MacRumors

Best Buy is offering nearly $200 off the 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air, coming within just a few dollars of the all-time low price for the 256GB model. This sale requires you to be a My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total member.

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

Without a membership, you can get the 256GB 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air for $949.00, down from $1,099.00. Members can add an extra $47.45 off that price and get it for $901.55, which is just about $2 more than the all-time low price on this model.

Best Buy has plenty of more deals going on right now for early Black Friday shoppers, including deals on laptops, video games, Bluetooth speakers, TVs, and more.

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2023.

The first wireless chargers that support the new Qi2 charging standard are set to launch in time for the holiday season, according to an announcement shared today by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC).

Announced earlier this year, Qi2 is a next-generation Qi charging technology that incorporates a Magnetic Power Profile. Qi2 devices will work like Apple's MagSafe feature, using magnets for alignment and speedier charging.

The iPhone 15 models are the first of Apple's smartphones that support the Qi2 standard. More than 100 Qi2 device are in testing, according to the WPC, including chargers from companies like Belkin, Mophie, Anker, and Aircharge.

The Magnetic Power Profile was designed based on ‌MagSafe‌ contributions from Apple, and it is being combined with the new Extended Power Profile (EPP) to form what is considered "Qi2."

Qi2 is meant to ensure that phones and other battery-powered mobile products are perfectly aligned with chargers for improved energy efficiency and faster charging. It will allow for new accessories that would not be chargeable wirelessly using existing flat surface-to-flat surface devices.

Qi2 chargers that have already been announced promise to charge devices at up to 15W, but it is not yet clear if Apple's ‌iPhone 15‌ models will support faster wireless charging with Qi2 accessories. Apple's technical specifications page for the ‌iPhone 15‌ says that the devices support Qi wireless charging "up to 7.5W," with no mention of faster charging.

MagSafe-enabled ‌iPhone 15‌ models charge at 7.5W on the current Qi standard, and 15W when using Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ chargers.

Following a pair of deals on the M3 iMac we shared this morning, now B&H Photo is also discounting Apple's new M3 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Every discount in this sale represents a new all-time low price for each M3 MacBook Pro model.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

14-Inch MacBook Pro

Starting with the 512GB M3 14-inch MacBook Pro, you can get this computer for $1,449.00, down from $1,599.00. This one requires you to add the notebook to your cart and head to checkout before you see the deal price.

B&H also has the 512GB M3 Pro 14-inch MacBook Profor $1,799.00, down from $1,999.00. You won't see this record low sale price until you add the computer to your cart and head to the checkout screen.

Next, the 1TB M3 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro has hit $2,199.00 on B&H Photo, down from $2,399.00. This one doesn't require you to head to the checkout screen in order to see the deal, as it's been applied automatically on the product page.

16-Inch MacBook Pro

B&H Photo only has one discount on the larger display models. You can get the 512GB M3 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro for $2,299.00, down from $2,499.00. This is another one that requires you to add the computer to your cart before you'll see the deal price, and it's also another all-time low price.

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2023.

We're tracking a pair of discounts on Apple's brand new M3 iMac today, with as much as $200 off these computers from B&H Photo and Amazon.

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.

The first discount is on the 8-Core GPU, 256GB iMac at B&H Photo, priced at $1,199.00, down from $1,299.00. This sale is only available in the Silver color option, and will last through November 18.

Secondly, Amazon has the 10-Core GPU, 256GB M3 iMac for $1,299.00, down from $1,499.00. This one is also only available in Silver, and it's another new record low price for the brand new M3 24-inch iMac.

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2023.

Apple has officially ceased the sale of OS X Lion 10.7 and Mountain Lion 10.8 from its online store.

The change was spotted by @ClassicII_MrMac on X, formerly Twitter. The original release of OS X Lion was available either as a digital download from the Mac App Store or via a USB thumb drive preloaded with the installer. Mountain Lion, on the other hand, was distributed exclusively as a downloadable product, delivered via an emailed redemption code.

