MacRumors

Apple finally released the first beta of iOS 18.4 to developers for testing purposes, and while the beta is lacking some of the Apple Intelligence features we were hoping for, there are some notable new additions.

Priority Notifications - Apple Intelligence

There is a new Priority Notifications feature that can show you your most important notifications first. Priority Notifications is disabled by default, but it can be turned on by going to Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications and tapping the toggle.

With the feature enabled, ‌Apple Intelligence‌ will show notifications that may be important in a dedicated section of the Lock Screen.

Image Playground Sketch Style

Image Playground now includes a Sketch style that joins the Animation and Illustration styles. Sketch was previously available for Image Wand, but now it is a third style that can be used in ‌Image Playground‌.

Swap styles by tapping on the "+" button in the ‌Image Playground‌ app.

Apple also replaced the "Winter Holidays" theme with a new "Spring" theme.

New Apple Intelligence Languages

French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified), along with localized English for Singapore and India.

Apple News+ Food

iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 include a new Apple News Food section for ‌Apple News‌+ subscribers. The Food section features tens of thousands of recipes, stories about restaurants, tips for healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more.

Content will come from top food publishers such as Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Good Food, and Serious Eats.‌Apple News‌ editors will curate food-related stories, and there will be a dedicated Recipe Catalog section where new recipes are added regularly. An included cook mode provides step-by-step instructions, and users can save favorite recipes for offline access.

Ambient Music

iOS 18.4 includes a new Ambient Music option that can be added to Control Center. There are four different sound categories, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.

Each category can be added to Control Center separately, and tapping one plays a random selection of sounds or music from that particular category.

You can't choose what's playing from Control Center, but if you play a category and then tap into the Dynamic Island at the top or access the Now Playing widget, you can skip songs and see the name of what's currently playing.

Mail Categorization for iPadOS 18.4

With iPadOS 18.4, an updated Mail app is available with categorization. The new Mail app organizes incoming emails into different sections. Important emails are displayed in the Primary category, with other emails organized into sections highlighting product orders, newsletters, deals, and social notifications.

Mail categorization was previously introduced for the iPhone in iOS 18.2.

Privacy Indication Dots

The small dots that show up on the ‌iPhone‌'s menu bar when the camera or microphone is in use have been moved to the left and are now more apparent thanks to a black background.

Siri Voices

There are two new Australian voices for Siri.

Genmoji

The Genmoji icon for the Emoji keyboard now says "‌Genmoji‌" instead of just featuring a multi-colored smiley face. The change should make it more obvious where users go to create a ‌Genmoji‌ character.

Apple Maps

In the Apple Maps Settings, there is a new option to set a Preferred Language.

Podcasts Widget

There are new Library and Shows widgets that can be added to the Home Screen on an ‌iPhone‌ or iPad. The Library widget features saved content, while the Shows option displays shows that you are subscribed to.

In the Podcasts app, if you tap on your profile picture, there are new options for Podcasts Settings and Notification Settings.

Cellular Control Center Toggle

The Cellular toggle in the Control Center now shows your cellular signal strength represented in bars.

Shortcuts Actions

Apple added a new Shortcuts action to open a specific conversation in the Messages app.

CarPlay

Some CarPlay users are seeing a third row of ‌CarPlay‌ icons on the ‌Home Screen‌ rather than just two rows.

Default Apps

There is a new option to set a different Translation app as the default in the Default Apps section of the Settings app. In the EU, there is also an option to choose a different Navigation app.

Notification Center

The animation when swiping out of the Notification Center is now smoother.

Wi-Fi Calling Issue

Apple's developer notes for the update say that Wi-Fi Calling might not work for US Cellular customers in iOS 18.4. Apple says that users should revert to iOS 18.3 to enable Wi-Fi Calling.

Japan 'My Number Card' Support in Wallet

The iOS 18.4 beta appears to include integration for Japanese "My Number Card" Digital IDs in the Wallet app. Apple said last year that it would be adding support for the ID cards in spring 2025.

More than 100 million Japanese residents have My Number Card IDs.

MDM Changes

For enterprise and education users, Apple made some updates to Mobile Device Management. MDM can disable ‌Apple Intelligence‌ reports, Mail smart replies, Safari summarize content, and the Idle Reboot feature that causes iPhones to restart after inactivity.

