MacRumors

Popular Meta-owned messaging app WhatsApp today announced a new transcription feature that's designed to provide you with a transcript of a voice message received from a friend or family member.

WhatsApp says that voice message transcripts are designed for instances when you're in a loud place and can't stop to listen to a traditional voice message. Transcripts are created on-device, are end-to-end encrypted, and aren't shared with WhatsApp.

WhatsApp users can go to Settings > Chats > Voice Message Transcripts to turn transcriptions on and off and to select a preferred transcript language. A voice message can be transcribed by long pressing on it and tapping on the "transcribe" option.

The voice message transcript feature has been available to WhatsApp beta testers for months now, but it is now ready to start rolling out to all users. WhatsApp says that it will be coming to users worldwide "over the coming weeks." A few select languages will be available at first, including English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian, but more will be added in the future.

Apple today announced that Billie Eilish has been named Apple Music's Artist of the Year in 2024 for her "extraordinary impact" throughout the year.

Eilish receives a physical Apple Music Award featuring a custom 12-inch silicon wafer.

"Since day one, Apple Music has supported my music and artistry, and I am both honored and humbled to receive this recognition as Artist of the Year this many years into my career," said Eilish. Apple featured Eilish's music in its 2018 holiday season ad when she was just 16 years old, and Apple TV+ released a documentary about her in 2021.

Eilish released her third full-length studio album this year, called "HIT ME HARD AND SOFT," and Apple describes it as the "best music of her career." The album reached the number-one spot on Apple Music's all-genre albums chart in 138 countries worldwide.

In addition, her soundtrack "What Was I Made For?" from the Barbie film won a GRAMMY Award for Song of the Year this year.

The 22-year-old singer-songwriter was also named Apple Music's Artist of the Year in 2019. She is the first artist to win the award twice.

Anker today kicked off its big Black Friday sale, which is set to run through December 9. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more.

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

There are a few bonus offers during this event as well, including free gifts with orders over certain spending thresholds. If you spend $89 or more, you'll get a cable worth $11.99; if you spend $129 or more, you'll get a battery worth $25.99; and if you spend $169 or more, you'll get a wireless accessory worth $39.99.

Anker has also brought back its popular mystery box surprises this year. The mystery boxes are available in tiers: if you buy the $29.99 box, you'll have a chance to get a piece of gear worth $39.99 - $199.99. There's also a $49.99 box and a $79.99 box, with increasingly higher-priced products available in each.

Finally, it's worth noting that MacRumors readers can still get 20 percent off Anker accessories through the end of the year. Anker's current Black Friday event beats this discount most of the time, but if you find a product not on sale it will be worth entering our code at checkout.

In order to get this deal, head to Anker's website and add an accessory to your cart, then enter the code akmacrumors20ch at checkout to see the discount. Our exclusive 20 percent off code works on most accessories sitewide, including Anker's new line of MagSafe-compatible products. Our code does not stack with any existing offers, including the Black Friday deals.

Prime Chargers

• Prime USB-C to USB-C Cable - $25.99, down from $34.99
• Prime Charger (200W, 6 Ports) - $55.99, down from $84.99
• Prime Charger (100W, 3 Ports) - $45.99, down from $84.99
• Prime Power Bank - $53.99, down from $89.99
• Prime Charging Station (8-in-1) - $98.99, down from $164.99
• Prime Charger (250W, 6 Ports, GaNPrime) - $109.99, down from $169.99
• Prime Power Bank 27,650 mAh - $129.99, down from $179.99
• Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1) - $174.99, down from $249.99

Wireless Chargers

• MagGo 3-in-1 Foldable Wireless Charging Station - $62.99, down from $89.99
• MagGo Wireless Charger Stand - $28.80, down from $35.99
• MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand - $35.99, down from $49.99
• MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Dock Stand - $37.49, down from $49.99
• 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe - $103.99, down from $129.99

Power Banks

• MagGo Power Bank 10,000 mAh - $51.99, down from $69.99
• MagGo Power Bank for Apple Watch - $54.99, down from $79.99

Accessories

• MagGo USB-C Adapter - $22.99, down from $34.99

We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.

