MacRumors

Anker is offering a wide selection of accessories on sale at Amazon, including discounts on the popular 60,000 mAh Power Station with Retractable Light and Smart Display ($109.99) and on the 3-in-1 MagSafe Charging Cube ($134.95). You'll find chargers, USB-C accessories, portable batteries, and more being discounted during this sale.

anker january pinkNote: 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.

If you're looking for a smaller portable battery, there's the 10,000 mAh Nano Power Bank with built-in USB-C cable for $37.99 with on-page coupon, down from $49.99. There are also two portable batteries with foldable dongles for Lightning ($19.99) and USB-C ($22.49) charging.

Note: You won't see the deal price until checkout.


Shoppers should note that some Amazon deals, including all of the ones mentioned above, require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the discounts. To get these discounts, click on the box next to the on-page coupon on each product page, then head to the checkout screen in order to see the final sale price. There are also a few deals from Anker's own website found below.

Portable Batteries

Power Stations

Wall Chargers

Hubs

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today reiterated his belief that the Apple Vision Pro will launch in additional countries before Apple's annual developers conference WWDC in June. The headset first launched in the U.S. earlier this month.

Apple Vision Pro with battery Feature Blue Magenta
Apple will likely expand the Vision Pro to more English-speaking countries, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.K., but it has also been localizing visionOS in preparation to launch the headset in countries like France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Kuo said demand for the Vision Pro in the U.S. has "slowed down significantly" since the headset launched there on February 2. He estimated that U.S. shipments of the headset will total 200,000 to 250,000 units this year, which he said is better than Apple's original estimate of 150,000 to 200,000 units, but it is still a "niche market."

In recent weeks, there was a lot of discussion about Vision Pro returns on social media. However, based on his inspection of the "repair/refurbishment production line" for the headset, Kuo estimated that the current return rate is "less than 1%."

All in all, Kuo said the Vision Pro launch in the U.S. played out mostly in line with his expectations, beyond a "higher-than-expected number of early adopters."

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Experian and Apple today announced that Apple Pay Later loan information will soon appear on Experian's credit reports. The companies said this move will provide "greater transparency" and help to protect both lenders and borrowers.

Apple Pay Later
Apple Pay Later loans initiated today onward will appear on a customer's Experian credit report with a BNPL ("buy now, pay later") designation starting March 1, according to Experian. This information will have no effect on a customer's credit score right now, but Experian says it could in the future, as new credit scoring models are developed.

Apple provided more details in a support document updated today:

Apple Pay Later loans and payment history will be reported to Experian. Your credit score won't be affected when we start sharing your Apple Pay Later loan and payment history, but might be affected in the future once data is incorporated by credit scoring models, like FICO®. Information about your purchase, like the loan start date, loan amount, loan status, outstanding balance, payment dates, and payment history will be shared, which will help to build your credit history. If your purchase is canceled or fully refunded, the loan will not be reported.

Experian is the first credit bureau that will report Apple Pay Later loans, and the information will eventually be visible to lenders performing hard inquiries.

"By reporting Apple Pay Later loans to Experian, we aim to help promote greater transparency and responsible lending for both the borrower and the lender, while providing users with the opportunity to further build their credit," said Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, in a press release.

Apple Pay Later launched in the U.S. last year, and it allows qualifying customers to split a purchase made with Apple Pay into four equal payments over six weeks, with no interest or fees. The feature is available for eligible purchases between $75 and $1,000 made on an iPhone or iPad on most websites and apps that accept Apple Pay.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Hardware prototyping consultant Ken Pillonel's latest project switches the AirPods Max's Lightning port for USB-C as part of his ongoing efforts to highlight repairability and sustainability issues in consumer electronics.

airpods max usb c ken pillonel
The project comes as a response to discontent among some users regarding the premium headphones' continued reliance on the Lightning port for charging while most other Apple devices have made the switch to USB-C, as well as rumors that the second-generation version of the device will finally make the transition. It also serves as a viable fix for damaged ‌AirPods Max‌ Lightning ports, which are costly to replace.

Pillonel created a custom replacement part to allow any technically proficient ‌AirPods Max‌ users to upgrade their headphones to USB-C themselves. The endeavor involved intricate design and manufacturing processes, including the development of an open-source USB-C conversion circuit and a custom printed circuit board that fits perfectly without the need to drill or damaging any of the original components.

