MacRumors

Apple chip supplier TSMC recently hosted a topping-out ceremony for its new fabrication plant in Phoenix, Arizona, DigiTimes reports.

The $12 billion factory will be the first of its kind to mass-produce 5nm chips in the United States. All of Apple's latest chips, dating back to the A14 Bionic and M1 chip, are fabricated with a 5nm process. In a post on LinkedIn, TSMC said:

Great progress continues on our 5-nanometer semiconductor fab – "FAB 21" – in #Phoenix, #Arizona. We recently celebrated placing the last beam – also known in the construction industry as a "topping" milestone - in FAB 21's fab building with our local partners. Over 4,000 attendees were on hand to enjoy this important moment including our own employees and partners. #TSMCArizona is on time and on track to bring the most advanced leading-edge semiconductor technology to the U.S.. We are deeply grateful to our partners and look forward to more successful milestones in Arizona.

Last year, TSMC Chairman Mark Liu announced that the company's Arizona plant will begin mass production in the first quarter of 2024. Likely clients for the chips made in the Arizona factory include Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Apple. The new Arizona plant will make it theoretically possible for Apple's 5nm custom silicon chips, to be manufactured within the United States for the first time.

Apple is rumored to move its custom silicon to a 3nm process starting with the M2 Pro or M3 chip. The iPhone 14 Pro's A16 chip is expected to continue being made with a 5nm process, so it is highly likely that Apple will still need a supply of 5nm chips from TSMC by early 2024 when the Arizona plant opens for mass-production.

TSMC's main factories are located in Taiwan, but it already operates a factory in Camas, Washington, as well as design centers in Austin, Texas and San Jose, California, meaning that the Arizona facility will be its second manufacturing site in the United States. Yesterday, it was reported that Apple is opening a new development site in Israel to develop future custom silicon chips for the Mac.

Apple now has over 860 million paid subscriptions across all of its services, including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News, iCloud, and more, the company's chief financial officer Luca Maestri said today.

Speaking during Apple's third-quarter earnings call, Maestri said Apple has over 860 million subscriptions, which is an increase of 160 million over just the last 12 months. Apple does not provide a breakdown of subscriber counts per service, but Maestri said growth was strong in offerings like ‌Apple TV‌+ and Apple Arcade.

Apple beat analyst expectations for the third quarter, posting $82.96 billion in revenue. While iPhone sales rose 2.5%, Mac, iPad, Wearables, Home, and Accessories sales dropped year-over-year due to supply constraints and macroeconomic factors.

Update: This article has been updated to clarify that the 860 million figure refers to subscriptions, not subscribers. A single user may have multiple subscriptions through Apple.

Apple today reported its earnings results for the third quarter of the 2022 fiscal year, including revenue of $83 billion and net quarterly profit of $19.4 billion. As usual since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple did not provide formal revenue guidance for the ongoing quarter, but Apple CEO Tim Cook did help to set expectations.

Cook told CNBC's Steve Kovach that he expects year-over-year revenue growth to "accelerate in the September quarter" compared to the June quarter "despite seeing some pockets of softness" in some areas, including digital advertising across its platforms.

Speaking on Apple's earnings call, Cook said Apple is facing a "cocktail of headwinds" affecting its revenue, including a strong U.S. dollar that is expected to cause a foreign exchange headwind of around $5 billion in the September quarter, along with supply constraints and a loss of business in Russia amid its war on Ukraine. Cook said Apple's Wearables, Home, and Accessories category is also facing macroeconomic headwinds.

Apple reported revenue of $83.4 billion in the September 2021 quarter. On average, analysts expect Apple to report $90 billion revenue in the September 2022 quarter, according to data compiled by Yahoo Finance.

Apple's fourth quarter began June 26 and runs through September 24. The quarter has already included the start of orders for the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip, and it will likely include at least a few days of iPhone 14 pre-orders as well.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said Apple will continue to hire employees but in a very "deliberate way," following reports that the company had plans to slow down its pace of hiring amid fears of an economic recession.

“We are making deliberate decisions about where to invest our money, but we're continuing to hire, but we're just doing it in a very deliberate way," Cook said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple had planned to slow down its pace of hiring and spending growth, focusing only on key positions.

