Wellness starts at home, and with HomeKit your living room can do more to help you feel your best. Here's what you need to truly make the most of Apple's smart home technology.


With Apple HomeKit, your living room doesn't just have to be a place to crash. It can become a space that actively restores you. Add smart lighting, clean air, soothing sounds, and aromatherapy to turn an ordinary room into a personalized wellness retreat.

Here's a look at the best HomeKit-compatible gear to help you build a living room that looks great, feels calm, and works smarter.


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Google's illegal monopoly control over the internet ad market may lead to it having to sell off AdX and DFP if the U.S. Department of Justice has its way.


U.S. regulators have been on a tear in recent years targeting what they believe are illegal monopolies. At the top of that list is Google, first for its search platform, and now for its ad platform.

According to a new filing by the U.S. Department of Justice, covered by Reuters, the AdX digital marketplace and DFP platform should be sold off. AdX is where companies bid for ad placement on websites, and DFP is the ad management platform.


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The Aiffro P30 3 in 1 Portable SSD is a drive designed for the iPhone that enables external ProRes recording, but the USB-C port allocation and locations are a little bit puzzling.


When Apple introduced the ability to capture 60fps 4K ProRes video from an iPhone to an external USB-C drive, it opened up the iPhone to be more useful for videography. The iPhone instantly became more viable as an all-in-one capture device for productions.

However, to get there, you have to connect not only storage to the iPhone, but also a way to capture audio using an external microphone, and something to power it all up. A USB-C hub can do the trick, but that becomes one more thing to connect to the entire assembly.


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A bill proposed in Florida may bring DMA-like provisions to the United States, forcing Apple to allow alternative app stores, third-party payments, and side loading on iPhones.


Apple has been wrestling for control over its platforms for years as regulators around the globe seek to open up the walled garden. The biggest effort to date, the EU Digital Markets Act, has inspired action in the United States before, but the latest bill may go full force.

Even though the United States government has stated it won't tolerate foreign entities regulating and fining Apple, that hasn't stopped it from pursuing similar legislation. According to a report from The Verge, Florida Representative Cammack has introduced the App Store Freedom Act to combat companies like Apple and Google.


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Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says Fortnite will return to the App Store in the United States later in the week, and he's reportedly spoken to Apple about it.


Fortnite was removed from the U.S. App Store back in 2020, as a result of a lengthy legal battle between Epic Games and Apple. Epic attempted to circumvent Apple's then-30% commission by giving users the option to purchase in-game V-bucks externally, which led to the app's removal.

After all this time, it seems there may be a path to Fortnite returning to the App Store as soon as Friday. However, Apple isn't talking about the moves publicly, and Epic CEO Tim Sweeney is the only one sharing details.


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The Sonos and Ikea partnership produced great-sounding bookshelf, picture frame, and lamp speakers with AirPlay 2 support, but that partnership has come to an end.


Sonos has been pulling back significantly since a 2024 app update caused mayhem for users. The system wouldn't recognize speakers, fail to play music, or a number of other bugs that occurred due to a full app rebuild.

In the time since, Sonos has been scaling back to refocus on what it did best — home audio. According to a report from The Verge, it seems part of that scaling back includes ending the partnership with Ikea.


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The iOS 18.5 update is just around the corner, with new wallpaper, settings improvements, and ScreenTime security enhancements set to debut as soon as next week. Here's what you need to know.


On Tuesday, a week after the fourth developer beta, Apple deployed the Release Candidate (RC) build of iOS 18.5.

While the update itself is relatively light in terms of new features, it does offer a few noteworthy enhancements and quality-of-life improvements. Specifically, Apple has updated the built-in Mail and Settings app, and the company has introduced support for carrier-based satellite features on the iPhone 13.


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Apple is expanding its carrier-provided satellite features to more iPhone models, with it set to be used on all iPhone 13 models as part of iOS 18.5.


Apple issued its release candidate for iOS 18.5 on Tuesday, ahead of an imminent full public release of the update. As part of a relatively small number of updates to the operating system for this generation, the RC build includes a change that affects the iPhone 13 models.

According to the release notes, Apple writes "Support for carrier-provided satellite features is available on iPhone 13 (all models)."


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Apple has moved on to issuing RC builds of iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, macOS 15.5, tvOS 18.5, watchOS 11.5, and visionOS 2.5, as the updates get closer to release.


An RC or Release Candidate is a version of a piece of software that is practically ready for public release, but is being tested one last time before that moment.

The RC round of developer betas for iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, macOS 15.5, tvOS 18.5, watchOS 11.5, and visionOS 2.5 surface after the fourth, which Apple issued on April 28. The third was on April 21, the second was provided on April 14, while the first round for the generation was handed out on March 17.


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Amazon is the latest developer to take advantage of Apple's court-mandated App Store changes, and has finally made it possible to buy books directly in the iPhone Kindle app.


It's generally been Spotify that's thrown up its arms and claimed Apple won't let it on the App Store, when really it means Apple wouldn't let it on for free. Now that Apple has been forced to allow it and all US developers on for nothing, there has been a genuine improvement to one particular app.