There are also options for preventing the modification of default calling and messaging apps, and there is a feature that allows a nearby ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ to be used to sign into a Mac with an Apple Account.

Vision Pro App and Guest Setup

For Vision Pro owners, Apple has designed a Vision Pro app for managing the headset. It's designed to help users find content and learn about new features, so it includes tools for downloading apps and visionOS content, a tips page, and a My Vision Pro section for setting up Personalized Spatial Audio and getting information like headset serial number.

Guest setup can now be managed on an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ linked to a Vision Pro, making it easier for Vision Pro owners to let others test their headset. There are controls for limiting what apps a guest is able to use, and an AirPlay mode for guiding the guest through Vision Pro experiences. When a guest user puts on the Vision Pro, a prompt to enable Guest Mode will appear on the headset owner's device.

The Vision Pro app isn't in this beta, but it will be coming in a later iOS 18.4 beta.

New Emojis

There are no new emoji in the current beta, but iOS 18.4 code confirms a future beta will add new characters. New emoji will include bags under eyes, fingerprint, leafless tree, root vegetable, harp, shovel, and splatter.

iOS 18.4 Release Date

Apple plans to release iOS 18.4 to the public in April.

With the iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 betas, Apple is introducing a new Priority Notifications feature that can show you your most important notifications first.

Apple first announced Priority Notifications when showing off Apple Intelligence in June, but it wasn't implemented until now. Priority Notifications is disabled by default, but it can be turned on by going to Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications and tapping the toggle.

With the feature enabled, ‌Apple Intelligence‌ will show notifications that may be important in a dedicated section of the Lock Screen.

The initial iPadOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4 betas that Apple provided to developers today expand the revamped Mail app to the iPad and the Mac.

The new Mail app features built-in categorization that organizes incoming emails into different sections. Important emails are displayed in the Primary category, with other emails organized into sections highlighting product orders, newsletters, deals, and social notifications.

A "Transactions" section aggregates receipts, orders, and deliveries to make it easy to find orders that you've placed and shipping information for those orders.

In an "Updates" section, you'll find newsletters, alerts for doctor's appointments and correspondence, and subscription emails. A "Promotions" category includes emails with offers and deals.

Categories is the default view after updating to the new software, but in the upper right corner of the Mail app, you can swap back to a list view that shows all emails in chronological order, without separation into categories. Devices that have Apple Intelligence support will show priority emails in the Primary inbox, so you can see what's most important first. Emails in the Transactions, Updates, or Promotions section that have time-sensitive information will also be shown in the Primary section.

Apple already brought Mail categorization to the iPhone with the iOS 18.2 update, but now it has expanded to the Mac and ‌iPad‌ as well.

In iOS 18.4, there's a new Ambient Music option that can be added to Control Center. There are four different sound categories, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.

Each category can be added to Control Center separately, and tapping one plays a random selection of sounds or music from that particular category.

You can't choose what's playing from Control Center, but if you play a category and then tap into the Dynamic Island at the top or access the Now Playing widget, you can skip songs and see the name of what's currently playing.

There is no dedicated app for the feature, but Apple has a hidden app that provides more control through skipping songs.

Ambient Music is available on both the iPhone and the iPad in iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4.

With iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, Apple plans to introduce new features for the Apple News+ subscription service. Apple is adding ‌Apple News‌+ Food, a section that features tens of thousands of recipes, stories about restaurants, tips for healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more.

Content will come from top food publishers such as Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Good Food, and Serious Eats.

‌Apple News‌ editors will curate food-related stories, and there will be a dedicated Recipe Catalog section where new recipes are added regularly. An included cook mode provides step-by-step instructions, and users can save favorite recipes for offline access.

‌Apple News‌+ Food is coming to ‌Apple News‌+ subscribers with the launch of iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April.

Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a month after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3.

iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.

iOS 18.4 includes a dedicated Apple Vision Pro app, which will show up on your iPhone if you have a Vision Pro headset that's also connected to your Apple Account. If you don't have a Vision Pro, it can be downloaded from the App Store.

The Vision Pro app is designed to help users find content, get help, and learn about new Vision Pro features. It includes tools for adding content to the Apple TV app to watch later, downloading apps remotely, and viewing information about the Vision Pro such as device serial number with a dedicated My Vision Pro section.

