MacRumors

Apple is planning a new Apple Watch activity challenge for International Women's Day, which will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 8.

The Activity Challenge will be displayed on the Apple Watch as a notification in the days leading up to the event, and to earn the International Women's Day award, Apple Watch users will need to do a workout of any kind for at least 20 minutes.

On March 8, show your support for the empowerment of women everywhere. Do any workout for 20 minutes or more to earn this award. Record your time with the Workout app or any app that adds workouts to Health.

Apple Watch owners who earn the award will unlock a dedicated badge in the Fitness app, plus they will get a series of animated stickers that can be used in the Messages and FaceTime apps.

The International Women's Day award follows new challenges that were introduced for Lunar New Year, Black History Month, and Heart Month in February.

The Apple Music Classical app that Apple first announced when it acquired classical music service Primephonic could potentially be launching in the near future according to additional mentions of "‌Apple Music‌ Classical" found in the iOS 16.4 beta.

Code in the beta suggests that listening to ‌Apple Music‌ Classical will require users to have the standard ‌Apple Music‌ app installed. "To listen in ‌Apple Music‌ Classical, you'll need to install ‌Apple Music‌," reads a line in the MusicKit framework.

As of right now, there is no sign of an ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app in iOS 16.4, but that doesn't mean that it won't come in a later beta or with the iOS 16.4 launch.

Apple initially said in 2021 that ‌Apple Music‌ Classical would be introduced "next year," aka, 2022, but that did not happen. There was no 2022 launch of the new classical music experience, and Apple has provided no updates on when we might expect to see the new app.

Apple promised that ‌Apple Music‌ Classical would be a dedicated classical music app that is separate from ‌Apple Music‌, but this makes it clear that the ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app will also require ‌Apple Music‌ to be installed.

This is not the first time that we've seen references to ‌Apple Music‌ Classical in an iOS 16 update. iOS 16.3, for example, added "Open in ‌Apple Music‌ Classical" wording to the code, and there have also been mentions of the feature in backend code on Apple's site.

It is unclear why Apple has taken so long to introduce an ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app, and though we continue to see signs of it, it still remains a mystery as to whether it will come in iOS 16.4, a later iOS 16 update, or iOS 17.

The second beta of iOS 16.4 that was introduced to developers today appears to have a limited number of new features, but it does have a major update for those who use Apple Books - it reintroduces an option for the page turning animation.

With iOS 16, Apple revamped the Books app and removed the traditional page turning animation in favor of a simpler slide animation, but many Apple Books users were not happy with the decision.

The iOS 16.4 beta adds a new toggle in the Themes and Settings section of the Books app that lets users choose a page turning animation. Options include Curl, Slide, and None. Slide is the iOS 16 default, Curl is the old iOS 15 and earlier animation, and None is an even simpler animation that just shifts from page to page. These features are also available in iPadOS 16.4 for those who read on the iPad.

B&H Photo today has a few deals on Apple's M2 Mac mini, marking some of the first notable discounts on the device since it launched in January 2023. Both deals are only available on B&H Photo as of writing, and the retailer offers free expedited shipping in the contiguous United States.

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

Starting with the 256GB M2 Mac mini, this model is on sale for $549.00, down from $599.00. This beats the sale price found at retailers like Amazon by about $30 and is now the lowest price we've ever tracked on this version of the M2 Mac mini.

Moving to the 512GB M2 Mac mini, B&H Photo has this model for $749.00, down from $799.00. Similar to the 256GB option, the 512GB M2 Mac mini's price tag is the best we've seen to date at any retailer.

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

Apple today seeded the second beta of macOS Ventura 13.3 to developers for testing purposes, with the new software update coming two weeks after the release of the first macOS 13.3 beta.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.

macOS Ventura 13.3 adopts the same new emoji characters that are in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, including pink heart, light blue heart, left and right hand, moose, black bird, goose, wing, jellyfish, pea pod, finger, and more.

The update adds the new HomeKit architecture that was initially removed from iOS 16.2 and its sister updates, and the revised version should have fewer bugs that affect ‌HomeKit‌ setups.

macOS Ventura 13.3 will go through multiple rounds of beta testing, with Apple planning to release it in the spring.

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming two weeks after the launch of the first betas.

Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates over-the-air after installing the appropriate profile from the Developer Center. Going forward, beta updates will not require a profile and will instead be done directly on device through an Apple ID linked to a developer account. Note: There appears to be an issue with the iOS 16.4 beta 2 update that is preventing some developers from seeing it at the current time.

iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 add new emoji characters, including shaking head, pink heart, light blue heart, donkey, moose, jellyfish, hyacinth, ginger, black bird, and more. There are 31 new emoji in total, including left and right hand options in several skin tones.

