Apple has filed a legal appeal against a UK government order requiring the company to create a "back door" to its encrypted cloud storage systems, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) confirmed on Monday (via Reuters). The confirmation means that the Home Office cannot keep all the details of its demand out of the public domain.


The high-profile challenge follows reports earlier this year that the UK used its Investigatory Powers Act to demand secret access to encrypted user data uploaded to iCloud worldwide. Apple responded by removing its Advanced Data Protection feature from the UK rather than compromising its security standards.

According to the IPT ruling, the British government had sought to keep details of the case private. The Home Office argued that publicizing the existence of the appeal could damage national security, but Judges Rabinder Singh and Jeremy Johnson rejected this claim.

"It would have been a truly extraordinary step to conduct a hearing entirely in secret without any public revelation of the fact that a hearing was taking place," the judges wrote in their decision. "For the reasons that are set out in our private judgement, we do not accept that the revelation of the bare details of the case would be damaging to the public interest or prejudicial to national security."

Monday's ruling follows a hearing in London in March, which was held in secret.

Apple previously made it clear that it would pull ‌iCloud‌ features from the UK rather than compromise its user security, and while that only extends to Advanced Data Protection right now, it could lead to key features like FaceTime and iMessage being removed in the country. The UK wants backdoor access to ‌iCloud‌ data to fight terrorism and investigate child sex abuse.

The UK's order was particularly controversial as it would have required Apple to provide access to data from users outside the UK without their governments' knowledge. Additionally, the IPA makes it illegal for companies to disclose the existence of such government demands.

The US government is reportedly investigating whether the UK's demand violates the CLOUD Act, which prevents the UK from requesting data from US citizens.
This article, "UK Court Rejects Government Secrecy in Apple's Fight Against Backdoor Request" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is likely to take a multi-pronged approach to manage the impact of impending tariffs on its products, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The company faces looming challenges, as new tariffs will affect not just China-based production but also the very countries Apple has diversified into.


The upcoming tariffs range from 20% to 46% across Apple's global manufacturing hubs. India, where Apple increasingly builds iPhones and AirPods, will face a 26% tariff. Vietnam, which produces AirPods, iPads, Apple Watches and Macs, will be hit with a 46% levy. Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and even Ireland will face tariffs between a 20% and 37%.

Gurman believes Apple will pursue a combined strategy to mitigate these impacts. First, he says the company will likely pressure its component suppliers and manufacturing partners to reduce prices. Second, Apple may absorb a portion of the increased costs, eating into its typical hardware profit margin of around 45%.

Third, and perhaps most concerning for consumers, Apple could consider iPhone price adjustments. The company has already implemented price increases in other markets in response to tax policies, currency fluctuations, and inflation. "I expect that Apple will seriously consider iPhone price adjustments," writes Gurman. "It helps that consumers have probably heard about the outside factors here and won’t see it as a cash grab."

Finally, Apple will likely accelerate its supply chain diversification efforts. While the company won't be able to rapidly shift production to the United States, it may prioritize shipments from countries with lower tariff rates, such as routing more iPhones from India rather than China.

Apple has been stockpiling inventory in the U.S. for months in anticipation of the tariffs, which could delay price increases until the iPhone 17 launch in September. Units already in the U.S. are exempt from the tariffs, which officially take effect on April 9.

Despite Apple CEO Tim Cook's efforts to cultivate a relationship with Trump, including attending his inauguration and pledging $500 billion in US investments over the next four years, the company has so far not been successful in securing exemptions.

For consumers wondering whether they will have to pay more for an iPhone this fall, Gurman suggests Apple might become more aggressive with trade-in specials and installment plans to offset potential price increases, or possibly revive its previously considered hardware subscription service.

Apple has not yet made any comment on the tariffs or its plans going forward, but the company is surely working behind the scenes to calculate their impact.
This article, "How Apple Could Navigate Trump's Tariffs, According to Gurman" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's rumored new smart home hub command center that was expected this year could be delayed, pushing its release all the way to 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman revealed that Apple is "considering a delay until 2026" for the new smart home device. The main reason for the potential postponement is reportedly tied to "major engineering hiccups" with the revamped Siri voice assistant that will power the device.

Initially, Apple had hoped to release the product by now, and there were reports suggesting it might still arrive around the time of this year's iPhone 17 series launch in September. Now, those plans appear to be in jeopardy.

"The major engineering hiccups related to the revamped Siri voice assistant ended up delaying the product," Gurman wrote. "No big surprise there: The device will be primarily controlled by voice, and it depends on Siri and the underlying App Intents technology."

Despite the delay, testing of the device – code-named J490 – continues at Apple headquarters. A large number of employees are also reportedly testing the hub in their homes.

Gurman compared the upcoming product to the Google Nest Hub, suggesting it won't "make a big difference in terms of revenue" for Apple. However, he noted that it could set the stage for more ambitious products in the future.

One such future product, code-named J595, is already in development. According to Gurman, this follow-up device will add "an AI personality, additional sensors and a robotic arm that can maneuver the screen above your desk, kitchen counter or nightstand."

The delay of Apple's smart home hub ties in with the company's recent announcement that it needs more time to develop the promised more personalized version of Siri, which was previewed at WWDC 2024 last June. Apple stated these features would arrive "in the coming year," suggesting they won't be ready until sometime between iOS 19 in September 2025 and iOS 19.4 in March 2026.
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Apple is preparing a "major shake-up" for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that Apple plans to launch a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold" new iPhone Pro model that makes more extensive use of glass.

Could this mean Apple plans to realize former design chief Jony Ive's dream of making an iPhone made entirely of a single plane of glass? That much isn't known, but if Apple plans to unveil something as dramatic as the iPhone X, launched in 2017 for the iPhone's 10th anniversary, then it will have to have something pretty special in the works.

For the iPhone X, Apple famously dropped the Home button in favor of an entirely touch-based interface system, and replaced the Touch ID fingerprint sensor with Face ID facial authentication.

As for the model number that Apple will choose to use for its 20th anniversary iPhone, it's hard to say. Apple's naming conventions have varied over the years. If Apple continues its annual release pattern and numerical naming, the 2027 lineup would likely be the iPhone 19 series.

However, Apple has previously adjusted its naming to commemorate significant milestones, such as skipping from iPhone 8 to iPhone X for the 10th anniversary. So it's possible that Apple might introduce an "iPhone 20" or adopt a different naming convention to celebrate the 20th anniversary. We'll have to wait and see.

Gurman has previously said he expects Apple's first book-style foldable iPhone to be released next year, so presumably the "foldable version" coming in 2027 will be either a second iteration of that model, or a completely different version, perhaps utilizing a clam-shell design.
This article, "Apple Planning 'Bold' New 20th Anniversary Design for 2027 iPhone Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a redesigned rear camera panel that spans the width of the device, but it will be the same color as the iPhone itself, rather than being part of a two-tone design.


That's according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, the reporter says the iPhone 17 Pro won't have a two-toned back, as some renders have depicted. "The camera area will be the same color as the rest of the device," he says.

Some images online even show a two-tone design, with a dark-black camera block on top of a silver iPhone back. Those are, like many renders on the internet, not an accurate representation of what's to come.

The iPhone 17 Pro won't have a two-toned back, I'm told. The camera area will be the same color as the rest of the device.

In this sense, apart from the new Google Pixel-esque camera module, the iPhone 17 Pro "won't a major departure from current models," reckons Gurman.

According to The Information, Apple has chosen a half glass, half aluminum build for its iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max to increase durability. The glass will allow wireless charging to continue to be available, while a partial aluminum frame will be less prone to breakage.

This year's iPhone 17 series will also include a new ultra-slim iPhone 17 "Air" model that replaces the Plus device in the lineup. The new models are expected to be announced in September.
This article, "iPhone 17 Pro's New Rear Camera Bar 'Same Color As Rest of Device'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Amazon this weekend is providing record low prices on multiple models of the iPad mini 7, starting at $399.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $499.00.

