Some of you may not know this, but during a brief period from summer 2021 to fall 2023 – Apple made a battery bank.

Of course, since it’s Apple, it was . This MagSafe battery pack had a number of interesting features and quirks, and ultimately it only stuck around for two years. However, thanks to an interesting new Apple trend, I think it’s plausible that it comes back – but not as an Apple product.

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Amazon today has all-time low prices on the new M4 MacBook Air, with up to $70 off the 13-inch version of the computer. Right now these discounts are only available on Amazon, and most of them have estimated delivery windows of mid April.

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

This time around, there are two 13-inch configurations on sale, reaching up to $70 off the original price. You can get the 256GB 13-inch M4 MacBook Air for $949.00, down from $999.00, and the 24GB RAM/512GB 13-inch M4 MacBook Air for $1,329.00, down from $1,399.00. Both of these deals are available in two colors on 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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Apple and its customers can breathe a sigh of relief today after the White House carved tariff exemptions for smartphones, laptops, and more. The iPhone maker was facing a 145% fee on products imported into the United States from China. This caused weeks of speculation that the iPhone and other electronics could be subject to price hikes to cover the cost.

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It was a big week for leaks and rumors in the Apple world, with fresh claims about iOS 19, the iPhone 17 Pro, and even the 20th anniversary iPhone coming a couple of years from now.


Sources also spilled the tea on the inner turmoil at Apple around the Apple Intelligence-driven Siri revamp that has seen significant delays, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

iOS 19 Leak Reveals Alleged New Design With Rounder App Icons, Floating Tab Bar, and More

YouTuber Jon Prosser is back with some more claims on his Front Page Tech channel regarding design updates coming in iOS 19, and according to information he's seen, we could be in for some major changes.


Sources within Apple have shown Prosser a more glass-like interface inspired by visionOS, including rounder icons, a new floating pill-shaped tab bar at the bottom of many built-in apps, and some additional design tweaks.

For an overview of everything we've heard so far about potential design changes for iOS 19 with just about two months ago until its official unveiling at WWDC, check out our recap article.

iPhone 17 Pro's New Rear Camera Bar 'Same Color as Rest of Device'

Leaks have shown the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will have a much larger rear camera bump spanning the entire top of the device, and a new claim from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says the bump will be the same color as the rest of the device rather than being a distinct black color seen on some renderings.


On the feature front, Jon Prosser has said the iPhone 17 Pro models will include native support for simultaneous video recording from both front and rear cameras, something that so far has only been available through select third-party apps.

We've also recapped a number of other significant changes rumored to be coming to the iPhone 17 Pro later this year.

Apple Planning 'Bold' New 20th Anniversary Design for 2027 iPhone Pro

We're still a couple of years away from the 20th anniversary of the iPhone's debut, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple is planning something special for the milestone: a "major shake-up" that will include not only the much-rumored foldable iPhone but also a "bold" new look for the Pro-level iPhone models.


Gurman says the 2027 iPhone Pro models will make more extensive use of glass in their construction, but little else is known about what Apple has in the works.

Report Reveals Internal Chaos Behind Apple's Siri Failure

The Apple Intelligence-powered revamp of Siri has hit a number of stumbling blocks, leading to Apple uncharacteristically announcing a delay in some of the upcoming features. An extensive new report from The Information this week reveals details of the turmoil that has gone on behind the scenes at Apple.


According to the report, indecision and repeated changes in direction from Apple leadership about how to deploy Apple Intelligence frustrated engineers working on the project, with Siri in particular being a "hot potato" that bounced between teams without significant progress being made.

Sources indicate that some of the most impressive Siri features demoed in Apple's Intelligence's unveiling at WWDC 2024 were effectively fictitious, with the functionality not even working on test devices at that point. The demo even apparently came as a surprise to members of the Siri team.

Waiting for the Perfect MacBook Pro? 2026 Might Be the Year

We're expecting an update to the MacBook Pro later this year with a new M5 chip and some other upgrades, but for a much more substantial revamp, you might want to wait until 2026.


