MacRumors

OWC kicked off a new "Spring Savings Celebration" this week, offering solid discounts on a variety of USB-C docks, memory cards, external drives and enclosures, and Mac accessories. Many of these deals won't be applied until you add the items to your cart, at which time an automatic coupon will be applied to your order.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with OWC. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

There are a few notable deals in this sale, including $100 off the popular 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock for Mac, available for $179.99. If you purchase a qualifying new or used Mac at the same time as this dock, you can get an additional $20 off the accessory at checkout.

Docks and Hubs

• OWC USB-C Travel Dock - $29.99 when added to cart, down from $49.99
• Atlas Dual SD Card Reader - $63.99 when added to cart, down from $89.99
• Thunderbolt Mini Dock - $99.99, down from $129.99
• Thunderbolt Hub - $128.99, down from $149.99
• 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock - $179.99, down from $279.99
• Thunderbolt Go Dock - $199.99 when added to cart, down from $349.99

Memory Cards

• 128GB SD V60 Atlas Pro - $23.99 when added to cart, down from $29.99
• 128GB SD V90 Atlas Ultra - $79.99 when added to cart, down from $99.99
• 256GB SD V90 Atlas Ultra - $159.99 when added to cart, down from $199.99
• 1TB SD V60 Atlas Pro - $207.99 when added to cart, down from $259.99

External Drives and Enclosures

• Mercury Elite Pro Dual with 3-Port Hub - $149.99 when added to cart, down from $179.99
• 2TB Envoy Pro FX SSD - $329.99, down from $379.99

Memory

• 32GB Memory Upgrade Kit - $59.99, down from $89.98
• 64GB Memory Upgrade Kit - $119.99, down from $179.96

Miscellaneous

• 2M USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable - $3.99, down from $14.99
• 2M Thunderbolt 4 Cable - $44.99 when added to cart, down from $57.99
• Matias Wireless Multi-Pairing Keyboard - $47.99, down from $69.00

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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Apple supplier Luxshare is weighing the possibility of manufacturing some products in the United States as it seeks to address the implications of new tariffs on goods exported from China, Reuters reports.

The comments were made by Luxshare chairwoman Wang Laichun during a telephone call with analysts, the transcript of which was seen by Reuters. Luxshare is one of Apple's key suppliers and plays a major role in the production of high-end iPhone models, AirPods, Apple Watches, and the Vision Pro.

In the call, Wang noted that while the United States' newly imposed tariffs would have limited short-term financial impact due to the small volume of finished goods Luxshare currently exports directly to the U.S., the company is nonetheless examining its global investment strategy with an eye toward reducing exposure to future trade disruptions. She said that the company may idle certain investment plans in China while evaluating new facilities elsewhere, including in the United States.

In addition to its operations in China, Luxshare has manufacturing and research facilities in several countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico, and the United States. Its presence in the U.S. remains limited, and the company did not provide further detail about where or when any potential expansion in American manufacturing might occur. However, Wang emphasized that any move to develop new production lines in countries where the company already operates would take approximately 12 to 18 months.

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.

Apple has lost its position as the world's most valuable public company to Microsoft following a dramatic four-day slide in its stock price, driven largely by concerns over President Donald Trump's escalating tariff war with China, where most of its iPhones are assembled.

Apple's market capitalization fell to $2.59 trillion as of Tuesday's close, while Microsoft now sits at $2.64 trillion, reclaiming the top spot after briefly holding it earlier this year.

Apple shares have plummeted approximately 23% over just four trading sessions, shaving $700 billion off its value, as panicked investors dump stock due to the company's exposure to China for manufacturing and sales. Apple relies heavily on Chinese manufacturing for its flagship products, making it especially vulnerable to Trump's aggressive tariff policies.

The broader market has been shaken by Trump's announcement of substantial tariffs on imports from more than 100 countries, with the Nasdaq dropping 13% over the same four-day period. However, Apple's decline has outpaced other tech companies due to its particular vulnerability to U.S.-China trade tensions.

UBS analysts have predicted that the price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max could increase by as much as $350 in the United States as a result of the tariffs. The potential price hike raises questions about how consumers might respond to significantly more expensive Apple products.

