MacRumors

Between 2011 and 2014, there were a glut of rumors suggesting that Apple was working on an Apple-branded television set, which would disrupt the TV industry. No such product ever emerged, but now the TV rumors are back.

Apple 'Evaluating' a TV

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is "evaluating" the "idea of making an Apple-branded TV" set as part of its new smart home push. Apple is investing resources into the smart home as it looks for new ways to generate revenue, and if some of the first smart home products are successful, it's possible a TV could be on the roadmap.

Apple's Smart Home Command Center

As soon as March 2025, Apple will launch a smart home hub or "command center" that will serve as its first dedicated smart home control product. The Apple TV and HomePod can already be added to HomeKit and used as Home Hubs, but the new device is aimed specifically at managing ‌HomeKit‌ and Matter devices.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the smart home device will have a six-inch square display. It's said to be similar in design to an iPad, but not rectangular. There are thick bezels around the edges, a rechargeable battery, and built-in speakers, along with a camera at the top that can be used for FaceTime.

Apple is planning to allow users to mount the device on a wall or on a desktop with a dock, and customers will have the option to have them in multiple rooms. Along with controlling smart home products, the hub will be used as a sort of life management device with Apple Intelligence and Siri integration, widgets that display important information, and apps like Calendar, Photos, Home, Apple News, Apple Music, and Notes.

Sensors inside the hub will determine whether a person is in the room and if so how close, with information on the screen tailored based on the person's position. That kind of presence sensing could also be used in various ‌HomeKit‌ automations.

If the product ends up being successful, it could potentially spawn a line of Apple-designed in-homeproducts, including a TV set.

Other Smart Home Product Rumors

Apple is considering a range of smart home accessories, such as smart home cameras. As of right now, Apple makes the ‌Apple TV‌ and ‌HomePod‌, but cameras, smart plugs, smart lights, and other devices come from third-party manufacturers.

Rumors suggest that Apple is designing a smart home camera that will be manufactured in 2026. Apple could sell "tens of millions" of the devices over the long term, leaning on its privacy policies to provide an alternative to cameras from companies like Ring and Nest.

If Apple does end up seeing success with the hub and subsequent products like cameras, it's not hard to imagine a future where a TV set could finally make sense.

The Original TV Set Rumors

Rumors about an ‌Apple TV‌ set have dated back to 2006, but picked up in 2011 after a former Apple executive claimed that Apple had inked a deal with a TV manufacturer. Later that same year, a quote from Steve Jobs in Walter Isaacson's biography about him made headlines.

"I finally cracked it," Jobs allegedly said in reference to a TV set. "I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use," he is said to have told Isaacson. The TV "would be seamlessly synced" with devices and iCloud, and users would not "have to fiddle with complex remotes."

That quote kept TV set rumors going for years, but in 2014 and 2015, it started becoming clear no TV was coming.

In 2014, a new Steve Jobs book suggested Jobs told employees that no TV was in the works in 2010. "TV is a terrible business," Jobs said. "They don't turn over, and the margins suck." In 2015, The Wall Street Journal said that Apple nixed plans for an Apple-branded TV set "more than a year ago." At the time, the report said that Apple searched for breakthrough features that would give it an edge in the television market, but it could not find new features that were compelling enough to compete against existing big TV manufacturers.

In 2016, reporter and longtime Jobs friend Walt Mossberg said that Jobs planned to reinvent the television industry after stepping down as Apple's CEO in August 2011, but he ended up passing away from pancreatic cancer less than two months later in October 2011.

"I think we figured out a way to do it, and it's going to be fantastic. I want you to come out, in a few months, and I want to show it to you," Jobs told Mossberg.

After TV set rumors died down, focus instead turned to Apple's work to create a TV streaming service with support for bundles of channels from participating content providers. Apple wanted to offer a range of content from third-party companies, but with its own interface. The company's plans had to be scaled back several times, and Apple wasn't ever able to establish the content deals that would have been needed for that original idea at the time.

How Things Have Changed

Since those initial TV set rumors, Apple has made inroads in the television industry. By 2017, rumors were starting to focus on Apple's plan to create original content since it couldn't license content, and that's exactly what ended up happening.

In November 2019, Apple introduced Apple TV+, and it has continued adding new TV shows and movies over the course of the last five years. ‌Apple TV‌+ now has a decent amount of content available, and there are also other services like ‌Apple Music‌ that didn't exist back when Apple was considering building a TV set.

Apple has been working on cutting-edge display technology, and while the TV market continues to be crowded with Samsung, LG, and Sony dominating, there could now be an opportunity for Apple to make a viable product that will appeal to consumers.

Since 2014 when TV rumors died out, Apple has come out with products that could provide more of a reason to release a TV set. Apple has more experience with speakers, earbuds, remotes, and other devices and technologies.

• ‌Apple TV‌ 4K
• ‌Siri‌ Remote
• Apple Pencil
• AirPods
• ‌HomePod‌
• OLED, miniLED, and micro OLED displays
• ‌Apple Music‌
• ‌Apple News‌
• ‌Apple TV‌+
• Apple Arcade
• Apple Fitness+
• ‌Apple Intelligence‌

Apple is more desperate for new products that could be big money makers today than it was in 2014, because the smartphone market is so saturated that it doesn't see the same kinds of iPhone sales gains that it saw in prior years.

Apple hoped to get into the automobile market, but after years of research and billions of dollars, all plans for an Apple Car were canceled. Apple's other big gamble, augmented and virtual reality, hasn't yet seen success as the Vision Pro has floundered, and its work on artificial intelligence is still in the early stages.

Possible Launch Date

The smart home hub that Apple is working on is slated for an early 2025 launch, and it's possible the first home product, a camera, could follow in 2026. Given that a TV set isn't even a solid plan as of yet, we could be nearing the end of the decade before Apple is able to launch one.

Apple is working on a smarter version of Siri that employees have taken to calling "LLM ‌Siri‌," reports Bloomberg. Apple is designing the more capable ‌Siri‌ to better compete with chatbots like ChatGPT, with plans to utilize "advanced large language models."

A chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ would be able to hold ongoing conversations, much like ChatGPT. Apple wants customers to be able to better converse with the personal assistant, with ‌Siri‌ responding more like a human. The use of large language models will also allow ‌Siri‌ to perform much more complex tasks, which Apple has to rely on OpenAI's ChatGPT for in iOS 18.2.

Apple is working on improving what ‌Siri‌ can do in and between apps with Apple Intelligence in iOS 18, and that will lay some of the groundwork for the updated version of ‌Siri‌. For that functionality, Apple will use a first-generation Apple LLM to evaluate requests to determine whether the existing ‌Siri‌ infrastructure should be used, or if a second LLM that's able to handle more complex requests should be queried.

Apple is testing the new ‌Siri‌ in a separate app on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, but it will eventually replace the current version of ‌Siri‌. The ‌Siri‌ update could be announced as soon as 2025, likely as part of the June Worldwide Developers Conference that will see Apple unveil iOS 19.

While ‌Siri‌ will be previewed early, Apple does not intend to launch the update until several months after it is unveiled. As of now, Apple is aiming for a spring 2026 launch date, but Apple's plans could change.

Beats is joining in on the Black Friday discount frenzy, with up to 52 percent off select headphones, earbuds, and speakers on Amazon. You'll find many of the same prices at other retailers like Best Buy as well.

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 sale includes major discounts on products like the Beats Studio Buds, which have hit $79.99, down from $149.95. For speakers, there's also $50 off the 2024 model of the Beats Pill, now down to $99.95 in multiple colors.

• Beats Solo Buds - $49.99, down from $79.99
• Beats Studio Buds - $79.99, down from $149.95
• Beats Pill - $99.95, down from $149.95
• Beats Solo 4 - $99.99, down from $199.95
• Beats Studio Buds + - $129.99, down from $169.95
• Beats Studio Pro - $249.99, down from $349.99

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 2024.

