Netflix's ad-supported streaming tier has 40 million global monthly active users, up 35 million from a year ago, Netflix said today at its Upfront advertising presentation. Netflix has 270 million total subscribers worldwide, so the majority of its users are still on the ad-free tiers.


Netflix resisted implementing an ad-supported tier for many years, but confirmed in 2022 that it had plans to implement a cheaper option in order to boost revenue. The Standard with ads plan launched in late 2022, and it has grown more popular as Netflix has increased the pricing of its ad-free tiers.

In the United States, the Standard with ads plan is priced at $6.99 per month for HD streaming on up to two devices at one time, with all but a "few movies and TV shows available." The basic ad-free plan is $15.49 per month, while the premium plan is $22.99 per month. Netflix's ad-supported plan does not include the option to download content for offline viewing, nor does it support spatial audio.

According to Netflix, more than 40 percent of all signups in the countries where the ad-supported plan is available are for the ads plan. More than 70 percent of Netflix's ad-supported members watch Netflix content for more than 10 hours per month, and Netflix says subscribers are twice as likely to respond to an ad compared to subscribers of other streaming services.

Since Netflix launched its ad-supported tier, it has partnered with Microsoft for ads, but in 2025, it will launch an in-house ad platform.

In addition to boosting revenue through a cheaper ad-supported option, Netflix has also cracked down on password sharing. After putting an end to multi-household account use, Netflix saw strong subscriber growth and an increase in revenue.
This article, "40 Million People Subscribe to Netflix's Ad-Supported Tier" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

With Apple's decision to allow game emulators on the App Store, several popular emulators like Delta have now launched for iPhone and iPad. RetroArch is the latest emulator to come to the ‌App Store‌, allowing gamers to play games from a wide range of systems.


RetroArch supports multiple versions of Atari and Commodore systems, as well as the Nintendo DS, Game Boy, NES, SNES, and Virtual Boy. Multiple Sega and Sony systems are also included, as are the NEC PC Engine and Neo Geo Pocket.

RetroArch is free to download, has no ads, and is open source. It supports save states, cheats, custom overlays, fast forward and rewind, AI translations, and RetroAchievements. RetroAchievements adds trophies to all manner of classic games, providing incentives to unlock new content and top leaderboards.

RetroArch is fairly well-known because it was previously available on PC and Mac, it just was not able to be released for iOS devices until Apple's rule change. RetroArch is also the first console emulator that works on the Apple TV, allowing games to be played with an MFi controller on a larger screen.


RetroArch can be downloaded from the ‌App Store‌ for free. [Direct Link]
This article, "RetroArch iOS and tvOS Emulator for Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, Sega and Sony Games Now Available" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Popular note taking app Goodnotes today announced new features that are designed to work with the Apple Pencil Pro that launched alongside the 2024 iPad Pro models. The ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro supports a squeeze gesture with haptic feedback, as well as a barrel roll for better control over shaped pen and brush tools.


Palette is a set of tools that pops up in Goodnotes with a squeeze of the ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro. It allows users to swap between essential tools, undo, and change ink stroke, thickness, and color. Normally these features would need to be accessed through a tool panel, but the Palette makes it much quicker to swap between options without interrupting a workflow.

Goodnotes' Fountain Pen now includes Dynamic Ink with an ink flow that is able to respond to the rotation of the ‌Apple Pencil‌. Instead of just responding to pressure sensitivity, the Fountain Pen is able to make thinner or thicker lines based on the orientation of the ‌Apple Pencil‌, for a more natural pen-like feel.

Strokes will vary with calligraphic flourishes as a physical fountain pen would, which Goodnotes says can bring more personal expression to digital writing. Rolling the barrel of the ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro can also provide more precise control over stroke thickness, and stroke preview is available using ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover.

Goodnotes 6 can be downloaded from the App Store for free, but it costs $9.99 per year after a free trial. [Direct Link]
This article, "Goodnotes Adds New Features That Work With Apple Pencil Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Astropad today confirmed that its updated version of Rock Paper Pencil is compatible with the 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air models. Rock Paper Pencil is a screen protector and Apple Pencil tip duo designed to mimic the feel of writing on paper with a pen.


