Microsoft this week released a new beta version of its Office app for iPad with support for the Apple Pencil's handwriting-to-text feature Scribble. The feature allows you to insert and edit text in a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, or Excel spreadsheet using the Apple Pencil, with handwriting automatically converted into typed text.
After enabling the Scribble feature in Settings → Apple Pencil, the feature can be used by tapping the Scribble Pen button under the Draw tab in version 2.64 of the Office app. The feature can be tested now by members of the Office Insider program via TestFlight, and the update will likely be released on the App Store for all users in the coming weeks.
Scribble was added in iPadOS 14 for any iPad that supports the original or second-generation Apple Pencil, including any iPad Pro, the third-generation iPad Air and newer, the fifth-generation iPad mini and newer, and the sixth-generation iPad and newer.
Microsoft's unified Office app with Word, PowerPoint, and Excel gained iPad compatibility in February 2021 and is also available for the iPhone.
It has now been over a year since Apple announced plans for three new child safety features, including a system to detect known Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) images stored in iCloud Photos, an option to blur sexually explicit photos in the Messages app, and child exploitation resources for Siri. The latter two features are now available, but Apple remains silent about its plans for the CSAM detection feature.
Apple initially said CSAM detection would be implemented in an update to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 by the end of 2021, but the company ultimately postponed the feature based on "feedback from customers, advocacy groups, researchers, and others."
In September 2021, Apple posted the following update to its Child Safety page:
Previously we announced plans for features intended to help protect children from predators who use communication tools to recruit and exploit them and to help limit the spread of Child Sexual Abuse Material. Based on feedback from customers, advocacy groups, researchers, and others, we have decided to take additional time over the coming months to collect input and make improvements before releasing these critically important child safety features.
In December 2021, Apple removed the above update and all references to its CSAM detection plans from its Child Safety page, but an Apple spokesperson informed The Verge that Apple's plans for the feature had not changed. To the best of our knowledge, however, Apple has not publicly commented on the plans since that time.
We've reached out to Apple to ask if the feature is still planned. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apple did move forward with implementing its child safety features for the Messages app and Siri with the release of iOS 15.2 and other software updates in December 2021, and it expanded the Messages app feature to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK with iOS 15.5 and other software releases in May 2022.
Apple said its CSAM detection system was "designed with user privacy in mind." The system would perform "on-device matching using a database of known CSAM image hashes" from child safety organizations, which Apple would transform into an "unreadable set of hashes that is securely stored on users' devices."
Apple planned to report iCloud accounts with known CSAM image hashes to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a non-profit organization that works in collaboration with U.S. law enforcement agencies. Apple said there would be a "threshold" that would ensure "less than a one in one trillion chance per year" of an account being incorrectly flagged by the system, plus a manual review of flagged accounts by a human.
Some critics argued that Apple's child safety features could create a "backdoor" into devices, which governments or law enforcement agencies could use to surveil users. Another concern was false positives, including the possibility of someone intentionally adding CSAM imagery to another person's iCloud account to get their account flagged.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
This week brought some shocking news for iOS 16 beta testers, with Apple bringing back the iPhone battery percentage to the status bar after a number of years.
Other news and rumors this week included word that Apple has started recording portions of its media event planned for next month to introduce the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8, claims about iPhone 14 Pro pricing and Apple's plans for switching AirPods over to USB-C charging, and more, so read on for all the details on these stories and more!
iOS 16 Beta 5 Adds Battery Percentage to iPhone Status Bar
Apple Reportedly Preparing Pre-Recorded iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 Event
It appears that Apple's annual iPhone event won't be a fully in-person event again this year, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week claimed that Apple has started to produce a pre-recorded video for the event. It's possible that Apple will still invite media to the event for in-person hands-on demos with new products.
While higher prices would be disappointing for customers, research firm TrendForce predicted that iPhone 14 Pro models could start with 256GB of storage, compared to 128GB for iPhone 13 Pro models. Pricing for iPhone 13 Pro models currently starts at $999 in the United States.
Two New Connectors Rumored for Next-Generation iPad Pro
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature the same design as the current model, but with two new four-pin connectors on the top and bottom, according to a report from Japanese website Mac Otakara.
Google has been pushing Apple to switch from SMS to RCS for months now, with no response from Apple. RCS would allow for read receipts, audio messages, and more for conversations between iPhones and Android smartphones.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
There's just about a month to go until Apple holds its annual September event focusing on new iPhone and Apple Watch models. We thought we'd take a quick look at everything that's rumored for Apple's September event to give MacRumors readers a rundown on what to expect when the first fall event rolls around.
The iPhone 14 can probably be described more as an "iPhone 13S" because it's not expected to get a whole lot of changes. We're expecting the same design and the same A-series chip, but camera improvements are a possibility. Note that Apple is getting rid of the 5.4-inch iPhone mini in the 2022 iPhone lineup, with the standard iPhone 14 series to consist of a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and a larger 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max.
6.1-inch iPhone 14, and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max. No mini.
Though the iPhone 14 is more of an iPhone 13S, the same isn't true for the iPhone 14 Pro models. Apple has bigger changes in store for its higher-tier and more expensive iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models.
Same general flat-edged design with 6.1 and 6.7-inch size options.
ProMotion display technology, but with 1Hz to 120Hz upgrade that enables Always-On display technology.
No notch. Notch replaced with pill-shaped and hole-punch cutouts for camera and Face ID hardware.
Larger rear camera bumps and increased lens size.
Graphite, gold, silver, and purple color options.
Faster A16 chip.
Updated Snapdragon X65 10 Gigabit 5G modem and antenna system.
Vapor chamber thermal system to accommodate A16 chip and 5G modem.
48-megapixel Wide lens with 21 percent larger sensor that supports higher-resolution images and 8K video recording.
Upgraded 7-element telephoto lens.
Improved Ultra Wide lens.
Upgraded front camera with wider f/1.9 aperture and autofocus capabilities.
6GB RAM.
WiFi 6E.
Up to 2TB storage.
Possible price increase.
Full details on what to expect from the iPhone 14 Pro are available in our iPhone 14 Pro roundup.
The Series 8 is expected to get an iterative update that largely focuses on a few new features like temperature sensing, but there are some surprises to be had as Apple is also introducing a pro version of the Apple Watch.
Same general design as Series 7.
41 and 45mm sizes.
S8 chip, which basically offers the same performance as the S7.
Low power mode for improved battery life.
Temperature sensor, which can let you know if your temperature is up. May be used for fertility tracking.
The Apple Watch Series 8 isn't the only new Apple Watch that we're getting this year. Apple is refreshing the Apple Watch SE and introducing a new higher-end Apple Watch that could be called the "Apple Watch Pro."
Updated design that's an "evolution of the current rectangular shape," possibly with a flat display, but no flat edges.
Rugged, more durable build for extreme athletes.
More durable titanium alloy casing with shatter-resistant display.
Larger size with 2-inch diagonal screen that provides seven percent more display area.
410 x 502 resolution.
Larger battery and longer battery life, could be as long as multiple days with new low power mode.
An updated version of the AirPods Pro is on the horizon, but it's not entirely clear if the refreshed earbuds will come out alongside the new iPhone and Apple Watch models or if Apple will introduce them later in the year.
Same general design as current AirPods Pro with silicone ear tips and stem.
Updated H1 chip with self-adaptive noise cancellation capabilities.
Possible Lossless audio (ALAC) support.
Lightning port.
Our full AirPods Pro 2 guide has even more information about everything we've heard about the AirPods Pro so far.
Potential September Event Date
There's no word yet on when Apple will hold its annual September event, but given that the events almost always happen within the first two or three weeks of the month, we can make some educated guesses. September 5 is Labor Day, so that's out, and most events are on Monday or Tuesday, though Wednesday is sometimes a possibility.
Most likely target dates:
September 7
September 13
September 14
September 20
September 21
September 12 and 13 are the two most likely dates, and if Apple does indeed plan to hold the event on one of these days, we could get an announcement the week before.
Samsung this week launched its fourth-generation foldable devices, the $1,000 Galaxy Z Flip and the $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold. Though there's no sign of a comparable Apple foldable device on the horizon, rumors suggest prototypes are in the works, so we thought we'd take a look at Samsung's newest smartphones to see what Apple needs to measure up to when a foldable iPhone does come out.
Samsung's early foldable devices were riddled with durability issues and hinge-related problems, but Samsung has now had several years to work out the kinks. New hinge designs and body refinements have taken care of a lot of these issues, and the fourth-generation devices look and feel more durable.
The Z Fold 4 is the bigger of Samsung's two foldable smartphones, and it folds like a book, going from a 6.2-inch display to a 7.6-inch display. The Z Flip 4 is a smaller foldable that folds vertically, top over bottom, and it has a 6.7-inch display when opened up. When closed, there's a 1.9-inch display where you can see notifications, the time, and other at-a-glance info.
Both of Samsung's foldable devices feature 120Hz OLED displays that look fantastic, and the Z Fold 4 runs a special version of Android built for foldable devices. Android L adds a dock that makes it easy to swap between apps, and there are useful multitasking capabilities.
Beyond the novelty of the folding, these two devices have your general high-end smartphone features. Multi-lens cameras, high-capacity batteries that outlast the iPhone battery, the latest Qualcomm chips, under display cameras, fingerprint sensors, 5G connectivity, and more. Make sure to watch our video up above to see the folding mechanism in action and to get a look at the rest of the feature set.
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone since 2016 when LG Display started producing foldable displays for smartphones, but so far, there have been no tangible rumors about an iPhone that folds as such a device remains in the prototyping stage.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said back in January 2021 that Apple's work on an iPhone with a foldable display was in the early stages, and that the company had not yet committed to releasing a foldable device. Other rumors have indicated that Apple is testing 8-inch and 9-inch foldable options, but we're still years off from a release.
Both display analyst Ross Young and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believe Apple has some kind of foldable iPhone in development with a launch planned for 2025 at the earliest. Apple often holds off on implementing new technology until the available hardware can meet the quality specifications that the Cupertino company demands, so it is no surprise to see Apple waiting for several years after the launch of foldable Android smartphones to launch its own.
In addition to redesigning the System Settings app on macOS Ventura, Apple has removed the app's longstanding Network Locations feature, as noted by Jason Snell at Six Colors. The feature allowed users to quickly switch between different sets of Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and other network settings depending on their location, such as home or work.
Given that macOS Ventura is still in beta, there is always a chance that Network Locations could return at some point, but this seems unlikely given that Apple marked Tyler Loch's bug report about the feature's absence as "works as currently designed."
In a support document, Apple says the Network Locations feature could be useful in circumstances such as those listed below:
- You use the same type of network (such as Ethernet) at work and at home, but the settings you use at work don't allow your Mac to automatically connect to the same type of network at home.
- Your Mac connects to more than one type of network service (such as both Wi-Fi and Ethernet) at work and at home, but at work you want your Mac to try connecting to the Ethernet network first, and at home you want your Mac to try connecting to the Wi-Fi network first. In other words, you want to set a different service order for each location.
- Your Mac isn't connecting to your network and you want to quickly reset your network settings for testing purposes, without losing your current network settings.
Snell says Apple's command-line tool "networksetup" is still present in the latest macOS Ventura beta, so a third-party developer could step in and release an app to replace the Network Locations functionality removed in the System Settings app.
Facebook has been in a feud with Apple since the iPhone maker introduced its App Tracking Transparency feature that lets users opt out of being tracked across apps on its platforms. In the past, however, Apple reportedly discussed potential "revenue-sharing arrangements" with Facebook that could have given Apple a "slice of Facebook's revenue."
According to The Wall Street Journal, which claims that most of the discussions occurred between 2016 and 2018, one idea that Apple discussed was Facebook creating a subscription-based version of its app without ads. Apple would have collected its standard 15% to 30% commission on Facebook's in-app subscriptions through the App Store, but Facebook ultimately decided against the idea, the report claims.
Apple allegedly also argued that the Facebook app's boosted post function, which allows Facebook pages to promote a post to a larger audience for a fee, should have been considered in-app purchases and thereby subjected to Apple's 30% commission.
In a statement, an Apple spokesperson said that the company routinely meets with developers of all sizes to discuss business matters:
"Every day, we meet and collaborate with developers of all sizes to make suggestions, address concerns, and help them continue to grow their businesses," said an Apple spokesman, who added that the rules for app developers like Facebook are "applied equally to all developers because we think that fair enforcement results in the best user experience."
A second Apple spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal there was "no connection between any discussions of partnerships and the ad-tracking changes that were later implemented," according to the report. App Tracking Transparency was implemented with the iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5 software updates released in April 2021.
App Tracking Transparency has resulted in $17.8 billion in lost revenue among Facebook, Twitter, Snap, and YouTube so far in 2022, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing an estimate by data management company Lotame.
Apple today shared a new video ad promoting its Apple One subscription, which bundles several Apple services together for one monthly price.
In the 30 second spot, Apple gives a quick rundown of the services that are included: Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, Apple TV+, Apple News+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+. "What's in Apple One? The best of Apple," reads the tagline at the end of the video.
There are multiple tiers of the Apple One subscription service with prices that start at $14.95. The highest-tier Premier plan is the only one that includes all of the services in the video, and it is priced at $29.95 per month with access available for up to six family members.
For those curious about the Apple One subscription service, we have a dedicated guide that goes over all of the details.
Amazon today has discounted the 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 to a new all-time low price of $299.00, down from $399.00. This deal price is available in two colors: (PRODUCT)RED and Blue Aluminum.
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.
To date, this is the best price we've ever seen on the Apple Watch Series 7, and as of writing it's only available on Amazon. The (PRODUCT)RED Aluminum option is in stock today, and the Blue Aluminum option has a slightly delayed shipping estimate of around five days.
The 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 is also seeing an all-time low price, but only in one color. You can get the (PRODUCT)RED Aluminum model for $329.00, down from $429.00 on Amazon.
It wouldn't be the month before an iPhone launch without a few back-and-forth rumors, with the latest debate concerning iPhone 14 Pro storage.
iPhone 14 Pro render by Ian Zelbo
While research firm TrendForce forecasted that iPhone 14 Pro models could start with an increased 256GB of storage, Haitong International analyst Jeff Pu today forecasted that the upcoming Pro models will continue to start with 128GB of storage.
Pu initially agreed that iPhone 14 Pro models would start at 256GB, but he added a 128GB tier to his specs chart for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in his latest research note. Pu now believes the Pro models will remain available in the same storage capacities as iPhone 13 Pro models, including 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
Based on our recent supply chain survey, we maintain our iPhone 14 build plan to be 91m in 2H22, vs. iPhone 13's 84m in 2H21, as there is no significant issue on the supply chain. The next to watch will be iPhone 14's pricing and the wait-time when it hits the market.
Spec-wise, we add 128GB storage to the Pro line-up.
Earlier this week, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said iPhone 14 Pro models will 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 will increase by about 15% overall.
In the United States, the iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1,099. If there were to be a 10% price increase to the Pro models, the iPhone 14 Pro could start at $1,099, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max could start at $1,199. However, the exact price increase for the Pro models if any remains to be seen.
The rumored price increase could be due to inflation, new features expected for iPhone 14 Pro models, supply chain disruptions, and other factors.
Almost a month after launch, demand for the new M2MacBook Air continues to be high, with the notebook in relatively short supply. For just the baseline configuration, customers are facing up to a three-week wait, according to Apple's online store.
In the United States, Apple lists the MacBook Air as shipping out in two to three weeks for the baseline model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. Other configurations with varying storage and memory options are listed with a one to two weeks shipping estimate.
The delay is untimely, as Apple is currently running a Back to School promotion for students preparing for classes this fall. The new MacBook Air may be an attractive purchase for students thanks to its lightweight and thin design and the battery life and performance enabled by the M2 chip.
Apple has been facing supply chain constraints in recent months, but the situation does seem to be easing. Besides the long wait for the new MacBook Air, most other Macs in Apple's lineup remain readily available for shipping with no weeks-long delay.
The highest-end Mac Studio and the 24-inch iMac with the M1 chip are the two exceptions. The Mac Studio is listed with shipping estimates of one month or longer, and customers looking for an iMac face a three- to four-week delay, according to Apple's store at the time of writing.
In the third quarter of the year, Apple's Mac business was severely constrained. Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Mac supply was so low for the quarter that it was difficult to gauge actual demand for Apple's latest computers:
In terms of testing the demand, you can't really test demand unless you have the supply. We were so far from that last quarter that we have an estimate of what we believe demand was, but it is an estimate. We recognize how the industry is doing, we think that we've got a great story with the Mac, getting M1 out and now M2 out, we have a very strong offering for the back to school season and we'll see how we do this quarter. We'll report back in October.
Mac revenue for Q3 of 2022 was down to $7.3B from $8.2B in the year-ago quarter.
Apple recently removed a mention of "Hide My Email" support in third‑party apps from the macOS Ventura features page on its U.S. website, as noted by French website MacGeneration. The feature was still listed on the page as of August 3, according to the Wayback Machine, but it was removed at some point since then.
Apple's website said that you would be able to "keep your personal email address private with Hide My Email in third‑party apps" with an iCloud+ subscription. It is unclear why Apple removed the feature from the page, but it may be due to the fact that it is already possible to create randomized email addresses with Hide My Mail via the System Preferences/System Settings app or on iCloud.com and use those emails in third-party apps on the Mac.
The feature is still listed on the macOS Ventura page in many other countries, but Apple likely hasn't got around to updating its regionalized websites.
Hide My Email was first introduced on the Mac with macOS Monterey last year. The feature can generate unique, random email addresses that automatically forward to your personal inbox, allowing you to hide your actual email address for increased privacy. On macOS Monterey, the feature is directly integrated in Apple's Safari and Mail apps. In the Mail app, Hide My Mail can be found in a pop-up menu in the "From" field.
Hide My Mail is included for no additional charge with iCloud+ storage plans, which start at $0.99 per month in the U.S. Hide My Mail is also available when creating an account in Safari using the "Sign in with Apple" feature released in 2019.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 151 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Web Inspector, WebDriver, CSS, Rendering, Media, JavaScript, Web API, Web Components, Accessibility, Lockdown Mode, and Web Extensions.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is built on the Safari 16 update and it includes support for feature coming in macOS Ventura such as Live Text, Passkeys, Web Extension improvements, and more.
The new build of Safari Technology Preview is compatible with machines running macOS 13 Ventura, unlike prior versions of Safari Technology Preview, but it no longer works with macOS Big Sur.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
The iOS 16 update focuses primarily on the Lock Screen and new features for apps like Mail, Messages, and Photos, but Apple did make some small changes to the Notes and Reminders app, adding a handful of new options.
This guide highlights all of the new features in the iOS 16 Notes and Reminders apps.
Notes
There are some quality of life improvements for the Notes app, most notably an option to lock notes with the same passcode used to lock your iPhone.
iPhone Quick Note
The Share Sheet has gained an "Add to Quick Note" option so you can create Quick Notes on iPhone. Add to Quick Note is an option across the iOS operating system, in first and third-party apps. You can create Quick Notes with Safari links, images, and more.
Quick Notes used to be an iPad only feature introduced in iPadOS 15, but iOS 16 brings them to the iPhone as well. On iPad, you can create Quick Notes from the Lock Screen, but on iPhone, the Share Sheet interface is required.
Updated Smart Folders
There are new Smart Folder filters available for better note organization. Rules can be created for Date Created, Date Modified, Shared, Mentions, Checklists, Attachments, Folder, Quick Notes, Pinned Notes, and Locked Notes.
Smart Folders used to be based solely on tags, so this is a notable update to the way notes are organized.
Lock Notes With Passcode
Rather than selecting a specific passcode for a locked note, you can instead lock your notes with your iPhone's passcode. That makes more sense than thinking up a standalone password, because you're not likely to forget your iPhone passcode.
Notes locked with a passcode can be automatically unlocked with Face ID and the feature does not need to be enabled, plus you can access your locked notes across all of your devices by using the passcode for the device you're using.
Note that notes locked with your passcode can only be viewed on devices running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or macOS Ventura. Devices running older versions of iOS and macOS will not be able to view passcode locked notes.
Grouping by Date
In your list of notes and your gallery view, Notes are now grouped by chronological categories like Today and Yesterday to make it easier to find your most recent notes.
Filters
When using Smart Folders or the Tag Browser, you can opt to filter for any or all of the criteria that you've chosen.
Reminders
Pinned lists, list templates, and the completed smart list bring some notable improvements for those who use the Reminders app on a regular basis.
Pinned Lists
The lists that you use most often can be pinned to the top of the Reminders app for easy access. Pinned lists show up right alongside Reminder app sections like Today, Scheduled, and Flagged.
Completed Smart List
Apple has added a whole new "Completed" section to the Reminders app that aggregates all of the reminders that you have checked off and finished. It is organized in sections that include Previous 7 Days and Previous 30 Days, then further back, it organizes reminders into months and years.
Completed reminders can be cleared out by tapping on the "Clear" button at the top of the app, or they can be deleted individually by swiping.
List Templates
If you have a list that you reuse often like a grocery list or a packing list, you can save it as a template so it can be reused anytime. When creating a new list, the template section shows up as an option so you can choose your previously created templates.
You can go into the Templates section of the Reminders app and make any template shareable. From there, you can copy a link and send it to other people.
Others are also able to share templates with you, and those templates can be imported into the Reminders app.
Scheduled and Today List Improvements
Grouping by time and date is designed to make it easier to view and add reminders. The Today List is now grouped by Morning, Afternoon, and Night for a better division of the day.
The Scheduled List has week and month groups for longer-term organization.
Improved List Groups
Any list group can be tapped to display a combined view of both the lists and the reminders that are inside.
Shared List Notifications
When tasks are added or completed in a shared list, you can opt to receive a notification.
Enhanced Notes
Notes added to reminders now support underlining, bold, and strikethrough text, plus bullet points can be used.
Filters
You can opt to filter for any or all of the criteria in a custom smart list or the tag browser.
Collaboration
Both Notes and Reminders work with the new collaboration feature that Apple implemented in iOS 16. You can send an invitation to collaborate to someone in Messages or FaceTime, and everyone on the thread is added to the Note or Reminder that you're working with.
Guide Feedback
Have questions about Notes and Reminders in iOS 16, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.
Apple is not anticipating a drop in iPhone sales in 2022 amid an overall smartphone market slowdown, reports Bloomberg. The Cupertino company is expecting continued strong demand for the iPhone and has asked suppliers to make 90 million iPhone 14 models, which is on par with iPhone 13 manufacturing in the same time period last year.
Apple is expecting to manufacture approximately 220 million iPhones in total in 2022, which is in line with 2021 manufacturing. Sources that spoke to Bloomberg said that Apple is able to weather a downturn in the smartphone market because the Apple customer base is still willing to spend money on premium devices.
Prior to 2021, new iPhone launches saw Apple manufacturing around 75 million devices. That was bumped up to 90 million in 2021 as the company anticipated high demand for the iPhone 13 models, and Apple is sticking with that target level for 2022.
While few changes are expected for the standard iPhone 14 models, the higher-end iPhone 14 Pro models will feature a new notchless design (with hole-punch and pill-shaped camera cutouts), an upgraded 48-megapixel camera, a faster A16 chip, an always-on display, and more.
Current rumors suggest that the iPhone 14 Pro models could have a higher starting price than the iPhone 13 Pro models, increasing the average selling price of iPhones in 2022. Apple has not provided revenue guidance since 2020, but Apple CFO Luca Maestri said during the company's second quarter earnings call that revenue growth is expected to accelerate in the September quarter, and supply constraints are expected to be lower than they were in the June quarter.
Dropbox plans to release a public beta of its Mac desktop app with full support for macOS Monterey and later in the early fourth quarter of 2022, a company representative said today in a forum post shared on Reddit.
With the release of macOS 12.3 in March, Apple deprecated kernel extensions used by cloud storage services like Dropbox and OneDrive, resulting in users being unable to open online-only files stored on Dropbox or OneDrive in third-party apps after updating. The new version of Dropbox for Mac will include full support for opening online-only files, but the updated app has still yet to be released after several months.
If the latest timeframe promised by Dropbox is kept, the public beta for the new Mac app should be available around October to November, which is likely around the same time that Apple will publicly release macOS Ventura.
In the meantime, Dropbox users can continue to open online-only files on macOS Monterey and later by double clicking on them in the Finder app.
The full forum post reads as follows:
Hi everyone,
Thank you for reaching out. We hear your feedback and we're working hard on this experience.
A public beta for full support of macOS will be available in early Q4. For now, you can still double-click to open files in Finder. Everything else is working as usual.
Your experience on PC devices, dropbox.com, and from the latest iOS and Android apps remains unaffected. You can find more information here: https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/desktop/macos-12-monterey-support.
Please ensure you have turned on early releases and once the beta is available to you, you will receive a notification.
Thank you.
Dropbox previously said it would begin rolling out an updated version of its Mac app to beta testers in March, but development has evidently taken longer, leading to many complaints in a Dropbox forum thread about the matter.
Apple today updated its Shazam app for the Mac for the first time in two years, introducing Apple silicon support for M1 and M2 Macs and adding a refreshed icon that is in line with the look of macOS Monterey.
The Shazam app for Mac is now using Apple's universal binary so it runs natively on both Intel Macs and those that have Apple-designed chips inside.
Apple finalized its purchase of Shazam back in 2018, but the Mac app has received few updates since then, making this the most notable update since the acquisition.
The Shazam app adds an icon to the Mac's menu bar that can be clicked to identify a song that is playing. The functionality is built into Siri so Mac users can access Shazam without having to install an app, but some may prefer an easy access menu bar app.
Like the Netflix app, the redesigned Prime Video app has a new vertical navigation bar along the left side and a top 10 list of popular series and movies on the service. Prime Video Channels subscriptions like AMC+ and Paramount+, sports, and live TV content are all more prominently featured, and there are larger visuals across the app.
