Today we're tracking deals on Apple's fifth-generation iPad Air, which are only available on Best Buy. This sale includes nearly every model of the M1 iPad Air on sale at an all-time low price, with as much as $250 off select models. The deals are part of Best Buy's Prime Day-like "Black Friday in July" sale, which lasts through Wednesday.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting with the 64GB Wi-Fi M1 iPad Air, Best Buy has this model for $399.99, down from $599.99. This is an all-time low price on this model of the 2022 iPad Air, and it's available in three colors. You'll also find the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad Air on sale for $499.99, down from $749.99, which is about $50 cheaper than the previous record low price.
Apple introduced new M2 iPad Air models in May, which is why we're seeing steep discounts on the previous generation models more often. You can still save a bit of money on the 2024 models if you're interested in owning the latest version.
Best Buy's Black Friday in July event has much more on sale than just the iPad Air, including other Apple products like MacBooks and Apple Watches. You can also find great deals on TVs, video games, appliances, headphones, smartphones, sound bars, streaming devices, computers, and much more.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
Amazon today has kicked off early Prime Day deals on Apple's 2024 M3 MacBook Air, with new record low prices on both the 13-inch and 15-inch models. This is the first time we've tracked discounts on these computers in a few weeks, and they're reaching up to $200 off original prices.
Note: 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.
Prices start at $898.99 for the 8GB RAM/256GB SSD 13-inch MacBook Air, which is down from $1,099.00. For the bigger model, prices start at $1,099.00 for the 8GB RAM/256GB SSD 15-inch MacBook Air, down from $1,299.00.
Shoppers should note that Best Buy is offering an extra $50 in savings on these computers, but you'll need to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership in order to see the discounts. Otherwise, if you don't have a membership, you can find matching prices on every M3 MacBook Air at Best Buy.
If you're looking to spend a little less, and are fine with investing in a previous generation model, Amazon also has great deals on the 2022 13-inch M2 MacBook Air. You can get the 256GB model for $799.00 (matched at Best Buy) and the 512GB model for $999.00 (also matched at Best Buy), and they're both $200 off and all-time low prices.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
Apple today announced that the existing HomePod mini is now available in a Midnight color option, which replaces the nearly-identical Space Gray color previously offered. The speaker remains available in Blue, Orange, White, and Yellow as well.
Apple now offers both the full-sized second-generation HomePod and the HomePod mini in Midnight, so this minor change brings some consistency to the lineup. Apple did not mention any other changes to the HomePod mini today, and the speaker remains priced at $99 in the U.S. for all of the color options.
The new Midnight color option can be ordered on Apple.com starting today, and it will be available at Apple Store locations in the U.S., Canada, China, Singapore, and 28 other countries and regions starting July 17.
Apple first released the HomePod mini in November 2020, and it has yet to release a second-generation model of the speaker.
Apple this weekend approved free PC emulator "UTM SE" for the App Store on iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro. The app allows users to emulate old versions of Windows OS, macOS, Linux, and more to fire up classic software and games on Apple devices.
As the first of its kind to be allowed on the App Store, UTM SE offers several unique features like VGA mode support for graphics and terminal mode for text-only OSes, emulation of x86, PPC, and RISC-V architectures, support for pre-built machines, and the ability to create custom bootable machines.
Apple initially rejected the app in June, despite changing its global App Store policy in April regarding retro game emulators. According to the developers, Apple said the app violated rule 4.7 of its App Review Guidelines because "PC is not a console," regardless of the fact that there are retro Windows/DOS games for the PC that UTM SE can be useful in running.
Apple also deemed UTM SE unsuitable for third-party marketplaces in the European Union, because it violated rule 2.5.2 of its Notarization Review Guidelines. That rule states that apps have to be self-contained and can't execute code "which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app, including other apps."
After Apple's rejection, UTM's developer said they would not keep going back and forth because the app would become "a subpar experience." However, after help from the AltStore team and another developer to work on some changes, UTM SE was finally approved by Apple on Saturday.
As with other emulators, UTM SE requires that users supply the operating systems they want to emulate, but the UTM site includes guides for Windows XP through Windows 11 emulation, as well as downloads of pre-built virtual Linux machines. UTM SE can be downloaded from the App Store [Direct Link].
Game emulator Delta, which has been a hit among retro gaming enthusiasts on iPhone, is now officially available for iPad, following an app update to version 1.6.
Delta has been hugely popular since its debut on the App Store and the emulator has been a constant presence in the Top Charts, with users flocking to play retro games that originally appeared on NES, SNES, N64, Nintendo DS, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance.
With iPad support in v1.6, users can now take full advantage of the device's larger display and play in fullscreen. There are new controller skins designed specifically for iPad, and the app supports multiple windows in Stage Manager and Split View, with games able to optionally pause when switching windows. The iPad version also supports external game controllers, and the developer Riley Testut says emulated games "hand off" seamlessly between iPhone and iPad, allowing gamers to continue playing where they left off.
Testut says the need for BIOS files has now been eliminated, streamlining the setup process. Users should also notice a considerable improvement in the performance of DS games. The update introduces various menu button gestures, providing more intuitive navigation options. An experimental feature, "Reverse Controller Skin Screens," has also been added, allowing users to switch controller skin screens at runtime, offering greater customization and flexibility during gameplay.
Testut previously explained that Delta for iPad had not originally been a development priority because the plan was to limit the emulator's launch to the EU via alternative app marketplace AltStore PAL, which doesn't support iPad.
However, in a reversal of a years-old policy, Apple in April decided to allow retro game emulators on the App Store. Delta was therefore made available on the App Store as a free download in the United States and other countries, with users supporting the developer via Patreon. Official download links for the latest version can be found on the Delta website.
Samsung this week introduced its latest earbuds, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, which look quite a bit like Apple's AirPods Pro 2. Given the similarities, we thought we'd compare Samsung's new earbuds to the AirPods Pro.
Design wise, you could potentially mistake Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro for the AirPods Pro. The Buds3 Pro have the same general shape and a silicone tip, though it's worth noting that the Buds3 Pro come in both white and gray, so you're not limited to white as you are with the AirPods Pro 2. The charging case is similar to the AirPods Charging Case too, but there's a transparent upper portion.
The Buds3 Pro sound great out of the box, but there is an option to adjust the sound using the equalizer, which isn't possible with the AirPods Pro 2. The Active Noise Cancellation and the "Ambient Mode" or transparency on the Buds3 Pro work as well as those features on the AirPods Pro, and it's tough to tell the difference between them.
Samsung's Buds3 Pro do not perform as well as the AirPods Pro when it comes to ambient noise detection to adjust sound, however. The AirPods Pro can adjust sound when someone is speaking to you so you can hear them, but the Buds3 Pro struggled to do the same.
The Buds3 Pro have a built-in LED light for aesthetics, and there are controls on the stem for adjusting volume. Samsung also added an interpreter mode for translating foreign languages when connected to the most recent Galaxy phones, but the feature wasn't super accurate.
Though the Buds3 Pro are similar to the AirPods Pro 2, it's hard to see the two as competitors because you're only going to want to use the Buds3 Pro with Android devices, while the AirPods Pro 2 work best with Apple devices. iPhone users should stick with the AirPods, while Samsung users will want to check out the Buds3 Pro.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro are priced at $250, which is the same price as the AirPods Pro 2. Pre-orders are available now ahead of a July 24 launch date.
Amazon is soon to be back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for just two days from July 16-17. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and there are already many deals you can get on sale ahead of the event.
Note: 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.
For our coverage, we're focusing entirely on early discounts for Apple and Apple-related products that can be purchased right now on Amazon. As of today, this includes deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, MacBook Air, and more. We're also sharing deals being matched at retailers like Best Buy in some cases.
As is typical for Prime Day deals, these markdowns are very time sensitive, so sales listed below may disappear fast, and new ones may appear even faster. With this in mind, we'll keep this article updated over the next few days, and keep an eye on the MacRumors front page as we'll be posting particularly great deals in separate articles next week.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Amazon Prime Day requires you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.
Apple Watch
Series 9
You can get up to $100 off most Apple Watch Series 9 models right now on Amazon, starting at $299.00 for the 41mm GPS watches. We've rounded up all of the deals below, focusing on the aluminum devices, but you can also find $100 discounts on a few stainless steel models as well.
