MacRumors

One of the main complaints about the prior-generation iPad mini 6 was "jelly scrolling" or screen tearing, and it sounds like it's a problem that Apple may have addressed with hardware updates to the iPad mini 7 display.

In the most recent episode of the Six Colors Podcast, Jason Snell and Dan Moren discussed the new ‌iPad mini 7‌, and shared some information about the display. Snell said that it was his understanding that there have been unspecified adjustments to the display hardware in the ‌iPad mini 7‌ that should make a difference when it comes to jelly scrolling.

Snell didn't provide a source, but his information likely comes directly from Apple. There is only an "implication" that the changes were to fix jelly scrolling, however, and Snell made it clear that because no one has seen the ‌iPad mini 7‌ as of yet, there's no concrete information. "My guess is it's different," he said. "And maybe better. And maybe gone."

Jelly scrolling is a display issue that causes text or images on one side of the display to be out of sync with the other side. The result is text or images that can appear to be tilted downward because of a screen refresh rate mismatch, and for some people, once you've noticed the problem, it's hard to ignore.

‌iPad mini‌ 6 owners started noticing jelly scrolling in portrait mode on the device shortly after it launched in 2021. Some users were not bothered by the effect, while others said that it was irritating to look at and could cause eye strain.

Most if not all ‌iPad mini‌ 6 units seemed to be impacted, but the degree of impact varied from user to user due to different tolerances for screen tearing. The effect likely impacted prior iPads, but it seemed to be more noticeable in the ‌iPad mini‌ 6.

‌iPad mini 7‌ rumors suggested that Apple would rotate the screen assembly in order to cut down on jelly scrolling, so it's possible Apple has done something like that to minimize the issue in the seventh-generation model.

The ‌iPad mini 7‌ is available for pre-order and is set to launch on Wednesday, October 23. Once the tablet is available, users will be able to see for themselves whether jelly scrolling has been addressed, and an iFixit teardown will provide insight into any hardware changes. We'll also likely get reviews before the ‌iPad mini 7‌ models launch, so we could have a more firm answer on the jelly scrolling question in a matter of days.

This week's best deals included record low prices on Apple accessories like the Magic Keyboard for the M4 iPad Pro, as well as discounts on a few Apple Watch models. We're also still tracking great deals on Anker and Jackery accessories as we head into the weekend.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Apple Accessories

• What's the deal? Save on Apple's first party accessories
• Where can I get it? Amazon
  

• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

This week we tracked a few deals on Apple's Magic Keyboards for iPad and the new MagSafe Charger. Although some of these have since expired, you can still get all-time low prices on both Magic Keyboards for the M4 iPad Pro, and the 2-meter MagSafe Charger.

Anker

• What's the deal? Take 20% off Anker accessories
• Where can I get it? Anker
  

• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Our Anker partnership continued this week, giving our readers an exclusive 20 percent discount on Anker's best chargers, portable batteries, and more. You'll need to enter the code akmacrumors20ch at checkout to see the discount, and can find more information about what accessories work with the code in our original post.

Samsung Monitors

• What's the deal? Take up to $780 off Samsung monitors
• Where can I get it? Amazon

Samsung's popular 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 (Model M80D) is down to $399.99 on Amazon, down from $699.99. This is the newest model of the Smart Monitor M8, and this is an overall second-best price, coming just $20 higher when compared to the Prime Day price. Amazon also has a the 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Monitor for $819.98, down from $1,599.99, and this one is an all-time low price.

Apple Watch

• What's the deal? Take up to $64 off Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 10
• Where can I get it? Amazon
  

• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon hosted a few low prices on the Apple Watch Series 10 this week, with solid markdowns on both the 42mm and 46mm GPS models still available. You can also get the Ultra 2 in Black for a second-best price on Amazon.

Jackery

• What's the deal? Save on Jackery portable power stations
• Where can I get it? Amazon
  

• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Jackery's best portable power stations and accessories hit low prices on Amazon this week, with up to $900 off select devices. We've compiled the full list of accessories on sale below, and note that you'll only need to clip an on-page coupon for one of the discounts.

• Explorer 100 Plus with Solar Panel - $179.00, down from $229.00
• Solar Generator with Mini Solar Panel - $269.00, down from $349.00
• Solar Generator 300 Plus - $419.00, down from $499.00
• Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station - $459.00 with on-page coupon, down from $799.00
• Explorer 500 - $502.99, down from $799.00
• Explorer 3000 Pro Generator - $1,899.00, down from $2,799.00

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

While the iPhone 17 Pro models are still nearly a year away from launching, analyst Jeff Pu has already outlined his expectations for the devices.

