MacRumors

Apple is close to reaching an agreement with Indonesia to lift the ban on iPhone 16 sales in the country after securing preliminary approval for a $1 billion investment proposal, according to Bloomberg.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is said to have given his support for the government to accept Apple's investment plan following a weekend briefing. The proposal includes establishing manufacturing facilities in the country, with one of Apple's suppliers set to build an AirTag production plant on Batam island.

The Batam facility is expected to initially employ 1,000 workers and will eventually account for 20% of global AirTag production. The location was chosen for its free-trade zone status, which provides tax exemptions and import duty benefits.

Additional investments will fund a separate manufacturing facility in Bandung for producing other accessories, as well as expanding Apple's existing developer academies in Indonesia. President Prabowo has directed his Economic Affairs Ministry to finalize the agreement, but no specific timeline has been provided for lifting the iPhone 16 sales ban.

The ban was implemented in October after Indonesian authorities determined Apple had failed to meet the country's requirement for 40% domestic content in smartphones. Apple's latest proposal represents a significant increase from its previous offers of $10 million and $100 million, which were rejected by the government.

If approved, the deal would mark a success for President Prabowo's efforts to attract foreign investment while demonstrating the effectiveness of Indonesia's strategy to pressure international companies into developing products locally. The country remains a significant market for Apple, with over half of its 278 million residents under the age of 44.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple has released a report highlighting its concerns about how some companies could "weaponize" the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) interoperability requirements to access sensitive user data. The report came on the same day that the European Commission began consulting on the proposed measures for requesting interoperability with Apple's iOS and iPadOS operating systems.

The DMA, which came into force this year, requires major platform holders like Apple to provide third-party developers equal access to iOS and iPadOS system tools and features. One of the Commission's proceedings focuses on the process Apple has set up to address interoperability requests submitted by developers and third parties for iOS and iPadOS. While Apple says it is fully committed to complying with the interoperability regulations, which aim to create fair competition, it is worried about unintended consequences resulting from the law's interpretation that could have a negative impact on user privacy.

Apple's report specifically calls out Meta, which has made 15 separate requests "and counting" for access to Apple's technology stack. According to Apple, Meta's requests have included access to features like messaging capabilities, AirPlay, CarPlay, and the App Intents framework. If granted as requested, Apple warns that these permissions would potentially allow Meta's apps to access a range of user data spanning messages, phone calls, photos, app usage, and passwords on their devices.

"In many cases, Meta is seeking to alter functionality in a way [...] that appears to be completely unrelated to the actual use of Meta external devices, such as Meta smart glasses and Meta Quests," says Apple. The report continues:

"If Apple were to have to grant all of these requests, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp could enable Meta to read on a user's device all of their messages and emails, see every phone call they make or receive, track every app that they use, scan all of their photos, look at their files and calendar events, log all of their passwords, and more. This is data that Apple itself has chosen not to access in order to provide the strongest possible protection to users."

Apple in the report is keen to emphasize its longtime support for developer access to device features through more than 250,000 APIs, but always with built-in privacy protections. The company points to historical examples like TouchID implementation and microphone access, where developers can take advantage of these features while maintaining privacy and control safeguards.

The report expresses particular concern about companies with previous privacy violations potentially circumventing GDPR protections through DMA requirements. Apple notes that while it processes data on-device whenever possible, other companies might use that information for their own gain. "Third parties may not have the same commitment to keeping the user in control on their device as Apple, and may prefer to move user information to their servers—where they can combine, profile, and monetize an individual's private data," Apple warns.

Apple's publication underlines its commitment to reviewing and implementing interoperability requests as per the DMA when feasible, but the company argues that solutions must preserve platform integrity and protect sensitive user data. As a way to achieve this, Apple outlines its four-step process for handling interoperability requests that includes initial assessment, project planning, development, and release phases.

"We will never abandon our bedrock commitment to our users' privacy and security," adds Apple. "We trust that the EC will seek to implement the interoperability requirements in a manner that respects the GDPR."

Meta yesterday responded to Apple's criticisms, claiming that "Every time Apple is called out for its anti-competitive behavior, they defend themselves on privacy grounds that have no basis in reality." However, Meta itself has previously come under criticism for privacy violations several times. Just this week, the UK's Ofcom said it was opening an investigation into Meta's Instagram for "turning a blind eye to ads for child sex abuse," while a new report by MLex said that more than half of UK scams involve Meta platforms.

