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India plans to force smartphone makers like Apple to allow removal of pre-installed apps and mandate screening of OS updates under proposed new security rules, reports Reuters . Under the new rules, smartphone makers will need to include an uninstall option for pre-installed apps and new models will be checked for compliance by a lab authorized by the Bureau of Indian Standards agency, according to people with knowledge of the plan. Apple already allows many of its own apps to be deleted, but core apps like Messages, Photos , and Phone cannot be deleted, only removed from the Home screen and hidden in the App Library. According to the report's sources, India's IT ministry is considering the rules over concerns about spying and abuse of user data, with explicit references to the risk from China. "Pre-installed apps can be a weak security point and we want to ensure no foreign nations, including China, are exploiting it," said an unnamed official. "It's

Apple's online store will begin selling the Chipolo CARD Spot on Tuesday, March 14, according to a Chipolo spokesperson. Like the AirTag, the CARD Spot supports Apple's Find My app. The circular Chipolo ONE Spot will not be sold by Apple. Priced at $35, the Chipolo CARD Spot is a card-shaped item tracker designed for use with wallets. The accessory allows you to easily track the location of a wallet in the Items tab of the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple does not offer a card-shaped version of the AirTag, giving the CARD Spot a unique advantage for wallets. For additional information, read our hands-on review of the CARD Spot published last year. Apple launched the AirTag in April 2021, and the hardware has not been updated since. Apple did refresh its AirTag accessories lineup last week. Tag: Chipolo This article, " Apple to Begin Selling AirTag Competitor Chipolo's CARD Spot for Wallets " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this

Samsung's "Space Zoom" feature has come under fire amid complaints that images of the moon are being artificially enhanced to an extreme extent. Samsung introduced a 100x zoom feature with the Galaxy S20 Ultra in 2020, becoming a mainstay on recent flagship handsets from the company. Since its debut, Samsung has touted its devices' ability to take impressive pictures of the moon. Unlike brands such as Huawei, which simply overlay a PNG of the moon on such images, Samsung says that no overlays or texture effects are applied. Yet on Friday, a Samsung user on the subreddit r/Android shared a detailed post purporting to "prove" that Samsung's moon shots are "fake." Their methodology involved downloading a high-resolution image of the moon, downsizing it to just 170 by 170 pixels, clipping the highlights, and applying a gaussian blur to heavily obscure the moon's surface details. This low-resolution image was then displayed on a monitor an

Japanese website Mac Otakara has shared a video in which supposedly size-accurate 3D-printed iPhone 15 dummies are compared to iPhone 14 cases, and it looks as if the tweaks that Apple has made to the dimensions of its next flagship iPhone series mean that in most cases they won't fit cases made for the previous generation. In the video, 3D-printed versions of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max are shown that are allegedly based on accurate schematics. The Pro dummies feature curved edges, smaller bezels, and a slightly larger rear camera housing, in line with design rumors. There's also a USB-C port replacing the Lightning port on all four models. Assuming the 3D printouts sourced from Alibaba are accurate, Mac Otakara 's tests seem to confirm that small changes in the chassis dimensions of the new handsets make them incompatible with iPhone 14 cases, with the exception of the iPhone 15 Plus, which did fit iPhone 14 Plus cases. Ap

Apple's AirPods could gain more prominent hearing health features in the next year or two, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . Apple's Conversation Boost feature on the AirPods Pro . In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter , Gurman said that he believes Apple will "upgrade the AirPods to become a health tool in the next year or two," adding "the ability to get hearing data of some sort." Apple has already added several hearing-focused features to the AirPods in recent years such as Live Listen and Conversation Boost, but Gurman noted that such features are not yet FDA approved or designed to serve as a hearing aid replacement. Given Apple's health objectives, he expects AirPods to take on these sorts of functions "more officially" in the near future. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously highlighted the company's intention to add biometric health monitoring capabilities to future AirPods models. Ap

