Apple-owned Shazam version 15.38 was released earlier today, and the latest update to the music recognition app adds two new Lock Screen widgets.
The latest version of the Shazam app adds Lock Screen widgets for the iPhone and iPad in two different sizes. The smaller widget allows users to open Shazam and identify songs directly from the Lock Screen, while the wider widget displays the last identified song.
Shazam can be downloaded from the App Store for free. It can be accessed through the Control Center on iPhone and iPad, through Siri commands, or on the Mac, as well as via widgets. Shazam is also available on Android devices and select features can be accessed on the web.
Apple's Beats brand is announcing two new metallic colors of the Beats Studio Buds + today in collaboration with nail brand Olive & June. The new Cosmic Silver and Cosmic Pink colors will be available starting Thursday, September 7.
Cosmic Silver and Cosmic Pink expand upon the Transparent, Ivory, and Black options that were included in the initial debut back in May. The launch saw Beats' popular earphones updated with new fit options, improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency modes, and better battery life, among other upgrades.
Alongside the Cosmic color options, Beats is presenting a new ad campaign featuring influencer, YouTuber, and podcaster Emma Chamberlain, entitled "The Beauty of Immersive Sound."
Finally, the collaboration with Olive & June will see the nail brand introduce new polish shades and press-on designs that complement the latest Beats Studio Buds + colors, with the new products launching on Olive & June's website on September 6.
The new Beats Studio Buds + colors are priced at the same $169.99 as the original colors and will be available worldwide at Apple. Third-party retailers will vary by country, with Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target carrying Cosmic Silver, while Target will be the exclusive third-party retailer for Cosmic Pink in the U.S.
The Beats Studio Buds + earphones represent one of two significant product updates for Beats so far in 2023, with the other being the Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones introduced last month.
Amazon today has a few Apple Watch Ultra models at their lowest-ever price of $699.99, down from $799.00. Only Amazon has this deal, and all discounts require you to first add the Apple Watch Ultra to your cart in order to receive the $80 coupon and see the final sale price.
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.
The Trail Loop model is in stock and has an estimated delivery date of late August, but the other two are slightly delayed into September. Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be available in a refreshed selection of colors, with at least five different shades to choose from, recent rumors suggest.
According to the Twitter leaker known as "Unknownz21," who has provided an extensive amount of information about Apple's upcoming devices, at least six different colorways were tested for the iPhone 15:
These are the colors that were tested on the base model iPhone 15, throughout different development stages:
- Pink / Rose Gold / Blush Gold - Green - Blue - Yellow - Orange (inconsistent mentions) - Black / Midnight / Dark / Basalt
We should see at least some of these
— Unknownz21 🌈 (@URedditor) August 21, 2023
Yesterday, it emerged that Apple appears to be planning to accompany each of the devices in the iPhone 15 lineup with a color-matched braided USB-C to USB-C cable for the first time. With the exception of the black version, each of the cables has a glossy white plastic shell at either end. Unlike the Apple Watch magnetic charging cable and MagSafe 3, the braided USB-C cables feature strain relief tubes.
To date, all iPhone models have come with a white cable featuring a white rubber jacket, regardless of the color option chosen for the device itself. Apple has gradually been moving to braided cables across most of its devices, and all MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with MagSafe 3 come with a color-matched braided cable, so doing the same for the iPhone seems plausible amid its transition to USB-C.
Apple device prototype collector "Kosutami" affirmed that they had seen design validation test (DVT) samples of the new cables. Now, Kosutami has shared images of what they claim are genuine Apple cables:
The orange cable shown by Kosutami has appeared to look pink in other images, causing some confusion online, suggesting that it is, in fact, more of a coral shade. This may also explain the "inconsistent mentions" of the orange iPhone 15 highlighted by Unknownz21. Apple offered a Coral version of the iPhone XR in 2018, so there is precedent for the color option being offered in the past.
The Coral iPhone XR (2018).
A single report from February suggested that the iPhone 15 would be available in Pink and Blue. Blue is still expected according to the latest information, but the rumored pink shade may have become coral.
The shades of the braided USB-C cables match up with several of the color options Unknownz21 says Apple tested. All in all, this may be roughly what to expect in terms of colors to choose from on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus compared to the current models:
iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus
Midnight
Starlight
Yellow
Blue
Purple
PRODUCT(RED)
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
Midnight/Black
Starlight/White
Yellow
Blue
Orange/Coral
iPhone lineups in recent years have launched with just five options, with a sixth following in the spring to boost sales midway through the device's product cycle. It looks like that could continue this year, with only five different USB-C cable colors having been spotted.
Since PRODUCT(RED) is noticeably absent from Unknownz21 and Kosutami's information, it seems possible that there may be no iPhone in that color this year. In early 2017 and 2018, the new hue introduced for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 was PRODUCT(RED), so it is entirely possible that PRODUCT(RED) could return on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus as an additional color option in the spring of 2024.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be at least $100 more expensive than their predecessors, according to DigiTimes.
The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099. DigiTimes' forecast places the price of the iPhone 15 Pro at $1,099 to $1,199 and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,199 to $1,299.
The significant price increase could suppress sales of the new Pro iPhone models this year, reduced to around 77 million units in 2023. Initial estimates placed shipments at around 83 million units. This corresponds to a wider decline in the smartphone industry of more than five percent year-on-year.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was contemplating raising the price for both the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Analyst Jeff Pu has also said that the iPhone 15 Pro models could be more expensive than the iPhone 14 Pro models. Pu believes the iPhone 15 Pro could be priced starting at $1,099, up from the $999 starting price of the iPhone 14 Pro.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to be unveiled at an Apple event on Tuesday, September 12. With that timing, pre-orders would likely take place on Friday, September 15, with launch following on Friday, September 22.
Parallels Desktop 19 for Mac has been released, bringing some notable new features and performance enhancements to the virtualization software, including password-less Sign-in with Touch ID Integration and full support for Apple's forthcoming macOS Sonoma operating system.
Touch ID on Macs lets users authenticate logins and Apple Pay transactions with their fingerprint, and beginning with Parallels Desktop 19, users with a secure Windows login and password can now use Touch ID to sign in to Windows virtual machines, simplifying the login process.
Parallels Desktop 19 also brings optimized compatibility with macOS Sonoma, including re-engineered Shared Printing via Internet Printing protocol (IPP) that supports printing from Windows apps, with minimal setup required.
In addition, DP 19 promises a richer experience using VMs on Apple silicon Macs, thanks to dynamic resolution adjustments and familiar multitouch gestures with Trackpad support. Meanwhile, Pro Edition users can remotely access a macOS Sonoma 14 VM via port forwarding, which is useful for VMs hosted on Amazon EC2 Mac cloud instances.
The Parallels Desktop software has also been given a design overhaul, with a new app icon and a refreshed UI that aims to make navigation simpler, along with native dialogs for easier interaction with the app.
There are several other improvements highlighted in the release notes for Parallels Desktop 19, including:
Improved OpenGL support, up to version 4.1, for running more CAD software on Mac, including VariCAD, Deswik.CAD, Vectorworks Vision 2023, and more.
Improved performance for AcrGIS Pro, a map designing application.
Compatible to run CentOS 9 Stream on Mac computers with Apple silicon, along with an updated set of ready-to-go Linux distributions, including Ubuntu 22.04.2, Fedora 38, Debian 12, and more.
New option to create Arm-based Linux VM on Mac computers with Apple silicon using Rosetta to run x86-64 binaries, including containers.
Enhanced support for the HashiCorp’s Packer and Vagrant with macOS VM on Apple silicon.
New option to create, group, and manage Parallels VMs and their containers from the Visual Studio Code extension.
Support for enrolling Windows in Windows management solutions, such as Microsoft Intune and others, when deploying it using Parallels My Account Configuration Profile or as a shared file.
Parallels Desktop 19 for Mac Standard, Pro, and Business editions can be purchased or upgraded to at parallels.com/desktop or from authorized resellers. For more information, including the option to download a free trial, see the Parallels website.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Parallels. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple is today rolling out Tap to Pay on iPhone in the Netherlands, according to iCulture.nl, allowing independent sellers, small merchants, and large retailers in the country to use iPhones as a payment terminal.
Introduced in February 2022, the feature allows compatible iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets, using only an iPhone - no additional hardware or credit card machine is required.
Tap to Pay on iPhone uses NFC technology to securely authenticate the contactless payments, plus the feature also supports PIN entry, which includes accessibility options.
Adyen and SumUp are the first payment platforms to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to business customers in the Netherlands, with Rabobank, Klearly, Revolut, Stripe, Viva Wallet, Worldline, and myPOS coming soon. Tap to Pay on iPhone will also roll out to Apple Store locations in the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Apple has not yet officially announced the rollout in the country, but a press release is expected soon.
Tap to Pay on iPhone requires iPhone XS or newer models, and works for customers as any normal Apple Pay transaction would. Sellers just need to open up the app, register the sale, and present their iPhone to the buyer, who can then use an appropriate contactless payment method.
Tap to Pay on iPhone is available to over 700,000 additional businesses across the United States, and Apple Stores in the U.S. have also rolled out the feature. The Netherlands is the fifth region to support Tap to Pay, following similar rollouts in the U.K., Australia, and Taiwan earlier in the year.
T-Mobile today announced a new Go5G Next plan that is designed to allow subscribers to upgrade their smartphones on a yearly basis. The plan is available alongside the existing Go5G and Go5G Plus options.
Customers who opt for Go5G Next will be able to get a smartphone with a no-interest phone payment plan, and once half the phone has been paid off, customers are eligible for an upgrade. T-Mobile says that in "most cases" customers will be able to update yearly.
When opting for a new phone, the old phone will be traded in, and T-Mobile will pay off the remaining payments to allow for a new payment contract to be adopted for the updated device. According to T-Mobile, the Go5G Next plan is also meant to ensure that existing customers receive the same "great phone deals."
Say a customer picks up a $1000 smartphone. Once they pay off half ($500), that customer can trade it in toward a new one, and T-Mobile covers the remaining $500 on the old phone. And new and existing customers on Go5G Next always get the same great deals whenever they're ready to upgrade.
Go5G Next is priced at $100 for a single line with autopay (plus the cost of the smartphone payments), and it comes with 50GB of mobile hotspot data. T-Mobile's Go5G Next plans will be available starting on Thursday, and for a limited time, T-Mobile is offering three lines for $60/month per line.
Samsung today announced the launch of an updated "Try Galaxy" website that's designed to allow iPhone users to experience what it's like having a foldable smartphone.
Try Galaxy uses two iPhones to "showcase the benefits" of the Galaxy Z Fold5's large display. For those unfamiliar with the device, the latest Samsung Galaxy Fold has a 6.2-inch Cover Screen that opens out like a book into a 7.6-inch display.
Samsung has long had a web app that demonstrates the customized Android UI that it has developed complete with Samsung apps, but the Galaxy Fold option is new. To use it, two iPhones are required, both with the Try Galaxy app added to the Home Screen. The app can be installed through the Try Galaxy website, which has a scannable QR code.
The web app needs to be launched on both iPhones, and one generates a code while the other accepts the code in order to initiate a sync between the two devices. From there, a "single" screen is split between two iPhones to simulate the Galaxy Fold's larger display.
There are a limited number of experiences that customers can choose, and there's only a surface level look at the Galaxy Fold options. Users can play an Air Hockey game, go through a walkthrough on multitasking, or see a video split across two screens. Almost everything available in the multi-screen view is a video walkthrough that is controlled by Samsung, so it's more of a gimmick than anything else.
Samsung often uses anti-Apple marketing, and likes to point out that Apple has no foldable iPhone. A recent "On the Fence" campaign, for example, saw Samsung featuring iPhone users jealous of the foldable technology. Samsung has also done a first-to-foldables campaign mocking the iPhone's lack of innovation, and encouraged iPhone customers to "Join the Flip side."
Earlier this summer, Samsung launched its fifth-generation line of foldable devices. Rumors have suggested that Apple is experimenting with foldable smartphone technology, but there is no word yet on if or when the Cupertino company will come out with a foldable iPhone.
Apple today updated its Apple Support app to be more useful to customers who are looking to get help from a nearby Apple retail location or authorized repair shop.
When searching for a store using the "Locations" feature in the app, there's now a Good to Know section and a Store Hours section, both of which are new.
In Good to Know, Apple lists information like accessibility options and whether a store location offers product recycling. The Store Hours shows the upcoming hours for each location on a specific date basis. Rather than just listing Monday-Sunday hours, Apple has a list for the upcoming dates, which gives up-to-date information should store hours change for an event or environmental issue.
Apple's notes for the update:
Added helpful information about nearby locations, including store hours, accessibility details, and specialty services available
Performance enhancements and bug fixes
The Apple Support app is designed to allow customers to search for help with their products, get service for issues, and check AppleCare+ status. Apple has been working to improve the app over the last several years, and there are sections for help with specific devices and services, as well as options to track service requests and get help in person.
The Apple Support app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
It now appears we have a specific date for the launch, as Amazon has put the new display up for pre-order with a listed release date of August 28 and delivery available for the following day.
The Samsung ViewFinity S9 will be one of the few 27-inch 5K displays on the market, offering an ideal pixel density for a 2560 x 1440 desktop at full Retina quality, just like the Apple Studio Display.
The ViewFinity S9 is priced at $1,599.99, essentially the same as the Apple Studio Display, although Samsung includes a tilt- and height-adjustable stand while Apple charges $400 for that upgrade. The ViewFinity S9 can also be pivoted to a portrait orientation using the included stand.
The ViewFinity S9 includes one Thunderbolt 4 port, three USB-C ports, a Mini DisplayPort, and a DC 20V port for a power supply. It can connect to both PCs and Macs, and offers 90W power transfer and data speeds of up to 40Gb/s for machines connected through the Thunderbolt 4 port.
At the top of the display, there is a 4K SlimFit camera that can tilt to fit the angle of the monitor, with an Auto Framing feature keeping the user visible and in the shot, similar to Apple's Center Stage feature. Built-in speakers are included, and an Adaptive Sound+ option allows noise levels to automatically adjust.
Built-in Smart TV apps and a remote control are also included that allow the display to function as a TV without being connected to a computer. Popular streaming apps are supported, as well as the Samsung Gaming Hub for playing cloud-based games from Xbox, NVIDIA, and more.
The new ViewFinity S9 should also be going up for sale on Samsung's site for the same August 28 launch, and other retailers should also be adding it as the date approaches.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung and Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting today, Apple Podcasts creators have access to a new Subscription Analytics dashboard that provides an overview of how their podcast subscriptions are performing. The free tool is available via the Apple Podcasts Connect website.
On the Overview tab, creators can view how many listeners started a free trial, how many listeners are paid subscribers, the percentage of listeners who convert from a free trial to a paid subscription, the estimated proceeds generated from subscriptions, and more. There is also a map with a breakdown of subscribers by country/region.
Additional data and filters are available on the Trends tab, allowing creators to keep track of activations, cancellations, renewals, and more.
Apple Podcasts began allowing podcasts to offer subscriptions in June 2021 as a way to monetize their shows. Depending on the podcast, subscribers may receive benefits such as ad-free listening, early access to episodes, bonus episodes, and other exclusive perks. Podcasts can offer subscriptions on a per-month and per-year basis.
