MacRumors

Sonos is developing a high-end streaming set-top box that's expected to launch this year, reports The Verge. While any set-top box will compete with the Apple TV, Sonos plans to price its upcoming device at $200 to $400, which would make it notably more expensive than the ‌Apple TV‌.

According to The Verge, the hardware is a nondescript black box that's slightly thicker than a deck of cards, with an included remote control. It'll run a version of Android, but Sonos has developed a "beautiful" interface.

The set-top box will offer content from Netflix, Max, Disney Plus, and other streaming services in a unified software experience that supports universal search. Sonos is said to be aiming to reduce the fragmentation of the streaming ecosystem, and the set-top box will be equipped with Sonos Voice Control. Apple has tried to do something similar, and Siri is able to provide content suggestions from a range of services.

Sonos' set-top box will double as an HDMI switch and it has HDMI ports with passthrough functionality. Users will be able to plug in gaming consoles, soundbars, and other devices. The device solves a latency problem that has long annoyed Sonos, and it will prevent TVs from experiencing audio sync delays with Sonos-branded soundbars.

For Sonos users who have Sonos speakers but not a soundbar, the set-top box will allow for the configuration of a surround sound system with Sonos devices. It will also support Wi-Fi 7 and offer gigabit ethernet.

Sonos struggled in 2024 after a disastrous app launch that ultimately led to Sonos CEO Patrick Spence stepping down, so the company needs a win in 2025 to restore its reputation. Sonos did not have much luck with its Sonos Ace headphones that came out around the time the app was refreshed, but the Arc Ultra Soundbar that launched late last year received better reviews.

Nomad today announced the launch of a unique cable that isn't quite like anything else on the market. The Universal Cable for Apple Watch includes a built-in Apple Watch fast charging puck along with two USB-C connectors.

Priced at $100, the 1.5 meter cable is able to charge an Apple Watch and another device like an iPhone or iPad at the same time. It is a 100W USB-C PD cable, so it provides a small amount of power (8W) for the Apple Watch with the rest (92W) distributed to the other device that's plugged in. 100W is enough to charge even Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro, as long as you have an appropriate power adapter.

The Apple Watch end of the cable can be plugged in at a power adapter or it can be used for device charging, so there are two layout options to choose from. Apple's most recent AirPods can charge from an Apple Watch charger, which adds more versatility. Note that transfer speeds are limited to USB 2 because the cable is designed for charging rather than data transfer.

The cable has a double-braided Kevlar outer weave and it uses electroplated metal connectors for durability. There's also an integrated silicone cable tie to keep the cable neat even when traveling.

The Universal Cable for Apple Watch can be purchased from the Nomad website for $100.

Samsung has been making foldable smartphones since 2019, but we have yet to see a foldable iPhone from Apple. Rumors suggest that Apple's first folding ‌iPhone‌ could come out in 2026 or 2027, but by then, Samsung will be even further ahead in foldable device development.

Right now, Samsung has the Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy Flip, which fold in different ways. The Galaxy Fold is larger and unfolds horizontally like a book, while the Flip has a vertical fold. According to rumors, Samsung is working on yet another foldable, this one with a tri-fold design.

Samsung's tri-fold device has been rumored for quite some time, and Samsung even teased it as a "multi-fold" device at its Unpacked event, but more information about the device came out this week. As noted by GSMArena, it's looking like Samsung could call it the Galaxy G Fold, which would make it a new product line distinct from the current Z Fold models.

The tri-fold smartphone is expected to fold out into a 10-inch screen, which would make it significantly better than the current Z Fold6 flagship foldable smartphone from Samsung. The Z Fold6 is 7.6 inches when it's opened up, while the Z Flip6 is 6.7 inches unfolded.

Samsung won't have the first tri-fold smartphone on the market, because Huawei has already released the Mate XT Ultimate. You can't get Huawei's device in the United States, though, and it costs $2,800, so Samsung will be first to a tri-fold smartphone in markets outside of China.

Samsung typically announces new foldable smartphones around July, and it's looking like we could see the tri-fold smartphone unveiled this year ahead of a launch in early 2026.

