MacRumors

Apple today announced that customers and independent repair shops will be able to repair select iPhones with used genuine Apple parts starting later this year. Alongside the announcement, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus spoke with TechCrunch about the iPhone's controversial "parts pairing" process.

Repair website iFixit criticized Apple's parts pairing process last year, and Oregon recently passed a law that would ban Apple from using a "parts pairing" process in the state for devices manufactured after January 1, 2025.

Ternus argued that iPhones still work with most third-party parts:

"'Parts pairing' is used a lot outside and has this negative connotation," Apple senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternus, tells TechCrunch. "I think it's led people to believe that we somehow block third-party parts from working, which we don't. The way we look at it is, we need to know what part is in the device, for a few reasons. One, we need to authenticate that it's a real Apple biometric device and that it hasn't been spoofed or something like that. … Calibration is the other one."

One exception is third-party parts related to Face ID and Touch ID, which do not work in iPhones for security reasons, according to Ternus:

"You think about Touch ID and Face ID and the criticality of their security because of how much of our information is on our phones," says Ternus. "Our entire life is on our phones. We have no way of validating the performance of any third-party biometrics. That's an area where we don't enable the use of third-party modules for the key security functions. But in all other aspects, we do."

Apple does alert customers if an iPhone part is not genuine. If an iPhone has been repaired, a "Parts and Service History" section appears in the Settings app under General → About, and it shows if non-genuine Apple parts have been installed.

Ternus said this transparency surrounding repairs is important:

"We have hundreds of millions of iPhones in use that are second- or third-hand devices," he explains. "They're a great way for people to get into the iPhone experience at a lower price point. We think it's important for them to have the transparency of: was a repair done on this device? What part was used? That sort of thing."

Apple says it will be expanding the "Parts and Service History" section to show whether a used part is a genuine Apple part later this year. For more details about used parts being allowed for repairs, read our earlier coverage.

Amazon today has a big sale on the newest 24-inch M3 iMac, including both 256GB and 512GB models. All of these deals require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the final deal price at the checkout screen, and in every case these are all-time low 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.

Starting with the 8-core GPU/256GB M3 iMac, this model is available for $1,149.99 in two colors with the on-page coupon, down from $1,299.00. Amazon also has the 10-core GPU/256GB M3 iMac on sale for $1,349.99 with a coupon, down from $1,499.00. This one is available in four colors.

Lastly, the 10-core GPU/512GB M3 iMac has hit $1,549.99 in three colors, down from $1,699.00. All of Amazon's deals today are record low prices on the M3 iMac, and right now only Amazon is offering these steep discounts.

Apple launched the M3 iMac back in October 2023, bringing significant speed and efficiency improvements with the upgrade from the M1 to the M3 chip. Otherwise, there are no major design changes to the newest iMac model. Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple today announced that customers and independent repair shops will be able to utilize used genuine Apple parts in repairs starting later this year.

Apple told The Washington Post that the new policy will initially apply to parts for iPhone 15 models and newer, including screens, batteries, and cameras. Apple's press release said the policy will eventually extend to used biometric sensors for Face ID and Touch ID. Apple's existing parts "pairing" process will confirm whether or not a used part is genuine.

In the fall, Apple says calibration for both new and used genuine Apple parts will happen on device after the part is installed. If an iPhone has been repaired, a "Parts and Service History" section appears in the Settings app under General → About, and Apple says it will be expanding this section to show whether a genuine part is new or used.

Apple also announced that customers and service providers will no longer need to provide a device's serial number when ordering parts from its self-service repair store for repairs not involving replacement of the logic board.

To deter stolen iPhones from being disassembled for parts, Apple said it will be extending its Activation Lock security feature to iPhone parts:

Apple will also extend its popular Activation Lock feature to iPhone parts in order to deter stolen iPhones from being disassembled for parts. Requested by customers and law enforcement officials, the feature was designed to limit iPhone theft by blocking a lost or stolen iPhone from being reactivated. If a device under repair detects that a supported part was obtained from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled, calibration capabilities for that part will be restricted.

Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus said the new policy will be more environmentally friendly by extending the lifespan of parts:

For the last two years, teams across Apple have been innovating on product design and manufacturing to support repairs with used Apple parts that won't compromise users' safety, security, or privacy. With this latest expansion to our repair program, we're excited to be adding even more choice and convenience for our customers, while helping to extend the life of our products and their parts.

