Although iOS comes with a native Apple Music app, there are some third-party apps that offer even better experiences for those who subscribe to Apple’s streaming service. If you’re an Apple Music subscriber and want to find out how to better enjoy your music library, check out some of the best iOS apps with Apple Music integration.

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As previously reported, Apple will no longer sell the iPhone 14 and iPhone SE in the European Union due to local legislation that requires all smartphones sold there to have a USB-C port. After removing these models from the online store in some countries such as Switzerland, Apple has now ended sales of the iPhone 14 and SE in most EU countries.

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Even though iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2 added multiple Apple Intelligence features like Image Playground, Genmoji, Writing Tools, and more, there are still new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ capabilities that we're waiting on. Apple has at least one more major ‌Apple Intelligence‌ update coming in 2025, and the functionality that we're expecting is outlined below.

Priority Notifications

Notification summaries are already available on devices that support ‌Apple Intelligence‌, but in a future version of iOS 18, ‌Apple Intelligence‌ will have Priority Notifications so you can see what's important first while filtering out things that don't matter as much.

When Priority Notifications launch, incoming notifications that are marked as priority will show up on the top of the notification stack.

New Siri Features

Siri already has a new design and a better understanding of natural language on ‌Apple Intelligence‌ devices, but there are several ‌Siri‌ changes that haven't been added yet.

In the future, ‌Siri‌ is getting support for personal context, onscreen awareness, and deeper app integration. Personal context will allow ‌Siri‌ to keep track of everything on your device, like text messages, emails, files, and photos, so ‌Siri‌ can help you find anything you're looking for.

With onscreen awareness, ‌Siri‌ will know what you're looking at on your device, and will be able to complete actions. If you're viewing a photo, for example, you'll be able to ask ‌Siri‌ to send it to someone just by saying "Hey ‌Siri‌, send this" and the person's name. ‌Siri‌ will understand what "this" is.

‌Siri‌ is also going to be able to do a lot more in apps and between apps, which is likely going to make the biggest change in ‌Siri‌'s ability to get things done. You'll be able to edit a photo and send it to someone all with a single command, or move files from one app to another using ‌Siri‌. The way Apple describes it, it's going to be similar to Shortcuts, but activated all via ‌Siri‌ with no need to set anything up.

These all sound like fairly invasive ‌Siri‌ features with ‌Siri‌ able to track everything on a device, but Apple plans on doing these things on-device to preserve privacy.

Genmoji on macOS

Apple added ‌Genmoji‌ to the iPhone and the iPad with the launch of iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, but it wasn't added to the Mac in macOS Sequoia 15.2. We already know ‌Genmoji‌ is in the macOS Sequoia 15.3 update that Apple is beta testing, and that update is expected in January 2025.

Memory Movies for macOS

Macs are also missing the memory movies feature that is designed to let you create a slideshow from your photos and videos using just a text description. Right now, making a memory movie is limited to the ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌, but Apple does plan to add it to the Mac too.

You can create a custom memory movie by going to the Memories section in the Photos app, tapping on Create, and then typing in the description of the movie that you want to see. The ‌Photos‌ app will pick out the most logical photos and videos that fit the theme you've specified, creating a slideshow set to music. You can edit the photos that are included, change the music, and share the result on social media.

Apple Intelligence in More Languages and Additional Countries

Apple is going to add support for languages beyond English in 2025, including Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

When We'll Get New Apple Intelligence Features

Beyond ‌Genmoji‌ for the Mac, there aren't new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in the current iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3 updates that Apple is beta testing right now, so we're not expecting new capabilities until iOS 18.4.

iOS 18.3 will likely see a launch in late January, and then we'll get the iOS 18.4 beta. iOS 18.4 and its sister updates will be beta tested for a couple months, with Apple planning for an April 2024 launch.
This article, "Five Apple Intelligence Features Coming in 2025" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro launched just over three months ago. I’ve used the device daily ever since, and there’s a lot to love about it—but it’s not all good news. Here’s how the latest flagship iPhone has fared for me three months in.