Rock Paper Pencil combines a removable screen protector with a unique ‌Apple Pencil‌ tip to replicate the feel of writing on paper. The NanoCling Screen Protector adheres to the iPad's display using static cling, and it can easily be put on and taken off when it's not needed, with no adhesive residue.

The Pencil tip can hold up to heavy daily use with a wear-resistant copper alloy core and palladium coating. The tip is equivalent to a standard 0.7mm ballpoint pen for a pleasant note taking experience. The kit includes two pencil tips and a protective storage sleeve for the screen protector.

Rock Paper Pencil is priced at $40 and can be purchased from the Astropad website. The 13-inch version is compatible with the 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌iPad Air‌, while there are separate versions for the 11-inch ‌iPad Air‌ and the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌.
This article, "Astropad's Paper-Like Screen Protector and Apple Pencil Tip Works With M4 iPad Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) today sent a cease and desist letter to Spotify, accusing the music streaming service of using its members' copyrighted content without appropriate licensing. The letter was shared by Billboard, and it suggests that Spotify is "hosting unlicensed musical works in its lyrics, videos, and podcasts."


Spotify has been asked to remove the unlicensed content from its platform or face a "copyright liability" for its continued use. The NMPA is a trade association that represents music publishers and songwriters in the U.S., and the group focuses on protecting music copyrights.

The NMPA claims that while Spotify has mechanical and public performance licenses, the use of lyrics and music in videos and podcasts requires rights that must be negotiated directly with rightsholders.

It has come to our attention that Spotify displays lyrics and reproduces and distributes music videos and podcasts using musical works without the consent of or compensation to the respective publishers and/or administrators (our members) who control the copyrights in the musical compositions. As such, these uses of musical works on the Spotify platform are not licensed or will soon become unlicensed.

U.S. copyright law generally grants copyright owners the exclusive right to, among other things, reproduce, distribute, display, perform publicly, and create derivative works from their copyrighted works under 17 U.S.C. Sn. 106. Violation of these exclusive rights constitutes copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. Sn. 501.

Spotify thus appears to be engaged in direct infringement by hosting unlicensed musical works in its lyrics, videos, and podcasts, and by distributing unauthorized reproductions, synchronizations, displays, and derivative uses of these musical works to its users. Making matters worse, Spotify profits from such infringement.

Accordingly, on behalf of our members, NMPA demands that unlicensed lyrics, music videos, and podcasts be removed from the platform or Spotify will face copyright liability for continued use of these works.

A spokesperson for Spotify told Billboard that the letter is a "press stunt filled with false and misleading claims." Spotify went on to say that it paid a "record amount" to songwriters in 2023, and is on track to surpass that amount in 2024.
This article, "Music Publishers Accuse Spotify of Copyright Infringement" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Ubisoft today announced plans to release Assassin's Creed Shadows, the next game in the Assassin's Creed franchise, on November 15. It will be available on Macs with Apple silicon through the Mac App Store, as well as Windows PCs, the Xbox Series X or Series S, and the PlayStation 5.


Assassin's Creed Shadows takes place in 16th century Japan, with players set to take on the role of Naoe, a shinobi assassin from the Iga Province and Yasuke, a powerful samurai. Each character offers a different playstyle, progression path, skills, weapon options, and stats. Naoe focuses on stealth skills, while Yasuke excels at combat.

The game has a vast open world to explore, and Ubisoft says players can expect a variety of landscapes that have evolving weather and seasons. There will be castle towns, bustling ports, pastoral landscapes, and peaceful shrines.

As with past Assassin's Creed games, players will need to hunt down targets and build spy networks, with the game featuring a customizable hideout and recruitable allies.

The standard version of the game will be priced at $70, but there are more expensive Gold, Ultimate, and Collector's Edition options that include additional unlocks and merchandise. Pre-orders are available from the Mac App Store starting today.
This article, "Assassin's Creed Shadows Coming to Apple Silicon Macs in November" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple's previous generation M1 iPad Air has dropped further in price this week on Amazon, now available at $399.00 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model, down from $599.00. These price drops follow just one week after Apple unveiled the new M2 iPad Air.

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.

You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi M1 iPad Air on sale for $599.00, down from $749.00. Both of these deals are new all-time low prices on the 2022 tablet, and right now only Amazon has the discounts.




Additionally, both cellular models are on sale right now on Amazon. The 64GB cellular model has hit $599.00, down from $749.00, while the 256GB cellular model is available for $749.00, down from $899.00. Stock on the cellular models is far more sparse compared to the Wi-Fi tablets, so be sure to order soon if you're interested.

There are numerous differences between the M1 and M2 iPad Air, mainly including display sizes and the various internal upgrades that the M2 chip introduced in the 2024 models. Our buyer's guide has a more detailed breakdown of these two iPad Air models and should help make any buying decision a bit easier.

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
This article, "Amazon Takes Up to $200 Off M1 iPad Air With New Record Low Prices" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple discontinued the ninth-generation iPad with a Lightning port last week, meaning that its entire iPad lineup now uses USB-C. However, the company still sells a handful of devices and accessories with Lightning for now.


The list of products that Apple still sells with a Lightning port or connector includes some older iPhone models, the standard AirPods, the over-ear AirPods Max, the first-generation Apple Pencil, and a trio of Magic accessories for the Mac:

• iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE


• Second-generation and third-generation AirPods


• AirPods Max


• First-generation Apple Pencil


• Magic Keyboard


• Magic Mouse


• Magic Trackpad

Apple has been gradually switching most of its products to USB-C, including the entire iPhone 15 series and the second-generation AirPods Pro last year, and AirPods Max with a USB-C port are rumored to launch later this year. Apple also discontinued the MagSafe Battery Pack and the MagSafe Duo Charger, which charge via Lightning.

Apple first introduced the Lightning port on the iPhone 5 in 2012.
This article, "Apple Still Sells These Devices With Lightning After Discontinuing iPad 9" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Today is the official launch day of the new iPad Pro models, and these updated tablets mark the biggest feature and design refresh that we've seen for the ‌iPad Pro‌ in several years. We picked up one of the new 13-inch models to check out everything new.


When it comes to design, Apple is still offering 11-inch and 13-inch size options and the look hasn't changed a whole lot, but the bezels are slimmer and the iPads themselves are super thin. The 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ is the thinnest device Apple has made to date at 5.1mm, while the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ is 5.3mm.

With the 13-inch model weighing in just over a pound, the decrease in weight and size is noticeable and makes it feel much more portable. The 11-inch model is under a pound, so it's even easier to carry around. This is a design change that you'll feel if you've used a 2018 or later ‌iPad Pro‌.

The OLED display is, unsurprisingly, super nice. It's bright, the colors are vibrant, the blacks are incredibly black, and the contrast is much improved. The mini-LED display of the prior-generation 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ was good, but this is better. Still, if you have that one, it's probably not worth upgrading for OLED. Nano-texture, an add-on option for higher-end models, cuts down on glare, but it also diminishes the OLED display a bit because of the matte finish.

Apple moved the camera to the landscape edge of the ‌iPad Pro‌, which makes a lot of sense because most people are probably using it in that orientation. Video calls no longer require turning the iPad into an awkward position if you have a keyboard attached. Note that Apple did pull the Ultra Wide camera, so there's just a single Wide lens and a LiDAR sensor.

The M4 chip is incredibly fast, fast enough that it's likely most people purchasing an ‌iPad Pro‌ aren't going to be able to take full advantage of its capabilities. It's going to be hard to max this chip out, and it'll handle audio and video editing with ease. Apple is focusing heavily on AI with its new operating system updates, so those AI will be able to take advantage of that processing power, and it'll come in handy for future proofing.

If you want to use the ‌iPad Pro‌ for anything that involves typing, the Magic Keyboard is a must. It's priced starting at $299, but it's thin, light weight, and the aluminum hand rest makes it feel Mac-like. It's got good key travel and the glass trackpad is a major improvement.

For Apple Pencil users, the ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro's haptic feedback is the most noticeable change. With the squeeze gesture, you can swap tools more quickly and have more feedback when creating sketches and art. Barrel roll also lets you use the ‌Apple Pencil‌ more like an actual writing or drawing implement. The ‌Apple Pencil‌ charges magnetically, and pairs automatically, like prior versions.

The only real downside to the ‌iPad Pro‌ is the software that it's running. iPadOS is still so limited compared to macOS, especially for multitasking and app functionality. Federico Viticci's recent writeup on the iPadOS basics that Apple gets wrong is well worth a read. Still, there are some workflows that are adaptable to the ‌iPad Pro‌, and it's a great portable machine. If you're a person who can make use of a tablet, this is the best one you can get.
This article, "Hands-On With the New M4 OLED iPad Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

One of the new iOS 18 accessibility features that Apple previewed today is a Reader Mode in the Magnifier app, which will convert words in images to uniform lines of text. Apple did not provide any specific details about the feature, but it shared a screenshot showing that users will be able to change the font and have the text read aloud.


Apple also revealed that iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to easily launch the Magnifier app's Detection Mode with the Action button, which debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro models and is rumored to expand to the entire iPhone 16 lineup later this year. Detection Mode can identify and read aloud all text within an iPhone camera's field of view.

It is already possible to set the Action button to open the Magnifier app in general, so this will be an expansion of the app's integration with the button.

iOS 18 is expected to be unveiled at Apple's developers conference WWDC on June 10, and the update should be widely released in September.
This article, "Apple Previews iOS 18's Upgraded Magnifier App With New Reader Mode" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today previewed new accessibility features coming with iOS 18 later this year, and this includes some new options for CarPlay.


Apple highlighted three new features coming to CarPlay:

• Voice Control: This feature will allow users to navigate CarPlay and control apps with just their voice.


• Color Filters: This feature will make the CarPlay interface visually easier to use for individuals with color blindness.


• Sound Recognition: This feature will enable drivers or passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing to receive notifications on CarPlay for driving-related sounds, such as car horns and sirens.

All three of these features are already available on the iPhone and iPad.

iOS 18 is expected to be unveiled at Apple's developers conference WWDC on June 10, and the update should be widely released in September.
This article, "Apple Previews Three New CarPlay Features Coming With iOS 18" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today announced new accessibility features coming to its devices later this year, and one feature in particular that is likely to have widespread appeal among vehicle passengers is Vehicle Motion Cues, which aims to prevent motion sickness when looking at an iPhone or iPad.


According to Apple, research shows that motion sickness is commonly caused by a sensory conflict between what a person sees and what they feel, which can prevent some users from comfortably using ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ while riding in a moving vehicle.

Vehicle Motion Cues are designed to avoid this sensory conflict with the use of visual elements on the display that indicate real-time changes in motion. Apple explains:

With Vehicle Motion Cues, animated dots on the edges of the screen represent changes in vehicle motion to help reduce sensory conflict without interfering with the main content. Using sensors built into iPhone and iPad, Vehicle Motion Cues recognises when a user is in a moving vehicle and responds accordingly. The feature can be set to show automatically on iPhone, or can be turned on and off in Control Center.

In addition to Vehicle Motion Cues, Apple is also set to introduce an eye tracking feature that will let users navigate their ‌iPad‌ and ‌iPhone‌ with just their eyes. It will also debut CarPlay voice control and new Music Haptics later this year. The latter uses the Taptic Engine in the ‌iPhone‌ to play taps, textures, and refined vibrations to the audio of the music, allowing users who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience music. The new features are expected to arrive as part of iOS 18, which is likely to be released in September.
This article, "Apple to Reduce Motion Sickness With Vehicle Motion Cues on iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today previewed many new accessibility features coming later this year with software updates like iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, and visionOS 2. The announcement comes one day ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day.


The key new accessibility features for the iPhone and/or iPad will include:

• Eye Tracking


• Music Haptics


• Vocal Shortcuts


• Vehicle Motion Cues

Mac users will gain the ability to customize VoiceOver keyboard shortcuts, and Mandarin support for Personal Voice, while the Vision Pro will get systemwide Live Captions, Reduce Transparency, Smart Invert, and Dim Flashing Lights.

Eye Tracking

Apple says Eye Tracking on the iPhone and iPad will allow users to navigate system interfaces and apps with just their eyes:

Powered by artificial intelligence, Eye Tracking gives users a built-in option for navigating iPad and iPhone with just their eyes. Designed for users with physical disabilities, Eye Tracking uses the front-facing camera to set up and calibrate in seconds, and with on-device machine learning, all data used to set up and control this feature is kept securely on device, and isn't shared with Apple.

Eye Tracking works across iPadOS and iOS apps, and doesn't require additional hardware or accessories. With Eye Tracking, users can navigate through the elements of an app and use Dwell Control to activate each element, accessing additional functions such as physical buttons, swipes, and other gestures solely with their eyes.

Music Haptics

When this feature is turned on, the iPhone's Taptic Engine will play "taps, textures, and refined vibrations" that correspond with the audio of the music:

Music Haptics is a new way for users who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience music on iPhone. With this accessibility feature turned on, the Taptic Engine in iPhone plays taps, textures, and refined vibrations to the audio of the music. Music Haptics works across millions of songs in the Apple Music catalog, and will be available as an API for developers to make music more accessible in their apps.

Vocal Shortcuts

Vocal Shortcuts will allow iPhone and iPad users to assign "custom utterances" that Siri can understand to "launch shortcuts and complete complex tasks."

Vehicle Motion Cues

This feature is designed to reduce motion sickness while looking at an iPhone or iPad's screen in a moving vehicle:

With Vehicle Motion Cues, animated dots on the edges of the screen represent changes in vehicle motion to help reduce sensory conflict without interfering with the main content. Using sensors built into iPhone and iPad, Vehicle Motion Cues recognizes when a user is in a moving vehicle and responds accordingly. The feature can be set to show automatically on iPhone, or can be turned on and off in Control Center.

Read our standalone coverage of this feature to learn more.

CarPlay

CarPlay will be gaining Voice Control, Color Filters, and Sound Recognition.

Sound Recognition on CarPlay will allow drivers or passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing to turn on alerts to be notified of car horns and sirens.

Live Captions on Vision Pro

visionOS 2 will support Live Captions, allowing users who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow along with spoken dialogue in live conversations and in audio from apps.

More Features

Apple outlined many more accessibility features coming to its platforms later this year:

- For users who are blind or have low vision, VoiceOver will include new voices, a flexible Voice Rotor, custom volume control, and the ability to customize VoiceOver keyboard shortcuts on Mac.
- Magnifier will offer a new Reader Mode and the option to easily launch Detection Mode with the Action button.
- Braille users will get a new way to start and stay in Braille Screen Input for faster control and text editing; Japanese language availability for Braille Screen Input; support for multi-line braille with Dot Pad; and the option to choose different input and output tables.
- For users with low vision, Hover Typing shows larger text when typing in a text field, and in a user’s preferred font and color.
- For users at risk of losing their ability to speak, Personal Voice will be available in Mandarin Chinese. Users who have difficulty pronouncing or reading full sentences will be able to create a Personal Voice using shortened phrases.
- For users who are nonspeaking, Live Speech will include categories and simultaneous compatibility with Live Captions.
- For users with physical disabilities, Virtual Trackpad for AssistiveTouch allows users to control their device using a small region of the screen as a resizable trackpad.
- Switch Control will include the option to use the cameras in iPhone and iPad to recognize finger-tap gestures as switches.
- Voice Control will offer support for custom vocabularies and complex words.

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 18 and more at its developers conference WWDC on June 10, and the software updates will be widely released later this year.
This article, "Apple Announces iOS 18 Accessibility Features, Including Eye Tracking" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

VMware has announced that its Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro virtualization software is now free for personal use. For those unfamiliar with Fusion, it is designed to allow Mac users to operate virtual machines to run non-macOS operating systems like Windows 11.


The decision to make the software free was made by Broadcom, which acquired VMware in November 2023. In a blog post announcing the change, Broadcom said the move was part of a plan to simplify how the company brings VMware apps to market:

Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro will now have two license models. We now provide a Free Personal Use or a Paid Commercial Use subscription for our Pro apps. Users will decide based on their use case whether a commercial subscription is required.

This means that everyday users who want a virtual lab on their Mac, Windows or Linux computer can do so for free simply by registering and downloading the bits from the new download portal located at support.broadcom.com.

Broadcom also said it had discontinued Workstation Player and Fusion Player, although existing customers can upgrade to the more feature-packed Pro version at no extra cost. Meanwhile, VMware Player will remain bundled with Workstation Pro.

Broadcom said that customers who use Fusion and Workstation at/for work will still require a paid commercial subscription, which can be purchased through an authorized Broadcom Advantage partner. For more information, see the VMware website.
This article, "VMware Fusion Pro 13 Now Freely Available for Personal Use" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

There are concerning reports on Reddit that Apple's latest iOS 17.5 update has introduced a bug that causes old photos that were deleted – in some cases years ago – to reappear in users' photo libraries.


After updating their iPhone, one user said they were shocked to find old NSFW photos that they deleted in 2021 suddenly showing up in photos marked as recently uploaded to iCloud. Other users have also chimed in with similar stories. "Same here," said one Redditor. "I have four pics from 2010 that keep reappearing as the latest pics uploaded to iCloud. I have deleted them repeatedly."

"Same thing happened to me," replied another user. "Six photos from different times, all I have deleted. Some I had deleted in 2023." More reports have been trickling in overnight. One said: "I had a random photo from a concert taken on my Canon camera reappear in my phone library, and it showed up as if it was added today."

It's not clear what's happening, but given that some of the photos were apparently taken years ago, this cannot be an issue with recently deleted photos being undeleted. In Apple's Photos app, deleted photos and videos are kept in the Recently Deleted album for 30 days, so that users can recover or permanently remove them from all devices.

The reports could be down to an indexing bug, photo library corruption, or a syncing issue between local devices and iCloud Photos. Another possibility is that in attempting to fix a photo syncing bug that occurred in iOS 17.3, Apple has inadvertently caused a new syncing issue to occur that may involve iCloud backups. Some users running iOS 17.5 developer beta 4 earlier reported similar experiences. We'll update this article when we learn more.
This article, "Troubling iOS 17.5 Bug Reportedly Resurfacing Old Deleted Photos" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple's new M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air models feature a battery health setting that is new to iPads and when enabled prevents the devices from charging beyond 80% at all times, which can extend battery lifespan.


When the 80% hard limit is enabled, the iPad will never charge beyond that percentage, except on rare occasions to "maintain accurate battery state-of-charge estimates," according to Apple. Apple says reducing the time that a battery is fully charged can reduce the wear on the battery and improve its lifespan.

From Apple's support document:

Reducing the time that your iPad spends fully charged reduces the wear on your battery. With iPad Pro (M4) and iPad Air (M2), you can choose to limit charging at 80 percent, which can help prolong your battery's lifespan. When you choose 80% Limit, your iPad will charge up to about 80 percent and then stop charging. If the battery charge level gets down to 75 percent, charging will resume until your battery charge level reaches about 80 percent again.

How to Set an 80% iPad Battery Charge Limit

1. Open the Settings app on your M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ or ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Air‌.


2. Tap Battery ➝ Battery Health.
   
3. Tap the switch next to 80% Limit to turn on the feature.

Note that from the new Battery Health settings menu you can also view the manufacture date of your ‌iPad‌'s battery, as well as the month and year on which it was first used.

On M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Air‌ models, you can also find out the cycle count of your device's battery. To learn why this matters, be sure to check out our dedicated how-to article.
This article, "Extend M4 iPad Pro Battery Lifespan With This New Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Starting today, Apple's new M2 iPad Air and M4 iPad Pro models are available for same-day or next-day pickup at Apple Stores, with no pre-order required. Online orders are also beginning to arrive to customers today.


Customers across the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and other regions can now place an order on Apple's website or in the Apple Store app and arrange for in-store pickup at a local retail location.

To order a product with ‌Apple Store‌ pickup, add the product to your bag on Apple.com, proceed to checkout, select the "I'll pick it up" option, enter your ZIP code, choose an available ‌Apple Store‌ location, and select a pickup date. Payment is completed online, and a valid government-issued photo ID and the order number may be required upon pickup.

The new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro and is Apple's highest-end tablet, featuring the same M-series chips Apple uses for Macs. The latest iPad Pro models feature the M4 chip, a super slim design, Thunderbolt support, Face ID, up to 2TB storage, and OLED display technology.

Pricing on the 11-inch OLED iPad Pro starts at $999 with 256GB of storage, and pricing on the 13-inch OLED iPad starts at $1,299.

For those looking for an iPad Pro size that's more affordable, Apple also launched a new iPad Air in the same 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, but the iPad Air is thicker and heavier, lacks an OLED display, uses Touch ID instead of Face ID, and has an M2 chip instead of an M4 chip.

Pricing starts at $599 for the 11-inch iPad Air with 128 GB of storage, while pricing starts at $799 for the 13-inch model.
This article, "M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air Models Now Available for Same-Day Pickup" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

It's already Wednesday, May 15 in Australia and New Zealand, so customers who pre-ordered one of the new M4 iPad Pro or M2 iPad Air models are starting to receive their devices.


The new iPads were introduced last week, with the ‌iPad Pro‌ featuring OLED display technology, a next-generation M4 chip, and a thin and light design that makes it even thinner and lighter than the iPad "Air." Meanwhile, the ‌iPad Air‌ has the ‌M2‌ chip that was previously in the ‌iPad Pro‌, providing a nice upgrade over the M1, and Apple has also introduced a new 13-inch display size so you can get the Air in two sizes much like the Pro, but it's just an LCD display rather than an OLED display.

• iPad Air vs. iPad Pro Buyer's Guide: 30+ Differences Compared

Apple also launched a new Magic Keyboard for the ‌iPad Pro‌ with a larger glass trackpad, a function row of keys, and an aluminum palm rest that makes it look more like a MacBook than ever, plus there's an Apple Pencil Pro that works with both the ‌iPad Air‌ and ‌iPad Pro‌ models.

New Zealand doesn't have Apple retail locations, but stores in Australia will have the new ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌iPad Air‌ models available for purchase. The ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌iPad Air‌ didn't sell out and should be readily available, but there is a wait online for the nano-texture glass option on higher-capacity 1TB and 2TB ‌iPad Pro‌ models.

Following New Zealand and Australia, sales and deliveries of the new iPads will kick off in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and finally, North America.

Pricing on the ‌iPad Air‌ starts at $599, while pricing on the ‌iPad Pro‌ starts at $999. The Magic Keyboard is priced starting at $299, while the ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro is $129.

Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors because we'll have a hands-on review of the new ‌iPad Pro‌ tomorrow morning.
This article, "M4 iPad Pro Models Start Arriving to Customers in New Zealand and Australia" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Google today announced several new AI features that it is building into the Android 15 operating system, giving us some insight into what Apple's iPhone operating system will be competing with later this year.


According to Google, Android has been designed with AI at its core, and Gemini is a foundational part of the Android experience that works at the system level. There is an AI powered search bar that can be used for answering queries and looking up information, and the Circle to Search feature can be used for solving math and physics problems or getting homework help as of today.

Gemini serves as the AI assistant on Android instead of Google Assistant, and the Gemini AI will be able to be brought up as an overlay on any app that's in use. Gemini is context aware and can anticipate what the smartphone user is doing and provide context in the moment. It can create images for texts and social media, or answer questions about a video that's being watched. It can parse PDFs, websites, and other content, providing summaries and translating.

Google is using on-device AI for some features in order to keep sensitive data private, and this is also Apple's plan. Multiple rumors have suggested that many of Apple's first AI features will run on-device rather than through a cloud server.

Gemini Nano, Google's on-device AI, currently does things like generate smart replies in messaging apps and summarize voice memos. Gemini Nano with Multimodality is coming to Pixel phones later this year, enabling new on-device AI features like TalkBack, which can help blind and low-vision users better interpret the world around them. Google is also developing a call screening feature that actively listens to calls and lets users know if it sounds like a scam.

Google today also announced Gemini 1.5 Flash, a lightweight version of its Gemini Pro AI model. Gemini Flash is more efficient, less expensive, and has lower latency, which makes it ideal for large scale rollouts. Google says that Gemini 1.5 Flash is able to deliver "impressive quality" for its size, excelling at summarization, chat applications, image and video captioning, and data extraction from long documents.

Gemini 1.5 Pro has also been improved and it is able to follow increasingly complex and nuanced instructions, including parsing documents up to 1,500 pages long or an hour of video content. Gemini can be interacted with in Google Messages, and Gemini Advanced subscribers will be able to experience a new mobile conversational experience that makes speaking with Gemini more intuitive. Customized versions of Gemini called Gems are also available to subscribers, for personalized assistants that can help with workouts, provide recipes, and more, with specific personalities.

Project Astra, another Google effort, focuses on AI agents that can be helpful in everyday life. Google demoed prototype agents able to identify objects, provide context on information from the camera, and recall a timeline of events for finding a lost item.


Google plans to provide more information on new features coming to Android 15 later this week.
This article, "Latest Version of Android Has Gemini AI at Its Core" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

The Apple Vision Pro has shown up in China's product regulatory database as Apple prepares to bring the headset to additional countries sometime in the near future. Both the Vision Pro (A2117) and its Battery Pack (A2697) have shown up in the Chinese database, indicating that a launch in China could be coming soon.


Bloomberg said yesterday that Apple is planning to introduce the Vision Pro in a number of additional countries following the Worldwide Developers Conference, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed in February that Vision Pro sales would expand to more countries before WWDC rather than after.

MacRumors has previously found evidence in Apple's backend code that Vision Pro would expand to Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, and it appears that information was correct as retail employees from these countries have been visiting Apple's Cupertino headquarters for Vision Pro training in recent days.

When the Vision Pro launched in the United States in February, Apple said that it would bring the device to additional countries "later this year," but the company did not provide a list of countries, timing, or pricing.
This article, "Vision Pro Appears in Chinese Regulatory Database Before Expansion to New Countries" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today shared its fourth annual fraud prevention analysis, providing insight into how the App Store's rules protect users from fraudulent apps and other security issues.


Apple says that it prevented over $1.8 billion in fraudulent transactions in 2023 alone, and $7 billion during the period from 2020 to 2023. Apple blocked more than 14 million stolen credit cards and banned more than 3.3 million accounts from further transactions.

Over 1.7 million apps were rejected in 2023 for not meeting Apple's standards for privacy, security, and content. 118,000 developer accounts were terminated, down from 428,000 last year. The drop came from new efforts to prevent the creation of fraudulent accounts in the first place, plus more than 91,000 developer enrollments were rejected for fraud concerns.

More than 153 million fraudulent customer accounts were blocked, and close to 374 million developer and customer accounts were terminated. Apple says that it detected and blocked 47,000 illegitimate apps on pirate storefronts, and stopped almost 3.8 million attempts to install or launch apps that were illicitly distributed through the Enterprise Program.

The app review team reviewed 6.9 million app submissions in 2023, and helped 192,000 developers publish their first apps on the ‌App Store‌. Apple says that there has been an uptick in apps that misrepresented themselves as non-harmful products and later transformed into pirate movie streaming platforms or illegal gambling apps, which the ‌App Store‌ team has worked to block.

Some financial service apps involved in "complex and malicious" social engineering efforts to defraud users were identified and removed, and Apple says a total of 40,000 apps were pulled for bait and switch activity. Another 38,000 apps were rejected for undocumented or hidden features, and 375,000 apps were rejected for privacy violations.

Apple's report comes following changes in the European Union that have allowed for apps to be installed outside of the ‌App Store‌, skirting some of the app review process. Apps distributed from alternative app marketplaces or websites must undergo a safety notarization process, but Apple does not check for content. Apple has claimed that downloading apps outside of the ‌App Store‌ will put users at risk for scams, fraud, and privacy issues.
This article, "Apple Says It Stopped $7 Billion in Fraudulent Transactions in Last 4 Years" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums