MacRumors

Apple will hold its annual AI summit for employees next week at Steve Jobs Theater, the first fully live in-person event at the company's Apple Park headquarters since the pre-COVID era.

The summit is similar to Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, but for employees only, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who shared news of the scheduled event in a tweet.

As well as inviting staff to the Steve Jobs Theater, the in-person summit will also be live-streamed to employees unable to attend, similar to the way the company held public product announcement events before the pandemic hit.

The last fully live, fully in-person product event was for the ‌iPhone‌ 11, which was held on Tuesday, September 10, 2019. Whether the AI summit is a sign that future product events will finally return in their traditional guise is now the question on many people's lips.

Apple invited a limited number of developers to attend WWDC 2022 at Apple Park, but the event itself was pre-recorded, with no in-person presenters to showcase Apple's latest creations. Members of the media were also invited to the iPhone 14 unveiling this past September, but that keynote was pre-recorded, too.

As Gurman notes, the latest AI summit comes at a time of much tech industry excitement surrounding the Microsoft-backed ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot and Google's recent announcement that it is releasing its own LaMDA-powered AI chatbot, called Bard.

Google is adding the technology behind Bard to the Google search engine to enable complex queries to be distilled into digestible answers, and Microsoft is expected to follow a similar path by integrating ChatGPT into Bing Search.

WhatsApp has announced some new features for Status Updates, which allow users to share ephemeral updates with friends and close contacts on the popular encrypted chat platform.

First up is Private Audience Selector, which allows users to choose who views their status updates. This isn't technically new, since users are already able to control who sees their status updates when sharing them, but this implementation provides a more customized experience. The most recent audience selection is saved and used as the default for the next status update.

Next, Voice Status. Using this feature, users can share voice notes of up to 30 seconds via their status. WhatsApp describes it as offering a way of sending more personal updates, especially if users feel more comfortable expressing themselves by talking rather than typing.

Status Reactions allow users to react to status updates from friends and close contacts by swiping up and tapping one of eight emojis, including Heart-Eyes, Face with Tears of Joy, Face with Open Mouth, Crying Face, Folded Hands, Clapping Hands, Party Popper, and One Hundred Points. WhatsApp says this was the number one feature that users requested.

New Status Profile Rings make it easier to see status updates right within chat lists, group participant lists, and contact info, thanks to a ring around a user's profile picture whenever they share a status update.

Lastly, new Link Previews on Status mean that whenever a user posts a link, a visual preview of the link's content is available, giving contacts a better idea of what the link is before they click.

As WABetaInfo notes, some of these features are not exactly new, but they have been added to the list of recent improvements for status updates to highlight WhatsApp's commitment to improving the user experience.

WhatsApp says these updates have started rolling out to all users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

Update: Microsoft says that it has "applied mitigation throughout the affected infrastructure, and we're starting to see gradual recovery," although there are still some sporadic reports of issues accessing email.

Update 2: Microsoft now says "availability is at 99.9%, with full restoration almost complete."

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Microsoft says it is investigating a problem with its Outlook email service after users in the United States started reporting issues when accessing, sending, or searching emails.

DownDetector lists close to 2,000 incidents reported by users trying to access the platform since around 11.00 p.m. Eastern Time, with a drop in incidents reported by the early hours of Tuesday.

"Users primarily hosted in the North American region attempting to access Outlook.com may be unable to send, receive, or search email. Additional functionality such as Calendar consumed by other services such as Microsoft Teams would also be affected," said Microsoft in an update on its status page.

The company tweeted that a "recent change" was contributing to the cause of impact, and it is working on potential solutions to restore the service's availability. We'll update this article when the outage is reported as fixed.

Following the release of the Mac mini and the MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and ‌M2‌ Max chips, Apple's platform architecture VP Tim Millet and product marketing VP Bob Borchers did an interview with TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino to discuss the new technology, the transition away from Intel, the future of gaming on the Mac, and more.

With the followup to the M1 chip line, Millet said that Apple did not want to set a precedent of a few percentage points of gain with each new chip generation. Instead, the company aimed to push to the limits of technology as far as it could.

"The M2 family was really now about maintaining that leadership position by pushing, again, to the limits of technology. We don't leave things on the table," says Millet. "We don't take a 20% bump and figure out how to spread it over three years...figure out how to eke out incremental gains. We take it all in one year; we just hit it really hard. That's not what happens in the rest of the industry or historically."

Borchers said that by moving Mac chip design in house, Apple is able to bring silicon, software, and hardware together without relying on outside vendors. Being able to work alongside designers, the hardware team, and the software team "makes all the difference" in Apple's ability to "really target" and add "things that matter" to Macs.

On the topic of Apple's former partnership with Intel, Millet and Borchers praised the company's willingness to accommodate Apple's needs, with Millet also suggesting that the relationship between Apple and Intel ultimately benefited Apple's competitors.

"Intel was a great partner through the years where we shipped the Intel machines. They were very responsive; they really actually were inspired by the direction that Apple pushed them. And I think our products benefited from that interaction. Of course, our competitors' products benefited from that interaction as well sometimes," notes Millet.

As for gaming on the Mac, Borchers says that Apple feels gaming is getting better with each M-series chip release. He said that Apple is adding in new APIs and expanding Metal with Metal 3, so there's "tremendous opportunity" for game makers.

Apple plans to continue to look at chip configurations and components through a gaming lens, and Millet said that while Apple is taking a "long view" on turning the Mac into a gaming platform, work began with the first days of the Apple silicon transition.

"The story starts many years ago, when we were imagining this transition. Gamers are a serious bunch. And I don't think we're going to fool anybody by saying that overnight we're going to make Mac a great gaming platform. We're going to take a long view on this."

According to Millet, Apple is working to build an installed base of strong GPUs. Apple wants the full Mac lineup to have "very capable GPUs," from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio with M1 Ultra. He also believes that developers haven't yet adapted to M-series chips. "Game developers have never seen 96 gigabytes of graphics memory available to them now, on the ‌M2‌ Max," said Miller. I think they're trying to get their heads around it, because the possibilities are unusual."

Panzarino's full interview, which can be read over at TechCrunch, covers additional topics that include the transition to Apple silicon, how the iPad Pro led to Apple's Mac chips, the relationship between teams, optimizations in design cycles with Apple silicon, the best time to buy a Mac, and the value of the ‌Mac mini‌.

Popular speaker company Sonos is developing new high-end smart speakers that will compete with Apple's HomePod and HomePod mini, according to reports from The Verge. The Era 300 and the Era 100 will launch in the coming months, and have been in development since mid-2022.

The multidirectional Era 300 will be the new Sonos flagship speaker, featuring support for Dolby Atmos and spatial audio tracks. The Verge says that the speaker will offer "the richest fidelity of any single speaker" in Sonos' history. Other features will include USB-C line-in, Wi-Fi 6 support, and possibly, Bluetooth playback.

Fewer details are known about the Era 100, but both of the new speakers will have a refreshed design, automatic tuning, and sound optimization. The Era 100 could be a replacement for the more affordable Sonos One.

There is no launch date for the new Era speakers, nor have price points leaked. The speakers will compete with the $299 ‌HomePod‌ 2, which came out last week. Sonos is also developing a second-generation "Move" speaker that will replace the current model, and it is planning to enter a new product category in 2023 that is as of yet unknown.

Apple plans to release Beats Fit Pro in new Volt Yellow, Coral Pink, and Tidal Blue colors, according to leaker @Jioriku. The colors have not been announced yet, but we have spotted listings for the new colors on several Apple reseller websites in Europe.

First released in November 2021, the Beats Fit Pro feature flexible wingtips for a more secure fit in the ear. The fitness-oriented earbuds have a similar design and features as the AirPods Pro, including silicone ear tips, active noise cancellation with a "Transparency" mode, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, an H1 chip for one-tap pairing and automatic switching between Apple devices, hands-free "Hey Siri" support, and more.

For more details about the Beats Fit Pro, check out our hands-on coverage from 2021.

Beats Fit Pro are currently available in Beats Black, Beats White, Stone Purple, and Sage Gray color options for $199.99, and the new colors would likely be sold for the same price. On Amazon, the earbuds also remain available in limited-edition Moon, Dune, and Earth colors designed in collaboration with fashion designer Kim Kardashian.

Update: A tipster has provided MacRumors with alleged images of the new Beats Fit Pro colors.

(Thanks, JL!)

Apple's M1 iMac (8-Core GPU, 256GB) has returned to its all-time low price of $1,299.99 in select colors on Amazon, down from $1,499.00. You can get this sale in Yellow, Purple, Orange, Pink, and Green, and most are available to ship soon from 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.

We last saw this deal appear in January, making today's sale only the second time in 2023 that we've tracked this record low price on the M1 iMac. Select colors, like Orange, can be delivered as soon as February 8 to most residences in the United States.

For more storage, Amazon also has the M1 iMac (8-Core GPU, 512GB) for $1,499.99, down from $1,699.00. This is another match for an all-time low price on the M1 iMac, and it's available in two colors: Green and Pink.

