WhatsApp is protesting Apple's requirement that developers submit information about what user data they collect to create new privacy labels on the App Store (via Axios).
WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, has accused Apple of anti-competitive behavior because iMessage is preinstalled on iPhones and does not need to be downloaded from the App Store, where the new privacy labels will be shown.
"We think labels should be consistent across first and third party apps as well as reflect the strong measures apps may take to protect people's private information," a WhatsApp spokesperson told Axios. "While providing people with easy to read information is a good start, we believe it's important people can compare these 'privacy nutrition' labels from apps they download with apps that come pre-installed, like iMessage."
Apple has tried to streamline the privacy labels into broad terms such as "financial information" or "user content" to describe the kind of data that apps collect. WhatsApp says that these terms may worry users about the data WhatsApp collects, giving it a competitive disadvantage.
WhatsApp submitted the required information to Apple on Monday, but said in a blog post that "Apple's template does not shed light on the lengths apps may go to protect sensitive information." The spokesperson told Axios, "while WhatsApp cannot see people's messages or precise location, we're stuck using the same broad labels with apps that do."
The deadline for developers to submit the required privacy information about their apps was yesterday. It is unknown when exactly the privacy labels will begin appearing in the App Store, but now that the deadline for submissions has passed, they will likely be added soon.
Apple has designed a new algorithm that Apple Watch uses to measure electrocardiogram (ECG) waves, according to developer documentation for the iOS 14.3 and watchOS 7.2 betas.
In the official documentation, a new "version 2 algorithm" declaration has been added. No other information is included.
The ECG feature includes irregular heart rhythm detection, which intermittently measures the user's heart rate in the background and sends a notification if it detects an anomaly it categorizes as atrial fibrillation, which can be a serious heart arrhythmia condition.
Based on beta code uncovered by MacRumors, it's likely that the new algorithm will allow the ECG app to check for atrial fibrillation (AFib) at higher heart rates - during exercise, for example.
iOS 14.3 will introduce support for Apple Fitness+, Apple's upcoming fitness service that will work with the Apple Watch, plus it brings a new Cardio Fitness feature that lets you know if your VO2Max levels are low. VO2Max is a useful measurement of overall fitness and heart health.
iOS 14.3 is set to be released on Monday, December 14, which is also the day that Apple Fitness+ is coming out.
Apple has begun selling the Apple Watch models with cellular connectivity in Portugal for the first time.
Apple Watch Series 6 and SE models with cellular connectivity went on sale in the country on Tuesday, December 8, and can be ordered on Apple's regional online store.
Cellular models are available in aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium variants, but Watch Edition and Hermès LTE versions are currently unavailable.
As of now, Portuguese provider NOS is the first and only provider to support the Apple Watch LTE feature in the country. Apple has yet to update its regional Apple Watch cellular service list to reflect the launch.
Apple has been working to bring Apple Watch Cellular models to more European countries, with Belgium recently joining the LTE Apple Watch club. Ireland, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg are countries still waiting for the feature to arrive.
Set to launch on Monday, December 14, Apple Fitness+ is designed to help Apple Watch owners keep fit through a series of guided workouts across multiple workout categories. While many of the workouts don't require special equipment, for some you need things like dumbbells, a yoga mat, a stationary bike, a rowing machine, or a treadmill.
To that end, Apple's online store has started listing select exercise gear on its online store for the first time. Apple has kicked off its exercise equipment offering with yoga accessories, including a Manduka eKOlite Yoga Mat ($77.95), a Manduka 6 mm Performance Yoga Mat ($119.95), and a Cork Yoga Block ($19.95).
According to the listing's description, the Manduka eKOlite Mat is an eco-friendly and biodegradable surface that's naturally grippy and catches if you start to slip, while the more expensive Manduka 6mm Performance mat is "ultra-dense" and offers a spacious surface with "unmatched comfort and cushioning" that's guaranteed to never wear out.
Meanwhile, the Manduka Cork Yoga Block is made of sustainable cork and provides a level of firmness not found in foam blocks.
It's unclear whether Apple plans to build out its exercise equipment offering in its online store, but Apple Fitness+ includes 10 workout categories including HIIT, strength, and cycling, so there's plenty of scope for more.
