MacRumors

OWC has again knocked the price of the popular 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock down to $99.99, from its original price of $279.99. This is a match of the all-time low price on the accessory, which we last tracked earlier in March. Besides this dock, you'll find a large collection of accessories on sale at this time on OWC, including USB-C hubs, external drives and enclosures, and internal memory upgrade kits for Mac.

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

In regards to the 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock, this accessory features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, five USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-C port, one Mini DisplayPort port, one gigabit Ethernet port, one S/PDIF digital audio output port, and one 3.5mm stereo audio input/output port. There are also two memory card slots for microSD and SD cards.

All of the devices listed below are in new condition at OWC, although the retailer does provide various item condition options for anyone who might want to save money by purchasing open box items. Be sure to visit OWC's sale landing page to browse the full sale, which also features deals on cables, Mac accessories, keyboards, and headphones.

Docks and Hubs

• Atlas Dual SD Card Reader - $79.99, down from $89.99
• Thunderbolt Mini Dock - $109.99, down from $129.99
• Thunderbolt Hub - $129.99, down from $149.99
• 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock - $99.99, down from $279.99
• Thunderbolt Go Dock - $299.99, down from $349.99

External Drives and Enclosures

• 4TB Mercury Elite Pro External Storage - $99.99, down from $199.99
• 12TB Mercury Elite Pro External Storage - $199.99, down from $369.99
• 16TB Mercury Elite Pro External Storage - $249.99, down from $379.99
• 8TB Mercury Elite Pro RAID External Storage - $193.99, down from $394.99
• 24TB Mercury Elite Pro RAID External Storage - $399.99, down from $699.99

Memory

• 32GB Memory Upgrade Kit - $78.99, down from $89.98
• 64GB Memory Upgrade Kit - $154.99, down from $179.96

Miscellaneous

• 2M USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable - $3.98, down from $14.99
• Matias Wireless Multi-Pairing Keyboard - $49.99, down from $69.00

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

We're getting closer to the launch of new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, while rumors about iOS 18 are continuing to ramp up with this week's surprise revelation that Apple has been talking to Google and others about potentially helping power the generative AI features expected to be a major part of this year's update.

Other news this week saw the release of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 updates with bug fixes, but we're still awaiting an update to address some of the problems introduced in macOS 14.4 earlier this month. We've also been continuing to keep our eye on the iPhone 16 lineup due in September and upcoming AirPods updates, so read on for details on all of these stories!

iOS 18: Apple in Talks With Google to Bring Gemini AI Features to iPhone

Apple is in active discussions with Google to license some of its Gemini generative AI technology for the iPhone starting as early as iOS 18 later this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple has also been talking to OpenAI and Baidu about their generative AI models.

iOS 18 is widely rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and a range of built-in Apple apps on the iPhone, including Messages, Apple Music, Health, Shortcuts, Pages, Keynote, Numbers, and others.

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants.

Young expects Apple to announce new iPads in late March or early April. Alongside the new iPad Pro models, he also expects an updated 10.9-inch iPad Air and a first-ever 12.9-inch iPad Air to be released.

Apple Releases iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone

Apple this week released iOS 17.4.1 for the iPhone and iPadOS 17.4.1 for the iPad. The minor software updates includes bug fixes and security improvements, such as a fix for a QR code issue on the iPad.

We're still waiting on the first beta of iOS 17.5 to be released as of the time this newsletter was sent out. That update is expected to introduce a new Web Distribution option for qualifying iPhone apps in the EU.

Every iPhone 16 Rumor We've Covered So Far

While the iPhone 16 series is still months away from being unveiled, there are already many rumored features and changes for the devices.

We've recently updated our list of every iPhone 16 rumor that we have covered so far, so be sure to check it out for the latest expectations. One recent rumor is even thinner bezels for the iPhone 16 models.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 16 series in September.

macOS Sonoma 14.4: Reasons Not to Update

Since Apple unveiled macOS Sonoma 14.4 earlier this month, the transition to the latest software update has not been entirely smooth for everyone, and a number of issues have been reported by users that significantly impact their daily workflow.

If you anticipate that any of these problems could significantly impact your daily operations or productivity, it may be prudent to delay updating to the latest version of macOS Sonoma until Apple addresses these concerns with a subsequent fix.

