MacRumors

2019 promises to be a major year for Apple, with a number of exciting products on the horizon. Apple's promised modular Mac Pro for its professional user base is expected to come out in 2019, and there's a new TV service under development that's going to come out during the first half of the year.

Apple is working on a new iPad mini, a new lower-cost HomePod, over-the-ear headphones to go along with revamped AirPods, and, as always, there are new iPhones coming in 2019.

Below, we've rounded up all of the products we're expecting to see from Apple in 2019 based on both current rumors that we've heard so far and past release information.

AirPower

Apple announced the AirPower, designed to charge the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once, in September 2017. At the time the AirPower debuted, Apple said it would launch sometime in 2018. Since then, we've heard little about the device, and no sign of it has materialized.

In fact, Apple has scrubbed most of the mentions of the AirPower from its website, but because the device was mentioned in the user guides for the latest iPhones, it appears it hasn't been scrapped and is still in development, with Apple perhaps aiming to launch it in 2019.

So what's the reason for the delay? Rumors suggest Apple was overly ambitious with the AirPower and has been having trouble with overheating, multi-device charging circuitry, and software bugs, all of which has led to a pushed back launch date.

We don't know when the AirPower might be coming, but it doesn't look like the product has been abandoned just yet, and it's possible we'll be hearing an update in the near future.

New iPhones

Apple is going to continue with its three iPhone lineup in 2019, offering three iPhones that will be similar in size and design to the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

It sounds like Apple will continue to use an LCD/OLED split for the displays, and all of the iPhones are likely to feature A13 chips from Apple supplier TSMC. Chip upgrades typically bring improved performance and efficiency, and the A13 will be no different.

At least some of the iPhones expected in 2019 could use a triple-lens rear-facing camera setup for improved images, and a revamped TrueDepth camera system with a smaller notch is a possibility.

Apple Pencil support could finally come to the iPhone in 2019, and we've heard some mixed rumors suggesting the entire 2019 iPhone lineup will do away with 3D Touch, with all iPhones instead adopting the Haptic Touch feature of the XR.

We'll hear a lot more about the 2019 iPhones as the year progresses, but it's sounding like the upcoming devices will have some exciting improvements to look forward to.

For more on the 2019 iPhone lineup, make sure to check out our 2019 iPhone roundup.

Apple TV

There's no new set-top box coming in 2019 that we know of, but Apple is said to be "considering" a smaller Apple TV device that would be an Apple TV dongle similar to the Amazon Fire Stick or the Google Chromecast.

Such a device would make the Apple TV interface and any Apple content available at a lower price point. Right now, Apple charges $179 for the Apple TV 4K and $149 for the non-4K version.

Competing dongle-style devices from Amazon and Google are priced at $25 to $35, so an entry-level Apple TV dongle could allow Apple to significantly expand its audience and it could provide more people with access to Apple's rumored streaming TV service.

For more info on the Apple TV, make sure to check out our Apple TV roundup.

Streaming TV Service

Apple has more than a dozen original television shows and movies in development after starting to work on creating original TV content in earnest in 2017 and 2018.

Many of the TV shows Apple is working on feature high-profile directors, producers, and actors, with rumors suggesting the first TV shows will debut in 2019 as part of an upcoming TV streaming service.

Apple could bundle its service with an Apple Music subscription and an upcoming digital magazine and news subscription, offering all-in-one access to paid news, magazines, original TV shows, movies, and Apple Music content, but standalone subscriptions are also likely to be available.

Apple is said to be planning to launch the TV service in more than 100 countries in 2019, starting with the United States in early 2019 and then expanding to additional locations.

At least some of Apple's original television content could be made available for free through the TV app, and Apple's own original offerings may be offered alongside subscription channels from companies like HBO and Starz.

For more info on Apple's streaming TV plans, including a list of all of the TV shows Apple is working on, make sure to check out the original content section of our Apple TV roundup.

Audio Products

AirPods

We expected to get an AirPods update with "Hey Siri" hands-free Siri support and a new wireless charging case, but that case was meant to come out alongside the AirPower, and with no AirPower, we saw no AirPods update in 2018.

For that reason, if the AirPower comes out in 2019, we could get the aforementioned wireless charging case and the "Hey Siri" update for the AirPods at some point during the year.

With a "Hey Siri" feature, AirPods users will be able to activate Siri without needing to double tap on the AirPods with a finger.

While second-generation AirPods with these minor updates could come in 2019, Apple is also said to be working on a set of third-generation AirPods with a new design, improved water resistance, better Bluetooth signal, and noise cancellation features.

There's been some disagreement on when these higher-end AirPods might come out. Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says not to expect redesigned, upgraded AirPods until 2020, while Bloomberg has said some of these features could come in 2019.

Given the delay of the AirPower, it's not quite clear what Apple's plans are, and whether we're still getting distinct second-generation and third-generation AirPods with different features. We can count on seeing some kind of AirPods upgrade in 2019, but whether it's a minor update or a more significant redesign remains to be seen.

For more on the AirPods, check out our AirPods roundup.

HomePod

Rumors have suggested the HomePod isn't selling well due to its high price tag, which has prompted Apple to start development on a lower-cost version that would be more affordable.

Little has been said about a second-generation HomePod, but Bloomberg has said a new model being developed and could come as early as 2019.

For more on the HomePod, check out our HomePod roundup.

Over-the-Ear Headphones

To accompany the AirPods and the HomePod, Apple is rumored to be developing a set of high-end over-ear headphones that will be Apple branded rather than Beats branded.

The headphones are said to be "as convenient as AirPods" but with superior sound quality, and active noise cancellation features could be included. Apple's new headphones are rumored to be coming in 2019, so we could see them alongside a HomePod or AirPods refresh at some point during the year.