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

Apple today released new tvOS 16.3.1 and HomePod 16.3.1 software updates, with the software coming two weeks after the tvOS 16.3 and HomePod 16.3 updates were released.

According to Apple's release notes for ‌HomePod‌ software 16.3.1, the update includes general performance and stability improvements. Notes for tvOS 16.3.1 are unavailable as of yet, but are probably similar to the ‌HomePod‌ notes.

The tvOS 16.3.1 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the ‌‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌‌ by going to System > Software Update. ‌‌‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌‌‌ owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to ‌tvOS 16.3.1 automatically.

‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ software is installed automatically on the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌ unless the feature is disabled‌‌‌‌, but the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ can also be manually updated in the Home app by following the instructions in our HomePod‌‌ update how to.

Microsoft Authenticator is no longer available on the Apple Watch following an update to the app released on the App Store today.

"This update removes Microsoft Authenticator from Apple Watch," reads the release notes for the update. Microsoft notes that in the Apple Watch's notification settings, you can still choose to mirror iPhone alerts from the app to your Apple Watch.

Primarily used for signing into Microsoft accounts with two-step verification enabled, the Microsoft Authenticator for iOS gained an Apple Watch companion app in 2018. Microsoft previously announced that the Apple Watch app would be discontinued in early 2023.

Those looking for an alternative two-factor authentication app on the Apple Watch can check out the Authenticator App by 2Stable and Authy by Twilio.

The Microsoft Authenticator app for Apple Watch joins a long list of third-party watchOS apps that have been discontinued over the last few years, either because of perceived redundancy or lack of user uptake. Other notable Apple Watch apps that have been discontinued include Twitter, Instagram, Target, Trello, Slack, Hulu, and Uber.

(Thanks, Aaron!)

Apple is continuing development on a reverse wireless charging feature that would allow the iPhone to charge other devices like the AirPods, according to a new report from 9to5Mac that cites sources with knowledge of Apple's plans.

Apple is said to be working on an "advanced bilateral wireless charging technology" for a future iPhone. The company originally intended to implement the functionality in the iPhone 14 Pro models, but it wasn't "finalized in time."

The site claims that Apple is creating a "wireless power out" firmware that is the basis for the two-way wireless charging feature, and while exactly what that means is unclear, it is apparently a "key aspect of the ongoing testing and engineering" of reverse wireless charging.

To implement an option that would let the iPhone charge other devices, Apple needs to optimize aspects like charging speed, heat dissipation, and charging efficiency. Apple is designing a "special user interface" for bilateral wireless charging, which is similar to the interface used for MagSafe accessories.

We've heard rumors of reverse wireless charging (or bilateral wireless charging, as it's sometimes referred to) several times over the past few years. Bilateral wireless charging was rumored to be an iPhone 11 feature ahead of the device's launch, but it did not materialize. Rumors later suggested that Apple had abandoned the feature at the time because the charging efficiency did not match Apple's requirements.

With the iPhone 12, an FCC filing hinted at reverse wireless charging capabilities that might be hidden inside the hardware, and with the launch of the MagSafe Battery Pack in 2021, Apple sort of demoed how reverse wireless charging might work.

When attached to an iPhone magnetically, the MagSafe Battery Pack is able to charge using passthrough technology when the iPhone is plugged into a Lightning cable. Charging for AirPods and other devices could eventually work in the same way, connecting to the back of the iPhone and charging at the same time an iPhone does. Apple competitor Samsung has had a reverse wireless charging option for several years now, and it allows a Samsung smartphone to charge any Qi-based device, including another smartphone.

9to5Mac claims that reverse wireless charging could be delayed again or scrapped altogether, so there is no concrete detail on when we might see such a feature launch. We've already heard numerous rumors about the iPhone 15 lineup, and so far reliable sources like Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman have made no mention of reverse wireless charging, so it may not be something that we see in 2023.

Samsung and LG are preparing their factories for mass production of the first iPads with OLED displays, according to South Korea's ETNews. The report describes the displays as "hybrid" panels, as they use a combination of flexible and rigid OLED technologies.

Apple plans to introduce new 13-inch MacBook Air, 11.1-inch iPad Pro, and 13-inch iPad Pro models with OLED displays in 2024, according to display industry analyst Ross Young, who has a proven track record with Apple rumors. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also expects the first MacBook with an OLED display to launch next year.

Young previously said the new MacBook Air and iPad Pro models would use "two-stack" OLED displays with two red, green, and blue emission layers for increased brightness. He also said all of the devices would support ProMotion for up to a 120Hz refresh rate.

All existing iPads and MacBooks are equipped with backlit LCD displays, whereas OLED displays have self-emitting pixels and do not require backlighting, allowing for higher contrast ratio, greater color accuracy, and lower power consumption. Apple already uses OLED displays for the latest Apple Watch and iPhone models, excluding the iPhone SE.

Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Ultra is expected to switch to a microLED display in 2024, and other Apple products will likely follow over the course of several years. microLED will be the next display technology that Apple adopts after OLED, paving the way for even higher contrast ratio, increased brightness, and lower power consumption.

It's been a few months since we've seen all-time low prices appear for Apple's 2022 iPad, and today Amazon has finally introduced some of the first major deals of the year on the tablet. Below you'll find record low deals across both Wi-Fi and cellular models of the 10.9-inch iPad, as well as a new sale on Apple Pencil 2.

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.

iPad

Starting with the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad, you can get this tablet for $399.00, down from $449.00. It's available in Pink and Yellow at this price, which is the best price we've ever tracked on the 2022 iPad.

The 256GB Wi-Fi iPad is on sale for $549.00, down from $599.00, and it's only available in the Silver color. Just like the 64GB option, this is a match of the all-time low price on this version of the 2022 iPad.

Moving to the cellular options, you'll find the 64GB cellular iPad on sale for $549.00, down from $599.00. Amazon has all four colors of this iPad on sale at this best-ever price, and they're all in stock and ready to ship out today directly from the retailer.

Then there is the 256GB cellular iPad, which Amazon has for $699.00, down from $749.00. This one is available in Silver and Blue color options, and has delivery date estimates of mid-February for most places in the United States.

Apple Pencil 2

Lastly, we're tracking a fresh deal on the Apple Pencil 2, which is available for $89.99, down from $129.00. This is a match of the best price we've ever seen on the Apple Pencil 2 on Amazon.

Readers should note that the Apple Pencil 2 is not compatible with Apple's 2022 iPad. That tablet is only compatible with the Apple Pencil 1. To use the Apple Pencil 2, you'll need one of the following Apple tablets: iPad mini (6th generation), iPad Air (4th and 5th generation), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th generations), or 11-inch iPad Pro (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generations)

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.

The iPhone 15 Pro models will feature a "buttonless design" thanks to additional Taptic Engines, according to multiple corroborated reports, so what do we know about the change so far?

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to report that the volume and power buttons on this year's two high-end iPhone models will adopt a solid-state design, similar to the iPhone 7's home button, replacing a mechanical button design that physically depresses. Apple uses a similar method for its Mac trackpads, which do not physically move and simply mimic the feeling of being pressed with small vibrations.

The new iPhones will reportedly feature additional Taptic Engines on the internal left and right sides to provide physical feedback to users, making it seem as though they are pressing real buttons. The change means that the number of Taptic Engines in each iPhone will increase from one to three.

Barclays subsequently appeared to corroborate Kuo's report, saying that Apple supplier Cirrus Logic may have hinted at iPhone 15 Pro models getting haptic buttons in 2023 – something Kuo later noted with specific mention of Cirrus Logic benefiting from Apple orders to bring the feature about this year. Analyst Jeff Pu has similarly said that the iPhone 15 Pro models will feature solid-state volume and power buttons with haptic feedback thanks to two extra Taptic Engines, meaning that there seems to be a growing consensus among analysts about the change.

Apple was rumored to be planning to transition the Apple Watch to solid-state buttons several years ago, but the switch never took place. At the time, it was said that solid-state buttons would improve water resistance and take up less internal space, but it is not clear if that would be the case for the iPhone since sufficient space for two more Taptic Engines will be required.

It is as yet unclear how the new haptic buttons will work through cases, especially if they require direct touch contact. Likewise, there will need to be solutions to accommodate device recovery in situations the iPhone may not be working as expected.

iPhone rumors from 2021 suggested Apple could move back to round volume buttons like the iPhone 4, 4S, 5, and 5S models, so it seems plausible that such a change could finally occur this year hand-in-hand with the switch to solid-state buttons. Round buttons would not only have a larger surface area for the touch contact required for haptic buttons, but would also be visibly different from any iPhone models in recent years to overtly flag the presence of the new feature. Leaked iPhone 15 Pro schematics do not clearly show whether the device will have round or oblong volume buttons.

Last year, Apple stressed that enabling iOS 16's "keyboard haptics" feature could drain battery life when enabled, and the feature is off by default. Any hardware or software feature on an ‌iPhone‌ obviously consumes battery life, but the fact that Apple felt it was worth explicitly mentioning for keyboard haptic feedback may indicate that the additional power the Taptic Engine uses is relatively significant. As such, the battery life impact to power two extra Taptic Engines and hundreds of additional daily uses in the iPhone 15 Pro remains an open question.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to retain traditional clickable volume and power buttons, so it seems likely that Apple will have to tout some kind of meaningful improvement or new functionality to successfully upsell customers to the buttonless design. The iPhone 15 Pro models are also rumored to feature a titanium frame, a USB-C port, new Sony image sensors, periscope telephoto camera technology, 8GB of memory, a 3nm "A17 Bionic" chip, and more.

Amazon today has a collection of Apple Watches at all-time low prices, including both the Apple Watch Series 8 and 2022 Apple Watch SE. Some of these devices are seeing stock dwindling, so be sure to check out the sales soon if you're shopping for an Apple Watch.

Apple Watch Series 8

Amazon today has a new all-time low price on the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 8, available for $329.00 in (PRODUCT)RED Aluminum, down from $399.00. This beats the previous record low price by about $20 and as of writing it's only available in one color and one M/L band size.

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.

Apple Watch SE

For the 2022 Apple Watch SE, we're tracking all-time low prices on the cellular models of the wearable. You'll find the 40mm cellular model for $269.00, down from $299.00, and the 44mm cellular model for $299.00, down from $329.00.

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

Apple has cut the price of its latest high-end iPhones in China in an apparent attempt to offset dwindling demand in the country (via Bloomberg).

Apple merchant JD.com, China's second-largest e-commerce platform, is among the retailers that have taken 800 yuan ($118) off iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models in the last few days. State carrier China Mobile has also slashed its prices for the phones.

Retailers in Shenzhen have also offered price cuts ranging from 600 to 800 yuan for the higher-end devices in the iPhone 14 series. Meanwhile, Apple's own local website continues to offer the devices at regular prices.

The discounts came around the end of the Lunar New Year season, when retailers typically expect an increase in footfall before schools reopen. Inventory for the iPhone 14 Pro models at some stores has reportedly sold out already.

As Bloomberg notes, the roughly 7% to 9% discounts on the iPhone 14 Pro range mirrored offers on lower-end models, which are typically the first to get cut, suggesting Apple is responding to weak demand in the world's largest smartphone market.

Apple on Thursday released its financial results for the quarter ending in December, reporting a roughly 5% decline in revenue compared to the year-ago quarter. Apple cited a "challenging environment" that included iPhone supply issues due to COVID lockdowns in China, which hampered its ability to ship devices to customers.

During his investors call, CEO Tim Cook pointed to a rebound in the China economy now that COVID restrictions have been relaxed, but suggested Apple's performance for the current quarter would mirror that of the December period, suggesting another 5% revenue decline year-on-year. iPhone revenue is expected to accelerate in the March quarter.

China's smartphone market finished 2022 with an annual shipment of 287 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 14% and the first time since 2013 that the country's market shipment has fallen below 300 million units, according to a report by Canalys. Apple reached an all-time-high market share of 18% for the year, despite growth for the fourth quarter dropping by 24% due to supply issues, said the report.

LG has added a number of Apple apps and features to other-branded televisions running its webOS Hub across more than 100 countries and regions worldwide, the company has announced.

On compatible smart TVs that are based on the webOS Hub ecosystem, users will be able to access the Apple TV app and Apple Music, as well as connect to AirPlay and HomeKit devices, without having to link up an ‌Apple TV‌ set-top box or any other hardware.

From LG's press release announcing the update:

With the Apple TV app, Apple Music, AirPlay and HomeKit all coming to the webOS Hub ecosystem, LG is constantly refining and expanding its webOS smart TV platform while enhancing its accessibility so that more consumers can benefit from the most convenient user experience.

By offering a greater range of customization options to smart TV manufacturers and giving more convenience and choice of content to customers, 10 times as many brands are now available on webOS Hub than in early 2021.

The deployment is available for more than 200 TV brands worldwide running webOS, such as Seiki, Eko, Stream System, Konka, Aiwa, and Hyundai. LG does not offer a detailed list of eligible TVs but specifies that only 4K UHD and OLED models running webOS Hub 2.0 will receive ‌AirPlay‌ and ‌HomeKit‌ compatibility.

Amazon today has Apple's AirPods Pro 2 available for $199.00, down from $249.00. This price is just about $2 away from the best price we ever tracked on the accessory, and this is only the second time in 2023 that we've tracked this deal.

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.

Although they were around $197 on Woot for Black Friday, that sale was very rare and disappeared quickly. The $199.00 price tag has been the most consistent deal on the AirPods Pro 2, and Amazon is estimating a delivery window of mid-February for most orders placed in the United States.

Apple's AirPods Pro 2 earphones feature better noise-canceling technology, improved Transparency mode, and an H2 chip. 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.