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Apple TV 4K gets better every year through regular software updates and even the occasional hardware bump. But it truly shines when paired with other Apple devices. Here are four Apple TV 4K features you’ll gain when using the device alongside Apple’s other products.

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Did you just unwrap a new pair of AirPods Pro this holiday season? If so, there are a surprising number of AirPods Pro features to make sure you’re taking advantage of. Here are some of my recommendations for new users.

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Christmas has come to an end, and with it many of the season's biggest discounts have expired. However, you can still find some great deals on Apple products today, including an all-time low price on the AirTag 4-Pack, as well as some solid deals on Apple Watch and MacBook Air.

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.

Accessories

Apple's AirTag 4-Pack returned to its all-time low price of $69.99 about a week ago on Amazon, and it's still there even after the Christmas holiday has ended. If you're planning to travel a lot in 2025, this is a great accessory to pick up, especially at this price.

AirPods

Although not record low prices, if you didn't get the pair of AirPods you asked for over the holidays, Amazon has some solid second-best prices on AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 this week.

iPad

Best Buy still has a good second-best price on the popular 10th generation iPad, available for $279.00 in multiple colors, down from $349.00.

Apple Watch

Amazon has quite a few Apple Watch discounts to help with your New Year's resolutions, including the Apple Watch SE for $189.99 and Series 10 models starting at $349.00.

MacBook Air

Finally, Amazon has a few models of Apple's 13-inch M3 MacBook Air for $200 off, with prices starting at $1,099.00 for the 16GB RAM model.

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: AirTag 4-Pack Hits Low $69.99 Price, Plus Deals on Apple Watch and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Bill Lawrence has been behind three of the most successful Apple TV+ shows to date. He’s co-creator of Ted Lasso, Shrinking, and Bad Monkey. In a new interview with The Los Angeles Times, Lawrence has spilled new details on the upcoming Ted Lasso season 4 and Shrinking season 3.

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Alongside a sweet ongoing Amazon all-time low on the 16GB/512GB M4 Mac mini as well as up to $300 off M4 Pro MacBook Pro models, we have a fresh batch of deals today. Best Buy has now launched a giant New Year sale with up to $400 off M3 MacBooks, iPad offers, and more, but Amazon also landed today with the return of all-time low prices on select M2 iPad Air configurations at up to $149 off alongside a SanDisk storage sale and all five colors of the 2024 Beats Pill at Black Friday pricing. But perhaps most notable of all, Nomad is giving folks one last chance to save on some of the best accessories for all of the Apple gear you might have just scored for the holidays – all of the details you need are right here and everything else is down below. 

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Apple’s Photos app got a major redesign in iOS 18, and not all of the changes have been well received. Fortunately, Apple’s listened to feedback and has made five key changes to Photos in iOS 18.2.

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Apple is planning a big smart home push in 2025 that will come with at least three product launches. One of those devices is a brand new smart display product I’ve been calling the ‘HomePad.’ Here are three reasons you may want to put HomePad in every room of your house.

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Apple has released the first eight minutes of the highly anticipated Severance season two premiere as a special preview for Apple TV+ subscribers, following the show's nearly three-year hiatus.


The exclusive preview, now available in the ‌Apple TV‌ app under the Bonus Content section of the Severance page, gives fans their first look at the next chapter of the sci-fi thriller. Mark Scout, portrayed by Adam Scott, returns to work at Lumon Industries, grappling with the fallout of events that blurred the carefully maintained boundary between his work and personal identities.

Severance first debuted on ‌Apple TV‌+ in February 2022 and quickly became one of the platform's standout series, earning multiple Emmy nominations. Created by Dan Erickson and produced by Ben Stiller, Severance examines a futuristic workplace where employees undergo a controversial medical procedure to split their work and personal memories, creating two distinct lives within a single individual.

