Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 11.4 update to its public beta testing group, one day after seeding the beta to developers and a little under a week after releasing iOS 11.3, the last major update to the iOS 11 operating system.
Beta testers who are members of Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 11.3 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.
Those who want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas. iOS betas are not always stable and should not be installed on a primary device.
iOS 11.4 is going to look a lot like iOS 11.3 because several features that were removed from iOS 11.3 ahead of its release have been re-introduced in iOS 11.4.
The update includes support for AirPlay 2 features, allowing you to play the same song on multiple devices and adding the Apple TV to the Home app, plus it offers Messages on iCloud.
Messages on iCloud was present throughout the iOS 11.3 beta testing period, but it did not make it into release. The feature is designed to let you store your iMessages in iCloud, syncing them across devices and saving valuable storage space.
Stereo sound in HomePod is also an available feature, but it is not functional at this time as Apple has not provided the 11.4 HomePod software to developers or public beta testers.
The Weeknd's new single "Call Out My Name" was streamed 6 million times in its first 24 hours of release on Apple Music last Friday, March 30. As a comparison, Apple Music's streams of the song nearly doubled Spotify's 3.5 million streams in the same 24-hour period.
As reported by The Verge today, Apple Music's numbers on the new song are impressive given the context of Spotify's advertising push for The Weeknd's new album "My Dear Melancholy." On Friday, Spotify debuted two exclusive videos from the album, one of which was for "Call Out My Name." The Weeknd also tagged Spotify in multiple Instagram posts focusing on the new videos after the album dropped.
Still, Apple Music beat out Spotify for the single's streams on Friday, and in total Apple's service managed over 26 million streams for the full My Dear Melancholy album.
Apple Music has seemingly cracked the streaming formula when it comes to hip-hop and R&B, despite a sizable disadvantage in users compared to Spotify. While Apple Music isn’t the dominant service when it comes to subscribers, it’s quickly becoming the leader when it comes to engagement — at least when it comes to the world’s biggest genre — and that can’t be overlooked.
In March 2017, Drake's "More Life" album streamed 29 million more times on Apple Music than on Spotify in its first 24 hours of launch. Later in the fall, Post Malone dropped his single "Rockstar" and quickly broke Apple Music records with over 25 million streams in one week, grabbing 56 percent of the first week streams of the song in the United States.
At the time, Apple Music head of artist curation Carl Chery said that the company repeatedly wins the streaming game on songs like "Rockstar" because it's "ahead of the curve on them."
“A lot of times on those records where we outperform is because we’re ahead of the curve on them, Chery says.” Chery told me he heard "Rockstar" before it was released and knew immediately that it would be a hit, allowing Apple to move fast and add it to the relevant playlists in the first week. “And to a point, Apple Music becomes the destination where people want to hear that particular record,” Chery said.
In terms of paying subscribers, Apple Music had 38 million worldwide as of March 2018, and Spotify had 71 million as of February 2018. Spotify also has a free, ad-supported tier, giving it over 159 million listeners overall around the world.
The latest addition to Apple Music launched last week in the form of an overhauled music videos section, where subscribers can stream continuous video playlists, watch exclusive videos, and browse a deep back catalog of video content.
Update: Spotify now claims that streams of "Call Out My Name" reached 7.5 million in its first 24 hours of release, while the full "My Dear Melancholy" album was streamed 29 million times, surpassing Apple Music on both counts. The Verge asked The Weeknd's label, Republic Records, for the single's streaming numbers again, but instead of the previous 3.5 million number, the label said it was streamed 6.5 million times on Friday, which is still one million less than Spotify's claims. It remains unclear which number is accurate.
Ahead of the 2018 NAB media trade show, which starts on April 7, Adobe today announced its traditional spring update with new updates for several Creative Cloud apps, including Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Character Animator.
Adobe's aim in 2018 is to introduce new tools and improvements to allow its customers to streamline their workflows to save time.