Meta has also been fined €251 million ($265 million) by Ireland's Data Protection Commission for a 2018 Facebook breach affecting three million accounts in Europe, exposing names, contact details, locations, and children's data. Meta is expected to appeal the decision.

The Commission's interoperability proceedings began in September 2024 and are set to conclude within six months of opening.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Today marks eight years since Apple launched the original AirPods. Unveiled in September 2016 alongside the iPhone 7, the wireless headphones became available on December 19, 2016, following a slight delay.

At the time, wireless headphones were already on the market but had not yet reached true mass popularity. AirPods helped redefine the category through their convenience and seamless integration with Apple devices. Apple's Phil Schiller at the time:

AirPods are the first headphones to deliver a breakthrough wireless audio experience, and with the new Apple W1 chip they deliver innovative features including high quality sound, great battery life and automatic setup. AirPods are simple and magical to use, with no switches or buttons, automatically connecting to all your Apple devices simply and seamlessly, and letting you access Siri with just a double tap. We can't wait for users to try them with iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2.

Priced at $159, the first-generation AirPods introduced key features such as one-tap pairing with Apple devices and in-ear detection for automatic play-pause functionality. Powered by Apple's custom W1 chip, they delivered enhanced audio quality compared to wired EarPods and set a new standard for battery life in a compact, completely wireless design.

Since their debut, AirPods have evolved with the release of second-, third-, and fourth-generation models in March 2019, October 2021, and September 2024. These updates brought improvements such as better audio quality, longer battery life, hands-free "Hey Siri" functionality, a wireless charging case, and, most recently, active noise cancellation. The product line has also expanded with the premium AirPods Pro, featuring an in-ear design and active noise cancellation, in October 2019, and the over-ear AirPods Max in December 2020.

Apple today said that Meta has made 15 interoperability requests under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the European Union, which is more than any other company.

In a statement provided to Reuters, Apple said that Meta is asking for changes that could compromise user security and privacy.

In many cases, Meta is seeking to alter functionality in a way that raises concerns about the privacy and security of users, and that appears to be completely unrelated to the actual use of Meta external devices, such as Meta smart glasses and Meta Quest.

If Apple were to have to grant all of these requests, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp could enable Meta to read on a user's device all of their messages and emails, see every phone call they make or receive, track every app that they use, scan all of their photos, look at their files and calendar events, log all of their passwords, and more.

Under the terms of the DMA, which affects iOS and iPadOS, Apple is required to allow app developers to submit interoperability requests for hardware and software. Apple assesses all requests to determine whether they fall into the appropriate article of the DMA, and if so, Apple will design a solution for effective interoperability. Apple warns that the integrity of iOS and iPadOS are "important considerations" and that it may not be feasible for the company to design an effective interoperability solution.

In response to Apple's comments on Meta's requests, Meta said the following: "What Apple is actually saying is they don’t believe in interoperability. Every time Apple is called out for its anticompetitive behavior, they defend themselves on privacy grounds that have no basis in reality."

Apple's complaint about Meta comes as the European Union has shared preliminary findings on proposed measures that Apple should implement for improved interoperability. The European Commission says that Apple needs to give developers a better overview of the iOS components that provide functionalities reserved to Apple, plus Apple is required to design a better process that makes it easier to submit interoperability requests. Apple must also adhere to stricter timelines and avoid delays providing feedback on requested features.

The European Commission is now consulting interested third parties on whether its preliminary findings are sufficient to make Apple's request-based process effective. The EC says that the measures could be adjusted based on feedback from Apple and from third parties.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

OpenAI today announced support for a new phone-based ChatGPT experience, which can be accessed by calling or texting 1-800-ChatGPT (1-800-242-8478). The feature was introduced as part of OpenAI's ongoing 12 days of OpenAI event.

The 1-800-ChatGPT phone number is designed for situations where a data connection is unavailable, but a cellular connection works. With the feature, ChatGPT can provide answers to questions over the phone with voice-based responses, and even landlines are supported. Texting ChatGPT can be done through WhatsApp using the same number, but images and videos aren't supported at this time.

Any U.S. phone number can contact ChatGPT and get 15 minutes of response time for free without an OpenAI account, but downloading the app and creating an account allows for additional call time.