Rumors indicate the 2026 MacBook Pro could see a design overhaul with OLED displays, a smaller pinhole camera cutout replacing the current notch, and perhaps even a thinner and lighter design and 5G connectivity.

In addition to the MacBook Pro overhaul, 2026 may also see the launch of Apple's rumored large foldable device, which reportedly features an 18.8-inch display when unfolded.

iOS 18.4.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

iOS 18.5 remains in early beta testing, but Apple appears to have an interim iOS 18.4.1 update on the way, and it should be arriving within the next week or two.


It's unclear what fixes will be included in the update, but these updates typically focus on security issues. It's possible it could also address a few problems that popped up in the iOS 18.4 update such as CarPlay connectivity issues some users have been experiencing, though that's merely speculation at this point.

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!
This article, "Top Stories: iOS 19 and iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, Siri Revamp Turmoil, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

One of the constant challenges for IT teams is balancing security and productivity, especially regarding network access. It’s easy to give people broad permissions to keep things moving, but that creates long-term cybersecurity risks when that access lasts longer than is needed. I am a massive fan of Tailscale, and the company has rolled out a new feature that addresses that problem.

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Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then.



We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025.

1. iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get new iPhones every September so it's not a surprise that updated models are coming, but this year should be exciting because the rumored iPhone 17 Air will have an all-new ultra-thin form factor, plus the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are getting a new rear camera design.


2. Apple Watch Series 11 - There's an updated Apple Watch coming, and it could get blood pressure monitoring and other health features, though that's not a guarantee yet. An update for watchOS has also been rumored, so it could get a new look.


3. Apple Watch Ultra 3 - Apple didn't update the Apple Watch Ultra last year, but we're supposedly getting a new model this year.


4. Apple Watch SE - We also didn't get an Apple Watch SE in 2024, so Apple's low-cost Apple Watch is due for an update. There were some rumors about a new plastic casing, but that might be scrapped.


5. AirPods Pro 3 - It's finally time for the AirPods Pro to get an update, and it sounds like it'll be a big one. The ‌AirPods Pro‌ will have a new design, and the case could get an update too. We're expecting better audio quality, Active Noise Cancellation improvements, a faster chip, and possibly health features like temperature and heart rate monitoring.


6. Mac Pro - The Mac Pro is Apple's last Mac that doesn't have an M4 chip inside, and it's going to be refreshed before the end of the year.


7. MacBook Pro - The MacBook Pro was last updated in October 2024, but when October 2025 rolls around, it'll be due for another refresh. No major design changes are planned, but it will get a spec boost in the form of the faster M5 chip.


8. Apple TV 4K - It's been quite some time since the Apple TV was refreshed, and a new model is in the works. It'll have a faster processor, perhaps even one that can support Apple Intelligence and console-quality games. No design changes are expected.


9. HomePod mini - The HomePod mini could get its first update with a faster S-series chip, an Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip for improved performance, and new color options.


10. AirTag 2 - There's a new version of the AirTag in the works, and it's slated for launch sometime in 2025. There are no signs of a design update, but it will get a new Ultra Wideband chip for improved range, plus there could be other improvements like a new, louder speaker.

Bonus: New Software

In two months, Apple is going to show off new software at its June Worldwide Developers Conference. We'll see the new features in iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16, tvOS 19, watchOS 12, and visionOS 3.

New software is fun because if you've got a modern Apple device, you don't even need to buy anything new to get the new functionality that Apple will be showing off. While we'll get a June preview, the software updates are slated for September.

Read More

We keep track of all of the products that Apple has coming both in the near future and in the more distant future in our upcoming products guide. It's updated regularly, so it's worth keeping an eye if you're interested in what Apple has in the works.
This article, "10 Products Still Coming From Apple in 2025" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple makes a , but they only differ in features, not so much in design. Thanks to ColorWare, however, you can now buy an Apple Pencil Pro that’s designed to resemble a crayon—and it comes in seven different color options.

