MacRumors

Apple today released Safari version 15.6.1 for the older macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina operating systems. The update includes an important security fix for a WebKit vulnerability that could lead to arbitrary code execution, according to Apple.

Apple said it is aware of a report that the WebKit vulnerability may have been actively exploited, so updating Safari is highly recommended.

Apple released macOS Monterey 12.5.1, iOS 15.6.1, and iPadOS 15.6.1 yesterday with fixes for both WebKit and kernel vulnerabilities. As noted by Mr. Macintosh on Twitter, a fix for the kernel-related vulnerability has yet to be released for macOS Big Sur or macOS Catalina, but it's unclear if that vulnerability affects those operating systems.

Apple today announced that, for the second year in a row, the Apple Card and its issuer Goldman Sachs ranked highest in the Midsize Credit Card Issuer category of J.D. Power's annual U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study.

"Enhancing our customers' lives is at the heart of what we do, so we are honored to have Apple Card and issuer Goldman Sachs recognized again this year for customer satisfaction," said Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. "We remain committed to providing a digital-first credit card that helps customers lead healthier financial lives, and we look forward to continuing to deliver innovative financial tools and award-winning customer satisfaction to our Apple Card users."

The announcement comes a week after it was reported that the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is investigating Goldman Sachs over various customer service issues, including complaints over the handling of disputed transactions. The investigation is reportedly focused on Apple Card customer complaints from the past few years.

Apple Card launched three years ago this month and remains available to qualified U.S. residents only. Apple's credit card can be managed completely through the Wallet app on an iPhone or Apple Watch, with key features including color-coded spending summaries, cashback paid out on a daily basis, an interest-free financing option for purchasing new Apple products, and no fees beyond interest charges on overdue balances. There is also a physical Apple Card available for use at stores that do not accept contactless payments.

TSMC will begin production of 3nm chips for Apple by the end of 2022, according to a report this week from Taiwan's Commercial Times. A separate report from the publication claimed that TSMC will begin mass production of 3nm chips in September.

The report, citing industry insiders, claims that the M2 Pro chip may be the first to use TSMC's advanced 3nm process. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claimed that Apple plans to use the M2 Pro chip in the next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models and a high-end Mac mini, which could be announced later this year or in the first half of next year.

Apple's A17 Bionic chip for next year's iPhone 15 Pro models and the M3 chip, suitable for future MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models, will also be manufactured based on TSMC's 3nm process, according to the Commercial Times.

DigiTimes also previously reported that TSMC would begin volume production of 3nm chips for Apple in the second half of 2022, including the M2 Pro chip.

Apple products transitioning from TSMC's 5nm process to 3nm process would naturally result in faster performance and improved power efficiency for future Macs and iPhones, which could contribute to longer battery life. Apple is nearly finished its two-year transition away from Intel processors in the Mac, with only the high-end Mac mini and the Mac Pro tower yet to switch over to Apple silicon chips.

Third-party VPNs made for iPhones and iPads routinely fail to route all network traffic through a secure tunnel after they have been turned on, something Apple has known about for years, a longtime security researcher has claimed (via ArsTechnica).

Writing on a continually updated blog post, Michael Horowitz says that after testing multiple types of virtual private network (VPN) software on iOS devices, most appear to work fine at first, issuing the device a new public IP address and new DNS servers, and sending data to the VPN server. However, over time the VPN tunnel leaks data.

Typically, when a users connects to a VPN, the operating system closes all existing internet connections and then re-establishes them through the VPN tunnel. That is not what Horowitz has observed in his advanced router logging. Instead, sessions and connections established before the VPN is turned on are not terminated as one would expect, and can still send data outside the VPN tunnel while it is active, leaving it potentially unencrypted and exposed to ISPs and other parties.

"Data leaves the iOS device outside of the VPN tunnel," Horowitz writes. "This is not a classic/legacy DNS leak, it is a data leak. I confirmed this using multiple types of VPN and software from multiple VPN providers. The latest version of iOS that I tested with is 15.6."

