Apple appears to be preparing for future devices with Bluetooth 5.2 support, according to a filing in the Bluetooth SIG products database earlier this month. Among other possibilities, this could serve as evidence of future AirPods Pro with LE Audio support.
Apple's filing references a Bluetooth 5.3 host subsystem that is likely intended for future products. However, in actuality, the filing likely refers to Bluetooth 5.2, as the Bluetooth versions listed in Apple's filings in the database are often one version number higher than the version that ends up being supported on a device, for reasons unclear.
For example, the Beats Studio Buds are listed with Bluetooth 5.3 when they actually support Bluetooth 5.2, according to reviews of the headphones, while many iPhone and iPad models are listed with Bluetooth 5.1 despite supporting Bluetooth 5.0.
With all of that confusion surrounding version numbers aside, Apple adopting Bluetooth 5.2 would be especially beneficial for AirPods, as the specification includes support for LE Audio with several improvements to wireless audio streaming.
LE Audio is part of the low-energy Bluetooth LE standard. According to The Verge, benefits of LE Audio for wireless headphones like AirPods could include improved audio quality, longer battery life, the ability to connect more than two pairs of AirPods to a single iPhone, and the ability for each individual left and right AirPod to have its own Bluetooth connection to an iPhone to prevent desynchronization during audio playback.
In July, the Bluetooth SIG said it anticipates availability of products with support for LE Audio to ramp up by the end of 2022. Apple is expected to launch second-generation AirPods Pro by the end of the year, but it remains to be seen if they support Bluetooth 5.2 or LE Audio. It also remains to be seen if Apple would add LE Audio support to the Beats Studio Buds with a firmware update given those earbuds already support Bluetooth 5.2.
Apple is preparing for its first fall event that is set to take place on Wednesday, September 7, and the company today launched a YouTube live stream where viewers can sign up to get a reminder when the event begins. The "Far Out" event will kick off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 7.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurmansaid earlier in August that Apple has already prepared a prerecorded version of the September event, but Apple's event invites confirm that there will be an in-person component, with members of the media invited to the Apple Park campus to check out new products.
In addition to streaming the event on YouTube, Apple also plans to make a video stream available through the Events website and the Apple TV app. MacRumors will have full coverage of the September 7 event as well, both on MacRumors.com and through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Apple's fall event is expected to see the unveiling of the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Pro, Apple Watch SE, and perhaps other devices such as second-generation AirPods Pro and new iPads.
Apple today seeded the fifth betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 to public beta testers, opening up the iOS 16 beta testing process to the general public. Today's beta comes one week after the fourth public beta, and it corresponds with the seventh developer beta.
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's free beta testing program can download the second iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 betas over the air after installing the proper certificate from the Public Beta website.
iOS 16 brings an overhauled Lock Screen with customizable wallpapers, time, and widgets, plus notifications have been updated to roll in from the bottom of the display. Multiple Lock Screens are supported and can be linked with Focus modes.
The Messages app supports editing and deleting messages as well as marking messages unread. SharePlay is no longer limited to FaceTime, so Messages can be used for communication between people sharing content with one another. FaceTime calls can be handed off from one device to another, and the Health app gains a new Medications feature for tracking the vitamins and medicine that you take.
Apple is replacing passwords with Passkeys, and Safari now supports Shared Tab Groups for collaborating. In the Mail app, you can schedule emails, cancel sending, and receive follow-up reminders, and the Maps app supports multi-stop routing.
iCloud Shared Photo Library offers a convenient way to share a photos with family members, and Apple Pay Later will let users pay for Apple Pay purchases in fee-free installments. For the iPad, iPadOS 16 brings a Weather app and a new multi-tasking system called Stage Manager, but it's only for iPads with Apple silicon chips.
There are tons more features in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, with a full rundown available in our dedicated roundups.
Apple will hold its first fall event on Wednesday, September 7, and the event is now featured on Apple's website. As with all Apple events, if you visit the page on an iPhone or iPad, you can see an interactive augmented reality easter egg.