Macs

Mac Pro

Though the Mac Pro hasn't been updated since 2013, Apple is working on an entirely revamped high-end high-throughput modular version that will facilitate regular upgrades to meet the needs of Apple's pro user base.

Apple announced the revamp in 2017, but said that it wouldn't be finished until 2019. Apple is committed to making the upcoming Mac Pro the highest-end Apple desktop system available, allowing it to accommodate VR and high-end cinema production.

A "Pro Workflow Team" has been established to tailor the new Mac Pro and other Apple products to the professional user base.

Apple plans to design the new Mac Pro to allow for future upgrades and higher-end hardware. According to Apple execs, the current Mac Pro restricted the company's ability to upgrade it because it was designed for dual GPUs rather than larger single GPUs.

The Mac Pro will be accompanied by an Apple-branded pro display, which is likely to be at least 27 inches with a 5K resolution. We don't know much about the display or specific details on the new Mac Pro, but we will hear more in 2019.

For more on the Mac Pro, make sure to check out our Mac Pro roundup.

iMac and iMac Pro

Neither the iMac nor the iMac Pro got updated in 2018, which means 2019 updates could happen. We've heard few rumors on what to expect in updated iMac and iMac Pro machines, but faster processors are always a guarantee and there's been some vague detail on display improvements.

Check out our iMac and iMac Pro roundups for more details on Apple's desktop machines and upcoming rumors.

MacBook

The MacBook didn't get a 2018 update, and now that it's so similar in design and specs to the MacBook Air, which now has a Retina Display and a slimmer body, it's not clear what Apple has planned for the MacBook.

It could get a 2019 update with new processors and there has been some speculation that the MacBook will be the first of Apple's Macs to get an Apple-designed ARM processor in the future, but we'll have to wait and see.

Right now, the MacBook is slower and more expensive than the MacBook Air, but it still has the benefit of being Apple's most compact machine.

Check out our MacBook roundup for more details on the MacBook.

Other Macs

There are no rumors, but we could see refreshed and upgraded MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models in 2019, and perhaps a new Mac mini if Apple is going to adopt a more regular upgrade cycle for that machine.

iPads

iPad Pro models were just updated in October so there are no real rumors on features that might come to a refreshed version in 2019 if a refresh is planned, but rumors have suggested Apple's next-generation version of iOS, iOS 13, will include some iPad-centric features that could improve the overall iPad experience not just on the iPad Pro, but on all iPads.

As for other iPads, Apple is said to be working on a refreshed version of the 7.9-inch iPad mini, which has gone so long without a refresh that before a few recent rumors, we were sure it had been abandoned.

An alleged iPad mini 5 case leak suggests the upcoming tablet could perhaps feature some iPad Pro-style elements, like four speakers, a Smart Connector, Apple Pencil support, and more, while rumors have said we can expect an improved processor and a lower-cost display, which indicates a lower overall price tag.

Apple is supposedly planning to boost flagging iPad sales with the smaller model, and the company is also rumored to be working on an upgraded version of the low-cost 9.7-inch iPad. The new affordable replacement could be somewhat bigger in size -- 10 inches instead of 9.7-inches -- and a redesign with slimmer bezels and perhaps Face ID is a possibility.

For more on the iPads, make sure to check out our iPad, iPad Pro, and iPad mini roundups.

Apple Watch

There are no rumors about a refreshed Apple Watch just yet, but because the Apple Watch is updated on a yearly basis right alongside the iPhone, we can expect an Apple Watch Series 5 in 2019.

What might be included in the update is anyone's guess at this point, but there have been rumors of additional health sensors for years, and Apple has proven its willingness to get involved with the FDA with the launch of the ECG feature in the Apple Watch Series 4.

For that reason, more advanced health tracking features could be coming, but we'll need to wait until later in the year to get an idea of what's coming.

To keep up with Apple Watch rumors in 2019, check out our Apple Watch roundup.

Software

Each year in June, Apple debuts new versions of iOS, watchOS, macOS, and tvOS, so we're expected to see new software again this year. We've already heard a bit of detail on what we can expect from iOS 13 and macOS 10.15.

iOS 13

Apple last year pushed several features planned for iOS 12 to iOS 13 in order to focus on under-the-hood performance improvements and bug fixes, so we can expect features rumored for iOS 12 to show up in iOS 13.

The iOS 13 update is said to include several new features aimed at iPad owners, such as a revamped Files app, in-app tabs for opening multiple windows of the same app, support for using the same app side-by-side in Split View multitasking mode, Apple Pencil improvements, and new features for business users.

Features pushed back from iOS 12 include a revamped Home screen app grid for the iPhone and iPad, expanded photo management features, and more.

macOS 10.15

We don't know a lot about what to expect in the next-generation version of macOS, but we do know that it will feature an extension of Apple's project to bring iOS apps to the Mac.

With macOS Mojave, Apple ported several iOS apps like Home, Stocks, Apple News, and Voice Memos over to the Mac, and in macOS 10.15, this functionality will be extended to third-party developers, making it easier for developers to create apps that are functional on both macOS and iOS.

This is an initiative that will include tweaks to both macOS 10.15 and iOS 13 to further introduce common frameworks between the two operating systems. Expect to see more iOS-style apps made available for the Mac following the launch of macOS 10.15.

What's Not Likely in 2019

iPhone SE

iPhone users who prefer smaller devices have been hoping for an updated version of the 4-inch iPhone SE, but it doesn't look like Apple is working on a new 4-inch iPhone.

In 2018, there were some leaks and hints of a 4-inch iPhone under development, but a lot of this information was a combination of wishful thinking and leaked iPhone XR details.