Apple's shift from physical to digital distribution became clear upon the release of OS X Lion in July 2011, marking the company's transition to online-only releases. Lion introduced features such as multi-touch gestures, Mission Control, and full-screen apps, but it also posed a challenge for users without access to the ‌Mac App Store‌. This was particularly true for those still running OS X Leopard, as they were unable to upgrade to Lion without first obtaining Snow Leopard or purchasing the Lion installer thumb drive.

OS X Mountain Lion, which debuted in July 2012, continued this trend. Mountain Lion was the last macOS version not initially offered for free. The digital-only approach was solidified with OS X Mavericks (version 10.9) in October 2013, establishing the ‌Mac App Store‌ as the sole avenue for obtaining new macOS versions.

While Apple ceased supporting both Lion and Mountain Lion some time ago, it continued to sell digital copies of these operating systems until now. Apple continues to offer OS X Lion and OS X Mountain Lion as free digital downloads for those who still need them.

Woot has been holding a massive Apple accessory blowout sale since the beginning of November, including deals on products like chargers, Apple Watch bands, iPhone cases, and more. They expanded the sale today and are now offering the MagSafe Duo Charger in new condition at $79.99, down from $129.00.

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.

This is a new all-time low price on the accessory, and it beats the previous deal we tracked earlier in the month by about $15. Woot is selling the MagSafe Duo Charger in new condition with a one year Apple manufacturer limited warranty.

The rest of Woot's Apple accessory sale is worth checking out. You can get rock bottom prices on Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 6 models in new condition, USB-C chargers, Siri Remotes, and more. As of right now, the regular MagSafe Charger is not on sale any longer.

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2023.

Apple on Tuesday seeded a sixth beta of visionOS, the software designed to run on the Vision Pro headset, and it includes two new tutorial videos shown to the user during the setup process.

The first 36-second onboarding video, shared by @M1Astra, is called "Input Training" and demonstrates how the user interacts with visionOS by looking at UI elements and selecting them using a double-tap gesture. The narrator says the following:

Your eyes and hands are how you navigate Apple Vision Pro. You browse the system by looking, and it responds to your eyes. Simply look at an element and tap your fingers together to select it. It's like a click on your Mac. To scroll, pinch your fingers together, and gently flick. You can keep your hands where they're comfortable, such as resting on your lap.

With the Apple Vision Pro headset, the built-in cameras create a customized "Persona" that resembles the user, and this Persona is used in video chat apps like FaceTime. In a second, 50-second video also shared by @M1Astra, "Persona Enrollment," Apple demonstrates how Personas are set up by using the EyeSight display to guide the user:

To set up your Persona, you'll remove Apple Vision Pro to capture your appearance. Take your time getting ready, and ensure nothing is covering your face. To start capturing, hold Apple Vision Pro at eye level. Keep your arms and shoulders relaxed. Then, follow the instructions.

Turn your head to the right, to the left, and tilt up, and down. Then you'll capture your facial expressions. Smile with your mouth closed, smile showing your teeth, raise your eyebrows, and close your eyes. When you're done, put Apple Vision Pro back on to see your Persona.

As we previously reported, the 3D capture process requires users to remove anything that covers the face, such as glasses. There does not appear to be any kind of secondary scanning mechanism to separately capture a user's glasses, and instead, Apple will allow users to "Select Eyewear" from a variety of options.

Personas are one aspect of ‌visionOS‌ that Apple is working on perfecting before the launch of the Vision Pro headset. In September, Apple began surveying developers who have the Vision Pro about their Personas, soliciting opinions on facial expressions, appearance matching, and more.

The Vision Pro headset is set to launch in early 2024 in the United States, and it will be priced at $3,500. The headset will likely be released in the UK and Canada later the same year.

WhatsApp is rolling out a new voice chats feature in groups that lets users start voice calls without disturbing everyone in the group.

Previously in WhatsApp group chats, the only option was to start a voice call, which rings every member in the group. If no-one joins, the call doesn't go ahead.