For the September 7 event, which is titled "Far Out," Apple has designed a space-themed Apple logo and a black hole-style experience. Initiating the AR experience puts a black hole in the center of the room, which then shows stars in the shape of an Apple logo as you approach.
The stars continue to coalesce in and out of an Apple logo shape, and you can use pinch gestures to adjust the size of the black hole.
To view the AR experience, open up the Events website on an iPhone or iPad and tap on the Apple logo. From there, you can scan the area around you to see the logo in real time, or view it in "Object" mode to get a clearer picture of what it looks like without having to navigate your physical environment.
Apple's event will begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, September 7. In addition to being streamed on YouTube, the event can be watched through the events webpage and in the Apple TV app. If you're unable to watch, you can tune in to the MacRumors live blog on the site or follow along with our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Apple today announced that it will be holding a special event on Wednesday, September 7 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time. The event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, and there will be an in-person component with members of the media invited to Apple's campus.
The September event will focus on the new iPhone 14 models, and we are expecting a 6.1-inch iPhone 14, a 6.7-inch iPhone Max, a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max. There will be no 5.4-inch iPhone "mini" this year, with Apple instead opting for larger devices.
While no huge changes are coming to the standard iPhone 14 models, the iPhone 14 Pro models will get a pill-shaped cutout and hole-punch cutout that replaces the notch, an A16 chip, a new 48-megapixel camera, and another of other improvements, with full details available in our iPhone 14 Pro roundup.
The iPhone 14 models will still use an A15 chip and won't get the same impressive camera technology, but you can count on new colors, an updated Ultra Wide lens, faster 5G, and WiFi 6E. A full rundown on what's coming to the iPhone 14 and 14 Max can be found in our iPhone 14 roundup.
To go along with the new iPhone models, Apple is working on updated Apple Watches. There's a new Apple Watch Series 8 in development that could feature an updated low power mode, longer battery life, temperature sensing, an S8 chip, and other possible features like car crash detection.
Apple is also coming out with a higher-end "Apple Watch Pro," which will feature a new design, a larger size, and a much more durable display and build. The "pro" Apple Watch is aimed at athletes and those who subject their watches to more abuse than the standard user.
We're also waiting on second-generation AirPods Pro, a new 10th-generation iPad, a refreshed iPad Pro, an Apple silicon Mac Pro, and more, but beyond the iPhone 14 models and the Apple Watch, we will likely see these other devices at a second October event.
Apple will stream the fall event live on its website, on YouTube, and on the Apple TV through the Apple TV app.
For those unable to watch, MacRumors will be providing full event coverage on MacRumors.com and the MacRumorsLive Twitter account, both during the event and in the weeks following.
With no iPhone 14 mini expected to feature in Apple's upcoming iPhone 14 series lineup this September, we look at the best possible alternative iPhone options for those who prefer smaller form factor devices.
iPhone sizes are changing this year, and Apple is widely believed to be eliminating the 5.4-inch iPhone mini from the iPhone 14 lineup, as the iPhone 13 mini was not popular enough with customers. That leaves fans of the smaller devices who are looking for a new iPhone with a purchase dilemma. So what are your options likely to be?
Consider the Next iPhone 14 Size Up
If you're considering buying an iPhone 14 in lieu of a "mini" device, here's what you need to know. Apple is focusing on larger iPhone sizes for its flagship devices going forward, and this year we're expecting to see a 6.1-inch iPhone 14, a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max, and a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max. That means there will be non-Pro and Pro variants of both phone sizes, something Apple hasn't done before.
As far as the upcoming iPhone series goes, users who prefer the dimensions of a 5.4-inch iPhone mini are unlikely to jump to the 6.7-inch models, which leaves either the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 or the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro as potential alternatives.
6.1-inch iPhone 14 Design Changes
Design-wise, the two 6.1-inch models will look different to each other, with the non-Pro model retaining the notch that houses the Face ID components on the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini.
In contrast, the Pro models are expected to feature a circular hole-punch cutout for the camera paired with a pill-shaped cutout to house the Face ID components.
