Tech Talk

Apple plans to introduce larger 6.3 and 6.9-inch display sizes for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max in 2024, but the change in screen size will be limited to the Pro models. The standard ‌iPhone 16‌ models are expected to feature the same 6.1 and 6.7-inch display sizes that Apple has used for the last several years. The information comes from display analyst Ross Young, who often shares accurate insights into Apple's plans. Young earlier this week said that the Pro models will have larger display sizes, and he confirmed to MacRumors that these larger screens will be Pro exclusive and will not be coming to the more affordable ‌iPhone 16‌ and 16 Plus. According to Young, the 6.3 and 6.9-inch display sizes are rounded up, with additional information on the specific measurements set to come at the Display Week conference in Los Angeles on May 23. At approximately 6.3 and 6.9 inches, the planned larger display sizes for the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro and Pro Max will be the biggest screens

Apple has announced that its online store will be launching in Vietnam on May 18 at 9 a.m. local time. The store will be available in both Vietnamese and English, allowing customers to order a wide range of Apple products on the web. "We are honored to have the opportunity to expand in Vietnam, and extremely excited to be able to provide Apple's superior care and support to customers," said Apple's retail chief Deirdre O'Brien, in a computer translated press release. Apple's online store will be accessible in Vietnam on this page and via the Apple Store app once launched, with free delivery, trade-ins, and more to be available. Tag: Apple Store This article, " Apple's Online Store Expanding to Vietnam Next Week " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums Source: TechRadar

This week's best deals include the first deal we've ever seen on the second generation HomePod, the year's best prices on the new MacBook Pros and AirPods Pro 2, and an exclusive offer for our readers from Nomad on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus cases. 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. HomePod (Gen 2) What's the deal? Take $20 off Gen 2 HomePod Where can I get it? B&H Photo Where can I find the original deal? Right here $20 OFF HomePod (Gen 2) for $279.00 The week kicked off with the first-ever discount on Apple's second-generation HomePod at B&H Photo, which has dropped to $279.00, down from $299.00. You can get both White and Midnight at this new all-time low price on the 2023 HomePod. Nomad What's the deal? Take 36% off Nomad's iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus cases, and more

Facebook Messenger's Apple Watch app will be discontinued at the end of this month, according to Meta, ending the ability for users to reply to messages on the service from their wrist. Posts shared on social media carried a screenshot of a notification sent to a handful of users in recent days informing them that Messenger won't be available as an Apple Watch app after May 31, but that users would continue to get Messenger notifications on their watch. Not all users of the app received the notification, but when asked for clarification by Reviewgeek , a Meta spokesperson gave the following statement: "People can still receive Messenger notifications on their Apple Watch when paired, but starting at the end of May they will no longer be able to respond from their watch. But they can continue using Messenger on their iPhone, desktop and the web.” Meta did not give a reason for its decision to sunset its Messenger app for Apple Watch, which was introduced in 2015. Th

Disney plans to combine the Hulu and Disney+ streaming services into a single app by the end of this year, Disney CEO Bob Iger said yesterday during Disney's Q2 earnings call (via TechCrunch ). A single streaming app will include programming from both Hulu and Disney+, but Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ will also still be available as standalone services. The combined app will be provided first to subscribers who have the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, so rather than swapping back and forth, users can access all of their content in a single app. "The integrated app experience that we announced today is for consumers that have subscribed to both services for now," said Iger. He explained that Disney is taking the two-app bundle and combining it into one experience that will have "basically more content than it offered before." With the merging of the services, Disney plans to increase pricing. "We plan to set a higher price for our ad-free tier later this year,&q

Apple has introduced security keys as an additional step to help users protect their Apple ID accounts. Keep reading to learn why the alternative authentication method is the most secure method available and what you need to do to set it up. What Are Security Keys? With the release of iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, and macOS Ventura 13.2, Apple introduced support for security keys, or physical devices that can verify your ‌Apple ID‌ instead of a passcode. Apple designed the feature for people who require additional protection from targeted attacks, such as phishing or social engineering scams. The extra protection that security keys provide means that if someone had your ‌Apple ID‌ and your password, they still would not be able to access your account without your physical security key, which replaces the traditional verification code provided by two-factor authentication. How Do Security Keys Work? With a security key enabled, signing into an ‌Apple ID‌ requires entering your a

Small developers have seen growing success over the course of the last two years, according to an Apple-commissioned study conducted by economists at Analysis Group. Data shared today highlights the ways the App Store has benefited independent ‌App Store‌ developers. Between 2020 and 2022, the revenue earned by small ‌App Store‌ developers increased 71 percent, and in the U.S. specifically, earnings growth was at 83 percent. Analysis Group defines small developers as those who have fewer than a million annual downloads and who earn up to $1 million per year, and this group accounts for more than 90 percent of developers on the ‌App Store‌. According to the study, revenue growth for small developers outpaced revenue growth for large developers, with earnings improving across all app categories. The study points out the opportunities provided by the ‌App Store‌, such as tools that help developers reach a worldwide audience. Close to 80 percent of small developers are active on mult

Shazam was updated today with support for Apple Music Classical on the iPhone, allowing the two apps to work together for classical music. Launched in March, the Apple Music Classical app offers over five million classical music tracks, and is included with an Apple Music subscription. The release notes for version 15.33 of the Shazam app: You can now open classical songs from Shazam in the Apple Music Classical app. Simply Shazam or search for a classical song, tap the menu icon on the track page and select "Open in Classical." Apple acquired Shazam in 2018 for a reported $400 million and has since integrated the music identification service across its software platforms. Tags: Shazam , Apple Music Classical This article, " Shazam Now Supports Apple Music Classical " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums Source: TechRadar

Apple's Weather app for the iPhone , iPad , and Mac is down for some users, according to Apple's System Status page . Apple says that the Weather app may be slow or unavailable for some users, and that the outage has been ongoing since 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time. There have been reports of issues with the Weather app all day, though not all users are impacted. There was previously a major Weather outage in April that prevented the app from displaying data. This article, " Apple Weather App Again Experiencing Issues " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums Source: TechRadar

Apple today seeded the release candidate (RC) version of macOS Ventura 13.4 to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the launch of the fourth beta . The RC represents the final version of ‌macOS Ventura‌ 13.4 that will be provided to the public. Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings. macOS 13.4 adds the simplified beta installation method that was first introduced in iOS 16.4. With the update, developers and public beta testers enrolled in Apple's respective programs can toggle on beta updates from System Settings on the Mac, without the need to install a profile. An Apple ID associated with either a public beta account or a developer account is required to turn on beta updates, which means that it is no longer possible to use a developer profile not associated with a dev

General Motors (GM) has hired Mike Abbott, a former Apple executive responsible for the company's cloud services division, to lead a new software unit, just over a month after the automaker announced the controversial move to phase out Apple CarPlay on new vehicles (via CNBC ). After working at tech companies such as Twitter, Microsoft, and Palm, Apple hired Abbott in February 2018. He oversaw Apple's cloud infrastructure for services like iCloud , iMessage, and FaceTime before leaving the company in March. Abbott's role at GM will encompass several key functions, including information and digital technology, software-defined vehicle and operating systems, and the company's digital business. He will report directly to GM CEO Mary Barra. In a statement, Barra said "Mike's experience as a founder and entrepreneur coupled with his proven track record creating and delivering some of the market's most compelling software-defined solutions for consumer

Apple today introduced a new Pride Edition Sport Band for the Apple Watch, accompanied by a matching watch face and iPhone wallpaper. Priced at $49, the band will be available to order on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app starting May 23, and will be available at select Apple Store locations beginning May 24. Inspired by the LGBTQ+ community, the new Pride band features a confetti-like design showcasing the original Pride flag colors and five others. The band is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes for the Apple Watch Series 3 and later. Inspired by the strength and beauty of the LGBTQ+ community, the new Sport Band design showcases the original pride flag rainbow colors and five others — black and brown symbolize Black and Latin communities, in addition to those who have passed away from or are living with HIV/AIDS, while light blue, pink, and white represent transgender and nonbinary individuals. The matching Pride Celebration watch face and iPhone wallpaper will be available nex

Apple today announced that Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro are coming to the iPad later this month via subscription models. Apple says that Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro feature all-new touch interfaces that take advantage of multitouch on the ‌iPad‌. Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad bring all-new touch interfaces that allow users to enhance their workflows with the immediacy and intuitiveness of Multi-Touch. Final Cut Pro for iPad introduces a powerful set of tools for video creators to record, edit, finish, and share, all from one portable device. Logic Pro for iPad puts the power of professional music creation in the hands of the creator — no matter where they are — with a complete collection of sophisticated tools for songwriting, beat making, recording, editing, and mixing. Final Cut Pro includes a digital jog wheel to navigate the Magnetic Timeline, move clips, and make frame-accurate edits. Live drawing allows users to draw and write directly on top of video content wit

iOS 17 will introduce a new iPhone experience for Apple Maps that integrates detailed turn-by-turn directions to the Lock Screen without taking over the display, claims a leaker with alleged insider information. Concept render shared by Analyst941 Currently in iOS 16, when real-time Maps directions are active and the iPhone is locked, the Maps app takes over the screen and all other Lock Screen elements are hidden. According to Twitter account Analyst941 , this will change in iOS 17, with Maps directions including live visual map data taking over a portion of the Lock Screen, but with app notifications and the Camera and Flashlight buttons remaining at the base of the display. The leaker claims that app notifications will still be accessible by swiping up on the screen, while the physical act of unlocking the iPhone will remain a seamless transition. According to Analyst941, the new Maps Lock Screen interface will be coming to "all iPhones." This is the first time we

For much of the iPhone 15 rumor cycle, we expected the higher-end Pro models to feature new solid-state haptic volume buttons powered by a new Taptic Engine. In April, rumors indicated that Apple had scrapped the feature, with plans to stick with standard volume buttons . Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman this weekend confirmed that Apple has nixed haptic buttons, and will instead introduce them next year. Gurman says Apple has been "wavering" on the feature because of the costs and the complexity. While internal test models still have the functionality at the current time, Apple is "likely" to hold solid-state technology until the launch of the iPhone 16 Pro. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also claimed that Apple plans to hold solid-state buttons until the launch of the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models, with Kuo attributing the delay to "unresolved technical issues before mass production." Solid-state buttons will be limited to next year's ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro

Apple will likely release iOS 16.5 to the public next week, based on a protected Twitter account that has shared build numbers for several iOS updates up to a week before they were released. In a tweet today, the account said the upcoming iOS 16.5 Release Candidate for developers will have a build number of 20F65. iOS 16.5 has been in beta testing since late March and is shaping up to be a minor software update ahead of Apple announcing iOS 17 at WWDC in June. So far, only two notable features and changes have been discovered for the iPhone, including a Sports tab in the Apple News app and the ability to start a screen recording with Siri. Sports Tab in Apple News Apple has added a Sports tab to the News app on iOS 16.5, giving you easy access to news, scores, and schedules for your favorite teams and leagues. This information was previously available in the Today tab, but it is now featured more prominently as Apple continues to push deeper into sports content across its serv

The calendar has flipped to May, which means WWDC is right around the corner. There continues to be lots to talk about as far as rumors and expectations on both the software and hardware sides, so buckle up! This week also saw a few somewhat unusual software updates from Apple, including the first-ever public Rapid Security Response updates, as well as an acknowledgment that recent firmware updates for various AirPods and Beats models address a security issue that could allow hackers access to your earphones. That's not all though, so read on for all the details on these stories and more! One Month Until WWDC 2023: Here's What's Coming WWDC 2023 is now just under a month away, and rumors are heating up. We've been hearing details about what we expect to see with iOS 17, watchOS 10, Apple's long-rumored headset, and more, so we've put together an overview to sum it all up as we enter the homestretch. We've also recapped in more detail what we'r

In the interests of enhanced privacy, some third-party iOS apps include an option to require passcode or Face ID authentication before they can be opened, even though the iPhone is already unlocked. This puts the app's contents behind an additional layer of security, but not all apps offer the same facility. Until recently, Apple did not offer a way to individually lock sensitive apps like Photos, and iPhone users had to resort to Screen Time's App Limits as a workaround . Fortunately however that's no longer the case, because you can now create an additional security barrier for any app on your iPhone using a shortcut action new to iOS 16.4. Apple has added several new actions to the Shortcuts app , and the one that interests us here is Lock Screen. The Lock Screen action essentially allows you to set up a personal automation that automatically locks your iPhone when a specified app is opened. Of course, this action should pose no access issues for you as the iPhone

Apple's supply chain has started stockpiling the rumored 15-inch MacBook Air, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes . The report says the laptop is expected to be announced at Apple's annual developer conference WWDC, which begins June 5 . Despite the upcoming 15-inch MacBook Air launch, the sources believe that overall MacBook shipments will likely face a single-digit decrease in 2023 due to a "disappointing" first half of the year. The sources also said "pull-in momentum" for the 15-inch MacBook Air "has not been as strong compared with previous new products." Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman expects the 15-inch MacBook Air to debut at WWDC . Like the 13-inch MacBook Air, the 15-inch model will be powered by the M2 chip with multiple GPU configurations, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. No design changes have been rumored for the 15-inch MacBook Air beyond its larger display size. The 13-inch model is equipped with a notch h

Apple today announced that 20 new games are launching on its Apple Arcade gaming subscription service. The announcement comes alongside a new ad for the subscription service that features some of the new titles and many of the most popular games on the platform. In Apple's press release, Apple Arcade senior director Alex Rofman said: Apple Arcade brings together hundreds of fun titles in one gaming destination for our users to discover and enjoy. Today's launch boosts our award-winning catalog with 20 new games people will love playing and sharing with their friends and families. The new games today joining ‌Apple Arcade‌ include: TMNT Splintered Fate (Paramount Global) Disney SpellStruck (Artist Arcade) WHAT THE CAR? (Triband) Cityscapes: Sim Builder (Magic Fuel Games) Chess Universe+ (Tilting Point) Disney Coloring World+ (StoryToys) Disney Getaway Blast+ (Gameloft) Farming Simulator 20+ (GIANTS Software) Getting Over It+ (Bennett Foddy) Hill Cli