Barring any surprises, Apple is not expected to release any more new hardware before 2024 ends. Apple is rumored to have many product announcements planned for the first half of next year, though, including an all-new smart home hub, the iPhone SE 4, an AirTag 2, an updated iPad Air, an iPad 11, and updated MacBook Air models.

Below, we recap rumors about all of those upcoming products.

Home Hub

Apple's all-new smart home hub is expected as early as March.

The hub is expected to feature around a 6-inch display that can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker or mounted on a wall. The device is rumored to run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and it is expected to support both Siri and Apple Intelligence. Proximity sensors could detect how far away a person is and automatically adjust the size of widgets shown on the screen.

The device will allow users to manage HomeKit accessories, and it could double as a home security system by displaying camera footage. And with a built-in camera, users will be able to make FaceTime video calls with the device.

The hub will compete with products like Google's Nest Hub and Amazon's Echo Show.

iPhone SE 4

Apple plans to release the iPhone SE 4 in March, according to multiple reports.

The device is expected to have a similar design as the base iPhone 14, with rumored features including a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, a newer chip than the A15 Bionic in the current model, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence support, and the first Apple-designed 5G modem.

Apple is rumored to have been working on its own 5G modem for iPhones since 2018, a move that will allow it to reduce and eventually eliminate its dependance on its current supplier Qualcomm. It is unclear if Apple's first 5G modem will have any consumer benefits compared to Qualcomm's modems, such as faster cellular data speeds.

Apple announced the iPhone SE 3 during an online event in March 2022. The device looks similar to the iPhone 8, with outdated features such as a Touch ID button, Lightning port, and thick bezels around the display. In the U.S., the iPhone SE currently starts at $429, but the new model might see at least a slight price increase.

AirTag 2

Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

A key new feature rumored for the AirTag 2 is an upgraded Ultra Wideband chip with improved location tracking. If so, the AirTag could be updated with the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip that debuted in all iPhone 15 models last year.

The new AirTag could be more tamper-proof, according to Gurman. He said the accessory's built-in speaker will be more difficult to remove, as an anti-stalking measure. He also expects the new AirTag to provide "better range," which could allow the Precision Finding feature to work at farther distances. No other design changes have been rumored.

According to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new AirTag will have some kind of integration with the Apple Vision Pro headset.

The current AirTag was announced in April 2021.

New iPad Air Models With New Magic Keyboard

Minor updates to the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models are expected in spring 2025.

It is possible that a new chip will be one of the only upgrades the iPad Air receives, but it is unclear if Apple will give it the M3 chip or the M4 chip. While the M3 chip would be a logical choice, Apple has been quickly transitioning away from chips built with TSMC's first-generation 3nm process. So, perhaps the iPad Air will get the same M4 chip used in the latest iPad Pro models. There is precedent for that, as the iPad Pro and iPad Air had the M1 chip simultaneously for around six months in 2022.

An updated Magic Keyboard for both iPad Air models is also expected, and it should gain some of the features introduced on the latest Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro. That means potential features for the next iPad Air version of the accessory include a thinner and lighter design with an aluminum palm rest, a larger glass trackpad, and a row of function keys with shortcuts for things like display brightness and volume.

The current iPad Air models with the M2 chip launched in May this year.

iPad 11

The entry-level iPad is also expected to receive an update in spring 2025.

The device will likely support Apple Intelligence, according to Gurman. That suggests the iPad 11 will get a newer A-series chip compared to the iPad 10, and an increased 8GB of RAM. No major design changes have been rumored for the device.

Apple released the iPad 10 in October 2022. It has an A14 Bionic chip.

New MacBook Air Models

The next Macs to receive the M4 chip should be the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air in spring 2025. No other major changes are expected for the laptops.

The current MacBook Air models launched in March this year.

Since last month, all MacBook Air models now start with 16GB of RAM, up from 8GB. There was no price increase associated with this change.

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.

‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 208 includes fixes and updates for CSS, JavaScript, Rendering, Scrolling, Web API, Web Authentication, Web Extensions, Web Inspector, and WebRTC.

