MacRumors

It's almost September, but Apple still has multiple new product launches planned for 2024. New iPhone 16 models and Apple Watches are coming in September, and we're also going to get at least three Mac updates with M4 chips this year, according to rumors.

Here's what's on the horizon.

MacBook Pro

Apple plans to refresh both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4 chips. The ‌MacBook Pro‌ lineup was last updated in October 2023, so the machines are due for a yearly refresh.

Apple did away with the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ last year, so there's now an entry-level 14-inch model, and that's what's going to get the standard M4 chip that was used in the iPad Pro.

Middle tier and higher-end 14-inch models will get the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, as will the 16-inch models. The M4 chips are built on the 3-nanometer process, but compared to the M3 chips, they have improved performance, efficiency, and AI capabilities. Apple introduced a new, more powerful Neural Engine.

There are no design updates expected for the ‌MacBook Pro‌ models this year, with Apple focusing on internal improvements. Specifically, the M4 chip will be the star of the upgrade, and Apple is aiming to get its entire Mac lineup on the same M4 chip series across 2024 and 2025.

Mac mini

Unlike the ‌MacBook Pro‌, Apple does have a design refresh planned for the Mac mini. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the ‌Mac mini‌ will be Apple's smallest computer to date, even smaller than the prior-generation version.

It is expected to be around the size of the Apple TV, though it will be thicker than the ‌Apple TV‌ and the current ‌Mac mini‌, which is 1.4 inches tall. The machine will continue to be made from aluminum, just in an overall smaller package.

Apple has tested ‌Mac mini‌ models that have at least three USB-C ports, along with an HDMI port and a power cable.

Apple plans to use the M4 and M4 Pro chips for the ‌Mac mini‌ models, and since these never got an M3 update, they'll go from M2 to M4 and will see some notable performance improvements.

iMac

The 24-inch iMac is also expected to see an update this year, going from the M3 chip to the M4 chip. Design changes are not rumored for the ‌iMac‌, so we can expect to see the same 24-inch display with multiple color options.

Apple is still exploring a version of the iMac with a larger ~30-inch display, but an ‌iMac‌ with a bigger display is not expected in 2024, and it's not clear if it will come in 2025, either.

Possible Launch Timeline

Apple does not typically unveil Macs at its September events, which focus on the iPhone and the Apple Watch. We're expecting Apple to hold an event around September 10 to unveil new ‌iPhone 16‌ models, but Macs will likely come later in the year.

When Apple has Macs to unveil around fall, it often introduces the machines in October or November. Last year, for example, Apple held a Mac-centric event in October to refresh the ‌MacBook Pro‌ and ‌iMac‌. October/November events aren't as consistent as iPhone events, so nailing down a target date is tougher. Apple has held second fall events on these dates in the past:

• October 30, 2023 - Scary Fast event with ‌MacBook Pro‌ and ‌iMac‌.
• October 18, 2021 - Unleashed event with new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models and AirPods 3.
• November 10, 2020 - One More Thing event with M1 MacBook Air, ‌Mac mini‌, and ‌MacBook Pro‌.
• October 30, 2018 - Apple refreshed the ‌MacBook Air‌, ‌Mac mini‌, and ‌iPad Pro‌.
• October 27, 2016 - Apple unveiled a new ‌MacBook Pro‌ and ‌Apple TV‌ app.

Apple could also skip an event and unveil the new Macs with a press release, though the small event we got last year for the M3 ‌MacBook Pro‌ and ‌iMac‌ models could be repeated in 2024.

Macs Coming in 2025

While the ‌MacBook Pro‌, ‌iMac‌, and ‌Mac mini‌ are expected to get the M4 chip before the end of the year, M4 updates for the ‌MacBook Air‌, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro won't be happening until 2025.

With macOS Sequoia, Apple is requiring users to regularly reauthorize permissions for screen recording apps, a move that has not been popular with some Mac users. Popups for screen recording app permissions have been showing weekly up throughout the beta testing process, but Apple has tweaked the frequency in response to user feedback.

The latest macOS Sequoia beta prompts users to review their screen recording app permissions once a month, an update over the more frequent weekly popups. The prompt reminds users that screen recording apps have access to their screens and audio.

[App Name] is requesting to bypass the system private window picker and directly access your screen and audio. This will allow [App Name] to record your screen and system audio, including personal or sensitive information that may be visible or audible.

When the popup shows up, there's now an option to "Allow For One Month" to let the app function as normal, or to open System Settings to get to the screen recording options. macOS Sequoia was also requiring users to approve screen recording apps after restarting their Macs, and this requirement has been removed.

It does not appear that there is a way for users to permanently give screen recording access to recording functionality, but a monthly popup is at least more convenient than a weekly popup.

Apple today stopped signing iOS 17.6, preventing iPhone users from downgrading to that version of iOS. The update is no longer being signed after Apple released iOS 17.6.1 on August 7.

Apple regularly stops signing older version of iOS, typically within a week or two after a new version is released. When Apple stops signing an update, it can no longer be installed on an iPhone due to a server-side software verification check, so those who have updated to the latest version of iOS cannot downgrade.

Preventing downgrading encourages users to keep their operating systems up to date with the latest security fixes.

iOS 17.6 focused on introducing security fixes, while iOS 17.6.1 added a fix for a bug that could prevent the enabling or disabling of Advanced Data Protection.

iOS 17.5.1 addressed a corruption bug that could cause deleted photos to reappear on an iPhone. There were no notable features in the iOS 17.6 update, with Apple adding unspecified bug fixes and security updates.

T-Mobile was fined $60 million by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) for negligence surrounding data breaches, reports Reuters. CFIUS penalized T-Mobile for failing to prevent or disclose unauthorized access to sensitive customer data.

When T-Mobile merged with Sprint, it signed a national security agreement with CFIUS, which is what led to the fine earlier this year. T-Mobile is owned by German company Deutsche Telekom, and T-Mobile agreed to protect consumer data as part of the Sprint acquisition. Back in 2021, T-Mobile suffered a major breach that impacted over 100 million of its users, just a year after it acquired Sprint.

CFIUS does not typically name the companies that it fines, but T-Mobile has been called out in an effort to push companies to comply with national security rules associated with acquisitions.

In 2024, following an initial Notice of Penalty issued in 2023, CFIUS resolved an enforcement action against T-Mobile US, Inc. ("T-Mobile"), a telecommunications company, resulting in a $60 million penalty. As publicly disclosed by T-Mobile, the company entered into a National Security Agreement ("NSA") with CFIUS in 2018 in connection with T-Mobile's merger with Sprint and the foreign ownership of the resulting entity. CFIUS determined that between August 2020 and June 2021, in violation of a material provision of the NSA, T-Mobile failed to take appropriate measures to prevent unauthorized access to certain sensitive data and failed to report some incidents of unauthorized access promptly to CFIUS, delaying the Committee's efforts to investigate and mitigate any potential harm. CFIUS concluded that these violations resulted in harm to the national security equities of the United States. T-Mobile has worked with CFIUS to enhance its compliance posture and obligations and has committed to working cooperatively with the U.S. Government to ensure compliance with its obligations going forward.

T-Mobile told Reuters that it experienced technical issues when integrating with Sprint, which affected information from "a small number of law enforcement information requests." T-Mobile claims to have swiftly dealt with the issue and reported it "in a timely manner."

CFIUS said that T-Mobile's lack of timely reporting prevented CFIUS from investigating and mitigating potential harm to U.S. national security.

Threads, Meta's social network that's meant to rival X, today announced several new features that are available or coming soon. For creators, Threads is launching analytics for performance measurement.

Users can see view numbers, replies, reposts, and quotes, along with follower count over time and follower demographics like age, location, and gender.

Threads on the web is gaining support for writing and saving multiple drafts of posts before sharing them with an audience. Up to 100 ideas can be saved in the new Drafts section. To go along with drafts, Threads plans to add scheduling, so Threads can be created and scheduled to go up at a later date and time. Multiple posts can be scheduled per day, multiple days in advance.

While these features are available only on the web at the current time, Threads plans to bring them to the mobile versions of the app in the future. Insights and multiple drafts are rolling out now, and scheduling posts will be coming soon.

It has now been just over a year since Threads launched, and it has over 28 million daily active users. Meta has been regularly adding new features to the social network to put it on par with X (formerly Twitter).

Display panels destined for the 14-inch and 16-inch M4 models are shipping to Apple in July and August, timing that makes sense for a launch in the fourth quarter, according to display analyst Ross Young.

Young shared the information in a tweet for subscribers, confirming rumors that new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 chips will come out before the end of the year. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said earlier this month that Apple will update the ‌MacBook Pro‌, Mac mini, and iMac lines with M4 chip technology in late 2024.

The 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will get M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips. The entry-level 14-inch model will have the M4, while higher end 14-inch models and 16-inch models will get the M4 Pro and M4 Max, which have not yet been unveiled. Apple first introduced the M4 in the iPad Pro in May.

No redesign is expected, but Apple will overhaul the ‌Mac mini‌ that's expected to be refreshed alongside the ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. The ‌Mac mini‌ will feature a smaller footprint, and it will be Apple's smallest ever computer. It could be around the size of the Apple TV, though a little taller.

The M4 chip is built on TSMC's 3-nanometer process, much like the M3, but there are performance and efficiency improvements. Apple also included a new, more powerful Neural Engine for AI workloads.

With new iPhone and Apple Watch models planned for Apple's annual September event, new Macs could come out at a second event in October or November or they could be unveiled through a press release.

Apple also plans to refresh the MacBook Air, Mac Pro, and Mac Studio with M4 chips, but those updates will not happen until 2025.

California will soon start rolling out support for digital driver's licenses and IDs in the Apple Wallet app on iPhone and Apple Watch, becoming the sixth state to implement the feature.

Wallet app integration is part of California's mobile driver's license effort, which kicked off a year ago. More than 500,000 people have already added a driver's license or ID to the California DMV Wallet app, where California tested the option before rolling it out to the Wallet app.

"We're excited to be working with the state of California to bring IDs in Apple Wallet to Apple's home state soon, and provide residents with an easy, secure, and private way to present their California driver's license and state ID in person and in app using Apple Wallet," said Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. "Whether using IDs in Apple Wallet to breeze through travel, or to securely verify age or identity at businesses, California driver's licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet make ID presentment seamless -- all with the security built into iPhone and Apple Watch."

IDs and licenses stored in the Wallet app on iPhone or iPad can be used for TSA screenings at select airports and for age verification at select stores. Right now, California's mobile wallet support is still in a pilot stage, and only 1.5 million participants are able to sign up.

California requires people to continue to carry a physical license or ID card because the digital license is not accepted by law enforcement, state government agencies, and most businesses.

Evidence that Apple Wallet integration was coming to California first surfaced earlier in August when a hidden landing page on the DMV website was discovered, but California and Apple are officially announcing the feature today.

Apple announced a new Wallet app that supported digital IDs back in 2022, but states have been slow to adopt the feature. So far, only Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and Ohio have implemented support. Apple said in 2022 that Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Utah are also working on support.

Following extended testing under the "Geekbench ML" name, Primate Labs is officially launching its new benchmarking suite optimized for AI-centric workloads under the name Geekbench AI. The tool seeks to measure hardware performance under a variety of workloads focused on machine learning, deep learning, and other AI-centric tasks.

Geekbench AI 1.0 examines some of the unique workloads associated with AI tasks and seeks to encompass the variety of hardware designs employed by vendors to tackle these tasks, delivering a three-score summary as part of its benchmarking results to reflect a range of precision levels: single-precision, half-precision, and quantized data.

In addition to these performance scores, Geekbench AI also includes an accuracy measurement on a per-test basis, allowing developers to improve efficiency and reliability while assessing the benefits and drawbacks of various engineering approaches.

Finally, the 1.0 release of Geekbench AI includes support for new frameworks and more extensive data sets that more closely reflect real-world inputs, improving the accuracy evaluations in the suite.

Geekbench AI is available for an array of platforms, including iOS, macOS, Windows, Android, and Linux.

Apple today reminded developers who plan to distribute apps in the European Union to submit their trader status, a requirement that will see the App Store sharing the address, phone number, and email address of each developer. The information will be displayed on a developer's ‌App Store‌ page.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) in the European Union requires Apple to verify and display trader contract information for all "traders" who are distributing apps on the ‌App Store‌ in the European Union. Developers who make money from the ‌App Store‌ through an upfront cost or through in-app purchases are considered traders, regardless of size.

Contact information for each developer that is classified as a trader will be publicly available, and many developers are unhappy with the requirement. Independent developers and small companies may not have business addresses and phone numbers to provide, and are understandably reluctant to provide their personal contact information.

Apple will require trader status to submit app updates starting on October 16, 2024. Trader information must be provided before an app can be submitted for review. On February 17, 2025, apps without trader status will be removed from the ‌App Store‌ in the EU until trader status is provided and verified.

As displaying trader status is a Digital Services Act requirement in the European Union, Apple does not have a choice on implementing the feature. Developer contact information will be displayed on the ‌App Store‌ product page when an app is distributed in any of the 27 territories in the EU.

More information on determining who is a trader and who needs to provide contact details can be found on Apple's website.

The Apple Watch Ultra is considerably more popular than the entry-level Apple Watch SE despite its high price point, according to a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

The report provides a detailed look at how the various Apple Watch models are performing in the market. Apple Watch Series 9, introduced in September 2023 alongside the iPhone 15 lineup, is the most popular model in the lineup as of the June 2024 quarter. It captured 43% of total Apple Watch sales in the United States, making it the top choice among customers. The Series 8, which Apple no longer sells directly but is still available through various retailers, followed with a 19% share. Combined, these two models accounted for nearly two-thirds of all Apple Watch sales during the period.

The Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2, which represent the high-end segment of the lineup, contributed 20% of total sales. Despite their advanced features and premium positioning, the Ultra models have a smaller market share compared to the high-end variants of other Apple products like the iPhone and iPad. For instance, premium models in these categories typically account for a quarter or more of total sales. The CIRP report indicates that the Ultra 2 had a slightly higher share than the original Ultra during the June 2024 quarter.

The Apple Watch SE held a 12% market share. This model continues to attract buyers who are looking for a more affordable entry point into the Apple Watch, yet its market presence is significantly smaller than that of the higher end models. The Nike-branded version of the Apple Watch, which is essentially a variant of the Series 8 and 9, accounted for a modest 5% of the market.

Apple's strategy of offering a range of models at different price points appears to mirror its approach with the iPhone and ‌iPad‌. However, there are some notable differences in consumer behavior across these product lines. While the premium models of iPhone and ‌iPad‌ often capture a larger share of sales, the Apple Watch lineup sees stronger performance in its mid-range models. The CIRP report suggests that the Series 8 and Series 9, positioned as a mid-tier option in terms of pricing and features, is particularly attractive to consumers, while the Ultra models, despite their higher price and more advanced capabilities, appeal to a smaller segment of the market. The low-cost Apple Watch SE and Nike models appeal to an even smaller segment of the market.

Today we're tracking a large collection of discounts on the 2024 M4 iPad Pro at Amazon, which includes multiple all-time low prices on both 11-inch and 13-inch models.

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.

11-Inch

For the smaller 11-inch M4 iPad Pro, Amazon has an all-time low price on the entry-level 256GB Wi-Fi tablet, available for $899.00, down from $999.00. Amazon has every model of the 11-inch iPad Pro on sale right now, including both Wi-Fi and cellular versions.

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $899.00, down from $999.00
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,099.00, down from $1,199.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,484.00, down from $1,599.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi (Nano-Texture Glass) - $1,599.00, down from $1,699.00
• 2TB Wi-Fi - $1,899.00, down from $1,999.00
• 2TB Wi-Fi (Nano-Texture Glass) - $1,999.00, down from $2,099.00

13-Inch

Similar to the 11-inch models, Amazon has every Wi-Fi and cellular version of the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro on sale this week. Prices start at $1,197.00 for the 256GB Wi-Fi tablet, and totals up to $200 off these devices.

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $1,197.00, down from $1,299.00
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,379.00, down from $1,499.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,749.00, down from $1,899.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi (Nano-Texture Glass) - $1,839.00, down from $1,999.00
• 2TB Wi-Fi - $2,099.00, down from $2,299.00
• 2TB Wi-Fi (Nano-Texture Glass) - $2,287.92, down from $2,399.00

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

Apple Card has been recognized as the best co-branded credit card for customer satisfaction with no annual fee for the fourth consecutive year by J.D. Power.

As highlighted by Apple in a press release earlier today, this is the fourth year in a row that the ‌Apple Card‌, issued by Goldman Sachs, has earned the top spot in J.D. Power's 2024 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study. The study measures overall customer satisfaction by assessing performance across several categories, including Account Management, Customer Service, and New Account Experience.

The ‌Apple Card‌ was first introduced in 2019 and is deeply integrated into the Wallet app on the iPhone, allowing users to track their spending in real time, categorize transactions, and set up payment plans. The ‌Apple Card‌ also offers up to three percent Daily Cash on purchases, which can be used instantly or saved for future expenses. With ‌Apple Card‌ Family, users can share an ‌Apple Card‌ account with other members of their Family Sharing group. The ‌Apple Card‌ also features an integrated a Savings account option, providing users with the ability to automatically deposit their Daily Cash rewards into the account.

Following a successful 2022 collaboration with Kim Kardashian for a set of three neutral color options for the Beats Fit Pro earphones, the "Beats x Kim" campaign is back to bring the same colors to the Beats Studio Pro headphones.

As with the Beats Fit Pro, the new Beats Studio Pro color options from Kardashian's signature palette include Moon (light), Dune (medium), and Earth (deep).

"I'm so excited we're bringing these three popular, chic colors to Beats' most iconic and advanced headphones," said Kim Kardashian. "Beats Studio have always been a fashion statement, so I can't wait to see how everyone styles them."

Beats Studio Pro are the brand's latest over-ear headphones and were originally released in July 2023. They offer Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, improved audio quality, and up to 40 hours of battery life. Connectivity options include Class 1 Bluetooth, USB-C, and 3.5mm analog.

Apple's Beats brand has been building up to today's launch with an ad campaign featuring Kardashian and Jimmy Fallon vying for the next Beats collaboration, with Kardashian's neutral Beats x Kim colors going up against a mustard-yellow "Beats x Jim" option that apparently did not make the cut.

The new Beats x Kim Beats Studio Pro headphones are priced at $349.99 in the United States, and they are launching today through Apple's online stores in the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand, with limited availability at select Apple retail stores in those countries. They are also available through Amazon in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Japan, and at Argos in the UK, JB Hi-Fi in Australia, and Tmall and JD.com in China.

AltStore PAL, the open-source app that is designed to distribute apps in the EU from independent developers, is now free thanks to a grant provided by Fortnite developer Epic Games.

The alternative iOS app store had charged a €1.50 plus tax annual subscription, in order to cover Apple's Core Technology Fee (CTF). Apple's terms for alternative app marketplaces requires developers to pay the CTF for each annual app installation.

However, AltStore Pal will no longer pass on the cost of this fee after the third-party store received a "MegaGrant" from ‌Epic Games‌. AltStore said that existing subscribers won't be charged upon their renewal date, and that the AltStore team plans to "show our appreciation for our existing subscribers in a future update," but didn't go into details.

Developer Riley Testut has been working on AltStore PAL since Apple announced plans to support alternative app marketplaces in iOS 17.4. It is open to all apps, but Testut says that it makes the most sense for "smaller, indie apps that otherwise couldn't exist due to ‌App Store‌ rules."

AltStore PAL is equipped with Patreon integration to allow developers to monetize their apps. Developers can offer their apps to just their patrons, and this method of distribution also allows for a sub-1 million cap on those who can subscribe to use an app.

iPhone users in the European Union can download AltStore PAL from the AltStore website. Alternative app marketplaces are not available outside of the European Union.

As for Epic, it has submitted the ‌Epic Games‌ Store to Apple for notarization under Apple's alternative app marketplace policy in the European Union. The ‌‌Epic Games‌‌ Store will include Fortnite, which means ‌iPhone‌ users in the EU will be able to install and play the title without having to use a cloud gaming service. An ‌iPad‌ version of Fortnite is expected to follow this year.

Apple has made available the second developer beta of macOS Sequoia 15.1, which includes the ability to test Apple Intelligence features. If you have an Apple silicon Mac and don't live in China, you can try Apple Intelligence features for yourself, even if you're not a developer. Keep reading to learn how.

Apple has split Apple Intelligence into a separate set of betas for Macs because these features will not be available in the initial launch version of ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15. Apple Intelligence will be available to the public later in the fall with the release of macOS Sequoia 15.1.

This point release will add several of the Apple Intelligence features, such as Writing Tools, an updated Siri design, Safari and Mail summaries, Reduce Interruptions Focus mode, and more. Other features, including Image Playground, Genmoji, and the Siri personal context and onscreen awareness will be coming later and are not in the macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta. You can learn more about what's available and when in our macOS 15 roundup.

The good news is that Apple has already seeded the second developer beta of macOS 15.1, which means you can try some of the AI features out for yourself by signing up for macOS beta access. Signing up to get the macOS Sequoia beta is simple, and can be done by following the steps below. Be sure to back up your Mac using Time Machine before going on to follow the beta software installation steps, otherwise you won't be able to revert back to your previous version of macOS if you need to.

Things to Remember Before You Start

• Back up Your Mac.
• Apple Intelligence requires a Mac with an M1 Apple silicon processor or later.
• Apple Intelligence is only available in US English.
• Apple Intelligence for Mac is not available in China, but appears to be available in the EU and everywhere else when region and language settings are changed to United States (see below).
• Apple Intelligence is not available if macOS 15.1 is installed on an external drive.

Register for Developer Beta Access

You can skip this first set of steps if you have previously joined the Apple Developer Program with your Apple ID. Note that registering in this way is free, and does not require paying for an Apple Developer Program membership.

1. Go to the Apple Developer website (developer.apple.com/account) and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Check the box to accept the terms and conditions, then tap the Submit button.

That's all there is to it. You can now proceed to the next steps to download and install the macOS Sequoia 15.1 developer beta.

Download macOS 15.1 Beta

To download and install the macOS Sequoia 15.1 Developer beta, follow these steps on your Mac.

1. Go to System Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update.
2. Click the info button ⓘ next to "Beta updates."
   
   

3. Choose the macOS Sequoia 15.1 Developer Beta option, then click Done.
   
   

4. When the macOS 15 Sequoia 15.1 Beta update appears, click the Upgrade Now button to start downloading and installing it on your Mac.
   
   

Activate Apple Intelligence

The following steps explain how to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist, which usually grants you access to the AI features in just a few minutes.

1. Go to System Settings ➝ Apple Intelligence & Siri.
2. Set Siri's language to English (United States), and decline to restart your Mac at the prompt for now.
3. Set Voice to American.
   
   

4. Next, go to System Settings ➝ General ➝ Language & Region.
5. Click the "Region" selector and choose United States.
6. Under "Preferred Languages," click + and add English (US), then set English (US) as the Primary language by dragging it above your other language(s).
7. Restart your Mac when prompted.
   
   

8. After restarting, go to Settings ➝ Apple Intelligence & Siri.
9. Click the option to Join the Apple Intelligence waitlist. You will be notified when Apple Intelligence features are available for your Mac. In most cases this should take only a few minutes, but don't rule out waiting a couple of hours.
10. When Apple Intelligence is available, toggle the switch to enable it.
    
    

Note that Apple Intelligence will not be in the initial launch version of iOS 18 that comes out in September alongside new iPhones. It will instead be introduced in a separate iOS 18.1 update that is likely to come out a few weeks after ‌iOS 18‌ debuts. Have you had a chance to try out Apple Intelligence features on Mac? Let us know of your experience in the comments.

Just a few months after debuting an all-new mobile app for controlling its audio products, Sonos is considering bringing back the previous version of the app following numerous user complaints, reports The Verge.

While Sonos has been working to address a number of missing features and issues with the new app and has laid out a timeline to keep users updated on the company's progress, The Verge reports that "discussions high up within Sonos" have centered around potentially offering the old app as an interim solution.

Letting customers fall back to the older software could ease their frustrations and reduce at least some of the pressure on Sonos to rectify every issue with the new app. At least for now, the redesigned version is all that’s available, which makes it impossible for some customers to avoid its flaws.

Just last week, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence revealed on the company's earnings call that it will be delaying two upcoming product launches due to "challenges with our new app." While Spence did not identify the products in question, one of them is likely to be the successor to the company's flagship Arc soundbar.

Apple is moving forward with its project to develop a tabletop robotic device, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The device would feature a large iPad-like display mounted on a "thin robotic arm" that would allow the display to tilt and up and down and rotate a full 360º, and it would serve as a "smart home command center," a videoconferencing machine such as for FaceTime calls, and a home security monitoring tool.

The tabletop robot would leverage Siri and Apple Intelligence, allowing it to respond to an array of verbal commands, recognize different voices, and automatically orient the display to face users in the room.

While Apple has been toying with the idea for some time, Gurman says Apple has recently prioritized development of the device, putting it under the purview of Kevin Lynch, Apple's vice president of technology who has overseen such projects as the Apple Watch and Apple's defunct self-driving car venture.

Apple is now looking to launch the device as soon as 2026 or 2027 and is aiming to get the price down to around $1,000, though plans may change as development proceeds.

Amazon today has the Apple Studio Display for $1,299.99, down from $1,599.00, which is a match of the all-time low price on the monitor. This is the standard glass version of the Studio Display with the tilt adjustable stand, and Amazon also has a few other models on sale 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.

You can get the standard glass model with the VESA Mount Adapter for $1,299.99, while the tilt- and height-adjustable stand model is available for $1,599.00, down from $1,999.00. Both of these are record low prices on the display.

If you want to upgrade to the nano-texture glass option, Amazon also has this model of the Studio Display on sale. It's available for $1,599.00, down from $1,899.00, which is a second-best price on the Studio Display with nano-texture glass.

The Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K retina display with a 5120 x 2880 resolution and up to 600 nits of brightness. Apple says that the standard display is engineered for "extremely low reflectivity," but for rooms where there is a lot of glare, Apple suggests the nano-texture glass option with even less reflectivity.

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