MacRumors

Across 2024 and the early months of 2025, Apple refreshed all of its Macs with next-generation M4 chips, with the exception of the Mac Pro. The ‌Mac Pro‌ is still waiting for an update, but it is supposed to get an overhaul later this year.

M-Series Chip

The current version of the ‌Mac Pro‌ can be purchased with Apple's M2 Ultra chip, which came out in June 2023. It might seem logical for the ‌Mac Pro‌ to get the equivalent M4 chip, the M4 Ultra, but it turns out Apple might not have an M4 Ultra in the works.

When the Mac Studio was updated earlier this month, Apple announced a version with the M4 Max chip, and a version with an M3 Ultra chip, with no M4 Ultra unveiled. Apple told Mac Studio reviewers that not every generation of M-series chips will include a higher-end "Ultra" tier, so there may simply be no M4 Ultra that exists for the ‌Mac Pro‌.

There's now a question over what chip Apple will use in the ‌Mac Pro‌, and there are a few possibilities.

1. Apple does have an M4 Ultra chip coming, and it's not ready yet.
2. There's some version of a high-end M4 chip that is not technically an "Ultra" chip and is instead called something else like "M4 Extreme."
3. The ‌Mac Pro‌ will use the M3 Ultra chip.
4. The ‌Mac Pro‌ will get an M5 Ultra chip.

The M1 Ultra, ‌M2‌ Ultra, and M3 Ultra chips that Apple has released have essentially been two Max chips linked together through an "UltraFusion" connector. The M4 Max does not have the UltraFusion connector available, so the first possibility seems unlikely.

Apple could be making an M4 Ultra or Extreme chip that is standalone and not a doubled up variant of the M4 Max, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently claimed that Apple doesn't want to create an M4 Ultra chip from scratch because of costs, production challenges, and low sales of high-end and expensive machines.

Apple could refresh the ‌Mac Pro‌ with the same M3 Ultra chip that it put in the ‌Mac Studio‌, but if that's Apple's plan, it's likely the company would have just refreshed the ‌Mac Pro‌ alongside the ‌Mac Studio‌. The ‌Mac Pro‌ could be held back for other development reasons, but there aren't really rumors of notable new features coming.

We might be getting the first Macs with M5 chips later this year, but there's also a chance M5 Macs won't come until early 2026. Even if Macs with M5 chips do launch in late 2025, there's no guarantee that an Ultra version of the chip will be ready to go.

As of right now, there's no clear indication of what's in store for the 2025 ‌Mac Pro‌'s Apple silicon chip.

Design

There aren't rumors of design updates for the next ‌Mac Pro‌, so it's not likely that Apple has anything planned.

Ports

Apple added Thunderbolt 5 to the ‌Mac Studio‌ and MacBook Pro, so the ‌Mac Pro‌ will likely get Thunderbolt 5 ports too. Thunderbolt 5 will allow for more high-resolution displays to be connected to the ‌Mac Pro‌.

RAM and SSD

The M3 Ultra chip supports up to 512GB RAM, so if the ‌Mac Pro‌ gets the M3 Ultra or something similar, it will support a lot more RAM. The current model is limited to 192GB.

Storage maximums will also double, as the M3 Ultra supports up to a 16TB SSD, while the ‌Mac Pro‌ is limited to 8TB.

Launch Date

Bloomberg's ‌Mark Gurman‌ said last year that the ‌Mac Pro‌ will see a refresh toward the end of 2025, but given the chip uncertainty, Apple could be planning to hold it until 2026.

Apple has been accused of false advertising and unfair competition for delaying the Siri Apple Intelligence features that it promoted when launching iOS 18 and the iPhone 16 models, reports Axios.

The suit targets Apple ads that showed off ‌Siri‌ features that were unavailable, and claims that Apple cultivated “a clear and reasonable consumer expectation that these transformative features would be available upon the iPhone’s release,” while also driving “unprecedented excitement” that convinced millions consumers to upgrade their devices when the upgrades were not necessary.

After confirming that the ‌Siri‌ features would be delayed until the coming year, Apple removed the ads, but that was after they had been running for several months. Apple is accused of advertising functionality that did not exist, and continuing to promote the ‌Siri‌ capabilities well after the company was aware that they would not be available on time.

Contrary to Defendant’s claims of advanced AI capabilities, the Products offered a significantly limited or entirely absent version of Apple Intelligence, misleading consumers about its actual utility and performance. Worse yet, Defendant promoted its Products based on these overstated AI capabilities, leading consumers to believe they were purchasing a device with features that did not exist or were materially misrepresented.

The lawsuit was filed in a San Jose, California court and the plaintiffs are seeking class action status along with damages for customers who purchased an Apple device that supports ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

Zagg this week announced the launch of several hubs designed for the iPad and Mac, providing new options for connecting peripherals to Apple's devices.

The iPad-friendly 6-Port Media Hub features an integrated tablet stand, a set of simple-to-use media buttons for controlling video and music playback, and multiple ports. It includes an HDMI port that supports a 4K 60Hz display, a USB-C port with 100W passthrough charging, a USB-A port that supports 10Gb/s transfer speeds, an SD card reader, a micro SD card reader, and an audio jack.

Zagg's 9-Port Hub comes with an integrated USB-C cable and turns a single USB-C port on a Mac into nine ports. It includes two USB-C ports, 2 HDMI ports, a USB-A port, an SD card reader, a micro SD card reader, an Ethernet port, and an audio jack. 100W passthrough charging is supported, and the USB-C PD 3.0 20W port supports up to 10Gb/s for data transfers.

Zagg's high-end Pro Dock is an all-in-one stand and dock for a MacBook or an ‌iPad‌. It holds a device up at eye level, while also supporting displays and peripherals through nine included ports. The Pro Dock comes with a satellite hub that is designed to allow devices to be plugged in while cables are positioned out of sight.

Available ports include a 20W USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port, a 7.5W USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port, two HDMI ports (one that works with a 4K 60Hz display and one that works with a 4K 30Hz display), a USB-A 3.1 Gen 2 port, a USB-A 2.0 port, an audio jack, and an Ethernet port. There is a 150W power supply included for charging connected devices.

The 6-Port Media Hub is priced at $100, the 9-Port Hub is priced at $150, and the Pro Dock is priced at $400, with all three available for purchase from the Zagg website.

The season 2 finale of popular Apple TV+ series Severance is set to air tonight, with the episode going live at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time or 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Episode 10 of season 2 will have the longest runtime of any episode so far, coming in at 76 minutes.

Tonight's season finale will wrap up the season 2 storyline and provide some insight into just what the Macrodata Refinement department does and what "Cold Harbor" really is. A brief teaser for episode that Apple shared on social media highlighted one of the goats, so we might also learn what Lumon's Mammalians Nurturable team does with them.

Severance has become one of Apple's most talked about shows, and it has spawned countless fan theories, with viewers speculating about what's going on after every episode.

In an interview yesterday, Ben Stiller said that work is underway on Severance season 3, and this time around, we won't have to wait three years for more episodes.

Following the introduction of the iPhone 16e, new iPads and Macs, and some new accessories over the past month, what will Apple's next product announcement be? Based on rumors, a second-generation AirTag item tracker is likely next up.

Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that a new AirTag would be released around the middle of 2025. More recently, a leaker known as Kosutami claimed that Apple plans to release a new AirTag in May or June this year. Both of those timeframes suggest that the next AirTag is a few months away from launching.

Three upgrades have been rumored for the AirTag 2:

• With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the AirTag 2 is expected to have up to 3× longer range compared to the current AirTag. The chip debuted in the iPhone 15 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. On the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, there is a Precision Finding for People feature that can help you to find your friends in crowded places, and it offers a range of up to 200 feet/60 meters.
• The new AirTag's built-in speaker is expected to be more difficult to remove or tamper with, as an anti-stalking safety measure.
• The new AirTag is rumored to have improved integration with the Apple Vision Pro.

No major design changes are expected.

The original AirTag was announced during an Apple Event in April 2021. In the U.S., an individual AirTag costs $29, and a set of four costs $99.

While the first iOS 19 beta is still more than two months away, there are already plenty of rumors about the upcoming software update.

Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors so far.

visionOS-Like Design

In January, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech revealed a redesigned Camera app that is allegedly planned for iOS 19.

According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the Camera app will have more translucent menus and buttons, along with a larger viewfinder. The alleged design looks similar to visionOS, the software platform for Apple's Vision Pro headset.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the visionOS-like design changes will extend to other interfaces on iOS 19, meaning that the new look with more transparency will likely extend to additional Apple apps, notifications, and more.

Gurman believes that iOS 19 will have the most significant design changes since iOS 7.

Similar design changes are also expected for iPadOS 19 and macOS 16.

Personalized Siri

Apple recently delayed the more personalized version of Siri that it previewed at WWDC last year. The company said it anticipates rolling out the Siri upgrades at some point "in the coming year," so the features could launch as part of iOS 19 later this year, but they are more likely to arrive next year in a later update, such as iOS 19.4.

Whenever they launch, the Siri upgrades will include understanding of a user's personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls. For example, during its WWDC 2024 keynote, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.

Live Translate With AirPods

At least some AirPods models will be getting a new live translation feature with iOS 19 and an accompanying firmware update, according to Gurman.

Here is how that feature will work, according to his report this month:

The capability will work like this: If an English speaker is hearing someone talk in Spanish, the iPhone will translate the speech and relay it to the user's AirPods in English. The English speaker's words, meanwhile, will be translated into Spanish and played back by the iPhone.

Google already offers a similar Live Translate feature.

He also said iOS 19 will have bolstered translation capabilities, which likely means improvements are coming to the Apple Translate app.

End-to-End Encryption for RCS

Earlier this month, Apple said that it plans to add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to the Messages app in future iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS software updates. That likely means iOS 19, macOS 16, and so forth.

Apple promising end-to-end encryption for RCS messages indirectly confirms that it will be adopting the RCS Universal Profile 3.0 specification, which also includes several iMessage-like enhancements that were originally introduced in version 2.7 of the specification. iOS 18 supports RCS Universal Profile 2.4.

Here are five new capabilities to expect for RCS conversations on iOS 19:

• End-to-end encryption, which will prevent Apple and any other third party from being able to read messages and attachments while they are being sent between devices
• In-line replies
• Edit messages
• Unsend messages
• Full-fledged Tapback support for RCS messages, ensuring they always work

iMessage conversations with blue bubbles have supported end-to-end encryption by default since iOS 5. In addition, iMessage has supported in-line replies since iOS 14, while the options to edit and unsend iMessages were introduced with iOS 16.

Apple has not indicated which iOS version will upgrade RCS, but iOS 19 or a follow-up update like iOS 19.1 or iOS 19.2 seems like a safe bet.

EU Changes

The European Commission this week announced a long list of changes that Apple is legally required to implement in future iOS 19 and iOS 20 updates.

The announcement clarifies interoperability requirements that Apple is required to adhere to in the EU, under the Digital Markets Act, which has been fully enforced since March 2024. The changes will further open up the iPhone and its technologies to competing companies and devices, and Apple is not happy about it.

We will be publishing an in-depth overview of all of the requirements, but in the meantime we have highlighted some key items below.

• Third-party smartwatches must be able to display and interact with iOS notifications by the end of 2025, which likely means iOS 19.2 or earlier.
• Apple must make its automatic audio switching feature available to third-party headphones by June 1, 2026, which likely means iOS 19.4 or earlier. This is the feature that allows most AirPods and select Beats to automatically switch connection between Apple devices, such as a Mac and an iPhone.
• Apple must make changes to iOS that allow for third parties to offer equivalent AirDrop alternatives by June 1, 2026.
• Apple must make changes to iOS that allow for third parties to offer equivalent AirPlay alternatives by iOS 20, or the end of 2026. iOS 20 is expected to be released to the general public in September 2026.

The entire list of changes can be found on the European Commission's website.

Compatible iPhones

According to French website iPhoneSoft.fr, iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that is capable of running iOS 18, which would mean the following models:

• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)

The oldest devices in that list are the iPhone XS, iPhone XS, and iPhone XR, all of which were released in September 2018.

Of course, some iOS 19 features will be unavailable on older iPhone models.

Timing

The first iOS 19 beta should be available immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote in June, and the update should be released to the general public in September.

More

Read our iOS 19 roundup for more details about the upcoming software update.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is available for download on the Mac as of today, and it is the first Assassin's Creed title that is launching for Mac at the same time that it is launching on PlayStation 5, Windows machines, and the Xbox.

Set in 16th century Japan, Assassin's Creed Shadows is part of the main Assassin's Creed gaming lineup, and it is the successor to Assassin's Creed Mirage. The game focuses on the dispute between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order, and players can take on the role of Fujibayashi Naoe, a shinobi assassin, and Yasuke, a samurai.

