sales, and retail teams for a March launch of new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models. Gurman has previously said the new models will be released "within weeks." Apart from the new M4 chip, no other significant revisions are expected.
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Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami.


Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe.

Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2:

• With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the AirTag 2 is expected to have up to 3× longer range compared to the current AirTag. The chip debuted in the iPhone 15 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. On the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, there is a Precision Finding for People feature that can help you to find your friends in crowded places, and it offers a range of up to 200 feet/60 meters.


• The new AirTag's built-in speaker is expected to be more difficult to remove or tamper with, as an anti-stalking safety measure.


• The new AirTag is rumored to have improved integration with the Apple Vision Pro.

The original AirTag was announced during an Apple Event in April 2021. In the U.S., an individual AirTag costs $29, and a set of four costs $99.

Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple products, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future plans. For example, they accurately revealed that the iPhone 16 Pro would be equipped with a metal-enclosed battery many months before the device launched. However, their August 2024 claim that new AirPods Pro would be coming "soon" did not pan out, as AirPods Pro 3 have yet to launch.

In another post today, Kosutami seems to be once again implying that new AirPods Pro are on the horizon, along with new Apple smart home accessories. Apple is expected to unveil an all-new smart home hub this year, and it is also rumored to be working on a Face ID doorbell and a smart home camera for release in 2026 or later.
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Apple plans to eventually integrate the modem component in its devices into the main processor, making the electronics more power-efficient and less costly to produce, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


"I'd expect this in 2028 at the earliest," said the reporter in his Power On newsletter. Funnily enough, that's the same year that Apple could begin building its own custom modem into cellular MacBook models, as previously reported by Gurman. However, in his latest report, Gurman did not mention Macs in the same sentence as modems.

Apple has explored the possibility of developing MacBooks with cellular connectivity in the past. Indeed, the company reportedly considered launching a MacBook Air with 3G connectivity, but former CEO Steve Jobs said in 2008 that Apple decided against it, since it would take up too much room in the case. An integrated SoC would solve that problem.

Apple debuted its first custom modem, the C1, in the new iPhone 16e, which the company unveiled last week. According to Apple, the C1 is the most power efficient modem that's been included in an iPhone to date. The ‌iPhone 16e‌ has the longest battery life of an ‌iPhone‌ with a 6.1-inch form factor, and it lasts for up to 26 hours when watching video. Apple says the C1 is "just the start."

Gurman said that Apple is already testing the so-called C2 modem as well as its successor, the C3, which is expected to arrive in 2027, by which time Apple hopes it will "outdo Qualcomm's modem capabilities." MacRumors has previously reported that Apple is testing a C2 modem, which is said to be debuting in Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models next year, according to Gurman.

Apple has reportedly been working on its own modem since 2018, as it seeks to move away from Qualcomm's component currently used in iPhones. Apple's transition away from Qualcomm modems is a logical step, given their turbulent history. Despite recent tensions, the two companies recently extended their modem supply agreement through March 2027, allowing Apple ample time to perfect its own solution.
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Former Apple design chief Sir Jony Ive says he still frequently asks himself "What would Steve do?" – despite Jobs specifically requesting that he shouldn't.


Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Ive shared that Jobs had directly told him before his death in 2011: "I really don't want you to be thinking 'Well, what would Steve do?'"

The legendary designer, who helped craft iconic products like the iMac, iPhone, and Apple Watch, spoke warmly of his collaboration with Jobs, defending the Apple co-founder's reputation for being demanding. "If you have such a clear, pure view of creating something new... if you are serious about actually wanting to develop and make it, you can't just say 'well, here's an idea,'" Ive explained. "Because if that's how you're going to behave, it will remain an idea."

The British-born designer, who moved from Essex to San Francisco in 1992 to join Apple, noted that Jobs immediately understood his vision when he returned to the then-struggling company five years later. "It was remarkable that, despite the limitations of my ability to communicate, Steve understood what I thought and how I felt," Ive said.

Ive said he fears that the technology he has helped to create could now be interfering with human creativity, adding that he finds it difficult to monitor his own use of technology. Ive also expressed both his excitement and concern about the threat posed by AI and its unchecked speed of development: "We need time to understand and react," he said.

Steve Jobs died in 2011 from pancreatic cancer. Today would have been his 70th birthday. The emotional impact of Jobs' passing was evident in Ive's admission that he couldn't bring himself to read anything about his former colleague and friend for a decade after his death in 2011.

After leaving his role as chief design officer, Ive continued to work with Apple as a consultant through LoveFrom until 2022, when the partnership officially concluded. Ive has since officially confirmed his involvement in an AI hardware project with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Among Ive's musical choices on the long-running BBC radio show were "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds and part of the soundtrack from the Disney Pixar robot movie Wall-E.

(Via The Guardian.)
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Apple's next-generation C2 modem is expected to arrive in 2026, debuting in Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple is already testing the so-called C2 modem as well as its successor, the C3, which is expected to arrive in 2027, by which time Apple hopes it will "outdo Qualcomm's modem capabilities." MacRumors has previously reported that Apple is testing a C2 modem.

Apple's C1 modem debuted in the iPhone 16e, which the company unveiled last week. Apple says its first custom modem chip is the most power-efficient iPhone modem ever, contributing to the device having the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone ever, including the more expensive regular iPhone 16.

Gurman previously reported that Apple's second-generation 5G modem will debut in the iPhone 18 lineup in 2026 and in iPad Pro models by 2027. He said this modem will better compete with Qualcomm's modems in current iPhones by adding support for the ultra-fast 5G standard known as mmWave, a feature the C1 modem lacks.

Apple's rumored all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air is expected to be next in line to use the new C1 modem. The new slimmer device is expected to replace the Plus model in the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup, which is expected to arrive in mid-September.
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Apple has announced plans to invest $500 billion in the United States over the next four years, including a significant expansion of its domestic manufacturing and research capabilities, according to Bloomberg. The commitment comes following a recent meeting between CEO Tim Cook and President Donald Trump.


