MacRumors

Apple employees at the Apple Store in Short Hills, New Jersey have petitioned to unionize, reports Bloomberg. Retail store unionization efforts have died down in recent months after locations in Oklahoma and Maryland successfully unionized in 2022.

There are 104 workers at Apple Short Hills, which is located in the Short Hills Mall. Communication Workers of America (CWA) filed a unionization petition with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of employees earlier this week.

In a statement, the CWA said that forming a union would be the best way to "ensure all Apple workers receive the respect, pay, benefits and working conditions" that they deserve. The group has requested that Apple "not to interfere in our ongoing organizing efforts and, instead, allow workers to freely determine for themselves whether to form a union."

Apple told Bloomberg that it offers "exceptional" benefits and competitive pay to its employees.

We have always paid our retail teams in the top tier of the market. And we provide exceptional and comprehensive benefits for all full- and part-time employees as a part of the overall support we provide to our valued team members.

Following the petition, workers at the store will need to vote on whether to join the union. If a majority decide to do so, the store will unionize. Union employees are able to negotiate with Apple for improved working conditions and benefits. In Maryland, workers have been working to negotiate with Apple for a 10 percent pay increase, tips from customers, and changes to overtime and leave policies.

While two stores have unionized, unionization efforts have failed in other locations. An Apple retail location in St. Louis voted not to unionize, and a store in Atlanta withdrew its request to unionize after alleged interference from Apple. The U.S. National Labor Relations Board said in December 2022 that Apple had violated federal law by holding mandatory anti-union meetings and coercing and interrogating the Atlanta workers.

It's been a bit over six months since the iPhone 15 lineup came out in September, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using an iPhone 15 Pro Max sans case since launch. Over on our YouTube channel, Dan did a long term review to demo how his phone has held up and his thoughts on the Action button, battery life, and camera features.

The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ and Pro Max are Apple's first iPhones with a titanium shell instead of a stainless steel or aluminum shell, and titanium is supposed to be more durable. After suffering from several drops without a case, Dan's iPhone is scuffed and chipped, but there are no scratches. As for the screen, it has a minor scratch or two.

Battery health is at 98 percent and 174 cycles, and there have been some fluctuations in battery life with software updates. It's a little hard to get a solid read on battery because of day-to-day differences in usage.

Some people have had trouble finding a use for the Action button, but assigning it to the camera is one way to ensure that it gets used. With the camera setting, a quick press on the button launches the camera so there's no need to press on the Home Screen or open up the Camera app. Apple is rumored to be adding a dedicated Capture button for the camera with the iPhone 16 models, so the Action button might get less useful at that point for those who use it for the camera.

For ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ owners, how's your battery life, and do you use the Action button? Let us know in the comments below.

While the first iOS 17.5 beta is slim on new features, there is one fun addition for Apple News+ subscribers: a daily word game called Quartiles.

Quartiles tasks you with combining tiles to form words and earn points. Each puzzle starts with a grid of 20 tiles, and words can be formed with one to four tiles. A quartile is a four-tile word, and if you find all five in each puzzle, you earn a 40-point bonus. The website Gadget Hacks shared a walkthrough of the game with more details.

Quartiles is the third puzzle game included with an Apple News+ subscription, alongside Crossword and Crossword Mini. Starting with the iOS 17.5 beta, all three games integrate with Game Center to display leaderboards.

On an iPhone updated to the iOS 17.5 beta, Quartiles can be found in the Apple News app under the Following tab → Puzzles. The game is also available on the iPad and Mac starting with the iPadOS 17.5 and macOS 14.5 betas.

Apple News+ is available in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the U.K., but the puzzle games seem to be limited to the U.S. and Canada for now.

iOS 17.5 will likely be released in May.

Amazon today has discounted the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 9 down to $295.20, from $399.00. This price is only available in the (PRODUCT)RED color, and it's a limited time deal at Amazon so be sure to check out the sale before it's fully claimed.

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.

This is a new all-time low price on this model of the Series 9, beating previous low prices by about $5. Unfortunately, there aren't really any notable Apple Watch deals besides this sale, so you'll need to be sure the 41mm case size with the M/L Sport Band will fit your wrist.

This version of the Apple Watch features the S9 chip, a brighter display than the Series 8, and a new Double Tap feature. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

iOS 18 will apparently feature a new Safari browsing assistant, according to backend code on Apple's servers discovered by Nicolás Álvarez. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris confirmed that the code exists, but not many details are known at this time.