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ChatGPT’s growth keeps hitting new heights, including last month earning the honor of top downloaded app (not game) in the world per Appfigures—no doubt thanks to Studio Ghibli.

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ColorWare today introduced a clever new range of custom Apple Pencils that have been designed to look like crayons. ColorWare is known for its custom-painted Apple accessories and products like AirPods, and the company sometimes does unique limited edition designs.


The ColorWare Apple Crayon Pro is available in seven colors, including black, mint, pink, purple, red, white, and yellow. Each one has a custom colored tip and a matching wrapper, all of which is painted on a standard Apple Pencil Pro. ColorWare previously did a custom ‌Apple Pencil‌ designed to look like a number 2 pencil, but the custom crayons in multiple colors are even more fun. With the attention to design, the Apple Crayon Pro does indeed look quite a bit like an actual crayon.


ColorWare has been customizing Apple devices for more than a decade, and it has perfected the process for a lasting finish. ColorWare uses a multi-step coating system, including a primer, a proprietary color formula, and a liquid plastic coating to protect the color. All products are warrantied for 12 months.


Because ColorWare is using a standard ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro, all of the functionality of the ‌Apple Pencil‌ remains intact. The ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro works with the M4 iPad Pro models, the M2 and M3 iPad Air models, and the A17 Pro iPad mini.

ColorWare is selling the Apple Crayon Pro for $215, and all colors are available from the ColorWare website as of today. Orders ship out in about two weeks.
This article, "Check Out ColorWare's Custom Apple Pencil Pro With a Crayon Design" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple’s TV division is having a standout year so far. Following the conclusion of Severance, its biggest hit ever, Apple TV+ now has three excellent new shows airing that all offer something unique.

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Our long national nightmare is over. No, not that one. This one. According to posts on social media, Apple has completed installation of the more durable rainbow arches found within the circular campus.

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continues to be one of the best smart home vendors for HomeKit fans. This week, the company announced a major update to its Matter integration that will benefit anyone using HomeKit as their primary platform.

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Chinese company Anker is one of many companies that will be raising prices due to the tariffs put in place by U.S. President Donald Trump, and prices are already starting to go up on Amazon.


As noted by Reuters, Anker has increased pricing on about a fifth of its products since Thursday of last week. Prices are up approximately 18 percent, and there is a possibility for further increases. A power bank that was $88 is now $110, for example, and a charging station that was $250 is now $270.

The tariffs on China are at 145 percent as of yesterday, which means items imported into the United States are significantly more expensive. U.S. customers and companies buying from China need to pay a 145 percent tax on the declared value of an item that is brought into the country. China has also put a 125 percent reciprocal tariff in place on U.S. goods coming to China.

China does not plan to raise its tariffs beyond 125 percent, and in a statement, China's Finance Ministry said that if U.S. tariffs go higher, it no longer makes sense to increase to match. "Even if the U.S. continues to impose even higher tariffs, it would no longer have any economic significance and would go down as a joke in the history of world economics," reads the Finance Ministry's statement.

China also said that the tariffs are an act of bullying, with the country planning to fight "to the end." From the Ministry's statement:

The U.S. side's imposition of excessively high tariffs on China seriously violates international economic and trade rules, runs counter to basic economic principles and common sense, and is simply an act of unilateral bullying and coercion.

Earlier this week, Anker told investors that it was able to raise prices because many of its rivals are Chinese and are facing similar tariff pressure. The company also said that it plans to explore non-U.S. markets like Europe and Southeast Asia.

Anker's prices fluctuate regularly due to the numerous sales that the company offers, but e-commerce site SmartScout says that there has been a "concerted effort" to raise prices since last week. Anker is still offering some discounts, and it has a site-wide sale right now for MacRumors readers. Any product on the Anker website is discounted by 20 percent with the promo code Ankermacrumors2025.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
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CarPlay is used and loved by millions of iPhone owners. And while the wait for CarPlay 2 keeps getting longer, iOS 18.4 and other recent updates hint at a promising CarPlay trend.

