Fort Lauderdale resident Daniel Vallaire suffered a devastating stroke last year, and it ended up being Siri that provided life saving help.


Just days before his 70th birthday, Vallaire collapsed in his bathroom. He spent the next 48 hours crawling "inch by inch by inch" from the bathroom to the living room in an attempt to get help. He was confused, had no strength, and ended up severely dehydrated.

Vallaire wasn't able to get to the phone or place a call, so he yelled to ‌Siri‌ to call his daughter, Victoria. ‌Siri‌ placed the call and his daughter was able to then relay the emergency to 911, and emergency responders arrived within 10 minutes.

"I said, '‌Siri‌, call Victoria Vallaire,' and she did," Vallaire told a local news station. "If I had a landline, there's no way I would be able to get to it." He went on to say that if he didn't have ‌Siri‌, he "wouldn't be here."

After emergency crews rescued him, the hospital found that he had a stroke caused by an infection in two of his aortic valves. Vallaire was able to reunite with the medical team that saved his life earlier this month. He said that he was grateful that he skirted death, and suggested that others "be conscious" of heart health.

‌Siri‌ and other Apple safety features like Crash Detection, Fall Detection, and Emergency SOS have been responsible for saving many lives. ‌Siri‌ is available across all Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, HomePod, and Apple TV.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook spent the weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana, which is where Super Bowl LIX was held on Sunday. Cook visited several locations in New Orleans, and chronicled the trip in a short social media video.


Cook started his trip off visiting Harry Connick Jr. at the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music (EMCM), known for youth music education. Apple funds EMCM with Apple technology and grants to sponsor young musicians.

He then visited Domilise's Po-Boy for a meal with NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and met up with country singer Shaboozey. After that, Cook took a trip to the Apple Music Radio Studio that was hosting daily Super Bowl LIX broadcasts featuring New Orleans music, and he stopped by the Apple location at Lakeside Shopping Center to meet up with students learning to use GarageBand.


Ahead of the Super Bowl, Cook saw the NFL Host Committee Parade, which included an Apple Music-sponsored float that young artists from Arts New Orleans designed using an iPad and Apple Pencil.

Cook then attended the Super Bowl and watched the ‌Apple Music‌ Super Bowl LIX halftime show with Kendrick Lamar. Cook's short video on his trip ends with a thank you to the city of New Orleans for hosting him.
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If you have been waiting for Apple's rumored smart home hub to launch, prepare to wait some more. In his Power On newsletter over the weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the device is still "months away" from shipping.


Based on that wording, the home hub will not ship until April at the earliest, but potentially not until much later in the year. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the device would enter mass production in the second half of 2025, so it is quite possible the home hub will be announced in September or later.

Gurman previously said 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." He said the device will be like a "smaller and cheaper iPad" that lets users "control appliances, conduct FaceTime chats, and handle other tasks."

The device is expected to be similar to a HomePod with a screen, with rumored features including a 6-inch or 7-inch display, an A18 chip, and Apple Intelligence support. Gurman said it can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall.

The home hub will run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and revolve around Siri, Apple Intelligence, and HomeKit, according to Gurman. The device 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 use HomePod or HomePad branding for the device, or if it will opt for a fully unique name, such as the Apple Home.


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Apple typically releases new iPhone color options every year as a mid-product cycle refresh, so when can we expect a new finish in 2025?


Apple has added new ‌iPhone‌ colors on six occasions in the past, consistently in either the March or April following an ‌iPhone‌'s launch:

• iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: (PRODUCT)RED (Tuesday, March 21, 2017)


• iPhone 8 and 8 Plus: (PRODUCT)RED (Monday, April 9, 2018)


• iPhone 12 and 12 mini: Purple (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)


• iPhone 13 and 13 mini: Green (Tuesday, March 8, 2022)


• iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max: Alpine Green (Tuesday, March 8, 2022)


• iPhone 14 and 14 Plus: Yellow (Tuesday, March 7, 2023)

There are currently no rumors about new color options for the iPhone 16, and it's possible Apple could skip this year like it did for the ‌iPhone‌ XR, ‌iPhone‌ 11, and iPhone 15 in 2019, 2020, and 2024. That being said, Apple has released new colors many more times than it has chosen not to do so since 2017, so a refresh is possible this year, but given Apple didn't do so last year, it's far from certain.

Apple has only ever added new "Pro" model color options once, in 2022, so while it's theoretically possible this year, it is perhaps more unlikely than likely.

The ‌iPhone 16‌ is available in Black, White, Teal, Pink, and Ultramarine. A new red, yellow, purple, or grey seem possible since these have all been offered on ‌iPhone‌ models in the past and are not too similar to any of the existing shades. There are usually rumors that point to which new color to expect, but it may still be a little too early for this based on previous years.
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There continue to be signs of a new MacBook Air with an M4 chip, indicating that we could see the machine launch in the not too distant future. A private account on X today shared the identifiers that the ‌MacBook Air‌ will use, and those identifiers correspond to the M4 chip.


According to the source, both the 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ and the 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ will be equipped with Apple's "T8132" chip, which is the M4 SoC.

Apple inadvertently confirmed the upcoming M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ machines back in December when the macOS Sequoia 15.2 release included files for unreleased "Mac16,12" and "Mac16,13" machines. The files referenced the "‌‌MacBook Air‌‌ (13-inch, M4, 2025)" and the "‌‌MacBook Air‌‌ (15-inch, M4, 2025)."

Since then, we've just been waiting for the new ‌MacBook Air‌ models to launch. There's no word on when they're coming, but as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman pointed out over the weekend, existing stock of the M3 ‌MacBook Air‌ models is dwindling, suggesting a launch is coming soon.

Apple is expected to debut the iPhone SE 4 and the new Powerbeats Pro 2 as soon as tomorrow, and the ‌MacBook Air‌ could come sometime after that in the next few weeks.
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The iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1 updates that Apple released today include an important security fix, and it's important to install the new software as soon as possible because this bug was exploited in the wild.


According to Apple's security support document for iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1, it addresses an accessibility vulnerability that could disable USB Restricted Mode on a locked device.

Exploiting this vulnerability requires physical access to a device, and Apple says that it was used against specific individuals.

Impact: A physical attack may disable USB Restricted Mode on a locked device. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals.

The vulnerability was fixed with improved state management, according to Apple. Note that Apple has also released iPadOS 17.7.5 with the same security fix for devices that are not able to run iPadOS 18.

You will want to install iOS 18.3.1 if you have an iPhone compatible with iOS 18 in order to ensure you are protected from vulnerabilities. The same goes for iPadOS 18.3.1 or iPadOS 17.7.5 depending on which iPad you have.
This article, "Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.3.1 Includes Fix for Actively Exploited Vulnerability" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.3.1, a minor update to the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ operating system that came out last September. macOS 15.3.1 comes a few weeks after the launch of ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3.


Mac users can download the ‌‌‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. Apple has also released macOS 13.7.4 and macOS 14.7.4 for those who are running older versions of macOS.

According to Apple's release notes, ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3.1 includes important security fixes, and it is recommended for all users.
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Apple today released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.1 comes two weeks after Apple released iOS 18.3.


The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iPadOS 17.7.5 for those still running iPadOS 17.

According to Apple's release notes, iOS 18.3.1 includes bug fixes and security updates.

iOS 18.3.1 will be followed by iOS 18.4, an update that we are expecting to see released in April. The first iOS 18.4 beta is could come as soon as this week.
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Apple today released visionOS 2.3.1, a minor update to the visionOS 2 operating system that came out in September. visionOS 2.3.1 comes two weeks after the launch of visionOS 2.3, and more than a year after the release of the Vision Pro headset.


visionOS 2.3 can be downloaded on all Vision Pro headsets by navigating to the Settings app, selecting the General section, and choosing the Software Update option.

To install an update, the Vision Pro headset needs to be removed, and there is a software progress bar available on the front EyeSight display.

