MacRumors

Apple Maps now offers cycling navigation in Switzerland and Sweden, allowing users across the country to receive turn-by-turn directions while riding a bike (via iGen.fr).

iPhone users in the Swiss Confederation and Sweden began receiving notifications about cycling directions overnight. ‌Apple Maps‌ provides cycling directions along bike lanes, bike paths, and bike-friendly roads wherever possible, including details like steep inclines, how busy a street is, and whether there are stairs or other obstacles along a route.

If you have an Apple Watch, voice guidance and haptic feedback also make it easier to stay focused on your direction of travel.

Cycling directions came to ‌Apple Maps‌ in iOS 14, and are also available across the United States, China, and Japan, as well as in select major cities around the world, such as London, Barcelona, and Toronto. Apple maintains a list of all of the areas where cycling directions are available on its website, but as of writing this, it has not yet been updated to include Switzerland and Sweden.

(Thanks MacRumors forum member Virtuality for Sweden!)

A security researcher who reported bugs to Apple was arrested in January for defrauding the company out of millions of dollars, according to a report from 404 Media.

The researcher, Noah Roskin-Frazee, was accused alongside a co-conspirator obtaining over $3 million in products and services through more than two dozen fraudulent orders. That included around $2.5 million in gift cards and over $100,000 in "products and services."

While Apple is not explicitly named in the court records, an unnamed "Company A" is located in Cupertino, California, and is clearly Apple. The court mentions that one of the perpetrators used gift cards to "purchase Final Cut Pro on Company A's App Store," and Apple is the only company that sells the software.

In 2019, Frazee and his accomplice used a password reset tool to gain access to an employee account that belonged to an unnamed "Company B," which does customer support for Apple. That account led to access to additional employee credentials, and Frazee accessed Company B's VPN servers. From there, Frazee was able to get into Apple's systems, placing fraudulent orders for Apple products.

He used Apple's "Toolbox" program that could be used to edit orders after they were placed, and he changed order values to zero, added products to orders, and extended AppleCare contracts. He abused Apple's program from January to March 2019.

The defendants remoted into computers located in India and Costa Rica as part of the scheme, the indictment adds. The scam itself involved changing order monetary values to zero, adding products to existing orders without cost such as phones and laptops, and extending existing service contracts, the indictment adds. That included extending a customer service contract that was associated with one of the defendants and his family for an extra two years without paying.

Apple thanked Frazee for in a January support document for finding several bugs in macOS Sonoma, and the document was published less than two weeks after he was arrested. "We would like to acknowledge Noah Roskin-Frazee and Prof. J. (ZeroClicks.ai Lab) for their assistance," reads Apple's page in reference to a Wi-Fi vulnerability.

Frazee has been charged with wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, and intentional damage to a protected computer. He will be required to forfeit all of the stolen goods, and he could be sentenced to more than 20 years in jail if convicted.

Apple today began offering refurbished versions of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 chip, offering the machines at a discount for the first time since their October 2023 launch date.

Pricing on the refurbished 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models starts at $1,359, a $240 discount off of the original $1,599 starting price.

As of right now, Apple appears to be offering only ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with the standard M3 chip, with no M3 Pro or M3 Max machines available for purchase. Apple has several configurations listed with additional storage space.

Some of the entry-level models have already sold out, and availability will fluctuate as Apple restocks the refurbished store. Customers looking for a specific configuration should check back often.

All of Apple's refurbished Macs are close to identical to new products. They are subject to a refurbishment process that includes full functionality testing, with any defective modules replaced, as well as a thorough cleaning and inspection. Refurbished products are eligible for AppleCare+ and have the same 14-day return period as new Apple devices.

Apple is working on a new iOS 17.4 update that brings some major changes to the iPhone (and the iPad) in Europe. Some of the biggest updates are only going to update people in the European Union, but there are also plenty of features in iOS 17.4 that are available worldwide.

In this article, we've rounded up everything new so far in iOS 17.4.

EU Changes

Apple implemented notable changes to the way the App Store and apps operate in the European Union in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act. These changes are included in iOS 17.4, but are limited to countries that are in the European Union.

Alternative App Stores and New App Store Terms

App developers in the EU can opt to offer alternative app stores or install their apps through alternative stores, and Apple has a whole new fee structure that goes along with this change. There's a new business structure that developers can opt in to, which applies to both apps distributed in the ‌App Store‌ and apps that are distributed through alternative means.

App developers using the new system will need to pay a standard fee of 0.50 euros per user per year, with the first million installs offered for free. Apps distributed through alternative app stores will have no commission. Apps distributed through the ‌App Store‌ will pay a reduced 17 percent commission, or 10 percent for those in the small business program or for user subscriptions older than a year.

Developers can choose not to opt in to the new system and can use the existing system with the same 15/30 percent commission that's available elsewhere in the world. Apple has a fee calculator to help developers determine what they'll pay with the existing setup, with the new setup, with the new setup using alternative app stores, and with the new setup using the ‌App Store‌.

Users are able to set their preferred alternative app store as the default app store on their device if desired. EU users will see an option for this in the Settings app.

There are a huge number of behind-the-scene changes that are enabling this feature in the EU, with updates to all kinds of system messaging. Users in the EU will, for example, get a pop up warning when an app from an alternative app store contains malware, and there are new screens for verifying the information from an alternative app.

A Screen Time setting will allow parents to decide whether their children's devices are able to install apps from alternative app marketplaces.

Alternative Payment Options

Apple is also allowing apps to use alternative payment options in their apps, and there is no longer a requirement to use in-app purchase. Developers who distribute apps through the ‌App Store‌ and use an alternative payment option will see a three percent discount in their ‌App Store‌ fees.

Developers who distribute through alternative apps and also use an alternative payment option will pay Apple no fees beyond the set 0.50 euro fee per user.

With alternative payments, purchases for digital goods and services can be made directly in an app or a developer can choose to link to their website to have a user make a payment. Apple is requiring developers to use a known, secure payment provider.

Third-Party Browser Updates

After updating to iOS 17.4, EU users that open Safari will see a pop up that allows them to choose a new default browser option from a list of the most popular browsers on iOS.

Apple is also allowing alternative browser engines, and will not limit browsers like Chrome to the WebKit engine.

NFC Access

Third-party payment apps and banks have access to the NFC chip in the iPhone in iOS 17.4, and can offer contactless payments directly on the iPhone without using Apple Pay or the Wallet app in the European Economic Area. Users can set a default contactless payment provider that activates at tap-to-pay terminals or when the Side button on the iPhone is pressed twice.

The option for setting a default contactless payment provider is available in the Settings app in the EU, and this section will also provide details on all apps that have requested and been granted contactless payment access.

EU users can also change the default Wallet app on the iPhone.

Web Apps

Apple has restricted the functionality of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in the European Union in iOS 17.4. PWAs have no dedicated windowing, notifications, or long-term local storage. According to Apple, web apps have been removed because of the DMA requirement for alternative browser engines and the work required to implement a more secure solution.

Apple says that malicious web apps from other browser engines could read data from other web apps and gain access to a user's camera, microphone, and location without user consent. Apple would need to build a new integration architecture to fix these problems, but this is not practical because of other DMA requirements and because Home Screen web apps aren't widely used.

Gaming App Changes

Streaming game apps are now allowed on the ‌App Store‌ worldwide, which means services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce NOW can be offered as standalone iPhone and ‌iPad‌ apps.

Apple previously only allowed cloud gaming services to be offered via the web, but dedicated apps that let users stream games from servers are now permitted.

Mini-app, mini-games, chatbots, and plug-ins are also now able to use the in-app purchase system.

New Emoji

The iOS 17.4 beta adds new emoji characters that include lime, an edible brown mushroom, a phoenix, a broken chain, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), and shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake).

These emoji are part of the Unicode 15.1 update that was approved in September 2023.

Messaging with Siri

The Automatically Send Messages setting under Siri & Search has been renamed "Messaging with ‌Siri‌," and there is an option to set ‌Siri‌ to read incoming messages in a specific language like Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and many more.

The change does not update the primary language that ‌Siri‌ listens in and responds to, but is limited to message playback.

Podcasts and Music

The "Listen Now" tabs in Apple Music and Podcasts have been renamed to "Home."

Podcast Transcripts

The Podcasts app now offers transcripts, similar to how lyrics work in the ‌Apple Music‌ app.

Podcasts also uses the ‌Apple Music‌ Now Playing bar when collapsed.

New iMessage Security Protocol

With iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, macOS Sonoma 14.4, and watchOS 10.4, Apple is introducing a "state-of-the-art" post-quantum cryptographic protocol for iMessage called PQ3.

PQ3 protects against "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" attacks where a malicious actor collects encrypted data with the hope of decrypting it with a quantum computer at some point in the future. Quantum computers are expected to eventually be able to make large-scale calculations that would allow them to decrypt content secured with traditional encryption methods, but that won't be possible with PQ3.

iPhone 15 Battery Health

Apple in iOS 17.4 changed the Battery interface in the Settings app on iPhone 15 models. These devices now show Battery Health with a readout such as "Normal," for a quick at-a-glance way to see the status of the iPhone's battery.

Tapping into the battery health readout shows the battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use will be listed. This information was previously hidden in the General > About section of the Settings app.

Apple also updated the support information for the battery, as the company retested and found that the iPhone 15 battery can maintain 80 percent of its original capacity at 1,000 complete charge cycles.

Stolen Device Protection

In the Stolen Device Protection section of the Settings app, there is now an option to require a security delay always or only when away from familiar locations.

Next-Generation CarPlay Support

Next-generation CarPlay is set to launch in the U.S. later in 2024, and code in iOS 17.4 references eight new ‌CarPlay‌ apps.

• Car Camera: This app will display the vehicle's rear-view camera feed.
• Charge: For electric vehicles, this app will display battery level, charging status, time remaining until the battery is fully charged, and more.
• Climate: This app will provide access to a vehicle's climate controls within ‌CarPlay‌, allowing you to adjust the temperature of the A/C or heating system, fan speed, heated seats, heated steering wheel, and more.
• Closures: This app will display if any of the vehicle's doors are opened, and it might also display vehicle warning symbols.
• Media: This app will provide access to FM and AM radio station controls within ‌CarPlay‌, along with other media options like SiriusXM. It is unclear if SiriusXM will offer satellite connectivity, or remain limited to internet streaming. Users will be able to select from a list of music genres, such as Top 40 and Rock.
• Tire Pressure: This app will display air pressure for each of the vehicle's tires, and provide low pressure, high pressure, and flat tire warnings.
• Trips: This app will provide a variety of driving-related data, including the vehicle's average speed, fuel efficiency or energy efficiency, the total time elapsed and distance traveled on a trip, and more.

An image in iOS 17.4 beta suggests that ‌CarPlay‌ will also likely display a "Goodbye" screen after the driver shuts off the vehicle.

SharePlay

The first betas of iOS 17.4 and tvOS 17.4 brought SharePlay music control to the HomePod and Apple TV, but Apple removed the feature in iOS 17.4 and tvOS 17.4 beta 2, and it is not yet clear if the option will be re-added before the software updates launch. The feature let a user's family and friends control the music playing on a ‌HomePod‌ or an ‌Apple TV‌, so long as the user had granted permission.

Stopwatch Live Activity

iOS 17.4 adds a Live Activity function for the Stopwatch feature on the iPhone. When activated through the Clock app, the Stopwatch now shows up in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen.

There are controls for pausing the Stopwatch, clearing it, and starting a new lap.

Apple TV App

The "How to Watch" section in the ‌Apple TV‌ app that shows where a movie or TV show can be viewed now has a list interface rather than a card interface.

App Store

The ‌App Store‌'s Purchase feature now shows account-wide purchase history for an Apple ID. It includes TV and movie purchases, music purchases, subscriptions, and app purchases, and it is the same interface that is available when accessing the purchase information for any ‌Apple ID‌.

Apps are still listed, but under a new "Apps" section.

Clock Widget

There's a new City Digital Clock widget that can be added to the ‌Home Screen‌ or Lock Screen.

Apple Cash Virtual Card Numbers

In the Wallet app, Apple Cash users can generate a virtual card number to make purchases when ‌Apple Pay‌ is not an option.

Hand Gesture Reactions in Video Apps

With iOS 17.4, there's a new API for developers that can be used to turn off hand gesture reactions in video calls. iOS 17 added a gesture reactions that are enabled by default in all video calling apps, leading to awkwardness when moving the hands in certain ways during serious calls.

Online therapists and other professionals have had to add disclaimers about the feature, as there was no way to turn it off on the provider's end Following iOS 17.4 and macOS Sonoma, developers can turn off the fireworks, confetti, and other options in their apps. Users were already able to turn off reactions on their iPhones, iPads, and Macs in the Settings app.

CarPlay Instrument Cluster Update

In supported ‌CarPlay‌ vehicles, there's now an Apple Maps option to show information about upcoming turn-by-turn maneuvers in the instrument cluster. ‌CarPlay‌ users will be able to swap the display type between the main and instrument cluster by tapping on the map configuration button located in the upper right of the main Maps screen.

The option is available in vehicles that support the dual-screen ‌Apple Maps‌ ‌CarPlay‌ experience.

Hey Siri

With iOS 17.4, the option to say ‌Siri‌ instead of Hey ‌Siri‌ is now available for French, German, and Spanish speakers.

Release Date

Apple will release iOS 17.4 in March, likely during the first week of the month.

T-Mobile today announced that all of its customers have "Magenta Status," allowing them to access "one-of-a-kind" benefits from premium brands and services. T-Mobile says that customers can get discounts from "the biggest brands" like Hilton and Hertz.

Some of the deals include 15 percent off Hilton hotel brands, no fuel refills at drop off at Dollar Rental locations, one $5 movie ticket per month, and 25 percent off some shows at Live Nation amphitheaters and venues. T-Mobile says that customers can get up to $1,500 a year in extra value.

Magenta Status perks are in addition to the T-Mobile Tuesday rewards, with T-Mobile today adding a new "Tuesday" freebie from Little Caesars.

The new Magenta Status rewards can be viewed in the T-Mobile Tuesdays app after updating to the latest version.

Media platform Plex today announced the launch of a dedicated movie rental store, allowing U.S. Plex users to purchase content directly from Plex rather than from a third-party store like YouTube, Apple TV, or Amazon Video.

Popular movies like Barbie, Aquaman, Mission Impossible, Wonka, Priscilla, and more can be purchased using Plex.

Plex users will have 30 days to start playback after renting a movie, and once playback begins, the movie can be watched multiple times in a 48-hour window.

Along with recent movies to purchase, Plex also offers a large selection of movies that are available to watch for free on demand (with ads), as well as free live television.

Plex movies can be rented through the Plex Web App on iOS devices, but purchases work on ‌Apple TV‌, iOS, the Plex Web App, Fire TV, and supported smart TVs from LG, Samsung, and more. Plex does not support renting movies directly on the iPhone, iPad, or ‌Apple TV‌, presumably to avoid Apple's cut.

Rentals start at $3.99 for older movies, but popular new releases cost up to $20.99. Wonka, for example, is $20.99, which is actually a dollar more than it costs to rent the movie from Apple's TV app. There is no option to purchase movies on Plex, and rented movies cannot be downloaded.

Movie rentals are limited to the United States as of now, and Plex has not said whether the renting option will expand to additional countries.

Starting with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, you can make hand gestures during video calls in the FaceTime app and other video conferencing apps to fill the screen with 3D effects. For example, you can hold two thumbs up to show fireworks on the screen, or make two peace signs with your hands to show confetti.

Unfortunately, many users are unaware that this new feature is turned on by default, leading to some awkward and embarrassing moments during important video calls, such as online therapy sessions and business meetings.

Fortunately, Apple has come up with a solution.

Alongside iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4, Apple is releasing a new API that allows video conferencing apps to turn off the gesture-based reactions by default in their apps, according to information obtained by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. We have not yet confirmed if Apple has also made the API available for macOS 14.4.

iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, and macOS 14.4 are currently in beta, and the software updates are expected to be released in March.

Users can already easily turn off the feature on their own end on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

The Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Devices apps that Apple has been testing for Windows machines have officially launched, ending a long preview period and bringing an end to the iTunes app on some computers.

The ‌Apple Music‌, ‌Apple TV‌, and Apple Devices app are part of Apple's effort to split iTunes on PC into multiple platforms to mirror how these apps work on Macs. On Windows 10 and later, PC customers can download the three separate apps to manage devices and access ‌Apple Music‌ and ‌Apple TV‌ content.

Microsoft first announced plans for ‌Apple Music‌ and ‌Apple TV‌ apps for the Microsoft Store back in October 2022, so the split from iTunes has been in the works for more than a year.

Standalone Apple Music, Apple Devices, and Apple TV apps launched in a preview capacity in January 2023, and Apple has been making regular updates since then. As of today, the "Preview" label has been removed from the three Windows apps.

The ‌Apple Music‌ app gives Windows users a way to listen to and manage music from their iTunes library, including iTunes Store purchases, while the ‌Apple TV‌ app allows users to watch and manage movies and TV shows from iTunes. Both of the apps also give access to Apple's streaming services, ‌Apple Music‌ and ‌Apple TV‌+.

The Apple Devices app is designed to allow PC owners to update, back up, and restore and manage their iPhones and iPads, and sync content from their PCs.

Using the standalone apps requires Windows 10 or later, and all three apps must be installed to transition away from iTunes. After the apps have been added to a PC, iTunes is used only to access podcasts and audiobooks. The iTunes library should not be deleted, because it is used by the ‌Apple Music‌ and ‌Apple TV‌ apps.

PC users not able to update to Windows 10 can continue to use iTunes, but the new standalone apps offer a much more modern and simple-to-use experience that closer mirrors Mac interfaces.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.4 update to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of its launch. The second public beta comes a week after Apple released the first public beta.

Beta testers can opt-in through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Under Beta updates, simply toggle on the Sonoma Public Beta. Note that you must sign up to participate on Apple's beta testing website.

macOS Sonoma 14.4 introduces some of the features in the iOS 17.4 beta, such as new emoji characters. We don't know what Mac-specific features are included, but nothing new has been found in the developer betas so far.

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 updates to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of its release. The second public iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 betas come a week after Apple released the first betas.

Public beta testers can get the beta by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 Public Beta. Signing up on Apple's beta testing website is required.

The iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 betas introduce a whole slew of changes for users in the European Union, allowing for alternative app stores and alternative payment methods.

There are new options for choosing a default browser, NFC has been opened up to banks and other financial institutions, and browsers aren't mandated to use WebKit.

Along with these changes, the update also brings new emoji characters, Podcast transcripts, tweaks to Safari, hints of what we can expect from the next-generation CarPlay, and more.

Full details on what's included in iOS 17.4 can be found in our features guide. Apple has also released new public betas of tvOS 17.4, watchOS 10.4, and the HomePod 17.4 Software.

Apple today shared an ad on its Apple Music YouTube channel promoting the upcoming ‌Apple Music‌ Super Bowl Halftime Show, which is set to feature R&B singer and songwriter Usher.

In the spot, Ludacris, Lil Jon, and Taraji P. Henson are in Vegas, and they FaceTime with Apple CEO Tim Cook. The trio lets Cook know that they've "lost" Usher, and Cook tells them that they'll locate him. The video ends with the tagline "Where's Usher?" and says "Coming Soon on ‌Apple Music‌."

Earlier this week, Apple announced the release of a collection of exclusive content from Usher ahead of his performance at the halftime show. All of Usher's albums are available in Spatial Audio, and there are also Usher-curated playlists available.

Super Bowl LVIII is set to take place at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, February 11. Usher will perform in the ‌Apple Music‌ Halftime Show.

As part of its compliance with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) legislation, WhatsApp is putting the final touches to introducing platform interoperability with other encrypted messaging apps.

In September, EU lawmakers designated WhatsApp parent company Meta as one of six so-called "gatekeepers," along with Google, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, and Microsoft, giving them six months to begin opening up their core platform services to others.

The DMA comes into full effect in March 2024. That leaves just a few weeks for WhatsApp and others to bring their services into compliance. However, Wired reports that WhatsApp has actually been working on interoperability for the past two years, and its work is only partially motivated by the looming DMA.