In a research note with investment bank Haitong International this week, Pu reiterated his previous claim that both the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a 48-megapixel Telephoto rear camera and a 24-megapixel front camera. Both the Telephoto and front cameras shoot at 12 megapixels on iPhone 16 Pro models.

He also expects the iPhone 17 Pro models to be equipped with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB in iPhone 16 Pro models. This increase in memory would contribute to improved performance for Apple Intelligence and multitasking.

The analyst continues to believe that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a "much narrowed Dynamic Island," as a result of the device adopting a smaller "metalens" for the Face ID system. This would be the first size reduction for the Dynamic Island since it debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in 2022.

Pu outlined a few less-surprising details that are apparently planned for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, including unchanged 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes for the devices, respectively. He also expects the devices to have an A19 Pro chip manufactured with TSMC's same 3nm process as used for the A18 Pro chip.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 Pro models in September 2025, alongside a regular iPhone 17 and an all-new, slimmer "iPhone 17 Air."

In recent months, several credible sources have claimed that Apple plans to release a redesigned, significantly thinner iPhone 17 model next year. The device's name is not yet known, so we are referring to it as the "iPhone 17 Air" for now.

There have been conflicting rumors about the design and specifications for the device, but most sources have agreed that it will have around a 6.6-inch display. In July, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects the device to have a standard A19 chip, a Dynamic Island, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G modem.

In a research note this week with investment bank Haitong International, analyst Jeff Pu agreed that the slim iPhone 17 model will have a 6.6-inch display, and an A19 chip manufactured with TSMC's same 3nm process that is used for the A18 Pro chip. He also expects the device to feature an aluminum frame, Face ID, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, a 24-megapixel front camera, and 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence.

Pu expects the slim iPhone 17 model to have a noticeable new design compared to previous iPhone models. He said the device will be a mid-tier iPhone that replaces the Plus model, as he does not expect an iPhone 17 Plus in next year's lineup.

Apple will likely unveil the "iPhone 17 Air" in September 2025, so the device is still far away from launching, and some features could change over time.

Pu has proven to be a mostly-accurate source of info for upcoming Apple products.

For Formula 1 fans, there's a new app called Lapz that is designed to provide an immersive F1 experience on the Apple Vision Pro headset. Users can watch multiple race feeds from different angles, see stats, and view a 3D version of the track that has icons that show where each driver is located in the race.

Different windows can be arranged in the virtual space around the Vision Pro wearer for a customizable experience focusing on what's most important to each user.

The app was created in part by John LePore, who created a concept of an interactive experience back in 2018, and won second place in the F1 Innovation Prize contest that year. What was then just a concept is now a functional app that only became possible after Apple launched the Vision Pro. LePore is also known for working with Marvel Studios to create futuristic interfaces and gadgets for movies like Iron Man and Black Panther.

Forbes highlighted a demonstration video from a Vision Pro user, and called the app "the best reason yet to buy a Vision Pro."

Lapz is available as a TestFlight beta right now, and those who want to try out the app can sign up for the TestFlight on the Lapz website.

Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming visionOS 2.1 update to developers for testing purposes. The sixth beta comes just days after Apple released the fifth beta.

visionOS 2.1 can be installed by going to the Software Update section of the Settings app on the Vision Pro and opting into Beta Updates.

No major new features have been found in visionOS 2.1, though there are likely minor feature changes and bug fixes that we'll learn about when release notes become available.

visionOS 2.1 is expected to see a launch alongside iOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 on Monday, October 28.

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the new iPad mini 7, Apple Intelligence and Genmoji, and the chances of an October Apple event to introduce M4 Macs.

Apple this week announced the seventh-generation iPad mini. Key upgrades include the A17 Pro chip, Smart HDR 4 and a new True Tone flash, a faster USB-C port, Apple Pencil Pro and ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover support, a 512GB storage option, and support for ‌Apple Intelligence‌. We discuss our initial thoughts on the product refresh, the significance of the upgrades, and who should consider buying the new device.

• iPad Mini 6 vs. iPad Mini 7 Buyer's Guide: 20+ Upgrades Compared

With ‌Apple Intelligence‌ being a tentpole feature of the new ‌iPad mini‌, we ponder on whether ‌Genmoji‌ will actually be a popular feature among users when it eventually debuts. Finally, with the first of Apple's October product releases taking place via press release, we appraise whether the next expected products, which include new MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini models, will follow suit. Until now, reports suggested that there would be an October Apple event to unveil the new devices before their debut in early November.

