MacRumors

Earlier this week, Apple seeded the watchOS 7.3 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version of a software update. The release notes for the update list a new "Time to Walk" feature for Apple Fitness+ subscribers, described as "an audio experience in the Workout app where guests share inspiring stories as you walk."

Apple Fitness+ subscribers will be able to open the Workout app on an Apple Watch, select Time to Walk, and choose from one of the audio stories to listen to during their walk. The feature will likely extend to wheelchair users.

Based on a screenshot of a since-removed Apple Fitness+ promotional video shared by Twitter user Othmane, it appears that Time to Walk will include a 30-minute story from singer Shawn Mendes at launch. Othmane says the video also showed stories from singer Dolly Parton, NBA star Draymond Green, and actress Uzo Aduba, known for her role as Suzanne Warren on the Netflix original series "Orange Is the New Black."

While settings for Time to Walk started showing up weeks ago in earlier betas of watchOS 7.3 and iOS 14.4, the stories are not yet accessible. The feature should launch when the software updates are publicly released, likely this coming week.

A new setting on the Apple Watch can be toggled on to ensure that new Time to Walk stories are added to the Workout app as they become available. The stories will be downloaded when the Apple Watch is connected to power and near a paired iPhone, and they will be deleted automatically upon completion of the workout.

Apple Fitness+ launched last month, providing subscribers with access to a library of workout videos covering strength, yoga, dance, running, walking, cycling, rowing, and more, with new content delivered each week from a team of trainers hired by Apple. Fitness+ integrates personal metrics such as heart rate from the Apple Watch to motivate users, animating them on the screen during key moments in the workout. Time to Walk will be unique given that the workouts can be completed outdoors without needing to watch a screen.

Apple Fitness+ is currently available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Apple is offering a one-month free trial to all Apple Watch users, and an extended three-month trial to customers who purchased a new Apple Watch Series 3 or newer after September 15, 2020. After the trial, the service is priced at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year in the United States.

Since the launch of iPhone 12 models in October, Apple has acknowledged that the devices may cause electromagnetic interference with medical devices like pacemakers and defibrillators, but the company has now shared additional information.

Apple added the following paragraph to a related support document today:

Medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact. To avoid any potential interactions with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories a safe distance away from your device (more than 6 inches / 15 cm apart or more than 12 inches / 30 cm apart if wirelessly charging). But consult with your physician and your device manufacturer for specific guidelines.

While the support document already mentioned "MagSafe accessories" in the title, Apple has further emphasized that accessories like the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger may also interfere with medical devices:

All MagSafe accessories (each sold separately) also contain magnets—and MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger contain radios. These magnets and electromagnetic fields might interfere with medical devices.

Apple continues to state that while all iPhone 12 models contain more magnets than prior iPhone models, they are "not expected to pose a greater risk of magnetic interference to medical devices than prior iPhone models."

Earlier this month, an article in the Heart Rhythm Journal indicated that iPhone 12 models can "potentially inhibit lifesaving therapy in a patient" due to magnetic interference with implantable medical devices. Three doctors in Michigan tested this interaction by holding an iPhone 12 near a patient's implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which immediately went into a "suspended" state for the duration of the test, according to the article.

"We hereby bring an important public health issue concerning the newer generation iPhone 12 which can potentially inhibit lifesaving therapy in a patient particularly while carrying the phone in upper pockets," the doctors wrote. "Medical device manufacturers and implanting physicians should remain vigilant in making patients aware of this significant interaction of the iPhone 12 and other smart wearables with their cardiac implantable electronic devices."

The article in the Heart Rhythm Journal was first surfaced by Brazilian website MacMagazine.

Apple provides more information in the "Important safety information for iPhone" section of the iPhone User Guide.

Microsoft yesterday shared a new ad on YouTube titled "Microsoft Surface Pro 7: The Better Choice," in which the company compares its tablet computer to Apple's 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro, as spotted by MSPoweruser.