Apple said the policy will apply to future iPhone models.

Google next month will make its latest AI-powered photo editing feature available to all users of Google Photos on iOS, the company has announced.

Magic Editor, which featured heavily in last year's Google Pixel 8 series marketing blitz, uses generative AI to perform complicated photo edits, such as filling in gaps in a photo, repositioning subjects, and additional foreground/background adjustments like making a cloudy, grey sky look blue.

The edits mimic the kind of possibilities afforded by more professional editing tools like Photoshop, except Magic Editor achieves its automated results via AI, rather than the user having to do them manually.

The editing tool debuted as one of the headline AI features on the company's flagship phone when it launched six months ago, and has since been exclusive to Google Pixel 8 owners and Google One subscribers. The tool will become available to all users of Google Photos starting May 15.

Google Photos for iOS and Android will include 10 Magic Editor saves per month. To use more than that, users will need to buy a Premium Google One plan, which starts at 2TB of storage for $10 per month or $100 annually.

In addition to Magic Editor, Google is bringing several more editing tools to Google Photos, including Photo Unblur, Sky suggestions, Color pop, HDR effect for photos and videos, Portrait Blur, Portrait Light (plus its add light/balance light features), Cinematic Photos, Styles in the Collage Editor, and Video Effects.

To use the AI features, Apple devices must be running iOS 15 or later. Google Photos is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store.

Apple on Wednesday sent threat notifications to users in 92 countries warning that they may have been targeted by mercenary spyware attacks, likely because of who they are or what they do.

According to TechCrunch, Apple sent the alerts to the individuals at 12 p.m. Pacific Time, delivered via email and iMessage using the contact details associated with the user's Apple ID. A notification also appears at the top of the page if the user signs into appleid.apple.com.

"Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID -xxx-," the company wrote in the warning to affected customers. "We are unable to provide more information about what caused us to send you this notification, as that may help mercenary spyware attackers adapt their behavior to evade detection in the future."

"This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it's never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning — please take it seriously," added the warning.

In an updated support document, Apple said it has sent similar threat notifications to users in over 150 countries since 2021. "The extreme cost, sophistication, and worldwide nature of mercenary spyware attacks makes them some of the most advanced digital threats in existence today," said the company. "As a result, Apple does not attribute the attacks or resulting threat notifications to any specific attackers or geographical regions."

Last October, Apple sent similar warnings to some journalists and politicians in India. Soon after, nonprofit advocacy group Amnesty International reported that it had found Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group's invasive spyware Pegasus on the iPhones of prominent journalists in India. Users in India are among those who received the latest threat notifications, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to TechCrunch.

The alerts come at a time when many nations are preparing for democratic elections. Apple previously described the attackers as "state-sponsored" in the support document, but has replaced those references with "mercenary spyware attacks." The warning to customers reads: "Mercenary spyware attacks, such as those using Pegasus from the NSO Group, are exceptionally rare and vastly more sophisticated than regular cybercriminal activity or consumer malware."

Apple advises those who have received a threat notification to seek expert help, such as the rapid-response emergency security assistance provided by the Digital Security Helpline at the nonprofit Access Now. Apple threat notification recipients can contact the Digital Security Helpline 24 hours a day, seven days a week through their website.

Users who have not received an Apple threat notification but have good reason to believe they may be individually targeted by mercenary spyware attacks are advised to enable Lockdown Mode on their devices for additional protection.

The touch-related bug that was known to be impacting the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 also affects the Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8, and Ultra 1, Apple said in a memo shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers.

Service providers have been told not to replace watches for the ghost touch problem, instead instructing customers to fix the issue through a force restart. A force restart can be initiated by simultaneously holding down the side button and the Digital Crown for 10 seconds. AASPs have also been asked to make sure affected Apple Watches are running the latest version of watchOS.

Apple first began looking into the touch-related problem affecting some Apple Watch models in February. At the time, it was a bug that had been seen on the Series 9 and the Ultra 2. Apple Watch owners were experiencing "false" or "ghost" touches on the display, which could cause the screen to "jump erratically" or exhibit unexpected behavior without user interaction.

