Apple is on an "aggressive hunt" for potential deals that would allow it to broadcast live sports content on its TV+ streaming service as part of a wider effort to boost subscription numbers, according to a new report from investment firm Wedbush.
In a new investor note, seen by MacRumors, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said he regards Apple's decision not to acquire a movie studio yet as a clear indication that it now sees live sports programming as potentially a key piece of its future success for growing the audience of its video streaming service.
Apple has not provided details on Apple TV+ subscriber numbers since the digital streaming service began, but Wedbush estimates that Apple TV+ has around 20 million paid subscribers among roughly 45 million viewers, the rest of which are seeing out free trials included with other Apple product purchases.
That's a fraction of the number of subscriptions that the likes of Disney+ and Netflix enjoys. Knowing this, Apple is apparently "ready to spend billions" on live sports content over the next four years to drive the future growth of Apple TV+ and make it a key monetization engine in its burgeoning services ecosystem, which earned it $80 billion in annual revenue in the last financial year.
With Apple spending $7 billion annually on original content and having roughly $200 billion of cash on its balance sheet, we believe the company is gearing up to bid on a number of upcoming sports packages coming up for contract/renewals in future years. We note that upcoming sports packages potentially for bid over the next four years that Apple can be involved with (in some capacity/semi-exclusive) are: NFL (Sunday Night Ticket), Big Ten, Pac 12, Big East, Big 12, other NCAA sports packages (2024 timing), NASCAR, and the NBA/WNBA.
At the current time, Apple TV+ does not offer support for any kind of live television, providing access only to on-demand television and movie content, so Apple will need to build in a new sports-oriented section with live TV streaming if it completes any deals.
Earlier this month, The New York Post reported that Apple has entered into discussions with Major League Baseball about a potential deal that would see the company broadcasting MLB games next season, which would represent a major foray into the world of live sports content.
Its current lack of live sports access remains a serious hole in Apple TV's programming, with competitors like Amazon already boasting established deals. For example, Amazon's 20 live English Premier League soccer games will return in the 2022/23 season, and the company has inked a deal to air "Thursday Night Football" games starting this fall, for which it paid more than $1 billion for the access.
Earlier this week, display industry consultant Ross Young claimed that iPhone 14 Pro models will feature both hole-punch and pill-shaped cutouts that replace the notch. If this design proves to be accurate, it rules out Face ID fully under the display this year.
In light of this latest rumor, we have put together a recap of everything that we have heard so far about Face ID and Touch ID on future iPhones.
In an April 2021 research note, oft-accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that he expects Apple to adopt under-display Face ID for at least one new iPhone model launching in 2023, but he did not provide any further details at the time.
"We expect Apple to adopt a periscope telephoto lens and under-display Face ID in 2023," wrote Kuo, in a note with TF International Securities.
In a September 2021 research note, Kuo forecasted that Apple will launch at least one new iPhone model with an under-screen fingerprint scanner in the second half of 2023, but he has not shared any further information since then.
"We predict that the new 2H23 iPhone will support under-display fingerprint," said Kuo.
Touch ID in Power Button
The latest iPad Air and iPad mini models feature Touch ID integrated into the power button, but no iPhones offer this functionality yet.
In a December 2019 research note, Kuo predicted that Apple would release a larger iPhone SE with a 5.5-inch or 6.1-inch display in the first half of 2021, and he said this device would feature Touch ID integrated into the side power button. Apple has yet to release such a device, but rumors suggest that a larger iPhone SE is still planned for release in 2024, and perhaps it will have a Touch ID power button as claimed.
Summary
The latest rumors suggest that at least one iPhone with under-screen Face ID and at least one iPhone with under-screen Touch ID will be released in 2023, but it is unclear if Apple plans to release an iPhone with both biometric authentication options.
An iPhone with a Touch ID power button is more of a wild card, but it could happen with a larger iPhone SE in 2024.