In contrast, voice chats can be initiated in a group without anyone joining, and users are prompted to join discreetly via a silent push notification. The feature is available for those WhatsApp groups with 33 to 128 members.

Group members not participating in the voice chat can see who is active in the call from the chat header and the Calls tab, and people can join or leave at any time. If the encrypted chat remains empty for 60 minutes, it automatically ends.

As noted by WABetaInfo, the feature is now appearing for users on iOS and Android who have installed the latest WhatsApp update from the App Store and Google Play Store, respectively.

Apple today announced that its Emergency SOS via satellite service is being extended for an additional free year for existing iPhone 14 users. Apple originally gave new ‌iPhone‌ 14 owners two free years after device activation, which would have expired in November 2024.

Emergency SOS via Satellite is now free for two more years starting today or at the time of activation of any ‌iPhone‌ 14 model. Apple says the free trial will be extended for ‌iPhone‌ 14 users who have activated their device in any country that supports Emergency SOS via satellite prior to 12 a.m. Pacific Time on November 15, 2023.

"Emergency SOS via satellite has helped save lives around the world. From a man who was rescued after his car plummeted over a 400-foot cliff in Los Angeles, to lost hikers found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy, we continue to hear stories of our customers being able to connect with emergency responders when they otherwise wouldn't have been able to," said Kaiann Drance, Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing. "We are so happy iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users can take advantage of this groundbreaking service for two more years for free."

Available on all ‌iPhone‌ 14 and iPhone 15 models, the feature enables users to send text messages to emergency services via satellite when cellular and Wi-Fi coverage is not available. Users can also share their location via satellite in the Find My app.

With the service, Apple says users can send and receive messages in as little as 15 seconds in clear conditions. Users are prompted to complete a short questionnaire with vital information, and the interface then shows users where in the sky to point their ‌iPhone‌ to connect and send the initial message. This message includes the user's questionnaire responses, location, altitude, ‌iPhone‌ battery level, and Medical ID info if set.

Apple says the service is designed to work outdoors with a clear view of the sky. Apple warns that foliage or other obstructions can result in emergency messages taking longer to send or failing to send, and satellite connectivity might not work in places above 62° latitude, such as northern parts of Canada and Alaska.

Popular repair site iFixit today sent a petition to the United States Federal Trade Commission calling for new Right to Repair rules that would protect consumer interests.

iFixit's petition calls attention to some of the "blocks" that manufacturers have put in place that prevent customers and independent repair shops from repairing their electronics, such as proprietary screws or repairs that require software authentication, which is a method that Apple employs. iFixit wants the FTC to consider the following rules:

• Consumable components should be replaceable and readily available throughout a product's usable lifespan.
• Components that commonly break should be replaceable and readily available as repair parts.
• Consumers should be able to choose to take damaged products to a repair shop of their choice, or perform a repair themselves.
• When a manufacturer discontinues support for a product, its key functions should remain intact, and an independent repair shop should be able to continue to perform repairs.
• Identical components from two identical devices should be interchangeable without manufacturer intervention. (This is not the case with Apple devices).
• Independent repair shops should not be required to report customers' personally identifiable information to the manufacturer.

In France, Right to Repair laws require manufacturers to provide a device repairability score that gives context on how difficult or easy it is to repair, and iFixit says that the FTC should adopt a similar policy in the United States.

"Consider this a request for the FTC to stretch its arm out," reads iFixit's blog post on the petition. The site acknowledges that developing and enforcing any kind of rule could take years, but it is hopeful that the FTC will consider the request.

Apple in August supported California's Right to Repair law, drawing praise from iFixit, but there is no equivalent federal right to repair mandate at this time. Apple in October endorsed a push for nationwide Right to Repair law that "balances repairability with product integrity, usability, and physical safety."

Apple was supportive of California's law in particular because it requires parts to be sourced from the manufacturer, and it does not allow for parts from third-party sources. Notably, California's law does not have some of the specific provisions that iFixit is proposing, such the option to swap components from two identical devices or the option to conduct repairs without tying components to a device's IMEI.

