MacRumors

Apple today announced the launch of a new multiview feature for the Apple TV 4K, which is designed to allow MLS Season Pass and Friday Night Baseball fans to watch multiple sports games at the same time.

‌Apple TV‌ 4K owners can watch up to four simultaneous sports streams, including Major League Soccer matches, Friday Night Baseball games, and some MLS and MLB live shows like MLS 360 and MLB Big Inning.

The customizable multiview experience in the ‌Apple TV‌ app lets users see available live games at the bottom of the screen, and they can select the games that they want to watch. There are multiple layout options available for two matches and for matches, along with audio control preferences. Swapping back to one screen can be done with a click.

Though Apple does not mention it, multiview sports could require tvOS 16.5, as the feature has been active during the tvOS 16.5 beta testing period. tvOS 16.5 is available as of today.

Apple today released watchOS 9.5, the fifth major update to the watchOS 9 operating system. watchOS 9.5 comes over a month after the release of watchOS 9.4.

watchOS 9.5 can be downloaded for free through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by opening it up and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌‌‌.

The watchOS 9.5 update adds the Pride Celebration watch face to match the 2023 Pride band, and it includes unspecified bug fixes.

We expect watchOS 9.5 to be one of the final updates to watchOS 9, as Apple will soon shift its focus to watchOS 10, the new version of watchOS that will be unveiled at WWDC in June.

Apple today released tvOS 16.5, the fifth major update to the tvOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. Available for the Apple TV 4K and the ‌Apple TV‌ HD, tvOS 16.5 comes over a month after the launch of tvOS 16.4.

tvOS 16.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌ by going to System > Software Update. If you have automatic software updates turned on, you will be upgraded to tvOS 16.5 automatically.

With tvOS 16.5, Apple is introducing a multi-view sports feature that will allow ‌Apple TV‌ users to stream up to four sports games simultaneously with a four-quadrant screen layout. Multi-view sports works with MLB Friday Night Baseball games and MLS Season Pass matches. The grid view can be enabled by selecting the grid icon above the timeline bar and then choosing the "More Matches" button, and volume for one game can be played at once, with swapping available using the ‌Apple TV‌ Remote.

There are no other notable features in tvOS 16.5 that we know of, but Apple will outline the changes in the update in its tvOS support document.

Alongside the iOS 16.5, iPadOS 16.5, tvOS 16.5, and macOS Ventura 13.4 updates, Apple has released new 16.5 software created for the HomePod and HomePod mini.

According to Apple's release notes, the update adds stability and performance improvements to the ‌HomePod‌.

‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ software is installed automatically on the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌ unless the feature is disabled‌‌‌‌, but the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ can also be manually updated in the Home app by following the instructions in our HomePod‌‌ update how to.

Georgia has become the fourth U.S. state to allow residents to add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age.

Back in March, we noted that the feature has been slow to roll out since it was first announced in September 2021. As of March, the only three states to support it were Arizona, Maryland, and Colorado.

To add an ID to the ‌iPhone‌, Georgia residents can tap the "+" button in the top-right corner of the Wallet app and follow the on-screen instructions. Georgia's FAQ on the feature notes that residents must continue to carry their physical driver's license or ID card with them, as the digital version is a companion to the physical card, not a replacement.

The feature is available in the U.S. only and requires an ‌iPhone‌ 8 or later running iOS 15.4 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 8.4 or later. Apple has yet to indicate whether the feature will launch in additional countries in the future.

Georgia's press release does note that it could take "up to 48 hours" for Georgia to appear as an option in Apple Wallet, so be patient if it's not yet showing for you.

For now, IDs in the Wallet app can only be presented at select TSA checkpoints at select U.S. airports, with Apple advising travelers to check TSA checkpoint signage to confirm availability. Georgia's FAQ on the feature indicates that it is supported at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

After a driver's license or ID has been added to the Wallet app, users can simply tap their ‌iPhone‌ or Apple Watch on an identity reader at a TSA checkpoint, without taking out their physical card. Users will see a prompt on their device displaying the specific information being requested by the TSA, and only after authorizing with Face ID or Touch ID is the requested identity information released from their device, according to Apple.

Users do not need to unlock, show, or hand over their device to a TSA officer to present their mobile driver's license or ID, according to Apple.