As of now, or at least unless Apple loses its appeal against the ruling, the Kindle app on iPhone now works the way it always should have. You can browse the Amazon Kindle bookstore through it as ever, but now you are also offered a "Get Book" button.


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Discounts of up to $370 off are in effect at Amazon on Apple's current MacBook Pros, with prices starting at $1,399.


If you're in the market for a new MacBook Pro, Amazon and B&H Photo have issued steeper discounts on M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max models in an emerging price war ahead of possible price hikes.

Save up to $370 on Macs


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Apple Arcade is set to get five new games in June, including an "Uno" game, another new Lego game, and "What the Car" makes its debut on the Apple Vision Pro.


Like May, June will see a handful of new games released to Apple Arcade, including some entries into series we've seen before. Most of the new games are geared toward younger players and families, making it another great addition for households with elementary-aged kids.


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Even if developers discounted their prices by the whole 30% Apple would take for the first year of a subcription, a new report says it wouldn't be enough to get most users away from the App Store.


Apple being forced to comply with mandated anti-steering instructions is definitely an own goal after it had won everything else in its trial against Epic Games. But a new report claims that financially, the potential loss of App Store income for Apple is trivial.

According to an investor note seen by AppleInsider, investment firm Morgan Stanley says its conclusions start with what the US App Store means to Apple's bottom line. Its analysts say it the US version of the store brings in $11 billion, which is 3% of Apple's total revenue, around 7.% of the firm's total Earnings Per Share (EPS).


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The lowest price on record for the Asus ProArt 32-inch display is in effect at Amazon, with the USB-C monitor falling to $438.24.


The $160 discount brings the price down to $438.24, which is the lowest price ever at Amazon. And with features like USB-C connectivity with 96W power delivery, the ProArt PA329CRV pairs easily with modern Macs.

Save 27% on Asus ProArt


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On the latest episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, Dan Wroclawski from Consumer Reports joins to break down the week's news, as well as talk about AI smart fridges, how smart devices are tested, and more.


Dan Wrocawski is this week's guest host who serves as Senior Home & Appliances Writer at Consumer Reports. The nonprofit tests several types of smart home devices, including their security and privacy.

AppleInsider has a storied history with the publication, stemming from an observed anti-Apple bias with its MacBook Pro and HomePod recommendations in 2017.


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While Google is probably going to come out of its antitrust legal fight intact, it's very likely that its $20 billion Safari default search deal with Apple will undergo some big changes.


Google is midway in the current search monopoly trial, which will determine how the company should change its ways to minimize its monopoly in the search market. After being found to be a monopoly and violating antitrust law in the United States in August 2024, the court is now hearing ways to remedy the situation.

So far, it seems that the remedies won't be too damaging to Google, with Judge Amit Mehta seemingly supporting some of the less painful actions. Sharing search data with rival firms is one of the lesser acts that Google could be forced to undertake.


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Apple has been researching a new Magic Mouse for the Mac that would detect gestures — not on its surface, but on the table near it.


When Apple introduced its Magic Mouse back in 2009, it featured multi-touch gestures. Since then it's been redesigned, and there have been rumors of a further redesign.

Those rumors, though, have concentrated on the recurring issue that the USB-C charging port is on the bottom. There hadn't been any idea that Apple has been looking at anything else, certainly not at adding more gestures to it.


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Announced on May 6, the Backbone Pro represents everything the company has learned about making wrap-around controllers for iPhone, except maybe how much to charge customers.


I've always been a big fan of Backbone. They reinvigorated the wrap-around controller ecosystem with Backbone One, introduced a console-like experience on iPhone via their app, and iterated with fun design choices.

Now, approaching five years since the Backbone One launch, I'm holding the Backbone Pro and can't help but wonder what the strategy is here. The controller is perfectly designed as an excellent evolution of the original, but the price is too big to ignore.


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Amid slowing phone sales, Apple gained ground at the country's largest carriers by offering both premium and affordable iPhones.


U.S. smartphone sales fell 2% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, according to new data from Counterpoint Research. The drop was driven by weaker demand in the premium segment, where devices priced above $800 saw the sharpest slowdown.

The cooling high-end market reflects broader consumer caution amid inflation concerns and delayed upgrade cycles.


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Docker Desktop for macOS, the management tool for the app container system, has an authorization vulnerability that can be used for malicious purposes.


A security flaw has been discovered in Docker Desktop, registered under the CVE code CVE-2025-4095

Specifically, CVE-2025-4095 describes a security vulnerability in Docker Desktop that affects Registry Access Management (RAM). This refers to a security feature that lets administrators restrict the access for developers within their organization to only allowed registries.


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AirPods supplier Jabil is reportedly looking to expand production of casings with a new, second factory in India's Tamil Nadu region.


Apple's push to increase production of its devices in India instead of China, has previously been reported to include AirPods cases. US firm Jabil has long been manufacturing AirPods charging cases, and now a new report says it specifically wants to expand its production capacity.