While iFixit has lauded Apple for backing California's Right to Repair law, the site in September lowered the iPhone 14's repairability score from a 7/10 to a 4/10 because of the way that Apple ties repair components to a specific device by requiring validation.

Withings today announced the launch of the Body Pro 2, a cellular-connected smart scale that is able to detect early signs of diabetes and assess the risk of diabetes complications.

Using add-on health modules that are available by prescription, the scale is able to track biomarkers that are usually only available in a clinical setting. The diabetes module monitors Electrochemical Skin Conductance, which allows it to detect signs of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathies that can lead to diabetic foot ulcers. Peripheral neuropathies are one of the most common diabetic complications, according to Withings, and as of now, are checked for only at annual doctor visits.

The scale works out of the box and requires no setup thanks to its cellular connection, which is able to transmit data securely to care teams. In addition to diabetes management, it has a number of other features, including support for tailored messages that can show up on the display, an eyes-closed mode that hides weight readings and instead provides motivational messages, and tools for measuring body composition.

The scale is able to recognize patients using a ProgramMemberID feature that ensures that care teams are getting readings from the right person, plus there is an "engagement score" to allow for tailored coaching.

More information about the Body Pro 2 can be found on the Withings website. As this is designed to be provided through a medical facility, pricing is not available.

Apple today stopped signing iOS 17.1, a move that will prevent iPhone users from downgrading to that version of iOS. Apple is no longer signing iOS 17.1 following the release of iOS 17.1.1, which came out on November 7.

It is not unusual that iOS 17.1 is no longer being signed. Apple routinely stops signing older versions of iOS after new releases in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date and to prevent users from downgrading to older, less secure versions of the software.

iOS 17.1.1 is the current version of iOS 17 that is available to the public. It introduced several bug fixes, addressing a weather widget bug and fixing issue that could cause NFC not to work in ‌iPhone‌ models charged with a BMW wireless charger.

Apple is also testing iOS 17.2, an update that is expected to come out in December.

Samsung today announced the launch of its latest portable SSD, the T5 EVO with up to 8TB of storage space available. 8TB is the largest capacity size offered by portable SSDs on the market.

The T5 Evo supports USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds for transferring data at up to 460MB/s. That's much faster than standard hard drives, but slower than NVME SSDs like Samsung's T7 and T9 series.

Samsung designed the T5 with a rectangular body that has a clip able to be attached to luggage and backpacks, and it features drop protection up to six feet thanks to a rubberized surface. Samsung has also included Dynamic Thermal Guard technology to protect against overheating.

The SSD measures in at 3.74 inches in length and 1.57 inches in width, and it weighs 3.6 ounces, so it is portable and ideal for travel.

The 8TB version of the T5 EVO SSD is priced at $650, and it can be purchased from the Samsung website. Samsung is also offering 2TB and 4TB versions, priced at $190 and $350, respectively.

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

Telegram founder Pavel Durov today showed off a brief glimpse at Telegram's upcoming visionOS app, which is one of the first third-party visionOS app concepts that we've seen so far.

In the video, which is available on Telegram and was first noticed by 9to5Mac, the Telegram app has a translucent design that blends into the area surrounding it, which is the design language that Apple is using for visionOS.

The app has a sidebar that lists all of the available conversations that a user has going. Videos that are played pop out of the interface and become more immersive, while emoji characters take over the display and animate in unique ways when shared. Messages can be sent using a virtual keyboard or through dictation via Siri.

As with all visionOS icons on the Home interface, the Telegram icon animates and pops out a bit when it is visually selected, with the animation serving as a visual cue that the app is highlighted. A tap of the fingers launches the app, as the Vision Pro headset uses eye and gesture navigation.

Apple is expected to launch the Vision Pro in early 2024, which likely translates to during or before the month of April. We should soon be seeing many other third-party app visionOS experiences as the debut date approaches.