Álvarez said it seems like the browsing assistant will use iCloud Private Relay's infrastructure to send relevant data to Apple in a privacy-focused manner. If so, perhaps the feature will require an iCloud+ subscription, but this is merely speculation.

Update: Álvarez has since said that iCloud Private Relay might not be related to this feature.

A browsing assistant in Safari could be one of the many new generative AI features that are rumored to be coming to the iPhone with iOS 18 later this year. There are already multiple iPhone web browsers with AI tools, such as Microsoft Edge with a GPT-4-powered Copilot and Arc Search, which can summarize web pages to provide concise information.

Álvarez also uncovered a so-called "Encrypted Visual Search" feature in the backend code on Apple's servers, but no specific details are known. MacRumors contributor Steve Moser last year discovered a new Visual Search feature for Apple's Vision Pro headset in visionOS beta code, which would allow users to copy and paste printed text from the real world into apps and more, but the feature has yet to launch. It is possible that Apple is planning to debut a more secure version of the feature. However, the code could also relate to the iPhone's existing Visual Look Up feature that can identify objects in photos and videos.

Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, so we should learn more about these potential new features in a few more months.

Apple now produces as much as 14% of its iPhones in India, indicating the company's accelerating efforts to diversify beyond China (via Bloomberg).

The figure accounts for $14 billion of assembled iPhones in the country, or about 1 in 7 of the company's flagship devices, a doubling of production compared to the last fiscal year. Models assembled in India include the iPhone 12 through to the latest iPhone 15, excluding premium Pro and Pro Max models.

Apple has been setting up ‌‌iPhone‌‌ manufacturing hubs in India ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi began promoting his "Made in India" initiative, which requires that 30% of products sold by foreign companies be manufactured or produced within the country.

The Indian government says the growth in manufacturing has created 150,000 direct jobs at Apple's suppliers. That's a boon for Modi's administration, which has enticed foreign companies like Apple with financial incentives to realize its ambition for the country to become a global manufacturing hub.

Foxconn assembled nearly 67% and Pegatron around 17% of iPhones in India in the fiscal year ending March 2024, according to Bloomberg's sources. The remaining devices were produced by Wistron.

While China remains Apple's largest iPhone assembly base and biggest overseas market, it is also where Apple's revenues have been plummeting, due to the meteoric rise of local vendors such as Huawei and a government ban on the use of iPhones in state workplaces.

Apple's diversification away from China hints at the company's growing awareness of rising geopolitical tensions and the need for supply chain resilience in the face of potential disruption. The pivot to India also likely takes into account its fast-growing smartphone market – last year Apple also opened its first two stores there, in Mumbai and the capital New Delhi.

Apple chipmaker TSMC is making progress toward manufacturing 2nm and 1.4nm chips that are likely destined for future generations of Apple silicon, DigiTimes reports.

The manufacturing time frames for mass production of 2nm and 1.4nm chips have now apparently been determined: Trial production of the 2nm node will begin at in the second half of 2024, with small-scale production ramping up in the second quarter of 2025. Notably, TSMC's new plant in Arizona will also join 2nm production efforts. In 2027, facilities in Taiwan will start to shift toward production of 1.4nm chips.

TSMC's first 1.4nm node is officially called "A14" and will follow its "N2" 2nm chips. N2 is scheduled for mass production in late 2025, to be followed by an enhanced "N2P" node in late 2026.

Historically, Apple is among the first companies to adopt new, state-of-the-art chip fabrication technologies. For example, it was the first company to utilize TSMC's 3nm node with the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max, and Apple is likely to follow suit with the chipmaker's upcoming nodes. Apple's most advanced chip designs have historically appeared in the iPhone before making their way to the iPad and Mac lineups. With all of the latest information, here's how the ‌iPhone‌'s chip technology is expected to look going forward:

• ‌iPhone‌ XR and XS (2018): A12 Bionic (7nm, N7)
• ‌iPhone‌ 11 lineup (2019): A13 Bionic (7nm, N7P)
• ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup (2020): A14 Bionic (5nm, N5)
• iPhone 13 Pro (2021): A15 Bionic (5nm, N5P)
• iPhone 14 Pro (2022): A16 Bionic (4nm, N4P)
• ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ (2023): A17 Pro (‌3nm‌, N3B)
• iPhone 16 Pro (2024): "A18" (‌3nm‌, N3E)
• "‌iPhone‌ 17 Pro" (2025): "A19" (2nm, N2)
• "‌iPhone‌ 18 Pro" (2026): "A20" (2nm, N2P)
• "‌iPhone‌ 19 Pro" (2027): "A21" (1.4nm, A14)

