MacRumors

Since the release of iOS 15 in 2021, Apple Maps has been rolling out a more detailed map with custom-designed landmarks in major cities around the world. The new "Detailed City Experience" is now available in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and several other cities, with more to come.

Landmarks App
Montréal-based developers André Baev and Simon Gardinier recently released a new Landmarks app with a collection of over 300 of these 3D landmarks, ranging from the Royal Opera House in London to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The app is available on the App Store for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, and requires a device with an A12 chip or M1 chip and newer to properly display the 3D landmarks in full color and detail.

Each landmark has an immersive animated landscape that you can interact with, and there is a toggle for viewing them in Light or Dark mode. The landmarks are organized by city and the app will be regularly updated with new models as they become available. The app is free to use and has no ads, but there is an optional gyroscope feature that can be unlocked for as little as $0.29 for users who wish to support the developers.

Apple periodically updates a list of locations where the Detailed City Experience is available on its iOS feature availability page.

Baev also released a similar Preflights app that provides 3D map views of major airports, complete with essential information.

For many people, the iPhone serves as their main camera, and images captured with the device often live on smartphones, computers, and social networks. Printing photos for display requires additional hardware or the hassle of ordering online and waiting for pictures to arrive.

aura mason frame
Aura Frames aims to make your photos more accessible through digital picture frames, which connect to power and cycle through the images and videos that you've taken with your ‌iPhone‌. Aura has a range of frames available at different price points, but this review focuses on the Mason, which offers a nine inch HD display.

At $199, the Mason is not cheap, but there are lower priced options and Aura has sales around holidays. The Mason has an HD display (1600x1200) that isn't as high quality as the 2K display offered on some higher-end models, but it does have the versatility to be used in either portrait or landscape mode, which is a plus.

aura mason evening
Basically the Mason is an LED display inside of a picture frame, and it connects to your WiFi network and plugs in to show a rotating selection of images that you choose. The frame measures in at 9.7 inches tall and 7.6 inches wide, and it is about two inches thick, so it's not too far off from a larger-sized 8x10 photo frame that you might have on a desk or a bookshelf. It is fairly thick at two inches, but this allows it to stand up on its own in either orientation.

aura mason landscape
Setup consists of plugging it in and using the Aura app to connect to WiFi, and it's a fairly painless process. Note that you are going to need a 2.4GHz network as it is not compatible with 5GHz, which is a downside. Sometimes trying to set up on a mixed 2.4GHz/5GHz network can be a hassle that requires some troubleshooting, but it was seamless for me.

aura mason rear
Since this is an LED display, it needs constant power, so you need to set it up near an outlet and deal with a cable. It has a proprietary cable that plugs into the back, and the braided cord is a good length so you should be able to set it up almost anywhere. It comes with cable management clips so you can neatly wind up any extra cord that's not needed, tucking it behind the frame. There's a speaker in the frame for video content, and while it's not the best speaker I've heard, it's decent enough. I personally don't care for sound, so I have that turned off.

aura mason side view
At the top and side of the frame, there are touch-based controls for swapping photos with a swipe, excluding a photo from the slideshow, or deleting a photo. Videos can be set to play automatically, and it's worth noting that Live Photos will also animate. The frame does attempt to put the subject of an image in the middle and will zoom in on images that are in the wrong orientation or add black bars to the sides. Sometimes the framing has been off, but that can be adjusted. Images can also display information about where they were captured, which is useful for vacation photos.

aura mason photo info
Using the Aura requires an iOS device that's running iOS 13 or later, or it works with an Android device using Android 5.0 or later. Cross-platform functionality is nice because it means that everyone in the family can contribute photos to the Aura by downloading the Aura app.