Watch the season two premiere sneak peek now online or in the ‌Apple TV‌ app. The full second season of Severance will debut on ‌Apple TV‌+ on January 17.
This article, "Apple TV+ Shares 'Severance' Season 2 Sneak Peek" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Starting today, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and third-generation iPhone SE have been fully removed from Apple's online store in most EU countries, due to an imminently-effective regulation that requires smartphones with wired charging capabilities that are newly placed for sale to be equipped with a USB-C port in the EU.


The trio of iPhone models are no longer listed on Apple's online store in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and most other EU countries. The devices have also been unlisted in a few other countries that participate in the EU's single market, such as Switzerland.

The regulation comes into force on December 28, and it applies to any individual iPhone unit placed for sale after that date, even if they are older models. While all iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models are equipped with USB-C ports for wired charging, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and current iPhone SE still have Lightning ports.

The UK left the EU in 2020, so it is not impacted by this regulation. Northern Ireland is affected, however, as it still participates in the EU's single market.

Apple began phasing out the trio of iPhone models in the EU market last week, and it still has to delist the devices in a few more EU countries. In-store availability at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers will likely be hit or miss over the next few days, as any remaining inventory is depleted. But, by and large, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone SE are no longer available from Apple in the EU.

Apple is expected to announce a fourth-generation iPhone SE with a USB-C port in March, so the device should quickly return to the EU. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus likely would have been discontinued in September had the USB-C regulation not existed, so sales of those devices are ending in the EU around nine months early.

Earlier this month, French website iGeneration.fr was first to break the news about Apple's plans to stop selling these iPhone models in the EU.
This article, "Apple Stops Selling iPhone 14 and iPhone SE in More EU Countries" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is on the brink of becoming the first company in history to surpass a $4 trillion market valuation, Fortune reports.


Apple's stock (AAPL) has nearly risen 40% in 2024. Before the markets opened on December 27, Apple's market capitalization stood at $3.92 trillion, leaving the company just a modest surge in stock value away from the unprecedented milestone. The growth is said to have been fueled largely by optimism surrounding Apple Intelligence and the continued strength of its iPhone upgrade cycles.

In a research note published on December 26, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said that Apple is entering a "golden era of growth" with its AI initiatives serving as a pivotal driver. Ives increased his price target for Apple's stock to $325, citing the company's ongoing efforts to embed artificial intelligence into its products. He emphasized that Apple's current AI strategy is likely underestimated by the market, adding that the development of hundreds of applications under the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ platform will provide "another growth catalyst along with catalyzing ‌iPhone‌ upgrades across the board over the next 12 to 18 months."

We believe Apple is heading into a multi-year AI-driven iPhone upgrade cycle that is still being underestimated by the Street. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will Apple's AI strategy but the seeds of that strategy with Apple Intelligence are now forming and will transform the Apple consumer growth narrative over the coming years.

We estimate that with hundreds of apps in development around Apple Intelligence that in essence creates a new multi-billion annual Services revenue stream will be another growth catalyst along with catalyzing iPhone upgrades across the board over the next 12 to 18 months. We believe Apple is on pace to reach the $4 trillion market cap threshold and be the first member of this exclusive club.

JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee also predicts sustained growth for Apple, driven by its ability to expand its installed base of devices, which surpassed two billion active units globally in 2023. Chatterjee pointed to "the transformation of the company to services" and the continued evolution of its product lineup as key factors in its success. He also highlighted Apple's focus on capital deployment, with the company consistently returning value to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks, which have totaled hundreds of billions of dollars in recent years.

Apple's nearest competitors in terms of market capitalization, Microsoft and Nvidia, have also benefited from advancements in AI but trail behind with valuations of $3.26 trillion and $3.43 trillion, respectively. Both companies are investing heavily in their own AI platforms, with Nvidia's GPU technology playing a central role in powering generative AI applications. However, Apple's long-term advantage seemingly lies in its ability to control both hardware and software, potentially allowing it to deliver a superior user experience across its ecosystem.
This article, "Apple Set to Become First $4 Trillion Company" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's latest iPhones include several headline camera features that are worth using, such as Portrait Mode and Photographic Styles. But if all you want to use is the standard photo mode, there are still several tools and settings that can improve the composition of your pictures and help you capture the perfect shot using more traditional techniques.


Whether you are the owner of a new iPhone or a longtime user looking to up your photography game, here are six camera tools and settings in iOS that are worth checking out and experimenting with.

1. Use the Rule of Thirds

For a while now, Apple's Camera app has included a few optional settings that can help you line up your shots. Foremost in these settings is the Grid tool, which should be used when applying the rule of thirds. It divides the frame of your photo into a grid with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, creating nine equal parts.


The rule of thirds helps guide the viewer's eye to the most important parts of your photo and creates a more harmonious composition. Here's how to overlay a grid on the viewfinder.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.


2. Scroll down and tap Camera.


3. In the "Composition" section, toggle on the switch next to Grid.

Here are five things to keep in mind when using the grid to apple the rule of thirds.

• Identify the Key Elements: First, identify the main subjects or elements in the scene you want to photograph. These could be a person, a building, a tree, or any focal point.


• Positioning the Subjects: Place these key elements along the lines or at the points where the lines intersect. For instance, if you're taking a photo of a person, you might position them along one of the vertical lines, rather than in the center of the frame.


• Horizontal Elements: For horizontal elements like the horizon in a landscape, align them with one of the horizontal lines. For a more dramatic sky, place the horizon on the lower line. For more emphasis on the land or sea, place it on the upper line.


• Balancing the Image: Use the rule of thirds to balance your photo. If you place a subject on the left, consider having something of lesser importance on the right to create a sense of balance.


• Experimentation: While the rule of thirds is a guideline, it's not a strict rule. Feel free to experiment with it and see how shifting elements in your frame changes the photo's impact.

2. Straighten Top-Down Shots

If you're taking a picture of something from above like a plate of food or an ornament on the ground, consider using the camera level, as it helps you capture a balanced shot without having to use a tripod arm or mount. It's also useful for taking a shot of something directly above you, like an object on the ceiling or in the sky.


The camera level tool used to be part of the Grid overlay, but Apple separated out the function in iOS 17, and it now has its own switch: Open the Settings app on your iPhone, select Camera, then toggle on the switch next to Level. Now you are ready to use it.

1. Open the Camera app, and set the capture mode to Photo, Portrait, Square, or Time Lapse, using the sliding menu above the shutter button.


2. Point the camera straight down above your subject (or straight up if the subject/scene you want to capture is above you).


3. Line up the floating crosshair with the fixed crosshair in the center of the screen by adjusting the angle of your phone's camera. The crosshairs will both glow yellow when in perfect alignment.


4. Tap the shutter button to capture the shot.

3. Straighten Your Horizontal Shots

By making the Level tool an individual option in iOS 17, Apple has also included an additional horizontal level for more traditional straight-on photos.


Turning the Level option on makes a broken horizontal line appear on the screen when your iPhone senses that you're lining up for a straight-on shot and you tilt your device slightly out of horizontal. The line appears white while your phone is out of level and then turns yellow once you achieve a level orientation to indicate success.


With the Level setting enabled (Settings ➝ Camera ➝ Level), try it for yourself. Open the Camera app and try shooting a subject at a straight angle, and you should see the broken horizontal lines in the center of the viewfinder. Straighten your angle up to connect the lines and make a single yellow line.

The leveling pop-up only appears briefly and only within a narrow range of angles close to horizontal (in either portrait or landscape orientation), so it won't intrusively pop up when you're intentionally trying to take a photo at an angle.

