CEO Tim Cook's working relationship with President Donald Trump has once again helped Apple escape issues in the U.S.-China tariff battle. Here's how.


On April 11, following after a week of increases to the import tariff for Chinese goods entering the United States, President Trump made an announcement. While many products would be affected by a high import tariff of 145% at the time, Trump decided he was giving a reprieve on a variety of tech products and components.

While the reprieve itself is not permanent, with a semiconductor tariff expected to arrive in the future, the exemptions were immediately helpful to Apple. Indeed, a few days later, Trump confirmed that he was in talks with Tim Cook, and that he "helped" him with the tariff exemption.


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Google is an illegal monopolist in online advertising, a federal court has determined, in a ruling that could lead to a breakup of its ad business.


On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google unlawfully monopolized advertising markets. The ruling determined that Google had control over a number of advertising markets, to the level of a monopoly, which it used to its advantage.

In the ruling, Judge Brinkema determined that Google's monopoly affected the market for publisher ad servers and for ad exchanges. In effect, Google was able to influence the way advertisers bought ads, as well as how much publishers sold that ad space for.


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Apple's 2025 Mac Studio is discounted exclusively for AppleInsider readers, with the standard model with 36GB RAM falling to $1,859.07. Every spec is on sale at up to $967 off.


You can snag Apple's new Mac Studio at a significant discount without having to leave the comfort of your home, as Apple Premier Partner Expercom is issuing a 7% markdown on every model exclusively for AppleInsider readers.

Save up to $967


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More evidence of an Apple Vision Pro headset follow-up has seemingly surfaced, thanks to images of a battery connector matching previous color rumors.


On April 16, a leaker claimed that an upcoming headset in the Apple Vision range will be lighter than the existing Apple Vision Pro, through the strategic use of titanium. As part of the leaker's claim, they added that the model would also be using graphite dark blue components, and could be named the Air instead of the Pro.

Within hours of that X post, leaker Kosutami has published pictures of a component that seemingly proves their point. The images, also shared on X, show what appears to be the connecting cable that goes between the external battery housing and the headset.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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All Meta apps for the iPhone have been updated to take out the option to use the Writing Tools in Apple Intelligence.


It's unlikely that Meta will ever reveal the reasons behind its decision — even if it's happy to spill other firms' confidential details — but it is now blocking the use of Writing Tools. It's not clear when the change was made, but at time of writing, Writing Tools are unavailable across Facebook, Threads, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Or at least they are on the iPhone and the iPad, although Instagram does not yet have a native iPadOS app. It's still, of course, possible to use Apple Intelligence Writing Tools in a browser. Whether on the Mac, iPhone, or iPad, accessing Meta services online can't prevent Apple Intelligence's Writing Tools from being provided.


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A new report claims that the manufacturing cost of the 2nm processor expected in the iPhone 18 range may mean Apple having to raise prices.


It's bad enough that tariffs may still force Apple to raise prices, and it's bad enough that the expected iPhone Fold will cost over $2,000. Now a further report backs up previous claims that the whole iPhone 18 range may be costlier than its predecessors.

Backing up a report from September 2024, leaker "Digital Chat Station" has now claimed on Weibo that there could be significant price increases for the 2026 iPhone models.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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The Camera Control button is a new physical control on the side of the entire iPhone 16 lineup. Here's everything you need to know, and how to get the most out of it.


Apple's Camera Control buttin is both physical and touch sensitive. With a firm press it will click like a real button, but a light-press gives you Taptic feedback like with Apple's Mac trackpads.



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After Meta failed to properly redact court documents containing competitive assessments, Apple, Google, and Snap lawyers express frustration at the lack of care around the sensitive data.


Meta's antitrust case with the FTC continues, and it got off to a bad start Tuesday morning. Slides used in the hearing were made public, but Meta didn't redact them properly.

According to The Verge's Lauren Feiner, who attended the hearing in person, lawyers from Apple, Google, and Snap complained about the poor handling of their sensitive data. Apple's lawyer echoed Snap's claims of "egregious" disclosures, citing that Apple can't trust Meta will protect internal information going forward.


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The Moment SuperCage is the pro filming rig the iPhone needs, with endless customization and premium build quality.


USB-C on the iPhone hasn't exactly changed everything, but regardless of which model you have, wired connectivity is faster. Between that and support for external SSDs, there's a whole new category of photography and filmography equipment that we've been testing.

There are a lot of great items out there, but there hasn't been much like the Moment SuperCage. After playing with it for a few weeks, we're certain there will be soon.


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Synology is pushing for consumers to buy its own brand of hard drives for its newest NAS appliances, with only certified drives getting the full suite of software support.


The cost of a network-attached storage (NAS) device could be split into two components, with the NAS itself as one part, while the drives that fill it make up the second. At higher capacities, the drives can be the more costly element to acquire, and often leads to users shopping around for deals on hard disks.