Well-known Apple accessory maker Satechi today previewed a hub for the new Mac mini that will enhance the computer in a variety of ways.

First, the hub adds three USB-A ports to the Mac mini, after Apple went all-in on USB-C and Thunderbolt ports on the latest models.

Second, the hub gives the Mac mini an SD card slot, which is something it otherwise lacks. Just like on the Mac Studio, it is a front-facing slot.

Third, the hub includes an NVMe enclosure that allows you to add an SSD with up to 4TB of storage to the Mac mini. This can both expand the Mac mini's storage and allow you to avoid Apple's expensive storage upgrade prices.

The hub is made out of aluminum and looks similar to the Mac mini. Satechi ensures that the hub will not impact airflow or Wi-Fi connectivity.

Satechi has yet to announce pricing for the hub, and availability in the U.S. does not begin until spring 2025. In an email, a spokesperson said there will also be a version of the hub without an NVMe enclosure. According to the product page, those who sign up for email updates will receive 20% off the price of the hub when it is released.

Sonos today kicked off its annual Black Friday sale, and this year you'll find up to 40 percent off the company's most popular devices. This includes the new Sonos Ace headphones, Arc soundbar, Roam 2 portable speaker, and more.

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

All discounts in this sale have been automatically applied, so you don't need to enter a coupon code in order to see the final sale prices. We've collected all of the deals in the list below, but you can also find a few bundle discounts on sale on the Sonos website.

• Ace Headphones - $349, down from $449
• Arc Soundbar - $699, down from $899
• Beam (Gen 2) Soundbar - $369, down from $499
• Ray Soundbar - $169, down from $279
• Era 100 Speaker - $199, down from $249
• Era 300 Speaker - $359, down from $449
• Roam 2 Portable Speaker - $139, down from $179
• Move 2 Portable Speaker - $359, down from $449
• Sub Mini - $343, down from $429
• Sub 4 - $679, down from $799

We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.

We're just over one week away from Black Friday, and today big discounts have hit the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra 2 on Amazon. You'll find $80 off select configurations of each device, with prices starting at just $169.00 for the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE, an all-time low price.

Apple Watch SE

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.

Amazon also has the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE on sale for $199.00, another $80 discount and record low price for the wearable. You can get both cellular devices on sale as well, including the 40mm cellular SE at $219.00 and the 44mm cellular at $249.00, again both $80 discounts and best-ever prices.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

For the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Amazon has multiple models at $719.00, down from $799.00. This sale includes both the new Black color and the Natural color as well, and for the 2024 models this is a new all-time low price on the wearable.

We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.

In March, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and 16 states filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company has an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market with the iPhone and the device's locked-down ecosystem.

The lawsuit accuses Apple of broad anticompetitive conduct that affects everything from web browsers and messaging to apps and digital payments. According to the DOJ, Apple has made it harder for consumers to switch between smartphone platforms, blocked the development of cloud-based streaming apps, made the cross-platform messaging experience worse, limited the functionality of third-party smartwatches paired to the iPhone, prevented third-party apps from offering tap-to-pay functionality, and more.

Some of Apple's policy changes this year have already negated some of these claims. In January, the company started allowing cloud-based game streaming apps on the App Store worldwide. And in August, it opened up the iPhone's NFC chip used by Apple Pay to third-party developers in the U.S. and select other countries.

In a New Jersey federal court on Wednesday, lawyers representing Apple argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed, claiming that the DOJ has failed to plausibly allege that the company has monopoly power in the smartphone market and that consumers were harmed. Judge Julien Neals said that he hopes to make a ruling by January.

"We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it," said Apple, when the lawsuit was filed earlier this year.

A motion to dismiss is a fairly common step in lawsuits, and it is likely that the case will proceed to trial, although some of the claims could potentially be amended or dismissed. In all likelihood, the U.S. v. Apple trial will drag on for years to come.