The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips:

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about the unprecedented leak of Apple's M4 MacBook Pro models and the company's rumored move to more staggered hardware and software releases.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

Best Buy today introduced new all-time low prices on a few models of the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro exclusively for members. Non-members can still find solid second-best prices on these computers, but My Best Buy Plus/Total members can get an extra $200 off select notebooks this week.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The highlights of the sale include the 8GB/1TB 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro for $1,299.00, down from $1,799.00, and the 16GB/1TB model for $1,499.00, down from $1,999.00. Both of these represent $500 discounts and are new record low prices for each model.

If you're shopping for the bigger model, the steepest discount at Best Buy is on the 48GB/1TB M3 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, available for $3,299.00 for members, down from $3,999.00. In addition to this model, Best Buy has every other 16-inch M3 MacBook Pro on sale right now for solid second-best prices.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Apple at some point in the past week or so discontinued the Powerbeats Pro, around five and a half years after the wireless earbuds launched.

Powerbeats Pro are a sportier, fitness-focused alternative to AirPods Pro with built-in, adjustable ear hooks for a secure fit. Key features of the original Powerbeats Pro include the H1 chip that debuted in the AirPods 2, IPX4-rated sweat and water resistance, up to nine hours of battery life, and silicone ear tips with four size options.

In a short teaser video last month, Apple revealed that it will be launching new Powerbeats Pro 2 next year. The earbuds look similar to the original Powerbeats Pro, but they have a more vertical, slimmer design. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris later discovered iOS 18 code revealing that the Powerbeats Pro 2 will feature heart rate monitoring during workouts, and gain support for Active Noise Cancellation, Spatial Audio, and Adaptive Audio.

The leaked iOS 18 code also revealed new orange, purple, black, and beige color options for the Powerbeats Pro 2 and their charging case.

Based on other recent Beats headphones, other potential upgrades for the Powerbeats Pro 2 include improved sound quality, longer battery life, a USB-C charging case, and improved cross-platform compatibility with Android features like Find My Device.

Apple did not reveal a specific release date in 2025 for the Powerbeats Pro 2.

The rumored heart rate monitoring feature has also been rumored for the AirPods Pro in the past, so perhaps the feature will extend to the AirPods Pro 3.

Just like iPhone 16 models, the new iPad mini is likely to launch without Apple Intelligence, but the features should be available on the device soon.

Geekbench results for the iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip list the device as running iPadOS 18.0, instead of iPadOS 18.1 with Apple Intelligence.

Last month, a private account on social media platform X with a proven track record of sharing upcoming iOS versions mentioned a special build of iPadOS 18.0 for the iPad mini 7, and it appears that the device will indeed come preinstalled with iPadOS 18.0 out of the box when it begins arriving to customers on Wednesday, October 23.

Fortunately, new iPad mini owners shouldn't have to wait too long for Apple Intelligence. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week reiterated his expectation that iPadOS 18.1 will be released on Monday, October 28, so Apple Intelligence should be available on the new iPad mini merely five days after the device launches.

Apple's press release for the new iPad mini had already mentioned that the first Apple Intelligence features would be available on the device starting with an iPadOS 18.1 software update this month, and now the situation is fully clear.

The first Apple Intelligence features include writing tools, notification summaries, and more.

The seventh-generation iPad mini has now appeared on Geekbench, confirming that it has 8GB of memory and revealing how the 5-core GPU version of the A17 Pro chip performs.

The new ‌iPad mini‌, identified as iPad 16,2 on the Geekbench database, includes the same A17 Pro SoC first introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro series last year. The six-core chip is clocked at 3.78 GHz, which matches the iPhone version, but with a key distinction—a five-core GPU, which is one core less than the version found in the ‌iPhone‌. This suggests that the iPad mini 7's A17 Pro chip is likely a "binned" version.

The new ‌iPad mini‌'s Geekbench scores reveal a range between 2,710 and 2,840 in single-core performance and 6,274 to 6,982 in multi-core performance, positioning it slightly below the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro in both metrics. For comparison, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro's A17 Pro typically scores around 2,888 in single-core and 7,169 in multi-core tests.

Nonetheless, the benchmarks confirm that the new ‌iPad mini‌ offers a substantial performance upgrade over its predecessor. The sixth-generation ‌iPad mini‌ from 2021 achieved approximate single-core scores of 2,121 and multi-core scores of 5,367.

