Epic Games says it has submitted the Epic Games Store to Apple for notarization under Apple's alternative app marketplace policy in the European Union.


The ‌Epic Games‌ Store will include popular game Fortnite, which means ‌iPhone‌ users in the EU will be able to install and play the title without having to use a cloud gaming service. Epic said it was "targeting the next couple months for the store and Fortnite on iOS in the EU." An ‌iPad‌ version of Fortnite is expected to follow this year.

Fortnite has been banned from the iOS App Store for the last several years due to the legal dispute between Apple and ‌Epic Games‌. An avenue for its return was only made possible after Apple made it possible for iPhone‌ users in the EU to download apps from alternative app marketplaces rather than the App Store, as well as directly from developer websites.

Apple is charging a 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee per year for apps installed outside of the ‌App Store‌ (and in the ‌App Store‌ for developers who opt in to the new terms and also still choose to use Apple's system), but there are no ‌App Store‌ commissions or in-app fees. While Apple is waiving fees for the first one million installs, the 0.50 per user fee will cost app developers like ‌Epic Games‌ a notable amount of money, especially given that Epic will often be charged twice – once for its app marketplace and once again for every Fortnite install.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has been critical of Apple's App Store changes to bring its policies in line with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Sweeney has described the changes as a "devious new instance of malicious compliance," and called Apple's charges "junk fees." The European Commission last week formally announced its preliminary view that Apple's App Store policies are in breach of the DMA. The Commission also said it would open a new non-compliance procedure against Apple over concerns that its contractual requirements for third-party app developers and app marketplaces, including its Core Technology Fee, "fall short of ensuring effective compliance with Apple's obligations under the DMA."
This article, "Fortnite and Epic Games Store Submitted to Apple for iOS Launch in EU" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Google will refresh its product lineup this year in the middle of August rather than its usual October timing, which means its latest flagship Pixel smartphones will debut ahead of Apple's annual iPhone upgrade cycle for the first time.


Google last week began sending out media invitations to an August 13 hardware event that will "showcase the base of Google AI, Android software and the Pixel portfolio of devices." Google typically holds its annual Made by Google event in early October to unveil its latest Pixel phones, smartwatches, and Nest-branded devices.

Rumors indicate Google will launch three devices in its forthcoming Pixel 9 lineup, with a new larger 6.2-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL device joining the regular Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. Leaks suggest the Pixel 9 Pro will have a triple rear camera setup. Google is also expected to launch Android 15 touting Gemini AI enhancements and other services.


Alongside new phones, Google is expected to release a Pixel Fold 2 tablet, a Pixel Watch 3 series, and new Pixel earbuds, all of which will compete with Apple devices. The decision to bring forward the hardware upgrades was likely made with one eye on Apple's hardware launches in September, when the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series 9 are expected to be revealed alongside iOS 18 with Apple Intelligence.
This article, "Google to Unveil Pixel 9 Phones Next Month Ahead of iPhone 16 Launch" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple eventually plans to turn some of its artificial intelligence features into paid services, similar to iCloud+ subscriptions, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.


Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that while Apple Intelligence will be free to start, Apple's long-term plan is to launch something like "Apple Intelligence+," with extra features that users pay monthly fees to access.

Making its own AI features another services revenue stream should allow Apple to compensate for the slowing pace of hardware upgrades and make the company less reliant on hardware tweaks to drive its business, argues Gurman.

Apple is also expected to receive a cut of revenue whenever a user signs up to features offered by its AI partners, such as ChatGPT provided by OpenAI. Gurman says he expects Apple to agree a deal with Google and Anthropic to offer their AI services through its devices, with the former expected to be announced when Apple Intelligence launches in the fall as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia.

Bloomberg previously reported that Apple has turned down an AI partnership with Facebook parent company Meta due to privacy concerns. Meanwhile, Apple is said to be seeking partnerships for the Chinese market, where ChatGPT and other similar AI services are not available.
This article, "Some Apple Intelligence Features Likely to Require Paid Subscription" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

The upcoming iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be the first Apple smartphones to adopt Samsung's high performance "M14" OLED display panel, claims a new report coming out of South Korea.