In the app, you can see each Aura you're connected to in the sidebar, and there are options for setting it up for yourself or for someone else. I have used both workflows, and for a gift, it's handy because you can add photos to it before it's ever provided to the person using a special code.

aura mason add photos
You can invite multiple people to contribute photos to an Aura frame, and all they need to do is download the aura app and make an account. Every person in the family can have an Aura frame, for example, and contribute images to the frames owned by other family members. I gifted a frame to my mother in law, and have set it up so six people can add images of family members, kids, pets, and more.

aura mason portrait mode photo
On the frame I've been testing, it's set up so I can add images, and the image process is simple. You just tap on the "Add Photos" option and go through your camera roll to decide what to upload. Note that between selecting photos and tapping on the upload option, there is no preview feature, so don't misclick. I would like to see an option for previewing what you're going to upload, especially on someone else's frame.

aura mason add images
You can view all of the photos uploaded to an Aura frame that you have access to, whether it's your own or owned by a friend or family member. For any uploaded image, you can change the position or select the "show now" button, which displays it right away.

aura mason front live photo
In the Settings section, you can adjust the time that each photo is displayed, change the photo order from shuffle to chronological and vice versa, adjust video autoplay settings, and choose the photo background for when photos don't take up the entire display.

aura mason edit photos
There are also options for choosing when a device is on, adjusting the speaker volume, and a Remote Control function shows what's on the frame at the current time so you can swap photos or remove the current photo. These controls are available for any frame that you have access to, even if it isn't owned by you.

aura mason settings
All upload activity is shown in an Activity feed, and if you have a frame owned by multiple people, you'll sometimes see an alert that you have photos from a similar time that you can add to the frame, which is a useful addition.

Bottom Line

Testing the Aura for this review was the first time I've used one myself, but I have given them as gifts to family members in the past, so I am familiar with the product over a long period of time. Everyone who has an Aura or sees the Aura seems to be a fan of it, and I've found that it makes a great present.


Minimal tech experience is necessary to use the Aura, so it works for all ages, and if someone isn't able to figure out how to use the frame, family members are able to upload photos. Multiple Aura frames among friends and family makes for a fun way to share photos.

I've appreciated having the Aura on my desk over the last couple of weeks because it gives me a way to visit my favorite photos on a regular basis without having to print them or go into the ‌Photos‌ app to view them. In the future, I think it would be nice for Aura to add organization and different slideshow options similar to the Apple ‌Photos‌ app, but even in the current incarnation, the Aura is one of the best ways to display digital images.

How to Buy

The Aura Mason frame can be purchased from the Aura website or from Amazon.com for $199. Other Aura frame options are also available with different sizes, designs, and higher resolutions.

Today we're tracking a variety of official Apple accessory discounts on Woot, including the MagSafe Charger, Apple Watch bands, iPhone 13 cases, AirTag key rings, Beats Fit Pro, and more. All accessories included in this sale are in new condition and support free two-day shipping for Amazon Prime members.

woot blue imageNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You'll find a huge list of the accessories on sale on Woot's landing page for the event, and the headliner is the MagSafe Charger at $29.99, down from $39.99. This matches the typical sale price we track for this accessory, and it's about $2 higher than the best price we've ever seen at Amazon.

We've rounded up a few of the other highlights of the event below, including a new record low price on the Beats Fit Pro earbuds. As a reminder, all of these items come in new condition, but some will come in what Woot calls "bulk packaging." This means you'll receive the products in a generic box instead of the original packaging.

Audio

Chargers

AirTag

Apple Watch Bands

Cases

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.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of macOS Ventura 13.3 to developers for testing purposes, with the new software update coming a week after the release of the third macOS 13.3 beta.

Ventura Macs Feature Yellow
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.

macOS Ventura 13.3 adopts the same new emoji characters that are in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, including pink heart, light blue heart, left and right hand, moose, black bird, goose, wing, jellyfish, pea pod, finger, and more.

The update adds the new HomeKit architecture that was initially removed from iOS 16.2 and its sister updates, and the revised version should have fewer bugs that affect ‌HomeKit‌ setups.

macOS Ventura 13.3 will go through a few more rounds of beta testing, with Apple planning to release it in the spring.

Apple today seeded the fourth betas of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the launch of the third betas.

iOS 16
Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates over-the-air after installing the appropriate profile from the Developer Center. Going forward, beta updates will not require a profile and will instead be done directly on device through an Apple ID linked to a developer account.

iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 add new emoji characters, including shaking head, pink heart, light blue heart, donkey, moose, jellyfish, hyacinth, ginger, black bird, and more. There are 31 new emoji in total, including left and right hand options in several skin tones.