Each character offers different controls and gameplay styles, with separate progression paths, skills, weapon options, and stats. While Naoe uses stealth skills, Yasuke excels at combat. Both characters are part of the storyline and will be played at different times.

The game has a vast open world to explore, and players will experience a variety of landscapes with evolving weather and seasons. There are castle towns, bustling ports, pastoral landscapes, and peaceful shrines.

Playing Assassin's Creed Shadows on an Apple device requires a Mac with an Apple silicon chip, with real-time ray tracing available on M3 and M4 Macs.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is priced at $70 and it can be purchased from the Mac App Store.

Earlier this month, Resident Evil 3 and Palworld both became available on Apple devices, and Control Ultimate Edition is set to launch next week.

Apple is reportedly shaking up its executive ranks, shortly after it delayed the personalized Siri features that it previewed at WWDC last year.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Vision Pro chief Mike Rockwell will be taking over the Siri team at Apple, which until now was led by Apple's artificial intelligence chief John Giannandrea. Apple CEO Tim Cook has apparently "lost confidence" in Giannandrea's ability to "execute on product development," but he will remain at the company for now to oversee artificial intelligence research and development in general.

Vision Pro hardware engineer Paul Meade will be succeeding Rockwell as the head of Apple's spatial computing efforts, allowing Rockwell to focus entirely on Siri, according to the report. In his new role overseeing the Siri team, Rockwell will report to Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, the report added.

Apple plans to inform employees about the executive shakeup this week, according to the report.

Apple has been facing a lot of criticism after delaying its more personalized version of Siri, with some people upset that the company chose to preview new features that were merely conceptual, rather than fully functional. It is a widely held belief that Apple is lagging behind competitors like OpenAI in the generative artificial intelligence space, and it looks like Apple is attempting to right the ship with this executive shakeup.

Apple appointing Rockwell as its new Siri head is an interesting choice, as the Vision Pro has been described as a "commercial flop" and has faced criticism of its own. Nevertheless, the Vision Pro is certainly a technological feat, so Rockwell has proven experience and could be instrumental in improving Siri's underlying technologies.

Apple said it anticipates rolling out the more personalized Siri "in the coming year."

Even the current version of Siri has attracted a lot of criticism, including from some of the most devoted Apple fans, as it sometimes struggles to answer even the most basic questions. Rockwell certainly has his work cut out for him in his new role.

Earlier this week, the investment firm GF Securities shared multiple research notes regarding Apple's future chips. In one of these notes, it said the A20 chip for the iPhone 18 series would be manufactured with TSMC's third-generation 3nm process, N3P, and in another it said that the chip would use TSMC's newer 2nm process N2.

GF Securities is a large organization with many analysts, and it seems like some wires got crossed. In an email to MacRumors, the firm's lead Apple analyst Jeff Pu has since clarified that he believes the A20 chip will be manufactured with the N2 process, so the information about the chip using the N3P process should be disregarded.

Earlier reports had said the A20 chip would be 2nm, so rumors align again.

This is ultimately good news, as it means the A20 chip should have more substantial performance and power efficiency improvements over the A19 chip.

Of course, the iPhone 18 series is still a year and half away from launching, but at least the record has been set straight on this particular rumor.

Security firm LayerX Labs has identified a sophisticated phishing campaign that recently began targeting Mac users after new browser protections rendered its Windows attacks less effective.

The attackers had previously targeted Windows users with fake Microsoft security alerts, but then adapted their tactics in response to new anti-scareware features deployed in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browsers earlier this year.

According to LayerX, the original campaign relied on compromised websites that would display fake security warnings claiming the user's computer had been "compromised" and "locked." The malicious code would then freeze the webpage, creating the illusion that the computer was locked and prompting victims to enter their Windows credentials.

What made the campaign particularly effective was its apparent credibility, since the phishing pages were hosted on Microsoft's Windows.net platform. The use of legitimate infrastructure also helped it bypass security tools that assess risk based on domain reputation.

After browser developers implemented new anti-scareware protections in early 2025, LayerX said it observed a 90% drop in Windows-targeted attacks. Within just two weeks, the attackers had shifted their focus to Mac users, who weren't covered by the new protection measures.

The Mac-targeted phishing pages use a similar visual design but have been tailored specifically for macOS and Safari users. However, the campaign is still using the Windows.net infrastructure. Victims typically arrive at these phishing pages through typos in URLs, which lead to compromised domain parking pages that rapidly redirect through multiple sites before landing on the malicious page.

"While phishing campaigns targeting Mac users have existed before, they have rarely reached this level of sophistication," notes LayerX in their report. The security firm expects to see "a resurgent wave of attacks" as the threat actors continue to adapt their techniques to overcome new security protections.

The takeaway for Mac users is that you should always verify website URLs when typing them into your browser, and consider using a security tool that can detect browser-level threats.

Earlier in the year, Woot introduced a massive sale on the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop bands for Apple Watch, and this sale has reemerged a few times in the past few months. It's back today, alongside new discounts on the Apple Polishing Cloth, Siri Remote, and a few USB-C charging accessories.

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

You can get the Solo Loop for just $19.99 ($29 off) and the Braided Solo Loop for $29.99 ($69 off). All bands in this sale are in brand new condition and come with a one year Apple limited warranty.

Shoppers should note that this sale is focused on colors of the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop that Apple has stopped selling, and it doesn't include any of the new band colors. That being said, all of the bands in this sale are in new condition.

The entire sale is focused on Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop Apple Watch bands, so you'll need to know the size that works best for you before you buy. Apple has a measurement tool on its website that you can use to determine your exact size.

Solo Loop

• Black/White Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00
• Blue Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00
• Green Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00
• Purple Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00
• Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00

Braided Solo Loop

• Black/White Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Blue Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Green Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Purple Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Pride - $29.99, down from $99.00

In addition to Apple Watch bands, Woot's sale includes a few first-party Apple charging accessories and other products. Notable products on sale include the Polishing Cloth for $6.99, down from $19.00, and the third generation Siri Remote for $44.99, down from $59.00. You can also find a few USB-C power adapters on sale, and we've listed all of these devices below.

Other Accessories

• Apple Polishing Cloth - $6.99, down from $19.00
• USB-C Woven Charging Cable (1 Pack) - $11.99, down from $19.00
• 30W USB-C Power Adapter - $24.99, down from $49.00
• Siri Remote (Gen 3) - $44.99, down from $59.00
• 140W USB-C Power Adapter (cable not included) - $49.99, down from $99.00

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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Apple TV+ is hemorrhaging money amid a broader stall in Apple's services, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma.

The paywalled report reveals that ‌Apple TV‌+ is the only Apple subscription service that is not profitable. While its subscriptions grew to around 45 million last year, it is still losing more than $1 billion annually. The company has spent more than $5 billion a year on content since the service launched in 2019, but this was reduced by $500 million in 2024 in response to a push for cutbacks from Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives.

Cook apparently raised questions last year about several movie deals with ‌Apple TV‌+ executives, including for the spy action-comedy film "Argylle." The movie stars Henry Cavill and Dua Lipa, and cost $200 million to produce. Cook reportedly complained that the movie had not found a significant audience or generated more subscribers for ‌Apple TV‌+.

The report explains that "the audience for ‌Apple TV‌+ remains relatively small," constituting less than 1% of total U.S. streaming service viewing. Netflix and Amazon represented 8.2% and 3.5% of total viewing in February.

Apple's initial business plan for ‌Apple TV‌+ predicted losses of between $15 billion and $20 billion over its first decade. While major losses are normal in the streaming industry, it represents a major departure for Apple which normally exercises fiscal discipline.

Executives such as Eddy Cue initially shielded ‌Apple TV‌+ executives from budget scrutiny and rejected a proposal to increase oversight of programming costs. Apple did not have internal data on whether ‌Apple TV‌+ would tempt customers to buy Apple devices.

Despite successes such as "CODA" winning an Oscar for best picture, Cook began closely scrutinizing ‌Apple TV‌+'s financial performance from 2022 and advocated more oversight. The use of private jet travel for stars at the cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars per flight came under particular scrutiny, and led Apple to ask executives to negotiate better deals with flight-chartering companies.

Apple's overall corporate profits are so significant that it can easily absorb the losses from its streaming service, but it continues to forgo widespread appeal.

Apple Music, Arcade, News+, and Fitness+

Services is Apple's fastest and most profitable category, with gross margins exceeding 75%, compared to just under 40% for hardware. In its most recent fiscal year, services revenue rose 13% to more than $96 billion. However, other than iCloud+, Apple's other services are said to be in poor health.