Krafton, developer popular online battle game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, or PUBG, has sued Apple, Google, and gaming company Garena over PUBG clone apps that copy PUBG gameplay, reports Reuters.
The lawsuit accuses Garena of creating PUBG clones called "Free Fire" and "Free Fire Max," which originated in Singapore and were later released in the United States. Apple and Google are named in the lawsuit for selling the "blatantly infringing version" of PUBG that was created by Garena.
As set forth in detail below, Free Fire and Free Fire Max extensively copy numerous aspects of Battlegrounds, both individually and in combination, including Battlegrounds' copyrighted unique game opening "air drop" feature, the game structure and play, the combination and selection of wearpons, armor, and unique objects, locations, and the overall choice of color schemes, materials, and textures.
Apple and Google are accused of distributing hundreds of millions of copies of the Free Fire apps, earning Garena "hundreds of millions of dollars" and netting Apple and Google a "substantial amount of revenue."
Garena's apps had more than 100 million daily users at the end of 2020, and in 2019 and 2020, Garena said that Free Fire was the most downloaded mobile game globally. Krafton estimates that Garena earned more than $2 billion in 2020, with $100 million of that coming from the U.S.
Apple on December 21, 2021 was told that Free Fire infringes on Krafton's PUBG copyrights, but Apple has not taken action to remove the game from the App Store.
The lawsuit goes into great detail on the PUBG gameplay functions that have been copied in the Free Fire apps, but ultimately Krafton is asking for damages and Apple and Google's profits from the sale of the Free Fire apps.
Krafton also had a dispute with NetEase over PUBG clones, but that lawsuit was settled in 2019, and the company also sued Epic Games over Fortnite, but ultimately dropped the lawsuit.
Apps that copy concepts and gameplay features from other apps are nothing new in the App Store, and clone apps have long been a problem. Just this week, in fact, Apple's App Store allowed several clones of popular web game "Wordle" onto the App Store, only pulling them after media outcry.
Recent advancements in Thunderbolt technology have brought the ability to include multiple downstream Thunderbolt ports on various docks and hubs, and CalDigit's Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub introduced earlier this year does just that in the form of a compact dock supporting Thunderbolt 4 and USB4.
I've long been a fan of CalDigit's Thunderbolt hubs, and I've been using the company's TS3 Plus as my main docking station for many years now. The Element Hub doesn't offer as many dedicated features as some of CalDigit's other docking stations such as an SD card slot or Ethernet port, but if you've got multiple Thunderbolt/USB-C devices and maybe a few USB-A peripherals, the new Element Hub could be a great option.
With Thunderbolt 4 support, the Element Hub offers up to 40 Gb/s transfer speeds overall, which means it can drive up to a 6K display at 60Hz, including dual 4K displays when used with an M1 Pro/Max or Intel Mac (M1 Mac and iPad Pro models are limited to one external display). Windows users can even drive an 8K display via the Element Hub, but only at 30Hz.
The flexibility of Thunderbolt 4 means that with an appropriate adapter, you can take advantage of just about type of external display, including Thunderbolt 2/3/4, USB-C, HDMI, DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, VGA, and DVI.
The Element Hub features a total of eight ports plus a DC-in port for powering the dock. There are four Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, which include one upstream port for connecting to the host computer and three independent downstream ports, each of which can support a full 40 Gbps of data transfer, though obviously not all simultaneously. On the opposite side of the dock are four USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports that support up to 10 Gbps of data transfer.
While the Element Hub is certainly a compact docking solution, it does require an external 150-watt power brick that's significantly larger than the dock itself. Fortunately, most users should be able find a place to hide the adapter away and leave a clean, uncluttered look on their desks, but this really isn't a docking solution you're going to want to take on the road.
Even with the large power brick, the Element Hub is limited to 60 watts of charging power, so it won't be enough to power a bigger MacBook Pro unless you're using it under a light load. But for a smaller MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air, or an iPad Pro, the Element Hub will work just fine, and CalDigit notes that the dock is capable of delivering a full 60 watts of power regardless of other loads, so if you have other Thunderbolt devices drawing power (up to 15 watts from each Thunderbolt port and 7.5 watts from each USB-A port) from the hub, it won't reduce charging power to your computer as some other docks do.