The MacRumors Show: Apple's Four Upcoming AirPods Models

On the latest episode of The MacRumors Show podcast, our hosts Hartley Charlton and Dan Barbera discussed circulating rumors on four upcoming models of AirPods, including two variants of fourth-generation AirPods, a very minor refresh of the AirPods Max, and next-generation AirPods Pro.

Last week's episode saw Dan and Harley discussing whether the next-generation iPad Air models will be a big enough upgrade for customers. Apple is expected to release a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air, but no major design changes are expected for the mid-range tablet. Key new features expected include the M2 chip and a landscape front camera.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

The latest 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models have been available for two weeks now, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using the 15-inch version since it launched. Over on our YouTube channel, Dan shared a review now that he's been able to spend some quality time with the machine.

The M3 ‌MacBook Air‌ is a perfect all-around laptop, and the Air models are what we recommend for most people. In fact, the M3 ‌MacBook Air‌ is more machine than the average consumer likely even needs. For web browsing, sending emails, and other simple tasks, a more affordable M1 ‌MacBook Air‌ or M2 ‌MacBook Air‌ is more than enough, and the M1 MacBook Air is even available at a super low $650 price right now.

For photo editing, video editing, and tasks that require a little more power, even the base model M3 ‌MacBook Air‌ with 8GB Unified Memory is more than enough for many people. Upgrading the memory will give you a bit more leeway in terms of future proofing, and adding more storage is a good idea if you need space for file storage, games, and apps.

Compared to the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌, the M3 has faster CPU and GPU speeds, hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading for 3D rendering and games, Wi-Fi 6E support, and support for two displays in clamshell mode. If you need these options, or don't mind shelling out a bit more money for a machine that will last longer, it's worth getting the M3, but we also think the more affordable ‌M1‌ and ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ models are perfectly great for many people.

Apple has ended a project to develop microLED displays in-house, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in a reversal of his prior reporting on the development of the technology. Apple invested billions in developing microLED displays, with plans to first add microLED to the Apple Watch Ultra.

MicroLED was too expensive and too complex for Apple to design, so Apple is now reorganizing its display engineering teams and laying off employees in the U.S. and Asia. Some of the displaced employees may be able to find other roles in the company, and others will be provided with severance.

Rumors that Apple had canceled plans for an Apple Watch with microLED first surfaced in February when supplier ams OSRAM said that a "cornerstone project" related to microLED had been canceled. Soon after, there were rumors that Apple had ended its relationship with Kulicke & Soffa, another company in the advanced display market.

Both analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Display Supply Chain Consultants confirmed that Apple had canceled work on a microLED Apple Watch after these rumors, but Gurman claimed that Apple was still working on the device. In a now-deleted tweet, Gurman said that ams OSRAM was "one supplier" on the project, and that there were several other suppliers Apple was working with. "I doubt it was canceled," he wrote.

DigiTimes and ETNews also suggested that ams OSRAM was replaced due to a performance drop and that Apple had another supplier lined up, but it appears that information was incorrect.

MicroLED technology uses microscopic LEDs for individual pixels. It's more energy efficient than traditional LED, offers improved contrast, and has faster response times. Colors are brighter and better, and there's no risk of burn-in as there is with OLED. Apple is said to have abandoned the project because it was not economically viable.

Gurman claims that Apple will stick with OLED display technology for the Apple Watch "for now," but that the company is "eyeing microLED for other projects down the road." Apple is "identifying" potential new suppliers and processes for microLED, but it "won't likely happen anytime soon."

Amazon has further discounted Apple's brand new 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, now reaching $95 off the original price. Only one model is on sale: the 256GB 15-inch M3 MacBook Air in Starlight is available for $1,204.00, down from $1,299.00.

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.

This is the best price we've seen to date on the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, and it beats the previous record low price seen on Amazon by about $30. Amazon provides an estimated delivery date of Monday, March 25 for the fastest option and Wednesday, March 27 for free delivery.

This version of the 15-inch MacBook Air just launched earlier in the month, alongside updated models of the 13-inch size as well. Both of the new MacBook Air machines include the M3 chip and focus on internal upgrades. Apple did not change the design of the MacBook Air with the 2024 update, using the same design that was first introduced in 2022.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

A rare Apple Computer business card signed by Steve Jobs recently sold for $181,183 at auction, according to Boston-based RR Auction.