We've heard no further word of a 4-inch iPhone, and with Apple's iPhone lineup now featuring devices ranging in starting price from $449 (iPhone 7) to $1099 (iPhone XS Max), there's not a lot of room for a smaller iPhone.

The 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 are currently the smallest iPhones that Apple offers for sale, and the original iPhone SE has been discontinued altogether.

AR Smart Glasses

We've heard multiple rumors suggesting Apple is prototyping augmented reality smart glasses and virtual reality headsets, but while these products are in development, a release is not expected just yet.

According to rumors, Apple is working on an augmented reality headset with a dedicated display, built-in processor, and a new "rOS" operating system based on iOS, with the "r" standing for reality. Apple is said to be aiming to finish work on an augmented reality headset by 2019 ahead of a launch it hopes will come in 2020.

For more on Apple's AR/VR work, check out our AR/VR roundup.

Wrap Up

There are some exciting products in the works from Apple in 2019, and we'll certainly see some unexpected surprises as well, as we do every year. Make sure to follow MacRumors.com and the MacRumors roundups over the course of 2019 to keep up with all of the rumors about the upcoming products that Apple has in development.

As 2018 comes to a close, it's a great opportunity to take a look back at the year that was. Yesterday we shared our review of everything Apple announced during the year, and today we're taking a look at the rumors and leaks that gave us details on Apple's plans ahead of those announcements.

This year saw the typical iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch updates, although there were a few wrinkles thrown in with the new iPhone XR size, a redesigned iPad Pro without a Home button, and some changes to the Apple Watch with larger displays and thinner bodies.

The Mac side also saw some interesting rumors and product releases, with major improvements to the MacBook Air and the Mac mini coming alongside minor enhancements for the MacBook Pro, but unfortunately a few of Apple's Mac lines like the iMac and MacBook didn't see any updates.

Below we've rounded up some of the most interesting and notable leaks and rumors for 2018, organized by product.

2018 in Rumors

iPhone

Following the September 2017 launch of the iPhone X, attention quickly turned to Apple's 2018 iPhone lineup, and usual suspect Ming-Chi Kuo was quick to outline Apple's plans for a larger 6.5-inch model and a lower-cost 6.1-inch LCD model, correctly predicting a number of details about the devices including a full-screen design with notch, rough pixel density, and general pricing range for what would become the iPhone XR.

In January, Kuo weighed in with a few more details about the iPhone XR, including its single-lens rear camera, aluminum frame, 3GB of RAM, lack of 3D Touch, and pricing. The claim of no 3D Touch was met with considerable skepticism, but it did in fact turn out to be true, with the iPhone XR offering a scaled-back Haptic Touch feature.

A month later, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman revealed that the iPhone XS Max would have a resolution of 1242x2688 and that it would be available with dual-SIM capabilities and a new gold color option. Apple itself revealed an unreleased gold version of the iPhone X that was submitted to the FCC in September 2017 and which became public in April 2018.

In early April, we also got word that a launch of (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 8 and 8 Plus models was imminent, and this indeed turned out to be true, with Apple offering a new mid-cycle color option to benefit a worthy cause.

Later in the month, Kuo returned to reiterate his claim that the iPhone XR would not support 3D Touch, outlining changes to the display and touch-sensing technology that led to Apple removing the feature.

By early June, we were getting a good idea of what the new iPhones would look like, with increasingly accurate design drawings and renderings surfacing, likely from third-party case manufacturers sourcing leaked information from Apple's supply chain. And in late June we learned more details about the dual-SIM functionality of the upcoming iPhones, based on one physical SIM and one eSIM.

Early July was the first time we heard the 2018 iPhone lineup could see some vibrant new colors, with Kuo claiming that the iPhone XR would come in colors such as red, blue, orange, gray, and white. And a few weeks later we got our first really good look at the front glass panels for all three 2018 iPhones, clearing showing the slightly thicker bezels on the iPhone XR compared to the iPhone XS and XS Max.

Late July was also when we started hearing more substantial rumors that the iPhone XR might launch a bit later than the rest of the 2018 lineup, and this did turn out to be the case. The iPhone XR reportedly faced some technical challenges such as LED backlight leakage, but the staggered release also gave Apple an opportunity to spread out promotion of its new phones a bit.

Physical dummy units of the new phones also started showing up by late July, giving people an opportunity to see how the new models felt in the hand. We also learned that iOS 12 had optimized apps for landscape mode on the iPhone XS Max.

A major iPhone leak came straight from Apple just a couple weeks ahead of the company's iPhone media event, when the company uploaded an image of the iPhone XS and XS Max in gold to its live streaming page for the event. The leak confirmed several rumors regarding the device, including its "iPhone XS" name. A week later, multiple sites learned that Apple was likely to use the "iPhone XS Max" name for its largest phone, while Mark Gurman indicated the LCD phone could be named "iPhone XR."

Apple wasn't done leaking its own announcements, as just ahead of its September 12 media event, the company prematurely updated the product sitemap on its website to list the new phones. The listings confirmed the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR names and also revealed the color and storage capacity options for each model.

iPad Pro

As with the iPhone, rumors about Apple's redesigned iPad Pro kicked off in the final quarter of 2017, with Ming-Chi Kuo predicting that the device would include a TrueDepth camera system supporting Face ID. Just a month later, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman accurately described a number of other details about the iPad Pro, including slimmer bezels, a custom Apple-built GPU, Face ID, and no Home button. Gurman also correctly predicted that the iPad Pro would continue to use an LCD rather than an OLED display and that a new version of the Apple Pencil was in the works.

Following the release of iOS 12 betas starting in June, we began to see more evidence of Face ID support on iPad, with developer Steven Troughton-Smith noting that the AvatarKit framework used to drive the Animoji feature had been adapted to work on iPad.

