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ChatGPT Can Be Used as Default Safari Search Engine With New Extension

OpenAI today updated the ChatGPT app to add a new Safari Extension that allows ChatGPT to be used as the default search engine for searches made through the Safari search bar.


After updating to the latest version of the ChatGPT app, the ChatGPT Search Extension can be enabled in the Safari section of the Settings app. Turning it on directs all queries typed in to the Safari search bar to ChatGPT Search instead of Google or whatever your default search engine is set to.
Turning on this extension will direct queries you type into the Safari search bar to ChatGPT Search, making ChatGPT Search your default search engine in Safari. The same policies that govern your use of ChatGPT apply.

The extension needs permission to access Google.com or the site for your default search engine, but when granted, any search you type in is redirected to ChatGPT's search feature rather than going through the default in your Safari settings.

You can now use ChatGPT search as your default search engine in Safari on iOS by updating to the latest version of ChatGPT and enabling the Safari extension! pic.twitter.com/yvyINPN9yv

— Aaron (@aaronp613) February 25, 2025

There is no option to set ChatGPT as a preferred search engine, but the extension serves as a workaround.
This article, "ChatGPT Can Be Used as Default Safari Search Engine With New Extension" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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All of the New Features in iOS 18.4 So Far

Apple is beta testing iOS 18.4 at the current time, and while the update doesn't have the Apple Intelligence Siri features we were hoping for, there are a number of new additions that are worth knowing about.


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.



Photos


In the Photos app, there are now options to filter your library by images that were shared with you by others or by those that are not included in an album, which is useful for separating out content that you've organized into albums.


Apple also added an option to view your album list by key photo.

In the ‌Photos‌ Settings, there is a new Show Recently Viewed & Shared toggle that will show or hide the Recently Viewed and Recently Shared albums from the Utilities list.

Type to Siri


When you use Type to ‌Siri‌ to ask ‌Siri‌ a question, the keyboard is now collapsed down when ‌Siri‌ answers. To type another request, you need to tap on the ‌Siri‌ bar to bring it back up. There is also a toggle to activate Type to ‌Siri‌ with the side button, which would normally cause ‌Siri‌ to listen for a voice command. This feature is not working as intended in beta 1.


Back Tap


If you have the Back Tap Accessibility option turned on, there is now a notification when a double tap or triple tap action is performed.


Apple Maps


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



Passwords


In the Passwords app, verification codes for two-factor authentication have a countdown circle so you can tell when a new code is going to be generated.


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.

Mac Setup


There is a new feature that allows a nearby ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ to be used to sign into a Mac with an Apple Account for setting up a new Mac. macOS Sequoia 15.4 is also required.

Control Center Toggles


The Cellular toggle and the Wi-Fi toggle in the Control Center now show your cellular or Wi-Fi signal strength represented in bars.


The Brightness and Sound toggles in Control Center have been tweaked slightly and will now change color when the sliders are lowered below the position of the icons.


The Focus option in Control Center now has two small arrows that serve as a visual indicator that there are more options that can be accessed.

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.

Camera Control


Additional camera apps that can be selected for the Camera Control feature on iPhone 16 models are now listed in a Camera App section rather than directly in the main Camera Control menu.


Safari Connection Security


In Safari, you can tap into the details on a website to see the certificate through a new Connection Security Details interface to ensure the site is secure.


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. Note that this is applicable to those who have US Cellular as their carrier, it does not mean all cellular users in the United States.

Robot Vacuum HomeKit Support


In iOS 18.4, HomeKit supports robot vacuums, a feature that Apple promised would come in iOS 18. Adding a vacuum to the Home app requires a vacuum with Matter support, and that requires robot vacuum manufacturers to implement Matter. Not all Matter-enabled robot vacuums will be able to be added to ‌HomeKit‌ right away.

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.

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.

Find My


Find My support has been added in South Korea.

iPhone 12


The iOS 18.4 beta is not currently available for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models due to an issue that was causing boot loops. It will likely be available for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 series with the second beta launch.

Release Date


iOS 18.4 will be released in early April alongside iPadOS 18.4 and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.4.
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

This article, "All of the New Features in iOS 18.4 So Far" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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MacRumors Turns 25 Years Old

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.

MacRumors as it appeared in May 2000

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.
This article, "MacRumors Turns 25 Years Old" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iOS 18.4 Beta Now Unavailable Across Entire iPhone 12 Lineup and More

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.

iOS 18.4 beta 1 is now unsigned for the following devices:

iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 12 Mini
iPad 8 (Cellular)
iPad Air 4th Gen (Wi-Fi and Cellular)
iPad Air 11-inch (M2) (Cellular)
iPad Air 13-inch (M2) (Cellular)

(h/t @dhinakg) https://t.co/esVqZ13cdy

— Aaron (@aaronp613) February 22, 2025

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.
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

This article, "iOS 18.4 Beta Now Unavailable Across Entire iPhone 12 Lineup and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Seeds First Public Betas of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4

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.
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia

This article, "Apple Seeds First Public Betas of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's New U.S. Chip Factory to Produce AI Servers With High-End M5 Chips

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.
This article, "Apple's New U.S. Chip Factory to Produce AI Servers With High-End M5 Chips" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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HomeKit Weekly: Meross launches new Matter enabled smart thermostat

Smart thermostats are one of the best ways to elevate your home’s energy efficiency while staying comfortable year-round and gaining access to some great automations. Meross has just released a Matter-enabled smart thermostat that promises broad compatibility across major smart home platforms, including Apple HomeKit. Here’s why the new is a great option for HomeKit fans.

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Where Does Mac Pro Go Next After M4 Ultra?

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.
Related Roundup: Mac Pro
Buyer's Guide: Mac Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: Mac Pro

This article, "Where Does Mac Pro Go Next After M4 Ultra?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Deals: M4 iPad Pro $250 off, Apple Pencil Pro nearly 25% off, Apple Home Key Lock $90, M3 MacBook Air, more

Alongside ongoing price drops on the popular M4 Mac mini configurations, today we spotted the return of $150 discounts on the mid-range 512GB M4 iPad Pro models as well as up to $250 off the higher-end variants. Those join ongoing offers on the M3 MacBook Air lineup with select models dropping even lower at up to $417 off the original prices as well as the return of Apple Pencil Pro at nearly 25% off and a deep 40% discount on this Apple Home Key Smart Lock. Everything else awaits down below. 

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iOS 18.4 beta 1 – 50 new changes and features [Video]

In this latest episode of iOS Decoded9to5Mac investigates everything new in iOS 18.4, including several new behind-the-scenes features that you may be hearing about for the first time. Included in our walkthrough is a full hands-on look at the new proximity setup feature for Mac, Prioritize notifications, the new Ambient Music feature, and much, much more. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for additional iOS 18.4 coverage.

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iPhone 17 Pro Said to Offer Bigger-Than-Usual Video Recording Upgrades

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.
Related Roundup: iPhone 17 Pro

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M4 MacBook Air Benchmark Suggests GPU on Par With M4 iPad Pro

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.
Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

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AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

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.
This article, "AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Meta community notes open to contributors, as Musk threatens to ‘fix’ them on X

Meta community notes are expected to launch within the next couple of months, after the social network announced it would be ending its own fact-checking program because facts are so 2015. You can now apply to be a contributor to these, signing up on one of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Meantime, X owner Elon Musk appears to be threatening the impartiality of his platform’s community notes, announcing plans to “fix” the feature …

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Apple Aims to Eventually Integrate Future Modems into Main Processor

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.
This article, "Apple Aims to Eventually Integrate Future Modems into Main Processor" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Jony Ive Still Asks 'What Would Steve Do?' Despite Jobs' Warning

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.)

This article, "Jony Ive Still Asks 'What Would Steve Do?' Despite Jobs' Warning" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's C2 Modem Expected to Feature in Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

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.
This article, "Apple's C2 Modem Expected to Feature in Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Announces $500B US Investment Plan, Adding 20K Jobs

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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Steve Jobs Would Have Celebrated His 70th Birthday Today

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):

Steve saw the world not just as it was, but as it could be. His vision continues to inspire us to push boundaries and create the future. Today, on his 70th birthday, we honor his legacy and his enduring impact. pic.twitter.com/0q1JUl4UJw

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 24, 2025

We miss you, Steve!
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As Trump tariffs loom, Apple pledges more than $500bn in US investment, new Texas factory

Apple has today announced that it is committed to invest more than $500 billion in the United States over the next four years, including 20,000 U.S. jobs and a new factory in Houston, Texas.

The $500 billion headline figure is not all new, with much of what is promised in the announcement having been pledged before. The news is clearly aimed at satiating the Trump administration, with Apple perhaps hoping it will be enough to get tariff exemptions on its products.

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Revealed: Entire iPhone 17 Lineup's Striking New Camera Designs

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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You can now use AirPods Pro as hearing aids in the UK

As previously reported in January, the can now be used as hearing aids in the United Kingdom, having now received government approval for over-the-counter hearing aid devices.

AirPods Pro 2 can address mild to moderate hearing loss. With an iPhone and AirPods Pro, users can perform a hearing test, and apply their hearing profile to their earbuds for continuous hearing correction. This functionality is all available as a free software update.

more…

iPhone 17 Pro Max in MagSafe Case: Here's How It Could Look

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.

Here’s a first look at how cases might look on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. What do you think? pic.twitter.com/HzCGkRBIQv

— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) February 23, 2025

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.
Related Roundup: iPhone 17 Pro

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AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid Feature Now Available in the UK

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.
Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: AirPods

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iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

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.
Related Roundups: CarPlay, iOS 18, iPadOS 18

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M4 MacBook Air Marketing, Sales, Retail Teams Prepare for March Debut

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)."
Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

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iOS 18.4 beta finally enables ‘Find My’ support in South Korea

Last July, citizens of South Korea started a petition asking Apple to enable Find My support in the region. It was assumed that Find My was unavailable due to government restrictions, but that wasn’t actually the case according to the petition.

Apple later agreed to launch Find My support for the region in spring 2025, and that integration is finally starting to roll out.

more…

These are my favorite unique charging accessories for your Apple ecosystem

If you take a look at the current landscape of charging accessories in 2025, it seems like everyone is doing the same thing. Every brand has its flagship 3 in 1 charger or a 140W wall charger, or a Magsafe charging brick. So what I wanted to do is highlight some products that have brought some unique twists to a product category that seems to have been stale. Let me know which is your favorite!

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Amazon Takes $200 Off M2 MacBook Air, Get it for Just $799

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.




Deals Newsletter


Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!




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Apple preparing Google Gemini integration with Apple Intelligence

Currently, Apple Intelligence offers the ability to direct Siri requests to ChatGPT, providing more contextual answers than what Siri would be able to offer. Back at WWDC24, Apple software exec Craig Federighi suggested in an interview that they’d like to offer integration with other AI models, including Google Gemini. That integration may arrive in the not too distant future, according to a new leak.

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Indie App Spotlight: ‘Finma’ is a financial management app with on-device processing

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.


Finma is a financial management app for your iPhone. It has a focus on user privacy and doesn’t require a connection to your bank account. It also features beautiful charts and many useful features to give you a better financial picture.

more…

MLS 2025 season kicks off: how to watch using MLS Season Pass

The new Major League Soccer season kicks off tonight, with LAFC vs Minnesota as the first game starting now. You can watch the entire league’s games through MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, live and on-demand.

MLS Season Pass costs $99 for the full season, or at a discounted $79 price for Apple TV+ subscribers. Watch all of the regular season and playoff games with no blackouts or regional restrictions, and share one subscription with up to six people using Apple Family Sharing.

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iPhone 16e fixed a pricing issue in the iPhone lineup

When 5G debuted with the lineup, Apple introduced a sneaky new pricing tactic. Apple would list iPhones as “starting at $799”, but that price would require you to activate with one of the major US carriers at the point of purchase. If you wanted an unlocked iPhone, the actual starting price point was $829.

iPhone 16e gets rid of this annoying upcharge.

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iOS 18.4 Home app adds support for Matter robot vacuums

The first iOS 18.4 beta dropped yesterday, and includes an exciting smart home addition that previously went under the radar. As tested by Jonathan at Smart Home Centre, the Home app now supports robot vacuums and maps that integrate with the Matter protocol.

Right now, the only compatible model on the market is the , but many other manufacturers have pledged support for Matter with forthcoming software updates.

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Apple @ Work: Looking back at how Apple built its modern device management tech stack

Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

Before the iPad, Apple saw a lot of success in K-12, but it was mainly around cart-based learning with MacBooks. While several schools had 1:1 programs, the iPad (and its $499 price point) kickstarted the mobility revolution. The iPad was a hit with students and teachers alike, but managing iPads at scale was, to put it mildly, a logistical nightmare for IT teams.

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Top Stories: iPhone 16e Announced, iOS 18.4 Beta, and More

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!
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Best iPhone 16e Cases now available for purchase: Apple silicone, MagSafe, more from $10


Apple’s latest has arrived, and it’s now time to scope out the best iPhone 16e cases. Pre-orders went live this morning on the new, more affordable Apple handset and we are already starting to see plenty of case makers coming out of the woodwork with their latest solutions to ensure it remains in pristine condition. While the official new Apple Silicone Cases might be the cleanest options out there, we now know magnetic cases don’t interfere with the new C1 chip, and a load of third-party options have also landed that can effectively retrofit the new 16e with MagSafe support. Head below for a look at the best iPhone 16e cases now available for purchase. 

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Apple's AirTag 4-Pack Drops to Record Low $69.99 Price on Amazon

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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Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!




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California Nominates Steve Jobs for $1 American Innovation Coin

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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Here's a Look at Apple's Secret Modem Testing Lab Where C1 Was Developed

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.
Tag: C1

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Everything New in iOS 18.4 Beta 1

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.
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

This article, "Everything New in iOS 18.4 Beta 1" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Everything you need to know about Apple’s changes to encryption in the UK

Apple today announced that it has removed its Advanced Data Protection feature in the UK. The decision comes after the UK government ordered Apple to build a worldwide backdoor into iCloud encryption. Instead of complying with that order, Apple chose to remove the feature in the UK.

There’s a huge piece of nuance getting missed in a lot of the coverage of today’s announcement. Apple is not “removing end-to-end encryption” from the UK as some headlines have suggested. The company is removing the Advanced Data Protection feature, yes, but that feature exists separately from Apple’s broader end-to-end encryption efforts.

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Security Bite: Apple’s push for chip independence will benefit device security the most

Since the launch of the M-series processors and now the C1 cellular modem, Apple has been slowly but surely moving toward complete chip independence. The company is even working on its own Bluetooth and Wi-Fi solution, which is reportedly coming with new Home products and the iPhone 17 lineup in the Fall.

One obvious benefit of developing chips in-house is energy efficiency. Apple toated this with the introduction of Apple Silicon what feels like a hundred years ago, and this week with its first-ever 5G modem, which gives the iPhone 16e nearly 20% better battery life over the flagship iPhone 16. While improved battery life is certainly appealing, there are less obvious but more significant benefits of Apple having end-to-end control over both the software and hardware components.

This is Security Bite, where I share insights on data privacy, vulnerabilities, or emerging threats within Apple’s vast ecosystem of over 2 billion active devices each week.


9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

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iOS 18.4 Adds Apple Intelligence Priority Notifications Feature

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.
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

This article, "iOS 18.4 Adds Apple Intelligence Priority Notifications Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Revamped Mail App With Built-In Categorization Comes to Mac and iPad

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.
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia

This article, "Revamped Mail App With Built-In Categorization Comes to Mac and iPad" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

iOS 18.4 Adds New Ambient Music Feature

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.
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

This article, "iOS 18.4 Adds New Ambient Music Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple News+ Gains Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, and More in iOS 18.4

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

Discuss this article in our forums

9to5Mac Daily: February 21, 2025 – UK encryption, reverse wireless charging

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

Sponsored by ChargeASAP: Check out the Flash Pro Ultra, featuring a new 275W power bank with an OLED screen that can charge up to 6 devices simultaneously, including your MacBook, phone, smartwatch, and more!

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