MacRumors

Qualcomm today announced plans to bring satellite-based connectivity to next-generation Android smartphones, giving smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and Google a way to compete with the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature that Apple rolled out alongside the iPhone 14 models.

Snapdragon Satellite is a two-way satellite-based messaging solution provided through satellite company Iridium. Qualcomm says support for messaging using satellite connectivity will be built into the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform, with smartphones that use the technology set to come out starting in the second half of 2023.

Qualcomm says that the Snapdragon Satellite functionality will be used for emergency messages to begin with, similar to Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature that is made available through a partnership with Globalstar. Qualcomm also mentions SMS texting and connectivity in remote, rural, and offshore locations as possible use cases for Snapdragon Satellite, suggesting that it may not be limited to use in emergencies in the future.

While Snapdragon Satellite will launch first in smartphones, Qualcomm says that it can also be used for laptops, tablets, vehicles, and IoT devices, with OEMs and app developers able to differentiate and offer unique branded services that use satellite connectivity.

Snapdragon Satellite will use the Iridium satellite constellation, which uses L-band spectrum that Iridium says is "more resilient to weather" than frequencies used by other networks. Android smartphones that adopt Snapdragon Satellite will still need a clear view of the sky to function, and messages can be sent in as little as 10 seconds with a solid connection.

In addition to working with Iridium, Qualcomm also plans to partner with Garmin to provide emergency response services for users. There is no word yet on how Iridium, Qualcomm, and Android smartphone makers plan to charge customers for satellite access.

The multi-day Consumer Electronics Show is continuing on this week and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera is in Las Vegas to check out all of the new products. Our day 2 roundup features new hardware from Dyson and LG, along with a handful of new Apple products shown off at the Pepcom event.

LG has a fancy new 97-inch TV that uses "zero connect" technology for wireless audio and video transmission. It only needs to be plugged into the wall, with all of the other components like set-top boxes, sound bars, and more able to be located elsewhere and transmitted to the TV wirelessly.

Dyson was showing off its $949 Dyson Zone headphones and personal air purifier, which looks absolutely ridiculous but offers great noise cancellation technology. The air purification visor is detachable and connects to the headphones via magnets, and Dyson intends for it to be used in situations where there's poor air quality, or a lot of crowds, like a subway.

Ember has a new mug with Find My support for tracking the cup down if it gets lost or misplaced, OtterBox demoed a portable MagSafe dock for the iPhone and Apple Watch, Eve showed off new roller shades, and OWC demoed the first Thunderbolt 4 dock with integrated power supply.

Make sure to watch our video up above to see all of the products that Dan came across, and check out our Day 1 video too. If you want to know more about what's new at CES, we have a dedicated CES 2023 hub with all of our coverage.

Today we're tracking a pair of discounts on the 2022 iPad Air, including all-time low prices on a Wi-Fi and a cellular model. These deals can only be found on Amazon, and stock is fluctuating for most of the tablets.

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.

Shoppers should note that for both of these sales, you will not see the correct deal price until you head to the checkout screen. At that point, Amazon will automatically apply the appropriate coupon so you can get these best-ever prices.

Starting with the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air, this model is back down to $499.99 at checkout, down from $599.00. This one is only available in Purple and Blue, and it's a match for the all-time low price on these colors.

Next is the 64GB cellular iPad Air for $649.99 at checkout, down from $749.00. This one is available in Purple, Blue, and Starlight, and it's another match for the best-ever prices seen on these colors last year.

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

Smart home accessory maker Aqara today announced several new devices with support for features like HomeKit Secure Video and Home Key in Apple Wallet.

The Video Doorbell G4 is compatible with ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ and local streaming to Amazon and Google smart displays, and will work with Matter after the specification is officially ready for cameras. The doorbell features local AI facial recognition, which can trigger specific automations, and optional local storage via a microSD card slot. It can be battery-powered or wired for continuous power.

The Smart Lock U100 is Aqara's first deadbolt lock and supports HomeKit and the Home Key feature in the Apple Wallet app on iPhones and Apple Watches. Other than Home Key, users can also authenticate using the built-in fingerprint scanner, a numerical password, the Aqara app, and NFC cards, as well as a mechanical key. It uses the Zigbee protocol and supports Matter.

Alongside the Video Doorbell G4 and Smart Lock U100, the company also today announced the Presence Sensor FP2 and the LED Strip T1 with ‌HomeKit‌ and Matter support.

With the introduction of an always-on display in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, many users have wondered how much impact the feature has on battery life. A new video takes a careful look at just how much battery drain there is with the always-on display and whether turning off the wallpaper reduces that drain.

At launch, users were unable to customize different aspects of the always-on display, but as of the iOS 16.2 update released last month, Apple has given users options to enable or disable the wallpaper and notifications while the Lock Screen is dimmed.

By disabling the wallpaper, the always-on display is black other than for the clock, date, any widgets you have set up on your iOS lock screen, and recent notifications, if enabled. YouTuber PhoneBuff tested whether or not enabling or disabling the wallpaper impacts overall iPhone battery life.

In the test, it was found that by having the wallpaper enabled for the always-on display, an iPhone 14 Pro will drain around 0.8% per hour, compared to 0.6% an hour for the wallpaper disabled on the always-on display.

In the video, PhoneBuff also compared the iPhone 14 Pro's always-on display technology to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. One interesting point found in that comparison was that over time, the Galaxy S22 Ultra would move the clock on the always-on display around, presumably to prevent OLED burn-in from a static image being shown on display for prolonged periods.

On the iPhone, no such thing occurs, as time and all other information stay in place. The iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra drained at the same rate during the test, reaching 84% after 24 hours of the always-on display.

Now that holiday shopping and deal season are over, we haven't seen many all-time low prices on Apple products in a few weeks. There are, however, solid second-best prices available, today including the AirPods 2 for $99.99 on Amazon, down from $129.00.

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.

Shipping is slightly delayed on this pair, but it has improved over the past few days. It's estimated to arrive by the end of the month for all delivery options, with January 27 set as the fastest option.

This model of the AirPods launched in 2019 and comes with the Wired Charging Case. Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

At CES in Las Vegas this week, temperature-controlled mug maker Ember said that it plans to release a new Travel Mug 2+ with support for Apple's Find My app in the second quarter of 2023, according to TechCrunch and Engadget.

This new functionality will enable users to track the location of the Travel Mug 2+ in the Find My app in the same way as an iPhone, iPad, AirPods, or another device. The new mug will also have a built-in speaker that can emit a chime to help users find it when it is misplaced. The mug will otherwise have identical features and pricing as the existing Travel Mug 2, which is available for $199.95 in the United States.

Ember's temperature-controlled mugs are designed to keep your coffee or other hot beverage at your desired drinking temperature for up to three hours, or all day if the mug is kept on the included charging coaster. The mug can be connected to an iPhone via Bluetooth and controlled with the Ember app, and the Travel Mug 2 also has built-in touch controls for setting a preferred temperature between 120°F and 145°F.

The new Travel Mug 2+ will eventually replace the existing Travel Mug 2.

Apple today announced that kickboxing is coming to Apple Fitness+ as a new total-body cardio workout type alongside a brand-new Sleep meditation theme, new Artist Spotlights, the fifth season of Time to Walk, and more.

Apple says that kickboxing workouts can help to build full-body fitness, strength, stamina, coordination, and balance. Each workout will involve a distinct round of moves followed by a final round that combines the previous moves. No equipment is required, and workouts will be 10, 20, or 30 minutes long. It will be led by Jamie-Ray Hartshorne and Nez Dally – a new trainer joining the Fitness+ team. Kickboxing will launch on the platform starting on Monday, January 9.

Fitness+ will also launch two new workout Collections, including "6 Weeks to Restart Your Fitness" and "Level Up Your Core Training," on January 9 and January 23. Other than Nez Dally, two other new trainers are also set to join the Fitness+ team, with Brian Cochrane for HIIT and Jenn Lau for Strength.