According to Apple's release notes, visionOS 2.3 includes security updates, and the software is recommended for all users.

More information on the Vision Pro and ‌visionOS 2‌ can be found in our roundup.
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Apple today released watchOS 11.3.1, a minor update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.3.1 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2.


watchOS 11.3.1 can be downloaded by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery and it needs to be placed on a charger.

The watchOS 11.3.1 update includes important security updates, and it is recommended for all Apple Watch owners.

More of the features available in watchOS 11 can be found in our watchOS 11 roundup.
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A report from The New York Times over the weekend highlighted the trend of people wearing an Apple Watch on their ankles, instead of the wrist.


The report highlighted reasons why some people prefer to wear the Apple Watch on the ankle:

• Some people with tiny wrists find the Apple Watch fits too loosely for heart rate sensing.


• Some people with wrist tattoos believe the ink may interfere with heart rate sensing, which is something that Apple acknowledges in a support document. Apple says some tattoos can "block light" from the heart rate sensor on the bottom of the Apple Watch, making it "difficult to get reliable readings."


• Some people believe the Apple Watch provides more accurate step counting when it is worn on the ankle, compared to the wrist.


• Some people with skin conditions prefer to wear the Apple Watch on the ankle.


• Some medical professionals cannot wear anything on their wrists.

Apple has not commented on the report, but its support documents and white papers for the Apple Watch mention that the device's heart rate and calorie measuring functions are validated for wear on the wrist, with no mention of the ankle anywhere. Apple has not publicly come out and advised people against wearing the Apple Watch on the ankle, but it is not something that its documentation acknowledges at this time.
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Apple today updated its Sports app for the iPhone with NASCAR support, ahead of the annual Daytona 500 race on Sunday, February 16.


The release notes for version 2.5 of the Apple Sports app:

• Start your engines! NASCAR is now on Apple Sports. Get live race coverage and leaderboard updates, starting with the Daytona 500.
• Spring Training is here. Follow your favorite teams as they get ready for the MLB season.

Launched in February 2024, the Apple Sports app shows scores, stats, standings, upcoming games, and more for a variety of leagues, such as the NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL, Premier League, and others. The free iPhone app is available in the App Store.
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Apple's long-awaited Powerbeats Pro 2 are finally expected to be announced this Tuesday. Ahead of time, one lucky Walmart customer was able to get their hands on the earbuds early, according to a since-deleted Reddit post over the weekend.


"My local Walmart had them in the cage," the Reddit user explained. "I asked if I can buy them [and] he said yes."

Apple already shared a Powerbeats Pro 2 teaser video last year, revealing that the earbuds have a slimmer and more vertical design compared to the original Powerbeats Pro from 2019. Other rumored features include the H2 chip from the AirPods Pro 2, heart rate monitoring for workouts, new color options like Electric Orange, and more.

With the H2 chip, the Powerbeats Pro 2 should offer active noise cancellation, which is something the original Powerbeats Pro lack. The chip should also enable better sound quality and longer battery life compared to the original Powerbeats Pro.

In the United States, the Powerbeats Pro 2 are expected to cost $249.

Update: Shortly after we published, the Reddit post was deleted.
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Best Buy's Presidents' Day sale began today, offering sitewide discounts on appliances, TVs, video games, and Apple products. One of the biggest categories getting discounted is Apple iPads, including record low prices on the 10th generation iPad, iPad mini 7, M2 iPad Air, and M4 iPad Pro.

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

10th Gen iPad

Best Buy has nearly every model of the 10th generation iPad for $70 off this week. Prices start at $279.00 for the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad, which is a match of the best price we've tracked so far in 2025 and an overall second-best price on the tablet.




You'll also find the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad on sale for $429.00, down from $499.00. Both Wi-Fi models are available at these $70 discounts in all four colors: Yellow, Silver, Pink, and Blue.

iPad Mini 7

Best Buy this week is providing record low prices on multiple models of the iPad mini 7, starting at $399.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $499.00.

M2 iPad Air

Best Buy has nearly every model of Apple's M2 iPad Air on sale this week at $100 off, all of which are matching the record low prices for each tablet. You'll also find some of the higher storage capacities reaching $200 off this week.

11-inch iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $499.00 ($100 off) [matched at Amazon]


• 256GB Wi-Fi - $599.00 ($100 off) [matched at Amazon]


• 512GB Wi-Fi - $799.00 ($100 off) [matched at Amazon]


• 1TB Wi-Fi - $899.00 ($200 off) [only at Amazon]

13-inch iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $699.00 ($100 off) [matched at Amazon]


• 256GB Wi-Fi - $799.00 ($100 off) [matched at Amazon]


• 512GB Wi-Fi - $899.00 ($200 off) [only at Amazon]


• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,099.00 ($200 off) [only at Amazon]

M4 iPad Pro

Similar to the iPad Air tablets, Best Buy is providing record low prices on Apple's M4 iPad Pro this week. For the 11-inch models, you'll need to be a My Best Buy Plus/Total member in order to see these all-time low prices.

The same stipulations don't apply to 13-inch models, which are available without coupons or the need of a membership. Every price listed below is the match of an all-time low price on each iPad Pro model.

11-Inch iPad Pro - Wi-Fi

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $849.00 ($150 off) [Best Buy members]


• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,049.00 ($150 off) [Best Buy members]


• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,449.00 ($150 off) [Best Buy members]

13-Inch iPad Pro - Wi-Fi

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $1,099.00 ($200 off) [matched at Amazon]


• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,299.00 ($200 off) [matched at Amazon]


• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,699.00 ($200 off) [matched at Amazon]


• 1TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $1,799.00 ($200 off) [matched at Amazon]


• 2TB Wi-Fi - $2,099.00 ($200 off) [matched at Amazon]

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

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Just minutes after Super Bowl LIX ended on Sunday, Apple shared a short video promoting its MLS Season Pass subscription service.


Whether you call it football, fútbol, or soccer, the sport with the round ball returns soon.

"When football ends, fútbol begins," says the video, which features MLS star Lionel Messi. With the NFL season now over, Apple is using the opportunity to promote the upcoming MLS season, which kicks off Saturday, February 22.

In the United States, MLS Season Pass is priced at $14.99 per month or $99 per season, and it provides access to all regular season and playoff matches. MLS Season Pass is available in the Apple TV app on Apple devices, most smart TVs, and many other streaming devices and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com.

2025 marks the third year of a 10-year partnership between Apple and Major League Soccer.


With the introduction of Sunday Night Soccer, Apple TV+ subscribers will also be able to watch a featured MLS match every Sunday evening during the upcoming 2025 season, at no additional cost. In the United States, Apple TV+ is priced at $9.99 per month or $99 per year, and it is also included in all Apple One subscription bundles.

Apple TV+ now offers Friday Night Baseball for MLB and Sunday Night Soccer for MLS, as part of its growing professional sports portfolio.

The inaugural Sunday Night Soccer matchup will see the newest MLS team, the San Diego FC, make their debut against the reigning MLS Cup champions, the LA Galaxy, on Sunday, February 23 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
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Amazon today has the USB-C AirPods Max on sale for $479.99 in every color, down from $549.00. This is a second-best price on the USB-C headphones, and only the second time in 2025 that we've tracked any notable sale.

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

Colors available on sale include Blue, Midnight, Orange, Starlight, and Purple. All colors are still available to be delivered in February, with most providing a delivery estimate around February 15 for free shipping options. Prime members in certain cities should be able to see same-day delivery options.



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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Stationery Pad is a handy way to nix a step in your workflow if you regularly use document templates on your Mac. The long-standing Finder feature essentially tells a file's parent application to open a copy of it by default, ensuring that the original file remains unedited.


Stationery Pad doesn't get much attention these days, but it's a neat alternative to repeatedly editing templates and using the "Save As..." command, which can lead to overwriting the original file if you're not too careful.