Apple has been exploring manufacturing diversification in countries like India and Vietnam in recent years, but analysts suggest it would be nearly impossible for the company to quickly shift its complex supply chain away from China. That's despite President Trump saying he "absolutely" believes that Apple could manufacture its iPhones and other devices in the United States. Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously said that China's manufacturing expertise and scale are unmatched globally.

Both Apple and Microsoft, along with chipmaker Nvidia, had recently achieved market valuations exceeding $3 trillion before the current market turbulence began.

Microsoft appears somewhat insulated from the worst effects of the tariffs, with Jefferies analysts recently including the company among those they view as better positioned to weather the current uncertainty.

The two tech giants have traded the "most valuable company" title several times in recent years, with Microsoft claiming the top spot in early 2024 before Apple regained it – only to lose it again during this week's market volatility.

According to one report, Apple earlier this week urgently requested suppliers to ship as many premium devices as possible to the U.S. by air freight before Trump's falsely-described "reciprocal" tariffs of 104% on China came into effect Wednesday. China has since retaliated by slapping 84% tariffs on U.S. goods.

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.

Apple is offering a limited-time promotion for its streaming service, giving new and eligible returning subscribers access to Apple TV+ for just $2.99 per month for three months.

The deal runs until April 24, 2025, and offers a decent discount from the regular $9.99 monthly subscription price, saving viewers $21 over the promotional period.

The offer comes as Apple TV+ has been boosted in popularity with hit shows like "Severance," which recently surpassed "Ted Lasso" as the platform's most-watched series. Seth Rogen's "The Studio" has also been receiving positive reviews from critics and viewers.

The streaming service also includes sports content with "Friday Night Baseball" and select Major League Soccer matches from MLS Season Pass.

After the three-month promotional period ends, subscriptions will automatically renew at the standard $9.99 monthly rate unless canceled. The deal excludes Apple device customers who are already eligible for a free three-month trial and subscribers who get Apple TV+ through third-party providers or mobile wireless carriers.

Interested readers can check their eligibility through the Apple TV+ website or via the Apple TV app.

Apple urgently requested suppliers to ship as many premium devices as possible to the United States by air freight, especially those priced above $3,000, in response to President Donald Trump's announcement of "reciprocal" tariffs of up to 104% on trading partners (via Nikkei).

Apple, along with Dell, Microsoft, and Lenovo, reportedly scrambled to mitigate the impact of the tariffs by accelerating shipments before April 9, the day the tariffs came into effect.

"We got a call from clients to make as many consumer electronics as possible and to ship as many of them by air as possible," said an executive at a supplier to Apple, Microsoft, and Google. "But the biggest challenge is that we don't have so many components and materials in stock."

The last-minute rush has created logistical challenges, with suppliers struggling to fulfill orders due to component shortages and tight shipping deadlines. All customs clearances had to be completed before midnight on April 8, U.S. time, creating what one international air shipping manager described as "a race against the clock."

The action comes as Chinese exports on Wednesday faced their biggest U.S. tariff of 104%. This is a combination of 20% levied earlier, 34% announced last week, and 50% imposed by Trump hours earlier following Beijing's refusal to withdraw a retaliatory tariff on U.S. goods.

Apple has been evaluating various strategies to minimize the impact of Trump's tariffs. The company has been diversifying its manufacturing base for years, with India becoming an increasingly important production hub.

A recent report suggests Apple plans to source more iPhones for the U.S. market from India, where tariffs are set at 26% compared to the 104% tariff on goods from China. The company expects to produce approximately 25 million iPhones in India this year, potentially meeting around 50% of U.S. iPhone demand in 2025.

The tariff situation has already had a substantial impact on Apple's stock, which has fallen nearly 23% since last Wednesday, as investors worry about the potential effects on the company's profits and global supply chain.

Apple CEO Tim Cook successfully secured exemptions for Apple devices during Trump's first term, but he faces bigger challenges this time around. The company now appears to be pursuing a dual strategy of short-term logistics adjustments while seeking longer-term political solutions.

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.

Serial leaker Sonny Dickson is back today with a new image of some protective cases for Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro, and the large camera hole is certainly the standout feature on show.