There is a dedicated Discover page that offers curated recommendations for new experiences that are available on Vision Pro. Users can see popular apps and games, a list of more than 300 3D movies, Apple Immersive videos, Vision Pro video content on the ‌Apple TV‌ app, and spatial photos, videos, and panoramas included in the new Spatial Gallery.

With a My Vision Pro page, users can find tips for getting the most out of the Vision Pro, and set up features like vision correction and Personalized Spatial Audio.

Guest setup for the Vision Pro can now be managed on the ‌iPhone‌, which makes it easier for Vision Pro owners to allow others to test the headset. There are controls for limiting what apps a guest can access, along with an option to view what the guest user is doing for guidance purposes. When a guest user puts on the Vision Pro, a prompt to enable Guest Mode will appear on the headset owner's device.

Rumors suggested that iOS 18.4 would include new Apple Intelligence Siri features, but the new ‌Siri‌ options may be delayed. Apple is reportedly running into engineering problems and software bugs, and ‌Siri‌ is not yet working as intended, so there may be no new ‌Siri‌ features in the beta as of yet.

Apple has promised ‌Siri‌ will get personal context, on-screen awareness, and the ability to do more in and between apps. Apple also plans to expand ‌Apple Intelligence‌ to additional languages in the iOS 18.4 update, so the new language support could be available. We're also still waiting on Priority Notifications, another ‌Apple Intelligence‌ feature that Apple says is coming in the near future.

With testing starting in late February, iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 are expected to see a launch in April.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming visionOS 2.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming almost a month after the launch of visionOS 2.3.

visionOS 2.4 can be installed by going to the Software Update section of the Settings app on the Vision Pro and opting into Beta Updates. A developer account is required.

visionOS 2.4 will be one of the most significant visionOS updates to date, because it brings Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro for the first time. Apple started rolling out ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac last year, but the Vision Pro was not included until now.

"Apple Vision Pro is helping users communicate, collaborate, and experience entertainment in entirely new ways -- and we're continuing to push the boundaries of what's possible in spatial computing with visionOS 2.4," said Mike Rockwell, Apple's vice president of the Vision Products Group. "With Apple Intelligence, Vision Pro users will be able to take their productivity and creativity to new heights using features like Writing Tools, Image Playground, and Genmoji. And we're excited for users to discover and share incredible new experiences with Spatial Gallery."

Apple Intelligence features that are accessible on the Vision Pro include Writing Tools for generating, proofreading, and summarizing text, Genmoji for creating custom emoji characters, an Image Playground app for generating images, Memory Movie for creating custom slideshows, smart reply for generating quick responses to texts and emails, Priority Notifications and Notification Summaries, ChatGPT Siri integration and new ‌Siri‌ features, and Image Wand for adding images to the Notes app, complete with gesture support.

Apple is debuting a dedicated Spatial Gallery app for the Vision Pro, which includes a curated selection of spatial videos, spatial photos, and panorama images from artists, filmmakers, and photographers. Apple plans to offer a range of content featuring sports, culture, arts, lifestyle, nature, travel, entertainment, and more. Content at launch includes images and experiences from Cirque du Soleil, Red Bull, Porsche, Samba Diop, and Jonpaul Douglass, along with behind the scenes content from Apple TV+ shows.

For Vision Pro management, there is a new Vision Pro app that's available on the ‌iPhone‌. The Vision Pro app is designed to help Vision Pro users discover new content, and it has a number of features. Users can get Vision Pro support and feature help, download apps to the Vision Pro, add content to a watch list, and get device info like serial number. The app will automatically download for iOS 18.4 users who have a Vision Pro headset, but it can also be downloaded from the App Store.

The Vision Pro app has a discover page that provides curated recommendations for new and noteworthy experiences. Users can see popular apps and games, including Apple Immersive titles.

Most notably, an ‌iPhone‌ can now be used to set up the Guest Mode on the Vision Pro, which is a much more useful way to let people demo the headset than having to set it up on the Vision Pro itself. When a guest is ready to use the Vision Pro, a prompt will appear on the ‌iPhone‌, and the Vision Pro user can select what the guest can access and see what the guest is doing using AirPlay to provide navigation guidance and content suggestions.

Guests are able to save their eye and hand setup for up to 30 days after their last use.

Apple plans to release visionOS 2.4 to the public in April.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Sequoia 15.4 update to developers, with the new update coming a month after Apple released ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3.