The tech giant's plans include the construction of a new server manufacturing facility in Houston, where Apple and Foxconn will produce servers for Apple's Private Cloud Compute system. The 250,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to open next year.

Apple will also establish a supplier academy in Michigan, "to train the next generation of US manufacturers," and will expand its data center presence across multiple states, including Arizona, Oregon, Iowa, Nevada, and North Carolina. The company confirmed that chip production has already begun at TSMC's Arizona facility, which is currently manufacturing components for some Apple Watch and iPad models.

The 20,000 new jobs Apple plans to create will focus primarily on research and development, silicon engineering, and artificial intelligence. This matches the company's previous hiring wave, which added 20,000 R&D positions over the last five years.

In Detroit, Apple plans to double down on manufacturing education by opening a dedicated academy to support smaller companies. The tech giant is also doubling its US manufacturing fund to $10 billion.

"We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we're proud to build on our long-standing US investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future," Cook said in a statement. "We'll keep working with people and companies across this country to help write an extraordinary new chapter in the history of American innovation."

The announcement is likely to have been strategically timed, given that Trump has threatened to impose an additional 10% tax on Chinese imports. Cook previously succeeded in protecting the iPhone from tariffs during Trump's first term by arguing that such measures would end up benefiting competitors like Samsung.
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Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, so today would have marked his 70th birthday if he hadn't passed away in 2011 at the age of 56.


In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer Company to market Wozniak's Apple I, a pioneering personal computer. Their collaboration led to the introduction of the Apple II in 1977, which significantly influenced the personal computing industry.

In 1984, Apple launched the Macintosh, notable for its graphical user interface and the iconic "1984" Super Bowl commercial directed by Ridley Scott. However, internal conflicts led to Jobs' departure from Apple in 1985. He then founded NeXT Inc., focusing on advanced computer platforms.

In 1997, Apple acquired NeXT, bringing Jobs back to the company as interim CEO. Under his leadership, Apple revitalized its product line and introduced groundbreaking products like the iMac, iPod, and iPhone. Apple Computer Company was renamed Apple Inc. in 2007 as the company expanded its focus from computers to consumer electronics.

Jobs remained at the helm until his death in 2011, during which time Apple transformed into one of the world's leading technology companies.

As expected, Apple CEO Tim Cook has shared his thoughts about Steve on X (Twitter):

We miss you, Steve!
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A new CAD render of all the devices in Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 lineup has been shared online by leaker Majin Bu, specifically showing the allegedly different rear camera system designs of the standard iPhone 17, all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models.


The leaker Majin Bu has had some hits in the past, but some of his information has been wrong, including a rumor about an iPad 11 being imminent in 2023. What's different in this particular case is that Weibo-based leakers Fixed Focus Digital, Ice Universe, and Digital Chat Station have all backed the accuracy of the CAD image, based on their own information from Apple's supply chain in China. "The appearance is basically like this," commented Digital Chat Station in reference to the image. It might just be time to get used to this new look.

"The CAD renders are quite accurate," said Fixed Focus Digital. "Let me add a bit more detail: The iPhone 17 Pro models will most likely use a combination of materials — specifically, a glass section for the logo area integrated into an overall metal chassis." This appears to explain the red areas on the iPhone 17 Pro models in the image. Indeed, rumors do suggest Apple plans to go with a half glass, half aluminum build, which would increase durability. The glass would allow wireless charging to continue to be available, but a partial aluminum frame would be less prone to breakage.

Apple has also reportedly tested a wireless reverse charging feature for the iPhone 17 Pro models that would make the iPhone capable of delivering power to other Apple devices.

Apple plans to significantly revamp the camera design on its upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models, moving away from the familiar square camera bump to a distinctive aluminum camera bar that spans the device's width, according to recent reports.

The redesign extends to the new iPhone 17 Air model, which is set to replace the Plus variant in Apple's lineup. This thinner device will allegedly feature a similar horizontal camera bar design, though it will accommodate just a single camera lens.

In contrast, the base iPhone 17 is expected to maintain the current camera design language seen in the iPhone 16 series, helping to further differentiate Apple's premium and standard offerings.

Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu earlier this month said the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with aluminum frames. However, Pu expects Apple's rumored iPhone 17 Air model to have a titanium frame. Apple introduced titanium as a feature for its Pro models in 2023, but Pu said Apple plans to use aluminum for the iPhone 17 Pro models due to environmental considerations.

What do you think of the alleged changes in this year's iPhone 17 series? Let us know in the comments. Apple is anticipated to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup during its traditional September launch window.
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Seasoned leaker Sonny Dickson shared rendered images over the weekend depicting what the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max could look like when housed in a transparent MagSafe case, based on the latest rumors.


The main difference we're expecting in Apple's largest premium model is the redesigned camera system on the rear. Rather than a square bump, Apple could adopt a larger rectangular camera bump that's made from aluminum instead of glass.

The first significant rumor regarding design updates for the iPhone 17 lineup surfaced last November from Wayne Ma at The Information. Ma reported that the rear casing of the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models will adopt a hybrid aluminum-and-glass construction.

The top half of the back will be made of aluminum and feature a "rectangular camera bump made of aluminum rather than traditional 3D glass," claimed the report, while the bottom half will continue to be made of glass to support wireless charging.

Earlier this month, leaker Jon Prosser a shared a render of the iPhone 17 Pro. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌'s three rear cameras will apparently be arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but housed in an all-new rectangular bar that extends all the way across the back of the device.


These rumors feed into reports that suggest Apple could completely do away with the titanium frame that it's used for the last several years, instead going back to aluminum.