The ad highlights the Surface Pro 7's touchscreen and included stylus as opposed to only a "little bar" (the Touch Bar) on the MacBook Pro. Other advantages of the Surface Pro 7 mentioned in the ad include the detachable keyboard, a cheaper price, and the claim that the tablet is "a much better gaming device" than the MacBook Pro.

Results uploaded on Geekbench show that the Intel Core i3-equipped Surface Pro 7 with 4GB of RAM has single-core and multi-core scores of 769 and 1,851, respectively. Additionally, the Intel Core i5-equipped Surface Pro 7 with 8GB of RAM has single-core and multi-core scores of 1,210 and 4,079, respectively. By comparison, the ‌M1‌ chip running on a 13-inch MacBook Pro with 8GB of unified memory achieved greater performance than both Surface models with single-core and multi-core scores of 1,735 and 7,686, respectively.

The 12.3-inch Surface Pro 7 starts at $749.99 with 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM and increases to $2,299.99 with 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM. In comparison, the current 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro starts at $1,299 with 256GB of storage and 8GB of unified memory and increases to $2,299 for 2TB of storage and 16GB of unified memory.

Microsoft has long positioned its Surface devices as an ideal combination of both a tablet and computer experience. In years past, Microsoft has released several ads promoting its Surface lineup over Apple's MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iPad lineup.

We continued to hear a lot more about Apple's plans for its Mac lineup this week, including word of a high-end redesigned MacBook Air and the return of an SD card slot as part of the upcoming MacBook Pro redesign. It also sounds like Apple has been working on Face ID for Mac, but it won't be appearing in a redesigned iMac this year as originally planned.

This week also saw rumors about the iPhone 13 getting a smaller notch, and Apple is just about ready to unleash a set of operating system updates including iOS 14.4 and macOS 11.2, as Release Candidate versions of all of the updates were pushed out to developers and other testers this week. Read on for details on all of these stories from the past week!

Apple Working on 'Thinner and Lighter' High-End MacBook Air With MagSafe, Could Launch in Second Half of 2021

Following up on last Friday's batch of rumors, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman came out with a new report this week sharing a few more details on Apple's product plans. Most notably, Gurman says that Apple is working on a thinner and lighter MacBook Air that could launch later this year or sometime next year. The new MacBook Air will include an updated Apple silicon chip, MagSafe charging, and perhaps a smaller body enabled by shrinking the display bezels.

The redesigned MacBook Air is said to be a high-end model that will be sold alongside cheaper models that continue to use the current design. Apple reportedly considered making a 15-inch version of the MacBook Air to go along with the popular 13-inch size, but has opted not to move forward with the model, at least for the next generation.

iPhone 13 Rumored to Feature Smaller Notch, Sensor-Shift Camera Stabilization on All Models

Apple plans to combine various Face ID components into one module to allow for at least a slightly smaller notch on iPhone 13 models, according to DigiTimes.

The same report claims that Apple plans to extend sensor-shift optical image stabilization to the entire iPhone 13 lineup, compared to only the iPhone 12 Pro Max among current models. The technology stabilizes the camera's sensor instead of individual lenses for even greater image stabilization. Coupled with a larger sensor, users can expect even better photo quality.

Earlier this month, DigiTimes reported that the LiDAR Scanner will also be expanded to the entire iPhone 13 lineup, while mmWave 5G is expected to become available on iPhone 13 models sold outside of the United States.

Face ID for iMac Likely Pushed Back to Second Iteration of Upcoming Redesign

Gurman also shared that while Apple has been working on developing Face ID technology for its Mac lineup and was planning to introduce it in the upcoming redesigned iMac he discussed last week, Apple has decided not to include it in the initial version.

In addition, he says that Apple has tested offering cellular connectivity for its Mac lineup, but it sounds like that's not coming soon either.

