Priced at $60, the Magnetic Stand for iPad mini 6 is a floating stand that holds the iPad mini in place with magnets, turning it into the perfect desktop device. The Magnetic Stand has an arm that's quite similar to what you might see on an iMac, so paired with a keyboard and mouse, the stand can offer a Mac-style workstation.
It's also a handy stand to have if you plan to use the iPad mini 6 with Universal Control on a Mac, because it can be used to position the iPad mini right next to your Mac's display. The stand holder has a hinge that allows for a 360 degree swivel, so you can use it in landscape mode, portrait mode, or anything in between to get the ideal viewing position. Anti-slip pads are located on the bottom of the stand, ensuring it stays secured in place.
Lululook offers the Magnetic Stand in silver aluminum or gray aluminum to match your desktop setup, and the magnets that are included are strong enough to securely hold the iPad mini in place. It can be used for gaming, FaceTiming, web browsing, and more, and with the hole in the stand, charging while using it is possible.
You'll need to supply a USB-C cable, but Lululook is offering a slim GaN 33W USB-C charger to go along with the stand so you can charge your iPad mini or other accessories. The Wall Charger is priced at $17, and it's smaller than the standard chargers that come with Apple's iPads.
We have 10 of the Lululook Magnetic Stands for iPad mini 6 to give away, and each winner will also get one of the 33W chargers. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (February 25) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 4. The winners will be chosen randomly on March 4 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Apple requires all apps that browse the web in iOS and iPadOS to use its own browser engine, WebKit, but amid accusations of anti-competitive conduct, should it continue to effectively ban rival browser engines?
Big tech has been gripped by accusations of anti-competitive conduct in recent times, with Chief Executive of the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Andrea Coscelli declaring in a press release:
Apple and Google have developed a vice-like grip over how we use mobile phones and we're concerned that it's causing millions of people across the UK to lose out.
Among these accusations of anti-competitive conduct, Apple has been criticized for demanding apps that browse the web to use the WebKit framework and WebKit Javascript on iOS and iPadOS, in a policy that effectively bans non-WebKit based browsers. Apple's App Store Review Guidelines state:
2.5.6 Apps that browse the web must use the appropriate WebKit framework and WebKit Javascript.
There is heated debate around this requirement, with some developers and regulatory agencies contending that it actively stifles innovation on iOS and iPadOS, while Apple argues that it is necessary to protect user security and privacy, as well as prevent the dominance of Chromium.
Why Apple Could Be Right to Ban Rival Browsers
Google's Chromium is the technology behind many popular browsers including Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera. Some have argued that Chromium's dominance is leading to a "browser monoculture," stifling the development of rival web technologies. A tweet from Jen Simmons, an Apple Evangelist and developer advocate for Safari, appears to suggest the importance of maintaining the WebKit restriction for this reason:
Gosh. Catching up with tech Twitter this morning and there seems to be an angry pocket of men who really want Safari to just go away.
Do we really want to live in a 95% Chromium browser world? That would be a horrible future for the web. We need more voices, not fewer.
— Jen Simmons (@jensimmons) February 7, 2022
According to data from web analytics service StatCounter, Safari holds a 9.84 percent market share of desktop browsers compared to Google Chrome's overwhelming 65.38 percent. Safari currently has a more secure position on mobile platforms than it does on desktops, but it still comes second to Google Chrome. Despite Safari being the default browser on the iPhone and iPad, Safari has a 26.71 percent market share on mobile, while Chrome dominates both iOS and Android with a market share of 62.06 percent. Beyond Chrome, Chromium-based browsers, such as Microsoft Edge, dominate the other most popular browsers.
If Apple stops mandating the use of WebKit on iOS and iPadOS, the developers behind the mobile versions of browsers like Chrome and Edge could switch to Chromium like their desktop counterparts, enabling Chromium to obtain even larger overall market share and potentially limit the chances of rival technologies competing with it.
Apple told us that only allowing WebKit on iOS is motivated primarily by security and privacy considerations. In particular, many modern websites run code from unknown developers. Apple told us that because of the WebKit restriction, it is able to address security issues across all browsers on the iPhone, for all iPhone users, quickly and effectively (given there is only one browser engine). It further told us that, in Apple's opinion, WebKit offers a better level of security protection than Blink and Gecko.
Apple argues that, since it controls WebKit and it is the only browser engine on these devices, the restriction allows the company to make sweeping security and privacy improvements across all browsers on the iPhone and iPad, providing a better user experience and preventing fragmentation. It also claims that WebKit is more secure than rival browser engines.