Both of the iPhone 17 Pro models are said to feature these changes, while the all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, which replaces the Plus model in the lineup, is also rumored to feature a horizontal rear camera bar, albeit housing just one camera. Meanwhile, recent rumors suggest that the standard iPhone 17 model will retain the same rear camera system design that's used in current iPhone 16 models. The iPhone 17 lineup is expected to launch around mid-September.
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Apple today announced that its clinical-grade, over-the-counter Hearing Aid feature for AirPods Pro 2 is now available in the United Kingdom.

"At Apple, we believe that technology can help people live healthier lives, and we're delighted to bring the Hearing Aid feature to the UK, offering our users an end-to-end hearing health experience with AirPods Pro 2," said Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple's vice president of Health.

The Hearing Aid feature enhances ambient sounds, assisting adults who perceive themselves as having mild to moderate hearing impairment, according to Apple. This functionality is provided at no extra charge in supported countries, delivered via free software updates.

Using the personalised hearing profile generated from the Hearing Test that takes about five minutes to complete, the feature helps adults determine whether they have hearing loss by assessing how well they can detect various sound frequencies. Upon completion, users receive a classification of their hearing level along with suggested actions. Meanwhile, their hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across devices.

Apple's hearing health features first launched in the US and select other countries in late October with the release of iOS 18.1. In December, iOS 18.2 expanded the hearing test feature to France, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Spain, Cyprus, Czechia, and the UK, and both the hearing aid and hearing test features to the United Arab Emirates. Today's announcement means that both the hearing test and the Hearing Aid feature are finally available to users in the UK.


All of the hearing health features on the AirPods Pro 2 require firmware version 7B19 or newer. Firmware updates are installed automatically on AirPods while they are charging and in Bluetooth range of an iPhone, iPad, or Mac connected to Wi-Fi.
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The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay.


As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped with up to a 14-inch screen.

In our testing, CarPlay still showed two rows of four icons in a Honda Civic with a 9-inch screen.

While this is only a minor change, CarPlay showing more icons when possible is a nice quality-of-life improvement for Apple's phone mirroring system, allowing drivers to quickly access more apps with less swiping between pages.

Following beta testing, iOS 18.4 is expected to be released to the public in early April.
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Apple has started preparing its marketing, sales, and retail teams as it gears up for the March release of new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models featuring M4 chips, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that current models are also seeing inventory drawn down at stores, which is another signal that a launch is nearing. A launch has been thought to be imminent for a while now. In fact, it was originally rumored to be planned as Apple's first hardware launch of the year, but that turned out to be the iPhone 16e, which debuted over the past week.

Gurman last week said Apple will begin selling new MacBook Air models featuring its latest M4 chip by March "at the latest," so his wording suggests he is fully confident that the machines are arriving next month. Whether that's in the first half of March or later in the month is still unclear.

Twelve days ago Gurman claimed that the machines would be introduced "within weeks." While he's betting on March, Gurman seems not further forward on learning the exact release timing of the new versions of the company's most popular laptop.

Apple inadvertently confirmed the upcoming M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ machines back in December when the macOS Sequoia 15.2 software update included files for unreleased "Mac16,12" and "Mac16,13" machines. The files referenced the "‌‌MacBook Air‌‌ (13-inch, M4, 2025)" and the "‌‌MacBook Air‌‌ (15-inch, M4, 2025)."
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Amazon and Best Buy are discounting Apple's 13-inch M2 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD storage down to $799.00 in every color. This is a $200 discount on the M2 MacBook Air, and the sale does not require any coupon code in order to see the final deal price.

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

Compared to past sales, this is a solid second-best price on this model of the M2 MacBook Air. Although this is a previous generation device, it remains in Apple's current lineup and will work great for anyone who doesn't need the performance gains introduced with the M3 chip, especially at this discounted price.



If you're looking for a deal on the M3 MacBook Air, you can get the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD storage for $1,099.99 on Amazon, down from $1,299.00. There is only one color available at this record low price on Amazon.



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 week saw Apple introduce the newest member of the iPhone 16 family, the iPhone 16e, as a new low-cost option to replace the iPhone SE. The iPhone 16e delivers a number of key improvements as well as Apple's first custom cellular modem.


Apple also began seeding the first beta versions of its next round of operating systems, and there are a number of tweaks and improvements in iOS 18.4 while visionOS 2.4 will bring Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro headset, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

As expected, Apple this week introduced a successor to the third-generation iPhone SE, and it arrived with a name change: iPhone 16e.


The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, completing Apple's move away from the Touch ID fingerprint button on its iPhone lineup.

The iPhone 16e is powered by an A18 chip, enabling support for Apple Intelligence features, such as notification summaries and Genmoji for creating custom emoji. In the iPhone 16e, the A18 chip has a 6-core CPU and a 16-core Neural Engine, but a binned 4-core GPU. The A18 chip in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus has a 5-core GPU.

Apple Unveils 'C1' as First Custom Cellular Modem

One notable feature of the iPhone 16e is the inclusion of Apple's first custom cellular modem, dubbed C1. Apple says it's the most power-efficient modem ever in an iPhone, helping the iPhone 16e to achieve the longest battery life ever in a 6.1-inch iPhone.


While the C1 is the culmination of seven years of work for Apple, it's also just the first in a family of chips that will see Apple iterate and improve upon the C1. In fact, a C2 modem chip is reportedly already in testing.

iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 Buyer's Guide: 25+ Differences Compared

While the iPhone 16e starting at $599 is considerably more expensive than the iPhone SE it's replacing, it's still $200 cheaper than the iPhone 16.


For those weighing whether to purchase an iPhone 16e or an iPhone 16, we've put together a buyer's guide highlighting the over 25 differences between the models to help you decide.

Everything New in iOS 18.4 Beta 1

Apple this week finally released the first beta of iOS 18.4 to developers for testing purposes, and while the beta is lacking some of the Apple Intelligence features we were hoping for, there are some notable new additions.


Priority Notifications powered by Apple Intelligence, the addition of the Sketch style to Image Playground, numerous new languages for Apple Intelligence, and Ambient Music functionality built into Control Center, and more are included in iOS 18.4 so far.