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

Amazon has three colors of the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 on sale at this price, and it's a match of the best price we've ever tracked on the tablet. You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $499.00 and the 512GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $699.99, both $100 discounts and available in multiple colors.





Deals on cellular models are a bit rarer on Amazon, with one color of the 512GB cellular iPad mini 7 on sale for $849.00, down from $949.00. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

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Last week, the Trump administration announced an extreme tariff plan on essentially every other nation in the world. This would make imports far more costly, and as a result, Apple’s stock fell nearly 10% on the news. Given the fact that everything about Apple’s supply chain relies on strategic overseas manufacturing, this is awful news for the company.

However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman lays out some ideas on how Apple could mitigate these tariffs.

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According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing a ‘major shake-up’ for the 20th anniversary of the iPhone next year. One of the changes includes introducing a foldable iPhone for the first time, but the company is reportedly planning a ‘bold new Pro model.’

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According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will no longer be launching its rumored smart home hub this year. This is due to all of the delays with Apple Intelligence Siri, and Apple reportedly is considering delaying the launch until sometime in 2026 until some of the engineering challenges are figured out.

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According to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, the iPhone 17 Pro design might not necessarily be a gigantic year over year leap. Early iPhone 17 Pro rumors suggested the possibility of a more drastic design change, whereas now it’ll be far more similar to last years design, apparently.

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In the Apple Silicon era, MacBooks have become more affordable than ever – with brand new models starting as low as $649. With looming tariffs, these great deals could potentially be coming to an end very soon – so if you’re in the market for a new MacBook for any reason, now may be one of the best ever times to purchase.

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Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

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Sofa is an easy-to-use app that helps keep you organized when you don’t have something to do. Everyone has some level of downtime, but often don’t plan things out. Social media doomscrolling is often an option, but Sofa helps you plan out other leisure activities. In its new update, it also added a built-in podcast player.

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Last month, Apple introduced a number of new products, including a for $599. While that iPad wasn’t exactly remarkable, it did bring something new to the table – another variant of .

This new Magic Keyboard brings function keys to the for the first time, which is a pretty big win, but it also includes a number of head-scratching compromises. Let’s discuss.

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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.

Apple’s enterprise business is doing incredible, but not because of subscriptions or recurring revenue. The bulk of Apple’s enterprise comes from hardware sales, with Macs, iPhones, and iPads that are powering businesses worldwide. While Apple does offer services like AppleCare and Apple Business Essentials, their impact on recurring revenue is a rounding error. At Apple’s scale, it needs massive revenue to drive growth. If Apple wants to drive revenue growth in the enterprise, something has to change.

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We're just two months away from WWDC where we'll get our first glimpses of iOS 19 and related updates, but this week saw the public release of iOS 18.4 with a number of changes and improvements including some audio improvements for the USB-C AirPods Max.


This week also saw the first beta of iOS 18.5, a new rumor about iOS 19 compatibility, and Apple's work on haptic buttons that have yet to surface on the iPhone, so read on below for all the details!

iOS 18.4 Released: Here's Everything New

Apple this week released iOS 18.4 to the general public, following more than a month of beta testing. While the personalized Siri features that were originally expected to debut in iOS 18.4 have been delayed, the software update still includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, so be sure to check out our list of everything new.

• 12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Apple also released iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, watchOS 11.4, tvOS 18.4, visionOS 2.4, and a few other updates, and the iWork apps Keynote, Numbers, and Pages have received new features too.

iOS 19 Rumored to Drop Support for These iPhones

A private account on X that accurately shared iOS 18 compatibility details last year is back with a list of iPhone models that iOS 19 will allegedly support.


Unlike iOS 18, which maintained compatibility with the same iPhone models that can run iOS 17, the upcoming iOS 19 update is expected to drop support for three older iPhone models, so be sure to check out the list to see if the device that you use might be affected.

The first iOS 19 beta should be available on June 9, and the update should be released to the general public in September.

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Max With Lossless Audio Support

After a false alarm, Apple has followed through with releasing an AirPods Max firmware update that enables support for lossless audio and ultra low-latency audio on the over-ear headphones.


These features are only available on the newer version of the AirPods Max with a USB-C port, with the older version of the headphones that still have the Lightning port unfortunately missing out on these free upgrades.

Apple Reportedly Hasn't Given Up on Haptic Buttons for a Future iPhone

Apple is still exploring solid-state buttons with haptic feedback for future iPhones, according to information shared recently by a known leaker.


It was widely reported that Apple intended to introduce solid-state buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro models in 2023, but it canceled the plan at a late stage. The buttons were again rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models, before being shelved indefinitely. They are not expected on the iPhone 17 Pro models, but it seems like the project is still alive.

Everything New in the iOS 18.5 Beta

Following the release of iOS 18.4 earlier this week, Apple has already moved on to the next version, with the first iOS 18.5 beta already available to developers for testing. So far, iOS 18.5 includes only a few minor changes, as outlined in our list of everything new.


iOS 18.5 could gain new features and other changes in later betas, but it is currently shaping up to be a minor update, as Apple starts shifting its focus towards iOS 19.

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 18.4 Released, New AirPods Max Features, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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With the , I have been telling people that this is the most recommendable and best bang-for-buck laptop on the market. The power of the M4 chip combined with 16 GB of unified memory will be more than enough for 95% of customers walking into an Apple Store. But it is not all perfect, with only 256GB of base storage and no additional USB-C ports there is room to add some accessories to make your experience even better. So here are the best accessories for your new MacBook Air!

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If you’ve been experiencing issues when trying to access some of Apple’s online services, it’s not just you. The App Store and other Apple services are facing an outage and are currently down for some users.

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If you have an older Apple device that you've been considering upgrading, you're probably wondering how the newly announced tariffs might impact prices going forward, and whether it's worth buying now before there's a price hike.


Given analyst and economist responses to the tariffs, market panic, and Trump's stance on the current financial chaos, the answer is that making a purchase immediately might save you some cash if things don't change.

iPhones Could Get Much More Expensive

Trump announced a 34 percent tariff on China, which combines with the previous 20 percent tariff for a total of a 54 percent tax on imports from China. China is still one of Apple's major suppliers, and industry analysts consulted by Reuters suggest that iPhone prices could increase by up to 43 percent.

Right now, the most affordable current-generation ‌iPhone‌, the iPhone 16e, is priced starting at $599. If Apple doesn't receive some kind of exemption or if tariffs don't change, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ could be priced starting at $856. The $799 iPhone 16 could cost $1,142, close to the starting price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Equity research company Rosenblatt Securities believes Apple will need to raise ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch prices 43 percent to cover tariffs, iPad prices 42 percent, and Mac and AirPod prices 39 percent. Counterpoint Research co-founder Neil Shah believes Apple would need to raise prices by at least 30 percent on average to offset the tariffs.

Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring told CNBC that Apple would likely need to raise prices by 17 to 18 percent.

Apple has moved some of its production to other countries like Vietnam, India, Thailand, and Malaysia, but all of those locations are subject to tariffs as well. A 40 percent+ price increase is a worst case scenario, and there are a lot of variables at play and factors that could shift in the near future, but it doesn't look like prices are going to remain static.

Could Apple Absorb the Increase?

Trump said that he would implement tariffs, and tech companies like Apple knew that this was coming. It's likely that Apple has been ramping up U.S. supply of current devices so that it can temporarily avoid raising prices. Under the terms of the tariff executive order, Apple won't have to pay tariffs for goods that are on a vessel and in transit to their destination before 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on April 9, so the company has a few more days to stock up as much as possible.

When available stock in the United States starts dwindling, Apple will have hard decisions to make. Raising prices significantly will impact demand for the ‌iPhone‌ in a market where people are already wary of spending because of economic uncertainty, but such high tariffs would significantly eat into Apple's profit margin and further tank its stock.