Why Apple Could Be Wrong to Ban Rival Browsers
Others have argued that the WebKit restriction actively harms browser competition on iOS. The CEO of Epic Games, Tim Sweeney, was at the center of a tumultuous dispute with Apple about App Store fees and now says that the WebKit restriction is anti-competitive and uninclusive:
I believe Google, who also blocks competing browser engines, should open up the Google Play Store to browser engine competition. I’d love to see Apple ship Safari on Google Play and to see Google ship the full version of Chrome on iOS. Include ALL the browsers!
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) February 8, 2022
Apple's policies around WebKit have caught the attention of regulatory agencies, such as the CMA, which has heavily criticized the restriction:
We have found that by requiring all browsers on iOS devices to use its WebKit browser engine, Apple controls and sets the boundaries of the quality and functionality of all browsers on iOS. It also limits the potential for rival browsers to differentiate themselves from Safari. For example, browsers are less able to accelerate the speed of page loading and cannot display videos in formats not supported by WebKit. Further, Apple does not provide rival browsers with the access to the same functionality and APIs that are available to Safari. Overall, this means that Safari does not face effective competition from other browsers on iOS devices.
The evidence also suggests that browsers on iOS offer less feature support than browsers built on other browser engines, in particular with respect to web apps. As a result, web apps are a less viable alternative to native apps from the App Store for delivering content on iOS devices.
The CMA highlighted that app developers cannot differentiate their browsers from Safari, while web developers are bound by the features that WebKit supports.
Importantly, due to the WebKit restriction, Apple makes decisions on whether to support features not only for its own browser, but for all browsers on iOS. This not only restricts competition (as it materially limits the potential for rival browsers to differentiate themselves from Safari on factors such as speed and functionality) but also limits the capability of all browsers on iOS devices, depriving iOS users of useful innovations they might otherwise benefit from.
The debate also links to Apple's long-running reticence to allow app sideloading on iOS and iPadOS. The only practical obstruction to developers shipping web apps on iOS and iPadOS that are indistinguishable from native apps, outside of top level games, is Apple's WebKit restriction and control over Safari. If developers could use a different browser to open web apps, sideloading from the web effectively becomes possible.
It is also of note that CMA does not accept Apple's argument that limiting web browsing on iOS and iPadOS to WebKit is better for performance and tackling security vulnerabilities:
Overall, the evidence we have received to date does not suggest that Apple's WebKit restriction allows for quicker and more effective response to security threats for dedicated browser apps on iOS...
[...]
... the evidence that we have seen to date does not suggest that there are material differences in the security performance of WebKit and alternative browser engines.
Amid the ongoing debate, some developers have rallied behind the Twitter hashtag #AppleBrowserBan and launched an advocacy group to express their frustration with Apple's WebKit restriction.
Final Thoughts
The discussion around Apple's WebKit restriction is growing to be at the forefront of many issues with browsing on iOS and iPadOS. It remains open to debate whether allowing non-WebKit based browsers onto iOS like Firefox, Chrome, and Edge would be good for users or diminish the experience and security of browsing on the iPhone and iPad. Would allowing Chromium onto iOS, for example, lead to a browser monoculture where Safari has less than a five percent market share? Would lifting the WebKit restriction be good for browser engine competition or cement the dominance of Chromium?
As a result, Apple is facing pressure to improve relations with developers, as well as make Safari and WebKit more compelling, but it is unclear whether any of this is enough to prompt the company to change its position on the WebKit restriction. There is also the question of whether Apple can realistically continue to maintain its policy in the face of increasing regulatory pressure.
Today we're tracking a trio of charging deals from companies including Bluetti, Nimble, and Hyper. These discounts can help you save on powerful portable generators, MagSafe-compatible wireless chargers, and USB-C charging accessories.
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.
Bluetti
Bluetti has kicked off its Spring Sale this week, offering savings on its line of high-capacity portable generators. All of these can be found on Amazon, with up to $200 in savings across the sale. Note that two of the generators require you to clip an on-page coupon to see the sales.
At Nimble, you can get the APOLLO Wireless Bundle for $37.49, down from $49.95. This 25 percent off sale will only last through the end of February, and it doesn't require any discount code to apply.
The APOLLO Wireless Bundle includes the APOLLO Wireless Pad and a 20W USB-C Wall Charger. The accessory is compatible with Apple products like iPhone 13, AirPods, and AirPods Pro. It's compatible with MagSafe, supporting easy magnetic alignment with iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and the new AirPods Pro.
