In a new ad, Samsung is throwing shade toward the lack of "innovation" on the iPhone while promoting features such as a 108-megapixel camera and 100x "Space Zoom" available in its latest devices.
The ad, titled "Buckle Up," is aimed toward current iPhone users and promotes the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the new Z Flip 4, and features not available to iPhone customers. "Buckle up for Apple's latest launch," the ad says. "As you enter a world where heads will turn, just none in your direction." A world where "the highest resolution in a smartphone will be in someone else's pocket. And that epic moon shot that's getting all the likes won't be yours." "This innovation is not coming soon to an iPhone near you," the 30-second ad concludes.
The ad comes just six days ahead of Apple's "Far Out" event, where it's expected to announce the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. Apple is planning major new features on the Pro camera systems for its higher-end devices, including an all-new 48-megapixel camera and possible 8K video recording. Alongside camera improvements, the iPhone 14 Pro is rumored to feature an always-on display and a new pill-shape notch replacement.
Prominent developer Kosta Eleftheriou has settled his 2021 lawsuit against Apple over its App Store review actions that he said hindered his ability to distribute apps on the platform while allowing copycat competitors to flourish, reports TechCrunch.
In his lawsuit, Eleftheriou complained that Apple repeatedly threw up "roadblock after roadblock" against his FlickType keyboard app for the Apple Watch, only to then allow copycat apps from other developers onto the store. Eleftheriou said that he had been in discussions with Apple about the company acquiring FlickType, and he believes Apple was intentionally targeting his app in the review process to try to force him to sell it at a discount.
Following the filing of the case last year, the two parties participated in court calls with a judge, the court docket shows, including as recently as this spring. A request for dismissal of the lawsuit was subsequently filed on July 21, 2022, after Apple and Kpaw (Eleftheriou’s business) came to an agreement.
Eleftheriou was unable to comment on the terms of the settlement. Apple was not immediately able to comment on the dismissal either.
Eleftheriou has been one of the higher-profile critics of Apple's App Store policies, repeatedly pointing out App Store scams that have slipped through the review process and even into the store's charts of top-performing apps without Apple taking action.
Apple has taken some steps to improve the ability for users to flag problematic apps, such as by bringing back the "Report a Problem" button on App Store listings, but Eleftheriou says he continues to find scam and copycat apps with only minimal effort.
USB4 Version 2.0 is in the works and when launched, it will allow for double the speeds of the current USB4 specification with existing USB-C cables. It will support up to 80Gb/s operation with both 40Gb/s USB-C passive cables and newly defined 80Gb/s active cables.
The updated specification was announced today by the USB Promoter Group, comprising Apple, Microsoft, Intel, HP, STM, and others. USB Type-C and USB Power Delivery specifications will be updated to enable the higher level of data performance, and updates are being made to enable higher performance USB 3.2, DisplayPort, and PCIe data tunneling to better take advantage of the bandwidth improvement.
As outlined in the announcement, the updated USB4 specification will include the following:
Up to 80 Gbps operation, based on a new physical layer architecture, using existing 40 Gbps USB Type-C passive cables and newly-defined 80 Gbps USB Type-C active cables.
Updates to data and display protocols to better use the increase in available bandwidth.
USB data architecture updates now enable USB 3.2 data tunneling to exceed 20 Gbps.
Updated to align with the latest versions of the DisplayPort and PCIe specifications.
Backward compatibility with USB4 Version 1.0, USB 3.2, USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt 3.
The USB Promoter Group says that the updated specifications are expected to be published ahead of the USB DevDays developer events that are planned for November. The update is targeting developers at this time, with branding and marketing guidelines to be updated at a future date to include USB 80Gb/s for identifying certified products and cables.
As part of a limited time promotion, Apple Card users can receive 6% Daily Cash on select Nike purchases through October 15.
In an email to customers, Apple said 6% Daily Cash is available for Nike shoes, apparel, and sports equipment purchased with the Apple Card via Apple Pay at Nike stores, in the Nike app, and at Nike.com. The extra cashback is applied automatically.