With new camera technology expected to feature, the camera bumps for the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro could also get thicker, with the Pro's bump growing in size more notably. Aside from that, there are no other major design changes expected for the 2022 iPhone models when compared to iPhone Mini models.
6.1-inch iPhone 14 Hardware Features
Apple is further differentiating its non-Pro and Pro model iPhones this year, therefore many of the headlining features of its 6.1-inch devices are likely to be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro model, which is going to make it more expensive.
With Apple looking to cut costs, rumors suggest non-Pro iPhone 14 models are likely to continue to use the same A15 chip that was introduced in the iPhone 13 series, while the iPhone 14 Pro models will receive an updated A16 chip.
The other Pro features expected include an always-on display mode, a triple-lens camera system with a 48-megapixel Wide camera and a seven-element telephoto lens.
With the iPhone 13 Pro models, Apple introduced an improved six-element Ultra Wide lens with an improved ƒ/1.8 aperture, with these improvements expected to come to the dual-lens systems on the standard iPhone 14 models.
Otherwise, all of the iPhone 14 models coming this year are expected to feature an upgraded front camera with a wider ƒ/1.9 aperture and autofocus capabilities.
The iPhone 14 is expected to be priced starting at $799, which is the starting price for the iPhone 13. For more details, be sure to check out our dedicated iPhone 14 roundup.
The iPhone 13 Mini May Yet Stick Around
While there's no evidence pointing once way or the other, Apple could conceivably continue to offer the iPhone 13 mini alongside the iPhone 14 series when it launches.
Apple still offers 2020's iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini alongside the latest iPhone 13 series, so it could well do the same and continue to sell the iPhone 13 mini at a reduced price when the new flagship devices go live.
Keep an Eye on Apple's Refurb Store
Apple in July began selling certified refurbished iPhone 12 mini devices for the first time since the device was released in October 2020. While Apple's refurb store doesn't currently have the model in stock and its successor has yet to be listed, the long wait between launch and refurb availability suggests that Apple could yet begin selling iPhone 13 mini models on the site, or perhaps re-stock iPhone 12 mini models.
If you're in the market for an iPhone 12 mini or iPhone 13 mini, it's worth keeping tabs on the refurb store shortly after Apple launches the iPhone 14 series, as Apple often reshuffles the site with new stock in the following weeks.
Refurbished iPhones come unlocked and SIM-free. All refurbished iPhones come with a new battery, a new outer shell, and a new white box that includes all manuals and a USB-C to Lightning cable. All refurbished iPhones are covered by Apple's standard one-year warranty and are eligible for extended AppleCare+ coverage.
Apple says its refurbished iPhones are thoroughly tested and cleaned, and in our view, they are virtually indistinguishable from brand new iPhones. One of the only notable differences with a certified refurbished iPhone is that it comes in a plainer box.
Consider the iPhone SE 2022
Announced in March, the third-generation iPhone SE is Apple's most inexpensive iPhone starting at $429, and also the second smallest device Apple still sells. Compared to Apple's flagship models, however, there are design differences to be aware of.
As it is modeled after the iPhone 8 and prior iPhone SE, the 2022 iPhone SE continues to feature thick top and bottom display bezels. The iPhone SE is also Apple's only iPhone that comes with a Touch ID Home button, as all other iPhones now feature Face ID.
The iPhone SE features a 4.7-inch Retina HD LCD display, with True Tone to match the ambient lighting in a room, Wide color, Dolby Vision, and HDR10. It is also powered by an A15 chip and includes 5G connectivity.
To keep costs low, the iPhone SE has a single-lens 12-megapixel rear camera, featuring an ƒ/1.8 aperture with optical image stabilization, wide color capture, Deep Fusion for improved textures, and Smart HDR 4 for improved highlights and shadow details.
The 7-megapixel front-facing camera features an ƒ/2.2 aperture with Portrait mode and Depth Control support despite the lack of a TrueDepth camera system. For more details, check out our dedicated iPhone SE roundup.