Apple also announced that Podbean now supports Delegated Delivery, a feature that allows podcast creators to upload, manage, and distribute their subscriber episodes through participating third-party hosting providers. Audiomeans, Captivate, Podspace, and Transistor will add support by the end of the year, according to Apple.
Last, there is a new Linkfire for Podcasts marketing and analytics toolkit built for podcasters, and it has exclusive integration with Apple Podcasts. Linkfire for Podcasts is launching in beta today, and will be available to all creators worldwide for free later this year.
iOS 17 includes several enhancements to the Apple Podcasts app on the iPhone, including a redesigned Now Playing screen. The software update should be released in September and is compatible with the iPhone XS and newer.
Apple today announced it will donate $10 to the National Park Foundation for every purchase made in the U.S. using Apple Pay on Apple.com, in the Apple Store app, or at an Apple Store, up to a maximum of $1 million.
Apple has supported the National Park Foundation with this annual charitable initiative since 2017. This year, the program runs from today through August 27.
Apple celebrates U.S. national parks every August with special content across Apple Maps, Apple Podcasts, and other apps. In addition, on August 26, Apple Watch users can unlock a special national parks award in the Fitness app by recording a workout of 20 minutes or more with any app that adds workouts to the Health app.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is a national parks enthusiast. Last year, he said the parks provide a "sense of awe, tranquility, and quiet reverence only nature can inspire," and emphasized that they are "well worth protecting, today and for every generation to come."
Apple's upcoming high-end 6.7-inch iPhone 15 model may be called the "iPhone 15 Ultra" after all, replacing the "Pro Max" title, a new rumor claims.
In a September 2022 edition of his weekly "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said there was "potential" for an iPhone 15 Ultra to replace the iPhone 15 Pro Max this year. While the name change was prevalent in several rumors from influential sources like Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in late 2022 and early 2023, the idea has since faded and emphasis has shifted to Apple releasing such a model as a new high-end device next year instead. Now, AppleInsider's Andrew O'Hara claims that the "iPhone 15 Ultra" name is back:
Here’s a late Friday tidbit I’ve heard for #iPhone15. Multiple sources have told me Apple will indeed use the “iPhone 15 Ultra” monicker for the plus-sized pro phone. This was an early rumor that got backpedaled. Most have since referred to it as iPhone 15 Pro Max.
— Andrew O'Hara (@Andrew_OSU) August 19, 2023
O'Hara does not have much of a track record for Apple rumors, but he did share accurate renders of the second-generation AirPods Pro before they launched last year. With its larger display, longer battery life, and periscope telephoto camera with 6x optical zoom, the top-tier iPhone could justify the "Ultra" moniker.
Apple's naming choices are subject to change throughout a product's development process, often explaining why new devices are titled differently to what rumors have come to suggest. For example, the AirPods Max were largely expected to be called the "AirPods Studio." Most recently, visionOS was widely expected to be called "xrOS." The rumored name was found littered throughout Apple's materials following WWDC, indicating that visionOS was a last-minute switch. Whether Apple will change the name of its "Pro Max" model this year is unknown, but the idea was likely under consideration at minimum and could still be on the table.
B&H Photo today has discounts on a few of Apple's Mac computers, this time focusing on the 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air. As of writing, these all-time low prices are only available from B&H Photo.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. 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 256GB M2 13.6-inch MacBook Air, B&H Photo has this model for $949.00 in all four colors, down from $1,099.00. This is a match for the all-time low price on this version of the MacBook Air, and B&H Photo remains one of the only retailers we've seen host this deal in 2023.
B&H Photo also has the 512GB M2 13.6-inch MacBook Air at the record low price of $1,249.00, down from $1,399.00. This one is available in Midnight, Silver, and Starlight, and B&H Photo offers free two-day shipping in the contiguous United States.