Apple CEO Tim Cook sided with operations chief Jeff Williams in pushing to launch a first-generation mixed-reality headset device this year, against the wishes of the company's design team, the Financial Times reports. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane The timing of the mixed-reality headset's launch has apparently been a cause of considerable contention at Apple. The company's industrial design team cautioned that devices in the category were not yet ready for launch and wanted to delay until a lightweight AR glasses product had matured several years later. On the other hand, Apple's operations team wanted to ship an early version of the product in the form of a VR-focused ski goggle-like headset that allows users to watch 3D videos, perform interactive workouts, or make FaceTime calls with virtual avatars. ‌Tim Cook‌, who served as Apple's operations chief prior to becoming CEO, reportedly sided with Jeff Williams, overruling objection

Some Apple fans have long wanted Apple to combine the functionality of the iPad with the Mac, and it appears that it's finally going to happen. Apple is rumored to be working on touchscreen Mac technology , and we could see the first touchscreen Mac in just a couple of years. This guide highlights everything that we know so far about Apple's work on a touchscreen Mac. Possible Models According to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman , Apple engineers are "actively engaged" in the development of a Mac with a touchscreen, and one of the first Macs with a touchscreen could be an OLED version of the MacBook Pro. How Touchscreen Macs Will Work The first touchscreen Mac is expected to continue to feature a traditional laptop design, complete with a trackpad and a keyboard. While a standard notebook design will continue to be used, the machine will feature a display that supports touch input like an iPhone or an ‌iPad‌. Operating System Gurman says that the first

Apple's iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models in a new Yellow color will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, March 14, following pre-orders starting later today. Ahead of time, several unboxing videos of the new models have surfaced online, offering a closer real-world look at the new color. MKBHD's Marques Brownlee provides what is probably the most comparative look at the new iPhone 14 Plus in Yellow. Brownlee describes it as a "really safe, light, pale yellow - lighter than anything I've compared it to." To demonstrate, Brownlee shows it next to a New York City MetroCard, a banana, and a Snapchat Pixy drone. One aspect of the device that is dark is the sides, which he calls a "slightly closer to gold color." For contrast, Brownlee also includes a comparison shot of the new color alongside the Yellow that Apple offered the iPhone XR in a few years ago. iPhone XR on the left Meanwhile, Japanese blog Mac Otakara has

Apple has taken its online store down ahead of pre-order availability for the iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus in a new Yellow color , starting at 5.00 a.m. Pacific Time. Announced by Apple earlier this week, the new Yellow shade joins the iPhone and ‌‌iPhone 14‌‌ Plus's existing Midnight, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, Blue, and Purple color options. There are no changes to the devices beyond the new Yellow finish. Apple last offered a Yellow color option for the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ in 2019 with the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 11, which came just one year after the Yellow ‌‌iPhone‌‌ XR. There are no new color options for the iPhone 14 Pro and ‌‌iPhone 14 Pro‌‌ Max. Availability for the new Yellow models starts next week on Tuesday, March 14. Apple has also added four new colors for the ‌‌iPhone 14‌‌ and ‌‌iPhone 14‌‌ Plus Silicone Cases, including Canary Yellow, Olive, Sky, and Iris. Related Roundup: iPhone 14 Buyer's Guide: iPhone 14 (Neutral) Related Forum: iPhone This article, " Apple Sto

Expercom today has a collection of previous-generation 11-inch iPad Pro tablets for up to $220 off for a limited time. Expercom is one of the only retailers to offer the M1 iPad Pros at a discount in 2023, and anyone who prioritizes savings over upgraded internals should find great deals below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Expercom. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Starting with the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro, this tablet is on sale for $599.00 , down from $799.00. Expercom has both Silver and Space Gray models, and provides a two to four day delivery estimate. $200 OFF M1 11-inch iPad Pro (128GB Wi-Fi) for $599.00 Expercom also has the 256GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro for $679.00 , down from $899.00. It's also available in Silver and Space Gray, and comes with a two to four day delivery estimate. $220 OFF M1 11-inch iPad Pro (256GB Wi-Fi) for $679.00 The 2021 and 20