The current ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release is compatible with machines running macOS Sonoma and macOS Sequoia, the newest version of macOS.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser from Apple's website. Complete release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple's aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while it is designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download and use.

Black Friday deals keep rolling in, and today we're tracking a new record low price on the AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) on Amazon. You can get these headphones for $159.99, down from $249.00.

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.

These are typically priced around $189.99 on sale, so today's price is a massive discount on the AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 2 were updated in 2023 with USB-C, and also feature Active Noise Cancellation, Apple's H2 chip, and Spatial Audio.

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 2024.

Popular Meta-owned messaging app WhatsApp today announced a new transcription feature that's designed to provide you with a transcript of a voice message received from a friend or family member.

WhatsApp says that voice message transcripts are designed for instances when you're in a loud place and can't stop to listen to a traditional voice message. Transcripts are created on-device, are end-to-end encrypted, and aren't shared with WhatsApp.

WhatsApp users can go to Settings > Chats > Voice Message Transcripts to turn transcriptions on and off and to select a preferred transcript language. A voice message can be transcribed by long pressing on it and tapping on the "transcribe" option.

The voice message transcript feature has been available to WhatsApp beta testers for months now, but it is now ready to start rolling out to all users. WhatsApp says that it will be coming to users worldwide "over the coming weeks." A few select languages will be available at first, including English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian, but more will be added in the future.

Apple today announced that Billie Eilish has been named Apple Music's Artist of the Year in 2024 for her "extraordinary impact" throughout the year.

Eilish receives a physical Apple Music Award featuring a custom 12-inch silicon wafer.

"Since day one, Apple Music has supported my music and artistry, and I am both honored and humbled to receive this recognition as Artist of the Year this many years into my career," said Eilish. Apple featured Eilish's music in its 2018 holiday season ad when she was just 16 years old, and Apple TV+ released a documentary about her in 2021.

Eilish released her third full-length studio album this year, called "HIT ME HARD AND SOFT," and Apple describes it as the "best music of her career." The album reached the number-one spot on Apple Music's all-genre albums chart in 138 countries worldwide.

In addition, her soundtrack "What Was I Made For?" from the Barbie film won a GRAMMY Award for Song of the Year this year.

The 22-year-old singer-songwriter was also named Apple Music's Artist of the Year in 2019. She is the first artist to win the award twice.

Anker today kicked off its big Black Friday sale, which is set to run through December 9. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more.

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

There are a few bonus offers during this event as well, including free gifts with orders over certain spending thresholds. If you spend $89 or more, you'll get a cable worth $11.99; if you spend $129 or more, you'll get a battery worth $25.99; and if you spend $169 or more, you'll get a wireless accessory worth $39.99.

Anker has also brought back its popular mystery box surprises this year. The mystery boxes are available in tiers: if you buy the $29.99 box, you'll have a chance to get a piece of gear worth $39.99 - $199.99. There's also a $49.99 box and a $79.99 box, with increasingly higher-priced products available in each.

Finally, it's worth noting that MacRumors readers can still get 20 percent off Anker accessories through the end of the year. Anker's current Black Friday event beats this discount most of the time, but if you find a product not on sale it will be worth entering our code at checkout.

In order to get this deal, head to Anker's website and add an accessory to your cart, then enter the code akmacrumors20ch at checkout to see the discount. Our exclusive 20 percent off code works on most accessories sitewide, including Anker's new line of MagSafe-compatible products. Our code does not stack with any existing offers, including the Black Friday deals.

