MacRumors

Black Friday deals are in full swing today, with the year's best prices available for AirPods and iPad right now. Major deals have also arrived for the new Apple Watch Series 9 on Amazon, which has nearly every model at all-time low prices.

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.

Prices start at $329.00 for the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 9 and $359.00 for the 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 9. Both of these are $70 discounts and new record low prices on these new 2023 wearables, and you'll find the exact same $70 markdowns on cellular devices.

• Series 9 41mm GPS - $329.00, down from $399.00
• Series 9 45mm GPS - $359.00, down from $429.00
• Series 9 41mm Cellular - $429.00, down from $499.00
• Series 9 45mm Cellular - $459.00, down from $529.00

If you want a cheaper Apple Watch, Amazon has the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE for $189.00, down from $249.00. This is another all-time low price, and we're tracking multiple best-ever prices across the Apple Watch SE lineup.

• Apple Watch SE 40mm GPS - $189.00, down from $249.00
• Apple Watch SE 44mm GPS - $219.00, down from $279.00
• Apple Watch SE 40mm Cellular - $239.00, down from $299.00
• Apple Watch SE 44mm Cellular - $269.00, down from $329.00

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2023.

A massive discount has arrived for Apple's 9th generation iPad on Amazon, which has the 64GB Wi-Fi tablet for $229.99, down from $329.00.

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

This is the lowest price we've ever tracked for the 9th generation iPad, and Amazon has it in both Silver and Space Gray. The latter color does appear to have somewhat dwindling stock as of writing.

If you want a bit more storage, you'll find a similar $99 discount on the 256GB model. It's available for $379.99, down from $479.00 on Amazon.

This 2021 iPad lacks the design changes that arrived in the 10th generation models, but at this $99 discount it's a great entry-level tablet for kids or family members who don't need a Pro-level tablet.

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2023.

It's almost Black Friday, and tons of deals kicked off today ahead of the biggest shopping week of the year. This includes steep markdowns on Apple's AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C.

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 AirPods 2 for $79.99 at Amazon, down from $129.00. These were about $10 cheaper earlier in the month, but that sale hasn't returned and at $79.99, this is still a solid second-best price on the cheapest AirPods model.

Secondly, Amazon has the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C for $189.99, down from $249.00. This is the first time the new AirPods Pro model have returned to their all-time low price in a few weeks.

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2023.

Raise your hand if you thought Apple was going to decide to support RCS messaging to enable better communication with green-bubble folks!

That was certainly the biggest story of the week, but there was plenty more news including rumors about the timing of app sideloading support for users in the EU, developments coming in iOS 18, and a welcome change in watchOS 10.2 for swapping watch faces. Black Friday sales are also now in full swing, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Apple to Adopt RCS Messaging Standard for Better Interoperability With Android Devices

In a bit of shocking news this week, Apple announced that it will add support for the Rich Communication Standard (RCS) standard "later next year," allowing for better messaging interoperability with Android devices.

Apple has long resisted adopting the successor to SMS and MMS messaging amid intense pressure from Google and Android device manufacturers, and it's unclear exactly what has changed Apple's mind other than perhaps ongoing pressure from regulators on various aspects of the company's business.

While RCS will remain separate from iMessage, it will bring a number of advancements for communication between Apple and Android users, including enhanced security, higher-resolution photos and videos, audio messages, and much-improved group chats.

iPhone 16 Series Rumored to Have These 17 New Features

It's still only November, but we’ve been hearing about a decent number of potential upgrades for next year's flagship iPhone lineup.

From bigger displays on the Pro models to camera improvements and more, it looks like 2024 should be a good year for those who are ready to make the jump to a new iPhone.

iPhone App Sideloading Coming to Users in the EU in First Half of 2024

iPhone users in the EU next year will be able to download apps hosted outside of Apple's official App Store to comply with European regulations, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Writing in the latest subscriber edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman said Apple will introduce a "highly controlled system" that lets EU users install apps hosted elsewhere. Apple also will reportedly alter Messages and payment apps as part of the changes, likely via a localized iOS 17 update.

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now: AirPods, iPhone, iPad, and More

We're less than a week away from Black Friday, but deals have been in full swing since October so we are firmly in holiday shopping season where you can get great deals across Apple products and accessories.

We're keeping track of the best deals on Apple products and related accessories, so be sure to check out our ongoing coverage throughout the rest of this month and into December.

AI-Infused iOS 18 Lauded as 'Ambitious and Compelling' by Apple Execs

Apple internally believes its iOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, and tvOS 18 updates next year will be "ambitious and compelling," thanks to major new software features and designs in the works. That's according to the latest information relayed by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.

While little is known about the specifics, many of the changes are believed to involve generative AI, including a smarter version of Siri that takes the virtual assistant's integration with the operating systems to a new level.

watchOS 10.2 Beta Reintroduces Option to Change Apple Watch Faces With a Swipe

As part of Apple's revamp of the Apple Watch interface with watchOS 10, the company did away with the ability to quickly change watch faces with a simple swipe.

While some users were relieved to no longer find themselves accidentally changing faces, others have been upset that changing faces now requires multiple steps.

With the latest watchOS 10.2 beta seeded this week, Apple is seeking to satisfy both groups, bringing back the swipe gesture to change watch faces but making it an optional setting. watchOS 10.2 is expected to see a public release next month.

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Apple is pausing all of its advertising on social network X, formerly known as Twitter, reports Axios. The decision comes following antisemitic remarks that Musk made on Wednesday.

After advertisers fled from X after Musk's takeover of the social network, Apple continued to pay for ad spots, and has been one of the Twitter's largest ad partners. Back in March, Musk thanked Apple for its support, calling the company one of Twitter's "biggest advertisers."

Apple did temporarily pause ads on Twitter back in November 2022, which spurred Musk to lash out and ask if Apple hated "free speech." Musk also said that Apple had threatened to remove Twitter from the App Store, and said that he would "make an alternative phone" if the social network was ultimately pulled.

The dispute was resolved after Musk met with Cook at Apple Park later that year, after which Musk claimed that Apple had in fact never threatened to remove Twitter from the ‌App Store‌ and that it was a "misunderstanding." Musk ultimately called it a "good conversation," and after that point, Apple "fully resumed" advertising. Reports in 2022 suggested Apple was spending more than $100 million per year on Twitter ads.

With Musk's latest comments, and evidence that X is showing Apple ads alongside pro-Hitler content, it is unclear if Apple will be convinced to resume advertising again sometime in the future. Apple CEO Tim Cook in September said that Apple is "constantly" evaluating whether Apple should be buying ads on the social network.

Apple is not the only company pulling out of Twitter ads. IBM said this week that it is pulling ads, and the European Union also no longer plans to advertise on the social network. The White House earlier today condemned Musk's comments, and X employees told The New York Times that it has been fielding calls from other companies upset with Musk.

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.

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the widely rumored array of AI features heading for iOS 18 and Apple's other major software updates in 2024.

Supply chain checks suggest that Apple is building servers to deliver cloud-based AI in late 2024, as well as locally-processed "edge-AI." The company is reportedly planning to debut a "smarter" version of Siri based on its own large language model (LLM) next year that can understand complex questions and auto-complete sentences more effectively, as well as integrate with the Shortcuts app for complex multi-step tasks.

Apple is said to be working on adding AI to as many apps as possible, including features in Apple Music, such as auto-generated playlists, and productivity apps like Pages and Keynote, where AI could assist with writing or creating slide decks. The iPhone 16 lineup is also rumored to feature exclusive AI capabilities, and the company is even rumored to be looking into how generative AI could be used to aid AppleCare.

The MacRumors Show is now on its own YouTube channel, so head over and subscribe to keep up with new episodes and clips going forward:

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If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about the current state of gaming in Apple's ecosystem with TouchArcade's Jared Nelson and Eli Hodapp.

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

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For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with ColorWare to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a set of custom-painted second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB-C port. Apple in September discontinued the Lightning-based version of the AirPods Pro 2 and instead swapped over to USB-C, and ColorWare is already able to make them in unique colors

ColorWare has been offering custom-painted Apple products and accessories for more than two decades now, and this is the company to go with if you want AirPods or Apple devices in shades that are less boring than Apple's default colors.

All of ColorWare's products come in hundreds of unique color combinations, and it customizes AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, AirTags, Magic Mouse, and accessories like consoles and controllers from companies like Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony.

Custom second-generation AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C port are available from ColorWare for $439, a price that includes colorization for both of the AirPods and the accompanying USB-C MagSafe Charging Case. If you just want to customize the earbuds, that can be done for $389.

There's a premium price tag for ordering from ColorWare, but with AirPods Pro 2 only available in white, this is the sole way to get AirPods in black, red, blue, orange, or dozens of other colors. With the holidays coming up, custom AirPods are a unique gift you won't find elsewhere.

ColorWare also has a multi-step coating process that includes a primer, the application of a proprietary color formula, and an X2 liquid plastic coating that protects the color. Custom painting is guaranteed for 12 months.

You can get both solid and metallic paint options from ColorWare, along with gloss and matte finishes depending on personal preference. There are traditional silver, gray, and gold colors that match Apple devices, but colors in every shade of the rainbow are available too.

Each AirPod can be painted the same color as the case, or you can get the case and the earbuds all in different colors, which leads to thousands of color combinations to chose from.

ColorWare even offers custom colors like the "CowPods Pro" that features a case with a cow print, or the black holographic Supernova set.

To create its custom accessories, ColorWare uses standard second-generation AirPods Pro with USB-C case directly from Apple, which means the full AirPods functionality is intact.

We have two sets of custom AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C port to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (November 17) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on November 24. The winners will be chosen randomly on or shortly after November 24 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Apple is preparing to begin supporting digital car keys in the Wallet app for certain MINI vehicles, allowing owners to lock, unlock, and start their vehicles using a pass stored in the Wallet app on the iPhone or Apple Watch.

MINI's parent company BMW was the first manufacturer to launch digital car keys in Wallet back in 2020, but it wasn't until earlier today that Apple Pay configuration files were updated to specifically list MINI among supported brands, as spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.

Several months ago, MINI unveiled its next-generation MINI Operating System 9, which includes MINI Digital Key Plus. The feature will support Ultra Wideband on both iOS and Android, allowing the user to access the vehicle without having to remove their phone from their pocket or bag.

MINI Operating System 9 will run on the auto industry's first large circular OLED display known as the MINI Interaction Unit, a customizable 9.4-inch screen mounted prominently in the center of the dashboard with colorful and immersive themes available to help personalize the vehicle.

The new MINI Interaction Unit with MINI Operating System 9 and MINI Digital Key Plus recently debuted in the new all-electric MINI Cooper and MINI Countryman, with both vehicles launching next year.

Apple today filed a legal challenge against the European Union's Digital Markets Act ahead of the impending requirement to enable app sideloading on its devices (via Reuters).

The Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect on November 1, 2022, requires "gatekeeper" companies to open up their services and platforms to other companies and developers. The DMA will have a significant impact on Apple's platforms and it could result in the company being forced to make major changes to the ‌App Store‌, Messages, FaceTime, Siri, and more. For example, Apple will be obliged to enable users to "sideload" apps from outside the ‌App Store‌. The company appears to have already put preparations in place to acquiesce to this demand in early 2024.

Apple's new legal case takes issue with specific decisions taken by the European Commission under the DMA, but the exact details of the challenge have not yet been publicized. The case is expected to include an argument against the ‌App Store‌ being included on the EU's list of gatekeeper platforms, which requires app sideloading to be an option to allow users to avoid the ‌App Store‌ if they wish. In a statement at the time, Apple told Bloomberg, "We remain very concerned about the privacy and data security risks the DMA poses for our users." Meta and TikTok have filed similar appeals disputing the European Commission's inclusion of their services.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple plans to bring OLED display technology to nine new devices by 2027, according to a new report from Korea's ETNews.

Following the introduction of OLED displays on both iPad Pro models next year, Apple reportedly plans to bring the technology to the iPad mini and iPad Air in 2026. While the ‌iPad Air‌ will retain a 10.9-inch display, the ‌iPad mini‌'s screen will grow from 8.3- to 8.7-inches in size. In 2027, Apple will bring OLED display technology to the rumored 12.9-inch iPad Air model, which is expected to debut with an LCD display early next year.

Apple apparently plans to use a low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panel for the ‌iPad Pro‌ and a single-stack low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panel for the ‌iPad mini‌ and ‌iPad Air‌, meaning that ProMotion for refresh rates up to 120Hz will continue to be exclusive to the high-end models.

In 2027, Apple will upgrade the ‌iPad Pro‌'s OLED panels to a next-generation panel with improved light efficiency via Color Filter on Encapsulation (CoE), which is said to reduce power consumption by around 20%. Use of a color filter could also enable Apple to implement under-display camera technology on the iPad for the first time.

In 2025, Apple will purportedly bring OLED to the 16-inch MacBook Pro, followed by the 14-inch model in 2026. The 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models will also transition from LCD to OLED in 2026.