	Chip	GPU cores	Memory	Single-Core CPU Score	Multi-Core CPU Score	Metal GPU Score
‌iPad mini‌ 6 (2021)	A15 Bionic	5	4GB	2,121	5,367	19,486
‌iPad mini 7‌ (2024)	A17 Pro	5	8GB	2,840	6,982	25,895
‌iPhone 15‌ Pro (2023)	A17 Pro	6	8GB	2,888	7,169	27,144

The Geekbench listings also confirm the seventh-generation ‌iPad mini‌'s adoption of 8GB of memory. While this was expected due to Apple Intelligence's 8GB memory, it was not actually known until now. The previous-generation ‌iPad mini‌ featured just 4GB of memory, marking a substantial upgrade on the latest device.

Some iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro users have been experiencing excessive and unexplainable battery drain, according to complaints on Reddit, the Apple Support Communities, and the MacRumors forums. While many of the reports are from ‌iPhone 16‌ users, older iPhones running iOS 18 may also be experiencing battery life issues.

There is a long-running ‌iOS 18‌ battery life complaint thread on MacRumors that was started while the update was still in beta, but there have been a fresh wave of complaints following ‌iOS 18‌'s launch and the debut of the ‌iPhone 16‌ models.

Affected ‌iPhone 16‌ owners have seen significant battery drain even when the iPhone is not in use. From MacRumors reader T1aaj:

Yes I own the 16 pro and battery life goes down to almost 60% from 100% halfway through the day, through no heavy use. Definitely needs to be fixed, should've kept my 15 pro!

From JulianL:

I'm getting horrible battery life with my new 16 Pro Max. I upgraded from a 15 Pro Max - upgraded to iOS 18 and with battery health of 99% when I sold it. With Apple quoting better battery life spec for the 16 I was excited to see how much more run time I would get. The answer? I now get 50 to 60% of time between charges vs what I got with my 1 year old 15 Pro Max. Really disappointing. All Settings the same including background refresh globally disabled, screen max refresh set to 60Hz and data locked to 4G (because for my use I see absolutely no difference in how my phone functions when I set all those settings so I might as well set them for optimal battery life). I got my 16PM on launch day so it's 19 days old now; any early days indexing and other background setup stuff should be well and truly over by now.

In some cases, much of the battery drain happens in standby mode when the ‌iPhone‌ isn't in use, suggesting a background activity could be causing problems for some users. Using the phone seems to cut the battery drain in these instances.

From huanbrother:

The 16 Pro has horrible standby battery life when sleeping (it is not connected to my Apple Watch), and as you can see from the graph, it runs background activities like crazy. But, guess what, I turned off AOD(but this shouldn't be the case when in sleep mode it was off anyways) and turned on frame limit in accessibility (not low power mode) to turn off ProMotion, boom, the background craze disappeared! However, the battery drain wasn't fixed, 4hours and 20minutes it drained 11%, from 70% to 59%.

From kirbysmartdawg:

Clearly, something isn't right on Apple's end. The idle battery drain is excessive. This morning, I unplugged my phone at 9 a.m., and it held at 95% (my charging limit) for only 20 minutes before starting to drop rapidly. Every five minutes, I lost a percentage until I finally picked it up to use it. Now it seems to have stabilized a bit, but I'm really puzzled by this behavior.

There are similar complaints about the ‌iPhone 16‌ models and older iPhones running ‌iOS 18‌ on Reddit, and while we always see reports of battery life issues when a new version of iOS comes out, there seems to be a definite uptick in the number of people having problems.

From Reddit user Ok-Interest-6561:

I upgraded from my iPhone 12 and got new 16 Pro. I upgraded mostly because of battery and speaker issues but I observed that even though 16 has "better battery" and more battery life, it drains around 10-15% overnight doing nothing just laying on my bedside table.

On Reddit, one user did an experiment with an ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and an ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, and claimed to have used both in the same way. The ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ dropped to 58 percent battery life within 36 hours, while the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro was at 85 percent.

Battery drainage issues are difficult to diagnose because ‌iPhone‌ usage habits vary so much from person to person and from day to day. Impacted users have tried turning off ProMotion, disabling the Always On display, turning off background app refresh, removing widgets, turning off cellular, and entirely resetting their iPhones. Some people have seen improvement with some of these methods, but not all have, and the battery life issues persist for many despite troubleshooting.