Nimble's accessory features an anti-slip surface made from recycled silicone, and an ultra-thin design with a total surface area of 3.78 inches. All of Nimble's products are made with certified recycled materials, including plastic-free packaging.
Hyper
Hyper's Presidents' Day sale is still going on today, and it offers a bundle of the HyperDrive DUO 7-in-2 USB-C Hub and HyperJuice GaN 100W Charger for $139.99, down from $199.98. This sale will run through February 27, and it doesn't require a discount code.
The HyperDrive DUO 7-in-2 USB-C Hub is a 7-port hub that fits into the newest MacBook Pro's USB-C ports with a magnetic grip. In terms of ports it has HDMI, USB-C (2x), USB-A (2x), SD, and MicroSD.
The HyperJuice GaN 100W Charger includes four total ports (2x USB-c and 2x USB-A) in a small form factor. It features a foldable wall plug and international converters for travel, including EU, UK, and AU pin converters.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
Apple's iPhone 13 lineup led global smartphone revenues to a new high of $448 billion in 2021, Counterpoint reports.
Smartphone revenues grew seven percent year-on-year and 12 percent quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter of 2021, despite difficulties caused by component shortages. Apple's iPhone revenue is believed to have increased 35 percent year-on-year to $196 billion in 2021, its highest ever quarterly revenue. This enabled it to capture 44 percent of total global smartphone revenue that year.
As well as leading global revenues to the new high, the success of the iPhone 13 lineup pushed up the average selling price of smartphones by 12 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2021. This was also aided by the proliferation of 5G-enabled devices, which made up more than 40 percent of global smartphone shipments in 2021, compared to just 18 percent in 2020.
The average selling price of iPhones also increased by 14 percent due to demand for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups, reaching $825. Apple also bolstered its market share with gains in key emerging markets, including India, Thailand, Vietnam and Brazil.
The top five smartphone brands contributed more than 85 percent of the total smartphone revenue. Samsung's smartphone revenue increased by 11 percent year-on-year, while Xiaomi and Oppo increased by 49 percent and 47 percent respectively. Amid rapid expansion, both Xiaomi and Oppo recently set out plans to directly challenge Apple on a global scale in the premium smartphone segment.
Apple is exploring the possibility of integrating a fully functioning Mac within a keyboard, reminiscent of home computers of the 80s, such as the Commodore 64 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum.
The concept was revealed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in a new Apple patent application called "Computer in an input device," which describes a thicker Magic Keyboard-style chassis with "all the components of a high performance computer" integrated under the hood.
The patent describes the premise for such a device, which could be plugged into a separate external display via a single I/O port designed to receive both data and power, and wirelessly paired with a trackpad or mouse for additional input.
Although portable computing devices, such as laptops and tablets, can be docked at an office or home-office station that includes a secondary display to provide a computing experience that is similar to a desktop computing experience, these devices still require an additional set of input devices to imitate a desktop computing device. Further, the primary display of devices such as laptops and tablets often may not be used when the device is docked to a station that includes a secondary display, adding potentially unnecessary size and cost to such portable computing devices.
The computing devices described herein can incorporate or otherwise house one or more computing components within an input device to provide a portable desktop computing experience at any location having one or more computer monitors. For example, a user can transport a keyboard that houses a computer, as opposed to carrying an entire laptop or a tower and keyboard. As some form of an input device is often required for interacting or interfacing with a computing device, including computing components within the housing or enclosure of an input device can eliminate the need for redundant sets of input devices and reduces the number of components that need to be transported by the user. Further the input device can eliminate additional components such as displays, that are not required when used with a standalone computer monitor, thereby reducing costs and size.
By including the computing components in the keyboard, Apple suggests this could allow a user to carry a single device that can provide a desktop computing experience at any location having one or more external displays.
In some embodiments, the device includes a trackpad "coupled" to the enclosure, while in others the device is foldable and the keyboard area includes an "accessory display" showing graphics, or the keyboard itself is virtually displayed from a projector contained inside the enclosure.
The rest of the patent explores in detail various configurations of internal computer components within the space afforded by the keyboard chassis.
Apple has filed patents for keyboards in the past, including one that uses a touchscreen panel similar to the Touch Bar that extends to the entire keyboard layout, but this is the first patent to suggest actually incorporating a computer into the keyboard itself.