The M1 series of Apple silicon chips is based on the A14 Bionic and uses TSMC's N5 node, while the M2 and M3 series use N5P and N3B, respectively. The Apple Watch's S4 and S5 chips use N7, the S6, S7, and S8 chips use N7P, and the latest S9 chip uses N4P.

Each successive TSMC node surpasses its predecessor in terms of transistor density, performance, and efficiency. Late last year, it emerged that TSMC had already demonstrated prototype 2nm chips to Apple ahead of their expected introduction in 2025.

Apple's iPhone 16 Plus may come in seven colors that either build upon the existing five colors in the standard iPhone 15 lineup or recast them in a new finish, based on a new rumor out of China.

According to the Weibo-based leaker Fixed focus digital, Apple's upcoming larger 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus model will come in the following colors, compared to the colors currently available for the iPhone 15 Plus:

iPhone 15 Plus (2023)	iPhone 16 Plus (2024)
Blue	Blue
Pink	Pink
Yellow	Yellow
Green	Green
Black	Black
–	White
–	Purple

The leaker did not provide any more context beyond the model name, so it is unclear if the alleged color options are exclusive in whole or in part to the iPhone 16 Plus, or whether they are set to be available across both the iPhone 16 and its larger equivalent. Given that the two models are expected to be identical apart from their size difference, the latter possibility seems most likely.

This is the first rumor we have received about potential colors for the standard iPhone 16 models, and the leaker has an unproven track record for accurate leaks, so the colors given await corroboration from other sources before we can consider them to be correct.

As for the iPhone 16 Pro models, rumors suggest they could come in new "space black" and "rose" titanium colors. The Blue Titanium color that iPhone 15 Pro models are currently available in will allegedly be dropped from the iPhone 16 Pro lineup in favor of the new rose color. Meanwhile, "space black," which is said to be similar to the iPhone 14 Pro color of the same name, will replace Black Titanium.

The Natural and White Titanium colors are also rumored to be slightly different on the iPhone 16 Pro models. Natural Titanium is said to be returning, but with more of a gray tint to it. Meanwhile, White Titanium will appear more like a "silver white" color, which is also said to be similar to the silver version of the iPhone 14 Pro.

The iPhone 16 lineup is expected to be announced in the fall.

Apple's usual strategy of introducing a new mid-cycle iPhone color in the spring is unlikely to be replicated for the iPhone 15 this year, if a new rumor out of Asia is anything to go by.

Apple usually introduces new ‌iPhone‌ color options in the spring to boost sales midway through the device's product cycle, keeping the device top-of-mind for consumers at a time when the next iPhone launch is still another six months away.

Apple has used the tactic frequently in recent years. In 2017 and 2018, it released red mid-cycle versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 lines, respectively. Then in 2021, Apple added a purple color to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini models for the spring season in late April.

In March 2022, the iPhone 13 lineup received new green finishes, and in the same month last year, Apple released the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in a new yellow color. Each new color launch has been accompanied by a significant ad campaign to attract new customers and upgraders who did not make a purchase when the latest iPhone series was originally launched in the fall. This year could be different, however.

According to Chinese Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital, there is no new spring color scheme on the cards for the iPhone 15. It's also worth noting that Apple has already launched several iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands in refreshed color options. The refreshed accessories arrived when Apple released the new MacBook Air in early March. In previous years, such a move has often been accompanied by a new iPhone color.

Why Apple would forego the opportunity to boost sales in the middle of an iPhone cycle is not entirely clear, so it is worth taking the latest rumor with a pinch of salt for now. Production delays have reportedly pushed the release of new iPads into May, and Apple is not expected to hold a launch event to announce the devices, but the debut of a new iPhone color could always come separately in the form of a press release, which Apple has opted for in the past.

Automattic, the company behind popular web management system WordPress, has purchased Beeper and will absorb Beeper's 27 employees. Beeper made headlines back in December for Beeper Mini, an app that brought iMessage to Android devices.