A fix for the ghost touch issue was added in watchOS 10.4, so presumably that version of the software addresses the issue on all impacted models. If not, the wording of Apple's memo suggests a further fix will be coming in the near future.

Apple employees at the Apple Store in Short Hills, New Jersey have petitioned to unionize, reports Bloomberg. Retail store unionization efforts have died down in recent months after locations in Oklahoma and Maryland successfully unionized in 2022.

There are 104 workers at Apple Short Hills, which is located in the Short Hills Mall. Communication Workers of America (CWA) filed a unionization petition with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of employees earlier this week.

In a statement, the CWA said that forming a union would be the best way to "ensure all Apple workers receive the respect, pay, benefits and working conditions" that they deserve. The group has requested that Apple "not to interfere in our ongoing organizing efforts and, instead, allow workers to freely determine for themselves whether to form a union."

Apple told Bloomberg that it offers "exceptional" benefits and competitive pay to its employees.

We have always paid our retail teams in the top tier of the market. And we provide exceptional and comprehensive benefits for all full- and part-time employees as a part of the overall support we provide to our valued team members.

Following the petition, workers at the store will need to vote on whether to join the union. If a majority decide to do so, the store will unionize. Union employees are able to negotiate with Apple for improved working conditions and benefits. In Maryland, workers have been working to negotiate with Apple for a 10 percent pay increase, tips from customers, and changes to overtime and leave policies.

While two stores have unionized, unionization efforts have failed in other locations. An Apple retail location in St. Louis voted not to unionize, and a store in Atlanta withdrew its request to unionize after alleged interference from Apple. The U.S. National Labor Relations Board said in December 2022 that Apple had violated federal law by holding mandatory anti-union meetings and coercing and interrogating the Atlanta workers.

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.

It's been a bit over six months since the iPhone 15 lineup came out in September, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using an ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max sans case since launch. Over on our YouTube channel, Dan did a long term review to demo how his phone has held up and his thoughts on the Action button, battery life, and camera features.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and Pro Max are Apple's first iPhones with a titanium shell instead of a stainless steel or aluminum shell, and titanium is supposed to be more durable. After suffering from several drops without a case, Dan's iPhone is scuffed and chipped, but there are no scratches. As for the screen, it has a minor scratch or two.

Battery health is at 98 percent and 174 cycles, and there have been some fluctuations in battery life with software updates. It's a little hard to get a solid read on battery because of day-to-day differences in usage.

Some people have had trouble finding a use for the Action button, but assigning it to the camera is one way to ensure that it gets used. With the camera setting, a quick press on the button launches the camera so there's no need to press on the Home Screen or open up the Camera app. Apple is rumored to be adding a dedicated Capture button for the camera with the iPhone 16 models, so the Action button might get less useful at that point for those who use it for the camera.

For ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro owners, how's your battery life, and do you use the Action button? Let us know in the comments below.

While the first iOS 17.5 beta is slim on new features, there is one fun addition for Apple News+ subscribers: a daily word game called Quartiles.

Quartiles tasks you with combining tiles to form words and earn points. Each puzzle starts with a grid of 20 tiles, and words can be formed with one to four tiles. A quartile is a four-tile word, and if you find all five in each puzzle, you earn a 40-point bonus. The website Gadget Hacks shared a walkthrough of the game with more details.

Quartiles is the third puzzle game included with an Apple News+ subscription, alongside Crossword and Crossword Mini. Starting with the iOS 17.5 beta, all three games integrate with Game Center to display leaderboards.

On an iPhone updated to the iOS 17.5 beta, Quartiles can be found in the Apple News app under the Following tab → Puzzles. The game is also available on the iPad and Mac starting with the iPadOS 17.5 and macOS 14.5 betas.

Apple News+ is available in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the U.K., but the puzzle games seem to be limited to the U.S. and Canada for now.

iOS 17.5 will likely be released in May.

Amazon today has discounted the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 9 down to $295.20, from $399.00. This price is only available in the (PRODUCT)RED color, and it's a limited time deal at Amazon so be sure to check out the sale before it's fully claimed.

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.

This is a new all-time low price on this model of the Series 9, beating previous low prices by about $5. Unfortunately, there aren't really any notable Apple Watch deals besides this sale, so you'll need to be sure the 41mm case size with the M/L Sport Band will fit your wrist.