4. Take Burst Photos

Burst Mode refers to when the camera on your iPhone captures a series of photos in rapid succession, at a rate of ten frames per second. It's a great way to shoot an action scene or an unexpected event, since you're always more likely to end up with the picture you were aiming for.


To shoot in Burst Mode, go to Settings ➝ Camera and toggle on Use Volume Up for Burst, then simply long press on the Volume Up button when in the Camera app, and your iPhone will take a series of photos in quick succession. Notice that a counter increases inside the on-screen shutter button for as long as you hold down the volume button. This indicates how many shots are being captured in the current burst. Simply take your finger off the volume when you want to end the burst of shots.

When you take a series of burst photos, they automatically appear in the Photos app under the Album name Bursts. You'll also find them in your main Photo Library. Follow the link to learn how to view and select the best of your Burst photos in the Photos app.

5. Mirror Your Selfies

When you take a selfie with your iPhone using the Camera app, it automatically flips – or mirrors – the image so that it's an inverted version of the mirror image you see in the preview before you take the shot.


This can look odd, since it makes a big difference to how selfies look. It can also be annoying, since most third-party social media apps automatically take mirrored selfies, which means you're more likely to be used to the mirroring functionality than the flipped selfies that your ‌iPhone‌ takes.

Fortunately, you can change this default behavior of the Camera app, meaning that you can get the mirrored selfie you're probably more accustomed to seeing. Here's how.

1. Launch the Settings app, then scroll down and select Camera.


2. Toggle the switch next to Mirror Front Camera to the green ON position.

That's all there is to it. From now on when you use the Camera app to shoot a selfie, you'll capture the same shot that you saw in the app's preview mode.

6. View Outside the Frame

On iPhone 11 and later models, there is an optional camera setting that allows you to see what is outside the bounds of your photo's frame, so you can correct the alignment of photos (and videos) without having to resort to cropping.


With the "View Outside the Frame" setting enabled, using the wide lens or the telephoto lens, the camera will simultaneously show you the lens view using the next widest sensor. So the wide lens is active when you view with the telephoto lens, and the ultra-wide is active when the wide lens is selected.

1. Open the Settings app.


2. Scroll down and tap Camera.


3. Under the "Composition" section, toggle on the switch next to View Outside the Frame.

You may have to play around with zoom levels to switch between lenses, but you'll know the feature is active when the camera interface turns semi-transparent to reveal the surroundings outside of the viewfinder.
This article, "6 iPhone Camera Tips to Enhance Your Photography Skills" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Every year, many companies introduce special products based on the signs of the zodiac to celebrate the New Year in Japan. As 2025 will be the Year of the Snake, Apple has now announced a limited edition AirTag with a unique snake engraving.

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The microblogging platform Bluesky announced this week an important new feature for its users – Trending Topics. With the update, people can see what everyone is talking about on Bluesky. However, the feature still has a number of limitations.

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2025 is almost here, and Apple seems to have something special to announce for Apple TV+ on the first weekend of the year. The company has been teasing a mysterious special announcement on social media, inviting people to “save the date.”

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If you like to travel as much as we do here at 9to5Mac, Nomad is the perfect service for you. Nomad makes traveling a breeze by removing the headache of keeping your iPhone connected while on the go.

Nomad is also running a rare promotion for 9to5Mac readers. Use promo code CHRISTMAS24 at checkout to score a 20% discount on TWO orders. Valid until 12/29 23:59pm PST.

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The first Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.1 included a variety of tools to aid your writing. But iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 expanded those tools in two key ways, including one powerful upgrade that can do all your writing for you—absolutely free.

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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: Apple’s smart doorbell project, new AirPods Pro developments, iOS 19 device compatibility, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

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If you’re experiencing issues when trying to use ChatGPT this Thursday, you’re not alone. The platform is facing an outage and is currently down for some users. Read on as we provide more details about the outage.

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