References to what are believed to be the "A19" and "M5" Apple silicon chips have been discovered in official Apple code.
The references, found by Twitter user "@_orangera1n," indicate the existence of a large number of unreleased Apple chips. Following the trends of Apple's chip identifiers, the latest discoveries are believed to correspond to the "A19," "M5 Pro," "M5 Max," and "M5 Ultra" chips, suggesting that work on these processors is underway.
Apple's Tatsu Signing Server (TSS) verifies firmware files by issuing unique certificates called APTickets, which contain specific details, with no third-party logs. In an effort to identify unreleased ApChipIDs, TSS requests were made for every possible identifier. Those that did not return an invalid identifier seemingly point to an unreleased chip.
Among the discovered ApChipIDs, the identifier 0x8150 is believed to correspond to the A19, while 0x6050, 0x6051, and 0x6052 are believed to represent the M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra, respectively. This inference is made based on the logical sequence and patterns of previously released chips.
Assuming that Apple continues to release new iPhone models every year, the A19 could debut in 2025's iPhone 17 Pro models. For now, Apple's first 3nm chip, the A17 Bionic, is believed to be just weeks away from announcement in the iPhone 15 Pro models, sporting major performance and efficiency improvements over all of the Apple silicon chips from recent years that are based on TSMC's 5nm process.
The Tesla app for iOS gains official support for Apple Shortcuts with its latest update, version 4.24.
The update to the Tesla app brings support for over 20 Shortcuts actions, allowing users to get quick access to many of their vehicle's functions, issue commands with Siri, create automations, and combine actions into complex workflows. For example, users can simply command Siri to lock their vehicle and set up an automation to turn on the climate control at a specific time every day under certain conditions. The full list of the Shortcuts actions that the Tesla app now supports (via Not a Tesla App) is as follows:
Bioweapon Defense Mode
Camp Mode
Defrost
Dog Mode
Precondition Vehicle
Set Seat Heater (seat position and heat level)
Set Temperature (choose climate temperature)
Vent Windows
Set Media Volume
Emissions Test
Close All Windows
Flash Lights
Honk Horn
Lock/Unlock
Open Frunk
Open/Close Charge Port
Open/Close Door (Model X)
Open/Close Rear Trunk
Sentry Mode
Set Charge Limit
Start/Stop Charging
Each of the actions are automatically added to the Shortcuts app so users can access them with a tap, via a widget, or a Siri command, without needing to create them. Version 4.24 of the Tesla app is available now.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus could come with color-matched braided USB-C to USB-C cables, according to a rumor coming out of Asia.
Twitter user "Majin Bu" first shared the information over the weekend, but was unable to verify the source of the rumor circulating on Chinese social media. Now, Apple device prototype collector "Kosutami" has affirmed that they have seen design validation test (DVT) samples of the color-matched braided USB-C cables and they are apparently destined to come alongside the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
With the exception of the black version, each of the cables has a glossy white plastic shell at either end. Unlike the Apple Watch magnetic charging cable and MagSafe 3, the braided USB-C cables feature strain relief tubes.
Kosutami told MacRumors that they are anticipating that these cables will at least come in white, black, yellow, purple, and orange color options. It seems that this orange shade will be closer to a pink, perhaps like the iPhone XR's Coral color option. Each of these cable colors should match up with a corresponding iPhone 15 color option. A single rumor from February suggested that the iPhone 15 will be available in Pink and Blue, but it is otherwise unknown what specific color options the new devices could come in.
To date, all iPhone models have come with a white cable featuring a white rubber jacket, regardless of the color option chosen for the device itself. Apple has gradually been moving to braided cables across most of its devices, and all MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with MagSafe 3 come with a color-matched braided cable, so doing the same for the iPhone seems plausible amid its transition to USB-C.
Update: The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will also apparently come with color-matched braided USB-C to USB-C cables, MacRumors has been told.
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The Coral iPhone XR (2018).
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