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Here’s a weird one. My son and I were discussing shapes on the drive to school earlier this week. His question for me was, “What is the name of the shape that looks like a square with uneven sides?”

I’m now in the habit of saying “ask ChatGPT” before any Siri request that isn’t taking an action like creating a reminder or sending a message. In this instance, though, I picked up my iPhone and pressed the Action button to open Advanced Voice Mode on ChatGPT. The results satisfied his curiosity.

A few days later, I decided to use his query as an example for how ChatGPT through Siri is useful. The results surprised me.

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iOS 18.4 arrived late last month packed with a variety of new features, including an upgrade you might have missed that provides a fast way to open your go-to conversations in the Messages app. Here’s how it works.

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Your Friday edition of the best Apple deals is starting off with a straight up $200 price drop on the 13-inch 512GB M4 iPad Pro in Space Black – but you can also score this one a $345 off in open-box condition with a full Apple warranty. Then it’s on to the new M4 MacBook Air lineup – some new all-time lows have hit alongside the $110 off open-box deals – as well as a series of particularly notable accessory deals. We have an exclusive 50% off all Burton Goods leather iPhone cases and wallets alongside new lows on Twelve South’s latest 15W 2-in-1 Butterfly MagSafe travel charger, Find My gear, chargers, and more. 

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Both the iPad Pro and the iPad Air have had fairly recent updates, and there are quite a few similarities between them that might leave you wondering which one is the best to meet your needs. In our latest video, we go over the similarities and differences, and the use cases that might make you choose one over another.


The M3 ‌iPad Air‌ is priced starting at $599, while the M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ is $999, so there's a notable difference in terms of cost. There are 11-inch and 13-inch size options for both models, and performance is not too far off between them.

With the ‌iPad Pro‌, you essentially get an improved display, a faster chip, Face ID support, better audio, ProRes video recording, and the option to use the higher-end keyboard case. There are few things you can do on an iPad that stress the M3 chip, and most people won't notice the difference in performance from M3 to M4 for day to day tasks.

Where you might see a small difference is apps that are system intensive, like Final Cut Pro or Photoshop, but both handle those tasks just fine. It's actually the display that's the biggest differentiating factor. The ‌iPad Pro‌ has an OLED display that's much brighter, supports HDR, offers ProMotion, and has deeper blacks and more vivid colors. If you're doing something where color is a factor, or if display quality is important, that's where you would want to consider the ‌iPad Pro‌.

Make sure to watch our full video where we go into much more depth about the differences, and show off the two tablets side-by-side.
This article, "M4 iPad Pro vs. M3 iPad Air: Which One is Best For You" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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This week's best Apple deals include discounts on AirPods Max, iPad, and Apple Watch SE. We're also tracking a big sitewide sale at OWC, including savings on docks and hubs for your Mac, plus external drives 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 Max

• What's the deal? Take $49 off AirPods Max


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon discounted the AirPods Max (USB-C) to $499.99 in every color this week. This is the first time in a few weeks that we've tracked a deal on every color of the AirPods Max.

OWC

• What's the deal? Save on Mac docks, hubs, and more


• Where can I get it? OWC


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

OWC's "Spring Savings Celebration" kicked off this week, offering big discounts on docks, hubs, memory cards, external drives, and more. Many of these deals won't be applied until you add the items to your cart, at which time an automatic coupon will be applied to your order.

Apple Watch SE

• What's the deal? Take $79 off Apple Watch SE


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

You can get $79 off the Apple Watch SE this week on Amazon, starting at just $169.97 for the 40mm GPS model. Overall, these are both the best prices we've seen so far in 2025.

iPad

• What's the deal? Take up to $49 off the new iPad


• Where can I get it? Amazon

Amazon has a few new discounts on Apple's 11th generation iPad this week, including $49 off the 512GB Wi-Fi model of the tablet. Prices start at $327.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00.