Fitness+ will be available for $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year, which breaks down to $6.67 per month. For that price, up to six family members total can use the Fitness+ service. Fitness+ is also included in the Apple One Premier bundle, which is priced at $29.99 per month and also offers Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and 2TB iCloud storage.
With the purchase of a new Apple Watch Series 3 or later, Apple is offering a free three-month trial of the Fitness+ service. watchOS 7.2 also includes support for Apple Fitness+, Apple's newest streaming service. The update is set to come out on Monday, December 14, which is also the Fitness+ release date.
Apple today sent out a new Apple Pay promotional email, offering holiday Apple Pay discounts from a range of merchants including
The promotions provide discounts or credits for future purchases when using Apple Pay to check out in an app or on the web, with a list below:
Puma - 20% off with promo code APPLEPAY.
Ray-Ban - 25% off custom styles with promo code APPLEPAY.
Under Armour - 25% off in the Under Armour app.
Warby Parker - A set of three free custom-designed pins.
Columbia - 15% off purchases at columbia.com.
Cuyana - Free leather card case when spending $200 or more.
J. Crew - Extra $25 off when spending $150+ with promo code APPLEPAY.
Foot Locker - 15% off when spending $99+ with promo code Apple Pay.
Kids Foot Locker - 15% off when spending $99+ with promo code Apple Pay.
1-800-Flowers - $15 off when spending $39.99+ with promo code APPLEPAY.
Champs Sports - $15 off when spending $99+ on select styles with promo code APPLEPAY.
Cole Haan - 20% off with promo code APPLEPAY.
Madewell - $25 off when spending $150+ with promo code APPLEPAY.
Stadium Goods - Free ground shipping in Stadium Goods app.
Sunglass Hut - 25% off select items with promo code APPLEPAY.
Baublebar - $15 off full priced items with promo code APPLEPAY.
Bed Bath and Beyond - Extra 5% in My Funds rewards to be used toward a future purchase.
The deals will be available through December 21 when using Apple Pay in partner apps or websites in the United States. A full list of holiday Apple Pay discounts can be found on Apple's website with links to each site and more information on the deals.
Apple's new AirPods Max headphones are not equipped with a U1 chip for Ultra Wideband, according to Apple's tech specs, and confirmed by MacRumors. (This chip is not to be confused with the H1 audio chip in each of the AirPod Max's ear cups.)
First introduced in iPhone 11 models last year, the U1 chip enables improved spatial awareness. The distance between two devices that support Ultra Wideband can be measured precisely by calculating the time that it takes for a radio wave to pass between them, with much more accuracy than Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi.
Apple's rollout of the U1 chip has been inconsistent, with all iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models, Apple Watch Series 6 models, and the HomePod mini equipped with the chip, but not the second-generation iPhone SE, Apple Watch SE, or the latest iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models. Apple has also yet to release a Mac with Ultra Wideband support.
Apple's use of Ultra Wideband technology has been limited so far, such as a directional AirDrop feature in iOS 13 and later, but the company has promised more exciting use cases in the future. One of those use cases will likely be its long-rumored AirTags items trackers, which analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously said will support Ultra Wideband, which should allow users to locate their lost items with greater accuracy.
Multiple leakers had suggested the AirPods Max (which were dubbed AirPods Studio in rumors) would be equipped with the U1 chip, including Jon Prosser.
Delivery estimates for the AirPods Max are well into January for most colors, which means there's no chance for orders placed now to arrive in time for the December holidays, but as it turns out, you can get AirPods Max quicker if you choose an engraving.
In the pink color, for example, AirPods Max with an engraving can be delivered between December 30 and January 7, while without an engraving, the shipment estimate is 12 to 14 weeks. The green version will deliver between January 21 and 28 with an engraving instead of the 12 to 14 week estimate, and in blue, adding an engraving cuts the wait by a month.
Silver and space gray AirPods Max are still delivering at the end of December, so adding an engraving only cuts a couple of days off of the shipping time. Engravings can include anything from a single emoji to up to 14 characters.
It's not entirely clear why AirPods Max headphones with engravings are shipping out faster, but it seems that Apple has separate stock set aside for people who choose the headphones with an engraving and without, which explains the shorter shipping times.
It's also possible that Apple will soon have in-store AirPods Max stock, with pickup options that will be available more quickly than waiting for a shipment. AirPods Max are priced starting at $549 and the first deliveries will start on December 15.