It appears that Synology is keen to earn more from users by getting them to purchase its own line of hard drives to go with the NAS.


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The iOS 18.4.1 update contains security fixes for vulnerabilities that may have been used in sophisticated attacks. Here's why you should update.


On Wednesday, more than two weeks after the launch of iOS 18.4, Apple released iOS 18.4.1. Though the update itself is relatively minor, with only a CarPlay fix and no new features, the software includes two significant security patches.



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Apple has released security updates to its operating systems, including iOS 18.4.1, iPadOS 18.4.1, tvOS 18.4.1, macOS 15.4.1, and visionOS 2.4.1.


The small updates, released on April 16, are fairly common for software vendors to release, including Apple. The smaller change of version number reflects the content of the update, which is less about introducing bigger feature changes and more about bug squashing, performance improvements, and security fixes.

The notes for the updates state that they all provide bug fixes and security updates, with Apple recommending the installation by all users.


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Whisky's developer has announced all further work on the app has ended, closing off one way to play Windows games on Apple Silicon Macs.


Issac Marovitz, developer of the popular WINE front-end app Whisky for macOS, has announced no futher development or maintenance will occur. It will not be upgrading to WINE 8+, and further fixes to specific apps and games won't be added in the future.

The Whisky maintenance notice also states that "Occasional updates may still come if macOS fundamentally breaks the main app, as it did in 15.4."


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Apple resellers are clearing out MacBook Air inventory, with M2, M3, and M4 models all on sale.


The lowest price across the MacBook Air range can be found at Best Buy, with the closeout M2/8GB RAM/512GB SSD model marked down to $799. This model has a bump up to 512GB of storage, from the line's standard 256GB.

Buy for $799


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A new leak claims that Apple's follow up to the Apple Vision Pro will switch from aluminum to titanium to reduce weight, and will come in a black or dark blue color.


Following a dubious report that Apple Vision Pro 2 will come out in April 2026, a new leak claims that the next headset may not be called Apple Vision Pro at all. It may instead be just called Apple Vision, or possibly Apple Vision Air.

Without specifying a release date, leaker Kosutami has also tweeted that the next headset will be this lighter model.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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The battle between President Donald Trump and China over import tariffs has impacted Apple, and will hit consumer wallets soon. Here's everything you need to know about it, current through April 16, 2025.


President Donald Trump's first presidency was known for many things, but one of the biggest events in it was the U.S.-China trade war. The financial event saw the U.S. apply high tariffs against Chinese imports, impacting the cost of produce entering the country.

The incident caused issues for many businesses, but Apple managed to steer clear of the effects. This was chiefly down to the positive relationship CEO Tim Cook had with Donald Trump at the time.


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Apple continues to make progress on its previously announced Apple 2030 goal, hoping to become carbon neutral over the next five years.


Just in time for Earth Day, Apple has announced that its global greenhouse gas emissions are down 60% compared to 2015 levels. The ultimate goal, announced by Apple in 2020, is ambitious, to say the least.

The project is called "Apple 2030" and centers around the goal of becoming 100% carbon neutral by 2030. While Apple has already been carbon neutral on the global corporate level, the company wants to become carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle.


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Apple is celebrating Earth Day by giving you a reason to declutter your junk drawer and get a discount while you're at it.


From now through May 16, Apple is offering 10% off eligible accessories when you bring an old device to recycle at a participating Apple Store. The promo covers everything from AirPods and Apple Watch bands to iPhone cases and charging cables.

You'll need to make the accessory purchase at the same time as you recycle the device, and it has to be in-store — online purchases don't count.


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It's the end of an era as the much-loved 2018 Intel Mac mini has been added to Apple's list of vintage products. It's yet another step heralding the end of support of Intel on Mac.


With some exceptions under international law, Apple has long had a specific process for when it deems devices to be first vintage, and then obsolete. What's significant now is that every Intel-based Mac mini has entered the vintage stage, the first time since the move from Intel to Apple Silicon back in 2020.

"Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago," says Apple on its support page. "[And] obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago."


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After the U.S. government initially cut its funding of the CVE database, used to track security vulnerabilities in operating systems and software, CISA has said it will continue to be funded for another 11 months at least.


Early on Wednesday, it was reported that the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database had its funding cut. Within hours, its funding has been restored for just under one more year.

The CVE is an important part of modern cyber security. It's a central database of vulnerabilities found in operating systems and applications, which can be abused by hackers and malware to attack targets in various ways.


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Despite scaremongering headlines, Trump did not escalate his "reciprocal" China tariff to 245% on Tuesday night. The figure is a reinstatement of previous tariffs that don't apply to Apple or big tech at all.