Apple Music's growth has reportedly virtually stopped and it remains "only marginally profitable." Since it pays artists and labels more than 70% of its revenues, it has a single-digit–percentage gross margin. Cue apparently told some colleagues privately that he doesn't believe the service will ever reach 100 million paying subscribers. Moreover, overall iTunes Store sales are now actively shrinking.

Apple News+, Fitness+ and Apple Arcade are said to be struggling with low usage and profits. ‌Apple Arcade‌ only had two million users during its first year of operation, with roughly 25% of them on free trials.

Similarly, ‌Apple News‌+ purportedly suffers with low engagement and the number of monthly active users is in the low single-digit millions. Apple Books and ‌Apple News‌+ was subject to layoffs in 2024 due to weak performance.

Longtime Apple services executive Peter Stern, who oversaw platforms including ‌Apple TV‌+, abruptly departed the company in early 2023, claiming he was unable to run the streaming service in the way he needed to amid pressure to increase subscriber numbers. Apple subsequently reshuffled his former group, separating ‌Apple TV‌+, ‌Apple Music‌, and international content from News+, Fitness+, Apple Books, and ‌iCloud‌+.

Apple One

The report adds that most users do not sign up directly for Apple's services, instead opting for an Apple One bundle, which inflates the perceived interest in each service. Many who sign up to ‌Apple One‌ are motivated to subscribe so primarily because of ‌iCloud‌+ rather than other services. Without ‌Apple One‌, ‌Apple Arcade‌ and Apple Fitness+ would not be profitable.

Is Apple experiencing a "Vista-like drift into systemically poor execution?"

That was a question posed by well-known technology analyst Benedict Evans, in a recent blog post covering Apple's innovation and execution, or seemingly lack thereof as of late. He is referring to Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system, which was widely criticized when it launched in 2007 due to software bugs, performance issues, frequent warning dialogs, polarizing design changes, and several other problems.

Evans said Apple stumbled with the Vision Pro headset, which he believes was not ready to launch. Then, it previewed personalized Siri features at WWDC last year that were merely conceptual, and are now delayed.

"This is a concern," said Evans.

His thoughts on the Vision Pro:

The Vision Pro is a concept, or a demo, and Apple doesn't ship demos. Why did it ship the Vision Pro? What did it achieve? It didn't sell in meaningful volume, because it couldn't, and it didn't lead to much developer activity ether, because no-one bought it. A lot of people even at Apple are puzzled.

He said the personalized Siri delay is a "mirror image" of the Vision Pro situation:

Apple showed a demo, and it only does demos when things are nearly done, and it said it would ship 'later this year' and it never misses deadlines like that. So we should be using it, today.

And now we find that we didn't really see a demo, only a mock-up of a great concept, and that this product won't ship until maybe late 2025, and possibly (going by the rumour-mill) 2026, or even 2027.

All of this led to his "Vista-like" comment:

The failure of Siri 2 is by far the most dramatic instance of a growing trend for Apple to launch stuff late. The software release cycle used to be a metronome: announcement at WWDC in the summer, OS release in September with everything you'd seen. There were plenty of delays and failed projects under the hood […] but public promise were always kept. Now that seems to be slipping. Is this a symptom of a Vista-like drift into systemically poor execution?

Nevertheless, Evans acknowledged that critics have been claiming that Apple is no longer innovative since at least the 1980s, and that the company has historically continued to deliver more innovative and category-defining products over the years. Still, he said he is left wondering if that Apple still exists today.

Evans' full blog post, highlighted by Techmeme today, is worth a read.

Seasoned leaker Sonny Dickson has shared more dummy models of Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 series, with the latest lot revealing a noticeable shift in Apple's iPhone Pro model design that goes beyond the much-talked-about new rear camera bar.

Dickson points out that the iPhone 17 Pro dummy models feature an outlined area on the back, beginning just below the camera module and extending to the bottom of the chassis. Dickson says this is "where the glass will change."

According to Chinese leaker Fixed Focus Digital, the iPhone 17 Pro models will use a combination of materials — specifically, a glass section for the logo area integrated into an overall metal chassis. This explains the red areas on the iPhone 17 Pro models we saw in a previous CAD image.

According to The Information, Apple has chosen a half glass, half aluminum build for its high-end devices to increase durability. The glass would allow wireless charging to continue to be available, but a partial aluminum frame would be less prone to breakage.

