Tech Talk

After over a year of reports, there are now more than a dozen specific rumors about the features and improvements set to be offered by the two non-Pro iPhone 16 models later in 2024. All of the changes the ‌iPhone 16‌ models are expected to feature compared to their direct forerunners are listed below, using information from a range of reliable sources that we have previously covered . We will update this article as more rumors emerge in the coming months. This guide focuses on the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 16‌, but to learn about how we are expecting the iPhone 16 Pro to improve on the iPhone 15 Pro , see our other comparison article . Design The ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus are expected to largely carry over the design of their predecessors, meaning that they will have the same dimensions. The most noticeable alteration that will denote the new models is said to be a vertical rear camera arrangement to facilitate spatial video capture, but the removal of the mute switch

Apple will debut a major revamp of the Calculator app in macOS 15 later this year, according to AppleInsider . The overhauled version of the Calculator app for Mac will reportedly feature: An enhanced unit conversion system located in the main user interface, including for currency conversion with up-to-date exchange rates. "Math Notes" to allow the Notes app to communicate with the Calculator app in mathematical notation, also coming to iOS 18 . A history tape in the sidebar to show previous calculations, likely accessible via a dedicated button on the top left, which also provides options to toggle between all three calculator views: Basic, scientific, and programmer. Adjustable window size across all three calculator views, with buttons that enlarge and change shape as needed. The redesigned app will apparently offer a new design inspired by its iPhone counterpart in iOS 18 , featuring rounded buttons. ‌macOS 15‌ is almost certain to be previewed alongsi

Best Buy today announced the launch of a new "Envision" app designed for the Apple Vision Pro headset. Envision is designed to allow Best Buy customers to explore different products and see how those products look in their own living spaces. According to Best Buy, the Envision app is meant to help consumers plan their "ultimate home technology setup." 3D models of Best Buy products are included, so users can see them from all angles and get an idea of the space they take up. The app includes big screen TVs, large and small appliances, computers, furniture, fitness equipment, and more. There are hundreds of items to scroll through and preview, along with access to product ratings and pricing. Listings can be opened up in Safari on the Vision Pro to make purchases on the Best Buy website. The Best Buy Envision app is available for free from the Vision Pro App Store . Tag: Best Buy This article, " Best Buy Launches Apple Vision Pro App for Previewing Te

Refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 units are now on sale in China – the first and only country in which the device is available refurbished directly from Apple. The refurbished models are discounted by approximately 15 percent compared to equivalent brand new configurations. Apple tests, inspects, cleans, and repackages all refurbished devices to ensure they are fully functional and in good condition, and they are covered by a one-year limited warranty and eligible for AppleCare + coverage. The ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ launched in September 2023, featuring the S9 chip, a brighter display, and the double-tap gesture. Apple is highly likely to soon begin selling refurbished ‌‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌‌ models in other countries now that it has started to do so in China, but it is unclear if availability will expand to the U.S. due to Apple's ongoing legal battle with medical tech company Masimo over the Blood Oxygen app. Related Roundup: Apple Watch Ultra 2 Tags: China , Apple Refurbish

Apple today announced that it has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than half since 2015, advancing towards its 2030 carbon neutrality goal. Apple's latest Environmental Progress Report details the company's efforts and innovations in clean energy, efficient recycling practices, and sustainable material usage that have contributed to this substantial decrease in emissions. According to the report, the major reduction has been driven by extensive use of clean energy, including the integration of recycled materials across Apple's product lines and improvements in energy efficiency throughout its global supply chain. Apple has fostered significant advances in recycling and material recovery as part of its broader environmental strategy for several years. The company has increased the use of recycled cobalt and lithium in its batteries, with last year's statistics showing that 56% of the cobalt and 24% of the lithium used were sourced from recycled materials.

As anticipation builds for Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 series, the rumor mill has highlighted some potential camera upgrades that could change how we use our iPhones for photography. The camera system has always been a cornerstone of Apple's iPhone, and this year Apple appears set to push the envelope even further. As the iPhone 16 launch in September approaches, all eyes will be on how the following changes might maintain Apple's competitive edge in an increasingly crowded market. 1. Vertical Camera Layout iPhone 16 & iPhone 16 Plus Apple's iPhone 16 base models will feature a vertical camera arrangement with a pill-shaped raised surface, instead of a diagonal camera arrangement like the iPhone 15. The new camera bump features two separate camera rings for the Wide and Ultrawide cameras. The vertical camera layout is expected to enable Spatial Video recording, which is currently limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models. 2. Ultra Wide Lens Upgrade iPhone 16

Apple has announced over $250 million of investment to enhance its campus in Singapore's Ang Mo Kio district, where it has earmarked new roles in artificial intelligence and other key functions. Apple is framing the initiative as a continuation of Apple's long-standing engagement in the region, which started in 1981 with a small team of 72 employees focusing on the Apple II. Today, the Singapore campus serves as a central hub for Apple in Asia, with a workforce of more than 3,600 contributing across all company functions including software, hardware, services, and customer support. The country is also home to three Apple Store locations. "Singapore is truly a one-of-a-kind place, and we are proud of the connection we've built with this dynamic community of creators, learners, and dreamers," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "With our growing campus, Apple is writing a new chapter in our history here. Our Singapore teams have played an important role in en

Apple is intensifying its global investment in clean energy and water sustainability, advancing towards its "Apple 2030" goal of achieving carbon neutrality across its entire value chain by the decade's end, the company has announced . "Clean energy and water are foundational to healthy communities and essential building blocks for a responsible business," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. "We're racing toward our ambitious Apple 2030 climate goal while taking on the long-term work to transform electrical grids and restore watersheds to build a cleaner future for all." Apple says it has successfully increased its clean electricity capacity to over 18 gigawatts — a threefold increase since 2020 — largely powered by solar energy projects in the U.S. and Europe. The initiatives support Apple's operational and manufacturing needs as well as cater to the electricity used by customers to

Microsoft today introduced a version of OneNote that is designed to run on the Apple Vision Pro headset. OneNote for Vision Pro was created for visionOS , and it includes many of the features that are available on OneNote for iPad . The app can be used to write memos, notes, and digital notebooks, and there are options to sync content to OneDrive for access across multiple platforms. There is support for tags like Important and To Do, and notes can be protected with a password. OneNote on Vision Pro works hands-free or with a connected keyboard and mouse. In the future, Microsoft plans to add support for Copilot, two-factor authentication, and inserting images from the camera or the Photos app. OneNote can be downloaded from the ‌visionOS‌ App Store as of today. It works with personal and work accounts that are not managed by an organization. Microsoft has made many of its apps available on the Vision Pro, including Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Tag: Micros

Apple is currently testing iOS 17.5, the fifth major update to the iOS 17 operating system that came out last September. Like iOS 17.4, iOS 17.5 primarily focuses on regulatory changes in the European Union, but there are a few other features worth noting. This guide aggregates everything that's been found during the iOS 17.5 beta testing period so far. App Downloads From Websites (EU Only) iOS 17.5 introduces support for web-based app distribution in the European Union, allowing developers to offer their apps for download directly on their websites. Apps can be downloaded from websites in the EU as of the second beta . As with the iOS 17.4 changes that added alternative app marketplaces, this functionality is limited to the iPhone and can only be used in the EU. Developers need to be a member of the Apple Developer Program for two continuous years or more and must have more than one million first installs on iOS in the prior year to offer an app for download. All app

Ahead of Earth Day on April 22, Apple has added a banner to its website that reminds customers they can recycle their Apple devices "for free" with the company's recycling partners. The process can be initiated on Apple's trade-in page in many countries, with customers able to submit a form to receive a prepaid shipping label for their devices. "We'll recycle your Apple devices, cables, cases, accessories, and other similar electronics for free," says Apple. "You'll help protect the earth's precious resources and reduce waste as we work toward a better future for the planet." On a related note, Apple today shared a new "Recycling Robots" video on its YouTube channel in the U.K. that says Apple's recycling robots are now able to recover recyclable materials from a total of 23 different iPhone models. "Our custom recycling robot Daisy can disassemble 23 different iPhone models to recover crucial materials li

Spotify's elusive lossless music experience is being teased again, this time based on code uncovered by The Verge in recent builds of the Spotify app for Android. More than three years have elapsed since Spotify announced its intention to offer a "HiFi" premium option that would give users access to a catalog of CD-quality music tracks. Originally the company said the tier would go live by the end of 2021, but a shift in the wider streaming market upended that idea. Apple Music has since rolled lossless listening into its standard subscription price, while Amazon stopped charging extra for its lossless music library. The moves effectively kiboshed Spotify's original strategy of marketing an exclusively lossless HiFi tier. That said, it doesn't sound as if lossless is coming as a free perk. The latest rumors suggest that Spotify now aims to offer lossless audio playback in an optional "Music Pro" add-on that will also include new DJ remix feature

Apple will allegedly offer both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with a minimum 256GB of storage, doing away with the 128GB starting option on its smaller Pro model for the first time. Currently, Apple's 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999 and comes with the minimum 128GB of storage, while the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199 with a minimum 256GB of storage. However, according to a post on X (Twitter) by LeaksApplePro , Apple will bump up the base storage of the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro to 256GB to match the minimum capacity of the larger iPhone 16 Pro Max, while the starting price of Apple's smaller Pro model will remain at $999. The X account has no recent track record for accurate Apple leaks or rumors, so we are filing this one under sketchy. Having said that, the claim is not outside the realm of possibility. Is 128GB Enough iPhone Storage? If Apple drops 128GB as the base on the iPhone 16 Pro, that will leave three Pro storage options across

Adobe today debuted several new AI features for Premiere Pro, software designed for professional video editing. Adobe's Premiere Pro is set to gain useful editing functions powered by generative AI, which will let video editors do more with less work. With a Generative Extend feature, Premiere Pro will be able to add frames to make video clips longer, allowing for properly timed edits and smooth transitions by extending a scene. Objects in videos will also be able to be added or removed through smart selection and tracking tools. Adobe says that video editors can do things like remove an unwanted item, change an actor's wardrobe, or add set dressings like paintings on the wall or plants on a desk. Perhaps the most interesting new feature is an option to create new video footage directly within Premiere Pro using a text to video feature. Users will be able to type text into a prompt or upload images to create video, and the resulting clips can be used for B-roll, creati

Apple's recently-launched Sports app for the iPhone was updated today ahead of the NBA and NHL playoffs, which both begin this weekend. Apple says fans will be able to "follow every matchup with added details on each series and more," but we have not noticed any immediate changes in the app after updating to the new version. The first NBA and NHL playoff series begin on Saturday, April 20, so the extra details will presumably become visible then. Some info like playoff matchups and conference standings was already available in the previous version of the app. Released in February, the Apple Sports app shows scores, schedules, stats, and more for a variety of leagues, such as the NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, and Premier League. The app also displays real-time play-by-play information for ongoing games. Apple Sports is available for free on the App Store . Tag: Apple Sports This article, " Apple Sports App Updated for NBA and NHL Playoffs " first appeared on MacR

Apple's iPhone shipments decreased by nearly 10% globally in the first quarter of 2024, hit by rapid growth in shipments by rival Chinese vendors, based on data provided by the International Data Corporation (IDC). According to the IDC report , Apple's shipments fell 9.6% to 50.1 million units in the first quarter, down from 55.4 million units in the same quarter the previous year. Apple experienced the most significant annual decline among the top five smartphone brands covered in the report. Samsung reclaimed its position as the market leader, which it had lost to Apple the previous year , by capturing a 20.8% market share with shipments of about 60.1 million units, roughly the same as last year. Last year, its market share was 22.5% during the same period. In contrast, after having last year overtaken Samsung to become the top smartphone manufacturer for the first time, Apple experienced a decline in market share from 20.7% to 17.3%. "While IDC expects these t

Apple is testing a new anti-reflective optical coating technology for future iPhone cameras that could improve the quality of photos by reducing artifacts like lens flare and ghosting, claims a rumor out of Korea. According to the news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog , citing a company source within Apple's supply chain, Apple is looking at introducing new atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment into the iPhone camera lens manufacturing process. ALD involves depositing materials one atomic layer at a time onto a substrate, allowing for extremely precise control over thickness and composition. Its use allows manufacturers to apply very thin layers of materials onto semiconductor devices, including camera components. In terms of camera lenses, ALD can be used to apply anti-reflective coatings, which can help to reduce photographic artifacts like streaks of light and halos that can occur in the final image when a bright light source such as the sun shi

Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman recently reported that the first Macs with M4 series chips will be released later this year , with more models to follow next year. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman shared a more specific roadmap for these Macs. Here is the order in which Gurman expects the Macs to launch: 1. A low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4, coming around the end of 2024. 2. A 24-inch iMac with the M4, also expected around the end of the year. 3. New 14-inch and 16-inch high-end MacBook Pros with M4 Pro/Max chips, due between the end of 2024 and early 2025. 4. A Mac mini in both M4 and M4 Pro configurations, coming between the end of 2024 and early 2025. 5. New 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs, slated for around spring 2025. 6. A Mac Studio with a high-end M4 chip, coming around the middle of 2025. 7. A Mac Pro with an M4 Ultra chip, due in the second half of 2025. Gurman reiterated that Apple has internally tested an M3 Ultra chip, which would be suitable for

Apple's first set of new AI features planned for iOS 18 will not rely on cloud servers at all, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . "As the world awaits Apple's big AI unveiling on June 10, it looks like the initial wave of features will work entirely on device," said Gurman, in the Q&A section of his Power On newsletter today. "That means there's no cloud processing component to the company's large language model, the software that powers the new capabilities." Apple will probably still offer some cloud-based AI features powered by Google's Gemini or another provider, according to Gurman. Apple has reportedly held discussions with companies such as Google, OpenAI, and China's Baidu about potential generative AI partnerships. iOS 18 is not expected to include Apple's own ChatGPT-like chatbot , but it is unclear if Gemini or other chatbot will be directly integrated into iOS 18. It is possible that Apple could offer s

Samsung this weekend has the 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor at a steep discount, available for $899.99 , down from $1,599.99. In addition to this $700 discount, you'll find deals on 4K and 5K Samsung monitors , including the Smart Monitor M8, as well as 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. Overall, the ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor is at a very solid second-best price this weekend, just $50 higher compared to the previous record low price. This monitor 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 $399.99 in Warm White, down from $699.99. This is a 4K smart monitor with a design that looks si