Note that there seems to be some confusion over whether Apple products with engravings can be returned to Apple. Apple may not have allowed these returns in the past, but there is no language in Apple's return policy about engravings and Apple's support staff has confirmed that engraved items can be returned.
Apple is continuing work on developing some kind of autonomous vehicle product, and the project is under new leadership. Apple artificial intelligence lead John Giannandrea is now overseeing Apple Car development as prior lead Bob Mansfield has retired, reports Bloomberg.
One of the self-driving vehicles Apple uses to test its autonomous driving software
It's been quite some time since we heard news about the Apple Car, but Project Titan as the car development is known is now in the hands of Giannandrea, though day to day operations continue to be overseen by Doug Field.
Field was reporting to Bob Mansfield, who came out of retirement in 2016 to handle the Apple Car project. Mansfield first retired in June 2012, but ultimately remained at Apple as an advisor. Prior to being led by Mansfield, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering Dan Riccio was overseeing work on the Apple Car.
Giannandrea is Apple's senior vice president of AI and machine learning, and Project Titan's hundreds of engineers are now under his watch. Giannandrea also heads up Siri development and Apple's work on machine learning.
Apple has been working on some kind of self-driving car technology since 2014, but development has been stymied by technical and leadership challenges. Apple was originally working on a full car, but focus seems to have shifted to an in-car autonomous driving system. Apple continues to have dozens of self-driving test vehicles out on the road.
Back in 2017, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that Apple is working on autonomous driving software. "We're focusing on autonomous systems. It's a core technology that we view as very important. We sort of see it as the mother of all AI projects. It's probably one of the most difficult AI projects actually to work on," he said.
Apple Fitness+ is set to launch on December 14, and ahead of its debut, Apple's senior director of fitness technologies Jay Blahnik did an interview with WSJ. Magazine to answer some questions about Apple's newest streaming service.
Though now is an excellent time for a home workout program, Apple has been developing Fitness+ for more than five years. Apple has recruited a total of 21 trainers after an "intensive search" where "no gym was too gritty to visit." Fitness+ syncs the Apple Watch to the Apple TV, iPad, or iPhone so you can see progress, including relative to others. "Metrics is motivation," said Blahnik of the feature.
The metrics react to the things the trainer says and the things that you do. We believe that makes it much more immersive than simply following content that's available anywhere else.
Apple Fitness+ has a robust recommendation engine to suggest workouts to people. "We always say: it shouldn't take 20 minutes to find a 20 minute workout," said Blahnik. Fitness+ suggestions will work based on the workouts that you've done, with some gentle encouragement to try other workout types.
The service is meant to be "equipment agnostic." Many of the workouts can be done with no equipment, and others, such as cycling, will work with existing equipment from many brands. It's also designed for users of all levels.
We love the fact that [Fitness+] is integrated with Apple Watch. It's really inclusive. We put music at the center to motivate a wide variety of people. We've made it really easy to find your next workout, whether you're a beginner or not, and allowed you to use it across all your screens. We treat all areas that we get engaged with as marathons, not sprints.
Apple Fitness+ will come with a three month free trial for anyone who purchased an Apple Watch Series 6, Series 3, or SE after the September 15 launch of those devices. The service will be accessible through the Fitness app on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.
Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi today spoke at the virtual European Data Protection & Privacy Conference, where he highlighted Apple's approach to privacy and commitment to keeping customer data safe.
Federighi's keynote speech is available through the YouTube embed above, but make sure to skip to the 49 minute mark. Apple executives often speak about privacy, so much of what Federighi had to say at the event wasn't new. He focused on the four key privacy principles that guide Apple.
Not collecting unnecessary data through data minimization.
Processing as much data on device as possible.
Making it clear to customers what data is collected and giving them tools to control how that data is used.
Keeping data safe through security, including Apple's unique integration of hardware and software. Security is the foundation of privacy.
Federighi said that other companies "gather, sell, and hoard" as much personal data from customers as possible, which Apple finds "unacceptable."
Now, others take the opposite approach. They gather, sell, and hoard as much of your personal information as they can. The result is a data-industrial complex, where shadowy actors work to infiltrate the most intimate parts of your life and exploit whatever they can find--whether to sell you something, to radicalize your views, or worse.
Federighi reiterated that Apple believes privacy is a "fundamental human right," which is something that Apple executives often say, and he shared details on how Apple works on privacy behind the scenes. Apple's privacy engineers, for example, evaluate new features to collect as little data as possible.