Apple is continuing to research under-screen fingerprint sensor technology for an iPhone with a view to re-introducing Touch ID in its first full-screen model, according to a new rumor. Ever since Face ID debuted in 2017's iPhone X, Apple's roadmap for Touch ID on iPhones has been murky at best, with some industry observers suggesting that Apple considers Face ID an exclusive all-in-one biometric solution going forward. It's no secret that Apple has been working on a Touch ID system designed to be set under the display since at least 2013, with several patents awarded to the company over the years. However, despite claims that under-screen Touch ID on a future iPhone is unlikely, Apple has, if anything, intensified its research in under-screen fingerprint sensing technology. Just this week, Apple was granted a patent relating to under-screen Touch ID that combines shortwave infrared technology with an optical imagining system that could have multiple functions. Not

Apple supplier TSMC is making strides to improve its production capacity for chips based on its cutting-edge 3-nanometer process technology, according to industry sources, which is expected to debut in this year's iPhone 15 Pro and upcoming MacBook models. DigiTimes reports that TSMC's 5nm fabrication capacity began to loosen in November 2022 as a result of reduced orders from Apple, amongst other partners, with orders for iPhone chips alone having been slashed by 30%. However, the Taiwanese manufacturer has apparently been able to keep its utilization rate at 70% or higher thanks to Apple's thirst for 3nm: TSMC continues to improve its capacity utilization for 3nm process technology, which is expected to approach 50% at the end of March, the sources said. The foundry will also grow the process output to 50,000-55,000 wafers monthly in March, with Apple being the main customer. Apple's upcoming ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models are expected to feature the A17 Bionic proces

Apple's 2024 OLED iPad Pro models could be vastly more expensive than its existing iPad Pros and even more costly than some MacBook Pros currently on sale, claims a new Korean report. According to industry sources cited by The Elec , Apple is already considering its pricing strategy for next year's two OLED iPad Pro models, with current estimates starting at $1,500 and $1,800 for the 11-inch and 13-inch models, respectively. That would make the 11-inch device over 80 percent more expensive than the existing 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with LED Liquid Retina display, which starts at $799, and the 13-inch model over 60% more expensive than the current 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display, which starts at $1,099. The OLED price estimates even eclipse the price of some MacBook Pro models currently on sale. For example, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip starts at $1,199, while the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip starts at $1,299. According to the Korean

Apple is planning to "re-examine" its development of artificial intelligence, according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes . The paywalled report suggests that the growing interest in generative AI catalyzed by ChatGPT has motivated a re-evaluation of how the technology is developed at major companies like Apple, Meta, and Amazon. These companies are purportedly making efforts to ensure Microsoft does not maintain its lead in AI. Apple and Tesla, in particular, are said to be reconsidering their approach to AI. The trend is set to stoke the development of next-generation CPUs optimized for AI operations, supply chain sources claim. Apple already has a significant upper hand in this area in terms of local processing thanks to Apple silicon's Neural Engine, but the company has yet to develop the AI software to fully take advantage of it for content generation and the deeper insights that new-wave AI tools are able to offer. Until now, Apple appears to h

The iPhone 14 models are available in a range of color options, with entirely new hues available on both sets of devices, as well as some popular classics. The ‌iPhone 14‌ and iPhone 14 Pro lineups have different colors to choose from, so if you have your heart set on a particular shade, you may not be able to get your preferred model in that color. Check out our guide on the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ color options for more information about those devices. The ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus are now available in a total of six colors, four of which are new shades. Although previous standard iPhone lineup color options have tended to be bolder and brighter, in 2022, Apple chose to offer a slightly more muted color palette, with the exception of a brighter PRODUCT(RED) and Yellow. The ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus's six available color options are: Midnight Starlight PRODUCT(RED) Blue Purple Yellow Midnight and Starlight were carried over from the iPhone 13 lineup,

WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will allow group chat memberships on the encrypted platform to expire after a set period of time. A large part of what makes the Meta-owned messaging service so popular is its continual development of new group chat features, and the latest one aims to be a solution to the common problem of so-called "zombie groups." The term refers to groups that have been set up temporarily to organize a one-off event like a birthday, and end up outlasting their usefulness after the event in question. Such groups can cause redundant clutter in the app and become a distraction to members if others in the group are still in conversation. WhatsApp is clearly aware of the problem, as indicated by another beta discovery courtesy of WABetaInfo . A new "Expiring Groups" setting will let users set a specific expiration date for their WhatsApp groups. "When enabled, you will be prompted to clean up groups on their expiration date," re

Alongside the Yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus and new selection of Silicone Cases , Apple today released 19 new Apple Watch bands offering a range of fresh color options, including a new "Casaque" line for Apple Watch Hermès. The new Apple Watch band colors are as follows, with slightly different new options available depending on the type of band: Solo Loop Sprout Green Canary Yellow Olive Purple Fog Sport Band Sky Bright Orange Olive Braided Solo Loop Bright Orange Purple Fog Olive Apple's collaboration with French fashion brand Hermès for high-end Apple Watch bands and AirTag accessories was also refreshed today, introducing a new "Hermès Casaque" line, featuring three patterened Apple Watch bands made of nylon or leather: Inspired by the bold jerseys worn by horse jockeys, these bands strike the perfect balance between sophistication and sportiness. Nine new Apple Watch Hermès bands join the lineup: Hermès Ca

An alleged real-world image of the right side of an iPhone 15 model's chassis has today been shared online, showing a cutout for the Side button and a black or "Midnight" finish. The image, shared by Twitter user @lipilipsi , purportedly shows several chassis for one of the ‌iPhone 15‌ models. The cutout for the Side button matches renders of the iPhone 15 Pro , which is expected to move to solid-state buttons with haptic feedback, but this is the first time it has been seen in real-world images. It is unclear whether the image shows a standard ‌iPhone 15‌ or an iPhone 15 Pro model. The chassis seems to be anodized in a black or "Midnight" color with a matte finish, which would indicate a standard ‌iPhone 15‌ model, in contrast to the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌'s brushed titanium finish . On the other hand, only this year's "Pro" models are expected to get solid-state buttons. It is likely the case that the image does actually show a standard ‌i

Apple was easily the most popular smartphone brand last year, with eight of its iPhone models featuring in a list of 10 best-selling smartphones. That's according to CounterPoint Research's Global Monthly Handset Model Sales Tracker , which establishes Apple as the first brand to occupy so many spots in its top 10. The remaining two spots were taken by Samsung. According to the report, Apple's iPhone 13 was the best-selling smartphone of 2022, contributing 28% of ‌iPhone‌ sales and achieving best-selling smartphone status in major markets such as China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Counterpoint's data suggests that the ‌iPhone 13‌ remained the number one smartphone each month from its launch in September 2021 until August 2022, with price cuts after the launch of the iPhone 14 further driving ‌iPhone 13‌ sales in developing markets. Compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which was the second best-selling smartphone of 2022, twice

Apple has heavily invested in developing its own MicroLED technology for almost a decade to break away from Samsung as a supplier, The Information reports. The iPhone X's flexible OLED display supplied by Samsung Apple's MicroLED displays have reportedly taken much longer to develop than expected, forcing it to deepen its ties with Samsung until the technology is ready. MicroLED offers better durability, efficiency, brightness, dynamic range, and viewing angles compared to existing technologies like OLED. Apple apparently planned to use MicroLED rather than OLED for 2017's ‌iPhone‌ X, but its high manufacturing cost and potential for defects led to the switch to the new display technology being pushed further down the pipeline. Apple still purportedly plans to introduce its first MicroLED displays on the Apple Watch next year, with the panels likely set to be supplied by LG and Sharp, rather than Samsung. The company originally planned to introduce the first Apple