Verizon today announced new features for its Unlimited Ultimate plan, which is the company's highest-tier plan at the current time.
Unlimited Ultimate customers now have access to 200GB of premium Hotspot data, which downgrades to 6Mb/s after that. Verizon is also offering unlimited data in more than 210 countries and destinations around the world, plus customers can choose one of 140 countries to get up to 300 minutes of calling from the US per month.
High-speed data worldwide is capped at 15GB per month, and after that, speeds are limited to 1.5Mb/s.
Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate plan is $100 per month, but it drops to $90 per month with Auto Pay enabled. It offers 5G UWB data, up to 4K video streaming, 50 percent off data plans for a watch and tablet, and talk, text, and unlimited data in Mexico and Canada.
The plan also supports adding streaming features like Hulu, Netflix, YouTube Premium, Apple Music, and Max for an additional monthly fee.
Verizon's other unlimited plans include Plus for $90 per month, and Welcome at $75 per month, with $10/month discounts available for Auto Pay.
Instagram today announced the launch of Blend, a new feature that's designed to allow users to connect to their friends in new ways over DMs. Blend is essentially a shared feed of Reels that combines recommendations that users and their friends might like.
To start a Blend with a friend or a group of friends, users can go to a DM and then tap on the Blend icon. From there, everyone in the DM group is able to participate.
The Blend will include Reels that users in the group are interested in, based on what they've browsed individually and what's been shared in the DM thread. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said that it's a way for users to share their interests with their friends, and to start new conversations.
Blend feeds will refresh with new content each day as a way to keep participants coming back to the conversation. Every chat can have a unique Blend with different participants.
Instagram has been testing Blend with a small group of Instagram users since March, but it is now rolling out more widely.
When U.S. President Donald Trump levied 145 percent tariffs on goods imported from China, Apple CEO Tim Cook started working to score Apple an exemption that would keep iPhone costs down.
According to The Washington Post, Cook had a phone call with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last week, explaining how the tariffs would cause iPhone prices to increase. He talked to senior White House officials about the tariffs, and made sure not to say anything negative in public about Trump's policies that would anger Trump. For Trump's inauguration, Cook also personally donated $1 million.
Cook's efforts paid off, and last weekend, the Trump administration exempted the iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, iPad, and other electronics from the bulk of tariffs put in place on Chinese goods.
Apple's tariff exemption could be temporary, however, as the day after the announcement, Trump said that there was "no tariff exception" and that no one would be "getting off the hook." Apple and other tech companies will be "moving to a different tariff bucket" as Trump and his administration will be "taking a look" at semiconductors and the electronics supply chain in planned National Security Tariff Investigations.
With the on-again, off-again tariffs, Apple stock has fluctuated quite a bit over the course of the last few weeks. Stock was down as much as 20 percent, but it recovered some of its value after the exemption.
During the first Trump administration, Cook was able to prevent tariffs from impacting Apple devices like the iPhone and the Apple Watch by convincing Trump that the fees would give South Korean company Samsung an edge over Apple.
This time around, Trump has claimed he won't be pressured by companies into lowering tariffs. On Monday, though, he said that he "helped Tim Cook recently," a sign that Cook has an in with Trump that could keep Apple from being hit hard by future tariffs.
Trump insists that Apple could manufacture the iPhone and other products in the United States, but there are significant barriers that would prevent Apple from doing so, including the cost of building factories, a lack of skilled laborers, and the cost of paying U.S. workers.
Apple has pledged a $500 billion investment in the United States, and it plans to manufacture Private Cloud Compute servers at a facility in Houston in partnership with Foxconn. Servers are a much lower volume product that isn't consumer facing, which makes them more feasible to assemble in the U.S.
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.
Apple's Beats brand today shared a new ad in its ongoing Pill People series, this time highlighting the various USB-C cables that Beats debuted earlier this week.
The Pill People ad campaign features anthropomorphized Beats Pill speakers with different personalities. Beats has been using the Pill People since it launched the updated Beats Pill last summer.
Apple's Beats brand is now offering several USB-C cables, including USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to USB-A, and USB-C to Lightning. The cables come in 1.5-meter and 20-centimeter options, with both sizes priced at $18.99. The cables come in four colors, and they can be purchased from the online Apple Storeor Apple retail stores.
Google has an illegal monopoly in online advertising, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said today. Google is guilty of "willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power" in the publisher ad server market that websites use for ads and the open-web display ad exchange market that matches advertisers with websites.
Publishers that wanted to use Google's ad exchange were also required to use its ad server, which disadvantaged competing platforms. Google's "First Look" feature gave its ad exchange the first right of refusal for impressions, and "Last Look" let its platform assess bids from competitors before making its own bid.
Google later rolled out Unified Pricing Rules limiting the pricing strategies that publishers used to reduce dependence on Google ads and screen out low-quality content, which the court says favored Google's ad tech growth while harming rival ad tech products. Google's scale and "vast repositories" of data about advertisers, publishers, and users limits competition.
According to the court, Google's actions have resulted in significant harm to advertisers, publishers, and consumers.
Google could be required to divest its publisher ad server and exchange products, make changes to how it operates to prevent anticompetitive practices in the future, and pay fines. The court plans to decide on appropriate remedies at a future hearing.
In iOS 18.4, Apple added a new Shortcuts action to open a specific conversation in the Messages app. This means it's now possible to open a chat thread with someone important to you straight from your Lock Screen, for example. Keep reading to learn more.
If you'd like to reduce the time it takes to chat with a frequently contacted person, this new shortcut action is for you. Placing a shortcut on your Lock Screen to a spouse or family member's chat thread allows you to contact them without navigating through the app, making it perfect for quick updates, urgent communications, or daily check-ins.
The feature also streamlines interactions by minimizing distractions, since it lets you bypass the Messages interface, so you won't be tempted to engage with other messages or notifications. It could be handy in situations where rapid access matters, such as emergencies or business communications. The following steps show you how it's done.
Create Your Shortcut Action
Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
Tap the + button in the top-right corner of the app.
Start typing "Open Conversation" in the Search Actions input field, then select the action in the results.
Tap "Conversation" in blue, then select the Messages conversation you want from the dropdown.
Tap Done to finish.
Add Shortcut to Your Lock Screen
Long press your Lock Screen, tap Customize on the Lock Screen you want to use, then tap Lock Screen again.
Tap the minus symbol on one of the bottom buttons to remove the existing control.
Tap the plus symbol that replaces it, then select Shortcut from the Controls menu.
Tap "Choose" in blue, then select Open Conversation from the shortcuts menu.
Tap Done on the Lock Screen customize screen to finish.
That's all there is to it. The "Open Conversation" is more versatile than you might think. For example, you could use it to add a neat shortcut to a particular chat thread on your Home Screen, or even pop one on your Control Center. Have a play around with it, and see what works for you.
The cables are available in a variety of colors and lengths, with USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to USB-A, and USB-C to Lightning options. All of the cables have a Beats logo, along with a woven design that increases durability and helps to prevent tangles. In the U.S., prices range from $18.99 to $34.99 for one to two cables.
Notably, this is Apple's first own USB-C to USB-A cable, which could be popular for CarPlay.
Overall, there is nothing extraordinary about these cables, and many cheaper alternatives that are functionally equivalent are available on Amazon.
Apple acquired Beats in 2014, and the popular headphone brand has recently pushed into a few other product categories, including iPhone cases and charging cables. Apple also re-released a Beats Pill portable speaker last year.
OWC's Spring Sale continues this week, offering solid discounts on a variety of USB-C docks, memory cards, external drives and enclosures, and Mac accessories. This time around, all of the deals have been applied automatically and you won't need to wait for any coupons to be applied in your cart in order to see the discounts.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with OWC. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
There are a few notable deals in this sale, including $100 off the popular 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock for Mac, available for $179.99. If you purchase a qualifying new or used Mac at the same time as this dock, you can get an additional $20 off the accessory at checkout.
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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More images of a redesigned power cable allegedly for a future Apple "Vision Air" headset were today shared online by the prototype collector and leaker known as "Kosutami."
Yesterday, the leaker explained that the Apple "Vision Air" will feature a thinner design and switch the battery enclosure and several of its internal structures to titanium to reduce the device's overall weight. Most of the exterior of the device will continue to be aluminum, except with a "Midnight" bluish-black finish. Today's Vision Pro is only available in silver.
The latest images of the power cable show an anodized aluminum connector finished in Apple's distinctive Midnight color. Initial pictures of the Lightning-style connector in Midnight purportedly for the next-generation Vision device were first shared yesterday:
The Vision Pro uses a similar connector, except with 12 pins instead of eight, suggesting that the new cable is part of a more significant redesign, at least of the external battery. The audio strap connector appears to be the same design as that of the Vision Pro.
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone 16, or if you're just plain curious about what's on the horizon, here are 17 rumored features that we are expecting to arrive in time for Apple's successor lineup, the iPhone 17 series, which is likely to be released around mid-September.
1. iPhone 17 "Air"
iPhone 17 Plus?
Apple plans to launch an all-new iPhone 17 model with a "significantly thinner" design, reports The Information. The device, which could be called "iPhone 17 Air," will feature a "major redesign" that will feature a single rear camera located on a horizontal camera bar running along the top of the device, along with a narrower Dynamic Island, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the iPhone 17 Air will be 5.5mm thick at its thinnest point, which likely means it will have a 5.5mm chassis with a thicker rear camera bump area. The device is rumored to have a 6.6-inch display size, and is likely to replace the Plus model in Apple's lineup. Other reported features include an aluminum chassis, an A19 chip, Apple's C1 modem, an Action button, a Camera Control button, and a 24MP front camera. See our iPhone 17 "Slim" rumor roundup for more. 2. New All-Aluminum Design
All iPhone 17 Models
Apple is reportedly planning to bring all its devices back to aluminum with the iPhone 17 lineup. The two flagship iPhone 17 Pro models will mark the return of aluminum frames to high-end iPhones for the first time since Apple began distinguishing between Pro and non-Pro models. In recent years, aluminum frames have been reserved for lower-end devices like the iPhone SE and iPhone 16, while premium models featured stainless steel frames until the iPhone 15 Pro, which introduced a titanium chassis as a major upgrade. This shift in materials for the iPhone 17 lineup signals a unified approach, with aluminum frames set to return across the entire device range. 3. Significantly Redesigned Camera
iPhone 17 Pro & iPhone 17 Pro Max
This year's iPhone 17 Pro models will have a major redesign, specifically centering around changes to the rear camera module. Apple will move away from the familiar square camera bump to a distinctive aluminum camera bar that spans the device's width, according to recent reports. The camera area will be the same color as the rest of the device. The redesigned camera module is not expected to extend to the regular iPhone 17.
The devices are rumored to feature a new rear design combining aluminum and glass. The top half of the back will be aluminum, incorporating a new camera bump made from aluminum instead of the traditional 3D glass. The bottom half will remain glass to enable wireless charging. While Apple has used a glass back since the iPhone 8 and iPhone X in 2017, earlier iPhone models—except the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 5C—had aluminum rears. Additionally, the aluminum camera bump on the iPhone 17 Pro will reportedly be larger than in previous models, according to The Information. 4. New Display Sizes
iPhone 17 & iPhone 17 Plus
Last year's iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max got bigger display sizes, going from 6.12- and 6.69-inches to 6.27- and 6.86-inches, respectively. For 2025, Apple is also expected to bring the larger 6.27-inch display size to its standard iPhone model, while the equivalent "iPhone 17 Plus" model (provisionally called "iPhone 17 Air") could adopt completely new display dimensions. 5. 120Hz ProMotion (Always-on Display)
iPhone 17 & iPhone 17 Plus
Apple intends to expand ProMotion to all iPhone models in 2025, allowing all models to ramp up to a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and video content when necessary. Previously, only "Pro" models in Apple's iPhone lineup have had the feature. Notably, ProMotion would also enable the display on the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 "Air" to ramp down to a more power-efficient refresh rate as low as 1Hz, allowing for an always-on display that can show the Lock Screen's clock, widgets, notifications, and wallpaper even when the device is locked.
6. Apple-Designed Wi-Fi 7 Chip
iPhone 17 Pro & iPhone 17 Pro Max
Apple's premium 2025 models are expected to be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip for the first time. Wi-Fi 7 support would allow the "Pro" models to send and receive data over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously with a supported router, resulting in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. The Wi-Fi chip would also allow Apple to further reduce its dependance on external suppliers like Broadcom, which currently supplies Apple with a combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip for iPhones.
7. 48MP Telephoto Lens
iPhone 17 Pro & iPhone 17 Pro Max
An upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto lens on Apple's premium devices is expected to be optimized for use with Apple's Vision Pro headset, although we don't how any details on how it will interface with the Vision Pro. The upgraded Telephoto would make the iPhone 17 Pro models the first iPhones to have a rear camera system composed entirely of 48-megapixel lenses, making it capable of capturing even more photographic detail. The new Telephoto lens will offer 3.5x zoom (85mm equivalent) instead of the 5x zoom (120mm equivalent) currently available, according to one rumor. This focal length is generally better suited for portraits and everyday photography, since it allows users to frame shots without having to move as far away from the subject. However, the big shift allegedly comes from the new 48MP sensor, in that the extra resolution allows for digital cropping to simulate longer focal lengths, offering less quality loss than normal digital zoom.
8. 8K Video Recording
iPhone 17 Pro & iPhone 17 Pro Max
Apple reportedly tested 8K video recording on the iPhone 16 Pro models, but such functionality is still not available. With the iPhone 17 Pro models expected to have entirely 48-megapixel rear cameras, there is a good chance that 8K video recording will debut on those devices. Several rival smartphones currently offer 8K video recording capabilities, such as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Google Pixel 9 Pro (via AI upscaling). Even though 8K video recording isn't widely used by content creators right now, there are still use cases for it. For example, shooting 8K would allow videographers to record using the Ultra Wide camera and then crop in 50% and still achieve 4K resolution. Notably, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in February reported that Apple plans to emphasize the iPhone 17 Pro's improved video recording capabilities when it unveils the device later this year, so it's quite possible that 8K video recording will be one of the capabilities that Apple will tout when the new lineup launches.
9. 24MP Selfie Camera
All iPhone 17 Models
The iPhone 17 lineup will feature a 24-megapixel front-facing camera with a six-element lens, according to one rumor. The iPhone 14 and 15 feature a 12-megapixel front-facing camera with five plastic lens elements, and last year's iPhone 16 lineup features the same hardware. The upgraded resolution to 24 megapixels on the iPhone 17 will allow photos to maintain their quality even when cropped or zoomed in, while the larger number of pixels will capture finer details. The upgrade to a six-element lens should also slightly enhance image quality.
10. Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display
All iPhone 17 Models
The iPhone 17 will feature an anti-reflective display that is more scratch-resistant than Apple's Ceramic Shield found on iPhone 15 models, according to one rumor, although the new iPhone 16 Pro models do have the latest-generation Ceramic Shield, which has an advanced formulation that is 2x tougher than glass on any other smartphone. The outer glass on the iPhone 17 is said to have a "super-hard anti-reflective layer" that is "more scratch-resistant." It's not clear whether Apple is planning to adopt the Gorilla Glass Armor that Samsung uses in its Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the description of Corning's latest technology matches the rumor.
11. More Memory
iPhone 17 Pro & iPhone 17 Pro Max
At least one model in Apple's iPhone 17 lineup will come with 12GB. Jeff Pu of investment firm Haitong has claimed that both Pro models will come with the upped RAM, while Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes only the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature 12GB. In contrast, another reliable source has claimed that all iPhone 17 models will have 12GB of RAM. For comparison, the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have 6GB of RAM, and the iPhone 15 Pro models have 8GB of RAM, while all iPhone 16 models have 8GB of RAM. Any such increase would allow for improved multitasking on the iPhone, as well as provide additional resources for Apple Intelligence features that require large-language models to be resident in memory.
12. Smaller Dynamic Island
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Apple's highest-end 2025 iPhone will feature a significantly narrower Dynamic Island, thanks to the device's adoption of a smaller "metalens" for the Face ID system, claims Haitong's Jeff Pu and a Chinese leaker. While a traditional iPhone camera has curved lenses that redirect light towards the image sensor, a metalens is a thin and flat lens with microscopic patterns etched onto it that can focus light more precisely. Assuming this results in a narrowed Dynamic Island, it would be the first time that Apple has changed the feature since it debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022.
13. A19 Processor
All iPhone 17 Models
Apple typically upgrades iPhones with faster and more efficient chip technology each year. While we are not expecting the iPhone 17 series to get TSMC's next-generation 2-nanometer chips, Apple's A19 chip technology is likely to be built on an upgraded 3-nanometer process. The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to include an A19 Pro chip, while the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Air could have the standard A19 chip. TSMC is working on its N3P process, with mass production set to begin in late 2024, so that's the chip technology that we're expecting Apple will use for the iPhone 17 lineup. Compared to earlier versions of 3nm chips, the N3P chips offer increased performance efficiency and increased transistor density.
14. Custom Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Chip
All iPhone 17 Models
Apple is switching over to a new Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip that it designed in-house starting in 2025. The combined Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip will replace iPhone components from Broadcom, allowing Apple to reduce its reliance on the company. Apple's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip is distinct from the C1 modem chip that Apple recently debuted in the new iPhone 16e, but eventually, Apple wants to combine these into a single component. The new Wi-Fi chip means that all four iPhone 17 models will support Wi-Fi 7 chip, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain.
15. New Thermal Design
All iPhone 17 Models
The iPhone 17 lineup will feature a vapor chamber heatsink to improve thermal performance, according to one report. Vapor chamber technology is already used in many high-end Android devices. Vapor chambers work by spreading heat evenly across a larger surface area, preventing thermal throttling and maintaining consistent performance, which is particularly beneficial in slim devices. The report claims that the every model in the iPhone 17 series will adopt the improved thermal heat spreader.
16. Reverse Wireless Charging
iPhone 17 Pro & iPhone 17 Pro Max
Apple has reportedly tested a wireless reverse charging feature for its upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models that would make the iPhone capable of delivering power to other Apple devices, according to the Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital. The Chinese leaker claims that Apple is testing a 7.5W wireless charging feature for iPhone 17 Pro models, and it could be used to charge other Apple accessories like AirPods, Apple Watch, or potentially an upcoming MagSafe Battery Pack.
17. Larger Battery
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Apple is said to have increased the depth of the iPhone 17 Pro Max to 8.725mm, up from 8.25mm on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which would be a 0.475mm difference in thickness. The increase "surely means a larger battery," according to one leaker. Apart from depth, the iPhone 17 Pro Max's frame reportedly remains unchanged, and is otherwise identical to the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Apple has seemingly had one of its most useful AI tools blocked from Meta's apps. Writing Tools, which is an Apple Intelligence feature, is not available to use in Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads, and Messenger.
Apple's Writing Tools include options to proofread, rewrite, and summarize text almost anywhere you can type in iOS 18. A long press in a text input field usually brings up the feature, but not in any of Meta's apps currently.
Brazilian blog Sorcererhat Tech spotted the lack of Writing Tools across Meta's apps. Developers can choose whether to allow the tools in their apps, so it looks as if Meta has declined the offer.
According to a Wall Street Journal report from June 2024, Apple held discussions with Meta about integrating the Facebook owner's AI model into iOS 18 as part of its Apple Intelligence feature set. However, Apple turned down the AI partnership due to privacy concerns. Apple instead ended up signing a deal with OpenAI to include optional ChatGPT access in its Siri responses.
Given the history of acrimony between the two companies – from Apple device interoperability demands to App Store feuds – it's not all that surprising that Meta would choose to keep Apple's AI out of its apps. Meta has also since rolled out its own AI features across its platforms.
xAI has rolled out a new memory feature for Grok, its conversational AI, making the chatbot smarter and more personalized over time. With memory enabled, Grok can now recall past interactions – like your preferences or previous questions – to provide more relevant recommendations and responses.
According to xAI, this feature brings Grok in line with memory capabilities already found in platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini, where chat history can be revisited and used to enhance future conversations. Users can now rely on Grok to pick up where they left off, improving long-term usability.
The memory feature is currently available in beta on the Grok website and through its iOS and Android apps. However, users in the EU and UK will have to wait, as the feature isn't yet supported in those regions. xAI says it plans to integrate memory into Grok's built-in version on X (formerly Twitter) "soon."
Grok now remembers your conversations. When you ask for recommendations or advice, you’ll get personalized responses. pic.twitter.com/UXhX7BjS57
— Grok (@grok) April 17, 2025
Just like with other memory-enabled AI tools, users have the ability to manage what Grok remembers, although telling Grok to "Forget" referenced chats won't delete them from the user's history.
Apple's iPhone 18 models will adopt TSMC's 2nm manufacturing process for the next-generation A20 chip, which will bring substantial performance and power efficiency improvements to next year's iPhones, but it may also incur significantly more costs that Apple could pass onto the customer.
The latest corroboration that Apple will use TSMC's 2nm process in next year's iPhone models comes from Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station, who has sources in the Chinese supply chain. Industry analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu have previously claimed as much, so it seems all but confirmed that Apple will adopt the more advanced silicon wafer technology.
In 2023, Apple adopted 3nm chips for its iPhones and Macs, an upgrade over the prior 5nm mode. The switch to 3nm technology brought 20 percent faster GPU speeds, 10 percent faster CPU speed, and a 2x faster Neural Engine to the iPhone, and similar improvements on Macs. The upcoming iPhone 17 series is expected to feature processors made using TSMC's N3P chip technology – an enhanced version of the 3nm process – but 2nm adoption in the iPhone 18 is expected to bring significantly more performance and efficiency gains.
The terms "3nm" and "2nm" describe generations of chip manufacturing technology, each with its own set of design rules and architecture. As these numbers decrease, they generally indicate smaller transistor sizes. Smaller transistors allow more to be packed onto a single chip, typically resulting in increased processing speed and improved power efficiency.
TSMC plans to start manufacturing 2nm chips in late 2025, and Apple is expected to be the first company to receive chips built on the new process. TSMC is building two new facilities to accommodate 2nm chip production, and working on approval for a third. TSMC generally builds new fabs when it needs to increase production capacity to handle significant orders for chips, and TSMC is expanding in a major way for 2nm technology.
However, with Apple expected to be the first major beneficiary of the new process, it is also likely to face significantly increased costs, which could see the iPhone 18 face another round of price hikes on top of possible price increases on this year's iPhone 17 models due to U.S. import tariffs. Apple scored a reprieve from the 145 percent tariff impacting goods imported from China and the 10 percent tariff on goods imported from other countries, but it doesn't sound like that's going to last.
U.S. President Donald Trump is currently working on new semiconductor levies that will likely impact all Apple devices. Trump earlier this week said that no one is "getting off the hook" and there "was no tariff exception." Apple and other tech companies are "just moving to a different tariff bucket," with the 20 percent "Fentanyl Tariffs" still in place, and additional tariffs coming.
Apple has quite a few security features that it's added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs over the years. Now more than ever, it's important to make sure you're taking advantage of the built-in security tools that are available to keep yourself and your data safe, so we've rounded up a list of the most important options.
If you don't already have these enabled, you might want to consider turning some of them on.
Two-Factor Authentication
With two-factor authentication, you need to verify your identify when you sign into iCloud on a new device or on the web. It works by sending a six-digit code to a device where you're already signed in, and it won't authorize a sign-in on the new device unless you input that code from your existing device.
If you have an iPhone and want to sign into your iCloud account on your Mac, for example, when you enter your Apple Account name and password, you'll get a pop-up on your iPhone with a code that you input for identity verification. Alternatively, you can set a trusted phone number where you can also get a code in case you forget your password.
Apple tries really hard to get people to use two-factor authentication, so chances are you have it enabled, but if you don't, it's a first line of defense to protect your data. There are even some iOS features that don't work without it.
You can manage two-factor authentication by going to Settings > Sign-In and Security.
Security Keys
For an extra layer of protection with two-factor authentication, you can add physical security keys, such as the YubiKey. With a security key set up, you verify your identity with a physical dongle via USB-C or NFC.
Security keys make sure no one can break into your account even if they have access to one of your trusted devices, but you definitely don't want to lose a security key. You can set this up in the two-factor authentication section of the Settings app.
Stolen Device Protection
Stolen Device Protection is a feature that Apple added after criminals got clever and started watching people enter their passcodes before stealing an iPhone.
When you turn on Stolen Device Protection, a passcode won't work for accessing sensitive information like passwords and credit card data. Instead, Face ID or Touch ID biometric authentication is required, so if a thief has your iPhone and your passcode, they won't be able to get into your accounts.
There's also a security delay that keeps your Apple Account password from being changed without two instances of biometric authentication and an hour-long delay.
Thieves are blocked from accessing passwords, making purchases, turning off Lost Mode on an iPhone, applying for an Apple Card, using an iPhone to set up a new device, and accessing credit cards and Apple Cash. There are delays for signing out of an Apple Account, changing a password, resetting settings, and turning off Stolen Device Protection.
By default, Stolen Device Protection is only on when you're away from familiar locations like your home or your work, but if you want it on at all times, you just need to change the toggle to Always.
You can get to the Stolen Device Protection settings by opening up the Settings app, going to the Face ID and Passcode section, and tapping on Stolen Device Protection.
Private Relay
Private Relay is more of a privacy feature than a security feature, but it's something that you should have on. It hides your IP address and browsing activity in Safari and protects unencrypted internet traffic so no one can see what you're doing even if you're on an unsecured network.
Private Relay is an iCloud+ feature that you get access to as long as you pay Apple at least $0.99 a month for 50GB of iCloud Storage, and it's well worth it. You should also take advantage of Hide My Email whenever possible, as it will give you temporary email addresses that you can revoke at any time.
Private Relay can be enabled by opening up Settings, tapping on your profile picture, and tapping on the iCloud section.
Advanced Data Protection
By default, some of the data that's saved in iCloud backups and uploaded to iCloud is not end-to-end encrypted, which means that Apple can provide iCloud backup data to law enforcement.
Advanced Data Protection encrypts your iCloud data so that it cannot be decrypted except for on your personal devices signed into your Apple Account. It is Apple's highest security option for cloud data.
The feature protects device backups, Messages backups, iCloud Drive files, Notes, Photos, Reminders, Safari bookmarks, Siri Shortcuts, Voice Memos, and Wallet Passes, all of which can otherwise be accessed in iCloud backups by subpoena.
Advanced Data Protection is a good idea to turn on, but keep in mind that it means even Apple can't recover your data if a password is lost. To use Advanced Data Protection, Apple requires you to have a recovery key saved or a recovery contact set up as a way to regain access to your account should you lose your password.
You can get to Advanced Data Protection by opening up the Settings app, tapping on your profile picture, selecting iCloud, and then scrolling down to the Advanced Data Protection section. You can also turn it on in the Privacy and Security section of the Settings app.
Lockdown Mode
Lockdown Mode is an extreme security option that most people won't want to turn on, but it's good to know where it is in case you need it.
Apple designed this feature for journalists, activists, government employees, and others who might be in danger of being subject to sophisticated cyber attacks and mercenary spyware.
Lockdown Mode disables a lot of iPhone features, blocking Message attachments, web technologies like JIT (just-in-time JavaScript compilation), FaceTime calls from unknown contacts, shared albums in the Photos app, invites for Apple services from unknown people, physical device connections, and configuration profiles.
It essentially removes common attack vectors by limiting iPhone functionality, so it's not something you're going to want to use day-to-day unless you need it. Lockdown Mode can be turned on by opening up Settings, going to Privacy and Security, and tapping on the Lockdown Mode option.
Contact Key Verification
Similar to Lockdown Mode, Contact Key Verification is designed for a limited number of people who need to confirm the identify of who they are speaking to. It provides an option to compare contact verification codes with someone in person or over the phone, so no one can impersonate that person at a later date.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed Safari Technology Preview to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.
Safari Technology Preview 217 includes fixes and updates for CSS, Forms, JavaScript, Media, Rendering, SVG, Tables, Web API, Web Extensions, Web Inspector, and WebRTC.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is compatible with machines running macOS Sonoma and macOS Sequoia, the newest version of macOS.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser from Apple’s website. Complete release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
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 it is designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download and use.
Apple today started sending out emails to Apple Card users, letting them know about a new Booking.com promotion. From now through May 15, Apple Card users can get five percent total Daily Cash back when using Apple Card with Apple Pay.
Booking.com is a site that allows users to reserve flights, hotel stays, car rentals, cruises, and more.
Apple Card owners can get up to $500 Daily Cash back on eligible hotel stays and car rentals using the Apple Card Booking.com link.
Booking.com is also providing two percent in Booking.com Travel Credits on eligible stays and car rentals that are booked through the Apple Card, which is on top of the 5 percent Daily Cash back.
Right now, Apple is also offering an Apple Card promotion for referrals, offering anyone who is referred to Apple Card a $75 Daily Cash bonus. The invitee will need to open a new Apple Card and make a purchase within 30 days of opening the account.
Introduced in the United States in 2022, as part of iOS 16.1, the optional Clean Energy Charging feature enables iPhone users to charge their devices at times of the day when the electric grid is relatively cleaner. Apple says the feature can reduce your carbon footprint by selectively charging when lower carbon-emission electricity is available.
In a new document, obtained by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, Apple said the Clean Energy Charging feature will be enabled by default on all iPhone and iPad demo units in U.S. stores, reducing the carbon footprint of those devices. To ensure that the demo units are always ready to be used by customers, Apple said devices will resume charging immediately in the event that they drop below 50% battery life.
Clean Energy Charging is enabled by default for customers too. On iOS 16.1 and later, the feature can be managed in the Settings app, under Battery → Battery Health & Charging. The feature is still available in the contiguous United States only.
It is unclear exactly when the feature will be enabled on iPhone and iPad demo units.
With iOS 18.4, Apple added support for robot vacuums to HomeKit. There are a few Matter-enabled robot vacuums that can be added to the Home app for use with Siri, including the Deebot X8 Pro Omni from Ecovacs. I've been testing the X8 Pro Omni for the last several weeks to see if it's worth upgrading to a robot vacuum with Matter support to integrate with Siri and HomeKit, as well as to check out its cleaning capabilities.
Design
The X8 Pro Omni is a circular vacuum that can both vacuum and mop, so it is an all-in-one floor cleaning bot. It comes with a base that has a dust bag, section for cleaning fluid, a tank for clean water, and a tank for dirty water.
This is not a small robot vacuum, and it's not going to be ideal for small spaces. It's almost 14 inches wide and about four inches tall. I have a TV stand that's four inches high and the vacuum does not fit underneath it, but it is short enough to get under most furniture, including my couch, bookcases, bed, and desks. Because of the width, it cannot get into spaces that are tight, such as a chair close to a table leg, or two chairs that are close to one another.
The base station is 21 inches tall, 14 inches wide, and 11 and a half inches deep, and you need to have enough area around it for the robot to dock itself. The X8 Pro Omni is black and gold, as is the station, but it's not garish. It blends right in, and even though the charging station is large, I was able to tuck it away in a corner.
There is a built-in camera at the front of the X8 Pro Omni, which is used for navigation, room mapping, and obstacle avoidance, plus it has a microphone for listening for voice commands and a speaker to respond and to ask for help if it gets stuck.
Cleaning
I've always been skeptical of robot vacuums, but I was impressed with the X8 Pro Omni. It has serious suction power (Ecovacs says 18,000 Pa) that was able to clean up cat hair and everything else on my floors, and running it regularly kept my floors a lot cleaner than my typical weekly vacuuming. The suction power is adjustable, and higher suction is noisier, but I mostly used it in the higher mode to get everything off of my floors.
I'm able to work in the room with the X8 Pro Omni running even at its highest suction, but I probably wouldn't take a phone call. It's the loudest when vacuuming, and is usually between 50 and 60 decibels with the standard mode. The mopping is quieter, and emptying the dust is the loudest operation.
There's a little spinning brush on the side that's meant to get around the edges of a room, and in the weeks that I've been using the vacuum, it's done a good job getting into nooks and crannies. There's also a mopping feature, and the mop that Ecovacs included is something special. It's a roller mop rather than the spinning mop that other robot vacuums have, and I think it cleans stains like dried cat food better than my other vacuum that has spinning mops.
With two passes, it was able to get most of the little bits of dried food off of my floor. I even tested it with dried ketchup that I put on the floor, and while it didn't get everything off in one go, it got close. The idea with robot vacuums is to have them clean daily or several times a week, and the X8 Pro Omni was able to keep my floor spotless with a schedule.
The Ozmo Roller, as Ecovacs calls it, is cleaned off with a water nozzle as the vacuum mops the floor, so dirty water is scraped off and clean water is reapplied. I like that concept better than a robot vacuum dragging dirty water along the floor, and it did seem to be effective. I don't wear shoes in the house and my floors are relatively clean, but the waste water was always dirty, so grime was coming up with every cycle. The X8 Pro Omni can clean the floor with just water, but it does accept cleaning solution that you can put in the base to fill the vacuum. Ecovacs recommends using its own cleaning solution to avoid damaging the vacuum.
I have wood floors, and I am careful with them. The X8 Pro Omni has not done any damage, but I do check the wheels and the mop to make sure nothing gets lodged there. The wheels are rubber and the mop is soft, so it doesn't seem like there's anything that would cause an issue.
I don't want to go on forever about the cleaning capabilities of the robot, so I'll wrap up by saying it did a great job, but there are a few caveats with navigation and obstacle avoidance.
The X8 Pro Omni needs to be able to get to the floor, and it will have a hard time in rooms with a lot of furniture or items on the floor. I have to do a pass before I have it clean to move cat toys and whatever else I might have on the floor. While cleaning, the robot will empty its dust bin on its own, wash its mop, and recharge, so you just hit the start button and it goes about its chore on its own.
It does require my attention with rugs, because it can't handle them. I have some thin area rugs that I don't have any kind of rubber padding under, and the X8 Pro Omni cannot deal with these. It routinely sucks up the tassels on one of my rugs and gets itself tangled up, and getting up to fix it every two minutes when it's doing that section of the room is frustrating.
It does better with the thicker rugs I have in the bathroom that do have a sturdier backing, and it can navigate and vacuum those with fewer issues. I have one large area rug that isn't a problem, and it does fine, but that is the extent of the carpet in my house so I haven't been able to test carpet suction beyond my rugs.
For context, it takes two hours for it to deep clean a 600 sq ft room, of which it can access about 400 sq ft (because of furniture). A standard clean is closer to an hour. I've locked it in my office for this review, but were it to clean my whole house, it would take several hours and would likely need to recharge. The two hour deep clean does not require recharging, and leaves it with about 30 percent battery at the end. When used in standard mode, the X8 Pro Omni can run for over 3.5 hours before needing to charge. For a full recharge, it takes approximately four hours.
Upkeep and Performance
There are filters that need to be changed, water that needs to be added and emptied, and components that eventually need to be replaced. The Ecovacs app has a detailed Maintenance section that lets you know when you need to perform maintenance. A filter lasts for 120 hours, and the mop works for 150 hours. In the month that I've been testing the X8 Pro Omni, I haven't had to do anything other than add more water to the clean water bin.
There is some cost associated with upkeep, as components will need to be replaced over time. A new roller mop, for example, is $30, and three dust bags is $25.
I have not run into issues while testing the X8 Pro Omni. The robot is responsive, it has not gone offline, and the app has been stable. I also haven't had hardware issues, and Ecovacs does have a standard one-year warranty.
HomeKit and Siri
iOS 18.4 and its sister updates add support for Matter-enabled robot vacuums, so to be able to control the X8 Pro Omni from the Home app and via Siri, iOS 18.4 or later is required.
Functionality is limited, compared with the feature set that is available with the Ecovacs website. In the Home app, there's a button to start the robot and to choose whether the robot vacuums or mops. Specific rooms that have been set up with the Ecovacs app can be selected, or you can choose to have the X8 Pro Omni clean all rooms that it has access to.
There's also a built-in toggle for Quick or Deep Clean, which controls the cleaning pattern that the robot uses. Siri commands can be used in lieu of the Home app, so you can say something like "turn on the Deebot" to start a cleaning cycle (I named the robot Deebot in the Home app).
Commands like "tell Deebot to vacuum" or "tell Deebot to quick clean" didn't work with Siri, because Siri just kept telling me there was no Deebot in my contacts list. It was a frustrating experience trying to use Siri to activate and control the vacuum, and using the Ecovacs app or the Home app was simpler.
It's not Ecovacs' fault that Siri is less than capable, and the Ecovacs app is an easier solution for the most part, though I was also perfectly able to control the vacuum from the Home app.
Ecovacs App and Mapping
The Ecovacs app has a much deeper feature set than is available with the Home app or with Siri, including its own personal assistant that can respond to voice-based commands.
Operating the X8 Pro Omni requires the Ecovacs app for setup and for specialized controls. Setup was a super simple process, and the app is complicated, but easy enough to figure out. There's an overarching "Home" that houses all of your Ecovacs products, and tapping into one brings up controls. You can start or pause the robot from this interface, or send it to recharge, and additional options are available by tapping the "Enter" option.
Before starting to vacuum, the X8 Pro Omni maps out all of the rooms of the house, or the rooms that it is given access to. It's surprisingly good at identifying objects, distinguishing between flooring types, and separating areas into rooms. It can misidentify smaller spaces. For example, it merged my office bathroom into the main office area and split a closet into two rooms when it's one. I can view and edit the map to fix it, create boundaries for the vacuum, identify different rooms, and label furniture. There is a multi-map option for houses with more than one story, or for separate areas.
The X8 Pro Omni is continually scanning its surroundings as it cleans, and it is good at not bumping into furniture or objects. It also does well with pets. My cat loves the robot, and when it vacuums, he'll follow it around and get in its way. The X8 Pro Omni gently nudges him out of its path and continues on with its task.
As the X8 Pro Omni cleans, it shows a white line on the map of where it has vacuumed, so it's easy to ensure that it gets into every nook and cranny that it can reach. Mopping is shown with a more diffuse line over the vacuum line.
There are multiple options for controlling how it cleans. There's a vacuum only mode, a vac and mop mode where it vacuums and then mops at the same time, and a mop after vac mode where it will go around and vacuum first, then mop afterward. The benefit to that last mode is that it'll vacuum before it starts washing the floor, so there's no water from the roller mop getting on carpets or anywhere else.
You can adjust suction power for the vacuuming, water flow rate for the mopping, and the cleaning speed, which increases or decreases the space between the passes that it makes on the floor. Deep cleaning has little space between each pass (it cleans in lines along the floor), and quick clean has more space. There are also options for a single pass or two passes, and you can select specific areas of a room for even more cleaning to get up tough stains.
It's ideal to set up a schedule to have the X8 Pro Omni clean each day or multiple times a week. Depending on how large the area is that it's cleaning, it may need to stop and recharge, and there will be multiple stops to empty the dust bin or wash off the mop. Since it can take some time for it to finish, there is a Do Not Disturb option that prevents it from turning on during specific times of the day, and Auto Resume can also be turned off if you don't want it cleaning half the house, charging up, and then resuming late at night when you're trying to sleep.
With a large house, it would probably make sense to set the robot to clean a room or two each day, which would keep the floors clean without having it run for hours. It can also be scheduled to run when you're out of the house, which lets you avoid the noise, plus there are options for cleaning up eating areas after meals and keeping pet areas clean.
There is a voice assistant built into the X8 Pro Omni, called Yiko. Saying the "Ok Yiko" wake word activates listening mode, and the robot accepts commands to start a clean, continue a clean, stop a clean, go charge, and more.
Yiko is more capable than Siri, and can understand commands to vacuum specific rooms, under specific furniture, and multi-step commands like sweep around the pet feeder, then mop. It can re-clean rooms on command, spot clean, and clean at specific times. There's even an option to have it come to where you are and clean, and you can send it away with a "don't clean here" command.
While the X8 Pro Omni is cleaning, you can view the camera to see what it's doing and what it's seeing. When it's not cleaning, you can enter the live view and have it patrol your house and communicate with whoever is in the house, so it's also sort of a mobile security or pet camera. I can direct it to go check in on my cat, using an on-screen remote control, and it can snap photos, take videos, and let me talk to him. It's fun to play with.
I do wish I could have it vacuum/mop while I control it, but that's not an option.
Privacy
Ecovacs is a Chinese company, and this is a product that includes a camera and the ability to map your house, which some users will be wary about. Ecovacs does have a clear privacy policy surrounding data storage, and footage from the camera is stored locally and encrypted.
Visual data can be uploaded to Ecovacs' servers for obstacle avoidance purposes, but this is an opt-in feature. There are multiple privacy controls in the app, with toggles for opting out of data sharing, though some of the opt-outs reduce functionality.
Bottom Line
Unfortunately, all of the robot vacuums that have Matter integration are higher-end models, and it's not a feature that has trickled down to entry level models. The Deebot X8 Pro Omni is over $1,000, and other robots with Matter support and similar features also have the same general price point.
Given that HomeKit-based controls for robot vacuums are limited in scope compared to what you can do in the apps designed for robot vacuums, Matter integration shouldn't be the sole reason to choose a particular product. Maybe it will get better over time, but there are a lot of advanced features you can't get to without the dedicated app, and it makes the most sense to set up a schedule and think little about the robot after that.
Where Matter might be more important is if you want to have a vacuum that interacts in some way with other HomeKit devices, because you can set up multi-device automations. If you want to have the robot vacuum whenever people leave the house, the Home app can do that. You can absolutely clean, mop, and operate the X8 Pro Omni with Siri and the Home app, it's just more efficient to use the Ecovacs app.
Even with somewhat weak HomeKit integration, I do think the X8 Pro Omni is worth considering just for its cleaning capabilities. The roller mop that it has for washing the floor works well, and the suction more than keeps up with a multi-pet household. It's good at avoiding obstacles, and the app does come with privacy controls and policies that are appreciated.
How to Buy
The Deebot X8 Pro Omni can be purchased from the Ecovacs website for $1,300, and it is also available from Amazon. Retailers like Best Buy, Costco, and Home Depot also sell Ecovacs products, so it's worth looking for discounts and promotions.
Note: Ecovacs provided MacRumors with a Deebot X8 Pro Omni for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