Safari Web Push notifications have been added on the iPhone and iPad, and you can receive them from websites that have been added to the Home Screen on your device. Web Push notifications are identical to the notifications that you get from websites on the Mac, and behave like any other iOS notification.

Third-party browsers like Chrome are now able to let users add websites and websites to the ‌Home Screen‌, and Apple has reintroduced the HomeKit architecture upgrade. There are also changes to Podcasts, minor updates to Apple Music, new options for Shortcuts, a reintroduced page turning animation for Apple Books, and more, with a full list of new features in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 available in our features guide.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 9.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software update coming one week after launch of the third beta.

Apple watchOS 9 Feature
To install the watchOS 9.4 update, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center.

Once installed, ‌watchOS 9.4 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it has to be placed on the charger, and it will need to be in range of the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ it is paired with.

watchOS 9.4 gains support for new emoji characters that include donkey, goose, black bird, shaking head, hyacinth, pea pod, and more, with 31 new characters available in total.

Through iOS 16.4, the update adds support for Web Push notifications that are sent to an ‌iPhone‌, with the notifications able to be set up for a website that is added to the ‌iPhone‌'s Home Screen.

watchOS 9.4 will go through a few more rounds of beta testing, and it is expected to see a launch in the spring alongside iOS 16.4.

ZAGG today introduced a St. Patrick's Day savings event with 25 percent off sitewide, including all of ZAGG and Mophie's best charging and protection accessories. This discount does not require any coupon code and will be applied automatically in the cart.

Scroll Zagg November Deals SimpleNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with ZAGG. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

In regards to Mophie products, this includes wireless chargers, power banks, and battery cases. This will exclude items that are already marked down, and you can only get 25 percent off up to three items. ZAGG's sale will last through March 17 at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time.

Note: The 25% discount will be applied in the cart.

There are a variety of power banks on sale at Mophie, including the Snap+ Juice Pack Mini, which is compatible with MagSafe and is down to $37.46, from $49.95. There are regular portable batteries as well, including the Powerstation XXL ($44.96), Snap+ Powerstation Stand ($52.46), and more.

For higher-priced items, you can save big on Mophie's 3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe, priced at $112.46, down from $149.95. There's also the Powerstation Pro at the same price of $112.46, down from $149.95.

There are plenty of other accessories on sale during this event, including car mounts, Apple Watch chargers, iPhone battery cases, screen protectors, and audio equipment. You can head to ZAGG's website to browse the full sale across all of its brands before the sale ends on Friday. Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple's next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely be more expensive than previous Pro models, according to Jeff Pu, a tech analyst at Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities.

iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple
In a research note this week, Pu predicted the iPhone 15 Pro models will see a price increase due to several rumored hardware upgrades, including a titanium frame, solid-state buttons with haptic feedback from extra Taptic Engines, an A17 Bionic chip, increased RAM, a periscope lens for increased optical zoom on the Pro Max model, and more.

This is the second time that a price increase has been rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models, following an unverified claim on Chinese social media website Weibo in January, but whether Apple finally raises pricing for the devices remains to be seen. In the U.S., the Pro model has started at $999 since the iPhone X was released in 2017, while the Pro Max has started at $1,099 since the iPhone XS Max launched the following year.

Outside of the U.S., Apple has increased the prices of iPhones multiple times in recent years, largely due to foreign currency fluctuations. In the U.K., for example, the iPhone 14 Pro starts at £1,099, compared to £949 for the iPhone 13 Pro.

A price increase in the U.S. is plausible given above-average inflation rates. Apple has managed to keep starting prices unchanged for six straight generations of Pro models, but prices will likely have to increase eventually for the company to maintain its profit margins. It's unclear if the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus would also see a price increase over the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, which start at $799 and $899, respectively.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 series in September as usual. All four devices are rumored to feature a USB-C port, the Dynamic Island, and a slightly more curved frame, while over 10 additional features and changes are rumored for the Pro models.