OpenAI says that the dedicated phone number is an experimental way to talk to ChatGPT, so availability and limits could change in the future.

Several airlines this week implemented support for the new iOS 18.2 Find My item location sharing feature, including British Airways, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, and more.

As of now, 14 airlines have customer support protocols for locating lost luggage with the new ‌Find My‌ feature, and the full list includes the following airlines: United, Delta, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Turkish Airlines, Aer Lingus, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, Eurowings, and Iberia Airlines.

After updating to iOS 18.2, the new Share Item Location feature allows you to create a link that lets someone see the location of a lost item when they open it up. Links can be opened on a non-Apple device using a web browser, so people with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac can help you locate something that's lost, such as your luggage.

‌‌Find My‌‌ links that you share expire after a one-week period, and you can see how many people have viewed a link. Shared links stop working when an item is returned to you, when the link sharing date expires, or when you opt to stop sharing the location of an item. Share Item Location is end-to-end encrypted and anonymous, so Apple and accessory manufacturers are not able to view an item's location or information.

Apple has teamed up with airlines to add support for Share Item Location, and airlines that use the feature have staff that know what steps to follow to get a lost item back to its owner using the ‌Find My‌ feature.

Additional airlines are planning to add support, including Qantas, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain access to a device for the subscription period.

The subscription-based ‌iPhone‌ offering would make it easier for customers without the funds for an expensive ‌iPhone‌ to make monthly payments rather than purchasing upfront. Apple already has the ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program that splits the cost of a device across a 12 or 24 month period, but the planned subscription service would have been an ongoing monthly fee rather than payments over a set number of months.

After two years of work on the project, Apple apparently ceased development in recent months due to regulatory concerns, software bugs, and other issues. The team that was developing the subscription service was disbanded and reassigned to other projects. Apple has done some streamlining of its payment offerings this year, shutting down the Apple Pay Later pay-in-installments option that was available for less than a year.

Apple today seeded the first public betas of upcoming iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3 updates, allowing the public to test the software ahead of when it launches early next year. The public betas come a few days after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also seeded public betas of tvOS 18.3 and watchOS 11.3.

Public beta testers can download the updates from the Settings app on each device after opting into the beta through Apple's public beta testing website.

While there are no new Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone or iPad, macOS Sequoia 15.3 brings Genmoji to the Mac for the first time, so Mac users are now able to create custom emoji characters that can be used in place of standard emoji.

In iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, code suggests that the Home app is set to gain support for robot vacuums, which means Matter and HomeKit vacuums will be able to integrate with Apple's smart home platform in the future.

We are expecting iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3 to be released to the public toward the end of January.

Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag.

Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an ‌AirTag‌ enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the ‌AirTag‌ runs on. It works by attaching the ‌AirTag‌'s upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the TimeCapsule, which provides power instead of the coin cell battery.

The enclosure then screws shut, and it can be tucked away in a vehicle, luggage, camera bag, or other expensive item. The case has IP69 waterproofing that's able to withstand exposure to water and dust in harsh environments, so it can be used outdoors.

TimeCapsule does add additional weight and size to the ‌AirTag‌ because it needs to house AA batteries, but it's still slim enough to fit well in bags without adding too much bulk. The setup measures in at 4.45 inches by 1.57 inches, and it's 0.75 inches thick. The enclosure is nondescript, though, so if something containing the TimeCapsule is stolen, the thief isn't likely to know what it is.

The TimeCapsule can be purchased for $20 from the Elevation Lab website or from Amazon.

We're just one week away from Christmas, and it's only going to get harder to guarantee that your gifts arrive in time for the holiday. With this in mind, we've collected all of the Apple products on sale that you can still get with guaranteed Christmas delivery, most of which can be found on Amazon and Best Buy.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Most of the deals in this article are not all-time low prices, but if you need holiday gifts to arrive in time for the 25th, these will be the best prices you find online this week.

AirPods

iPad

Apple Watch

MacBook Air

Accessories

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.

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Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital."

In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the internet now." The news contradicts other recent supply chain information coming out of China, which claimed "the module is of this elongated oval shape."