The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are expected to debut a major redesign of the rear camera bump, replacing the traditional square module with a horizontal, rectangular bar that stretches across the back of the device. This new layout resembles the runway-style camera panel seen on Google Pixel phones.

Apple's iPhones have maintained the same front-facing design language for several years, and the rear is one of the few remaining areas for meaningful visual evolution. Based on CAD renders and leaked parts, the updated bump retains the triangular triple-lens setup on the left, but now the LiDAR scanner, microphone, and flash are repositioned to the right, creating a more symmetrical design.

It's not clear what Apple's rationale is for the design shift, but it may allow for larger or more thermally efficient components, improved spatial separation of sensors for more accurate depth mapping, or simply more efficient internal packaging as Apple continues to shrink the main logic board.

The bump's uniform color, which is reportedly matched with the rest of the chassis, suggests Apple is aiming for a more unified and visually subdued design language than previously thought. Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max alongside the regular iPhone 17 and an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air around mid-September. For all the details, check out our regularly updated iPhone 17 Pro roundup.

Meta-owned social network Instagram is developing an app for the iPad, according to a report from The Information. An Instagram employee with insight into Instagram's recent moves to take advantage of the situation with TikTok shared the tidbit about the company's work on an app for tablets.

Instagram users have wanted an Instagram app since the social network launched in 2010, but Instagram has only been an iPhone-only app. Instagram hasn't wanted to put the time or effort into ‌iPad‌ app development, and in 2022, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in 2022 that there were no plans for an ‌iPad‌ app because there is "not a big enough group of people" calling for it to make it a priority. In 2020, Mosseri blamed a lack of employees, saying that the company has a limited number of employees and "lots to do," and an ‌iPad‌ app was not the "next best thing to do yet."

While there is no Instagram app for the ‌iPad‌, the ‌iPad‌ is able to run the iPhone version of Instagram. It's not ideal because the app is not optimized for the larger ‌iPad‌ display.

Not much is known about the ‌iPad‌ version of Instagram, and there's no word on when it might launch. It is part of the company's plan to capitalize on the looming TikTok ban, which has also seen Instagram attempting to lure popular TikTok creators to Instagram.

Yesterday, Instagram invited creators to New York City to use a new video app called Edits, which is meant to replace the ByteDance-owned CapCut video editing app that was removed from App Stores in January. Edits has video editing tools for creators, and it is aimed at those who produce short-form videos on mobile devices.

Instagram has also increased the length of reels from 90 seconds to three minutes to match TikTok's video upload length, and made interface tweaks to make the app more closely resemble TikTok.

Apple is going to unveil iOS 19 in just about two months at its June WWDC event, and rumors suggest that it's going to bring a big change to the iPhone's design. It's been described as the most notable design overhaul since iOS 7, so it should be an exciting update.

We've rounded up everything we've heard so far about the design changes coming to iOS 19.

• visionOS-like design with translucency - iOS 19 is inspired by visionOS, which has an emphasis on translucency and UI elements that kind of fade into the background to put the focus on content. iOS 19 could lean heavily into that translucency, with Apple also opting for a floating look for navigation bars, windows, and other parts of the UI.
• A glassier look - Remember the Aqua Mac interface? iOS 19 has been described as having glass effects or as being glossy, with menu elements that can "reflect" light based on ‌iPhone‌ tilt.
• Subtle lighting effects - The "glassy" look involves subtle lighting changes, such as a slight glint for some UI elements when you move the ‌iPhone‌. The Flashlight and Camera controls on the Lock Screen reportedly have a glass-like sheen that shimmers with movement, for example.
• More rounded, expanding buttons - Along with a soft, floating look, navigation bars and buttons could have more rounded edges that blend better with the content behind them. In the Photos app, for example, photos could be full screen with controls in a slimmed down menu bar at the bottom rather than a full navigation strip. Haptic Touch menus, Control Center options, and permission prompts apparently have more rounded corners, too.
• Pill-shaped tab bars - Many apps like the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, ‌Photos‌, Phone, and more have been described as having pill-shaped tab bars at the bottom for accessing controls. There's also less transitioning. Search, for example, doesn't have its own dedicated interface, and instead expands out from the tab bar.
• Round app icons, maybe - Leaker Jon Prosser says that Apple is going to make the ‌iPhone‌'s icons rounder, though he is unclear if they will be entirely circular or some kind of cross between a circle and the current squircle.
• Simplified navigation and controls - Apple wants to make it easier to navigate through apps, System settings, and more, so expect a more streamlined experience.
• Cross-platform cohesiveness - These design changes aren't just coming to iOS - iPadOS and macOS will also get the same overhauled look, so it will be less jarring going from a Mac to an ‌iPhone‌ and vice versa.