Apple could have enough ‌iPhone 16‌ models in the U.S. already to avoid price increases until the iPhone 17 models launch, but it is hard to imagine a scenario where ‌iPhone 17‌ prices don't go up at least somewhat.

CFRA Research analyst Angelo Zino said Apple could struggle to increase consumer costs more than 5 to 10 percent. "We expect Apple to hold off on any major increases on phones until this fall when its ‌iPhone 17‌ is set to launch, as it is typically how it handles planned price hikes," he said.

Bank of America securities analyst Wamsi Mohan said that if Apple were to absorb the entire impact, there could be a $1.24 reduction to earnings per share in 2026. Apple could adjust prices, optimize supply chains, and seek exemptions to deal with the tariffs, according to Mohan, so it's possible Apple will have a multi-prong strategy.

Yale Budget Lab executive director Martha Gimbel told The New York Times that companies are going to have to increase costs. "These are really big tariffs," she said. "These are not things we can expect companies to just absorb."

Will Trump Back Down?

On his Truth Social site, Trump said today that he does not plan to change his policies. Yesterday, he said "I think it's going very well - The MARKETS are going to BOOM..."


He also said, however, that he had a "productive call" with Vietnam about lowering tariffs, and that he is looking forward to a meeting "in the near future."

Trump has gone back and forth on tariffs levied against Canada and Mexico, so it is hard to say what he'll do next. The executive order states that he can increase or expand tariffs based on retaliation, or decrease or limit in scope the tariffs should countries "take significant steps to remedy non-reciprocal trade arrangements and align sufficiently with the United States on economic and national security matters."

What About Congress?

Congress could act, but with a Republican majority, there are barriers. The Senate passed a resolution that would block tariffs on Canadian products, but it will fizzle out in the House. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley proposed a bipartisan bill that would require Trump to notify Congress about new tariffs with Congress given a 60-day period to approve them, but it doesn't have enough Republican support. It's not clear if it will make progress, and it would need to overcome a presidential veto if it did.

Will Apple Get an Exemption?

The last time Trump was in office, he levied tariffs that did not apply to the ‌iPhone‌, and he gave Apple an exemption for products like the Apple Watch.

This time, Trump has given no exemptions, and it's not clear if he will. Cook met with Trump in February, and even donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration. Cook has no doubt been wooing Trump for an exemption from Apple, but it hasn't worked so far.

Trump used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to implement tariffs, so any exemption would need to come directly from Trump. There is no mechanism for individual product exemptions, so Apple doesn't even have a way to petition for an exception.

When Will Prices Increase?

If Apple needs to increase prices, it would make the most sense for the company to introduce ‌iPhone‌ price hikes with the ‌iPhone 17‌, but it's not clear if it will be able to hold off that long, nor when prices on other devices could increase.

Companies Are Already Evaluating Price Hikes and Tariff Responses

This morning, Nintendo canceled U.S. pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2. Pre-orders were set to start on April 9, but Nintendo says that it will now "assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions" before providing updated timing at a later date.

Apple has not yet made any comment on the tariffs or its plans going forward, but the company is likely working behind the scenes to calculate the impact.

Bottom Line

With all of the uncertainty, if you're in need of a new Apple device and have the funds available, it's probably best to buy very soon. That may mean opting to upgrade an older ‌iPhone‌ to an ‌iPhone 16‌ model instead of an ‌iPhone 17‌, or choosing to get a Mac now rather than holding out for a sale.

Trump could fold, other countries could negotiate lower tariffs, or Apple could get an exemption, but there is no clear picture of what's going to happen.

Tariff Timing

The tariffs that Trump announced on Wednesday will go into effect on Wednesday, April 9.
This article, "Is Now the Time to Upgrade Apple Devices Before Tariffs Lead to Price Increases?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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President Trump announced this week a series of tariffs imposed on the import of products from other countries, which will end up hitting many US companies like Apple – since most of its products come from China. Now it seems that Apple is considering expanding the assembly of iPhones in Brazil to get around the US tariffs.

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iOS 18’s new Control Center has proven to be much more than a one-off design change. Apple has steadily added new capabilities to Control Center via software updates, and iOS 18.4 continues that trend in a big way thanks to several nice upgrades.

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Apple TV+ is having an especially good year. Severance was a mainstream hit that somehow exceeded Ted Lasso’s success. The streamer had just come off a long string of other critical hits too, and Apple’s follow-through with shows post-Severance has been especially strong. After years of being called “the new HBO,” I think Apple TV+ may have finally started earning that reputation.

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Over the years, we’ve seen a handful of unreleased Apple Watch bands emerge outside Apple, but this one might be my favorite. The Apple Watch will celebrate its 10th anniversary later this month, and it turns out Apple made a special edition anniversary Apple Watch Sport Band to celebrate.

Here are a bunch of images showing it off…but you’ll probably never be able to buy it.

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Fernando and Jeff talk about the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, how the perception of Nintendo has changed, and how Apple dropped the ball on gaming.

9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

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My favorite moments with Apple Maps are when I’m not going anywhere physically, but rather browsing the app and saving new places to visit. And an iOS 18 upgrade has made that experience better than ever.

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U.S. President Donald Trump today said that he is signing an executive order to keep TikTok running for an additional 75 days as his administration continues to work on the sale of the social network's U.S. operations.


TikTok was barred from operating in the United States when the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act went into effect on January 19, but Trump at the time ordered the Department of Justice not to enforce the law for a 75-day period. The window was set to expire on Saturday, April 5 if TikTok did not reach a deal to sell to an American company, but TikTok now has another two and a half months.

Trump said on his Truth Social network that his administration has made "tremendous progress" on a deal to "save" TikTok, but more work is required. Rumors suggest that Trump's team has been considering offers from companies like Oracle and Perplexity, along with individuals like Jimmy Donaldson (also known as MrBeast), Shark Tank host Kevin O'Leary, Employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley, and billionaire Frank McCourt. Amazon even made an offer this week.

TikTok parent company ByteDance has said that it does not plan to sell TikTok, and China has also not agreed to a deal, but Trump believes that tariffs could be used for leverage. It is possible that Trump will aim for an agreement that includes bringing on multiple U.S. investors with the TikTok algorithm leased from ByteDance, but it is not yet clear if that will meet the requirements of the law.
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Most people don’t think about air quality until it becomes a problem. It might not be random if you’ve ever felt sluggish in a home office or noticed your allergies acting up indoors. CO2 levels, humidity, and temperature all affect how comfortable and healthy your home actually is. A car fire at my neighbor’s house a few months ago reaffirmed this for me. The is built to make tracking air quality easier and integrates with HomeKit over Matter.

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For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with ColorWare to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a set of AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods 4 that have been custom designed with a classic Mac aesthetic.


ColorWare is known for making custom-painted Apple products and accessories, and it is essentially the only company that offers non-standard colors for AirPods, the Apple Pencil, and other Apple accessories.


In addition to letting you order custom AirPods in a wide range of colors, ColorWare often comes up with fun special edition products. This February, ColorWare debuted its ColorWare Retro Collection with AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 that have a unique design.


The Retro ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 and ‌AirPods 4‌ come in a matte cream color ColorWare is calling "Light Mode," and a matte black "Dark Mode" shade. Both models feature colorful rainbow accents that harken back to the rainbow colors that Apple used for some of its original Macs.

The Retro ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 are priced at $499, and the ‌AirPods 4‌ with ANC are priced at $439, so there is a premium for a custom design, but it's worth it if you want a look you can't get elsewhere. ColorWare uses a proprietary painting process to ensure the finish will hold up over time, and it's been customizing devices for more than a decade.


ColorWare uses a multi-step coating process that includes a primer, the application of a proprietary color formula, and an X2 liquid plastic coating that protects the color, with all products warrantied for 12 months.


We have two sets of ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 or ‌AirPods 4‌ (winner picks) to give away to a lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (April 4) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on April 11. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after April 11 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
This article, "MacRumors Giveaway: Win Custom Retro AirPods From ColorWare" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Days after sweeping new tariffs on US imports were announced, many are still wondering what the actual bottom-line impact will be on everyday products. According to analysts at one firm, Apple’s current flagship iPhone could soon cost up to $2,300 for high-end models.

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that steep tariffs will be applied to imports from many countries, starting April 9. The tariffs could have a significant impact on Apple, as the company assembles the majority of iPhones in China, and products imported to the U.S. from China will be subject to a 54% tariff.


iPhone prices could increase by up to 43% in the U.S. due to the tariffs, according to analysts at equity research firm Rosenblatt Securities (via Reuters).

Based on that prediction, the top-of-the-line iPhone 16 Pro Max model with 1TB of storage could rise from $1,599 to nearly $2,300 in the U.S., should Apple actually follow through with raising prices by 43% to offset the cost of tariffs.

At the other end of the iPhone lineup, the most affordable iPhone 16e model would increase from $599 to just over $850 with a 43% price increase.

An iPhone 16 Pro with 256GB of storage could rise from $999 to more than $1,400.

Apple would need to raise its prices by at least 30% on average, in order to offset the tariffs, according to Counterpoint Research's Neil Shah.

Apple has yet to publicly comment on the tariffs, so it is unclear if the company will actually raise prices, or if it will get creative and find alternative ways to offset the impact. It is also unclear if iPhone 16 models would increase in price, or if Apple would simply set higher prices on iPhone 17 models from the get-go later this year.

Apple's stock price is down nearly 15% since Trump announced the planned tariffs.
This article, "iPhones Could Cost Up to $2,300 in the U.S. Due to Tariffs, Analyst Says" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations 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.

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In this week’s Security Bite, I’m taking it back over 20 years to the launch of Gmail in 2004–because that’s how long its little-known plus addressing (aliasing) feature has quietly existed. It was originally created to help with filtering and keeping inboxes tidy long before spam became what it is today. Google never really promoted it, so most people still don’t realize it’s a thing. But over the years, it’s become popular among privacy-minded folks to track which online services, subscriptions, etc., are selling email addresses to other companies or leaking them.

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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the announcement of WWDC 2025, key iOS 18.4 features, and more.


Apple last week officially announced that its 36th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will begin on Monday, June 9, and end on Friday, June 13. As with WWDC events since 2020, ‌WWDC 2025‌ will primarily be an online event that is open to all developers. We discuss how the event artwork appears to allude to the complete redesign rumored for iOS 19 and the recent report which claims Apple is working on an AI health coach feature for the Health app.

We look at the key new features debuting in iOS 18.4, including Priority Notifications, Apple News+ Food, Ambient Music, and more. The AirPods Max with USB-C also received a significant update, adding support for lossless audio, ultra-low latency mode, and more.

We also talk through a recent report which claims that Apple is still exploring solid-state buttons with haptic feedback for a future iPhone. 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 discussion with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman about the controversy surrounding Apple Intelligence, what to expect from ‌iOS 19‌, 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 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: WWDC 2025 Announced and iOS 18.4 Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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After years of mostly unchanged iPhone lineups, Apple has already shaken things up this year by debuting the iPhone 16e instead of the expected new iPhone SE. The company is just getting started though, as this fall’s iPhone 17 family—particularly the Air and Pro Max—will change even more, with direct inspiration from the Apple Watch.

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Your Friday edition of the best Apple deals is now ready to roll with the return of all-time low pricing on Apple’s most affordable new M4 MacBook Air (all colors included). We then move over the banger 2TB 13-inch iPad Pro that is now $300 off the list price and joined by an ongoing price drop on the compatible Apple Pencil Pro at Amazon. Next, the regularly $329 Level Lock+ with Apple Home Key support has now dropped to $145 alongside a host of charging and accessory offers. All of that and more awaits below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

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Microsoft today marks its 50th anniversary, during which time it has been one of Apple's longest-standing and most prolific competitors.


Microsoft was founded on April 4, 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, starting out as a software company developing a BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800. It quickly become central to the personal computing revolution, including through its early collaboration with Apple, where Apple licensed Microsoft's BASIC for the Apple II in 1977.

Microsoft's most significant early involvement with Apple came with the development of applications for the original Macintosh, including Word and Excel, which helped legitimize the Mac as a productivity tool. The 1985 launch of Microsoft Windows, which featured a graphical user interface similar to the Macintosh, prompted accusations from Apple that Microsoft had copied key elements of its design.

The ensuing legal and public disputes would define the rivalry for years. In 1988, Apple filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, claiming infringement of its Macintosh GUI, which it ultimately lost.

Despite the rivalry, Microsoft invested $150 million in Apple in 1997, when the company was in financial crisis following years of declining market share and internal missteps. As part of the agreement, Microsoft committed to continuing development of Office for Mac and making Internet Explorer the default browser on Macintosh systems. During his keynote at Macworld Boston 1997, Steve Jobs announced the deal, stating:

We have to let go of the notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose. We need to embrace a notion that for Apple to win, Apple has to do a really good job.

Throughout the 2000s and early 2010s, Microsoft and Apple continued to compete on multiple fronts with operating systems, productivity software, mobile devices, and later, cloud services. Apple's resurgence under Jobs was driven by the success of the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, while Microsoft struggled to gain traction with mobile devices like the Windows Phone and Surface. Apple has developed alternatives to Microsoft products, including iWork, but Microsoft Office continues to be prevalent and play an important role on Apple devices, including the Vision Pro.

Today, both companies remained dominant in their respective ecosystems. Microsoft's focus on software licensing, large-scale business use-cases, and enterprise cloud computing with Azure now forms a business model that contrasts sharply with Apple's emphasis on consumer-facing products, hardware-software integration, and user experience.
This article, "Apple's Most Famous Rival Turns 50 Today" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iOS 18.4 launched this week, bringing a variety of new features—including some small enhancements to the Apple TV app worth noting. Here are three nice updates that just hit your iPhone.

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Amazon's Big Spring Sale happened earlier this week, and although it has now ended, there are still a few remaining deals that have stuck around. This includes low prices on the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, Apple Pencil Pro, M3 iPad Air, and more. We're also tracking a few solid discounts at Samsung and Best Buy.

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 4

• What's the deal? Take $30 off AirPods 4 with ANC


• Where can I get it? Amazon

AirPods 4 with ANC dropped to $148.99 this week on Amazon, and they are still available at this all-time low price. Right now, it's the only notable AirPods discount still around from the Big Spring Sale.

Samsung

• What's the deal? Save on Samsung monitors, TVs, and more


• Where can I get it? Samsung


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Samsung this week kicked off a new springtime sale, which includes savings on monitors, TVs, Galaxy products, and more. This sale also covers the newest Galaxy S25 smartphones, The Frame TV, and Samsung's line of home appliances, including refrigerators and washer/dryers.

M2 MacBook Air

• What's the deal? Take $250 off M2 MacBook Air


• Where can I get it? Best Buy


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Best Buy is discounting Apple's 13-inch M2 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD storage down to $749.00 in a few colors. This is a $250 discount on the previous generation M2 MacBook Air, and a solid second-best price.

M3 iPad Air

• What's the deal? Take up to $70 off new iPad Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon

Last week Apple launched the new M3 iPad Air, and Amazon has been providing solid launch window discounts on numerous models this week. You can find up to $70 off these tablets on Amazon, with prices starting at $549.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch model.

M4 MacBook Air

• What's the deal? Take $50 off M4 MacBook Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the new M4 MacBook Air, with up to $60 off the 13-inch and 15-inch versions of the computer. Right now these discounts are only available on Amazon, and most of them have estimated delivery windows of early April.

Apple Pencil Pro

• What's the deal? Take $30 off Apple Pencil Pro


• Where can I get it? Amazon

Another all-time low price available on Amazon this week was on the Apple Pencil Pro, and it's still available for $99.00 today, down from $129.00.

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: Get the AirPods 4 (ANC) for $148.99, Plus Big Discounts on MacBook Air and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple this week quietly released a huge update to the Apple Music app for Windows. With the latest version, PC users can now play Spatial Audio songs with Dolby Atmos.

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This week, Trump announced his plans to implement wide-ranging tariffs on all imports into the United States. The move sent the stock market into a free fall, with Apple among many companies down over 10% for the week.

While the world prepares for the full impact of this move, here’s what I think is some straightforward advice for iPhone buyers.

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I love my M4 iPad Pro and do all of my work on it. I am interested, however, in using a Mac again full-time. But until the Mac gains cellular support, that’s not really possible for me. Here’s why the iPad Pro is my only current computer option.

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Apple stock dropped 4% in early Friday trading, broadly following yesterday's trend after China announced reciprocal tariffs in response to U.S. President Trump's trade policies.


The latest decline follows Thursday's dramatic 9% plunge that erased nearly $300 billion from Apple's market value – the company's worst single-day performance in five years – amid growing fears that Trump's trade war will hurt the global economy. Apple's market value was expected to be reduced further today as markets processed China's matching 34% tariff announcement.

China's finance ministry announced it would impose a matching 34% tariff on U.S. imports starting April 10, one day after Trump's new duties take effect. The country also restricted exports of rare earth elements critical for technology manufacturing and added 11 American businesses to its "Unreliable Entity List."

Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff plan particularly threatens Apple, which relies heavily on Chinese manufacturing despite years of diversification efforts. The 54% effective rate on Chinese imports combines the new 34% tariff with an existing 20% charge.

Countries where Apple has been expanding its supply chain, including India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam, were also targeted with tariffs above Trump's global baseline rate of 10%.

Analysts warn Apple faces difficult choices ahead, potentially needing to raise U.S. hardware prices by approximately 30% to offset the tariff impact or accept significant hits to its profit margins.
This article, "Apple Stock Sell-Off Continues After China Unveils Matching Tariffs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Dolby Atmos music playback is now supported in Apple Music for Windows, bringing true immersive audio to PCs with compatible hardware via Apple's music streaming service for the first time.


Dolby Atmos is a surround-sound audio format that allows sound to be heard in an immersive, three-dimensional audio experience with compatible stereo headphones and speakers. Apple's Spatial Audio technology takes Dolby Atmos content and applies its own directional audio filters to make sounds appear to be coming from all around you.

The feature was added in version 1.1284.20225 of ‌Apple Music‌ for Windows. A new Apple Support document called "Play Dolby Atmos in Music on Windows" explains how to use it on a PC.

‌Apple Music‌ for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro, Apple TV, and Android already supported Dolby Atmos audio. Spatial Audio via Dolby Atmos debuted on Apple's music streaming service in June 2021.
This article, "Dolby Atmos in Apple Music Now Available for Windows PCs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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I said a few years ago that Express Transit is a tiny feature that makes a huge difference, and planning a last-minute trip revealed the same is true of another Wallet feature.

The ability to add foreign transit cards direct to the Wallet app before you even leave home is a traveler’s delight …

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In Apple's iOS 18.4 software update, there's a new Ambient Music feature available in the Control Center options on iPhone. It's free to use, and does not require an Apple Music subscription. It's also more customizable than most users probably realize. Keep reading to learn how.


There are four different sound categories to Ambient Music, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. You can add each category individually to your Control Center, and then tap on one to start a playlist of songs in the chosen category.

Add Ambient Music Buttons to Control Center

1. Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen.


2. Tap the + button in the top-left corner, or long press on a blank space.


3. Tap Add a Control at the bottom of the screen.


4. Scroll down to the new "Ambient Music" controls section and choose from Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.


5. Tap any blank space to exit out of edit mode.

When you turn on one of the Ambient Music options in Control Center, playback controls will appear on the screen. You can also tap or long press the Dynamic Island on newer iPhones to access playback controls or bring up a fullscreen music player with album art.

Changing Ambient Music Category Playlists

It's not obvious, but you can actually choose different playlists for each Ambient Music category. In fact, this option is so hidden in the interface that some might even call it an "easter egg" – or perhaps a non-intuitive UI design choice. Apple describes the playlists as follows:

• Sleep: Sleep Sounds, Bedtime Beats, Sound Bath, and Piano Sleep.


• Chill: Piano Chill, Ambient Chill, Lo-Fi Jazz, and Pure Chill.


• Productivity: BEATstrumentals, Binaural Frequencies, Pure Focus, and Classical Concentration.


• Wellbeing: Pure Meditation, Spa, Beats & Breath, and Pure Calm.

Here's what you need to do to choose a different playlist – or even one of your own:

1. Open Control Center, then tap the + icon in the top-left corner of the screen.


2. Tap one of the Ambient Music buttons that you added to your Control Center (try to avoid tapping the minus symbol or the button will disappear).


3. Tap the playlist name in blue next to "Playlist," then select one of the playlists from the dropdown. If you select From Library, tap Choose to pick a playlist from your Music library.


4. Tap any blank space, then tap again to exit out of edit mode.

So now you know how to switch up the playlists when listening to Ambient Music, whether that's for restful sleep, relaxation, focusing on tasks, or for meditation and self-care.
This article, "iOS 18.4: Access Hidden Ambient Music Playlists" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Multiple iPhone users are reporting problems with CarPlay functionality after updating to iOS 18.4, based on complaints on Reddit and elsewhere.


The most widespread issue appears to affect vehicles equipped with CarPlay instrument cluster integration. Some users said that after installing iOS 18.4, CarPlay no longer displays the currently playing song information on their car's instrument panel.

The instrument cluster bugs have been reported across numerous vehicle models including the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2025 Mazda CX-30, various 2024 Honda models, multiple Volkswagen vehicles, the 2023 Audi S3, and the 2023 Nissan Frontier.

Meanwhile, several users have complained that CarPlay completely fails to launch after the update, requiring multiple reconnection attempts - sometimes up to five tries - before the system will work. Others report broken Siri audio functionality that persists despite restarting both their iPhones and vehicles.

Users say they have attempted the standard troubleshooting steps like device reboots and system resets, but in many cases these workarounds have not resolved the issues. The problems appear to be directly linked to the iOS 18.4 update, as affected users report that everything worked properly before installing the latest version.

Apple has not yet acknowledged any CarPlay issues with iOS 18.4, so it's unclear whether a fix is in the works. Apple released iOS 18.4 earlier this week, and the only notable intended change to CarPlay is that the interface now shows a third row of icons (up from two rows previously), but only on vehicles with a larger display center. Have you had problems with CarPlay after updating? Let us know in the comments.

(Via autoevolution.com.)
This article, "iPhone Users Report CarPlay Connectivity Issues With iOS 18.4 Update" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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As we have reported in recent months, Apple has been facing scrutiny in Brazil over accusations of anti-competitive practices with the App Store. Although the company has been given more time to discuss the case, the Brazilian antitrust regulator “Cade” is now investigating Apple over the App Tracking Transparency feature.

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Apple plans to hold a WWDC keynote viewing party for select students and developers on Monday, June 9, with a limited number of invites available for an in-person Apple Park event. Apple accepted applications for attendance until yesterday, and the company is now sending out notices to those who have been selected to go via its lottery process.


The event is set to include WWDC-related special activities like the keynote viewing, the Platforms State of the Union, Apple Design Awards, ‌Apple Park‌ tours, and a dinner. Developers and students will also have opportunities to interface with Apple engineers and experts.

Current Apple Developer Program members, Apple Developer Enterprise Program members, Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni, and Swift Student Challenge winners from 2023 to 2025 were eligible to apply, with attendees chosen by random selection.

There is no cost to attend the ‌Apple Park‌ special event, but Apple does not cover transportation or lodging. Out-of-state attendees will need to purchase airfare, hotel accommodations, and transportation to ‌Apple Park‌.

WWDC 2025 will take place from June 9 to June 13. Developers that were not selected to attent the ‌Apple Park‌ event can watch the keynote, get help from Apple engineers, and watch WWDC sessions online through the Apple Developer website and app.
This article, "Apple Sending WWDC 2025 Invites to Special Event Lottery Winners" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple last week officially announced that WWDC 2025 will take place from June 9 to 13, and although most of the event will take place online, the company will hold an in-person opening keynote at Apple Park. Developers who have applied for a ticket are now being notified of their status.

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With the premiere of Severance season two in January, Apple revealed an increase in Apple TV+ subscriptions compared to previous months. But was that enough to make Apple TV+ overtake its competitors? New data from JustWatch seen by 9to5Mac shows details about the market share of streaming platforms in the US during Q1 2025.

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Apple supplier TSMC has reached a preliminary agreement with Intel that will see TSMC operating Intel’s chipmaking facilities, reports The Information. TSMC will own a 20 percent stake in the new combined company, while Intel and other semiconductor companies will own the majority of the shares.


As part of the deal, TSMC may share some of its chip manufacturing methods with Intel, and train Intel employees to use them. Discussions are still underway, and the final details have not been established. The talks between Intel and TSMC were reportedly initiated by the Trump administration in an effort to stymy Intel’s decline and bring advanced chipmaking to the U.S.

Intel is one of TSMC’s major competitors, and the two have long been rivals. Apple previously used Intel chips in its Macs, but transitioned to its own Apple silicon chips manufactured by TSMC starting in 2020. No Apple devices use Intel processors, with Apple now relying entirely on its own technology.

TSMC focuses on chip manufacturing, not design, which is handled by TSMC customers like Apple and Nvidia. The focus solely on manufacturing has allowed TSMC to outpace Intel, and Intel’s foundary operations are less attractive to companies because Intel’s chips cost more than TSMC’s and its yields are lower.

Some Intel executives are said to be worried that the deal would result in layoffs, because Intel would need to eliminate engineers and may need to change or sell the equipment that it uses. Intel and TSMC have different manufacturing machines and materials, so if Intel is expected to adopt TSMC manufacturing processes, it could have to sell most of its existing equipment.

In 2024, Intel had an $18.8 billion loss because of its investments in chip manufacturing and a weakening PC market.
This article, "Apple Supplier TSMC May Operate Intel’s Chipmaking Facilities" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.


‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 216 includes fixes and updates for Accessibility, CSS, Forms, Media, Rendering, Service Workers, SVG, Text, URLs, Web Animations, Web API, and Web Inspector.

The current ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release is compatible with machines running macOS Sonoma and macOS Sequoia, the newest version of macOS.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser from Apple’s website. Complete release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while it is designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download and use.
This article, "Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 216 With Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple released iOS 18.4 for iPhone users on with Priority Notifications, new emoji, several changes to CarPlay, and more. According to a growing number of users, however, the iOS 18.4 update has rendered CarPlay unusable in their cars.

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Back in February, Amazon announced an interesting new test that would show you products from other retailers’ sites. Now, the company is taking things even further: Amazon’s new “Buy for me” feature can use agentic AI to actually make purchases elsewhere on your behalf—so you never have to leave Amazon.

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Apple Podcasts isn’t the dominant force in podcasting that it once was. But if you still get your podcasts from Apple rather than YouTube or another third-party app, there are some nice Podcasts app additions in iOS 18.4—including a new widget that solves a key shortcoming.

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Benjamin and Chance start with a catch-up on changes to Friday Night Baseball, before diving into the software updates of the week, with the launch of iOS 18.4 and the first iOS 18.5 beta launching. Also, thoughts on Apple’s rumored AI Health service plans, and the latest on finding a new partner for the Apple Card.

And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin embarks on a mission to convert baby videos from old camcorder tapes, to digital files. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

• : Get up to $600 off intelligent robotic cleaners and effortless wet/dry vacs in DREAME’s Spring Cleaning sale now.

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Intel Unison was a strong tool for Android and iOS users that wanted to share files, check messages, and more. Now, it seems like Intel is shutting that app down, leaving some users without a strong option for PC connection.

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iOS 18.4 is available now, and among its many features are some easy-to-miss changes to Apple’s Photos app that give users more flexibility and options than before. Here are the details on iOS 18.4’s Photos enhancements.

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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: updates on the M5 and M6 iPad Pro models, an Apple Health+ service, iPhone Fold, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

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As someone who grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s, I played a ton of simulation games on my computer. Games like The Sims, Age of Mythology, and Roller Coaster Tycoon are synonymous with my childhood. So when I saw that Apple was bringing the original Roller Coaster Tycoon to Apple Arcade, I dropped everything and put it on my iPad Pro. I was immediately taken back! In that same light, Apple released five other brand-new games that are worth taking a look at!

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iOS 18.4 packs a lot of new features, but one of my top picks is the addition of tens of thousands of recipes to Apple News alongside a special cooking mode. Here’s how it works.

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Hyperspace, the new utility from Macintosh veteran John Siracusa, has been updated a handful of times since we covered its launch in February. If you haven’t tried Hyperspace since it first launched, there are new capabilities that could reveal even more space to reclaim.

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If you're new to Macs, or haven't upgraded for some time, it can be difficult to decide just what to get. Is the MacBook Air the best option? Do you need the power of the MacBook Pro? What about desktop options?


In our latest video, we walk through the current Mac lineup and provide some tips on things to consider when you're trying to decide on a new machine. Trying to figure out if you need more RAM or a storage upgrade? Our video just might help.
This article, "Video: Choosing the Best Mac For You" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today updated its iWork apps Keynote, Numbers, and Pages with new features that require iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, or macOS 15.4.


For example, in the latest version of each app, you can now make text edits using Writing Tools directly in a presentation, spreadsheet, or document. This feature requires Apple Intelligence, which is available on iPhone 15 Pro models, all iPhone 16 models, any Mac or iPad model with an M1 chip or newer, or the iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip.

In addition, Apple says you can now export a presentation, spreadsheet, or document in another format using the Shortcuts app, and all three apps gained improved copy and paste integration with the Freeform app. Each app also received a few other enhancements that are not tied to the latest software updates.

The release notes for version 14.4 of each app on iOS follow.

Keynote:

• Make text edits using Writing Tools directly in your presentation (requires Apple Intelligence and iOS or iPadOS 18.4)
• Export presentations into other formats using Shortcuts (requires iOS or iPadOS 18.4)
• Improved copy and paste with Freeform (requires iOS or iPadOS 18.4)

Numbers:

• Use over 30 new advanced functions including LET, LAMBDA, FILTER, SORT, and UNIQUE
• See results from a single formula across multiple cells using spilling arrays
• Make text edits using Writing Tools directly in your spreadsheet (requires Apple Intelligence and iOS or iPadOS 18.4)
• Export spreadsheets into other formats using Shortcuts (requires iOS or iPadOS 18.4)
• Improved copy and paste with Freeform (requires iOS or iPadOS 18.4)
• Improved compatibility when importing or exporting Microsoft Excel spreadsheets

Pages:

• Make text edits using Writing Tools directly in your document (requires Apple Intelligence and macOS 15.4)
• Add additional pages into a word-processing document more easily
• Export documents into other formats using Shortcuts (requires macOS 15.4)
• Improved copy and paste with Freeform (requires macOS 15.4)

iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4 were all released to the general public this week, following more than a month of beta testing.

The updated iWork apps are available in the App Store across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
This article, "Apple Updates iWork Apps With New iOS 18.4 and macOS 15.4 Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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On iPhone 16 models, Visual Intelligence lets you use the camera to learn more about places and objects around you. It can also summarize text, read text out loud, translate text, search Google for items, ask ChatGPT, and more. And thanks to the latest iOS 18.4 update from Apple, iPhone 15 Pro models can now get in on the action, too.


Until recently, ‌Visual Intelligence‌ was a feature limited to iPhone 16 models with a Camera Control button, which was necessary to activate the feature. However, Apple in February debuted the iPhone 16e, which lacks Camera Control and yet supports Visual Intelligence. This is because the device ships with a version of iOS that includes Visual Intelligence as an assignable option to the device's Action button.

Apple later confirmed that the same Visual Intelligence customization setting would be coming to iPhone 15 Pro models via a software update. That update is iOS 18.4, and it's available now. If you haven't updated yet, you can do so by opening Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update.

After your device is up-to-date, you can assign Visual Intelligence to the device's Action button in the following way.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone 15 Pro.


2. Tap Action Button.


3. Swipe to Visual Intelligence.

Pressing and holding the Action button will now activate Visual Intelligence. Note that you can also activate Visual Intelligence using the new button option in Control Center. Here's how.

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone's display, then long press on the Control Center.


2. Tap Add a Control at the bottom.


3. Use the search bar at the top to search for Visual Intelligence, or swipe up to the "Apple Intelligence" section and choose the button.


4. Tap the screen to exit the Control Center's edit mode.

Using Visual Intelligence

The Visual Intelligence interface features a view from the camera, a button to capture a photo, and dedicated "Ask" and "Search" buttons. Ask queries ChatGPT, and Search sends an image to Google Search.


When using Visual Intelligence you can either snap a photo using the shutter button and then select an option, or you can select an option in live camera view. You cannot use photos that you took previously.

To learn about everything that you can do with Visual Intelligence, be sure to check out our dedicated guide.
This article, "You Can Now Get Visual Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro – Here's How" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Joining some ongoing $100 price drops on iPad mini 7 and the new M4 MacBook Air, today we are turning our attention back to AirPods. Amazon has now brought back its best price of the year on the latest AirPods 4 with ANC down at $149 shipped, which is now joined by a solid $250 price drop on Apple’s 1TB 13-inch M4 iPad Pro. From there we move over to a 20% clearance price drop on the official blue Apple Ocean Band alongside a new all-time low Belkin’s 15W MagSafe Wireless Car Charger mount, a 25% price drop on Eve’s latest Energy (Matter) smart plug, Bose earbuds, and this 140W USB-C to MagSafe 3 nylon braided cable at just $20. All of that and more awaits below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

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After nearly a decade, Nintendo finally returned with a true successor to the original Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2, unveiled at Nintendo’s Direct event, brings long-awaited upgrades across the board – from display and performance to multiplayer features and accessories. I spent some hands-on time with the device at press-only Nintendo event yesterday, and as someone who has owned every Switch variant from the OG Switch to the Switch OLED, here are my thoughts.

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Apple is updating its iWork suite of productivity apps with new features that require iOS 18.4. This includes version 14.4 of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers for iPhone and iPad.

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Apple in iOS 18.4 has introduced a potentially privacy-compromising change to Safari that puts your search history on full display when opening new tabs.


Previously in iOS, opening a new tab and tapping the search field brought up the keyboard while continuing to display the personalized Safari home page. However, Apple's latest iOS 18.4 software update modifies how Safari handles new tabs by automatically showing your recent search history whenever someone taps into the search field.

Privacy-conscious users are likely to raise eyebrows at the change, as it could expose previous searches in situations where users hand their devices to friends, family members, or colleagues – or just search for something when someone else is looking at their screen. A quick tap on the search field would immediately reveal what the device owner has been searching for online.

Fortunately, Apple has added a toggle that reverts the new Safari tab behavior so that your recent searches are no longer on full view.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.


2. Scroll down to the bottom and tap Apps.


3. Find Safari in the alphabetical list and tap on it, then toggle off the switch called Show Recent Searches.

Of course, there's an upside to the change that you may appreciate. It makes frequently used search terms more conveniently accessible, potentially saving time if you often search for similar topics. But the convenience still comes with the tradeoff of reduced privacy, and that might be a step too far for some users.
This article, "iOS 18.4: Stop Your Recent Searches Showing in New Safari Tabs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Samsung this week kicked off a new springtime sale, which includes savings on monitors, TVs, Galaxy products, and more.

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

One of the best overall deals during this sale is on The Frame TVs, which are available for up to $1,800 off, depending on the size of the model you purchase. Every size is being discounted during this event, with the popular 65-inch The Frame TV available for $1,299.99, down from $1,999.99.



The best monitor deals include the popular 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor for $999.99, down from $1,599.99. At $600 off this is a solid second-best price on the display, which has a matte display, modular 4K SlimFit camera, and support for Thunderbolt 4.




Of course, there's a lot more on sale than just monitors. This sale also covers the newest Galaxy S25 smartphones, The Frame TV, and Samsung's line of home appliances, including refrigerators and washer/dryers. We've accumulated some of these deals in the lists below, but be sure to check out Samsung's website for the full sale.

TVs

• The Frame - Save up to $1,800


• 85-inch Crystal UHD TV - $799.99, down from $1,099.99


• 65-inch QLED 4K TV - $1,099.99, down from $1,599.99


• 65-inch OLED S90C TV - $1,399.99, down from $2,599.99


• 65-inch Neo QLED 4K TV - $1,399.99, down from $2,699.99


• 85-inch QLED 4K TV - $1,179.99, down from $2,799.99


• 85-inch Neo QLED 4K TV - $1,749.99, down from $3,999.99

Monitors and Storage

• 990 EVO 5.0 NVMe SSD 2TB - $129.99, down from $239.99


• 2TB Portable SSD - $149.99, down from $284.99


• 27-inch Odyssey G6 Gaming Monitor - $549.99, down from $799.99


• 43-inch Odyssey Neo G7 Smart Gaming Monitor - $569.99, down from $999.99


• 49-inch Odyssey G9 (G95C) Curved Gaming Monitor - $849.99, down from $1,299.99


• 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 (G95SC) Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,099.99, down from $1,699.99


• 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 (G93SD) Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,299.99, down from $1,699.99


• 55-inch Odyssey Ark 2nd Gen Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,799.99, down from $2,699.99

Refrigerators

• Large Capacity Side-by-Side Fridge - $1,099.00, down from $1,666.00


• 4-Door French Door Fridge - $1,799.00, down from $2,899.00


• Mega Capacity 3-Door French Door Fridge - $2,399.00, down from $3,499.00


• Bespoke 4-Door Flex Fridge - $2,499.00, down from $4,099.00


• Bespoke 4-Door Flex Fridge - $3,099.00, down from $4,999.00

Galaxy Products

• Galaxy S25 Smartphone - Save up to $850


• Galaxy S25+ Smartphone - Save up to $850


• Galaxy S25 Ultra - Save up to $1,000


• Galaxy Z Fold6 - Save up to $1,300


• Galaxy Ring - Get up to $100 trade-in credit


• Galaxy Watch Ultra - Save up to $325


• Galaxy Watch 7 - Save up to $175


• Galaxy Buds3 Pro - Save up to $125

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

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This article, "Samsung Introduces Discounts on Popular Monitors, TVs, Smartphones, and More in Spring Sale" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by DREAME: Get up to $600 off intelligent robotic cleaners and effortless wet/dry vacs in DREAME’s Spring Cleaning sale now.

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Apple Arcade gained six more games today as promised, including RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE, The Game of Life 2, Sesame Street Mecha Builders, Space Invaders Infinity Gene Evolve, and puffies.


Notably, the Apple Arcade version of RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is available on the Mac:

Combining features from two of the series' most successful and beloved games, RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, this new game invites players to create and run amazing parks with the most outrageous rides imaginable. Enhanced for iPhone and iPad, RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic+ delivers the same depth of gameplay and unique graphical style of Chris Sawyer's original best-selling PC games. It also includes three expansion packs — Wacky Worlds, Time Twister, and Toolkit — and is playable across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

The first original Katamari game in nearly eight years also arrived on Apple Arcade today, across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.


Here is how Apple describes that game:

In this quirky action game — an Apple Arcade exclusive — players expand their Katamari by rolling up objects scattered across the earth. Featuring unique and whimsical gameplay, and a captivating soundtrack that blends different genres, the game invites players to energize the king's "live stream" by rolling their Katamari to create stars. As users advance, comments from in-game fans appear, and the longer they play, the larger their audience grows. By completing the king's challenges and boosting their subscriber count, players can unlock dynamic new stages.

More details about all six games can be found in Apple's announcement from last month.

Accessible through the App Store, Apple Arcade is a subscription-based service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, all free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month and is bundled with other Apple services in all Apple One plans.
This article, "RollerCoaster Tycoon and More Games Now Available on Apple Arcade" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In the aftermath of Severance’s season ending, Apple TV+ has been able to debut two strong new shows to keep subscribers engaged: The Studio and Dope Thief. But next week, yet another prestige new series is coming to the streamer. It’s called Your Friends & Neighbors.

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Apple is a US-based company that relies heavily on a global supply chain to manufacture its products. As a result, the tech firm’s stock seems to be getting hit especially hard by the new tariffs just announced yesterday, with AAPL down almost 10% upon the market’s open today—a big hit to Apple.

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The business news network CNBC on Wednesday announced that its CNBC+ streaming service has expanded to the Apple TV and Roku devices.


CNBC+ is now available through the CNBC app on all Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models, providing subscribers with a live stream of the CNBC channel, along with full episodes of popular CNBC shows on demand. In the App Store, a subscription to CNBC+ in the U.S. costs $14.99 per month, or $149.99 per year.

The streaming service first launched in late 2024 on iOS, Android, and CNBC.com, according to a CNBC spokesperson.
This article, "CNBC+ Now Available on Apple TV" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that massive tariffs will be applied to imports from many countries, starting April 9. The tariffs will significantly impact Apple's supply chain, with iPhones and other products imported to the U.S. from China, India, and Vietnam set to face 54%, 26%, and 46% tariffs, respectively.


Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said that if Apple does not raise prices, its overall gross profit margin could face a significant drop of 8.5% to 9%, due to the tariffs significantly raising costs. However, he outlined five ways in which Apple can reduce the impact of the tariffs on its gross margins going forward:

• Apple can boost iPhone production in India. Kuo said if India can secure tariff exemptions through new trading agreements with the U.S., and Apple boosts its iPhone production capacity there to over 30% of its global supply, the negative impact on gross margins could shrink to just 1% to 3%.


• Apple could raise prices on iPhone Pro models. In the U.S. market, Kuo said high-end iPhones account for 65-70% of new model sales, and he believes that "high-end consumers are relatively more accepting of price increases." So, the Pro and Pro Max models could see price increases, if absolutely necessary.


• Apple could increase carrier subsidies for iPhones.


• Apple could reduce trade-in values to partially offset the costs of tariffs.


• Apple could put even greater pressure on its suppliers to cut costs.

Apple's overall gross margin was 46% in the 2024 fiscal year. Gross margin is a profitability metric that indicates the percentage of money that Apple earns on a product like an iPhone after subtracting the costs of making the product. Even if Apple's gross margin drops below 40%, Kuo believes this dip "should be short-lived."

Apple's stock price dropped more than 9% since Trump's announcement.
This article, "Kuo: Apple Can Reduce Impact of Trump's Massive Tariffs in Five Ways" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The Trump administration yesterday announced punishing import tariffs on a long list of countries, including all of Apple’s key manufacturing hubs. It’s been estimated that this would force the company to either increase US prices by 40% or see its profit slashed by 32%.

The news saw stock market slumps around the world, with AAPL stock falling more than 7% in pre-market trading on fears of the impact …

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Apple is reportedly planning a major upgrade to the Telephoto camera in the iPhone 17 Pro, and while it may seem like a step back on paper, the change could actually improve real-world usability, if one leaker's claims are anything to go by.


According to Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Pro will feature a new Telephoto lens with a 48MP sensor, up from the current 12MP sensor found in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. This rumor isn't new – in fact it's been repeatedly claimed by several other sources. However, Bu goes further by claiming that the new lens will offer 3.5x optical zoom (85mm equivalent) instead of the 5x zoom (120mm equivalent) currently available.

This focal length is generally better suited for portraits and everyday photography, since it allows users to frame shots without having to move as far away from the subject. However, the big shift allegedly comes from the new 48MP sensor, in that the extra resolution allows for digital cropping to simulate longer focal lengths, offering less quality loss than normal digital zoom.

This is similar to what Apple already does with the main Fusion camera on the iPhone 16, where the 48MP sensor enables a 2x digital crop – marketed as "Telephoto" – that still produces a 12MP image with minimal quality loss.

Bu points out that one of the practical benefits of a 3.5x telephoto lens would be greater versatility, especially for portrait photography. A 3.5x lens would make it easier to compose portraits at more comfortable distances, particularly in indoors or other tight environments.

The alleged change would see Apple relying more on high-resolution sensors and computational processing to replace some of the limitations of traditional optics. If the report is accurate, the iPhone 17 Pro could deliver more flexible zoom options while making portrait photography more user-friendly, without sacrificing image quality.

Given that the iPhone 16 Pro models already have 48MP Fusion and Ultra Wide cameras, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max could be the first iPhone models to boast a rear triple-camera array made up entirely of 48-megapixel lenses. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 lineup in September.
This article, "iPhone 17 Pro: New 48MP Telephoto Lens May Change How Zoom Works" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Prototypes of an OLED iPad mini display are currently being evaluated by Apple, according to a leaker with a decent track record.

It seems pretty clear by this point that the next model will have an OLED screen, and it will definitely be worth waiting for if you currently have an older model …

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Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has turned up the dial to 11 on his anti-Apple rhetoric, calling the iPhone maker a “gangster-style business” which has concluded that “crime pays.”

He said that both Apple and Google are guilty of the same practices, including using scare tactics to make iPhone and Android users afraid to install the Epic Games Store …

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Apple is currently evaluating a new small-sized OLED display for its next iPad mini model, according to a Chinese leaker with sources in Apple's supply chain.


Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station today made the claim in a brief preview of upcoming tablets from different brands. The leaker went on to say that the OLED display in question is made by Samsung, but that they remain unsure if it features a higher refresh rate than the 60Hz LCD display used in the existing iPad mini 7.

Reports last year claimed that Apple had requested OLED display panels designed for future iPad mini models from its suppliers.

In May 2024, it was reported that Samsung Display had started developing sample 8-inch OLED panels for a future ‌iPad mini‌, with plans to initiate mass production at its facility in Cheonan in the second half of 2025. The same report claimed that Apple will bring an OLED panel to the iPad Air alongside the ‌iPad mini‌ in 2026.

That outlook differs slightly from a December report by analyst firm Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) that said an 8.5-inch OLED iPad mini is planned for a 2026 launch, while 11-inch and 13-inch OLED iPad Air models are expected to follow in 2027.

OLED panels can individually control each pixel, resulting in more precise color reproduction and deeper blacks compared to other common display technologies. They also provide superior contrast, faster response times, better viewing angles, and greater design flexibility. All of Apple's flagship iPhones use OLED panels, and in May 2024 the company brought the display technology to the iPad Pro for the first time.

Unlike Apple's ‌iPad Pro‌ models, which feature two-stack low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panels‌, the ‌iPad mini‌ and ‌iPad Air‌ may have single-stack low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panels, meaning that they may be dimmer and continue to lack ProMotion.
This article, "OLED iPad Mini Display in Testing Reportedly Made by Samsung" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has big plans for the iPhone 17 lineup. In addition to the rumored iPhone 17 Air, the Pro models are also expected to receive significant hardware upgrades, especially when it comes to cameras. And in addition to everything that’s been leaked so far, it looks like the iPhone 17 Pro will have another camera surprise.

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