In late July, we heard from Japanese site Mac Otakara that the updated iPad Pro would not include a headphone jack, following in the footsteps of recent iPhone models. The report also claimed the redesigned iPad Pro would include "diamond cut" edges on the front and back, and while the iPad Pro did indeed sport flatter sides and less rounded edges than on previous iPads, we didn't quite get the beveled edges of the iPhone SE, for example. The report also claimed the Smart Connector would be moving from the edge of the iPad Pro to the bottom rear, which didn't make a whole lot of sense at the time.

As the calendar flipped over to August, we saw our first sign of redesigned iPad Pro models direct from Apple, with a new low-resolution battery usage icon in the fifth iOS 12 beta depicting a device with slim bezels and no Home button. Similarly, UI masks found in the same beta indicated the iPad Pro display would likely include rounded corners similar to those found on the iPhone X.

Late August saw our first third-party case leaks for the iPad Pro showing a mysterious cutout on the rear of the device just above the Lightning port, which corresponded with rumors of a relocated Smart Connector. Speculation centered around a portrait orientation Smart Keyboard attachment, but that didn't seem to make much sense and it really wasn't until we saw the Smart Keyboard Folio unveiled at Apple's October event that we really understood how Apple intended for the new Smart Connector location to work.

In early September, Kuo issued a new report claiming the new iPad Pro would come with a USB-C port rather than a Lightning port, and that an 18-watt USB-C power adapter would be included in the box.

Early in October, 9to5Mac reported that the new Apple Pencil would feature AirPods-like proximity pairing, rather than requiring the Apple Pencil be plugged into an iPad for pairing purposes. A few days later, we saw our first claim that the new iPad Pro would be just 5.9mm thick, Apple's thinnest iPad ever. There was some uncertainty about whether this would be true of both iPad Pro sizes, but they did indeed both end up having the same thickness.

Just ahead of Apple's October 30 event, Benjamin Geskin shared details on the second-generation Apple Pencil that would ship alongside the new iPad Pro, including aspects such as the simpler design, tap and swipe gestures, and magnetic attachment and charging along the side of the iPad Pro. On the same day, a higher-resolution icon was also discovered in iOS 12 revealing the design of the iPad Pro.

iPad

Shortly before the calendar rolled over to 2018, DigiTimes claimed Apple was working on an updated 9.7-inch iPad that could come in late 2018 at a cheaper price point. The timing and pricing claims were off, but Apple was indeed working on a new iPad. The website followed up in early February with a claim that a refreshed iPad could appear as soon as the following month, and a few weeks later new iPad models received certification with the Eurasian Economic Commission.

Once Apple announced its education-focused event in Chicago for March 27, Mark Gurman confirmed that Apple would be introducing a new iPad and education-focused software at the event. That same day, Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the new low-cost iPad would also include Apple Pencil support, which turned out to be correct.

Macs

Rumors about a new 13-inch notebook surfaced all the way back in January, with DigiTimes claiming Apple was working on a likely replacement for the MacBook Air that hadn't been updated since 2015. No other details on the machine were shared at the time, and confusion persisted all the way up until release about whether the machine would be a new MacBook Air, a MacBook, or something else, but it eventually made its debut carrying the MacBook Air name.

In January 2018, Gurman offered a vague rumor claiming that Apple was working on a trio of new Mac models that would include a custom coprocessor like the T1/T2 chips found in the MacBook Pro and iMac Pro. He didn't specify which models these would be, but the claim did end up being true with the MacBook Air, updated MacBook Pro, and Mac mini all gaining the T2 chip in 2018.

Kuo popped up again in March to claim that Apple was preparing a cheaper MacBook Air for launch in the second quarter of the year. It was the first time we'd heard about the new notebook being an updated MacBook Air, and while the timing was a bit off and it certainly wasn't cheaper than the previous model, the new machine was definitely in the works. DigiTimes followed up a few days later with its claim that the new MacBook Air would include a Retina display, which was welcome but expected news.

By late April, we started hearing better information on the timing of the new MacBook Air, with DigiTimes claiming it was pushed back to the second half of the year, tempering hopes that it might appear at WWDC in June. Reports in mid-August said we should expect a launch around the end of the third quarter, which would put it at the end of September, and we ended up getting it almost exactly a month later than that.

It wasn't until the latter part of August that we got our first word of a redesigned Mac mini from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He didn't have much detail to offer at the time, although he said it would be focused on pro users with storage and processor options that would likely push the price higher.

By early September, we heard from Ming-Chi Kuo that the new MacBook Air would include Touch ID support, although it would not have the full Touch Bar seen on the MacBook Pro.

Apple Watch

Late March was the first time we heard anything substantial about the Apple Watch Series 4, with Ming-Chi Kuo revealing that the new models would include 15 percent larger displays, although at the time it wasn't clear whether that would come from smaller bezels or a larger body, and it eventually turned out to be a bit of both.

The same late August leak straight from Apple that gave us a look at the iPhone XS and XS Max also revealed the new Apple Watch Series 4, showing off a gold stainless steel body, a new red ring for the Digital Crown, a larger edge-to-edge display, and a new Infograph watch face. Subsequently, it was discovered in the watchOS beta that the larger Series 4 model would carry a 384x480 display, a significant increase from the previous 312x390 resolution.

Apple's premature update of its website sitemap just ahead of its September 12 event revealed that the casing sizes for the Apple Watch would be increasing by 2mm each, as well as various finish and band options.

Software

Following a number of performance and quality issues with iOS 11, Apple took a step back in 2018, with Axios' Ina Fried reporting in January that Apple would be delaying some changes originally intended for iOS 12, including a Home screen refresh, CarPlay enhancements, Mail app improvements, and various photo-related updates. By pushing those features back to iOS 13 in 2019, Apple hoped to put more emphasis on stability and bug fixes for iOS 12 while also improving responsiveness and speed. Mark Gurman quickly followed up on Fried's report to claim that the feature delay also extended to macOS, although to a lesser degree.