The replacement part is designed to sit atop the existing board, meticulously avoiding contact with any other components. The design also addresses potential durability concerns with a flexible section that mitigates stress on the connector, enhancing the kit's longevity.

Pillonel explored the possibility of enabling audio pass-through via the USB-C port but ultimately decided against it due to the prohibitive cost and complexity of integrating Apple's proprietary technology. The conversion kit, along with detailed instructions, is available for purchase via Pillonel's online shop.

The second-generation ‌AirPods Max‌ are rumored to launch in late 2024, with the main upgrade being a USB-C port in place of Lightning. No other significant changes are expected, meaning that the headphones will likely miss out on features including the H2 chip and Adaptive Audio, but there might be some new color options.

Related Roundup: AirPods Max
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Caution)
Related Forum: AirPods

Apple is already designing the chips that will use TSMC's next-generation 2-nanometer fabrication process, according to information allegedly sourced from an Apple employee on LinkedIn.

Apple Silicon Teal Feature
Originally captured by Korean website gamma0burst and shared on X (Twitter) by the leaker Revegnus (@Tech_Reve), the information appears in a heavily redacted slide said to list the employee's work on past and current projects at Apple.

A non-redacted part of the slide reads "TS5nm, TS3nm, working on TS2nm," terms believed to reference the different fabrication processes Apple has chosen for past, current, and future chips. Terms like "3nm" and "2nm" refer to the specific architecture and design rules TSMC is using for a family of chips. Decreases in node size correspond to a smaller transistor size, so more transistors can fit on a processor, leading to boosts in speed and more efficient power consumption.

Rumors suggest that TSMC is already starting work on more advanced 1.4-nanometer chips, which are expected to come out as soon as 2027. Apple is said to be looking to reserve TSMC's initial manufacturing capabilities for both 1.4nm and 1nm technologies. To get a sense of the nanometer scale, a strand of human hair is about 80,000 to 100,000nm wide.

Last year, Apple adopted 3nm chips for its iPhones and Macs, an upgrade over the prior 5nm mode. The switch to 3nm technology brought 20 percent faster GPU speeds, 10 percent faster CPU speed, and a 2x faster Neural Engine to the iPhone, and similar improvements on Macs.

Apple is believed to be the first company that will receive chips built on TSMC's future 2nm process, which is expected to go into production in the second half of 2025. The 2nm fabrication process, also known simply as "N2," is expected to offer a 10 to 15 percent speed improvement at the same power or a 25 to 30 percent power reduction at the same speed compared to chips made with the supplier's ‌3nm‌ technology.

TSMC is building two new facilities to accommodate 2nm chip production, and is waiting on approval for a third. The Taiwanese fab giant is spending billions on the change, and Apple will also need to make chip design changes to accommodate the new technology. Apple is TSMC's main client, and it is typically the first to get TSMC's new chips. Apple acquired all of TSMC's 3-nanometer chips in 2023 for iPhones, iPads, and Macs, for example.

Tags: 2nm, Revegnus, TSMC

An all-new "Heavy Rotation Mix" playlist today rolled out on Apple Music, providing a convenient way for users to see and listen to a personalized collection of songs that they listen to most.

apple music heavy rotation mix
The Heavy Rotation Mix features 25 songs and joins the Favorites Mix, Get Up! Mix, Chill Mix, New Music Mix, and Friends Mix. Unlike the pre-existing personalized playlists which are all updated on a weekly basis, Heavy Rotation is updated daily, allowing it to evolve as your listening habits change.

‌Apple Music‌ users can listen to their own Heavy Rotation Mix and add it to their library by navigating to Listen Now, where it appears under Top Picks.

The Heavy Rotation Mix is the latest feature to join ‌Apple Music‌ after a series of small upgrades in recent months. Earlier in February, Apple launched a monthly Apple Music Replay experience, as well as new "Love" and "Heartbreak" personalized radio stations. ‌Apple Music‌ also seems to be testing a service to import a music library from other streaming services.

Apple representatives met with the U.S. Justice Department last week in a last ditch effort to persuade the agency not to file an antitrust suit against the company, according to Bloomberg.

iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue
Citing people familiar with the matter, the report states that Apple and its lawyers met with Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, who will have the final say on whether to file a suit.