The iPhone 11 Pro's "triangular" camera layout was a marked shift from previous models, which featured a more traditional vertical camera layout. Apple's decision to switch to a new design was mainly driven by the need to accommodate a third camera in the form of a new Ultra Wide camera, along with improved sensors and optics. The introduction of the new camera bump set a new aesthetic standard for subsequent models, influencing the design of later releases right up to today's iPhone 16.

Regardless, it looks like the design of the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ is set to change considerably. Late last month, The Information's Wayne Ma claimed that the rear of the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro and ‌‌iPhone 17‌‌ Pro Max will feature a "rectangular camera bump made of aluminum rather than traditional 3D glass," while the bottom half will continue to be made of glass to support wireless charging.

Instant Digital has a mixed track record for Apple rumors, but has provided some strikingly accurate information, such as the imminent launch of 2023's Yellow iPhone 14, the frosted back glass of the ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus, the Apple Watch Series 9 as a minor refresh, spatial video capture on the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro, the latest iPad Air and iPad Pro's landscape front-facing camera, the M4 ‌iPad Pro‌'s nano-texture display option, the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro's battery capacities, and continued Apple Watch band compatibility through the Apple Watch Series 10. As a result, their reports are worth taking seriously.

The web version of Apple Maps that Apple first debuted in July has been upgraded with support for Look Around, the feature that is essentially equivalent to Google Street View.

In supported areas, Look Around provides a high-resolution ground level view of restaurants, retail locations, landmarks, streets, and other points of interest. It's a feature that has long been available on iOS devices, but support in the Apple Maps app for the web allows non-Apple users to experience the feature.

Apple appears to have implemented support earlier this month, around December 11, according to Chris Carley (via 9to5Mac). Look Around is available in multiple cities in the United States, along with countries like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, and more. A full list is available on Apple's website.

Back in August, there were signs suggesting that Apple is working on a major Look Around expansion, bringing it to more rural areas and to new countries like Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, China, Belarus, Turkey, Bulgaria, Mexico, and Slovakia, but that expansion has not yet happened.

Apple Maps on the web works like the ‌Apple Maps‌ app, allowing users to get driving and walking directions, find places to visit, view ratings and hours, and browse curated Guides. There are built-in features for ordering food from the Maps place card and discovering places to eat, shop, and explore in cities around the world.

The web version of ‌Apple Maps‌ is available as an alternative to Google Maps, and it is compatible with Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, on Macs, iPads, and Windows PCs. ‌Apple Maps‌ on the web continues to be available in a beta capacity.

Apple's next Apple Watch Activity Challenge is set to kick off on Wednesday, January 1, with Apple Watch users able to earn an award by closing all three rings for seven days in a row in January.

Let’s start 2025 off right. Earn this award by closing all three rings for seven days in a row in January.

Apple Watch owners will need to fulfill their stand, exercise, and move goals for seven days sequentially at any time during the month of January to get the New Year's award.

As with all of Apple's Activity Challenges, the New Year challenge will be accompanied by an award that can be viewed in the Fitness app as well as a series of animated stickers that can be used in the Messages app.

Apple has hosted a New Year challenge for many years running now, and it is one of many Activity Challenges that the company offers throughout the year to encourage people to meet their Fitness goals.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro is Apple's only Mac that can be purchased with an M4 chip, M4 Pro chip, or M4 Max chip, so is the M4 powerful enough or is it better to get the M4 Pro or M4 Max? That's the question we explore in our M4 MacBook Pro review.

Built on a 3-nanometer process, even the base M4 chip is more than enough for everyday tasks like web browsing, checking mail, writing, and watching videos. It's also more than sufficient for video editing, 3D rendering, photo editing, and other creative tasks.

Full time creative professionals who need to get a lot done in a short amount of time are going to benefit from the more powerful M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, as these can cut precious minutes off of rendering times.

Next year, you'll be able to get the MacBook Air with an M4 chip too, but right now, the ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ is the best machine in terms of price, value, and portability. The 14-inch model is more convenient for travel than the 16-inch model, but one must-have travel upgrade is the nano-texture display. If you're ever planning to use your ‌MacBook Pro‌ outside, it really cuts down on glare, and it's ideal for bright rooms, too.