According to ETNews, Samsung's "M" series of OLED panels are made for flagship smartphones, while "14" refers to the number of high-performance materials used to produce them. "M14" is the first series of its kind, and the panel is said to have been developed to deliver superior brightness and longevity.

Samsung has reportedly placed orders for the M14 materials and is preparing to mass produce the displays in the second half of the year for Apple's iPhone 16 Pro models. Google's Pixel 9 smartphone is the only other device that is expected to adopt the high-performance displays in 2024.

A previous report out of China claimed that this year's ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models will feature up to 1,200 nits of typical SDR brightness – a 20% increase over the current models – so Samsung's new panel could be the reason for the expected improvement. That said, peak HDR brightness is expected to remain at 1,600 nits, the same as the current iPhone 15 Pro Display.

Another rumor last year suggested that all iPhone 16 models will adopt new micro-lens OLED display technology for improved brightness and reduced power consumption, although it's not clear if this is related to M14 panels specifically.

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have larger display sizes than the iPhone 15 Pro models, according to multiple sources. The iPhone 16 Pro will have a display that's 6.27 inches in size (rounded to 6.3), while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to have a display that's 6.85 inches in size (rounded to 6.9).

• 5 Biggest Changes Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro Max

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 16 series in the fall, or around mid-September going on previous years.
This article, "iPhone 16 Pro Models to Adopt 'M14' Advanced Samsung OLED Panels for Improved Brightness and Lifespan" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple's online store went down this morning in Germany, France, Australia, the UK, and Canada, as the company prepared to begin taking Apple Vision Pro pre-orders in the five regions.


Pre-orders begin at 5.00 a.m. Pacific Time, or the following local times. The starting prices given below in local currency are for the 256GB model minus prescription lenses and other accessories.

• Australia – 10:00 pm AEST – $5,999


• Canada – 5.00 a.m. PT – $4,999


• France – 2.00 p.m. – €3,999


• Germany – 2.00 p.m. – €3,999


• United Kingdom – 1.00 p.m. – £3,499

‌Apple Vision Pro‌ will launch in the five countries on Friday, July 12, and interested customers can currently book a 30-minute demo of the device in their local Apple Store from launch day up until Thursday, July 18.

The Vision Pro is unquestionably Apple's most technically advanced product and a remarkable engineering achievement that impresses at first glance. However, potential buyers should visit an ‌Apple Store‌ to try it out and thoroughly research its capabilities before making a purchase. Be sure to check out our dedicated Vision Pro roundup to learn more.

Apple is expected to produce fewer than 400,000 Vision Pro headsets in 2024 due to the complexity of manufacturing, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. However, Apple is said to be already working on a new version of the ‌‌Apple Vision Pro‌‌ for 2025 that will be priced more affordably.
This article, "Apple Store Down in UK, Canada, and Other Countries Ahead of Vision Pro Pre-Orders [Update: It's Back Up]" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple's Vision Pro spatial computing headset today arrived at Apple Store locations across China mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. The launches mark the first time the Vision Pro has been officially available outside of the United States, where the device has been on sale since February.


Consumer interest in the $3,499 headset has reportedly waned at home, where sales are said to have slowed in the five months since its launch. Apple Vision Pro is set to launch in the United Kingdom and Canada on July 12.

The headset will also launch on the same day in Australia, France, and Germany, as part of a staggered release in additional markets, which may be just what the company needs to reinvigorate enthusiasm for the device.

Reviews for the device have been mixed overall. For the most part, users have been impressed with the hardware and the technology introduced by the Vision Pro, but there are questions about the actual function of the device, the intuitiveness of the gesture-based control, the weight and comfort, and VR in general.

