Top Stories: WWDC Announced, iOS 16.4 Released, Apple Music Classical Now Available

Apple's 2023 developer conference is now official, and it's taking place the week of June 5–9 as expected. As was the case last year, it will be a mostly virtual event with a small in-person component on keynote day for members of the press and select developers and students who win a random lottery.

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This week also saw the release of iOS 16.4 and associated updates, as well as launches of Apple Music Classical and Apple Pay Later. Meanwhile, we heard fresh rumors about Apple's long-rumored AR/VR headset and the iPhone 15 lineup coming later this year, so read on for details on these stories and more!

Apple Announces WWDC 2023 Taking Place June 5 to 9

Mark your calendars! Apple this week announced that WWDC 2023 will be held from Monday, June 5 through Friday, June 9. Sessions and labs will be available online, but there will also be an in-person component. Like last year, randomly selected developers and students will be able to attend a special day at Apple Park on the Monday to watch the keynote video, meet with some of Apple's teams, enjoy evening activities, and more.

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At WWDC, Apple will announce the latest versions of its software platforms, including iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 14, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17. Apple's long-awaited AR/VR headset may also be unveiled at WWDC, and there could always be another surprise or two.

Apple Music Classical Now Available on App Store

Apple Music Classical is now available on the App Store in most countries around the world. The app features over five million classical music tracks and is free to use with a standard Apple Music subscription.

Apple Music Classical hero
Apple first announced plans to launch a classical music app in 2021 after acquiring and shutting down Primephonic, a streaming service for classical music. Apple plans to release an Android version of the app soon.

Everything New in iOS 16.4

Following around six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is now available to the public. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone, so be sure to check out the full list.

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Apple has already released the first beta of iOS 16.5, which so far includes only a few minor changes, including a new "Sports" tab in the Apple News app and the ability to start a screen recording by asking Siri.

Apple Reportedly Demoed AR/VR Headset to Executives in Steve Jobs Theater

Apple's much-rumored AR/VR headset was reportedly demoed to the company's top executives during a presentation at Steve Jobs Theater last week, suggesting the device is getting closer to launching.

apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kaneApple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane

Apple is expected to unveil the headset at WWDC in June, although analyst Ming-Chi Kuo this week said that mass production of the headset has been pushed back again, so he is not entirely certain about it being unveiled at WWDC.

iPhone 15 Pro Rumored to Feature Multi-Use Action Button Instead of Mute Switch

The upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are rumored to feature a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra.

iPhone 15 Pro Multi Purpose button Mute Switch Feature Green 2
The source claimed the Action button will replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. Like on the Apple Watch Ultra, users would be able to map the Action button to various system functions like turning on/off the flashlight. There may also be a sensitivity setting to allow the buttons to be used with cases and gloves.

Apple Pay Later Now Available on Limited Basis, Launching Widely in Coming Months

Apple this week announced that it will begin inviting "randomly selected users" to use a prerelease version of Apple Pay Later via the Wallet app and an email sent to their Apple ID. Apple Pay Later is available in the U.S. and requires iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4.

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The "buy now, pay later" financing option will be expanded to all eligible iPhone users over the age of 18 in the U.S. in the "coming months," according to Apple.

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Top Rated Comments

klasma Avatar
9 weeks ago

These April fools stories are so funny!!! Classical music app? Lolol

VR in 2023?! ROFL
They should have announced an improved version of Siri today.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Johnny London Avatar
9 weeks ago
Safari in iOS/ iPadOS 16.4 has more bugs than ever on my iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro 2018: Tabs within Tab groups get mixed up or deleted. Tabs and Reading list no longer sync from my MacBook Pro.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
9 weeks ago

Oh yeah, and how improved would that be?
How about Siri understanding what I’m saying more than half the time?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Born Again Avatar
9 weeks ago
These April fools stories are so funny!!! Classical music app? Lolol

VR in 2023?! ROFL
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
9 weeks ago

Apple Music Classical is now available on the App Store ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/03/28/apple-music-classical-now-available/') in most countries around the world. The app features over five million classical music tracks and is free to use with a standard Apple Music subscription.
I know some people see an another app involving classical music and laugh, but it’s a serious pastime for a lot of community and has a huge following against how different meta data used for searching classical is. Just listen to this weeks MacRumors show video from yesterday. It also clearly shows that Apple can divide up what Apple Music represents from both a service provider and make multiple apps to make it easier to use their service then a single app where a lot here complain that certain apps are too big and don’t allow alternative ways to discover content. Seems like iTunes store versus Apple TV app is another example of how managing a large digital video collection absolutely breaks and frustrates user community. They could take it further and tackle the needs of file sharing a multimedia collection between say Apple TV and your other entertainment gear you use at home.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LV426 Avatar
9 weeks ago

These April fools stories are so funny!!! Classical music app? Lolol

VR in 2023?! ROFL
”free to use with a standard Apple Music subscription”. Funny use of the word “free”!

No thanks. I have my favourite music and purchase it. Likewise with movies.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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