According to India's Economic Times, Jabil wants to significantly boost production in India of what are described as being enclosures, plastic bodies, or casings. The new factory doesn't appear to be intended for full charging cases, only components of them.


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On May 6, 1998, Steve Jobs announced the iMac, and we wouldn't now have the iPhone, the Apple Store, or even Apple itself, if it hadn't been such a success.


If there's ever any doubt that the iMac is a phenomenal success, just try to think of any other computer — any other device — that is still being sold a quarter of a century after it was launched. The iMac of 2023 may be vastly different to the original one announced in 1998, but it's not just that it has kept the name.

Today's iMac is this slim, sleek design and 1998's was fat and bulbous, but they are recognizably the same at heart. The iMac has always been an all-in-one computer, where a single unit houses the display and the actual computer part.


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Tired of your iPad screen flipping every time you move? Locking its orientation takes just a few seconds and can make reading, gaming, or watching videos a lot more comfortable.


Apple's iPads have built-in screen rotation, which lets the display switch between portrait and landscape modes automatically based on how you're holding the device. It's useful in many situations but frustrating when you're lying down or switching positions often.

Luckily, stopping your iPad screen from rotating is simple.


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While Apple TV+ has a reputation for micromanagement, it seems that it's not as bad as it once was. At least, so long as you're not damaging Apple's brand image.


As a streaming service, Apple TV+ is far from a massive powerhouse like Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video. It's certainly a big play by Apple into the streaming arena, and to a point, it's worked.

In a wide-ranging discussion about Apple TV+, the Los Angeles Times writes about the service, Apple's ambitions, and how its fared so far. Overall, the article indicates that Apple TV+ is doing well in many areas, but it can do better.


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A developer is seeking a class action lawsuit for funds developers could have earned for the last fifteen months with links outside the App Store instead of mandatory in-app subscription purchases.


The only victory Epic Games claimed over Apple in its lengthy trial was a court's order to end anti-steering practices in the App Store. Enforcement of that order was delayed until January 2024, but the court found Apple's changes violated the injunction.

The violation was called deliberate by the judge, and could lead to criminal contempt charges relating to the decision. According to law firm Hagens Berman, a class action lawsuit has been filed by a developer as a result of the injunction violation.


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If you have a MacBook, you know it makes you superhuman. But for professionals and power users, the device you need can range anywhere from $1,600-$6,000. If you're looking for a smarter way to buy, Upgraded makes it easy and affordable with one low monthly subscription.

EA Sports FC Mobile players can stream MLS matches in-game and get a free month of Apple TV MLS Season Pass.


Electronic Arts (EA) Sports FC Mobile players can stream two upcoming Major League Soccer matches live inside the game in a new partnership with Apple. Starting May 10, fans can watch Los Angeles Galaxy face the New York Red Bulls at 23:30 UTC (7:30 p.m. ET).

Atlanta United takes on the Philadelphia Union on May 17 at the same time. Both matches will be broadcast via the in-game FC Mobile TV (FCM TV) feature, accessible through the Extra Time button in the main menu. Players must reach Account Level 4, which typically takes a few matches to unlock, in order to access Extra Time.


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While complying with the courts and their mandated changes to the App Store as fallout from the Epic vs. Apple suit, Apple has now also filed its appeal against the ruling.


On May 1, 2025, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered Apple to immediately make specific changes to its App Store practices, after ruling that it had failed to comply with its previous obligations. The judge specifically refused any delay, but did allow for Apple to appeal — and it has now done so.

As first spotted by The Verge, Apple has filed its notice of appeal to the United States District Court for the district of Northern California. The filing is a short document only listing which case is being appealed against — US District Court case 4:20-cv-05640-YGR — and the names of Apple's legal counsel.


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Before your iPhone ever reaches your hands, Apple puts it through desert storms, deep freezes, and drop tests inside a secretive Irish lab. Here's a look inside.


Apple's futuristic Cupertino headquarters receives most of the attention, but a key part of the company's product durability effort happens in an unassuming building in Ireland. The Cork campus, which opened in 1980, now employs 6,000 people and serves as Apple's European headquarters.

That facility houses Apple's Reliability Testing Lab. Beyond serving as a regional hub, Cork is home to one of Apple's most important product integrity operations.


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Apple may have been able to mitigate against Trump's tariffs before their full extent was announced, but the company's latest SEC filing reveals that this was only a short-term tactic, and price hikes may be inevitable.


Apple has projected that it will take a $900 million hit over tariffs in the June 2025 quarter, following Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs. But part of preventing that loss being still higher, involved ramping up manufacturing and importing, including airlifting plane loads of iPhones.

According to a note to investors seen by AppleInsider, Morgan Stanley has calculated from Apple's latest 10-Q filing that Apple's costs were at a three-year March quarter high. The company bases this on Apple's reported balance sheet inventory, and vendor non-trade receivables — in this case effectively pre-payments to suppliers for goods they are storing before sending to Apple.


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Apple is allegedly preparing to sell corporate bonds, in a sale that could raise billions in cash and finance a $100 billion share buyback plan.


The sale of corporate bonds can be a way for a large company to quickly raise cash. On Monday, it seems that the iPhone maker is planning to do just that.

According to a person familiar with the plans speaking to Bloomberg, Apple is preparing to make a sale of "Investment-grade bonds" later in the day. This would mark the first time of Apple selling corporate bonds since 2023.


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Apple's latest Mac mini with an M4 chip is $110 off today, resulting in the lowest price we've seen to date.


The M4 Mac mini features an updated design and 16GB of RAM in the standard model, delivering a lot of bang for your buck at the retail price of $599. But going one step further, Amazon is discounting it to $490.84 (18% off MSRP), delivering the lowest price on record.

Get $490 Mac mini deal


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Apple's 2025 Pride Collection is now available, with a new Apple Watch Sport Band and wallpapers celebrating the strength and beauty of LGBTQ+ communities.


An annual tradition for Apple, the company releases a Pride Edition of Apple Watch bands, watch faces, and wallpapers in early May, to champion LGBTQ+ equality. On Monday, Apple issued its 2025 edition.

The aesthetic this time are blocks of rainbow stripes, which filter throughout the design of all elements in the collection. Offering a contemporary design, wallpapers shift depending on how the users move and unlock the device.


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Despite Apple stating that Apple Intelligence would be coming to China in April 2025, a new report predicts it won't come until June at the earliest.


As part of its launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple announced that Apple Intelligence would be released in multiple new languages in April.

Then Tim Cook subsequently said that iOS 18.4 "brought Apple intelligence to more languages, including... simplified Chinese."


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The iPhone 18 Pro models will have an under-display Face ID system, a leaker claims, reviving a long-time rumor for the 2026 model.


The idea of an iPhone that loses sight of the front-facing camera by hiding it under the screen has long been a concept that could revolutionize the smartphone's appearance. If a leaker is correct, then it should arrive with the iPhone 18 generation.

In a post to Weibo on Monday, "Digital Chat Station" posted that they had checked out the Apple supply chain, and found out some information about the front-facing cameras. For the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, the leaker says the 3D depth mapping system used to power Face ID is "under the screen."


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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Apple's Tim Cook has praised investor Warren Buffett, who has announced he's stepping down from the firm he's led for six decades.


Steve Jobs was famously dismissive of anyone who wasn't a "product person," and even included Tim Cook in that description. But both he and Cook have said that they learned business from a man who never made a single product, and instead became rich through investing in people who did.



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Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that the iPhone 19 Slim will feature a larger screen than its first versions, and will be released at the same time as a second generation iPhone Fold.


While the 2025 iPhone launch will be in the same format as it has since 2019 — both iPhone and iPhone Pro models being announced in September — Apple is again reported to be changing that for 2026. Backing up the first reports of this split launch, Ming-Chi Kuo has published what he believes is the new release schedule, including news of the slim and folding models.



Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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Potential members of a class-action lawsuit are being told to apply for their share of a now-approved $95 million settlement, if they owned a device with Siri that could've recorded a private conversation.


Emails are being sent out to consumers about a "Lopez Voice Assistant Class Action Settlement," explaining that the recipient could be owed some money. Following after the agreement by Apple to settle a class-action lawsuit, the time has now come for payments to be made.

The email, seen by AppleInsider, advises that the recipient is identified as potentially being a member of the settlement class, based on Apple's records, and could be entitled to receive the patent.


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Amazon's iPad sale includes a return of the $399 iPad mini 7 and $299 iPad 11, delivering discounts of up to 20% off.


Numerous iPad mini 7 models are $100 off at Amazon today, with prices starting at $399 after the discounts. The $299 iPad 11 deal is also still in effect, with delivery by Mother's Day to many addresses.




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A YouTube video has demonstrated that, while tricky to pull off, it is possible to power an M4 Mac mini using a USB-C cable.


Apple's MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineup allows users to recharge using MagSafe or USB-C. The USB-C charging is especially useful when used with some powered docks, since you could connect to peripherals and recharge the portable Mac from just one cable.

The same cannot be said for the Mac mini, as it's a device that requires a more traditional power connection in order to function. Unless you go to extreme lengths, or find a battery with an AC socket, you have to connect the Mac mini to a power outlet to use it.


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UK lawmakers target people who play music publicly on trains from iPhone speakers, a notorious prank call from an "open iPad," and a stalking case involving an AirTag in this week's Apple Crime Blotter.


The latest in an occasional AppleInsider series, looking at the world of Apple-related crime.


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Apple has now approved an update to the Spotify app on the App Store that includes direct links for purchasing and price information, after it was required to do so by a court ruling on April 30.


"There is more work to do," said Spotify spokesperson Jeanne Moran in a statement provided to CNBC, "but today represents a significant milestone for developers and entrepreneurs everywhere who want to build [apps] and compete on a more level playing field."

By adding a direct link to the company's own store into its app, Spotify and other developers can avoid having to pay Apple a 30 percent commission on in-app purchases. Judge Rogers ruled in 2021 that Apple could not force developers to use only App Store links.


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Apple will be bringing back a battery-case accessory for its planned iPhone 17 Air to help give the super-slim model all-day battery life.

Apple reportedly plans to shake up its iPhone release schedule starting with the iPhone 18, with only the flagship Pro models rumored to arrive in 2026.


Since 2019 and the iPhone 11 Pro, Apple has launched its Pro iPhone models alongside the regular models. That annual event each September or October was accompanied by an occasional mid-cycle update, or the sporadic release of an iPhone SE, but now Apple is reportedly going to change to a twice-yearly launch.

According to The Information, three unnamed sources in the supply chain claim that Apple will stagger iPhone releases into a fall and a spring pattern from 2026. There is no further specific detail about the change, but the sources say the more expensive models will launch first.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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Apple is bringing in Anthropic's Claude AI to help its engineers code faster, marking a quiet but telling shift in its approach to artificial intelligence.


Apple has long resisted leaning on outside help for core technologies, preferring to build its tools in-house. But that wall is starting to crack. The company is now partnering with Anthropic to integrate its Claude Sonnet model into an upgraded version of Xcode, Apple's software development platform.


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While it'll probably look very familiar, the iPhone 17 is set to bring some performance increases and new features. Here's everything the rumor mill thinks is coming in the fall of 2025.


In September 2025, Apple is expected to introduce a radically redesigned iPhone lineup. The iPhone 17 Pro is widely believed to feature a new rear "camera bar" design, and rumors suggest an ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air will replace the Plus model for 2025.

The standard iPhone 17, however, won't benefit from the same visual treatment. Based on alleged leaked CAD files and dummy units, the base model iPhone 17 will be virtually indistinguishable from its predecessor, the iPhone 16. Apple has already made test units of the iPhone 17, and the device is reportedly moving toward mass production.


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Apple's 2025 15-inch MacBook Air equipped with the M4 chip has dropped to $1,049 as retailers compete for your business in a May price war.


The 15-inch M4 MacBook Air (2025) features a 10-core GPU, with the standard model also equipped with 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD. Apple resellers B&H and Amazon are both discounting the standard spec in all four colorways to $1,049, the lowest price in 30 days and a 13% markdown off MSRP.

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Both by getting an exemption, and by toiling for seven years to diversify its iPhone manufacturing efforts outside of China, the $900 million estimate of tariff impacts in the third quarter is paltry compared to what it could have been, and is for other companies.


An unusual part of Apple's latest earnings call was when Cook broke off from recounting the quarter in question, and instead offered what he called color on the future. Really he was speaking about tariffs, which were introduced in Q2 but sufficiently anticipated in Q1 that it had an impact on Apple sales.

Cook had already said that Apple used a "build ahead" approach, to get more imports done before the tariff announcement for the third quarter. While he didn't comment on the unexpectedly higher severity of Trump's tariffs, he said that Apple estimates that "the tariffs will add $900 million to our costs for the third fiscal quarter."


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B&H's world-class creative expo returns to New York City — and best of all, it's free to attend.


B&H has been committed to supporting audio and visual artists since 1973. In 2023, it held its first Bild Expo to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Now, Bild Expo returns for its second year, inviting creatives to connect across both skill levels and industries.


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Apple's App Store has been around for 17 years, and there's a rich history and a wealth of apps to discover. Here's what you need to know, and how to get started with it.


While the iPhone first hit the market in June 2007, the iOS App Store was not released until July 10, 2008. At launch, it featured 500 applications, which included landmark titles for the time like Bejewled and social media apps like FaceBook and MySpace Mobile.

Apple would later launch the Mac App Store, with it first surfacing on January 6, 2011, as part of a free Mac OS X 10.6.6 update.


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As Apple again earns more in a quarter than predicted, it's also been hit by a punishing legal ruling. There are also new iPhone 17 dummies, and a "portable" Mac mini, all on the AppleInsider Podcast.


Apple did reveal that it's earned more in the last quarter than expected, though Tim Cook is a little inconsistent over whether there was any affect from how buyers then expected tariffs that were due to be a little steep. He also did not say directly that the tariffs turned out to be calamitously high, but he has predicted a $900 million cost to the company in the next quarter.

While that's more money than you earn in a dozen lifetimes, it's not going to put Apple out of business. Nor will the firm be finished after it took its near total victory over Epic Games and this week found a new way to lose anyway.


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Apple's Tim Cook attended President Trump's gathering of business CEOs via satellite, and committed the company to working with the administration.


Cook has continued his political handling of Trump that's previously included conversations and meetings, which led to the president granting Apple a tariff exemption, despite then immediately denying that he had. This time, Cook appeared by satellite at a publicity meeting between Trump and around 20 business leaders, on April 30, 2025, according to Fox Business.

After apologizing that he couldn't be present in person, Cook repeated his regular remark that, "Apple could only have been created in the United States."


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After a judge ordered Apple to remove all barriers to links and external purchases, the company has updated its guidelines to reflect the ruling while it appeals.


It's been a rough 24 hours for Apple, as earnings results were second-guessed by analysts and Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple's external purchase rules were a willful violation of an injunction. Epic Games has also been doing rounds celebrating the ruling, coaching others on how to bypass Apple's commission.

The new guidelines were first discovered by 9to5Mac, highlighting the updated language around external payments and links. Apple promised it would comply with the order while it appeals.


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Despite calling Apple's Q2 earnings solid, which did beat Wall Street expectations, some analysts are suggesting customers rushing to beat tariffs helped keep numbers up in uncertain conditions.


Apple CEO Tim Cook got ahead of its earnings with a statement to CNBC suggesting that it didn't see a significant pull-forward in demand in Q2 2025. The company beat Wall Street estimates with $95.4 billion in revenue.

Some analysts, however, aren't buying that narrative from Apple. Each report viewed by AppleInsider insists that pull-forward demand caused by panic buying before the extreme tariffs in April buoyed the quarter.


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Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company avoided any early financial impact of the expected tariffs during Q1 2025 — but he predicts a $900 million hit in its next quarter.


Apple's latest earnings call covered the quarter ending March 31, 2025, which was before Trump announced his tariff plan and sent technology stocks collapsing. The quarter was also one in which Apple launched multiple significant products, from the updated Mac Studio and MacBook Air, to the brand-new iPhone 16e.

Consequently, the results reported in the call show the benefits of the product launches, and none of the figures were affected by the tariffs. However, in reports ahead of the call, Cook did comment on the question of whether panic buying had set in among consumers, prior to the tariff announcement.


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Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that half of iPhones are coming from India, everything else from Vietnam, and the bare minimum from China when shipping to the United States.


There have been a lot of questions around how Apple will deal with the Trump administration's extreme tariffs, and there are finally some answers — at least for the short term. Since China has been hit with 125% tariffs, Apple will maneuver around this by minimizing products going from China to the United States.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, in response to an analyst question on the Q2 earnings call, devices delivered to the United States will originate primarily from Vietnam except for iPhones. Half of iPhone shipments will come from India, while the other half will continue to come from China.


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Apple has reported the fiscal results for the second quarter of 2025, with the financials revealing Apple may have benefited a little but perhaps not as much as expected from consumer tariff fears, earning $95.4 billion in the quarter.


Following the blockbuster Q1 quarter and the benefits of holiday sales to Apple's bottom line, Q2 is usually a fair bit lower in comparison. However, at Apple's scale, the figures are still very important to the company.

In the second quarter, Apple's revenue of $95.4 billion is up 5% year-on-year from the $90.75 billion reported in Q2 2024. This is also above the Wall Street Consensus, which believed Apple would haul in $94.42 billion as an average.


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With escalating U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports and mounting supply chain pressures, Tim Cook has made it clear that Apple is intensifying its manufacturing shift to India to sustain its iPhone supply.


Foxconn, Apple's largest assembly partner, plans to double iPhone production in India by the end of 2025, aiming to produce 25-30 million units, up from approximately 12 million in 2024. Tata Electronics has also commenced operations at new facilities, including one in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, supporting increased output of older iPhone models.

"If you look at the quarter that we're now inif you look at the US, over half of the U.S. sales of iPhone come from India," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a May 1 interview with CNBC, highlighting the scale of Apple's India manufacturing shift.


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It is a tumultuous time for Apple investors, but some good news came from Apple's earnings on Thursday as stock buybacks continue unabated at $100 billion, and dividends are rising to $0.26 per share.


While these numbers may seem significant given the current uncertainty provided by extreme tariffs, they're in line with what Apple announced in May 2024. That year-ago buyback was set at $110 billion and also had a 4% raise in dividends.

An announcement made live on CNBC with information provided by Apple revealed the buyback program. It is set at $100 billion this time around.


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AirPods, Apple Watch, Macs, iPads, and accessories are all on sale, with Mother's Day deals knocking up to 43% off popular gift ideas.

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Following Apple's sanctioning for violating an injunction to remove anti-steering measures, Epic Games is launching Webshops to make it easier for third-party developers to handle out-of-app purchases for iOS apps.


Epic is seemingly having a very good Thursday, with Apple smarting from a ruling by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers that it didn't do enough to meet the terms of an injunction issued in 2021. Capitalizing on the ruling, Epic says it will help iOS developers introduce alternative purchase methods to apps, without needing to pay Apple's 27% commission fee.

In a post to the Epic Games Store, Epic Games says that it is making two changes that affects developers in June. The first is the introduction of Epic Games Store Webshops, a way for developers to launch their own webshops hosted by the Epic Games Stores.


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SanDisk's Extreme Pro SSD has been recently updated, adding USB4 connectivity. It's a good, but expensive, external option for Mac owners assuming you never need to connect it to Windows.