Next MacBook Pro to Feature SD Card Reader

Redesigned MacBook Pro models are also in the works, as reported by Bloomberg last week, and one of the tidbits from that initial report was that the new designs will include more ports than the current models.

This week's report expounds upon that claim a bit, specifically claiming that the new MacBook Pro models will include the return of an SD card slot, making it easier for photographers and other users of the popular removable storage standard to directly use the cards in their Macs without the need for a separate card reader.

iOS 14.4 Release Candidate Now Available

Apple this week seeded the Release Candidate version of iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 to developers and public beta testers. This version should mirror the final release of the software updates coming soon.

iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 are relatively minor updates. Apple's release notes confirm that iOS 14.4 introduces a notification for when the camera is unable to be verified as a new, genuine Apple camera on the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max, and there are several other bug fixes. The update also enhances Handoff functionality with the HomePod mini.

Apple has also seeded Release Candidate versions of macOS 11.2, watchOS 7.3, and tvOS 14.4 for testing. All of the software updates should be released to the public in the near future.

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!

Samsung in January unveiled new flagship Galaxy S21 smartphones and alongside the new phones, introduced the $200 Galaxy Buds Pro, which are priced at $199 and offer Active Noise Cancellation.

These new Galaxy Buds Pro are clearly designed to compete with Apple's AirPods Pro, so we thought we'd compare the two sets of earbuds in our latest YouTube video.

Design wise, the Galaxy Buds Pro look nothing like the AirPods Pro, featuring a rounded in-ear design with no longer stem. They do have silicone tips like the AirPods Pro, but MacRumors videographer Dan, who tested the Galaxy Buds Pro, found them to be much more uncomfortable than the AirPods Pro.

They need to be fitted tightly inside the ear to get the right fit and the proper seal, both to make sure they stay in the ear and to allow the ANC functionality to work properly. Without the right fit, the earbuds won't sound right and the audio quality will suffer. Samsung does offer several silicone tips to get a decent fit, but these earbuds may not work well for some users.

Like the AirPods Pro, the Galaxy Buds Pro offer Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which is decent, but it's not as good as the ANC in the AirPods Pro. It's definitely better than the ANC in last year's Galaxy Buds Live, but still not up to par with the AirPods Pro. There's an ambient mode that's the equivalent of Transparency mode to allow ambient sounds to come through, but again, it's just okay and doesn't work as well as Transparency mode.

There is a standout feature that the Galaxy Buds Pro offer that is not available in the AirPods Pro and that's Voice Detect. Voice Detect turns down the volume and turns on ambient mode when it hears the sound of your voice, which is handy.

When it comes to sound quality, the Galaxy Buds Pro are close to indistinguishable from the AirPods Pro. Audio on both sounds great, and whether you prefer one to another will come down to individual listening preferences. The Galaxy Buds Pro are warmer and heavier on the bass, which some people prefer. You do need a good in-ear fit for the best sound quality because if that's off, they don't sound as good.

The Galaxy Buds Pro come with a case that's small and pocketable, with the case adding 18 to 20 hours of additional battery life depending on ANC use. The Galaxy Buds themselves have a five hour battery life with ANC on and an eight hour battery life with ANC off. Comparatively, the AirPods Pro last for 4.5 hours on a single charge with ANC on and five hours with it off, but the case provides an additional 24 hours of listening time. Apple's AirPods Pro charge wirelessly or via a Lightning port, while the Galaxy Buds Pro use USB-C.

There are touch controls on each side of the Galaxy Pro earbuds, and taps enable play/pause, skipping tracks, and turning the ambient sound feature on and off. AirPods Pro offer similar controls, but on the stem rather than relying on taps, which works better.

Apple designs AirPods Pro to be used with Apple devices, and the Galaxy Buds Pro are designed to be used primarily with Samsung devices. There are several features that only work when used with a Galaxy device, which is a little bit new for Samsung. Prior earbud models have been more feature agnostic and have been easily pairable with other Android devices or even iPhones, but with the Galaxy Buds Pro, you'll be missing out on features without a Galaxy smartphone.

