Despite the fact that you can still use the service, TikTok is still very much so banned in the United States. President Trump promised to not fine TikTok and its service providers for continuing to run the services, but that’s just a promise. He also signed an executive order officially suspending the ban, but there’s great odds that that executive order doesn’t actually hold up legally.

For one reason or another, Apple (and Google) have both decided that they don’t want to take the risk. If a court later decides that Trumps promises don’t hold up legally, Apple could be on the hook for up to $850 billion in fines. It just isn’t worth it for them.

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According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is planning on releasing iOS 18.4 in April. Apple hasn’t started the beta cycle for iOS 18.4 quite yet, but there are a handful of things we can likely expect with iOS 18.4 so far.

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I absolutely love the new Camera Control button on iPhone 16, but the default settings aren’t for me. By default, I find it too slow to activate and too accident prone when taking photos. Fortunately, Apple gives you fairly granular control over Camera Control — even if the toggles are scattered around in the Settings app.

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Apple continues to explore the idea of releasing camera-equipped AirPods in the future, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


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

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

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

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

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

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

If the alleged 2026 mass production timeframe remains on schedule, the new AirPods with infrared cameras could launch in 2026 or 2027.
This article, "Apple Still 'Exploring' New AirPods With Tiny Cameras" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that a new HomePod-like smart home hub with a 7-inch screen remains on track to launch in 2025.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Apple introduced iCloud back in June 2011, and since then, the free tier of iCloud has remained at 5GB. However, I’m not here to talk about that today. While 5GB of free iCloud is definitely too little for our needs nearly a decade and a half later, I think Apple has a bigger issue to address with iCloud: its paid tiers.

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As of now, the Chinese-based TikTok app remains unavailable in the United States App Store on iPhone, as the company failed to sell itself to a US owner, before last week’s ban came into effect.

However, there is apparently ongoing negotiations to get TikTok under new ownership, which would give it a path back to the App Store. No deal is close to being finalized, yet, though.

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


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

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


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

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

Cross your fingers that the merchandise updates means that Apple will have a busy week ahead, but keep your expectations tempered.
This article, "Gurman: Apple Stores Receiving 'Merchandise' Updates Next Week" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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At CES 2025, Belkin began shipping its new headphones. They’re the first wireless headphones with active noise cancellation that Belkin has developed, and they come in at just $60 – making them incredibly affordable over-ear headphones.

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According to a tweet from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will be performing some “merchandise/floor marketing updates” at its retail stores next week. While specific details aren’t confirmed, Apple is likely launching the new Black Unity Apple Watch band for 2025.

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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.

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Inscreen taps into Apple’s Screen Time API, and aims to help users be more mindful about the time they’re spending on their devices. Rather than forcefully blocking app access, Inscreen takes a different approach, and keeps you aware of how much time you’re spending on each app.

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Apple Watch saves lives—the latest example is a dramatic rescue caught on video in Washington state. Rescuers credit the Apple Watch SOS feature for alerting and helping them locate a skier who fell 1,000 feet, preventing them from freezing to death.

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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.

With so many organizations looking to deploy the Mac, they might want to know the best path for migration. Apple’s Mac Adoption Blueprint answers that question with data-backed information and easy-to-follow steps for IT technicians and internal IT decision-makers. This guide also highlights how significant cost savings are made by switching. The included research from Forrester claims that companies can save $843 per computer over three years compared to Windows. These savings are gained from lower software costs, reduced IT support needs, and higher Mac trade in value (the latter is absolutely critical). Let’s look deeper at the report.

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Rumors about foldable iPhones have circulated for many years, but recent reports have suggested that Apple is finally getting closer to announcing its new product. Apple is reportedly working on two foldable products, a clamshell foldable iPhone and a giant 20-inch foldable iPad, but the foldable iPhone is on track to debut first.

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Apple initially introduced the HomePod mini in 2020 alongside the iPhone 12 lineup, and since then, the product has remained mostly untouched. Apple added some new color options in 2021, including blue, orange, and yellow. The company also replaced Space Gray with Midnight this year, which looks the same – except its now 100% recycled mesh fabric.

However, for the first time in half a decade, Apple will finally be updating the HomePod mini, with a couple of enhancements.

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Earlier this month, some sources begun to claim that the next generation iPhone SE, which is expected to debut this spring, won’t actually be called ‘iPhone SE’ at all. We’re now starting to hear that it’ll be called ‘iPhone 16E’ instead. This may be a weird rumor, but I think it actually makes a lot of sense, given what we know so far about the 4.

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Apple released the release candidate builds of iOS 18.3 earlier this week, meaning that we’re just days away from seeing that update ship to the public. That also means iOS 18.4 beta is just around the corner, which is widely expected to include some of the big Siri improvements with Apple Intelligence. Here’s what we’re expecting with Siri in iOS 18.4.

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Last week, Woot brought back a massive sale on the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop bands for Apple Watch, and the sale has now been extended through January 31. All bands are in brand new condition and come with a one year Apple limited warranty.

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

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



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

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

Solo Loop

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


• Blue Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00


• Green Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00


• Purple Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00


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

Braided Solo Loop

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


• Blue Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Green Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Purple Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


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


• Pride - $29.99, down from $99.00

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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

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If you have read or watched any of my content over the last few years, you might have realized that my Pro is my main computer. Yes, I have a Mac Mini, but when it comes to getting actual work done, I always gravitate towards my iPad (I am currently writing this on my iPad). Something about the combination of gorgeous hardware and single app optimization nature of the software really makes the iPad a joy to use. With the release of iPadOS 18 we got an abundance of new features that has helped me double and triple down on this sentiment. We all know the headlining features, but I want to share a few other features that not many people know about. Lets get into it!

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


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

Display

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

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

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

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

Thickness and Weight

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

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

Battery Life

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

Not necessarily.

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

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

Cameras

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

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

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

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

Apple Intelligence

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

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

Other Specs

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

• A19 chip (vs. A16 Bionic chip)


• USB-C port (vs. Lightning port)


• 8GB of RAM (vs. 6GB)


• Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 (vs. Wi-Fi 6)

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

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

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

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Apple has officially agreed to content quota obligations as set out in a 2021 France decree, via Deadline, which means it must invest 20% of Apple TV+ revenues in France to create French and European content.

This effectively commits Apple to create French originals for Apple TV+ on an ongoing basis. Recent French-language releases on the service include La Maison and Drops of God; the latter of which was a hit for TV+ and is returning for a second season.

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


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

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

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


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

Here Are Apple's Full Release Notes for iOS 18.3

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


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

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

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


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

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

iOS 19 Rumored to Feature Redesigned Camera App Inspired by visionOS

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


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

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

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


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

MacRumors Newsletter

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

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

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Apple Intelligence launched just a few months ago, but a lot more additions are expected soon in iOS 18.4 and beyond. Now, a new memo leak has given us insight into Apple’s two main internal priorities for its AI efforts this year.

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iOS 18.3 is launching next week. It’s not particularly feature-packed, but the update will offer a significant moment for Apple Intelligence thanks to a bold Apple choice.

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