Beeper Mini used reverse engineered iMessage protocols and encryption, taking advantage of Apple's own iMessage servers to let Android users send "blue bubble" texts to iPhone users without an Apple ID. The app supported all iMessage functionality, including read receipts, typing indictors, reactions, and end-to-end encryption.

Apple was not happy with Beeper Mini using its iMessage servers, and it blocked the Beeper Mini app. Beeper tried workarounds, but after suggesting Android users acquire a jailbroken ‌iPhone‌ to get the service to work, the company gave up on the idea.

After Apple blocked Beeper Mini from working, both the FTC and the U.S. Department of Justice met with Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky. Beeper Mini was ultimately mentioned in the DoJ's antitrust filing against Apple, with the DoJ suggesting it was a "fix" for the broken Android to ‌iPhone‌ cross-platform messaging issue.

Automattic does not plan to revive Beeper Mini, but is instead taking on Beeper, a universal chat app available for Android, iOS, and desktop devices. Beeper is able to integrate with multiple chat networks with a universal inbox, though it does not currently work with iMessage.

In a post announcing the acquisition by Automattic, Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky said that Beeper is "cautiously optimistic about the future" because the DoJ has "sued Apple for blocking Beeper Mini's access to iMessage."

Going forward, Migicovsky will serve as Automattic's Head of Messaging, and Beeper will operate as an independent team. With the acquisition, Beeper is no longer in beta and has officially launched.

The iPhone continues to be overwhelmingly popular with teens, according to Piper Sandler's biannual teen survey. 85 percent of U.S. teens surveyed own an ‌iPhone‌, and 86 percent plan to purchase an ‌iPhone‌ as their next smartphone.

While the ‌iPhone‌ is still the most popular smartphone among teens, ownership is down from the October 2023 survey where 87 percent of teens owned an ‌iPhone‌ and 88 percent planned to purchase one.

Both the 85% iPhone ownership and 86% intention to purchase an iPhone metrics are near record highs for our survey but down from record levels in 2021. We believe the elevated penetration and purchase intention are important given the mature premium smartphone market. Additionally, trends towards premium tier phones are encouraging as the company continues to introduce new iPhones proving the overall stickiness of the product portfolio. Finally, positive trends in services could follow, as the install base for Apple hardware continues to grow.

Apple's dominance in the teen market is of particular interest right now because it is one metric that the U.S. Department of Justice is targeting in its antitrust lawsuit against Apple.

The DoJ has suggested that Apple's ownership of the U.S. smartphone market causes "social stigma, exclusion, and blame" for non-iPhone users, with "green bubble" chats and issues between ‌iPhone‌ and Android message users cited as a specific example. The DoJ claims that this is "particularly powerful" for teenagers, and that "social pressure" causes teens to switch to the ‌iPhone‌.

The antitrust lawsuit also suggests that Apple's marketshare among "key demographics" like "younger audiences" is an issue that gives Apple too much power over the smartphone ecosystem.

As for the Apple Watch, 34 percent of teens reported using an Apple Watch, with no change from last fall. Intent to buy an Apple Watch was up three percent, however, with 13 percent of teens planning to buy one in the next six months. Only 39.4 percent of teens said they own a smart watch, so teens are also overwhelmingly preferring the Apple Watch to other smart watch brands. The Apple Watch was the top watch brand, with Rolex and Casio coming in second and third, respectively.

Teens prefer Spotify as their music service, and nearly two-thirds of teens surveyed said Spotify is their preferred service. Just over 30 percent of teens said they use Apple Music. Apple TV+ is not popular with teen audiences, and less than five percent of teens said they watch it on a daily basis. Comparatively, over 30 percent of teens watch Netflix daily, and close to 30 percent watch YouTube.

Apple Pay was the most popular payment platform with 44 percent of teens using it in the last month, but Cash app and Venmo are preferred for peer-to-peer money transfers.

Piper Sandler surveyed 6,020 teens across 47 U.S. states for its spring 2024 report.

Some Apple Vision Pro owners have been dealing with health issues related to the wearing of the headset, according to a report from MarketWatch. The site spoke to Vision Pro owners experiencing headaches and neck pain, among other issues.

Emily Olman, marketing chief of Hopscotch Interactive, said she got two "superdark black eyes" after wearing the Vision Pro for the first time, likely caused by the weight on the cheeks. Ian Beacraft, CEO of consulting firm Signal, told MarketWatch that he had pain at the base of his skull and his upper back.