It's safe to say that content creators and others who work in video are very familiar with SanDisk's range of external drives. The SanDisk Extreme range is well known, in part for having its built-in lanyard attachment point in the corner for hooking to a carabiner or a keychain.

The range also includes a Pro line, which offered a very similar concept, but with considerably faster storage — just not really for Mac.


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The UK's Court of Appeal has declared Apple's payment to patent troll Optis Cellular for standard-essential 4G payment royalties is too low, with the iPhone maker now on the hook for $502 million.


In 2022, the UK's High Court determined that Apple had infringed on standard essential patents concerning 4G technology, and therefore had to pay Optis royalties. While there was the prospect of Apple paying out billions in royalties to Optis, the High Court decided on a much lower charge of $56.43 million, plus interest.

Based on a challenge on the amount from Optis, the Court of Appeal agreed that it was too low, and Apple should pay more. According to Reuters, Apple has to pay Optis $502 million for the use of the 4G patents in iPhones and other cellular devices.


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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is once again accusing Apple of shutting out competition, framing open-source AI as the latest move in a long-running fight over who controls the future of mobile platforms.


Policies enacted by Apple for iPhone have long banned embedded app frameworks from third parties, affecting companies like Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Apple says these restrictions are necessary to protect user privacy and system integrity.

In a new interview with Stratechery, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed those iOS policies stifled Facebook's early platform vision. He said Apple blocked the company's mobile platform plans over a decade ago, killing a key part of its business.


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Following the ruling that Apple has willfully violated the anti-steering aspect of the Epic vs Apple trial, the company must make specific changes to the App Store. Here's what it must immediately do, and what this all means for Apple, developers, and users.


Apple won the trial against Epic Games, which was started by the games company intentionally violating its App Store agreements. But Apple did lose on one count regarding how developers can and can't direct users away from the App Store.

Epic Games pressed on this point and has now won a victory with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers agreeing that Apple violated an anti-steering injunction. Describing Apple's subsequent actions as "gross insubordination," Judge Rogers not only repeated the anti-steering injunction, but specified steps in particular detail to prevent Apple being able to do anything but comply.


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The Epic Games "Fortnite" versus Apple's AppStore antitrust trial has completed its last week. Here's what you need to know about the saga, with closing arguments left to go. Between Epic CEO Tim Sweeney's ongoing complaints, the trial, and Apple's lies, the Epic vs. Apple App Store lawsuit continues to roll on years later. Here's all you need to know about the long-running courtroom drama, updated on May 1, 2025.

Apple gained significant market share in early 2025, growing 13 percent while the global smartphone market remained essentially flat.


Apple outpaced the broader smartphone market in Q1 2025, shipping 55 million iPhone units and increasing its global share to 19 percent, up from 16 percent a year earlier, according to Canalys Research's April report.

The overall smartphone market grew just 0.2 percent year over year, reaching 296.9 million units. Apple's 13 percent growth stood out, driven by strong demand for the budget-focused iPhone 16e and sales momentum in the United States and emerging Asia Pacific markets.


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Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has ruled that an Apple executive willfully lied to the court and attorneys did not correct those lies about Apple's 27% commission fee in the company's high-profile legal fight against Epic Games.


Apple has taken a battering in the continuing legal battle with Epic Games over App Store rules. While Apple was found to have violated a 2021 injunction to remove anti-steering barriers, one of its executives has also been called out for lying under oath.

During the trial, Apple VP of Finance Alex Roman "outright lied" to the court, the filing from Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers declared on Wednesday, reports CNBC. Rogers wrote that Roman had lied to maintain the belief that evidence of internal discussions about a 27% commission fee on some purchases linked to the App Store was real, when it was not.


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The Satechi Mac Mini M4 Hub & Stand is an elegant and compact way to expand a Mac mini's ports and storage, but there are three major problems with it.


As far as connectivity options, the Mac mini has a decent amount available, but users can always add more. This is usually in the form of a hub that simply brings more ports and connections to the table.

Expanding a Mac's utility, be it by using a hub to add ports or an external drive for storage capacity, also means more desk space is used up. This is not great, especially if users don't want to see extra enclosures littering their desk's surface and spoiling an otherwise tidy or minimal workspace.


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Apple provided a brief statement following a ruling from a judge that Apple had violated the anti-steering injunction handed down after the Epic versus Apple trial.


Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple willfully violated an injunction that required the company to throw out its anti-steering practices. The company did offer a new set of rules, but it required complicated linking solutions and a 27% commission.

Apple provided a statement about the matter late Wednesday, which says that it disagrees with the ruling.


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Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has made an offer to Apple — end external commissions globally and get "Fortnite" back on the App Store and a cease in litigation.


Apple just got slapped with an incredible ruling from Judge Gonzalez Rogers after the company failed to honor the spirit of the injunction that aimed to eliminate anti-steering practices. As a result, Apple must stop all commissions on purchases made outside the App Store, and it must end all controls over external linking too.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney sees this as a significant victory and offers to share in the spoils. He says all Apple has to do is extend the Judge's new ruling out of the United States to the rest of the world. Then, and only then, will Epic return Fortnite to the App Store "next week."