Related Roundup: iPhone 15 Pro
Tag: Jeff Pu

Apple is testing generative AI concepts that could one day be destined for Siri, despite fundamental issues with the way the virtual assistant is built, the New York Times reports.

siri phil schiller
Employees were apparently briefed on Apple's large language model and other AI tools at the company's annual AI summit last month. Apple engineers, including members of the ‌Siri‌ team, have reportedly been testing language-generation concepts "every week" in response to the rise of chatbots like ChatGPT.

These next-generation AI technologies have highlighted how ‌Siri‌, Alexa, and other voice assistants have squandered their lead in the AI race, the report explains. ‌Siri‌, in particular, has faced multiple roadblocks to meaningful improvements. Speaking to the New York Times, former Apple engineer John Burkey, who worked on ‌Siri‌ and was made responsible for improving it in 2014, explained that the voice assistant is built on "clunky code that took weeks to update with basic features."

Its "cumbersome design" made it very difficult for engineers to add new features. For example, ‌Siri‌'s database contains a large list of phrases in almost two dozen languages, making it "one big snowball." If someone wanted to add a word to ‌Siri‌'s database, Burkey added, "it goes in one big pile."

This means that simple updates like adding new phrases to the data set requires rebuilding the entire ‌Siri‌ database, which could take up to six weeks. Adding more complicated features like new search tools could take up to a whole year.

As a result, there was no path for ‌Siri‌ to become a "creative assistant" like ChatGPT, Burkey believes. Earlier this week, OpenAI unveiled GPT-4, its next-generation AI engine, enabling even more advanced responses from ChatGPT.

Last week, DigiTimes reported that the growing interest in generative AI catalyzed by ChatGPT has motivated a re-evaluation of how the technology is developed at major companies like Apple, Meta, and Amazon. These companies are purportedly making efforts to ensure Microsoft does not maintain its lead in AI. Apple and Tesla, in particular, are said to be reconsidering their approach to AI.

Apple today shared a new ad for the second-generation AirPods Pro on its YouTube channel. The one-minute video is focused on the second-generation AirPods Pro offering up to twice as much Active Noise Cancellation as the original AirPods Pro.


Set to the song "Where Is My Mind?" by Tkay Maidza, the ad shows a woman wearing AirPods Pro as she walks through a busy city. With Active Noise Cancellation mode enabled on her AirPods Pro, she is able to block out the loud noises surrounding her.

Priced at $249, the second-generation AirPods Pro also feature improved audio quality, longer battery life, swipe-based volume control, an improved built-in skin-detect sensor that more accurately turns on or off audio playback, and an updated charging case with a built-in speaker and U1 chip for Find My support. In addition to Lightning and MagSafe, the AirPods Pro case can now be charged with an Apple Watch charger.

Apple released the second-generation AirPods Pro in September 2022.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Spotify says it still plans to launch a lossless music experience, although when that will be and what form it will take still appear undecided.

General Spotify Feature
It's been more than two years since Spotify announced it would introduce a "HiFi" premium tier that would give users access to a catalog of CD-quality music tracks. Originally it said the tier would go live by the end of 2021, but similar moves by rival streaming services upended Spotify's lossless strategy.

Since then, Apple Music has included lossless listening options as part of its standard subscription price, and Amazon has stopped charging extra for its lossless music library. That's made the idea of Spotify asking users to pay more for a like-for-like service sound a lot less reasonable.

"We announced it, but then the industry changed for a bunch of reasons," Spotify co-president Gustav Söderström said on Tuesday in an interview with The Verge. "We are going to do it, but we're going to do it in a way where it makes sense for us and for our listeners. The industry changed and we had to adapt."

"We want to do it in a way where it works for us from a cost perspective as well," Söderström continued. "I'm not allowed to comment on our label agreements, nor on what other players in the industry did, for obvious reasons," he added.

According to The Verge, Spotify HiFi has been ready to launch for more than a year, and Spotify employees have access to HiFi, but it was originally intended to cost more than the standard plan. Given Apple and Amazon's moves, Spotify's lossless is now expected to appear as part of a more extensive plan that includes access to spatial audio tracks and other perks to do with audiobooks and podcasts.

When the plan will arrive, however, is still unknown, with Söderström only able to confirm to The Verge that HiFi "is coming at some point."