Federighi also pointed out Apple's lead in the privacy field, such as end-to-end encryption, which inspired other companies to adopt better encryption after it was added to Apple's products. "As Tim Cook says, we want to be the ripple in the pond that creates larger changes."
He highlighted some of the new privacy-focused features in iOS, including the iOS 14 feature that will require apps to disclose when they're using tracking functionality to follow your movements across apps and websites. The App Tracking Transparency feature is set to be enabled in early 2021, and it has some developers and advertising companies up in arms.
Of course, some advertisers and tech companies would prefer that ATT is never implemented at all. When invasive tracking is your business model, you tend not to welcome transparency and customer choice.
Just as with ITP, some in the ad industry are lobbying against these efforts--claiming that ATT will dramatically hurt ad-supported businesses. But we expect that the industry will adapt as it did before--providing effective advertising, but this time without invasive tracking.
Getting this right will take time, collaboration, listening--and true partnership across the entire technology ecosystem. But we believe the result will be transformative.
Federighi said that Apple would love to see competition among companies for the "best, the strongest, and the most empowering privacy features."
In other words, we don't define success as standing alone. When it comes to privacy protections, we're very happy to see our competitors copy our work, or develop innovative privacy features of their own that we can learn from.
Federighi went on to conclude that he hopes Apple will be remembered not just for its devices, but for "helping humanity enjoy the benefits of this great technology... without requiring that they give up their privacy to do it."
"It's in our power today to end that false tradeoff... to build, for the long term, not just a foundation of technology, but a foundation of trust," he said.
Prior to the release of the second season of "For All Mankind," Apple today announced that it has already renewed the series for a third season. Season 2 of the show is set to premiere on Friday, February 19, 2021.
"For All Mankind" has proven to be one of Apple's more popular Apple TV+ shows. It explores what might have happened if the global space race had never ended in an alternate history where the USSR beats the United States to the moon. The story is told through the lives of NASA astronauts and their families, who are at the center of extraordinary events.
Filming on season two resumed back in August after it was put on hold earlier this year. At that time, there were two episodes left for the cast to shoot.
The second season of "For All Mankind" picks up in 1983, a decade after the first season. At the height of the Cold War, tensions between the United States and USSR are at their peak. Reagan is president and the US and USSR are fighting over the resources available on the moon.
Season two of the space drama picks up a decade later in 1983. It's the height of the Cold War and tensions between the United States and the USSR are at their peak. Ronald Reagan is president and the greater ambitions of science and space exploration are at threat of being squandered as the US and Soviets go head-to-head to control sites rich in resources on the moon. The Department of Defense has moved into Mission Control, and the militarization of NASA becomes central to several characters' stories: some fight it, some use it as an opportunity to advance their own interests, and some find themselves at the height of a conflict that may lead to nuclear war.
There are 10 episodes of the show in the second season and there are several new cast members including Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña, and Casey W. Johnson, who will join the season one cast that includes Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, and Jodi Balfour.
MacRumors graphics designer Ryan Barrieau has mocked up all 25 possible combinations, providing a helpful look at the various options. While many of the colors do not look great together, there are a few combinations that may prove to be popular, such as space gray AirPods Max with red cushions or sky blue AirPods Max with silver cushions.
AirPods Max are available to order starting today, with delivery estimates for some colors already slipping into 2021. The replacement ear cushions are currently listed as "coming soon" on Apple's online store, with no specific release date provided.
The design of AirPods Max includes a meshed headband, stainless steel frame, and memory foam ear cups. Apple says the headband is designed to distribute weight and reduce on-head pressure. Like the Apple Watch, the AirPods Max have a Digital Crown for volume control, audio playback, answering or ending phone calls, and activating Siri.
While early rumors suggested that AirPods Max would be bidirectional, the headphones have dedicated left and right ear cups after all.
AirPods Max will begin arriving to customers on December 15. For more details about the headphones, read our announcement coverage.
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of upcoming iOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3 updates to developers and public beta testers, one week after releasing the third betas and a month after the launch of iOS and iPadOS 14.2.
iOS and iPadOS 14.3 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed. Public beta testers will need the proper profile from Apple's beta testing website.