This version of the Apple Watch features the S9 chip, a brighter display than the Series 8, and a new Double Tap feature. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

iOS 18 will apparently feature a new Safari browsing assistant, according to backend code on Apple's servers discovered by Nicolás Álvarez. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris confirmed that the code exists, but not many details are known at this time.

Álvarez said it seems like the browsing assistant will use iCloud Private Relay's infrastructure to send relevant data to Apple in a privacy-focused manner. If so, perhaps the feature will require an iCloud+ subscription, but this is merely speculation.

Update: Álvarez has since said that iCloud Private Relay might not be related to this feature.

A browsing assistant in Safari could be one of the many new generative AI features that are rumored to be coming to the iPhone with iOS 18 later this year. There are already multiple iPhone web browsers with AI tools, such as Microsoft Edge with a GPT-4-powered Copilot and Arc Search, which can summarize web pages to provide concise information.

Álvarez also uncovered a so-called "Encrypted Visual Search" feature in the backend code on Apple's servers, but no specific details are known. MacRumors contributor Steve Moser last year discovered a new Visual Search feature for Apple's Vision Pro headset in visionOS beta code, which would allow users to copy and paste printed text from the real world into apps and more, but the feature has yet to launch. It is possible that Apple is planning to debut a more secure version of the feature. However, the code could also relate to the iPhone's existing Visual Look Up feature that can identify objects in photos and videos.

Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, so we should learn more about these potential new features in a few more months.

Apple now produces as much as 14% of its iPhones in India, indicating the company's accelerating efforts to diversify beyond China (via Bloomberg).

The figure accounts for $14 billion of assembled iPhones in the country, or about 1 in 7 of the company's flagship devices, a doubling of production compared to the last fiscal year. Models assembled in India include the iPhone 12 through to the latest iPhone 15, excluding premium Pro and Pro Max models.

Apple has been setting up ‌‌iPhone‌‌ manufacturing hubs in India ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi began promoting his "Made in India" initiative, which requires that 30% of products sold by foreign companies be manufactured or produced within the country.

The Indian government says the growth in manufacturing has created 150,000 direct jobs at Apple's suppliers. That's a boon for Modi's administration, which has enticed foreign companies like Apple with financial incentives to realize its ambition for the country to become a global manufacturing hub.

Foxconn assembled nearly 67% and Pegatron around 17% of iPhones in India in the fiscal year ending March 2024, according to Bloomberg's sources. The remaining devices were produced by Wistron.

While China remains Apple's largest iPhone assembly base and biggest overseas market, it is also where Apple's revenues have been plummeting, due to the meteoric rise of local vendors such as Huawei and a government ban on the use of iPhones in state workplaces.

Apple's diversification away from China hints at the company's growing awareness of rising geopolitical tensions and the need for supply chain resilience in the face of potential disruption. The pivot to India also likely takes into account its fast-growing smartphone market – last year Apple also opened its first two stores there, in Mumbai and the capital New Delhi.

Apple chipmaker TSMC is making progress toward manufacturing 2nm and 1.4nm chips that are likely destined for future generations of Apple silicon, DigiTimes reports.

The manufacturing time frames for mass production of 2nm and 1.4nm chips have now apparently been determined: Trial production of the 2nm node will begin at in the second half of 2024, with small-scale production ramping up in the second quarter of 2025. Notably, TSMC's new plant in Arizona will also join 2nm production efforts. In 2027, facilities in Taiwan will start to shift toward production of 1.4nm chips.

TSMC's first 1.4nm node is officially called "A14" and will follow its "N2" 2nm chips. N2 is scheduled for mass production in late 2025, to be followed by an enhanced "N2P" node in late 2026.