Wait for the Next-Generation iPhone SE
Apple is planning to release a fourth-generation iPhone SE with a larger 5.7-inch display as early as 2023, according to display industry consultant Ross Young, who has proven to be a reliable source of information for future Apple products.
It's not yet clear if such a model would retain the Home button and top and bottom bezels or adopt a notched screen with Face ID, but a 5.7-inch display would seem to put it closer to the dimensions of the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini, so it may be worth holding out for.
Amazon is offering discounts across a wide selection of Apple Watch SE models today, including both GPS and cellular models. Some of these devices are seeing delayed shipping estimates into September.
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.
While we're seeing record-low prices on nearly all Apple Watch SE models, it's worth remembering that we're expecting new models in just a few weeks. Those new models likely won't see significant discounts for some time, however.
Starting with the 40mm cellular Apple Watch SE, this model is available for $229.99, down from $329.00. Similarly, the 44mm cellular Apple Watch SE is on sale for $259.99, down from $359.00. Both of these $99 discounts are all-time low prices.
Secondly, the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE is down to $209.99, from $279.00. This is an all-time low price on the device, but note that Amazon has an estimated delivery of mid September for this one.
Apple this week expanded its Self Service Repair program to MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models equipped with the M1 series of chips, providing customers in the U.S. with access to select parts, manuals, and tools to repair the notebooks.
While the program's expansion is good news for the right-to-repair movement, repair guide website iFixit is not entirely pleased with the implementation. (It's worth noting that Apple is now a competitor to iFixit in this area of business.)
In a blog post, iFixit's Sam Goldheart said Apple's program manages to make the MacBook Pro seem "less repairable," primarily because Apple's current procedure for replacing a MacBook Pro's battery is prohibitively expensive and time consuming.
The issue is that Apple's program does not yet allow a customer to order a standalone replacement battery for the MacBook Pro. Instead, a customer must order a part known as the "top case," which includes a glued-in battery. Then, the customer must follow Apple's exhaustive 162-page repair manual to replace the "top case" in their MacBook Pro, as the procedure involves removing every other component from the case.
Top cases are an expensive part given that they include the keyboard, battery, speakers, and more. For example, Apple's self-service parts store charges $527 for a top case for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, making it significantly more expensive to replace a MacBook Pro's battery through the program in comparison to having an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider complete the job for $199.
"Apple is presenting DIY repairers with a excruciating gauntlet of hurdles: read 162 pages of documentation without getting intimidated and decide to do the repair anyway, pay an exorbitant amount of money for an overkill replacement part, decide whether you want to drop another 50 bucks on the tools they recommend, and do the repair yourself within 14 days, including completing the System Configuration to pair your part with your device," wrote iFixit. "Which makes us wonder, does Apple even want better repairability?"
Apple says a "battery replacement part" will be available for the MacBook Pro at some point "in the future," which could make the replacement procedure easier, although details remain slim. But even if Apple releases a standalone replacement battery, it will likely remain cheaper and easier to have Apple handle the task.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is set to be available in a refreshed selection of color options available across all available casing finishes. The main rumor about the Apple Watch Series 8's color options comes from information shared by the leaker known as "ShrimpApplePro" earlier this year.
Overall, the Apple Watch Series 8 is expected to be available in a significantly reduced number of color options, with at least two Apple Watch Series 7 finishes reportedly set to be discontinued. Unlike the iPhone 14 lineup, which is rumored to headline with an all-new Purple color, the Apple Watch Series 8 is not expected to receive any completely new color options compared to previous years.
According to the information, the aluminum Apple Watch Series 8 will eliminate the Series 7's Blue and Green finishes, making PRODUCT(RED) the only non-neutral option still available on the Apple Watch:
Apple Watch Series 7
Midnight
Starlight
PRODUCT(RED)
Blue
Green
Apple Watch Series 8
Midnight
Starlight
PRODUCT(RED)
Silver
The rumor also suggests that Apple will revive the Silver finish from the Apple Watch Series 6 and earlier. After the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 7 last year, the device's color options came under fire by some customers and pundits on social media.