Apple's current iPhone 16 Pro models feature a titanium chassis – a change Apple touted as a key upgrade when it debuted with the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro. With the introduction of the ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup, Apple is reportedly planning to bring the entire selection of devices back to aluminum.

Consistent with rumors and previous CAD images, the dummies depict Apple's embrace of an elongated horizontal camera module along the top of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models and the iPhone 17 Air, but not on the regular model. The dummies also appear to have a smoother transition between the edges of the camera bump and the back cover, reportedly owing to Apple's use of a new glass-and-metal splicing material process.

Today's dummies also indicate that all iPhone 17 models – including the all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air – will feature MagSafe. The new design will constitute one of the most significant visual changes to Apple's high-end ‌iPhone‌ models in recent years. The new lineup is expected to arrive in September.

Are you watching blurry YouTube videos? You're not alone. YouTube has acknowledged that some users are experiencing issues with videos playing back at unexpectedly low quality.

According to a YouTube support page, affected users are seeing videos default to 144p or 360p resolution, despite having strong internet connections.

We're aware some of you are experiencing lower than usual video quality when trying to watch Videos and Shorts.

Here's what you might be seeing:

• YouTube streaming at 144p or 360p despite strong internet connection.
• Buffering when changing to higher quality.
• Video quality could be impacted on IOS mobile, desktop, or Smart TV.

Rest assured, we're actively looking into this!

When attempting to manually increase the resolution, many users report that videos begin buffering. It sounds like the issue is pretty widespread, but Android users appear to have been spared for the most part.

YouTube hasn't provided a timeline for a fix, but we'll update this article with any new information as it becomes available.

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and the North County Transit District (NCTD) are now accepting Apple Pay with Express Transit Mode, according to local transport agencies.

Express Transit is an ‌Apple Pay‌ feature that allows for tap-and-go payment at ticket barriers, eliminating the need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. The device does not need to be wakened or unlocked to use Express Transit.

"Today marks an exciting step forward in making public transit in San Diego more seamless and convenient," said Stephen Whitburn, MTS Board Chair and San Diego City Council member. "Whether you're heading to a Padres game, a concert, or simply commuting to your next destination, paying with Apple Pay empowers riders to hop onboard faster."

All SDMTS buses and trolleys, along with NCTD COASTER, SPRINTER, BREEZE and FLEX will now accept Express Transit payment.

Meta has announced the rollout of its AI chatbot across Europe starting this week. The AI assistant will appear across WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger platforms in 41 European and 21 overseas territories.

Meta AI launched in the United States in 2023, but the company paused a planned rollout in Europe due to regulatory concerns. Meta's AI suite of features offer users several capabilities, but Europe is only getting the text-based assistant in six languages for now. The company said it plans to "find parity with the US" and expand its AI offering over time.

No more hopping from tab to tab to find the information or content you need! Meta AI will now make it easier to discover content that is relevant to you and your interests. With an advanced understanding of what you're looking for, you can now use Meta AI to generate results across a range of content – from reels or posts from your friends and followers. Planning a holiday to Canada and need some inspiration? Simply type "show me Vancouver Island content" and kickstart your wanderlust.

Our Meta AI chat feature will also include access to information from the web, making it an easy and efficient way to get the information you need all in one place – with added context and conversation.

The AI chatbot can also be invoked by using "@MetaAI" in group chats, starting with WhatsApp. Meta says the feature will also roll out across Messenger and Instagram Direct Messaging soon.

Late last year, Meta added some of the features to its Ray-Ban smart glasses, including live translation and live AI. Soon, the company also plans to release a standalone AI app to compete with products like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Microsoft's Copilot.

While Meta AI will be free as it is now, Meta is expected to test a paid subscription service that could have more advanced capabilities.

Siri launched on the iPhone 4S all the way back in 2011, and yet it still struggles to answer some of the most basic questions.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber today highlighted a recent post from a Reddit user who asked Siri what month it is, only for Siri to respond that it does not understand. This is a frustrating experience that many iPhone users are all too familiar with, as evidenced by the dozens of replies to the post that provide similar examples of Siri being useless.

Apple recently delayed the more personalized version of Siri that it previewed at WWDC last year, with the reported reason being that the new features did not work reliably enough. But, the regular Siri that we already have is frustratingly bad, so perhaps Apple should focus on fixing that core before adding new features on top.

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