Prime Chargers

• Prime USB-C to USB-C Cable - $25.99, down from $34.99
• Prime Charger (200W, 6 Ports) - $55.99, down from $84.99
• Prime Charger (100W, 3 Ports) - $45.99, down from $84.99
• Prime Power Bank - $53.99, down from $89.99
• Prime Charging Station (8-in-1) - $98.99, down from $164.99
• Prime Charger (250W, 6 Ports, GaNPrime) - $109.99, down from $169.99
• Prime Power Bank 27,650 mAh - $129.99, down from $179.99
• Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1) - $174.99, down from $249.99

Wireless Chargers

• MagGo 3-in-1 Foldable Wireless Charging Station - $62.99, down from $89.99
• MagGo Wireless Charger Stand - $28.80, down from $35.99
• MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand - $35.99, down from $49.99
• MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Dock Stand - $37.49, down from $49.99
• 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe - $103.99, down from $129.99

Power Banks

• MagGo Power Bank 10,000 mAh - $51.99, down from $69.99
• MagGo Power Bank for Apple Watch - $54.99, down from $79.99

Accessories

• MagGo USB-C Adapter - $22.99, down from $34.99

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 2024.

Well-known Apple accessory maker Satechi today previewed a hub for the new Mac mini that will enhance the computer in a variety of ways.

First, the hub adds three USB-A ports to the Mac mini, after Apple went all-in on USB-C and Thunderbolt ports on the latest models.

Second, the hub gives the Mac mini an SD card slot, which is something it otherwise lacks. Just like on the Mac Studio, it is a front-facing slot.

Third, the hub includes an NVMe enclosure that allows you to add an SSD with up to 4TB of storage to the Mac mini. This can both expand the Mac mini's storage and allow you to avoid Apple's expensive storage upgrade prices.

The hub is made out of aluminum and looks similar to the Mac mini. Satechi ensures that the hub will not impact airflow or Wi-Fi connectivity.

Satechi has yet to announce pricing for the hub, and availability in the U.S. does not begin until spring 2025. In an email, a spokesperson said there will also be a version of the hub without an NVMe enclosure. According to the product page, those who sign up for email updates will receive 20% off the price of the hub when it is released.

Sonos today kicked off its annual Black Friday sale, and this year you'll find up to 40 percent off the company's most popular devices. This includes the new Sonos Ace headphones, Arc soundbar, Roam 2 portable speaker, and more.

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

All discounts in this sale have been automatically applied, so you don't need to enter a coupon code in order to see the final sale prices. We've collected all of the deals in the list below, but you can also find a few bundle discounts on sale on the Sonos website.

• Ace Headphones - $349, down from $449
• Arc Soundbar - $699, down from $899
• Beam (Gen 2) Soundbar - $369, down from $499
• Ray Soundbar - $169, down from $279
• Era 100 Speaker - $199, down from $249
• Era 300 Speaker - $359, down from $449
• Roam 2 Portable Speaker - $139, down from $179
• Move 2 Portable Speaker - $359, down from $449
• Sub Mini - $343, down from $429
• Sub 4 - $679, down from $799

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 2024.

We're just over one week away from Black Friday, and today big discounts have hit the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra 2 on Amazon. You'll find $80 off select configurations of each device, with prices starting at just $169.00 for the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE, an all-time low price.

Apple Watch SE

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.

Amazon also has the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE on sale for $199.00, another $80 discount and record low price for the wearable. You can get both cellular devices on sale as well, including the 40mm cellular SE at $219.00 and the 44mm cellular at $249.00, again both $80 discounts and best-ever prices.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

For the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Amazon has multiple models at $719.00, down from $799.00. This sale includes both the new Black color and the Natural color as well, and for the 2024 models this is a new all-time low price on the wearable.

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 2024.

In March, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and 16 states filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company has an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market with the iPhone and the device's locked-down ecosystem.

The lawsuit accuses Apple of broad anticompetitive conduct that affects everything from web browsers and messaging to apps and digital payments. According to the DOJ, Apple has made it harder for consumers to switch between smartphone platforms, blocked the development of cloud-based streaming apps, made the cross-platform messaging experience worse, limited the functionality of third-party smartwatches paired to the iPhone, prevented third-party apps from offering tap-to-pay functionality, and more.

Some of Apple's policy changes this year have already negated some of these claims. In January, the company started allowing cloud-based game streaming apps on the App Store worldwide. And in August, it opened up the iPhone's NFC chip used by Apple Pay to third-party developers in the U.S. and select other countries.