"The demands and pace of video content creation are reaching levels we've never seen before. The time pressure on video professionals means the need for powerful and efficient creative tools has never been greater," said Steven Warner, vice president of digital video and audio at Adobe. "Adobe video apps like Premiere Pro and After Effects give them that power which, combined with the services available in Creative Cloud, provide broadcasters, media companies, filmmakers and YouTubers a complete ecosystem to bring their stories to screen faster than ever."
In Premiere Pro CC, Adobe's video editing software for professionals, Adobe has introduced a Color Match feature, powered by its artificial intelligence engine Adobe Sensei. Color Match is able to take the color and light values from a reference image and then apply them as editable color adjustments to the current shot, all while intelligently adjusting for skin tones.
With Color Match, it takes just a few clicks and adjustments to match the colors of various video clips. For broadcast-quality content, the Video Limiter ensures color grading meets broadcast standards.
In the Essential Graphics panel, there are new tools for animating text and graphics, along with Auto Ducking improvements that are part of the Essential Sound panel and new options for tracking time codes with a Time Code panel.
There are new integrations between Premiere Pro and Audition, with Adobe introducing the ability to open Premiere Pro projects in Audition to select specific sequences you want to work on. A new Track panel has been added to allow users to better manage their projects, and Clip Spotting updates video previews in Audition in real-time.
Adobe After Effects CC, designed for motion graphics, offers a Master Properties option for seeding individual values to all versions of a composition, plus there's a new Advanced Puppet Engine for smoother, more realistic object movement. Adobe's data-driven animation tools have also been improved with support for spreadsheet files like .CSV and .TSV.
Adobe Immersive Environment, which now includes support for the Windows Mixed Reality Platform, is available in After Effects CC, allowing users to preview VR content with a new immersive workflow.
Character Animator has gained improvements that make it faster to create new characters than ever before with a new option to drag layers from the Puppet panel into the Triggers panel to refine existing behaviors or create new ones.
All of Adobe's Creative Cloud updates will be available starting today, with additional information on what's new available on Adobe's site. Adobe's Creative Cloud plans, which cover the complete range of Adobe CC software, start at $49.99 per month.
Apple this week updated its Apple Music Android app with the revamped music videos section that launched on iOS and macOS devices late last week.
Announced earlier in 2018, Apple Music's new music videos section provides access to a wider variety of both classic and brand-new videos, exclusive videos from artists like Kylie Minogue, and full video playlists that let subscribers stream music videos back-to-back without ads. Similar to the non-video section, there are curated playlists for topics like The Beats 1 Video List and Today's Video Hits, but users can also create their own custom playlists of music videos.
WHAT'S NEW: Apple Music now includes a new music video experience. Find what’s new and popular in Music Videos within Browse, and play videos back-to-back with exclusive music video playlists.
The new Android update comes about a month after the last one, which also focused on music videos. Instead of major changes, the March version update introduced the ability for users to watch music videos in fullscreen or inside Now Playing, so that the music continued playing while browsing other parts of the app. About a year ago, Apple introduced major design changes to the Android app that more closely resembled the look of the Music app on iOS devices.
The most notable new chip is the first-ever Core i9 processor for notebooks. With six cores and 12 threads, Intel says the Core i9 is the highest-performance notebook processor it has ever designed. The H-series processor has a 2.9GHz base clock speed with a Turbo Boost frequency of up to 4.8GHz.
Given the Core i9 is a 45W chip, it is appropriate for the high-end 15-inch MacBook Pro and could be included in a refreshed version of the notebook as early as this year. Apple last updated the MacBook Pro lineup with Kaby Lake processors at WWDC in June 2017, so a Core i9 model could debut at WWDC 2018.
Of note, while the Core i9 processor allows for systems with up to 32GB of RAM, this is unlikely to apply to the next MacBook Pro, since low-power DDR4 RAM is still not supported. Back in 2016, Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller said 32GB of standard DDR4 RAM would compromise battery life.
The eighth-generation Core processor family also includes new quad-core Core i5 and Core i7 processors with base clock speeds between 2.3GHz and 2.7GHz and integrated Iris Plus graphics. These 28W chips, part of the U-series, are suitable for future 13-inch MacBook Pro and Mac mini models.
