Early January always sees a flurry of news coming out of CES, but that wasn't all that was on the docket this week. Additional topics of interest in this week included new emoji personalization options for AirPods charging cases, "iPhone 9" rumors, and an upcoming change to Apple's serial number format.

CES 2020: New HomeKit Accessories, Wireless Chargers, and Other Cool Tech From the Show

CES week has wrapped up in Las Vegas, where thousands of tech companies both small and large unveiled their latest products and concepts. As usual, Apple did not have a booth at the trade show, but a wide range of HomeKit-compatible smart home products and accessories for products like the iPhone and Apple Watch were unveiled over the past week.

cesunveiled
Here are some of the most popular CES stories on MacRumors this week, plus three videos with cool tech from the show:

Subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube for new Apple videos every week!

Aura Smart Strap for Apple Watch to Launch in March

Last year, startup Aura introduced a "smart strap" for the Apple Watch, designed to measure weight, water, fat, and muscle via electrodes built into the band. At CES this week, Aura said the strap is set to launch in March, with pre-orders available now for $99.

aurastrap1
Body composition and hydration is not something the ‌Apple Watch‌ can track on its own, though testing will need to be done to see how accurate the Aura strap is in practice.

Apple Launches Replacement Program for Smart Battery Cases Designed for iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR

Numerous customers have run into issues with Apple's Smart Battery Cases for the company's 2018 iPhone lineup, experiencing issues with the cases failing to charge or the cases failing to charge the iPhones.

iphone xs max battery case
Addressing the situation, Apple this week launched a replacement program that allows iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR users who have run into these problems to receive a free replacement case. Customers will need to visit an Apple retail store or authorized service provider to have their cases inspected and ensure they qualify for the program.

Apple TV App Coming to Select LG, Sony, and Vizio Smart TVs Later This Year

Apple this week announced that its Apple TV app will be available on select LG, Sony, and Vizio smart TVs later this year. Apple shared the news in a press release highlighting the success of its various services.

apple tv app shows
When available, the Apple TV app will allow owners of newer LG, Sony, and Vizio smart TVs to stream Apple TV+ shows and movies, use the à-la-carte Apple TV Channels feature, access their iTunes libraries of movies and TV shows, and buy or rent more than 100,000 shows and movies from the iTunes Store.

TiVo, meanwhile, has said that the Apple TV app that it promised back at CES 2019 is no longer something it is focusing on right now.

iPhone 9 May Be Slightly Thicker Than iPhone 8

OnLeaks, a well-known leaker who shared accurate renders of the iPhone 11 Pro over nine months before the device was unveiled, has returned with new concept art for the so-called "iPhone 9" or "iPhone SE 2."

iphone 9 onleaks 1
In line with earlier predictions from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, OnLeaks expects the iPhone 9 to resemble the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch LCD display with thick bezels, Touch ID home button, and single-lens rear camera, but with a faster A13 chip, 3GB of RAM, and no hardware-based 3D Touch.

OnLeaks also expects the iPhone 9 to be 7.8mm thick, which would be 0.5mm thicker than the iPhone 8. The device will launch by the end of March, starting at around $399, according to Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple Plans to Switch to Randomized Serial Numbers for Future Products Starting in Late 2020

In an internal memo obtained by MacRumors, Apple has indicated that it plans to update its serial number format to a randomized alphanumeric string for future products starting in late 2020.

macos catalina serial number
Apple says all serial numbers that exist before the change is made will remain the same.

Apple already uses alphanumeric serial numbers, but it has long been possible to determine the date and location that a product was manufactured based on the current format. Readers would often use serial numbers to glean more information about their devices, like the iPhone or MacBook Pro.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Popular Stories

dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...