Horowitz claims that his findings are backed up by a similar report issued in March 2020 by privacy company Proton, which said an iOS VPN bypass vulnerability had been identified in iOS 13.3.1 which persisted through three subsequent updates to iOS 13.

According to Proton, Apple indicated it would add Kill Switch functionality to a future software update that would allow developers to block all existing connections if a VPN tunnel is lost.

However, the added functionality does not appear to have affected the results of Horowitz's tests, which were performed in May 2022 on an iPadOS 15.4.1 using Proton's VPN client, and the researcher says any suggestions that it would prevent the data leaks are "off base."

Horowitz has recently continued his tests with iOS 15.6 installed and OpenVPN running the WireGuard protocol, but his iPad continues to make requests outside of the encrypted tunnel to both Apple services and Amazon Web Services.

As noted by ArsTechnica, Proton suggests a workaround to the problem that involves activating the VPN and then turning Airplane mode on and off to force all network traffic to be re-established through the VPN tunnel.

However, Proton admits that this is not guaranteed to work, while Horowitz claims Airplane mode is not reliable in itself, and should not be relied on as a solution to the problem. We've reached out to Apple for comment on the research and will update this post if we hear back.

The team behind the popular Pixelmator series of image editing apps today announced that the Pixelmator Photo app for the iPhone and iPad is switching to subscription-based pricing with an update rolling out now on the App Store.

For new users, Pixelmator Photo now costs $4.99 per month or $23.99 per year, while existing users of the app will continue to have "unlimited access" without having to pay again. A lifetime purchase option will remain available for $59.99, which is significantly more expensive than Pixelmator Photo's previous one-time price of $7.99.

In a blog post, the Pixelmator team admitted that the subscription-based pricing model is more expensive, but argued that there are "some pretty big problems" with an upfront pricing model, including slower development and a focus on new users over existing users. Among other reasons, Pixelmator also noted that the App Store does not allow paid apps to offer free trials or upgrade discounts for major new versions.

"The hope is that there are enough users who use the app regularly and feel that the annual or monthly fee is worth it," said Pixelmator. "It looks like this is the best way to ensure Pixelmator Photo can continue to be developed long into the future."

Pixelmator also provided a sneak peek at its Pixelmator Photo app for Mac, which will be a "completely native app" that is "designed from the ground up just for Mac." Pixelmator plans to release the app late this year or early next year and says those who subscribe to Pixelmator Photo for the iPhone/iPad now will get Pixelmator Photo for Mac for free when it launches. Existing users will be eligible for a discounted subscription.

Pixelmator informed MacRumors that it doesn't have any immediate plans to switch the standard version of Pixelmator for iOS or Pixelmator Pro for macOS to subscription-based pricing and is working on a major update to Pixelmator Pro that will be free as usual.

Following in the footsteps of the EU, India is now in the early stages of considering imposing regulations on consumer products sold in the country that force a universal standard charger, including USB-C, by as early as 2024, Mint reports.

The EU had reached an agreement earlier this summer that would force Apple to adopt USB-C on the iPhone and AirPods by fall 2024. While the agreement has been reached, the legislation still needs to be formally approved by the European Parliament and European Council later this year before Apple is forced to change its ways.

Officials in India held a meeting earlier this week with industry stakeholders and popular consumer electronic makers to discuss the possible impacts of a common charger. "The meeting will be more of an explorative nature. We will try to learn from the stakeholders how a common charger can be adopted in India. We will also try to understand their concerns," India's secretary of Consumer Affairs told local media outlets.

The EU and India's push towards adopting a "common port" would impact a wide range of devices, including, more specifically, Apple, which has kept the ‌iPhone‌ with the Lightning port since 2012, while other products, such as the Mac and iPad, have largely moved towards USB-C.

• The EU Wants All Phones to Work With Interoperable Chargers, Here's What That Means for Apple's Lightning Port

Amid pressure to move towards a "common port," rumors from both Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman have said that Apple is testing a USB-C iPhone, which could debut with the iPhone 15 next year. Other Apple products such as the AirPods will follow, according to Kuo.

The upcoming ad-supported Netflix tier that's in the works will not allow subscribers to download TV shows or movies to watch offline, reports Bloomberg. The restriction was found in code in the Netflix app for iOS devices, which reads "Downloads available on all plans except Netflix with ads."

Standard Netflix plans allow some Netflix content to be downloaded for offline viewing, and restricting that feature to the more expensive Netflix tiers will allow Netflix to differentiate between existing plans and the new ad-supported plan.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos confirmed in June that Netflix is planning for a more affordable Netflix tier that is aimed at those who do not mind ads and who do not want to pay for an ad-free Netflix subscription. "We've left a big customer segment off the table, which is people who say: 'Hey, Netflix is too expensive for me and I don't mind advertising,'" Sarandos said. "We are adding an ad tier; we're not adding ads to Netflix as you know it today. We're adding an ad tier for folks who say, 'Hey, I want a lower price and I'll watch ads.'"

Bloomberg says that Netflix also does not plan to allow customers to skip ads or access playback controls while ads are playing, and Netflix previously confirmed that some content would be limited to ad-free streaming. The ad-supported Netflix tier is not set to launch until early 2023, however, so there could be updates as Netflix finalizes its plans.

There is no word yet on what the ad-supported Netflix service will be priced at, but Netflix has raised its prices several times in recent years. The Basic Netflix plan is now priced at $9.99 and it offers 480p streaming, while the Standard plan is priced at $15.49 for 1080p resolution. Netflix's most expensive Premium plan, priced at $19.99 per month, is the sole tier that offers 4K HDR streaming. Netflix continues to be only streaming service that charges extra for improved streaming quality, and the ad-supported tier will likely offer streaming quality similar to the Basic plan.

Netflix is introducing an ad-supported tier because it has been losing customers and revenue. The company lost subscribers for the first time in 10 years in the first quarter of 2022, and blamed both "a large number of households sharing accounts" and "competition."

In addition to adding a cheaper plan, Netflix is also going to crack down on account sharing. Netflix says that approximately 222 million paying households are sharing with another 100 million households that are not being monetized, with the company planning to implement more effective monetization of multi-household sharing" in the future. Fees for multi-household account sharing are already being tested in some countries and could expand to additional countries in the future.

Apple is aiming to hold its first fall event on Wednesday, September 7, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The event will focus on the iPhone 14 models and the Apple Watch Series 8.

The standard ‌iPhone 14‌ models are expected to get few changes, but the iPhone 14 Pro models will include updated camera technology, the removal of the notch in favor of a pill-shaped and hole-punch cutout, an A16 chip, and more.

Apple plans to release a total of four ‌iPhone 14‌ models, including a 6.1-inch ‌iPhone 14‌, a 6.7-inch ‌iPhone 14‌ Max, a 6.1-inch ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌, and a 6.7-inch ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max. Notably, there will be no 5.4-inch iPhone mini as the smaller iPhone 12 and 13 mini devices have not sold as well as expected.

There are three Apple Watch models in the works, including the new ‌Apple Watch Series 8‌, a refreshed Apple Watch SE, and an all-new Pro version of the Apple Watch that is expected to feature a larger body, updated design, and more rugged build.

There are also plans for a new low-cost iPad, updated iPad Pro models, a Mac Pro with Apple silicon chips and more, but these devices could be saved for a second October event.

If Apple does indeed move ahead with a September 7 event, we can expect to get official invites approximately one week before, perhaps before the end of August. Apple has already been preparing the pre-recorded event, indicating that it will again take place virtually rather than in person. That said, there could be an in-person component with some members of the media invited.

Gurman says that Apple has told some retail employees to prepare for a new product release on Friday, September 16, which suggests the new ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch models could see a release on that date.

Apple today released iOS and iPadOS 15.6.1, minor updates to the iOS and iPadOS 15 operating systems initially released in September 2021. iOS 15.6.1 and iPadOS 15.6.1 come a month after Apple released iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6 with new Live Sports features and bug fixes.

The iOS 15.6.1 and iPadOS 15.6.1 updates can be downloaded for free and the software is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

According to Apple's release notes, the updates include bug fixes and security improvements. iOS 15.6.1 and iPadOS 15.6.1 address kernel and WebKit vulnerabilities that could lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple says that it is aware that these vulnerabilities may have been actively explited in the wild, so it is important to update right away.

These may be some of the final updates to the iOS 15 and ‌iPadOS 15‌ operating systems as Apple is now focusing on the iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 updates that are set to launch this fall.

Apple today released macOS Monterey 12.5.1, a minor update to the ‌macOS Monterey‌ operating system that first launched in October 2021. ‌macOS Monterey‌ 12.5.1 comes a month after the launch of macOS Monterey 12.5.

The ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌macOS Monterey‌‌‌‌ 12.5.1 update can be downloaded on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Preferences.

According to Apple's release notes, ‌macOS Monterey‌ 12.5.1 improves the security of macOS and is recommended for all users. The update addresses kernel and WebKit vulnerabilities that could lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple says that it is aware that these vulnerabilities may have been actively explited in the wild, so it is important to update right away.

Apple today released watchOS 8.7.1, a minor update to the watchOS 8 operating system that launched in September 2021. watchOS 8.7.1 comes a month after the launch of watchOS 8.7, and it focuses on bug fixes. The watchOS 8.7.1 update is only available for Apple Watch Series 3 models, and those who have a newer Apple Watch will not see the update.

watchOS ‌8.7.1 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.

To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌.

According to Apple's release notes for the update, watchOS 8.7.1 fixes a bug that could cause the Apple Watch Series 3 to unexpectedly restart for some users.

watchOS 8.7.1 is expected to be one of the final updates to the ‌watchOS 8‌ operating system as Apple has now shifted focus to watchOS 9, the latest version of watchOS set to be released this fall.

Stylus-maker Adonit has introduced the Neo Pro, the first iPad stylus that can be magnetically stored and wirelessly charged on the side of an ‌iPad‌, just like the second-generation Apple Pencil.

Few existing third-party styluses are able to be magnetically attached to the side of an ‌iPad‌, and the Adonit Neo Pro appears to be the first to also wirelessly charge on the side of an ‌iPad‌ like the ‌Apple Pencil‌. Most powered third-party stylyses for the ‌iPad‌ have to be charged via a USB-C port.

The Neo Pro costs $44.99, considerably less than the $129 ‌Apple Pencil‌. While it has similar functionality to the ‌Apple Pencil‌ with features like tilt sensitivity and palm rejection, it does not have pressure sensitivity.

When connected via Bluetooth, the Neo Pro can display its battery status in Apple's iPadOS battery widget. The stylus features a replaceable spiral tip, a click-to-turn-on button on the top, and up to nine hours of battery life.

The Adonit Neo Pro is compatible with the 11-inch iPad Pro, the third-generation 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ or newer, the fourth-generation iPad Air or newer, and the sixth-generation iPad mini. The stylus is now available to pre-order in Space Gray and Matte Silver.

Amazon has continued to drop the price of the Apple Watch Series 7 throughout the summer, and today it's hit a new all-time low price in both 41mm and 45mm GPS options. Starting with the smaller model, you can get the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 for $289.99, down from $399, thanks to an on-page coupon applied at checkout.

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

Secondly, the 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 is available for $319.99 on Amazon, down from $429.00. Both models are only available in the (PRODUCT)RED Aluminum color with the (PRODUCT)RED Sport Band.

At $109 off, these are now the best prices we've ever seen on the Apple Watch Series 7 in both sizes. Shoppers should note that both of these sales will not appear until you head to the checkout screen and an automatic coupon worth $9.01 is applied to the order.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

British carrier EE today announced that it will soon become the world's first carrier to bundle Apple One as a free perk with a phone plan.

In a press release spotted by 9to5Mac, EE said Apple One will be included with its newly revamped Full Works plan starting August 31. The plan will include Apple One's individual tier, which normally costs £14.95 per month in the UK and includes access to Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+ with 50GB of storage.

EE's existing Full Works plan already included Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade individually, so the only addition is the complimentary iCloud storage. More importantly, it sets the stage for other carriers to bundle Apple One around the world.

On a standalone basis, Apple One allows customers to subscribe to multiple Apple services through a single plan with unified billing and for less money than subscribing to all of the services individually. More details are available in our Apple One guide.

Thanks to various reports and the launch of the Mac Studio earlier this year, there is an increasingly clear picture of what to expect from Apple silicon Mac Pro configurations later this year.

The ‌Mac Pro‌ is one of the last Intel-based Mac models still on sale and the only remaining Mac product line with no Apple silicon chip options. An all-new model that finally brings Apple silicon to Apple's top-tier Mac for professionals has now been anticipated for over two years. At its "Peek Performance" event earlier this year, Apple even teased the launch of the Apple silicon Mac Pro, saying "that's for another day."

Previously, reports about a smaller Mac Pro model placed somewhere between the Mac mini and the ‌Mac Pro‌ made it difficult to know what to expect from the future of the high-end ‌Mac Pro‌ line, but it is now clear many of these rumors related to the ‌Mac Studio‌, clarifying what is expected from the next-generation ‌Mac Pro‌.

Multiple reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman about the Apple silicon ‌Mac Pro‌'s chip options and specifications provide a fairly straightforward picture of what to expect from the new flagship Mac. According to Gurman, users will reportedly be able to configure the new ‌Mac Pro‌ with "M2 Ultra" and "M2 Extreme" chip options. The device's configurations are likely to look as follows:

At present, the M1 Ultra is Apple's most powerful custom silicon chip available, featuring a 20-core CPU and up to a 64-core GPU, along with a 32-core Neural Engine. Sitting above the Ultra in the chip lineup, the ‌M2‌ Extreme would presumably surpass these specs to become the top-tier Apple silicon chip for maximum performance.

According to these rumors, the ‌M2‌ Extreme would surpass the top-tier Intel Xeon W CPU option with 28-cores offered in the current Intel-based ‌Mac Pro‌. The ‌M2‌ Extreme's known specifications effectively double the capabilities of the ‌M1 Ultra‌ in the ‌Mac Studio‌, but if it is based on the more advanced 5nm fabrication process behind the current ‌M2‌ chip, it is likely that there will be a range of other improvements in terms of core technologies, efficiency, and clock speed.

The ‌M2‌ chip delivers an 18 percent faster CPU, a 35 percent more powerful GPU, a 40 percent faster Neural Engine, and 50 percent more memory bandwidth compared to the M1 chip. A similar performance delta between the ‌M1 Ultra‌ and ‌M2‌ Ultra seems likely.

The current ‌Mac Pro‌ is available with up to 1.5TB of memory, a $25,000 configuration option available to $11,999 and $12,999 ‌Mac Pro‌ models with 24- and 28-core CPUs. Since Apple silicon Macs use a shared pool of unified memory rather than the conventional DDR4 ECC memory sticks used in the current ‌Mac Pro‌, it seems probable that it will be available with considerably less memory.

The ‌M1‌ family of chips follows a clear system for increasing unified memory options, with the ‌M1‌ offering 8GB or 16GB, the M1 Pro offering 16GB or 32GB, the M1 Max offering 32GB or 64GB, and the ‌M1 Ultra‌ offering 64GB or 128GB. As such, it seems plausible that any new "Extreme" chip above the Ultra will offer 128GB and 256GB unified memory options. The ‌M2‌ chip added a 24GB memory option so it is possible that Apple could offer even larger 192GB and 384GB amounts of unified memory with the new ‌Mac Pro‌.

The ‌Mac Pro‌ currently starts at $5,999, with the potential to price it up to over $52,000 in custom configurations. The base model Apple silicon ‌Mac Pro‌ with the ‌M2‌ Ultra is almost certain to cost more than the high-end ‌Mac Studio‌ with the ‌M1 Ultra‌, which starts at $3,999. It seems likely that the new base model ‌Mac Pro‌ will continue to start at a price point similar to the current model, but there is no further information about pricing at this time.

Beyond its basic specifications, little is currently known about the device's design, ports, and modularity. Apple is expected to introduce the Apple silicon ‌Mac Pro‌ later this year, and it could be followed by a "Pro" version of the Studio Display with a mini-LED panel and support for ProMotion in early 2023. For more information about the new ‌Mac Pro‌, see our detailed guide.

Adobe has launched its back to school promotion this week, offering the Creative Cloud All Apps subscription for 63 percent off for the first year, plus your first month free for students and teachers who prepay for the full year. With this sale, you'll pay $19.99/month for the first year, down from $54.99/month for the full-priced plan.

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

You can also choose to pay for the entire year upfront at the price of $219.00/year. After your first year ends, your subscription will automatically renew at the standard rate of $359.88/year unless you change or cancel the subscription. This sale ends September 5 and is only available to first time subscribers and eligible education customers.

When signing up for Creative Cloud All Apps, you gain access to more than 20 creative apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, InDesign, and Acrobat. You also get templates, cloud storage, and thousands of Adobe Fonts.

These programs can be subscribed to individually as well for a monthly fee, but the new offer is only for Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps. Adobe is not discounting individual services. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Apple today announced new in-app Remix Sessions for GarageBand featuring Katy Perry and K-pop group SEVENTEEN, alongside an accompanying Today at Apple Session.

The two new Remix Sessions, available as free downloads in the GarageBand app for iOS and iPadOS, include a range of loops, sounds, and instruments that allow users to put their own spin on the songs "Harleys in Hawaii" by Katy Perry and "Darl+ing" by SEVENTEEN using the Live Loops interface, Remix FX with filters and repeaters, and more.

In addition, Apple is today launching an accompanying Today at Apple session called "Music Skills: Remix Katy Perry" at Apple Stores worldwide, where Retail Creative Pros will teach customers how to remix "Harleys in Hawaii" using GarageBand. Customers can sign up to take part in a session on the Today at Apple website.

iPhone 14 Pro models will "likely" see a $100 price increase compared to iPhone 13 Pro models, according to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives.

"While the base iPhone will stay at the same price we believe a $100 price increase on the iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max is likely in store given component price increases as well as added functionality on this new release," said Ives, in a research note obtained by MacRumors today.

Last week, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said iPhone 14 Pro models would have "price hikes," suggesting they will be more expensive than iPhone 13 Pro models. Kuo did not reveal exact pricing, but he said that the average selling price of the entire iPhone 14 lineup, including the lower-end models, would increase by about 15% overall.

In the U.S., the iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1,099. If a $100 price increase proves to be accurate, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max would start at $1,099 and $1,199, respectively. Ives said the price increase would be due in part to increased component prices and new features/functionality.

iPhone 14 Pro models are rumored to feature a new pill-shaped cutout and hole replacing the notch, a faster A16 chip, faster RAM, an upgraded 48-megapixel rear camera with support for 8K video recording, and an always-on display that shows the time, date, and iOS 16's new Lock Screen widgets and battery percentage icon.

It's possible the iPhone 14 Pro will start with 256GB of storage, helping to soften the blow of the price increase, but one analyst believes 128GB is still likely.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14 series in September as usual.