As with any filed patent, the technology is unlikely to appear in any product soon, if at all, but it does offer an interesting look at how Apple is considering Mac designs that could ultimately replace or be offered alongside the Mac mini, which allows users to bring their own display, keyboard, and mouse.
Consumer spending on the top 100 non-game subscription-based apps across mobile platforms grew 41% year-on-year to $18.3 billion in 2021, up from 13 billion in 2020, according to a new report from analytics firm Sensor Tower.
According to the data, revenue from subscription apps purchased on the App Store and the Google Play Store represented around 14% of the $131.6 billion that consumers spent on in-app purchases last year, up from 11.7% in 2020.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, however, 86 of the top 100 earning non-game apps worldwide offered subscriptions, which is actually down slightly from 87 in the same quarter of 2020.
In keeping with historical trends, spending on subscription-based apps in Apple's App Store was vastly more than in the Google Play Store:
As in previous years, consumers spent more on subscription-based apps downloads from the App Store than on Google Play. The top 100 non-game subscription apps on the App Store generated $13.5 billion in 2021, up 31 percent Y/Y from $10.3 billion. Worldwide consumers spent $4.8 billion on the top 100 subscription apps on Google's marketplace, up 78 percent from $2.7 billion in 2020. While the top subscription apps on Google Play experienced more growth, the top apps on the App Store saw nearly three times as much spending last year.
Like in 2020, the only performance indicator in which the Google Play Store beat the App Store was in terms of year-on-year growth for U.S. user spending on subscription apps.
Consumer spending in the U.S. saw a similar breakdown, with the top 100 subscription apps generating $6 billion on the App Store, up 33 percent Y/Y from $4.5 billion. The cohort saw approximately $2.5 billion in consumer spending on Google Play, up 79 percent from $1.4 billion in 2020.
Google parent company Alphabet was once again the big winner this year in terms of subscription app spending, both globally and in the U.S. YouTube generated $1.2 billion worldwide and $566.5 million in the U.S., while Google One saw $1.1 billion worldwide and $698 million in the U.S. in 2021.
Despite the numbers, subscription-based apps generally divide App Store users between those for and against the revenue model. Apple began incentivizing developers to sell their apps for a recurring fee instead of a one-time cost when it made changes to its App Store subscription policies in 2016. Usually, Apple takes 30 percent of app revenue, but developers who are able to maintain a subscription with a customer longer than a year see Apple's cut drop down to 15 percent.
Apple News has rolled out local news coverage in Canada, according to Apple blogger and YouTuber Rene Ritchie. The first local news content will be available in Toronto and Montreal and will feature coverage from CTV News, Toronto Star, La Presse, Narcity, and other news outlets.
The move follows similar local news coverage expansions last October in the US, covering Charlotte, Miami, and Washington D.C. Apple News local coverage in the US can also be found in San Francisco, the Bay Area, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, and San Antonio.
Last month MacRumorsfound code in the first beta of iOS 15.4 that suggests Apple is planning to expand the sports content available in its Apple News app. To offer a more tailored news experience, users will be able to select their preferred sports leagues and their favorite teams, with Apple then providing the appropriate news.
If you find yourself regularly swiping to a different watch face on your Apple Watch depending on what you're doing or where you are, this article is for you. Because thanks to the power that Apple has built into its Shortcuts app, it's possible to make the watch face on your Apple Watch automatically change based on the time of day or your location. Keep reading to learn how.
One of the great things about the Apple Watch is the number of watch faces you can customize, which allows you to make certain faces more informative or more functional for different purposes, and then swipe to them when you need them. When you go to the office, for example, you can have a watch face filled with work-focused complications. Or you might swipe to a minimal watch face in the evening when you're winding down before bed.
If you tend to set up different watch faces in such a way, then it's worth considering creating an automation in iOS that can change the watch face on your Apple Watch for you when you need it, without you having to even raise your wrist. With the Shortcuts app, you can.
If you've never created a shortcut before, don't worry – the steps below show you how easy this particular automation is to set up. The only thing to bear in mind is that if you want your Apple Watch to change back to another watch face after a certain time (when your working day is at an end, for example) then you'll need to set up a second, separate automation for this to happen.
Likewise, if you want the watch face to only be active when you're at a particular location and then revert when you leave, then unless you want to dig deeper into the complex world of Shortcuts, a second automation is required.
How to Automatically Change Your Apple Watch Face At a Certain Time
Launch the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
Tap the Automation tab at the bottom of the screen.
Tap Create Personal Automation.
Select Time of Day.