If Samsung's tri-fold smartphone launches in early 2026, it will beat any Apple foldable to market, since the earliest we expect to see an Apple foldable is 2026.

As of 2024, Apple was supposedly working on a foldable ‌iPhone‌ with a design similar to the Galaxy Z Flip, which means a vertical fold. Such a device would likely be similar in size to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but with an option to fold it in half to make for a more compact size.

Installing Doom on a range of unusual hardware devices has become a fun challenge for programmers, and we've seen the game running on everything from the Apple Watch to the MacBook Pro Touch Bar. Over the weekend, another Doom demo was uploaded to YouTube, this time showing the game running on Apple's $50 Lightning to HDMI Adapter.

The Lightning Digital AV Adapter is more than just a dongle, because it has an SoC inside and it runs a super simple version of iOS. Lightning does not have the bandwidth for transmitting HDMI, so Apple needed an adapter that would compress video from a connected Apple device, send it over the Lightning connection, and then decompress it into raw HDMI for viewing on a TV screen or display.

Since the adapter has an SoC in it, it's able to run Doom. Actually getting access to the accessory took work, because Apple has it locked down, like any of its devices. While there is a MacBook and a display shown in the video, Doom is running on the SoC in the dongle.

In honor of Heart Month, Apple Watch owners can earn an award by completing a workout to fill their Exercise ring on Friday, February 14, which is Valentine's Day.

Show your heart some love! Close your Exercise ring this Valentine's Day, February 14, to earn this award.

As with all of Apple's Activity Challenges, the Heart Month challenge will be accompanied by an award that can be viewed in the Fitness app as well as a series of animated stickers that can be used in the Messages app.

Apple often also debuts themed Heart Month content in the App Store, Apple TV app, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Books.

The developers behind well-known event app and website Partiful today suggested that Apple was in violation of its own App Store guidelines for the release of the new Invites app.

On social media, Partiful shared a screenshot of rule 4.1, which covers copycat apps.

Come up with your own ideas. We know you have them, so make yours come to life. Don't simply copy the latest popular app on the App Store, or make some minor changes to another app's name or UI and pass it off as your own. In addition to risking an intellectual property infringement claim, it makes the App Store harder to navigate and just isn't fair to your fellow developers.

Partiful is designed to allow users to send customized event invitations with just a few steps, and it has a feature set that is similar to Apple's new Invites app. Partiful still has options that set it apart from Invites, such as better cross-platform functionality. Unlike Invites, Partiful does not require event attendees to enter an email address to confirm their event attendance, and invitations can be created through an app or from the web.

Apple lets invitations be sent to non-Apple users, but an email address is required. Creating an invite is tied to an iCloud+ subscription, so it is not free for anyone to use like Partiful.

When Apple creates an app or a feature that has functionality found in a third-party app, it is referred to as sherlocking. The name dates back to a "Sherlock" search tool in OS X that Apple enhanced with features that were cribbed from a third-party app called Watson. Watson's developers accused Apple of copying the product without compensation, and from then on, sherlocking has been used to describe apps that are supplanted by Apple.

There are similarities between Partiful and Invites, but event-focused apps and websites are a popular category and there are services that pre-date Partiful too, like Evite. Checking the ‌App Store‌ shows no shortage of popular event planning apps, including Paperless, Invitation Maker, and Punchbowl, in addition to Evite and Partiful, so there is no clear indication that Apple set out to copy Partiful or any app in particular.

Apple today surprised us with a new Invites app, which is designed for planning events like birthday parties, vacations, and baby showers. We checked it out in our latest video to see how it works, what you can use it for, and to demonstrate all of the different features in the app.

Invites is a standalone app that you can download from the App Store, but it's also got an accompanying iCloud+ service. You need an ‌iCloud‌+ subscription to create an invite to an event, but there is no subscription needed to join an event. In fact, you don't even need an Apple device. People without an Apple device can be invited to an event and can join and see event details from a web browser, similar to how ‌iCloud‌ works on any device through a browser.

Creating an event is a simple process. You tap on the "+" button, and then there's an interface that walks you through each step. Apple offers a selection of backgrounds to choose from, some of which feature emoji characters and some that are event appropriate with balloons, confetti candy, popcorn, and more. You can also choose a photo from your Photos app or make an image with Image Playground if you have an Apple Intelligence-capable device.