There have also been complaints about the Vision Pro on Reddit from users experiencing ongoing headaches, eye strain, and pain from the weight of the device. Some users have had luck with modified straps and third-party products, and other people have no issue with the headset and the default band options.

Apple declined to comment on the customer complaints, directing MarketWatch to its user guidelines. Apple recommends taking a break from the headset every 20 to 30 minutes during the acclimation period, and to stop using the headset when feeling unwell. Apple does not recommend that people experiencing eye strain, headache, or pain continue to use the device.

Have you had problems with the Vision Pro headset? Let us know in the comments below.

Apple is leasing 45,000 square feet of space in an office building in the Miami area, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The company already has a smaller office space in the Miami area, but is planning to upgrade.

Apple's current Miami location is focused on advertising and Latin America. The upgraded office is located at The Plaza Coral Gables, south of Miami, and it is under construction.

Multiple tech companies have been expanding to South Florida, including Amazon and Microsoft. Apple is also planning to open a new retail store at the Miami Worldcenter in the heart of the city.

Apple has large campuses in California, Washington, and Texas, plus it is building a major campus in Raleigh, North Carolina. Apple also has smaller offices in cities around the world, including Singapore, Germany, Ireland, and Shanghai.

Apple today released visionOS 1.1.2, a minor update to the ‌visionOS‌ operating system that came out alongside the Vision Pro in February. ‌visionOS‌ 1.1.2 comes a month after the launch of visionOS 1.1.

‌visionOS‌ updates can be installed by going to the Settings app on the Vision Pro, selecting the General section, and choosing Software Update. The Vision Pro headset will need to be removed to install new software, with a progress bar available on the front EyeSight display.

According to Apple's release notes, the update introduces unspecified bug fixes and is recommended for all users.

Apple has also released a revised ‌visionOS‌ 1.2 beta that is available to developers. The new version has a 21O5555f version number, up from the prior 21O5555e version.

Apple is pushing regular updates to ‌visionOS‌. As mentioned above, the visionOS 1.2 update is already being beta tested, and we're expecting to see ‌visionOS‌ 2 introduced in June with a whole new feature set.

The Apple Watch Series 9 is now available in Apple's refurbished store in Australia and New Zealand for the first time since the device launched in September. These are the first countries where Apple offers refurbished Series 9 models.

Availability will likely extend to Japan and the UK soon, as Apple recently added a grayed-out Apple Watch Series 9 search filter to its refurbished store in those countries. The search filter is only visible on these pages in a desktop browser, and it is possible that Apple will remove them following our report, as it has done in the past.

Apple has yet to begin selling refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 models anywhere.

It is unclear if and when refurbished Series 9 and Ultra 2 models will be available in the U.S. due to Apple's legal battle with health company Masimo. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) last year banned Apple from importing and selling Apple Watch models with a functioning Blood Oxygen app after it ruled that the feature infringed on Masimo's patents. Apple recently appealed the decision in a 916-page court filing.

Apple could opt to sell refurbished Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the U.S. with the Blood Oxygen app deactivated, as it is currently doing for brand new models. Apple would be able to reactivate the app with a watchOS update if its appeal is successful, or if it eventually reaches a settlement with Masimo to end the dispute.

Since the ITC's ruling applies to the U.S. only, the Blood Oxygen app is still functional on new and refurbished Apple Watch models sold in all other countries.

The unique internal design of the Apple Vision Pro compared to its direct rivals was today revealed in CT scans performed by Lumafield.

Lumafield used its Neptune industrial CT scanner and Voyager analysis software to conduct non-destructive teardowns of the ‌Apple Vision Pro‌, Meta Quest Pro, and Meta Quest 3. The study began by examining the internal design and layout of the headsets, noting the ‌Apple Vision Pro‌'s emphasis on efficient use of space.

The Vision Pro's components are arranged in a manner that maximizes internal space without compromising the exterior, featuring a flexible PCB ribbon and electronics positioned at various angles. This contrasts with the Meta Quest Pro and Quest 3, which utilize a more traditional approach by stacking primary elements on a single plane.