Cook's comments came after Apple reported all-around positive earnings for the third quarter of this year, that came in slightly above analyst expectations.

Apple today announced financial results for its third fiscal quarter of 2022, which corresponds to the second calendar quarter of the year.

For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $83 billion and net quarterly profit of $19.4 billion, or $1.20 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $81.4 billion and net quarterly profit of $21.7 billion, or $1.30 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.

Gross margin for the quarter was 43.3 percent, according to Apple CFO Luca Maestri. Apple also declared a quarterly dividend payment of $0.23 per share, payable on August 11 to shareholders of record as of August 8.

iPhone and Services revenue achieved June quarter records, while Mac, iPad, and "Wearables, Home, and Accessories" revenue was down.

A category-by-category breakdown of Apple's Q3 2022 revenue is outlined below.

• iPhone: $40.6B, up from $39.5B in year-ago quarter
• iPad: $7.2B, down from $7.3B in year-ago quarter
• Mac: $7.3B, down from $8.2B in year-ago quarter
• Wearables, Home, and Accessories: $8.0B, down from $8.7B in year-ago quarter
• Services: $19.6B, up from $17.4B in year-ago quarter

Apple CEO Tim Cook:

This quarter's record results speak to Apple's constant efforts to innovate, to advance new possibilities, and to enrich the lives of our customers. As always, we are leading with our values, and expressing them in everything we build, from new features that are designed to protect user privacy and security, to tools that will enhance accessibility, part of our longstanding commitment to create products for everyone.

As has been the case for over two years now, Apple is once again not issuing guidance for the current quarter ending in September.

A recap of Apple's fiscal Q3 2022 financial results conference call can be found below.

➜ Click here to read rest of article...

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 9 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming three weeks after Apple released the third beta to developers.

To install ‌watchOS 9, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, ‌watchOS 8‌ can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌iPhone‌.

watchOS 9 introduces four new watch faces, including Lunar, Playtime, Metropolitan, and Astronomy, plus it includes updates to some existing watch faces and complications. The ECG app now supports AFib History for tracking how long a person has been in atrial fibrillation.

The sleep tracking feature now includes sleep stages, letting the Apple Watch track when users are in REM, Core, or Deep sleep, and Apple has added a Medications app. The Medications app lets users manage and track their medications, vitamins, and supplements, with reminders when it's time to take them.

Updates to the Workout app add custom workouts and improvements for runners, triathletes, and swimmers. Fitness+ workouts now support streaming to certain third-party TVs for those who don't have an Apple TV, and notifications have been redesigned to be less obtrusive when the watch's screen is active.

Other new features include a CallKit API that allows VOIP calls to be answered on Apple Watch, Apple Watch Mirroring for controlling the Apple Watch with an iPhone, Quick Actions for doing more with a double pinch gesture, and updates to the Reminders and Calendar apps.

Apple today began selling a certified refurbished iPhone 12 mini model in the U.S. for the first time since the device was released in October 2020.

Apple's online refurbished store currently has a refurbished iPhone 12 mini available with 128GB of storage in a Black finish for $579. It's worth noting that Apple still sells a new iPhone 12 mini with 128GB of storage for $649, so the refurbished model does not offer significant savings, and the device is also nearly two years old.

The refurbished iPhone 12 mini model is unlocked and SIM-free. All refurbished iPhones come with a new battery, a new outer shell, and a new white box that includes all manuals and a USB-C to Lightning cable. All refurbished iPhones are covered by Apple's standard one-year warranty and are eligible for extended AppleCare+ coverage.

Apple says its refurbished iPhones are thoroughly tested and cleaned, and in our view, they are virtually indistinguishable from brand new iPhones. One of the only notable differences with a certified refurbished iPhone is that it comes in a plainer box.

iPhone 12 mini features include a 5.4-inch OLED display, A14 Bionic chip, 5G, dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, and more. Apple went on to release an iPhone 13 mini last year, but rumors suggest there will not be an iPhone 14 mini this year.

A few refurbished iPhone 12 Pro configurations also remain in stock.

Apple prototyped at least three larger iMac models with Apple silicon chips last year, according to information shared by MacRumors forum member Amethyst back in March. The forum member said they obtained the details from an acquaintance.