Tag: Spotify

Apple's next operating system update will be iOS 16.4, with the software in beta testing as of February 16. Software updates go through several rounds of testing with developers and public beta testers ahead of launch, so when can we expect to see iOS 16.4 provided to the public?

iOS 16
Officially, Apple says that the iOS 16.4 and its sister updates iPadOS 16.4, macOS Ventura 13.3, tvOS 16.4, and watchOS 9.4 will be released in the "spring." The spring equinox (aka the first day of spring) is on Monday, March 20, and the season will last through June 21.

Apple delivered a release candidate version of iOS 16.4 to developers and public beta testers on Tuesday, March 21, indicating that a full release is very close. Unless a significant issue is discovered, this will be the version distributed to all users.

A public release typically comes about a week after the release candidate version is provided to beta testers, as seen in previous updates:

  • iOS 16.3 - The RC was released on January 18 after two betas, a launch followed on January 23.
  • iOS 16.2 - The RC was released on December 7 after four betas, a launch followed on December 13.
  • iOS 16.1 - The RC was released on October 18 after five betas, a launch followed on October 24.
  • iOS 15.6 - The RC was released on July 12 after six betas, a launch followed on July 20.
  • iOS 15.5 - The RC was released on May 12 after four betas, a launch followed on May 16.

With these dates in mind, the most probable candidate for an iOS 16.4 launch is Tuesday, March 28. The new Apple Music Classical app is also being released on March 28, so it's likely we will see everything on the same day. Software updates can also come on Mondays and Wednesdays and ‌Apple Music‌ Classical does not technically require iOS 16.4, so a release on March 27 or March 29 is also possible.

iOS 16.4 Features

iOS 16.4 is a major update with a long list of features. We've summarized some highlights below, but everything new in iOS 16.4 can be found in our dedicated guide.

  • New emoji characters that include shaking head, pink heart, blue heart, gray heart, donkey, moose, black bird, goose, wing, jellyfish, hyacinth, pea pod, ginger, fan, comb, flute, and maracas.
  • Safari Web Push Notifications for apps saved to an iPhone or iPad's Home Screen.
  • The option to add websites and web apps to the ‌Home Screen‌ from third-party browsers like Chrome.
  • Voice Isolation for cellular phone calls.
  • Option to remove duplicate photos from iCloud Shared Photo Library
  • A return to the traditional "curl" page turning animation in Apple Books.
  • A re-release of the HomeKit architecture upgrade that was pulled from iOS 16.2.
  • Updates to the Podcasts app interface.
  • Crash Detection optimization for iPhone 14 models

At launch, iOS 16.4 will be able to be installed on all devices that are capable of running iOS 16, and it will be a free update. We are expecting iOS 16.4 to be one of the last major updates to iOS 16, with Apple set to turn its attention to iOS 17 as June's WWDC event approaches.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Amid falling revenue, Apple has decided to expand its hiring freeze to encompass additional roles, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The company also plans to delay bonuses for some of its employees.

Apple Park View
Apple late last year paused hiring for most jobs outside of research and development to cut down on costs, after slowing down on hiring and spending last July. At the time, the hiring moratorium did not apply to teams working on future devices and long-term Apple initiatives, but the freeze is now applicable for more jobs. Apple is leaving positions open as employees depart the company as a way to cut down on the workforce.

In addition to slowing hiring, Apple is planning to reduce the frequency of bonuses for some of its corporate workforce. Apple normally provides bonuses and promotions once or twice per year depending on division, with the extra money paid out in April and October, but the company is shifting entirely to a once-per-year bonus schedule. Bonus payments will be provided in October for all teams, and employees are still set to receive their full bonuses.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is also being paid less this year, and he is set to receive $49 million in salary, bonuses, and stock awards, down approximately 50 percent from the $99 million he was paid in 2022.

Unlike many tech companies, Apple has not announced layoffs, focusing instead on cutting down on hiring. Twitter has seen thousands of employees cut following a takeover by Elon Musk, and just this week, Facebook announced plans to lay off approximately 10,000 employees. Microsoft cut its AI ethics team this month following several prior layoff events, while Google parent company Alphabet laid off 12,000 employees in January.

