The first beta for iOS 18.4 adds support for controlling robot vacuums via Apple Home, with several high-profile models ready to support it.


The official release of iOS 18.4 is currently expected to be in April, but testing on the first beta is underway by developers. AppleInsider was able to confirm that while initially not user-facing, the update does include the requisite version of Matter to support robotic vacuums.

Robotic vacuums and mops will be available in Apple Home thanks to Matter, the up-and-coming smart home standard intending to unify the various ecosystems. Robotic vacuums were first added to Matter in version 1.2 during the fall of 2023, but was yet to be supported by Apple.


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The first developer beta of iOS 18.4 features significant changes to Apple Intelligence and Apple News+. Here's what you need to know.


On Friday, Apple released the first developer beta of iOS 18.4, with build number 22E5200s. The software update comes more than a week after the iPhone maker released iOS 18.3.1 to the general public.

The iOS 18.4 update was widely rumored to contain improvements for Siri, it appears as though the planned upgrades for Apple's virtual assistant have been delayed. Instead, the software update includes some useful enhancements for Apple Intelligence and its associated features, among other changes.


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Apple has finally released the first betas for the next release cycle, and visionOS 2.4 includes support for Apple Intelligence on Apple Vision Pro. Here's how it works.


Unsurprisingly, Apple Intelligence has rolled out on Apple Vision Pro without much left out. Some parts get the visionOS UI flair, but everything that is here is at feature parity in the first beta.

Apple Intelligence has rolled out in waves since it was revealed during WWDC 2024. Writing Tools and notification summaries were first, then second Image Playground and ChatGPT, and finally Visual Intelligence was released for iPhone 16.


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Apple just dropped visionOS 2.4 Beta, packing powerful new tools, a new guest experience, a fresh Spatial Gallery app, and the debut of Apple Intelligence on Vision Pro.


Apple is kicking off 2025 with a bang, unveiling the visionOS 2.4 Beta packed with exciting features that set the stage for the upcoming public release in April.

The company is finally bringing its suite of generative artificial intelligence tools with Apple Intelligence. The update brings Image Playground, allowing users to create playful images, Genmoji for crafting custom emojis, and Writing Tools, which is poised to become a favorite for content creators.


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Apple's subscription news service is expanding in iOS 18.4 to bring Apple News+ Food, a curated collection including tens of thousands of recipes.


While iOS 18.4 has only just entered developer beta, Apple has already publicly announced a new feature that will debut when the update is made public in the next few weeks. Apple News+ Food is made in collaboration with worldwide publishers including Good Food, and Allrecipes.

Already available in the beta, Apple News+ Food offer recipes in what Apple calls a Cook mode. Having selected a recipe, users can tap on it to take the instructions full screen.


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Apple continues to go all-in on Apple Intelligence, as the company announces it will bring its suite of AI-powered features to the Apple Vision Pro in visionOS 2.4.


On Friday, Apple announced the features it soon plans to roll out to the Apple Vision Pro. The update is quite significant and will add numerous new features.

"Apple Vision Pro is helping users communicate, collaborate, and experience entertainment in entirely new ways — and we're continuing to push the boundaries of what's possible in spatial computing with visionOS 2.4," said Mike Rockwell, Apple's vice president of the Vision Products Group.


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For its 20th anniversary, Apple Trafford Center is to close down and reopen in a larger and more prominent part of the same mall.


Following a similar October 2024 move for Apple Belfast in Northern Ireland, Apple has confirmed that it is relocating and expanding its Manchester Apple Trafford Center store. While Apple has not detailed where in the center it will be moving, it has revealed when it will be happening.

The current Apple Trafford Center will begin its move starting on Monday, February 24, 2025, when staff will close the store at 8pm local time instead of the regular 10pm. That will continue on the Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, when the store will close permanently.


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Apple has started a new round of developer betas, complete with fresh builds of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, tvOS 18.4, watchOS 11.4, and visionOS 2.4 that will ultimately deliver Apple Intelligence to the headset.


Apple released updates for iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, macOS 15.3, tvOS 18.3, watchOS 11.3, and visionOS 2.3 on January 27. The release freed up its developer beta programs for the next update, which Apple has now started to test.