Registered developers can opt-in to the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. An Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

It's not yet clear what's included in ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.4, but the update is expected to feature new emoji characters and Apple Intelligence in additional languages. When we learn what's new in ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.4, we'll update this article.

macOS 15.4 is set to be released in April.

Apple today provided developers with the first betas of upcoming watchOS 11.4 and tvOS 18.4 updates for testing purposes.

The betas are available to registered developers, and can be downloaded from the Settings app on each device.

There is no word yet on what's included in the new software, but should any new features be found, we'll update this article.

This week we saw the return of a big sale on Apple Watch Series 10, plus numerous record low prices on iPad Pro, iPad Air, Apple Studio Display, and Apple Pencil Pro.

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.

AirPods 4

• What's the deal? Take $30 off AirPods 4
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

The best AirPods deal this week was on the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, which is available for $148.99, down from $179.00. This is just about $10 higher compared to the lowest-ever price.

Apple Watch Series 10

• What's the deal? Take $70 off Apple Watch Series 10
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week has numerous all-time low prices on Apple Watch Series 10, including both GPS and cellular models. You'll find $70 off both 42mm and 46mm GPS Series 10 models in multiple case colors and band styles, and this time the deals do not require any coupon codes.

Apple Pencil Pro

• What's the deal? Take $30 off Apple Pencil Pro
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Another all-time low price available on Amazon this week was on the Apple Pencil Pro, and it's still available for $99.00 today, down from $129.00.

Apple Studio Display

• What's the deal? Take $299 off Apple Studio Display
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

The Apple Studio Display returned to its all-time low price of $1,299.99 this week on Amazon, down from $1,599.00. This is the Standard Glass model of the Studio Display, and right now it's the only model hitting a record low price.

iPads

• What's the deal? Take up to $200 off iPad Pro, and iPad Air
• Where can I get it? Best Buy
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon and Best Buy introduced numerous discounts across the iPad Air and iPad Pro lineup this week, with the return of best-ever prices on multiple models. iPad Air tablets start at $499.00 and reach up to $200 off, while iPad Pro tablets start at $849.00 and also reach up to $200 off. You can find more details about all of these deals in our original post.

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.

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The iPhone 16e will join the four other iPhone 16 models in being made in India, Apple has revealed.

In a response to a query from India's Economic Times, Apple said that "the entire ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup, including ‌iPhone 16e‌, is being assembled in India for Indian consumers and for export to select countries."

In recent years, Apple has significantly increased its production footprint in the country. Nikkei Asia suggests that the share of iPhones made in India will rise from around 15% today to 25% by 2027. The 16e is reportedly likely to be assembled on the same Indian production lines as the iPhone 14.

The iPhone 16 Pro and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max are the first high-end ‌iPhone‌ models to be made in India. Apple's ‌iPhone‌ exports from the country reached nearly $6 billion in the six months leading up to September 2024, representing a 33% increase compared to the same period last year. Apple is expected to begin production of AirPods in India for the first time later this year.

A new Apple Store will be opening March 1 at the Trafford Centre shopping mall outside of Manchester, in the United Kingdom.

Apple's existing store at the mall will be permanently closed starting February 27.

Apple has not shared photos or details about the new Trafford Centre store, but you can expect a modern design that will likely include an Apple Pickup station for in-store pickup of orders that customers have placed on Apple's online store.

Apple Trafford Centre originally opened in 2005.

In other store news, Apple recently opened a new store in Miami, and it says another store in Downtown Detroit is coming soon.

(Thanks, Filip Chudzinski!)

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we unpack Apple's announcement of the all-new iPhone 16e.

The ‌iPhone 16e‌ is the newest member of the iPhone lineup, offering a massive upgrade over the now-discontinued third-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. It features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a notch for Face ID, a Ceramic Shield front cover, a USB-C port, and an Action button, and much more.

It is powered by an A18 chip, enabling support for Apple Intelligence features, such as notification summaries and Genmoji for creating custom emoji. It also supports Visual Intelligence.

In the ‌iPhone 16e‌, the A18 chip has a 6-core CPU and a 16-core Neural Engine, but a binned 4-core GPU, making it slightly less powerful than the iPhone 16 and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus. It also has IP68-rated water resistance, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3.

The device is equipped with an Apple-designed 5G modem called the C1, whereas other iPhones have a Qualcomm modem. Apple says its own modem is so power efficient that the ‌iPhone 16e‌ offers the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ model ever at up to 26 hours.

