MacRumors

The new iPad Pro started arriving to customers on Friday, and Apple has since shared additional details about the device in a series of support documents, covering topics like the Liquid Retina XDR display, Thunderbolt and USB4 support, 5G networking on cellular models, and the new Center Stage front camera feature for video calls.

In addition to up to 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness, Apple said the Liquid Retina XDR display supports a peak brightness of 1,600 nits for highlights in up to 40 percent of the screen area when the rest of the image is black or at a brightness of up to 600 nits:

To achieve Extreme Dynamic Range required an entirely new display architecture on iPad Pro. The all new 2D mini-LED backlighting system with individually controlled local dimming zones was the best choice for delivering the extremely high full-screen brightness and contrast ratio, and off-axis color accuracy, that creative professionals depend on for their workflows.

The Liquid Retina XDR display can support up to 1000 nits of full-screen brightness. It can also support up to 1600 nits for highlights in up to 40 percent of the screen area when the rest of that image is black or at brightness up to 600 nits.

Apple said the M1 chip is the engine behind the new display:

Additionally, custom algorithms run on the advanced display engine of the M1 chip, working at the pixel level to control the mini-LED and LCD layers of the display separately, treating them as two distinct displays. These proprietary algorithms coordinate the mini-LED and LCD layers across transitions to deliver the optimal visual experience. Transitional characteristics of local dimming zones, such as a slight blur or color change while scrolling against black backgrounds, are normal behavior.

As for Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 support, Apple said some accessories can request higher power from the iPad Pro, so the company has reminded customers to disconnect these accessories from the device when they aren't being used:

iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation) and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation) also support a wide ecosystem of high-performance Thunderbolt and USB4 accessories. Some accessories can request higher power from your iPad, which might affect battery life. To extend battery life, remember to disconnect these accessories from iPad Pro when you aren't using them. Refer to your accessory manufacturers’ specifications for more information.

In line with iPhone 12 models, Apple confirmed that iPadOS updates over cellular are supported on the new iPad Pro when "Allow More Data on 5G" is enabled:

Allow More Data on 5G: Enables higher data-usage features for apps and system tasks. These include higher-quality FaceTime, high-definition content on Apple TV, Apple Music songs and videos, and iPadOS updates over cellular. This setting also allows third-party apps to use more cellular data for enhanced experiences.

The new iPad Pro features a new Ultra Wide front camera enabling Center Stage, a new feature that automatically keeps users perfectly framed during FaceTime video calls. Apple goes over the feature's settings in a support document.

A list of the new or updated support documents:

• About the Liquid Retina XDR display on iPad Pro
• Charge and connect with the USB-C port on your iPad
• Use 5G with your iPad
• Use Center Stage on your iPad Pro

The iPad and iPadOS sections of the MacRumors forums are also helpful resources.

Apple today shared a new support document confirming that the HomePod and HomePod mini will gain lossless audio support for Apple Music in a future software update, and the document also reveals some other tidbits.

First, the document indicates that the Apple TV 4K "currently doesn't support Hi-Res Lossless," with only the standard Lossless tier ranging from 16-bit at 44.1 kHz to 24-bit at 48 kHz to be available on the Apple TV 4K at launch. Apple's use of the word "currently" leaves the door open to a future software update with Hi-Res Lossless support for the device, but Apple has not confirmed this at this time.

Second, the document says that Apple Music "will not be completely lossless" during wired playback with the AirPods Max:

The Lightning to 3.5 mm Audio Cable was designed to allow AirPods Max to connect to analog sources for listening to movies and music. AirPods Max can be connected to devices playing Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless recordings with exceptional audio quality. However, given the analog to digital conversion in the cable, the playback will not be completely lossless.

Lossless audio refers to a form of compression that preserves all of the original data, which can result in an improved listening experience, although to what extent is debated. Apple's support document acknowledges that the difference between Apple Music's standard audio and lossless audio will be "virtually indistinguishable."

Lossless audio will be available in June for all Apple Music subscribers at no additional cost on devices running iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, macOS 11.4, and tvOS 14.6 or later, according to Apple. Apple Music will have 20 million tracks available with lossless audio at launch, and Apple said 75 million tracks will be supported by the end of the year.

Apple Music will also be gaining support for Spatial Audio in June. Based on Dolby Atmos, this feature will provide an immersive three-dimensional audio experience that will make music sound like it is coming from all around you. Thousands of Apple Music tracks will support Spatial Audio at launch, with more added regularly.

Apple continued to clear the decks of non-developer announcements ahead of WWDC this week, not only shipping the new iMac, iPad Pro, and Apple TV introduced at last month's "Spring Loaded" event but also revealing several other upcoming launches like new Lossless and Spatial Audio support for Apple Music and some new accessibility features.

There was also no shortage of rumors this week, including details on the upcoming MacBook Pro redesign, several other future Macs, and the Apple Watch Series 7. Apple itself has even leaked some upcoming Beats earbuds, so read on for details on all of these stories and more from the past week!

Apple Music Launching Spatial Audio With Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio in June at No Extra Cost

As was rumored, Apple this week announced that Apple Music will be gaining support for two new audio formats in June, including Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos support and lossless audio.

Spatial Audio, based on Dolby Atmos, is an immersive three-dimensional audio format that enables musicians to mix music so it sounds like the instruments are all around you in space. A similar version of Spatial Audio with head tracking has been available when listening to certain content like Apple TV+ shows on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max since last year.