In February, Gurman revealed that iOS 12 would bring Animoji to FaceTime and that the update would bring deeper Siri integration, improved Do Not Disturb options, and a redesigned Stocks app. And just a few days before WWDC, Gurman shared his expectations that the conference would focus on software news like digital health tools in iOS 12, ARKit 2, and more, with hardware news coming separately later in the year.

In late May, we found evidence of recent trademark activity from Apple surrounding several potential macOS names, with the greatest amount of activity surrounding the name "Mojave." Apple itself was responsible for a major macOS leak just a week later, prematurely publishing a brief Xcode 10 video on its Mac App Store servers. The video revealed dark mode, an Apple News app for Mac, and a desert desktop background supporting the possibility of macOS 10.14 being named Mojave.

Miscellaneous

In what was undoubtedly the most ironic and amusing leak of 2018, an internal Apple memo cautioning employees against leaking information to the media was itself leaked in full. The memo specifically mentioned several previous leaks including the iOS 11 gold master, with Apple noting that the employee responsible for the leak was identified and fired. Apple also highlighted the fact that employee leakers can not only lose their jobs but also be subjected to criminal prosecution. The company said it caught 29 leakers in 2017 among its employees, contractors, and supply chain partners, with 12 of those individuals being arrested.

In early May, we saw our first leak regarding an Apple-designed 18-watt USB-C power adapter to support faster charging of iOS devices. There was confusion as to whether it would ship in the box with this year's iPhones, and while that did not turn out to be the case, it did ship with the new iPad Pro models with Apple starting to sell it on a standalone basis a few weeks later. We got our first look at an actual prototype version of the adapter in early July.

What's Next?

2019 should once again be a busy year for Apple and we'll have more to say on that next week, but at a minimum there are still a number of rumors from 2018 that are carrying over into the new year – everything from the ongoing AirPower and AirPods saga to rumored over-ear headphones, Apple's promised revamped Mac Pro, and much more.

Netflix is no longer allowing new or resubscribing members to sign up for a Netflix subscription using an in-app purchase via the App Store, Netflix today told VentureBeat. The change appears to have been implemented late last month.

Earlier this year Netflix experimented with disabling in-app subscription options for Netflix subscribers in a number of countries, and as of today, Netflix says the experiment has concluded and the change has been rolled out to the entire Netflix platform.

As described on a Netflix support page, iTunes billing options are no longer available to new or rejoining Netflix customers. Those who currently pay for their subscriptions via iTunes can continue to use iTunes billing until their accounts are cancelled.

When opening up the Netflix app on an iOS device, there are no longer fields for signing up for a Netflix account within the app nor are there instructions on how to obtain a subscription, likely to avoid violating Apple's App Store rules. The app simply offers a sign-in window and says that members who subscribe to Netflix can watch within the app.

Apple's App Store Review Guidelines prohibit developers from asking iOS users to use a purchase method other than in-app purchase, which Netflix is skirting by offering no sign up options at all.

iPad and iPhone users who want to sign up for Netflix will now need to do so through the Netflix website rather than through the Netflix app.

Netflix undoubtedly made this change to avoid paying subscription fees to Apple. Apple collects a 30 percent commission on all subscription fees during the first year after a subscriber signs up for a service using an iOS app, and 15 percent every year thereafter.

Netflix does not need to pay the subscription fee for customers who sign up for the service outside of the App Store, and this change means that Apple will not be able to collect a portion of the $7.99+ subscription fee from future Netflix subscribers.

Update: A Netflix spokesperson provided the following statement to MacRumors, calling Apple a "valued partner":

We no longer support iTunes as a method of payment for new members. Existing members who currently use iTunes as a method of payment can continue to do so.

Apple is a valued partner with whom we work closely to deliver great entertainment to members around the world across a range of devices including the iPhone and Apple TV.

Apple today shared a new iPhone XR ad entitled 'Color Flood' on its YouTube channel. With Cosmo Sheldrake's "Come Along" as the soundtrack, the ad features a cast of hundreds dressed in colorful jumpsuits running through an otherwise empty town.

In one easily missed touch, there's a quick glimpse of purple-suited cast members pouring out of the back of a van that sports the license plate number "I-XR0941," a reference to the iPhone XR and the 9:41 AM time Apple uses in all of its stock iPhone imagery.

The ad ends with the tagline "Make room for color" and highlights the iPhone XR's Liquid Retina display.

Apple has been heavily promoting the iPhone XR as its flagship phone for most users, and has been featuring trade-in offers that can bring the cost of an iPhone XR down from its $749 starting price.

2018 was a big year for Apple, and while there were some misses like the AirPower, we saw a redesigned Apple Watch Series 4, a new lower-cost iPhone XR with an edge-to-edge display and Face ID, overhauled iPad Pro models, and more.

Below, we've created a quick overview of every major product Apple announced or debuted in 2018.

HomePod (February)

Apple's first smart speaker, the HomePod, launched in February 2018. The HomePod, which supports Siri and Apple Music, is designed to be Apple's competitor to devices like the Amazon Echo or the Google Home.

HomePod can be used for listening to music, but it's also a smart home device with built-in Siri functionality for controlling HomeKit products. Siri can also answer queries, set timers, place phone calls, and so much more, allowing the HomePod to serve as a music hub and an in-home personal assistant.

To differentiate the HomePod from the competition, Apple focused heavily on music quality. Due to its internals, HomePod is more expensive than a lot of competing products at $349, but you can sometimes find it on sale.

Sixth-Generation iPad (March)

Apple in March introduced a new sixth-generation iPad, which is packing a lot of features for its $329 price point.

It features a super fast A10 processor and Touch ID, and while it looks the same as the fifth-generation iPad, there's one important distinction -- the sixth-generation iPad supports the Apple Pencil.

2018 is the year that we got an iPad that works with the Apple Pencil at a super low price point, making Apple's tablet and pencil accessory available to more people than ever.

MacBook Pro (July)

In July, Apple introduced revamped 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with faster "Coffee Lake" chips with up to 6 cores.

The new 2018 MacBook Pro doesn't feature any visual changes, but with new Intel chips and Radeon Pro and Pro Vega graphics cards for the 15-inch model, Apple's biggest notebook is more powerful than ever.

Apple's 2018 MacBook Pro models support up to 32GB of RAM, continue to offer a Touch Bar, and have a new third-generation butterfly keyboard that's meant to better hold up to dust and debris to prevent key failure.

There's a new T2 chip that offers enhanced security with secure boot and on-the-fly encrypted storage, and the new models support SSDs up to 4TB in size.

New Software (September)

New versions of iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS were previewed in June at the Worldwide Developers Conference and released in the fall alongside new hardware.

iOS 12 brought features like improved performance, Group FaceTime with up to 32 people, customizable Memoji, and Siri improvements in the form of a new Siri Shortcuts feature designed to let you create multi-app multi-step shortcuts for automating tasks on your iPhone and iPad.

The update introduced a comprehensive set of time management and focus tools, such as a new Screen Time feature that's designed to let you know how much time you're spending on your iPhone, how long you're spending in apps, how often you pick up your phone, and which apps are sending the most notifications.

App limits were also included to help you cut down on usage, and Apple added more robust parental controls.

watchOS 5 brought Walkie-Talkie for communication, new Workout competitions for motivation, better notifications, and apps like Podcasts, while tvOS 12 introduced support for Dobly Atmos, new screensavers created in partnership with the International Space Station, and a zero sign-on feature designed to make it easier to sign into apps that require cable authentication.

macOS Mojave introduced a long-awaited Dark Mode, Stacks for cleaning up a messy desktop, and a Dynamic Desktop feature with wallpapers that change subtly throughout the day.

Finder gained customizable Quick Actions and a revamped Quick Look view for making file edits more quickly, while a new Continuity Camera feature added an option to import photos from an iPhone or iPad right into a document.

As part of an upcoming initiative to port iOS apps to Mac, Apple introduced multiple new apps, including Apple Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos, and as always, the update includes important security enhancements.

iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max (September and October)

Apple stuck with a three iPhone lineup in 2018, but expanded features like Face ID and an edge-to-edge display to all iPhones.

The iPhone XS and XS Max are natural successors to the original iPhone X, adopting an edge-to-edge OLED display, an improved dual-lens camera, Face ID, and a new super fast A12 Bionic chip.

The iPhone XS and XS Max don't come cheap with prices starting at $999 and $1099, respectively, so Apple also introduced the iPhone XR, which has many similarities to the iPhone XS and XS Max but cuts some corners to keep prices lower.

Rather than using an OLED display, the iPhone XR features an edge-to-edge LCD, but it has the same Face ID system and A12 chip as the iPhone XS models. It doesn't have a dual-lens camera, instead adopting a single-lens camera, and it has slower LTE, no 3D Touch, and an aluminum frame instead of a stainless steel frame.

Despite these differences, many customers have been drawn to the iPhone XR because it's just as speedy as the XS, has a longer battery life, and has a lower starting price -- $749.

Apple released the iPhone XS and XS Max in September, but manufacturing on the XR was a bit delayed so it didn't come out until October.

Apple Watch Series 4 (September)

Alongside the new iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, Apple introduced a revamped and redesigned Apple Watch, the Series 4. The Apple Watch Series 4 features the first ever Apple Watch redesign with a slimmer body and a display that's up to 30 percent larger.

Apple Watch models now measure in at 40 and 44mm, up from 38 and 42mm. A whole set of new watch faces came with the new larger display, and Apple introduced a black ceramic and sapphire crystal backing across the entire lineup.

Apple continues to sell both GPS only and LTE models of the Apple Watch Series 4, and this version has a faster, more efficient S4 processor that offers 2x the speed, a new W3 wireless chip, and a 50 percent louder speaker.

There's a new set of electrodes in the Digital Crown which, when combined with the sensors in the back of the watch, can be used to capture a single-lead electrocardiogram right on the wrist, checking for atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation can be a sign of a serious health problem, letting Apple Watch users get early warnings about potential health issues. ECG readings are limited to the United States at this time because of the need for regulatory approval, but Apple is working on expanding availability.

iPad Pro (October)

In October, Apple introduced overhauled 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models with iPhone X-style features. The new iPad Pro models have no Home button, with Apple instead introducing a larger edge-to-edge display and slimmed down bezels for more screen real estate.

With no Home button, the 2018 iPad Pro models unlock through the Face ID facial recognition system, which has been improved to accommodate either horizontal or vertical unlocking.

There's a fast A12X processor inside, and these are the thinnest iPads ever thanks to a redesigned body that's reminiscent of the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 5. This new redesigned body necessitated the removal of the headphone jack, another controversial move.

Both of these models support an all new Apple Pencil 2 that connects and charges magnetically, doing away with the Lightning connector on the original accessory. Speaking of Lightning, the new iPad Pro models feature a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port, allowing them to connect to more accessories than ever before.

Mac mini (October)

The Mac mini got its first refresh in more than four years in October, with Apple introducing a new Space Gray machine that features quad to 6-core processors, Intel UHD Graphics 630, Thunderbolt 3 ports, and support for up to 64GB RAM and 2TB of storage.