After selecting a background, you can add an event title, a date and time, a location, and include a description that has information your guests need to know. There are options to set up a Shared Album that all attendees can contribute to during and after the event, plus there is an option to create a collaborative Apple Music playlist.

When an event is ready to go, you can create a link that you can send out to a group of people through Messages or email. You can also send individual invites with a unique link for each person, though you need to give the app access to your Contacts for that. You can choose to allow anyone with the link to join, or you can turn on approvals so you'll need to greenlight anyone who requests to attend. Event creators can cancel an event at any time, change details, and remove attendees.

If you receive a link to an invite, you'll be able to tap in and choose whether you're able to attend, not attend, or maybe attend. All invitees and the event creator can see who is going to an event, and Apple automatically adds weather information and directions to the event location.

Weather information will be general for events that are several weeks or months out, but will get more specific as the event date approaches. The location listing can be tapped and it will open up in Maps with turn-by-turn directions.

Invite creators can add notes that are sent out to everyone to provide updates on an upcoming event, and the selected playlist can be played from the Invite interface. ‌Photos‌ can be added to shared albums at any time, and will be available to all attendees.

Events are shown in a card-style interface in the Invites app, and you can swipe between both events you've created and events you're attending. The app has sections for past events and for drafts that you've created but haven't sent out yet.

Will you use the Invites app? Let us know in the comments below.

Apple this week increased the prices for its monthly AppleCare+ subscription prices for the iPhone, raising the cost by 50 cents for all models in the United States.

Standard ‌AppleCare‌+ for the iPhone 16 models is now priced at $10.49 per month, for example, up from the prior $9.99 per month price. The 50 cent price increase applies to all available ‌AppleCare‌+ plans for Apple's current ‌iPhone‌ lineup, and it includes both the standard plan and the Theft and Loss plan.

The two-year ‌AppleCare‌+ subscription prices have not changed, nor have the service fees and deductibles. The increased prices are only applicable when paying for ‌AppleCare‌+ on a monthly basis.

Apple has not raised the prices of ‌AppleCare‌+ subscription plans for the iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch.

Apple's price tweak for ‌iPhone‌ ‌AppleCare‌+ monthly subscriptions come as it prepares to shift ‌AppleCare‌+ purchasing options to subscriptions. Apple is phasing out one-time purchase ‌AppleCare‌+ plans in retail stores as of this week.

In Apple Stores, customers who make a purchase will have the option to purchase ‌AppleCare‌+ as a monthly or annual subscription that renews, which eliminates any lapse in coverage and provides Apple with ongoing revenue after a two-year period.

Apple is keeping one-time ‌AppleCare‌+ purchase options available in its online store for the time being, so customers who prefer buy a non-renewing ‌AppleCare‌+ plan that expires at the end of two years can still opt for that.

Apple today announced the launch of a new app called "Invites," which is designed to allow users to plan events like birthday parties, graduations, vacations, baby showers, and more.

"With Apple Invites, an event comes to life from the moment the invitation is created, and users can share lasting memories even after they get together," said Brent Chiu-Watson, Apple's senior director of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apps and iCloud. "Apple Invites brings together capabilities our users already know and love across iPhone, iCloud, and Apple Music, making it easy to plan special events."

The app supports creating invitations that can be sent out to people. There are options to choose a background image from the Photos app, choose one of Apple's built-in images, or select an emoji background, with font customization available. Apple automatically adds in information from the Maps and Weather apps so that invitees have all of the data they need for an event, such as weather conditions and directions.

Apple designed Invites with Apple Intelligence in mind. When creating an invite, there is an option to take advantage of Image Playground to create original images using text-based descriptions. Writing Tools can also be employed to find the ideal phrasing for an invitation.

People who receive invites can RSVP, and there is a built-in method that allows the sender to track who has responded. When the event happens, there's an option to create a collaborative event soundtrack so everyone can contribute music, and a dedicated shared album lets event goers see photos and videos and contribute their own.