The iOS 14.3 update brings the ProRAW format to the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max. ProRAW is designed for those who prefer to shoot in RAW but also want to take advantage of the Apple image pipeline data like noise reduction and multi-frame exposure adjustments.
The ProRAW feature can be enabled in the Camera section of the Settings app for those who have installed the iOS 14.3 beta on a new iPhone 12 Pro or Pro Max. When enabled, there's a RAW toggle in the upper right side of the camera app that can be tapped to turn it off or on. Photos taken with ProRAW are 25MB in size.
Ecosia, a search engine that plants trees when people conduct searches, can now be set as the default search engine on iPhone and iPad, and the update adds support for the AirPods Max headphones that were announced today.
Code in iOS 14.3 suggests Apple is laying the groundwork to add support for third-party item trackers and Bluetooth devices in the Find My app, allowing these devices to be tracked right alongside iPhones and iPads. It's not yet clear which items will support the feature or when support will roll out, but we could be hearing additional information soon.
In iOS 14.3, it's easier than ever to launch apps with custom icons right from the Home Screen, which is great for those who prefer to customize their Home Screens.
When opening an app that has a custom icon created using Shortcuts, it is no longer routed through the Shortcuts app and is instead able to open much more quickly. There's still a banner that pops up, but it's a more streamlined experience than before.
iOS 14.3 will introduce support for Apple Fitness+, Apple's upcoming fitness service that will work with the Apple Watch, plus it brings a new Cardio Fitness feature that lets you know if your VO2Max levels are low. VO2Max is a useful measurement of overall fitness and heart health.
Other new features include pregnancy data in the Health app, third-party app suggestions at setup in certain countries, support for scanning App Clips QR codes with the camera app, an option to update HomeKit products with the Home app, and more, with Apple's full release notes below.
Apple Fitness+ - A new fitness experience powered by Apple Watch with studio-style workouts available on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV (Apple Watch Series 3 and later) - New Fitness app on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV to browse Fitness+ workouts, trainers, and personalized recommendations - Video workouts added each week in ten popular workout types: High Intensity Interval Training, Indoor Cycling, Yoga, Core, Strength, Dance, Rowing, Treadmill Walking, Treadmill Running, and Mindful Cooldown - Playlists curated by Fitness+ trainers to complement your workout - Fitness+ subscription available in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and United States
AirPods Max Support for AirPods Max, new over-ear headphones - High fidelity audio for rich sound - Adaptive EQ adapts sound in real time to the personal fit of ear cushions - Active Noise Cancellation to block out environmental noise - Transparency mode to hear the environment around you - Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for a theater-like listening experience
Photos - Apple ProRAW photos can be captured on iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max - Apple ProRAW photos can be edited in the Photos app - Option to record video at 25 fps - Mirror the front facing camera for still photos on iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X
Privacy - New privacy information section on App Store pages that includes a developer-reported summary of the app’s privacy practices
TV app - An all-new Apple TV+ tab makes it easy to discover and watch Apple Original shows and movies - Enhanced search so you can browse by category such as genre, and see recent searches and suggestions as you type - Top search results shown with the most relevant matches across movies, TV shows, cast, channels, and sports
App Clips - Support for launching App Clips by scanning Apple-designed App Clip Codes via Camera or from Control Center
Health - Ability to indicate pregnancy, lactation, or contraceptive use in Cycle Tracking in the Health app in order to better manage period and fertile window predictions
Weather - Air quality data is now available in Weather, Maps, and Siri for locations in China mainland - Air quality health recommendations are provided in Weather and Siri for the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, and Mexico at certain air quality levels - Air quality data in Weather, Maps, and Siri reflects updated national scales for Germany and Mexico
Safari Ecosia search engine option in Safari
This release also addresses the following issues: - Some MMS messages may not be received - Contact groups failed to display members when composing a message - Some videos would not appear correctly when shared from the Photos app - App folders may fail to open - Spotlight search results, and opening apps from Spotlight may not work - Bluetooth could be unavailable in Settings - MagSafe Duo Charger could wirelessly charge your iPhone at less than the maximum power - Wireless accessories and peripherals using the WAC protocol could fail to complete setup - The keyboard would dismiss when adding a list in Reminders while using VoiceOver Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
iOS 14.3 is set to be released on Monday, December 14, which is also the day that Apple Fitness+ is coming out.