The first iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 developer betas share build number 22E5200s, with macOS Sequoia 15.4 using build number 24E5206s. The first tvOS 18.4 build is 22L5218l, the first watchOS 11.4 build is 22T5212l, and the first visionOS 2.4 build is 22O5199o.


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Apple and Qualcomm's relationship has been strained for a decade and the iPhone 16e C1 chip is Apple's first move to cut ties once and for all.


The relationship between Apple and Qualcomm has been a tech soap opera. For over 15 years, Qualcomm's modem chips powered Apple's iPhones, enabling wireless connectivity to cellular networks. And now, it's over.

Behind the scenes, the partnership between Apple and Qualcomm has seen disputes over royalties, patent fees, and personal and professional tensions. As Apple intensifies its efforts to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm, other smartphone companies are watching, according to a report by The Information.


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Weekend monitor deals deliver up to 50% off the budget-friendly Samsung M8, S9 5K, and Apple Studio Display. Prices start at just $399.99.


Today's Samsung M8 monitor discount can be found at both Amazon.com and Samsung.com, with the 32-inch 4K display on sale for $399.99. This reflects a 43% discount off MSRP for the smart monitor that has USB-C, HDMI and USB-A ports.

Buy M8 for $399.99


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Rather than comply with a UK order to make a backdoor into encrypted data, Apple has announced it will no longer offer Advanced Data Protection in that country.


In 2024, the UK revamped its UK Investigatory Powers Act of 2016 to give itself the authority to legally — and secretly — compel Apple to break the end-to-end encryption that its security and privacy depends on. Despite bipartisan protests from the US, the UK issued the order and Apple cannot continue to operate its end-to-end encryption without breaking the law.

Instead of allowing the UK backdoor access to encrypted data, however, Apple has announced that it is switching off the encryption. This technically complies with the law, but means Apple does not create a backdoor that the UK or other bad actors could use.


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Now some hours after preorders for the iPhone 16e opened, every configuration remains in stock to deliver on February 28.


Back in September 2024, the iPhone 16 Pro Max was selling so well that within 18 minutes certain configurations were sold out. Apple will always make more, but the delivery date had immediately slipped back a week.

That's common with Apple launches, so common that it's practically the norm for the MacBook Pro as well as the iPhone. It even happened with the costly Apple Vision Pro.


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The iPhone SE 4 - no, wait, the iPhone 16e - is out and it's a huge change of direction for Apple's lowest-cost iPhone. Plus there are yet more rumors about the iPhone 17, and the Humane AI Pin bows out very badly.


We expected the new iPhone to be good, we expected it to be significantly better than the iPhone SE it replaces, but we didn't expect it to be called the iPhone 16e. There is a huge amount to like about the new iPhone, but being the lowest-cost model in the range, there are features it lacks.

Whereas according to which rumors you've heard most recently, the iPhone 17 will have everything. There are again some claims of what the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro will look like, and there are again reasons to doubt them. But until Apple unveils the next new iPhones in September, these rumors are irresistible.


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The first Geekbench listing for what appears to be the iPhone 16e details the difference between it and the iPhone 16, plus confirms the expected amount of RAM.


Apple would rather talk about what you can do with a device than mention specifications such as the amount of RAM in it. Consequently RAM wasn't mentioned in the launch of the iPhone 16e, but it was presumed that the new iPhone comes with 8GB RAM.

That's because at least 8GB RAM is required for Apple Intelligence. There was never any question that the iPhone 16e would include Apple Intelligence, but now the first benchmarks confirm it has 8GB RAM.


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There's been a lot of fear in the last few days that Apple left off MagSafe off the iPhone 16e because it somehow interfered with Apple's C1 cellular modem, but physics precluded that from the start. Here's how.


Obviously, the iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe. There's been a lot said about it, and it's a problem for the device.

Almost immediately, we heard whispers from case manufacturers that it may not have been cost-cutting, but instead was interfering with the C1 cellular radio.


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A few days after launch, Apple has made the iPhone 16e available to purchase online, ahead of its February 28 release.