Choose Sunrise or Sunset (after which you'll be given the option to define a specific time around these solar events), or specify any time with Time of Day. (Note the Repeat options include Daily, Weekly, and Monthly.) Then tap Next.
Tap Add Action, then use the search field to look up "Watch."
Select Set Watch Face from the results list of watch actions.
On the Actions screen, immediately below "Set active watch face to," tap the word Face in blue.
Choose the watch face you'd like to change to at the specified time. Note the list here uses Apple's official names for its watch faces, so you may see some duplicates. That's because the list corresponds to the current watch faces arranged on your watch, with the top watch face in the list being the one you see when you've swiped to the first (leftmost) face on your Apple Watch.
Tap Next when the Actions screen reappears, then toggle off the switch next to Ask Before Running and confirm by tapping Don't Ask at the prompt.
Tap Done to finish.
You should now see the automation you just created on the Automation screen. You don't have to do anything else – your watch face should now automatically change at the time you set.
How to Automatically Change Your Apple Watch Face Based on Location
Launch the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
Tap the Automation tab at the bottom of the screen.
Tap Create Personal Automation.
Select Arrive or Leave, depending on when you want the watch face to change.
Choose the Location, and select it either by searching or entering the address, then tap Next.
Tap Add Action, then use the search field to look up "Watch."
Select Set Watch Face from the results list of watch actions.
On the Actions screen, immediately below "Set active watch face to," tap the word Face in blue.
Choose the watch face you'd like to change to when arriving at or leaving the specified location. Note the list here uses Apple's official names for its watch faces, so you may see some duplicates. That's because the list corresponds to the current watch faces arranged on your watch, with the top watch face in the list being the one you see when you've swiped to the first (leftmost) face on your Apple Watch.
Tap Next when the Actions screen reappears.
Tap Done on the last screen to finish.
You should now see the automation you just created on the Automation screen. You don't have to do anything else – your watch face should now automatically change either when you leave or arrive at the location you selected.
These two automations barely touch the surface of what is possible with the Shortcuts app. For example, you can create actions using predefined shortcuts in order to build complex automations that take in all manner of conditions and variables for when your watch face should change. Ultimately, the complexity of your automations depends on how much time you want to invest in discovering what's possible, and the only limit is your imagination.
Belkin today announced the launch of the CONNECT Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock, which is a docking station that offers Thunderbolt 4 connectivity for 40Gb/s total bandwidth and support for fast charging, dual display support, and more.
The CONNECT Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock is compatible with both Macs and PCs, offering 12 power, data, and video ports. It includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports (one upstream and one downstream), two HDMI 2.0 ports, a USB-C port, two USB 3.1 USB-A ports, two USB 2.0 USB-A ports, an SD card slot, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
It supports a single 8K display at up to 30Hz, two 4K displays at up to 60Hz, and three displays with select laptop models. The USB-C port offers PD 3.0 and supports up to 90W for charging connected devices.
Alongside the CONNECT Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock, Belkin today also debuted a Thunderbolt 4 cable that works alongside it. The cable offers 40Gb/s bandwidth and 100W Power Delivery.
Belkin's CONNECT Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock can be purchased from either Amazon.com or the Belkin website for $400, while the Thunderbolt 4 Cable is available from the Belkin website for $45 to $70.
Chipolo is an item tracking company that has embraced Apple's Find My network, and last May, it came out with one of the first Find My-enabled third party accessories, the Chipolo ONE Spot. Identical to the AirTag in almost every way, the Chipolo ONE Spot didn't have an edge over Apple's own item tracking solution, but Chipolo's $35 CARD Spot accessory beats out the AirTag when it comes to wallet tracking.
Design wise, the CARD Spot isn't much to look at because it's a simple credit card-sized black plastic insert that's meant to fit inside a wallet. It's got a Chipolo logo on one side along with a small button for pairing, along with some regulatory information on the other side.
Aside from that, it's just a plain black card, but what's impressive is its thinness. It measures in at 2.4mm thick, and the internet says that the average credit card is 0.76mm thick, so the CARD Spot is a little thicker than three credit cards. Based on my testing, that's accurate.
Comparing the CARD Spot to the credit cards in my wallet, it's just about the thickness of three of them stacked up on top of each other. So if your wallet fits a stack of three credit cards, it should fit the CARD Spot as well.
I have a relatively small card wallet that I use that holds about 10 cards and that is not sized for cash or other add-ins, and the CARD Spot fits inside perfectly in one of the slots. For those who use super slim wallets (like Apple's MagSafe Wallet), it may still be too thick, but I think many people will find it a better solution than anything AirTag related on the market.