Some users reported improvement with iOS 18.0.1 and the iOS 18.1 beta, but software updates have not worked for everyone. It is not clear exactly what's going on to impact battery, but it's sounding like there is an underlying bug that Apple will need to fix in a future ‌iOS 18‌ update.

Apple is working behind the scenes to get ready to add new Apple Intelligence features to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15. We'll get the first set in the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS 15.1 updates, but Apple is preparing for the next batch, too.

In backend code, MacRumors has discovered new references to Siri's ChatGPT integration as Apple prepares to implement ChatGPT support. ‌Siri‌ code mentions options for ChatGPT-generated text and ChatGPT-generated images, two features that Apple plans to implement soon.

ChatGPT integration with ‌Siri‌ was announced as part of the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ feature set highlighted at the Worldwide Developers Conference, and it is functionality that Apple plans to introduce before the end of the year. ChatGPT integration is not in the current software that Apple is testing, but we are expecting it to come in iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2.

Mentions of ‌Siri‌ with ChatGPT integration first surfaced earlier in October, and we've also seen references to Visual Intelligence, another AI feature that Apple is working on. The separate mentions of images and text are new today, and it's clear that Apple is continuing behind-the-scenes work to get these features ready for launch.

With ChatGPT integration, when users ask ‌Siri‌ a complicated question that the personal assistant is unable to handle, ‌Siri‌ will suggest handing the query off to ChatGPT. ChatGPT will provide relevant information, which will be relayed through ‌Siri‌.

ChatGPT will be able to generate both text and images, and while ‌Apple Intelligence‌ includes some of this functionality, ChatGPT is more advanced. Apple's Writing Tools, for example, can offer spelling and grammar assistance or change the tone of something that's already written, while ChatGPT will be able to generate text from scratch with a simple prompt.

Image Playground and Genmoji will allow for the creation of cartoon-like images and custom emoji, but ChatGPT's image generation features will be able to be used for more realistic images. ‌Siri‌ will reference the latest GPT-4o model, and ChatGPT integration will be free with no account creation required. Apple and OpenAI will not store ChatGPT requests made from Apple devices, and IP addresses will be hidden.

As for ‌Visual Intelligence‌, it is an iPhone 16 feature that uses the Camera Control button. ‌iPhone 16‌ users will be able to point their camera at objects or locations around them, with the iPhone providing information about what's being viewed when the Camera Control button is pressed and held.

iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1 are expected to see a release on Monday, October 28, and we'll likely get the first betas of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.2 shortly after. If testing follows other .2 updates, the software will be released at some point in December.

Along with ChatGPT integration and ‌Visual Intelligence‌, iOS 18.2 could bring support for the ‌Image Playground‌ image generation feature, ‌Genmoji‌, and Image Wand, a Notes app feature for generating images from text or basic drawings.

Apple TV+ today announced it has partnered with Major League Baseball and Imagine Documentaries on a three-part documentary that will offer "behind-the-scenes coverage" of the upcoming 2024 World Series. Production on the currently-untitled docuseries is already underway, but a release date has yet to be disclosed.

Apple said the docuseries will explore the "dramatic, high-stakes world" of the World Series and each team's battle to win the championship, and offer interviews with players and their family members, coaches, fans, and journalists. New York Yankees legend and five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter will serve as an executive producer.

The 2024 World Series is expected to begin in late October, but the two teams who will compete for the championship have yet to be determined. In the American League Championship Series, the New York Yankees have a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the best-of-seven series. In the National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 2-1 advantage over the New York Mets in that best-of-seven series. The winning teams in those series will face each other in the World Series.

Apple TV+ has been the home of MLB's "Friday Night Baseball" for three consecutive seasons, and the service has also offered documentaries about the NFL's New England Patriots, NBA star Stephen Curry, Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi, and more.

As Apple celebrates the 10th anniversary of Apple Pay, ‌Apple Pay‌ and Apple Wallet chief Jennifer Bailey today did an interview with The Points Guy, providing some insight into current and future Apple Pay-related features like car key and ID integration in the Wallet app.

‌Apple Pay‌ wasn't an immediate hit with consumers, but Bailey said that Apple "worked really hard" to establish a "great customer experience" over the last decade. As mobile payments via ‌Apple Pay‌ have become widely available and more well-known, Apple and Bailey are focusing on expanding the capabilities of the Wallet app to make it more useful.

Back in 2020, Apple introduced support for car key, an implementation of the Digital Key standard that uses NFC. The feature is designed to allow iPhone and Apple Watch users to store a key for a compatible vehicle in the Wallet app, and multiple manufacturers have implemented support. Apple is working with more than 30 car manufacturers on car keys.

As support for car keys expands, Bailey sees a future where digital keys are available for rentals.

Being able to book a car rental, confirm your authentication and identity ... you can imagine that a car rental company is going to issue you a digital key, and that key could be used to unlock and use a car.

Some hotel chains have already implemented support for accessing a hotel room with a key stored in Wallet, so it's not hard to imagine this kind of functionality also expanding to cars at some point.

‌Apple Pay‌'s transit usage is "just fantastic," according to Bailey, and "people absolutely love it." Apple in 2022 launched Wallet support for Digital IDs and driver's licenses, and while that's taken some time to take off, Bailey is confident adoption will pick up because the option for a digital ID is "really profound."

It'll be a long-term journey like we had with Apple Pay. It's helping states understand how our approach is privacy-protected and highly secure, how we don't have the data, and how we don't keep any association with where you're presenting your ID.

Bailey told The Points Guy that Apple is only at the beginning of its "long-term vision to replace the wallet," but the core ‌Apple Pay‌ technology that kicked off the effort "is perfect."

Apple today reminded developers that the EU trader requirement in the European Union is now being enforced. Developers who distribute apps in the EU will now need to share information that includes address, phone number, and email address on the EU App Store.

Submitting updates for apps on the ‌App Store‌ in the European Union now requires trader information that's added via ‌App Store‌ Connect, with those details shared on each developer's ‌App Store‌ page. App updates can no longer be submitted without trader information, and starting on February 17, 2025, apps that do not have a trader status set will be removed from the ‌App Store‌ in the EU until trader status is provided and verified.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) in the European Union requires Apple to verify and display trader contact information for all "traders" who are distributing apps on the ‌App Store‌ in the European Union. Developers who make money from the ‌App Store‌ through either an upfront purchase price or through in-app purchases are considered traders, regardless of size.

Contact information for each developer that is considered a trader will be publicly available, and there will undoubtedly be some developers that are unhappy with the requirement. Independent developers and small companies may not have dedicated business addresses and phone numbers to provide, and will likely be reluctant to provide their personal contact information.

Apple warned developers about the upcoming trader status requirement earlier this year. As of now, trader information has to be provided before an app can be submitted for review.

Displaying trader status is a Digital Services Act requirement in the European Union, which means Apple has to implement the feature. Developer contact information will be displayed on the ‌App Store‌ product page when an app is distributed in any of the 27 territories in the EU.

More information on determining who is a trader and who needs to provide contact details can be found on Apple's website.

Apple today introduced a new feature that allows all artists to create Apple Music playlists based on their concert set lists. The playlists will appear on the artist's page in Apple Music, on their concert page in Shazam, and in Spotlight Search on iOS.

The feature is built into the Apple Music for Artists tool.

"Turn a set list from your latest show into a playlist on Apple Music for Artists on the web," said Apple, in a blog post explaining how artists can use the feature. "Share your Set List playlist with fans on Apple Music and social media to promote upcoming tour dates, let fans relive your concerts, and connect with listeners."

Apple Music has already featured more than 450 set lists for popular artists like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, and Post Malone since last year, and now all artists can create set list playlists to promote their past or upcoming concerts.

More details are available on the Apple Music for Artists website.

Apple this week began selling certified refurbished 2022 iPad Pro and iPad Air models through its online store in additional countries, including France, Germany, Japan, and the UK. Availability in the U.S. and Canada began last month.

The fourth-generation 11-inch iPad Pro with the M2 chip, sixth-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the M2 chip, and fifth-generation iPad Air with the M1 chip are each available in a variety of storage capacities and color options. The refurbished models are discounted by approximately 15% compared to the original pricing of these iPads.

Apple first introduced this particular iPad Air model in March 2022, and the iPad Pro models followed in October of that year.

Apple says its refurbished iPads include a new battery and outer shell, a new white box, and all manuals and accessories, including a USB-C charging cable and power adapter. Apple says it puts refurbished devices through a "thorough cleaning process and inspection," and it performs full functionality testing to ensure there are no defective units.

All refurbished iPads are covered by Apple's one-year limited warranty and 14-day return policy, and eligible for AppleCare+ coverage.

While some savings can be had here, these are obviously two-year-old iPad models with fewer remaining years of iPadOS support. There are often better deals available for newer-generation iPads on Amazon that are brand new in the box.