MacRumors

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Twitter has rebranded as "X" worldwide, under the direction of owner Elon Musk. An "interim" logo featuring a white X on a black background has replaced the original blue bird logo on the platform, signaling the billionaire's intention to transform the social media network into an "everything app" similar to China's WeChat.

X twitter logo
Musk on Sunday changed his profile picture to the new logo and added to his bio "X.com," which redirects to a brief "X" splash screen on Twitter's homepage. In a tweet on Monday morning, Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino said "X is here! Let's do this." Musk later shared an image of the new X branding projected onto the side of Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco.

Twitter's official legal entity name was registered as X Corp when the company was acquired in October 2022 by Musk, who has since been referring to it as "X" or "an accelerant to creating X," but the customer-facing avian branding had hitherto survived.

The social media platform has been called Twitter since its launch in March 2006, and its About page still says the blue bird logo is "our most recognizable asset" and "That's why we're so protective of it."

Regardless, Musk believes the replacement "should have been done a long time ago." His penchant for the letter X is evident elsewhere, for example in his SpaceX and X.Ai company names. X.com was also the name of the online bank Musk co-founded, before it merged with Confinity to eventually become PayPal.

According to Platformer's Zoe Schiffer, Musk sent an email last night to Twitter employees telling them the company would publicly become known as X, and that it was the last time he would email from a Twitter address.


In a Sunday tweet, Yaccarino suggested X would be powered by AI and offer users "unlimited interactivity – centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking – creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities... X will connect us all in ways we're just beginning to imagine."

"Tweets" are to be replaced, according to Musk, and posts will be called "x's". As of writing, the service still appears as Twitter in the official app, but expect that to also change soon.

Apple retail store staff will soon be able to offer customers home delivery during the ordering process, rather than them having to carry purchased products home.

Apple Store Vancouver Canada
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the EasyPay machines Apple salespeople use when processing in-store product purchases are set to include an option for home shipping for the first time.

Not only will the new option make it more convenient for shoppers buying bulky products like an iMac or Mac Pro, it also means that if an item is out of stock, the store can still book the sale and avoid situations where customers leave empty-handed to look elsewhere.

Currently, Apple store staff are only able to help customers order larger or out-of-stock products online via Apple's website using a shop floor demo Mac or iPad, or by going onto the web themselves using their EasyPay device.

Gurman believes the new option could be effective in reducing the physical space required for stock in future stores. He also suggests the move could aid Apple's retail sales strategy for its Vision Pro headset, which will be complicated by the many different custom combinations of head bands, light seals, and prescription lens inserts.

If any aspect of the customer's required Vision Pro setup is out of stock at the store, the missing part can be shipped directly to them, thereby avoiding a potential no-sale.

According to a memo sent to retail store staff, the new program is called EasyPay Online Ordering and will roll out in early August.

The Mac mini and high-end MacBook Pro will not be among the first wave of Macs to launch with the M3 chip later this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

m3 feature black
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that he believes "it's a sure thing that an M3 version of the ‌Mac mini‌ is eventually coming," but it is not imminent or far into development. As such, he claims that the machine is not expected to emerge until late 2024 at the earliest and will not be in the first series of M3 Macs to be released.

Likewise, new 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will not be among the first M3 Macs to debut in October later this year. These machines are expected to feature the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips and will "probably" launch by the middle of 2024 at the latest.

He also noted that the M2 ‌Mac mini‌ launched more than two years after the M1 version was introduced, suggesting that Apple does not see the ‌Mac mini‌ as a device that requires annual refreshes. This is contrasted by the high-end ‌MacBook Pro‌, a far more popular device, with a refresh cycle of around every four or five quarters.

Last week, Gurman said the first Macs with an M3 chip could launch as early as October of this year. The first models with the M3 chip will likely be the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, 13-inch MacBook Air, and 24-inch iMac. The M3 chip is widely expected to be fabricated using TSMC's 3nm process for significant performance and power efficiency improvements compared to the 5nm-based ‌M2‌ chip in existing devices.

Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, Mac mini
Related Forums: MacBook Pro, Mac mini

While it was a relatively quiet week for Apple news and rumors, we did learn that the first Macs with the as-yet-unannounced M3 chip could be just three months away from being unveiled, providing us all with something to look forward to.

Top Stories July 22 Feature
Other top stories this week included the release of Apple's new Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones, the possibility of iPhone 15 Pro models being in low supply at launch due to a display-related manufacturing issue, and more.

Apple's First M3-Powered Macs Likely to Launch in October

In his Power On newsletter last weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the first Macs with an M3 chip could launch as early as October of this year. The first models with the M3 chip will likely be the next 13-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch MacBook Air, and 24-inch iMac.

apple silicon mac lineup wwdc 2022 feature purple
The M3 chip is widely expected to be fabricated with TSMC's 3nm process for significant performance and power efficiency improvements compared to the 5nm-based M2 chip in the existing 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Beats Studio Pro Debut With Improved Sound Quality, Spatial Audio, USB-C, and More

Apple this week released new Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones, which succeed the previous Beats Studio3 launched in 2017.

beats studio pro marble
Key new features of the Beats Studio Pro compared to the Studio3 include a USB-C port for charging and audio, improved sound quality, longer battery life, a redesigned carrying case, and more. The headphones are priced at $349.99 and are available in four color options.

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max Supplies Could Be Constrained at Launch Due to Display Manufacturing Issues

The upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are rumored to feature thinner bezels around the display, but this change is reportedly causing manufacturing issues that could lead to the devices being in short supply when they launch later this year.

iPhone 15 Pro Two Volume Buttons and Titanium Feature Blue Green
While a Bank of America analyst claimed that iPhone 15 models could be delayed until October, the latest report indicated that a September launch is still likely.

iOS 17: Over 10 New Features in Messages App

iOS 17 includes over 10 new features and changes in the Messages app on the iPhone, so be sure to check out our list to learn all about them.

iOS 17 Messages Feature
iOS 17 is currently available as a public beta (here's how to install it on your iPhone), and should be released to all users in September. The software update is compatible with the iPhone XS and newer.

Read our in-depth iOS 17 roundup to learn about other new features.

Next AirPods Max Could Adopt These Five Features From Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Pro

While rumors about new AirPods Max have been slim so far, there are a handful of features that the over-ear headphones could adopt from the new Beats Studio Pro and the second-generation AirPods Pro.

AirPods Max Gen 2 Feature Dark Red 2
We've rounded up five features that the next AirPods Max are likely to adopt from the Studio Pro and AirPods Pro. However, rumors suggest that the headphones might not be updated until late 2024 to early 2025.

Apple Experimenting With 'Apple GPT' AI Tool, No Launch Planned Yet

Apple employees are testing an internal ChatGPT-like chatbot, but the company does not yet have any plans to make the tool available to the public, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

siri glow
Apple has lagged behind companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google in terms of generative AI systems like ChatGPT, but the company has said that it wants to be thoughtful and deliberate with how it implements AI.

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!

Apple's iOS 17 upgrade brings notable new communication features, adding functionality to the Phone app and the FaceTime app. The Phone app lets you customize what people see when you call them, while ‌FaceTime‌ gains video messages and the option to take ‌FaceTime‌ calls on the Apple TV.

iOS 17 FaceTime Feature
This guide highlights everything new with the Phone and ‌FaceTime‌ apps in iOS 17.

Phone

Contact Posters

Apple started letting you choose the name and photo that you want to share with others in the Messages app, and now sharing extends to the Phone app. You can create a Contact Poster that other people see when they call you.

Contact Posters iOS 17
Contact Posters are created in the Contacts app by tapping on your own name, selecting the Contact Photo & Poster option, and tapping on the Edit button.

You can choose to share a photo, a Memoji, or just your initials, and this is what people will see when you call them. To go along with the photo, you can also customize font size, style, and color. Note that you cannot change your name from this interface - that needs to be done by changing your contact info.

ios 17 contact posters
There are several filters that can be applied to images, including black and white, duotone, and color wash in the color of your choice. You can edit the crop of the photo, and customize your Contact Poster independently of your shared Messages image.

Contact Posters can be shared with your contacts automatically, or you can be prompted to share with anyone who calls you so no one sees your custom imagery without your permission.

Contacts App

To account for Contact Posters, the design of the Contacts app has been tweaked. When you tap on a contact, you'll now see that their contact image, Memoji, or initials take up a much larger portion of the screen. This also counts for contacts where you've assigned an image.

ios 17 contacts app
You'll have an option to tap on the Contact Photo and Poster option underneath the person's name to choose to update to the latest info automatically when your contact changes something like their profile photo, or turn on manual updates so you're prompted for the update.

Live Voicemail

Live Voicemail is a new feature that allows the iPhone to transcribe a voicemail as it's being left, so you can pick up the phone if it turns out to be something important.

Live Voicemail iOS 17
The voicemail is displayed right on your Lock Screen as the person on the other end speaks, which can help you avoid missed calls if it turns out an unknown number is a call from your doctor or another important person.

Live Voicemail can be somewhat confusing to people who are not familiar with the feature. Apple's default Live Voicemail wording tells people that "the person you're calling may pick up," which has led to instances where people have called iOS 17 users and waited for several minutes for the person with Live Voicemail to answer. It's essentially not clear that it's a standard voicemail sequence.

This can be avoided with a custom greeting recorded by opening up the Phone app, tapping on Voicemail, and then tapping on Greeting to make a new recording.

Live Voicemail can also be turned off in the Settings app by going to Phone > Live Voicemail and toggling it off.

Updated Call Log

A small but useful update to the call log lets you know if a missed call resulted in a voicemail. If so, you can tap that voicemail from the Recents interface.

ios 17 call log

Dual-SIM Upgrades

Those who use the Dual-SIM feature now have an option to create different ringtones for each SIM, and choose a SIM when calling back an unknown number. There's also an option to sort incoming messages based on SIM.

FaceTime

Audio and Video Messages

When you ‌FaceTime‌ someone and they aren't able to answer, you can leave a video or audio message depending on the call method you used. If you were using ‌FaceTime‌ video, you can leave a video message, and if you were using ‌FaceTime‌ audio, you can leave an audio message.

facetime video messages ios 17
After the missed call, you'll see a "Record Video" option, which will allow you to create a message. You'll see a preview of your video, and the option to re-record if it didn't turn out well. Once sent, the video message is in the ‌FaceTime‌ missed call log, where the person can watch the video and call you back.

Note that there is an option for people to save video messages to their Camera Roll, so keep that in mind when sending a video to someone.

FaceTime Reactions

The Messages app has had reactions that trigger with certain words for some time now, and in iOS 17, Apple is bringing reactions to ‌FaceTime‌. Rather than being triggered by words, though, the reactions are triggered by gestures.

ios 17 facetime effects
Gestures trigger on-screen effects like hearts, balloons, confetti, fireworks, and more, with the effects flooding the display over the ‌FaceTime‌ window.

  • Heart - Heart emoji
  • Thumbs up - Thumbs up emoji
  • Two thumbs up - Fireworks
  • Single thumbs down - Thumbs down emoji
  • Two thumbs down - Cloud
  • Peace sign with one hand - Balloons
  • Peace sign with two hands - Confetti
  • "Rock on" sign with two hands - Laser

While the reactions are triggered with gestures, you can also long press on your picture in ‌FaceTime‌ to bring up a list of options.

These reactions work by default in ‌FaceTime‌, and third-party apps can adopt the effects as well.

FaceTime on Apple TV

With iOS 17 and tvOS 17, you can use ‌FaceTime‌ on the ‌Apple TV‌. There's a new ‌FaceTime‌ app on tvOS 17, but to use it, you need an ‌iPhone‌ running iOS 17 or an iPad running iPadOS 17 to serve as the camera because the ‌Apple TV‌ doesn't have its own camera.

facetime apple tv
You can start a ‌FaceTime‌ call on the ‌Apple TV‌ or start one on the ‌iPhone‌ and hand it off to the ‌Apple TV‌. It's basically the same as ‌FaceTime‌ on an ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, or Mac, but with a much larger display. The ‌iPhone‌ will need to be placed near the TV for capturing your video, and the person you're FaceTiming with will be shown on the TV.

Center Stage is available to keep you in the frame as you move around, and you can handoff a call from the ‌Apple TV‌ to an iOS device if you need to move to another room, and vice versa.

Read More

More information on all of the new features in the iOS 17 update can be found in our iOS 17 roundup.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Apple is gearing up to provide developers with resources to create apps and experiences for the Apple Vision Pro headset, and yesterday, the company pushed out new backend assets for the Vision Pro.

apple vision pro
Code for updating the battery pack that powers the Vision Pro has been introduced, along with other visionOS assets needed for test versions of the device. Apple appears to have three different model numbers for Vision Pro batteries, including A2781, A2988, and A2697. It is not clear why there are three separate numbers when Apple has only announced two-hour battery life for the device, but there could be multiple battery packs in development or there could be additional battery options that will be used solely in Apple Stores for testing.

The code additions come ahead of when Apple plans to introduce development kits to select developers. Apple on its developer website says that it plans to introduce ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ developer kits and other developer tools starting in July, and there are less than two weeks left in the month.


Developer kits will help developers bring their creations to life directly on Vision Pro, according to Apple, providing the tools to quickly build, iterate, and test apps. Developers will be able to apply to get a kit.

Apple last offered a developer kit ahead of the launch of Apple silicon chips in 2020. Apple provided developers with a Mac mini that had an A-series chip so that developers could transition from Intel to Apple silicon. The ‌Mac mini‌ machines were priced at $500, and the Apple Developer Kits will also likely require a payment from developers.

Along with ‌‌Apple Vision Pro‌‌ developer kits, Apple says that it will offer ‌‌Apple Vision Pro‌‌ compatibility evaluations for existing apps and opportunities for developers to visit a Vision Pro developer lab that provides demonstrations of ‌visionOS‌, iPadOS, and iOS apps running on the headset. Labs will be available in Cupertino, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo.

Apple previously released the first visionOS beta in June, and Unity earlier this week released beta versions of Vision Pro game development tools. Apple is partnering with Unity on the "PolySpatial" development platform for visionOS that will allow developers to create and port 3D experiences to the Vision Pro headset.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we catch up on some of the latest major rumors about Apple's upcoming iPhone, iPad, and Mac models.


We talk over what upgrades Apple could bring to the next-generation iPad Air, when it will launch, the ‌iPad‌ lineup as a whole, and the current state of working with iPadOS. The first Macs with the M3 chip, including a refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro model, are now actively rumored to launch starting in October and we discuss what other machines we could expect to see. We also look at the rumor that the iPhone 15 lineup could be the first to feature stacked battery technology.

Next year's iPhone 16 Pro Max is now rumored to feature a super telephoto camera with a focal length beyond 300mm in addition to a 12% larger sensor, so we discuss the implications of these changes. We also review the new Beats Studio Pro headphones and how they compare to the AirPods Max.

Listen to The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. Watch a video version of the show on the MacRumors YouTube channel.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, where we discuss the new 24- and 32-inch iMac models that Apple is rumored to launch starting this year.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Andru Edwards, Kevin Nether, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Mark Gurman, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Sara Dietschy, Luke Miani, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, and Rene Ritchie. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover in the future.

Popular farming adventure game Stardew Valley+ is now available on Apple Arcade, with ‌Apple Arcade‌ subscribers able to play the title for free. Stardew Valley+ features the same open-ended farming gameplay as the original, with more than 50 hours of content plus mobile features like autosave and touch controls.

stardew valley apple arcade
Stardew Valley lets players improve upon an abandoned, overgrown plot of land, turning it into a thriving farm with crops, animals, and goods that generate money. Players can form relationships with the townspeople, solving villager quests and attending seasonal festivals.

There are caves to explore for resources, and monsters that drop treasure. Other features include dating events, fishing, clothing and hats to unlock, pets, and more. The ‌Apple Arcade‌ version of the game includes all of the content from recent updates.

Several other ‌Apple Arcade‌ games are getting new content today, with updates for MasterChef, SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit, Squiggle Drop, Illustrated, and Garden Tails.

‌Apple Arcade‌ is priced at $4.99 per month, and all members of a family sharing group can access ‌Apple Arcade‌ content at that price. ‌Apple Arcade‌ has more than 100 titles to play, none of which include any add-on purchases.

Google in May unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the Pixel Fold. We picked up a Pixel Fold and thought we'd check it out to see how it compares to Apple's latest iPhones.


The Pixel Fold has a display size of 7.6 inches when it is unfolded, but when collapsed, the cover display measures in at 5.8 inches. Both displays feature a refresh rate up to 120Hz, like the latest Pro iPhones. It has a strong hinge that works at any angle, and when closed, there's no gap in the hinge.

Size wise, the Pixel Fold is the perfect size for day to day use when folded thanks to the cover screen, and it's sized like the iPhone X for reference. At 7.6 inches unfolded, it's bigger than any smartphone but smaller than an iPad mini, so it is a nice in-between size that's neither too small nor too big.

There's a Google Tensor G2 processor inside, Google's analogue to the A-series chips that Apple designs. It features 12GB RAM and starts with 256GB of storage and a 4821mAh battery, so the hardware is not too far off of what Apple's offering. As for software, Google has been working on Android for foldable smartphones, but developers have not all adapted their Android apps for the form factor and it's noticeable.

Google included a 48-megapixel rear camera, the same as Apple's 14 Pro and Pro Max, which is okay, but nothing spectacular. It also has 10.8-megapixel telephoto and ultrawide cameras, along with a 9.5-megapixel front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel inner camera.

Rumors have suggested that Apple is experimenting with foldable smartphone technology, but so far work on such a device has not moved out of the early prototyping stage. There is no word on when Apple might come out with a folding ‌iPhone‌, but with the launch of the Pixel Fold, the major Android manufacturers all offer foldable smartphones.

The Pixel Fold is priced at $1,800, which is much higher priced than anything Apple offers. The steep price point for foldables may be one reason why Apple has yet to enter the market.

The week's best deals included all-time low prices on the M1 MacBook Air, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and iPad Air, and they're all still available to purchase right now. You can also save on a collection of Anker's best Bluetooth trackers, USB-C chargers, and more.

Hero0005Note: 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.

MacBook Air

macbook air pink

  • What's the deal? Take $249 off M1 MacBook Air
  • Where can I get it? Amazon
  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here

The best overall deal of the week is on the 256GB M1 MacBook Air, which is still available at its record low Prime Day price of $749.99 on Amazon, down from $999.00. All three colors of Gold, Silver, and Space Gray are on sale at this price.

Anker

anker pink

  • What's the deal? Save on Anker's best charging accessories
  • Where can I get it? Amazon
  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here



There are also still quite a few Anker discounts available on Amazon as we head into the weekend, including low prices on Eufy SmartTrackers, portable batteries, USB-C accessories, and more. Be sure to visit our original post for the full list.

MacBook Pro

macbook pro pink

  • What's the deal? Take $250 off 16-inch MacBook Pro
  • Where can I get it? Amazon
  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here


Later in the week, Amazon introduced fresh all-time low prices on Apple's M2 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro at $250 off select models. Prices start at $2,249.00 for the 512GB model and increase to $2,449.00 for the 1TB model.

iPad Air

ipad air pink

  • What's the deal? Take $99 off iPad Air
  • Where can I get it? Amazon
  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Note: You won't see the deal price until checkout.


Note: You won't see the deal price until checkout.

Amazon has a few solid deals on Apple's iPad Air, with $99 discounts on both the 64GB Wi-Fi ($499.99) and 256GB Wi-Fi ($649.99) models. Both sales require you to add the tablets to your cart and head to checkout in order to see the deal price appear.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple supplier TSMC has been working on building a chip manufacturing plant in Arizona where it plans to manufacture chips for Apple, but mass production is set to be delayed because of a worker shortage.

m1 4nm feature2
According to The Wall Street Journal, TSMC is finding it difficult to hire people with expertise in building semiconductor factories in the United States. TSMC may have to bring in experienced technicians temporarily from Taiwan, which would delay production of the first 4nm chips until 2025.

"We are now entering a critical phase of handling and installing the most advanced and dedicated equipment. However, we are encountering certain challenges," said TSMC Chairman Mark Liu.

Reports in November suggested that TSMC would use its Arizona plant to begin manufacturing 4-nanometer chips for Apple as soon as it opened in 2024. Apple and other suppliers are eager to be able to source chips from the United States, so the manufacturing delay could potentially impact Apple's 2024 device plans.

After manufacturing 4-nanometer chips, TSMC plans to build an adjacent facility that will produce more advanced 3-nanometer chips for Apple. Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 models and its future M3-series chips are expected to be built on TSMC's 3-nanometer node, but initial chips will come from Taiwan factories.

