Earlier today, the European Parliament voted in favor of enforcing a standard charger across all smartphones and a wide range of consumer electronic devices by the end of 2024, including new products released by Apple thereafter.
The new rule will directly and most heavily impact Apple, which across a wide range of products, continues to use a decade-old port. Below, we've listed some of the most popular Apple products that currently feature Lightning but will have to adopt USB-C if newer models go on sale in 2025 or later to comply with the new law.
iPhone (the first iPhone with a USB-C port is actually rumored to be next year's iPhone 15)
Entry-level iPad: The only iPad that currently still features a Lightning connector
AirPods Charging Case: All AirPods cases continue to feature the Lightning port
Apple introduced the Lightning port in 2012 as part of the iPhone 5 redesign, promising improved durability and ease of use compared to the 30-pin connector used on previous iPhones. During its announcement in 2012, Phil Schiller called the Lightning port a "modern connector for the next decade."
While Apple has chosen to bring USB-C to many of its iPad models, it has for the most part stuck with Lightning for its most popular products. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry has overwhelmingly moved to USB-C. A majority of Android flagship smartphones feature USB-C, and the port has become the standard for consumer products for makers and customers alike.
Apple's iPhone exports from India have amounted to $1 billion in the five months since April, as the country makes headway in its bid to become a major electronics manufacturing hub for Apple (via Bloomberg).
According to Bloomberg's sources, shipments of India-made iPhones to Europe and the Middle East are set to reach $2.5 billion by March 2023, almost doubling the $1.3 billion worth of iPhones the country exported in the year through March 2022.
While small by China's standards, India's increasing iPhone output signals the strength of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's local manufacturing policies and Apple's willingness to plough investment into the country as an alternative to China's electronics assembly hegemony and the disruptive geopolitical issues that come with it.
"The healthy growth in Apple's manufacturing scale and export shows India is gradually assuming an important position in the company's China plus one strategy," Navkendar Singh, an analyst at tech researcher IDC, told Bloomberg. "And for India, this a big sign of the success of its financial incentives scheme."
Apple's Taiwanese assembly partners Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron all have iPhone manufacturing plants in India, where iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and most recently iPhone 14 models are being produced. Apple recently announced it had begun iPhone 14 assembly in the country, while reducing the delay between Chinese and India output from months to weeks.
In diversifying its production lines away from China, Apple is playing a long game that won't see a major impact on its supply chain for many years. Bloomberg recently reported that it would take around eight years to move just 10% of Apple's production capacity out of China, where about 98% of iPhones are still made.
Update 11/5: According to Nikkei Asia, Apple is also asking suppliers to move some AirPods and Beats headphone production to India for the first time, with partners Luxshare and Foxconn poised to switch assembly of said products to the country.
The European Parliament today voted overwhelmingly in favor of enforcing USB-C as a common charging port across a wide range of consumer electronic devices, including the iPhone and AirPods, by the end of 2024.
The proposal, known as a directive, forces all consumer electronics manufacturers who sell their products in Europe to ensure that a wide range of devices feature a USB-C port. This "common port" will be a world-first statute and impact Apple in particular since it widely uses the Lightning connector instead of USB-C on many of its devices. MEPs claim that the move will reduce electronic waste, address product sustainability, and make use of different devices more convenient.
The directive received 602 votes in favor, 13 votes against, and eight abstentions. A press release issued by the European Parliament earlier today states:
By the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port. From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops. The new law, adopted by plenary on Tuesday with 602 votes in favour, 13 against and 8 abstentions, is part of a broader EU effort to reduce e-waste and to empower consumers to make more sustainable choices.
Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charger every time they purchase a new device, as they will be able to use one single charger for a whole range of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.
Regardless of their manufacturer, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts, will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port.
All devices that support fast charging will now have the same charging speed, allowing users to charge their devices at the same speed with any compatible charger.
Exemptions will apply for devices that are too small to offer a USB-C port, such as smart watches, health trackers, and some sports equipment, but the legislation is expected to be expanded to other devices over time. Companies will also have to ensure that dedicated labels clearly inform consumers about the charging characteristics of devices they buy.
