Top Stories: Apple Vision Pro Release Date, iOS 17.3 Coming Soon, CES 2024 Recap

Apple's Vision Pro headset finally has a release date in the U.S., and it's coming up quickly! Alongside that announcement, we learned a bit more about the device and what to expect with the ordering process.

top stories 13jan2024
Other news this week included Apple starting to pay out claims for the high-profile class action lawsuit that claimed Apple was "secretly throttling" older iPhones with degraded batteries, an approaching release of iOS 17.3 and related updates, and the annual CES tech event in Las Vegas, so read on below for all the details!

Apple Vision Pro Launches February 2, Pre-Orders Start Next Week

After being unveiled at WWDC 2023 last June, Apple's long-awaited Vision Pro mixed reality headset now has a release date: Friday, February 2. Pre-orders begin on Friday, January 19 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time. Availability is limited to the U.S., with more countries to follow later this year.

Apple Vision Pro with battery Feature Blue Magenta
Pricing starts at $3,499 with 256GB of storage, and ZEISS optical inserts will be available for $99 to $149. If you're planning to order, make sure to check out Apple's tips to make sure you're ready.

Apple refers to the Vision Pro as a "spatial computer," and it offers a combination of augmented reality and virtual reality features. The headset is powered by an all-new visionOS operating system, which can be controlled with a user's eyes, hands, and voice.

Learn more in our Vision Pro roundup.

Apple Vision Pro: Here's Everything You Get in the Box

In its press release announcing the Vision Pro's launch date, Apple revealed the various items that will be included with the headset.

Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Teal Feature 2
Apple says the headset will ship with two types of head bands (a Solo Knit Band and a Dual Loop Band), a light seal, two light seal cushions, a cover for the front glass, a polishing cloth, an external battery pack, a USB-C power adapter, and a USB-C charging cable.

Apple Vision Pro Features 16GB of RAM

Apple's upcoming Vision Pro headset is equipped with 16GB of unified memory, according to files related to the device in Xcode 15.2.

apple vision pro chips
Our finding in Apple's app development tool confirms a June 2023 report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that said the Vision Pro would be equipped with 16GB of RAM, and that is also the same amount of memory that was included in Vision Pro development kits.

Apple Sends $92 'Batterygate' Payments to iPhone Users

Apple in 2020 agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle a class action lawsuit in the U.S. that accused the company of "secretly throttling" some iPhone models, and payouts finally started going out this week to individuals who submitted a claim.

iPhone 6s MacRumors YouTube
iPhone users have received $92.17 per claim from Apple, according to multiple MacRumors readers. The deadline to submit a claim was in October 2020.

iOS 17.3 Coming Soon With These Two New Features for Your iPhone

iOS 17.3 has been in beta testing since mid-December, and the upcoming software update includes two new features for the iPhone, including Stolen Device Protection and collaborative Apple Music playlists.

iOS 17
Related: When Will iOS 17.3 Be Released?

Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 17.3 this week, and the update will likely be widely released later this month.

CES 2024 Recap of Apple-Related Announcements

The annual CES tech conference was held in Las Vegas this week, and there were a handful of Apple-related announcements as usual.

CES 2024 Day 1 Thumbnail 2
Check out our CES 2024 news hub for a recap of new HomeKit accessories and more.

Also be sure to watch our Day One, Day Two and Day Three videos for more highlights.

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

Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday December 24, 2025 8:40 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
maxresdefault

10 Mac Apps Worth Trying in 2026

Wednesday December 24, 2025 9:27 am PST by
2026 is almost upon us, and a new year is a good time to try out some new apps. We've rounded up 10 excellent Mac apps that are worth checking out. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Alt-Tab (Free) - Alt-Tab brings a Windows-style alt + tab thumbnail preview option to the Mac. You can see a full window preview of open apps and app windows. One Thing (Free) -...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
airpods color prototypes

Apple Tested AirPods in Bright Colors

Saturday December 27, 2025 6:06 am PST by
Apple reportedly tested a version of the first-generation AirPods with bright, iPhone 5c-like colored charging cases. The images, shared by the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami," claim to show first-generation AirPods prototypes with pink and yellow exterior casings. The interior of the charging case and the earbuds themselves remain white. They seem close to some...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Why Apple's Foldable iPhone May Be Smaller Than Expected

Tuesday December 23, 2025 5:21 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored for release next year, may turn out to be smaller than most people imagine, if a recent report is anything to go by. According to The Information, the outer display on the book-style device will measure just 5.3 inches – that's smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the ‌iPhone‌ mini, a line Apple discontinued in 2022 due to poor sales. The report has led ...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Samsung Developing 'Wide Fold' With iPhone Fold-Like Design Ahead of Apple's 2026 Launch

Tuesday December 23, 2025 11:55 am PST by
Samsung is working on a new foldable smartphone that's wider and shorter than the models that it's released before, according to Korean news site ETNews. The "Wide Fold" will compete with Apple's iPhone Fold that's set to launch in September 2026. Samsung's existing Galaxy Z Fold7 display is 6.5 inches when closed, and 8 inches when open, with a 21:9 aspect ratio when folded and a 20:18...
iPhone SE Cosmopolitan Clean

Apple Discontinued These 25 Products This Year

Wednesday December 24, 2025 7:24 am PST by
With the end of 2025 near, the time has come to look back at the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Most of the products that were discontinued this year were simply replaced by a new model with an updated chip. However, the iPhone SE line was entirely discontinued when the iPhone 16e launched, and the iPhone Plus line is being phased out. Below, we have...

Top Rated Comments

klasma Avatar
26 months ago

Stolen Device Protection
It’s nice that Apple is now acknowledging when they are stealing a feature.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisA Avatar
26 months ago
I think Asus might have just killed the Vison Pro

https://edgeup.asus.com/2024/asus-glasses-intro

This Asus product looks like what I want to actually want to use. The Apple product is simply too physically large to be practical.

The other thing is that Asus does not need a killer app to justify the glasses, it is just a screen. Use it for existing games or office work or just to watch a movie.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
26 months ago

Apple refers to the Vision Pro as a "spatial computer ('https://www.macrumors.com/2024/01/09/vision-pro-developers-asked-to-avoid-vr-branding/')," and it offers a combination of augmented reality and virtual reality features. The headset is powered by an all-new visionOS operating system, which can be controlled with a user's eyes, hands, and voice.
Apple as this example avoiding any of the common acronyms they used in WWDC 2023 so they can hype the Vision Pro as totally new platform using technology they seem to have invented.

Mac World recently said it in a recent article.

Apple is desperate not to be compared to the several years worth of mixed reality products on the market already, going out of its way to use “Spatial Computing” to describe the product and insisting developers avoid terms like AR, VR, MR, and so on.
For several years it's always been about Augmented Reality on their developer pages.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
26 months ago

I think Asus might have just killed the Vison Pro

https://edgeup.asus.com/2024/asus-glasses-intro

This Asus product looks like what I want to actually want to use. The Apple product is simply too physically large to be practical.

The other thing is that Asus does not need a killer app to justify the glasses, it is just a screen. Use it for existing games or office work or just to watch a movie.
No cameras, no AR and no VR (apart from the screen), no eye tracking, no input methods, but yes the form factor is more like it, and if it works well, it will be more compelling to the “portable virtual monitor” crowd than the AVP.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
26 months ago

Actually they didn't.
In the early 1990s, as field of Virtual reality was beginning to be commercialized beyond academic and military labs, a startup called Worldesign in Seattle used the term Spatial Computing to describe the interaction between individual people and 3D spaces, operating more at the human end of the scale than previous GIS examples may have contemplated. The company built a CAVE-like environment it called the Virtual Environment Theater, whose 3D experience was of a virtual flyover of the Giza Plateau, circa 3000 BC. Robert Jacobson, CEO of Worldesign, attributes the origins of the term to experiments at the Human Interface Technology Lab, at the University of Washington, under the direction of Thomas A. Furness III. Jacobson was a co-founder of that lab before spinning off this early VR startup.

In 1997, an academic publication by T. Caelli, Peng Lam, and H. Bunke called "Spatial Computing: Issues in Vision, Multimedia and Visualization Technologies" introduced the term more broadly for academic audiences.

And that's fine, as from the above it appears to now be a generic descriptor. That Apple is using "spatial" in characterizing what their product does makes sense and it would certainly apply to AR applications. Much better than "AR" seeing as though the general public likely doesn't know what that means.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
26 months ago
Looking forward to is 17.3. Stolen device protection is a welcome addition.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)