MacRumors

Now that the new MacBook Pro models have been available for a week, we've been able to do more in-depth testing. In our latest YouTube video, we pit the entry-level 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with an M1 Pro chip against the high-end 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with an M1 Max chip to see just what you're getting with the upgrade to the ‌M1 Max‌.

Priced at $1,999, the base 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ features an ‌M1 Pro‌ chip with an 8-core CPU, a 14-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, and a 512GB SSD. The $3,499 high-end 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ we compared it to in this video has an ‌M1 Max‌ chip with 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 32GB unified memory, and 1TB SSD. The two machines represent the most affordable and the most expensive stock ‌MacBook Pro‌ models that don't take into account upgrade options.

In our testing, the ‌M1 Max‌ unsurprisingly outperformed the lower-end ‌M1 Pro‌ chip, but what was a bit of a surprise was how well even the base ‌M1 Pro‌ chip did in our tests.

In Final Cut Pro, a video export test saw the ‌M1 Max‌ machine export a 6-minute 4K video in one minute and 49 seconds, a task that took the ‌M1 Pro‌ 2 minute and 55 seconds. When it comes to 8K RAW footage, both machines were able to handle the load. The ‌M1 Max‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ performed close to flawlessly, while the ‌M1 Pro‌ had a few issues with dropped frames and stuttering, but was ultimately able to keep up.

For comparison's sake, the 2017 Mac Pro that we have is not able to handle 8K footage as well as the base model 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with ‌M1 Pro‌ chip. The ‌M1 Max‌ ultimately did better with our Final Cut Pro testing because of the 32 GPU cores, but the ‌M1 Pro‌ machine offered impressive performance.

In a Blender test, a complicated image of a classroom was rendered in just 8 minutes and 23 seconds on the ‌M1 Max‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌, a process that took the ‌M1 Pro‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ 10 minutes and 58 seconds.

We tested the memory in both machines by opening up a series of apps that one might use in a video editing workflow, like Final Cut Pro, Lightroom, Chrome, Safari, Music, and a few others, and there were zero performance hiccups across either ‌MacBook Pro‌ model. Intel machines with 16GB RAM often see issues with this same setup, so again, even the low-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ is doing well here. Both the 512GB SSD in the base model and the 1TB SSD in the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ performed about the same, with a 128GB file transferring from an external SSD to an internal SSD in 44 and 43 seconds, respectively.

As for straight Geekbench numbers, the ‌MacBook Pro‌ with ‌M1 Max‌ earned a single-core score of 1781 and a multi-core score of 12785, while the ‌MacBook Pro‌ with base ‌M1 Pro‌ chip earned a single-core score of 1666 and a multi-core score of 9924. Metal scores came in at 38138 for the ‌M1 Pro‌ and 64134 for the ‌M1 Max‌.

You're going to want to watch our full video for the complete performance comparison as we also did some other tests on the two machines. All in all, if you have a workflow where seconds matter, like exporting video or working with large 3D files, you're going to save time with the ‌M1 Max‌, but the ‌M1 Pro‌, even the base model, is still a very capable machine.

Apple's iCloud Private Relay option is not working for some users, according to Apple's System Status page. The feature is experiencing an outage and is unavailable at the current time.

According to Apple, the outage started at 11:40 a.m. Pacific Time and it is ongoing. Those who are having ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay issues may have received a notification letting them know that the feature is currently down, but will be re-enabled when it's back up and working.

On Apple devices, going to the ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay setting shows that it is temporarily unavailable due to a technical problem.

‌iCloud‌ Private Relay is an Apple service that ensures Safari traffic leaving an iPhone, iPad, or Mac is encrypted. It uses two separate internet relays to ensure that companies cannot access personal information like IP address, location, and browsing information to create a detailed profile about you.

‌iCloud‌ Private Relay is accessible to anyone with a paid ‌iCloud‌ account, priced starting at $0.99 per month.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg today announced changes to Facebook's "Subscriptions" tool, which will see Facebook testing Apple's App Store guidelines in an effort to secure more money for content creators.

With Subscriptions, content creators can allow their fans to sign up to pay them a monthly subscription fee, similar to Patreon. Going forward, Facebook is implementing a "promotional link" in the Facebook app for iOS that will allow Facebook users to subscribe to content creators without using Apple's in-app purchase system.

Zuckerberg said that Facebook wants to unlock "opportunities for creators to make more money" as it builds for the metaverse, and "the 30% fees that Apple takes on transactions make it harder to do that."