Invites is an iCloud+ service, which means that it is available to iCloud+ subscribers. ‌iCloud‌+ is priced starting at $0.99 per month, and it provides users with additional ‌iCloud‌ storage over the free 5GB that comes with any device.

While anyone is able to respond to an Invite that's sent out, creating invites is limited to ‌iCloud‌+ subscribers. Apple Invites is available for all iPhone models that run iOS 18 or later, and the app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Amazon this week has Apple's AirPods Pro 2 for $169.00, down from $249.00. This is the lowest price that we've tracked so far in 2025, and Amazon is providing a mid February delivery estimate for most residences in the United States.

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.

Of course, we saw a better deal over the holiday season, but it's very unlikely that all-time low price will return any time soon. Amazon's price today is still a solid deal on the AirPods Pro 2, which feature USB-C charging and Active Noise Cancellation.

AirPods discounts are abundant this week on Amazon, which also has the AirPods 4 for just $99.99 and the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for $148.99. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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Update: The new Apple Invites app has officially been announced.

The main iCloud.com page has seemingly confirmed Apple's rumored invites tool, which has yet to be officially announced by the company.

The page says "Apple Invites" will be an iCloud+ feature:

Upgrade to iCloud+ to get more storage, plan events with Apple Invites, and have peace of mind with privacy features like iCloud Private Relay, Hide My Email, and HomeKit Secure Video.

iCloud+ is essentially Apple's name for paid iCloud storage plans, which start at $0.99 per month in the United States. Apple includes some additional perks with iCloud+ plans at no additional cost, such as iCloud Private Relay and HomeKit Secure Video, and it seems that Apple Invites is the newest perk that is set to be offered.

Apple Invites will be available on the web at iCloud.com/invites, and a new Apple Invites app for the iPhone and other devices is also likely.

Apple Invites will help users to organize birthday parties and other events, according to the page description for iCloud.com/invites:

Create online party invitations - for birthdays, graduations, baby showers & more. Track RSVPs, create shared albums, and send instantly by email or text.

iCloud+ subscribers will get full access to Apple Invites, with no ads, additional costs, or limits on the amount of events they can host.

Apple Invites will integrate with Apple Music, Apple Maps, Photos, and more.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple Invites could be announced as early as this week.

Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that should change in February. At a minimum, there will be Powerbeats Pro 2 next week, and there is a decent chance that the MacBook Air will be updated this month.

On the software side, Apple is expected to announce an all-new "Invites" app soon, and the first iOS 18.4 beta should be released this month.

Below, we recap what to expect from Apple in the month of February.

'Invites' App

Last month, 9to5Mac discovered iOS 18.3 code references to a potential new "Invites" app from Apple, that would help users to organize meetings and other events. The report said the app would have iCloud integration, meaning that event invites would sync across Apple devices and be available on the web at iCloud.com.

Over the weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the new iCloud-based service is codenamed "Confetti" within Apple. He said it will offer users a "new way to invite people to parties, functions, and meetings."

Apple Invites could be announced as soon as this week, according to Gurman.

Update: The name "Apple Invites" has leaked on iCloud.com. The page says Apple Invites will be an iCloud+ feature, with an Apple Invites app likely.

Powerbeats Pro 2

Last year, Apple teased that Powerbeats Pro 2 would be released in 2025. A few days ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to announce the wireless earbuds on Tuesday, February 11, with U.S. pricing set at $250.

Powerbeats Pro are a sportier, fitness-focused alternative to AirPods Pro with built-in, adjustable ear hooks for a secure fit. According to Gurman, the Powerbeats Pro 2 will feature the same H2 chip as used in the AirPods Pro 2, which will enable improved active noise cancellation compared to the original Powerbeats Pro.

Apple's teaser video last year showed MLB star Shohei Ohtani wearing the Powerbeats Pro 2, revealing a more vertical, slimmer design compared to the original Powerbeats Pro, which launched in 2019 and are now discontinued.

We previously discovered that Powerbeats Pro 2 will offer heart rate monitoring during workouts. Based on our iOS 18 code findings, you will be able to connect the Powerbeats Pro 2 to gym equipment like a treadmill to measure heart rate, and the data will be visible in the Health app and other supported apps on the iPhone.

iOS 18 code also revealed that Powerbeats Pro 2 will be available in four new color options, including a vibrant "Electric Orange."