Coming on top of previous escalations and the Apple exemption that Trump says isn't an exemption, it wouldn't have been surprising if the China tariff rose again. And the White House itself stoked fear-mongering by how it phrased the tariffs in a fact sheet issued late on Tuesday night, April 15, 2025.

"China now faces up to a 245% tariff on imports to the United States," says the fact sheet, "as a result of its retaliatory actions."


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The screen and camera details of the iPhone Fold have surfaced yet again, with a list of identical specifications making an earlier leaker's claim seem slightly more likely to be true.


The iPhone Fold is expected to have two screens, with a smaller outer display for general use and a folding internal one that's much larger. It now seems that the rumor mill has agreed on some of the essential specifications of those components.

In a Naver post, serial leaker "yeux1122" posted some details about the iPhone Fold's screens. The key internal one is listed as measuring 7.76 inches diagonally, with a resolution of 2,713 by 1,920 and a theoretical pixel density of 428 pixels per inch.


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Social media giant Meta claims that it can't be considered a monopoly because iMessage outperforms Facebook Messenger on iOS.


Meta, Facebook's parent company, has been dealing with an antitrust lawsuit for over four years. In December 2020, the FTC alleged that the social media giant engaged in anti-competitive practices and wanted to break up the company.

The lawsuit itself was initially dismissed by a Federal Court Judge in June 2021, but the FTC filed a more robust and detailed complaint in 2022. The case is still ongoing, and now Meta has provided additional details and arguments.


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Apple now has an official password manager, but importing your old passwords from other apps into Apple Passwords can be a bit of a pain.


The introduction of iOS 18 and macOS Seqouia has seen the old iCloud Keychain be rolled into the new Apple Passwords app, alongside a few other Apple password management features. If you already use a password manager outside of iCloud Keychain, you'll probably want to import your passwords if you intend on using Apple Passwords.

Do note that Apple's new Passwords app is really built for storing login passwords. It does not, as yet, store the items like credit card numbers, software serial numbers, or secure documents, that other password managers too.


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Four Indian filmmakers in the MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone project explain how the iPhone 16 Pro Max has helped them to create their short films.


The Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image (MAMI) Select: Shot on iPhone is an initiative that empowers filmmakers to "push the boundaries of technology and innovation in film." The program is in its second year.

Filmmakers in the MAMI Select: Shot on iPhone program receive mentoring from industry giants Konkona Sen Sharma, Vikramaditya Motwane, Lijo Jose Pellissery, and Vetri Maaran. These mentors have taken four emerging filmmakers under their wings to encourage creativity without the normal conventions of mainstream filmmaking.


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The iPhone Fold will be an extremely expensive smartphone to purchase, with a leaker claiming it could be priced at more than $2,000 at launch.


The iPhone Fold is a long-rumored smartphone that Apple has reportedly been working on for years. While it is expected to be a premium offering whenever it ships, the price to consumers could be extremely high relative to the typical iPhone releases.



Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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A new emulator app in the App Store means you can now play MAME ROMs on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Here's how to get started.


April 2025 marks a year since Apple allowed game emulators onto the App Store. But, while many emulators rushed to the App Store, one major name has been missing for quite some time.

MAME, the free and open-source game emulator, wasn't allowed as an iPhone or iPad app for a long time. Tthe restrictions of the App Store prevented it from existing, even after Apple relaxed some of the rules.


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Apple will soon encourage customers to bring their old gear in to an Apple Store that wouldn't qualify for store credit to get a discount on AirPods, AirTags, and more.


It's spring, which means it's time to declutter our homes and discard unwanted items. Apple thinks so, too, and is planning a promotion to help you turn your old and unwanted Apple tech into credit for new Apple accessories.



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This deal on Apple's upgraded M4 14-inch MacBook Pro is part of an April price war as B&H and Amazon compete for your business.


Today's $1,799 price for the upgraded M4 14-inch MacBook Pro in Silver reflects a $200 discount off MSRP. This model is particularly enticing as it includes a bump up to 24GB of unified memory and 1TB of storage, up from the 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD that's standard in the M4 line.

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Beats Cables have launched, with the premium cables from the Apple subsidiary including braided sleeves and a choice of colors wider than Apple's standard options.


Apple and Beats often include cables with their products, with Apple also offering extra cables in its online store. Now, consumers can pick up a Beats version for a bit of variety.

Introduced on Tuesday, Beats Cables are a selection of reinforced charging cables. They use a tangle-free woven design for durability and minimal fraying, as well as giving it a more premium appearance than a typical plastic-coated cable.


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In its attempts to make the iPhone Fold a reality, Apple has reportedly decided to use Samsung Display to produce the foldable OLED screens for the project.


The screen is arguably the most important part of the iPhone Fold, as a component that practically defines how the device functions. It seems that Apple has narrowed down the source of the screen to Samsung Display for its first foldable release.

According to sources of Business Korea, Apple has finally made the decision to go with Samsung Display as its foldable screen supplier. While Apple does work with other suppliers for its products, including LG Display and BOE, it will only be using Samsung for its folding device screens for the moment.


Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely


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To somehow support claims that the tariff exemption is not an exemption at all, the White House has announced an investigation into the entire semiconductor market segment.


On April 2, 2025, Trump announced his "Liberation Day" slew of tariffs for which there would be no exemptions. On April 9, he granted Apple an exemption.

But following the worldwide recognition that this was an exemption, over the weekend of April 10 and 11, Trump proclaimed that it was nothing of the sort. He said "there was no Tariff 'exception'... they are just moving to a different Tariff 'bucket'," as if it were all part of the plan.


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Apple Software Restore lets you clone your Mac even with a Signed System Volume. Here's how to use it to copy your Mac's storage.


For a variety of reasons, you may want to make a clone of your Startup Disk on your Mac. This can include software testing, backups, configuration, or many other reasons.

In the past on macOS this was relatively easy, but that changed with macOS Big Sur because Apple added what is known as a Signed System Volume to each macOS Startup Disk. Signed System Volumes are encoded with a special cryptographic marker for that one installation.


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The Anker Solix C1000X is a capable portable power station for emergencies, but price and noise could be barriers to purchase.


Anker stands out as one of the leaders of the home energy industry. Thanks chiefly to its wide range of products for every potential need, including charging electronics and portable power stations.

With a reputation for quality and efficiency, Anker actively tries to push the boundaries of its approach to energy. It has a track record of consistently creating smaller, more powerful, quiet, and cost-effective options for home, campsite, and worksite.


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On Monday, Apple shared its plans to allow users to opt into on-device Apple Intelligence training using Differential Privacy techniques that are incredibly similar to its failed CSAM detection system.


Differential Privacy is a concept Apple embraced openly in 2016 with iOS 10. It is a privacy-preserving method of data collection that introduces noise to sample data to prevent the data collectors from figuring out where the data came from.

According to a post on Apple's machine learning blog, Apple is working to implement Differential Privacy as a method to gather user data to train Apple Intelligence. The data is provided on an opt-in basis, anonymously, and in a way that can't be traced back to an individual user.


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Apple Watch deals are heating up at Amazon this week, with a $100 discount in effect on an Apple Watch Series 10 style and prices across the wearable line starting at $169.


We're following a fresh Apple Watch Series 10 price drop at Amazon today, with the Apple Authorized Reseller knocking $100 off the 42mm GPS + Cellular model with a Silver Aluminum Case and Denim Sport Band.

Now priced at $399, Amazon states this is a limited-time deal (and stock is limited at press time).


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As Apple expands its advertising business, the company has renamed its former "Apple Search Ads" to "Apple Ads," reflecting the expansion of ad placement.


Previously, when a business bought ads on the App Store, they would be suggested at the top of the search screen. In 2022, Apple began expanding its advertising practices adding slots in the Today tab and in the "You Might Also Like" slot below individual app listings.

The name change now more accurately reflects the services it offers. Apple told participating developers about the name change in a message spotted by 9to5Mac. It reads:


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While denying he ever changes his mind, Trump has now said he helped out Apple with tariffs because of conversations with Tim Cook.


It's up there with night follows day, but Trump has now effectively confirmed that it was after speaking with Tim Cook that he changed his tariffs. His statement has to be defined as effectively, because he was typically unclear and attempting to sound as if he were sticking flawlessly to his original tariff plan.

"Look, I'm a very flexible person. I don't change my mind, but I'm flexible," he said to reporters while officially meeting with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. "And you have to be."


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Apple is now on its second round of developer betas for iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, macOS 15.5, tvOS 18.5, watchOS 11.5, and visionOS 2.5.


The first round of iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, macOS 15.5, tvOS 18.5, watchOS 11.5, and visionOS 2.5 arrived on March 17, following the release of the updates from the preceding beta-testing cycle.

The second iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 developer betas share build number 22F5053f, replacing 22F5042g. The second macOS Sequoia 15.5 build uses number 24F5053f, up from 24F5042g.


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The U.S.-China tariff battle is heating up again, with China stopping exports of rare earth minerals and magnets. This will badly hit the manufacture of the iPhone and other Apple products outside of China.


The war of wills between President Donald Trump and the Chinese government over tariffs was seemingly put on pause after Trump granted a set of exceptions for select tech and semiconductor produce. However, China is continuing to bite back against the U.S., without raising tariffs further.

China has placed a series of rare earth minerals and magnets on an export control list since April 4, reports Reuters. The move stops the export of the materials out of the country and into others, where they would be used to produce parts and components for various products.


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