Since it charges the host computer over USB-C, it won't offer the fast charging capabilities available with a MagSafe connection on Apple's latest MacBook Pro models, but as a desktop hub it's more likely to be used for continuous power rather than quickly recharging a depleted notebook anyway. And if you have one of the bigger M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pro models, you'll probably want to connect up MagSafe anyway since the Element Hub tops out at 60 watts.
One neat design feature of the Element Hub is that it can be flipped over depending on which side of the computer you want it to be placed. The top and bottom of the dock are essentially identical, with the same matte aluminum finish and subtle CalDigit branding. The two long faces of the hub where most of the ports are located are matte black plastic, but they too look good and sit flush and solid with the aluminum body.
It's a simple design, but it's a solid build that gets the job done. Pairs of grooves cut into the surface on each side add a little bit of design flair but also serve as mounting points for the included rubber feet strips that can be easily applied and removed.
With its external power source, the Element Hub supports offline charging, so all of the ports on the hub can be used to charge connected devices even when the hub isn't connected to a computer. The Element Hub also supports Apple's SuperDrive, using CalDigit's custom driver to deliver enough power to support the slim CD/DVD drive. And finally, CalDigit's macOS Docking Station Utility quietly lives in your menu bar and lets you easily eject any storage devices attached to the hub all at once.
I appreciate the flexibility the Element Hub offers, with the Thunderbolt 4 ports offering lots of options, whether it be direct connections of Thunderbolt or USB-C cables or with adapters for even more connectivity. And the USB-A ports offer easy legacy support for those older devices still using the fading standard.
I ran some speed tests using Blackmagic Disk Speed Test and a Sandisk G-Drive Pro SSD that uses Thunderbolt for maximum speeds. The drive is advertised to support up to a maximum of 2,800 MBps read speed, and I get fairly close to that when the drive is connected directly to my 2021 MacBook Pro, with read speeds coming in at over 2,500 MBps and write speeds approaching 2,000 MBps.
External Thunderbolt SSD connected directly to MacBook Pro
Connecting the drive to the MacBook Pro via the Element Hub with no other accessories attached to the hub, I saw very little in the way of a speed penalty, with the read speed coming in at essentially identical to the direct connection and the write speed dropping down to the 1,750 MBps range.
External Thunderbolt SSD connected to Element Hub with no other accessories
While the Element Hub features three downstream Thunderbolt 3 ports each capable of supporting a theoretical maximum of 40 Gbps, it's important to remember that they're all sharing a single Thunderbolt connection to the computer, so if you have multiple devices connected to the hub, performance can be impacted.
This is evident when both the SanDisk SSD and one of my LG UltraFine 5K displays are connected to the Element Hub. The 5K display requires a significant amount of that Thunderbolt bandwidth going from the computer to the hub, so write speeds on the SSD drop to under 800 MBps in my testing. Given the primarily unidirectional aspect of display connectivity, read speeds for the SSD remain unaffected, coming in above 2,500 MBps.
External Thunderbolt SSD and 5K display both connected to Element Hub
Even with that performance hit, the availability of three downstream Thunderbolt ports offers maximum flexibility when connecting multiple peripherals, and the Element Hub's additional four USB-A ports means it can serve as an excellent docking station for many users. It will require some dongles if you have HDMI or DisplayPort external displays though, and if you require more features like an Ethernet port, SD slot, or 3.5mm audio, you might want to look at some other options.
Given high demand and chip shortages, CalDigit has had significant trouble keeping the Element Hub in stock, and at the moment the best availability is through Amazon, where it's priced at $249.99. A 0.8-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable is included in the box, while CalDigit offers several different USB-C adapters for connecting various displays.
With the Apple vs. Epic Games lawsuit continuing on, there are no signs that Apple has any intention of allowing popular battle royale game Fortnite to return to the App Store on iPhone and iPad.