We've elected to share this iMac information given that Amethyst accurately revealed details about the Mac Studio before anyone else, including the name of the computer and that it would be available with a doubled-up version of the M1 Max chip with a 20-core GPU and 48-core GPU. Amethyst also shared accurate details about the Studio Display.

The three iMacs that Apple prototyped were as follows, according to Amethyst:

• The first one prior to August 2021 used the same design as the discontinued Intel-based 27-inch iMac from 2020 with an M1 chip
• The second one around August 2021 used the same design as the 24-inch iMac, but with a 27-inch display and an M1 chip
• The third one around November 2021 used the same design as the 24-inch iMac, but with a 27-inch XDR display, black finish, and M1 Max chip

As of March, Amethyst's source said they were not aware of any other larger iMac models having been prototyped by Apple since the aforementioned three.

The most interesting prototype described was a 27-inch iMac with the same design as the colorful 24-inch iMac, but in a sleeker black finish and with an XDR display, which likely would have meant a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and high brightness.

While the forum member has a proven track record given the accurate Mac Studio information, there is no guarantee that this iMac-related information is accurate or that Apple plans to release any of the larger iMac models that it allegedly prototyped, especially given that the prototyping is said to have occurred last year.

Apple discontinued its Intel-based iMac Pro and 27-inch iMac models over the last year and a bit, leaving the 24-inch iMac with the M1 chip as Apple's sole all-in-one desktop computer right now. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have both claimed that a larger iMac powered by Apple silicon could make a comeback as early as 2023, but details about the computer's design and chip options are not entirely clear.

Mac Pro

Earlier this month, citing the same source, Amethyst also shared details about an alleged pre-production Mac Pro logic board that includes an Apple silicon chip with a 40-core CPU (32 performance cores, eight efficiency cores) and a 128-core GPU. This prototype Mac Pro board is also said to include at least one PCIe x16 slot.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported on the exact same core counts for a future Apple silicon version of the Mac Pro back in May 2021, so it possible that the logic board is for an older Mac Pro prototype based on the M1 series of chips, and it may never be released. In his newsletter last month, Gurman said the new Mac Pro will be available with M2 Ultra and "M2 Extreme" chips, but he did not reveal the core counts for those chips.

Amethyst's forum post about the Mac Pro was recently surfaced by YouTube channel Max Tech.

Apple today seeded the second betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 to public beta testers, opening up the iOS 16 beta testing process to the general public. Today's beta comes a little over two weeks after the first public beta, and it corresponds with the fourth developer beta.

Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's free beta testing program can download the second iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 betas over the air after installing the proper certificate from the Public Beta website.

For new features and changes in the second public beta of iOS 16, check out our list of everything new. There are updates to the iMessage edit/undo send features, enhanced Lock screen notification settings, new Home app and CarPlay wallpapers, and more. Apple has also released an ActivityKit beta for developers to test the Live Activities feature.

iOS 16 brings an overhauled Lock Screen with customizable wallpapers, time, and widgets, plus notifications have been updated to roll in from the bottom of the display. Multiple Lock Screens are supported and can be linked with Focus modes.

The Messages app supports editing and deleting messages as well as marking messages unread. SharePlay is no longer limited to FaceTime, so Messages can be used for communication between people sharing content with one another. ‌FaceTime‌ calls can be handed off from one device to another, and the Health app gains a new Medications feature for tracking the vitamins and medicine that you take.

Apple is replacing passwords with Passkeys, and Safari now supports Shared Tab Groups for collaborating. In the Mail app, you can schedule emails, cancel sending, and receive follow-up reminders, and the Maps app supports multi-stop routing.

iCloud Shared Photo Library offers a convenient way to share a photos with family members, and Apple Pay Later will let users pay for ‌Apple Pay‌ purchases in fee-free installments. For the iPad, iPadOS 16 brings a Weather app and a new multi-tasking system called Stage Manager, but it's only for iPads with Apple silicon chips.

There are tons more features in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, with a full rundown available in our dedicated roundups.

Apple today seeded the second beta of macOS Ventura to its public beta testing group, allowing non-developers to test the new macOS Ventura operating system ahead of its release. The second beta comes a little over two weeks after the first public beta and it corresponds with the fourth developer beta.