There's a one tap pairing feature for setting up the Galaxy Buds Pro with a Galaxy smartphone (you'll need to connect manually to an iPhone), and there's a 360 Audio feature that's the equivalent of the spatial audio feature in the AirPods Pro. We couldn't test 360 Audio because the update that enables it on Galaxy devices (other than the S21) isn't available yet.

Along with one tap pairing, the Galaxy Buds Pro support auto detecting devices and fast switching, but again, Galaxy devices only. There's an app for adjusting the EQ and other settings, but it's Android only and there's no iPhone version available.

All in all, the Galaxy Buds Pro are solid headphones if you have a Galaxy smartphone, but these are not headphones that you're going to want to pick up if you have an iPhone because you'll be missing out on so many features. The price point is also only $50 cheaper than AirPods Pro, so you're better off spending the $250 for AirPods Pro if you have an Apple device.

Apple's stock price closed at an all-time high of $139.07 today after reaching a new intraday record of $139.85 moments earlier.

The gains come just five days before Apple is set to report its earnings results for the first quarter of the 2021 fiscal year. Many analysts forecast that Apple's quarterly revenue will exceed the $100 billion mark for the first time thanks to strong iPhone 12 sales and the launch of several other products in the quarter, including the first three Macs with Apple silicon, HomePod mini, AirPods Max, and a redesigned iPad Air. Apple Fitness+ also launched last month and can be bundled with other services with Apple One.

Apple has thrived financially during the ongoing pandemic as many customers work, learn, and connect with others from home, leading to strong iPad and Mac sales in particular. Apple products are also popular gifts during the holidays.

Apple's earnings report will be released on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time and will be followed by a conference call with Apple's CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Apple's current quarterly revenue record is $91.8 billion, set in the first quarter of the 2020 fiscal year.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with RAVPower to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a 30,000mAh 90W USB-C Power Bank for charging Apple devices.

Priced at $80, the RAVPower USB-C Power Bank's 30,000mAh battery capacity is enough to charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro to full, plus it can charge an iPad Pro two and a half times or an iPhone 12 up to six times.

At 90W, it can offer enough power to charge all of your devices at the fastest possible speeds provided you have the right cables available. It can charge a ‌MacBook Pro‌ from 0 to 50 percent in 40 minutes, and with a USB-C to Lightning cable, it can charge an iPhone from 0 to 50 percent in 30 minutes.

There's a Power Delivery USB-C port and a USB-A port. When charging two devices at once, the power is split between 65W for the USB-C port and 18W for the USB-A port, and when recharging the power bank, it charges at 60W so it powers up quick. It can be charged to full in 2.5 hours with a 60W PD power adapter.

Design wise, the RAVPower USB-C Power Bank has a rectangular shape that measures in at 6 inches long and 3.5 inches wide, plus it's just about an inch thick. It has a series of four LEDs on the side that display the estimated battery life.

RAVPower says that the power bank supports safe charging with over-heat, over-current, over-discharge, over-voltage, and short circuit protection.

We have 10 RAVPower USB-C Power Banks to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win our giveaway, 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 (January 22) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on January 29. The winners will be chosen randomly on January 29 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

For those who don't want to wait for the end of the giveaway, RAVPower is offering a discount code on the RAVPower USB-C Power Bank. Just use promo code macrumors232 to get an extra $5 off in addition to the coupon available from Amazon to drop the price to $65. The deal will be available through January 25.

"NUTS - A Surveillance Mystery" and "Spire Blast" are the latest games to join Apple Arcade's expanding library.

NUTS is a single-player surveillance mystery game set in a remote forest, where players are tasked with discovering what a group of squirrels are hiding. Through carefully laying out equipment, recording the squirrels' movements, analyzing their behavior, and reporting findings, players can uncover their hidden secrets.