Benefits of OLED include increased brightness, higher contrast ratio, greater color accuracy, and lower power consumption compared to existing models with LCD panels. Apple already uses OLED displays for the iPhone and Apple Watch models, with the exception of the ‌iPhone‌ SE. The report notes that OLED panels are also thinner and lighter than LCDs, which offer particular benefits to the ‌iPad‌.

Signify has released new Philips Hue Contact Sensor firmware that adds support for Apple HomeKit, reports Hueblog.com.

Previously the indoor sensors could only be controlled through the Philips Hue app's Security Center. Now, after updating to the new firmware (1961076030), they appear in the Home app, where users can use the "open" and "closed" status of the sensors to create automations and control other HomeKit devices that are not connected to the Philips Hue Bridge.

Released in September, the Philips Hue Secure Contact Sensor can be applied to doors, windows, cabinets, and more, sending notifications when the contact sensor is opened or closed. Users can remotely activate an alarm that flashes the lights, sounds a siren, and contacts local authorities, plus there are options for customizing camera settings.

As with Philips Hue Secure cameras, the sensors can be linked to lights to activate them when the sensor is triggered, so they can be used for things like turning on the lights in the bathroom when the door is opened.

Philips Hue Secure Contact Sensors are priced at $40 for one or $70 for a two-pack, and various mounts and other add-on hardware can be purchased for $15 to $50. More information is available on the Hue website.

Apple appears to have originally designed an Apple Watch Ultra with a dark ceramic back, according to documents filed with the United States Federal Communications Commission and spotted by @ParrotSWD on X, formerly Twitter (via 9to5Mac).

When releasing a new device, tech hardware companies must share details with the FCC, which Apple did for the Apple Watch Ultra prior to its release in September 2022.

In the document, Apple appears to have used an Apple Watch Ultra with a darker, almost black ceramic rear case – similar to Apple Watch Series models – and a plastic-looking Action button with no indent. These design attributes did not make it into the final release.

Often in filings of this type, external photos and other sensitive details are subject to a confidentiality clause with an expiry date, so it is likely that the clause in this one recently expired, hence why the images have only just come to light.

Apple currently offers the Apple Watch Ultra 2, released in September 2023, in the same natural titanium color as the first-generation model. Prior to launch, some rumors suggested Apple could release a new darker color option that was originally tested for the previous model but ultimately canceled. It didn't happen.

Sonos today announced plans to expand into a new "multi-billion dollar" product category in 2024, which is widely believed to be headphones. Sonos CEO Patrick Spence declined to give specific details on the company's plans, but he said that the new product will "complement" current Sonos devices and will "delight customers and drive immediate revenue."

Spence said that Sonos believes it will generate more than $100 million from new products in 2024, and the new product will account for a "large portion" of this revenue in the second half of the year.

There have been rumors for years now that Sonos intends to enter the headphone market with a pair of wireless headphones that could be similar in design to over-ear headphones like the AirPods Max. Sonos has never confirmed its work on headphones, but a leaked internal memo that was obtained by Bloomberg earlier today confirmed that the company does indeed have a headphone division.

Right now, Sonos develops wireless speakers, soundbars, and other home theater devices, so headphones seem to be a logical next step for the company. As Sonos manufactures higher-end devices, the first headphones could perhaps be designed to compete with over-ear headphones from companies like Bose, Sony, Sennheiser, Shure, and Bowers & Wilkins, but Sonos could also target the AirPods market.

Bloomberg in 2019 said that Sonos was targeting a $300 price point and was focusing on features like audio quality and multi-service interoperability, but it has been several years since new details emerged.

Sonos speakers already compete with Apple's speakers, so a set of headphones that serve as an alternative to ‌AirPods Max‌ and Beats would not be a surprise. At this point, little is known about Sonos' plans for the headphones, and there is no specific launch date that has been shared.

Last week, Amazon introduced the first major discounts on the Apple Watch Series 9. Today, these deals have returned and offer some of the best Black Friday deals around with $50 off nearly every Series 9 device, starting at $349.00 for the 41mm GPS model, down from $399.00.

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.

Apple launched the Series 9 models back in September, and early on the steepest discounts were about $10-15. Amazon's Black Friday deals are blowing those early markdowns out of the water, and they include both GPS and cellular models. This time around, the 41mm GPS device is available in two Aluminum models, as well as in both S/M and M/L fits.

Amazon also has the 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 9 for $379.00, down from $429.00. It's available in four Aluminum color options, both S/M and M/L fits, and this is another record low price on the smartwatch.