Public beta testers can download the macOS 13 Ventura update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.

macOS Ventura introduces Stage Manager, a new multi-tasking option for focusing on a task while having other apps waiting in the wings. ‌Stage Manager‌ puts your main app front and center, tucking your other apps to the side for quick access.

Continuity Camera allows you to use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac, offering much better camera quality than the built-in Mac camera. Apple is building special stands to hold the iPhone with a Mac, and there are neat features like Desk View, which uses the Ultra Wide lens.

Handoff now works with FaceTime so you can answer calls on the Mac and then transfer them over to another device, and Messages is gaining undo, edit, and mark as unread features. SharePlay now works in Messages in addition to ‌FaceTime‌, and the Mail app has been overhauled. Search is more relevant, emails can be scheduled, and there's even an option to undo an email for up to 10 seconds after it's sent.

Apple brought the Weather and Clock apps to the Mac, redesigned System Preferences and renamed it System Settings, and added support for Shared Tab Groups. Passwords are being replaced with more secure Passkeys in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, and there are updates to Spotlight, Visual Lookup, Live Text, and more.

There are a ton of other features in macOS Ventura, and we have a full rundown available in our dedicated macOS Ventura roundup.

Apple today seeded the second beta of tvOS 16 to its public beta testing group, allowing members of the public to download and test the new update on Apple TV HD and ‌Apple TV‌ 4K models. The second beta comes a little over two weeks after the first public beta and it corresponds with the fourth developer beta.

Public beta testers can download the tvOS 16 beta update by opening up the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌, navigating to the Software Updates section under "System," and then toggling on "Get public Beta Updates" after signing up to beta test on Apple's public beta website.

tvOS 16 adds cross-device connectivity, which will let developers integrate ‌Apple TV‌ apps with iPhone and iPad apps to unlock new experiences on the ‌Apple TV‌. Multiple user profiles have also been improved through a shared keychain feature that cuts down on logins.

Game controller support has been expanded to the Nintendo Joy-Cons and Nintendo Pro Controller. In the future, the ‌Apple TV‌ will support Matter, an upcoming smart home standard that will improve interoperability between accessories from different companies.

tvOS 16 is set to come out this fall, and it will go through several rounds of beta testing before launch.

Apple today released the second HomePod Software 16 update for its public beta testing group, with the new software coming a little over two weeks after the first public beta. This is the first ‌HomePod‌ beta that Apple has provided to public beta testers.

The ‌HomePod‌ Software 16 update can be downloaded from Apple's beta site after installing the iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 software updates. From there, users will need to go to the Home app, select the Settings option, and choose Software Update.

‌HomePod‌ users with the iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 update can then enroll their HomePod mini in the beta program. It is worth noting that the beta is only available on the ‌HomePod mini‌, and it cannot be installed on the larger and now-discontinued ‌HomePod‌.

Backbone today announced the release of a new PlayStation Edition of its popular game controller for the iPhone. There is also a new dedicated section inside the Backbone app for iOS with new releases and updates from PlayStation.

The new controller was created in partnership with Sony and inspired by the design of the PS5's wireless DualSense controller, including transparent button faces. The controller is priced at $99.99 in the United States and is available to order starting today in a white color matching the PS5 console, in addition to a black option.

Backbone says the controller is compatible with all iPhones, with an adapter included in the box for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Users can simply snap an iPhone into the controller and begin playing PlayStation games via the PS Remote Play app, or games on the App Store, Apple Arcade, Xbox Remote Play, and more.

The controller connects to and is charged by the iPhone via Lightning, and there is an additional Lightning connector for pass-through charging. The controller also has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a button for capturing screenshots and game clips, and a button to open the Backbone app. The controller can be collapsed/folded when not being used.

Customers who purchase the Backbone One PlayStation Edition controller can receive some perks, such as a free one-month subscription to Apple Arcade if they have not already subscribed to the service, along with three months of Discord Nitro for free and more.

iPhones have already supported PS5 DualSense and Xbox Series X/S controllers via Bluetooth since the release of iOS 14.5 last year.

Roughly a week after the last Beats Studio Buds collaboration launch involving Twitch streamer NICKMERCS, Apple's Beats brand is launching a new special-edition version of the earphones in partnership with design firm Futura Laboratories.

The new collaboration comes almost a decade after the original collaboration between Beats and Futura Laboratories founder FUTURA, with the first having been for Solo HD headphones back in 2013.

The new Futura X Beats Studio Buds feature the artist's signature "atom" motif and will be available starting Saturday, July 30, at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time from Futura Laboratories Online, END Clothing, and Beats' WeChat store. Pricing will be at the usual Beats Studio Buds price point of $149.99, £129, or ¥1099 RMB.

As with the NICKMERCS collaboration, FUTURA has also developed a custom Apple Music playlist featuring songs that are "reflective of his New York City background" and which resonate with him.

Today we're tracking a pair of deals on the AirPods Pro and AirPods 3, available at Amazon and B&H Photo respectively.

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.

Starting with the AirPods Pro with MagSafe, you can get this model for $179.99 on Amazon, down from $249.00. This price is about $10 higher than the price we tracked during Prime Day, making it a solid second-best deal on the 2021 AirPods Pro.

Secondly, you can get the AirPods 3 for $159.99 at B&H Photo, down from $179.00. Stock on the AirPods 3 has been low at many retailers in late July, with only B&H Photo offering a solid deal as well as free expedited shipping.

We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones. If you want a breakdown of all the differences and similarities between each model, be sure to read our AirPods 3 vs AirPods Pro Buyer's Guide.

Apple is erroneously sending emails to users asking them to update their iTunes Connect banking information, but the users receiving the emails often have no content being distributed via the service.

Users have flocked to Twitter to share their confusion over the email, which reads, "we're reaching out because your banking information in iTunes Connect is invalid and needs to be corrected to ensure the successful payment of any amounts owed to you."

For many users, the email is signed by the Apple Music Team, which would imply those receiving the email are artists with content on ‌Apple Music‌. For reference, iTunes Connect is what producers, artists, writers, and more use to distribute their content across Apple's platforms.

"Once your banking information is corrected, it may take up to two payment cycles to send your payment. If you have any questions, contact us," the email continues. For users who do not use iTunes Connect, it's probably safe to simply ignore the email.

Apple is opening a new development site in Jerusalem, Israel, to develop new Apple silicon chips for future Macs.

Elad Wertheimer, responsible for Apple silicon talent sourcing, made the announcement in a post on LinkedIn (via the Times of Israel). The Apple development facility will participate in several Israel-led flagship projects, with "future processors for the Mac" being at the forefront, according to Wertheimer. Engineers are already being recruited for the new site.

Apple already operates two research and development sites in Herzliya and Haifa. Johny Srouji, senior vice president of hardware technologies at Apple is from the country and was responsible for setting up the Israeli development centers where the company now employs around 2,000 people. Last month, he told Globes:

Through Israeli development, Apple manages and streamlines the data storage technology in a range of devices: Wireless communication components for the Apple Watch, as well as the integrated circuits that were developed in Israel, and the jewel in the crown: the Israeli team played a central role in developing the premium version of the company's flagship M1 processor, including the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips designed to support premium Mac computers such as MacBook Pro and MacBook Studio. These chips were built here in Israel while working with other teams worldwide, including at the headquarters in Cupertino.

Apple has significantly expanded its presence in Israel since 2011, with a focus on silicon and semiconductor design, testing, and engineering. Earlier this year, the Times of Israel reported that Apple's Israeli teams were directly behind the development of the M1 chip.

Apple has once again delayed the opening of its first physical retail store in India, The Economic Times reports.

The store was originally planned to open in 2021, but the global health crisis and economic uncertainty forced Apple to delay the opening. Now, Apple has decided to delay the launch until early 2023, with today's report saying the company is aiming for a launch between the January and March timeframe. The store in Mumbai is set to be 22,000 square feet and will be a "landmark" store known for its iconic design.

Apple is also planning a second, smaller store in New Delhi that will measure 10,000-12,000 square feet. Beyond those two stores, Apple is also looking at other possible locations in malls and high-end shopping districts across India with the intent of making retail a large part of its presence in the country.

In 2020 Apple opened its online store in India, offering Indian customers a direct way to purchase products directly from Apple without having to go through an authorized premium reseller. Apple executives have repeatedly stressed the importance of the Indian market. Most notably, Apple began production of the iPhone 13 in the country earlier this year.