Tag: TSMC

Apple is currently running a summer-themed promotion where customers can save on purchases made at Ray-Ban, Sonic, Gymboree, HotelTonight, Sunglass Hut, PacSun, and select other retailers when they pay with Apple Pay. The offers are available through July 26, so there is around one week remaining to take advantage of the discounts.

Apple Pay Feature
The offers are available on each participating retailer's website or app on Apple devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Most of the discounts require entering promo code APPLEPAY at checkout, and more details can be found on Apple's website.

"Enjoy exclusive online offers on summer styles, hotels, events, and more when you shop with Apple Pay," says Apple. Some of the offers available include 30% off custom Ray-Ban sunglasses, 10% off a hotel reservation placed in the HotelTonight app, and a half-priced SuperSONIC Double Cheeseburger in the Sonic app.

Apple Pay is available in over 80 countries and territories, including Vietnam starting today, but most of these discounts are valid in the U.S. only.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Apple is running into difficulties with iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max display manufacturing, which could lead to a limited number of devices being available at launch in September.

iPhone 15 Pro Two Volume Buttons and Titanium Feature Blue Green
Rumors have suggested that the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max will have slimmer bezels than the iPhone 14 Pro models, and it is this decrease in bezel size that is creating issues.

According to The Information, Apple suppliers are using a new display manufacturing process to shrink the bezel size, and it is causing problems with displays made by LG Display. Apple had a similar problem with the Apple Watch Series 7 display size increase in 2019, and that device was delayed by about a month.

The LG displays are failing reliability tests during a process where the display is fused to the metal shell. Apple is tweaking the design of the LG display so it can pass the tests, and it still has displays from Samsung that it can use for assembly.

The Information does not believe that Apple will delay the launch of the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, but will instead have fewer units available at launch, leading to shortages. The manufacturing issue will hit the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max the hardest, and it sounds like it will be the device that will be most difficult to get at launch.

It is not unusual for at least one ‌iPhone‌ model to be in short supply, and there have been launch situations where the ‌iPhone‌ models sell out entirely and people are left waiting for months for Apple to ramp up production and meet demand. In this situation, Apple will likely see its profit margins impacted and its holiday quarter revenue lower than expected.

Earlier today, a report from Bank of America global securities analyst Wamsi Mohan suggested that Apple's ‌iPhone 15‌ devices could be delayed by a "few weeks," but he did not provide a reason for the delay. It sounds like he heard hints of the display manufacturing issue and figured it would lead to a delayed October launch, but The Information thinks Apple will still launch in September as expected.

The Information claims that the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models are now at the "risk ramp" manufacturing stage at Foxconn, with the company testing how reliably the devices can be built without defects. Mass production is expected to begin in August.

Popular accessory maker Nomad today announced the reintroduction of the ChargeKey, a classic Nomad product that has been updated with a new look and with 2023 performance standards.

nomad chargekey
The ChargeKey is a pocketable charger that attaches to a keychain. It features magnetic tips that connect to one another when the ChargeKey is not in use, and then when needed, the two halves fold out into a small charging cable with a durable, braided design. When folded, the ChargeKey is 7.6cm long, and when unfolded, it is 12cm.

There's a USB-C version of the ChargeKey with two USB-C connectors for charging an iPad, Mac, or future USB-C iPhone with a USB-C power adapter, and there's also a Lightning version with a Lightning connector for the iPhone and a USB-C end that connects to a computer or power adapter. It can fast charge an ‌iPhone‌ up to 20W with an appropriate power adapter.

Back when Nomad launched in 2013, the ChargeKey was one of its first products. The old version was available with Lightning and microUSB, compared to the new version with USB-C connectivity. We were able to test out the ChargeKey ahead of launch, and it is an ideal portable charger for use when you need a cable on the go. It should stand up well to abuse with its braided cable.

Nomad's Lightning ChargeKey is priced at $35, and the USB-C ChargeKey is priced at $25.

Tag: Nomad

Apple will likely release the second-generation HomePod and the HomePod mini in Israel soon, as the iOS 16.6 Release Candidate adds Hebrew support for Siri on the HomePod, according to Israeli website The Verifier. Apple does not have an online store or retail stores in Israel, so the speakers would be sold at authorized resellers in the country.

homepod mini thumb feature
The website notes that Apple has been allowing select users in Israel to test Hebrew support for Siri on HomePods, which is something it has done before in some other countries where the speakers eventually launched. It's unclear exactly when HomePods will launch in Israel, but availability will likely begin in the coming months.

Apple first released the HomePod mini in October 2020 in the U.S. and select other countries, and the speaker and has not received any major hardware upgrades since. New color options launched in November 2021, and the speaker's temperature and humidity sensor was enabled earlier this year. The second-generation HomePod launched in January, nearly two years after Apple had discontinued the original full-sized model.

Apple launched the HomePod and HomePod mini in Chile, Singapore, and Denmark earlier this year, and in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and South Africa late last year.

Related Roundups: HomePod, HomePod mini

After speaking with supply chain companies in Asia, Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O'Malley believe that Apple is no longer planning to launch a fourth-generation iPhone SE in 2024. In a research note today, the analysts said the device was expected to feature an Apple-designed 5G modem, but the plans appear to be delayed.

iphone se 4 modified flag edges
Apple has reportedly been planning its own modem since at least 2018, and acquired the majority of Intel's smartphone modem business in 2019 to bolster these efforts. However, the analysts said Qualcomm could remain Apple's modem supplier for both the iPhone SE and the iPhone 16 lineup through next year, as it appears Apple's modem is not ready yet.

In February, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the next iPhone SE would have a similar design as the standard iPhone 14, suggesting that the device would have a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, and flat edges. However, since the new iPhone SE has reportedly been pushed back, Apple's plans for the device could change over time.

Kuo and multiple other sources do not expect the next iPhone SE to launch until 2025 at the earliest, so it would appear that the current model remains a safe buy for now. Released in March 2022, the third-generation iPhone SE features a 4.7-inch LCD display, Touch ID, 5G, a 12-megapixel rear camera, and the A15 Bionic chip. The device starts at $429 in the U.S., making it the most affordable iPhone model in Apple's lineup.

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Last week during Prime Day, Amazon introduced a new all-time low price on the 2020 13.3-inch M1 MacBook Air. This deal has been unavailable since the event ended, but today Amazon brought back the record low price of $749.99 for the 256GB M1 MacBook Air, down from $999.00.

M1 MacBook Air Deals Feature CoolNote: 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 notebook in all three colors of Gold, Silver, and Space Gray at this price. They all have an estimated delivery date of July 21 for Prime members, and this sale has been automatically applied so no coupon codes are necessary this time around.

There are many internal and external differences between the 13.3-inch M1 MacBook Air and the newer 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch M2 MacBook Air models, but as an entry-level computer the M1 device should work great for common tasks, especially at this all-time low pricing. You can read our guide to get a better look at all the similarities and differences between the generations.

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

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Apple plans to add Wi-Fi 6E support to some of its latest iPhones, according to a research note today from Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O'Malley. Wi-Fi 6E is rumored to be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to stick with regular Wi-Fi 6.

iPhone 15 Pro Two Volume Buttons and Titanium Feature Blue Green
Wi-Fi 6E will allow for faster and more reliable wireless connectivity on iPhone 15 Pro models. Below, we have shared more details about the standard.

What is Wi-Fi 6E?

Wi-Fi 6 operates on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, while Wi-Fi 6E also works over the 6GHz band for increased bandwidth. Wi-Fi 6E offers faster wireless speeds, lower latency, and less signal interference, so long as a supported device is connected to a Wi-Fi 6E router, which are available from brands like TP-Link, Asus, and Netgear.

Apple has a support document with some additional details about Wi-Fi 6E.

Apple Devices With Wi-Fi 6E

Apple has already added Wi-Fi 6E to a handful of iPad Pro and Mac models since last year:

  • 11-inch iPad Pro (2022)
  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2022)
  • 14-inch MacBook Pro (2023)
  • 16-inch MacBook Pro (2023)
  • Mac mini (2023)
  • Mac Studio (2023)
  • Mac Pro (2023)

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max would be the first iPhones with Wi-Fi 6E support, as the iPhone 14 lineup is limited to regular Wi-Fi 6.