No design changes were made to the Mac mini, but the internal layout was tweaked to support the new thermal needs of the faster processors.

Apple's smallest desktop machine also includes a T2 chip for on-the-fly data encryption and HEVC video transcoding up to 30 times faster, along with a Secure Enclave to make sure the software you're loading during the boot process hasn't been tampered with.

The Mac mini's revamped, updated hardware hasn't come cheap, and the machine is now priced starting at $799.

MacBook Air (October)

October brought a surprise refresh of the MacBook Air, Apple's most affordable notebook. The new 13-inch machine features a Retina display for the first time with slimmer bezels for more available screen real estate.

It features two Thunderbolt 3 chips, Intel's 8th-generation chips, 16GB RAM, and support for up to 1.5TB of storage space. It too is equipped with the T2 chip designed to make Macs more secure, and it adopted a third-generation butterfly keyboard, a larger trackpad, and louder speakers.

The new MacBook Air features the same tapered design as the previous model, but it is 10 percent thinner and takes up 17 percent less volume. It has the longest battery life of any Apple notebook.

Prior to this update, the MacBook Air had not been refreshed for years and it was believed Apple would phase it out in favor of the 12-inch MacBook, but that didn't happen.

The new MacBook Air is more powerful than the 12-inch MacBook, and now that the two machines have the same display, there's not much setting them apart except for the 12-inch MacBook's slightly smaller body. The 12-inch MacBook did not get a 2018 update and it's not clear what will happen to it in the future.

What's Next?

Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors, because tomorrow, we'll be highlighting all of the products that we expect to see from Apple during 2019. 2019 is shaping up to be an even bigger year than 2018, with a TV service on the horizon, a modular Mac Pro in the works, and new iPhones and iPads in development.

Following the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s, Apple will begin assembling its high-end iPhones in India sometime in 2019, according to a new report today by Reuters. Instead of Wistron, Foxconn will build the high-end iPhones, and these models are said to be the most expensive flagship devices offered by Apple, including the iPhone X family.

Local sources state that the work will occur in Foxconn's plant in Sriperumbudur town in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Foxconn will reportedly invest 25 billion Indian rupees ($356 million) to expand the plant, part of which will be focused on the production of the flagship iPhones in India. The investment is estimated to create as many as 25,000 jobs. The report doesn't say whether these high-end iPhones will be sold in the Indian market or elsewhere in the world.

Earlier this year, Apple revamped its India strategy in order to stay afloat in the country's smartphone market. This revamped strategy includes better and longer-lasting retail deals with higher sales targets, the debut of official Apple retail stores in India, an overhaul of the company's relationship with independent retailers, and improving apps and services for local users. This is said to include a new version of Apple Maps aimed at Indian users to launch by 2020.

The expansion of high-end iPhone assembly outside of China could also be an attempt by Apple to "limit the impact" of a trade war between the United States and China:

For Apple, widening assembly beyond China is critical to mitigate the risks of the Sino-U.S. trade war. Foxconn, the world’s biggest electronics contract manufacturer, is considering setting up a factory in Vietnam, Vietnamese state media reported this month. If that goes ahead, it will be one of the biggest recent steps by a major company to secure an additional production base outside of China.

Foxconn has previously admitted the China-U.S. trade spat was its biggest challenge and that its senior executives were making plans to counter the impact. “Widening iPhone manufacturing in India through Foxconn will allow Apple to hedge the risk of any new U.S. trade policies,” said Navkendar Singh, an associate research director at International Data Corporation.

Still, the company has struggled in the country due to the high price of its iPhones. Just last week, The Wall Street Journal published a report about Apple's iPhone sales in India. According to the paper, Apple has had "little success so far" in terms of growth in India, due to the price-sensitive market that has more than 75 percent of smartphones priced below $250.

An alleged case for the next-generation iPad mini surfaced on Slashleaks over the holidays, providing a look at what we can perhaps expect from the next-generation iPad mini.

There's a vertical camera cutout, suggesting the iPad mini 5 might have a camera arrangement similar to the iPad Pro with a rear flash, and a center microphone cutout.

Speaker cutouts at the top and the bottom hint at a possible four-speaker arrangement, and there appears to be a cutout for a headphone jack at the top.

There is also a cutout at the side, which could mean the iPad mini will get a Smart Connector to support a Smart Keyboard, much like the iPad Pro.

Aside from these details, not much can be gleaned from the case, and we have no way to verify if it's actually a case designed for a fifth-generation iPad mini.

While we have heard rumors suggesting Apple is indeed working on an iPad mini 5, none of these rumors have included much detail on what new features might be added to the 7.9-inch tablet.

It makes sense that Apple would add a feature set that would bring its smallest tablet in line with the sixth-generation iPad at the very least, however, and it could also adopt a few features from the iPad Pro. We can expect an upgraded processor and a lower-cost display panel, according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

We don't know when the new iPad mini will debut, but recent rumors have suggested Apple will release it in the first half of 2019 to revitalize flagging iPad sales.

It's the end of the year, and 2018 is coming to a close. Over the course of the last several months, we've highlighted several useful Mac and iOS apps in our YouTube series, and for December, we've picked our favorites.

In the video and the article below, you'll find a selection of some of the best apps that we've used over the course of the year.