Read our U.S. v. Apple guide for more details about the lawsuit.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Amazon today has the USB-C AirPods Max on sale for $499.99 in four colors, down from $549.00. This early Black Friday deal is a solid price on the 2024 headphones, and only a few dollars different when compared with the previous record low price.

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

Colors available on sale include Blue, Midnight, Orange, and Starlight. Most models can be delivered as soon as tomorrow for Prime members, or by Tuesday, November 26 for everyone else. You also won't need to clip any coupons for this sale as the deal has been applied automatically.

We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has finalized a new rule that will bring Apple Pay and other major digital wallet services under the same oversight as banks.

The CFPB today announced that, effective 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register, digital payment platforms processing over 50 million annual transactions in U.S. dollars will be subject to federal supervision. ‌Apple Pay‌ is one of the most widely used digital wallets in the United States and falls squarely within this threshold.

The new rule will grant the CFPB powers to proactively examine ‌Apple Pay‌'s compliance with federal consumer financial laws, including privacy protection, fraud prevention, and account stability. The CFPB has highlighted privacy concerns, fraud risks, disruption caused by account closures, and consumer protection as key areas of focus in its supervision.

While the CFPB already had some enforcement authority over ‌Apple Pay‌, it previously relied on responding to violations or direct consumer complaints. The new regulation enables direct and ongoing scrutiny of internal operations, just like the oversight banks and credit unions face. Apple has not yet commented regarding the CFPB's finalized rule, but it did participate in the agency's consultation process, which considered input from stakeholders and financial technology companies.

The CFPB's move reflects a broader global trend toward regulating big tech's involvement in financial services. European regulators have similarly scrutinized ‌Apple Pay‌, including its restriction of near-field communication (NFC) to its devices, which raised antitrust concerns. In the United States, the CFPB's decision is part of an effort to ensure that tech companies offering financial services comply with the same rules as traditional institutions.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2 in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and others. During the event, customers can get an Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible product.

In the U.S., for instance, Apple is including gift cards worth between $25 and $200 with the purchase of an eligible iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods, Beats headphones and speakers, and select accessories. Apple's terms and conditions provide a complete breakdown of gift card values and other details.

We have also listed the gift card values in the U.S. below.

$25 Apple Gift Card:

• iPhone SE
• AirPods 4
• AirPods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation
• Apple TV 4K
• Apple Pencil Pro
• Apple Pencil 2
• Beats Solo Buds
• Beats Flex
• Beats Pill
• Magic Keyboards and Folios for iPads

$50 Apple Gift Card:

• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPad 10
• Apple Watch SE
• AirPods Pro 2
• HomePod
• Beats Studio Pro
• Beats Solo 4 Wireless
• Beats Fit Pro
• Beats Studio Buds+

$75 Apple Gift Card:

• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPad Air
• AirPods Max

$100 Apple Gift Card:

• iPad Pro

$150 Apple Gift Card:

• 13-inch MacBook Air (M2)

$175 Apple Gift Card:

• 13-inch MacBook Air (M3)

$200 Apple Gift Card:

• 15-inch MacBook Air (M3)

Apple is not offering gift cards for any other products, including the new MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac models unveiled last month.

The offers will be available on Apple's online store, in the Apple Store app, and at physical Apple Store locations. As usual, refurbished products are not eligible for a gift card, and the offer cannot be combined with educational pricing.

Black Friday is one of the few occasions per year when Apple directly offers deals on its products, but better deals are often available through resellers like Amazon, so make sure to check out our Black Friday roundup for the latest discounts on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple TV, accessories, and more.

Apple's all-in-one gift card can be used towards the purchase of products, subscription-based services like Apple Music and Apple TV+, App Store apps, iTunes Store content like TV shows and movies, iCloud+ storage, and more.