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The battle between Apple and Epic Games goes on as Judge Gonzalez Rogers finds Apple in violation of an injunction, which may result in Apple being charged with contempt by federal prosecutors.


The Epic vs Apple trial began as a result of Epic Games deliberately violating App Store rules in order to create a marketing campaign against Apple. The results had Apple win on every aspect except one — anti-steering.

Apple was ordered via a 2021 injunction to remove anti-steering barriers for third-party businesses, but Apple's App Store changes didn't satisfy Epic Games. A complaint was filed in March, which resulted in a very critical ruling on April 30 from Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.


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The AirBorne vulnerability disclosed on Tuesday affects millions of products, including Apple's discontinued and fan-favorite AirPort routers. A petition hopes to change that.


While the Oligo report didn't discuss AirPort routers directly, the discontinued products are affected by AirBorne. The vulnerability can lead to wormable, zero-click exploits that can infect any connected device on a network with malware.

According to a petition filed on change.org by IT professional and developer Gary Longsine, AirPort routers that are still in use today will be rendered immediately obsolete without updates. Apple discontinued the routers in 2018 and provided the last firmware update in June 2019.


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Apple has issued warnings to select iPhone users, whom the company believes may have been targeted by mercenary spyware.


In 2021, Apple announced it would alert iOS users to state-sponsored spyware attacks that it detects. Since then, the iPhone maker has sent such notifications on multiple occasions, often notifying users in more than 90 countries.

Apple has now issued another alert, according to a TechCrunch report published on Wednesday. Specifically, warnings were received by Dutch political activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek and Italian journalist Ciro Pellegrino, among others. Apple reportedly alerted users across 100 countries, saying that they were the targets of mercenary spyware.


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Sonnet has maintained its excellent reputation for quality accessories for Mac users, with the new Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock offering tons of ports and even fast storage expansion too.


A staple of Mac desktops is the Thunderbolt dock, a device that can take advantage of the massive bandwidth of Thunderbolt connections and share it out to a ton of peripherals. With the advent of Thunderbolt 5, a new wave of docks are emerging, taking advantage of the extra available bandwidth.

Sonnets attempt at the product category, the Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock, is one that aims to provide a lot of utility to consumers using that bandwidth. Both in terms of what they could connect up to their Mac and in terms of storage capabilities.


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Even if you're still relying on noisy gas generators, it isn't too late to start switching to solar and battery solutions from Bluetti, and save big thanks to federal tax credits and trade-in subsidy.


Switching to solar and battery-based energy in the U.S. can actually save you some money on taxes. And no, this isn't something for the distant future — it's happening right now.

Thanks to the U.S. Residential Clean Energy Credit, you can score a 30% federal tax credit on eligible solar systems and home batteries through 2032. So, with the right setup like the AC500 Home Battery Backup, you're not just saving on your electricity bill — you could also get a portion of your purchase back when tax season rolls around.


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Razer's recent release of its own PC Remote Play app pits it against the incumbent PC game streaming king, Steam Link. Here's what to know about the two gaming heavyweights' remote gaming apps running on iPhone, iPad, and sometimes Mac.


Game peripherals maker Razer released its PC Remote Play app to the App Store in April. The app, an extension of its existing software work in gaming, provides a way for gamers to play Windows games on an iOS or iPadOS device.

Aside from being useful, it's also a helpful promotional tool for its accessory lineup, which includes the Razer Kishi game controller for iPhone.


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Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed in court testimony that the company hopes to strike a deal with Apple by mid-2025 to bring its Gemini AI technology to Apple Intelligence.


During a federal antitrust trial on April 29, Pichai said Google is in discussions with Apple to integrate Gemini into Apple Intelligence, the AI system expected to power upcoming versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. The testimony was first reported by Reuters.

Gemini is Google's family of AI models, developed by Alphabet's DeepMind unit. It includes Gemini Nano, optimized for mobile devices, and Gemini Ultra for high-performance computing. The system is capable of summarizing content, generating code, and performing complex language tasks.


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Fearing regulation and the need for costly new systems verifying the age of users, Meta and Spotify are among a group lobbying Washington to have Apple and Google deal with it for them.


In March 2025, Utah became the first state to require Apple and others to add age verification. That legal requirement is explicitly directed at Google and Apple, rather than any third-party app developers.

Plus Apple has already announced and begun implementing a series of age verification-related steps for iOS. This again sees the burden falling on Apple.


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We've got our hands on iPhone 17 mockups. Here's what the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Air will look like, and feel like once they ship in September 2025.


Most case manufacturers don't get any support from Apple. All of the companies involved have to get a let-up on competition to get an early piece of the iPhone case market, and launching cases that work with new iPhones every year is a billion-dollar industry.

To further that end, dummy units are produced in spring by case and accessory manufacturers. All of the firms source design files from sometimes sketchy sources for the new phones to get as early a start as possible on designing and manufacturing products.


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