Based on other recent Beats headphones, other potential upgrades for the Powerbeats Pro 2 over the originals include improved sound quality, longer battery life, and a USB-C port instead of Lightning on the charging case.

New MacBook Air?

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, new MacBook Air models will be announced "earlier" than some other devices rumored to launch this spring, such as the iPhone SE 4 and iPad 11. He has repeatedly said the new MacBook Air models are already in production, so a release as early as February rather than March or April seems possible.

Likely upgrades for the next 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models include the M4 chip, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and more.

iOS 18.4 Beta

The first iOS 18.4 beta should be released at some point this month.

The software update is expected to introduce several new Apple Intelligence features for Siri, including on-screen awareness, deeper per-app controls, understanding of the user's personal context, and more. Apple Intelligence, which requires an iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16, will also be made available in additional languages.

Other new features expected in iOS 18.4 include new emoji, the ability to set default map and translation apps in the EU, and more.

Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April.

Opera has announced Opera Air, a new web browser that integrates mindfulness and wellness features directly into the browsing experience. The browser aims to help users manage stress and maintain focus while navigating the internet.

The Norwegian browser maker has incorporated several science-backed wellness tools into Opera Air, including breathing exercises, meditation sessions, and binaural beats. Users can access these features through two main functions: "Take a Break" and "Boosts."

The "Take a Break" feature offers guided exercises ranging from 3 to 15 minutes, including breathing exercises, meditation, and full body scans. Users can set reminders to take mindful breaks throughout their browsing sessions.

Opera Air's "Boosts" feature takes advantage of binaural beats technology, which plays slightly different frequencies in each ear to influence brainwave activity. Users can choose from various preset options like "Creativity Boost," "Energized Focus," and "Deep Relaxation." The feature also allows customization of volume levels, nature sounds, and background music, with sessions lasting from 15 minutes to unlimited duration.

Opera says the browser is designed to maintain its core functionality while introducing these wellness features in a non-disruptive way. Users can continue browsing or working while using features like the "Focused Calm" boost, which uses Alpha 8Hz beats combined with nature sounds to promote concentration.

To aid the sense of a calmer browsing environment, Opera Air also features a minimalist Scandinavian design with a frosted glass user interface. Opera Air is available to download today from the company's website.

WhatsApp is working on expanding its group chat event planning feature to private chats, according to new changes found in the latest beta version (via WABetaInfo).

Currently, WhatsApp allows you to create events from group chats to help organize gatherings and stay connected. Hosted events can be given a name, date, and time, also with a description, location, call link, and end time. Only people in the group chat can be invited.

WhatsApp's plan to bring events to private chats should see all of these event planning features become available in one-on-one conversations. It's another step towards Meta's goal of keeping users in the app for longer, instead of having to switch to calendars or other apps to organize meetings, set reminders, and coordinate appointments.

Notably, Apple is said to be on the verge of launching its own iCloud-based event planning app called "Confetti." The service will reportedly offer users a "new way to invite people to parties, functions, and meetings," compared to the current simplistic way of creating events in Apple's Calendar app.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is also testing the ability to let users open View Once media on linked devices. Currently, a disappearing image or video can only be viewed on a user account's main registered device, so the change should make the feature more useful for those with more than one device.

On that note, WhatsApp recently released an update for iOS devices to patch a significant privacy vulnerability that affected its "View Once" feature. The bug allowed users to access photos and videos that were meant to disappear after a single viewing. Given the privacy implications, make sure you're running the latest version of the app from the App Store to ensure any View Once media remains ephemeral as intended.

Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the Apple Vision Pro launch, which means Apple's $3,500 AR/VR headset has now been available to consumers for a full 365 days.

Over the course of the last year, we've seen numerous reports suggesting that the Vision Pro isn't selling well, which is not a surprise given its high price point. Apple CEO Tim Cook described the Vision Pro as an "early-adopter product" for people who want to have tomorrow's technology today," and the most recent rumors suggest that it might be out of production already.