Historically, Apple is among the first companies to adopt new, state-of-the-art chip fabrication technologies. For example, it was the first company to utilize TSMC's 3nm node with the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, and Apple is likely to follow suit with the chipmaker's upcoming nodes. Apple's most advanced chip designs have historically appeared in the iPhone before making their way to the iPad and Mac lineups. With all of the latest information, here's how the ‌iPhone‌'s chip technology is expected to look going forward:

• ‌iPhone‌ XR and XS (2018): A12 Bionic (7nm, N7)
• ‌iPhone‌ 11 lineup (2019): A13 Bionic (7nm, N7P)
• ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup (2020): A14 Bionic (5nm, N5)
• ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro (2021): A15 Bionic (5nm, N5P)
• ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro (2022): A16 Bionic (4nm, N4P)
• ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro (2023): A17 Pro (‌3nm‌, N3B)
• iPhone 16 Pro (2024): "A18" (‌3nm‌, N3E)
• "iPhone 17 Pro" (2025): "A19" (2nm, N2)
• "iPhone 18 Pro" (2026): "A20" (2nm, N2P)
• "‌iPhone‌ 19 Pro" (2027): "A21" (1.4nm, A14)

The M1 series of Apple silicon chips is based on the A14 Bionic and uses TSMC's N5 node, while the M2 and M3 series use N5P and N3B, respectively. The Apple Watch's S4 and S5 chips use N7, the S6, S7, and S8 chips use N7P, and the latest S9 chip uses N4P.

Each successive TSMC node surpasses its predecessor in terms of transistor density, performance, and efficiency. Late last year, it emerged that TSMC had already demonstrated prototype 2nm chips to Apple ahead of their expected introduction in 2025.

Apple's iPhone 16 Plus may come in seven colors that either build upon the existing five colors in the standard iPhone 15 lineup or recast them in a new finish, based on a new rumor out of China.

According to the Weibo-based leaker Fixed focus digital, Apple's upcoming larger 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus model will come in the following colors, compared to the colors currently available for the iPhone 15 Plus:

iPhone 15 Plus (2023)	iPhone 16 Plus (2024)
Blue	Blue
Pink	Pink
Yellow	Yellow
Green	Green
Black	Black
–	White
–	Purple

The leaker did not provide any more context beyond the model name, so it is unclear if the alleged color options are exclusive in whole or in part to the iPhone 16 Plus, or whether they are set to be available across both the iPhone 16 and its larger equivalent. Given that the two models are expected to be identical apart from their size difference, the latter possibility seems most likely.

This is the first rumor we have received about potential colors for the standard iPhone 16 models, and the leaker has an unproven track record for accurate leaks, so the colors given await corroboration from other sources before we can consider them to be correct.

As for the iPhone 16 Pro models, rumors suggest they could come in new "space black" and "rose" titanium colors. The Blue Titanium color that iPhone 15 Pro models are currently available in will allegedly be dropped from the iPhone 16 Pro lineup in favor of the new rose color. Meanwhile, "space black," which is said to be similar to the iPhone 14 Pro color of the same name, will replace Black Titanium.

The Natural and White Titanium colors are also rumored to be slightly different on the iPhone 16 Pro models. Natural Titanium is said to be returning, but with more of a gray tint to it. Meanwhile, White Titanium will appear more like a "silver white" color, which is also said to be similar to the silver version of the iPhone 14 Pro.

The iPhone 16 lineup is expected to be announced in the fall.

Apple's usual strategy of introducing a new mid-cycle iPhone color in the spring is unlikely to be replicated for the iPhone 15 this year, if a new rumor out of Asia is anything to go by.

Apple usually introduces new ‌iPhone‌ color options in the spring to boost sales midway through the device's product cycle, keeping the device top-of-mind for consumers at a time when the next iPhone launch is still another six months away.

Apple has used the tactic frequently in recent years. In 2017 and 2018, it released red mid-cycle versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 lines, respectively. Then in 2021, Apple added a purple color to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini models for the spring season in late April.

In March 2022, the iPhone 13 lineup received new green finishes, and in the same month last year, Apple released the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in a new yellow color. Each new color launch has been accompanied by a significant ad campaign to attract new customers and upgraders who did not make a purchase when the latest iPhone series was originally launched in the fall. This year could be different, however.

According to Chinese Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital, there is no new spring color scheme on the cards for the iPhone 15. It's also worth noting that Apple has already launched several iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands in refreshed color options. The refreshed accessories arrived when Apple released the new MacBook Air in early March. In previous years, such a move has often been accompanied by a new iPhone color.

Why Apple would forego the opportunity to boost sales in the middle of an iPhone cycle is not entirely clear, so it is worth taking the latest rumor with a pinch of salt for now. Production delays have reportedly pushed the release of new iPads into May, and Apple is not expected to hold a launch event to announce the devices, but the debut of a new iPhone color could always come separately in the form of a press release, which Apple has opted for in the past.