Since 2019, the Justice Department has been looking into Apple's App Store business practices and whether iOS favors Apple's own apps and services over those provided by third-party developers and other companies.

The DOJ began by inquiring about Apple's App Store policies, and reportedly met with developers to learn more about the ‌App Store‌'s review process.

The department reportedly escalated its probe in early 2023 by assigning additional litigators to the case and requesting documents and consultations with companies connected to the investigation.

Apple has been accused of or investigated for anticompetitive practices in several other countries over the past few years, with many of the complaints related to the ‌App Store‌. Most recently, Apple announced major changes to the way the ‌App Store‌ and apps operate in the EU in order to comply with the bloc's inbound Digital Markets Act before March 7, and the DOJ has reportedly been monitoring these developments.

The DOJ is expected to make its first legal move in the coming weeks, likely by the end of March, according to Bloomberg's sources, potentially leaving Apple facing an antitrust lawsuit brought by the U.S. government.

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.

After more than a year since announcing the feature, Google Maps is finally rolling out glanceable directions on Android and iOS (via Android Police).

Google maps feaure
The feature allows users to view turn-by-turn directions and a live ETA directly from their device's lock screen – information that was previously only visible when a phone was unlocked.

Glanceable directions also work on the app's route overview screen that appears after launching directions, before users tap the Start button. Google Maps will show directions, live ETA, and even update the route if the user takes a different path, as shown in the GIF embedded below.

Glanceable directions are off by default, but can be enabled in the app's main settings, under Navigation. In our tests on iPhone, the setting only appeared after switching Google accounts, suggesting the feature is still rolling out. However, we are still not seeing support for Live Activities in iOS, which was promised a year ago.

google maps
Google first announced glanceable directions last February, and in June said the feature was rolling out that month for walking, cycling, and driving directions on Android and iOS, including compatibility with Live Activities in iOS 16.1.

glanceable google maps
Based on assets recently unearthed by MacRumors in an earlier version of the app, Google Maps continues to work on integrating Live Activities support for iPhones, but when we'll actually see it at this point is anyone's guess.

Apple Music and the iTunes Store are experiencing issues, according to Apple's System Status page. ‌Apple Music‌ may be slow or unavailable for some users.

apple music
As for iTunes, some users are running into problems, and Apple is investigating as of right now.

According to Apple, these issues began at 6:49 p.m. Eastern Time. There is no word yet on when service will resume functioning as normal.

Apple today publicly confirmed that iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 allow developers of video calling apps to turn off the Reactions feature by default in their apps.

ios 17 facetime effects
As we reported earlier this month, developers can control the default behavior of Reactions in their apps with a new API for iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, and likely macOS 14.4. The updates are expected to be released to the public in March.

Apple's developer notes for the iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 Release Candidates:

Developers can control the default behavior of Reactions with the key […] This is controlled per application and user choice will override application declared defaults.

For example, video conferencing app Zoom could use Apple's new API to turn off the Reactions feature in its app by default. iPhone and iPad users who manually turn Reactions back on in Control Center would still be able to use the feature in the app.

Reactions remain turned on by default on iOS 17.4 overall, so they still work in FaceTime and in apps that do not use the API without any further steps required.

Reactions

Starting with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, you can make hand gestures during video calls in the FaceTime app and other video conferencing apps to fill the screen with 3D effects. For example, you can hold two thumbs up to show fireworks on the screen, or make two peace signs with your hands to show confetti.

Unfortunately, many users are unaware that this new feature is turned on by default, which has led to some awkward and embarrassing moments during important video calls, such as online therapy sessions and business meetings.


Instead of turning off Reactions by default altogether, Apple is allowing developers to control the feature on a per-app basis with this new API.

MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris assisted with this story.

Related Roundups: iOS 17, iPadOS 17
Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Apple often refreshes Apple Watch band colors on a seasonal basis, and code in iOS 17.4 suggests that new spring colors will be coming soon.

apple watch orange
As found by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, the spring colors include Light Blue, Ocean Blue, Pink, Raspberry, Soft Mint, and Sunshine (likely a light yellow). There are also two Hermes colors, Bleu Céleste and Jaune de Naples.