During WWDC earlier this month, Apple announced visionOS 2, the first major update to the Vision Pro's operating system. ‌visionOS 2‌ includes several new features and changes, including a redesigned Photos app with SharePlay support, the ability to turn existing 2D photos into spatial photos, a larger ultra-wide version of Mac Virtual Display that is equivalent to two 4K monitors side by side, plus support for a physical mouse.
This article, "Apple Vision Pro Launches in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

There appears to be an ongoing outage with international roaming across multiple cellular networks, with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile customers abroad complaining about the issue on social networks and cellular community forums.


Customers traveling internationally have been without service since late Wednesday for hours at a time, with many losing cellular, text, and data. That has left many users unable to call their cellular provider hotline or access online chat help without a Wi-Fi network.

Based on feedback from customers that have managed to contact support, the providers are aware of the issue with international roaming and are actively working on resolving it, although there have been reports that this could take several hours. We'll update this article as soon as we learn more.


Update 1: There are reports that AT&T and T-Mobile customers abroad are also being affected by the outage, suggesting it could be the result of a wider network problem. We have updated the story headline to reflect the development.

Update 2: Bloomberg reports that a Verizon customer service representative who was contacted from the UK on Thursday said that it's an ongoing issue that engineers are working to address.

Update 3: The multi-network outage is related to issues at international connection partner Syniverse, according to a person familiar with the situation. The company says the estimated time of restoration is 12 hours up to 24 hours.
This article, "International Roaming Outage Affecting Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile Customers [Updated]" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple's upcoming iOS 18 software update is packed with features for supported iPhones, but it also promises to make your AirPods Pro experience better with a handful of sophisticated new capabilities that draw from machine learning improvements and AI enhancements.


The following five AirPods Pro features are expected to arrive later this year, when iOS 18 is released to the general public in the fall.

Head Gestures

Apple is set to add new head gestures that allow users to control AirPods Pro handsfree and without saying a word. With the new gestures, you can nod your head up and down, or shake it left to right, in order to answer or decline a call. Siri Interactions will also allow users to answer or dismiss calls, interact with messages, manage notifications, and more — all without speaking.

Voice Isolation

Apple's iPhones include a calling feature that can make your voice clearer to the person you're speaking to when on a call, even when you're in a busy environment. Apple in iOS 18 is adding Voice Isolation to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ so that they also cut down on loud background sounds.

When you're on a call, the mics on AirPods Pro usually pick up a wide range of sounds in the environment, like wind around the caller. But with Voice Isolation, machine learning will distinguish these sounds, block out any ambient noise, and prioritize your voice so that it comes through clearly.

Personalized Spatial Audio for Gaming

Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking will be available for gaming across AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max — delivering the immersive audio customers have come to love when listening to music, or watching movies and shows.

Apple says that when using AirPods Pro, gamers will have the best wireless audio latency it has ever delivered for mobile gaming. AirPods Pro users will also enjoy improved voice quality, including 16-bit, 48kHz audio, when chatting with teammates and other players. Game developers will also be able to incorporate spatial audio into their games for a more immersive audio experience.

Granular Adaptive Audio Control

Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro have an Adaptive Audio feature called Adaptive Noise Control, which adjusts sound and active noise cancelation in response to changes in your environment.

Right now, Adaptive Audio is an all or nothing setting, but that's set to change in iOS 18. Apple has added a "Customize Adaptive Audio" menu that lets you adjust the setting to allow for more or less noise.

Hearing Aid Mode

AirPods Pro will gain a new "hearing aid mode" with the release of iOS 18 later this year, according to a March report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. AirPods Pro already offer a Conversation Boost feature, which boosts the volume and clarity of people directly in front of the wearer, but so far Apple has not advertised the earbuds as a hearing aid device.
This article, "iOS 18 to Bring These 5 New Features to AirPods Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Google is reportedly scrapping continuous scrolling of search results on desktop and mobile, with the company returning to the old method of dividing results into several pages (via The Verge).


Google introduced continuous scrolling on mobile and desktop in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The change was reminiscent of a social media feed, although Google's version was never quite the "infinite scroll" that social network users will be familiar with. Search has typically returned the equivalent of six pages of results in a single scroll, before offering users a "More results" button that keeps the scroll going.