Automattic, the company behind popular web management system WordPress, has purchased Beeper and will absorb Beeper's 27 employees. Beeper made headlines back in December for Beeper Mini, an app that brought iMessage to Android devices.

Beeper Mini used reverse engineered iMessage protocols and encryption, taking advantage of Apple's own iMessage servers to let Android users send "blue bubble" texts to iPhone users without an Apple ID. The app supported all iMessage functionality, including read receipts, typing indictors, reactions, and end-to-end encryption.

Apple was not happy with Beeper Mini using its iMessage servers, and it blocked the Beeper Mini app. Beeper tried workarounds, but after suggesting Android users acquire a jailbroken ‌iPhone‌ to get the service to work, the company gave up on the idea.

After Apple blocked Beeper Mini from working, both the FTC and the U.S. Department of Justice met with Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky. Beeper Mini was ultimately mentioned in the DoJ's antitrust filing against Apple, with the DoJ suggesting it was a "fix" for the broken Android to ‌iPhone‌ cross-platform messaging issue.

Automattic does not plan to revive Beeper Mini, but is instead taking on Beeper, a universal chat app available for Android, iOS, and desktop devices. Beeper is able to integrate with multiple chat networks with a universal inbox, though it does not currently work with iMessage.

In a post announcing the acquisition by Automattic, Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky said that Beeper is "cautiously optimistic about the future" because the DoJ has "sued Apple for blocking Beeper Mini's access to iMessage."

Going forward, Migicovsky will serve as Automattic's Head of Messaging, and Beeper will operate as an independent team. With the acquisition, Beeper is no longer in beta and has officially launched.

The iPhone continues to be overwhelmingly popular with teens, according to Piper Sandler's biannual teen survey. 85 percent of U.S. teens surveyed own an ‌iPhone‌, and 86 percent plan to purchase an ‌iPhone‌ as their next smartphone.

While the ‌iPhone‌ is still the most popular smartphone among teens, ownership is down from the October 2023 survey where 87 percent of teens owned an ‌iPhone‌ and 88 percent planned to purchase one.

Both the 85% iPhone ownership and 86% intention to purchase an iPhone metrics are near record highs for our survey but down from record levels in 2021. We believe the elevated penetration and purchase intention are important given the mature premium smartphone market. Additionally, trends towards premium tier phones are encouraging as the company continues to introduce new iPhones proving the overall stickiness of the product portfolio. Finally, positive trends in services could follow, as the install base for Apple hardware continues to grow.

Apple's dominance in the teen market is of particular interest right now because it is one metric that the U.S. Department of Justice is targeting in its antitrust lawsuit against Apple.

The DoJ has suggested that Apple's ownership of the U.S. smartphone market causes "social stigma, exclusion, and blame" for non-iPhone users, with "green bubble" chats and issues between ‌iPhone‌ and Android message users cited as a specific example. The DoJ claims that this is "particularly powerful" for teenagers, and that "social pressure" causes teens to switch to the ‌iPhone‌.

The antitrust lawsuit also suggests that Apple's marketshare among "key demographics" like "younger audiences" is an issue that gives Apple too much power over the smartphone ecosystem.

As for the Apple Watch, 34 percent of teens reported using an Apple Watch, with no change from last fall. Intent to buy an Apple Watch was up three percent, however, with 13 percent of teens planning to buy one in the next six months. Only 39.4 percent of teens said they own a smart watch, so teens are also overwhelmingly preferring the Apple Watch to other smart watch brands. The Apple Watch was the top watch brand, with Rolex and Casio coming in second and third, respectively.

Teens prefer Spotify as their music service, and nearly two-thirds of teens surveyed said Spotify is their preferred service. Just over 30 percent of teens said they use Apple Music. Apple TV+ is not popular with teen audiences, and less than five percent of teens said they watch it on a daily basis. Comparatively, over 30 percent of teens watch Netflix daily, and close to 30 percent watch YouTube.

Apple Pay was the most popular payment platform with 44 percent of teens using it in the last month, but Cash app and Venmo are preferred for peer-to-peer money transfers.

Piper Sandler surveyed 6,020 teens across 47 U.S. states for its spring 2024 report.