Nike usually offers 3% Daily Cash, which is already higher than the standard 2% Daily Cash for Apple Card purchases completed via Apple Pay.
Apple's credit card launched a little over three years ago and remains exclusive to the U.S. The card can be managed completely through the Wallet app on the iPhone, with a physical version available for use at stores that do not accept contactless payments.
Last minute rumors have suggested that the two planned cutouts on the iPhone 14 Pro will be displayed as a single large pill-shaped cutout, with Apple also using that space for the green and orange camera and microphone privacy indicators.
The privacy indicator information comes from a source on the MacRumors forums who appears to have inside knowledge on what the display will look like. The source provided additional details to MacRumors on what the indicator lights will look like.
The indicator dots are described as "much brighter than the rest of the display," something that will be noticeable specifically in bright situations. The source describes the indicators as being "some sort of HDR content" to make them easy to see even when it's sunny outside and the display is at maximum brightness.
The dots will appear in the space between the two cutouts that Apple is using for Face ID hardware, and the overall look will be much like the green indicator light that is displayed on the Mac when the webcam is activated. Apple uses a bright green indicator light for Macs and it sounds like the indicator lights on the iPhone 14 Pro models will be at a similar brightness.
At the current time, the green privacy indicator for the camera and the orange privacy indicator for the microphone are displayed to the right of the notch on iPhones that have Face ID. The lights are not particularly bright and can be easy to miss, so making the indicators brighter and moving them to the middle of the display will make them easier to see.
When the indicator lights are not on, the space between the two hardware cutouts will be black, merging them into a single cutout. The pill-shaped cutout will take up a similar amount of screen space as the notch, but it will not connect to the top of the display and it gives Apple extra real estate for indicator lights.
Withings, known for its range of health-related smart devices, today announced the launch of the Body Comp scale. The Body Comp is described as a complete body assessment scale that is able to measure a number of different biomarkers. Withings says that it offers novel sensors, exclusive algorithms, and patented electronics for accurate weight and body composition measurements.
It is able to determine full body composition, including weight, muscle mass, fat mass, water percent, bone mass, BMI, and visceral fat (the fat around organs), plus it provides a cardiovascular assessment that determines standing heart rate and provides a vascular age based on Pulse Wave Velocity, a measurement based on arterial stiffness. It also includes a nerve health assessment that offers a nerve health score computed from electrochemical skin conductance through the feet.
Withings says that this is the first scale that is able to measure body fat, visceral fat, vascular age, and nerve health in a single consumer device.
The Health+ service that Withings is launching alongside the scale is designed to unlock additional features in the Health Mate app used with Withings smart devices. It offers new details and metrics for a more complete overview of health, along with six-week habit building modules to help users achieve health goals.
Health+ can be used for logging mood, food, and sleep, with Withings providing daily plans that include suggested recipes and workouts. Health+ also allows users to correlate data to see how and when different metrics evolve when using the information obtained from the scale.
The Body Comp scale with Health+ integration will be available from the Withings website starting on October 4, and it will be priced at $209.95. That price point includes the scale and a 12-month Health+ subscription.
At least one major retailer is preparing for the launch of 2022 iPad Pro models by adding the device to its systems, MacRumors has found.
Apple's current 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models launched in April 2021, making them the longest-lasting iPad Pro models to date. Refreshed iPad Pro models have been rumored for some time, and now, Australian carrier Optus has added 2022 iPad Pro models to its internal stock keeping system, distinct from 2021 iPad Pro models. For example, SKUs for a Space Gray fourth-generation 11-inch iPad Pro with 512GB of storage and cellular connectivity have been added to Optus's system. At present, there is no fourth-generation 11-inch iPad Pro, with the latest model from 2021 being a third-generation model. The current, third-generation models are still listed as expected on Optus's system.
According to Optus staff, the 2022 iPad Pro models are not currently in stock. Despite this, order invoices seen by MacRumors show that some staff have accidentally placed orders for the 2022 iPad Pro instead of the 2021 iPad Pro for some customers. One such customer told MacRumors that two days after receiving order confirmation for the 2022 iPad Pro model, they were contacted by a customer service representative who said that the fourth-generation 11-inch iPad Pro was out of stock, and that Optus could only offer the third-generation 11-inch iPad Pro at the current time – resulting in the creation of a new order confirmation for the 2021 model.
This customer was initially told that the first iPad Pro model, believed to be the 2022 model, that had been ordered for them would take two weeks to arrive at a local store – but it is not clear if this is meaningfully related to the device's launch date or simply a standard timeframe given by employees for orders sent to retail locations.
Optus's system does not yet have specifications for the new iPad Pro models, but staff are anticipating an update that will provide further information. They have not been notified of when this update will occur and do not yet have visibility of a date when the device will come in stock.
Optus is listing 2022 iPad Pro models at a higher price point than 2021 models with the same amount of storage. For example, the listed total monthly installments come to around $2,100. This is approximately $200 ($137 USD) more than the $1,899 price of the current equivalent iPad Pro model in Australia. It is not clear if these prices represent a price hike for the upcoming iPad pro or are simply provisional figures on Optus's system.
It is not unusual for retailers to quietly add placeholder listings for upcoming Apple devices before they are even announced, but the confirmation that 2022 iPad Pro models are now in major carriers' systems could indicate that the devices will launch sooner rather than later. Apple is now expected to launch updated iPad Pro models at an event in October, not least because the official release of iPadOS 16 has been delayed until October.
Key new features of the Kishi V2 include a more "ergonomic" design, "console-quality controls" with improved responsiveness for the A/B/X/Y buttons and d-pad, two programmable multifunction buttons (L4/R4), and an "extendable bridge" for compatibility with the iPhone 6s and newer, including all iPhone SE models.
The controller has a built-in Lightning connector for a direct, low-latency connection to an iPhone, which it draws power from. An additional Lightning connector on the bottom of the controller allows for pass-through charging of the iPhone itself.
The new Kishi V2 controller is available to order now on Razer's website, with pricing set at $99.99 in the United States. There is also a version of the Kishi V2 for Android smartphones that was released in June for the same price.
Another popular iPhone game controller is the Backbone, while iPhones have also supported PS5 DualSense and Xbox Series X/S controllers via Bluetooth since the release of iOS 14.5 last year and gained compatibility with Nintendo's Joy-Cons with iOS 16.
We're six days away from the launch of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, and as is almost typical, there has been a flurry of new rumors and reports in the last few days about the upcoming iPhones. To make things easier for MacRumors readers, we've compiled the latest rumors about the upcoming iPhones below so you can get all caught up.
Two Cutouts Turn Into One
Apple is expected to replace the notch on the iPhone 14 Pro lineup with a pill-shape and hole-punch cutout, as has been rumored repeatedly. One major new detail of the notch replacement that surfaced this week is that when the iPhone 14 Pro is in use, the pill-shape and hole-punch holes will digitally merge into one longer pill-shaped cutout, according to a post on the MacRumors Forum citing an Apple engineer.
Concept of the iPhone 14 Pro cutouts based on information from an Apple engineer shared on the MacRumors Forums
According to the post, Apple will digitally black out the space between the two physical holes and use that space to showcase iOS privacy indicators currently shown in the top right-hand corner of the iPhone. Additionally, according to the post, Apple will use the extra space at the top of the display to rearrange controls in the Camera app.
iPhone 14 Max Turns Into iPhone 14 Plus
While we were expecting Apple to name the 6.7-inch low-end iPhone 14 the "iPhone 14 Max," it could turn out to be the "iPhone 14 Plus." Apple last used the Plus name with the iPhone 8 Plus, since reverting to "Pro Max" for its largest iPhone model. The 6.7-inch "iPhone 14 Plus" will be one of two 6.7-inch iPhone models in the 2022 iPhone lineup, with the other "iPhone 14 Pro Max" sitting at the highest end of the lineup.
Unlike the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which will feature a new hole-punch and pill-shape notch replacement, a 48MP camera, and an always-on display, the "iPhone 14 Plus" will retain the same notch and processor as the iPhone 13 but in a larger form-factor.