Following a brief period of downtime, the Apple Store is back online, and that means it's now possible to preorder the iPhone 16e. Customers can also preorder from physical Apple Store locations as well.

Consumers have two color options to choose from, in either Black or White. Capacities start from $599 for 128GB, with 256GB for $699 and 512GB for $899.


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As usual for an Apple release, the online version of the Apple Store has temporarily gone offline, in preparation for preorders of the iPhone 16e.


Launched on February 19, the iPhone 16e is the latest iPhone in Apple's range. The spiritual successor to the iPhone SE, the new entry-level model will soon be available to preorder.

During the announcement, Apple said preorders for the iPhone 16e start on February 21, with availability of the model from February 28.


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A new leak about the possible iPhone Fold includes yet another release schedule, and screen sizes that disagree with previous rumors.


It has recently been reported that Apple was on the verge of choosing a manufacturer for a foldable display screen, although there are now always rumors about an iPhone fold. The latest one does back up previous claims that there won't be a folding iPhone until at least 2026, but otherwise it disagrees with the most recent rumors.

"Exclusive information, Apple's large folding, 5.49-inch outer screen is a bit like [the Otto] Find N, but it is shorter and fatter," writes "Digital Chat Station" on Weibo (in translation). "The 7.74-inch inner screen unfolds like an iPad."


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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Yoto Mini is a tiny, pocketable music player for kids and toddlers that shuns screens. While staying kid-friendly, it adds a surprising amount of tech for endless entertainment.


As music lovers, we want our children to experience it as we did. But options are a bit limited.

You can go with a smart speaker, but that isn't easily controllable for little ones. You can go vintage with a cassette or CD player to stay more low-tech, but they're breakable and also not kid-friendly.


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Mark S may have no idea who Jake from State Farm is, but a new ad featuring the insurance company and Apple TV+ hit "Severance" brings them together.


Apple is known for its well-shot advertisements, especially the ones that air during the holidays, but those aren't the only ads featuring Apple products. The company works with carriers and resellers to promote iPhones, its other products, and sometimes, its services.

An ad shared by State Farm on Thursday places a newly severed Jamie S with Mark S, played by Adam Scott, on the Severed Floor featured in Apple TV+ drama "Severance." She's shown a video of her "outie" reading a note saying she's been severed... from her parents' car insurance.


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Apple only just revealed the C1 modem with iPhone 16e on Wednesday, but there's already a rumor about the C2 being tested internally.


Apple has spent years trying to distance itself from Qualcomm and use its own in-house modem. The company has finally landed on the C1 modem used in iPhone 16e, calling it a "platform for generations."

According to a report from MacRumors sourced from an accurate leaker that uses a private account on X, Apple is already working on the future of the C-series platform. The leaker called it the C2 and shared it has the identifier C4020.


Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely


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The custom modem in the iPhone 16e lays the groundwork for future Apple projects, as the company intends to use its proprietary modems across future products.


On Wednesday, Apple announced the entry-level iPhone 16e, with a relatively modest design echoing the iPhone 14. One of the device's stand-out features is an all-new in-house modem. Created and designed exclusively by Apple, it replaces previously used Qualcomm technology.

Apple's long-rumored custom modem, developed under the project codename "Sinope," allows for tight integration between the iPhone software and hardware. This is why the iPhone 16e reportedly has the best battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone, according to Apple.


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The long-rumored iPhone 17 Air may be equipped with a slightly larger display than originally anticipated, according to a source with a mixed track record.


As part of its 2025 iPhone lineup, Apple is expected to replace its existing Plus model with an ultra-thin model known as the iPhone 17 Air or Slim. Though multiple analysts and leakers have all claimed the device is in the works, there seems to be a lack of consensus in terms of hardware specifications.

In 2024, display analyst Ross Young said that the iPhone 17 Air would feature a 6.55-inch display, which Apple would likely round up to 6.6 inches. Another analyst, Jeff Pu, made the same claim in October 2024.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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Apple says that you can use wireless Qi chargers with the iPhone 16e and it's true, but isn't MagSafe and that causes problems.