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: Apple Watch SE Hits Best Price of the Year So Far, Plus Save on the New iPad and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Your iPhone has multiple touch and gesture capabilities that can enhance how you interact with apps. Some, like pinch and zoom, are well known enough to be considered second nature, but others are less obvious, like the one we're about to explain.

Two-Finger Drag to Select Items

If you have apps where you habitually tap on each individual item in a list to select them – emails in your Mail inbox, for example – it's time to dial in some efficiency and embrace this faster method.

This gestural feature allows you to easily select (or deselect) multiple items in apps like Contacts, Mail, Messages, Voice Memos, Notes, and indeed any Apple app that lists multiple items. Here's how it works.

1. Open an app where multiple item selection is supported.


2. Touch and hold the screen with two fingers at the same time.


3. While keeping both fingers on the screen, drag them down (or up) to select multiple items. As you drag, items will be highlighted to indicate they are selected.


4. Once the desired items are selected, you can perform actions such as moving, deleting, or organizing them.

That's all there is to it. This simple yet powerful feature streamlines your workflow, saving you time and effort when handling multiple items. Looking to speed up your iPhone text editing skills? Check out our favorite hidden trick by following the link.
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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we catch up on the latest iOS 19 and watchOS 12 rumors, upcoming devices, and more.


Detailed new renders from leaker Jon Prosser claim to provide the best look yet at the complete redesign rumored to arrive in ‌iOS 19‌, showing more rounded elements, lighting effects, translucency, and an all-new pill-shaped tab bar with an elongated search bar. This visonOS-style redesign is also now rumored to come to the Apple Watch, and a sketchy report claims that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will tout exclusive AI features for Genmoji, Siri integration with activity information and sleep tracking, health monitoring, and more.

We look at the first iPhone 17 Pro cases, which emphasize just how large the new full-width camera bump is set to be, as well as exclusive camera features rumored for the device. We also discuss the report about the second-generation Vision Pro now being in mass production, the delay of Apple's smart home hub product to 2026, and Sir Jony Ive's work on a smartphone without a screen for OpenAI. 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 to hear our in-depth discussion about the announcement of WWDC 2025, key iOS 18.4 features, and more.

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 Mark Gurman, 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: New iOS 19, iPhone 17, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 Leaks" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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I’ve recently found myself down the rabbit hole of lesser-known Terminal features. These past months, I covered everything from enabling Touch ID for sudo authentication to cleaning up public Wi-Fi connections stored on your Mac. But this past week, I journeyed deeper and found even more neat features you probably didn’t know Terminal could do, and I’m not talking ping command here. In this edition of Security Bite, allow me to elevate your command line prowess further.

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The behind the scenes journalistic recaps of Apple’s AI drama continues today at The New York Times. And in this latest report, blame for Apple’s struggles to compete in AI is assigned to a surprising source: Luca Maestri and budget.

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Apple plans to release its delayed Apple Intelligence Siri features in the fall, according to a new report by The New York Times.


In early March, Apple said that it was going to take longer than expected to roll out the more personalized ‌Siri‌ experience, and that these features would be rolled out "in the coming year." Subsequently, Reuters reported that the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ ‌Siri‌ features have been delayed until 2026.

However, NYT reports today that its sources within Apple are still confident of a fall release. From the report:

Apple hasn't canceled its revamped Siri. The company plans to release a virtual assistant in the fall capable of doing things like editing and sending a photo to a friend on request, three people with knowledge of its plans said.

The ‌Siri‌ features in question were demonstrated at WWDC when introducing ‌iOS 18‌, and they were expected to come out in an update to ‌iOS 18‌. The functionality includes personal context, onscreen awareness, and improved app integration. Here's a quick summary:

Personal Context

Siri will be able to track emails, messages, files, photos, and more – learning from your interactions to help you stay organized and complete tasks.

• Show me the files Sam sent me last week.


• Find the email where Sam mentioned ice hockey.


• Find the books Sam recommended to me.


• Where's the recipe Sam sent me?


• What's my passport number?

Onscreen Awareness

Siri will understand what's on your screen and act on it. For example, if someone texts you an address, you can ask Siri to add it to their contact card. Or, if you're viewing a photo, you can ask Siri to send it.

Deeper App Integration

Siri will handle more complex tasks across apps – things it currently can't do. Apple shared a few examples of what to expect:

• Move files between apps.


• Edit a photo and send it.


• Get directions home and share the ETA with Sam.


• Send the draft email to Sam.

Already, Siri has gained Type to Siri, a refreshed interface, ChatGPT integration, and improved natural language understanding.

Apple demonstrated many of the above missing Siri features in WWDC previews, and went on to advertise them on its website. It also promoted them in a since-pulled TV ad for iPhone 16 starring actor Bella Ramsey, as well as elsewhere. Apple has been sued at least three times over the delayed Siri features in California.
This article, "Apple Plans to Release Delayed Apple Intelligence ‌Siri‌ Features This Fall" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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It’s been a busy couple days for in-depth journalistic explorations of Apple’s recent Siri and AI struggles. Following yesterday’s The Information report, today The New York Times has its own deep dive. One of the biggest takeaways? Apple’s planning to launch its new iOS 19 Siri upgrades sooner than we expected.

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Apple last year introduced a beta version of Apple Maps on the web, which allowed users of other platforms to access the company’s mapping service for the first time. However, Apple Maps on the web was labeled as “beta” — until now. And as the platform is no longer beta, it has also gained support for mobile devices.

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Apple plans to release its delayed Apple Intelligence Siri features in the fall, according to a new report by The New York Times.


In early March, Apple said that it was going to take longer than expected to roll out the more personalized ‌Siri‌ experience, and that these features would be rolled out "in the coming year." Subsequently, Reuters reported that the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ ‌Siri‌ features have been delayed until 2026.

However, NYT reports today that its sources within Apple are still confident of a fall release. From the report:

Apple hasn't canceled its revamped Siri. The company plans to release a virtual assistant in the fall capable of doing things like editing and sending a photo to a friend on request, three people with knowledge of its plans said.

The ‌Siri‌ features in question were demonstrated at WWDC when introducing ‌iOS 18‌, and they were expected to come out in an update to ‌iOS 18‌. The functionality includes personal context, onscreen awareness, and improved app integration. Here's a quick summary:

Personal Context

Siri will be able to track emails, messages, files, photos, and more – learning from your interactions to help you stay organized and complete tasks.

• Show me the files Sam sent me last week.


• Find the email where Sam mentioned ice hockey.


• Find the books Sam recommended to me.


• Where's the recipe Sam sent me?


• What's my passport number?

Onscreen Awareness

Siri will understand what's on your screen and act on it. For example, if someone texts you an address, you can ask Siri to add it to their contact card. Or, if you're viewing a photo, you can ask Siri to send it.

Deeper App Integration

Siri will handle more complex tasks across apps – things it currently can't do. Apple shared a few examples of what to expect:

• Move files between apps.


• Edit a photo and send it.


• Get directions home and share the ETA with Sam.


• Send the draft email to Sam.

Already, Siri has gained Type to Siri, a refreshed interface, ChatGPT integration, and improved natural language understanding.
This article, "Apple to Release Delayed Apple Intelligence ‌Siri‌ Features 'in the Fall'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's current struggles with Apple Intelligence and Siri began in early 2023 when AI head John Giannandrea sought approval from CEO Tim Cook to purchase more AI chips for development, according to a new report from The New York Times.


Cook initially approved doubling the team's chip budget, but CFO Luca Maestri reportedly reduced the increase to less than half that amount, and instead encouraged the team to make existing chips more efficient.

The lack of adequate GPU resources meant Apple's AI team had to negotiate for computing power from providers like Google and Amazon.

At the time, Apple's data centers had about 50,000 GPUs that were more than five years old – far fewer than the hundreds of thousands of chips being purchased by competitors like Microsoft, Google, and Meta.

The NYT report goes on to cover the leadership conflicts within the company, describing a power struggle between Robby Walker, who oversaw Siri, and Sebastien Marineau-Mes, a senior executive with the software team. The two reportedly battled over who would spearhead Siri's new capabilities, with both ultimately receiving pieces of the project.

Apple Intelligence faced significant delays after internal testing revealed Siri was inaccurate on nearly a third of requests. Apple subsequently admitted that it would take longer than expected to roll out the more personalized ‌Siri‌ experience, and that these features will be rolled out "in the coming year."

However, according to the report, Apple still plans to release its enhanced Siri experience this fall. The functionality includes personal context, onscreen awareness, and improved app integration. Some Apple executives reportedly aren't concerned about the delay, and believe competitors haven't perfected AI either, giving Apple time to get it right.

Following the delay, software chief Craig Federighi reorganized executives, removing responsibility for the new Siri from Giannandrea and reassigning it to Mike Rockwell, who leads the Vision Pro division. The details of Apple's Siri team changes and the delayed Siri revamp were previously reported by Bloomberg and The Information.

For more details on Apple's internal issues, including political infighting, budget constraints, and talent drain, see The New York Times' full report.
This article, "NYT: Apple's AI Struggles Began with 2023 Chip Budget Dispute" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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On a Mac that has a top row of function keys, Apple includes volume and brightness controls that can be used to make adjustments in stepwise increments. However, there may be times when you want to make more fine grained adjustments to these settings than the default increments allow – in which case, read on.


Whenever you tap the volume or brightness controls on your keyboard, you'll see an indicator appear on your Mac's screen with 16 fixed increments separated by lines. With the help of a keyboard modifier, it's actually possible to make more nuanced quarter-step changes to sound volume and screen brightness using a total of 64 increments.


Before you press the volume or brightness controls, hold down the Option and Shift keys together on your keyboard. Now go ahead and make your adjustments, and you should see the onscreen indicator move forwards and backwards in smaller increments (four over each segment).


It's a simple tip, but it's really useful for when just tapping the control on its own feels like too much of a jump, and you'd prefer more accurate control over, let's say, how quiet or loud your headphone audio output is, for example.
This article, "How to Adjust Mac Volume and Brightness More Precisely" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Bluesky is rolling out a new update introducing features that might ease the transition for social media users coming over from X (Twitter).


First up, version 1.100 adds emoji reactions to Bluesky's direct messaging system. Users can now respond to messages with quick emoji reactions by holding down on a message and selecting from common options like hearts, thumbs up, and laughing faces. For those wanting more expression, the three-dot menu provides access to a full emoji keyboard.

The app's search page has also been completely revamped and renamed "Explore." This new discovery hub prominently displays trending topics labeled with tags like "Hot" or "New," along with timestamps showing when topics started gaining traction.


Beyond trends, the Explore page now recommends accounts to follow across various interest categories such as Art, Sports, Music, and Politics. Users can also personalize their experience by selecting specific interests that inform what appears on their Explore page.


Meanwhile, for newcomers, Bluesky has added curated "Starter Packs," or pre-made lists of accounts focused on specific topics that users can follow with a single tap.


The features are designed to make the transition easier for users migrating from other platforms while improving content discovery within Bluesky.

Bluesky has over 34 million active users, according to the company. That's still a lot less than Meta's Threads in total users, but the platform continues to gain popularity as an alternative to X. The update is available now on the App Store [Direct Link] for iPhone users running iOS 15.1 or later.
This article, "Bluesky Gains Twitter-Like Message Reactions and New Search Page" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The most recent instance of benefiting from Apple Intelligence with about 70% satisfaction just occurred. I’m writing another piece using an and Magic Keyboard. I selected the opening paragraph, invoked Writing Tools, and selected Proofread.