Almost any file type can be defined as a template with Stationery Pad – it could be used to streamline common Photoshop jobs, create skeleton HTML/CSS files, or help with Word document invoicing. To make use of Stationery Pad, create the file you want to use as a template, then follow the steps below.

Define a File as a Template Using Stationery Pad

1. Find the file in Finder that you want to use as a template.
   
2. Right-click (or Ctrl-click) the file and select Get Info in the contextual dropdown menu. Alternatively, click the file to select it and use the Command+I keyboard shortcut to launch Get Info.
   
   
3. Check the Stationery Pad checkbox under the General section.
   
   
4. Click the red traffic light button to close the Get Info window.

Next time you double-click the template file, Finder will create and open a copy of it, leaving the original untouched. To reverse the behavior, simply uncheck the Stationery Pad checkbox in the template file's Get Info window.
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Apple has been ramping up hiring for its robotics research and engineering teams to help spur the development of home robotics devices, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


The company is currently in the early stages of developing a tabletop robot and has its sights set on potentially creating a humanoid model in the future.

The robotics work is being spearheaded by two departments within Apple: the Home Labs hardware engineering group and Kevin Lynch's AI special projects team. These teams originated from Apple's now-defunct self-driving car unit, which was disbanded last February.

Over the past several weeks, Apple has posted numerous job listings for robotics specialists, stating that new hires will have "the opportunity to work with a small team of highly skilled engineers and scientists to bring new experiences to Apple products."

Last month, a team of robotics researchers at Apple published a research paper and accompanying video showcasing a lamp-like robot prototype with lifelike movements. The robot, reminiscent of Pixar's mascot Luxo Jr., demonstrates various interactions with a person, such as responding to weather inquiries, providing lighting for iPhone photography, reminding the person to drink water, and even dancing along to music as a social companion.

While the research paper provided a glimpse into Apple's robotics experimentation, Gurman has previously reported that the company is developing a tabletop robot with an "iPad-like display" attached to a robotic limb. This device, which could launch by 2027, is expected to be primarily controlled with Siri and Apple Intelligence, with the ability to respond to commands like "look at me" during FaceTime video calls.

Gurman believes Apple's tabletop robot is likely to be something closer to a HomePod smart speaker with a screen attached to a robotic limb, and it could turn out to be a higher-end version of Apple's rumored smart home hub, which is expected to launch this year.
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Oppo has confirmed a February 20 global launch for its Find N5, which the company claims is the world's thinnest device in the foldable phone category. The phone is expected to be re-branded as the OnePlus Open 2 in the US.


The Chinese vendor has been teasing the device in the last few weeks, touting its waterproofing and nearly invisible display crease, and highlighting its thinness by comparing it to Apple devices like the iPad Pro, which is Apple's thinnest device to date.

Oppo has shared a trailer of the Find N5, calling it "Slim, yet powerful." Reports suggest the Find N5 is around 4mm thick. That beats the Honor Magic V3, which up until now was considered the thinnest foldable, which is 4.35mm thick when unfolded.

The video also reveals some additional features, including a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, an alert slider, and a cut-down camera bump. The ad shows the device in Cosmic Black and Misty White colors, but not the Twilight Purple color that is expected to be exclusive to the Chinese market.

The smartphone market is currently fascinated with thinness. Samsung recently teased its super-thin Galaxy S25 Edge, following reports that Apple is planning to launch a so-called iPhone 17 Air in September. The rumored device, which will replace the Plus model in its flagship lineup, is expected to be Apple's thinnest iPhone to date.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the iPhone 17 Air will be 5.5mm thick at its thinnest point, which likely means that it will have a 5.5mm chassis with a thicker rear camera bump area.


The thinnest iPhone we've seen so far was the iPhone 6, which measured in at 6.9mm. iPhones got thicker with the iPhone X and beyond, as Apple increased thickness to provide more space for the battery, camera lenses, Face ID hardware, and more.
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Apple supplier BOE is again facing issues with its OLED panel production for iPhones, prompting Apple to consider redirecting orders to Samsung Display and LG Display, according to sources in Korea (via OLED-info).


The Chinese display manufacturer has reportedly been struggling to meet Apple's quality standards for LTPS AMOLED displays intended for iPhone 14, 15, and 16 models. Since the beginning of 2024, BOE has only managed to deliver approximately 7-8 million panels to Apple, falling drastically short of its roughly 40 million unit orders.

The quality issues are expected to take at least six weeks to resolve. Meanwhile, industry insiders suggest that Samsung Display is likely to receive the majority of any redirected orders, since LG Display's production capacity is primarily focused on manufacturing LTPO AMOLED displays for iPhone "Pro" models.

This is just the latest setback in BOE's troubled history with iPhone OLED production. The company faced similar challenges in 2023 when it struggled with light leakage issues around the Dynamic Island cutout for iPhone 15 displays, leading Apple to reduce orders significantly.
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If you missed the Apple Music Halftime Show during Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans tonight, or simply want to rewatch it, a video of the full performance is now available for playback on the NFL's official YouTube channel.


We would have embedded the video here, but the NFL is not allowing that right now, so use the direct link to watch it on YouTube.

This year's Apple Music Halftime Show featured hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar. Other stars who appeared on stage alongside Lamar included singer SZA, producer Mustard, former professional tennis player Serena Williams, and actor Samuel L. Jackson.
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T-Mobile today announced that its Starlink satellite feature is now available in public beta, meaning anyone in the U.S. with a compatible iPhone or Android smartphone can sign up to test the off-the-grid connectivity, even if they use another carrier like AT&T or Verizon. Starlink is a subsidiary of Elon Musk's SpaceX.


Approved beta testers can use the Starlink satellite connectivity for free until July, with limited spots available. Afterwards, T-Mobile customers with a Go5G Next plan or another eligible plan will continue to have access to the feature at no additional cost, while T-Mobile customers with other plans can add the service for $15 per month, per line. Anyone else using a different carrier will be able to access the service for $20 per month, per line.

T-Mobile customers who register for the beta before the end of February will be eligible for a discounted price of $10 per month starting in July.

In most outdoor areas of the U.S. where cellular service is unavailable, a compatible iPhone or Android smartphone enrolled in the T-Mobile Starlink beta will automatically connect to one of hundreds of Starlink satellites in space, allowing for iMessages and SMS messages to be sent and received when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.

T-Mobile says Starlink support for voice calls and mobile data is coming later.

In a support document, Apple says the iPhone will display "SAT" in the status bar when the device is using a carrier-provided satellite feature, such as T-Mobile Starlink. To turn off a carrier-provided satellite feature, open the Settings app, tap Cellular, tap on your carrier or phone number, and toggle off Satellite.

Here is what Apple says is required:

• iPhone 14, iPhone 15, or iPhone 16 (all models)


• The latest version of iOS


• A supported carrier


• Some carriers might require a supported cellular plan

If this sounds familiar, that is because Apple already offers satellite connectivity for free on all iPhone 14 models and newer, in partnership with Globalstar. iPhones can use both Apple's satellite features, and those provided by a carrier.

Apple's satellite connectivity was initially limited to communication with emergency services, but iOS 18 added the ability to send and receive iMessages and SMS messages to anyone via satellite. iPhone users can also update their location in the Find My app via satellite, and arrange roadside assistance via satellite. All of these features are available in the U.S., but availability varies in other countries. The features are free to use for now.

Starlink has a larger satellite constellation than Globalstar, and connectivity is established automatically, without needing to manually point the iPhone at the sky.
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Apple today increased its estimated trade-in values for select Mac models in the United States, with the full changes outlined below.


Apple says the extra trade-in credit for select Macs is available with the purchase of an eligible new Apple device through April 2.

The trade-in values increased by between $10 and $50.