There have been wallet inserts that accommodate an AirTag, but the AirTag is much thicker than the CARD Spot, so they're not a great option. I can fit the CARD Spot in my small wallet, but it definitely does not fit an AirTag. The CARD Spot offers IPX5 water resistance, so if your wallet accidentally gets wet, the tracker won't die on you. IPX5 is a low-pressure jet spray, so it still can't be dunked.
The major downside to the Chipolo CARD Spot is that there's no replaceable battery. It's designed to last for up to two years, but when the battery dies, the entire thing needs to be replaced. If you register your CARD Spot, Chipolo will send a 50 percent discount code for a new CARD Spot after two years and recycle the old one for free.
Like the AirTags and other Find My accessories, the CARD Spot can be located right alongside other Apple devices in the Find My app under the "Items" tab. You can give it a name and an emoji icon so it's easier to see at a glance.
The CARD Spot is compatible with the Find My network, which means it is able to leverage the Bluetooth connection of nearby Apple devices when lost to transmit its location back to you privately. It also supports "Notify When Left Behind," so if you're out somewhere and walk away from your wallet with the Chipolo CARD Spot inside, you'll be alerted.
Like AirTags, the CARD Spot is able to play a sound that's fairly loud at 105db so you can locate it nearby, and it has a 200 foot range for the sound option. There is no Precision Finding because it does not have U1 chip integration, and it's worth noting that this is an iPhone-only solution because it only works with the Find My app.
All Find My accessories have the same safety protections as the AirTags, so if a Chipolo CARD Spot is separated from its owner, it will send unknown item alerts and begin to play sounds after an 8 to 24 hour period.
Bottom Line
The Chipolo CARD Spot is the best wallet tracking device that I've used to date. It's thin enough to fit inside of most wallets and it offers all of the Find My benefits of an AirTag without the bulk. Compared to in-wallet solutions that use an actual AirTag, the CARD Spot is the superior option.
When it comes to price, the CARD Spot is $35, so it's $6 more expensive than the AirTag and $7 more expensive than the ONE Spot, but the convenience of having a slim tracker for the wallet will be worth the premium for some people. The major downside is that it needs to be replaced every two years, but $17.50 per year for peace of mind is a small price to pay, plus Chipolo has a discounted replacement program so the multi-year cost is lower.
How to Buy
The CARD Spot can be preordered from the Chipolo website for $35, and orders will ship out in April. There is a discounted two-pack available for $60, which drops the price to $30 per CARD Spot, and Chipolo also offers a bundle that includes a CARD Spot and a two Chipolo ONE Spots for $77.
Apple is finally catching up to demand for its latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, with wait times for both models in lower-end configurations substantially improving over the last month in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
As MacRumorsreported last month, across Apple's entire MacBook Pro line, customers were facing at least several weeks before they were estimated to receive either their 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro. Since then, Apple has significantly caught up with demand, as now, customers can get their hands on either model in their baseline configurations in two weeks or less.
Compared to just a few weeks ago when both baseline models of the 14-inch and 16-inch laptops were seeing wait times of six to eight weeks, estimated deliveries for both with the M1 Pro chip are now just five to seven days or up to at least two weeks, at the time of writing. However, the supply improvement stops short with only the M1 Pro chip, as M1 Max configurations of both sizes remain limited, with estimates indicating orders won’t arrive until at least early April.
We've tracked a few deals on the 14-inch MacBook Pro over the past few weeks, but discounts on the 16-inch version of the 2021 MacBook Pro have been less frequent. However, today Amazon has the 16-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16-core GPU, 512GB) for $2,299.00, down from $2,499.00.
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.
At $200 off, this is the best price we've ever seen on this model of the 16-inch MacBook Pro. It's only available in Space Gray, and at the time of writing only Amazon is offering this discount.
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.
Micro-OLED displays are built directly on to chip wafers rather than a glass substrate, which results in displays that are thinner, smaller, and more power efficient. They allow for pixel sizes in the range of four to 20 micrometers, compared to 40 to 300 micrometers with standard OLED panels. Micro OLED displays have a much faster microseconds response time, making it more suitable for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications.
A report from The Elec last year claimed that Apple's headset could feature high resolution micro OLED displays with up to 3,000 pixels-per-inch. The insightful Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also said that micro OLED displays will facilitate the headset's "see-through AR experience," as well as immersive VR.