Sleep joins the nine other themes in the Apple Fitness+ Meditation library, helping users to wind down before bed and drift off to sleep. Users are encouraged to begin with the Introduction to Meditations for Sleep program. New sleep meditations will be added every week.

Artist Spotlight, which dedicates an entire workout playlist to a single artist, will offer seven new workouts featuring Beyoncé and songs from her latest album, "RENAISSANCE." Artist Spotlights on the Foo Fighters will be available from January 16, followed by a spotlight on Bad Bunny from January 23.

The fifth season of Time to Walk will feature guests including Golden Globe-nominated actor Jamie Lee Curtis, late-night talk show host Amber Ruffin, actor and MacRumors fan Jason Segel, Spanish chef and World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés, actor and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph, Olympic champion figure skater Nathan Chen, actor and writer Colman Domingo, and German actor Nina Hoss.

While the majority of iOS features are available internationally, there are some that remain exclusive to the United States, such as the Apple Card, Apple Cash, IDs in the Wallet app, Advanced Data Protection, and Clean Energy Charging.

Below, we've provided more details about some iPhone features available in the U.S. only and Apple's future expansion plans if any for the features.

Apple Card

Launched in 2019, the Apple Card remains available in the U.S. only. Apple's credit card can be managed completely through the Wallet app on the iPhone, with a physical version available for use at stores that do not accept contactless payments. The card has no fees beyond interest and offers up to 3% cashback known as Daily Cash.

While there have been clues that the Apple Card might expand to additional countries in the future, such as an Apple Card trademark filing in Canada, Apple has not confirmed any immediate plans to launch the card internationally.

Apple Cash

Apple Cash is a Venmo-like payment feature that allows iPhone users in the U.S. to send, request, and receive money in the Wallet and Messages apps. Users can transfer their Apple Cash balance to a connected bank account.

Apple Cash remains available in the U.S. only and despite clues like a trademark filing in Canada, it is unclear if the feature will expand to other countries.

IDs in Wallet App

In early 2022, Apple started rolling out a feature allowing residents of participating U.S. states to add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age. The features requires iOS 15.4 and watchOS 8.4 or later and is currently available in Arizona, Colorado, and Maryland only, with at least nine more states to follow.

Apple said it was working to offer the ID feature across the U.S. in the future, but the company has yet to announce any plans to expand the feature to other countries, so it's unclear if or when the feature will launch internationally.

Advanced Data Protection

Apple last month introduced an optional Advanced Data Protection feature that expands end-to-end encryption to many additional areas of iCloud when enabled, including iCloud Backups, Photos, Notes, Reminders, Voice Memos, and more. On the iPhone, the feature was introduced with iOS 16.2 for users in the U.S. only and will start rolling out to the "rest of the world" in early 2023, according to Apple.

It's unclear exactly when Advanced Data Protection will be available in additional countries, but given Apple's early 2023 timeframe, it's possible that the feature will be expanded to more iPhone users with iOS 16.3 or iOS 16.4.

Clean Energy Charging

iOS 16.1 introduced a Clean Energy Charging feature that "aims to decrease the carbon footprint of the iPhone by optimizing charging times for when the grid is using cleaner energy sources," according to Apple. When the feature is toggled on, the iPhone will attempt to charge when "lower carbon emission electricity" is available.

Clean Energy Charging is available in the U.S. only, and Apple has not indicated if or when it will be expanded to additional countries.

OWC today announced the Thunderbolt Go Dock, which it claims is the world's first full-featured Thunderbolt dock with a built-in power supply. With support for Thunderbolt 4, the dock is suitable for use with the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

Thunderbolt docks typically have a separate power supply, while bus-powered docks that are powered by a Mac or other device they are connected to usually have fewer ports. OWC's new dock aims to solve this problem by offering both a built-in power supply and a plentiful 11 ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-C ports, three USB-A ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port (2.5 Gbps), an SD card reader, and an audio jack. The dock connects directly to a power outlet with a cord, with no external brick.