The business card is from 1983, and it has been authenticated by well-known memorabilia grading service PSA, according to the auction listing. It features Apple's old six-color logo, and it lists the company's former address of 10495 Bandley Drive, in Cupertino, California. Jobs is listed as the Chairman of Apple's Board of Directors.

RR Auction believes this sale has set a new record-high price for a signed business card.

Jobs passed away in 2011 at the age of 56. Throughout his career, he was reluctant to sign autographs, so items with his signature on them often sell for large sums of money. Last year, for example, a check signed by Jobs sold for over $100,000 at auction.

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's rumored plan to refresh the entire AirPods lineup with a series of new models.

The fourth-generation AirPods will reportedly feature a new design with a better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C port. For the first time ever, Apple is also apparently planning to offer a higher-end version of the AirPods with active noise cancelation and a speaker in the charging case to play a sound for easy location via Find My.

The second-generation AirPods Max are expected to be a minor refresh, simply swapping the Lightning port of the current model for USB-C and adding Bluetooth 5.3 support. New color options are also a possibility, but it looks like Apple's most premium audio device will continue to miss out on the H2 chip, Adaptive Audio, improved Active Noise Cancellation, skin-detect sensors, sweat and water resistance, the ultra wideband chip, Precision Finding, and support for additional charging methods.

Both the fourth-generation AirPods and the second-generation ‌AirPods Max‌ are expected to launch in late 2024. Further in the future, Apple is expected to launch the third-generation AirPods Pro with an updated design that is focused on improved comfort and a faster chip.

The MacRumors Show is now on its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips going forward:

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about Apple's upcoming iPad Air models, which are expected to be announced in just a matter of weeks.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Luke Miani, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

You'll find most of this week's best deals at Amazon thanks to its new Big Spring Sale, including low prices on the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C and M1 iMacs. There are also notable discounts on Anker and Jackery accessories during this event.

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's Big Spring Sale

• What's the deal? Save sitewide during this Springtime Prime Day
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week kicked off the "Big Spring Sale," which is set to run all weekend and end on Monday, March 25. Similar to past Prime Days, there are hundreds of deals to be discovered during this sitewide event, and many of the deals we're highlighting in this post are from the Big Spring Sale. For more specific information, you can check out our original post.

AirPods Pro 2

• What's the deal? Get $60 off AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon has Apple's AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C for $189.00 during the Big Spring Sale, which is now a solid second-best price on the headphones. This model was briefly available for $179.99 this week, and it's possible that price could come back before the event ends on Monday.

Jackery

• What's the deal? Get low prices on Jackery products
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Another set of deals you can find during the Amazon Big Spring Sale are discounts on Jackery power stations, starting at just $99.99 for the Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station. You can find the full list of Jackery devices on sale below.

• Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station - $99.99, down from $149.00
• Solar Generator 300 Plus Portable Power Station - $449.00 with on-page coupon, down from $579.00
• Expansion Battery Pack for 1000 Plus - $698.99, down from $799.00
• Explorer 2000 Pro Portable Power Station - $1,199.00, down from $1,899.00
• Expansion Battery Pack for 2000 Plus - $1,199.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,599.00

Anker

• What's the deal? Save on Anker portable speakers, batteries, and more
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

In addition to all of the Jackery deals, you can still find quite a few Anker markdowns on Amazon right now. We've highlighted some of the best sales below, but be sure to read our original article for all of the best discounts.

• Nano Portable Charger with Built-In Lightning Connector - $18.99, down from $29.99
• Nano Power Bank with Built-In USB-C Cable - $34.99 with a Prime membership, down from $49.99
• Prime Power Bank 20,000 mAh with 100W Charging Base - $157.24 with on-page coupon, down from $184.99
• Portable Power Station with Smart Display + Retractable Light - $109.99 with on-page coupon, down from $149.99
• SOLIX F1200 Portable Power Station - $749.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,098.00
• SOLIX F2000 Portable Power Station - $1,399.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,999.00

iMac

• What's the deal? Take up to $651 off M1 iMac
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Expercom this week introduced steep discounts on the M1 24-inch iMac on Amazon, offering up to $651 off select models. These deals are all-time low prices across the board and perfect for anyone who needs to upgrade from an Intel-based iMac and doesn't necessarily need the newest M3 models.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Apple has held discussions with Baidu about using the Chinese company's generative AI model to power some of the iPhone's rumored generative AI features, according to The Wall Street Journal. As previously reported, Apple is also said to have held similar discussions with Google and OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot.

If these partnerships move forward, it is likely that Baidu would power some of Apple's generative AI features in China, while other companies like Google or OpenAI would serve as partners in the U.S. and other countries. China requires generative AI models to receive local regulatory approval, and Baidu's Ernie chatbot is on the approved list, but Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbots are not available in the country.

Apple has repeatedly teased that it has generative AI announcements to share later this year, and this likely refers to iOS 18. The software update is rumored to include new generative AI features for a range of iPhone features and apps, including Siri, Spotlight, Apple Music, Health, Messages, Numbers, Pages, Keynote, Shortcuts, and more.

iPhone 16 models are rumored to feature an upgraded Neural Engine with "significantly" more cores, which could result in some of iOS 18's generative AI features being exclusive to those models. iPhone 15 models have a 16-core Neural Engine.

iOS 18 will be previewed at Apple's developers conference WWDC in June, so we're just a few months away from learning about these generative AI plans.

An unpatchable vulnerability has been discovered in Apple's M-series chips that allows attackers to extract secret encryption keys from Macs under certain conditions, according to a newly published academic research paper (via ArsTechnica).

Named "GoFetch," the type of cyber attack described involves Data Memory-Dependent Prefetchers (DMPs), which try to predict what data the computer will need next and retrieve it in advance. This is meant to make processing faster, but it can unintentionally reveal information about what the computer is doing.

The paper finds that DMPs, especially the ones in Apple's processors, pose a significant threat to the security provided by constant-time programming models, which are used to write programs so that they take the same amount of time to run, no matter what data they're dealing with.

The constant-time programming model is meant to protect against side-channel attacks, or types of attacks where someone can gain sensitive information from a computer system without directly accessing it (by observing certain patterns, for example). The idea is that if all operations take the same amount of time, there's less for an attacker to observe and exploit.

However, the paper finds that DMPs, particularly in Apple silicon, can leak information even if the program is designed not to reveal any patterns in how it accesses memory. The new research finds that the DMPs can sometimes confuse memory content, which causes it to treat the data as an address to perform memory access, which goes against the constant-time model.

The authors present GoFetch as a new type of attack that can exploit this vulnerability in DMPs to extract encryption keys from secure software. The attack works against some popular encryption algorithms that are thought to be resistant to side-channel attacks, including both traditional (e.g. OpenSSL Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange, Go RSA decryption) and post-quantum (e.g. CRYSTALS-Kyber and CRYSTALS-Dilithium) cryptographic methods.

In an email to ArsTechnica, the authors explained:

Prefetchers usually look at addresses of accessed data (ignoring values of accessed data) and try to guess future addresses that might be useful. The DMP is different in this sense as in addition to addresses it also uses the data values in order to make predictions (predict addresses to go to and prefetch). In particular, if a data value "looks like" a pointer, it will be treated as an "address" (where in fact it's actually not!) and the data from this "address" will be brought to the cache. The arrival of this address into the cache is visible, leaking over cache side channels.

Our attack exploits this fact. We cannot leak encryption keys directly, but what we can do is manipulate intermediate data inside the encryption algorithm to look like a pointer via a chosen input attack. The DMP then sees that the data value "looks like" an address, and brings the data from this "address" into the cache, which leaks the "address." We don't care about the data value being prefetched, but the fact that the intermediate data looked like an address is visible via a cache channel and is sufficient to reveal the secret key over time.

In summary, the paper shows that the DMP feature in Apple silicon CPUs could be used to bypass security measures in cryptography software that were thought to protect against such leaks, potentially allowing attackers to access sensitive information, such as a 2048-bit RSA key, in some cases in less than an hour.

According to the authors, the flaw in Apple's chips cannot be patched directly. Instead, the attack vector can only be reduced by building defenses into third-party cryptographic software that could result in an extreme performance degradation when executing the cryptographic operations, particularly on the earlier M1 and M2 chips. The DMP on the M3, Apple's latest chip, has a special bit that developers can invoke to disable it, but the researchers aren't yet sure what kind of penalty will occur when this performance optimization is turned off.

As ArsTechnica notes, this isn't the first time researchers have identified threats in Apple DMPs. Research documented in 2022 discovered one such threat in both the ‌M1‌ and Apple's A14 Bionic chip for iPhones, which resulted in the "Augury" attack. However, this attack was ultimately unable to extract the sensitive data when constant-time practices were used.

"GoFetch shows that the DMP is significantly more aggressive than previously thought and thus poses a much greater security risk," the researchers claim on their website. "Specifically, we find that any value loaded from memory is a candidate for being dereferenced (literally!). This allows us to sidestep many of Augury's limitations and demonstrate end-to-end attacks on real constant-time code."

DMP-style attacks are not common, and the researchers informed Apple of the vulnerability in December 2023. Users concerned about the vulnerability are advised to check for GoFetch mitigation updates that become available in future macOS updates for any of the encryption protocols known to be vulnerable. Apple representatives declined to comment on the record when ArsTechnica asked about the paper.

Apple is currently offering its Major League Soccer Season Pass free for one month, which normally costs $14.99, or $12.99 for Apple TV+ subscribers in the U.S.

The MLS Season Pass allows access to every live Major League Soccer match, including Leagues Cup, All-Star games, and playoffs. The offer is being promoted on Leo Messi's Instagram account:

The season is just getting started. Sign up using the link in my bio and get a One Month Free Trial of #MLSSeasonPass on Apple TV.

The offer must be redeemed by April 5, 2024. One subscription is available per TV and Apple ID. Both new and qualified returning customers of MLS Season Pass can sign up. The MLS Pass renews at your region's price per month, so make sure to cancel it if you decide you do not want to commit.

An MLS Season Pass is available in the TV app on iPhones running iOS 16.2 or later, iPads running iPadOS 16.2 or later, ‌Apple TV‌ 4K or ‌Apple TV‌ HD with tvOS 16.2 or later, macOS Ventura 13.1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, and on eligible smart TVs and streaming devices.

The iPadOS 17.4.1 update that Apple released this morning addresses a bug that could prevent certain iPads from being able to scan QR codes.

According to an Apple Support document, a bug in iOS 17.4 impacted the camera on the 6th-generation iPad, 7th-generation ‌iPad‌, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and second-generation 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, preventing camera apps from being able to scan QR codes. Apple says that customers affected by this issue should update to iPadOS 17.4.1 to fix the problem.

Prior to iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple was suggesting that ‌iPad‌ users unable to scan QR codes with the Camera app and other third-party apps use the Code Scanner function in the Control Center.

Apple's release notes did not mention the bug fix, perhaps due to the limited number of ‌iPad‌ models that are impacted. iPadOS 17.4.1 also added other unspecified bug fixes and security improvements.

Apple today released visionOS 1.1.1, a minor update to the visionOS operating system that came out in February. visionOS 1.1.1 comes two weeks after the launch of visionOS 1.1.

visionOS updates can be installed by going to the Settings app on the Vision Pro, selecting the General section, and choosing Software Update. The Vision Pro headset will need to be removed to install new software, with a progress bar available on the front EyeSight display.

According to Apple's release notes for the update, visionOS 1.1.1 introduces "important bug fixes and security updates." The software is recommended for all users.

Apple today released iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1, minor updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating systems. The new software comes a couple of weeks after Apple released iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 with app changes in the European Union, new emoji, and more.

iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. For customers who are still on iOS 16, Apple has also released an iOS 16.7.7 security update.

According to Apple's release notes, the iOS 17.4.1 update includes important security updates and bug fixes.

Apple will likely begin testing iOS 17.5 in the near future, with betas expected to come out in the next two weeks.

The U.S. Department of Justice today announced it has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple. The lawsuit alleges that Apple illegally maintains a monopoly in the smartphone market with the iPhone and the device's locked-down ecosystem.

In a statement shared with MacRumors, Apple said the lawsuit is "wrong on the facts and the law," and the company vowed to "vigorously defend" itself:

At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love—designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people's privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users. This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple—where hardware, software, and services intersect. It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people's technology. We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it.

The complaint was filed today in a U.S. District Court in New Jersey by the Justice Department and 16 other U.S. state and district attorneys general. Apple is accused of violating various U.S. federal and state antitrust laws, including the Sherman Act.

In its press release, the Justice Department highlighted some of the allegations:

- Blocking Innovative Super Apps. Apple has disrupted the growth of apps with broad functionality that would make it easier for consumers to switch between competing smartphone platforms.
- Suppressing Mobile Cloud Streaming Services. Apple has blocked the development of cloud-streaming apps and services that would allow consumers to enjoy high-quality video games and other cloud-based applications without having to pay for expensive smartphone hardware.
- Excluding Cross-Platform Messaging Apps. Apple has made the quality of cross-platform messaging worse, less innovative, and less secure for users so that its customers have to keep buying iPhones.
- Diminishing the Functionality of Non-Apple Smartwatches. Apple has limited the functionality of third-party smartwatches so that users who purchase the Apple Watch face substantial out-of-pocket costs if they do not keep buying iPhones.
- Limiting Third Party Digital Wallets. Apple has prevented third-party apps from offering tap-to-pay functionality, inhibiting the creation of cross-platform third-party digital wallets.

Apple's anticompetitive conduct also affects "web browsers, video communication, news subscriptions, entertainment, automotive services, advertising, location services, and more," according to the Justice Department.

Jonathan Kanter, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division:

For years, Apple responded to competitive threats by imposing a series of "Whac-A-Mole" contractual rules and restrictions that have allowed Apple to extract higher prices from consumers, impose higher fees on developers and creators, and to throttle competitive alternatives from rival technologies. Today's lawsuit seeks to hold Apple accountable and ensure it cannot deploy the same, unlawful playbook in other vital markets.

The entire complaint spans 88 pages.

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 AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C/MagSafe Charging Case have hit a new all-time low price of $179.99 on Amazon, down from $249.00. This deal has arrived during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, which also includes great discounts on iPads, Anker accessories, and much more.

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.

There are a few minor changes to the AirPods Pro 2 besides the addition of USB-C, including additional dust resistance and support for lossless audio with the Vision Pro headset. Amazon estimates a delivery window between March 23 and March 26 if ordered today.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories. Additionally, we track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.

YouTube TV subscribers can now watch several programs at once on iPhone and iPad, thanks to support for Multiview rolling out, Google has confirmed (via 9to5Google).

Multiview lets users watch four different cable channels on-screen at the same time. The feature works from the "Home" tab, which includes stream options like "Top Picks for You" and "Watch in Multiview," but it only works for sports events.

Subscribers on ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ will need to update to version 8.11 or later to access Multivew. According to YouTube TV, "device and content restrictions apply" for Multiview, and it is limited to "pre-selected games only."

A Basic YouTube TV plan costs $72.99 a month, and there are various add-on packages available such as NBA League Pass, which is currently $49.99 for the entire season. YouTube TV said it plans to launch Multiview on Android in the coming months.

Apple is in ongoing discussions with Google and OpenAI to use their generative large-language models as the backbone of new iPhone AI features, but no formal announcement is expected until the summer, according to Bloomberg.

Today's report follows the news earlier this week that Apple has been in talks with Google to integrate its Gemini AI engine into the iPhone as part of iOS 18.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has promised that the company will "break new ground" in AI this year, and iOS 18 is expected to play a big role. However, Apple's internal work is said to be focused on smaller-scale AI features that operate on-device and do not require an internet connection.

To drive more powerful cloud-based generative AI features, such as the ability to create images and write essays based on single prompts, Apple is seeking a partner that has the necessary large-scale hardware infrastructure and compute capabilities already in place.

Siri is expected to take advantage of the artificial intelligence improvements that Apple plans to bring in iOS 18. One leaker has suggested that Apple is planning to use large-language models to entirely revamp Siri and turn it into the "ultimate virtual assistant."

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that one of the specific features Apple is developing is an improved interaction between Siri and the Messages app, which would let Siri auto-complete sentences more effectively and answer complex questions.

But with the likes of Nvidia and other AI companies continuing to reshape the technology landscape, some investors are reportedly concerned that Apple will fail to keep up with the pace of change, and may not see the "hypergrowth" expected of it unless the iPhone maker can boost its credibility by deploying generative AI features this year.