MacRumors

An antitrust lawsuit that AliveCor filed against Apple back in 2021 will not proceed, with the judge overseeing the case today filing a summary judgment in Apple's favor.

The full ruling is under seal as of now due to confidentiality requests from Apple and AliveCor, but the filing makes it clear that the case went in Apple's favor and the Cupertino company was not found to have engaged in anticompetitive behavior.

AliveCor claimed that its "SmartRhythm" app that worked with its ECG KardiaBand was targeted several times by Apple for App Store rule violations, and then rendered non-functional with a change to the Apple Watch heart rhythm algorithm in watchOS 5.

When watchOS 5 launched, Apple introduced its heart rate neural network (HRNN) that improved heart rate calculations during workouts. AliveCor claimed that Apple changed the algorithm to impact the KardiaBand, and demanded that Apple continue to support the older, less accurate technology that worked with the SmartRhythm app.

AliveCor argued that the watchOS 5 changes were aimed solely at preventing third-party apps from identifying irregular heart rhythms, and that the update "eliminated competition" and deprived consumers of "choice for heartrate analysis." AliveCor was seeking damages and an injunction that would require Apple to "cease its abusive conduct" and continue to support the old heart rate algorithm.

Apple argued that AliveCor did not have the right to dictate Apple's design decisions, and that the request to support the older heart rate technology would require the court to be a day-to-day enforcer of how Apple engineers its products. The court ultimately agreed with Apple.

Apple in a statement to MacRumors said AliveCor's lawsuit attempted to challenge Apple's ability to improve the Apple Watch, with the company thanking the court for its decision.

"At Apple, our teams are constantly innovating to create products and services that empower users with health, wellness, and life-saving features. AliveCor's lawsuit challenged Apple's ability to improve important capabilities of the Apple Watch that consumers and developers rely on, and today's outcome confirms that is not anticompetitive. We thank the Court for its careful consideration of this case, and will continue to protect the innovations we advance on behalf of our customers against meritless claims."

AliveCor in a statement to MacRumors said that it is disappointed with the court's decision and will appeal.

AliveCor is deeply disappointed and strongly disagrees with the court's decision to dismiss our anti-competition case and we plan to appeal. We will continue to vigorously protect our intellectual property to benefit our consumers and promote innovation. The dismissal decision does not impact AliveCor's ongoing business; we will continue to design and provide the best portable ECG products and services to our customers.

Separately, the ITC's findings that Apple has infringed AliveCor's patents still stand. Both the ITC and U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) appeals will be reviewed at the Federal Circuit in the Northern District of California in the coming months. In other recent developments, the PTAB recently ruled in AliveCor's favor by instituting Inter Partes Review (IPR) of Apple's patents and a stay of Apple's countersuit.

AliveCor has also filed several patent infringement lawsuits against Apple, claiming that Apple copied its cardiological detection and analysis technology. These lawsuits are separate from today's antitrust decision.

Over the course of the last few months, Apple has been experimenting with different camera bump designs for the standard iPhone 16 models. We outlined three of Apple's prototype designs back in December, but now Apple has shifted focus once again.

Apple's latest prototype features a vertical camera arrangement with a pill-shaped raised surface, and we've created a series of mockups based on internal designs to help readers visualize the change.

The pill-shaped camera bump features two separate camera rings for the Wide and Ultrawide cameras, adopting some of the stylistic cues from earlier prototype designs. A vertical camera arrangement has remained consistent throughout the prototyping process, and Apple has not changed the position of the flash or the camera lenses with this latest update.

Our findings align with schematics recently shared by Majin Bu on social media website X. Bu's leaked images also feature the same updated design.

The latest camera look that Apple is experimenting with draws inspiration from older iPhone models, such as the ‌iPhone‌ X. The ‌iPhone‌ X also had a pill-shaped camera with a slim bump design. While Apple used a vertical camera for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 as well, it had a wider square bump that also housed the flash and microphone.

With the vertical camera layout, we are expecting Apple to bring Spatial Video recording to the base model ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus models. Right now, the iPhone 15 models have a diagonal camera arrangement and are not able to capture spatial video, a feature that is so far limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models and the Vision Pro headset itself.

Apart from the updated camera bump design, more recent ‌iPhone 16‌ prototypes include slight modifications to the Action Button and Capture Button, as we reported previously. The latest prototype units feature a smaller Action Button, akin to the one used on ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌, along with a pressure-sensitive Capture Button that sits flush with the frame of the device. While the camera bump design is largely a cosmetic update affecting the glass backplate, the change to the Action Button during the prototyping phase is more significant. Apple's updates suggest that it has scrapped its initial idea of bringing a capacitive Action Button to the ‌iPhone 16‌ range.

Note that what we've shared here is sourced from pre-production information, and it may not ultimately reflect the design of the final mass-production units that are released this fall. As we've seen with previous ‌iPhone‌ models, Apple creates multiple designs and hardware configurations as part of the development process, and the ‌iPhone 16‌ range is no exception. More tangible information will come to light as the devices move closer to the EVT (Engineering Validation Testing) phase of development.

For additional details on what to expect, check out our dedicated rumor roundup pages for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.

Eve Systems today announced that its Matter-enabled wall-in Eve Energy Outlet is available for purchase both from the Eve Store and from Amazon.

Announced back in December, the Eve Energy Outlet is able to replace any existing outlet in a single or multi-gang installation. It connects to a smart home setup using Thread, and has Matter integration.

There are two receptacles that can be controlled individually, and it offers advanced energy monitoring functionality so users can see how much energy devices are consuming. Energy monitoring is supported in the Eve app.

The Eve Energy Outlet is able to integrate with other HomeKit products thanks to Matter, so it can be used with automations and can be controlled through the Home app and through Siri.

The Eve Energy Outlet is priced at $50.

Cisco today announced the launch of a Webex video conferencing app designed for the Apple Vision Pro. The app is designed to provide an immersive meeting experience that fills the space around the user.

The Webex app supports Personas, allowing Vision Pro wearers to have a visual representation of themselves in video calls while wearing the headset, and it also works with spatial audio.

Webex for Apple Vision Pro takes full advantage of the powerful capabilities built natively into visionOS. After joining a Webex meeting, you can arrange individual participant videos and a separate shared content window that scale to life-size with intuitive pinch and drag gestures. You can use the infinite canvas of Apple Vision Pro to resize and re-arrange these windows, enabling you to collaborate without being bound by a fixed screen. Your persona is a dynamic, natural representation of your face and hand movements that allows others to see you in Webex while you're wearing Apple Vision Pro. With these flexible layouts, multitasking has never been better.

Webex features such as AI background noise removal, real-time translations, closed captions, and live polling are integrated into the app. Meetings can be transferred between the Vision Pro and the Mac or the iPhone by opening up the Webex app and tapping the join button.

Webex can be downloaded from the App Store on ‌Apple Vision Pro‌.

Apple last Friday launched the Vision Pro, its first new product category in nine years. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera spent the last several days wearing the Vision Pro and acclimatizing himself to the new operating system, gesture-based control, and feature set.

We asked MacRumors readers what they would most like to know about the Vision Pro, and Dan has a series of answers for those considering a purchase or those who simply want to know more about Apple's new device.

You'll want to watch Dan's video for his full range of answers, but he addresses topics like how much storage space is ideal, how it works when connecting the Vision Pro to a Mac and the Mac's peripherals, what the display quality is like using the headset as a Mac display, comfort and fit over time, the limitations of the passthrough AR view, spatial video, how guest mode works, speaker quality, and more.

Have other questions about the Vision Pro? Let us know in the comments below and we'll address them in a future video.

With today's visionOS 1.1 beta, there appears to be a new hardware-based option to reset the Vision Pro, allowing the device to be wiped and set up fresh should the user forget their passcode.

As of right now, there is no way to reset a Vision Pro outside of the Settings app, and the Settings app is inaccessible if you happen to forget your passcode. That means anyone that fails to remember their passcode will need to bring their Vision Pro in to Apple to have it wiped.

According to 9to5Mac, there is code in the ‌visionOS‌ 1.1 beta that allows the Vision Pro to be erased without the need to bring it to an Apple retail location.

There is a new system alert that lets the Vision Pro be reset after a certain number of failed attempts to enter a passcode.

This Apple Vision Pro is in security lockout. You can wait and try your passcode again, or you can erase and reset this Apple Vision Pro now.

Resetting the Vision Pro will wipe all content from the device, but as it has Activation Lock, it will not be able to be used by anyone except for the original owner with the Apple ID password used to set it up. After being wiped, the Vision Pro can be set up as new again with a new passcode added.

For Heart Month, Apple Watch owners can earn an award by completing a 30 minute workout to fill their Exercise ring on Wednesday, February 14, which is Valentine's Day.

This Valentine's day, it's all about heart. Close your Exercise ring on February 14 to get this award.

As with all of Apple's Activity Challenges, the Heart Month challenge will be accompanied by three awards that can be viewed in the Fitness app as well as a series of animated stickers that can be used in the Messages app.

To celebrate Heart Month, Apple also often provides themed content in the App Store, Apple TV app, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Books.

If you have physical security keys set up for your Apple ID account, you can now sign in to iCloud on Windows, after updating the app to version 15 or later. Apple confirmed this change in a support document updated today.

Previously, signing in to iCloud for Windows was not an option whatsoever after turning on the Apple ID security keys feature.