Intel says the new Core i9, i7, and i5 processors for notebooks are based on its Coffee Lake platform and leverage its 14nm++ manufacturing process, enabling the chips to deliver up to 41 percent more frames per second in gameplay or edit 4K video up to 59 percent faster than the previous generation with the same discrete graphics, based on its internal benchmark testing.
As with Intel's Kaby Lake Refresh processors introduced last August, these new Coffee Lake chips pave the way for a quad-core 13-inch MacBook Pro should Apple choose to release one. The current lineup is limited to dual-core models.
Intel also expanded its lineup of eighth-generation Core processors for desktops today after an initial rollout last October. Two chips suitable for future 4K and 5K standard iMac models include six-core Core i5-8600 and Core i5-8500 chips with base clock speeds of 3.1GHz and 3.0GHz respectively.
The desktop lineup also includes six lower-power 35W chips with four or six cores and base clock speeds between 2.1GHz and 3.2GHz. While the current Mac mini lineup uses 28W chips, previous generations have used up to 45W chips, so the 35W processors could be suitable for future Mac mini models.
All in all, Intel has potentially laid the groundwork for a high-performance, top-of-the-line 15-inch MacBook Pro, quad-core 13-inch MacBook Pro models, a long-overdue Mac mini refresh, and updated iMacs as early as this year.
Looking further ahead, Bloomberg News on Monday reported that Apple plans to design and use its own processors for Macs starting as early as 2020. Intel shares saw their biggest price drop in two years following the report.
In February, Apple updated its website with a new section explaining the advantages of closing the Apple Watch's three Activity rings. At the same time, the company kicked off an internal challenge for its employees that tasked them with closing their Move, Exercise, and Stand rings every day for the entire month.
Those who managed this feat have now begun receiving their rewards, and posting shots of the loot on Reddit. Included in the gift is a card that congratulates employees on achieving their personal Activity ring goals for an entire month, along with an exclusive all-black Woven Nylon band that has a hint of the Activity ring's blue/green/red color scheme on the band fastener.
This was the second "Close Your Rings" fitness challenge for company employees, with the rewards last year including an Activity rings pin and a matching T-shirt. For the 2018 challenge, eBay users have already begun taking advantage of the Woven Nylon band's exclusive status, with Buy-it-Now prices going as high as $250-$350 at the time of writing. Apple sells Woven Nylon bands for $50.
Besides internal challenges, Apple frequently launches public Activity challenges on Apple Watch, with recent ones focused on International Women's Day, Heart Month, and the New Year.
iFixit today published its teardown of Apple's sixth-generation, education-focused iPad and found that -- unsurprisingly -- the tablet shares many of the internals of the fifth-gen iPad. The teardown crew also looked at the new iPad's potential for durability and repairability in an education environment by comparing it to competitors in the field.
Images via iFixit
The new iPad's lack of waterproofing, non-replaceable charging port, zero upgradeability, and use of glue throughout the internals added up to a "repair nightmare." iFixit then pointed towards the HP Elite x2 1012 G1 tablet, which got a perfect repairability score of 10 out of 10, summarizing that "Apple's 'education' iPad is still a case of won't — not can't."
Looking into the iPad's internals, the two major updates in the new tablet are an upgraded A10 processor and Broadcom chips for Apple Pencil support. iFixit got a peek inside the iPad using Creative Electron's X-ray imaging software, discovering "only minor differences" when compared to a similar X-ray of the previous iPad.
One of the iPad's advantages in terms of repairability comes in the form of its digitizer panel easily separating from the display. iFixit pointed out that in the event that either component should break, repair will be easier for schools and educators.
