Tech Talk

Sonos today announced the launch of the Sonos Ace, the company's long-rumored over-ear headphones that are designed to compete with the AirPods Max . We were able to spend some time with the Sonos Ace last week, getting a firsthand look at the design and sound quality. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Compared to the ‌AirPods Max‌, the Sonos Ace headphones are lighter weight and don't exert as much pressure on the side of the head. Sonos designed the ear cups from a soft memory foam that's wrapped in vegan leather, and the cups are designed to create a seal around the ears without catching on hair. The cup material isn't quite as premium looking as the aluminum of the ‌AirPods Max‌, and the Sonos Ace has a more traditional headband compared to Apple's version. There's a subtle logo on the right side of the Ace, and a set of buttons. The main button can be used for changing volume and controlling music playback, while the button

Apple is challenging a $1.95 billion fine imposed by the European Commission for thwarting fair competition from music-streaming rivals, including Spotify (via Bloomberg ). The Commission fined Apple in March , saying that the company abused its dominant position in the market by forbidding music streaming apps to tell users about cheaper subscription prices outside the app. The EU crackdown also mandated that Apple "remove anti-steering provisions" for music apps in the European Economic Area (EEA). Apple subsequently updated its App Store rules to let music apps in the EEA inform users of other ways to purchase digital music content or services and to add website links for purchasing digital music subscriptions. Apple has reportedly filed a suit at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg to challenge the March decision. The Commission told reporters it is ready to defend its decision in court. When the fine was issued, Apple said the decision was reached "d

Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max will boast a bigger main camera sensor while both iPhone 16 Pro models will feature a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera for the first time, claims a rumor coming out of Asia. According to Weibo user OvO Baby Sauce OvO , the main camera of the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be based on an advanced custom 48-megapixel Sony IMX903 sensor. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Pro will use the same 48-megapixel custom Sony IMX803 sensor as that found on the current iPhone 15 Pro models. The leaker also claims that this year's iPhone 16 Pro models will feature an upgraded Ultra Wide camera with a 48-megapixel sensor, allowing it to capture more light and result in better photos when shooting in 0.5x mode, especially in low-light conditions. The Ultra Wide lens on the current iPhone 15 Pro models is 12-megapixels. This is the second time we have heard rumors that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature a more advanced main camera sensor. The claim was first made in January by

Microsoft is going all in on AI, today introducing a series of Copilot+ PCs that have AI-focused hardware. The new Surface Pro is one of the first Copilot+ PCs, equipped with Qualcomm's Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite processor. Microsoft is already pitting the Surface Pro against Apple's M3 MacBook Air , and in marketing materials, claims that the Surface Pro has superior processing power and battery life. Compared to the 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, the Surface Pro and other Copilot+ PCs with 12-core and 10-core processors offer 58 percent better sustained multithreaded performance (based on Cinebench benchmarks). As for battery life, Copilot+ PCs support up to 15 hours of web browsing or 22 hours of local video playback. The ‌MacBook Air‌ models offer the same 15 hours of wireless web browsing, but only 18 hours of local video playback. According to The Verge , Microsoft's demonstrations for media included several comparisons of the Surfac

Samsung is hosting new "Discover Samsung" sale this week, which includes discounts on multiple product lines sitewide. The popular ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor and Smart Monitor M8 are both discounted during this sale, but you'll also find sales on storage, audio, TVs, smartphones, and home appliances. 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. As with previous sales, the highlight of the new event is the 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor for $899.99 , down from $1,599.99. At $700 off this is an all-time low price on the 2023 display, which has a matte display, modular 4K SlimFit camera, and support for Thunderbolt 4. $700 OFF 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor for $899.99 Samsung's 27-inch Smart Monitor M8 is also being discounted during this sale, available for $349.99 in Warm White, down from $699.99. This is a 4K sma

Apple has launched another round of steep discounts on iPhone 15 models in mainland China, in a bid to boost sales in its biggest smartphone market and counter a strong showing by Huawei. The discounts run from May 20 to May 28 and are steeper than the price cuts that Apple introduced in February . For example, on its official store on Alibaba Group's Tmall site, Apple is offering discounts of up to 2,300 yuan ($318) on select models. A top-of-the-line 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max can now be bought for 7,949 yuan ($1,199), compared to its 9,999 yuan price tag when the device was released in September. Meanwhile, an entry-level 128GB ‌iPhone 15‌ model is currently being offered at the discounted price of 4,599 yuan ($636), down from its previous price of 5,999 yuan. Apple has become dependent on discounts to shift ‌mid-cycle ‌iPhone 15‌‌ stock, with strong competition from Huawei's latest high-end series of Pura 70 phones said to be partly behind the most recent drop in s

Apple is targeting a sub-$500 starting price for its upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE model despite a raft of rumored upgrades coming to the more affordable device. According to leaker Revegnus on X , the U.S. launch price of the fourth-generation iPhone SE will either remain at the same $429 starting price as the current model, or will see an increase of around 10%. Either way, Apple's intention is to keep the price below $500. Last week, The Information reported that Apple plans to release a redesigned iPhone SE in the spring of 2025 that will remain the "cheaper" option in Apple's iPhone lineup. The design is said to be similar to the standard iPhone 14, which means Touch ID and the Home button will be replaced by Face ID and a display notch. Along the same lines, the iPhone SE 4 could have an OLED display rather than LCD, and the display size will increase from 4.7 inches to 6.1 inches. Other rumored features for the next iPhone SE include a USB-C por

Apple is poised to unveil an auto-summarization feature for notifications as part of a series of new artificial intelligence features in iOS 18 , according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . In today's edition of his "Power On" newsletter , Gurman provided more detail about what to expect from Apple's first major move into generative AI at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference: As part of the changes, the company will improve Siri's voice capabilities, giving it a more conversational feel, and add features that help users with their day-to-day lives — an approach it calls "proactive intelligence." That includes services like auto-summarizing notifications from your iPhone, giving a quick synopsis of news articles and transcribing voice memos, as well as improving existing features that auto-populate your calendar and suggest apps. There will also be some enhancements to photos in the form of AI-based editing, but none of those features will im

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today outlined his expectations for the iPhone 16 lineup's color options, revealing that two new colors should replace two of the existing shades. Kuo outlined his expectations in a post on X (formerly Twitter) earlier today. He believes that the iPhone 16 Pro and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max will be available in black, white or silver, gray or "Natural Titanium," and rose. This effectively means that the iPhone 15 Pro 's Blue Titanium option will be discontinued and replaced with a new rose color. This mirrors an earlier rumor originating in China, which claimed that the existing Blue Titanium color will be dropped from the ‌‌iPhone 16 Pro‌‌ lineup in favor of a new "rose" titanium color. On the other hand, the ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus will apparently be offered in black, green, pink, blue, and white. The iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus are available in black, green, pink, blue, and yellow. This means that white will repl

Apple's next-generation AirTag item tracker is on track to launch in mid-2025, Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman reports. In his latest "Power On" newsletter , Gurman discussed Apple's work on the next-generation version of the ‌AirTag‌, codenamed "B589." Apple is currently completing manufacturing tests with partners in Asia and the new item tracker is still timetabled to launch around the middle of next year. The new model will apparently feature an upgraded chip and enhanced location tracking capabilities. In October 2023, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said mass production of the second-generation ‌AirTag‌ had been postponed from the fourth quarter of 2024 until some point in 2025 . He believes the new ‌AirTag‌ will have some kind of integration with Apple's Vision Pro headset , but he has not shared any more specific details. See our AirTag 2 guide for more information. Tags: Bloomberg , Mark Gurman , AirTag This article, " AirTag With New Ch

Apple will not refresh the Mac Studio and Mac Pro with next-generation high-end chips until the middle of 2025, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter , Gurman said that Apple's current schedule does not include the launch of new ‌Mac Studio‌ and ‌Mac Pro‌ models until the middle of next year. Apple last updated the ‌Mac Studio‌ and ‌Mac Pro‌ with M2-series chips at WWDC in 2023, meaning that they could go around 24 months without an update, even though the iPad Pro now contains the M4 chip. All other Macs with the exception of the MacBook Air should be available with the M4 chip by the end of 2024, but Gurman does not anticipate any new models being unveiled at WWDC in June. More to follow... Related Roundups: Mac Studio , Mac Pro Tags: Bloomberg , Mark Gurman Buyer's Guide: Mac Studio (Caution) , Mac Pro (Neutral) Related Forums: Mac Studio , Mac Pro This article, " Gurman: No New Mac Stud

Apple for a limited time will increase the trade-in value for older iPhones when customers buy any iPhone 15 model in the U.S. and Canada. Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman reports that Apple will soon boost the credit paid for older iPhones when customers buy an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. The offer does not apply to other devices in Apple's smartphone lineup, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE (4th generation). Gurman did not mention the new values of old iPhones in its trade-in program, only that they will increase as of Monday, May 20, with the offer continuing through to Monday, June 3. Apple currently offers the following credit values for older iPhones as part of its trade-in program: iPhone SE (3rd generation): Up to $160 iPhone 13 mini: Up to $270 iPhone 13: Up to $300 iPhone 13 Pro: Up to $370 iPhone 13 Pro Max: Up to $450 iPhone 14: Up to $370 iPhone 14 Plus: Up to $420 iPhone 14 Pro: Up to $520 iP

The Information today reported that Apple plans to release an all-new, high-end iPhone 17 model next year, and there was one detail that is worth singling out: the rear cameras could be relocated to the "top center" of the device. Google's Pixel 8 Pro The rear camera system on the iPhone has been positioned in the top-left corner of the device since the original 2007 model, so the cameras being moved to the top center of the device would be a notable change. Some popular Android smartphones have rear cameras positioned towards the top center, such as Google's Pixel 8 Pro. The report said the new iPhone 17 model will feature a "major redesign" akin to the iPhone X, so it sounds like Apple has big plans for this device. With the report claiming the device could have a higher price tag than the Pro Max model, which starts at $1,199, perhaps it will end up being the "iPhone Ultra" that has been rumored for a few years. Here is everything that

It has been over two years since Apple released the third-generation iPhone SE, and rumors continue to surface about a new model. The latest word comes from The Information , which today reported that Apple plans to release a new iPhone SE with a similar design as the standard iPhone 14 in the spring of 2025. If this rumor is accurate, the iPhone SE would finally gain Face ID and a notch instead of Touch ID and a Home button, along with a larger 6.1-inch display. Other rumored features for the next iPhone SE include a USB-C port and an Action button . The report said the new iPhone SE will remain a "cheaper" option in the iPhone lineup, as expected. The current iPhone SE starts at $429 in the U.S. with 64GB of storage, with other key features including a 4.7-inch display, A15 Bionic chip, 5G support, a single 12-megapixel rear camera, and a Lightning port. Keep track of our iPhone SE roundup for the latest rumors. Related Roundup: iPhone SE Buyer's Guide: iPhone

Threads is working on a new web view that features the option to pin customized columns, similar to the TweetDeck feature that used to be available on Twitter. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared an image of the new web option, which he said is currently being tested. The screenshot shows several custom columns, including a "For you" and several topic-based columns. Favorite searches, topics/keywords, accounts, saved posts, and notifications can be pinned at the current time, and there is an auto-refresh option to keep columns up to date with the newest posts. Twitter, now renamed to X, has a similar "X Pro" feature that has the same format as the former TweetDeck option, but it requires an $8/month subscription to access. The Threads version would be free, and it could replicate much of the functionality that Twitter used to offer. A column-based web view that's customizable could encourage more users to adopt Threads, and it prevents Threads users from bei

The iMessage service that Apple users to send messages to one another appears to be down for some users, and messages are failing to go out or are taking an extra long time to send. There are numerous reports about the issue on social networks and a spike of outage reports on Down Detector , but Apple's System Status page is not yet reporting an outage. This article, " iMessage Down for Some Users " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums Source: TechRadar

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-

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 withou

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. $200 OFF 64GB Wi-Fi M1 iPad Air for $399.00 $150 OFF 256GB Wi-Fi M1 iPad Air for $599.00 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 tablet

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 cl

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

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 des

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

The M4 iPad Pro models are set to be delivered to customers starting on Wednesday, May 15, and ahead of that date, members of the media have shared their opinions on the device in official reviews. Written Reviews With M4 chips, OLED displays, and a thin and light design, the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models mark a significant upgrade over the prior-generation versions. M4 Chip Performance The ‌iPad Pro‌ is equipped with Apple's next-generation M4 chip, and as Engadget points out, it offers "more power than almost anyone buying an iPad will know what to do with." Gizmodo said the M4 "feels more like a fork of the M3 than real new hardware." As an example, an Octane X rendering test took 1 minute and 53 seconds with the M4, and the same test on a MacBook Air with M3 chip took 57 seconds. If I run Octane X on the latest MacBook Air 15 with the same amount of RAM as my review copy of the iPad Pro, it will run down the screw scene in about 57 seconds. There a

Apple last week updated the iPad Pro with the M4 chip , marking the first time that it introduced an M-series chip in an iPad instead of a Mac. However, the first Macs equipped with the M4 chip will allegedly be released in a matter of months. In his latest Power On newsletter on Sunday, Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman said the MacBook Pro and Mac mini will be updated with the M4 series of chips later this year. Specifically, he expects a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, and Mac mini models with M4 and M4 Pro chips. He expects the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro to be updated with M4-series chips throughout 2025, but he did not mention the iMac. Gurman had already shared a roadmap for M4 Macs , but he was more definitive this time with his claim that the first Macs with the M4 chip will be released later this year, rather than at some point between late 2024 and early 2025. October is a common month fo

Apple last week announced a new raft of iPad Pro and iPad Air models, but news about a new iPad mini was conspicuous by its absence. Apple has not updated the iPad mini since 2021, so it is certainly ripe for a refresh, but fans of the smaller 8.3-inch device will have to wait a while longer for a seventh-generation model, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter , Gurman cautioned his readers not to expect a new iPad mini model "until the end of this year at the earliest." In other words, don't get your hopes up for an iPad mini 7 announcement during Apple's upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Gurman expects the next iPad model to feature a newer processor, but few other changes. Other sources have claimed new camera upgrades could be included, as well as a potential fix for the " jelly scrolling " display behavior on the latest model. Gurman previously said that a new entry-level iPad mod

Gamma , a new emulator for playing classic PlayStation 1 games on iPhone and iPad, has just hit the App Store. Developed by Benjamin Stark, aka ZodTTD, Gamma features customizable onscreen controller skins, and includes support for Bluetooth controllers as well as wired and non-wired keyboards. Similar to the fantastically popular Delta emulator , the Gamma app uses third-party cloud syncing services for backing up game files and save states, and also downloads game cover artwork. Fortunately for PS1 fans, Gamma does not require BIOS files to run games, although some users have reported a few issues getting some ROMs to run smoothly, but bug fixes are likely coming soon. Stark is a veteran of the emulator field and has been making retro game emulators on mobile for over 15 years. It's worth noting that while Gamma is free to download and contains no iAPs (as per Apple's emulator rules ) its App Store page says that it collects identifiers that can be used to track you

If your iPhone regularly runs out of battery later in the day, Low Power Mode is one way to make it last longer. You can also make Low Power Mode automatically turn on when your battery reaches a certain custom level. Keep reading to learn how. Most ‌iPhone‌ users are familiar with the way iOS throws up a prompt to turn on Low Power Mode when the battery reaches 20%. Low Power Mode can also be turned on manually at any time by going to Settings -> Battery and toggling on the switch next to Low Power Mode . If you find yourself constantly having to turn on Low Power Mode late in the day, you can save some time by setting it up to run automatically when your battery is depleted to a specific custom level. This can be done in the Shortcuts app, as the following steps show. Bear in mind that Low Power Mode reduces your ‌iPhone‌'s performance and cuts out some background activities. For example, mail must be fetched manually, background app refresh is disabled, and motion an

Apple has closed in on a deal with OpenAI that should see ChatGPT being used to power new features in its next iPhone operating system, according to Bloomberg . In a report over the weekend, Bloomberg claimed that the two companies have been "finalizing terms for a pact to use ChatGPT features in Apple's iOS 18." How the popular chatbot would integrate with Apple's software is not yet known. The agreement would see ChatGPT become another tool in a range of AI features that Apple is expected to bring to iPhones. Apple is also said to be in ongoing talks with Google to license its Gemini chatbot, but those discussions have not reportedly led to an agreement. Apple is known to have been in talks with OpenAI since February . Apple at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference next month is expected to announce several AI features coming to iOS 18, which is said to be one of the biggest upgrades to the iPhone operating system in years. According to Haitong analy

This week's best deals included a wide variety of Apple products and related accessories, ranging from the brand new M4 iPad Pro to Samsung's ViewFinity S9 5K Display. 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. M4 iPad Pro What's the deal? Get $50 off M4 iPad Pro Where can I get it? Best Buy Where can I find the original deal? Right here Note: You need a My Best Buy Plus/Total membership to see these deals. $50 OFF M4 iPad Pro at Best Buy The most notable deal of the week appeared at Best Buy, which still has the new M4 iPad Pro on sale at $50 off for My Best Buy Plus/Total members. These iPad Pros were just announced this week, so this is the first pre-order discount we've seen on the tablets. Adobe What's the deal? Get 40% off Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Where can I get it? Adobe Where ca