On the back of the ‌iPhone 16e‌ is a single 48-megapixel Fusion camera, which provides a 2x "optical-quality" Telephoto option, according to Apple. On the front, there is a 12-megapixel camera with autofocus. The device does not have the Camera Control button that was introduced across the rest of the ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup last year. It also lacks MagSafe.

‌iPhone 16e‌ supports Apple's satellite features. When outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ supports Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My via satellite.

The device is available in white or black, and with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage capacities. In the U.S., pricing starts at $599.

We talk through how the ‌iPhone 16e‌ compares to the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 16‌, which sit at $699 and $799, respectively. We also contemplate what the discontinuation of the ‌iPhone‌ SE line means for the rumored third-generation Apple Watch SE, which is rumored to launch later this year. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about the imminent Apple product "launch" that is widely expected to be the fourth-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE.

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

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

Apple has confirmed that its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e has nothing to do with the device's lack of MagSafe support, according to Macworld.

Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, there was some speculation online about how MagSafe magnets might have interfered with the C1 modem's cellular connectivity performance, and this was considered to be a potential reason for the device not supporting MagSafe. But, that explanation is not true, according to Apple.

From the report:

Update 11:18am ET: Apple has confirmed to Macworld that the C1 modem is not responsible for the decision to leave MagSafe charging off the new iPhone 16e.

A well-known iPhone case maker told MacRumors that it completed testing that confirmed MagSafe cases do not impact the C1 modem's performance.

So, why does the iPhone 16e lack MagSafe? Apple has not disclosed its actual reasoning, but we would wager that it simply comes down to pricing considerations.

iPhone 16e pre-ordering started today, and the device launches Friday, February 28.

Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom following government demands for backdoor access to encrypted user data, according to Bloomberg. The move comes after UK officials secretly ordered Apple to provide unrestricted access to encrypted iCloud content worldwide.

Customers who are already using Advanced Data Protection, or ADP, will need to manually disable it during an unspecified grace period to keep their iCloud accounts, according to the report. Apple said it will issue additional guidance in the future to affected users and that it "does not have the ability to automatically disable it on their behalf."

The UK government's demand came through a "technical capability notice" under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), requiring Apple to create a backdoor that would allow British security officials to access encrypted user data globally. The order would have compromised Apple's Advanced Data Protection feature, which provides end-to-end encryption for iCloud data including Photos, Notes, Messages backups, and device backups.

"We are gravely disappointed that the protections provided by ADP will not be available to our customers in the UK given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy," Apple said in a statement. "ADP protects iCloud data with end-to-end encryption, which means the data can only be decrypted by the user who owns it, and only on their trusted devices."

Apple's decision to pull the feature rather than comply with the UK's demands is consistent with the company's previous statements that it would consider withdrawing encrypted services from the UK rather than compromise security. Apple has long opposed creating backdoors in its products, maintaining that such access points would inevitably be discovered by malicious actors.

The UK order was particularly controversial as it would have required Apple to provide access to data from users outside the UK without their governments' knowledge. Additionally, the IPA makes it illegal for companies to disclose the existence of such government demands.

US security agencies, including the FBI and NSA, have been advocating for increased use of encryption to protect against Chinese cyber threats, creating potential conflicts between UK and US security interests.

"Enhancing the security of cloud storage with end-to-end encryption is more urgent than ever before,” said Apple on Friday, per Bloomberg. The company added that it "remains committed to offering our users the highest level of security for their personal data and are hopeful that we will be able to do so in the future in the United Kingdom."

Note that the loss of Advanced Data Protection in the UK does not affect the existing end-to-end encryption of several other Apple features available in the country, including iMessage, FaceTime, password management and health data.

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

Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said all four iPhone 17 models will be equipped with Apple's first-ever custom-designed Wi-Fi chip. He did not say which Wi-Fi version the chip will support, but it appears that it will be Wi-Fi 7.

All four iPhone 17 models will feature an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain. He shared this information in a research note with GF Securities earlier this month.

The entire iPhone 16 lineup already supports Wi-Fi 7, so this is not much of a surprise, but the fact that the chip will be designed by Apple is notable. Apple recently debuted its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e, for cellular connectivity, and now the company is expected to debut an in-house Wi-Fi chip in the iPhone 17 models later this year. By designing more of its own chips, Apple can reduce and eventually eliminate its reliance on external suppliers, including Qualcomm for modems and Broadcom for Wi-Fi chips.