Model	New Value	Old Value
MacBook Pro	Up to $925	Up to $915
MacBook Air	Up to $435	Up to $425
MacBook	Up to $140	Up to $90
iMac	Up to $315	Up to $305
iMac Pro	Up to $455	Up to $405
Mac mini	Up to $375	Up to $365
Mac Studio	Up to $1,150	Up to $1,140
Mac Pro	Up to $720	Up to $670

Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website or at an Apple Store, and the credit can be applied towards the purchase of a new Apple product, or placed on an Apple gift card for later use. Visit the trade-in page on Apple's website for more details.
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We're less than one week away from Valentine's Day, which falls on Friday, February 14, this year. Similar to years past, many third-party Apple resellers and accessory companies have opened up notable discounts on Apple products and accessories to coincide with the holiday.

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

Additionally, there are a few solid discounts on Apple products like AirPods, Apple Watch, iMac, and iPad. In this article you'll find deals from third-party retailers collected first, including special Valentine's Day themed sales from AT&T, ZAGG, Casely, and more.

Valentine's Accessory Sales

• Best Buy - Purchase $100 Apple gift card, get a $10 Best Buy e-gift card


• Anker - BOGO 50% off


• Sonos - Get up to 25% off soundbars, speakers, and subwoofers


• AT&T - iPhone 16 Pro at no cost with eligible trade-in


• Samsung - Save up to $1,250 when purchasing the new Galaxy S25 smartphones


• Twelve South - Get $30 off HiRise 3 Deluxe


• ZAGG - Save 30% off your entire cart when you purchase two or more products


• Casely - Get 15% off sitewide with code LOVE15

AirPods

Amazon this week has major discounts on a few AirPods models, including a new all-time low price on the AirPods 4. You can get the base AirPods 4 for $99.99 on Amazon, down from $129.00.



Amazon also has the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for $148.99, down from $179.00. We did track these at a lower price during the 2024 holiday season, but that deal never returned and today's is the best we've seen so far in 2025.



Additionally, you can get the AirPods Pro 2 for $169.00 today on Amazon, down from $249.00. This is the lowest price we've tracked so far in 2025 on the AirPods Pro 2, and it's an overall solid second-best price.

Apple Watch

Amazon is discounting the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE to $169.00 today, down from $249.00. This is the best price we've tracked so far in 2025, and it's available in Starlight, Silver, and Midnight Aluminum color options.



Additionally, you can get the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE at an all-time low price of $199.00 today on Amazon, down from $279.00. This one is also available in Midnight, Silver, and Starlight Aluminum colors, and multiple band sizes.



For Series 10 models, Amazon also has all-time low prices on these devices. You'll find $70 off both 42mm and 46mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10 in multiple case and band colors. Prices start at $329.00 for the 42mm GPS model and increase to $359.00 for the 46mm GPS model.

iPad

There are numerous iPads on sale in early February, and we're starting with a $70 discount on the 10th generation model at Amazon. You can get the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad for $279.00, down from $349.00, which is the best price we've tracked in 2025 so far and an overall second-best price.




Amazon this week is providing record low prices on multiple models of the iPad mini 7, starting at $399.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $499.00. Best Buy is also matching every one of these deals, and in some cases it has better delivery estimates.

Apple Accessories

We're tracking a few notable discounts on Apple accessories on Amazon below, as well as a great deal on the MagSafe Duo Charger at Woot.

• AirTag 1 Pack - $22.99, down from $29.00


• AirTag 4 Pack - $69.99, down from $99.00


• Apple Pencil Pro - $99.00, down from $129.00


• Apple Pencil USB-C - $69.99, down from $79.00


• Apple Studio Display (Standard Glass) - $1,299.99, down from $1,599.00


• Apple Studio Display (Nano-texture Glass) - $1,599.99, down from $1,899.00


• Magic Keyboard Folio (10th Gen iPad) - $199.00, down from $249.00

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

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This article, "Valentine's Day Deals: Get All-Time Low Prices on AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple plans to announce a new iPhone SE this week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In his Power On newsletter today, and a corresponding social media post, Gurman said the new iPhone SE is "coming this week." Until now, he said that Apple planned to announce the device "as early as" this week, but his wording is now more firm.

Apple has not scheduled an event, so the new iPhone SE will likely be announced in a press release published on the Apple Newsroom website.

The so-called iPhone SE 4 is rumored to feature a mix of iPhone 14 and iPhone 16 features, including a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, and the first Apple-designed 5G modem. With the A18 chip, and a rumored 8GB of RAM, the device is also expected to support Apple Intelligence.

The current iPhone SE resembles an iPhone 8, with outdated features such as an A15 Bionic chip, Touch ID home button, Lightning port, and thick bezels around the display. Pricing starts at $429, but a price increase towards $499 seems probable for the next model.
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Super Bowl LIX kicks off today. In the U.S., the game will be streaming for free in upscaled 4K on FOX's ad-supported streaming service Tubi, which is available on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, and many other devices.


This year, the Kansas City Chiefs are facing the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The Chiefs are looking to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships, while the Eagles are looking for revenge after losing to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII two years ago, so the stakes are high for both teams.

To watch Super Bowl LIX for free, simply install the Tubi app from the App Store on your Apple device of choice, create a free Tubi account, sign in, and start the stream. FOX's pre-game coverage will begin streaming on Tubi at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, while the Super Bowl show starts at 6 p.m., ahead of a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.


No subscription or trial is necessary.

Tubi's stream of Super Bowl LIX will include the Apple Music Halftime Show, featuring hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar. Rest assured that Tubi will also show the same Super Bowl commercials that will air on FOX's cable TV broadcast.

It appears that Apple will have at least one Super Bowl commercial this year. On YouTube, Apple has shared a "big game trailer" for the upcoming Apple TV+ series The Studio, in which Seth Rogen stars as the newly appointed head of an embattled movie studio, Continental Studios. The trailer itself features Johnny Knoxville and Josh Hutcherson.


Apple's CEO Tim Cook, services chief Eddy Cue, and retail chief Deirdre O'Brien have been spotted in the New Orleans area today, ahead of Super Bowl LIX.

MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris assisted with this story.
This article, "How to Watch Super Bowl LIX Free on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Amazon this weekend has Apple's AirPods Pro 2 for $169.00, down from $249.00. This is the lowest price that we've tracked so far in 2025, and Amazon is providing a mid February delivery estimate for most residences in the United States.

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

Although we saw a better deal over the holiday season, it's very unlikely that all-time low price will return any time soon. Amazon's price today is still a solid deal on the AirPods Pro 2, which feature USB-C charging and Active Noise Cancellation.



AirPods discounts are abundant this week on Amazon, which also has the AirPods 4 for just $99.99 and the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for $148.99. 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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While Apple has made strides in bringing long-missing apps to the iPad in recent years, there are still five iPhone apps that remain noticeably absent.


After years of requests from users, Apple finally introduced the Health, Weather, and Calculator apps to the ‌iPad‌ in iPadOS 16, 17, and 18, providing a tweaked experience for the bigger screen. However, this week's debut of Apple Invites, an event-planning app exclusive to the ‌iPhone‌, highlights that Apple is still not bringing all of its first-party applications to the ‌iPad‌. Here are five apps we're still waiting on to come to Apple's tablet:

Invites

Apple introduced the Invites app earlier this week, offering a streamlined way for users to create, manage, and send event invitations. The app allows users to design invitations with customized backgrounds, photos, and AI-generated imagery via Apple Intelligence's Image Playground.


It integrates with Maps and Weather to provide location and climate details for attendees, and features RSVP tracking along with collaborative Apple Music playlists and shared photo albums.

Despite its clear utility, Apple Invites remains natively unavailable on ‌iPad‌, with the only options being running the ‌iPhone‌ version or using the browser version via icloud.com. Given that iPads are commonly used for light productivity tasks, planning, and creative work, the absence of Invites on the platform is a peculiar omission.

Wallet

First introduced in 2012 as Passbook and later rebranded as Wallet, Apple's digital wallet app is best known for storing credit and debit cards for use with Apple Pay. However, Wallet also houses event tickets, boarding passes, loyalty cards, and transit passes.


While the ‌iPad‌ lacks NFC hardware, making contactless ‌Apple Pay‌ in stores impossible, there are still several Wallet features that could benefit ‌iPad‌ users. The ability to view transaction history, receive ‌Apple Pay‌ notifications, and manage delivery tracking from online purchases could all be useful on a larger display. For example, iPad mini users might find Wallet beneficial for accessing event tickets or passes without needing to switch to their ‌iPhone‌.

Sports

Apple Sports launched with iOS 17.2, providing users with real-time scores, standings, and statistics across a wide range of professional and college sports leagues. The app integrates with Apple News and Apple TV.


Apple Sports similarly has not yet made the jump to ‌iPad‌. While ‌iPad‌ users can obviously access live scores through Safari or third-party apps, the lack of a dedicated Sports app on iPadOS is an unusual limitation for such a simple app.

Given the ‌iPad‌'s famous suitability for media consumption, including watching live sports through services like ‌Apple TV‌+, the absence of a native Sports app makes little sense. Users who might want to monitor games while working or browsing on their ‌iPad‌ are left without the convenience that ‌iPhone‌ users enjoy.

Phone

While iPads cannot function as standalone cell phones, they are capable of receiving calls via an ‌iPhone‌ using Continuity, yet there is no Phone app for the ‌iPad‌.


This means ‌iPad‌ users cannot initiate continuity phone calls without first opening FaceTime or a third-party VoIP app. There is also no call history, no favorites list, and no way to access voicemail directly from the ‌iPad‌.

Journal

Apple introduced the Journal app in iOS 17.2 as a new way for users to document their daily experiences, incorporating text, photos, locations, and audio recordings into structured journal entries. The app uses machine learning to offer prompts and suggestions based on a user's daily activities.


Unlike many other iPhone-exclusive apps, Journal cannot even be downloaded and run on an ‌iPad‌. Because it is a system app rather than an App Store download, there is no workaround for ‌iPad‌ users who might want to use it in Stage Manager or another multitasking mode.

Given that journaling is often associated with extended writing and reflection, an ‌iPad‌ version would seem particularly useful, allowing users to write longer entries with a paired Magic Keyboard or Apple Pencil. The lack of an ‌iPad‌ version is made even more conspicuous by the fact that many popular third-party journaling apps, such as Day One, offer excellent cross-platform compatibility.
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While we're still waiting for Apple's first major hardware releases of the year, we may not have much longer to wait, though Apple has also been tiding us over with this week's release of a new "Invites" app.


This week also saw some AppleCare changes, the debut of the first native pornography app for iPhone via an alternative app store in the European Union, and more, so read on below for all of this week's biggest news!

Apple Launches New 'Invites' App

Apple this week announced the launch of a new app called "Invites," which is designed to allow users to plan events like birthday parties, graduations, vacations, baby showers, and more. While event creation is limited to iCloud+ subscribers, anyone can reply to an invitation they receive from the service. Be sure to check out our hands-on video to see how it works, while Dan and Hartley discussed Invites and related topics on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show.


Word of the app surfaced over the past several weeks, with Apple itself leaking a few details just ahead of the official introduction.

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release.


We had been expecting the MacBook Air to be the first major Apple hardware launch of 2025, but unless Apple has really big plans for next week, it appears the next-generation budget iPhone will be first out of the gate.

EU's AltStore Gets First Native iOS Pornography App

iOS users in the European Union this week gained access to the first dedicated native pornography app for the iPhone, distributed through the AltStore PAL alternative app store.


While Apple expressed displeasure at the app's launch and shared its concerns about user safety risks and undermined consumer trust, the company is required under the EU's Digital Markets Act to allow alternative marketplaces with their own content rules. Apple is only allowed to subject such apps to a notarization process that checks them for malware, fraud, and other egregious issues, with the company unable to limit apps based on content that has traditionally been barred under App Store rules.

An Apple TV Refresh is Coming in 2025 - Here's What You Should Know

Apple hasn't refreshed the Apple TV since 2022, but rumors suggest that we're finally going to get an update in 2025. We don't have a full picture of what to expect yet, though we have some hints on what's coming.


Check out our article and video highlighting what we're expecting to see in terms of chips, design, pricing, and more.

Apple Raises Monthly AppleCare+ Subscription Price for All iPhones

Apple this week increased the prices for its monthly AppleCare+ subscription prices for the iPhone, raising the cost by 50 cents for all models in the United States.


The price increase comes as Apple has made some changes to the way it markets AppleCare+, doing away with fixed 2-year plans in retail stores and in the Settings app on iPhones in favor of monthly and annual subscription options, and also emphasizing more expensive plans that include Theft & Loss coverage over the standard plans.

Apple Expected to Announce Powerbeats Pro 2 on February 11

Apple previously teased that Powerbeats Pro 2 would be released in 2025, and now an announcement date has leaked. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week said Apple plans to unveil the wireless earbuds on Tuesday, February 11.


Powerbeats Pro are a sportier, fitness-focused alternative to AirPods Pro with built-in, adjustable ear hooks for a secure fit, and Gurman expects the new models to feature an H2 chip and retain the current $250 price point, while our own code discovery last year indicated they will support heart rate monitoring during workouts.

MacRumors Newsletter

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

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
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Apple's next-generation low-cost iPhone is almost here, with rumors suggesting we're going to see it introduced as soon as next Tuesday. With a release happening in the very near future, we thought we'd highlight everything we know about Apple's newest ‌iPhone‌.

Design

The iPhone SE 4 will look like the iPhone 14, featuring a 6.1-inch OLED display. The device's launch will mark the end of smaller iPhones, as Apple will no longer sell anything smaller than 6.1 inches. The current ‌iPhone SE‌ is 4.7 inches, so the updated size will be noticeable, but getting rid of the bezels means there's not a huge difference in overall device size despite the much larger display.

Apple used to sell a 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌ "mini," but it was discontinued after the ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini because the device simply wasn't selling well. In the future, Apple may appease those who want a small ‌iPhone‌ with a clamshell device that folds in half, but rumors suggest that such a device is at least a year off.

If you want to know what the ‌iPhone SE‌ will look like, just go take a look at the ‌iPhone 14‌. It'll have the same general design with an all-display design, aluminum and glass build, mute switch, volume buttons, notch, power button, and 5G antenna/SIM tray. There will be a change to the back of the device, though. The ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 is expected to have a single-lens rear camera, rather than the dual-lens setup of the ‌iPhone 14‌.

You might have seen rumors about an Action Button or Camera Control button for the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 during the rumor cycle, but it's looking more and more like those are not features that are coming to Apple's low-cost device. ‌iPhone SE‌ dummy models have not included an Action button or a Camera Control button, nor have cases designed for the device.

Both early ‌iPhone‌ cases and dummy models are often crafted based on supply chain leaks, and they're usually accurate because there's a lot of money up for grabs having a case ready to go right when a new device launches.

Display

The ‌iPhone 14‌ introduced Ceramic Shield, which is stronger than typical smartphone glass and better able to hold up to drops and scratches. The ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 should be more durable than the current model.

It is worth noting that the current ‌iPhone SE‌ is the last ‌iPhone‌ with an LCD display, so the launch of the new model with an OLED display will see the end of LCD display technology for the ‌iPhone‌.

No More Touch ID

With an ‌iPhone‌ 14-style all-display design, Touch ID is going away. Unless Apple keeps the existing ‌iPhone SE‌ around as a super low-cost device, there will be no ‌iPhone‌ with ‌Touch ID‌ in the lineup after the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 launches.

‌Touch ID‌ is still used for Macs and some iPads, but Apple will transition fully to Face ID for its ‌iPhone‌ models with the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4.

There are people who prefer ‌Touch ID‌ to ‌Face ID‌, but Apple is all-in on facial recognition, and it's more secure than ‌Touch ID‌. There's a less than 1 in 1,000,000 chance that a random person could unlock your ‌iPhone‌ with ‌Face ID‌, but a 1 in 50,000 chance for ‌Touch ID‌.

Getting rid of the ‌Touch ID‌ Home button allows for much more screen space, though it is worth noting there will still be a notch. We did hear some rumors suggesting Apple might use the Dynamic Island for the ‌iPhone SE‌, but that's another feature that looks like it'll be reserved for the more expensive ‌iPhone‌ options.

No More Lightning

The ‌iPhone SE‌ will have a USB-C port for charging, which also means the Lightning port will be eliminated from almost all Apple devices. Older-generation iPhones like the ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus still have a Lightning port, but Apple has been phasing it out.

The ‌iPhone SE‌ is one of the last Apple devices that continues to use Lightning, and when Apple discontinues the ‌iPhone 14‌, which could happen with the ‌iPhone SE‌ launch, Lightning will be eliminated from the ‌iPhone‌ lineup.

MagSafe

The ‌iPhone 14‌ added support for MagSafe, and since the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 is using an ‌iPhone 14‌ design, it's very likely it will work with ‌MagSafe‌ accessories and will support ‌MagSafe‌ wireless charging. ‌MagSafe‌ is not an option for the current ‌iPhone SE‌.

A18 Chip and 8GB RAM

Apple is going to equip the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 with the same A18 chip that's in the iPhone 16, which means it's going to have flagship performance at a much more affordable price. The ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will be a solid deal, and the A18 chip will allow it to last for years to come.

With the A18 chip, the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will support Apple Intelligence features, and it's going to be a huge improvement over the A15 chip in the current ‌iPhone SE‌. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ requires 8GB RAM, so the new ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will also have double the RAM of the current model.

Storage Space

There's no rumor about this, but the rest of Apple's iPhones start with 128GB of storage, so it's likely we're going to see the end of the 64GB storage option this year. 64GB is simply not enough storage space, even for a low-cost ‌iPhone‌.

Camera

The ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will have a single-lens camera with a Wide lens. Rumors suggest it'll get the same 48-megapixel Wide lens that's in the ‌iPhone 16‌, which will bring a major leap in photo quality compared to the 12-megapixel camera in the ‌iPhone SE‌ 3.

The ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 won't have a Telephoto lens or an Ultra Wide lens, but if it does indeed use the same Wide lens, it will support next-generation portraits with focus and depth control, the newest photographic styles, and an option to crop in to 2x optical zoom.

Connectivity

Apple is going to debut its new in-house modem in the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4, and it'll give us our first look at how Apple's modem technology compares to Qualcomm.

The new modem chip won't support the fastest mmWave 5G speed, but it will connect to the more widespread 6GHz networks. Apple wants to cut down on its reliance on Qualcomm, and this new modem chip is the first step.

Emergency SOS via Satellite and Crash Detection

This is speculation, but with the ‌iPhone 14‌, Apple added a Crash Detection feature that alerts emergency services if you're in a car accident. It's an important safety feature that's likely to be included in the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4.

The ‌iPhone 14‌ and later also support Emergency SOS via Satellite, and there's a good chance that'll be added to the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 too.

Battery Life

Rumors suggest the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will have the same battery as the ‌iPhone 14‌, which means it'll offer up to 20 hours of video playback, up to 16 hours of streaming video, and up to 80 hours of audio playback.

There's quite a bit more space in a 6.1-inch device for a battery than there is in a 4.7-inch device, so it should come as no surprise that there will be a major improvement in overall battery life.

The current ‌iPhone SE‌ offers 15 hours of video playback and up to 10 hours of streaming video playback.

Pricing

With higher-end components, the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 could be more expensive than the current model, but Apple is still aiming for a price point under $500. The ‌iPhone SE‌ 3 is priced starting at $429.

No Event

The ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 is an important new ‌iPhone‌ in Apple's lineup, but it reuses components from the ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌, so it's not the most exciting device. Apple isn't going to hold an event to unveil the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4, instead introducing it through a press release and coverage on the Apple website.

We're expecting the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 to be announced early next week, perhaps on Tuesday, February 11, which is the same day that Apple plans to unveil its new Powerbeats earbuds. It could also come the day before or the day after if Apple is aiming to space out its announcements.

Launch Date

After being introduced early next week, Apple will likely accept pre-orders for the ‌iPhone SE‌ before launching it later in February.
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Dbrand today announced the launch of its new Aperture protective cover for the Apple Vision Pro, which is designed to protect the large glass display of the device.


Made in a Voronoi style with multiple cutouts in a polyurethane material, the cover fits onto the front of the Vision Pro. The cover does not block any of the sensors or buttons on the Vision Pro, so it can be left on the device at all times, which is useful for VR games and activities that might lead you into walls.

Dbrand developed the case after seeing a 3D printed version from Kyle Goodrich, a former AR designer at Snap. Apple bundles the Vision Pro with a protective cover, but Apple's cover is designed to be in place only while the Vision Pro isn't being worn.


The Aperture Faceplate is being sold alongside a separate Aperture Battery Holster that matches the design of the cover while also adding a clip to attach it to an item of clothing while the Vision Pro is in use. Both the Battery Holster and the Faceplate are available in black or orange.

The Aperture Faceplate alone is priced at $49, while the combo is $69. The accessories can be purchased from the Dbrand website.
This article, "Dbrand's Always-On 'Aperture' Case Protects Your Vision Pro Without Interfering With Sensors and Buttons" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The first beta of Apple's upcoming iOS 18.4 update could be released as soon as the middle of next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Next week may be busy with the launch of Apple's new Powerbeats that have a heart rate sensor and the iPhone SE 4, but we could still get the new beta on February 12 or February 13. If Apple waits until the week after that, the software could come on February 18, as February 17 is Presidents' Day, a U.S. a holiday.

Apple often follows software releases with new betas, but there has been a delay between iOS 18.3 and the iOS 18.4 beta. Apple released iOS 18.3 11 days ago on Monday, January 27, and we'll be at the two week mark on February 10.

It's not unheard of for Apple to take some time between software updates and betas, especially when an update has a lot of new features. Rumors suggest that iOS 18.4 will bring major Apple Intelligence Siri changes, which Apple outlined earlier this year.

‌Siri‌ is set to gain personal context, onscreen awareness, and the ability to do more in and between apps. With ‌Siri‌'s history of performance issues and questionable responses compared to other personal assistants, Apple likely wants to ensure that it gets this new feature set right.

The new ‌Siri‌ abilities are one of the major ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features that Apple has already been highlighting in advertising and information about AI, so there are a lot of expectations.

The update will also likely bring new emoji characters, some changes to default app options in the European Union, and an expansion of ‌Apple Intelligence‌ to new languages and countries.

Apple has already said that ‌Apple Intelligence‌ will expand to additional countries in an April update, so we are expecting iOS 18.4 to be in beta testing through March ahead of an April launch.
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Last year, we reported that Apple sued its former software engineer Andrew Aude for providing journalists with confidential information about the company's future plans, including details about the Journal app, Vision Pro headset, and more.


As reported by 9to5Mac, the Superior Court of Santa Clara County on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit after Apple and Aude reached an agreement to resolve this matter. The court document for the case's dismissal does not provide any specific details about the agreement, but Aude issued a public apology on the same day.

In a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Aude said leaking information was a "profound and expensive mistake."

Aude's full apology:

I spent nearly eight years as a software engineer at Apple. During that time, I was given access to sensitive internal Apple information, including what were then unreleased products and features. But instead of keeping this information secret, I made the mistake of sharing this information with journalists who covered the company. I did not realize it at the time, but this turned out to be a profound and expensive mistake. Hundreds of professional relationships I had spent years building were ruined. And my otherwise successful career as a software engineer was derailed, and it will likely be very difficult to rebuild it. Leaking was not worth it. I sincerely apologize to my former colleagues who not only worked tirelessly on projects for Apple, but work hard to keep them secret. They deserved better.