Google originally claimed that continuous scroll would make browsing results quicker and easier, although some users likely missed how the old pagination system often acted as a natural breaker that allowed them to consider whether they had all the information they needed.

A Google spokesperson reportedly told Search Engine Land that continuous scroll would be removed from desktop search results from June 25, while the feature will be removed from mobile results "in the coming months." Google said that the change is needed to allow it to serve search results faster, instead of automatically loading results that users haven't explicitly requested.
This article, "Google Scraps Continuous Scrolling in Search Results" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

In iOS 18, Apple's Podcasts app now shows chapter segments of a podcast when you scrub through a currently playing episode, making it easier to browse through the audio content.


As spotted by Redditor "Wristnut," navigating the timeline across the chapter segments shows the chapter name above the line. Note that this behavior appears in the Podcasts app proper, and it is not currently reproducible on the Lock Screen media controls in ‌iOS 18‌ beta 2.

While the ability to scrub through chapter segments is new, chapters themselves are not. Some podcast listeners may not be familiar with them because creators have to manually add chapters, and many shows have not adopted them. Creators must specify chapters in the header of an MP4 file or by modifying the ID3 tags of MP3 or AAC files using third-party tools.

When creators do support chapters, listeners can find them by swiping up on the Now Playing screen on iOS and iPadOS or by clicking the Chapters button located in the top-right corner of the Podcasts app for macOS. Creators can also provide chapter-specific artwork that is displayed on the Now Playing screen and on the Lock Screen on iOS and iPadOS, providing a timely visual supplement to the podcast.

Apple Podcasts supports chapters for MP4, MP3, and AAC files, whether they are available from the directory or manually added to the Library via an RSS feed. Some of the tools used to add chapters include Ferrite on iOS and iPadOS, Forecast by Overcast, Podcasts Chapters on macOS, and Vizzy on the web.

‌iOS 18‌ is currently in its second developer beta, with a public beta expected in July, followed by a general release in the fall.
This article, "iOS 18: Podcasts App Now Shows Chapter Segments When Scrubbing" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

In iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple has added a new "Keep Downloaded" option when browsing items in iCloud, allowing users to designate which files and folders should remain permanently available locally on their device.


In previous versions of iOS and macOS, users had limited control over which files and folders were kept offline. iCloud's automatic management system would offload files from the device to free up space, potentially removing files that you might want to keep available at all times.

Apple offered no straightforward way to prevent this – until now. In macOS Sequoia, when browsing iCloud Drive in Finder, right-clicking a file or folder reveals the new "Keep Downloaded" option. When enabled, the cloud symbol next to the item is opaque instead of transparent, indicating that it will remain on the device.

In iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, the same option can be found in the Files app when a file or folder is long pressed to bring up the contextual menu. Users can now explicitly mark files to remain on their device, regardless of how much storage they take up.

The ability to prevent iCloud items from being offloaded should be particularly welcomed by users who need to frequently access documents or files during travel or in areas with poor connectivity. macOS Sequoia, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18 are available in a beta capacity right now, and are limited to developers. The new option should be available to all users when the software launches to the public this fall.
This article, "iCloud 'Keep Downloaded' Option Included in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is rumored to be planning a revamp of the Apple Watch for the device's tenth anniversary, and 91mobiles claims to have sourced CAD renders of what could be the "Apple Watch X" or Apple Watch Series 10 from industry insiders.


The site claims that the renders are of a "larger" model featuring a 2-inch display. The current Apple Watch Series 9 has a 1.7-inch display, while the Apple Watch Ultra has a display size of 1.93-inches, so this would be the biggest screen on an Apple Watch so far.

That said, its dimensions are said to measure roughly 46 x 39.7 x 11.6mm, which would make it bigger overall than the Series 9 but smaller than the Ultra. Otherwise, the renders suggest a design similar to the Series 9, with a Digital Crown and Side button, and a square display.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said a significantly overhauled "Apple Watch X" would launch in either 2024 or 2025, to mark the tenth anniversary of the device, so this could be the anniversary device, or it could be the Apple Watch Series 10. The original Apple Watch was announced in September 2014 and released in April 2015.