Mac

• Paste ($14.99) - Paste is a copy paste manager that keeps track of and organizes all the files, photos, URLs, and text snippets that you've copied and pasted on your Mac. Paste is described as a sort of Time Machine for your clipboard, because it saves everything and offers robust search capabilities so you can always find what you're looking for. Pinboards also give you access to things you copy and paste often, while custom shortcuts make it easier to copy and paste. Paste is a Mac App Store app, but a free trial is also available on the Paste website.
• Station (Free) - Station is an app that's designed to house and aggregate all of your web applications in one easy to access location. Instead of having dozens of tabs open with things like Gmail, Twitter, Instagram, and Slack, you can relocate them all to Station for quicker, more streamlined access. Station is essentially a web browser that has a better layout for accessing web apps.
• Sip ($9.99) - Sip is a niche app, but it's useful for artists, designers, interior decorators, app developers, and other content creators who like to create and maintain color palettes. Sip lets you create and organize color palettes that can be accessed right in the menu bar of your Mac and shared to all of your favorite design apps like Photoshop, Xcode, Illustrator, Sketch, and more. Choosing colors from any source is as simple as a key press, and a color dock makes all of your palettes readily available.
• Bartender 3 ($15) - Bartender 3 is a popular Mac app that lets you rearrange and hide icons on the menu bar of your Mac. With Bartender, you can put the menu bar items you use most often front and center, while minimizing all of the rest behind the Bartender icon for a more streamlined menu bar.
• NightOwl (Free) - [Update: While we originally featured this app for its ability to add a quick Dark Mode toggle to your Mac's menu bar, as of 2023 a number of users are reporting suspicious network activity related to it, so we've removed our link to it out of caution and users who have installed it may want to consider removing it.]

iOS

• Procreate ($9.99) - Procreate is a popular and well-known sketching, drawing, and painting app. Because it's been available on the iPad for years, the Procreate team has had a lot of time to make improvements and refinements to the app, making it the go-to for many artists who work on the iPad. It has been optimized for Apple Pencil, so you can create works of art with Apple's stylus. It features customizable brushes, support for layers, and a 64-bit painting engine that supports high-resolution artwork.
• LumaFusion ($19.99) - If you want to edit video on an iPad but want something more than iMovie, LumaFusion is a powerful video editing option that you'll want to take a look at. Using LumaFusion, you can do everything you might do with a desktop app, like trimming clips, adding transitions, correcting color, adding effects and titles, audio, and using slow-motion, fast forward, and reverse.
• Bear (Free) - Bear is a writing, coding, and note taking app that has a simple interface and a rich feature set. It's available on iOS and Mac devices, and it offers Apple Pencil support, to-dos, multiple export options, an advanced markup editor with support for more than 20 programming languages, SmartData Recognition, in-line images and photos, hashtags for organization, and more. Bear is free to download, but if you want to sync your notes between your devices, unlock themes, and use advanced exporting options, you'll need to pay $1.49 per month or $14.99 per year for a subscription.
• Alto's Odyssey ($4.99) - Alto's Odyssey is the highly-anticipated sequel to popular 2015 game Alto's Adventure. Like the original, Alto's Odyssey is an endless runner with gorgeous graphics, but this time it takes place in the sand instead of the snow.
• Grimvalor ($5.99) - Grimvalor, from the team that developed popular game Swordigo, is a traditional hack n' slash platformer with solid virtual controls, great graphics, and plenty of content to get through. As with most games of this type, the idea is to fight monsters, explore dungeons, and gather loot to progress through the story. Grimvalor costs $5.99, and there are no additional in-app purchases.

What were your favorite Mac and iOS apps in 2018? Let us know in the comments.

Earlier this week, Apple told The Verge that some 2018 iPad Pro models are shipping with a slight bend in the aluminum chassis, which is a side effect of the manufacturing process that is not expected to worsen over time or negatively impact the iPad's performance.

Many MacRumors readers were concerned about Apple's position that a noticeable bend is not a manufacturing issue, prompting MacRumors reader Craig to send an email to Apple CEO Tim Cook to express his concerns.

While Cook didn't respond, Craig did get a reply from Apple's VP of hardware engineering, Dan Riccio, which he shared with MacRumors and which we have confirmed to be from Apple's corporate mail servers in Cupertino, California.

In the email, Riccio says that the iPad Pro's design "meets or exceeds" all of Apple's quality and precision standards.

Apple's specification for iPad Pro flatness is up to 400 microns, which is "even tighter than previous generations." Riccio reiterates that this level of flatness won't change during normal use, nor does it affect function. From the email:

Relative to the issue you referenced regarding the new iPad Pro, its unibody design meets or exceeds all of Apple's high quality standards of design and precision manufacturing. We've carefully engineered it and every part of the manufacturing process is precisely measured and controlled.

Our current specification for iPad Pro flatness is up to 400 microns which is even tighter than previous generations. This 400 micron variance is less than half a millimeter (or the width of fewer than four sheets of paper at most) and this level of flatness won't change during normal use over the lifetime of the product. Note, these slight variations do not affect the function of the device in any way.

Again, thanks for reaching out and I hope the above explanation addresses your concerns.

Riccio's email also says that a company statement was not included in the original information disseminated by The Verge, and that Apple will be reaching out to media outlets to comment officially.

The original email was sent late on December 20 and suggested a comment would come "later today," but that didn't happen, so it's not quite clear when Apple will provide more info to the media. We may be hearing an official, more reassuring statement on the 2018 iPad Pro before the end of the day.

Minor bending of the new iPad Pro models first came to light shortly after the devices launched, and new iPad Pro owners who noticed bends shared their concerns on the MacRumors forums.

Apple was quiet on the issue until this week, when the company told The Verge that the bending is a side effect of the manufacturing process and not a defect that impacts iPad performance.

The bend is said to be the result of a cooling process involving the iPad Pro's metal and plastic components during manufacturing. iPad Pro models experiencing this issue are exhibiting the problem right out of the box, according to Apple, so it's not an issue that shows up or worsens over time.

Apple told The Verge that concerns over the structural rigidity of the iPad Pro are unfounded and that it stands by the product.