This is how the proofread version was presented:

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Apple has finally and officially released the iPhone 16 for customers in Indonesia. Not just the recently introduced iPhone 16e, but the whole lineup that was announced last fall. New iPhones typically don’t take more than 200 days to reach other markets. However, the Indonesian government forced Apple to pay for the opportunity to bring the latest iPhone technology to customers in its country.

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Apple launches its latest prestige series today, Your Friends & Neighbors starring Jon Hamm in the lead role. The mix of drama and comedy sees Hamm playing a disgraced former hedge fund manager called Andrew Cooper, who turns to a life of crime to preserve his lavish lifestyle.

The first two episodes are available to stream right now on Apple TV+, with the remainder of the season airing weekly. Apple is running a special promo where new subscribers can get Apple TV+ for $2.99 per month for 3 months, enough to cover the full run of Your Friends & Neighbors.

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If I could snap my fingers and make AirPods in any color, we’d have AirPods in black by now. My second choice? Translucent AirPods. Apple sells a version of “Transparent” colored that I should probably own just to support the clear product cause. AirPods, of course, only come in white with the exception of the AirPods Max line.

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Razer today announced the official launch of Razer PC Remote Play, which is designed to allow Razer PC users to stream their games directly to mobile devices like the iPhone and the iPad.


According to Razer, the platform provides ultra-smooth, high-fidelity gameplay on smartphones and tablets, with support for all iOS-compatible gaming controllers for a PC gaming experience on the go. On the ‌iPad‌, there's also support for keyboards, mice, and trackpads.

PC users can browse through, configure, and launch PC games from an ‌iPhone‌ or an ‌iPad‌, as well as customize controls, record and share gameplay, and more. Razer PC Remote Play is able to automatically optimize games to match the maximum resolution and refresh rate of a mobile device without having a fixed aspect ratio.

On an ‌iPhone‌ or an ‌iPad‌ running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18, users will need to install Razer Nexus and Razer PC Remote Play, and on a PC running Windows 11 or later, Remote Play needs to be enabled in Razer Cortex. More information is available on Razer's website.
This article, "Razer Launches PC Remote Play for Streaming Games to iPhones and iPads" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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OpenAI today updated ChatGPT with an improved memory feature that allows the chatbot to remember more about your conversations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says that ChatGPT can "reference all your past conversations," allowing for a more personalized experience.


ChatGPT will remember context from previous conversations, such as preferences and interests, using that information to tailor the responses that it provides. You can add something directly to ChatGPT's memory by telling it to "remember" a fact.

The option to reference saved memories is opt-in, and can be toggled off in the ChatGPT settings under Personalization. There is an option to manage all of the memories that ChatGPT has stored, including deleting them all or deleting just one or two. ChatGPT will save memories indefinitely, but they can be removed at any time.

The updated memory features are rolling out to all Plus and Pro tier users, but the functionality is not available in the EU, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
This article, "ChatGPT Gets Better at Remembering Info About You With Memory Improvements" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: new iOS 19 leaks, iPad Fold on track for 2026, HomePad status update, and a special 20th anniversary iPhone Pro design. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

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I used to change up task managers often, always looking for a new app that could make keeping up with todos just a little bit better. But for years now I’ve stuck with Apple’s Reminders app, and a tiny new iOS 18 feature has turned out to make a big difference for me.

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Benjamin and Chance react to the unfolding trade tariffs and Apple’s uncharacteristically silent stance on matters. Also, there’s a bunch of new purported renders of iOS 19 design changes, and Apple is said to be working on bold new iPhone designs for next year’s 20th anniversary. Also, Chance comes away super impressed with the new Vision Pro Yankee Stadium tour.

And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin preps his iPad for an upcoming road trip, and bemoans Plex’s latest app update. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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We’ve seen many good examples of how AI can help people make their lives easier, and AI agents play an important role in this, as they can complete many tasks on behalf of the user. Last month, the popular web browser Opera announced its AI-based Browser Operator, and now we’ve seen it live in action.

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