Aude joined Apple in 2016, to work on optimizing battery performance, and the company fired him in 2023 after learning of his wrongful disclosures. For more details about the situation, read our previous coverage of the lawsuit.
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Given today's bombshell report revealing the UK government's unprecedented demand for backdoor access to encrypted iCloud data, it's clear that Apple now faces a massive challenge. How it responds could have major implications for not only the company's privacy stance, but also its global operations as well as its reputation.


According to The Washington Post, the British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to iCloud. The spying order reportedly came by way of a "technical capability notice," a document sent to Apple ordering it to provide access under the sweeping UK Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) of 2016.

According to sources that spoke to the publication, Apple is likely to stop offering encrypted storage in the UK as a result of the demand. Specifically, Apple could withdraw Advanced Data Protection, an opt-in feature that provides end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for iCloud backups, such as Photos, Notes, Voice Memos, Messages backups, and device backups.

In this scenario, UK users would still have access to basic iCloud services, but their data would lack the additional layer of security that prevents even Apple from accessing it. In other words, UK users' iCloud data would revert to standard encryption, allowing Apple to potentially access the contents of said data if it is compelled to do so by UK authorities when a warrant is issued. Although no specific instance has been publicly confirmed, the IPA grants UK security agencies the legal framework to request data from companies when it is accessible.

Apple could always pursue legal challenges. However, according to the IPA, while the company can appeal the "technical capability notice," it must comply with the order during the appeals process. Apple would be forced to temporarily implement the backdoor while arguing against its legality. Not only that, the IPA makes it a criminal offense to reveal that the government even made the demand.

Needless to say, such a gag order would prevent Apple from being up front with its customers about the security changes. When a backdoor is introduced — even if its purpose is to grant law enforcement access — it creates an alternative route into a secure channel. This not only increases the risk that bad actors might discover and exploit the vulnerability, but it also breaks the promise of complete confidentiality. Apple would essentially be lying to its customers about the watertightness of its E2EE security.

The Nuclear Option

A more dramatic response from Apple would involve completely removing iCloud services from the UK. While this would protect Apple's encryption standards, it would severely disrupt millions of UK users who rely on iCloud for photo storage, device backups, and document syncing. Users would need to find alternative cloud storage solutions and potentially lose access to years of accumulated data.

Theoretically, Apple could attempt a technical workaround by restructuring iCloud to isolate UK user data. However, the IPA allows British authorities to compel tech companies to assist with data access regardless of where that company is based, so this solution might not satisfy the government's demand for worldwide access. It would also require costly engineering resources to implement, not to mention set a concerning precedent for other countries seeking similar arrangements.

"I don't see how this is to be resolved, as Apple has made such a big point of privacy for users," said Alan Woodward, a professor of cybersecurity at Surrey University, speaking to BBC News. "If they accede to this technical notice their reputation will be in tatters. They're bound to challenge it."

Global Implications

The UK's demand could also put the government's data-sharing agreement with the European Union at risk. The two regions currently have an agreement allowing the free flow of personal data between the EU and UK, but the arrangement faces review this year. The creation of an encryption backdoor could be viewed as violating the EU's strict data protection standards.

The spy order has already raised concerns in Washington, placing Apple in a potential diplomatic crossfire. According to The Post, the Biden administration first began tracking this issue since the UK first indicated it might demand backdoor access.

The timing is particularly awkward, given that US security agencies have recently been advocating for increased use of encryption to combat Chinese cyber threats. In December, the FBI, the National Security Agency, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency jointly recommended that companies "ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible" to protect against state-sponsored hacking. Creating a backdoor for UK authorities would directly contradict this guidance and could weaken US cyber defenses, potentially forcing Apple to choose between complying with UK law or protecting US national security interests.

It's worth noting that Apple has repeatedly and forcefully opposed creating backdoors in its products. In its March 2023 submission to UK Parliament, the company stated plainly: "We would never create a backdoor in our products." This echoes CEO Tim Cook's firm stance during the 2016 San Bernardino case, where he declared, "Apple has never built a backdoor into any of our products and never will."

The company doubled down on this position in its 2024 submission to the UK Parliament regarding changes to the IPA, warning that the provisions "could be used to force a company like Apple, that would never build a back door into its products, to publicly withdraw critical security features from the UK market."

Apple's core principle that "privacy is a fundamental human right" is a position it has consistently maintained through the years in the face of government demands for weakened encryption. Confronted by the UK government's latest encryption demands, the company must now prove whether its commitment to user privacy is truly unbreakable, or just a corporate slogan that crumbles under regulatory pressure.
This article, "Could Apple Pull iCloud Services From the UK Market?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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This was one of the biggest weeks for Apple deals so far in 2025, headlined by up to $80 in savings across the AirPods lineup. You can still find these great deals online today, along with savings on Anker accessories, Apple Watch SE, Studio Display, and more.

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

AirPods

• What's the deal? Take up to $80 off AirPods


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

The best deals this week centered on AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, both of which are seeing the year's best prices so far on Amazon. You can get the AirPods 4 from $99.99 and the AirPods Pro 2 for $169.00 on Amazon.

Galaxy S25

• What's the deal? Save up to $1,250 when pre-ordering the new Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphones


• Where can I get it? Samsung


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Samsung recently announced its new lineup of Galaxy S25 smartphones, and you can find multiple pre-order discounts and offers on Samsung's website. This includes up to $1,250 in trade-in credits and Samsung credits when pre-ordering the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. Students can save an extra 5 percent on the new smartphones as well.

The high-end Galaxy S25 Ultra is priced starting at $1,299.99 for 256GB, and you can save up to $1,250 on this model with trade-in credits and Samsung credits. If you trade in a Galaxy S24 Ultra, Z Fold6, or Z Fold5, you can get as much as $900 off the new S25 Ultra.

Additionally, if you select the 256GB Galaxy S25 Ultra, you can get the Galaxy Buds3 Pro for free, and if you select the 512GB Galaxy S25 Ultra, you can get the Galaxy Buds3 Pro for only $20. You'll find these offers if you scroll down on the Galaxy S25 Ultra page, under the "Start building healthy habits with Galaxy" section.

Anker

• What's the deal? Save on Anker charging accessories


• Where can I get it? Anker and Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Anker began its Valentine's Day sale this week, and it has some notable discounts on wireless chargers, portable batteries, and more. You can also find a big discount on the popular Anker Power Station with Display and Lantern on Amazon, available for $89.99 ($50 off).

Apple Watch

• What's the deal? Take $80 off Apple Watch SE


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon began the week with the return of all-time low prices on the Apple Watch SE, with $80 off both 40mm and 44mm GPS models.

Sonos

• What's the deal? Take up to 25% off Sonos audio products


• Where can I get it? Sonos


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Sonos began its annual Super Bowl sale this week, offering up to 25 percent off select home theater audio equipment. This sale includes big discounts on popular products like the Sonos Arc and Sonos Ray soundbars, and it will end on February 9.

Studio Display

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


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

This week we saw the Apple Studio Display get discounted for the first time in 2025, and these all-time low prices are still available right now. The best deal is on the Standard Glass model for $1,299.99, down from $1,599.00.

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, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: Best Prices of the Year Hit AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, Plus Apple Watch SE Discounts" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's all-new "Invites" app for iPhone and iCloud.


Earlier this week, Apple announced "Invites," which is designed to help users plan group events like birthday parties, graduations, vacations, baby showers, and more. Users can choose a background image or generate one using Image Playground and customize the look of the invite with different fonts. Apple automatically adds in data from the Maps and Weather apps so that invitees have all of the information they need for an event. People who receive invites can RSVP and the sender can track who has responded. There are options to create a dedicated shared Photos album and a collaborative Apple Music playlist for the event.

Invites is an iCloud+ service, which means that it is available to ‌iCloud‌+ subscribers only. ‌iCloud‌+ is priced starting at $0.99 per month, and it provides users with additional ‌iCloud‌ storage over the free 5GB that comes with any device. While anyone is able to respond to an Invite that's sent out, creating invites is limited to ‌iCloud‌+ subscribers.

We discuss Apple's ‌iCloud‌ website and accessing the company's services from non-Apple devices, since Invites is also available via icloud.com. In addition, we reflect on the other apps that Apple has introduced in recent years, including Clips, News, Journal, and Sports. The MacRumors Show also has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.



You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about all of the latest rumors about the iPhone SE 4 as it nears launch.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kevin Nether, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: Apple's All-New 'Invites' App" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Production on the third season of "Severance" is already underway, with its writers room currently active in Los Angeles.


While Apple has not yet officially announced Severance's renewal, executive producer and director Ben Stiller told The Hollywood Reporter that work on the next season has begun. Stiller said that he hopes to avoid the nearly three-year gap that separated the first and second seasons.

The prolonged development of Severance's second season is attributed to multiple factors, including the 2023 Hollywood strikes, which virtually halted production industry-wide. The second season also underwent extensive rewrites and reshoots as Stiller and the production team sought to refine character arcs and expand on the show's world-building to ensure that its "mystery box" narrative delivers on its premise.

Stiller also indicated that Apple remains invested in maintaining the show's production quality amid falling budgets in the industry. The cost per episode for season two is believed to have approached $20 million, placing Severance among the most expensive series in Apple's streaming portfolio. According to Parrot Analytics, season one of Severance generated over $200 million in new subscriptions for Apple TV+, particularly in international markets. Apple does not release detailed viewership metrics, but third-party rankings have consistently placed Severance among its top-performing originals.
This article, "Work on Apple TV+'s 'Severance' Season 3 Now Underway" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iPhones equipped with a LiDAR Scanner have a useful trick: they can be used to measure a person's height. In order to take advantage of this feature, you will need an iPhone Pro or Pro Max model released in 2020 or later.


Below, we outline how to measure a person's height with an iPhone.

How to Measure

The ability to measure a person's height is built into Apple's pre-installed Measure app.

1. Open the Measure app on a compatible iPhone (see list below).


2. Make sure the person is visible on your iPhone's screen from head to toe.


3. Wait a moment, and a line should appear at the top of the person's head with their height measurement.


4. To take a photo of the measurement, tap the shutter button (filled-in white circle) in the bottom-right corner of the app.


5. To save the photo, tap the screenshot in the bottom-left corner of the screen, tap Done at the top, and tap Save to Photos.

Tips

• The app measures a person's height from the ground to the top of their head or hair. However, if the person is wearing a hat, the height measurement will be from the ground to the top of the hat.


• You can also measure a person's seated height.


• You can switch between imperial (feet and inches) and metric (centimeters) in the Settings app under Measure → Measure Units.

Here are some additional tips from Apple's website:

• Make sure that you're in a place with good lighting.


• Avoid dark backgrounds and reflective surfaces.


• Check that the person you're measuring has nothing covering their face or head, like a face mask or sunglasses.


• Try to step back from the person you're measuring. You might be standing too close.

Compatible iPhones

The feature requires an iPhone with a LiDAR Scanner next to the rear camera. This sensor is typically used for augmented reality purposes, but its ability to measure a person's height is a useful bonus that many people don't know about.

• iPhone 12 Pro


• iPhone 12 Pro Max


• iPhone 13 Pro


• iPhone 13 Pro Max


• iPhone 14 Pro


• iPhone 14 Pro Max


• iPhone 15 Pro


• iPhone 15 Pro Max


• iPhone 16 Pro


• iPhone 16 Pro Max

The feature is not available on any other iPhone models.
This article, "Did You Know iPhones Can Measure a Person's Height? Here's How" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's Advanced Data Protection for iCloud feature uses end-to-end encryption to provide the highest level of cloud data security that Apple offers. Here's everything you need to know about enabling it on your devices.


The encrypted security feature gives you the choice to further protect your important iCloud data, including iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes, and more.

Apple's use of end-to-end encryption means the vast majority of your most sensitive iCloud data can only be decrypted on your trusted Apple devices where you're signed in with your Apple ID account, ensuring that the data remains secure even in the case of a data breach in the cloud. In other words, no-one – not even Apple – can access your data except you.

iCloud already protects 14 sensitive data categories using end-to-end encryption by default, including passwords in iCloud Keychain and Health data. For users who enable Advanced Data Protection, the total number of data categories protected using end-to-end encryption rises to 23, including iCloud Backup, Notes, and Photos.

Advanced Data Protection provides end-to-end encryption for the following additional iCloud categories:

• Device Backups and Messages Backups


• iCloud Drive


• Notes


• Photos


• Reminders


• Voice Memos


• Safari Bookmarks


• Siri Shortcuts


• Wallet Passes

The only major iCloud data categories that are not covered are iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendar because of the need to interoperate with the global email, contacts, and calendar systems.

Crucially, Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is an opt-in feature, so you must enable it yourself using the steps below. Note that if you lose access to your account, you can only recover your data using your device passcode or password, a recovery contact, or a recovery key. (You will be guided to set up at least one recovery contact or recovery key before Advanced Data Protection is enabled.)

It's also worth bearing in mind that when Advanced Data Protection is enabled, access to your data via iCloud.com is disabled by default, although you will have the option to turn on data access on iCloud.com, which allows the web browser to have temporary access to data-specific encryption keys.

Before you enable Advanced Data Protection, you'll first have to update all your devices to the latest software versions, otherwise you'll have to remove these devices from your account as they won't support end-to-end encryption. Advanced Data Protection is available globally on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, running iOS 16.3 or later, iPadOS 16.3 or later, and macOS 13.2 or later, respectively.

How to Enable Account Recovery on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Before turning on Advanced Data Protection, you'll need to set up Account Recovery. This ensures you can recover your data if you forget your password.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad (or System Settings on Mac), and then select your Apple Account banner at the top of the menu.


2. Select iCloud.


3. Select Advanced Data Protection.
   
   
4. Select Account Recovery.


5. Add a Recovery Contact, and set a Recovery Key if desired.
   

A recovery contact should be a trusted person such as a family member or friend who also owns an Apple device. They will receive recovery codes if you ever forget your password. If you opt to set a 28-character recovery key, you'll need to print it out and keep it somewhere safe, or store it in a password manager.

How to Enable Advanced Data Protection on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Once Account Recovery is set up, you can enable Advanced Data Protection for iCloud Backups.

1. Open Settings on iPhone or iPad (System Settings on Mac) and then select your Apple Account banner at the top of the menu.


2. Select iCloud.


3. Select Advanced Data Protection.


4. Toggle on the switch for Advanced Data Protection to turn it on.

That's it. Your iCloud backups are now protected with end-to-end encryption.

You can turn off Advanced Data Protection at any time. Upon doing so, your device will securely upload the required encryption keys to Apple servers, and your account will revert to a standard level of protection.
This article, "Enable End-to-End Encryption for Your iCloud Backups" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Mac users running macOS Mojave (10.14) and earlier versions are reporting widespread issues accessing the Mac App Store, with many unable to sign in or download previously purchased apps.


Based on reports compiled by Michael Tsai, the problems appear to have emerged around January 24, 2025, coinciding with Apple making changes to Mac App Store receipts. Users attempting to access the store on affected systems are receiving various error messages, including "An unexpected error occurred while signing in" and "The data couldn't be read because it isn't in the correct format."

Different behaviors have been reported across affected macOS versions. Catalina (10.15) and later versions continue to function normally, while users on Mojave (10.14) can browse the store but are unable to complete new purchases or download previous purchases once their current session expires. Meanwhile, High Sierra (10.13) users are reporting missing interface elements and failed sign-in attempts, and Sierra (10.12) users are encountering error messages preventing access.

The timing suggests a possible connection to Apple's recent changes in Mac App Store receipt handling, but the exact cause remains unclear. For users affected by these issues, Apple provides alternative sources for macOS installers, and many third-party apps remain available outside Apple's App Store ecosystem via direct downloads from developers' websites.
This article, "Mac App Store Stops Working on Older macOS Versions" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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