In October, The Information said that Apple was winding down production of the Vision Pro, with plans to stop making it at the end of 2024. Apple has enough supply to meet demand for now, because Apple apparently plans to make a new version of the Vision Pro as soon as this year.

Apple didn't quite know how the Vision Pro would be received, and its work on a subsequent model seems to be shifting regularly. For that reason, we've heard a lot of mixed rumors about what's next, but we do have some idea of what might be on the horizon.

Vision Pro 2

We started off with rumors about a second-generation Vision Pro, but work on the next-generation headset with a more advanced feature set has apparently been paused so that Apple can work on a more affordable version first.

A Minor Update

It doesn't sound like we're going to get a Vision Pro 2 this year, or at least not a next-generation model with notable improvements, but there could be an incremental update.

Both Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believe that Apple is working on a refresh that includes Apple's upcoming M5 chip, an improvement over the M2 chip in the current model. With the M5 chip, Apple might bring Apple Intelligence features to the Vision Pro, including a more advanced version of Siri.

Right now, ‌Apple Intelligence‌ is limited to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

No other major design changes or feature upgrades are expected for this device, and it will reuse many of the components from the first-generation model to use up any surplus inventory that Apple has. It's not really clear how the M5 chip might change the Vision Pro experience, and a chip upgrade likely isn't going to spur current Vision Pro owners to buy another headset.

There is a possibility that the next Vision Pro could have 5G connectivity with Apple's in-house modem chip, but that is something that the company could also hold for a second-generation model rather than an incremental update.

Low-Cost Model?

Apple wants to make a more affordable version of the Vision Pro that's priced similarly to a high-end ‌iPhone‌, but it will take some time. Kuo doesn't expect this lower-cost model until 2027 at the earliest, and it could take even longer.

Apple is struggling to cut costs because it doesn't want to compromise the display components. Apple could use a less powerful processor and cheaper materials than aluminum and glass, and it could cut features like the EyeSight display that shows the wearer's eyes.

Rumors suggest that Apple is looking at OLED panels that are up to 2.1 inches in size with a display density of around 1,700 pixels per inch. The Vision Pro has a 1.42-inch display with a ~3,400 pixel density per inch.

Apple Glasses

Apple was developing lightweight augmented reality smart glasses that would be powered by the Mac, but the project was abandoned in January. The glasses would have been the size of standard glasses, with projectors built in to display images to the wearer, but the Mac connection was a dealbreaker.

Apple still hopes to introduce augmented reality glasses one day, but it looks like the company will wait until technology has advanced enough that the glasses won't need to rely on another device for power and battery.

Apple does not approve of the "Hot Tub" pornography app that was released for the iPhone in the EU using alternative app distribution, Apple said in a statement to MacRumors. Further, Apple is concerned about the potential user safety risks with a pornography app, and says that it undermines consumer trust in the Apple ecosystem.

We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids. This app and others like it will undermine consumer trust and confidence in our ecosystem that we have worked for more than a decade to make the best in the world. Contrary to the false statements made by the marketplace developer, we certainly do not approve of this app and would never offer it in our App Store. The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety.

Apple's statement references the first native iOS pornography app that is available through AltStore, an alternative app marketplace in the European Union. Apple is required to allow app marketplaces in the EU by the Digital Markets Act, and Apple has little control over the kinds of apps that are distributed through the marketplaces.

In marketing for the app, AltStore referred to Hot Tub as "the first Apple-approved porn app," and Apple has taken issue with the wording. While all apps distributed outside of the App Store in the EU have to go through Apple's Notarization process, it only checks for malware, fraud, and other egregious issues. Notarization does not limit content, and apps sideloaded on the ‌iPhone‌ in the EU can have pornography, references to drugs and alcohol, hate speech, and other content that would not be permitted under the ‌App Store‌ rules.

Apple's Notarization guidelines actually prohibit apps from implying that Apple "endorses any particular representation regarding quality or functionality" of any app or app marketplace in the EU, so AltStore has seemingly violated Apple's Notarization rules.