When released, these colors will be available for watch faces that support different color options, and they'll be listed in a Spring 2024 section in the Apple Watch app on iPhone. Right now, the colors are not showing up there.

Apple often also uses these same colors for new ‌iPhone‌ cases and iPad cases. If we get a spring event this year around the end of March, we can expect to see these band options and possibly new cases that offer the same colors.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 9
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Apple is working on an updated version of its popular Beats Solo on-ear headphones, according to code located in the iOS 17.4 release candidate that Apple put out today. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris found several references to the Beats Solo 4 headphones, including images.

new beats solo 4
The Beats Solo 4 look similar to the Solo 3 headphones, but have design tweaks that bring them in line with the Beats Studio Pro. Spatial Audio is supported according to the code, but we don't know what other features to expect at this time.

There are three colors in the files, including black, pink, and blue. We can expect some of the changes that were brought to the Beats Studio Pro last year, such as improved sound quality and support for Personalized Spatial Audio. The headphones will support the same gestures as the Studio Pro, with a press on the "b" button to play/pause and answer calls, a double press to skip songs, and a long press to activate Siri. Apple will also likely swap the old micro-USB port for a new USB-C port to bring the headphones in line with the rest of its products.


Apple first released the Solo 3 headphones way back in 2016, and while there have been multiple color updates, nothing else has changed since then. The Solo 4 will be the first major update to the on-ear headphones in many years.

Tag: Beats

Apple has canceled all plans to release an autonomous, electric vehicle, reports Bloomberg. Apple has been working on an Apple Car for more than a decade and invested millions of dollars into development before deciding it was not a viable project.


Apple's Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams today told approximately 2,000 employees working on the ‌Apple Car‌ that the project was canceled, and the information reportedly came as a surprise.

Work on the ‌Apple Car‌ is winding down and many of the people that were working on the car will move to Apple's artificial intelligence division to work on generative AI under AI chief John Giannandrea.

There are a number of hardware engineers and car designers that were on the ‌Apple Car‌ team, and there will be layoffs. Some of the employees may be able to shift to other divisions within the company.

Earlier this year, there were rumors that the ‌Apple Car‌ project had been scaled back, with Apple abandoning plans for a full driverless car with autonomous capabilities. Apple shifted focus to an electric vehicle with fewer self-driving features, and the vehicle would have been on par with Tesla's technology. Apple was aiming to release the car sometime around 2026, but now those plans have been shelved completely.

News of the ‌Apple Car‌ first surfaced in 2014, and since then, the project has been rife with problems. The focus of the work has changed and evolved multiple times, and Apple has had several leadership changes due to internal strife. Apple Watch chief Kevin Lynch took over the project in 2021, and he worked to scale down the project while still putting out a viable car.

According to Bloomberg, senior Apple executives made the decision to wind down the ‌Apple Car‌ project in recent weeks.

Apple today seeded release candidates of upcoming iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 to developers for testing purposes, with the updates coming one week after Apple seeded the fourth betas. The RCs are the final versions of the software that will be released to the public next week so long as no bugs are found during this final testing process.

iOS 17
Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 Developer Beta. A free or paid Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

iOS 17.4 introduces sweeping changes to the way the App Store and apps operate in the European Union, paving the way for alternative app marketplaces, alternative payment systems, third-party browser engine support, and NFC access for banks and third-party payment providers. These features are limited to the EU, and won't be available in other countries.

There are, however, changes to gaming apps, and with the launch of iOS 17.4, Apple will be allowing cloud gaming apps like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce NOW. Mini games, chatbots, and plug-ins are also now able to use the in-app purchase system. Along with these updates, iOS 17.4 adds new emoji characters, transcripts for podcasts in the Podcasts app, support for using SharePlay with the HomePod, Stopwatch Live Activities, and more. Apple's release notes for the update are below.

Emoji
- New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads emoji are now available in the emoji keyboard
- 18 people and body emoji add the option to face them in either direction

Apple Podcasts
- Transcripts let you follow an episode with text that highlights in sync with the audio in English, Spanish, French and German
- Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or phrase, tapped to play from a specific point and used with accessibility features such as Text Size, Increase Contrast, and VoiceOver

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
- Music recognition lets you add songs you have identified to your Apple Music Playlists and Library, as well as Apple Music Classical
- Siri has a new option to announce messages you receive in any supported language
- Stolen Device Protection supports the option for increased security in all locations
- Battery Health in Settings shows battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models
- Call Identification displays Apple-verified business name, logo, and department name when available
- Business updates in Messages for Business provide trusted information for order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts or other transactions you opt into
- Apple Cash virtual card numbers enable you to pay with Apple Cash at merchants that don't yet accept Apple Pay by typing in your number from Wallet or using Safari AutoFill
- Fixes an issue where contact pictures are blank in Find My
- Fixes an issue for Dual SIM users where the phone number changes from primary to secondary and is visible to a group they have messaged
Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

Full details on everything new in iOS 17.4 can be found in our iOS 17.4 features guide.

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of the fourth beta.

sonoma desktop wwdc
Registered developers can opt-in to the beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Note that an Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.4 introduces some of the features in the iOS 17.4 beta, such as new emoji characters. We don't know what Mac-specific features are included, and little else was found in the betas so far.

Related Roundup: macOS Sonoma
Related Forum: macOS Sonoma

Apple today released fourth beta of an upcoming visionOS 1.1 update for developers, allowing them to test new features ahead of the software seeing a public launch. The new update comes a week after the release of the third beta.

visionOS Home Screen
The ‌visionOS‌ beta can be downloaded by going to the Settings app on the device and toggling on developer betas. A registered developer account is required, and Apple recommends making a backup before installing new software.

‌visionOS‌ 1.1 brings support for iMessage Contact Key Verification and it adds Apple device management to the Vision Pro. With this functionality, IT departments at companies and educational institutions can manage Vision Pro headsets in the same way they manage iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

According to Apple's beta notes, users can now reposition volumetric scenes closer than before, enabling easier direct interaction with the volumetric scene content. That means objects can be placed closer to you.

Apple has also improved Personas in ‌visionOS‌ 1.1, making them look more natural and lifelike than before.

Related Roundup: visionOS
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming tvOS 17.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming one week after the release of the fourth tvOS 17.4 beta.

apple tv 4k green
Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 17.4 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.

tvOS software releases are usually minor in scale compared to other operating system updates, focusing primarily on smaller improvements rather than outward-facing changes.

The tvOS 17.4 update adds support for Apple Music SharePlay on the ‌Apple TV‌. The ‌Apple TV‌ user can pull up an ‌Apple Music‌ QR code that can be scanned by anyone, which then allows multiple people to contribute to what's playing via ‌Apple Music‌. An ‌Apple Music‌ subscription is not required.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Caution)

Sonos, known for its range of speakers and home theater products, is set to enter the headphone market in 2024. Rumors last year indicated Sonos would release headphones as soon as April 2024, but a new report today from Bloomberg suggests Sonos has delayed the launch due to a software issue.

Airpods Max Feature Green Triad
The headphones are expected to be available for purchase in the first half of June, with the launch pushed back while the software problem is addressed. Sonos is solving a problem with how the headphones connect to Wi-Fi networks.

Sonos is aiming to take on the AirPods Max with the Sonos headphones, which will have a price tag of $449 and an over-ear design. The headphones will be available in black and white, and are expected to include features like voice control navigation and synchronization with Sonos speakers, soundbars, and subwoofers.

Apple's ‌AirPods Max‌ headphones are priced at $549, but third-party retailers often have them available at a discount. Apple has not updated the ‌AirPods Max‌ since their 2020 launch, and they are nearing four years old.

We are expecting a refresh at some point this year, but rumors indicate Apple doesn't have plans for major new features. Instead, the ‌AirPods Max‌ will get a USB-C port, new colors, and little else.

Sonos is well-established in the speaker market and is the go-to for those who don't mind an expensive home theater setup, so the Sonos headphones could sell well if Sonos offers high-quality sound and deeper customization than is available with Apple's audio products.

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence confirmed in November 2023 that Sonos is set to enter a new market, and he said the company's offering would "delight customers and drive immediate revenue." Spence said Sonos will generate more than $100 million from new products in 2024, and that the new device would account for a large portion of the revenue in the second half of 2024.

In addition to headphones, Sonos also plans to unveil a set-top box to rival the Apple TV. That device could come as soon as late 2024. If Sonos sees success with the headphones, earbuds that rival the AirPods could come in the future.

Tag: Sonos