According to Dick Brouwer, an engineering director at WhatsApp, interoperability will initially focus on (non-SMS) text messaging, sending images, voice messages, videos, and files between two people. Calls and group chats will come in the next few years, as per the EU's rules.

Brouwer says users who opt-in to interoperability will see messages from other apps in a separate section at the top of their WhatsApp inbox. "The early thinking here is to put a separate inbox, given that these networks are very different," Brouwer says. "We cannot offer the same level of privacy and security," he told Wired.

To send messages, third-party apps will need to encrypt content using the Signal Protocol, and then be packaged using XML, in compliance with the platform's existing client-server architecture. Apps will also need to connect to WhatsApp's servers to receive messages.

WhatsApp will also allow other apps to use different encryption protocols if they can demonstrate they reach the security standards that WhatsApp outlines in its guidance. Third-party developers will also have an option to use a proxy between their apps and WhatsApp's servers. This could give developers more flexibility by removing the need for them to use WhatsApp's client-server protocols, but it also increases potential attack vectors, cautions Brouwer.

Third-party chats appearing in WhatsApp could yet be some way off, however. Brouwer says the company is still working on the interoperability features and the level of support it will make available for companies wanting to integrate with it. Messaging companies that want to interoperate with WhatsApp will need to sign an agreement with the company and follow its terms. "Nobody quite knows how this works," Brouwer told Wired. "We have no idea what the demand is."

The full details of the plan, which will apply to both WhatsApp and Messenger, will be published by Meta in March, and the company will have several months to implement it.

"There's real tension between offering an easy way to offer this interoperability to third parties whilst at the same time preserving the WhatsApp privacy, security, and integrity bar," Brouwer admitted. "I think we're pretty happy with where we've landed," he added.

The AirTag 4 Pack is available for $78.99 today on Amazon, down from $99.00. This is just about $4 off from the previous all-time low price on the accessory, and right now it's only available on Amazon.

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.

If you just want one AirTag, Amazon also has the AirTag 1 Pack for $24.00, down from $29.00. This is another second-best price, and both models have an estimated delivery date between February 9 and February 12.

There are quite a few notable accessory discounts happening on Amazon, and at other retailers, right now, all of which you can read about in our Valentine's Day deals post. Notable deals include the MagSafe Duo Charger for $79.99, MagSafe Charger for $32.99, and various iPhone 15 FineWoven and Silicone Cases at over 50 percent off.

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

The iPhone 16 lineup is set to see notable battery capacity changes across the board, according to the X user known as "Majin Bu."

In a new post, Majin Bu claims that the ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max will feature larger batteries than their predecessors, but the ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus is set to take a significant step back in terms of battery capacity. The X user also noted that the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max is moving away from the L-shaped battery design used on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and earlier toward a standard rectangular battery like the ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus. The rumored changes are as follows:

	iPhone 15 Lineup (2023)	‌iPhone 16‌ Lineup (2024)	% Change
[Standard]	3,349 mAh	3,561 mAh	+6%
Plus	4,383 mAh	4,006 mAh	-9%
Pro Max	4,422 mAh	4,676 mAh	+5%

Majin Bu did not disclose any information about the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro's battery. It is not clear why the ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus's battery would shrink compared to its predecessor while the ‌iPhone 16‌'s battery grows, seeing as both devices have an identical feature-set and share many of their components.

While Majin Bu often aggregates and shares information related to Apple's plans, they do not have a solid track record. As a result, this part of the rumor should be treated with some skepticism until we know more, but it is worth noting that a smaller battery would not necessarily equate to reduced battery life, since there could be efficiency savings elsewhere that prolong battery life.

iFixit today shared the second part of its teardown of Apple's Vision Pro headset, revealing several new insights about the device's construction, specifications, and repairability. Its initial disassembly provided the first comprehensive look at the device's internals last week.

iFixit examined the Vision Pro's microOLED display panels, also known as OLED on Silicon. Despite not technically having 4K resolution, the displays boast an incredible pixel density, with more than 50 Vision Pro pixels fitting into the space of a single iPhone 15 Pro pixel. This density translates to an estimated 3,386 pixels per inch and 34 pixels per degree, offering a rich visual experience that, while not 4K by conventional standards, exceeds the pixel count of a 4K TV.

The logic board of the Vision Pro houses the M2 chip and R1 co-processor, designed to manage the real-time data from the headset's numerous sensors. This includes outward-facing cameras, TrueDepth sensors, LiDAR sensors, IR illuminators, and IR cameras.

The teardown also highlights the Vision Pro's battery design, which, despite being "over-engineered" and difficult to open without damage, contains a range of hardware features such as temperature sensors and an accelerometer. The bespoke "big Lightning" cable outputs more voltage than a standard USB-C pack to meet the Vision Pro's processing demands. iFixit managed to design its own battery pack to circumvent the restrictions of Apple's design, providing double the battery life of the included pack.

iFixit revealed that the Vision Pro is relatively free from parts pairing, a common practice in Apple products that restricts repairability. This means components can be swapped between headsets without triggering "unrecognized part" warnings, a key benefit for repair enthusiasts and professionals.

The Vision Pro's repairability presents a mixed bag. On the plus side, its battery is modular, and parts that come into contact with the user's skin are easily replaceable. The lens inserts and light seals attach magnetically, simplifying the fitting process. Yet, the headset's front glass poses a significant vulnerability. Its fragility means that even fully functional sensors become useless with a cracked display, affecting the headset's overall durability and user experience. Comparatively, rival headsets from Meta offer a more durable design with exterior shells made of plastic and recessed cameras protected by a separate notch, making them significantly more robust than the Vision Pro. Overall, iFixit awards the Vision Pro a provisional repairability score of 4 out of 10.

Apple is actively building prototypes of at least two foldable iPhones following over five years of research and development, The Information reports.

Citing individuals with "direct knowledge" of the project, the two iPhone prototypes reportedly fold widthwise like a clamshell. The devices are in early development and do not feature in the company's mass production plans for 2024 or 2025, making 2026 the earliest possible launch time frame. The company has, however, approached at least one supplier in Asia for components related to two foldable iPhone models that come in different sizes. The report added that the foldable iPhones could still be canceled if they do not meet Apple's standards.

Apple's interest in offering a foldable iPhone is said to have fluctuated over the years. Apple CEO Tim Cook apparently first asked designers and engineers about a foldable iPhone as early as 2018. Later that year, he responded positively to a demonstration of a foldable iPhone with a 7-inch display. The company is reportedly concerned about technical challenges and offering sufficiently appealing features on the device that would justify its high price point compared to non-foldable devices.

Apple's initial vision for the foldable iPhone imagined the display residing on the outside when the phone is shut, but engineers struggled to address durability problems with this design. The industrial design team also wanted the device to be no thicker than current iPhone models when closed, which became untenable due to limitations with battery and display technology.

The company paused its work on a foldable iPhone around 2020 and pivoted toward an inward folding iPad around the size of the iPad mini, featuring an 8-inch display. Apple purportedly concluded that the device could be thicker than a foldable iPhone since users would not expect to carry it in their pocket and it would not need to pass the high durability requirements of an iPhone. An foldable ‌iPad‌ would also enable Apple to publicly test the product category on a smaller scale.

Engineers are currently attempting to eliminate the crease that forms in the middle of the display due to repeated folding, as well as design a hinge that allows the display to lie totally flat, rather than possessing a small bump or dip in the middle, which could inhibit the Apple Pencil. The company is reportedly working with LG and Samsung on displays for the foldable ‌iPad‌.

Apple on Tuesday released the first visionOS 1.1 beta. Along with improved Personas, the update adds iMessage Contact Key Verification to the Vision Pro.

iMessage Contact Key Verification is an optional security feature that allows you to manually verify who you are messaging with by comparing verification codes in person or on a phone call. The feature launched on the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac starting with iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2, watchOS 9.2, and macOS 14.2 last year.

iMessage Contact Key Verification also includes "advanced protections" that can help prevent attackers from impersonating anyone in a conversation, according to Apple. These protections only apply if both parties in an iMessage conversation have turned on the feature. Apple provides more details in a support document.

Thanks to Ryan Isaacs for alerting us to this change.