In a New Jersey federal court on Wednesday, lawyers representing Apple argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed, claiming that the DOJ has failed to plausibly allege that the company has monopoly power in the smartphone market and that consumers were harmed. Judge Julien Neals said that he hopes to make a ruling by January.

"We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it," said Apple, when the lawsuit was filed earlier this year.

A motion to dismiss is a fairly common step in lawsuits, and it is likely that the case will proceed to trial, although some of the claims could potentially be amended or dismissed. In all likelihood, the U.S. v. Apple trial will drag on for years to come.

Read our U.S. v. Apple guide for more details about the lawsuit.

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.

Amazon today has the USB-C AirPods Max on sale for $499.99 in four colors, down from $549.00. This early Black Friday deal is a solid price on the 2024 headphones, and only a few dollars different when compared with the previous record low price.

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.

Colors available on sale include Blue, Midnight, Orange, and Starlight. Most models can be delivered as soon as tomorrow for Prime members, or by Tuesday, November 26 for everyone else. You also won't need to clip any coupons for this sale as the deal has been applied automatically.

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 2024.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has finalized a new rule that will bring Apple Pay and other major digital wallet services under the same oversight as banks.

The CFPB today announced that, effective 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register, digital payment platforms processing over 50 million annual transactions in U.S. dollars will be subject to federal supervision. ‌Apple Pay‌ is one of the most widely used digital wallets in the United States and falls squarely within this threshold.

The new rule will grant the CFPB powers to proactively examine ‌Apple Pay‌'s compliance with federal consumer financial laws, including privacy protection, fraud prevention, and account stability. The CFPB has highlighted privacy concerns, fraud risks, disruption caused by account closures, and consumer protection as key areas of focus in its supervision.

While the CFPB already had some enforcement authority over ‌Apple Pay‌, it previously relied on responding to violations or direct consumer complaints. The new regulation enables direct and ongoing scrutiny of internal operations, just like the oversight banks and credit unions face. Apple has not yet commented regarding the CFPB's finalized rule, but it did participate in the agency's consultation process, which considered input from stakeholders and financial technology companies.

The CFPB's move reflects a broader global trend toward regulating big tech's involvement in financial services. European regulators have similarly scrutinized ‌Apple Pay‌, including its restriction of near-field communication (NFC) to its devices, which raised antitrust concerns. In the United States, the CFPB's decision is part of an effort to ensure that tech companies offering financial services comply with the same rules as traditional institutions.

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's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2 in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and others. During the event, customers can get an Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible product.

In the U.S., for instance, Apple is including gift cards worth between $25 and $200 with the purchase of an eligible iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods, Beats headphones and speakers, and select accessories. Apple's terms and conditions provide a complete breakdown of gift card values and other details.

We have also listed the gift card values in the U.S. below.

$25 Apple Gift Card:

• iPhone SE
• AirPods 4
• AirPods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation
• Apple TV 4K
• Apple Pencil Pro
• Apple Pencil 2
• Beats Solo Buds
• Beats Flex
• Beats Pill
• Magic Keyboards and Folios for iPads

$50 Apple Gift Card:

• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPad 10
• Apple Watch SE
• AirPods Pro 2
• HomePod
• Beats Studio Pro
• Beats Solo 4 Wireless
• Beats Fit Pro
• Beats Studio Buds+

$75 Apple Gift Card:

• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPad Air
• AirPods Max

$100 Apple Gift Card:

• iPad Pro

$150 Apple Gift Card:

• 13-inch MacBook Air (M2)

$175 Apple Gift Card:

• 13-inch MacBook Air (M3)

$200 Apple Gift Card:

• 15-inch MacBook Air (M3)

Apple is not offering gift cards for any other products, including the new MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac models unveiled last month.

The offers will be available on Apple's online store, in the Apple Store app, and at physical Apple Store locations. As usual, refurbished products are not eligible for a gift card, and the offer cannot be combined with educational pricing.