Read More

We're keeping track of the iOS 19 rumors in our dedicated iOS 19 roundup, which also has details on Apple Intelligence features, new app capabilities, compatibility, and more.

U.S. President Donald Trump "absolutely" believes that Apple could manufacture its iPhones and other devices in the United States, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said today during a media briefing.

Leavitt was asked whether Trump thought that iPhone manufacturing is the kind of technology that could move to the U.S. "Absolutely, he believes we have the labor, we have the workforce, we have the resources to do it," she replied, also referencing the $500 billion investment in the U.S. that Apple announced earlier this year. "And as you know, Apple has invested $500 billion here in the United States, so if Apple didn't think the United States could do it, they probably wouldn't have put up that big chunk of change."

Trump is planning to levy steep tariffs on China, Vietnam, Thailand India, the European Union, and other countries starting on April 9. He has claimed that if companies like Apple do not want to pay the tariffs, they should manufacture their devices in the United States. Despite Trump's suggestion that Apple could shift its incredibly complex supply chain to the U.S., it would be next to impossible. Disregarding the expense of such a maneuver, it's not likely that Apple and its suppliers would be able to find enough people with the necessary skillset in the United States. Cook commented on manufacturing in China in 2017, and said that Apple's iPhones are assembled there because China has expertise in very advanced manufacturing.

There's a confusion about China. And let me give you my opinion. The popular conception is that companies come to China because of low labor costs. I'm not sure what part of China they go to, but the truth is China stopped being the low labor cost country many years ago. The reason is because of the skill, the quantity of skill in one location, and the type of skill it is.

Like the products we do require really advanced tooling, and the precision that you have to have in tooling and working with the materials we do are state of the art. And the tooling skill is very deep here. You know, in the U.S. you could have a meeting of tooling engineers, and I'm not sure we could fill the room. In China, you could fill multiple football fields. It's that vocational expertise is very deep.

U.S. secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick made similar comments about ‌iPhone‌ manufacturing over the weekend, as 404 Media pointed out today in a piece titled "A 'US-Made ‌iPhone‌' Is Pure Fantasy." Lutnick said that the "army of millions and millions of people screwing in little, little screws to make iPhones, that kind of thing is going to come to America," suggesting that neither he nor Trump understands Apple's operations.

404 Media highlights Apple's 27-page supplier list [PDF], which lists the more than 50 countries where Apple gets components from. That doesn't even count rare earth minerals that are sourced from 79 countries, and that can't be mined in the U.S. Apple could not avoid tariffs by "manufacturing" in the United States because there is no feasible way all of the ‌iPhone‌'s components could be made in one country. Even if we limit "manufacturing" to device assembly, and the U.S. had the skilled employees required (which it does not), cost of living and wages in the U.S. vs. wages in other countries would make the price of a U.S. ‌iPhone‌ astronomically higher.

Apple has not yet commented on the tariffs, but the company has been stockpiling iPhones and is also planning to rely on imports from India, where tariffs are lower, to offset some of costs associated with importing devices from China.

It is true that Apple announced a $500 billion investment in the United States, but Apple will be manufacturing servers for its Private Cloud Compute system, not iPhones. Servers are a low demand product that aren't customer facing.

When Apple manufactured the Mac Pro in Texas during Trump's first term, it was largely a failure. Apple struggled to find local suppliers, importing components to Texas caused delays and unexpected expenses, and Apple had a hard time finding workers with the required skill.

As of yesterday, Trump was planning to levy a 54 percent tariff on China, but today, he increased that by another 50 percent. Starting tomorrow, goods imported from China will be subject to a tariff of 104 percent.

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.

The second-generation Apple Vision Pro may now be in mass production ahead of its rumored launch later this year, Chinese website IT Home today claims.