Facebook plans to offer the "promotional link" alongside in-app purchase options for subscriptions, and when people subscribe to creators using the Facebook link, creators are able to keep all of the money they earn without providing a 30 percent cut to Apple. From a blog post explaining the feature:

Earlier this year, as part of our commitment to supporting creators, we shared that Facebook would not collect any fees from creators on Subscriptions purchases until 2023, at the earliest. Creators, however, must still forfeit 15-30% of their earnings to companies like Apple whenever people purchase Subscriptions within the Facebook app on mobile devices. For recurring payments like subscriptions, this adds up quickly since that fee is paid every single month.

Starting today, we're offering creators the ability to direct people to a website to complete their Subscriptions purchase using Facebook Pay. When people purchase Subscriptions from this website on web or mobile, creators will be able to keep 100% of the money they earn, excluding taxes. Creators can find their personalized promotional link in Creator Studio, which they can share with their audiences, including over email or text.

It is unclear if Facebook's new Subscriptions payment alternative is entirely in line with Apple's App Store guidelines, but a Facebook spokesperson told The Verge that Facebook believes the approach that it's offering has "always been allowed on iOS."

Apple does not allow apps to offer alternative payment options for digital goods at the time, but Facebook is skirting this rule because creators are having people pay via the web, not Facebook, so it's a something of a gray area.

Facebook is also launching a bonus program to pay creators for each new subscriber added through the custom web link to encourage creators to sign up, and it is providing tools that will show creators how much of their earnings are going to fees from Apple and Google.

Apple recently made changes to its ‌App Store‌ rules that will see "reader" apps allowed to offer links for account signups outside of the ‌App Store‌ and that will allow developers to use communication methods like email to tell customers about alternative payment options. Apple may also be forced to implement further changes that would allow all developers to offer alternate payment links as a result of a ruling in the ongoing Epic v. Apple legal battle.

Apple today informed developers that they can invite people to try out early versions of Mac apps prior to release using the TestFlight platform, marking the end of a beta test that's been ongoing since August.

Mac app developers can invite up to 10,000 external testers through email or a public link, plus there are tools for creating multiple groups of internal testers and configuring build access for each one.

TestFlight has been available in a beta capacity for several months now, with developers able to use the app to test their own apps and apps from other developers. With the official launch of the feature, developers can also send the TestFlight betas to members of the general public. To test apps, testers will need to download the TestFlight app from the Mac App Store. [Direct Link]

The Apple Watch Series 7 comes in new 41mm and 45mm size options and it has the largest display of any Apple Watch to date, a design challenge that Apple executives called "unique" in an interview with The Independent.

Implementing the new design without major increases to the casing size required "completely re-engineering the display, the front crystal, the internals and the internal enclosure," according to Apple's vice president of product marketing, Stan Ng.

Apple was able to reduce the borders on the Series 7 to 1.7mm, down from 3mm in the Series 6, and it's a noticeable change. The Apple Watch Series 7's launch was delayed until October after its September introduction, and rumors suggested that was due to the complicated design necessitated by the updated display.

The size increase was implemented only because Apple found a way to do it without compromising on other Apple Watch features. The touch sensor was integrated into the OLED panel, which kept the height of the Apple Watch the same and the general case size consistent.

"The re-engineered display on Series 7 is a major technical innovation. Growing the display is such a huge benefit to users, but only if it doesn't compromise any other part of the experience, such as comfort or aesthetics or battery life or band compatibility."

Apple's vice president of interface design, Alan Dye, said the company's goal with the update was to "make the user experience more clear and more accessible." The size increase required Apple to make hundreds of small UI changes.

"We knew this was an opportunity to optimize the design of the entire experience. So, we went about over the past couple of years reconsidering and recrafting every element, making hundreds of really small but we think important and impactful changes to make the UI to work in harmony with the new display design and making the UI even easier to use."

Text input on the Apple Watch has always been "a huge challenge," according to Dye, so the QWERTY keyboard that was implemented with the larger display was an achievement. Dye says that Apple always wanted a QWERTY keyboard. The bezels around the keys were removed to make it feel less cramped, a move that also conveys to customers that "precision isn't critical" because the keyboard uses machine learning to correct what you want to type.

Going forward, Apple plans to continue to innovate on the Apple Watch user experience, the information that's displayed, and cutting down on wasted space.

The full interview, which goes into more detail on design decisions like the new Apple Watch faces and Apple's obsession with typography, can be read over at The Independent.

After releasing tvOS 15.1.1 for the Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K yesterday, Apple today introduced a new 15.1.1 software update designed for the HomePod.

According to Apple's release notes for the update, it addresses a problem that could cause podcasts to fail to play on the HomePod and HomePod mini.

‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ software is installed automatically on the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌ unless the feature is disabled‌‌‌‌, but the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ can also be manually updated in the Home app by following the instructions in our HomePod‌‌ update how to.

The HomePod 15.1.1 software comes a week after the launch of HomePod 15.1, an update that added Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio support to the HomePod. Lossless Audio is available on both the ‌HomePod‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌, while Spatial Audio is available on the larger-sized and now-discontinued ‌HomePod‌.

Apple this week also introduced the HomePod mini in three new colors that include orange, yellow, and blue.

Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi today expressed his opposition to a provision in Europe's proposed Digital Markets Act that would require the iPhone to allow sideloading of apps outside of the App Store.

Speaking at the Web Summit conference in Portugal, Federighi said sideloading would result in the "floodgates" opening to malware.

Federighi said that while the Digital Markets Act has an "admirable mission" to promote competition and ensure that users have choice, he believes that the provision requiring sideloading would be a "step backwards" that takes away a user's choice of a "more secure platform" in iOS compared to Android.

"As an engineer who wants iPhone to stay as secure as possible for our users, there is one part I worry about, and that's the provision that would require iPhone to allow sideloading," said Federighi. "In the name of giving users more choice, that one provision would take away user's choice of a more secure platform."

Federighi addressed a common suggestion that Apple should at least give users an option to allow sideloading, arguing that even if users have no intention of sideloading, they could be "routinely coerced or tricked into doing it."

Many of Federighi's talking points were ones that Apple previously touched on in an in-depth document shared last month.

A replay of Federighi's appearance is available on LinkedIn.

Apple today debuted "Hooked," a true-crime podcast, seemingly as the company's first wholly standalone original podcast series.

While Apple has already begun its venture into original podcasts with the likes of "Oprah's Book Club" and "For All Mankind: The Official Podcast," Hooked is the first Apple Original podcast that is seemingly not tied to an Apple TV+ series in any way.

"The Line" debuted earlier this year as an independent podcast, but it is set to be accompanied by an ‌Apple TV‌+ documentary series of the same name later in the fall. Hooked, on the other hand, has no apparent link to an ‌Apple TV‌+ series. Hooked is still published by ‌Apple TV‌+ in Apple Podcasts and it remains unclear if Apple will create a dedicated channel for Apple Original podcasts. Hooked is produced by Campside Media, and Apple describes the series as follows:

When Tony Hathaway was arrested outside a Seattle bank in February 2014, it brought an end to one of the most prolific bank robbery streaks in American history. Hathaway robbed 30 banks in a single year, all within a 30-mile radius of his suburban home. But that’s not the most surprising part of this story. Before Hathaway was a masterful bank robber—a shape-shifting professional who confounded multiple police departments and the FBI—he was a top design engineer at Boeing, one of America’s most important companies. Hathaway traveled the world in business class, working on the 747, while hiding a gigantic secret: an OxyContin addiction that ultimately unraveled his life. Based on three years of conversations between Hathaway and journalist Josh Dean, Hooked is a different kind of crime story that takes listeners on an exceptional and very personal tour of America’s opioid epidemic.

Apple has ramped up its podcast production output over the past year and is rumored to be working on a podcast streaming subscription service to better compete with Spotify. Hooked appears to be another step toward bolstering ‌Apple Podcasts‌' ability to rival Spotify.

The first three episodes of Hooked are available now in the Apple Podcasts app or via RSS in other podcast players, with new episodes becoming available on Wednesdays.

Yesterday, ‌Apple Podcasts‌ gained two new subscription-based channels: BBC Studios and Slate. BBC Studios gives subscribers in the U.S. and Canada access to shows that were previously only accessible in the UK.

Apple Fitness+, Apple's subscription-based fitness service, is now rolling out in 15 new countries, including Austria, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.

Priced at $9.99 per month, or available as part of the Apple One Premier bundle that has also expanded to new countries, Fitness+ offers users a catalog of workouts, all powered by the Apple Watch Series 3 or later. Fitness+ launched in December of last year in only the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Every week, Fitness+ gains new workouts and videos, meaning the catalog of workouts and styles to choose from is constantly growing. Fitness+ also includes Time to Walk, Guided Meditations, and more. With the launch of iOS and iPadOS 15.1, tvOS 15.1, and watchOS 8.1, Fitness+ can also be used with SharePlay, letting friends and family workout together over FaceTime.

The chip powering the next-generation iPhone will reportedly be based on a "4nm" process, an even smaller process compared to the 5nm process used in the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming report from DigiTimes.

Last year, Apple adopted a 5nm process with the A14 Bionic chip in the latest iPad Air and the iPhone 12 lineup. With the iPhone 13, it used an enhanced iteration of the 5nm process. For the iPhone 14, the report claims Apple and its chipmaking partner TSMC are looking to adopt a "4nm" process for the A16 Bionic, the likely name for the chip powering the next-generation iPhone.

A smaller process reduces a chip's physical footprint and offers improved performance and enhanced energy efficiency. A report yesterday by The Information claimed that TSMC and Apple are facing technical challenges in producing a 3nm chip, possibly being a reason the iPhone 14 will feature a "4nm" process instead.

Separate reports from earlier in the year have suggested that Apple has booked all of TSMC's production capacity for the ‌3nm‌ process, which could instead debut in the iPhone 15 and next-generation Apple silicon Mac computers in several years.

With the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro already released, we now await what Apple has in store for the iPhone 14. While we're still a little under a year away from its launch, rumors suggest that the iPhone 14 will feature one of the most significant iPhone redesigns of the past several years. Get caught up on the latest rumors about Apple's next-generation iPhone using our roundup.

Update: While the ‌DigiTimes‌ report said "Apple will likely adopt TSMC's 4nm process," TSMC refers to the process as "N4P" and describes it as a "third major enhancement of TSMC's 5nm family."

Today we're tracking a massive sale on Apple's 2021 iPad Pro lineup, including up to $150 off the 11-inch iPad Pro and 12.9-inch iPad Pro. For many of these tablets, Amazon's sale prices today are offering the lowest discounts we've ever seen, or matching the previous record lows on each device.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

We've collected every iPad Pro on sale this week in the lists below, including both Wi-Fi and Cellular models. All discounts have been applied automatically, so you won't need any coupon or code to see these sales. They're also all sold and shipped directly from Amazon.

It's also worth noting that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro Magic Keyboard in Black has returned to its all-time low price of $242.99 on Amazon, down from $349.00. However, the accessory is temporarily out of stock. You can still lock in this great deal today, and Amazon won't charge you until it ships.

11-Inch iPad Pro

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $699.99, down from $799.00 ($99 off, lowest ever)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $949.99, down from $1,099.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,349.99, down from $1,499.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
• 2TB Wi-Fi - $1,749.99, down from $1,899.00 ($149 off)
• 128GB Cellular - $899.99, down from $999.00 ($99 off)
• 256GB Cellular - $999.00, down from $1,099.00 ($100 off, lowest ever)
• 1TB Cellular - $1,549.99, down from $1,699.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
• 2TB Cellular - $1,949.99, down from $2,099.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)

12.9-Inch iPad Pro

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $999.00, down from $1,099.00 ($100 off, lowest ever)
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $1,099.00, down from $1,199.00 ($100 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,249.00, down from $1,399.00 ($150 off, lowest ever)
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,649.00, down from $1,799.00 ($150 off, lowest ever)
• 2TB Wi-Fi - $2,049.99, down from $2,199.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
• 128GB Cellular - $1,199.99, down from $1,299.00 ($99 off)
• 256GB Cellular - $1,299.99, down from $1,399.00 ($99 off, lowest ever)
• 512GB Cellular - $1,449.99, down from $1,599.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
• 1TB Cellular - $1,849.99, down from $1,999.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)

For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.

Apple is in discussions with Samsung and LG over applying OLED displays with a two-stack tandem structure to future iPad and MacBook models, but the devices are likely several years away from launch, according to Korean website The Elec.

The report indicates that a two-stack tandem structure would consist of two layers of red, green, and blue emission layers, allowing for the future iPad and MacBook models to have significantly brighter displays with up to double the luminance. Apple's current OLED devices like the iPhone have a single-stack structure, the report adds.

Given that OLED technology is expensive, it's likely the displays will be used on future iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models specifically. The report claims the future iPads will come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, which are indeed the current iPad Pro sizes.

The report claims the two-stack iPad displays will also be low-power LTPO panels, which could allow for a wider ProMotion refresh rate range between 10Hz and 120Hz, in line with the iPhone 13 Pro models. iPad Pro models have already supported ProMotion since 2017, but with a refresh rate between 24Hz and 120Hz.

Timing remains a big question mark. While some earlier reports claimed the first iPad with an OLED display was slated for release in 2022, today's report claims the timeframe has been pushed back to late 2023 or 2024. The first MacBook with an OLED display might follow in 2025, but this plan could be postponed further, the report adds.

In the meantime, Apple has adopted mini-LED backlighting, starting with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Mini-LED technology offers increased brightness for HDR content and improved contrast ratio.

Update: A separate report from Nikkei Asia today claims that Apple is also actively researching and developing micro-LED display technology.

In the long term, industry insiders expect the rise of even smaller micro-LEDs that measure under 100 microns and can express primary colors without the use of a filter.

Apple has made an acquisition in micro-LEDs and is said to have an active development program in this field.

Ahead of WWDC in June, a mention of "homeOS" was spotted in an Apple job listing, igniting suspicion that Apple would announce some significant home-based operating system at the conference. While nothing of that sort did materialize, mentions of "homeOS," a so-far never-before-heard Apple operating system, continue to surface in company job listings.

In June, the job listing "homeOS" had appeared in was for a Senior iOS Engineer role on the Apple Music team. The initial job description read, "You'll get to work with system engineers across Apple, learning the inner-workings of iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and homeOS..." Shortly after the "homeOS" mention made headlines, Apple edited the description to replace homeOS with HomePod.

Now, a few months later, new mentions of homeOS have emerged in similar job listings. A similar iOS engineering role on the ‌Apple Music‌ team, posted on October 12, includes the same mention of "homeOS" that appeared in the job listing in June. The role, based out of San Diego, is also posted on Apple's regional sites, all with the mention of "homeOS."

Apple currently has two central home-based operating systems, audioOS for the ‌HomePod‌, and tvOS for the Apple TV. audioOS is based on tvOS, but the two are still distinctive by name.

As part of its longer-term strategy and future product plans, a "homeOS" operating system would help better unify the company's offering for the home into a single operating system, but that remains entirely speculative.

Given that "homeOS" has appeared once again in another job listing, though, it's a safe bet to assume it is something that Apple has thought of but has just simply not yet made public. Alternatively, "homeOS" could be a name used by Apple internally, and might never be a public-facing software platform name. We've reached out to Apple for comment.

Update: After this story was published, Apple removed the October 12 job listing mentioning "homeOS" from its website.

Nomad today kicked off a new sale that is taking 20 percent off most full-priced products across Nomad's entire website, using the code SAVE20. This sitewide sale will last for two days.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Nomad. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

If you haven't shopped on Nomad before, the company is well-known for selling high-quality products that protect and accessorize the iPhone, iPad, AirPods, AirPods Pro, and Apple Watch. Nomad also sells Lightning and USB-C cables, leather wallets, keychains, and more. Our code is compatible with most of Nomad's full-priced products, but won't work with new releases like the Base Station Mini.

Below we've rounded up a small collection of Nomad products that you can purchase at a discount this week, but remember that the new code applies to Nomad's entire website. When you're shopping, just use the code SAVE20 on full-priced items and not on anything already marked down.

Nomad also noted that due to supply chain issues, some of their products are seeing delayed shipping estimates ahead of the holidays. Because of this you may see backordered dates on some accessories, so if you're interested in anything this week's 20 percent off sale is a great time to lock in savings and ensure delivery before the holidays.

• AirPods Rugged Case - $27.96, down from $34.95
• iPhone 13 Series Modern Leather Case - $47.96, down from $59.95
• iPhone 13 Series Sport Case - $31.96, down from $39.95
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro Rugged Case - $95.96, down from $119.95
• 11-inch iPad Pro Rugged Folio - $119.96, down from $149.95

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 shipped 6.5 million laptops in the third quarter of this year, thanks in large part to high demand for the M1-powered MacBook Air.

That's according to research firm Strategy Analytics, whose data put Apple as the fourth largest seller of laptops between July and September, earning it 10% of the global market share and 10% growth year-on-year.

Lenovo took first place in the top five by shipping 15.3 million units, amounting to 23% market share, while HP and Dell shipped 14.3 million and 12.2 million units to earn 21% and 18% market share, respectively.

