Starting with iOS 17.2 and watchOS 10.2, Siri can access data from the Health app for health and fitness queries, according to Apple's release notes for the updates, which are currently in beta. For the Apple Watch, this functionality is limited to the Series 9 and Ultra 2, as these are the only models that support on-device Siri processing.
For example, Apple says users can ask how many hours of sleep they had the previous night, ask about the progress of closing their Activity rings for the day, or ask about their blood glucose level if they have a connected monitor.
On the Apple Watch, health data is limited to the previous week or so.
Siri is also gaining the ability to log data in the Health app. Macworld shared another list with examples of supported queries:
My weight is 195.3 pounds.
I started spotting today.
I've taken my 6 pm medications.
My body temperature is 98.5 degrees.
My period started today.
My blood sugar is 143.
Record my blood pressure as 118 over 76.
This functionality must be enabled first to work. On the iPhone, open the Settings app and select Health → Data Access & Devices → Siri, and then toggle on "Access Health Data." On the Apple Watch, open the Settings app and select Health → Apps and Services → Siri, and then toggle on "Allow Siri Access to Health Data."
iOS 17.2 and watchOS 10.2 are expected to be released next week.
The iOS 17.2 update that Apple is set to release to the public in the near future will bring support for the next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Qi2 was mentioned in the release notes for the RC version of the update that came out today.
With the addition of support for the new standard, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models will work with Qi2 wireless chargers. Qi2 is a next-generation Qi wireless charging technology that incorporates a Magnetic Power Profile. Qi2 devices will work like accessories that support MagSafe, using magnets for alignment and speedier charging. Apple added Qi2 support to the iPhone 15 models ahead of release, so they are already compatible with the standard.
The Magnetic Power Profile was designed based on MagSafe contributions from Apple, and it is being combined with the new Extended Power Profile (EPP) to form what is considered "Qi2." Qi2 is meant to ensure that phones and other battery-powered mobile products are perfectly aligned with chargers for improved energy efficiency and faster charging. It will allow for new accessories that would not be chargeable wirelessly using existing flat surface-to-flat surface devices.
While Qi2 chargers will be able to charge devices at up to 15W, it is not yet clear if Apple's iPhones will support faster wireless charging speeds with Qi2 accessories. For the iPhone 15 models, for example, Apple's technical specifications page says that the devices still support Qi wireless charging "up to 7.5W" despite the fact that they work with Qi2.
The first Qi2 accessories are set to launch during the holiday season.
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions (RCs) of upcoming iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the the fourth betas of iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2. The RCs represent the final version of the software that is expected to be provided to the public.
Registered developers are able to opt into the betas 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 Developer Beta. An Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.
The biggest new feature in iOS 17.2 is the Journal app, which can be used to record daily activities and thoughts. You can write about your day to day life, but Apple also provides topic suggestions based on the music you listen to, the places you visit, and the people you see. Journal entries support pictures, voice recordings, and location information, with the app organized by entry date.
In Apple Music, there's a Favorites playlist that houses everything you've favorited, plus Apple added support for collaborative playlists. You can now share a playlist with multiple people, and each participant can add songs.
Stickers can now be used to reply to iMessages when you long press on a chat bubble in the Messages app, and there's also now support for the extra-secure iMessage Contact Key Verification option. If you have an iPhone 15 Pro, the Action Button supports Translate in iOS 17.2, and there are new Weather and Clock widgets. Apple's full release notes for the update are below.
This update introduces Journal, an all-new way to reflect on life’s moments and preserve your memories. This release also includes Action button and Camera enhancements, as well as other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPhone.
Journal - Journal is a new app that lets you write about the small moments and big events in your life so you can practice gratitude and improve your wellbeing - Journaling suggestions make it easy to remember your experiences by intelligently grouping your outings, photos, workouts, and more into moments you can add to your journal - Filters let you quickly find bookmarked entries or show entries with attachments so you can revisit and reflect on key moments in your life - Scheduled notifications help you keep a consistent journaling practice by reminding you to write on the days and time you choose - Option to lock your journal using Touch ID or Face ID iCloud sync keeps your journal entries safe and encrypted on iCloud
Action Button - Translate option for the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to quickly translate phrases or have a conversation with someone in another language
Camera - Spatial video lets you capture video on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max so you can relive your memories in three dimensions on Apple Vision Pro - Improved Telephoto camera focusing speed when capturing small faraway objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
Messages - Catch-up arrow lets you easily jump to your first unread message in a conversation by tapping the arrow visible in the top-right corner - Add sticker option in the context menu lets you add a sticker directly to a bubble - Memoji updates include the ability to adjust the body shape of any Memoji - Contact Key Verification provides automatic alerts and Contact Verification Codes to help verify people facing extraordinary digital threats are messaging only with the people they intend
Weather - Precipitation amounts help you stay on top of rain and snow conditions for a given day over the next 10 days - New widgets let you choose from next-hour precipitation, daily forecast, sunrise and sunset times, and current conditions such as Air Quality, Feels Like, and wind speed - Wind map snapshot helps you quickly assess wind patterns and access the animated wind map overlay to prepare for forecasted wind conditions for the next 24 hours - Interactive moon calendar lets you easily visualize the phase of the moon on any day for the next month
This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes: - Siri support for privately accessing and logging Health app data using your voice - AirDrop improvements including expanded contact sharing options and the ability to share boarding passes, movie tickets, and other eligible passes by bringing two iPhones together - Favorite Songs Playlist in Apple Music lets you quickly get back to the songs you mark as favorites - Use Listening History in Apple Music can be disabled in a Focus so music you listen to does not appear in Recently Played or influence your recommendations - A new Digital Clock Widget lets you quickly catch a glimpse of the time on your Home Screen and while in StandBy - Enhanced AutoFill identifies fields in PDFs and other forms enabling you to populate them with information such as names and addresses from your contacts - New keyboard layouts provide support for 8 Sámi languages - Sensitive Content Warning for stickers in Messages prevents you from being unexpectedly shown a sticker containing nudity - Qi2 charger support for all iPhone 13 models and iPhone 14 models - Fixes an issue that may prevent wireless charging in certain vehicles
Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
Apple is expected to release iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 to the public next week.
Apple today seeded the release candidate (RC) version of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple seeded the fourth beta of macOS Sonoma 14.2. The RC represents the finalized version of macOS Sonoma 14.2 that will be released to the public should no major issues be found.
Registered developers can opt-in to the beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Under Beta updates, toggle on the Sonoma Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.
macOS Sonoma 14.2 adds support for enhanced AutoFill for PDFs, along with Contact Key Verification for Messages, a sticker tapback option, new Weather widgets, and more. Apple's release notes for the update are below.
This update introduces enhanced Autofill for PDFs and improvements to Messages and Weather. This release also includes other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your Mac.
PDFs - Enhanced AutoFill identifies fields in PDFs and other forms enabling you to populate them with information such as names and addresses from your contacts
Messages - Catch-up arrow lets you easily jump to your first unread message in a conversation by clicking the arrow visible in the top-right corner - Add sticker option in the context menu lets you add a sticker directly to a bubble - Contact Key Verification provides automatic alerts and Contact Verification Codes to help verify people facing extraordinary digital threats are messaging only with the people they intend
Weather - Precipitation amounts help you stay on top of rain and snow conditions for a given day over the next 10 days - New widgets let you choose from next-hour precipitation, daily forecast, sunrise and sunset times, and current conditions such as Air Quality, Feels Like, and wind speed - Wind map snapshot helps you quickly assess wind patterns and access the animated wind map overlay to prepare for forecasted wind conditions for the next 24 hours
Clock - Multiple timers let you run several timers simultaneously and create a name for each timer - Timer presets help you quickly start a timer with a range of preset options - Recents makes it easy to restart your recently used timers
This update also includes the following new features: - Favorite Songs Playlist in Apple Music lets you quickly get back to the songs you mark as favorites - Use Listening History in Apple Music can be disabled in a Focus so music you listen to does not appear in Recently Played or influence your recommendations - Shazam Music Recognition allows you to quickly identify songs playing online or around you, even when wearing AirPods - New keyboard layouts provide support for 7 additional Sámi languages - Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices.
For detailed information about the security content of this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
Apple is expected to release macOS Sonoma 14.2 next week.
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of an upcoming watchOS 10.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a week after Apple seeded the fourth watchOS 10.2 beta.
To install the watchOS 10.2 update, developers will need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the watchOS 10 Developer Beta. An Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.
Once beta updates have been activated, watchOS 10 can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.
watchOS 10.2 adds support accessing Health app data using Siri, though this feature is limited to the newest Apple Watches. The update also reintroduces an option to change watch faces by swiping left and right, along with a handful of other new features. Apple's release notes for the update are below.
watchOS 10.2 includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes, including:
- Access and log Health app data with Siri (Available on Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2) - Automatically view Now Playing when in proximity of HomePod (2nd generation) or HomePod mini playing media from Music or Podcasts (Available on - Apple Watch Series 6 and later and Apple Watch Ultra) - Enable the ability to swipe to change watch faces in Settings - Enable the ability to confirm ending workouts in Settings - Prioritize the volume of either the music or trainers’ voices in most Fitness+ workouts - Resolves an issue that can cause watch faces added in the Watch app on iPhone to not appear on Apple Watch
Apple is expected to release watchOS 10.2 to the public next week.
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of an upcoming tvOS 17.2 to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a week after the release of the fourth tvOS 17.2 beta.
Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 17.2 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.
tvOS updates are often minor in scale compared to other operating system updates, focusing primarily on bug fixes and smaller improvements rather than notable outward-facing changes, but tvOS 17.2 introduces an overhauled Apple TV app.
The app now includes a sidebar that houses content from both Apple's services and streaming services that integrate with the tvOS Watch Now feature. There are dedicated sections for Search, Watch Now, Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass, Sports, the Store, and the Library at the top of the sidebar, along with dedicated sections for streaming services like ABC, CBS, Comedy Central, Hulu, ESPN, Discovery, Peacock, Prime Video, and more.
You can click into each streaming service to see content that's available specifically on that service, and there's also a new My TV section that replaces "My Channels."
Beeper Mini, a new app that ostensibly brings iMessage to Android devices with no need for sign-in with Apple ID credentials, today launched on the Google Play Store.
Beeper Mini operates by identifying text message conversations from iMessage users and converting them to the recognizable blue bubbles associated with Apple's exclusive messaging service. This enables Android users to interact with iMessage features such as reactions, threads, high-quality media sharing, and group chats, without the iPhone users noticing any difference.
The app represents a departure from previous methods of accessing iMessage on non-Apple devices, which typically involved relaying messages through a Mac hosted in the cloud or signing in with an Apple ID. Beeper Mini's approach involves direct communication with Apple's servers by registering a user's phone number with iMessage, a process that apparently required extensive reverse engineering of Apple's messaging system.
Beeper is a startup led by Eric Migicovsky that aims to consolidate various messaging services into a single platform. Since its initial launch on desktop devices in 2021, Beeper raised $16 million in funding. Beeper claims that Beeper Mini does not access messages, contacts, or Apple ID passwords. The app's code will also be made open source, offering transparency and allowing for independent review.
Beeper Mini is now available for download on the Google Play Store, with a seven-day free trial followed by a subscription fee of $2 per month.
Twelve South today introduced its newest product, called the "ButterFly" and priced at $129.99. The device is a compact 2-in-1 MagSafe-compatible charger that can fuel up an iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time.
Twelve South says that when closed, the ButterFly is about the size of an AirPods Pro case. When unfolded, a small strip of vegan leather connects the magnetic fast charger for Apple Watch and MagSafe-compatible charger for iPhone or AirPods.
You can fold the accessory into a hands-free display stand for iPhone or tilt the Apple Watch magnetic charger up and use Nightstand Mode. The device includes a 30W USB-C power adapter and four international plug adapters.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Twelve South. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Today we're tracking a collection of deals that are matching - or nearly matching - the same all-time low discounts we saw during Black Friday. This includes the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, 9th generation iPad, and M1 MacBook Air.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting with Apple's AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C/MagSafe Charging Case, these earbuds have returned to $189.99, down from $249.00. This is a match of the best price we've ever tracked on this version of the AirPods, and right now only Amazon has the sale.
Next, Amazon has the 9th generation iPad (64GB Wi-Fi) for $249.00, down from $329.00. During Black Friday, we saw this model go down to around $230 at its lowest point, but today's deal is a solid second-best option and potentially the best deal you'll see before the holiday shopping season ends.
Finally, Amazon has the M1 MacBook Air (256GB) for $749.99 when you clip an on-page coupon, down from $999.00. Although a few years old at this point, this $249 discount on the 2020 13-inch MacBook Air is a great deal for anyone who needs a simple and reliable entry-level notebook for browsing the Internet.
Amazon has an Apple Watch Series 9 deal today that is undercutting the price we saw during Black Friday a few weeks ago. Across the lineup, there are also multiple prices that are matching the record low Black Friday prices we saw this year, and the first time we've seen them return since the shopping holiday ended.
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.
Starting with the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 9, you can get this model for $309.99 in (PRODUCT)RED Aluminum, down from $399.00. Only one color is available at this price, but there are a few others at solid second-best prices of around $330, which was the Black Friday deal this year.
This sale, along with every other one in this article, requires you to clip an on-page coupon located under the price on Amazon's product page. Once you do this, you can head to checkout and you'll see the correct all-time low price listed in your cart.
Note: You won't see the deal price until checkout.
The 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 9 is available for $359.99 on Amazon, down from $429.00. This one is available in multiple color options and it's a direct match of the discount we tracked during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Note: You won't see the deal price until checkout.
Finally, Amazon has the 41mm Cellular Apple Watch Series 9 for $429.99 ($69 off) and the 45mm Cellular Apple Watch Series 9 for $459.99 ($69 off). Both of these are also matches of their Black Friday sales and all-time low prices.
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.
Apple supplier BOE still can't catch a break in its production of OLED displays for iPhone 15 models. According to a new report by DigiTimes, the Chinese-based manufacturer is still struggling to expand panel supply due to yield issues.
Despite investing in panel research and development, BOE has continually struggled with yield rate problems, particularly for OLED panels for the iPhone 15 basic model. The panels were conditionally approved for mass production by Apple in March 2023, but in September the supplier failed to get formal approval and Apple ended up dropping the order.
BOE was supposed to be supplying OLED displays for both the standard iPhone 15 and larger iPhone 15 Plus, but that fell through when the manufacturer experienced problems with light leakage around the portion of the OLED display where the pill and hole cutouts secure the space necessary for the TrueDepth camera and Face ID, where the Dynamic Island is located.
Initial speculations suggested that BOE might supply around 5 million iPhone 15 panels in 2023. However, due to delays and poor yield rates, the expected supply volume has been reduced to 2 to 3 million panels. What makes things worse for BOE is that the light leakage is harder to avoid on a larger panel. As a result, it is now considered very unlikely that BOE will get production approval for the iPhone 15 Plus panels in 2023. Its yield rate is still estimated to be around only 30%.
Currently, Samsung Display supplies panels for the entire iPhone 15 series and held a 91% market share in these kinds of panels from June to August 2023. If BOE cannot expand its supply, Samsung will reap the benefits once again.
"Wiser Than Me" debuted in April 2023 and has since garnered acclaim for its distinctive approach featuring interviews with notable women such as Jane Fonda and Carol Burnett. The podcast explores the themes of life experiences, wisdom, and societal impact.
"Wiser Than Me" held the number one position on the U.S. charts for a record 29 consecutive days. It also ranked fifth on Apple's Top New Shows for 2023 in the U.S. and was listed among the top 10 Most Followed and Most Shared Shows of the year. The podcast's initial episode was also notable, becoming the second Most Shared Episode on Apple Podcasts in the U.S. for 2023.
The selection for the Show of the Year is made by the Apple Podcasts editorial team, who evaluate the content based on its quality and impact, irrespective of its chart position or popularity. "Wiser Than Me" joins a list of previous recipients that include "Code Switch" by NPR (2020), "A Slight Change of Plans" by Pushkin Industries (2021), and "Slow Burn: Roe v. Wade" by Slate (2022).
"Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus" is available on Apple Podcasts, with additional content available via a subscription to Lemonada Premium. "Wiser Than Me" has been renewed for a second season that is due to premiere in spring 2024.
Apple has asked the Indian government to exempt existing iPhones from new rules that require smartphones sold in the country to have a USB-C charging port, reports Reuters.
India wants to replicate an upcoming European Union rule that requires all smartphones to implement the USB-C charging standard. However, according to a new report, Apple has told India its local production targets will be hit if the country requires all iPhones to have USB-C charging ports.
In a closed-door Nov. 28 meeting chaired by India's IT ministry, Apple asked officials to exempt existing iPhone models from the rules, warning it will otherwise struggle to meet production targets set under India's production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, according to the meeting minutes seen by Reuters.
Only the newest iPhone 15 models currently have the USB-C port. The problem for Apple is that many consumers in India prefer to buy older models like the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13, which Apple produces in India for local sales and exports as part of its adherence to the country's PLI scheme.
"If the regulation is implemented on earlier models of mobile phones, they (Apple) will not be able to meet the PLI targets," the minutes quoted Apple's regulatory and product compliance executives as saying while opposing the rules.
While the EU regulation comes into effect in December 2024, India has said it wants compliance by June 2025. According to the report, Apple told officials it can comply with that timeline if existing models are exempted from the rules, but will need 18 months beyond 2024 if they are not. India's IT ministry is said to have decided to review its request in light of the meeting and will reach a decision later.
An increasing number of iPhone users are reporting a persistent iOS 17 bug that causes the app switcher to suddenly appear when they are typing on the screen. If you have experienced this frustrating issue, you are not alone.
Apple Community forums and Reddit contain similar reports of people being kicked out of Messages, Notes, and other apps mid-sentence only to find themselves in another app because they were still tapping the screen when the app switcher suddenly appeared.
You can see it in action here. The bug can be hard to replicate, but it seems to happen to affected users when they have been typing on the virtual keyboard at pace for a while. The bug has been reported in all versions of iOS 17 up to and including the most recent iOS 17.1.2 update, and some users have returned their iPhone only for it to occur on the replacement device, suggesting that Apple is not sufficiently aware of the problem.
Until Apple deals with the issue, there is a temporary fix – or more accurately a workaround, since it involves turning off Reachability, a feature that some users will undoubtedly miss. Reachability is an optional feature that lowers the top half of the screen so it's within easy reach of your fingers. Here's how to disable it.
Open Settings on your iPhone.
Tap Accessibility.
Under "Physical and Motor," select Touch.
Turn off the switch next to Reachability.
Disabling Reachability appears to stop the typing bug in its tracks for everyone affected, which suggests Apple has an unidentified sensitivity issue linked to the accessibility feature.
Meta has revealed plans to end Instagram users' ability to chat with Facebook accounts later this month, rolling back a feature that it introduced over three years ago.
In September 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced it was merging its Facebook Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, allowing Instagram users to chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform.
The move was supposed to be part of a long-term plan to merge Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp chat platforms into one underlying messaging infrastructure. The idea behind the plan was said to be to keep people within the Facebook ecosystem, and off of rival texting apps like Apple's iMessage.
However, according to an updated Instagram support page, beginning in mid-December the following cross-app communication features will no longer be available to Instagram users:
You won't be able to start new conversations or calls with Facebook accounts from Instagram.
Any existing chats on Instagram that you've had with Facebook accounts will become read-only, even if these Facebook accounts are removed from the chat. This means that you and others with Instagram accounts can't send new messages in these chats.
Facebook accounts won't be able to view your Activity Status or whether you've seen a message.
Any existing chats you've had with Facebook accounts won't move to your inbox on Facebook or Messenger.
When cross-app chat ends, Instagram users will need to start a new chat on Messenger or Facebook from their Facebook account to continue conversations with Facebook accounts.
Meta offered no reason for the change, but 9to5Google speculates that it could be part of a larger effort to comply with Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA). The theory is that Meta could be preparing to introduce wider interoperability between Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, which would fulfill a key requirement of the DMA. Either that or it is simply scaling back Messenger once again – the company recently removed SMS/MMS support on Android and has shut down Messenger Lite.
Netflix has been "completely satisfied" with the pace of the password sharing crackdown it initiated in the United States earlier this year, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said today at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference (via Variety).
The streaming company first began eliminating password sharing in in several countries in Latin America in 2022, requiring those who wanted to share subscriptions with people outside of their direct household to pay an additional fee. Password sharing restrictions then expanded to Canada, New Zealand, and some European countries in February 2023, before coming to the U.S., UK, and other countries in May 2023. The tiered rollout gave Netflix time to assess customer reaction. "It was good to take it slow," said Sarandos at today's event. "That's why we didn't do it in one fell swoop."
Netflix allowed password sharing to proliferate for more than a decade before deciding to crack down on it. The change came because in the first quarter of 2022, Netflix lost subscribers for the first time in 10 years and saw a sharp drop in revenue. To boost revenue, Netflix put a stop to password sharing, raised prices, and launched an ad-supported tier.
According to Netflix, an estimated 222 million paying households were sharing with an additional 100 million households that were not being monetized.
Following the password sharing crackdown, Netflix said that it saw strong subscriber growth in countries where password sharing was restricted. Netflix in Q2 2023 added six million subscribers, including more than a million in the U.S. and Canada. Revenue increased in every region where paid sharing was rolled out, and signups ultimately exceeded cancelations. In the third quarter of 2023, Netflix gained 8.8 million new subscribers, up from 2.4 million new subscribers in Q3 2022, plus revenue increased by $64 million.
Netflix subscribers are now only allowed to share accounts with people who live in the same household, with Netflix restricting access based on IP and other location data. "A Netflix account is meant to be shared by people who live together in one household," reads the Netflix website. "People who are not in your household will need to use their own account to watch Netflix."
Along with removing password sharing, Netflix in October raised its prices in the United States. The Basic no-ads plan is now priced at $11.99 per month (a $2 increase), while the Premium plan is $22.99 per month (a $3 increase). Netflix did not change the price of its $6.99 ad-supported tier or its $15.49/month Standard plan.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek today announced that the company is laying off 17 percent of employees, which equates to more than 1,000 people. Spotify needs to cut costs in an effort to narrow the gap between its current operational costs and financial goal state.
Over the last two years, we've put significant emphasis on building Spotify into a truly great and sustainable business - one designed to achieve our goal of being the world's leading audio company and one that will consistently drive profitability and growth into the future. While we've made worthy strides, as I've shared many times, we still have work to do. Economic growth has slowed dramatically and capital has become more expensive. Spotify is not an exception to these realities.
This brings me to a decision that will mean a significant step change for our company. To align Spotify with our future goals and ensure we are right-sized for the challenges ahead, I have made the difficult decision to reduce our total headcount by approximately 17% across the company.
According to Ek, Spotify took on too many employees in 2020 and 2021, and while that led to increased output and company growth, it also made Spotify less efficient and increased operating costs. Spotify has too many people "dedicated to supporting work" and "doing work around the work" rather than "contributing to opportunities with real impact."
Spotify employees that are impacted by layoffs will be notified by Tuesday, December 5. Severance will be based on tenure and local notice period requirements, with employees receiving an average of five months of severance.
Going forward, Ek says that Spotify must be "relentlessly resourceful" in how it operates because "being lean is not just an option but a necessity." The cuts will let the company "build an even stronger Spotify" in 2024.
In Q3 2023, Spotify brought in $3.6 billion, up from $3.2 billion in the year-ago quarter. Spotify also added 23 million monthly active users and six million paid subscribers, leading to its first profitable quarter in 2023. Profit was only at one percent, however.
Spotify is Apple Music's main competitor, and the company has long protested the fees that Apple collects through its App Store. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek this year has been urging lawmakers in the United Kingdom to adopt a bill that would regulate competition in digital markets and prevent Apple from offering a platform while also competing on that platform.
Apple and Spotify's most recent tiff happened in late 2022 when Apple rejected a Spotify app update that added audiobook support. Spotify attempted to direct customers to buy books online to listen to in the app, which Apple protested. Spotify was ultimately forced to remove all in-app information about how to purchase an audiobook from the Spotify website to get the app approved.
With Apple and Goldman Sachs set to put an end to their Apple Card agreement over the next 12 to 15 months, Chase Bank could be the ideal partner to step in and take over Goldman Sachs' role, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his weekly PowerOn newsletter, Gurman on Sunday said that JPMorgan Chase & Co already works with Apple on several financial initiatives, which is why Chase "makes more sense" than other Apple Card partners that have been proposed, such as American Express.
Chase was an early Apple Pay partner, is one of the banks that holds Apple's $60 billion in cash, and works with Apple on an Ultimate Rewards program that provides discounts on Apple products to Chase customers. Right now, the Apple Card is on the Mastercard platform, which is also used by Chase, so Apple would not need to swap over to Visa or American Express.
When Apple was first seeking a partner for the Apple Card, Chase, American Express, and Citigroup all declined to work with Apple because it was not clear at the time if the endeavor would work out, but now that Apple Card has millions of users, banks that weren't previously interested may want to reconsider.
If Apple does end up working with Chase, Gurman points out that the Apple Savings account might have to go or that Apple might have to find a different partner for it. Chase does not offer high-yield savings accounts that are on par with the 4.15 percent return rate that the Apple Savings account provides under Goldman Sachs.
There have been rumors for months that Goldman Sachs wanted to get out of consumer banking and thus out of its partnership with Apple. The Wall Street Journal last week confirmed that Apple will let Goldman Sachs out of its deal, with Apple planning to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months.
The Wall Street Journal suggested that Apple could work with Synchrony Financial on the Apple Card, and prior rumors have said that Goldman Sachs approached American Express about taking over the partnership. It is not yet clear if Apple is already in talks with another bank, nor what the company's next steps will be. Apple Card service will continue on as normal as Apple works to find a new partner, and Apple has promised to continue to provide "the best tools and services" for Apple Card customers.
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.
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.