One of the compromises Apple made with making a lower-cost entry to the iPhone 16 range was to remove MagSafe. Apple is correct when it says you can still use wireless charging, but that's not the half of it.

If you have to use a Qi charger instead of MagSafe, it will take much longer and it will be so inefficient that it uses more power. And that's if you can be certain you have placed the iPhone 16e on exactly the right spot of the Qi charger.


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If you're confused about who the iPhone 16e is for, you're not alone — I know I won't be upgrading.


I'm going to cut right to it. I should have been an easy sell for the iPhone SE 4, but I'm vehemently against the iPhone 16e.

If you've read any of my opinion pieces here in my nearly six-year tenure at AppleInsider, you'd know that I'm not an iPhone fanatic. Unlike most of my coworkers, I've never owned a Pro-level iPhone model.


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Cybercriminals are ramping up their use of fake software updates to distribute malware, and Mac users are in the crosshairs with a new strain.


Researchers have identified two new threat actors, TA2726 and TA2727, who are using web inject campaigns to deliver malware. These actors use fake update lures — often presented as browser updates — to trick users into downloading harmful software, including a newly discovered macOS malware called FrigidStealer.

Historically, the threat actor TA569 and its SocGholish web injects dominated the fake update space, often leading to ransomware attacks. However, beginning in 2023, copycat actors began emerging, complicating efforts to track these threats.


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A benchmark has allegedly surfaced that could be by the upcoming M4 MacBook Air refresh, a possible sign of an impending launch for the budget portable Mac.


The MacBook Air is anticipated to get an update in early 2025, bringing the model line up to using M4 like the MacBook Pro. While there's no sign of an impending launch from Apple itself, another source may have hinted that it's on the way.

A Geekbench result listing for a "Mac16,12" was posted on February 19. The listing is described as running on macOS 15.2, with a ten-core M4 chip and 24GB of Unified Memory.


Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely


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Apple CEO Tim Cook met with President Donald Trump on Thursday morning, likely to discuss the import tariff situation and US manufacturing.


There's little detail about the visit, as first reported by Edward Lawrence at Fox Business. However, there are obvious topics of discussion between the two men, with billions of dollars on the line.

Cook was spotted on his way into the White House at about 10:10 AM Eastern Time on Thursday. He departed about 45 minutes later, telling the gathered cameras nothing more than he had a "great meeting" with the President.


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Most of Apple's iPhone 17 lineup won't be using its new C1 modem, Ming-Chi Kuo claims, but they will still benefit from a new in-house Wi-Fi chip design.


Apple's introduction of the iPhone 16e also brought with it the C1, an internally-designed modem to wean Apple off from Qualcomm's version. However, it seems that most models in the next iPhone generation won't be using it.

According to a Thursday X post from TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a hardware survey reveals that only the iPhone 17 Air will get the C1 modem in the future. Kuo doesn't specify, but this probably means Apple will be retaining the Qualcomm modems for the iPhone 17, Pro, and Pro Max models for at least one more year.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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Apple iPhone 16e preorders begin on Feb. 21, with the new devices arriving on Feb. 28. Here's where to get the best iPhone 16e preorder deals with wireless carrier incentives and more.


Apple's 2025 iPhone 16e goes up for preorder on Friday, Feb. 21, and if you want the new device right away we've rounded up the best preorder deals. Be sure to check back here and bookmark our iPhone deals roundup as new offers continue to launch once preorders goes live.


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Pegasus may have been more widely used than first believed, after an iPhone app used to detect infestations uncovered multiple undiscovered instances of the spyware.


Pegasus, created by NSO Group, is known to be spyware used by governments and security agencies around the world. While the spyware has previously been discovered on devices owned and used by prominent political figures, people of interest to governments, and journalists, it was probably more widely used than anyone expected.

In May 2024, iVerify released a $1 app for people to scan their iPhones for any signs of compromise. On Wednesday, iVerify said that, of the approximately 3,000 people who downloaded and used the app, there were seven verifiable detections of Pegasus.