ET News says that the micro OLED displays will be supplied by TSMC, the supplier behind all of the A-series and M-series chips used in Apple's devices. Nikkeipreviously claimed that Apple has partnered with TSMC to develop "ultra-advanced" micro OLED displays for "upcoming augmented reality devices" at a secret facility in Taiwan. On the other hand, other reports from Japan and display analyst Ross Young have been consistent in the claim that Apple will use micro OLED displays from Sony, rather than TSMC, so it is not entirely clear what is going on in Apple's supply chain.
Young said that Apple's headset will feature two Sony micro OLED displays and one AMOLED panel. The micro OLED displays will be the main displays for the headset, but it is not yet known exactly what the AMOLED display will be used for. Modern VR headsets do not use AMOLED technology because the pixel density is too low, so it is possible that Apple could use it for low-resolution peripheral vision or on the outside of the device.
Meanwhile, ET News claims that Samsung is planning to launch an AR device with "hologram" technology and a Exynos chip. This comes after reports of Samsung significantly falling behind in the rush to bring AR and VR devices to market, partially due to its "obsession" with foldable smartphones. Samsung is now said to be co-developing its AR device with Microsoft and DigiLens. The device has reportedly reached the prototyping stage and the company is rumored to be mulling potential launch dates.
While Apple's headset was widely believed to be scheduled to launch this year, a recent report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman cast doubt on the chances of the device emerging in 2022 due to development problems, with 2023 now looking more likely.
Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers will soon be able to repair Face ID on the iPhone XS and newer without having to replace the whole device, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors from a reliable source.
Apple said authorized technicians will soon have access to a new TrueDepth Camera service part containing all Face ID and front camera modules, allowing for same-unit repairs. Apple said the move will help to reduce the number of whole-unit repairs completed, as part of the company's commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of its products.
For customers, same-unit Face ID repairs could be more affordable than a whole-unit replacement, but the memo did not include pricing details.
Apple introduced Face ID on the iPhone X in 2017, but that device appears to be excluded from the new same-unit repair process for the TrueDepth system. The new service part will be available for the iPhone XS and newer.
Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers will be able to use the Apple Service Toolkit diagnostic tool to determine when to perform a same-unit Face ID repair instead of a whole-unit replacement or an "iPhone Rear System" repair. Apple said related documentation and training will be made available at a later date.
After Xiaomi pledged to aggressively challenge Apple earlier this month, Chinese smartphone brand Oppo is also now planning to directly compete with Apple on a global scale with a wave of premium devices, starting with the newly announced Find X5 (via South China Morning Post).
Oppo is currently the world's fourth-biggest smartphone vendor, but following its merger with OnePlus, the company reportedly has renewed zeal to create high-end smartphones that target international markets. The company is planning to use its Find series of devices and custom-designed chips to push into the premium segment that is currently dominated by Apple and Samsung, according to Zhang Zhouchuan, Oppo vice-president of overseas sales and service.
Oppo today announced its latest flagship smartphone, the Find X5, featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and the company's custom-designed MariSilicon X image processor that it unveiled in December 2021. The chip is specifically designed to boost camera capabilities and improve low-light video performance. Pricing for the Find X5 series has not yet been announced, but it is expected to be among the priciest devices ever sold by the company, pitting it directly against the iPhone 13 and Galaxy S22 lineups.
Beyond the MariSilicon X image processor in the Find X5, Oppo says that it is designing other custom chips to improve specific functions, including one for improving fast charging. While the company has been hit by the global chip shortage, Zhang said that it has allocated its chip inventory to prioritize premium models in key markets and is expecting supply issues to ease in mid-2022.
Oppo anticipates that sales of its high-end models, including the Find and OnePlus series, will double year on year in 2022 thanks to rapid growth in Western Europe and South America. Like Xiaomi, the company is also seeking to fill the void left by Huawei, which was previously China's largest smartphone vendor before being forced to pull out of the U.S. market.
Born on February 24, 1955, if Steve Jobs were alive today, he would celebrate his 67th birthday. Jobs, the co-founder and former CEO of Apple, tragically died in 2011 after his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was just 56.
Apple under Jobs unarguably changed the world, from the launch of the very first Apple computer in 1976 to the launch of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Jobs founded and ran the company alongside Steve Wozniak in 1976 but left the company in 1985 to create NeXT. Apple acquired NeXT in 1997, at which point Jobs rejoined the company and would remain CEO until he died in 2011.
After rejoining the company, Jobs oversaw the launch of multiple product launches that propelled Apple to become one of the biggest tech companies in the world. Driven initially by the Mac and iPod, Apple became a truly global hit following the launch of the iPhone in 2007. Jobs led Apple with a culture of innovation, which the company continues to operate under today.
After he died in 2011, Tim Cook, who previously served as Apple's head of operations, became CEO. Cook has said that Jobs' thinking, unwavering perfectionism, dedication to hard work, and lust for innovation are the "foundation of Apple."
Today also happens to be MacRumors' 22nd birthday. The site was founded on February 24, 2000, by Arnold Kim, just three years after Jobs returned to Apple. In its 22 years, MacRumors has grown right alongside Apple from what started as a side project to becoming the number one Apple news site on the internet.
Today and always, we're grateful to all of our dedicated readers, passionate community members, and volunteers, and we look forward to bringing you Apple news and rumors for the next 22 years. 🥂
Apple has previewed Apple Al Maryah Island, a new retail store from the company in Abu Dhabi's financial district that is set to open this Friday.
Elevated above steps of cascading water, Apple Al Maryah Island introduces several new store design elements that are reflective of its surroundings. "Absolute Black" granite stone has been used to pave two ramps that cut through the water and lead inside the store, while a golden carbon fiber roof, vaguely reminiscent of a MacBook lid, can be seen from above.
Visitors who enter from The Galleria Al Maryah Island Mall walk through a mirrored stainless steel portal surrounded by water jets that cascade over the exterior glass walls, while a 72-foot-long mirrored foil ceiling creates a kaleidoscopic effect, with water falling down the walls, and reflections seen above.
"We couldn't be more thrilled to open the stunning Apple Al Maryah Island this Friday," said Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's senior vice president of Retail + People. "Our talented team is ready to welcome and delight customers from this vibrant community to our newest location in the Emirates."
The store opens to first visitors on Friday, February 25, at 5 p.m. local time, and Apple has planned three special Today at Apple sessions that draw inspiration from the surroundings and creative culture of Abu Dhabi, including a Photo, Music, and Art Walk. For those seeking a closer view, YouTuber Emkwan has a first-look video of the store.
A leaked roadmap by Intel suggests that the company is developing a new lineup of CPUs that are targeted at outperforming Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips by late 2023, or early 2024, which would be almost two years after the new chips and laptop made their debut.
The roadmap by Intel, initially leaked by AdoredTV and interpreted by Wccftech, explicitly states that Intel wants to compete with Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro with its Arrow Lake series. According to the roadmap, Intel's 15th generation Arrow Lake processors could be ready to ship by late 2023, or early 2024 with a priority on delivering high-performance while using minimal energy.
With Arrow Lake, it looks like Intel is prioritizing mobile over desktop first and while there will be both Arrow Lake-S and Arrow Lake-P CPUs, the company is aiming to specifically produce its 15th Gen mobility CPUs first to tackle Apple's next-generation MacBook 14" laptops. Based on the leaked roadmap, it looks like we will see the first engineering samples ready by late 2022 and early 2023 with QS chips shipping out in Q3 2023 and final production beginning the same quarter. And lastly, the CPUs will be ready for RTS (Ready To Ship) in Q4 2023. So this means we are looking at a late 2023 or early 2024 launch for the next-generation Arrow Lake mobility CPU lineup.
The roadmap also says that Intel will utilize TSMC's 3nm process. Apple currently utilizes the 5nm process for its latest chips and is expected to adopt the 3nm chip architecture in 2023 with the "M3" Apple silicon chip and A17 chip in the iPhone 15.
Intel has already beaten Apple's M1 Max chip on paper if you ignore high-energy consumption and poor battery life. Benchmarks show that Intel's latest Core i9 processors received a higher score than Apple's M1 Max chip in tests, but that 4% increase in performance is offset by a marked reduction in battery life compared to Apple's chips. Tests show that a laptop with Intel's latest i9 Core chip only lasts six hours for video playback. In comparison, Apple advertises the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro as getting up to 21 hours of battery life for offline video playback.
Ever since Apple announced its transition away from Intel during the summer of 2020, it has been slowly transitioning its Macs to custom-made chips. So far, Apple has released four laptop computers with Apple silicon, alongside two desktop computers. In just a few weeks, Apple is expected to announce at least one new Mac with Apple silicon, with possibilities being a new high-end Mac mini and an update to the low-end 13-inch MacBook Pro.
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