Apple in the first fiscal quarter of 2023 saw a five percent drop in revenue year-over-year, and for the second fiscal quarter, the company is expecting a notable decline in Mac and iPad revenue, which will lead to similar sales numbers.

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 16.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the launch of the third tvOS 16.4 beta.

Apple TV 2022 Feature Orange
Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 16.4 update by downloading a profile on the Apple TV using Xcode.

tvOS updates are usually minor, focusing on internal bug fixes and improvements rather than notable outward-facing changes. There is no word as of yet what's included in the tvOS 16.4 update, but we'll update this article if we find anything new.

Apple shares some information on tvOS releases in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each tvOS launch.

Though we don't often know what's new in tvOS during the beta testing process, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download it upon release.

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

Apple this week announced that it will be opening its fifth retail store in South Korea on Friday, March 31 at 5 p.m. local time. The new store will be located in the central Gangnam district of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea.

Apple Gangnam Wallpaper
To celebrate the occasion, Apple has made a special wallpaper for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac available to download on the store's page. The Apple Gangnam wallpaper has a black background with an Apple logo in a unique style.

The new store will offer typical Apple Store services, ranging from Genius Bar appointments for product repairs to Today at Apple creative sessions.

Apple Gangnam is Apple's first new retail store to open since Apple American Dream opened in New Jersey in December. Apple operates over 520 retail stores around the world, including four other locations in Seoul.

Apple's retail chief Deirdre O'Brien shared an animated version of the Apple logo on Instagram.

Apple's rumored 5G modem project has multiple suppliers interested in assisting with final assembly of the chip, according to a new report.

Apple Wi Fi Chip Feature Navy
While the custom-designed modem will likely be manufactured by Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC, the final packaging stage may be handled by other suppliers. Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes today reported that ASE Technology and Amkor Technology are "competing" to package the modem chips. The two companies already have experience packaging Qualcomm's modem chips, the report states.

Qualcomm is currently the exclusive supplier of 5G modems for Apple devices, including the entire iPhone 14 lineup, but Apple has long been rumored to be designing its own 5G chip as an in-house replacement. Last month, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said he expected Apple's 5G modem to be ready in 2024, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that it could take up to three years for Apple to fully transition away from Qualcomm.

The first device expected to be equipped with Apple's custom 5G modem is the fourth-generation iPhone SE, which will likely be released around March 2024. It's unclear how Apple's chip would perform compared to Qualcomm's modems, but the switch to an in-house design would likely reduce Apple's production costs over time.

In the meantime, all iPhone 15 models are expected to be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X70 modem, which has further cellular speed and power efficiency improvements compared to the Snapdragon X65 in all iPhone 14 models.

Apple has shared a new "Hello Yellow" ad promoting the new Yellow finish that launched today for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. The ad features a mix of live action and animation and is set to the song "Le Banana Split" by Lio.


The new color option gives the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus some renewed attention after the devices launched in September 2022. Pre-orders began on Friday, and the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability began today. There are no changes to the devices beyond the new Yellow finish, and pricing remains the same.

As a refresher, the iPhone 14 is equipped with a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 14 Plus is a larger 6.7-inch model. Key new features of the devices include camera enhancements like Action mode, longer battery life, Crash Detection, and Emergency SOS via Satellite. In the U.S., the devices are compatible with eSIMs only. Other color options available include Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and (PRODUCT)RED.

Customers should be aware that Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 series in September as usual, so all-new devices are around six months away.

Related Roundup: iPhone 14
Related Forum: iPhone

Apple's 64GB Wi-Fi 10.2-inch iPad from 2021 has returned to its all-time low price of $249.99 today on Amazon, down from $329.00. Delivery dates for this iPad have slipped into late March, and as of now only Amazon has this record low price.

ipad blue imageNote: 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.

Although we've tracked sales on the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad model a few times this year, discounts on the 64GB Wi-Fi tablet have been more difficult to come by. As of writing, Amazon only has the Space Gray color on sale at this price.

For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Update: Amazon's stock on this iPad has been fluctuating today, so if you don't see it available to purchase be sure to check back soon and it'll likely reappear.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals