iPhones and Apple Watches could support multiple actions via NFC simultaneously in the future, the NFC Forum today suggested.


The NFC Forum, the leading standards body for Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today published its first overview of NFC Multi-Purpose Tap. The technology, which supports multiple actions with one tap, is designed to bring more convenience to various NFC use cases such as point-to-point receipt delivery, loyalty programs, identification, and total-journey transit ticketing.

Apple is a prominent member of the NFC Forum and likely contributed to the development of the technology. The company first introduced NFC in the iPhone 6 and original Apple Watch, initially focusing on Apple Pay, allowing users to make contactless payments.

NFC Multi-Purpose Tap would allow ‌iPhone‌ users to perform multiple transactions with a single tap. For instance, consumers could make payments, log loyalty points, and receive receipts instantaneously. The potential applications are considerable, from retail payments to public transportation, where users could tap their ‌iPhone‌ to pay for a journey, apply discounts, and get travel receipts all at once.

Since Apple is a member of the NFC Forum, it seems highly likely that NFC Multi-Purpose Tap will come to the ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch at some point in the future. The company often adds support for new NFC functionalities, such as reading NFC tags and facilitating more interactions with a broader range of NFC devices.
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Apple today reclassified the iPhone X, first-generation HomePod, and first-generation AirPods as "vintage" products.


The products appeared on Apple's vintage and obsolete products list earlier today. Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than five and less than seven years ago. Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers continue to offer repairs for vintage products for up to two more years, subject to parts availability.

The ‌iPhone‌ X, announced on September 12, 2017 and released on November 3, 2017, represented a significant leap forward in Apple's smartphone design and feature-set. Marking the 10th anniversary of the ‌iPhone‌, it introduced several significant changes such as the removal of the home button, allowing for an edge-to-edge 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED display. Face ID, a facial recognition system, replaced Touch ID for authentication, utilizing a TrueDepth camera system in a "notch" that also enabled Animojis. The ‌iPhone‌ X was powered by the A11 Bionic chip, featuring the company's first dedicated Neural Engine for enhanced machine learning capabilities, and it supported wireless charging for the first time. Its stainless steel frame and glass back design marked a return to a more premium aesthetic.

The original ‌HomePod‌ was announced on June 5, 2017, at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and released on February 9, 2018. Initially priced at $349, the ‌HomePod‌ was designed to deliver high-quality audio and integrate closely with Apple's ecosystem, including Apple Music and AirPlay. It featured a custom-engineered high-excursion woofer and an array of seven beamforming tweeters. The ‌HomePod‌ was powered by the Apple A8 chip, enabling real-time acoustic modeling, audio beamforming, and multi-channel echo cancellation. Siri came built-in, allowing users to control music playback, manage smart home devices, and access information and services via voice commands.

Apple announced the original AirPods on September 7, 2016 and officially released them on December 13, 2016, with a retail price of $159. The wireless earbuds were groundbreaking due to their seamless integration with Apple's ecosystem, facilitated by the custom-designed W1 chip. The chip enabled effortless pairing with Apple devices, long battery life, and efficient wireless connectivity. The AirPods also featured optical sensors and motion accelerometers, allowing them to detect when they were in the user's ears, automatically pausing playback when removed. Their unusual, compact design, combined with the convenience of a portable charging case, set a new standard for wireless earphones, making them highly popular and influential in the audio accessory market.

Sometime after becoming "vintage," an Apple product will be reclassified as "obsolete." Apple says it considers a product obsolete once seven years have passed since the company last distributed it for sale. When this happens, Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers no longer offer repairs or other hardware service for it.
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Apple is exploring new suppliers for OLED-on-Silicon panels, likely signaling the development of a more affordable headset destined to sit alongside the Vision Pro, The Elec reports.


The Korean website has apparently detected a shift in Apple's supply chain management for OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) panels, a key component in the Vision Pro headset. Currently, Sony provides these high-resolution microdisplays, but its limited production capacity of up to 900,000 panels per year and lack of expansion plans have prompted Apple to seek alternatives for the future. Apple has apparently issued a request for information (RFI) to Samsung Display and LG Display to evaluate their capabilities in producing larger OLEDoS panels, ranging from 2.0 to 2.1 inches in size with a display density of around 1,700 pixels per inch (PPI).

These displays would be larger than those currently used in the Vision Pro and feature a lower resolution. The Vision Pro uses Sony's OLEDoS panels featuring a 1.42-inch screen with a pixel density of nearly 3,400 PPI, employing a white OLED display with color filter (wOLED+CF) technology. This sophisticated display technology is one of the main reasons for the headset's high price point.

At Displayweek 2024, both Samsung and LG showcased advancements in OLED microdisplay technology that could appeal to Apple. Samsung presented a 1.03-inch RGB (direct-emission) OLED microdisplay, developed in collaboration with eMagin, which promises higher brightness levels compared to the wOLED+CF method. Meanwhile, LG revealed a 10,000 nits 1.3-inch 4K OLED microdisplay, utilizing a micro lens array (MLA) to boost brightness by around 40 percent.

Apple's interest in larger OLEDoS panels with lower resolution than those used in the Vision Pro suggests these could be intended for a new, lower-cost mixed reality headset. Apple has been rumored to be working on such a device for over a year, and the latest indications suggest that it may be designed to tether to an iPhone or Mac to eliminate the need for a costly processor. The lower-cost Apple Vision headset could launch as soon as the end of next year.
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Apple has already begun work on the iOS 19, macOS 16, watchOS 12, and visionOS 3 software updates for next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Writing in his most recent "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple has formally begun development of its major operating systems for 2025 with the codenames "Luck" for iOS 19, "Cheer" for macOS 16, "Nepali" for watchOS 12, and "Discovery" for ‌visionOS‌ 3.

While iOS 18, macOS 15 Sequoia, watchOS 11, and visionOS 2 have not yet been released to the public, the initiation of work on the next major software updates for Apple's major devices is in line with its normal schedule. This is partly due to the fact that hardware products destined for launch next year require software for testing purposes, but it is currently too early to know what sort of features the new operating systems will offer.

Gurman also said that the Vision Pro headset should gain Apple Intelligence as soon as next year, so this could make sense for ‌visionOS‌ 3. Meanwhile, the public beta versions of ‌iOS 18‌, macOS 15 Sequoia, ‌watchOS 11‌, and ‌visionOS 2‌ should arrive next month ahead of official release in the fall.
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A new iPhone battery with a metal casing should allow for higher energy density to deliver longer battery life, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims.


In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kuo said that Apple's adoption of a stainless steel casing for the ‌iPhone‌'s battery will allow for five to 10 percent higher cell density while remaining within safety limits, as well as meeting the requirements of new EU regulations. Alleged images of an iPhone 16 Pro battery with a metal casing leaked in late 2023 and The Information has since detailed Apple's work to simplify ‌iPhone‌ battery replacement starting with the iPhone 16.

New EU law requires smartphone manufacturers to ensure batteries can be replaced by owners using easily accessible tools by 2025. Apple plans to achieve this with the use of electrically induced adhesive debonding technology, allowing users to apply a low voltage of electricity to quickly dislodge the battery instead of finicky adhesive strips. This new battery replacement method is anticipated to debut in at least one ‌iPhone 16‌ model later this year and could extend to all versions of the iPhone 17 next year.
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Apple has no plans to bring Apple Intelligence to the HomePod, but it should arrive on the Vision Pro headset in the future, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.


In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple is preparing to bring Apple Intelligence to its Vision Pro headset, but not this year. The device has sufficient memory to run on-device Apple Intelligence features such as notification summaries, writing tools, and an updated version of Siri. Apple's user interface design team apparently needs to ensure that Apple Intelligence looks appropriate in a mixed-reality environment. The company also needs to guarantee that it has sufficient cloud-computing capacity to support more devices.

Gurman does not expect the ‌HomePod‌ to offer Apple Intelligence, instead focusing on "an entirely new robotic device with a display that includes Apple Intelligence at its core." Apple Intelligence requires a minimum of eight gigabytes of memory, but the ‌HomePod‌ and HomePod mini only feature a single gigabyte of memory. The current ‌HomePod‌ is said to be "too low-volume a product to waste the engineering time" bringing Apple Intelligence to the device.

Going forward, Gurman believes that Apple Intelligence will become increasingly critical to Apple devices and form a pillar of its business. Apple Intelligence should get updated more frequently than services like iCloud, at least as often as the company's hardware and software offerings.
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Apple will launch new AirPods featuring infrared cameras to improve spatial experiences with the Vision Pro headset, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


In a post on Medium, Kuo explained that Apple plans to mass-produce new AirPods with integrated IR camera modules by 2026. These IR cameras will apparently be similar to the iPhone's Face ID receiver.

The purpose of IR cameras on AirPods is related to Apple Vision Pro and future headsets from the company, enhancing the spatial computing and audio experience. The IR cameras can detect environmental image changes, facilitating a broader range of gestures to improve user interaction. For example, if a user watches a video using ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ and the new AirPods, and turns their head to look in a specific direction, the sound source in that direction can be "emphasized to enhance the spatial audio/computing experience."

Foxconn is said to be the supplier of the new IR component, with the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer preparing to provide enough parts for about 10 million AirPods initially. It is not clear which AirPods model is likely to get the feature first, but the AirPods Pro may be most likely since they already offer lossless audio exclusively with the Vision Pro.



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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the international rollout of Apple Vision Pro and the new Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker.


Apple's Vision Pro headset is now available to pre-order in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, with availability beginning Friday, July 12. The device also launched today in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. It has been available in the United States since February. We discuss key considerations when buying the Vision Pro, such as storage configurations and accessories, as well as the significance of the device's long-awaited rollout around the world. We also look to the future with Apple's rumored low-cost Vision headset, which may rely on a tethered iPhone for processing power to reduce costs.

In addition, we discuss Apple's new Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker, featuring a completely redesigned speaker system consisting of a single tweeter and a single racetrack woofer, a removable lanyard, USB-C and Bluetooth connectivity, 24 hours of battery life, and IP67 water and sweat resistance. The MacRumors Show 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 Apple Intelligence, the apparent suspension of work on the second-generation Vision Pro headset, and Apple's rumored plans to move to thinner device designs.

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 Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Luke Miani, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, 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.
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Apple is working on technology to simplify iPhone battery replacement that could debut later this year, The Information reports.


The move comes in response to a new EU law requiring smartphone manufacturers to ensure batteries can be replaced by owners using easily accessible tools by 2025. According to sources involved in the ‌iPhone‌'s manufacturing process, Apple is exploring the use of electrically induced adhesive debonding technology to achieve this.

The current method of replacing an ‌iPhone‌ battery is challenging and involves removing adhesive strips with tweezers. If these strips break during the process, additional steps involving heat or solvents are necessary to dislodge the adhesive. After removing the old battery, a tray and specialized machine are required to install a new one securely.

In contrast, the new technology Apple is testing involves encasing the battery in metal rather than black foil. Alleged images of an iPhone 16 Pro battery with a metal casing leaked earlier this year. By applying a low voltage of electricity, the new battery can be quickly dislodged from the chassis. Despite this advancement, consumers will still need to open the ‌iPhone‌ themselves, which remains complicated due to the use of adhesives and screws to keep the ‌iPhone‌'s display in place and retain water resistance.

This new battery replacement method is anticipated to debut in at least one iPhone 16 model later this year and could be extended to all versions of the iPhone 17 next year. Apple is expected to continue recommending that users seek professional assistance for battery replacements, given the complexities and potential risks associated with the procedure.

Apple may be exempt from the EU's legislation requiring consumer-friendly battery replacement if its devices meet certain criteria, such as retaining 83% of their capacity after 500 full charges and 80% after 1,000 full charges. The iPhone 15 meets the criteria for 1,000 charges, but earlier models do not meet the 500-charge requirement.

While Apple has a history of offering devices that are challenging to repair due to their tightly sealed designs which enhance water resistance and durability, the company has taken steps to address these concerns by introducing self-repair options and making diagnostic tools available in recent years.
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The iPhone 16 Pro is set to succeed 2023's iPhone 15 Pro, introducing over 25 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones. With many users adopting three-year upgrade cycles, plenty of iPhone 13 Pro owners will be looking to upgrade to the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ later this year, so this guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations based on rumors.


The ‌‌iPhone 13‌‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and up to five hours of additional battery life. Three years later, the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ is expected to offer over 60 upgrades. All of the changes the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models are expected to feature compared to their 2021 predecessors are listed below, using information from reliable sources that we have previously covered. We will update this article as more rumors emerge in the coming months.

Design

The design of the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ is expected to be a relatively significant evolution over the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro, iterating on the titanium frame and slightly rounded edges introduced on the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models last year.

‌iPhone 13‌ Pro	‌iPhone 16 Pro‌
Surgical-grade stainless steel chassis with squared-off edges	Aerospace-grade titanium chassis with contoured edges
Ring/Silent switch	Action button
Thermal design with copper heatsink and black foil battery casing	New thermal design with graphene heatsink and metal battery casing
	More repairable design
Lightning port	USB-C port
Alpine Green, Silver, Gold, Graphite, and Sierra Blue color options	Black Titanium, White Titanium, Desert Titanium, and Titanium Gray color options

Dimensions

To accommodate larger displays, both ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models are rumored to grow in height and width. In addition to last year's increase in depth, the devices are due to be considerably larger, but with a notable reduction in weight thanks to the adoption of a titanium frame.

‌iPhone 13‌ Pro	‌iPhone 16 Pro‌
7.85mm depth	8.25mm depth (0.4mm thicker)
iPhone 13 Pro: 146.7mm height iPhone 13 Pro Max: 160.8mm height	iPhone 16 Pro: 149.6mm height iPhone 16 Pro Max: 163.0mm height
iPhone 13 Pro: 71.5mm width iPhone 13 Pro Max: 78.1mm width	iPhone 16 Pro: 71.45mm width iPhone 16 Pro Max: 77.58mm width
iPhone 13 Pro: 204g weight iPhone 13 Pro Max: 238g weight	iPhone 16 Pro: 194g weight iPhone 16 Pro Max: 225g weight

Displays

Both ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models are expected to feature larger displays than their predecessors, pushing the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max to be the biggest iPhone ever offered. There are also reportedly improvements to the underlying OLED technology in store, in addition to last year's slimmer bezels, making for a noticeable overall display upgrade.

‌iPhone 13‌ Pro	‌iPhone 16 Pro‌
6.1- or 6.7-inch display	6.3- or 6.9-inch display
"Notch" TrueDepth camera array	Dynamic Island
	Always-On Display
	Slimmer borders around the display
Up to 1,000 nits typical max brightness Up to 1,200 nits peak HDR brightness	Up to 1,200 nits typical SDR brightness Up to 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness
	More efficient OLED display with brighter micro-lens technology

Performance

The ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models are rumored to bring notable improvements in processing power, including a 3nm Apple silicon chip and 33% more memory.

‌iPhone 13‌ Pro	‌iPhone 16 Pro‌
A15 Bionic chip (TSMC's "N5P" 5nm process)	A18 Pro chip (TSMC's "N3E" enhanced ‌3nm‌ process)
16-core Neural Engine	Enhanced neural Engine with "significantly" more cores to support Apple Intelligence
	Dedicated AV1 decoder
6GB memory	8GB memory

Connectivity

Connectivity is also due to get a significant upgrade on the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌, bolstering the device's 5G, Wi-Fi, Thread, and Ultra Wideband specifications.

‌iPhone 13‌ Pro	‌iPhone 16 Pro‌
Snapdragon X60 5G modem	Snapdragon X75 5G modem
Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity	Wi‑Fi 7 connectivity
	Thread networking technology
First-generation Ultra Wideband chip	Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip (connects from 3x further away)
	Precision Finding for Find My friends

Cameras

The ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models are slated to receive a range of substantial camera enhancements, such as a larger main camera sensor, a 48-megapixel sensor on the ultra wide camera, and a dedicated hardware button for photography and videography on the side of the device.

‌iPhone 13‌ Pro	‌iPhone 16 Pro‌
	"Capture Button" to trigger photography and videography features
12-megapixel main camera	48-megapixel main camera
	Photonic Engine for better low light performance
1/1.65-inch main camera sensor	iPhone 16 Pro‌: 1/1.28-inch main camera sensor iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max: 1/1.14-inch main camera sensor (12% larger)
Sony IMX-703 main camera sensor	iPhone 16 Pro: Sony IMX-803 main camera sensor iPhone 16 Pro Max: Sony IMX-903 main camera sensor with stacked design for better performance, a 14-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) for high-quality image data conversion, and Digital Gain Control (DCG) for better dynamic range and noise control
7P main camera lens	8P main camera lens
Telephoto camera with sensor-shift optical image stabilization	Telephoto camera with larger sensor, folded tetraprism design, optical image stabilization, and autofocus 3D sensor-shift module
77mm maximum focal length	iPhone 16 Pro: 120mm maximum focal length iPhone 16 Pro Max: "Super" telephoto camera with focal length above 300mm
4P telephoto camera lens	5P telephoto camera lens
12-megapixel ultra wide camera	48-megapixel ultra wide camera
5P ultra wide camera lens	6P ultra wide camera lens
	Anti-reflective coating on camera lenses
0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 3x optical zoom	0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x optical zoom
	13mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, and 120mm focal length picker
12-megapixel super-high-resolution photos	24- and 48-megapixel super-high-resolution photos
Smart HDR 3	Smart HDR 5
Portrait mode with Focus and Depth Control	Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
Night mode and Night mode portraits	Improved Night mode and Night mode portraits
	Shoot and instantly transfer 48-megapixel ProRAW images to Mac via USB 3
	Record video directly to an external drive
ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps	ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording
	Log video recording
	Academy Color Encoding System
	Record spatial video for Apple Vision Pro
	Action mode for improved video stabilization

Batteries and Charging

The ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models could receive some major improvements in battery technology and charging, sporting bigger, denser batteries and faster charging capabilities.

‌iPhone 13‌ Pro	‌iPhone 16 Pro‌
	Setting to prevent charging above 80%
	Battery manufacture date, first use, and cycle count information in Settings
Single-layer battery technology	Stacked battery technology for increased energy density and prolonged lifespan
iPhone 13 Pro: 3,095 mAh battery iPhone 13 Pro Max: 4,352 mAh battery	iPhone 16 Pro: 3,355 mAh battery iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4,676 mAh battery
Up to 20W wired charging	Up to 40W wired charging
15W charging via MagSafe	20W charging via ‌MagSafe‌

Other Features and Changes

The ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models will also offer support for Apple Intelligence, Apple's new suite of personal AI features, later this year, as well as satellite connectivity, Crash Detection, and more storage.

‌iPhone 13‌ Pro	‌iPhone 16 Pro‌
	Apple Intelligence
	Emergency SOS via Satellite
Microphone	Upgraded microphone with improved signal-to-noise ratio and water resistance, designed to support new AI features
	Crash Detection
	Improved audio quality on phone calls
Lightning connector with USB 2 transfer speeds (up to 480Mb/s)	USB 3 transfer speeds (up to 10Gb/s, 20x faster)
	DisplayPort support for up to 4K HDR video output
Up to 1TB of storage	Up to 2TB of storage

Release Date

The iPhone 16 lineup is expected to launch in the fall. Apple usually hosts an event every September to unveil new ‌iPhone‌ models, with launch following just over a week later. For more information about the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models, see our comprehensive roundup.

Will It Be Worth Upgrading?

The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ was a fairly significant upgrade over the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro, introducing a vast array of significant features including a titanium chassis, much slimmer bezels, the Action, and a USB-C port. The ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ will build on these upgrades, offering larger displays, the Capture button, improved cameras, and Apple Intelligence support. With over 60 upgrades likely to be in store, many ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro users will find upgrading to an ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ model worthwhile.
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