Wi-Fi 7 allows for data transmission over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously with a supported router, resulting in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. Wi-Fi 7 can provide peak speeds of over 40 Gbps, a 4× increase over Wi-Fi 6E, if a device supports the maximum specifications.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup in September.

Apple plans to move away from Qualcomm modems in the Apple Watch while bolstering its new in-house alternatives, according to The Information's Wayne Ma.

Later this year, Apple plans to eliminate the Qualcomm modem used in the Apple Watch Ultra. Rather than using the C1 modem or another custom Apple chip, Apple plans to switch from using Qualcomm units to MediaTek ones. MediaTek is one of the few companies capable of designing 5G modems.

In 2026, Apple will debut a new custom modem with support for mmWave 5G. The C1 does not have this capability. The modem with mmWave support will be used in iPhones and "at least one iPad." This project has the codename "Ganymede."

The C1 currently falls short of Qualcomm's performance, and the report suggests its direct 2026 successor will be the same. It will not be until a third generation in 2027 that Apple will "finally be able to exceed the performance of Qualcomm's modems." This project is codenamed "Prometheus."

While this information appears to have been sourced independently, it corroborates previous rumors. In December, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple's second-generation 5G modem will add mmWave support and debut in the iPhone 18 lineup in 2026 and come to the iPad Pro by 2027.

He said the second modem will achieve theoretical download speeds of up to 6 Gbps, compared to up to 4 Gbps for Apple's first modem. He also alluded to Apple's wish for its third-generation modem to surpass Qualcomm's modems in terms of performance and AI features in 2027.

Another Bloomberg report mentioned Apple's plan to transition to MediaTek modems in the Apple Watch. MediaTek's modem adds support for 5G RedCap, a 5G service that's designed for connected devices and wearables that don't need standard 5G speeds. The current cellular Apple Watch models still use 4G LTE.

The Information's full article details Apple's tumultuous relationship with Qualcomm and how it developed the all-new C1 chip.

Apple earlier this week announced the iPhone 16e, and pre-orders for the device went live this morning. As is typical for an iPhone launch, you can already find early discounts and offers from popular cellular carriers, and we've rounded up all of the best deals below.

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.

AT&T

• iPhone 16e: $5.99 per month with any Unlimited plan, no trade-in required
• iPhone 16 Pro: Free when trading in an iPhone 13 Pro or later in any condition

AT&T's offer has the iPhone 16e at $5.99 per month on any Unlimited plan of your choosing, and you don't need to trade in your old device to get this offer. The carrier is also updating its iPhone 16 offers with the iPhone 16 Pro at no cost when trading in an iPhone 13 Pro or later in any condition.

Verizon

• iPhone 16e: $5.00 per month after purchase on any plan
• iPhone 16: Free when adding a new line and available online only
• iPhone 16 Pro: Free when adding a new line and available online only

At Verizon, you can pay $5.00 per month for the 128GB iPhone 16e when you purchase the smartphone on any plan. You'll need to add a new line and pay a one-time activation fee of $35 to see this offer.

Visible

• iPhone 16e: Get $25 per month in service credits for 24 months
• iPhone 13: Free when purchasing a year of Visible+

Visible is offering customers a chance to get $25 per month in service credits for 24 months when you purchase the new 128GB iPhone 16e. In total, that represents $600 in savings on the latest iPhone, which covers the cost of the 128GB model.

Visible has a few other iPhone offers running right now, including a free 128GB iPhone 13 when purchasing a year of the Visible+ service. You'll need the code SWEETDEAL to get this offer at checkout.

T-Mobile

• iPhone 16e: Free when trading in a device on Magenta Max, Go5G Plus/Next, or when trading in/adding a line on Go5G or most plans

T-Mobile's deal has the iPhone 16e at no cost when you trade in a device on Magenta Max, Go5G Plus or Next, or when trading in and adding a line on Go5G (or most other plans). Depending on your trade-in value, you can get up to $830 off with this offer.

If you want to buy an iPhone 16e for you and your family, you can get four iPhone 16e devices at no cost and four new voice lines for $25/line per month when trading in four eligible devices. T-Mobile is also offering free next day shipping and free activation when pre-ordering the iPhone 16e.

The iPhone 16e will launch on Friday, February 28 in 59 countries and regions, and it's available in white or black, with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage capacities. 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.

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