The dock is capable of providing up to 90W of pass-through charging to a connected MacBook Pro and is compatible with a wide range of other Apple devices with Thunderbolt or USB-C ports, including the MacBook Air, iPad Pro, iPad Air, and more. The dock can also be used with Chromebooks and other Windows PCs.

Priced at $399, the Thunderbolt Go dock will begin shipping in April. You can enter your email address on OWC's website to be notified when the product is available.

BMW today announced the i Vision Dee electric sport sedan at CES, a concept car seemingly positioned to rival Apple's long-rumored electric vehicle.

The i Vision Dee uses some Amazon voice-recognition technology, but primarily showcases BMW's own software-first approach to next-generation vehicles with features designed to pre-emptively tackle tech companies like Apple that are seemingly on the brink of entering the auto industry. BMW has offered over-the-air software updates for millions of its vehicles since 2019, and going forward, it is says it is focused on data protection, guiding developers, and seamless digital integration.

In the i Vision Dee, drivers can choose from five different levels of information to display using a "Mixed Reality Slider" on the dashboard, including augmented reality directional cues and social media notifications. The entire windshield functions as a large projected display. BMW's next-generation voice assistant, called Dee, can provide driver assistance, recognise the identity of the driver, open the doors automatically, and more.

It also features 240 invidiually-controlled e-ink paintwork segments that can change the car's entire color and display patterns. The i Vision Dee will be available as soon as 2025 as part of the launch of a wider software-led vehicle platform.

Following the announcement, Bloomberg noted how the i Vision Dee appears to be set to rival Apple's future electric vehicle and could offer tangible signs of the sort of features to expect from it when it is finally announced.

There have been hundreds of insightful reports about Apple's car plans, but the latest information from Bloomberg claims that the company recently scaled back its initial plans and dropped its proposed $120,000 price point, eliminating ambitions for a full self-driving vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, and an interior design focused on communal seating.

Now, the car is expected to have a much more conventional design with limited self-driving capabilities, for a price under $100,000. This could position Apple's electric vehicle as a much more direct competitor to the likes of Tesla's Model S than previously thought.

The car is now expected to launch in 2026, but it could be announced sometime in 2025, especially as it will need to undergo regulatory approval and widespread testing for some time ahead of its public release to consumers.

Apple has now launched Apple Books digital narration, offering a new way for publishers to automatically generate high-quality AI-narrated audio from written text.

The feature, first announced in December via the Apple Books for Authors webpage, allows publishers on the Apple Books platform to opt-in to have their written books converted into a narrated audio form using AI. Samples of the voices developed specifically for the feature are available on the same webpage.

More and more book lovers are listening to audiobooks, yet only a fraction of books are converted to audio — leaving millions of titles unheard. Many authors — especially independent authors and those associated with small publishers — aren't able to create audiobooks due to the cost and complexity of production. Apple Books digital narration makes the creation of audiobooks more accessible to all, helping you meet the growing demand by making more books available for listeners to enjoy.

Apple Books digital narration brings together advanced speech synthesis technology with important work by teams of linguists, quality control specialists, and audio engineers to produce high-quality audiobooks from an ebook file. Apple has long been on the forefront of innovative speech technology, and has now adapted it for long-form reading, working alongside publishers, authors, and narrators.

[...]

Digitally narrated titles are a valuable complement to professionally narrated audiobooks, and will help bring audio to as many books and as many people as possible. Apple Books remains committed to celebrating and showcasing the magic of human narration and will continue to grow the human-narrated audiobook catalog.

Apple is offering different AI voices for different genres and the feature is only available for some genres at this time, but more will be added in the future. Apple says that it can take up to one month for an AI-narrated audiobook to be created and approved, suggesting that there is an element of manual review in the process. Publishers are also free to offer a traditional, human-narrated audiobook alongside the AI-narrated version.

As highlighted by The Guardian, the first AI-narrated audiobooks are now available in Apple Books, highlighted by the tag "Narrated by Apple Books."

At CES this week, AMD announced a suite of new chips for notebooks and desktop computers, with one notable announcement being the company's new AMD Ryzen 7040 series of processors for ultrathin notebooks that will compete with Apple's M1 Pro and M2 chips.

The AMD Ryzen 7040 series of chips are "ultrathin" processors based on the 4nm process, and the highest-end chip part of the family is the Ryzen 9 7940HS. The Ryzen 9 7940HS has eight cores, 16 threads, and 5.2GHz boost speeds. Announcing the new chip, AMD CEO Lisa Su made bold claims about its performance, saying it's up to 30% faster than Apple's ‌M1 Pro‌ chip. In specific tasks, AMD claims the chip is 34% faster in multiprocessing workloads than the ‌M1 Pro‌ and 20% faster than the ‌M2‌ in AI tasks.

One cornerstone of Apple silicon is energy efficiency, and in that area, AMD claims the new AMD Ryzen 7040 series will offer 30+ hours of video playback in ultrathin notebooks. Built directly into the series of chips is Ryzen AI, a dedicated AI engine embedded in the processor. AMD chips configured with Ryzen AI are 20% faster in AI tasks than Apple's ‌M2‌ chip while being 50% more energy efficient, according to the company.

To showcase the new chip's performance, AMD compared the performance of a high-end Intel chip, the ‌M1 Pro‌, and its new Ryzen 9 7940HS processor rendering an object in the popular application Blender. In the time-lapsed video shown on stage, the ‌M1 Pro‌ lags behind the Ryzen 9 7940HS in rendering the object.

AMD says it made its performance claims against a MacBook Pro with ‌M1 Pro‌, 32GB of unified memory, and 1TB of SSD storage running macOS Monterey. The ‌M1 Pro‌ is not Apple's highest-end and most powerful chip for laptops, which is the M1 Max, and AMD did not compare its chip to the ‌M1 Max‌.

It's worth noting that the ‌M1 Pro‌ is over one year old, while AMD's Ryzen 7040 series will start becoming available in commercial laptops in March 2023. In the coming months, rumors suggest Apple will announce its next generation of high-end chips, the ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max, which will build on the performance of the ‌M1 Pro‌ and ‌M1 Max‌ for updated 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models.

Smart home accessory maker Govee today announced the launch of a new two-meter LED Strip Light that is Matter-certified and able to work with Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and other smart home platforms that support Matter.

Govee is partnering with Google for the light strip, but because of the Matter support, it is compatible with ‌HomeKit‌ devices. Govee says that because Matter is a local connectivity protocol, connectivity will be more reliable with faster response times and improved data protection.

In the future, Govee plans to add more Matter-enabled lighting products including table lamps, floor lamps, and outdoor lights. More information is available on the Govee website.

Google is continuing on with its #GetTheMessage campaign attempting to convince Apple to adopt the RCS messaging protocol, this time taking out a large New Year's-themed ad at Harmon Corner in Las Vegas.

The digital billboard urges Apple not to "drop the ball" on fixing its "pixelated photos and videos."

Hey Apple, it's Android

the ball may have dropped on 2022, but you don't have to drop the ball on fixing your pixelated photos and videos. Here's some code to get the ball rolling...

After the short message, the billboard scrolls through ‌RCS‌ code, ending with a plea to customers to "Help Apple #GetTheMessage," the hashtag that Google has been using for the campaign.

Google launched the "Get the Message" push back in August with a full website highlighting the benefits of ‌RCS‌, which include support for higher resolution photos and videos, audio messages, and bigger file sizes, along with improved encryption, cross-platform emoji reactions, and more reliable group chats across different devices.

Google has been pestering Apple to adopt ‌RCS‌ for well over a year through the website, pleas on Twitter, billboards, and more, but Apple has made no acknowledgement of Google's efforts. In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said that ‌RCS‌ is not a priority. "I don't hear our users asking that we put a lot of energy in on that at this point," said Cook.