When Apple released iOS 18 in September, it introduced an overhauled Photos app, dropping on users the biggest change to photo management on iPhone since the app's introduction. MacRumors forums users have been particularly vocal about the redesign – some have praised the AI features, but others have called for a return to the simpler interface of iOS 17.

The company has made much of Apple Intelligence, so it's no wonder that at the center of Apple's overhaul is an attempt to leverage AI and machine learning to simplify photo organization while introducing a more modern aesthetic. The major changes include a unified scrollable interface that replaces the traditional tab system, smart collections that automatically group photos by occasions like "Recent Days" and "Trips," and significantly enhanced search capabilities that understand natural language queries.

• How to Navigate the Redesigned Photos App
• How to Use Natural Language Search in Photos

Photos Redesign Draws Common Criticisms

These changes are supposed to accurately represent Apple's vision for a more intelligent photo management system, but reception remains decidedly mixed. Many users have found the transition jarring, with several recurring complaints emerging across social media and Apple community feedback:

• A cluttered interface that makes finding specific photos difficult
• Confusion from redundant auto-generated albums and collections
• Photos and videos no longer defaulting to full-screen viewing mode
• Removal of traditional navigation tabs like "Library" and "Albums"
• Overemphasis on AI features at the expense of simple organization

In response to both pre- and post-release feedback, Apple has implemented several updates through iOS 18 betas and point releases. For example, the company removed the controversial Carousel feature that displayed daily highlights, reintroduced the familiar pinch-to-zoom navigational gesture, and will soon improve the video player interface by removing the borders during playback. But is it enough?

• How to Customize and Reorder the Photos App

The Photos app represents one of the most significant overhauls to a core iOS app in recent years. Some argue it was a step in the right direction, but others see it as a regressive move prompted by Apple's rivals offering more and more AI-oriented photography features. We'd love to hear your thoughts on the Photos app redesign. Barring a complete reversion back to the original interface, what features would you like to see Apple add or remove in future updates?

Apple's base model iPhones have collectively accounted for 42% of its smartphone sales this year, but iPhone Pro Max devices stand as the best-selling individual model, according to new data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

The report reveals an interesting sales distribution across Apple's iPhone lineup, but the data needs to be interpreted carefully owing to Apple's tiered product strategy. That's because the company sells several generations of base model iPhones simultaneously at different price points, but it only ever offers a single (current) generation of Pro and Pro Max models.

In effect, this means the base model's 42% share represents combined sales across multiple iPhone generations.

Looking at individual models, the iPhone Pro Max captures 26% of sales, followed by the Pro at 19% and Plus models at 13%. The Plus model's performance is particularly notable given that it replaced the smaller iPhone mini in 2022 and has since exceeded its predecessor's market share.

Also notable is that the findings demonstrate a clear shift in consumer preferences toward larger displays. When Apple introduced its first Plus-sized iPhone in 2014, the iPhone 6 Plus, many questioned whether consumers would embrace larger phones. And yet today, the combined share of Plus and Pro Max models accounts for 39% of iPhone sales.

CIRP's analysis also highlights the financial impact of larger models. Both Plus and Pro Max variants contribute significantly to iPhone's average selling price and gross margins, commanding higher prices than their standard-sized counterparts despite sharing similar internal components. Note that these figures exclude sales of Apple's entry-level iPhone SE.

The findings suggest Apple has successfully diversified its iPhone lineup to appeal to different user preferences and price points, while maintaining strong sales across all size categories. As CIRP puts it, Apple's "jumbo phone experiment" has turned out to be a success. However, where Apple's rumored slimmer but not necessarily bigger iPhone 17 "Air" model will fit into this strategy next year remains to be seen.

Amazon today announced the launch of two new Echo Show devices, both of which have large displays. The Echo Show 15 has a 15-inch display and is a replacement for the original Echo Show 15, while the even bigger Echo Show 21 has a 21-inch display. For those unfamiliar with the Echo Show, it is Amazon's smart home control device, serving as a way to control smart home products.