Cellular Apple Watch Series 9 deals are just as abundant on Amazon right now. You can get the 41mm Cellular model for $449.00 and the 45mm Cellular model for $479.00, both of which are $50 discounts and all-time low prices. You'll find all five Aluminum options on sale at these prices, as well as multiple size options.

Anyone shopping for Apple Watch deals should head to our dedicated guide for the Best Early Black Friday Apple Watch Deals. Right now, this also includes a record low price on the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE (2022), priced at $219.99, down from $279.00.

If you're starting your holiday shopping this week, we've got you covered with even more guides for the best early Black Friday deals for AirPods, iPhone, HomePod, and iPad. We've also been keeping an eye on the best overall Apple deals in the lead-up to November 24. All of these guides will be updated as the month continues, so be sure to bookmark and revisit to stay up-to-date on the best prices for the products you have an eye on.

Additionally, we're tracking all of the season's best deals in our dedicated Black Friday Roundup. Our roundup mainly focuses on Apple products and related tech accessories, so it's another good resource for your online holiday shopping.

Apple is continuing to run into troubles in its attempt to develop a 5G modem to replace Qualcomm's 5G modems in the iPhone and other products, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Apple in 2019 acquired the majority of Intel's smartphone business and started in on a serious effort to develop its own modem hardware, but the project has suffered multiple setbacks. Apple is still "years away" from creating a chip that is able to perform as well as or better than chips from rival Qualcomm.

The Cupertino company initially wanted to have an in-house modem chip ready to go by 2024, a goal that could not be met, and now Gurman says that Apple is also going to miss an extended spring 2025 launch timeline. As of now, the modem chip launch has been postponed until the end of 2025 or early 2026, and Apple is still planning to introduce the technology in a version of the low-cost ‌iPhone‌ SE.

Development on a modem chip is said to be in the early stages, and it "may lag behind the competition by years." One version in development does not support faster mmWave technology, and Apple has also run into issues with the Intel code that it has been working with. Rewrites have been required, and adding new features has been causing existing features to break, plus Apple has to be careful not to infringe on Qualcomm patents while developing the chip.

"Why we thought we could take a failed project from Intel and somehow succeed is a mystery," an Apple employee allegedly told Gurman. Apple's hardware technologies group is also said to be "stretched thin" across numerous projects, leading to difficulty resolving bugs.

Apple's dissatisfaction with Qualcomm surfaced in 2017, which is when Apple sued Qualcomm for unfairly collecting royalties for technologies it had nothing to do with. Apple was of the opinion that Qualcomm was charging too much for its modem chip technology.

With the ‌iPhone‌ 11 lineup, Apple was able to opt out of using Qualcomm chips, instead equipping iPhones with chips from Intel, but the relationship between Intel and Apple was short lived. After the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ 11, Apple wanted to continue to use Intel chips for its first 5G iPhones, the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models, but Intel could not manufacture 5G chips that were up to Apple's standards.

Apple was instead forced to settle its legal dispute with Qualcomm, and all litigation was dropped. The two companies signed a new contract, which was extended in September 2023. The latest deal with Qualcomm covers smartphone launches in 2024, 2025, and 2026, and will last through Apple's delayed modem chip development.

While Apple's in-house modem chip has been delayed, the company is continuing development because it is eager to end its expensive deal with Qualcomm. Apple's first modem chip will be a standalone chip, but the company hopes to eventually develop a system-on-a-chip that will also cut out suppliers like Broadcom and give it more control over component development.

The way vehicles take advantage of new connectivity standards could be improving in the near future, leading to updates on how smartphones like the iPhone control cars.

This month, the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) and the FiRa Consortium that oversees the development of the Ultra-wideband (UWB) standard, announced a partnership for the future development of UWB features used for the CCC Digital Key function.

Apple is a member of both the CCC and FiRa. The CCC's Digital Key specification has been adopted by Apple for its Car Keys feature that allows the ‌iPhone‌ and the Apple Watch to unlock compatible vehicles over NFC. Select BMW, Kia, Hyundai, Mercedes, and Genesis vehicles work with Car Keys, but Apple undoubtedly wants to expand adoption.

The CCC and FiRa Consortiums will work together to "develop and maintain" the UWB technology specifications used for the Digital Key standard that serves as the basis for ‌Car Keys‌ on Apple devices. Apple engineer Jinjing Jiang will oversee the joint effort.