The minimum RAM is now 16GB, which goes a long way toward making the base ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ the best value you can get. 16GB is totally adequate for Apple Intelligence and video and photo editing tasks. You could bump it up for future proofing purposes, but if you need more RAM for your day-to-day tasks right now, it may be worth getting the M4 Pro or M4 Max instead because those machines come with 24GB and 32GB minimum RAM, respectively.

Storage is a consideration too. The base ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ comes with a 512GB SSD, which may be too little storage for some users. Bumping up to 1TB could be worth it if you don't want to have to rely on an external SSD, but you're basically going to be paying more for storage regardless of whether you choose the M4, M4 Pro, or M4 Max. The M4 Pro models also start with 512GB of storage, while the M4 Max models start with 1TB.

For an on-the-go machine, the base ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ is likely to be an excellent machine for most users, and when the M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ models come out, those will be ideal for most people even over the ‌MacBook Pro‌. If the ‌MacBook Pro‌ is your sole machine and it's used for intensive tasks like video editing and 3D rendering, it could be worth checking out the M4 Pro and M4 Max chip options, but a lot of people won't need anything beyond the M4.

More than four years have passed since Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, and the wait for a new model might finally soon be over.

Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation HomePod mini.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that a new HomePod mini will be released next year. He said the speaker will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which supports Wi-Fi 6E. It is unclear if the chip's Wi-Fi 6E support will be enabled for the new HomePod mini, but if it is, that would allow for faster wireless connectivity compared to the current model's Wi-Fi 4 support.

While there are no other rumors yet, likely upgrades for the next HomePod mini include a newer "S" chip, improved sound quality, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for a lower-latency Handoff experience, and new color options. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the S5 chip, which debuted in 2019's Apple Watch Series 5.

In addition to a new HomePod mini, Apple reportedly plans to release an all-new smart home hub as soon as March next year. The hub is expected to feature around a 6-inch display that can be mounted on a wall, or attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, so the device could be similar to the HomePod mini in some ways.

It is unclear if the next HomePod mini will have Siri improvements, as unlike the home hub, the speaker is not expected to get Apple Intelligence.

Check out our HomePod mini roundup for more details.

The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year.

Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that will roll out in multiple devices next year, including new Apple TV and HomePod mini models. He said the chip will support Wi-Fi 6E, which would be an upgrade over the current Apple TV's standard Wi-Fi 6 support. Wi-Fi 6E extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds and reduced signal interference with a compatible device and router.

No major design changes have been rumored for the next Apple TV specifically, but Gurman said Apple has considered adding a built-in camera to a future model. tvOS 17 added a FaceTime app to the Apple TV, allowing for users to have video calls by using the rear camera on a connected iPhone or iPad. If the Apple TV gained a built-in camera, users would no longer need to rely on an external device for video calls on the TV.

Unsurprisingly, the next Apple TV is also expected to be equipped with a newer chip for faster performance. The current Apple TV is equipped with the A15 Bionic chip that debuted in the iPhone 13 models in 2021. Apple has released several newer A-series chips since then, including the A16 Bionic, A17 Pro, A18, and A18 Pro.

The next Apple TV could have lower pricing. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that the next model could have a sub-$100 starting price. In the U.S., the current Apple TV is available with 64GB or 128GB of storage for $129 and $149, respectively.

It is unclear exactly when in 2025 the new Apple TV would launch. Here is when the previous five Apple TV models were announced:

• Third-generation Apple TV 4K: October 2022
• Second-generation Apple TV 4K: April 2021
• First-generation Apple TV 4K: September 2017
• Apple TV HD: September 2015
• Third-generation Apple TV: March 2012

Read our Apple TV roundup for more details.

Apple today announced that the Apple Watch feature to help identify sleep apnea is now available in Brazil following the granting of a license from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency.

The feature, which is now available in over 150 countries and regions, uses the Apple Watch's accelerometer to record wrist movements associated with interruptions in normal breathing patterns during sleep.

Based on the data collected, the feature assesses each day whether your levels of breathing disturbances are elevated or not elevated, and if over a 30-day period it determines the frequency of your elevated disturbances reaches a threshold, you will receive a notification of possible sleep apnea. The notification is not a diagnosis, but it does provide information to help you discuss the situation with a healthcare provider.

The algorithm uses machine learning trained on clinically validated sleep data, with Apple's feature then validated in its own clinical study, which found that 100 percent of study participants who received a positive result from the algorithm indeed had at least mild sleep apnea.