Lossless audio refers to audio recordings that have been compressed without any reduction in the overall quality of the audio, which can result in an improved listening experience, although the difference between standard and lossless audio is not always obvious. Apple Music will have two lossless tiers, including "Lossless" and "Hi-Res Lossless."

Spatial Audio will be available for thousands of tracks at launch, with more to be added regularly. Lossless audio will be available for 20 million tracks at launch, and this will rise to 75 million by the end of the year.

Spatial Audio and lossless audio will be available in June for all Apple Music subscribers at no additional cost on devices running iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, macOS 11.4, and tvOS 14.6 or later, according to Apple. However, we've learned that some Apple devices will not support lossless audio, including the HomePod and HomePod mini.

New iMac, iPad Pro, and Apple TV 4K Now Available at Apple Stores

Apple's new iMac and iPad Pro models powered by the M1 chip, as well as the updated Apple TV 4K with a faster A12 chip and redesigned Siri Remote, are now available for purchase at Apple Store locations as of Friday, May 21 in launch countries.

Inital online orders have also started arriving, including a few lucky individuals have received their shipments early.

The new iMac is on display at most Apple Store locations in all seven colors, including green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. Only the green, pink, blue, and silver models are available for purchase in store, with the remaining colors sold through Apple's online store.

Reviews were shared this week for the new iMac, iPad Pro, and Apple TV 4K:

• iMac Reviews: Impressively Fast With Long-Awaited Redesign
• iPad Pro Reviews: Mini-LED Display Looks Great, M1 Performance Held Back by iPadOS
• Apple TV 4K Reviews: A12 Chip is Noticeably Faster, Redesigned Siri Remote is Much Welcomed

Redesigned MacBook Pro Models With 10-Core Apple Silicon Chip Said to Launch as Early as This Summer

Apple plans to launch 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with an improved iteration of the M1 chip as early as this summer, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The new chip is said to include a 10-core CPU with 16-core or 32-core GPU options.

Gurman said the next-generation Apple silicon chip will also support up to 64GB of memory compared to the current maximum of 16GB with the M1 chip. The new chip is also said to support additional Thunderbolt ports for expanded connectivity.

As previously rumored, Gurman said the new MacBook Pro models will feature a redesigned chassis with the return of more ports, including an HDMI port, SD card slot, and a MagSafe magnetic charging cable.

Gurman said Apple is also working on a revamped MacBook Air with up to 10 graphics cores for as early as the end of the year, in addition to an all-new Mac Pro, a higher-end Mac mini with four Thunderbolt ports, and an Apple silicon successor to the Intel-based 27-inch iMac.

New 'Beats Studio Buds' Leaked in iOS 14.6 and tvOS 14.6

While not announced yet by Apple, the Release Candidate versions of iOS 14.6 and tvOS 14.6 have revealed new "Beats Studio Buds" earbuds.

Based on imagery discovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, the "Beats Studio Buds" will have a compact, stemless design, similar to Samsung's Galaxy Buds and Google's Pixel Buds. This design has also been rumored for Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro.

Similar to many other Beats and AirPods models, the "Beats Studio Buds" are expected to feature Active Noise Cancellation.

It's unclear when the "Beats Studio Buds" will be released, but given they are showing up in the iOS 14.6 and tvOS 14.6 Release Candidates, the earbuds could be announced within the coming weeks.

Apple Watch Series 7 Might Feature Flat-Edged Design, New Green Color Option

The upcoming Apple Watch Series 7 will feature a flat-edged design, similar to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, and the addition of a new green case color option, according to leaker Jon Prosser.

Prosser said his source informed him that the flat-edged design isn't guaranteed to be for the Series 7, and could end up being for the Series 8, but it appears that Apple has prototyped a new flat-edged model at a minimum.

Apple Watch continues to evolve into an all-in-one health tool on the wrist, with features like heart rate tracking, the ECG app, and blood oxygen monitoring, and previous rumors have suggested that future Apple Watch models might be able to measure blood pressure, glucose, and alcohol levels.

If this rumor proves to be accurate, it would represent the first major design overhaul of the Apple Watch since its release in 2015.

You'll Soon Be Able to Control an Apple Watch Using Hand Gestures

Apple this week previewed a long list of new accessibility features coming soon, including AssistiveTouch for the Apple Watch, which will allow users to control an Apple Watch using hand gestures, without ever having to touch the display or controls.

Aided by on-device machine learning, the Apple Watch's gyroscope, accelerometer, and heart rate sensor will be able to detect subtle differences in muscle movement and tendon activity, and these movements will allow users to navigate a cursor on the Apple Watch's display through a series of hand gestures, like a pinch or a clench.

Apple said AssistiveTouch for the Apple Watch will be available with a software update. The feature will likely be part of watchOS 8, which is expected to be unveiled alongside iOS 15, macOS 12, and tvOS 15 at WWDC next month.

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.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

The HomePod and HomePod mini will gain support for playing back Apple Music Lossless audio in a future software update, according to a newly published Apple Support document.

At launch, the ‌HomePod‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌ will not support Apple Music Lossless but will instead feature support for Dolby Atmos for Apple Music. Dolby Atmos, otherwise known as Spatial Audio, creates an immersive three-dimensional experience that simulates music all around the listener. ‌Apple Music‌ Lossless provides listeners with higher quality audio.

In June, Apple will offer ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers a "Standard" ‌Apple Music‌ Lossless tier with audio up to 48kHz, and "Hi-Res Lossless" with audio between 48kHz and 192kHz. Hi-Res Lossless requires external equipment like a USB digital-to-analog converter.

Despite support for ‌Apple Music‌ Lossless in a future software update for ‌HomePod‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌, the AirPods and AirPods Pro will not be gaining support. In the support document, Apple explains that current Bluetooth doesn't support the higher quality format that ‌Apple Music‌ Lossless provides. AirPods Max will also not support Lossless wirelessly, but Apple says that when used with a cable, the $550 over-ear headphones will play back Lossless audio, although not completely:

The Lightning to 3.5 mm Audio Cable was designed to allow AirPods Max to connect to analog sources for listening to movies and music. AirPods Max can be connected to devices playing Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless recordings with exceptional audio quality. However, given the analog to digital conversion in the cable, the playback will not be completely lossless.

Apple Music Lossless and Dolby Atmos will be available in June with more than 20 million tracks supporting Lossless audio and thousands of tracks supporting Dolby Atmos.

Today is the official launch day of the new M1 iMac, ‌M1‌ iPad Pro, and second-generation Apple TV 4K. We picked up one of each, and we're starting with a quick hands-on and overview of the ‌iMac‌.

Our 24-inch ‌iMac‌ is in orange, which is one of the colors that Apple isn't selling in its stores (stores only have stock of blue, green, silver, and pink models). We have the $1,499 model that comes with an ‌M1‌ chip, 8-core GPU, 256GB of storage, and 16GB RAM.

All of Apple's new iMacs come with matching accessories, so we've got an orange Magic Trackpad, an orange Magic Mouse, and an orange keyboard, not to mention the braided orange cable to go along with it.

Apple also provides unique colored stickers with each model, so we have a set of orange stickers, and when you boot up the ‌iMac‌, it has a whole orange theme.

In person, the new 24-inch ‌iMac‌ is super light thanks to its thin design, and the white bezels aren't too noticeable in day to day usage, but the chin is large and sticks out quite a bit.

The ‌iMac‌ has four USB-C ports, two of which are Thunderbolt, a 3.5mm headphone jack at the side, and a MagSafe cable and port.

We've already heard a lot about the ‌M1‌ chip so we'll test out the ‌iMac‌'s performance in a later video, but the new machine does have a new 4.5K Retina display, which looks as good as you might expect. Other standout features include a six-speaker system that has Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos support, and the new webcam, which has an improved sensor and advanced image signal processor enabled by the ‌M1‌ for better camera quality.

Did you get a new ‌M1‌ ‌iMac‌? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Apple has been promoting the new M1 iMac, ‌M1‌ iPad Pro, and second-generation Apple TV 4K following their announcements, and Apple's vice president of product marketing for home and audio Tim Twerdahl today did an interview with MobileSyrup to discuss the revamped ‌Apple TV‌ 4K and the updated Siri Remote.

Prior to the release of the new ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, there were rumors that the updated remote would include Find My functionality, which didn't happen. Twerdahl said that it was not a priority because the ‌Siri‌ Remote is thicker and won't get lost as easily.

With the changes we've made to the Siri Remote - including making it a bit thicker so it won't fall in your couch cushions as much - that need to have all these other network devices find it seems a bit lower.

He said that Apple shifted to a new remote design because Apple is always aiming to deliver "richer experiences to people at home," and the kinds of content and how people are getting Apple TVs has changed. In some cases, the ‌Apple TV‌ is being used as a total cable box replacement, necessitating new remote functionality like a mute button.

We recognize that because a lot of people were moving to the Apple TV as the one box they have, having one remote that did it all in terms of powering up and down your system, would be important, so we wanted to add that as well. We knew that there was a group of customers who really had grown up on or historically used five-way controls -- up down left right select -- and just felt comfort with that. We knew that there was a lot of power in the swiping, but we thought that maybe something that delivered on the best of both worlds was a great way to enhance the experience of customers.

The new ‌Siri‌ Remote ditches the gyroscope and accelerometer that were included in prior versions, so the remote no longer serves as a game controller. There was a time that Apple required all ‌Apple TV‌ games to support the ‌Siri‌ Remote, but there's been a major change in thinking at Apple.

Twerdahl says that Apple believes that if you want to play a game, "a dedicated game controller is the best experience."

Twerdahl also further discussed the design of the remote, gaming on the ‌Apple TV‌, and he highlighted eARC and the option to have other sources connected to the TV use ‌Apple TV‌ to output to HomePods, with his full interview available over at MobileSyrup.

Apple CEO Tim Cook testified in the Epic Games v. Apple trial today, and some of the final questioning by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers did not appear to go in Apple's favor.

She spent several minutes grilling Cook on Apple's App Store policies and some of the statements that he made. "You said you want to give users control, so what's the problem with allowing users to have a cheaper option for content?"

Cook clarified that by control, he meant control over data, and he told the judge that customers can choose between Android phones and the iPhone.

Rogers was not satisfied with that answer, and asked again what the issue is with Apple allowing customers to buy cheaper V-Bucks (Fortnite's in-game currency) either in-app or by linking out to a website.

"If we allowed developers to link out like that, we would give up our monetization," said Cook. "We need a return on our IP. We have 150,000 APIs to create and maintain, numerous developer tools, and processing fees."

Judge Rogers said that Apple could monetize in other ways, pointing out that games make up most of the in-app purchases. "It's almost as if they're subsidizing everyone else," she said. Rogers used the example of banking apps on the ‌App Store‌. "You don't charge Wells Fargo, right? But you're charging gamers to subsidize Wells Fargo."

Games are transacting on the platform, said Cook in explanation. He also explained that having a large number of apps available for free increases the traffic to the ‌App Store‌, creating a much larger audience for gaming apps than would be available if there weren't free apps available.

Judge Rogers said that taking a cut of in-app purchases for games while not charging other apps is a "choice." "There are clearly other options," said Cook. "We think overall, this is the best one." Rogers said that she understands that Apple brings users to the games, but after the initial interaction, game developers are keeping their customers. "Apple's just profiting off of that it seems to me," she said."

"I view it differently. We're creating the entire amount of commerce on the store and we do that by getting the largest audience there. We do that with a lot of free apps, those bring a lot to the table," Cook argued.

"You have no in-app competition on in-app purchases," said Rogers. Cook explained that people can purchase games on other platforms, something that's up to the developer to explain.

Judge Rogers said that she did not believe that Apple lowered its ‌App Store‌ fees for developers making under $1 million because of COVID, instead suggesting that Apple's motivation was the litigation that it is facing. "It was because of COVID," said Cook. "Of course, I had the lawsuit in the back of my mind." Google changed its practices due to competition, argued the judge, referencing Google's decision to also cut Play Store pricing. "You didn't change because of competition," she added.

Rogers then asked Cook about a survey that found 39 percent of developers are dissatisfied with the ‌App Store‌, which led to some of the most damning questioning of the trial. Cook said he wasn't aware of the survey, but the fact that 40k apps are rejected per week leads to some friction because sometimes developers and users don't have incentives that align with one another.

"It doesn't seem to me like you have competition or feel much incentive to work for developers," Rogers told Cook. She said she hadn't seen evidence that Apple conducts surveys regarding developer satisfaction or makes changes for developers. Apple and Epic will give closing statements on Monday, May 24, which will mark the conclusion of the trial.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Softorino to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a fully upgraded iPad Air and a copy of WALTR PRO to go along with it.

WALTR PRO is the third iteration of the popular WALTR app that's designed to make it easy to get any file from your computer onto an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. It's fantastic for transferring photos, videos, music, and more with an intuitive drag and drop format.

Priced at $29.99, WALTR PRO is available for both Windows and macOS. It supports files of any kind and has a built-in converter so you don't even need to think about file types -- WALTR PRO handles everything for you, turning files into Apple-compatible versions.

File conversion happens automatically when uploading something to an iPhone or ‌iPad‌, but you can also drag and drop to convert media files locally and save them to your internal or external drive in an Apple-friendly format.

The new version of the app includes an upgraded version of the Automatic Content Recognition tool, which is designed to scan your files and add appropriate metadata like album names or movie titles. Users can now manually edit all metadata before files are transferred so everything's perfect the first time.

The original WALTR app has been great for transferring music and videos to an iOS device, but WALTR PRO takes it a step further and offers up control over where files are transferred, so you can choose specific apps. If you import a video, for example, you can choose to transfer it right to VLC. Holding down the Option key will let users choose a target app after dragging a file into the WALTR PRO window.

WALTR PRO can be used to add music files to Apple Music, and with iCloud enabled the content uploaded is backed up and able to be played directly from the HomePod or HomePod mini.

WALTR PRO has always been a useful alternative to iTunes for getting content from a Mac or PC to an iOS device, and now that iTunes has been retired, it's even more useful. It's easily one of the most hassle-free ways to initiate file transfers for those who need to manually transfer movies, videos, documents, PDFs, and more to the iPhone or ‌iPad‌.

Softorino is providing a 256GB ‌iPad Air‌ in the color of the winner's choice, with the winner able to choose a WiFi or a WiFi + Cellular model and engraving if desired. The winner will also get a free copy of WALTR PRO Family Pack for either macOS or Windows.

To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (May 21) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on May 28. The winner will be chosen randomly on May 28 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

Apple today added a new "Why Mac" explainer page to its main Apple.com website, which, as the name suggests, pitches reasons why customers should choose to buy a Mac.

The Mac is "easy to learn," powerful, and equipped with tons of apps and free software updates.

Easy to learn. Astoundingly powerful. And designed to let you work, play, and create in ways you never imagined. It's the computer that comes packed with apps that are ready to go right out of the box. Free, regular software updates keep things up to date and running smoothly. And if you already have an iPhone, it feels familiar from the moment you turn it on.

The mini site features highlights on how easy it is to set up a Mac and migrate info and accounts, the Mac's capabilities, and details on how simple the macOS software is to learn.

Apple points out how well the Mac works with other devices like iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch thanks to continuity features, and the privacy features introduced with the M1 chip and the macOS Big Sur update.

The new "Why Mac" site is featured on the homepage, and it includes purchase links for the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac.

Apple today seeded second release candidate versions of iOS and iPadOS 14.6 to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming five days after Apple seeded the first release candidates.

iOS and iPadOS 14.6 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

iOS and iPadOS 14.6 add support for Apple Music features, including Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio.

Spatial Audio will provide an immersive audio experience that makes it sound like music is coming from all around you, while Lossless Audio will provide higher-quality music that sounds exactly as it does when artists create it in the studio. At launch, thousands of tracks will feature Spatial Audio support, and more than 20,000 songs will support Lossless Audio. By the end of the year, 75 million songs will support it.

For AirTags, the beta adds a new feature that allows an email address to be entered as a contact method for Lost Mode instead of a phone number. In iOS 14.5, there is no option to use an email, with Apple only allowing for a phone number.

iOS 14.6 will see the debut of Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, which were first introduced at Apple's April event. With Podcasts subscriptions, Podcasts users can sign up to subscribe to their favorite podcasters, unlocking ad-free listening, bonus episodes, and other perks.

The update also includes new features for marking all Podcasts episodes as played, removing downloads, and recovering episodes, all of which are designed to address complaints that surfaced after the release of the updated Podcasts app in iOS 14.5.

iOS 14.6 lays the groundwork for Apple Card Family, a feature that Apple introduced at its April event. ‌Apple Card‌ Family allows spouses to share a single ‌Apple Card‌ account, with each person serving as a co-owner to build credit.

‌Apple Card‌ Family also lets parents share an ‌Apple Card‌ with their children for making purchases, with optional spending limits and parental controls to help children learn smart financial habits. All spending by the family is tracked with a single monthly bill, and up to five people over 13 can be added to an ‌Apple Card‌ account for sharing purposes.

Apple's full release notes for the update are below:

Apple Card Family
- Apple Card can be shared with up to five people, including anyone 13 years or older in your Family Sharing group
- Apple Card Family adds support for families to track expenses, manage spending with optional limits and controls, and build credit together

Podcasts
- Subscription support for channels and individual shows

AirTag and Find My
- Lost mode option to add an email address instead of a phone number for AirTag and Find My network accessories
- AirTag will show the partially masked phone number of the owner when tapped with an NFC-capable device

Accessibility
- Voice Control users can unlock their iPhone for the first time after a restart using only their voice

This release also fixes the following issues:
- Unlock with Apple Watch may not work after using Lock iPhone on Apple Watch
- Reminders may appear as blank lines
- Call blocking extensions may not appear in Settings
- Bluetooth devices could sometimes disconnect or send audio to a different device during an active call
- iPhone may experience reduced performance during startup

iOS 14.6 is expected to be released in the near future, and Apple has already seeded iOS 14.7 to developers.

The 2nd generation iPad, introduced by Steve Jobs in March of 2011, has officially been marked as an obsolete product worldwide. Released less than a year after the launch of the original ‌‌iPad‌‌, the second-generation ‌‌iPad‌‌ marked a breakthrough for the product line and set the groundwork for years to come.

Apple added the ‌iPad‌ 2 to its "vintage and obsolete" product list in May of 2019, which marked the ‌iPad‌ as obsolete in all countries except the United States and Turkey, where local law required Apple to continue to consider it a vintage product. Yesterday, however, Apple updated its list to add the new ‌iPad‌ to its official obsolete list, deeming it obsolete worldwide.

The second-generation ‌iPad‌ included an updated design that was 33% thinner than the original ‌iPad‌. The new ‌iPad‌ also sported new capabilities, including a front-facing camera for FaceTime calls, a gyroscope, and an updated dual-core A5 processor, twice as fast as the original ‌iPad‌ and up to nine times faster in graphics. The ‌iPad‌ was also offered in both white and black models.

Apple classifies products that have been discontinued for at least seven years as "obsolete," meaning that they are unable to receive any hardware service from Apple or its service providers.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel today told CNBC that his company is "happy" to pay Apple's 30 percent cut of in-app purchases because of the benefits that Apple provides with its software and hardware.

We really feel like Snapchat wouldn't exist without the iPhone and without the amazing platform that Apple has created. In that sense, I'm not sure we have a choice about paying the 30% fee, and of course, we're happy to do it in exchange for all the amazing technology that they provide to us in terms of the software but also in terms of their hardware advancements.

Spiegel went on to say that Snapchat is "aligned" with Apple on the App Tracking Transparency changes implemented to protect privacy. "The early investments we made starting almost 10 years ago to protect user privacy on our platform are really paying off," said Spiegel.

Snap is working to help its advertising clients migrate to Apple's SKAdNetwork, which Apple has provided as an alternative to the Advertising Identifier. "So far, that transition has gone smoothly for our business," Spiegel said.

Spiegel's comments come on the last day of the ongoing Epic Games v. Apple trial, a legal battle that is taking place because ‌Epic Games‌ has rebelled against Apple's App Store fees and policies.

‌Epic Games‌ attempted to skirt Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules with a direct payment option in the popular Fortnite game, leading Apple to pull the app and creating an antitrust dispute that will be decided in court. ‌Epic Games‌ does not want to pay Apple's 30 percent fee, and is lobbying for alternative payment options and alternative ways to install apps on iOS devices.

Today is the one of the last days of the Epic Games v. Apple trial, and Apple CEO Tim Cook has taken the stand to ask questions levied by both Apple and Epic lawyers.

Cook's testimony won't be integral to the outcome of the trial, but what he has to say is of interest because this is the first time that he's testified in a legal case, which highlights the serious nature of this dispute.

From the beginning, Cook established that he wasn't deeply involved with the App Store. He said that he oversees the strategic direction of the company, and that he works with the ‌App Store‌ in a "limited review capacity."

Apple's early questioning steered Cook toward discussions of privacy and the privacy protections that Apple has implemented into its devices.

"Privacy is one of the most important issues of the century," said Cook. "And safety and security are the foundations of privacy, and tech vacuums all sorts of data from people so we like to provide tools to circumvent."

Cook went on to explain that in a "world where you view everyone looking at your every move, you do less over time" because it affects freedom of expression.

Questioning then shifted to some of the key issues in the trial. Cook was asked if third-party companies could implement app review as effectively as Apple, and Cook said no.

They're not as motivated as Apple is. For us, the customer is everything. We're trying to give the customer an integrated solution of hardware, software, and services. We deliver a brand of privacy, security, and safety. I just don't think you can replicate that in a third-party.

Cook went on to explain that the ‌App Store‌ is "not perfect" and that Apple does "find mistakes being made," but given that there are 1.8 million apps in the ‌App Store‌, Apple does "a really good job."

Cook will testify for over an hour, and we'll continue to update this article with additional key statements as he answers questions. Cook will be questioned by both Apple and Epic lawyers, beginning with Apple and then going over to Epic. Apple's questioning will steer Cook in the direction of issues and documents that Apple wants to highlight or explain, while Epic's questioning will be more targeted and difficult for Cook to answer.

Questioning by Judge Rogers

Judge Rogers engaged Cook in a long debate about in-app purchases and how they're driven by games. Rogers is curious what's wrong with Apple providing users with choice within in-app purchases. If people want to buy v-bucks separately, what's the issue with Apple giving them that option? Or telling them they can make the choice?

Cook said that if people were allowed to link out, Apple would "in essence give up [its] total return on [its] IP. The judge then pointed out that games make up most of the in-app purchases. "It's almost as if they're subsidizing everybody else," she said.

"We need a return on our IP," said Cook. "We have 150,000 APIs to create and maintain, numerous developer tools, and processing fees."

She had several questions about in-app purchases and Apple's business model, and she also said that she didn't believe that Apple introduced the 15 percent cut because of COVID rather than because of the litigation that Apple is facing.

Apple's system is "quite lucrative" and the judge says it's a choice that Apple made, not something that Apple was required to do. Apple, for example, does not take a cut of the money when a customer uses a banking app. "You don't charge Wells Fargo, right? But you're charging gamers to subsidize Wells Fargo." Cook explained that gamers are "transacting" on Apple's platform, while other apps are not.

"I understand that Apple is somehow bringing the customer to the gamers, but after that first time, after that interaction, the developers of the games are keeping their customers. Apple's profiting off of that, it seems to me," said the judge.

"I view it differently," said Cook. "We're creating the entire commerce on the store, and we're doing that by focusing on getting the largest audience there. We do that with a lot of free apps, and those bring a lot to the table."

The judge went on to cite a study that showed 39 percent of developers are dissatisfied with the ‌App Store‌. "It doesn't seem like you have competition or feel much incentive to work for developers or to change the way that you act to address the concerns of developers," said Judge Rogers.

Additional Testimony From Cook - Epic's Lawyers

• Cook was asked whether Apple competes against Google in operating systems. "We compete against Samsung and LG," Cook said. "Customers don't buy operating systems, they buy devices," said Cook, before Epic's lawyer referenced a video where Cook did say that Apple competes with Google. Apple's lawyer asked Cook if that was him. "It sure looks like me," Cook joked.
• Epic went back to questioning Apple about profit and loss estimates that were shared earlier in the trial. Epic's lawyer referenced a "Fiscal Year '20 Services Summary" that has classified operating margin estimates for the ‌App Store‌. Cook said these estimates don't represent "fully burdened" costs for the ‌App Store‌, which is why they're inaccurate, but Epic maintains that these high profit estimates are accurate and is attempting to demonstrate to the judge that this is the case.
• Earlier, Cook said that the estimates pertain to both the iOS and macOS App Stores. Epic's lawyer asked him to clarify the split of revenues from both, and Cook said that iOS "would be a lot larger." More discussion on this point will happen in a sealed session.
• Epic's lawyer questioned Cook about in-app purchases. In-app purchases are designed to reduce friction for customers (no need to enter a payment method), which is one of the benefits. "Apple doesn't want customers to make a purchase on the web if it's possible to make it within the app?" asked the lawyer. "We want them to do what they want to do," said Cook. "Focus is on them." Cook did, however, acknowledge that he wants users to stay in app.
• "In-app purchases are a substantial portion" of ‌App Store‌ purchases, right?" asked the lawyer. "It would be the dominant way of purchasing," said Cook. "Is it the dominant source of revenue too?" asked the lawyer. "I think so," Cook said.
• "Apple will make 15 to 30 percent whether it's an impulse purchase or a thoughtful decision. Apple has no policy against impulse purchases," said Epic's lawyer. Cook disagreed, pointing out that parental controls are available so parents can make sure children aren't making impulse purchases.
• "Do you not believe that it is as easy to buy virtual currency on the web as it is when you are in the app?" asked the lawyer. "It takes another click to leave the app and then go to the web. Lots of people do it," said Cook.
• Questioning switched over to Apple's decision to ban Fortnite and its attempt to ban the ‌Epic Games‌ account. Cook says that he reviewed the decision that Apple made to cut off Epic's access, and agreed with it. Epic's actions were "malicious," said Cook.
• Apple has said that banning ‌Epic Games‌ was its only viable action, but at the same time, the company offered to let Fortnite back in the ‌App Store‌ if it agreed to the ‌App Store‌ rules. "Why would Apple do that if Epic is a bad actor?" the lawyer asked Cook. "It would benefit users to have them back on the store, if they abided by the rules," Cook said. "The user is trapped between two companies and it's not the right thing to do to the user." Cook said that Apple was not thinking about money at all, and Fortnite's revenue was not a consideration.
• The lawyer insinuated that Apple's decision to try to ban the ‌Epic Games‌ account as well was a form of retaliation, pointing out another issue with the Down Dog Yoga app, which Cook said he was not familiar with. Cook said bullying and retaliation are against Apple's core culture.
• Lawyer said that it's impossible to say a store with 1.8 million apps is curated, but Cook said that's not true and he didn't agree with that assessment. Lawyer pointed out that Apple does not go through and make editorial judgements on an app by app basis to decide what's allowed, and Cook said that the lawyer doesn't understand the term curation, so the lawyer gave a dictionary definition of curated.
• Lawyer asked about third-party app stores that are tailored to people's specific interests or more curated, and Cook said he's not aware of that kind of app store. The point of the questioning is to point out that other kinds of app stores could have value in addition to the ‌App Store‌. The lawyer also highlighted the fact that only Apple can recommend apps in the iOS ‌App Store‌.
• The lawyer asked Cook about his prior statements that no company would be as dedicated as Apple managing a third-party ‌App Store‌. "Could third-parties do a better job? You have no idea if that's true on iPhone because no one has had the opportunity," said the lawyer. "It's an experiment I didn't want to run," said Cook. "I'm giving you my business judgement." "The market could come to a different judgement," said the lawyer. If there were a third-party ‌App Store‌, Apple would have to actually compete and persuade users to use its version. "There's no way to know if someone could do a better job than Apple," said Epic's lawyer. "I disagree," said Cook.
• Cook was asked that if there were multiple stores, would customers be able to tell the difference between them? Cook said he didn't know. "When customers buy an iPhone today, they buy something that just works. They buy into a total ecosystem." Epic's lawyer pointed out that Apple trusts customers to know the difference between content in the ‌App Store‌ and content on Safari. Couldn't Apple educate customers? and wouldn't customers be able to choose the ‌App Store‌ if it offered features they liked? asked the lawyer. "It seems like complexity they shouldn't have to deal with," said Cook.
• Do all developers like things the way they are? asked the lawyer. "Some developers don't like it," said Cook, referencing ‌Epic Games‌. He said there are a "few others" who aren't satisfied with the ‌App Store‌ policies, prompting Epic's lawyer to ask how many developers came in to testify on Apple's behalf in this trial. "Would it surprise you to hear it's zero?" asked the lawyer. "No, it wouldn't surprise me," said Cook "I don't see that there would be a natural way to include them.
• Cook was asked if Apple's privacy stance sets it apart from other companies. "I think we care more than others do," said Cook. "There's some people that really want that and buy an iPhone because of it." Cook was asked about ‌App Store‌ data collection, and said "we generally collect the minimum amount that we can." Epic's lawyer suggested that someone could offer a store that collects less, which users might prefer, a situation Cook called "very hypothetical."
• "Do you see any benefit at all to Mac users being able to download apps outside of the Mac App Store?" asked the lawyer. "Mac and iPhone are very different," said Cook. "Not all of the apps are on the ‌Mac App Store‌." "Are there any benefits to the design that allows users to choose apps that are outside of the ‌Mac App Store‌?" pressed the lawyer. "They'd be a lot safer if they did it the other way," said Cook.

Additional Testimony From Cook - Apple's Lawyers

• Cook said Apple implemented the 15% cut to ‌App Store‌ commissions for developers making under $1 million because of the impact of COVID. Apple considers regulatory issues when making decisions it was in the back of Cook's mind, but he maintained COVID was the reasoning. Schiller previously said it was in the works for years but COVID pushed Apple to get it out.
• Apple spent $18.8 billion on R&D in 2020. Cook said R&D benefits the ‌App Store‌, but Apple doesn't allocate a specific amount of money for ‌App Store‌ improvement. "We don't allocate like that."
• The ‌App Store‌ is a "great opportunity" for developers and more importantly, great for users. "The breadth of apps and what you can do with them, it's hard to imagine a part of your life that you can't have an app for."
• In-app purchase commission is used for payment processing, developer support, APIs, and more. If IAP didn't exist, "we would have to come up with another system to invoice developers, which would be a mess," Cook said.
• When asked why apps can't direct users to deals on their websites, Cook said it would be "akin to Apple down at Best Buy saying 'Best Buy, put a sign there advertising where we are and that you can go across the street and get an iPhone.'"
• In emails, Apple often refers to "stickiness," which Cook says sticky means to "have such high customer satisfaction that people don't want to leave." Apple also references locking people into devices, which Cook says means making products work so well together that customers don't want to switch. Cook said that he is unaware of anything Apple could do to actually lock people into devices. This line of questioning relates to a 2010 email from Jobs that said Apple's strategy is to tie its products together to "further lock customers into our ecosystem."
• iMessage's platform exclusivity has been brought up several times during the trial, and Cook was asked about the difficulty of leaving iMessage. Cook said it's a "really good feature" but it doesn't prevent people from going to Android.
• Cook says that estimates that have suggested Apple's profit margins are 70 to 80% do not take into account many of Apple's investments, and those estimates are also based on both the ‌App Store‌ and ‌Mac App Store‌ combined. This line of questioning stems from an internal document where Apple discussed profit and loss internally. Cook says this document does not show P&L, and this document is sealed and won't become public.
• Cook says that third-party app stores would be "terrible for the user." Without Apple's review, the store would be a "toxic mess" that would be bad for developers.

As today is the last day of the trial, Apple and ‌Epic Games‌ will submit their final briefs of fact by noon today. The judge has said that we should not expect a ruling right away because she has many other cases to deal with.

Apple marketing employee Scott Broderick and display engineer Vincent Gu recently spoke with Apple Bitz XL podcast host Brian Tong about the new iPad Pro, including the M1 chip and the Liquid Retina XDR display.

While the Apple employees dodged many of the questions asked in the interview, they did reveal that the new 11-inch iPad Pro's lack of a Liquid Retina XDR display is at least partly due to weight considerations. The latest 11-inch model weighs 1.03 pounds, while the 12.9-inch model weighs 1.5 pounds, in part due to the heavier XDR display.

"What we know about the 11-inch user is that they just love bringing a super powerful iPad with them in a portable one-pound design," said Broderick. "They just love the form factor of that. Whereas the user who is embracing the 12.9-inch display, they were looking for the largest canvas to do their most creative work on that product, and that made sense to bring that XDR technology to the 12.9-inch display for the iPad Pro."

The interview also discusses the capabilities of the iPad Pro's newly added Thunderbolt support, the new Center Stage front camera feature that automatically keeps users perfectly framed during video calls, and more.

Enabled by the new and more powerful Apple TV 4K, YouTube has enabled 4K video playback at 60 frames per second for its ‌Apple TV‌ app, rather than the previously capped 30 frames per second.

YouTube rolled out 4K support for its Apple TV app in October; however, to much disappointment to users, playback was limited to only 30 frames per second. Thanks to the new powerful A12 Bionic processor, as noted on Reddit and the MacRumors Forum, YouTube is now able to play back 4K video at 60 frames per second. MacRumors testing also confirmed 4K video play back at 60 frames per second is not available on the older ‌Apple TV‌ 4K.

The exclusivity of YouTube playback at 4K at 60 frames per second on the new ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, which began arriving to customers today, is likely due to the video codec that YouTube uses compared to other apps, which requires more processing power.

Despite an updated processor, the new ‌Apple TV‌ features the same design as the previous generation but includes a completely redesigned ‌Apple TV‌ remote. The new ‌Apple TV‌ remote is also available for purchase separately for older Apple TVs.

A questionable report is today claiming that Apple's next-generation MacBook Pro models will feature an "M1X" chip and remove the "‌MacBook Pro‌" logo from below the display.

The report from 9to5Mac says that "a source with a decent track record," iOS developer Dylandkt made the claims. According to Dylandkt, "Apple's planned name for the ‌MacBook Pro‌ chips" is the "M1X."

The M1X is an extension of the M1 that will contain more thunderbolt channels, cpu cores, gpu cores, multiple external monitor support, and greater power draw. These devices will both feature a 1080p webcam, SD card reader, three thunderbolt usb c ports, an updated MagSafe port, and an HDMI port.

9to5Mac suggested that this rumor from its source aligned with reliable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman's recent report on the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, but this does not seem to be the case at all upon closer examination.

Earlier this week, Gurman explained that the upcoming 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will feature a new Apple silicon chip including a 10-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores, 16-core or 32-core GPU options, support for up to 64GB of memory, and support for additional Thunderbolt ports.

Gurman did not comment about how the ‌MacBook Pro‌'s new chip would be branded, but given what he went on to explain in the report, it seems highly unlikely that it would be an "M1X."

The crucial detail Gurman explained was that the 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and a high-end version of the MacBook Air are also due to get a new Apple silicon chip. This chip "will include the same number of computing cores as the M1 but run faster. It will also see the number of graphics cores increase from seven or eight to nine or 10."

This means that there are two next-generation Apple silicon chips in the works for MacBooks, with one for the 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and high-end ‌MacBook Air‌, and one for the redesigned 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models.

According to Gurman, the high-end chip for the 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models differs considerably from the ‌M1‌, hence why it does not seem right that it would be an "M1X." Gurman himself said that the "new chips differ from the ‌M1‌'s design." Even so, it would be a fair guess to assume that Apple's next-generation chip for the ‌MacBook Pro‌ would be called the "M1X" if it was not for the other rumored chip that actually is supposed to be based on the ‌M1‌.

The report is brought even further into question by speculation about the "M2" chip:

Apple is said to be reserving the M2 name for next year's chips, and that this will likely debut in a new MacBook Air.

It seems unlikely that Apple would brand its high-end chip that differs from the ‌M1‌'s design the "M1X," while branding another chip that is less powerful, a direct successor to the ‌M1‌, and based on its design, the "‌M2‌."

Given these two suspect claims, the rest of the report's validity is brought into question. The claim that the ‌MacBook Pro‌ will drop the front-facing logo circulated on Twitter in recent days, including a hint from leaker Jon Prosser, so it may simply be an echo of that speculation.

All of the other claims about the "M1X" chip and the redesigned MacBook Pros in the report, such as additional Thunderbolt ports, SD-card reader, and HDMI port, have been made before by reliable sources such as Gurman and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

For more information about Apple's upcoming 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, see our dedicated "Everything We Know" guide.