Apple's 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE is available for $189.00 today on Amazon, down from $249.00. This is just $10 higher compared to the all-time low price on the wearable. This deal is available in all three aluminum color options, and only Amazon has the discount.
You can also get the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE on sale right now, available for $219.00 on Amazon, down from $279.00. This is another near all-time low price that's just $10 away from the lowest price on the Apple Watch SE, and it's only available in Starlight.
M2 iPad Pro
Over at Best Buy, today you can find some of the biggest discounts on the M2 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro that we've seen in months, including both Wi-Fi and cellular tablets. A My Best Buy Plus/Total membership is not required to see these discounts.
With such steep savings, these previous generation iPad Pros are worth looking into purchasing for anyone who wants to prioritize saving money over owning the newest M4 iPad Pro. There are some major differences between the two generations, like the M4's support for Apple Pencil Pro and a new nano-texture display option, so be sure to read about which one works best for you in our Buyer's Guide.
For the newest M4 iPad Pros, Amazon is offering up to $200 off select models of both the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro. Deals are primarily focused on Wi-Fi models, but you can find a few cellular tablets on sale at this time as well.
The cheapest model is the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Air for $559.00, down from $599.00. You'll also find deals on the 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models below, all of which are in stock on Amazon with delivery dates as soon as the middle of next week for Prime members.
The 13-inch M2 iPad Air models start at $729.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $799.00. Similar to the 11-inch devices, all Wi-Fi models are on sale this week, and for the larger display iPad Airs these discounts reach up to $90 off original prices.
The iPad Air is Apple's middle-tier iPad model, equipped with an LCD Liquid Retina display, True Tone support, four unique color options, Touch ID, relocated front-facing camera, and two new size options with the 11-inch and 13-inch sizes.
10th Gen iPad
Amazon is taking $30 off the Wi-Fi models of the 2022 iPad, starting at $319.00 for 64GB Wi-Fi. You'll also find both cellular devices on sale this weekend.
The best M3 MacBook Pro deal you'll find right now is on the 14-inch M3 Pro 512GB model, priced at $1,699.00. That's a $300 discount and the best price we've ever tracked, but you can also find a few other solid markdowns on more 14-inch MacBook Pros and 16-inch MacBook Pros at Amazon.
Best Buy and Amazon today have Apple's 256GB 13-inch M2 MacBook Air for $799.00, down from $999.00. You'll find all four colors on sale at this price, including Midnight, Silver, Space Gray, and Starlight.
Compared to previous sales, this is a match of the all-time low price on the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air. Right now, both Best Buy and Amazon have this steep discount, and we aren't tracking any notable deals on the 512GB model.
Apple Pencil
Apple Pencil deals include all-time low prices on the Apple Pencil 2 at $79.00 and Apple Pencil Pro at $119.00.
Apple is moving right along with development and testing on iOS 18 and related software updates, with the third developer betas arriving this past week and public beta versions of most of them expected very shortly.
Not all of the new features Apple showed off at WWDC last month will be available right away, however, with some rolling out in later iOS 18 updates over the next year. In particular, significant Siri enhancements with Apple Intelligence are reportedly slated for iOS 18.4 in the spring of 2025. Other news this week included hints of a touchscreen-equipped HomePod and rumors about the next-generation Apple Watch SE, so read on below for all the details!
Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 3
Apple this week seeded the third beta of iOS 18 to developers for testing, and there are a handful of new features and changes. Check out our list of everything new in iOS 18 beta 3, including Dark Mode for additional app icons, tweaks to the Photos app, and more.
Apple also seeded the third betas of iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, visionOS 2, and more.
iOS 18 Public Beta Coming Soon: How to Get Your iPhone Ready
Apple last month announced that the first public beta of iOS 18 would be released in July, so it should be available to try out soon. The first public betas of iOS 17 and iOS 16 were both released in the first half of July over the past two years, so it is possible that the iOS 18 public beta will be available next week.
New Siri Experience With Apple Intelligence Likely to Debut in Spring 2025
While some Apple Intelligence features will be available when iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia are first released to the public later this year, Apple last month said that some of the remaining features will be rolled out "over the course of the next year."
Apple is rumored to have been prototyping several different smart home accessories, including a HomePod with a screen, a smart home hub with a robotic arm, a device that combines a HomePod and Apple TV, and more, but it is unclear if or when all of them will be released to the public.
Apple Reportedly Developing Apple Watch SE With Plastic Casing
A third-generation Apple Watch SE is expected to be released in September, but it is unclear if Apple will move forward with the plastic casing, which would replace the aluminum casing on previous models. The current Apple Watch SE starts at $249 in the U.S., and the move to plastic could allow for the next model to have an even lower starting price.
10+ Changes to Control Center in iOS 18
Apple is significantly overhauling Control Center on iOS 18 for the first time since iOS 11, with greater customization, multiple pages, additional controls, and more. Apple also now allows users to customize the Flashlight and Camera shortcuts on the Lock Screen.
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.
iOS 18 includes updates for many of Apple's built-in apps, and Safari is no exception. Apple's browser has some useful new features for more quickly getting to the information that you want most from websites.
This guide highlights everything that's new in Safari.
Highlights
Highlights detects relevant information on a webpage that you're visiting and surfaces it for you so you can find pertinent details without having to scour a page.
When a Highlight is available on a webpage, you'll see a small purple sparkle over the tool icon in the browser bar, along with a quick flash to the Highlight data that's available. If you tap on the icon with the sparkle, Safari will show you key website information like location, hours, and directions.
Information that's shown in Highlights depends on the website you're visiting. For stores, hotels, and other places you might want to go to, Safari provides directions. For other websites, you might see links to learn more about people, music, movies, and TV shows.
Highlights is available in U.S. English at the current time, and you won't see it on all websites. Highlights can be disabled by opening up the Safari section of the Settings app and toggling it off.
Reader Mode
Safari updated Reader Mode to provide a table of contents for long articles and also a quick summary of what's on the page.
The new Reader Mode features give users a way to get to a specific part of an article as well as an overview of what's in an article in order to decide whether it's worth continuing to read.
New Reader Mode options are available in English (Australia), English (Canada), English (Ireland), English (New Zealand), English (South Africa), English (UK), and English (U.S.)
Design Changes
Apple updated the design of the Safari tools that can be accessed through the URL bar. The tool icon is now a box with two lines, and tapping it brings you into full overlay window that's at the bottom of the display.
Not all tools are displayed at once anymore, with Apple prioritizing those people might want most like translate, Reader Mode, Privacy Protections, and font size. Tapping on the ellipsis at the bottom of the interface shows the rest of the Safari settings like Show IP Address, Request Desktop Website, and Hide Toolbar.
Apple has also changed the design of the tab management page, with a unified toolbar for separate sections and tab groups.
New Quick Access Options
Some of the features that used to be tucked away in the Share Sheet are now more readily available through the Safari toolbar.
New options include the following:
Print
Add to Favorites
Add Bookmark
Add to Quick Note
Add to Reading List
Move to Tab Group
Pin Tab
Camera Access
Microphone Access
Location Access
Open Links in Profile
The Page Menu can be edited so that you can customize which tools go in your list of favorites for quicker access.
All of these options are still available through the Share Sheet as well.
Distraction Control
Safari includes Distraction Control, a feature that cuts down on distracting elements on webpages like sign-in windows, cookie preference popups, GDPR notices, newsletter signup banners, autoplay videos, and more.
Distraction Control can be used to hide static content on a page, but it is not an ad blocker and cannot be used to permanently hide ads. An ad can be temporarily hidden, but the feature was not designed for ads, and an ad will reappear when it refreshes. It was not created for elements on a webpage that regularly change.
To use Distraction Control, go to the Page Menu and select Hide Distracting Items. You can select an area on the page that you want to hide, and static content that you select will remain hidden. It is a good way to eliminate the pesky popovers that show up when browsing online stores, reading articles, and more. iPhone, iPad, and Mac users need to opt in to hiding elements on the page, and Apple says that nothing is hidden that is not proactively selected.
When hiding a cookie banner or GDPR popup with Distraction Control, the function is the same as closing a banner without submitting website preferences at all.
Your Distraction Control settings are on-device and will not sync from device to device, so you will need to hide website elements on each one of your devices. You can use the "Show Hidden Items" option by going to the Safari search field to instantly see all hidden elements on a webpage.
Passwords
With a new dedicated Passwords app, Safari logins, passwords, and passkeys are filled in automatically if you have your information saved to the app.
The Passwords app has the same functionality as the Passwords section in the Settings app, it's simply been split out into a standalone app for easier access. Safari can automatically save login and password information to the Passwords app, and everything syncs cross-device. Passwords can even be accessed on Windows PCs.
Locked Apps
Apps like Safari can be locked and hidden, requiring Face ID or Touch ID authentication to access them. Locking an app goes a step further than the protected private browsing feature that Apple introduced in an earlier version of iOS, as the entire Safari browser can be locked.
To open a locked app, you need to authenticate, so someone who has your unlocked phone still won't be able to see your browser if you lock Safari. Hiding an app locks it and removes it from the Home Screen, tucking it away in a secret Hidden apps folder in the App Library.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple Software and Services chief Eddy Cueare attending the annual Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, this weekend. The media finance conference is well-known for attracting some of the biggest names in tech.
The Sun Valley Conference has been likened to a camp for billionaires, where tech and media moguls can negotiate deals while golfing, whitewater rafting, and similar activities. Cook and Cue are both regulars at the event.
Other attendees this year include Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Bill Gates, Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff, Nike CEO John Donahoe, Sony CEO Ken Yoshida, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Disney CEO Bob Iger.
The Sun Valley event is invite-only and members of the media have limited access, so the deals and relationships that originate at the event often go undocumented.
Apple recently shared Suerte, a new short film that was shot entirely on iPhone 15 Pro. The film follows singer-songwriter Iván Cornejo, known for albums Alma Vacía, Dañado, and Mirada.
In the film, Cornejo goes on a journey to Mexico to seek inspiration from his roots for a new hit, and he ends up on a great adventure. His song "Intercambio Injusto" is included, and there is a soundtrack for the film available on Apple Music.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is Apple's current flagship iPhone, featuring a 48-megapixel Main camera, a 12-megapixel Telephoto camera, and a 12-megapixel Telephoto camera with tetraprism technology that allows for up to 5x optical zoom. Apple also shared a "Behind the Scenes" film for Suerte, where directing duo Cliqua explains how it was shot.
Many of the scenes in the film used no equipment other than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with the directors praising Cinematic Mode, a feature that keeps the focus on the main subject that's being filmed even as the iPhone holder moves. The 5x Telephoto zoom feature was also used for several shots, as was log encoding, an option for ProRes video that allows for improved post-production color grading.
Apple has a long history of sharing Shot on iPhone photos and videos to show off the features of the cameras in its devices. In recent years, as camera technology has improved, Apple has been sharing short films on a regular basis.
Lululook has a range of Apple device charging options, and the $65 3-in-1 Wireless Charger can charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at the same time, so it's a useful desktop or nightstand charger.
Available in gray, black, and silver, the charger is made from aluminum so it matches well with Apple devices. When not in use, it folds down into a compact cube shape, which is ideal for travel. The iPhone attaches to the charger magnetically, but note that charging is limited to 7.5W as this is not MagSafe or Qi2.
The Apple Watch charger is 5W so it can fast charge an Apple Watch, and there is an additional 5W charger for the AirPods and other devices. It also comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable for powering it, but you'll need to supply a power adapter.
If you only need to charge an iPhone and Apple Watch, Lululook also has a foldable 2-in-1 Wireless Charger for just $36. The 2-in-1 Charger has the same design as the 3-in-1 model, but with only two foldable platforms rather than three. It too is able to fast charge the Apple Watch and charge an iPhone at 7.5W.
Along with chargers, Lululook has a selection of Apple Watch bands for the Apple Watch Ultra and other devices. The $40 fluoroelastomer band is similar to Apple's Sport Band, but it is available in a range of fun colors, including glow-in-the-dark. It is ideal for sports and similar activities because it is washable, sweat resistant, and breathable.
Lululook has a $120 Titanium Magnetic Band for those who want a band made from the same material that the Apple Watch is made from, and an upgraded luxury version for $300. The higher-end model is made from Titanium Grade 4, so it is lightweight, comfortable, and durable. It has a double magnetic buckle and a super scratch resistant coating.
Lululook is offering a special promotion for MacRumors readers, so when checking out on Amazon with one of the chargers, enter code "Macrumors" to get a 30 percent discount.
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Amazon today has introduced a big selection of discounts on Anker's and Jackery's best portable power stations, with as much as $2,300 in savings on these devices. These accessories are high-capacity portable batteries that can provide backup power to a wide variety of things, from laptops to RVs.
Note: 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.
For the Anker deals, you'll need to have a Prime membership in order to see these discounted prices. The same will be true for a couple of the Jackery discounts, and a majority of the deals coming as Prime day gets closer next week. Prime memberships start at $14.99 per month or $139 per year, with a 30-day free trial for new members.
The Galaxy Z Fold6 features a 7.6-inch main screen and a 6.3-inch cover display, both enhanced with a new dual-rail hinge and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for improved durability. It features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and includes AI-powered tools like new camera capabilities and on-device language translation. The Galaxy Z Flip6, with its compact form factor, also sports a more durable display, a new camera system with a 50MP wide sensor, and various AI features.
The Galaxy Buds3 and Buds3 Pro earbuds adopt a stem design reminiscent of Apple's AirPods. The Galaxy Buds3 offer active noise cancellation and maintain an open-ear design, while the Galaxy Buds3 Pro include advanced features like adaptive noise control, built-in lights for visual cues, and real-time audio translation. Both models are designed to provide optimized audio quality through internal and external sound analysis. Just like Samsung, Apple is expected to bring active noise cancellation to its standard AirPods later this year.
Samsung's smartwatch lineup is refreshed with the Galaxy Watch7, available in 40mm and 44mm sizes. The Galaxy Watch7 is powered by a 3nm processor, offering enhanced performance and power efficiency. It includes dual-frequency GPS for improved location accuracy and advanced health tracking capabilities, along with new gesture controls. While Apple is rumored to bring sleep apnea detection to the Apple Watch later this year, with the Galaxy Watch7, Samsung has beaten Apple to deliver the feature first.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung's new high-end smartwatch, designed for durability and extreme conditions, making it suitable for athletes and adventurers. It features a titanium frame, water resistance up to 100 meters, and the ability to function at a wide range of altitudes. With a battery life of up to 100 hours in power-saving mode, the Watch Ultra includes multi-course workout tracking, advanced heart rate monitoring, and an emergency siren. Its design and feature-set largely mirrors that of the Apple Watch Ultra.
Finally, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Ring, a health-focused wearable designed to track a variety of metrics, including sleep, heart rate, and skin temperature. Made of titanium and available in nine sizes, the Galaxy Ring offers up to seven days of battery life and does not require a subscription for accessing health data. It provides comprehensive health insights with features like sleep scoring and an overall energy score, and it closely integrates with other Samsung devices.
If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion with Luke Miani about the upcoming Apple Watch "Series X."
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Hackers broke into a cloud platform used by AT&T and accessed the phone records of "nearly all" of its cellular customers, AT&T announced on Friday.
AT&T said the stolen data contains phone numbers of both cellular and landline customers, as well as AT&T records of calls and text messages across a six-month period between May 1, 2022 and October 31, 2022.
AT&T said some of the stolen data includes more recent records from January 2, 2023 for a smaller, unspecified number of customers, as well as call records of customers with other cellular carriers that rely on AT&T's network.
Some of the records include cell site identification numbers linked to calls and texts, which can be used to work out the approximate location of where a call was made or message sent.
The downloaded data doesn't include the content of any calls or texts, or their time stamps, according to AT&T. It also doesn't have any details such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or other personally identifiable information.
AT&T said it learned of the data breach on April 19, and that it is unrelated to an earlier security incident in March. The company said it does not believe the data is publicly available at this time, and it continues to work with law enforcement to identify and apprehend those involved. At least one person is said to have been arrested.
AT&T told TechCrunch that the most recent compromise of customer records were stolen from the cloud data giant Snowflake during a recent spate of data thefts targeting Snowflake's customers. Other companies that have confirmed stolen data from Snowflake include Ticketmaster, QuoteWizard, and others.
Cybersecurity researchers from incident response firm Mandiant say the hacker group is mostly based in the US and those involved are financially motivated.
AT&T customers concerned about phishing and smishing scams should visit the company's support article, which also includes advice on how to protect yourself from online fraud.
Apple's Vision Pro spatial computing headset today arrived at Apple Store locations in the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, and Australia. The device was previously only available in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, mainland China, and the United States.
Consumer interest in the $3,499 headset has slowed at home, and Apple will be hoping its new availability in international markets will provide a shot in the arm for ailing sales. The headset has yet to sell 100,000 units in the quarter since it launched in the U.S. in February, according to market tracker IDC.
Apple's first-ever mixed reality headset offers both augmented and virtual reality features, and it is controlled with a combination of your eyes, hands, and voice. Overall, the feedback on the Vision Pro has been varied. Many users appreciate the device's advanced hardware and technology.
However, there are concerns regarding its functionality, the ease of use of the gesture-based controls, and the device's weight and comfort during extended use. Additionally, the general application of VR technology and the limited content available for the device have drawn criticism.
Apple Stores are offering customers free Vision Pro demos on a first-come, first-served basis. It is also possible to reserve a Vision Pro demo online, with slots available over the course of the next week.
The USB-C Apple Pencil that was launched in November 2023 is now available from the Apple Refurbished Store in the United States and Canada at a discount. Refurbished USB-C Apple Pencil models are available for $69 in the U.S., which is $10 off of the standard $79 price. In Canada, the refurbished USB-C Apple Pencil is available for $89, down from $109.
Apple first began offering refurbished versions of the USB-C Apple Pencil earlier this week, but the discounted device was limited to European countries like Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK. It has now expanded to additional countries.
The USB-C Apple Pencil was introduced in October 2023, shipping out to customers in November. It is similar in design to the Apple Pencil 2, but it has a sliding cap with a USB-C port for charging because it is unable to charge magnetically.
To keep the price low, Apple did not include features like Double Tap and pressure sensitivity in the USB-C Apple Pencil, but it does support tilt functionality and Apple Pencil hover. As for compatibility, it works with USB-C iPads that run iOS 17.1 or later.
Apple says that refurbished products like the USB-C Apple Pencil undergo fully functionality testing, as well as cleaning and repackaging. Refurbished Apple Pencil USB-C models include the same one-year limited warranty as new models.
If you've been following Apple news and rumors for the last decade, you might remember The Unofficial Apple Weblog, or TUAW. TUAW was shut down and the site was folded into Engadget way back in 2015, but this month, a zombie TUAW website reappeared.
As it turns out, the TUAW domain name was purchased by a Hong Kong-based advertising agency, and it now hosts stolen content rewritten using AI. TUAW started posting AI-generated content earlier this week, with all of it stolen from sites like MacRumors and 9to5Mac.
The new TUAW website takes articles from Apple news sites and runs them through AI to change the wording. There are multiple stolen images that have been lifted from MacRumors for these articles, with the graphics used created by our in-house graphic designer. Shortly after we published an iPhone 17 "Slim" overview, for example, TUAW published an almost identical article that uses our stolen imagery and reads like it was run through a thesaurus.
The company that bought TUAW also shamelessly used the names of people who worked at the site many years ago for author bylines, which meant this stolen content looked like it was coming from people like Christina Warren and Brett Terpstra.
Warren was able to get her name and the names of other prominent writers removed after publicizing the zombie site on Mastodon, but the AI content remains. TUAW changed the Christina Warren byline on its site to Mary Brown, making other similar generic name changes. There are no actual writers at TUAW, just AI-generated images and biographies to go along with the AI content.
The advertising agency that purchased the TUAW domain name (Web Orange Limited) did not purchase any TUAW content, but went back and generated AI-rewritten versions of archived TUAW articles from archive.org. Thousands of these articles are on the site alongside newly generated AI stories.
It is worth noting that the company that bought the TUAW domain name also purchased the iLounge domain name several years ago and resurrected that site with low-quality content.
TidBITS, The Verge, Engadget, 404Media, and other sites have done deep dives into TUAW and the company behind it that are worth checking out. TUAW's owner does not appear to be based in the United States, and it's unclear if TUAW will be taken down even with legal complaints.
Readers of MacRumors, 9to5Mac, and other tech sites will want to avoid TUAW going forward. As TidBITS points out, Google is a major factor in what's going on with TUAW because it isn't de-incentivizing AI-generated content, even on a site where it's almost all AI content. TUAW articles are showing up on the first page of search results alongside legitimate tech sites.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: 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.
Note: 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.
MacRumors concept mockups based on early rumors
Note: 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.