In the education space, Apple has some stiff competition in the form of low-cost, Google-powered laptops. How does this iPad, er, stack up against a Chromebook from HP or Asus? Given that schoolkids can be a bit rough on their electronics, here's an iFixit take on it:
iPad's glued-glass display is more vulnerable to drops. Thankfully, this is the one iPad that retains an air-gapped digitizer panel—not as visually impressive as other recent iPads, but it's much cheaper to replace cracked glass that isn't LOCA-bonded to the display panel underneath. Separate accessories like the keyboard and Pencil add to the cost and are easier to lose—but are also easier to replace if damaged. (Note the missing key on our HP's keyboard.)
Eventually, iFixit got down to the logic board and discovered the iPad's A10 Fusion processor and two Broadcom touch screen controller chips, previously found in the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. iFixit theorized that the new iPad's Apple Pencil support "comes in part thanks to this "Pro"-grade chip."
The sixth-gen iPad has the same battery as the previous model, with 32.9 Wh capacity. iFixit noted that while this allows Apple to reuse existing manufacturing lines to reduce waste, the battery is still locked behind a "repair-impeding adhesive" that greatly reduced the iPad's repairability score. Apple has provided easy battery removal before, in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but iFixit hasn't seen anything like it since.
Ultimately, iFixit gave the 2018 iPad a repairability score of 2 out of 10, favoring the fairly easy repair options of its air-gapped, non-fused display and digitizer glass, but taking marks off for its heavy use of adhesive and sticky tape. To read the full teardown, visit iFixit.com.
Snapchat today announced that users on iOS and Android will soon be able to begin group video chats with up to 16 friends at once. The feature's addition comes about two years after Snapchat first introduced video and voice chat in spring 2016.
To start a group video chat, users will need to enter an existing group chat -- or create a new one -- and then tap the video icon. This will notify every group member that the other people in the chat are joining in on a group video call, and as they join their name bubble will light up above the keyboard to confirm they're on the call.
For bigger groups, Snapchat said that up to 32 people will be able to join a group voice chat, but video chat will be capped at 16 members. If someone wants to join the video call but doesn't want to use their camera, they'll be able to choose a chat entry option that only uses their voice, and toggle between video and voice when they're ready. For those using the camera, Snapchat's usual face lenses will be available for members to use as they chat with friends and family members.
In addition to group video chat, Snapchat revealed that stories will be getting the ability to add in @ mentions in the new update. This way, users can tag friends in any snap they add to their story and then viewers looking at the story will be able to swipe up to watch the tagged friend's public story and see an option to add them as a friend. Users will get notified in chat when someone tags them in a story.
The new features will begin rolling out to all Snapchat users worldwide over the next few weeks.
Apple has plans in place to develop MicroLED panels for both small-size and large-size devices, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) providing support for producing smaller form factor applications, which could include future Apple Watch models and AR wearables, according to DigiTimes senior analyst Luke Lin.
Apple is working with TSMC to develop micro LED panels on silicon-based backplanes for use in the Apple Watch and an augmented reality (AR) wearable device, Lin noted.
MicroLED panels use different light-emitting compounds than the current OLED displays and should help to make future devices slimmer, brighter, and less power-hungry. Citing sources in the upstream supply chain, Lin claims Apple is preparing two sizes of MicroLED panel for small devices. They are said to include a 1.3 to 1.4-inch panel for future Apple Watch iterations and a 0.7 to 0.8-inch panel for an AR wearable device, potentially AR glasses.
Lin also believes Apple is working on developing large-size MicroLED panels on TFT-based backplates for use in products much larger than those in its current MacBook lineup, although he offered no specifics on what they might be.
Based on Lin's sources, the MicroLED panel destined for a future Apple Watch may enter mass production in the second half on 2018 or in 2019, which would suggest its use in Series 4 or 5 models. The large-size panel could see production in 2019 or later, while the panel for the AR device is yet to have a production schedule, according to the analyst.
The cost of the new MicroLED panels are said to be 400-600 percent higher than OLED panels used in the current Apple Watch. As such, Lin believes Apple will initially only use the MicroLED panel in future "top-of-the-line" versions of Apple Watch, although whether that refers specifically to iterations of the Apple Watch Edition remains unclear.
Apple is understood to own a manufacturing facility in Santa Clara, California, where it is designing and producing test samples of its own MicroLED displays, with a view to eventually replacing largely Samsung-made OLED displays currently used across its product range.