Apple said the feature is designed with privacy and security in mind. When adding an ID to the Wallet app, users are required to take a photo of their face, which will be securely provided to the issuing state for verification. Users are also prompted to complete a series of facial and head movements during the setup process.

Today we're tracking a few discounts on the 2021 MacBook Pro, including both 14-inch and 16-inch models. You'll find these deals at both Amazon and B&H Photo, with sales that reach up to $800 off select notebooks with all-time low prices.

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.

Starting with the 14-inch MacBook Pro (10-Core M1 Pro, 1TB), this model is available for $1,899.00, down from $2,499.00. Amazon has this notebook in Silver and Space Gray, with an estimated delivery window of May 22 through May 24 for most United States residences.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro (10-Core M1 Pro, 1TB) has hit a new low price of $1,999.00, down from $2,699.00 [matched at B&H]. Additionally, the 16-inch MacBook (10-Core M1 Max, 1TB) is available for $2,699.00, down from $3,499.00 [matched at B&H]. These are both all-time low prices.

Although we have tracked a few solid markdowns on the newer 2023 MacBook Pro, today's deals on the previous generation models are far steeper and perfect for anyone looking to purchase an Apple notebook and doesn't need the latest model.

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.

Update: We've updated this article with a new price on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which has dropped by another $100 on Amazon.

French fashion designer Hermès has launched a new leather case and lanyard for the second-generation AirPods Pro, continuing its work for Apple devices (via WatchGeneration).

The new Hermès ‌AirPods Pro‌ case comes in Gold and Bleu Navy, as well as several two-tone color options: Vert Criquet/Vert Bambou, Mauve Sylvestre/Rose Azalée, and Bleu Lin/Étain. The ‌AirPods Pro‌'s pairing button is indicated by a hot stamped Clou de Selle on the back of the case. The leather is also sufficiently thin to enable wireless charging.

The Hermès ‌AirPods Pro‌ case comes with a long adjustable leather strap, allowing the case to be worn as a necklace, crossbody, or bag accessory. The case is available now for $930.

The Hermès Lanyard for the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ comes in Bambou, Gold, Bleu Navy, Rose Azalée, and Bleu Lin and features a circular Clou de Selle made of palladium brass. The lanyard is available now for $335.

The accessories feature Hermès's "Swift" calfskin, the same variety used for most of the company's Apple Watch bands and AirTag accessories, an almost smooth leather with a light grain and shine that softens over time. While the ‌AirPods Pro‌ are rated IPX4 for water and dust resistance, Hermès's Swift leather is not water resistant.

The accessories join the French brand's other designs for Apple devices, which include high-end Apple Watch bands, unique watch faces, ‌AirTag‌ bag charms, and luggage tags. In previous years, it has also offered leather iPhone cases.

Apple's augmented reality glasses device is still at least four years away from launch, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

In an extensive report detailing some of the challenges involved in developing Apple's mixed-reality headset, Gurman explained that the company's separate AR glasses product has been mired by similar issues. AR glasses were the product that CEO Tim Cook and former design chief Jony Ive originally wanted to build before technical limitations reduced expectations to the current "ski-goggle" headset form factor with video pass-through.

Apple apparently realized early in the headset's development that the long-term goal of building AR glasses with sufficient power was unfeasible. Engineers calculated that the glasses would have to provide the full performance of an iPhone with only a tenth of its power consumption to prevent them from getting too hot.

Mike Rockwell, a former Dolby executive hired to spearhead the development of experimental head-worn devices at Apple, has continued to describe the headset as laying the foundations for a future AR glasses device to secure resources. Apple's work on the device now receives only limited resources.

An employee working on the project told Bloomberg that there is a running joke on the team that the company continues work on the "hopeless" device simply to keep ‌Tim Cook‌ happy. Despite making no meaningful progress on the AR glasses by 2019, Rockwell told over 100 employees at an an all-hands meeting later that year that Apple could introduce the glasses just one year after it introduced the first headset – a time frame that now seems impossible.

Apple eventually postponed any serious development on a standalone glasses product for a period of years, "all but killing the idea." The company is now said to be at least four years away from introducing any such product.

Key Apple executives including Tim Cook, Craig Federighi, and Johny Srouji have kept their distance from the company's mixed-reality headset throughout its development process amid a series of setbacks and compromises, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Apple apparently began developing its headset in 2015, using Samsung's Gear VR and the HTC Vive in early experiments. The headset has reportedly deviated significantly from CEO ‌Tim Cook‌'s original vision. The product was initially imagined as "a pair of unobtrusive eyeglasses that could be worn all day," but it has now become a full-blown headset that looks like a pair of ski goggles and requires a separate battery pack due to technological limitations, internal disagreements, and a rush to bring an Apple AR/VR product to market.

Despite Cook's unwavering view that the device should focus on unobtrusive augmented reality, he was reportedly not deeply engaged in its design and chose to only participate in demonstrations. Cook's "relative noninvolvement" has sometimes been seen as indecision and caused frustration among staff, leading to delays and concerns about obtaining resources.

Key figures including software chief Craig Federighi have also kept their distance from the headset during its development and have seemed wary of it. Apple's senior vice president for hardware technologies, Johny Srouji, is believed to privately be a skeptic of the device, comparing it to a science project. He has warned that designing the high-performance chips that the headset requires could distract from new iPhone chips that drive more revenue.

By 2017, Apple purportedly believed that the headset could go on sale by 2020, but the project was mired by hardware and software challenges, and disagreements about which applications to develop for the device. Some of the headset's features, including the ability to function as an external monitor for a Mac and multi-person video calls, are currently said to be less advanced than Apple originally intended. The company allegedly hopes that "third-party apps will save it." Apple is already in talks with software and game developers, as well as as entertainment companies, to have apps and content ready for the device by the time it goes on sale.

Apple wishes that users will eventually wear a head-mounted AR device continuously all day, replacing tasks currently accomplished on other devices such as the ‌iPhone‌ and Mac, including web browsing, gaming, email, video calls and collaboration, working out, and meditation, but does not expect this to happen immediately. Internal projections estimate that the product category has the potential to eventually be as big as the Apple Watch or iPad following the addition of new features and a lower price point with new versions of the device.

While Apple initially hoped to sell three million units within the device's first year on sale, it now expects to sell around 900,000 headsets. The company has decided to sell the device at its approximate cost to make, rather than sell it at a loss as it originally considered. The headset is still on schedule to be announced at WWDC in June.

In a blow to Foxconn, Apple is expected to hand key iPhone 16 production responsibilities to Luxshare, significantly boosting the supply chain partner's profit growth over the next two years, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In his latest Medium blog post, Kuo said Apple has already given Luxshare new product introduction (NPI) approval for next year's iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is a significant win for the supplier, given that Foxconn has consistently won the highest-end iPhone assembly NPI in previous years.

The approval followed Apple's decision to transfer some iPhone 14 Pro Max orders from Foxconn to Luxshare to diversify supply and mitigate risk, following the protests and riots that broke out in Foxconn's largest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, China, in November 2022.

Luxshare's production yield improvement schedule for the iPhone 14 Pro Max subsequently proved better than expected, leading Apple to award NPI to the company for the 2024 model. That means Apple believes Luxshare's R&D and production capabilities have reached the level of a first-tier supplier, according to Kuo.

The analyst believes that Apple will now negotiate with the Indian government to help Luxshare set up production lines in India, with the possibility of floating the idea of a joint venture to offset concerns from investors about the geopolitical situation being unfavorable for the assembler.

Luxshare's iPhone business should see significant profit growth, says Kuo, with the company expected to ship 45–50 million iPhones in 2023, up from approximately 20 million in 2022, indicating Apple's increasing faith in and reliance on the assembler.

Apple wants to triple its iPhone production capacity in India within the next two years, as part of a larger plan to diversify its supply chain out of China and into other parts of the world. According to one report, Apple has instructed Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron, three of its biggest suppliers, to increase their capacity and manpower in the country.

As things stand, production allocation for next year's iPhone 16 series is allocated to Luxshare (iPhone 16 Pro Max), Foxconn (iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro), and Pegatron (iPhone 16 Plus).

After announcing last week that it would be launching its online store in Vietnam on May 18, the store has now gone live, opening up direct sales for Apple in a largely untapped market with significant growth potential.

As in other countries, Apple's Vietnam online store offers a full range of Apple products and accessories, with shopping assistance from Apple Specialists, free no-contact delivery, a trade-in program for iPhone sales, free one-on-one online training sessions with certain product purchases, build-to-order Mac options, and multiple payment options.

The store is available in both Vietnamese and English, allowing customers to order a wide range of Apple products on the web.

Apple will mass produce its own microLED displays in order to lessen its reliance on Samsung and increase its own control over supply, laying the groundwork to realize its ultimate goal of bringing the technology to iPhones, reports Nikkei Asia.

According to the outlet's sources, Apple has spent at least $1 billion on microLED research and development over past decade, and once production starts, Apple will itself perform the critical "mass transfer" step of the manufacturing process, which involves placing at least tens of thousands of tiny microLED chips onto substrates.

Apple plans to fabricate the tiny microLED chips directly on wafers, and will partner with ams-Osram for the microLED components, LG Display for the substrates, and TSMC for 12-inch wafers. This process will reportedly be carried out at Apple's secretive R&D facilities in the Longtan District in the northern Taiwanese city of Taoyuan.

Apple has R&D teams working on the displays in the U.S., Taiwan and Japan, and is said to have designed not only the driver integrated circuits for the microLED screens, but also some of the production equipment itself to better control the mass transfer process, allowing it to eventually adopt the display technology in products that traditionally use OLED panels supplied by Samsung and other suppliers.

Despite Apple's groundwork, microLED display production remains challenging and manufacturing costs are higher, which is why Apple will start rolling out the technology with the Apple Watch Ultra before ultimately mass producing microLED displays for iPhones.

"Apple's ultimate plan is to introduce the technologies on its iPhone, which is its key revenue source and has much bigger volume, to justify the investments over the years," said one of the sources who has seen samples of the company's microLED screen.

The display technology would allow for higher brightness, decreased power consumption, improved contrast ratio, and other benefits compared to current iPhones with OLED displays.

With the Apple Watch Ultra not expected to use microLED until 2025, the first iPhone to adopt the technology is likely still several years away from launching. All four iPhone 15 models coming later this year are expected to feature OLED displays.

Porsche today announced that Taycan models in the United States are adopting Apple Maps EV routing in CarPlay, a feature that will direct Taycan owners to nearby electric vehicle charging facilities.

The Apple Maps EV Routing option will allow Taycan users to plan travel routes that include stops for charging. Prior to now, Taycan owners had to exit out of ‌CarPlay‌ in order to create a route that included charging stops.

Taycan vehicles include the Porsche Charging Planner, designed to optimize stops based on the anticipated state of charge upon arrival to a destination, traffic conditions, and average speed, but ‌Apple Maps‌ EV Routing is now available as an alternative for those who use ‌CarPlay‌.

‌Apple Maps‌ EV Routing uses real-time vehicle information to help customers get to their destination, with charging stops recommended when necessary. ‌Apple Maps‌ analyzes elevation changes along a route and other factors to determine when to suggest a charging stop, and if the vehicle's battery gets too low, it will provide a route to the nearest compatible charging station.

Porsche says that ‌Apple Maps‌ EV routing is available to U.S.-based Taycan owners who have installed the latest My Porsche app on their iPhones.

PepsiCo is teaming up with Apple to offer Pepsi drinkers free Apple Music access this summer. As noted by AdAge, Pepsi today launched its "Press Play on Summer Campaign."

The ad blitz will see Pepsi offering 400 million 20-ounce bottles of Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar, Pepsi Mango, Pepsi Wild Cherry, Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Major Melon, Mountain Dew Spark, Mountain Dew Voltage, Starry, and Starry Zero Sugar with ‌Apple Music‌ QR codes. The codes, which are available starting today, will provide free three-month ‌Apple Music‌ memberships to new customers, trips to Apple music live events, and Beats headphones.

Pepsi plans to advertise the promotion throughout the summer months, starting with an ad featuring Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny. Bad Bunny was Apple's 2022 Artist of the Year, and the "Un Verano Sin Ti" album was ‌Apple Music‌'s most streamed album in 2022.

Ads for the free ‌Apple Music‌ codes will be on TV, social networks, and other locations such as gas stations and convenience stores.

"We at Pepsi couldn't be more excited to kick off this historic partnership with Apple Music and Bad Bunny. Both Pepsi and Apple Music have such storied histories in the music space delivering first-of-its-kind experiences for our fans over the years, so it is only fitting that we join forces to create 'Press Play On Summer'," said Todd Kaplan, Chief Marketing Officer - Pepsi. "Bad Bunny is one of the biggest artists on the planet and we are thrilled to welcome him into the Pepsi family! We are excited to give fans unprecedented access to a host of music experiences and Bad Bunny's catalogue all summer long."

Pepsi and Apple first teamed up in 2003, with Pepsi offering 100 million song downloads from the iTunes Store.

Apple this week previewed new iPhone, iPad, and Mac accessibility features coming later this year. One feature that has received a lot of attention in particular is Personal Voice, which will allow those at risk of losing their ability to speak to "create a voice that sounds like them" for communicating with family, friends, and others.

Those with an iPhone, iPad, or newer Mac will be able to create a Personal Voice by reading a randomized set of text prompts aloud until 15 minutes of audio has been recorded on the device. Apple said the feature will be available in English only at launch, and uses on-device machine learning to ensure privacy and security.

Personal Voice will be integrated with another new accessibility feature called Live Speech, which will let iPhone, iPad, and Mac users type what they want to say to have it be spoken out loud during phone calls, FaceTime calls, and in-person conversations.

Apple said Personal Voice is designed for users at risk of losing their ability to speak, such as those with a recent diagnosis of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) or other conditions that can progressively impact speaking ability. Like other accessibility features, however, Personal Voice will be available to all users. The feature will likely be added to the iPhone with iOS 17, which should be unveiled next month and released in September.

"At the end of the day, the most important thing is being able to communicate with friends and family," said Philip Green, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2018 and is a member of the ALS advocacy organization Team Gleason. "If you can tell them you love them, in a voice that sounds like you, it makes all the difference in the world — and being able to create your synthetic voice on your iPhone in just 15 minutes is extraordinary."

All four iPhone 15 models launching later this year are expected to feature a USB-C port instead of Lightning. This change means the iPhone will support a more universal charging standard, benefit from faster data transfer speeds, and more.

Below, we have recapped rumors about the iPhone switching to USB-C, including potential speed differences, other Apple accessories adopting USB-C, and more.

Speed Differences

While all iPhone 15 models are expected to have a USB-C port, only the Pro models will support at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3 for faster data transfer speeds up to 40 Gbps, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He expects the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus to remain limited to USB 2.0 speeds of up to 480 Mbps like Lightning.

iPad Pros gained Thunderbolt 3 support in 2021, while the USB-C port on the latest iPad Air is capable of up to 10 Gbps transfer speeds.

Made for iPhone Optimizations

Apple plans to optimize the fast-charging performance of chargers certified under its "Made for iPhone" program on iPhone 15 models, according to Kuo. Uncertified cables will allegedly have limited charging and data transfer speeds. It's worth noting that Apple does not limit uncertified cables for iPads with USB-C ports, so this would be a different approach with the iPhone if this rumor proves to be accurate.

Apple Accessories Moving to USB-C

With the iPhone 15 switching to USB-C, several Apple accessories are expected to follow suit:

• EarPods
• AirPods Charging Cases
• MagSafe Battery Pack
• Magic Mouse
• Magic Trackpad
• Magic Keyboard

The latest Siri Remote for the Apple TV already features a USB-C port.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 series in September. Many more changes are rumored for the Pro models, including a titanium frame, faster A17 Bionic chip, thinner bezels around the display, Wi-Fi 6E support, and more.

The third-generation Apple TV 4K introduced in October 2022 is now available on Apple's refurbished store for the first time in the U.S., Canada, and select European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and others.

In the U.S., the refurbished models are discounted by $20 compared to brand new, with the 64GB model with Wi-Fi priced at $109 and the 128GB model with Wi-Fi and Ethernet priced at $129. The refurbished third-generation Apple TV 4K comes with the Siri Remote with a USB-C port, power cord, and documentation inside a new plain white box.

Apple says all of its refurbished products are functionally tested, inspected, and cleaned, and they are eligible for AppleCare+ coverage.

The third-generation Apple TV 4K features the A15 Bionic chip, HDR10+ support, a thinner and lighter design, increased RAM, and more. Note that this Apple TV model ships without a USB-C charging cable in the box for the Siri Remote, except in Brazil, so you will need to purchase a cable separately if you do not have one.

For those who prefer a new model, monitor our Apple TV deals guide for occasional sales.