No More Sierra Blue and More
A rumor this week suggested that Sierra Blue, a color option introduced with the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, will not be available with the iPhone 14 Pro series. Instead, Apple will replace the blue with a new green and purple color in the lineup, according to the rumor. That rumor also listed out other expectations for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, including:
Pro iPhone models to start with 256GB of storage, not 128GB like before
No high-end titanium iPhone model, despite Apple having tested the new material
A new "exclusive MagSafe battery pack" to accompany the stronger MagSafe system
Improved performance and heat management thanks to the A16 Bionic chip
Conclusion
Apple is widely expected to announce the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, the Apple Watch Series 8, the Apple Watch "Pro," and a new Apple Watch SE during an event planned for Wednesday, September 7. Stay tuned to MacRumors for full coverage of Apple's event set to take place in a little over six days.
Today on Amazon you can get the all-new M2 MacBook Air (256GB) for $1,099.00, down from $1,199.00. Only the Space Gray color is on sale at this price.
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.
At $100 off, this is a match of the all-time low price on this version of the MacBook Air. Current shipping estimates provide a window between September 3 and 6 for most places in the United States.
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.
Update: this deal has now expired. Update x2: it appears the MacBook Air is back in stock.
Twitter has officially started testing an edit button for Twitter Blue subscribers, allowing users to edit their tweets for typos and mistakes even after they've already been published, according to a tweet from the company's official account today.
Twitter had previously confirmed it was working on an edit button but offered no details on when it may be available to users for testing. According to a Twitter blog post, the new edit button will be available to small groups of Twitter Blue subscribers later this month following "internal testing" at Twitter.
Tweets that have been edited will be clearly marked as edited, and users will be able to see past versions of the tweet. Tweets will remain editable for up to 30 minutes after they've been tweeted.
For this test, Tweets will be able to be edited a few times in the 30 minutes following their publication. Edited Tweets will appear with an icon, timestamp, and label so it's clear to readers that the original Tweet has been modified. Tapping the label will take viewers to the Tweet's Edit History, which includes past versions of the Tweet.
Twitter says testing of the edit button will be "localized to a single country at first" and will expand over time. The company notes it will pay close attention to how the new functionality will "impact the way people read, write, and engage with Tweets."
Smartphone manufacturers supplying the EU will be required to provide spare parts for at least five years from the date of a device's introduction and ensure longer battery life, according to new draft proposals published by the European Commission.
The Financial Times reports that the proposals would require at least 15 different component parts to be made available and that batteries should survive at least 500 full charges without deteriorating to below 83 percent of their capacity.
Phones sold in the EU would also have to display an energy efficiency label, similar to those used for washing machines and dishwashers, showing expected battery life and other characteristics such as the device's drop resistance.
The draft regulations cover tablets and mobile phones, and are based on the claim that by making hardware more repairable and recyclable, the energy consumption involved in a device's production and use would be cut by a third.
Currently, owners of iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac or Apple TV products can obtain a service and parts from Apple service providers, including Apple Retail Stores and Independent Repair Providers, for a minimum of five years from when Apple last distributed the product for sale.
After five years, iPhones are typically classified by Apple as "vintage" and Apple can still service these devices if it has the parts. After seven years, devices are classed as "obsolete" and hardware servicing is no longer available.
Apple in April launched its own Self Service Repair program, which allows users to complete their own repairs via a new online store dedicated to parts and tools, but the service is currently only available in the United States, although it will be expanding to additional countries, including Europe, later in 2022.
The new proposals also cover software, and require manufacturers to provide security updates for five years after devices leave the market and functionality updates for three years. Apple has typically offered software support to iPhones for almost a decade after they are released, but owners of Android phones typically receive only a few years of software updates, so the regulations are likely to greatly impact Google.
Smartphone makers critical of the draft proposals have argued that making more parts available actually increases the consumption of plastic, resulting in wasted resources, but the EU has warned that products which do not meet its sustainability requirements "will go off the market."