Reporting on information from an unknown source, the website says that key components of the new Vision Pro, including panels, housings, and circuitry, have moved into mass production ahead of the product's purported release later in 2025. Some Apple suppliers are said to be "rushing" to fulfill orders.

In October, The Information's Wayne Ma reported that Apple had abruptly reduced production of the Vision Pro headset ahead of plans to stop making the current version of the device completely by the end of 2024. This means that the device may no longer be in production and Apple likely has a sufficient number of Vision Pro units in its inventory to meet demand for the device's remaining lifespan through 2025.

Although Apple's work on a substantially enhanced Vision Pro model has apparently stalled, there are strong indications that the company will release "an incremental update to the product with limited changes to its physical design," such as a chip upgrade, according to The Information. Corroborating this, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman have said that a more iterative second-generation Vision Pro is in active development, adding the M5 chip and little else. This updated model is expected to reuse many components from the first-generation Vision Pro to offset the surplus inventory in Apple's supply chain and is likely the model IT Home's report refers to.

Gurman projected the device could launch between fall 2025 and spring 2026, which broadly lines up with IT Home's article today. That being said, IT Home does not have a solid track record for identifying authentic Apple rumors, so the report should be taken with a pinch of salt until we know more.

Apple will report its earnings results for the second quarter of its 2025 fiscal year on Thursday, May 1 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Apple's CEO Tim Cook and CFO Kevan Parekh will discuss the results on a conference call with analysts a half hour later.

Keep reading for some key things to know about the quarter, including a recap of new products announced, revenue expectations, and more.

New Products During Quarter

The quarter ran from December 29, 2024 through March 29, 2025, according to Apple's fiscal calendar. The following products launched during this period:

• iPhone 16e
• iPad Air models with the M3 chip
• iPad models with the A16 chip
• MacBook Air models with the M4 chip
• Mac Studio models with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips
• Powerbeats Pro 2
• Various accessories, including a new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, Black Unity Sport Loop, USB-C to 3.5mm Audio Cable, and more

Revenue Expectations

Apple has not provided formal revenue guidance since before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the average Wall Street estimate for Apple's second quarter revenue is $94.1 billion, according to data compiled by Yahoo Finance. This would be around a 3.5% increase over the $90.8 billion revenue the company reported in the year-ago quarter.

This would be in line with the outlook that Parekh provided on last quarter's earnings call:

[…] we expect our March quarter total company revenue to grow low to mid single digits year over year.

Conference Call

Cook and Parekh will hold a conference call on May 1 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time to discuss the company's quarterly earnings results. The call should last around one hour, and it will include a Q&A segment with analysts.

A live audio stream of the conference call will be available on Apple's Investor Relations page, and a recording will be available later in the day for replay.

Investors will be listening for any commentary that Cook and Parekh may provide about tariffs.

What's Next: Tariffs

Apple's current quarter runs from March 30 through June 28, and the company has yet to announce any new products during this period.

U.S. President Donald Trump last week announced that the U.S. will be imposing steep tariffs on products imported from China and many other countries, starting April 9. Apple will be impacted by this decision, as it still assembles the majority of iPhones in China, despite pushing to expand production in countries like India. China will be subject to a 54% tariff, and Trump has threatened the country with additional tariffs. Apple could increase prices due to the tariffs, but the company may find creative ways to offset the added costs.

The tariffs could provide a boost to Apple's third quarter revenue, as some customers are reportedly panic-buying iPhones ahead of potential price increases. However, the fourth quarter could be tougher than usual for Apple.

Apple shares are trading at around $184 as of writing, down from a 52-week high of $260.

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.

Anker this week kicked off a new Earth Day sale, offering savings on popular wall chargers, iPhone charging stands, portable batteries, SOLIX solar power stations, and more. This sale includes discounts at both Anker and on Amazon.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

If you're shopping on Anker's website, you can save up to $15 on your order when you spend over $100. Specifically, orders worth $100 or more will get $5 off, orders worth $150 or more will get $10 off, and orders worth $200 or more will get $15 off.

Regarding the Amazon discounts, some of these will require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the final sale price. We've marked all of these in the list below, but be sure to head to Anker's storefront on Amazon to browse even more Earth Day discounts.