All major mobile carriers and manufacturers have implemented ‌RCS‌ support, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, Samsung, Sony, and others, with Apple remaining the lone holdout.

Apple today updated its investor relations page to announce that earnings for the first fiscal quarter of 2023 (fourth calendar quarter) will be shared on Thursday, February 2.

The first quarter earnings call will provide some insight into holiday sales of the iPhone 14 models, the Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra, new iPad models, and the AirPods Pro 2. ‌iPhone‌ sales were constrained during the quarter because of issues with supply. Apple in November sent out a press release warning about COVID-19 impacts on ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and Pro Max shipments, letting customers know to expect longer than normal wait times.

Last week, Apple shares hit an 18-month low due to the ongoing ‌iPhone‌ shipment issues and a broader downturn in the stock market, and Apple's inability to meet demand during the holiday quarter will likely have a notable impact on sales.

Apple did not provide guidance on the first quarter of 2023, but in the first quarter of 2022, the company reported revenue of $123.9 billion and net quarterly profit of $34.6 billion.

The quarterly earnings statement will be released at 1:30 PM Pacific/4:30 PM Eastern, with a conference call to discuss the report taking place at 2:00 PM Pacific/5:00 PM Eastern. MacRumors will provide coverage of both the earnings release and conference call on February 2.

Philips Hue parent company Signify today announced that it is introducing a paid Philips Hue Sync TV app for Samsung TVs. The partnership will allow those with Samsung smart TVs to link their Hue bulbs and lighting products to their televisions, so the bulbs can change colors based on what's on the screen.

Syncing lights to media content typically requires the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, priced at $250, along with a streaming device like the Apple TV that connects to the Sync Box. The Samsung TV integration will let Samsung TVs interact with Hue lights directly for a lower $130 price tag, and it will work with all image formats and TV content, including native apps like Netflix.

The Philips Hue line is also gaining new PAR38 floodlight bulbs in white and color ambiance in the United States, allowing for white and color light in backyards and walkways.

The Hue Tap dial switch is also available with a new round mini mount that is an alternative to the regular wall mount.

The Philips Hue Sync TV app is available on 2022 and newer Samsung QLED TVs in the Q60 and higher range, and it can be purchased from the Samsung TV app store for $130 starting on January 5. The Philips Hue PAR38 White and color ambiance bulbs will be available starting on March 14 for $80, and the Philips Hue Tap dial switch with mini mount will be available on March 14 for $50.

French regulators today fined Apple €8 million for breaching France's data protection rules with targeted App Store ads. France's National Commission for Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) says that Apple did not get the consent of French iPhone users before using identifiers to present targeted ads in the iOS 14.6 update.

Apple was collecting information and using that data for ads by default, and CNIL says that users had to undertake a "large number of actions" to turn advertising off in the Privacy section of the Settings app. As a result, CNIL ruled that Apple breached Article 82 of the Data Protection Act, leading to a sanction of 8 million euros.

The CNIL services have found that under the old version 14.6 of the iPhone operating system, when a user went to the App Store, identifiers for several purposes, including purposes of customizing advertising ads displayed on the App Store, were by default automatically read on the terminal without collecting consent.

In a statement to Fortune's Patrick McGee, Apple said that it is "disappointed" with the decision and plans to appeal, noting that it only uses its own data for personalized ads.

We are disappointed with this decision given the CNIL has previously recognized that how we serve search ads in the App Store prioritizes user privacy, and we will appeal.

Apple Search Ads goes further than any other digital advertising platform we are aware of by providing users with a clear choice as to whether or not they would like personalized ads. Additionally, Apple Search Ads never tracks users across 3rd party apps and websites, and only uses first-party data to personalize ads. We believe privacy is a fundamental human right and a user should always get to decide whether to share their data and with whom.

Today's fine dates back to a 2021 investigation that CNIL launched after a complaint from the France Digitale association. France Digitale, a lobbying group that represents startups and venture capital firms, said that the iOS 14 update did not comply with European protections for personal data. Apple has since changed how targeted advertising works, and the opt-in and opt-out procedures.