Epic Games has found a workaround though, by partnering up with Nvidia. GeForce NOW, Nvidia's streaming gaming service, will soon add Fortnite support, allowing Fortnite to be played through a browser on iOS devices with touch-based controls.
Nvidia in November 2020 introduced Safari integration, allowing GeForce NOW's library of games to be played on iOS devices. At the time, Nvidia said that it was working with Epic Games on a touch-friendly version of Fortnite that would run on the iPhone and iPad.
More than a year later, Fortnite for mobile is nearly ready to launch. Nvidia today announced the upcoming release of a Fortnite limited time closed beta, which users can sign up for.
There is a waitlist on the GeForce NOW website, and Nvidia says that players can register for free for a chance to play the new touch-control version of Fortnite on mobile devices. The game is going to be available on Android and iOS devices through browser integration.
Those interested in participating will need to create an Nvidia account and sign up for the waitlist, and sign up for a GeForce NOW membership. Both free and priority memberships have an equal chance of gaining access to the beta, but Nvidia says that spots are limited.
Selected beta testers will receive access to the Fortnite mobile game later in January, and after the limited time beta, we can expect to see an official launch of the Fortnite experience for GeForce NOW. There is no word at this time when Fortnite might be more widely available.
The Fortnite app has not been available from the iOS App Store since August 13, 2020, which is when Apple pulled it after Epic Games broke Apple's App Store guidelines by adding a direct purchase option.
An initial decision was reached in the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit earlier this year, but both companies are appealing and there was no provision in the ruling requiring Apple to reinstate Fortnite.
Apple in September said that it had no plans to consider allowing Fortnite back into the App Store until the legal battle has played out, a process that could span multiple years.
Apple is encouraging people who are still running iOS 14 to update to iOS 15, a reversal of an earlier policy that saw the company allowing iOS 14 users to choose not to install the iOS 15 update.
When iOS 15 launched, Apple said that iOS offered a "choice between two software update versions," pledging to offer security updates for those who opted to stick with iOS 14.
iOS now offers a choice between two software update versions in the Settings app. You can update to the latest version of iOS 15 as soon as it's released for the latest features and most complete set of security updates. Or continue on iOS 14 and still get important security updates until you're ready to upgrade to the next major version.
With normal releases, iOS updates are front and center in the Software Update section of the Settings app, but when iOS 15 first came out, it was a footnote at the bottom of the Software Update interface on devices running iOS 14, and easily avoidable.
Apple's patience for those avoiding iOS 15 seems to have dwindled over the last few months, and the company is now pushing iOS 14 users to update. The iOS 15 update is no longer a footnote at the bottom of the Software Update section on a device running iOS 14, and Apple has also stopped releasing iOS 14 security updates.
There was a clear option to stay on iOS 14 and receive updates, which appears to have been eliminated with the launch of iOS 15.2. Apple did not reintroduce the remain on iOS 14 option in the iOS 15.2.1 update that came out yesterday, which seems to be a clear sign that Apple is now expecting people to upgrade. iPhone users who want to have the latest security protections must now update to iOS 15.
As an example, Apple in October released iOS 14.8.1 with security updates. On an iPhone still running iOS 14.8, the iOS 14.8.1 update is no longer available, and Apple is only offering iOS 15.2.1 as an installation option.
iOS 15 is available on all of the devices that are able to run iOS 14, and removing the option to stay on iOS 14 will likely spur people to upgrade. At the current time, iOS 15 is installed on 72 percent of devices from the last four years, which is a notably lower adoption rate than we've seen with prior versions of iOS.
iOS and iPadOS 15.3 can be downloaded over the air after the proper profile from Apple's public beta testing website has been installed on an iPhone or an iPad.
There's no word yet on what's included in the iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 betas, suggesting that it likely focuses on under-the-hood improvements and bug fixes. We did not find anything new of note in the first two developer betas.