With a bold visual style, full voice acting, careful pacing, and unusual gameplay mechanics, NUTS aims to offer something different.

Spire Blast is a colorful, family-friendly puzzle game that challenges players to topple towers using a system of matching and powerups.

Take a step into the colorful world of Spire Blast. With your ever hungry dragon companion collapse numerous mysterious towers of all shapes and sizes that have risen all over the kingdom.

Test your wits and skills, use all the tools at your disposal and you will emerge victorious!

NUTS - A Surveillance Mystery and Spire Blast are available now on ‌Apple Arcade‌, for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.

Last week, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo outlined his expectations for new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models later this year, including the return of the MagSafe charging connector, the removal of the Touch Bar, a new flat-edged design, and the return of more ports built into the notebooks for expanded connectivity.

Kuo did not specify which ports might be making a comeback, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today reported that the next MacBook Pro models will feature an SD card reader for transferring photos shot with a digital camera and other files:

The upcoming MacBook Pro is an example of Apple's renewed focus on Mac loyalists. The company is planning to bring back an SD card slot for the next MacBook Pros so users can insert memory cards from digital cameras. That feature was removed in 2016, to the consternation of professional photographers and video creators, key segments of the MacBook Pro user base.

The latest MacBook Pro models only have Thunderbolt ports, forcing photographers to use an adapter or dock to gain access to an SD card reader.

In his research note last week, Kuo mentioned that "most users may not need to purchase additional dongles" for the next MacBook Pro, so it is possible that an SD card reader will not be the only port that returns. As recently as 2015, the MacBook Pro was also equipped with an HDMI port and USB-A ports, but it would certainly be surprising to see the latter make a comeback given the tech industry's transition to USB-C.

Kuo expects the new MacBook Pro models to launch in the third quarter, which spans July through September. They would replace the higher-end 13-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released in May 2020 and November 2019, respectively. The base model 13-inch MacBook Pro was already updated with Apple's custom M1 chip a few months ago.

Apple is believed to be working on redesigned versions of the iMac that feature the biggest design overhaul to the ‌iMac‌ line since 2012. However, Apple's Face ID facial recognition authentication system is likely to feature in the second iteration of the redesign rather than the first, which is due this year, according to a new report today by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The tidbit came at the end of a report today about a forthcoming redesign of the MacBook Air. In addition, the report highlights Apple's intention to launch a slew of updates to its Mac lineup that reflect the desires of the Mac's staunchest supporters, with the introduction of new ports, slots, and cellular connectivity.

Apple has also developed underlying Mac support for both cellular connectivity — the ability for Macs to connect to the internet via smartphone networks — and Face ID, the company's facial recognition system. But neither feature appears to be coming soon. To that end, Face ID had originally been planned to arrive in this year's iMac redesign, but it's now unlikely to be included in the first iteration of the new design.

Face ID debuted in 2018's iPhone X and has been a tentpole feature of Apple's flagship iPhones ever since, with the iPad Pro also gaining the facial recognition system. Speculation that Apple will bring ‌Face ID‌ to Macs isn't new, however rumors have been few and far between, which makes Gurman's information worth highlighting.

Apple's ‌Face ID‌ feature that allows a device to be unlocked with a facial scan is limited to the iPhone and the iPad at the current time, but code found in the macOS Big Sur betas has suggested that Face ID may come to Macs in the future.

According to previous Bloomberg reports, the redesigned ‌iMac‌ models will feature slimmed down bezels around the display and the metal chin will be removed. It is expected to look quite similar to the Pro Display XDR monitor that Apple released in 2019.

Instead of a curved rear design, the iMacs will feature a flat back, and prior rumors have described the new iMacs as using an "‌iPad Pro‌ design language." At least one of the new models that will replace the 21.5 and 27-inch models will measure in at 23 to 24 inches, but it's not clear what size the second ‌iMac‌ will be.