Safari Web Push notifications have been added on the iPhone and iPad, and you can receive them from websites that have been added to the Home Screen on your device. Web Push notifications are identical to the notifications that you get from websites on the Mac, and behave like any other iOS notification.

Third-party browsers like Chrome are now able to let users add websites and websites to the ‌Home Screen‌, and Apple has reintroduced the HomeKit architecture upgrade. There are also changes to Podcasts, minor updates to Apple Music, new options for Shortcuts, and more, with a full list of new features in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 available in our features guide.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 9.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software update coming two weeks after launch of the first beta.

To install the watchOS 9.4 update, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center.

Once installed, ‌watchOS 9.4 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it has to be placed on the charger, and it will need to be in range of the ‌iPhone‌ it is paired with.

watchOS 9.4 gains support for new emoji characters that include donkey, goose, black bird, shaking head, hyacinth, pea pod, and more, with 31 new characters available in total.

Through iOS 16.4, the update adds support for Web Push notifications that are sent to an iPhone, with the notifications able to be set up for a website that is added to the iPhone's Home Screen.

watchOS 9.4 will go through several rounds of beta testing, and it is expected to see a launch in the spring alongside iOS 16.4.

The latest version of the Google Chrome browser designed for Macs includes optimizations that are designed to preserve battery life. In a blog post shared today, Google says that with a single full charge, a 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro running Chrome can be used to browse the internet for 17 hours or watch YouTube for 18 hours.

With improvements to Energy Saver mode, browsing time is extended for another 30 minutes by reducing unnecessary background tasks, and while Google uses the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ as an example, the company says that those using older Macs will also see performance gains.

To boost battery life, Google made changes that include tuning iframes to consume less energy, tweaking JavaScript timers to wake the CPU less often, streamlining data structures to optimize access, and eliminating unnecessary redraws.

Google plans to continue to optimize Energy Saver mode in the future. The Chrome browser for Macs can be downloaded from Google's website, with the 110 version released last week.

The European Commission today announced it has narrowed its antitrust investigation into Apple's rules for streaming music apps. In a revised Statement of Objections sent to Apple, the Commission said it will no longer challenge Apple's requirement for apps to use the App Store's in-app purchase system for digital goods and services. The investigation began in 2019 after Spotify filed an antitrust complaint against Apple.

The investigation will now focus entirely on Apple preventing streaming music apps from informing iPhone and iPad users within the app that lower subscription prices are available when signing up outside of the App Store. Subscriptions can sometimes cost extra when initiated through the App Store compared to directly on an app's website, as developers look to offset Apple's 15% to 30% fee on in-app subscriptions.

The Commission's preliminary view is that Apple's rules equate to "anti-steering" and "unfair trading conditions," in breach of EU antitrust law. The Commission added that the rules are "detrimental to users of music streaming services on Apple's mobile devices" given they may end up paying more and "negatively affect the interests of music streaming app developers by limiting effective consumer choice."

In a statement shared with MacRumors, an Apple spokesperson said the company is "pleased" that the Commission has narrowed its case:

Apple will continue to work with the European Commission to understand and respond to their concerns, all the while promoting competition and choice for European consumers. We're pleased that the Commission has narrowed its case and is no longer challenging Apple's right to collect a commission for digital goods and require the use of the In-App Payment systems users trust. The App Store has helped Spotify become the top music streaming service across Europe and we hope the European Commission will end its pursuit of a complaint that has no merit.

Spotify no longer allows customers to subscribe through its iPhone app. A message in the Premium tab of the app informs customers that they "can't upgrade to Premium in the app" and says "we know, it's not ideal." The tab does not provide any information or external links related to subscribing on Spotify's website.

Apple's App Store Review Guidelines allow developers to inform users about alternative purchasing methods with communication outside of the app, such as email. "Reader" apps such as Spotify can also include an in-app link to their website for users to set up or manage their accounts. Ultimately, though, Spotify still cannot advertise the lower subscription prices available through its website within its iPhone app.

As part of its response, Apple said it always promotes competition, is only one of many competitors in the streaming music market in Europe, and that the iOS app economy supports 2.2 million European jobs. Apple also cited reports finding that Spotify is among the most successful apps on the App Store and a dominant business.

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's M2 MacBook Air (512GB) has dropped to $1,299.99 on Amazon, down from $1,499.00. This sale is available in Starlight and Silver, and right now only Amazon has this price on the 2022 MacBook Air.

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.

This is one of the best prices that we've tracked so far in 2023 on the MacBook Air, and it's an overall second-best price on the notebook compared to holiday sales. Amazon estimates a March 3 delivery date for most United States residences.

This version of the MacBook Air launched in June 2022 with a complete redesign compared to the previous generation, featuring an updated chassis, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, and Apple's M2 chip. Apple also sells a 256GB model but we currently aren't tracking any deals on this version.

You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains as well.

Microsoft today announced that it is adding iPhone support to its Phone Link app on Windows 11. The app allows iPhone users to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, and view an iPhone's notifications directly on a PC.

Notably, the app brings limited iMessage functionality to Windows. After pairing an iPhone with a PC via Bluetooth and granting some permissions on the iPhone, users can send and receive iMessages and SMS text messages in Phone Link, but there is no support for group chats or sending photos and videos.

As noted by The Verge's Tom Warren, Phone Link also lacks full message history for conversations and displays all sent and received messages as gray bubbles, meaning iMessages and SMS text messages cannot be differentiated.

Microsoft says iPhone support in Phone Link will be available in preview starting this week for a "small percentage" of Windows Insider members enrolled in the Dev, Beta, or Release Preview channels. The preview will be expanded "over time."

Amazon today has a rare deal on Apple's third-generation AirPods, on sale for $149.99, down from $169.00. This is the model that comes with a Lightning Charging Case, and right now we're only tracking this discount at Amazon.

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.

Sales on the AirPods 3 have been very scarce over the last few months, with the last notable discount popping up around Black Friday. Amazon's deal today is about $10 higher than the all-time low price on this model, making it a solid second-best price.

If you're okay with purchasing an older generation model, Amazon also has the AirPods 2 for $99.00, down from $129.00. We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.

Update: This deal has expired.

Apple Watch's Track Detection feature launched in Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom last week, according to the fitness blog DC Rainmaker. The feature is available on all Apple Watch models running watchOS 9.2 and later.

With Track Detection, the Apple Watch uses an Apple Maps database and GPS to automatically detect when you step on to an outdoor running track. In the Workout app, you can select which lane of the track you are running in and receive more accurate distance measurements and a more precise route map. There is also an option to receive lap alerts that show distance, time, and pace as you complete each lap.

Track Detection first became available in the United States last year. watchOS 9.2 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 4 and newer.

GravaStar is known for its range of quirky speakers with video game-esque designs, but the company is branching into power adapters and today announced the launch of the Alpha65 GaN charger.

Rather than looking like your standard power brick, the Alpha65 was modeled after robots from classic science fiction movies, and it has a distinctly robotic look. We were able to test out the charger ahead of its launch, and it's a fun desktop charging accessory for those who like a little whimsy.

The charger is about the size of a standard GaN 65W charger, but it has a power plug on the bottom, two movable, collapsible legs, and removable antennae. There are two eyes that light up when it's plugged in, and the prongs fold down so when it's not in use for charging purposes, it looks like a desktop decoration. When plugged in, the eyes are red, so they have a double purpose as a charging indicator.

A clever design keeps the legs at the bottom, so even though there are appendages, the charger fits well in a plug socket and does not take up extra room. Both sockets of a standard wall outlet remain usable.

There are two USB-C ports and a USB-A port. The main USB-C port offers 65W charging, while the second port offers 20W and the USB-A port offers 18W. Note that 65W is the maximum, so for the full power for a Mac, you'll need to only have one device plugged in. 65W is low for Apple's higher-end 16-inch MacBook Pro, but it can still charge, and it is ideal for the 14-inch model along with the MacBook Air, iPads, iPhones, and more.

In testing, all of the ports worked well and delivered the specified power, and the enclosure did not get too overly hot despite the added design elements. All in all, the Alpha65 is a great grab and go desktop accessory that works as decor when not in use, but serves as a functional charger when you need one as you're heading out the door or at home.

GravaStar's Alpha65 is priced at $60, and it can be purchased from the GravaStar website. GravaStar is also debuting a new Supernova Bluetooth speaker and light source, which is available today for $180.

Reddit's official app now provides users with the ability to search for comments within a specific post directly from the search bar.

After updating to version 2023.08.0 of the iOS app, when viewing a post, users can now search within the comments of that post, rather than all of Reddit. The developers describe it like so:

We've been listening to your feedback and you can now search comments within a post on desktop, iOS, and Android apps. So what does this mean? You don't have to "cmd-f" on the post page anymore and you can search comment threads without expanding them. No more long scrolling sessions — quickly get to the parts of the conversation you're looking for and jump in where you want.

Reddit says the feature is now available on desktop, iOS, and Android. The tool builds upon the ability to get search results from replies to original posts, which Reddit introduced in April last year.

In addition, Reddit says it has improved its subreddit search algorithm so that it now delivers a larger number of and more relevant subreddits for most searches. Improvements have also been made to the autocomplete function, which should make it easier to search for communities without having to type in the exact name to find relevant results, according to the developers.

Apple is still on track to switch to under-display Face ID technology next year that will provide more usable display area on iPhone 16 Pro models, claims a new report out of Korea.

Apple is set to transition to under-screen ‌Face ID‌ on ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models in 2024, followed by under-screen ‌Face ID‌ and an under-screen front camera on iPhone 18 Pro models in 2026, according to respected display industry consultant Ross Young.

In line with this roadmap, according to a new report from The Elec, Apple should not have any major difficulties securing the technology necessary for external light to be able to penetrate the display and enter the TrueDepth camera system that makes ‌Face ID‌ possible, given the current state of smartphone production processes.

From the display point of view, Underpanel Face ID has the same principle as the underpanel camera (UPC) that Samsung Display is applying to Samsung Electronics' foldable phone Galaxy Z Fold series. UPC also mounts a front camera module under the display, so the camera lens hole is not visible when the camera function is not in use. Currently, camera module specifications have been compromised at the level of 4 million pixels to implement UPC. This is because the UPC space must be divided so that some support the display screen function, and the other supports the camera function by accepting external light. Recently, the front camera specifications of premium smartphones far exceed 10 million pixels.

"If the current trend continues," the report adds, "Apple can apply Underpanel ‌Face ID‌ to the [non-Pro] iPhone series lineup in 2025, and apply UPC to the [Pro] iPhone series lineup in 2026."

This isn't the first time Korean-language website's predictions have lined up with a roadmap set out by Young in May 2022. Young outlined a cycle where Apple will alternate between the Pro and the non-Pro models each year when introducing revised display cutouts or new under-display technology.

The Pro models will be first to feature new display innovations, as first seen last year with the Dynamic Island exclusive to the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max, while the iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus were left with the same "notch" as the iPhone 13. This year, the ‌Dynamic Island‌ is expected to come to all iPhone 15 models.

Based on this cycle, each configuration of display cutouts and under-screen technology will persist for a maximum of two generations on each ‌iPhone,‌ before all models in Apple's future iPhone lineups have a true unconstrained fullscreen display, which is expected to happen in 2027.

Apple is expected to expand the Dynamic Island to all four iPhone 15 models released this year, but the integrated feature is making it difficult for one of Apple's Chinese suppliers to produce the devices en masse, claims a new report.

According to Korean-language website The Elec, China's BOE is having problems with light leakage around the portion of the OLED display where the pill and hole cutouts secure the space necessary for the TrueDepth camera and Face ID.

The issues are said to be limited to a low-end 6.1-inch iPhone 15 model that BOE has been involved in manufacturing. The report implies that Samsung and LG Display – set to mass produce the "Pro" 6.1-inch model and the two larger "Plus" and "Pro Max" 6.7-inch models – have not experienced similar problems.

Apple apparently requested that its iPhone 15 OLED suppliers use something called Edge Light Blocking (ELB), a device to prevent light leakage around the camera lens, among other advanced process technologies. However, for whatever reason, this solution has not been successful for BOE. Indeed, BOE "seems to have failed to meet the stringent standards required by Apple," reads the machine-translated report.

As a result of the light leakage issue, the report claims it will be difficult for BOE to participate in the mass production of OLED panels for the first shipment of the iPhone 15 series scheduled for around June.

Instead, the report predicts that OLED panels produced by BOE will be initially used for repairs and refurbs, rather than for new products. Whether LG or Samsung take up the OLED orders that BOE will miss out on will likely be dictated by production capacity.

Dynamic Island is a pill-shaped area surrounding the Face ID sensors and front camera on the iPhone 14 Pro models. The feature can display system alerts for things like incoming phone calls and the Face ID authentication prompt, and it also works with Live Activities in third-party apps.

The feature is currently exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, but is expected to be available on the standard non-Pro iPhone 15 models this year as well, according to oft-accurate display industry analyst Ross Young.