In addition, the EU seeks to ensure that wireless charging solutions are interoperable as the technology evolves over time. The directive empowers the European Commission to develop delegated acts by the end of 2024 that force companies to make their custom wireless charging solutions more open and meet interoperability standards, helping consumers to avoid getting locked into proprietary charging solutions while preventing fragmentation and reducing waste. It is not clear if this would include Apple's MagSafe charging system for the iPhone and AirPods since it is based on the Qi wireless charging standard.
Now, the European Council must approve the directive so that it can be published in the EU Official Journal. It will come into force 20 days after publication in the EU Official Journal and its requirements will start to apply to new devices after 24 months. Products that went on sale before the date of application will be exempt and can continue to be sold after that point.
In 2018, the European Commission attempted to reach a final resolution on this issue but it failed to come into law. At the time, Apple warned that forcing a common charging port on the industry would stifle innovation and create electronic waste as consumers would be forced to switch to new cables.
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.
iOS 16 was released to the public three weeks ago with a customizable Lock Screen, the ability to edit iMessages, improvements to Focus modes, and much more. And in the coming months, iPhone and iPad users have even more new features to look forward to.
We've rounded up 10 new features coming to the iPhone and iPad later this year, according to Apple. Many of the features are part of iOS 16.1, which is currently in beta testing, but some of the features are not expected until later in the year.
iCloud Shared Photo Library
iCloud Shared Photo Library will make it easier for you to share photos with your family members or friends in the Photos app. The feature will let you and up to five other people add, edit, or remove photos in a shared library accessible via iCloud.
iOS 16.1 will expand Live Activities to third-party apps in the App Store. The feature allows iPhone users to stay on top of real-time events, such as a sports game or a food delivery order, right on the Lock Screen or in the Dynamic Island.
Live Activities appear at the bottom of the Lock Screen on iPhone 13 models and earlier, as well as on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. On the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, Live Activities appear in the Dynamic Island when the device is unlocked, or on the Lock Screen when the device is locked or in always-on display mode.
Once the iOS 16.1 Release Candidate is available, developers will be able to submit apps with Live Activities to the App Store.
The feature will also be supported in Apple's TV app for select sports leagues, including the MLB for users in the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea, along with the NBA and Premier League for users in the U.S. and Canada only.
Emergency SOS via Satellite
All four iPhone 14 models include a new Emergency SOS via Satellite feature that is set to launch in November in the U.S. and Canada.
Emergency SOS via Satellite is designed to allow iPhone 14 models to connect directly to a satellite, allowing users to send text messages to emergency services when outside the range of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. When it launches in the U.S. and Canada, Apple says the service will be free for the first two years, which suggests that Apple might be planning to charge for the service at some point in the future.
Apple says that in "ideal conditions with a direct view of the sky and the horizon," a message might take 15 seconds to send via satellite, but it can take over a minute for a message to send "under trees with light or medium foliage."
Apple Music Classical
In August 2021, Apple announced the acquisition of classical music service Primephonic. At the time, Apple said it planned to launch a dedicated classical music app in 2022 that combined Primephonic's user interface with additional features.
iOS 16.1 includes a new Clean Energy Charging feature that Apple says "aims to decrease the carbon footprint of the iPhone by optimizing charging times for when the grid is using cleaner energy sources." The feature is available in the U.S. only.
Apple Fitness+ Without an Apple Watch
Apple Fitness+ will be available to iPhone users without an Apple Watch starting with iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1, and tvOS 16.1. Without an Apple Watch, iPhone users will not see real-time metrics like heart rate and calories burned during a workout.
Launched in December 2020, Apple Fitness+ features a library of over 3,000 workout and meditation videos, with new content added weekly. The subscription-based service is available through the Fitness app on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV in 21 countries, with U.S. pricing set at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.
Freeform
Apple says it will be releasing a new digital whiteboard app called Freeform for the iPhone and iPad later this year. The app is described as a "flexible canvas" that will give users the "ability to see, share, and collaborate all in one place without worrying about layouts and page sizes," complete with full support for the Apple Pencil.
Freeform will allow users to start a session from FaceTime and view updates from others right in an iMessage conversation thread.