Apple is continuing on with the beta testing of a new iOS 17.2 update, and the third beta includes new features and refinements for existing features. We are still early in the beta testing process, which means there are new discoveries to make.

iOS 17.2 beta 3 is available to developers right now, but Apple should be making the update available to public beta testers later this week.

Apple Music Favorite Songs

In the Music section of the Settings app, there is now an option to add songs to your Music Library when they are favorited. The feature is toggled on by default, but it can be turned off if desired.

The option to "Favorite" songs was added in iOS 17.1.

Keyboard

Apple has added an option to disable inline predictions when typing. It can be accessed by opening up the Settings app, choosing General, going to Keyboard, and scrolling down to the "Show Predictions Inline" option.

Phone and FaceTime

In the Phone and FaceTime settings, there is a Share Name and Photo option that uses the Contact Poster. Name and Photo Sharing can be toggled off, set to Contacts Only, or set to Always Ask, which prompts you before sharing that information with others.

This setting was previously available for the Messages app.

FaceTime

If you join a ‌FaceTime‌ call that includes a contact you have blocked, you will now get a warning. Apple provides warnings when joining a call with a blocked contact, or when a blocked contact is joining a call you're already on.

Photos

When opening the Photos app after updating to iOS 17.2 beta 3, there is a prompt to allow ‌Photos‌ to access the Apple Music library. ‌Photos‌ is then able to use ‌Apple Music‌ to curate songs for Memories.

‌Photos‌ is listed as an app accessing ‌Apple Music‌ under Settings > Privacy and Security after enabling access. Note that ‌Photos‌ already had this capability, but Apple now offers an option to turn off access.

More iOS 17.2 Beta 3 Features

Know of a feature that we left out in this list? Let us know in the comments below.

Apple today released the first firmware update for the USB-C Apple Pencil that came out last week. The new firmware has a version number of 10M5164.

There is no word on what features, fixes, or updates might be included in the updated firmware, and Apple does not provide release notes for ‌Apple Pencil‌ software releases.

The USB-C ‌Apple Pencil‌ is almost identical in design to the ‌Apple Pencil‌ 2, but it is shorter and has a hidden USB-C port for charging and pairing. It is not able to wirelessly charge, and it lacks some of the features available with the more expensive ‌Apple Pencil‌ models such as pressure sensitivity.

Apple does not have an established procedure for updating ‌Apple Pencil‌ hardware, but in the case of the USB-C ‌Apple Pencil‌, connecting it to an iPad with a USB-C cable and powering on the ‌iPad‌ should be enough to spur the new software to download.

Apple today released the third betas of upcoming iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the second betas of iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2.

Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the ‌iOS 17 or iPadOS 17‌ Developer Beta. An Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

The biggest new feature in iOS 17.2 is the Journal app, which can be used to record daily activities and thoughts. You can write about your day to day life, but Apple also provides topic suggestions based on the music you listen to, the places you visit, and the people you see. Journal entries support pictures, voice recordings, and location information, with the app organized by entry date.

In Apple Music, there's a Favorites playlist that houses everything you've favorited, plus Apple added support for collaborative playlists. You can now share a playlist with multiple people, and each participant can add songs.

Stickers can now be used to reply to iMessages when you long press on a chat bubble in the Messages app, and there's also now support for the extra-secure iMessage Contact Key Verification option. If you have an iPhone 15 Pro, the Action Button supports Translate in iOS 17.2, and there are new Weather and Clock widgets.

More on what's new in iOS 17.2 can be found in our iOS 17.2 beta features list.

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple seeded the second beta of macOS Sonoma 14.2.

Registered developers can opt-in to the beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Under Beta updates, toggle on the Sonoma Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

macOS Sonoma 14.2 adds an Apple Music Favorites playlist that houses everything you've favorited, plus Apple added support for collaborative playlists. You can now share a playlist with multiple people, and each participant can add songs.

Shazam can also be added to the Control Center or menu bar on the Mac.

Stickers can be used to reply to iMessages when you long press on a chat bubble in the Messages app, and there's also now support for the extra-secure iMessage Contact Key Verification option.