Apple Releases First visionOS 2.4 Beta With Apple Intelligence, Spatial Gallery and More

Apple Intelligence is coming to the Vision Pro with visionOS 2.4. Supported Apple Intelligence features include Writing Tools for generating, proofreading, and summarizing text, Genmoji for creating custom emoji characters, an Image Playground app for generating images, Memory Movie for creating custom slideshows, smart reply for generating quick responses to texts and emails, Priority Notifications and Notification Summaries, ChatGPT Siri integration and new ‌Siri‌ features, and Image Wand for adding images to the Notes app, complete with gesture support.


There's also a dedicated Spatial Gallery app coming to the Vision Pro, which will include a curated selection of spatial videos, spatial photos, and panorama images from artists, filmmakers, and photographers. A new Vision Pro app for iPhone will also allow users to get Vision Pro support and feature help, download apps to the Vision Pro, add content to a watch list, and get device info like serial number. The app can also be used to manage Guest Mode on Vision Pro.

Apple Discontinues iPhone 14 and 14 Plus

While it's unsurprising that Apple discontinued the iPhone SE alongside the introduction of the iPhone 16e, Apple also discontinued the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, simplifying the overall lineup.


The discontinuation makes sense considering the pricing on the iPhone 16e and the fact that the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus would have been the only models in the lineup to still be using Lightning rather than USB-C.

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 16e Announced, iOS 18.4 Beta, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Amazon this week has Apple's AirTag 4-Pack for $69.99, down from $99.00. Amazon introduced this all-time low price back in January, and it's been reappearing throughout the month of February.

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.

Amazon provides an estimated late February delivery date for most residences in the United States, and you won't need to clip an on-page coupon in order to see this deal. If you're shopping for just one AirTag, Amazon has the AirTag 1-Pack for $22.99, which is about $3 higher compared to that option's record low price.



Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

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California Governor Gavin Newsom this week recommended former Apple CEO Steve Jobs for the $1 American Innovation Coin for the State of California that will be minted by the U.S. Mint.


Each state is able to create a unique coin recognizing an innovation or innovator from their region as part of the Innovation Coin Program that was launched in 2018.

Newsom said that Steve Jobs "encapsulates the unique brand of innovation that California runs on."

Jobs' legacy spans industries and products: Jobs was the co-founder and CEO of Pixar Animation Studios, bringing to life the world's first fully computer-animated feature: "Toy Story." But even that legacy-defining achievement is surpassed by his work as co-founder and two-time CEO of Apple, launching several revolutionary computers, including Apple II - the first mass-produced microcomputer - and Macintosh - the first mass-market personal computer that included a graphic display, so users could see what they were working on.

The goal, according to Jobs, was to "bridge the gap between sophisticated technology and 'the rest of us' who make up most of humanity...to make complex technology easy to use and fun to use." That approach led to the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, devices that refined existing technology to make it more precise, more intuitive, and more functional.

By focusing on who he was innovating for - other people - Jobs was able to use technology to connect people to each other and to the broader world, bringing people onto the same level by providing them with equal access. And that approach was built on a willingness to try new ideas and push the boundaries of what was possible - an approach that embodies the California spirit.

California's nomination has been presented to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC), which will take design recommendations to the Treasury Secretary for final approval. The CCAC decided to recommend a coin with Steve Jobs in his iconic turtleneck and glasses, but the design is not finalized and could be updated before the coin is made.

The coin is expected to be produced and made available in 2026.
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The new iPhone 16e includes Apple's first custom designed modem chip, the C1. To promote the new chip, Apple invited several YouTubers and journalists to Apple Park, including Andru Edwards. Edwards got a first-hand look at Apple's modem testing labs, and he was able to speak to Apple engineers about the C1.


According to Apple, the C1 is the most power efficient modem that's been included in an iPhone to date, and that's the edge that the C1 has over Qualcomm's modems. The ‌iPhone 16e‌ has the longest battery life of an ‌iPhone‌ with a 6.1-inch form factor, and it lasts for up to 26 hours when watching video.

At Apple's modem testing labs, Apple engineers spent years testing the C1, determining how it would behave under various conditions using a range of equipment. Apple's testing lab allows it to identify and fix issues before a modem chip ever leaves the design stage.

The C1 was tested in environmental chambers where it was exposed to different extreme temperatures to ensure that it can operate in the harshest conditions. Repeated physical tests also ensure that the chip is able to stand up to daily wear and tear. Network tests cover the heavy data traffic of a packed stadium to remote rural areas with minimal signal.

Apple tested the C1 with over 180 carriers across 55 countries to ensure that it delivers reliable connectivity. The C1 is designed to integrate with the A18 chip, with the A18 able to optimize C1 network load for faster speeds.

According to Apple, the C1 is built on a 4-nanometer processor for the baseband and a 7-nanometer process for the transceiver, and it is a robust platform that's built for the future. Right now, the C1 does not support the faster mmWave 5G speeds, but future versions are likely to add the functionality.

Rumors suggest that a next-generation C2 chip is already in development for future ‌iPhone‌ models.
This article, "Here's a Look at Apple's Secret Modem Testing Lab Where C1 Was Developed" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple finally released the first beta of iOS 18.4 to developers for testing purposes, and while the beta is lacking some of the Apple Intelligence features we were hoping for, there are some notable new additions.

Priority Notifications - Apple Intelligence

There is a new Priority Notifications feature that can show you your most important notifications first. Priority Notifications is disabled by default, but it can be turned on by going to Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications and tapping the toggle.


With the feature enabled, ‌Apple Intelligence‌ will show notifications that may be important in a dedicated section of the Lock Screen.

Image Playground Sketch Style

Image Playground now includes a Sketch style that joins the Animation and Illustration styles. Sketch was previously available for Image Wand, but now it is a third style that can be used in ‌Image Playground‌.


Swap styles by tapping on the "+" button in the ‌Image Playground‌ app.

Apple also replaced the "Winter Holidays" theme with a new "Spring" theme.

New Apple Intelligence Languages

French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified), along with localized English for Singapore and India.

Apple News+ Food

iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 include a new Apple News Food section for ‌Apple News‌+ subscribers. The Food section features tens of thousands of recipes, stories about restaurants, tips for healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more.


Content will come from top food publishers such as Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Good Food, and Serious Eats.‌Apple News‌ editors will curate food-related stories, and there will be a dedicated Recipe Catalog section where new recipes are added regularly. An included cook mode provides step-by-step instructions, and users can save favorite recipes for offline access.

Ambient Music

iOS 18.4 includes a new Ambient Music option that can be added to Control Center. There are four different sound categories, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.


Each category can be added to Control Center separately, and tapping one plays a random selection of sounds or music from that particular category.

You can't choose what's playing from Control Center, but if you play a category and then tap into the Dynamic Island at the top or access the Now Playing widget, you can skip songs and see the name of what's currently playing.

Mail Categorization for iPadOS 18.4

With iPadOS 18.4, an updated Mail app is available with categorization. The new Mail app organizes incoming emails into different sections. Important emails are displayed in the Primary category, with other emails organized into sections highlighting product orders, newsletters, deals, and social notifications.

Mail categorization was previously introduced for the iPhone in iOS 18.2.

Privacy Indication Dots

The small dots that show up on the ‌iPhone‌'s menu bar when the camera or microphone is in use have been moved to the left and are now more apparent thanks to a black background.

Siri Voices

There are two new Australian voices for Siri.

Genmoji

The Genmoji icon for the Emoji keyboard now says "‌Genmoji‌" instead of just featuring a multi-colored smiley face. The change should make it more obvious where users go to create a ‌Genmoji‌ character.

Apple Maps

In the Apple Maps Settings, there is a new option to set a Preferred Language.

Podcasts Widget

There are new Library and Shows widgets that can be added to the Home Screen on an ‌iPhone‌ or iPad. The Library widget features saved content, while the Shows option displays shows that you are subscribed to.


In the Podcasts app, if you tap on your profile picture, there are new options for Podcasts Settings and Notification Settings.

Cellular Control Center Toggle

The Cellular toggle in the Control Center now shows your cellular signal strength represented in bars.

Shortcuts Actions

Apple added a new Shortcuts action to open a specific conversation in the Messages app.

CarPlay

Some CarPlay users are seeing a third row of ‌CarPlay‌ icons on the ‌Home Screen‌ rather than just two rows.

Default Apps

There is a new option to set a different Translation app as the default in the Default Apps section of the Settings app. In the EU, there is also an option to choose a different Navigation app.

Notification Center

The animation when swiping out of the Notification Center is now smoother.

Wi-Fi Calling Issue

Apple's developer notes for the update say that Wi-Fi Calling might not work for US Cellular customers in iOS 18.4. Apple says that users should revert to iOS 18.3 to enable Wi-Fi Calling.

Japan 'My Number Card' Support in Wallet

The iOS 18.4 beta appears to include integration for Japanese "My Number Card" Digital IDs in the Wallet app. Apple said last year that it would be adding support for the ID cards in spring 2025.

More than 100 million Japanese residents have My Number Card IDs.

MDM Changes

For enterprise and education users, Apple made some updates to Mobile Device Management. MDM can disable ‌Apple Intelligence‌ reports, Mail smart replies, Safari summarize content, and the Idle Reboot feature that causes iPhones to restart after inactivity.

There are also options for preventing the modification of default calling and messaging apps, and there is a feature that allows a nearby ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ to be used to sign into a Mac with an Apple Account.

Vision Pro App and Guest Setup

For Vision Pro owners, Apple has designed a Vision Pro app for managing the headset. It's designed to help users find content and learn about new features, so it includes tools for downloading apps and visionOS content, a tips page, and a My Vision Pro section for setting up Personalized Spatial Audio and getting information like headset serial number.


Guest setup can now be managed on an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ linked to a Vision Pro, making it easier for Vision Pro owners to let others test their headset. There are controls for limiting what apps a guest is able to use, and an AirPlay mode for guiding the guest through Vision Pro experiences. When a guest user puts on the Vision Pro, a prompt to enable Guest Mode will appear on the headset owner's device.

The Vision Pro app isn't in this beta, but it will be coming in a later iOS 18.4 beta.

New Emojis

There are no new emoji in the current beta, but iOS 18.4 code confirms a future beta will add new characters. New emoji will include bags under eyes, fingerprint, leafless tree, root vegetable, harp, shovel, and splatter.

iOS 18.4 Release Date

Apple plans to release iOS 18.4 to the public in April.
This article, "Everything New in iOS 18.4 Beta 1" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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With the iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 betas, Apple is introducing a new Priority Notifications feature that can show you your most important notifications first.


Apple first announced Priority Notifications when showing off Apple Intelligence in June, but it wasn't implemented until now. Priority Notifications is disabled by default, but it can be turned on by going to Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications and tapping the toggle.

With the feature enabled, ‌Apple Intelligence‌ will show notifications that may be important in a dedicated section of the Lock Screen.
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The initial iPadOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4 betas that Apple provided to developers today expand the revamped Mail app to the iPad and the Mac.


The new Mail app features built-in categorization that organizes incoming emails into different sections. Important emails are displayed in the Primary category, with other emails organized into sections highlighting product orders, newsletters, deals, and social notifications.

A "Transactions" section aggregates receipts, orders, and deliveries to make it easy to find orders that you've placed and shipping information for those orders.

In an "Updates" section, you'll find newsletters, alerts for doctor's appointments and correspondence, and subscription emails. A "Promotions" category includes emails with offers and deals.

Categories is the default view after updating to the new software, but in the upper right corner of the Mail app, you can swap back to a list view that shows all emails in chronological order, without separation into categories. Devices that have Apple Intelligence support will show priority emails in the Primary inbox, so you can see what's most important first. Emails in the Transactions, Updates, or Promotions section that have time-sensitive information will also be shown in the Primary section.

Apple already brought Mail categorization to the iPhone with the iOS 18.2 update, but now it has expanded to the Mac and ‌iPad‌ as well.
This article, "Revamped Mail App With Built-In Categorization Comes to Mac and iPad" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In iOS 18.4, there's a new Ambient Music option that can be added to Control Center. There are four different sound categories, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.


Each category can be added to Control Center separately, and tapping one plays a random selection of sounds or music from that particular category.

You can't choose what's playing from Control Center, but if you play a category and then tap into the Dynamic Island at the top or access the Now Playing widget, you can skip songs and see the name of what's currently playing.

There is no dedicated app for the feature, but Apple has a hidden app that provides more control through skipping songs.

Ambient Music is available on both the iPhone and the iPad in iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4.
This article, "iOS 18.4 Adds New Ambient Music Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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With iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, Apple plans to introduce new features for the Apple News+ subscription service. Apple is adding ‌Apple News‌+ Food, a section that features tens of thousands of recipes, stories about restaurants, tips for healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more.


Content will come from top food publishers such as Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Good Food, and Serious Eats.

‌Apple News‌ editors will curate food-related stories, and there will be a dedicated Recipe Catalog section where new recipes are added regularly. An included cook mode provides step-by-step instructions, and users can save favorite recipes for offline access.

‌Apple News‌+ Food is coming to ‌Apple News‌+ subscribers with the launch of iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April.
This article, "Apple News+ Gains Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, and More in iOS 18.4" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a month after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3.


iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.

iOS 18.4 includes a dedicated Apple Vision Pro app, which will show up on your iPhone if you have a Vision Pro headset that's also connected to your Apple Account. If you don't have a Vision Pro, it can be downloaded from the App Store.

The Vision Pro app is designed to help users find content, get help, and learn about new Vision Pro features. It includes tools for adding content to the Apple TV app to watch later, downloading apps remotely, and viewing information about the Vision Pro such as device serial number with a dedicated My Vision Pro section.

There is a dedicated Discover page that offers curated recommendations for new experiences that are available on Vision Pro. Users can see popular apps and games, a list of more than 300 3D movies, Apple Immersive videos, Vision Pro video content on the ‌Apple TV‌ app, and spatial photos, videos, and panoramas included in the new Spatial Gallery.

With a My Vision Pro page, users can find tips for getting the most out of the Vision Pro, and set up features like vision correction and Personalized Spatial Audio.


Guest setup for the Vision Pro can now be managed on the ‌iPhone‌, which makes it easier for Vision Pro owners to allow others to test the headset. There are controls for limiting what apps a guest can access, along with an option to view what the guest user is doing for guidance purposes. When a guest user puts on the Vision Pro, a prompt to enable Guest Mode will appear on the headset owner's device.

Rumors suggested that iOS 18.4 would include new Apple Intelligence Siri features, but the new ‌Siri‌ options may be delayed. Apple is reportedly running into engineering problems and software bugs, and ‌Siri‌ is not yet working as intended, so there may be no new ‌Siri‌ features in the beta as of yet.

Apple has promised ‌Siri‌ will get personal context, on-screen awareness, and the ability to do more in and between apps. Apple also plans to expand ‌Apple Intelligence‌ to additional languages in the iOS 18.4 update, so the new language support could be available. We're also still waiting on Priority Notifications, another ‌Apple Intelligence‌ feature that Apple says is coming in the near future.

With testing starting in late February, iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 are expected to see a launch in April.
This article, "Apple Releases First Beta of iOS 18.4 With New Vision Pro App" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming visionOS 2.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming almost a month after the launch of visionOS 2.3.


visionOS 2.4 can be installed by going to the Software Update section of the Settings app on the Vision Pro and opting into Beta Updates. A developer account is required.

visionOS 2.4 will be one of the most significant visionOS updates to date, because it brings Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro for the first time. Apple started rolling out ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac last year, but the Vision Pro was not included until now.

"Apple Vision Pro is helping users communicate, collaborate, and experience entertainment in entirely new ways -- and we're continuing to push the boundaries of what's possible in spatial computing with visionOS 2.4," said Mike Rockwell, Apple's vice president of the Vision Products Group. "With Apple Intelligence, Vision Pro users will be able to take their productivity and creativity to new heights using features like Writing Tools, Image Playground, and Genmoji. And we're excited for users to discover and share incredible new experiences with Spatial Gallery."

Apple Intelligence features that are accessible on the Vision Pro include Writing Tools for generating, proofreading, and summarizing text, Genmoji for creating custom emoji characters, an Image Playground app for generating images, Memory Movie for creating custom slideshows, smart reply for generating quick responses to texts and emails, Priority Notifications and Notification Summaries, ChatGPT Siri integration and new ‌Siri‌ features, and Image Wand for adding images to the Notes app, complete with gesture support.


Apple is debuting a dedicated Spatial Gallery app for the Vision Pro, which includes a curated selection of spatial videos, spatial photos, and panorama images from artists, filmmakers, and photographers. Apple plans to offer a range of content featuring sports, culture, arts, lifestyle, nature, travel, entertainment, and more. Content at launch includes images and experiences from Cirque du Soleil, Red Bull, Porsche, Samba Diop, and Jonpaul Douglass, along with behind the scenes content from Apple TV+ shows.

For Vision Pro management, there is a new Vision Pro app that's available on the ‌iPhone‌. The Vision Pro app is designed to help Vision Pro users discover new content, and it has a number of features. Users can get Vision Pro support and feature help, download apps to the Vision Pro, add content to a watch list, and get device info like serial number. The app will automatically download for iOS 18.4 users who have a Vision Pro headset, but it can also be downloaded from the App Store.

The Vision Pro app has a discover page that provides curated recommendations for new and noteworthy experiences. Users can see popular apps and games, including Apple Immersive titles.

Most notably, an ‌iPhone‌ can now be used to set up the Guest Mode on the Vision Pro, which is a much more useful way to let people demo the headset than having to set it up on the Vision Pro itself. When a guest is ready to use the Vision Pro, a prompt will appear on the ‌iPhone‌, and the Vision Pro user can select what the guest can access and see what the guest is doing using AirPlay to provide navigation guidance and content suggestions.

Guests are able to save their eye and hand setup for up to 30 days after their last use.

Apple plans to release visionOS 2.4 to the public in April.
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Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Sequoia 15.4 update to developers, with the new update coming a month after Apple released ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3.


Registered developers can opt-in to the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. An Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

It's not yet clear what's included in ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.4, but the update is expected to feature new emoji characters and Apple Intelligence in additional languages. When we learn what's new in ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.4, we'll update this article.

macOS 15.4 is set to be released in April.
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Apple today provided developers with the first betas of upcoming watchOS 11.4 and tvOS 18.4 updates for testing purposes.


The betas are available to registered developers, and can be downloaded from the Settings app on each device.

There is no word yet on what's included in the new software, but should any new features be found, we'll update this article.
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This week we saw the return of a big sale on Apple Watch Series 10, plus numerous record low prices on iPad Pro, iPad Air, Apple Studio Display, and Apple Pencil Pro.

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.

AirPods 4

• What's the deal? Take $30 off AirPods 4


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

The best AirPods deal this week was on the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, which is available for $148.99, down from $179.00. This is just about $10 higher compared to the lowest-ever price.

Apple Watch Series 10

• What's the deal? Take $70 off Apple Watch Series 10


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week has numerous all-time low prices on Apple Watch Series 10, including both GPS and cellular 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.

Apple Pencil Pro

• What's the deal? Take $30 off Apple Pencil Pro


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Another all-time low price available on Amazon this week was on the Apple Pencil Pro, and it's still available for $99.00 today, down from $129.00.

Apple Studio Display

• What's the deal? Take $299 off Apple Studio Display


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

The Apple Studio Display returned to its all-time low price of $1,299.99 this week on Amazon, down from $1,599.00. This is the Standard Glass model of the Studio Display, and right now it's the only model hitting a record low price.

iPads

• What's the deal? Take up to $200 off iPad Pro, and iPad Air


• Where can I get it? Best Buy


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon and Best Buy introduced numerous discounts across the iPad Air and iPad Pro lineup this week, with the return of best-ever prices on multiple models. iPad Air tablets start at $499.00 and reach up to $200 off, while iPad Pro tablets start at $849.00 and also reach up to $200 off. You can find more details about all of these deals in our original post.

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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The iPhone 16e will join the four other iPhone 16 models in being made in India, Apple has revealed.



In a response to a query from India's Economic Times, Apple said that "the entire ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup, including ‌iPhone 16e‌, is being assembled in India for Indian consumers and for export to select countries."

In recent years, Apple has significantly increased its production footprint in the country. Nikkei Asia suggests that the share of iPhones made in India will rise from around 15% today to 25% by 2027. The 16e is reportedly likely to be assembled on the same Indian production lines as the iPhone 14.

The iPhone 16 Pro and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max are the first high-end ‌iPhone‌ models to be made in India. Apple's ‌iPhone‌ exports from the country reached nearly $6 billion in the six months leading up to September 2024, representing a 33% increase compared to the same period last year. Apple is expected to begin production of AirPods in India for the first time later this year.


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A new Apple Store will be opening March 1 at the Trafford Centre shopping mall outside of Manchester, in the United Kingdom.


Apple's existing store at the mall will be permanently closed starting February 27.

Apple has not shared photos or details about the new Trafford Centre store, but you can expect a modern design that will likely include an Apple Pickup station for in-store pickup of orders that customers have placed on Apple's online store.

Apple Trafford Centre originally opened in 2005.

In other store news, Apple recently opened a new store in Miami, and it says another store in Downtown Detroit is coming soon.

(Thanks, Filip Chudzinski!)
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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we unpack Apple's announcement of the all-new iPhone 16e.


The ‌iPhone 16e‌ is the newest member of the iPhone lineup, offering a massive upgrade over the now-discontinued third-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. It features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a notch for Face ID, a Ceramic Shield front cover, a USB-C port, and an Action button, and much more.

It is powered by an A18 chip, enabling support for Apple Intelligence features, such as notification summaries and Genmoji for creating custom emoji. It also supports Visual Intelligence.

In the ‌iPhone 16e‌, the A18 chip has a 6-core CPU and a 16-core Neural Engine, but a binned 4-core GPU, making it slightly less powerful than the iPhone 16 and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus. It also has IP68-rated water resistance, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3.

The device is equipped with an Apple-designed 5G modem called the C1, whereas other iPhones have a Qualcomm modem. Apple says its own modem is so power efficient that the ‌iPhone 16e‌ offers the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ model ever at up to 26 hours.

On the back of the ‌iPhone 16e‌ is a single 48-megapixel Fusion camera, which provides a 2x "optical-quality" Telephoto option, according to Apple. On the front, there is a 12-megapixel camera with autofocus. The device does not have the Camera Control button that was introduced across the rest of the ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup last year. It also lacks MagSafe.

‌iPhone 16e‌ supports Apple's satellite features. When outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ supports Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My via satellite.

The device is available in white or black, and with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage capacities. In the U.S., pricing starts at $599.

We talk through how the ‌iPhone 16e‌ compares to the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 16‌, which sit at $699 and $799, respectively. We also contemplate what the discontinuation of the ‌iPhone‌ SE line means for the rumored third-generation Apple Watch SE, which is rumored to launch later this year. The MacRumors Show 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 the imminent Apple product "launch" that is widely expected to be the fourth-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE.

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.