Matter Accessories in Home App
Matter is an upcoming connectivity standard that will enable compatible smart home accessories to work together seamlessly across multiple platforms, including Apple's HomeKit, Amazon's Alexa, and Google's Home. On the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Apple says Matter support is coming in an update to the Home app later this year.
Controlling Matter accessories with the Home app and Siri will require a HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K, or Apple TV HD running as a home hub.
Battery Percentage Icon for More iPhones
Apple finally made battery percentage visible in the status bar again on iPhones with a notch, eliminating the need to swipe down. Starting with iOS 16.1, the optional feature is expanding to the iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 mini, and iPhone 13 mini.
Stage Manager will not have external display support on older iPad Pro models, limiting the feature to four apps on the built-in display. Apple has also delayed external display support for Stage Manager on iPad Pro and iPad Air models with the M1 chip and said this functionality will be reimplemented in a software update later this year.
Apple on September 23 officially launched the second-generation version of the AirPods Pro, introducing updated Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Transparency, improved sound, and more. Right around the same time, Bose introduced new QuietComfort II earbuds with many similar features, so we thought we'd compare the two to see which has the edge.
Both the QuietComfort II and the AirPods Pro feature in-ear designs with silicone tips, but the QuietComfort II earbuds have a short, thick body rather than a rounded body with a stem like the AirPods Pro.
The AirPods Pro 2 have an excellent fit so it's hard for the QuietComfort II to compete, but they do not move around in the ear and feel secure. Fit will mostly come down to personal preference, of course, but we found the AirPods Pro 2 to fit better, making them more comfortable to wear.
Sound quality for the QuietComfort II earbuds is neutral out of the box, but there is an EQ app that can be used to tailor the sound, something not available on the AirPods Pro 2. The app also allows for pairing with multiple devices (already available with the AirPods), and it allows for customization of the ANC feature.
As for Active Noise Cancellation, the AirPods Pro 2 win out. ANC on the QuietComfort II earbuds is okay, but it's not as good as the AirPods Pro ANC. Apple also does Transparency better, especially with the new Adaptive Transparency that can cut down on loud sounds like sirens without muting all background noise.
The QuietComfort II earbuds come with a charging case, but it's notably larger than the MagSafe charging case that comes with the AirPods Pro 2. The earbuds themselves last for about six hours, the same as the AirPods Pro 2, but the charging case adds just 18 hours of battery, while the AirPods Pro 2 charging case adds up to 24 hours of additional battery life for a total of 30 hours vs. 24 for the QuietComfort II.
Apple sells the AirPods Pro 2 for $250, while the QuietComfort II from Bose are priced at $299, so they're in the same general price bracket. One major upside to the QuietComfort II - they come in black. Apple is still only selling its AirPods Pro in white, with no black option available for those who would prefer a sleeker color.
Make sure to watch the full video up above for a side-by-side comparison of the AirPods Pro and QuietComfort II, and let us know what you think in the comments.
The AirPods Pro 2 Adaptive Transparency feature is not coming to the original AirPods Pro or the AirPods Max, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The Adaptive Transparency setting that appeared in the third iOS 16.1 beta is apparently a bug.
AirPods Max and original AirPods Pro owners noticed an Adaptive Transparency setting that had replaced the original Transparency setting shortly after upgrading to the latest iOS 16.1 and the AirPods beta firmware, and the assumption was that Apple was expanding the feature to additional devices.
Apple does not often tout new features like Adaptive Transparency and bring them to older devices, so it was a curious decision, and it makes sense that it was actually added in error. It's likely that there is no Adaptive Transparency implementation for the original AirPods Pro and AirPods Max at all, and Apple accidentally made the Adaptive Transparency setting visible for devices that do not actually support it.
Adaptive Transparency is an AirPods Pro 2 feature that Apple highlighted extensively when introducing the new earbuds, attributing it to the new H2 chip. Adaptive Transparency is designed to allow the AirPods Pro quiet loud sounds, such as sirens, construction work, or loud speakers at a concert without blocking out all noise.