An examination of the sensors across the devices reveals the Vision Pro's advanced use of eye and hand tracking technologies for UI navigation, involving a variety of sensors such as LiDAR and IR cameras. The Meta Quest devices, on the other hand, incorporate handheld controllers and an experimental version of hand tracking.

Thermal management strategies also vary significantly between the headsets. The Quest Pro's uses a combination of basic active and passive cooling, while the Vision Pro features micro-blowers. Battery design and placement further differentiate the headsets, with the Vision Pro opting for an external battery pack to prioritize performance, while the Meta Quest models integrate the battery within the headset for user convenience.

Visit Lumafield's website for more information and to interact with its CT scans of Apple's Vision Pro headset.

It has been nearly a year and a half since the current Apple TV was released, so the device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade. Below, we recap rumors about the next Apple TV, including potential features and launch timing.

The current model is the third-generation Apple TV 4K, announced in October 2022. Key new features compared to the previous model from 2021 include a faster A15 Bionic chip, a larger 128GB storage option, a slightly thinner and lighter design, HDR10+ support, a USB-C port on the Siri Remote, lower pricing, and more.

Launch Timing

In January 2023, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that a new Apple TV would be released in the first half of 2024. If that timeframe remains accurate, a new Apple TV would be released by the end of June. If so, the device could be announced in a press release on Apple's website, or unveiled during the WWDC keynote on June 10.

Gurman has not commented on the next Apple TV in recent months, and his report was published nearly 15 months ago, so it is unclear if the device remains on track to launch in the first half of 2024 or if Apple's plans have changed.

Announcement dates for recent Apple TV models:

• Third-generation Apple TV 4K: October 2022
• Second-generation Apple TV 4K: April 2021
• First-generation Apple TV 4K: September 2017
• Apple TV HD: September 2015

Rumors

Faster Chip

The next Apple TV will be equipped with a faster processor compared to the current model, according to Gurman's report last year. It's unclear which chip will power the device, but possibilities include the A16 Bionic chip that debuted in the iPhone 14 Pro models or the A17 Pro chip that debuted in the iPhone 15 Pro models.

Lower Price

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the next Apple TV to be "more affordable" than the current model. He said a "sub-$100 price" would be the "sweet spot" for the Apple TV, but exact pricing for the next model remains to be seen.

Both the second-generation (2010) and third-generation (2012) versions of the Apple TV were priced at $99 in the U.S. at launch, and Apple eventually lowered the price of the third-generation model to $69, so there is precedent for a sub-$100 Apple TV that would better compete with low-priced streaming devices sold by Google, Amazon, and Roku.

In the U.S., the current Apple TV starts at $129 with 64GB of storage, and a 128GB model with an added Ethernet port is available for $149.

Same Design

The new Apple TV will have the same external design as the current model, Gurman said.

Apple said the A15 Bionic chip's increased power efficiency allowed for the fan to be removed in the current Apple TV, resulting in the device having a more compact design that is around 12% thinner and around 50% lighter than the previous model.

Apple TV With Camera

A future Apple TV could have a built-in camera for FaceTime and other video calling apps, Gurman said in his Power On newsletter a few days ago.

tvOS 17 added a FaceTime app to the Apple TV, allowing for users to have video calls by using the rear camera on a connected iPhone or iPad. If the Apple TV gained a built-in camera, users would no longer need to rely on an external device.

It is unclear if a camera would be added to the next Apple TV or a later model.

Best Buy is on a roll this week when it comes to MacBook discounts, starting with 15-inch M2 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Pro discounts over the weekend and then introducing new record low prices on the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air yesterday. Today, the retailer is again introducing new all-time low prices on an Apple notebook, this time on the new 15-inch M3 MacBook Air.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Shoppers should note that all of these deals require you to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, which start at $49.99 per year. This membership grants you access to exclusive deals like these, as well as free two-day shipping, extended 60-day return window on most products, and more. While members can get $150 off these notebooks, non-members can still get a solid $100 markdown on the same models.

You can get the 8GB RAM/256GB SSD 15-inch M3 MacBook Air for $1,149.00, down from $1,299.00. The 8GB RAM/512GB SSD model is available for $1,349.00, down from $1,499.00, and the 16GB RAM/512GB SSD model is available for $1,549.00, down from $1,699.00.

These computers just debuted in March 2024, featuring faster M3 chips, 15.3-inch Liquid Retina displays, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, six-speaker sound system, two USB-C ports, a MagSafe charging port, and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.