Apple's interest in the technology was revealed in its acquisition of MicroLED firm LuxVue back in 2014 and previous reports have also claimed Apple will introduce MicroLED technology in the Apple Watch first, with some rumors pointing to that happening as soon as this year.
However, Bloomberg believes that it will likely be a few years before Apple's MicroLED displays will appear in shipping products – perhaps two years for the Apple Watch and three to five years for the iPhone.
Apple today updated its investor relations page to announce that it will share its earnings results for the second fiscal quarter (first calendar quarter) of 2018 on Tuesday, May 1.
The earnings release will provide a look at sales of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X following its record January quarter that saw the company sell 77.3 million iPhones.
Apple's guidance for the second fiscal quarter includes expected revenue of $60 to $62 billion and gross margin between 38 and 38.5 percent. Apple will beat its Q2 2017 earnings results based on those guidance numbers.
Apple's quarterly earnings statement will be released at 1:30 p.m. Pacific/4:30 p.m. Eastern, with a conference call to discuss the report taking place at 2:00 p.m. Pacific/5:00 p.m. Eastern. MacRumors will provide coverage of both the earnings release and conference call on May 1.
Apple's March event, held last week, focused on a new sixth-generation iPad aimed at the educational market. The device, which went on sale following the event and became available in retail stores on Friday, is an upgraded version of the fifth-generation iPad with one important new feature - support for the Apple Pencil.
We picked up one of Apple's new $329 tablets over the weekend and tested it out to give MacRumors readers considering a purchase a closer look at the new device.
Design wise, the sixth-generation iPad doesn't look any different from the fifth-generation iPad. It's the same thickness as the original iPad Air (aka thicker than the iPad Pro and the iPad Air 2), and it has the same non-laminated display to keep costs down.
That display is equipped with a new touch sensor, though, which enables it to work with the $99 Apple Pencil. Using the Apple Pencil on the new iPad is essentially identical to using it on an iPad Pro, with the accessory offering a smooth writing experience with no jitters or lag.
Inside, the new iPad is equipped with an A10 Fusion processor, which isn't quite as powerful as the processor in the iPad Pro, Apple's flagship tablet, but it's a solid improvement over the A9 in the fifth-generation model. This is the same processor that's in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and it's going to be viable for apps and games for several years to come.
Compared to the iPad Pro, the new iPad has a lower-quality display and lower-quality cameras (8MP vs 12MP at rear, 1.2MP vs 7MP in front) along with the slower processor, but if you don't need those features, the sixth-generation iPad is a fantastic tablet for its price point and an affordable way to get a device with Apple Pencil support.
Apple plans to discount the sixth-generation iPad to $299 for schools, which will make it an attractive option. The Apple Pencil will be available for $89, and Logitech also plans to sell a lower-cost Apple Pencil-style stylus called Crayon to schools for $49.
For more information on the new iPad, including a comparison chart that pits it against the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and the fifth-generation iPad, make sure to check out our dedicated iPad roundup.
In addition to our standalone articles covering the latest news and rumors at MacRumors, this Quick Takes column provides a bite-sized recap of other headlines about Apple and its competitors on weekdays.
Pssst! Can you keep a secret? Cool new Apple products are coming and WebKit needs your help to take full advantage of the [redacted]. The WebKit Platform Integration team is waiting to hear from you! https://t.co/lEHK68DWZi
— WebKit (@webkit) April 2, 2018
What Apple's education announcements mean for accessibility: Accessibility expert and former special educator Steven Aquino believes that an iPad is far superior to a Chromebook in many levels of special education. Nevertheless, he feels there is enormous potential for Apple to go further. For example, he says Apple could broaden its new Schoolwork app to incorporate Individualized Education Programs.
Red-colored iPhones may still be coming: On March 21, 2017, Apple unveiled a special (PRODUCT)RED edition of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Rumor has it Apple may do so again this year with the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and/or iPhone X at some point this month.