Black Friday is one of the few occasions per year when Apple directly offers deals on its products, but better deals are often available through resellers like Amazon, so make sure to check out our Black Friday roundup for the latest discounts on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple TV, accessories, and more.

Apple's all-in-one gift card can be used towards the purchase of products, subscription-based services like Apple Music and Apple TV+, App Store apps, iTunes Store content like TV shows and movies, iCloud+ storage, and more.

When Apple released iOS 18 in September, it introduced an overhauled Photos app, dropping on users the biggest change to photo management on iPhone since the app's introduction. MacRumors forums users have been particularly vocal about the redesign – some have praised the AI features, but others have called for a return to the simpler interface of iOS 17.

The company has made much of Apple Intelligence, so it's no wonder that at the center of Apple's overhaul is an attempt to leverage AI and machine learning to simplify photo organization while introducing a more modern aesthetic. The major changes include a unified scrollable interface that replaces the traditional tab system, smart collections that automatically group photos by occasions like "Recent Days" and "Trips," and significantly enhanced search capabilities that understand natural language queries.

• How to Navigate the Redesigned Photos App
• How to Use Natural Language Search in Photos

Photos Redesign Draws Common Criticisms

These changes are supposed to accurately represent Apple's vision for a more intelligent photo management system, but reception remains decidedly mixed. Many users have found the transition jarring, with several recurring complaints emerging across social media and Apple community feedback:

• A cluttered interface that makes finding specific photos difficult
• Confusion from redundant auto-generated albums and collections
• Photos and videos no longer defaulting to full-screen viewing mode
• Removal of traditional navigation tabs like "Library" and "Albums"
• Overemphasis on AI features at the expense of simple organization

In response to both pre- and post-release feedback, Apple has implemented several updates through iOS 18 betas and point releases. For example, the company removed the controversial Carousel feature that displayed daily highlights, reintroduced the familiar pinch-to-zoom navigational gesture, and will soon improve the video player interface by removing the borders during playback. But is it enough?

• How to Customize and Reorder the Photos App

The Photos app represents one of the most significant overhauls to a core iOS app in recent years. Some argue it was a step in the right direction, but others see it as a regressive move prompted by Apple's rivals offering more and more AI-oriented photography features. We'd love to hear your thoughts on the Photos app redesign. Barring a complete reversion back to the original interface, what features would you like to see Apple add or remove in future updates?

Apple's base model iPhones have collectively accounted for 42% of its smartphone sales this year, but iPhone Pro Max devices stand as the best-selling individual model, according to new data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

The report reveals an interesting sales distribution across Apple's iPhone lineup, but the data needs to be interpreted carefully owing to Apple's tiered product strategy. That's because the company sells several generations of base model iPhones simultaneously at different price points, but it only ever offers a single (current) generation of Pro and Pro Max models.

In effect, this means the base model's 42% share represents combined sales across multiple iPhone generations.

Looking at individual models, the iPhone Pro Max captures 26% of sales, followed by the Pro at 19% and Plus models at 13%. The Plus model's performance is particularly notable given that it replaced the smaller iPhone mini in 2022 and has since exceeded its predecessor's market share.

Also notable is that the findings demonstrate a clear shift in consumer preferences toward larger displays. When Apple introduced its first Plus-sized iPhone in 2014, the iPhone 6 Plus, many questioned whether consumers would embrace larger phones. And yet today, the combined share of Plus and Pro Max models accounts for 39% of iPhone sales.

CIRP's analysis also highlights the financial impact of larger models. Both Plus and Pro Max variants contribute significantly to iPhone's average selling price and gross margins, commanding higher prices than their standard-sized counterparts despite sharing similar internal components. Note that these figures exclude sales of Apple's entry-level iPhone SE.

The findings suggest Apple has successfully diversified its iPhone lineup to appeal to different user preferences and price points, while maintaining strong sales across all size categories. As CIRP puts it, Apple's "jumbo phone experiment" has turned out to be a success. However, where Apple's rumored slimmer but not necessarily bigger iPhone 17 "Air" model will fit into this strategy next year remains to be seen.