Apple today seeded RC version of an upcoming watchOS 7.2 beta to developers for testing purposes, one week after the release of the third beta and a month after the launch of watchOS 7.1.
To install the watchOS 7.2 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7.2 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
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.
watchOS 7.2 adds a Cardio Fitness feature for the Apple Watch, and Apple says that the cardio fitness metric are a "strong indicator of overall health." The feature measures VO2 max, or the maximum amount of oxygen that your body is able to consume during exercise. Measurements are done over time, and the Apple Watch and iPhone are able to send notifications to let you know about fluctuations in your VO2 max.
Cardio Fitness can be accessed through a new trend that's been added to the Activity app, and it can be set up in the Health app on iPhone. Cardio fitness levels are available for users age 20 and above, and are estimated by age.
Cardio Fitness information will vary based on age and sex, and will be categorized into one of four ranges: high, above average, below average, or low. Notifications will let you know if your cardio fitness is at a low level, providing motivation to move more. Apple Watch has previously been able to measure VO2Max, but the new feature includes support for lower ranges that have needed clinical testing in the past.
watchOS 7.2 also includes support for Apple Fitness+, Apple's newest streaming service. The update is set to come out on Monday, December 14, which is also the Fitness+ release date.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 14.3 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after the release of the third beta.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the tvOS 14.3 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
Other than new releases, tvOS updates are often minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. There's no word yet on what's included in tvOS 14.3 update, but we'll update this article should anything new be found.
Though we don't often know what's new in tvOS during the beta testing process, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download it upon release.
The Circle View Doorbell includes Logitech's "TrueView" video technology with a 160º field of view, head-to-toe HD video quality, HDR, and color night vision. As a wired doorbell, the Circle View connects to your existing doorbell setup, including indoor chime modules.
While Robin's ProLine Doorbell was the first doorbell to support HomeKit Secure Video, that's a professional-level doorbell priced in excess of $500, so Logitech's Circle View is really the first HomeKit Secure Video doorbell aimed at consumers.
HomeKit Secure Video gives you 10 days of iCloud-stored footage that doesn't count against your iCloud limits, although you need to have at least a 200GB iCloud plan to support one camera or a 2TB iCloud plan to support up to five cameras.
HomeKit Secure Video also gives you private video analysis that occurs directly on your Apple device rather than on cloud servers, as well as full encryption before anything is sent to iCloud. It also integrates with people tags from the Photos app in order to identify who is at your door.
Apple today introduced new wireless over-ear headphones called AirPods Max, and delivery estimates have already slipped into 2021 on Apple.com.
AirPods Max in all five color options, including space gray, silver, green, sky blue, and pink, are now estimated for delivery in 12-14 weeks. While the estimates could change at any time, this means the AirPods Max are currently backordered until March. (Oddly enough, faster shipping remains available with engraving, while supplies last.)
AirPods Max feature a meshed headband with a stainless steel frame that connects to memory foam ear cups. Apple says the headband is designed to distribute weight and reduce on-head pressure. Like the Apple Watch, the AirPods Max have a Digital Crown for volume control, audio playback, answering or ending phone calls, and activating Siri. There is also a noise control button for switching between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.
AirPods Max feature a 40-mm Apple-designed dynamic driver that is said to provide "rich, deep bass, accurate mid-ranges, and crisp, clean high-frequency extension." Each ear cup is equipped with Apple's H1 chip for "computational audio" to deliver the "highest quality listening experience possible," according to Apple.
AirPods Max feature up to 20 hours of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation and spatial audio enabled, and a five-minute charge delivers 1.5 hours of listening time.
The ear cushions for AirPods Max attach magnetically and replacement cushions are available on the Apple Store in a variety of colors.
A pair of replacement cushions retails for $69. Apple revealed a first look at the magnetically-attachable ear cushions in its introduction video shared earlier today:
While Apple has not advertised the ability to interchange ear cushions as a customization feature, it seems that users will be able to choose whatever color they like for the replacement cushions.
The replacement ear cushions are available in Silver, Black, Green, Sky Blue, and Red. Curiously, the ear cushions for the Pink AirPods Max are marked as Red cushions, while all of the other cushions match the colors of the AirPods Max exactly.
The item is currently unavailable on the Apple Store, but will likely be released soon.
WhatsApp is protesting Apple's requirement that developers submit information about what user data they collect to create new privacy labels on the App Store (via Axios).