Gurman said the "Apple Watch X" would be equipped with a thinner case. The Bloomberg reporter also said it would potentially have a magnetic band attachment system, although there's no evidence of that in the renders.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently claimed that Apple Watch Series 10 will be thinner and come in larger screen sizes than previous models. Kuo said the screen size options on the next-generation Apple Watch will increase from 41mm to 45mm, and from 45mm to 49mm, while being encased in a thinner design. For reference, the Apple Watch Ultra has a 49mm case.

It's unclear at this point whether the CAD renders are accurate, but either way Apple typically launches new Apple Watch models around September alongside its latest iPhone lineup. Apple is said to be planning to incorporate blood pressure monitoring this year, with the watch able to detect hypertension, while sleep apnea detection is also said to be coming to the 2024 Apple Watch model.
This article, "Alleged First Look at Apple Watch X / Series 10 With 2-Inch Display" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

OLED iPad Pro panel maker LG Display has begun mass producing the industry's first 13-inch tandem OLED panel designed for laptops, the Korean company announced this week.


LG Display supplies the majority of OLED panels for Apple's latest M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ models, which use a similar tandem structure. Tandem OLED panels combine two stacks of red, green, and blue (RGB) organic light emitting layers, which together offer better durability and performance compared to single-layer OLED panels such as the one used in Apple's iPhones.

LG has been developing the panels for the automotive industry since 2019, and says that efficiency gains mean they reduce power consumption by up to 40%, and enable up to three times the brightness. By designing the components and enhancing the structure of the 13-inch tandem OLED panel, LG Display says it has also been able to make it around 40% thinner and 28% lighter than existing OLED laptop screens, allowing for a sleek design and greater portability.

From LG Display's press release:

The new panel combines convenience and performance with high definition. It boasts a WQXGA+ (2880×1800) high resolution and accurate color expression that meets 100% of the DCI-P3 standard color area established by the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), allowing high-definition content to be presented with increased clarity.

With OLED's characteristic self-emissive pixels and infinite contrast ratio, it has also been certified as Display HDR (High Dynamic Range) True Black 500 by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). This confirms its ability to show both bright and dark images so well that it enhances their three-dimensionality and produces a display quality that is as close as possible to what the human eye naturally sees.

There are currently no Macs with OLED displays. However, according to a November 2023 report by analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong International Technology Research, Apple is actively developing an OLED screen for the ‌MacBook Air‌, although the release of an OLED MacBook Pro is expected to come first.

An earlier report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed that a new MacBook Pro with an OLED display could be the first touchscreen Mac in 2025. Notably LG Display says that it has also embedded a touch sensor inside its latest tandem OLED panels to improve touch performance.
This article, "Apple Supplier Unveils 'Industry First' Tandem OLED Laptop Panel" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Starting with macOS Sequoia, app downloads and installations from the Mac App Store will no longer require double the amount of local storage space available. Instead, the free space requirement now matches the final install size of the app, plus a small buffer, according to Apple.


The new space requirement in macOS 15 should significantly benefit users who download large games. Currently in macOS Sonoma, users have to ensure they have double the space available, which is often a challenge for games that can take up tens or even hundreds of gigabytes.

But in macOS 15 beta 2, you only need to have enough space for the game's final size, plus the small buffer, as per the release notes. By aligning the free space requirements more closely with actual app sizes, macOS 15 should give users a better idea ahead of time of whether they can install an app from the Mac App Store, which will make general storage management easier.

Apple has told developers to update any messaging related to app size requirements to reflect the change, which should reduce confusion about how much free space is needed for new app installations. macOS Sequoia is currently in its second developer beta, with a public beta expected in July, followed by a general release in the fall.
This article, "macOS 15 No Longer Needs Twice the Free Space for App Store Installs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums