MacRumors

Apple Car rumors continued to surface on Friday, with reports that Hyundai Group affiliate Kia has approached potential partners about a plan to assemble Apple's autonomous electric vehicle at its West Point plant in the U.S. state of Georgia (via The Wall Street Journal).

Kia Corp. has approached potential partners about a plan to assemble Apple Inc.'s long-awaited electric car in Georgia, according to people familiar with the matter. The proposal would involve a multibillion-dollar investment, according to people familiar with the matter, who stress that a deal hasn’t been completed.

Hyundai has talked to Apple about investing more than $3 billion in a deal that would see its subsidiary Kia begin building cars under the tech company’s brand as soon as 2024, a person familiar with the matter said. Under such an agreement, up to 100,000 vehicles could be assembled in the first year in Georgia, where Kia has a factory, the person said.

Meanwhile, in Asia, Nikkei reports that Apple is in discussions with at least six Japanese automakers over supply partnerships and manufacturing contributions (via Bloomberg). Honda and Mazda said they couldn't comment on rumors that they had been approached by Apple, while Mitsubishi said it had not been contacted and Nissan declined to comment.

According to Tatsuo Yoshida, a senior Bloomberg Intelligence analyst, Japanese automakers are usually too busy with their own development, manufacturing, sales and customer service to take on a task like working with Apple. However, Nissan or Mitsubishi "don’t have much work, and are somewhat idle, so they might sign up," he said.

Apple Car rumors have swirled for weeks now, with Apple said to be aiming to have a vehicle‌ in production in 2024, though it's possible that timeline will be delayed as work on the ‌Apple Car‌ is still in the early stages. Bloomberg recently said it would be five to seven years before an ‌Apple Car‌ is ready to launch, while Apple analyst Ming-Chu Kuo said this week that he expects to see the ‌Apple Car‌ in 2025 at the earliest.

Earlier this week it was reported that the first Apple Car to be released will not be designed to operate with a driver and could be marketed for food delivery operations and firms that incorporate robotaxis.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 7.4 update to public beta testers, with the new beta coming a few days after the release of the first developer beta.

The ‌watchOS 7‌.4 update can be downloaded after upgrading your iPhone to the public beta version of iOS 14.5. After installing iOS 14.5, the watchOS 7.4 software should show up as long as you have the Apple Watch profile installed. To update to the new software, the ‌Apple Watch‌ needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌‌.

Alongside iOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4 introduces a new "Unlock with Apple Watch" feature that lets an iPhone with Face ID use an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch as a secondary authentication measure when you're wearing a mask, alleviating the need to enter a passcode to unlock the iPhone.

‌Face ID‌ does not work when wearing a mask, but this new Apple Watch feature provides an easy but still secure way to access the iPhone without the hassle of a passcode. It's similar to the Apple Watch unlocking on Mac and can be enabled in the Settings app under ‌Face ID‌ & Passcode.

An unlocked Apple Watch paired with ‌Face ID‌ can unlock the iPhone when a mask is worn, but it's only for mask usage. The Apple Watch cannot be used to authenticate Apple Pay or App Store purchases, nor can it be used to unlock apps that require a ‌Face ID‌ scan. In these situations, the mask will need to be removed or a passcode/password will need to be used instead.

When the Apple Watch unlocks the iPhone, you'll feel a haptic tap on the wrist and will receive a notification on the watch, similar to how it works when using the watch to unlock a Mac.

For those who use Apple Fitness+, the watchOS 7.4 update combined with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 enables AirPlay 2 for Apple Fitness+, so workouts can be streamed to an ‌AirPlay‌ 2-enabled TV or set-top box. Apple Watch metrics do not show up on the screen when AirPlayed, however, and that feature is limited to iPhone/iPad/Apple TV.

watchOS 7.4 is going to be available in a beta capacity for several weeks, with Apple planning to release the update in the early spring.

Apple today seeded the first public beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.3 update to its public beta testing group, with the new software coming two days after the beta was provided to developers.

Public beta testers can download ‌macOS Big Sur‌ 11.2 from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.

macOS Big Sur 11.3 introduces more customization options for Safari, adding a way to rearrange the different sections on the Start Page like Favorites, Reading List, Siri Suggestions, Privacy Report, and more. Developers also have access for a new integration to develop features for the Start Page.

The update includes optimizations for using iOS apps on M1 Macs. When running iPhone and iPad apps on ‌M1‌ Macs, there's a Touch Alternatives preference pane that allows users to set keyboard commands for touch input alternatives, plus iPadOS apps launch with a larger window if the Mac's display allows it. Touch Alternatives can be enabled for iPhone or ‌iPad‌ apps by clicking on the app's name in the menu bar and then selecting the Preferences option. Touch Alternatives let you customize taps, swipes, and drags.

macOS Big Sur 11.3 also adds support for the latest PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X/S controllers for use with macOS games.

In the Reminders app, reminder lists can be sorted by Due Date, Creation Date, Priority, or Title, and there is an option to print lists by going to File > Print. Reminders can also be moved manually across lists with drag and drop, something that wasn't possible before.

Apple is adding a new "Made For You" library shortcut in Apple Music for finding personal mixes and Replay playlists, and the Listen Now section has been updated with support for highlighting live events.

There are new sorting options in the Reminders app along with options to print, and ‌Apple Music‌ has been updated with a Made for You shortcut and a live events option in the Listen Now section.

In the Apple News app, there's a redesigned ‌Apple News‌+ tab with a dedicated "For You" section and a new Browse tab that makes it easier to browse through available content. The new For You section is designed to help ‌Apple News‌+ users find favorite magazines and newspapers much faster, plus it adds new tools for managing downloaded issues.

9to5Mac discovered that macOS Big Sur 11.3 includes an updated "Support" interface when accessing "About This Mac." The new design includes details on your warranty and it allows for starting a repair right from the Mac interface.

The tab will work similarly to the AppleCare coverage menu in the iOS Settings app, which lets users request repairs, buy an ‌AppleCare‌ plan, and check their coverage. This updated support menu is not visible in the first beta of macOS Big Sur 11.3, but it could come at a later date. There are also signs that Apple may be planning to bring a support app to the Mac.

macOS Big Sur 11.3 adds support for HomePod Stereo pairs, allowing a set of paired HomePods to be set as the default sound output option, with the two HomePods showing up as a single selectable speaker rather than separate as in prior versions of macOS.

Apple today seeded a new version the of upcoming iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta updates coming a few days after Apple released the first iOS and iPadOS 14.5 betas. This beta appears to be an update to the first beta rather than a second version.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad. Apple has also released iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 betas for public beta testers, with the software able to be updated with the proper profile from Apple's public beta testing website.

iOS 14.5 is the biggest update to iOS 14 to date, introducing several significant new features. First and foremost, Apple is making it easier to unlock an iPhone when you're wearing a face mask with a new "Unlock with Apple Watch" feature.

This opt-in option lets you use an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch as a secondary authentication method to unlock an iPhone alongside Face ID. With this feature, you no longer have to enter a passcode or remove your mask to unlock your iPhone. Both an iPhone running iOS 14.5 and an Apple Watch are required to use this, and the Apple Watch cannot authenticate Apple Pay purchases, App Store purchases, or unlock third-party apps that use ‌Face ID‌.

The update also brings worldwide support for 5G in Dual-SIM mode on iPhone 12 models, so if you use multiple lines, both can now connect at 5G speeds. Prior to now, Dual-SIM mode was limited to LTE networks.

With watchOS 7.4, iOS and iPadOS 14.5 include AirPlay 2 support for Apple Fitness+, so Apple Fitness+ subscribers can start a workout on an iPhone or iPAd and then AirPlay it to a compatible smart TV or set-top box. ‌AirPlay‌ 2 supports audio and video, but it does not display on-screen workout metrics.

PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers are supported on the iPhone and the ‌iPad‌ with iOS 14.5, and code suggests that Apple is going to add joint account support for the Apple Card in the near future.

iOS 14.5 is the update where Apple will begin requiring developers to comply with its App Tracking Transparency rules. Going forward, developers will need to ask for and receive your permission to access your random advertising identifier and track your activity across apps and websites.

Apple has made design tweaks to the Apple News and Podcasts apps, plus there are new print and sort options in Reminders. There are new settings for emergency alerts, a horizontal loading screen on the ‌iPad‌, and tons of other smaller feature tweaks that are outlined in our full iOS 14.5 features guide.

The new 14.5 update appears to have fixed an issue that prevented downgrading to the release version of iOS and it addresses a bug that prevented Microsoft apps from being opened by some users.

Update: Apple has also made the new version of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 available to public beta testers.

Update 2: There's also a new tvOS 14.5 update for public beta testers.

If you need replacement ear cushions for your AirPods Max either due to damage to the existing cushion or to have another color option, there's good news -- as of January, Apple is selling replacements.

How to Buy New Ear Cushions

Ear cushions can be purchased from Apple's online site for $69, and that price point includes both the left and right replacement cushions.

Apple sells ear cushions in all of the available AirPods Max colors so you can get the same color you had before or experiment with new color combinations.

How to Swap Out AirPods Max Ear Cushions

Ear cushions attach to the AirPods Max ear cups magnetically, so it's incredibly easy to swap them out once you have a set of replacement cushions available.

1. Take the AirPods Max out of the case.
2. Unbox the new ear cushions from Apple.
3. Grasp the right ear cushion in your hand and pull upwards with a firm but gentle motion to remove the existing cushion.
4. Repeat for the left side.
5. Take the right replacement cushion and position it over the right ear cup, which is denoted with an "R" on the side of the cup.
6. Gently set the ear cushion in place, where it will snap down thanks to the magnets.
7. Repeat for the left side.

That's all there is to it. Removing the AirPods Max ear cushions and replacing them couldn't be simpler. Prior to the AirPods Max launch, there were rumors that Apple was aiming for the headphones to be customizable, so in the future, we could see additional ear cup color options made available for personalization purposes.

Starting with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, all of which are currently in beta testing, Apple will be requiring developers to receive a user's consent to track their activity across other apps and websites and/or access their device's random advertising identifier. Users will be presented with a prompt with options to "Allow Tracking" or "Ask App not to Track" when opening apps that wish to track their activity.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Nico Grant, Google is exploring a similar measure for Android, but in a "less stringent" way. The report claims that the proposed solution could end up being similar to Google's planned Chrome web browser changes:

To keep advertisers happy while improving privacy, the discussions around Google’s Android solution indicate that it could be similar to its planned Chrome web browser changes, the people said. The company said in 2020 that it intended to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome within two years. Google reaffirmed that plan earlier this year. Cookies are a way for websites to track users around the web to serve them more personalized ads.

"We're always looking for ways to work with developers to raise the bar on privacy while enabling a healthy, ad-supported app ecosystem," a Google spokesman said in a statement issued in response to the report.

Google has a web-based solution known as the Privacy Sandbox that allows advertisers to target groups of people with similar interests, rather than individuals, and the report claims that Google will likely to take a similar approach with Android.

February is American Heart Month, and Apple marked the occasion today with a Newsroom feature highlighting how the Apple Watch potentially saved the life of 59-year-old Bob March. In short, the Apple Watch alerted March to irregular heart rate readings that ultimately led to doctors discovering that he had arrhythmia.

Bob was gifted the Apple Watch by his wife Lori for their anniversary. "We truly believe that it saved his life," she said. "It doesn't get any bigger than that."

The story:

Bob, a former college-level athlete who also ran half marathons as an adult, immediately started exploring his new Apple Watch. He discovered the Heart Rate app and though he was relaxed, his first reading showed 127 beats per minute. That was high for Bob, but he brushed it off as a fluke.

"I thought, 'this is nuts,'" Bob says. "If I was easing into a run, or cooling down, I'd definitely be hitting numbers like that."

Later that day, Bob and Lori noticed more erratic heart rate readings. "I started running and it started going down but then it would come back up. So that's when I realized something may not be right here."

The couple saw similar patterns over the next few days, prompting Lori to schedule an appointment for a routine physical.

"I figured the doctor would tell me to practice breathing, try yoga, cut back on sodium or something of that sort," says Bob. "Instead, 10 minutes after meeting with me, he had me in an ambulance headed to the ER."

Doctors found an arrhythmia, which caused Bob's heart to work in overdrive. They said it was like he had been running a constant marathon for the past few weeks and if left unchecked, the results could have been devastating.

March ultimately underwent successful heart surgery, and after a few months, he is now thankful to be back to running alongside his dog. It's yet another example of how the Apple Watch's health features potentially saved a life.

Apple is rumored to be working on a virtual reality headset for launch as early as next year, and The Information today reported on some potential features to expect, based on information shared by a source with direct knowledge of the device.

The report claims that the headset will be equipped with more than a dozen cameras for tracking hand movements, along with two ultra-high-resolution 8K displays and advanced eye-tracking technology. The cameras would be able to pass video of the real world through the visor and display it to the user, creating a "mixed-reality effect."

The Information said it viewed internal Apple images of a "late-stage prototype" of the headset from last year, which show a "sleek, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands."

The report claims one headband would feature spatial audio technology like the AirPods Pro for a surround sound-like experience, while another optional headband would provide additional battery life on the go. Similar to AirPods Max replacement ear cushions, it is possible that the headbands will be offered in a variety of colors as well.

Apple is said to be developing multiple ways to control the headset, including a "thimble-like device to be worn on a person's finger." The headset would also be able to respond to the wearer's eye movements and hand gestures, the report claims, while one prototype of the headset also had a physical dial on the visor's side.

Apple has internally discussed pricing the headset around $3,000, according to the report, which would place it within the ballpark of Microsoft's mixed reality HoloLens 2 headset, which retails for $3,500. This price would certainly make Apple's headset a high-end, niche product, with the company apparently setting an internal goal of shipping only 250,000 units of the headset in the first year of its release.

Some of these details have been previously reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, CNET, and other sources, and The Information agrees that the headset will likely be released in 2022 at the earliest. Apple is also rumored to be working on a pair of sleeker, more affordable augmented reality glasses, but those are not expected until 2023 or later.

The iPhone 13 is now more likely to feature an upgraded Ultra Wide camera with significantly improved low-light performance, thanks to lens verification improvements and intensified competition in Apple's camera supply chain, according to noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In his latest TFI Securities investor note, seen by MacRumors, Kuo says that Chinese supplier Sunny Optical's iPad 5P lens verification has gone smoothly and it has learned a lot from the process, meaning that the probability of it shipping a 7P Wide Angle lens for the iPhone 13 in the second half of 2021 has increased significantly.

Kuo expects Sunny to begin mass shipments of its ‌iPad‌ 5P lens in the middle of the first quarter of 2021, supplying Apple with around 15% of those parts due to limited initial production capacity. It is not specified in the report which ‌iPad‌ model the 5P lens is destined for, but shipment proportion for both 5P and 7P lenses is expected to further increase to between 15-20% and 25-30% in 2022.

According to Kuo, Sunny Optical's greater competition will also put pressure on Largan, which is currently fueling a price war due to its significant technological advantages over other iPhone lens suppliers.

Back in November, Kuo predicted that the Ultra Wide cameras on the two high-end iPhone 13 models will be significantly upgraded to f/1.8, 6P (six-element lens) with autofocus. All the current ‌iPhone 12‌ models are equipped with f/2.4, 5P (five-element lens) Ultra Wide cameras with fixed focus.

However, Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Thomas O'Malley have since suggested all four iPhone 13 models will feature an upgraded Ultra Wide camera lens with a wider ƒ/1.8 aperture, so there is conflicting information as to exactly how many models will get the lens upgrade. Kuo expects the upgraded Ultra Wide lens to expand to the rest of the flagship iPhone lineup in the second half of 2022.

Serif today announced across-the-board updates for its popular suite of Affinity creative apps, including Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and the Apple award-winning Affinity Publisher for Mac, all of which were among the first professional creative suites to be optimized for Apple's new M1 chip.

"After another year which saw record numbers of people switching to Affinity, it's exciting to start 2021 with yet another major free update," said Ashley Hewson, Managing Director of Affinity developer Serif. "We're introducing more tools and functions which will enable artists, designers, photographers and editors with even the most complex workflows to take advantage of the speed and power of Affinity."

Affinity Designer, the graphic design app, has gained a new contour tool to add contours and line offsets to any shape or path. Also added is the ability to place linked images and resources, which works to reduce file size and simplify collaborative working.

In Affinity Publisher, IDML import is said to be noticeably faster, while a new Package feature allows users to bundle all the image and font resources from a project into a folder, which can then be transferred easily to another system to aid collaboration or for print production.

In addition, placed PDFs can now be set to "passthrough," which ensures 100% fidelity on export, and users can easily integrate text and image links into a document from an external data source with the new data merge feature.

Over in Affinity Photo, users can now add liquify adjustments as live, maskable layers as part of their non-destructive workflow. There are also "substantial" improvements to its RAW engine, new linked layer functionality, path text, and a new mode to control the stacking of astrography images.

The 1.9 update is available across all Affinity apps on macOS, Windows and iPad from today and is free to existing users. All Affinity apps are currently available on the Affinity website with a 50% discount as an initiative to support the creative community during the global health crisis.

If you opened Twitter in your desktop browser today and something seemed different in the website's appearance, you're not wrong. In a change to its usual dark blue tint, Twitter is switching its desktop dark theme to a pure black.

Twitter has told The Verge that the change is part of an update that's rolling out to make the Twitter website respond to the light and dark mode settings of your operating system (although this didn't work when we tested it).

If your Twitter experience switched from dark mode to light overnight, however, that's down to a bug, according to the company. This may have happened to you if you had Twitter set to Dim or Lights Out mode but your OS was set to light mode.

If you miss the old dark blue, you can bring it back using Twitter's Dim display setting. You can find Twitter's desktop display options by clicking More in the left-hand menu and selecting Display. You'll see radio buttons for Default, Dim, and Lights Out modes, as well as options to change the accent color from the default blue. Twitter should remember your color and background settings after you've selected them.

Pad & Quill today announced new leather case options that are designed for the AirPods Max and the AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro Max Leather Case, priced at $129.95, is made from full grain American leather with a thick foam layer covered with ballistic nylon. The AirPods Max slip inside and there's a divider in the middle along with an interior pocket for holding a charging brick and cable.

There are two magnets built into the case that are designed to put the AirPods Max into low power mode to preserve battery life. A zipper at the top keeps the AirPods Max protected in a bag or backpack, and there's an access port for charging while the AirPods Max are in the case. The case is also able to double as a stand, and it comes in two leather colors.

The Little Brief for AirPods Pro is a small briefcase that's designed to house the AirPods Pro. It has a tiny handle and a fold-over design that makes it easy to slip the AirPods Pro in and out.

Wireless charging is supported, and the case, like most Pad & Quill products, is made from hand stitched leather. The Little Brief Case for AirPods Pro is priced at $50.

Both the AirPods Max and AirPods Pro cases can be pre-ordered from the Pad & Quill website.

Ahead of the release of the M1 Macs, Apple provided developers with a Developer Transition Kit that included a Mac mini equipped with an A12Z Bionic chip first used in the iPad Pro, 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and an HDMI 2.0 port.

These DTKs were offered up on a temporary basis to developers who paid $500 for access, and were aimed at giving developers a way to create Universal apps to prepare for the transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon chips.

Apple is now asking developers to return their Developer Transition Kits in exchange for a one-time use code that will provide a $200 discount on an ‌M1‌ Mac.

Thank you for participating in the Universal App Quick Start Program and your continued commitment to building great apps for Mac. Response to the new Macs has been incredible, and we love the fantastic experiences developers like you have already created for Mac users.

Now that the new MacBook Air, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro powered by M1 are available, it'll soon be time to return the Developer Transition Kit (DTK) that was sent to you as part of the program. Please locate the original packaging for use in returning the DTK. We'll email you in a few weeks with instructions for returning the DTK.

In appreciation of your participation in the program and to help with your continued development of Universal apps, you'll receive a one-time use code for 200 USD to use toward the purchase of a Mac with M1, upon confirmed return of the DTK. Until your program membership expires one year after your membership start date, you'll have continued access to other program benefits such as Technical Support incidents and private discussion forums.

Apple first sent out Developer Transition Kits at the end of June, so developers have had them on hand for the last seven months. Developers were meant to have a year with the DTK for app development purposes, but other benefits that include a private discussion forum and technical support will continue to be available for the full 12 month period.

Some developers are unhappy with Apple's compensation given the initial $500 price of the DTK program and the bugs that were experienced that made using the DTK difficult. The last time Apple had a similar program for the transition from PowerPC to Intel chips, Apple provided developers with the first Intel-based Mac for free.

The $200 credit can be used for any Mac, and the $699 ‌Mac mini‌ would be the cheapest option available to developers who want to pick up a new ‌M1‌ Mac for continued development. The credit must be used by the end of May.

The first Apple Car that's released will not be designed to operate with a driver, according to a report from CNBC that cites multiple unnamed sources with knowledge of Apple's plans. "These will be autonomous, electric vehicles designed to operate without a driver and focused on the last mile," said one of the people.

CNBC speculates that the initial Apple Cars could be designed for food delivery operations and firms that incorporate robotaxis. Self-driving robotaxis are available in China, and in the United States, companies like Waymo have tested public robotaxi programs. Many vehicle manufacturers working on autonomous technology are also planning for robotaxi services.

The tidbit about Apple's aim to produce a driverless car comes in a wider report that suggests Apple is close to finalizing an Apple Car deal with Hyundai affiliate Kia, which echoes several other reports suggesting a deal is brewing between Hyundai and Apple.

CNBC suggests that the Apple Car will be manufactured at the Kia assembly plant in West Point, Georgia under the terms of the agreement. No deal has yet been reached, however, and Apple could decide to work with another automaker entirely or choose a secondary partner to work with alongside Hyundai.

According to CNBC's sources, Apple has decided to pursue a partnership with Hyundai-Kia because the deal gives Apple access to an established automaker with the capability to produce vehicles in North America. Hyundai-Kia is also willing to give Apple control over both the Apple Car software and the hardware, with Apple planning for a full Apple-branded vehicle and not a Kia model that includes Apple software.

Hyundai-Kia executives believe that working with Apple will allow them to accelerate their own autonomous and electric vehicle plans.

Apple is said to be aiming to have the Apple Car in production in 2024, though it's possible that timeline will be delayed as work on the Apple Car is still in the early stages. Bloomberg recently said it would be five to seven years before an Apple Car is ready to launch, while Apple analyst Ming-Chu Kuo said this week that he expects to see the Apple Car in 2025 at the earliest.

YouTube is planning to stop supporting its YouTube app on the third-generation Apple TV models, where YouTube has long been available as a channel option.

A 9to5Mac reader received a message about the upcoming app discontinuation, which is set to take place in March.

Starting early March, the YouTube app will no longer be available on Apple TV (3rd generation). You can still watch YouTube on Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, iPhone, or iPad. With AirPlay, you can also stream YouTube from your iOS device directly to any Apple TV (3rd generation or later).

Third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ owners will no longer be able to watch YouTube directly on the ‌Apple TV‌ after the app goes defunct, but YouTube content can be AirPlayed to the ‌Apple TV‌ from an iPhone or iPad, a method that is less convenient.

This discontinuation is applicable only to the third-generation Apple TVs, as YouTube stopped supporting the second-generation ‌Apple TV‌ models back in 2015. The fourth and fifth-generation ‌Apple TV‌ models are not impacted as these models have access to the tvOS App Store, which is not available on the third-generation ‌Apple TV‌.

Some macOS Big Sur users who are running the 11.1 and recently released 11.2 update have been experiencing ongoing issues with external displays, based on multiple reports on the MacRumors forum, Apple Support Communities, Twitter, and Reddit.

There are at least two separate issues at play, but both are related to external display connections. The problems appear to have started with the macOS Big Sur 11.1 update, and the 11.2 update has not provided a fix and in some cases, has worsened the issue.

The first issue causes USB-C ports to fail to recognize external monitors, rendering external displays unusable and unable to connect. This appears to be affecting both DisplayPort and HDMI displays connected directly and through hubs and adapters.

We saw this issue firsthand after upgrading a MacBook Pro to macOS Big Sur 11.2, with the update preventing an external monitor from connecting with USB-C, and there are several other complaints from affected users. From Reddit:

Upgrading to 11.2 broke my second external monitor connection.
Primary monitor LG Ultrafine 4k (Mac version) connected via Thunderbolt.
Secondary monitor (same model) connected via HDMI->DisplayPort adapter (BENFEI), then DisplayPort->USB-C cable no longer works after updating (worked fine on 11.1 before updating).
macOS appears to recognize the monitor and resolution, as it is shown in display settings, and Apple Support was able to remove into my computer and see both screens. It's almost as if the signal for the monitor to turn on is not being sent.

The second issue results in resolution issues with external displays unable to work at a full 4K 60Hz resolution, instead locked at 30Hz. In some cases, a 4K monitor is only recognized as a 1080p monitor.

It appears that many of those affected with display issues have a 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, but there are also reports of other Macs with the same connectivity problems. There does not appear to be a reliable, widespread and tested fix or workaround at this time.

Mac users did not experience these problems in the initial release of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, and it appears that the macOS Big Sur 11.3 update released yesterday also does not address the problem, but there is still some time for Apple to work in a fix before the 11.3 software sees a public release.

Samsung in January debuted its latest flagship smartphone lineup, which includes the Galaxy S21 Ultra, a direct competitor to the iPhone 12 Pro Max that Apple introduced in October. In our latest YouTube video, we pitted the two smartphones against one another for a blind camera comparison.

In the video up above and the photos in this article, we've labeled images with an "A" or a "B," with each letter corresponding to a different smartphone. All of the images are straight from the camera with no editing.

The idea is to look at the images and decide which aesthetic you prefer before we unveil which camera is which, so for the full experience, it's worth watching our video, but we'll also share the results at the very bottom of this article.

We've compared several different camera modes like Portrait mode and Night mode, along with the different lens options ranging from ultra wide angle to telephoto. When considering the photos, check out elements like color temperature differences, highlights and whether there are blown out (overly bright) areas, sharpness of the subject in Portrait photos, and for video, stabilization and shakiness.

Both the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ and Galaxy S21 Ultra have fantastic camera hardware and are capable of capturing great images in most lighting conditions, so most of the time, choosing a winner just comes down to your personal preferences.

Since we're not doing a traditional comparison between these two smartphones, there are a few Galaxy S21 features that are worth highlighting. Samsung used to limit its stylus, the S-Pen, to Note models, but this year, the S-Pen is compatible with the Galaxy S21 Ultra, and it's useful for taking notes, drawing, signing documents, and more.

There's also a reverse wireless charging feature for charging up headphones or another smartphone, and an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, which is actually something that we might see Apple adopt in the future.

As for the camera, there are four lenses including ultra wide (12MP), wide (108MP w/ laser autofocus), and dual telephoto lenses (both 10MP). Camera functionality is similar to the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ for the most part, but Samsung does have Space Zoom, which is a 100x digital + optical zoom option. Space Zoom was available last year, but this year it's been improved. The ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ has no equivalent feature and can't zoom in as far.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra also has a shorter minimal focusing distance, allowing it to be used for close-up macro shots, something the iPhone 12 models aren't able to do.

Coming back to the photo comparison test, if you're wondering which photos are which, there's an answer below the break.

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