Wall Chargers

• 30W Nano Charger with USB-C Cable - $32.29, down from $37.98
• Nano 3-Port USB-C Charger - $39.99, down from $55.99
• 3-Port Prime Charger with USB-C Cable - $101.99, down from $119.98
• 6-Port Prime Charger with USB-C Cable - $103.99, down from $114.98

Charging Stations

• MagGo 3-in-1 Foldable Wireless Charging Station + MagGo Charging Stand - $106.57, down from $145.98

Portable Batteries

• 10,000 mAh Power Bank with USB-C Cable - $16.09, down from $25.99
• Magnetic 10,000 mAh Portable Battery - $27.99 with on-page coupon, down from $39.99
• Magnetic 10,000 mAh Portable Battery with Stand - $29.99, down from $49.99
• MagGo 10,000 mAh Power Bank - $69.99, down from $89.99
  

• 24,000 mAh 3-Port Power Bank - $87.99, down from $149.99

Power Stations

• SOLIX 60,000 mAh Power Station - $109.99, down from $169.99
• SOLIX 90,000 mAh Power Station with Lantern - $169.99 with on-page coupon, down from $199.99
• SOLIX C300 Power Station - $219.00 with on-page coupon, down from $299.00

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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Apple today announced that five additional games will be added to the Apple Arcade library at the beginning of next month.

Accessible through the App Store, Apple Arcade is a subscription-based service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, all free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month and is bundled with other Apple services in all Apple One plans.

The five new games coming to Apple Arcade on Thursday, May 1:

• LEGO Friends Heartlake Rush+ — An endless driving and racing game, in which LEGO Friends and their pets go on a colorful, fast-paced adventure.
• WHAT THE CLASH? — A multiplayer game with hundreds of silly 1v1 mini games, and Apple TV support for playing on the big screen.
• with My Buddy — A kid-friendly simulation game where players bond with and care for virtual puppies and kittens.
• Words of Wonders: Search+ — A word search game.
• SUMI SUMI: Matching Puzzle+ — A matching game featuring popular San-X characters.

More details about all five games are available on the Apple Newsroom website.

YouTube channel Front Page Tech on Monday shared renders of iOS 19's alleged new design. The end of the video also revealed a new feature that is supposedly planned for the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year: dual video recording.

According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will allow users to record video with the front and rear cameras simultaneously. This is a capability that is already available through select apps on the App Store, such as Snapchat, but it would now be available through the built-in Camera app. Samsung introduced a built-in dual video recording feature on the Galaxy S21 and newer.

Dual video recording in the Camera app would be useful for content creators on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, allowing them to easily overlay a shot of their face over a world-facing video, so that viewers can watch them speak and react.

Skip to the 9:13 mark of Front Page Tech's video to hear about this particular rumor.

Apple should release all of the iPhone 17 models in September. It is unclear why this seemingly basic feature will allegedly require an iPhone 17 Pro model.

WhatsApp is testing a new option that lets you control whether other chat members can export your chats with them or automatically save media you send them, according to WaBetaInfo.

Referred to as "advanced chat privacy," the new option has a toggle in a recent WhatsApp beta for iOS. By turning it on, you can prevent individual users or people in a group chat from exporting the entire chat history outside of WhatsApp.

Enabling the option in a group chat causes everyone in the chat to be notified that advanced chat privacy has been enabled. WaBetaInfo says that turning on the toggle also turns off Meta AI, which lets users interact with a chat bot as part of the wider conversation.

The advanced chat privacy feature also reportedly stops shared media from automatically saving to people's device camera rolls, even if they have "Save all media" enabled for you. But it's not clear if it also prevents users from manually saving photos and video.

While the option prevents complete chat histories from being exported, users are still able to forward individual messages or screenshot them when the setting is enabled, so it doesn't provide total protection. That said, users can still ratchet up the security level by turning on disappearing messages and choosing a set time before they auto-delete.

As this is a beta feature in testing, it's not clear if or when the new advanced chat privacy feature will roll out to the general public.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp recently launched a new feature that allows users to include a brief music clip in their Status update, which sounds reminiscent of Myspace. Users can post music clips of up to 15 seconds for photos and up to 60 seconds for videos. Music shared on Status is end-to-end encrypted, so only friends can see the songs – not even WhatsApp itself can view what songs users share.

CalDigit today announced the upcoming launch of two new Thunderbolt 5 docks, the TS5 and the TS5 Plus. Both docks support transfer speeds of up to 80Gb/s with a speed boost feature when paired with Apple's Thunderbolt 5 Macs.

The TS5 has a total of 15 ports, including four Thunderbolt 5 ports, two USB-A ports, three USB-C ports (including two at the front), a headphone jack, an SD card slot, a microSD card slot, and a 2.5Gb Ethernet port. One of the front charging ports supports 20W charging.

The TS5 Plus has 20 ports, including three Thunderbolt 5 ports, five USB-C ports (two at the front), 5 USB-A ports, a headphone jack, an SD card slot, a microSD card slot, and a 10Gb Ethernet port. One of the front ports supports 36W charging, as do two of the rear Thunderbolt 5 ports, so it is able to charge more devices. There is a Dual USB 10Gb/s controller design for better USB performance.

Both docks offer 140W power delivery, which is enough to charge Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro at full speed. On the Mac, the displays support two 4K 240Hz displays or dual 8K 60Hz displays. All of the Thunderbolt 5 ports support Bandwidth Boost, so the default 80Gb/s speed is boosted to 120Gb/s for more demanding displays.

The TS5 Plus is priced at $500 and it will be available to purchase from the CalDigit website in late April. The TS5 is priced at $370 and it will be available for purchase in late May.

YouTube channel Front Page Tech is back today with another video that provides a closer look at iOS 19's alleged design changes.

The video contains re-created renders of iOS 19, which are allegedly based on real footage of the software update, provided by sources within Apple. Overall, iOS 19 is expected to have a more glass-like, visionOS-inspired design, with added translucency for user interface elements like buttons, menus, notifications, and more.

The most notable new detail in today's video is that Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser now believes that iOS 19 will feature rounder app icons, although he is not sure if they will be entirely circular like they are on visionOS.

Prosser said the rounder app icons are hidden by default on internal iOS 19 builds. Apparently, long pressing on a squircle app icon results in it switching to the rounder design, following a brief animation. It is possible that Apple is attempting to hide this obvious design change from onlookers until iOS 19 is announced at WWDC in June.

Another alleged change is the addition of a pill-shaped tab bar at the bottom of many built-in apps, including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Messages, and Phone apps, among others. On the search tab, there is an elongated search bar, with a circular button to the left of it that you can tap on to return to the expanded tab bar. The video shows off a new animation when you switch between tabs in the bar.

In the Messages app, the search bar appears to be persistent.

The renders also reveal that Apple has adopted more rounded corners for some elements, including the Haptic Touch menus that appear when you long press on an app icon, as well as the volume and display brightness sliders in Control Center. Permission prompts for camera and microphone access also have an updated appearance.

Prosser previously shared re-created mockups of iOS 19's alleged Camera app.

The alleged design changes extend to the Settings app, which appears to have slimmer toggles, and to the default keyboard.

Last, Prosser said iOS 19 adds a subtle lighting effect to some elements, which contributes to the rumored glass-like appearance. For example, he said the default Flashlight and Camera controls at the bottom of the Lock Screen shimmer as you move the iPhone.

The first iOS 19 beta should be available immediately following the WWDC keynote on June 9, and the update should be released in September.

Apple today stopped signing iOS 18.3.2, a week after releasing the iOS 18.4 update. Now that iOS 18.3.2 is not being signed, iPhone users who have upgraded to iOS 18.4 are not able to downgrade to a version of iOS 18.3.

It is typical for Apple to stop signing an older version of iOS after releasing an update, and the process keeps ‌iPhone‌ users from installing outdated versions of iOS. "Signing" refers to a server-side verification check that's done when versions of iOS are downloaded onto an ‌iPhone‌. Only software that passes the verification check is able to be installed.

Preventing downgrading ensures that customers have the latest security improvements and are not vulnerable to known attacks or security holes.

The iOS 18.4 update fixed more than 60 vulnerabilities, so it is a good idea to install the software if you have not done so already.