With the Apple Watch Series 7, Apple replaced Silver and Gold with Starlight and Space Gray with Midnight – a change that was simultaneously made on the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13. Starlight attracted particular ire, with some fans of the previous Silver option criticizing Starlight for being too warm, while some fans of Gold found it to be too desaturated.
Since then, Apple swapped the Silver color options on new versions of the iPad Air and iPad mini for Starlight, leading to speculation that Silver aluminum would only be available with "Pro" devices like the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro. This uncertainty was seemingly brought to an end with the launch of the M2MacBook Air, which is available in Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver, appeasing fans of all of these more neutral shades.
While Starlight critics may be pleased with the return of Silver, Space Gray fans may not be so fortunate with the Apple Watch Series 8, with there being no rumors of that particular color shade returning this year.
A more recent rumor from ShrimpApplePro claimed that the PRODUCT(RED) aluminum Apple Watch Series 8 will feature a "new shade" of red, differentiating it from the PRODUCT(RED) aluminum Apple Watch Series 7 that launched last year.
Apple Watch Series 8 (Stainless Steel)
Apple is rumored to offer the stainless steel Apple Watch Series 8 in the same three color options as the Series 7: Gold, Silver, and Graphite – the same selection of stainless steel finishes that the company has now offered for two successive Apple Watch generations.
Gold has not always been a mainstay of the stainless steel Apple Watch lineup, with the finish only being introduced with the Apple Watch Series 4. As such, fans of gold and some customers who own Apple Watch bands with gold trim may be pleased to hear that there will reportedly still be a Gold stainless steel Apple Watch Series 8, especially as there is no sign of a Gold aluminum model returning this year.
Like the Apple Watch Edition models from recent years, this new Apple Watch variant is expected to feature a casing made of titanium. Currently, there is no specific information about what color options this high-end Apple Watch could be available in.
The only indication about the device's finish comes from the existing titanium Apple Watch Edition models, which are available in Space Black and natural Titanium, but it is possible that Apple could offer completely different color options for this high-end device.
Color Option Rumors
Color option rumors are typically an area of low accuracy for Apple rumors, likely since color options are chosen relatively late in Apple's product development process. Last year, Max Weinbach and Ukrainian e-commerce website KTC said that the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 would be available in Black, Blue, Purple, Pink, White, and PRODUCT(RED), while the the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max would be available in Black, Silver, Gold, and Bronze. The Purple, Black, and Bronze color options did not emerge, while the actual new shade of Sierra Blue was largely unexpected.
ShrimpApplePro, the leaker behind the alleged Series 8 color options, has a growing reputation in the Apple rumor community, providing the first look at the iPhone 14 Pro's "pill and hole-punch" True Depth camera array, thinner bezels, and exact dimensions. It is worth noting that amid rumors about a design with flat edges, ShrimpApplePro correctly said that the Apple Watch Series 7 would feature a rounded design like the Apple Watch Series 6, but with thinner display bezels. This may make the leaker's information more credible, but only time will tell what color options the Apple Watch Series 8 models will actually be available in.
If you've ever wanted to create your dream iPhone design, a new website has your back. Created by developer Neal Agarwal, the interactive website lets you drag and drop different elements onto a perfectly clean iPhone model to create unique, weird and out-of-this-world designs.
On the website, users have a wide range of different items they can add and arrange however they like on their dream (or nightmare) iPhone model, including massive cameras, an HDMI port, a classic iPod click wheel, headphone jacks, antenna, Pro stand from the Pro Display XDR, a Mac Pro handle, a joystick, and more.
After users create their iPhone, it can be saved as a simple animation as a video with a small corner pop-up of Tim Cook saying, "these are the best iPhones we've ever created." The website is free to use and can be checked out here. Creating your own iPhone design? Be sure to share them down in the comments below for others to see.
Popular media platform Plex has asked users to change their passwords "out of an abundance of caution" after it found a third-party had gained access to one of its internal systems.
In a message to all users, Plex said that after discovering "suspicious activity" on one of its databases on Tuesday, the company ascertained that a hacker had been able to access "a limited subset of data" including emails, usernames, and passwords. From the email:
Yesterday, we discovered suspicious activity on one of our databases. We immediately began an investigation and it does appear that a third-party was able to access a limited subset of data that includes emails, usernames, and encrypted passwords. Even though all account passwords that could have been accessed were hashed and secured in accordance with best practices, out of an abundance of caution we are requiring all Plex account to have their password reset. Rest assured that credit card and other payment data are not stored on our servers at all and were not vulnerable to this incident.
Plex is asking users to tick the checkbox "Sign out connected devices after password change," when resetting their account password. This will sign out all devices, including Plex Media Servers, and require users to sign back in with their new password. Plex also recommends enabling two-factor authentication on their Plex account if they haven't already.
Aw crap, I’m pwned in a @plex data breach. Again. I can’t do anything to *not* be in a breach like this (short of not using the service), but a @1Password generated random password and 2FA enabled makes this a mere inconvenience rather than a genuine risk. pic.twitter.com/XetB3IGUh3
— Troy Hunt (@troyhunt) August 24, 2022
Plex says it has already addressed the method that the hacker used to gain access to the database, and it is conducting additional reviews to ensure the security of its systems and prevent a similar incident occurring.
AppleCare+ is now available as an annually renewable plan for all Mac models, the Studio Display, and the Pro Display XDR in Canada, Australia, and Japan, allowing customers in these countries to pay for coverage on an annual basis from day one.
For example, customers in Canada now have the option to purchase an AppleCare+ plan for the MacBook Air with the M2 chip for $99.99 per year alongside the existing option of paying $269 for three years of coverage upfront. Full pricing information is available on the AppleCare+ for Mac page in Canada and Japan, but is not shown in Australia.
It was already possible to renew AppleCare+ coverage on an annual basis after the initial three-year period elapsed in Canada, Australia, and Japan, but now customers have the option of paying for AppleCare+ for Mac on an annual basis from the very beginning, which is something that has been possible in the United States since last year.
AppleCare+ for Mac provides up to two incidents of accidental damage protection every 12 months, each subject to a service fee that varies based on the type of damage. AppleCare+ also provides customers with 24/7 priority access to Apple's technical support representatives by online chat or phone while coverage is active.
The built-in iPhone Wallet app will apparently be able to be deleted starting in iOS 16.1, according to code in today's iPadOS 16.1 beta that was found by 9to5Mac and confirmed by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser.
The code suggests the Wallet app will be downloadable from the App Store if it has been removed from an iPhone and the person with the iPhone attempts to use a feature like Apple Pay.
As of right now, the Wallet app can be removed from the iPhone's Home Screen and hidden from view, but it can't be entirely deleted, something that will change with the launch of iOS 16.1.
Since iOS 16.1 is not available right now, there is no way to test whether the Wallet app will be able to be deleted, so it's possible Apple could change some things before the update sees a launch later this year.
The Wallet app is a key iPhone app because it houses debit and credit cards for Apple Pay, handles Apple Pay Cash, is the home of Apple Card, and allows users to store loyalty cards, airline tickets, and more.
It is not clear why Apple would choose to allow users to delete the Wallet app, but the company is facing a class action lawsuit accusing it of violating antitrust law by making Apple Pay the only available mobile wallet for tap-to-pay payments on iPhone.
The iOS 16 update will come out at some point in September, while iOS 16.1 will follow alongside iPadOS 16.1 at a later date. Apple has delayed the launch of iPadOS 16 in order to work on the Stage Manager multitasking feature available to M1 iPads.
Apple is doubling down on its efforts to comfort retail employees and dampen any possible resurgence of active unionization in its 270+ stores by downplaying the significance of Apple Towson Town Center as the first store to unionize. According to employees who were present in recent meetings, Apple is making a "grass is not greener on the other side" argument even before the Apple Towson union has gotten organized.
Late last week, Apple retail employees nationwide were invited to an FAQ-style meeting where store management attempted to answer questions on Apple Towson and create an open environment to discuss unions. Apple Towson made history in June by becoming the first Apple store to unionize, and the idea of unionization has since taken hold with many employees seeking improved working conditions.
Several store managers had addressed the topic of the union vote at Apple Towson as it was happening, but for many others, it remained an elephant in the room. Last week during a "Daily Download," the term used for 15- to 30-minute meetings before stores open, Apple leadership appeared "cheery, and weirdly happy to discuss unionization efforts," one Apple Store employee said, asking to remain anonymous. "We were all expecting to get a new manager or hear some groundbreaking news about our store after the Download was hyped up at first. Then it turned out to be about Towson. We were all confused about why they were excited to talk about it."
The talking points last week seem to have been an attempt by top Apple executives to argue that Apple Towson's vote to unionize will do more harm than good in employees' relationships with the company they work for, according to multiple sources who attended the meeting. "They wanted to somehow make it seem as though Apple Towson had failed, even though they've hardly begun. It was a typical scare tactic that failed to work," one employee said.
Leaders told staff that the meeting, which took place in most locations last Thursday, was entirely optional for attendance. Employees were reluctant to miss the meeting, though, as doing so could be perceived as an unwillingness to hear Apple's perspective and, as a result, place targets on their backs.
The FAQ-style meeting was designed to answer questions preselected by Apple, including:
What is a union and why does it matter at Apple Towson?
Did everyone at Towson get a raise?
Can you opt out of a union?
According to employees who attended the meeting, the answers from Apple leadership seemed intended to intimidate employees and downplay the benefits of joining a union, such as emphasizing that employees cannot leave a union once they join, that joining a union does not guarantee better benefits and pay, and that Apple Towson, despite its vote, still received the same pay raises all other retail employees received over the summer.
Store leaders also offered a chance for employees to ask questions, but they were largely unable to give on-the-spot answers. "I don’t have the answer to that, but I’ll get back to you after I find out," was a go-to response for questions asked, including whether Apple is providing any resources to employees who wish to join a union.
Apple Towson in Maryland. The first ever Apple Store to form a union.
During the meeting, store leaders also suggested that negotiations between Apple Towson, the union, and Apple leadership had fallen through and had been "unsuccessful." Apple Towson has not, however, formally begun negotiations with Apple and is still in the early stages of training and preparing for talks through the bargaining committee.
In the larger context, the latest union-related talking points come weeks after Apple offered merit-based pay increases to its retail staff. The increases typically happen yearly in the fall, but Apple, in a move widely speculated to have been an attempt to ease employee concerns, moved them up to the summer.
Although the pay raises coincided with ramped-up union momentum, Apple claimed during the meetings with staff that they were purely "coincidental" and that union efforts had in no way impacted Apple's decision to offer the pay raises now rather than in the fall as usual. "None of us believe this is true because we all know the company's hand is being forced. But the fact that a manager said from the get-go that the unionization had zero impact was the most disturbing to me," an Apple employee based in Texas said.
Based on employee conversations with MacRumors, the merit-based increases, irrespective of timing, angered employees more than they satisfied concerns. Some employees who are already on edge about working conditions felt that the 2–3% pay raises in many cases were a "slap in the face to the dedication we've shown during the pandemic," an employee at a store that's in the early stages of collecting signatures to bring a unionization vote told MacRumors.
Talks within stores about unionizing have been relatively stagnant over the last couple of weeks, mainly due to many employees opting for a "wait and see approach" to whether their concerns will be addressed following the pay raises and more open dialogue from store leadership to discuss workplace conditions. Apple leadership across the 272 retail locations made it clear that discussing a union is not a "hush subject," yet many employees continue to feel the nearly $3 trillion Cupertino tech giant is doing everything it can "to be anti-union at every grasp."
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.
Subscription movie ticket service MoviePass first launched in 2017, offering subscribers unrestricted movie access for $9.99 per month. MoviePass was providing customers with debit cards and paying full price for each movie ticket despite the low monthly fee, and the effort ultimately failed catastrophically within a matter of months.
MoviePass had been counting on deals with movie theaters and revenue from customer data, but by mid-2018, MoviePass was out of money and had to resort to limiting movie access, raising prices, and temporarily shutting down. After months of questionable policy changes, MoviePass shut down in September 2019, but now the service is set to return.
MoviePass is planning to launch a new beta service "on or around" September 5, 2022. A waitlist for the beta service is set to open on August 25 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and customers can join the waitlist at that point.
According to an FAQ section on the MoviePass website, the upcoming service will feature three pricing tiers at $10, $20, and $30. Each level will get a certain amount of credits to be able to be used toward movies each month, with MoviePass promising more details in the future.
The launch will happen in waves, and MoviePass says the launch determination will be weighted on level of engagement from the waitlist in each market.
Prior MoviePass subscribers will receive complimentary bonus credits to their accounts when they join the new service.
It is not clear how MoviePass will survive this time around nor what the service will be able to offer that's not already available from other theaters. Companies like Alamo Drafthouse, Cinemark, Showcase, Showplace ICON, Regal, and AMC all offer subscription-based movie passes.
The Hub is designed to be mounted to the back of a monitor, computer stand, or monitor base, and tucked away from view. It features two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, one SD card slot, and a microSD card reader.
It mounts to the back of an iMac or other computer using two 3M Command strips, and there's a quick release button in case you need to use the hub on the go. It supports transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s.
Belkin today also introduced the $80 USB-C 5-in-1 Multiport Adapter. Though designed for Chromebooks, the adapter is compatible with Macs, offering two USB-A ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI port that supports one 4K display at 60Hz, and an 86W USB-C power delivery port.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, former Apple design chief Jony Ive, and Emerson Collective founder Laurene Powell Jobs will be among the speakers at Vox Media's Code 2022 conference at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles. The in-person event is set to take place on September 6-8, but it's unclear exactly when Cook, Ive, and Powell Jobs will be speaking.
The discussions will be hosted by veteran journalist Kara Swisher, who will be "grilling the biggest names in industry on everything from cryptocurrency to climate change," according to the conference's website.
In a tweet, Swisher said she brought together Cook, Ive, and Powell Jobs to discuss Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' lasting impact.
This will be my last session of Code after 20 years. I thought it critical to gauge the impact of the tech icon who was the very 1st interview: Steve Jobs. So, I am bringing together the trio who knew him best to discuss his lasting impact: @tim_cook@laurenepowell and Jony Ive. pic.twitter.com/XIN7Ww9G18
— Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) August 23, 2022
Other notable speakers include Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, California governor Gavin Newsom, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, The Verge's editor-in-chief Nilay Patel, Platformer newsletter editor Casey Newton, and more.
It's worth noting that Apple is reportedly planning to hold its iPhone 14 event on September 7, which would be in the middle of the Code conference. Given that the conference is a three-day event, perhaps Cook will speak on September 6 or September 8.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iPadOS 16.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software available alongside the standard iOS 16 seventh beta that was provided today.
Registered developers can download the iPadOS 16 profile from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the beta will be available over the air.
Apple has decided to delay the launch of iPadOS 16 in order to continue working out bugs and other issues with the Stage Manager feature that is coming to M1iPad models.
In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple said that there will be no iPadOS 16.0 version at launch, with the company instead planning to ship iPadOS 16.1 following the launch of iOS 16.
This is an especially big year for iPadOS. As its own platform with features specifically designed for iPad, we have the flexibility to deliver iPadOS on its own schedule. This Fall, iPadOS will ship after iOS, as version 16.1 in a free software update.
iPadOS 16.1 introduces new Stage Manager features, according to TechCrunch.
The big update this time out is the ability to resurface the Stage Manager side rail with a gesture while the feature is full screen. The other updates with 16.1 are the standard spate of beta bug updates
Apple rarely splits iOS and iPadOS launches apart, but it has opted to do so in this case because the latest version of iPadOS is still riddled with bugs and seeing a number of complaints about the multitasking Stage Manager option.
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