The latest draft EU proposals follow a requirement introduced in June for smartphones to use a standardized charger by 2024, despite years of opposition from Apple.
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 will designate several iPod models, including the last iPod nano, select models of the last iPod shuffle, and models of the fifth-generation iPod touch as obsolete later this month, marking the end of eligible hardware service repairs worldwide.
In a memo sent to authorized service providers obtained by MacRumors, Apple says that the late 2012 model of the iPod shuffle, alongside the seventh-generation iPod nano and the fifth-generation model iPod touch, will be marked as obsolete on September 30. The 16GB variant of the fifth-generation iPod touch is already marked as obsolete, with Apple looking to add the 32GB and 64GB options to the list later this month.
Apple discontinued the iPod nano and iPod shuffle entirely in 2017, while the iPod touch remained available until earlier this year.
When the iPod touch was discontinued, Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak said the "spirit of iPod lives on" across other Apple products, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod mini.
Seagate brand LaCie has announced two new mobile hard drives, the LaCie Mobile Drive and LaCie Mobile Drive Secure, offering Mac and iPad users up to 5TB of portable capacity.
Encased in an all-new design by Neil Poulton, each drive is made of strong aluminum and features one-click automatic backup, as well as a 130 MB/s transfer rate through USB-C, while the Secure variant includes hardware encryption and a lock/unlock feature.
The LaCie Mobile Drives come pre-loaded with LaCie Toolkit software for on-demand and scheduled backups, and a one-month Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan is included. Both devices also include a three-year limited warranty and three-year Rescue Data Recovery.
The LaCie Mobile Drive costs $74.99 (1TB), $99.99 (2TB), and $144.99 (4TB), while the LaCie Mobile Drive Secure is priced at $99.99 (2TB), $144.99 (4TB), and $164.99 (5TB). Both drives will be available from online resellers later this month.
HomeKit accessory maker Eve Systems today added several products to its smart home lineup. The Eve Light Switch with Thread support, which debuted in Europe last April, is set to expand to North America in October.
Eve Light Switch joins 14 other Thread-enabled products, all of which will also support smart home standard Matter when it launches in the fall. The third-generation version of the Eve Light Switch is able to replace both single-pole and 3-way switches to allow for smart lighting solutions for any lighting setup. Eve Light Switch is able to serve as a router node in the Thread network, interacting with and supporting other Thread devices.
In Europe, Eve is also introducing new options for the Eve MotionBlinds, offering motors for Venetian blinds and Honeycomb shades in addition to the existing motor for Roller blinds. Eve MotionBlinds for Venetian support tilting and lifting wooden and aluminum blinds.
Also exclusive to European customers, Eve is debuting the Eve Shutter Switch, a controller that's designed to work with motorized roller shutters and blinds. Eve Shutter can convert an existing in-wall shutter switch into an automated shading solution.
Finally, Eve is introducing the Eve Outdoor Cam in white, adding to the existing version that comes in black. The Eve Outdoor Cam is otherwise identical to the original, offering HomeKit Secure Video capabilities with end-to-end encryption and live and recorded video.
Eve Light Switch will be priced at $50 when it launches in October, while the Eve Outdoor Cam will be available in December for $250. The Eve Shutter Switch will also launch in November in Europe and it will be priced at 100 euros.
The Philips Hue line of HomeKit-connected smart lights is today gaining three fresh bulb styles in a new "Lightguide" line that's meant to complement contemporary home decor.
Available in three shapes that include large globe, ellipse, and triangular, the Lightguide bulbs have an inner tube that offers diffuse light in white or one of sixteen million colors, similar to other Philips Hue color bulbs. The Lightguide bulbs are being sold alongside a pendant cord and metal holder that's available in either black or white and that can be used for a single Lightguide bulb.
There's also a new Philips Hue Filament candle bulb that comes in White ambiance, and it joins the existing White and Color ambiance bulb option. A Philips Hue slim downlight with a more slender profile is available for ceiling installations in areas with limited space. The downlight offers 1200 lumens and can be dimmed for an ideal lighting setup.
For PC gamers, there's a Philips Hue gradient lightstrip that is designed to connect to a monitor. It comes in 24/27-inch and 32/34-inch sizes for single monitor setups, plus there is a longer strip for three monitor-setups that use 24 to 27-inch displays. The lightstrip is designed to flash, dim, and brighten to match gameplay.
Later this year, the Philips Hue sync app used for the Philips Hue Sync Box will merge with the main Hue app for an all-in-one management experience. The app is also gaining a Mimic Presence automation that's designed to make it look like someone's home by automatically turning lights on and off at their regular times.
The Philips Hue Lightguide bulbs will be available in the fourth quarter of 2022 and they will be priced between $75 and $90. The Lightguide pendant cords will be priced at $50.
The Philips Hue White ambiance Filament candle bulbs will be available on September 13 and will be priced at $45 or $65 for a two-pack. The Philips Hue Play lightstrip for PC will also be available on September 13 and will be priced at $170 for the 24/27-inch strip, $190 for the 32/34-inch strip, and $280 for the 24/27 three-screen strip. The Philips Hue slim downlight will be available on September 1 for $70.
Apple's rumored plans to transition to OLED technology for future iPad models could involve using "hybrid" OLED technology that combines both rigid and flexible OLED panel materials, according to The Elec (original Korean-language version).
The report claims that Apple is reluctant to rely solely on the flexible OLED technology it uses in its iPhone models, as the panels have a tendency to "crumple" and the effect is more noticeable as displays get larger.
From a machine translation of the original Korean-language report:
When it became known that Apple plans to apply hybrid OLED to the first OLED iPad, the industry has assumed that the cause was cost reduction.
However, it is understood that there is a reason why Apple preferred hybrid OLED other than this cost reduction. An official from the parts industry said, "Apple hated the fact that a part of the product screen could look wrinkled to the user's eyes when using a flexible OLED." He said, "iPhone OLED has a 5-7 inch screen, so these characteristics are not well revealed, but it is relatively noticeable in large-screen (10-20 inch) IT products. he explained.
While the hybrid OLED technology has yet to be perfected and will take at least a year to become commercially viable before it could be incorporated into an OLED iPad by around 2024, the report says both Samsung and LG are pursuing ultra-thin glass substrates measuring just 0.2 mm thick to be used with the technology, down from the current standard of around 0.5 mm.
The report does say that Apple may still elect to use flexible OLED panels in iPad models if the shortcomings can be addressed, but at least for now, it appears hybrid panels may be a better option as they are thinner than rigid panels and cheaper than flexible panels.
The large pill-shaped combination cutout that's planned for the iPhone 14 Pro models will display privacy indicators for the microphone and the camera, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums.
Apple is planning to replace the notch on the iPhone 14 Pro models with two separate pill-shaped and hole-punch cutouts that will house the TrueDepth camera system hardware for Face ID, but as we learned today, the cutouts will be combined together using software, appearing as a single long, pill-shaped cutout when the iPhone is in use.
The space between the two cutouts will apparently be used to show the orange and green dots that indicate when the camera or the microphone has been activated by an app. At the current time, these indicators are shown to the right of the notch when the hardware is actively engaged, but putting them front and center on the iPhone's display will make it more apparent when the camera and the microphone are in use.
Having the green dot front and center when the camera is active will make the experience of using an iPhone similar to using a Mac. On a Mac, when the webcam is in use, there is a green indicator light that cannot be disabled, with the light located right next to the camera.
Apple will apparently let users tap on the green and orange dots to receive more information about what apps are using the iPhone's hardware. Right now, that data is provided in Control Center, with Apple listing apps that have recently used the camera, microphone, and location.
The forums source claims that Apple will also redesign the Camera app, moving most of the controls to the top of the display to provide users with a larger view of the camera preview, but this change is "still not entirely locked in."
When the privacy indicators are not engaged, the space between the two cutouts on the iPhone 14 Pro models will be blacked out so that it appears as a single cutout. iPhone 14 models will use a standard notch and will therefore likely continue to feature the same hardware indicators that are available on the iPhone 13 models.
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OLED technology comparison table 