There are a few features that Apple has yet to implement, such as Universal Control and support for IDs in the Wallet app. Universal Control will let multiple Macs and iPads be controlled with the same keyboard and mouse, and Apple recently said that the feature will come out in the spring. There were no signs of Universal Control in the first beta, so it looks like it will be coming in iPadOS 15.4.
Digital IDs in the Wallet app has been in the works since Apple introduced the feature at WWDC in June. Arizona, Georgia, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah are expected to be the first states to implement digital ID support, and Florida is also in talks to support the feature.
Apple today updated its iOS 15 installation numbers for the first time since iOS 15 was released in September, giving us an idea of how many devices are running the latest update four months after it launched.
iOS 15 is installed on 72 percent of all iPhones introduced in the last four years. 26 percent of devices continue to use iOS 14, and two percent run an earlier version of iOS. When counting iPhones released more than four years ago, 63 percent of them run iOS 15, 30 percent run iOS 14, and seven percent run an earlier version of iOS.
Installation numbers are lower on the iPad. 57 percent of all iPads introduced in the last four years are running iPadOS 15, while 39 percent continue to run iPadOS 14. Four percent run an earlier version of iPadOS. Counting all iPads, including those released more than four years ago, 49 percent of devices are running iPadOS 15, 37 percent are running iPadOS 14, and 14 percent are running an earlier version of iPadOS.
Apple splits its installation numbers into separate groups because there are still devices in the wild that are not capable of running iOS 15 or iPadOS 15, but even when counting only devices released in the last four years, the number of devices running iOS 15 lags behind prior operating system installation rates.
iOS 14, for example, was installed on 81 percent of iPhones released in the last four years in December 2020, marking a much higher update rate a month earlier. Even iOS 13, another update that saw slow installation, was installed on 77 percent of devices by the end of January 2020.
iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 had several features that did not arrive as expected when the operating systems launched, such as SharePlay, and Digital Legacy, and other features like iCloud Private Relay remain in beta. People were also put off by Apple's anti-CSAM measures, which have been indefinitely delayed. Key iOS and iPadOS 15 features like digital IDs in Wallet and Universal Control are still unavailable, but could spur people to update when launched in the future.
When iOS 15 was first launched, Apple did not spur people to update and allowed them to remain on iOS 14, offering a choice between iOS 14 and iOS 15 in the Settings app. This could also be a reason why iOS 15 adoption has lagged behind adoption rates of earlier operating system updates, and Apple is now pushing iOS 14 users to upgrade to iOS 15.
iOS 15 used to be listed as an optional update on devices running iOS 14, but now it is front and center on devices that still have iOS 14, and it is the only available update option as Apple has now stopped making security updates available for devices running iOS 14. Those who want the latest security fixes need to upgrade to iOS 15, as all devices capable of running iOS 14 also support iOS 15.
Apple this week announced that it will be expanding its App Store Foundations program to an additional 29 countries in Europe.
Launched in 2018 in countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden, the program offers selected developers tailor-made support for app development, marketing, and monetization in collaboration with Apple employees.
In individual and group sessions, selected developers learn how to grow their business and increase the reach of their apps. Topics covered include the optimal use of Apple technologies and APIs, editorial content in the App Store, and more.
Apple did not list the 29 countries that the program will be expanding to or provide a timeframe.
Apple will be among several U.S. tech giants to attend a meeting at the White House today to discuss cybersecurity and possible security threats posed by open-source software, Reutersreports.
The meeting will be held by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and will focus on "concerns around the security of open-source software and how it can be improved." The meeting was prompted by concerns around a security vulnerability found in open-source software Log4j.
The vulnerability, which posed a threat to organizations that use Log4j around the world, allowed hackers to control a system and remotely execute malicious code.
According to Sullivan, open-source software such as Log4j presents a "key national security concern" as it is often used and maintained by volunteers. Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, and Oracle are also expected to attend the meeting.
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.
Amazon today has a great deal on the 2017 Intel 21.5-inch iMac (2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD), priced at $599.99, down from $1,099.00. This is the best price we've ever tracked on this model, and it's only available at Amazon. The sale price will be reflected after an automatic coupon is applied at checkout.
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.
As of writing, there is a delayed shipping estimate for the iMac; the fastest shipping option gives an early February delivery estimate. This is a great deal, so even with the delayed shipping window it's worth locking in the price before the deal expires for those interested.
Final price includes $349.96 taken off at checkout.
You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.
Update: This sale expired fast, and Amazon is now out of stock. There's a chance it could return, so we'll update this page again if it does.
Following limited testing of native support, Dropbox's Mac app built for Apple silicon is now available to all beta testers.
Earlier this month, Dropbox began testing native Apple silicon support with a handful of beta testers, promising to expand testing to all beta users before the end of the month. Now, all Dropbox users who have enabled "Early releases" in their account preferences will have access to the native Apple silicon app.
On a support page, Dropbox says that users on Apple silicon Macs can expect to receive the newer version within 24 hours after joining the early releases program for their account. Here's how to join the program:
In the top right-hand corner, click your profile picture and go into Settings.
Under General, locate Preferences and toggle on "Early releases."
Dropbox faced criticism late last year following confused messaging from the company about whether its client would adopt native Apple silicon support, forcing customers on Apple's latest Macs to use a version of the app built for Intel-based computers. Amongst Mac users, Dropbox has been criticized for being poorly optimized, leading to excessive memory and battery usage.
California employees first sued Apple in 2013, and in 2015, the case escalated into a class action lawsuit. Employees claimed that Apple subjected them to mandatory bag checks that were "embarrassing and demeaning," with those checks conducted after the end of a shift, causing employees to stay at work an extra 10 to 15 minutes.
Apple said that its bag searches ensured that employees were not hiding stolen electronics in their personal belongings. Apple claimed that employees who did not want to be subjected to bag searches could simply avoid bringing a bag to work, but this argument ultimately did not work for Apple and in 2020, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that Apple needed to pay the employees for the time they had spent in bag searches.
Apple and lawyers for the Apple employees in California reached a settlement last year and in November, asked a judge to approve it. Apple has agreed to pay nearly $30 million, and the more than 14,000 workers involved in the lawsuit will receive payments based on the individual shifts worked. Current and former employees will be receiving emails and letters from Apple with specific information about their potential payment amount.
Details about the Apple Bag Check Class Action Settlement can be found on Apple's legal website, with documents available for California employees subjected to bag checks between July 25, 2009 and August 10, 2015.
The bag search policy has been long discontinued and Apple has not conducted bag searches since 2015. The Final Approval Hearing for the settlement will take place on July 7, 2022.
iOS 15.2 did not introduce a bug that turned iCloud Private Relay off for some users, Apple said in a statement that was provided to MacRumors. The statement was in response to a T-Mobile claim that iOS 15.2 had automatically toggled the iCloud Private Relay feature off for some users.
iCloud Private Relay is an innovative internet privacy service that allows users with an iCloud+ subscription to connect to the internet and browse with Safari in a more secure and private way. We have rolled Private Relay out in beta and it's available in most countries around the world. No carrier partners have blocked their users from taking advantage of Private Relay.
No changes were made to iCloud Private Relay in iOS 15.2 that would have toggled the feature off. Users are encouraged to check their Settings to see if Private Relay is enabled on their device or for a specific network.
Apple also said that no carriers, including T-Mobile, have blocked their users from taking advantage of the iCloud Private Relay feature.
T-Mobile earlier this week was accused of disabling iCloud Private Relay for its users after some T-Mobile subscribers found that they were unable to turn on the feature. T-Mobile then released a statement that said it had discovered that the iOS 15.2 update was causing some device settings to default to the feature being toggled off, which Apple says did not happen.
T-Mobile also said that customers who have plans and features that use T-Mobile content filtering, such as parental controls, do not have access to iCloud Private Relay in order to allow these services to work as designed. It is not entirely clear why some T-Mobile subscribers were having issues, but customers who are not using content filtering should be able to use iCloud Private Relay as expected.
iCloud Private Relay can be turned off on a network by network basis, which can cause it to state that it is not working on the carrier level. If not enabled in the carrier settings on an iPhone, iCloud Private Relay won't be available for the cellular network, and the same goes for WiFi.
Apple recommends that users make sure that the Limit IP Address Tracking preference in WiFi, Cellular Data Options, or Network Settings is toggled on in order to use iCloud Private Relay, and the company has published a support document that better explains how iCloud Private Relay works, how to enable iCloud Private Relay, and what to do if a website or network does not work with the feature.
In light of the new information from Apple, T-Mobile has issued a revised statement clarifying that there were no changes made in iOS 15.2.
We wanted to update what we shared earlier. Apple doesn't change customers' settings when they update to iOS 15.2. Customers may see an error message if they previously toggled iCloud Private Relay or Limit IP Address Tracking off in their Cellular Data Options Settings. Apple has more details on their support page for this feature here.
Apple today also made changes in the iOS 15.3 beta to make it clearer what's going on when iCloud Private Relay is not working for a cellular network. The messaging now advises customers to check their cellular settings if the feature is disabled, rather than simply suggesting a carrier partner does not support it.
At least some of the confusion over T-Mobile and iCloud Private Relay may be related to the wording of the setting in the current version of iOS 15.2, which says that iCloud Private Relay is not carrier supported even if the feature is actually toggled off by the user in the cellular settings.
All three U.S. carriers yesterday confirmed that they support iCloud Private Relay, and now Apple has also made it clear that no carriers are blocking the feature.
Apple does say that there are network setups that could cause iCloud Private Relay not to work. Networks that audit traffic or perform network-based filtering will block access to Private Relay. This includes enterprise and school networks, which often have traffic monitoring policies, as well as cellular providers that are offering network-based services like Parental Controls, as is the case in T-Mobile's situation.
LG in December announced the launch of its new 2022 32-inch UltraFine OLED Pro display, and in our latest YouTube video, we went hands-on with it to see how it compares to Apple's Pro Display XDR and whether it might be worth picking up depending on the price point.
Officially named the "32BP95E," the display features a resolution of 3840 x 2160, so it's 4K, and it's OLED with all of the benefits that come with OLED technology. It's technically 31.5 inches, but LG is rounding up to 32.
The LG OLED Pro display is designed for professionals, and it's not unlike the Pro Display XDR in that regard. It boasts impressive color accuracy, and it's limited to 60Hz so it's definitely a display for creatives and not for gaming or content consumption.
It looks similar to most other LG monitors, and it comes with a solid selection of ports like USB-C, 2 DisplayPorts, an HDMI port, three USB-A ports, and a headphone jack. It offers tilt and height adjustment, and it can be used vertically.
There's also a monitor hood to reduce glare and built-in color calibration tools, both of which are upgrades from the prior model, but there are no real standout features even though it does look impressive. Make sure to take a look at our YouTube video for a full feature overview and to see it in action.
LG has not released pricing or provided details on when the display is going to be available, but the prior model cost $4,000, so it's not going to be cheap when it comes out.
For those who might be interested in this display, there are rumors that Apple is working on its own Apple-branded display options that could come out in 2022, so it may be worth holding out on a purchase to see how rumors progress.
Current information indicates that there are 24, 27, and 32-inch displays in the works. The 32-inch display is likely to be a Pro Display XDR replacement, but the smaller displays are expected be more affordable (possibly around ~$2000) and closer to replacements for the now-discontinued Thunderbolt Display.
Microsoft has hired Mike Filippo, a semiconductor designer who formerly worked at Apple as a chip architect, reports Bloomberg. Microsoft is aiming to further expand on chip designs for the servers that power its cloud computing services, and at Microsoft, Filippo will be working on processors for Azure servers.