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This article, "The MacRumors Show: iPhone 16e Announced!" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has confirmed that its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e has nothing to do with the device's lack of MagSafe support, according to Macworld.


Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, there was some speculation online about how MagSafe magnets might have interfered with the C1 modem's cellular connectivity performance, and this was considered to be a potential reason for the device not supporting MagSafe. But, that explanation is not true, according to Apple.

From the report:

Update 11:18am ET: Apple has confirmed to Macworld that the C1 modem is not responsible for the decision to leave MagSafe charging off the new iPhone 16e.

A well-known iPhone case maker told MacRumors that it completed testing that confirmed MagSafe cases do not impact the C1 modem's performance.

So, why does the iPhone 16e lack MagSafe? Apple has not disclosed its actual reasoning, but we would wager that it simply comes down to pricing considerations.

iPhone 16e pre-ordering started today, and the device launches Friday, February 28.
This article, "Apple Denies Speculation Surrounding iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom following government demands for backdoor access to encrypted user data, according to Bloomberg. The move comes after UK officials secretly ordered Apple to provide unrestricted access to encrypted iCloud content worldwide.


Customers who are already using Advanced Data Protection, or ADP, will need to manually disable it during an unspecified grace period to keep their iCloud accounts, according to the report. Apple said it will issue additional guidance in the future to affected users and that it "does not have the ability to automatically disable it on their behalf."

The UK government's demand came through a "technical capability notice" under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), requiring Apple to create a backdoor that would allow British security officials to access encrypted user data globally. The order would have compromised Apple's Advanced Data Protection feature, which provides end-to-end encryption for iCloud data including Photos, Notes, Messages backups, and device backups.

"We are gravely disappointed that the protections provided by ADP will not be available to our customers in the UK given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy," Apple said in a statement. "ADP protects iCloud data with end-to-end encryption, which means the data can only be decrypted by the user who owns it, and only on their trusted devices."

Apple's decision to pull the feature rather than comply with the UK's demands is consistent with the company's previous statements that it would consider withdrawing encrypted services from the UK rather than compromise security. Apple has long opposed creating backdoors in its products, maintaining that such access points would inevitably be discovered by malicious actors.


The UK order was particularly controversial as it would have required Apple to provide access to data from users outside the UK without their governments' knowledge. Additionally, the IPA makes it illegal for companies to disclose the existence of such government demands.

US security agencies, including the FBI and NSA, have been advocating for increased use of encryption to protect against Chinese cyber threats, creating potential conflicts between UK and US security interests.

"Enhancing the security of cloud storage with end-to-end encryption is more urgent than ever before,” said Apple on Friday, per Bloomberg. The company added that it "remains committed to offering our users the highest level of security for their personal data and are hopeful that we will be able to do so in the future in the United Kingdom."

Note that the loss of Advanced Data Protection in the UK does not affect the existing end-to-end encryption of several other Apple features available in the country, including iMessage, FaceTime, password management and health data.
This article, "Apple Pulls Encrypted iCloud Security Feature in UK Amid Government Backdoor Demands" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said all four iPhone 17 models will be equipped with Apple's first-ever custom-designed Wi-Fi chip. He did not say which Wi-Fi version the chip will support, but it appears that it will be Wi-Fi 7.


All four iPhone 17 models will feature an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain. He shared this information in a research note with GF Securities earlier this month.

The entire iPhone 16 lineup already supports Wi-Fi 7, so this is not much of a surprise, but the fact that the chip will be designed by Apple is notable. Apple recently debuted its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e, for cellular connectivity, and now the company is expected to debut an in-house Wi-Fi chip in the iPhone 17 models later this year. By designing more of its own chips, Apple can reduce and eventually eliminate its reliance on external suppliers, including Qualcomm for modems and Broadcom for Wi-Fi chips.

Wi-Fi 7 allows for data transmission over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously with a supported router, resulting in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. Wi-Fi 7 can provide peak speeds of over 40 Gbps, a 4× increase over Wi-Fi 6E, if a device supports the maximum specifications.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup in September.
This article, "All Four iPhone 17 Models Said to Feature Apple-Designed Wi-Fi 7 Chip" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple plans to move away from Qualcomm modems in the Apple Watch while bolstering its new in-house alternatives, according to The Information's Wayne Ma.


Later this year, Apple plans to eliminate the Qualcomm modem used in the Apple Watch Ultra. Rather than using the C1 modem or another custom Apple chip, Apple plans to switch from using Qualcomm units to MediaTek ones. MediaTek is one of the few companies capable of designing 5G modems.

In 2026, Apple will debut a new custom modem with support for mmWave 5G. The C1 does not have this capability. The modem with mmWave support will be used in iPhones and "at least one iPad." This project has the codename "Ganymede."

The C1 currently falls short of Qualcomm's performance, and the report suggests its direct 2026 successor will be the same. It will not be until a third generation in 2027 that Apple will "finally be able to exceed the performance of Qualcomm's modems." This project is codenamed "Prometheus."

While this information appears to have been sourced independently, it corroborates previous rumors. In December, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple's second-generation 5G modem will add mmWave support and debut in the iPhone 18 lineup in 2026 and come to the iPad Pro by 2027.

He said the second modem will achieve theoretical download speeds of up to 6 Gbps, compared to up to 4 Gbps for Apple's first modem. He also alluded to Apple's wish for its third-generation modem to surpass Qualcomm's modems in terms of performance and AI features in 2027.

Another Bloomberg report mentioned Apple's plan to transition to MediaTek modems in the Apple Watch. MediaTek's modem adds support for 5G RedCap, a 5G service that's designed for connected devices and wearables that don't need standard 5G speeds. The current cellular Apple Watch models still use 4G LTE.

The Information's full article details Apple's tumultuous relationship with Qualcomm and how it developed the all-new C1 chip.
This article, "Report: Apple's C1 Is Just the Beginning of Modem Changes" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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