According to the report, most vendors grew on top of record 2020 levels, while Dell topped growth rates with a massive 50% increase year-on-year. At the same time, consumer spending increased thanks to higher discounts on premium products like ‌MacBook Air‌.

Including other brands outside of the top five, 66.8 million laptops were shipped in the quarter, although the figure would likely have been higher had it not been for the supply constraints and chip shortages that have hit tech companies, including Apple.

Apple last week reported Mac revenue of $9.17 billion in the fourth quarter of its 2021 fiscal year, which is an all-time quarterly revenue record for Macs. Apple CEO Tim Cook said there was "strong demand" for the M1 ‌MacBook Air‌ in particular.

Apple is expected to release a ‌MacBook Air‌ with an entirely new design and an Apple-designed M2 chip in around six to eight months from now. Rumors suggest the notebook will have a similar design as the 24-inch iMac, including off-white bezels around the display and a variety of color choices.

Apple took significant flak from users when it moved Safari's address bar to the bottom of the screen in iOS 15, but Samsung apparently liked it enough that it's now added the same option to its own mobile web browser for Android phones.

As shown in the tweet above, the optional layout now appears in a beta version of the Samsung Internet app. To be fair to Samsung, Apple wasn't the first to move the address bar below the browser window. Google tried something similar in 2016 for its own home-grown browser before canning the idea following negative user feedback. Microsoft had a similar browser interface design on Windows Phone, and even Firefox has played with a bottom address bar on Android.

That said, Samsung's timing is a bit curious, coming in the wake of Apple's much-publicized and highly divisive Safari interface redesign. Apple made sweeping changes to Safari browser in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey, making numerous alterations to the organization and layout of tabs and other tools. Following a user backlash, Apple walked back the most controversial changes in successive betas, and made the position of the address bar optional.

Following an outcry from its users, Notability says it is making changes to its controversial subscription policy to ensure that people who previously purchased the app retain lifetime access to all current features and content.

The course correction was announced by the company on Tuesday in a Medium blog post, after the popular note-taking app received substantial blowback from users who were annoyed to learn that Notability's switch to a subscription model meant features they had purchased would stop functioning after one year.

Yesterday, we made a big announcement regarding our transition to a free app with an optional subscription. We heard the disappointment from our existing customers, and we want to correct our course.

Today, we are making some changes (coming soon in Notability version 11.0.2). Everyone who purchased Notability prior to our switch to subscription on November 1st, 2021 will have lifetime access to all existing features and any content previously purchased in the app.

Lifetime access will include unlimited editing, iCloud sync, and any features or content bought through in-app purchases, according to the developers, who added: "Future features we develop may also be included, depending on their complexity and cost to maintain."

We are a small company, so we designed the original one-year access plan as a precautionary measure since we were not certain if we could support lifetime access. We sincerely apologize for putting our current users in this position.

Notability's course correction means the app no longer appears to violate Apple's App Store Review Guidelines, which forbid apps that switch to a subscription model from taking away primary functionality existing users have already paid for.

It's not clear if Apple forced its hand to fall in line with the guidelines or consumer pressure was the main influence. Either way, Notability's change of course may make it unlikely that other app developers eyeing a subscription model will attempt a similar strategy of revoking features that existing users have already purchased.

Niantic has experienced major success with augmented reality game Pokémon Go, a title that still has a loyal fanbase, but unfortunately, its Harry Potter-themed game has not fared as well. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is going to be shut down on January 31, 2022 as a result.

First introduced in June 2019, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite allows players to join the Statute of Secrecy Task Force to explore Wizarding World locations in the real world, similar to Pokémon Go.

Players need to go to landmark locations in the real world to track down magical artifacts, creatures, and enemies to battle and level up. The game uses augmented reality to project portals and other items onto real-life landscapes, and there are real-time cooperative elements involved.

The game will be removed from the App Store on December 6, 2021, which is also when in-game purchases will be disabled. As a last hurrah, starting on November 2, several changes will be implemented to make gameplay more fun.

Daily assignments will provide increased rewards, potion brewing time will be cut in half, the daily cap on sending and opening gifts will be removed, and various items and ingredients will appear on the map more frequently.

November and December will also see the launch of several events involving Dolores Umbridge, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix LeStrange, and Voldemort, along with a holiday event. The game will wrap up, with the Calamity coming to an end before the app is shut down for good.

Players who invested money in the game will not be able to get a refund, but they will be able to spend their remaining balances and use their items before the January end date.