Apple wants to make it clear that the Hot Tub pornography app is available because European Commission has forced Apple to allow AltStore and other alternative app marketplaces to exist in the EU, even though Apple has warned multiple times that the DMA would make objectionable, harmful, and illicit content available to consumers.

Apple says that it expressed concerns about the upcoming pornography app in December, but the European Commission hasn't made a move to stop it from being distributed.

Update: Following Apple's statement, Epic Games has clarified that it does not offer Hot Tub or other porn apps through the ‌Epic Games‌ Store in the EU. For clarity, ‌Epic Games‌ did give AltStore a "MegaGrant" that allows it to distribute apps like Hot Tub for free.

Apple is fighting to defend its multi-billion dollar search engine deal with Google as Google is prosecuted for antitrust violations, and so far, the court isn't making it easy. Last week, Apple filed a motion for an emergency stay that would give the Cupertino company time to intervene in the lawsuit, but the judge overseeing the case denied Apple's motion [PDF] and won't hold off on moving forward.

In November, Apple asked the court to allow it to be more involved in the case as the court decides what steps to take to prevent Google from continuing to violate antitrust law. The court said no, so Apple appealed the ruling, but it will take time for the appeals process to play out. While it waits on an appeal, Apple wanted the court to pause the proceedings, but the judge isn't inclined to do so.

According to the court, Apple did not demonstrate that it will suffer "certain and great" harm that would justify a stay, nor has it adequately explained why it needs a bigger role in the lawsuit or what new evidence it has to present. The court also does not feel that Apple has proven that a mistake was made when its initial motion for intervention was denied. Further, the judge feels that moving forward is important to prevent Google from continuing with its antitrust violations.

As the court stated in its order denying intervention, this case has been pending for over four years, and the delay from postponing the evidentiary hearing would be months, not weeks.

What's more, the court has concluded that Google violated federal antitrust law by entering into exclusive search distribution agreements with various companies (including Apple) to achieve and maintain a monopoly in both the general search services market and the general text advertising market.

Preserving the status quo by granting a stay, as Apple urges, would only perpetuate this unlawful activity and is therefore contrary to the public interest.

Last year, Google was found guilty of violating antitrust law, and its search engine deal with Apple was a main focus of the case. Google pays Apple billions each year to be the default search engine for Safari, and the court decided that deal and other Google practices violate antitrust law.

The U.S. government has asked the court to prevent Google from entering into search contracts with Apple and other companies, and Apple does not want that to happen. Apple will be losing upward of $20 billion annually if Google is barred from continuing on with the search engine deal, and Apple would still have to offer Google Search as an option to users.

Google is also facing more extreme remedies, and it could be forced to sell the Chrome browser or uncouple Android from products like Google Search and the Google Play Store. Apple feels that Google will prioritize defending Chrome and its other properties over its search deal with Apple, which is why Apple wants to step in.

"If Apple's appeal is not resolved until during or after the remedies trial, Apple may well be forced to stand mute at trial, as a mere spectator, while the government pursues an extreme remedy that targets Apple by name and would prohibit any commercial arrangement between Apple and Google for a decade," Apple wrote in the filing asking for a stay.

Apple now plans to file a motion to expedite its appeal of the initial ruling barring it from further participating in the Google lawsuit. The remedies portion of the antitrust lawsuit against Google is set to begin in April, so the appeals process may have time to play out before then if Apple can get the case expedited.

Apple today stopped signing iOS 18.2.1, which means that iPhone users who have upgraded to iOS 18.3 can no longer downgrade to the prior version of iOS 18. Apple released iOS 18.3 a week ago.

When new versions of iOS are released, Apple stops signing the prior version after a week or two. An update that is not signed is not able to be installed on an ‌iPhone‌ because there is a server-side software verification check. As of right now, ‌iPhone‌ models compatible with ‌iOS 18‌ are only eligible to download and run iOS 18.3.

By preventing customers from downgrading to older versions of iOS, Apple ensures that devices are kept up to date with the newest security improvements.

Apple's iOS 18.3 update included a handful of Apple Intelligence updates and more than 20 security updates. One of those fixes addressed a vulnerability that may have been actively exploited on some devices, demonstrating why it is important to keep iOS software up to date.