Apple ID security keys support was introduced early last year with iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, and macOS 13.2. When the optional setting is turned on, signing in to an Apple ID requires entering the account's password and then using a FIDO-certified security key to complete two-factor authentication, instead of a traditional six-digit verification code from another Apple device. These security keys typically look similar to a USB thumb drive.

Apple says the feature is "designed for people who want extra protection from targeted attacks, such as phishing or social engineering scams." You should be extra careful if you turn on the feature, as you could be locked out of your Apple ID account permanently if you lose all of your trusted Apple devices and security keys.

Apple today released the first beta of an upcoming visionOS 1.1 update for developers, allowing developers to test new features ahead of the software seeing a public launch. This is the first beta version of ‌visionOS‌ software that Apple has made available since the headset launched last Friday.

The ‌visionOS‌ beta can be downloaded by going to the Settings app on the device and toggling on developer betas. A registered developer account is required, and Apple recommends making a backup before installing new software.

‌visionOS‌ 1.1 brings Apple Device management to the Vision Pro. With this functionality, IT departments at companies and educational institutions can manage Vision Pro headsets in the same way they manage iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said that Apple believes the Vision Pro will have a range of enterprise uses, from assisting in surgeries to managing warehouses and providing guides for complex mechanical work.

Apple's enterprise marketing head Jeremy Butcher told TechCrunch that the company wants to give businesses the tools they need to manage the Vision Pro at scale. "So the good news is we've got a lot of great technology to bring over to Vision Pro in that regard," he said. Device management on the Vision Pro will include managed Apple IDs, single sign-on, identity management, and security.

The ‌visionOS‌ 1.1 beta adds support for resetting the Vision Pro on device should the user lose their passcode, and according to Apple's release notes, users can now reposition volumetric scenes closer than before, enabling easier direct interaction with the volumetric scene content.

Apple may have also made some updates to the Persona feature in ‌visionOS‌, as updating to the ‌visionOS‌ 1.1 beta requires the Persona to be redone. It is not yet clear what is improved, however.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of the first beta.

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

‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.4 introduces some of the features in the iOS 17.4 beta, such as new emoji characters. We don't know what Mac-specific features are included, and little else was found in the first beta.

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 betas to developers for testing purposes, with the updates coming two weeks after Apple seeded the first betas.

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.

iOS 17.4 introduces sweeping changes to the way the App Store and apps operate in the European Union, paving the way for alternative app marketplaces, alternative payment systems, third-party browser engine support, and NFC access for banks and third-party payment providers. These features are limited to the EU, and won't be available in other countries.

There are, however, changes to gaming apps, and with the launch of iOS 17.4, Apple will be allowing cloud gaming apps like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce NOW. Mini games, chatbots, and plug-ins are also now able to use the in-app purchase system.

Along with these updates, iOS 17.4 adds new emoji characters, transcripts for podcasts in the Podcasts app, support for using SharePlay with the HomePod, Stopwatch Live Activities, and more. Full details on everything new in iOS 17.4 can be found in our iOS 17.4 features article.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 10.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the release of the first watchOS 10.4 beta.

To install the ‌watchOS 10.4‌ update, developers 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 10.4 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 10.4 includes new emoji characters such as a lime, an edible brown mushroom, a phoenix, a broken chain, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), and shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake).

There is also a Vision Pro setting to disable the Double Tap feature on Apple Watch, as the hand gestures might interfere.

Apple's new Vision Pro headset can serve as an external display for a Mac, letting you view and control your computer's screen in a visionOS window. The feature can currently be used with only a single Mac display, but analyst Ben Thompson today suggested that Apple has internally tested the ability to use multiple displays.

"I have heard through the grapevine that Vision Pro users at Apple headquarters can project two Mac screens," said Thompson, in his review of the headset.

Apple engineers have access to future visionOS versions, and feature flags that enable extra functionality, so this revelation is certainly believable. However, it's unclear if Apple plans to let the public use the feature with multiple displays.

For now, if your Mac has external displays connected to it, the Vision Pro only shows the main display that you have set in the Mac's System Settings app. While the Vision Pro is showing a Mac's display, the computer's built-in display and any external monitors that are connected to it appear black and cannot be used during that time.

The feature is compatible with any Mac running macOS Sonoma, but the maximum display resolution is limited to 3K for Intel-based Macs.

We're tracking a new record low price on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 today at Best Buy, available for $729.00, down from $799.00. Best Buy has a few models of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 at this best-ever price, including multiple Alpine Loops and Trail Loops.

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.

Shoppers should note that this sale will last today only, and many models have already sold out, so be sure to shop soon if you're interested. Amazon is matching the new best-ever price, with a focus on Trail Loop and Alpine Loop band styles as well.

We've been tracking a lot of Apple Watch deals so far in February, the latest focused on steep discounts on the Apple Watch SE. You can still get the 40mm GPS model for $189.00 and the 44mm GPS model for $219.00 right now on Amazon.

As of last month, a sales ban was reenacted in the United States on any Apple Watch model sold by Apple that has blood oxygen sensing. While Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models purchased directly from Apple currently come with blood oxygen sensing disabled, retailers like Amazon are able to continue selling through their existing stocks that include the feature.

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

Sonos has kicked off its first major sale of 2024, offering up to $340 off select home theater audio equipment through February 11. This includes record low prices on the Sonos Arc soundbar ($719), as well as various discounted bundles, all of which are deals we haven't tracked since the holidays.

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

This sale is mainly focused on Sonos product bundles that should help elevate your home theater setup with various soundbars, subwoofers, and speakers. The only two products available outside of a bundle are the Sonos Arc for $719 ($180 off) and Sonos Sub Gen 3 for $639 ($160 off).

Sonos very rarely offers discounts this steep on its website, so it'll likely be quite a long time before these sales return after this sale ends on February 11. We've accumulated a few of the devices in the sale below, but be sure to browse this landing page on the Sonos website for everything being discounted.

• Arc Soundbar - $719, down from $899
• Arc + Wall Mount Bundle - $798, down from $978
• Arc + Move 2 Speaker Bundle - $1,168, down from $1,348
• Arc + 2x Era 100 Speakers Bundle - $1,217, down from $1,397
• Sub (Gen 3) Subwoofer - $639, down from $799
• Beam + Sub Bundle - $1,138, down from $1,298
• Arc + Sub Bundle - $1,358, down from $1,698
• Beam + Sub + 2x Era 100 Speakers Bundle - $1,636, down from $1,796

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

The iPhone 16 lineup's new Capture Button will be able to detect multiple levels of pressure to emulate a two-step shutter button from dedicated digital cameras, according to a Weibo leaker.

MacRumors was first to reveal the presence of a new button on the iPhone 16 models called the "Capture Button" last year. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman remarked that the Capture Button will be able to record video and The Information reported that the Capture Button will add features like the ability to zoom in and out by swiping left and right on the button, and focus on a subject with a light press.

Now, the Weibo user "Instant Digital" corroborates that the Capture Button's main function will be to trigger image or video capture, but a light press will enable the user to adjust focus. This is effectively the same functionality found on most DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, where the shutter button features two stages: Pressing it down half way locks in focus or exposure and pressing it down all of the way capture a photo. The leaker added that the debut of the Capture Button reinforces the iPhone's pivot toward photography.

As explained in an early look at the iPhone 16 prototypes, the Capture Button will be located on the bottom right side of the ‌iPhone 16‌. It will take the place of the mmWave antenna on U.S. ‌iPhone‌ models, with the mmWave antenna to be relocated to the left side of the device below the volume and Action buttons. Non-U.S. models do not have a mmWave antenna that needs to be relocated in order to accommodate the Capture Button.

Instant Digital has a mixed track record in terms of revealing accurate information about Apple's plans. The source was first to report the iPhone 14's Yellow spring refresh, Spatial Video capture on the iPhone 15 Pro, and the Apple Watch Series 9's minor hardware update, as well as being the only source of the only rumor claiming that the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus would feature frosted back glass. However, they also made claims about several iOS 17 features and the release of a new iPad Air in October 2023 that did not pan out.

Apple Vision Pro owners have been warned by the U.S. Department of Transportation not to use the headset when at the wheel of a car, even if their vehicle has a semi-autonomous driving mode, because of the obvious danger it poses to themselves and others.

U.S. Secretary for Transport Pete Buttigieg took to X (formerly Twitter) to warn drivers that all current vehicles require the driver to be engaged "at all times."

The warning came after videos of drivers wearing Apple's newly launched spatial computing headset went viral on social media, one of which Buttigieg reposted.

Another video showed a man appearing to get pulled over by the police while wearing the headset in a Tesla. The driver later admitted to Gizmodo that it was a "skit" made with the help of friends, and yet incredibly he reportedly "drove with the headset for 30-40 seconds." Vision Pro has passthrough video, but overlays interactive virtual content onto physical space, which is clearly going to be distracting for a driver.

Apple in its Vision Pro support documentation cautions users to "never use the device while operating a moving vehicle, bicycle, heavy machinery, or in any other situations requiring attention to safety." Apple says to use Vision Pro outside "only in controlled environments."

Avoid situations that could cause you to trip and fall, like uneven terrain, or obstacles that you could collide with. If you are outside, avoid extreme temperatures, rain, fog, or moisture of any kind. Apple Vision Pro shouldn’t be used near roadways or areas where moving objects present a collision risk.

Apple Vision Pro launched in the U.S. on Friday, and there are already several YouTube videos of people wearing the headset while skateboarding along busy streets, walking around airport terminals, using the subway, and navigating other public places.