The partnership is expected to encourage broader adoption of UWB technology use in vehicles. As of now, UWB is used for the Digital Key standard to relay how close a user is to their vehicle, allowing a smartphone or wearable to be used for vehicle access or to start the car when at the appropriate range.

Apple uses UWB for the ‌iPhone‌, Apple Watch, and AirTag. UWB enables more precise location awareness and it powers features like Precision Finding for the ‌AirTag‌.

Along with Apple, CCC members include most vehicle manufacturers like Ford, BMW, GM, Honda, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and more, while FiRa members include Apple, Google, Qualcomm, Cisco, Samsung, NXP, and more.

After years of persuading from Google, Apple plans to adopt the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard. An Apple spokesperson told TechRadar and 9to5Mac that support for ‌RCS‌ will be coming next year.

Later next year, we will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association. We believe the RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS. This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users.

According to Apple, ‌RCS‌ will "work alongside iMessage" and will improve communication between iPhone and Android users. iMessage will continue to be the default for ‌iPhone‌ to ‌iPhone‌ communication, with ‌RCS‌ serving as a replacement for the existing SMS and MMS standards. SMS and MMS will remain available as a fallback when necessary, though.

Rich Communication Services is a communication protocol adopted by Google. Smartphone makers and carriers worldwide have adopted ‌RCS‌, but Apple has been resisting its adoption. Google has been pushing Apple to accept RCS through a long-running ad campaign involving billboards, a website, social media pressure, and more.

Google has had a "Get the Message" website since August 2022, with the site calling on Apple to "fix what's broken" in texts between ‌iPhone‌ and Android users. Earlier this year, even Samsung got into the PR campaign, publishing a bizarre ad where "Romeo" with his green bubbles and "Juliet" with her blue bubbles were unable to be together because of Apple's hesitation to adopt ‌RCS‌.

"Green bubbles and blue bubbles want to be together," read Samsung's ad, which also included the #GetTheMessage hashtag Google used for its social media push.

Compared to MMS and SMS, the standards that Apple uses for text messages, ‌RCS‌ supports higher resolution photos and videos, audio messages, and bigger file sizes. It also adds improved encryption for chats between ‌iPhone‌ and Android users, cross-platform emoji reactions, and more reliability for group chats across different devices.

With ‌RCS‌, real-time typing indicators, read receipts, better photos and videos, and much improved group chats will be standard on iPhones and Android phones, putting an end to the frustration that some ‌iPhone‌ users experience when attempting to communicate with Android smartphone owners. Apple claims that while ‌RCS‌ improves security for cross-device messaging, it is not as secure as iMessage.

According to Apple, ‌RCS‌ will provide users with the option to share their location with others inside text threads over text messages, and like iMessage, ‌RCS‌ will work over Wi-Fi in addition to cellular.

Back in September 2022, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that adopting ‌RCS‌ was not a priority for Apple. "I don't hear our users asking that we put a lot of energy into that at this point," he said. It is not clear why Apple has changed its stance, but the company is facing regulatory scrutiny over the App Store, iMessage, and other proprietary technologies in multiple countries, so adopting ‌RCS‌ could be seen as a willingness to work with other companies to improve device interoperability.

The European Union, for example, has been working on legislation that would have required Apple to make changes to iMessage to make it available on other platforms. With ‌RCS‌, iMessage will no longer have as many benefits that are unavailable cross-platform.

Going forward, Apple plans to work with Google and other Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) members on further improving ‌RCS‌. ‌RCS‌ support will be introduced in a software update next year, and carriers will need to implement support for full functionality. In the United States, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T already support ‌RCS‌.

Samsung's 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 has hit a new all-time low price today on Amazon, available for $399.99, down from $699.99. This is the newest M80C model of the Smart Monitor, and the only color Amazon has at this price is Warm White.

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 will need to clip an on-page coupon worth $100 in order to see this discounted price applied at the checkout screen. You'll also need to be sure that you're purchasing the monitor from Amazon and not any other seller, as Amazon is the only one with the $100 on-page coupon code. If you follow the link below and don't see the code, navigate to "other sellers" tab on the right side of the page on Amazon and find the direct Amazon listing.

Once you do, you'll be able to buy the iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 with this massive $300 discount, which is a new all-time low price.

Samsung launched this refreshed version of the Smart Monitor M8 back in June, including updates like HDR10+ support and a portrait orientation option.

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2023.

Update: This deal has expired, but you can still get the monitor for $499.99 on Amazon.