Filippo joined Apple in 2019 after a decade of semiconductor design at Arm, where he was credited with developing some of the underlying technologies used in phones and other devices. Filippo was responsible for the development of several Arm chips, including the Cortex-A76, Cortex-A72, Cortex-A57, and upcoming 7nm+ and 5nm chips.
Prior to working at Arm, Filippo worked at AMD and Intel, and he was a high profile engineer on Apple's chip team. Apple has been losing some of its chip hires in recent weeks. Former Director of Mac System Architecture Jeff Wilcox departed Apple in December and has since transitioned to Intel, where he will work on Intel's new SoCs.
In today's iOS 15.3 beta, Apple has updated the wording that people see when iCloud Private Relay is disabled for a cellular or WiFi network, clarifying that when it's off, it's not always because of a lack of carrier support.
The new message says that Private Relay is turned off, but it explains that either a cellular plan does not support it or that it has been deactivated in Cellular Settings.
In iOS 15.2 and prior iOS 15.3 betas, if iCloud Private Relay was disabled for a cellular plan, Apple placed all of the blame on the carrier. Here's the previous wording:
"Private Relay is turned off for your cellular plan. Your cellular plan doesn't support iCloud Private Relay. With iCloud Private Relay turned off, this network can monitor your internet activity, and your IP address is not hidden from known trackers or websites."
And the new wording:
"Private Relay is turned off for your cellular plan. Private Relay is either not supported by your cellular plan or has been turned off in Cellular Settings. With Private Relay turned off, this network can monitor your internet activity, and your IP address is not hidden from known trackers or websites."
Apple's current wording does not allow for the possibility that iCloud Private Relay is unavailable because it has been disabled in the Settings app. iCloud Private Relay can be turned on or turned off for specific WiFi and cellular networks, and there may be an iOS 15.2 bug that is causing some users to have these settings disabled by default.
Going to your Cellular Settings and toggling on "Limit IP Address Tracking" will ensure that iCloud Private Relay is active for your cellular network, while going to WiFi, tapping the "i" button next to your network and toggling on "Limit IP Address Tracking" will turn it on for your WiFi network if it's not already enabled.
Apple's vague iCloud Private Relay wording got T-Mobile in some hot water earlier this week. The carrier was accused of disabling iCloud Private Relay for its users, preventing them from using the privacy-enhancing feature. Apple's messaging placed the blame on T-Mobile even if iCloud Private Relay was disabled simply due to being toggled off in the Settings app.
T-Mobile was silent on the accusations for a day, and then clarified that there appears to be an iOS 15.2 bug that can cause device settings for the Private Relay feature to be toggled to off. T-Mobile contacted Apple, and Apple updated its support document to instruct people how to make sure their settings are correct, and now the Cupertino company has also added this information into the iCloud Private Relay settings.
The major U.S. carriers, including T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T have all confirmed that they are not blocking iCloud Private Relay and do not have plans to do so. For T-Mobile users who have content filtering like parental controls enabled, iCloud Private Relay will be disabled because the services are not able to work with the feature turned on.
Based on the latest rumors, it is now looking unlikely that iPhone 14 Pro models will have Face ID under the display as initially claimed.
Earlier today, display industry consultant Ross Young claimed that iPhone 14 Pro models will feature both hole-punch and pill-shaped cutouts near the top of the display. Young believes the hole will be for the Face ID dot projector, while the pill-shaped cutout will supposedly house the front camera and an infrared camera for Face ID at a minimum.
In a follow-up tweet, Young has since claimed that the infrared camera will not be moved under the display until 2023 or 2024, suggesting that Face ID will not be fully under the display until the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro.
While the two-hole design for iPhone 14 Pro models would not provide a completely seamless viewing experience, it would still be another step in that direction. And if Young and Kuo prove to be right, we might finally get an all-screen design next year.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
External Thunderbolt SSD connected directly to MacBook Pro
External Thunderbolt SSD connected to Element Hub with no other accessories
External Thunderbolt SSD and 5K display both connected to Element Hub
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