Zillow today announced that it has integrated the Apple Maps Look Around feature into its real estate app, allowing potential home buyers to get a closer look at the neighborhood around a house they are interested in.
Apple with iOS 16 added the Apple Maps Look Around feature to the MapKit API that is available to developers, letting developers add the feature to third-party apps for the first time. Third-party apps are also now able to use MapKit with the new 3D map experience that is available in some areas.
Zillow says that with interactive floor plans and 3D tours, the Look Around integration makes it "easier than ever" to get a "deep sense of your home and community." Look Around can be accessed from Zillow listing pages using the Zillow app for iOS devices.
The Zillow app has already integrated SharePlay, with Zillow also rolling out support for Shared with You. Shared with You will let Zillow app users see listings in the Zillow app that have been shared with them through the Messages app on iOS and Mac devices.
Twitter today announced that Twitter Blue subscribers located in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are now able to use the edit tweet feature that has been in testing since the beginning of September.
An edit option has been in the works for several months now, with the "Edit Tweet" option showing up alongside the already available Delete Tweet, Pin to Profile, Change who can reply, and Add/remove from Lists options. Tweets can be edited for up to 30 minutes after being sent.
Twitter in September said that it would test the edit button with Twitter Blue subscribers before rolling it out more widely. Tweets that have been edited are denoted with an "Edited" tag, and past versions of tweets are visible.
The option to edit a Tweet is now available for Twitter Blue members in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand 👀
Follow @TwitterBlue for the latest updates. https://t.co/pj0bmS60xe
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) October 3, 2022
Twitter says that Twitter Blue subscribers in the United States will soon get access to the feature. Twitter Blue is priced at $2.99 per month in the U.S. and it provides access to ad-free articles, various customization options, a bookmarks folder, an undo tweet option, early access to new Twitter features, and more.
Apple's 2021 Siri Remote that was released alongside the second-generation Apple TV 4K originally had a different design, according to filings that Apple submitted to the FCC ahead of the device's launch. In the images, there is shallow oval-shaped divot at the rear of the remote, which may have been intended as a finger rest to improve grip.
The finger rest would have been above the Apple logo on the Siri Remote, but Apple eliminated this design element before introducing the accessory. The version that launched has a smooth back with no finger rest cutout at all.
Interesting… 2021 Siri Remote submitted to the FCC had an indent on the back, presumably for resting your finger. Wonder why this didn’t make it to the final model pic.twitter.com/fFnQv85zy6
— Michael Burkhardt (@tme_michael) October 1, 2022
There are also some other small design differences, including a different design for the IR sensor at the top of the remote and some slight changes to the icons on the buttons. It is not clear why Apple decided to eliminate the divot at the back of the remote, but removing it must have been a last minute design decision.
The updated Siri Remote is a marked improvement over the original Siri Remote, featuring a larger aluminum body and a touch-enabled clickpad with gesture support instead of a smooth touch surface. There is a dedicated power button that was a welcome change, as well as a Siri button on the side of the device.
Multiple rumors indicated that Apple could add Find My to the Siri Remote, but that also did not happen and there is no sign that it was an intended feature in the FCC filing.
An administrative court in Italy today scrapped a €173.3 million ($170.4 million) fine leveled at Apple and Amazon last year for alleged anti-competitive cooperation when selling Apple and Beats products, Reuters reports.
In November 2021, Italy's antitrust watchdog hit Apple and Amazon with a €200 million ($196 million) fine in the culmination of an investigation that began in 2020 over allegations that the two companies had been blocking the sale of Apple and Beats devices to resellers in order to stifle competition and keep prices high.
The regulator said contractual provisions of a 2018 agreement between the two companies meant only selected resellers were allowed to sell the products on Amazon's Italian store, which was in violation of EU rules and affected competition on prices.
Amazon was fined €68.7 million euros ($67.6 million), while Apple received a fine of €134.5 million ($132.3 million). The watchdog also ordered the companies to end the restrictions to give retailers of genuine Apple and Beats products access to the Italian Amazon web store in a "non-discriminatory manner."
Both Apple and Amazon appealed against the fines. "To ensure our customers purchase genuine products, we work closely with our reseller partners and have dedicated teams of experts around the world who work with law enforcement, customs and merchants to ensure only genuine Apple products are being sold," Apple said, denying any wrongdoing. In a separate statement Amazon said it strongly disagreed with the decision of the Italian authority and that the proposed fine was "disproportionate and unjustified."
Earlier this year, the fine was reduced to an overall €173.3 million ($170.4 million) due to a "material error" in the initial calculation. Amazon welcomed today's ruling in a statement, while Apple and Italy's antitrust regulator declined to comment.
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.
The longer battery life of second-generation AirPods Pro is partly achieved by use of physically bigger batteries, regulatory filings show.
Compared to the first-generation AirPods Pro, Apple says that the second-generation model features an additional 1.5 hours of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation enabled for a total of six hours. Listings on the 3C database spotted by MySmartPrice reveal that the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds feature a battery capacity of 49.7mAh. This is an increase of 15 percent over the 43.24mAh capacity of the first-generation AirPods Pro.
The second-generation AirPods Pro's MagSafe Charging Case features a battery capacity of 523mAh, an increase of just 4mAh over the previous model. According to Apple, the second-generation AirPods Pro's MagSafe Charging Case provides an additional six hours of battery life for a total of 30 hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled. As such, it is highly likely that the charging case's longer battery life is actually mostly derived from improvements to the earbuds.
Beyond physically larger batteries, the second-generation AirPods Pro's H2 chips and skin-detect sensors also help to prolong battery life thanks to better efficiency.
iOS 16.0.2 was released last month with several bug fixes for iPhone 14 issues, excessive copy and paste permission prompts, and more. Now, evidence suggests that Apple is planning to release iOS 16.0.3 with additional bug fixes.
Evidence of an upcoming iOS 16.0.3 software update has shown up in MacRumors analytics logs, which have been a reliable indicator in the past.
It's unclear when Apple plans to release iOS 16.0.3, but our best guess is this week or next week given that iOS 16.1 is expected to be released later this month. iOS 16.1 features support for Live Activities in third-party apps, a new Clean Energy Charging option for U.S. users, support for Matter accessories in the Home app, Apple Fitness+ without an Apple Watch, a battery percentage icon for additional iPhone models, and more.
There is precedent for back-to-back iOS updates focused on bug fixes. iOS 15.0.1 and iOS 15.0.2 were released 10 days apart last year, while iOS 11.0.2 and iOS 11.0.3 were released eight days apart following the launch of the iPhone 8 in 2017.
Apple today celebrated reaching the milestone of 100 million songs on Apple Music and commented upon two areas where it is working to improve the service.
Reflecting on the growth of music on Apple's platforms in a press release, Apple Music's global head of editorial Rachel Newman today said:
One hundred million songs.
Twenty-one years on from the invention of iTunes and the debut of the original iPod, we've gone from 1,000 songs in your pocket to 100,000x that on Apple Music. It's phenomenal growth by any metric. The entire history, present, and future of music is at your fingertips or voice command. More music than you can listen to in a lifetime, or several lifetimes. More music than any other platform. Simply the biggest collection of music, in any format, ever.
One hundred million songs — it's a number that will continue to grow and exponentially multiply. But it's more than just a number, representing something much more significant — the tectonic shift in the business of music making and distribution over these past two decades.
She added that the rise of Apple Music has helped democratize the music industry as a whole amid a massive expansion of content:
Back in the 1960s, only 5,000 new albums were released each year. Today, anywhere in the world, in 167 countries and regions on Apple Music, any artist of any description can write and record a song and release it globally. Every day, over 20,000 singers and songwriters are delivering new songs to Apple Music — songs that make our catalog even better than it was the day before. One hundred million songs is evidence of a more democratic space, where anyone, even a new artist making music out of their bedroom, can have the next big hit.
Looking toward the future, Newman pointed out the two areas of focus for improving Apple Music in the future, starting with human curation to drive recommendation algorithms.
This isn't just an opportunity to reflect on how far we've come, but also a moment to look forward to the work we have left to do. At Apple Music, human curation has always been the core to everything we do, both in ways you can see, like our editorial playlists; and ways you can't, like the human touch that drives our recommendation algorithms. Now more than ever, we know that investment in human curation will be key in making us the very best at connecting artists and audiences.
With such a huge expanse of songs, we know you need someone there to guide you through. Gone are the days of hitting shuffle on your library: Now it's on us to help you discover new favorites and rediscover forgotten gems, whether it's one of our expert radio hosts lighting your path, or a handcrafted playlist.
The statement also pointed out that Apple Music seeks to provide more context for music on the platform, such as via Apple Music Today:
We also know that it's more important than ever that we are elevating artists' voices and providing opportunities for them to tell their own stories and contextualize their music. It is no longer enough to just connect artists and fans, it's about making those connections deeper and more meaningful. And just one of the many ways we are helping to provide context is through the new Apple Music Today series, where we'll be picking a new song every day and diving into its history, because we know that each of the 100 million songs in our catalog has its own story.
Apple's 2021 MacBook Pro lineup has seen consistent discounts over the past few weeks, but it's been rare for every model to have all-time low prices at once. Today on Amazon you'll find just that, with both 14-inch and 16-inch versions of the MacBook Pro getting record low markdowns in every configuration.
14-inch MacBook Pro
Starting with the 8-Core M1 Pro/512GB 14-inch MacBook Pro, this model is available for $1,599.00, down from $1,999.00. It's available in both Silver and Space Gray, with the latter color seeing a slight shipping delay.
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The 10-core M1 Pro/1TB SSD model is on sale at $2,099.00, down from $2,499.00. This is the best price we've ever tracked on this model of the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Secondly, you can get the 10-Core M1 Pro/512GB 16-inch MacBook Pro for $2,099.00, down from $2,499.00. This one is available in Space Gray and Silver as well.
On the higher end, the 10-Core M1 Pro/1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro is on sale for $2,299.00, down from $2,699.00. This is another record low price on the 2021 MacBook Pro, and it's available in Silver and Space Gray.
Finally, Amazon is offering a discount on the 10-Core M1 Max/1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro. You can get this model for $3,099.00, down from $3,499.00. Both colors are on sale at this price, and this is another all-time low price for the MacBook Pro.
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.
Apple's iPhone 14 Plus, its latest 6.7-inch non-Pro iPhone, officially launches this Friday, October 7, and Apple's website is currently showing shipping delays into next week for all models and configurations.
Apple's U.S. order page now gives delivery estimates between Tuesday, October 11 and Thursday, October 13 for iPhone 14 Plus models in Blue, Purple, Midnight, Starlight, and PRODUCT(RED) colors with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities.
The launch of the iPhone 14 Plus comes three weeks after the other models in the iPhone 14 family became available, and a full four weeks since pre-orders began.
The shipping delay is in stark contrast to a check we made one week after pre-orders opened, when there was no delay for any iPhone 14 Plus model. At the time, delivery estimates for the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max were delayed by days and in some cases weeks.
The iPhone 14 Plus is meant for customers who want a larger iPhone without all the features of Apple's high-end models, but demand for the new model has not reached the highs that Apple anticipated.
On the Monday following the start of pre-orders, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus had seen "lackluster" pre-order results that were worse than those for the third-generation iPhone SE and the iPhone 13 mini, indicating that Apple's positioning of the two new standard models may have failed.
In response to the poorer-than-expected demand, Apple is said to have asked assembly partners to transfer some iPhone 14 production capacity to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, the latter of which has reportedly seen the highest demand so far.
There have also been reports that Apple has shelved plans to increase production of the two devices. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max continue to see high demand.
Both non-Pro iPhone 14 models have also already depreciated in value more than twice as much as the iPhone 13 in the same time frame last year, according to one report.
The iPhone 14 Plus, like the iPhone 14, features the same chip as the iPhone 13 Pro, camera improvements, and other minor enhancements. Reviewers called the iPhone 14 an "iPhone 13S," noting the little improvements and changes compared to its predecessor.
YouTube may make watching videos in 4K quality on the platform exclusive to only YouTube Premium subscribers, according to screenshots posted by users on Twitter and Reddit.
On Reddit (1,2) and Twitter, some users have started to recently notice that on iOS, and presumably across other platforms also, YouTube is now saying that in order to watch videos in 4K, the user must be a paying YouTube Premium subscriber. Not all users are seeing the 4K quality option blocked behind YouTube's paywall, and it's unclear if YouTube plans to move forward with this.
So, after testing up to 12 ads on YouTube for non-Premium users, now some users reported that they also have to get a Premium account just to watch videos in 4K. pic.twitter.com/jJodoAxeDp
— Alvin (@sondesix) October 1, 2022
A standard YouTube Premium plan costs $11.99 in the United States and includes ad-free videos, background playback, and the ability to download videos for offline viewing. We've reached out to YouTube for comment on 4K video quality possibly becoming a YouTube Premium feature and we'll update this article if we hear back.
Last week, Apple's third iOS 16.1 beta expanded the Adaptive Transparency feature introduced with the second-generation AirPods Pro to the original AirPods Pro, and several users have now confirmed it works on AirPods Max, too.
Owners of Apple's premium over-ear headphones running the latest 5A304a firmware have reported access to the new Adaptive Transparency toggle in the AirPods Max section of the Settings app in both iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1 betas.
Unveiled with the debut of AirPods Pro 2, Adaptive Transparency is designed to allow the AirPods to block out loud sounds, such loud speakers at a concert, sirens, construction work, without blocking out all noise.
The feature is confirmed to be working on AirPods Max, even though the description beneath the toggle in Settings still only refers to AirPods Pro, so Apple still needs to update the menu. We're still waiting for confirmation that the feature also works on Beats Fit Pro, which like first-generation AirPods Pro include Apple's H1 chip.
In a new interview, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, and Apple's vice president of human interface design, Alan Dye, sat down to discuss the thinking behind the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island and how it was developed.
During the interview with the Japanese magazine Axis, Federighi, who oversees the development of iOS, said Dynamic Island represents the first major user experience change for the iPhone since the iPhone X five years ago.
It's probably the first major operation change in five years since the iPhone X came out. Five years ago, we lost the home button with iPhone X. This has fundamentally reviewed various iPhone operation methods, such as how to unlock the lock screen, return to the Home Screen, and how to switch apps. This new feature has also changed the appearance of the iPhone, and it made me think again about how to run multiple apps, notifications, and how to manage the ongoing behavior in the background. It was a very exciting challenge for us to consolidate what is happening on our iPhone into this small interactive place.
Dye, who presented Dynamic Island during Apple's "Far Out" event last month, said Dynamic Island further blurs the line between where the hardware ends and the software begins on iPhone, calling it an example of "Apple-like development."
For one purpose, our hardware and software partners will come together in the same studio to solve the problem together. This new feature also made it possible to display alerts, notifications, and ongoing operations in real-time without seeing the boundary between hardware and software. I think it's a good example of Apple-like development.
Speaking about where the idea of Dynamic Island originated from, Dye said that the team thought about what the extra space at the top of the display could be used for, thanks to the smaller TrueDepth camera system.
At Apple, it's very difficult to trace the source of ideas. Because our work is based on a huge discussion with different groups of people. However, one of those discussions was that if the sensor area on the screen could be made smaller, what could be done with the surplus space. It's not an argument that has come out in the past year or so, but it's one of the topics that has been discussed for many years.
Dye said the status bar area is a small yet crucially important part of the iPhone experience. "It is an area where our hard work put into every pixel has a very big effect," Dye said. "So, there was a story about doing something more special in this area anyway. Something that is very elegant, yet very useful."
So that this experience feels so smooth and natural, we brushed up with meticulous care and skills from both sides of design and engineering. Our goal was to make them forget that there is static physical hardware and make them think that the whole thing is fluid-like dynamic software.
Federighi noted that during the iPhone 14 Pro's event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park, there was an audible sense of surprise when Dynamic Island was revealed for the first time, saying that he had the same reaction when he saw it for the first time internally. "Personally, I felt as if there was a new life-saving identity on my iPhone," Federighi said. "It's a very delicate animation effect, but it's a little different from anthropomorphism, but I think it gave the iPhone a new strong personality and vitality."
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