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The A18 in the iPhone 16e is not the same as the A18 in the iPhone 16. Here's why the act of chip binning helps Apple while also creating variants of the same chip for different products.


The launch of the iPhone 16e was a thorough modernization of what is practically the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE 3. It's an upgrade that brought many areas of the budget iPhone option up to speed with the flagship range, the iPhone 16.

However, while it is stated as having an A18 chip powering things, it's not the same A18 chip as used by its stablemate, the iPhone 16. They are labeled the same, but they're certainly different.


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While initially launched exclusively for the iPhone 16 lineup, Apple plans to expand Visual Intelligence to the iPhone 15 Pro.


Visual Intelligence a handy feature that allows you to point your camera at an object in the real world to learn more about it. It's essentially Apple's answer to Google Lens.

Previously, if you wanted to use Visual Intelligence, you'd have to be someone who purchased a device in either the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro lineup. However, Apple has confirmed to Daring Fireball that the feature will roll out to the iPhone 15 Pro in a future update.


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The new iPhone 16e moves Visual Intelligence to the Action Button, making that immediately more useful and also giving faint hope that the button will be improved further.


Apple's Action Button was first introduced on the original Apple Watch Ultra, where users could decide what it would actually do when pressed. It's a function button, really, and it worked the same when it then came to the iPhone 15 Pro.

Now it's come to the iPhone 16e, and it's a little different. You still have to press and hold before it does anything, and the Action Button can still only do one of a series of actions that you choose.


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Apple-focused IT teams can now automate device management and data backup through a single platform with a new integration.


Backblaze and Kandji have integrated their services to provide unified Apple device management and cloud backup capabilities. The partnership enables automated deployment of Backblaze's backup service through Kandji's device management platform.

The integration brings together automated Backblaze deployment across company Apple devices, centralized management of devices and backups, combined security policy enforcement and data protection, and single dashboard control for IT teams.


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If you've never used an iPhone before, there steps you have to go to set it up, and then there are things you need to know about how to get the most from it. Here's what Apple doesn't tell you.


It is true that Apple devices tend to just work, and it's certainly true that the iPhone is ultimately incredibly easy to use. But when you first hold that piece of glass and metal in your hand, it's a mystery.

And it's a mystery that Apple assumes you will figure out. While there are support pages on Apple's website, those are useless until you're online.


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The iPhone 16e brings the iPhone SE kicking and screaming to modern times. Here's what's new about the spiritual successor versus the outgoing budget-friendly model.


Apple has consistently kept the design of the iPhone SE behind the rest of the iPhone range throughout its life. With the introduction of the iPhone 16e as a rebranded replacement, the budget model is now a thoroughly modernized smartphone.

It's not just the design that's been given a boost, as its specifications have also been upgraded to match its appearance.


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Estimating the cost to Apple of paying President Trump's import tariffs, Bank of America believes that a 9% price hike for the iPhone and all other devices, would prevent losses.


It's a fiction that other countries will pay tariffs, as instead all such costs will always be borne by US companies. In the case of Apple, it has previously earned an exemption — though not consistently — and it has tried to reduce the impact of tariffs by moving manufacturing to different countries.

According to CNBC, this time that spreading of the manufacturing around various locations is not going to help. Bank of America now estimates that whatever Apple does with manufacturing, and wherever it does it, the company will face a minimum of a 10% tariff.


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iPerf3 is a network throughput tool used to measure the performance of the network your Mac is using. Here's how to use it in the macOS Terminal app.


iPerf (sometimes simply called "iperf") is a UNIX memory, network throughput, and bandwidth tool first developed at the NCSA of the University of Illinois. iPerf is a fully compatible rewrite of the older Test TCP (ttcp) app originally written at the US Army's Ballistic Research Lab for DARPA in around 1983.

There are also modern versions for Windows and Linux.


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Apple didn't simply change the expected iPhone SE 4 name to iPhone 16e — they're distinct product lines and all the data points to a strategy shift.


We should have seen this coming. Every Apple-focused website saw Tim Cook's post on February 13 and assumed that it was an iPhone SE 4 reveal.

After all, almost all of the rumors for the last 18 months have called it the iPhone SE 4.


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