A 23 or 24 inch ‌iMac‌ would probably be the same size as the current 21.5-inch ‌iMac‌ physically, with the larger display enabled through smaller bezels. A new ‌iMac‌ with a fresh design and an Apple Silicon chip could come in the first half of this year.

The redesigned iMacs will adopt Apple silicon chips, and the revamped look will coincide with Apple's move to shift away from Intel's chips, giving the iMacs updated processors and a fresh design all at once.

Apple plans to equip the new iMacs with next-generation versions of the Apple silicon chips that will be faster and with more GPU power. Apple is testing Apple silicon chips with as many as 16 power cores and four efficiency cores, but higher-end desktop models could have as many as 32 high-performance cores. Apple is also working on improved GPU technology and is testing 16 and 32-core graphics components.

The new iMacs are expected be released in spring to fall 2021, and it's not yet clear if both models will come out at the same time.

Apple is working on a "thinner and lighter" version of the MacBook Air that the company plans to release during the second half of this year at the earliest or in 2022, according to a new report by well-connected Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman.

It will include Apple's MagSafe charging technology and a next-generation version of the company's in-house Mac processors. Apple has discussed making the laptop smaller by shrinking the border around the screen, which will remain 13-inches. The current model weighs 2.8 pounds and is just over half an inch at its thickest point.

The company considered building a larger version of the MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen, but Apple isn't moving forward with this for the next generation, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

According to the report, the new 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ model will also have a pair of USB 4 ports for connecting external devices. The current ‌MacBook Air‌, upgraded in November with Apple silicon, is expected to remain in the company's lineup as an entry-level offering.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously said that Apple will introduce a new ‌MacBook Air‌ at some point in 2022, suggesting there may not be a refresh in 2021. According to Kuo, the ‌MacBook Air‌ coming in 2022 will feature a mini-LED display, a prediction also echoed by DigiTimes.

With the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models introduced in October 2020, Apple reinvented "MagSafe," the name once used for the breakaway magnetic charging cables designed for the MacBook. ‌MagSafe‌‌ was fully phased out of the Mac lineup, and the last machine with ‌‌MagSafe‌‌, the 2017 ‌MacBook Air‌, was discontinued by Apple in July 2019.

Kuo recently claimed the ‌MagSafe‌ charging connector design will be restored to Apple's MacBooks in future designs, though it was not quite clear what that meant since Apple has transitioned to USB-C. However, Gurman in a separate report clarified that the ‌‌MagSafe‌‌ port will be a standalone charging port used instead of USB-C, with the new port located next to the USB-C ports.

Microsoft has updated its Edge browser for Mac with several new features, bringing "sleeping tabs," a password generator and monitor, new visual themes, and more.

The "Sleeping tabs" feature aims to improve performance by releasing system resources for inactive or backgrounded tabs. The feature is optional and can be enabled in the browser settings menu.

Meanwhile, the new password generator suggests to users a secure and complex password whenever they sign up to a website for the first time or attempt to change an existing password. Edge also now notifies users if a password has been compromised in a data breach, which is similar to a feature recently introduced in Apple's Safari browser.

Elsewhere, 24 new themes offer visual customizations that affect various parts of the browser interface, including tabs, tab pages, and the address bar. The Edge development team has partnered with Xbox to offer themes from Microsoft franchises, including Halo, Gears, Forza, Flight Simulator, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and more.

In addition, sidebar search is now generally available in Microsoft Edge. While browsing web pages, users can highlight a word, right click and search. A side panel will open with search results so they can get quick answers without having to navigate away from your current page.

Automatic Profile Switching has also come to macOS, as described in Microsoft's blog post:

One of our most loved features, called Automatic Profile Switching, makes its way to macOS this month. I like to keep my work browsing and personal browsing activities separate, and profile switching makes it so easy. Now macOS provides the ability to switch sites that authenticate with a user’s work profile so it’s easier to toggle between work and personal browsing. To get started, check with your local admin if automatic profile switch is enabled for your organization. If so, sign in with your Microsoft personal and work accounts and you’re ready to go.

