Tim Hardwick
Tim is a Senior Editor at MacRumors and has been writing for the site since 2016. Formerly a magazine journalist, his work has appeared in over 30 newsstand print publications and online brands covering a range of topics, from the latest trends in technology to the mysteries of ancient history.
Based in the UK, Tim's current role at MacRumors involves editorial oversight and how tos, in addition to covering daily news and contributing occasional reviews. Tim can be reached at tim@macrumors.com, Telegram (@waxeditorial) or Twitter.
Based in the UK, Tim's current role at MacRumors involves editorial oversight and how tos, in addition to covering daily news and contributing occasional reviews. Tim can be reached at tim@macrumors.com, Telegram (@waxeditorial) or Twitter.
Tim Hardwick's Articles
EU: Facebook and Instagram's Infinite Scroll May Break Digital Rules
Meta has been warned by the European Commission that its endlessly scrolling Facebook and Instagram feeds may violate the EU's new Digital Services Act rules.
In preliminary findings published on Friday, the Commission said that its investigation into features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommender systems, found that Meta "did not...
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OpenAI's ChatGPT Atlas Browser Is Shutting Down
OpenAI says it is shuttering its ChatGPT Atlas browser. When it was released last October, the company said the agentic browser was designed around the question "What if you could chat with your web browser?" The query was at least novel, but the answer was apparently not all that compelling.
As part of a slew of ChatGPT Work-related announcements on Thursday, OpenAI confirmed plans to...
Apple Reportedly Slashes iPhone 17 Demand Forecast Amid Rising Costs
Apple has significantly lowered its demand expectations for the standard iPhone 17 because of rising hardware costs, a Chinese leaker claimed today.
According to the account "Fixed Focus Digital" on Weibo, some production lines for the standard iPhone 17 this week shifted from an earlier 15 percent reduction to plans to suspend roughly one-third of their capacity. The leaker also claimed...
Foldable iPhone Ultra Battery Capacity Allegedly Registered by Supplier
Apple's battery supplier has registered two new battery cells believed to be destined for the company's rumored foldable iPhone, according to a prolific Chinese leaker.
In a post on Weibo, the leaker known as Digital Chat Station said that the two cells have rated capacities of 1,921mAh and 2,962mAh, for a combined minimum rated capacity of 4,883mAh. "The supply chain is also predicting a...
Stop Others Using Your Instagram Photos in AI Prompts: Here's How
On July 8, Meta launched Muse Image, an AI image generator now built into Meta AI, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It can do the typical text-to-image generative trick, but one feature in particular is causing controversy: Anyone can mention (@) a public Instagram account inside the Meta AI app, and it will use that account's photos as the basis of an AI-generated image.
If your Instagram account...
DuckDuckGo Browser Now Blocks YouTube Ads on iPhone and Mac
DuckDuckGo's free web browser now blocks most video ads on YouTube, and the feature is on by default for iPhone and Mac users running the latest version of the app.
Announced on Wednesday, YouTube Ad Blocking stops ads that play before and during videos on YouTube's website, and DuckDuckGo says the result is the regular YouTube experience minus the interruptions, so features like viewing...
Meta's 'Super Sensing' Prototype Glasses Quietly Record Everything
Meta has prototyped "super sensing" smart glasses that use cameras and audio recordings to capture the wearer's every moment, reports the Financial Times ($).
The smart glasses continuously collect audio while taking photos every few seconds, allowing the user to leverage AI to help query what they saw or heard, or recall their day, according to the report's sources.
Meta's current AI...
iPhone 18 Pro Max Said to Be Thicker and Heavier Than Predecessor
Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max could be noticeably thicker and heavier than its predecessor, suggesting a trade-off behind the device's rumored larger battery.
Chinese leaker Ice Universe today claimed the iPhone 18 Pro Max will measure around 9mm thick and weigh approximately 240 grams. That would make the device around 0.25mm thicker and roughly 7 grams heavier than the current iPhone...
Next Year's iPhone Air 2 to Feature Four Key Upgrades
The iPhone Air launched last year as Apple's thinnest phone to date, but its single rear camera quickly became the most common complaint about an otherwise well-received device. Next year, Apple is set to address that.
A report from Bloomberg says the second-generation iPhone Air, expected in spring 2027, will gain a second rear camera. An Ultra Wide lens will join the existing Wide lens,...
Report: Cheaper Apple Vision Pro Display Work Winds Down at Samsung
Apple has suspended development of the display for a cheaper, lighter version of the Vision Pro that it originally planned to launch in the next few years, according to The Elec.
The Korean outlet says Apple supplier Samsung Display is set to internally wind down the panel project – known in the industry as "G-VR" – with development set to be formally terminated by September.
G-VR is ...
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Event Set for July 22 With Foldable iPhone Rival Expected to Debut
Samsung has announced it will introduce its latest Galaxy smartphones at a July 22 event, including what is believed to be a Galaxy Z Fold 8 with new passport-style dimensions similar to Apple's upcoming book-style foldable iPhone.
It's no secret that Samsung has been working on a new foldable form factor to go head-to-head with Apple's rumored iPhone Ultra, and the company has been hinting...
Apple Announces $30 Billion Broadcom Deal to Make More US Chips
Apple today announced its multiyear partnership with Broadcom to design and produce custom silicon components and wireless technologies, confirming a Reuters report we covered on Monday.
Apple says the new agreement is expected to exceed $30 billion, and will lead to the creation of more than 15 billion U.S. chips and support "hundreds" of American jobs.
Broadcom is part of Apple's...
iPhone Ultra Reportedly in Mass Production, No Delay Envisaged
Apple's foldable iPhone is on track to ship in September despite rumors of a delayed launch, reports Chinese financial outlet Cailian Press.
The outlet says it spoke with several people within Apple's supply chain, who indicated that the device's design was locked in some time ago and that the foldable is now in mass production.
Separately, Chinese financial outlet East Money and Korea's T...
Apple Loses EU Fight Over App Store Gatekeeper Label
Apple's challenge against the EU's designation of its App Stores and iOS platform as "gatekeepers" was dismissed by Europe's top court on Wednesday, reports Reuters.
"The General Court dismisses Apple's actions regarding its designation as a gatekeeper in relation to the App Store and iOS," the Luxembourg-based tribunal said.Apple took its case to Luxembourg's General Court in 2024 after the...
iPhone 18 Pro: Five Rumored Design Changes
Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models are not expected to introduce a sweeping design overhaul – that's reportedly being saved for next year's 20th-anniversary iPhone models. But that doesn't mean the new devices will be indistinguishable from their predecessors.
Apart from four new color options (expected to be Dark Cherry, Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver), the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 ...
Foldable iPhone Ultra May Launch After iPhone 18 Pro Models
An Apple analyst has dented hopes that the company's rumored foldable "iPhone Ultra" will be released alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models this September.
In his latest analysis of Apple's supply chain movements, Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone Ultra will be unveiled the same day as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but it likely won't be officially launched at the same time as those...
AirPods Max Condensation Lawsuit Largely Dismissed by NY Judge
A federal judge has thrown out most of the claims in a proposed class action accusing Apple's AirPods Max of a condensation defect, ruling that the $549 headphones do what they were built for even if they fall short of a buyer's expectations (via Law360).
Filed in April 2025 by two plaintiffs, the suit alleges that condensation builds up inside the AirPods Max ear cups during normal indoor...
Free Dropbox Client Maestral Will Eventually Stop Working
Maestral, the free lightweight open-source Dropbox client for Mac, has been retired, according to the project's maintainer, Sam Schott.
Over its seven-year life, Maestral has proven to be a popular client for users on platforms and file systems that are no longer directly supported by Dropbox. It has also been lauded for its simplicity, small app bundle size, and low memory usage compared...
iPhone Air 2 Could Get an 11% Battery Capacity Boost
Apple is reportedly working on a second-generation iPhone Air that's expected to launch in spring 2027, and one of Apple's main aims is to improve battery life. We now have the first rumor suggesting what kind of improvement could be coming.
In a post on Weibo listing supply chain predictions, serial leaker Digital Chat Station said the iPhone Air 2 is expected to feature a 3,500mAh battery. ...
Apple Silicon Exec Explains Mac Mini AI Demand and On-Device Future
Apple's Mac mini and Mac Studio have become the machines of choice for running AI agents, according to Doug Brooks, Apple's senior product manager of Apple silicon.
Brooks made the claim while discussing Apple's chip strategy in a newly published interview with The Deep View conducted just prior to WWDC 2026 in June.
Brooks says that the company has seen "incredible demand" for the two...