Same and still "unverified" source "confirms" new red colored #iPhone(s) is on his way and may be released this month...
— Steve H. (@OnLeaks) April 1, 2018
We have become aware that installing macOS release version 10.13.4 will cause DisplayLink connected displays to go blank after the OS upgrade, with the current DisplayLink driver [4.1] installed. Functionality such as Ethernet and audio, where implemented, is unaffected. We have alerted Apple to this issue and are working hard to find a resolution. These features continue to work as expected in macOS 10.13.3.
Chrome Remote Desktop and Hotels.com apps optimized for iPhone X display: The updates are available from the App Store. The wait continues for a handful of other popular apps, including Inbox by Gmail, Google Authenticator, iMovie, and Amazon Alexa.
Over the past few months, DirecTV Now have been offering a great deal for anyone interested in the Apple TV 4K. The offer stipulates that when new subscribers prepay for three months of DirecTV Now at $105, they can get a 32GB Apple TV 4K at no additional cost. It was believed that the company would remove the deal at the end of March -- or revert back to the original offer to prepay for four months at $140 -- but now that a new month has rolled around it appears that the offer should be available through the end of April.
DirecTV Now introduced this new, lower-cost offer back in February and it has remained the best sale price for a brand-new 32GB Apple TV 4K since then. Although eBay and retailers like Adorama and B&H Photo sometimes have sales, the 32GB Apple TV 4K's normal price is $180 on Apple.com.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with DirecTV Now. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The offer's $105 price tag calculates the cost of three months of DirecTV Now's "Live a Little" $35/month plan, which includes around 60+ live channels. On the Apple TV app, users can stream live TV and watch on-demand shows, and sometime this spring they'll be able to record content to DirecTV Now's long-promised cloud-based DVR.
To take advantage of the sale, follow these steps:
Select the "Live a Little" package to get the Apple TV at the lowest possible price
Choose if you want to add premium channel add-ons, or click "Skip for now"
Click "Add to plan" under the Apple TV 4K box in the Special offer section
Click "Continue" and go through the account creation and checkout processes
It's important to note that the deal is for new subscribers only, but existing subscribers can claim it by using an alternative email address from their original account, or by setting up an iCloud email alias. Once ordered, the Apple TV 4K arrives in the mail within a few weeks, and those who don't want to continue paying for DirecTV Now beyond the three months offered in this deal can cancel the service before the fourth month is billed and keep the Apple TV 4K.
For more on the latest discounts and savings happening this spring, visit our Deals Roundup.
Instagram today became the latest company to ditch the Apple Watch, eliminating its Apple Watch app in an update that was released this morning.
In a statement given to French site iPhoneAddict, Instagram said the Instagram Apple Watch app was built using the watchOS 1 SDK, which was obsoleted by Apple on April 1. Rather than putting effort into rebuilding the app, Instagram has decided to end support for the wrist-worn device.
"The Instagram app for Apple Watch will no longer be available as a stand-alone experience once users upgrade to Instagram version 39 on iOS, released April 2, 2018. We are committed to providing users with the best experience with their Apple products and we will continue to explore ways to achieve this on all platforms. Users with an Apple Watch will continue to enjoy a great Instagram experience through various rich and varied notifications. "
Apple last year began notifying developers that Apple Watch apps need to be native apps built with the watchOS 2 SDK or later as of April 1, 2018. Apple first began requiring new apps to use the watchOS 2 SDK in June of 2016, and watchOS apps that continue to use the watchOS 1 SDK can no longer be updated. Apple now requires all new watchOS apps to be built using the watchOS 4 SDK.
Instagram has had a watchOS app available since 2015, and it was one of the first companies to support the Apple Watch when it first launched. The app was designed to let you view and like photos from the social network on your wrist. Instagram features will continue to be available on Apple Watch, but through notifications sent to a linked iPhone.
Instagram joins several other major companies that have abandoned development for the Apple Watch and eliminated their watchOS apps, including Twitter, Google Maps, Amazon, and eBay.
Apple is planning to transition from Intel chips to its own custom made Mac chips as early as 2020, reports Bloomberg.
Apple's initiative, reportedly code named "Kalamata," is part of an effort to make Macs, iPhones, and iPads work "more similarly and seamlessly together" according to unspecified sources that spoke to Bloomberg. Apple already designs its own A-series chips found in iPhones and iPads.
The Mac chip plans are said to be in the early stages of development and the transition from Intel chips to Apple chips could involve multiple steps, starting with the "Marzipan" initiative coming in iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 to allow developers to create a single app able to run on both iOS and macOS.
With its own chips, Apple would not be forced to wait on new Intel chips before being able to release updated Macs, and the company could integrate new features on a faster schedule.
The shift would also allow Cupertino, California-based Apple to more quickly bring new features to all of its products and differentiate them from the competition. Using its own main chips would make Apple the only major PC maker to use its own processors. Dell Technologies Inc., HP Inc., Lenovo Group Ltd., and Asustek Computer Inc. use Intel chips.
By using its own chips, Apple would be able to more tightly integrate new hardware and software, potentially resulting in systems with better battery life -- similar to iPads, which use Apple chips.
Apple has already begun using custom designed T1 and T2 chips in its MacBook Pro and iMac Pro machines, and the company is said to be planning to integrate additional custom co-processors in Macs coming later this year. The custom chips will also be used in the upcoming Mac Pro, which is in development.
The T1 chip, included in the MacBook Pro, powers the Touch Bar and authenticates Touch ID. The T2 chip, in the iMac Pro integrates several components including the system management controller, image signal processor, SSD controller, and a Secure Enclave with a hardware-based encryption engine.
Previous rumors have suggested Apple is interested in creating its own ARM-based core processor chips for its Mac lineup in order to reduce its dependence on Intel. Apple is also rumored to be pursuing development of its own modem chips to also reduce reliance on both Intel and Qualcomm.
A move away from Intel would have a major impact on Intel, with Apple providing approximately five percent of Intel's annual revenue. Intel stock has already dropped following the news.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 4.3.1 update to developers, a little under one week after releasing watchOS 4.3, a major update that introduced portrait Nightstand mode and iPhone music controls on Apple Watch.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
It's not yet clear what new features will be introduced in the watchOS 4.3.1 update, but it's likely to include bug fixes for issues that have been discovered since the release of watchOS 4.3.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.4 update to developers for testing purposes, a little under one week after releasing the tvOS 11.3 update.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 11.4 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
It's not yet clear what new features the tvOS 11.4 update will bring, but it's likely to include bug fixes for issues that have been discovered since the release of tvOS 11.3.
Apple's tvOS updates have historically been minor in scale. tvOS 11.3, for example, introduced Match content support, automatic frame rate switching on the fourth-generation Apple TV, and automatic mode switching for AirPlay video sessions.
We'll update this post should any new features be found in the update.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 11.4 update to developers, a little under a week after releasing iOS 11.3, an update that introduced a wide range of new features like Battery Health for monitoring the status of your iPhone's battery, Business Chat in Messages, ARKit 1.5 with augmented reality improvements, new Animoji on iPhone X, Health Records from participating medical providers, and more.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 11.4 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center. It appears there's currently a bug preventing the beta profile from being downloaded, but it should be addressed soon.
It's not yet clear what new features will be included in the iOS 11.4 beta aside from the new ClassKit framework Apple introduced at its March event, but we are waiting on several features to be added to iOS 11, including iCloud Messages and AirPlay 2, functionality that has popped up in previous betas and then disappeared before release.
We don't yet know if any of these features will be introduced in iOS 11.4, but we'll update this post once we download the beta and discover what's new.
What's new in iOS 11.4 Beta 1: Messages on iCloud is present in the iOS 11.4 beta after being removed from iOS 11.3 ahead of its release, as are AirPlay 2 features. Apple TV devices are once again listed in the Home app, an AirPlay 2 option.
Stereo support for the HomePod is included, but the feature doesn't work properly as it requires unreleased HomePod software.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.