Microsoft Edge has won over many users with its frequent feature updates and tight integration of Microsoft's design language with the design language of macOS. Tab syncing features were recently added, and it was also quick to offer native support for Apple Silicon, bringing optimized performance to Macs with the M1 chip. The browser can be downloaded from the Microsoft Edge website.

Recent reports of Apple cutting iPhone 12 mini production to increase manufacturing capacity for the more popular iPhone 12 Pro were corroborated on Friday by DigiTimes, citing supply chain sources.

Today's report suggests that Apple's smallest iPhone 12 model was launched to target the U.S. and European markets, but the global health crisis has impacted sales in these territories, leading to a slowdown in ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ orders.

Pegatron has seen a slowdown in orders for the iPhone 12 mini as sales of the model in the US and Europe are affected negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to industry sources.

The sources pointed out that the iPhone 12 mini is targeting mainly consumers in the US and Europe, but overall smartphone sales there have been significantly undermined by the pandemic.

The report suggests that strong demand for iPhone 12 Pro models in China has led Apple to strengthen its supply of the more expensive devices in response. The East Asian market historically favors larger form factor devices, and China has not been seriously impacted by the pandemic in recent months compared to other parts of the world.

Pegatron is the main producer of the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌, and the above factors have combined to reduce demand for the device at the Taiwanese manufacturer's expense.

On Wednesday, a Morgan Stanley investment note claimed that Apple has shifted production away from the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ for the first quarter of 2021, in an effort to combat continuing lead times for the more popular ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌.

The note supported previous analysis that the ‌‌iPhone 12 mini‌‌ has suffered from lackluster sales, capturing just six percent of the total ‌‌iPhone 12‌‌ sales during the launch period, despite broad satisfaction reported by owners of the smaller device.

Meanwhile, a separate DigiTimes report today indicates that Foxconn expects to see increased momentum in the first quarter of this year, thanks to Apple increasing orders of the iPhone 12 Pro models.

In a more positive note for Apple, the popularity of its Pro devices in China have reportedly eaten into Huawei's dominant market share in the region:

Huawei, the largest smartphone brand in China, has seen its smartphone sales being bitten off by Apple's Pro series products in the past few months with Apple now the second largest 5G handset brand globally, behind only Huawei, the sources said.

Apple today seeded the RC version of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming a week after the second beta and two months after initial macOS Big Sur release.

Developers can download the ‌‌macOS Big Sur‌‌ 11.2 beta using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.

macOS Big Sur 11.2 beta 2 eliminates a feature that allowed Apple apps bypass third-party firewalls, security tools, and VPN apps. macOS Big Sur 11 included a ContentFilterExclusionList that let Apple's apps like the App Store, Maps, iCloud, and more to avoid firewall and VPN apps that users had installed. These apps were not able to filter or inspect traffic for some built-in Apple apps. That functionality has been removed in macOS Big Sur 11.2.

When macOS Big Sur 11.2 sees a release, Apple apps will be compatible with VPN apps and will no longer be able to bypass firewalls and other security tools.

According to Apple's release notes, the update also improves Bluetooth reliability and includes multiple bug fixes.

macOS Big Sur 11.2 improves Bluetooth reliability and fixes the following issues:
- External displays may show a black screen when connected to a Mac mini (M1, 2020) using an HDMI to DVI converter
- Edits to Apple ProRAW photos in the Photos app may not save
- iCloud Drive could turn off after disabling the iCloud Drive Desktop & Documents Folders option
- System Preferences may not unlock when entering your administrator password
- Globe key may not display the Emoji & Symbols pane when pressed

The update addresses a bug that could cause external displays to show a black screen when connected to an M1 Mac mini using an HDMI to DVI converter, and it fixes an issue that resulted in edits to Apple ProRaw photos in the Photos app not to save. It also includes fixes for iCloud Drive, System Preferences, and more.