According to Amazon, the Echo Show 21 has nearly double the viewing area of the Echo Show 15. Like other Echo Show products, it can be used for video calls, watching videos, accessing news, managing family calendars, controlling smart home products, viewing photos, and more.

The Amazon Echo Show is compatible with Matter as a controller, and it can connect directly to Wi-Fi, Thread, and Zigbee devices. Amazon's personal assistant, Alexa, is also included for voice-based smart home controls.

Amazon has been making various Echo Show devices for quite some time, and next year, Apple plans to offer a competing product. Apple's smart home "command center" is expected to feature many of the same capabilities as the Echo Show.

It will include a camera for FaceTime, plus it will control HomeKit and Matter devices. Internal speakers will allow for playing music, and it will have Apple apps like Calendar, Photos, Apple News, Apple Music, and Notes. The device won't be as big as Amazon's Echo Show, though, with Apple planning for a six-inch square display.

The upcoming Apple smart home device will have integrated Siri support with Apple Intelligence, and it will have a customizable home screen with widgets that can show things like the weather, upcoming appointments, and important home controls. Built-in sensors will be able to tell when a person is near, and Apple plans to offer both desktop and wall mounting solutions. Multiple hubs could be used throughout the home as intercoms as well.

It's not clear how Apple plans to price the home hub, but Amazon's Echo Show 15 costs $300, and the Echo Show 21 costs $400. Smaller versions are priced as low as $90.

U.S. carrier T-Mobile recently managed to thwart a major network breach before customers were impacted, reports Bloomberg. Hackers were able to get into edge-routing infrastructure, breaching a router owned and operated by T-Mobile.

T-Mobile was able to detect the suspicious activity, blocking hackers from further accessing its systems. There were apparently attempts at getting deeper into the T-Mobile network, but T-Mobile was able to catch the intrusion early so no customer data was compromised. Bloomberg says that people familiar with the situation have confirmed that T-Mobile knows how its network was breached and the access point has been fixed.

It is not clear when the hack covered in Bloomberg's article took place, nor who perpetrated the attack.

In recent weeks, Chinese state-sponsored hackers breached multiple telecommunications companies to access smartphones owned by U.S. politicians. On November 15, T-Mobile did confirm that its systems were accessed by the Chinese hackers, but said that it had seen no "significant impacts to T-Mobile systems or data" and had "no evidence of impacts to or exfiltration of any customer information."

Back in 2021, T-Mobile suffered a major data breach that saw attackers access data from more than 50 million users. Data obtained included names, phone numbers, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, driver's license and ID info, IMEI numbers, and IMSI numbers, and hackers put it all up for sale.

At the time, T-Mobile pledged to bolster security with a multi-year investment and long-term partnerships with cybersecurity experts at Mandiant.

The 2021 hack ended up costing T-Mobile $60 million after it was fined by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) for failing to prevent or disclose unauthorized access to sensitive customer data.

Facebook today announced several updates for its Messenger platform, introducing Siri call integration, new AI features, support for HD video calls, and audio and video voice messages.

iPhone users can now ask ‌Siri‌ to make a call or send a message through the Messenger app. "Hey ‌Siri‌, send a message to [person] on Messenger" will now work for hands-free calls. This is a feature that Apple has offered for some time, but Messenger did not support it until now.

Facebook is also adding audio and video voice messages, mirroring a FaceTime feature that Apple introduced with iOS 17. Messenger users can leave audio or voice messages when a Messenger call isn't picked up.

Messenger now supports HD video calls, background noise suppression, and voice isolation for clearer call quality when using Messenger. HD is enabled by default for calls made on Wi-Fi, and it can be added for cellular calls as well in the Messenger settings.

In the near future, Messenger will support AI backgrounds in Messenger video calls. Creating a personalized AI background can be done by tapping on the effects icon in the sidebar of a video call and choosing the "Backgrounds" option.

More information about the new Messenger announcements can be found on Facebook's website.

2024 is quickly coming to a close, but Apple still has some software updates and other remaining items on its agenda to get through. Below, we outline some of the key things to expect from Apple through the remainder of the year.

Apple's four-day Black Friday-Cyber Monday offer should return next week. In the U.S. last year, Apple offered up to a $200 gift card with select products. Keep track of our own Black Friday deals roundup for more savings on Apple products.

Apple previously announced that iOS 18.2 will be released in December. More specifically, we recently reported that the update will likely be released on Monday, December 9. Other updates should be released at the same time, including iPadOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, watchOS 11.2, tvOS 18.2, visionOS 2.2, and HomePod Software 18.2.

iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 introduce additional Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji for generating custom emoji, Image Playground for generating images, and ChatGPT integration for Siri. There is also a new Visual Intelligence feature on all iPhone 16 models that can provide information about things in your surroundings. For example, if you point your iPhone's camera at a restaurant, you will be provided with its operating hours and reviews. Apple Intelligence requires an iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16, an iPad with an M-series chip or A17 Pro chip, or a Mac with an M-series chip.

On the iPhone XS and newer, iOS 18.2 also adds a new default apps section in the Settings app, an item location sharing feature in the Find My app, and more.

For the Apple TV, tvOS 18.2 adds a Snoopy screen saver and ultra-wide 21:9 projector support.

visionOS 2.2 adds an ultra-wide mode to Mac Virtual Display, the feature that lets you use the Apple Vision Pro as an external monitor for a Mac. Apple says this is equivalent to using two physical 5K displays sitting side by side on a desk.

After those updates are released, the next wave of betas should follow in December. That should include iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, watchOS 11.3, tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3, and HomePod Software 18.3. Apple's point-three updates are typically minor in scale relative to other versions, and there is a pause in beta releases during the holiday season. These updates will likely be released to the public in January.

The first vehicles with next-generation CarPlay could be released before the end of the year, if Apple meets the 2024 timeframe stated on its website. It has been nearly two and a half years since Apple first previewed next-generation CarPlay at WWDC 2022, so it has been a long wait. Apple has continued to prepare for next-generation CarPlay within iOS 18.2 code. For more details about next-generation CarPlay features, read our previous story.

Apple recently revealed the most popular podcasts of 2024, and Apple Music has some Best of 2024 playlists. Expect year-end charts and award winners for apps, books, and more soon, along with Apple Music's annual Artist of the Year selection. Of course, there could always be a surprise announcement or two in store through the end of the year.

We're ramping up to big Black Friday deals next week, but you can still find all-time low prices on multiple products right now. Today we've already covered great discounts on M3 MacBook Air, M4 MacBook Pro, and Apple Watch Series 10, and now Amazon has a new record low price on the 10th generation iPad.

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

The 64GB Wi-Fi iPad has hit $279.99 on Amazon, down from $349.00. This is the best price we've ever tracked on Amazon for the tablet, and it's available in all four colors.

Amazon also has the 256GB Wi-Fi model for the best-ever price of $429.99 ($69 off), and both cellular tablets are on sale as well. The 64GB cellular is down to $449.00 ($50 off) and the 256GB cellular tablet is available for $579.00 ($70 off). Color options for the cellular models are a bit more sparse as of writing.

We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.

As spotted by Mohammad Aldarawish and others, the upcoming iOS 18.2 and watchOS 11.2 updates add new "All Rings Closed" activity awards for the Apple Watch.

Apple Watch users can earn these awards for closing all three Move, Exercise, and Stand/Roll rings for 100 days, 365 days, 500 days, and 1,000 days, and at every 250-day interval above 1,000 days. One person showed off an impressive 3,250-day award, and tomorrow will be the 3,500-day mark since the Apple Watch launched in 2015, so anyone with a perfect track record of closing their rings should unlock that one very shortly.

The awards are applied retroactively as necessary, with past dates of completion shown in the Awards section of the Fitness app on the iPhone.

iOS 18.2 and watchOS 11.2 are currently in beta testing. The software updates are expected to be released to the public in early December.