Apple has launched another round of steep discounts on iPhone 15 models in mainland China, in a bid to boost sales in its biggest smartphone market and counter a strong showing by Huawei.
The discounts run from May 20 to May 28 and are steeper than the price cuts that Apple introduced in February.
For example, on its official store on Alibaba Group's Tmall site, Apple is offering discounts of up to 2,300 yuan ($318) on select models. A top-of-the-line 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max can now be bought for 7,949 yuan ($1,199), compared to its 9,999 yuan price tag when the device was released in September.
Meanwhile, an entry-level 128GB iPhone 15 model is currently being offered at the discounted price of 4,599 yuan ($636), down from its previous price of 5,999 yuan.
Apple has become dependent on discounts to shift mid-cycle iPhone 15 stock, with strong competition from Huawei's latest high-end series of Pura 70 phones said to be partly behind the most recent drop in sales. Apple's previous discounts in February were thought to be a response to growing interest in Huawei's homegrown Mate 60 series, which launched last August.
Apple sales in China dropped 13 percent to $20.8 billion in the quarter ended December, falling short of the $23.5 billion predicted by analysts.
However, despite a gloomy outlook for 2024, Apple's previous promotions in February are believed to have helped counteract its sales slowdown in China. Reuters reports that Apple's shipments in the country increased by 12% in March, a significant improvement from the first two months of 2024, when the company experienced a 37% slump in sales.
Apple is targeting a sub-$500 starting price for its upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE model despite a raft of rumored upgrades coming to the more affordable device.
According to leaker Revegnus on X, the U.S. launch price of the fourth-generation iPhone SE will either remain at the same $429 starting price as the current model, or will see an increase of around 10%. Either way, Apple's intention is to keep the price below $500.
Last week, The Informationreported that Apple plans to release a redesigned iPhone SE in the spring of 2025 that will remain the "cheaper" option in Apple's iPhone lineup. The design is said to be similar to the standard iPhone 14, which means Touch ID and the Home button will be replaced by Face ID and a display notch.
Along the same lines, the iPhone SE 4 could have an OLED display rather than LCD, and the display size will increase from 4.7 inches to 6.1 inches. Other rumored features for the next iPhone SE include a USB-C port and an Action button.
The panel prices for the iPhone SE 4 are said to be a lot lower than suppliers charge for the OLED displays used in the iPhone 15, since the panels for the SE will use legacy parts identical to those used in the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, so the suppliers won't need to make new investments in R&D. Display manufacturers are believed to have been bidding to supply the panels since at least last August.
The third-generation iPhone SE was released in March 2022, so there is likely to be pent-up demand for a new model that includes some of the latest features of Apple's flagship iPhone models. For everything else we know about the iPhone SE 4, check our dedicated roundup.
Apple today launched a limited-time promotion that increases the trade-in values for select iPhone models in the United States when customers buy a new iPhone.
The promotion lasts from today until June 3, and means anyone trading in their existing iPhone 11 or newer will get more money knocked off the price of a new iPhone. As you can see from some of the new trade-in values below, the adjustments are slight, but the promotion still means more credit toward an upgrade than customers would have gotten yesterday:
iPhone 14 Pro Max: Up to $650 (vs. $630)
iPhone 14 Pro: Up to $530 (vs. $520)
iPhone 14 Plus: Up to $430 (vs. $420)
iPhone 14: Up to $380 (vs. $370)
iPhone 13 Pro Max: Up to $460 (vs. $450)
iPhone 13 Pro: Up to $380 (vs. $370)
iPhone 13: Up to $320 (vs. $300)
iPhone 13 mini: Up to $300 (vs. $270)
iPhone SE (3rd generation): Up to $170 (vs. $160)
Over the weekend, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman shared news of the promotion ahead of time. However, Gurman said the better trade-in values would only apply to customers purchasing one of Apple's latest iPhone 15 models, and that's not the case.
On the contrary, the boosted values listed above apply to any series model in Apple's current smartphone lineup, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE.
Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website or at an Apple Store, and the credit can be applied towards the purchase of a new Apple product, or placed on an Apple gift card for later use. Apple's trade-in page offers a complete list of values for devices.
Apple is poised to unveil an auto-summarization feature for notifications as part of a series of new artificial intelligence features in iOS 18, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In today's edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman provided more detail about what to expect from Apple's first major move into generative AI at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference:
As part of the changes, the company will improve Siri's voice capabilities, giving it a more conversational feel, and add features that help users with their day-to-day lives — an approach it calls "proactive intelligence."
That includes services like auto-summarizing notifications from your iPhone, giving a quick synopsis of news articles and transcribing voice memos, as well as improving existing features that auto-populate your calendar and suggest apps. There will also be some enhancements to photos in the form of AI-based editing, but none of those features will impress people who have used AI in Adobe Inc.'s apps for the last several months.
Gurman added that while Apple will mainly rely on on-device processing to support its AI features, it will also deliver them via the cloud in data centers that contain high-end Apple silicon chips designed for the Mac. He also noted that a ChatGPT-like chatbot will be noticeably absent from Apple's upcoming AI features. Apple executives are said to have admitted that they're "playing catch-up" internally.
Apple's inaugural push into AI is widely expected to be revealed as part of previews of its next-generation software updates at WWDC, which begins on June 10.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today outlined his expectations for the iPhone 16 lineup's color options, revealing that two new colors should replace two of the existing shades.
Kuo outlined his expectations in a post on X (formerly Twitter) earlier today. He believes that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available in black, white or silver, gray or "Natural Titanium," and rose. This effectively means that the iPhone 15 Pro's Blue Titanium option will be discontinued and replaced with a new rose color. This mirrors an earlier rumor originating in China, which claimed that the existing Blue Titanium color will be dropped from the iPhone 16 Pro lineup in favor of a new "rose" titanium color.
On the other hand, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will apparently be offered in black, green, pink, blue, and white. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are available in black, green, pink, blue, and yellow. This means that white will replace yellow, with the colors remaining the same.
Kuo noted that Apple may rename some of the existing colors, such as when it changed the iPhone 12's "White" to the iPhone 13's "Starlight." Likewise, where color names are not changed, the actual tone and appearance may still look different. The iPhone 16 lineup is expected to be announced in the fall.
In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman discussed Apple's work on the next-generation version of the AirTag, codenamed "B589." Apple is currently completing manufacturing tests with partners in Asia and the new item tracker is still timetabled to launch around the middle of next year. The new model will apparently feature an upgraded chip and enhanced location tracking capabilities.
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple's current schedule does not include the launch of new Mac Studio and Mac Pro models until the middle of next year. Apple last updated the Mac Studio and Mac Pro with M2-series chips at WWDC in 2023, meaning that they could go around 24 months without an update, even though the iPad Pro now contains the M4 chip.
All other Macs with the exception of the MacBook Air should be available with M4-series chips by the end of 2024, but Gurman does not anticipate any new models being unveiled at WWDC in June, making 2022 and 2023 exceptions for recent mid-year Mac releases.
The popular repair website iFixit today shared a video with teardowns of the new 13-inch iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil Pro. The website praised the inclusion of adhesive pull tabs for the battery cells in the new iPad Pro, as they make repairs easier.
We already shared another iPad Pro teardown video, so the look inside the Apple Pencil Pro is the novel aspect here. Key hardware changes introduced with the Apple Pencil Pro include a gyroscope that allows you to rotate the accessory for precise control of shaped pen and brush tools, and a haptic engine that vibrates for certain actions. You can also track the location of the Apple Pencil Pro in the Find My app.
Apple Pencil Pro is priced at $129 in the U.S. and launched on Wednesday.
The new iPads are here! Following their unveiling at last week's "Let Loose" Apple event, the new iPad Pro and iPad Air models launched this week alongside the Apple Pencil Pro and revamped Magic Keyboard, bringing the first updates to Apple's iPad lineup in over 18 months.
This week also saw the release of iOS 17.5 and related operating system updates, while Apple previewed some clever new accessibility features coming later this year and we got an intriguing rumor about the 2025 iPhone lineup, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
Hands-On With New iPad Pro: M4 Chip, OLED Display, and More
The new iPad Pro and iPad Air models launched on Wednesday after being unveiled by Apple last week.
In addition to the new M4 iPad Pro, we also picked up an M2 iPad Air in order to see what's new with the mid-tier iPad family and shared our early thoughts in a hands-on video. The new 13-inch size option is of course the most obvious change, but the new M2 chip is a welcome spec bump and the relocated front camera is great for those who want to use their iPad in a landscape orientation.
The M2 iPad Air is at least $400 cheaper than the M4 iPad Pro, so you can save quite a bit of money while still getting a very capable device that will last you for years.
iPhone 17 Lineup Rumored to Feature All-New Slim Model Above Pro Max With 'Major Redesign'
We've been hearing a few rumors about an "iPhone 17 Slim" to replace the current "Plus" model for the 2025 iPhone lineup, and this week we got additional detail on what this device might be.
According to The Information, Apple is aiming to discontinue the Plus model with the iPhone 17 lineup, and this new "Slim" model will sit at the top of the lineup above the Pro Max model. The new high-end model will feature a significant redesign that could be much thinner than current iPhone models and see changes like relocating the rear camera array to the top middle of the device from the corner where it has been since the original iPhone in 2007.
Here's How the New iPad Pro Holds Up in Bend Tests
The new 13-inch iPad Pro has a thickness of just 5.1mm, making it slimmer than even the seventh-generation iPod nano released in 2012. Apple made internal design changes to the new iPad Pro to ensure it remains strong.
Apple Previews iOS 18 Accessibility Features, Including Eye Tracking
Apple released iOS 17.5 this week following around six weeks of beta testing, and there are a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone, such as expanded support for item tracking alerts, and a new Quartiles game for Apple News+ subscribers.
iOS 17.5 also includes 15 security patches, so make sure to update your iPhone as soon as possible to keep yourself protected from software vulnerabilities.
iPhone Emulators on the App Store: Game Boy, N64, PS1, PSP, and More
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Animated GIFs have become a staple of the internet. Invented in 1987, the looping, soundless video clips can be found everywhere online, from social media networks to messaging platforms. They're often used to express emotions, communicate ideas, or just make people laugh.
Because they are so short, GIF files are quick to load and they play automatically, so they communicate what you want instantaneously and without effort on the viewer's part. What's more, thanks to Apple's Shortcuts app, you can turn video clips into GIFs quickly and easily on your iPhone and iPad without even having to download anything.
The following steps show you how it's done.
Open the Shortcuts app.
Using the Gallery tab, search for "Video to GIF," tap the shortcut in the results, then tap Add Shortcut.
Run the shortcut by tapping its card in the My Shortcuts tab.
You'll be presented with a list of videos from your photo library that you can turn into GIFs. Choose the clip that you want to convert.
If the video is too long, you'll be prompted to trim it down by dragging the chevrons on either end of the clip. After that, tap Save.
Tap the Share button below the preview to Save Image or choose a sharing method. Once you're finished, tap Done.
If you want more control when making your own GIFs, consider using a dedicated GIF creation tool such as GIPHY. The app is free to download and includes additional options including stickers and effects to apply to your creations.
Apple will soon begin selling the Vision Pro in additional markets outside the U.S., according to Bloomberg, and Mark Gurman today reports that the United Kingdom and Canada are included in the list of countries where the headset is next set to launch.
Gurman's update corroborates the exact same list of countries for the next Vision Pro launches that MacRumorsrevealed back in March. They include:
Australia
Canada
China
France
Germany
Japan
Singapore
South Korea
UK
Apple has not announced a launch date for the Vision Pro in these countries, but it is expected to happen after the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to take place from June 10 to June 14.
To prepare for the multi-region launch, hundreds of employees from international retail stores have been flying into Cupertino for multi-day Vision Pro training sessions, according to Bloomberg.
Interest in the Vision Pro in the U.S. has waned in the months since its launch, leading Apple to reportedly reduce shipments. While international sales may revive enthusiasm for the device, the $3,500 USD price tag remains a significant barrier. Pricing for other countries has yet to be announced.
Apple for a limited time will increase the trade-in value for older iPhones when customers buy any iPhone 15 model in the U.S. and Canada.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple will soon boost the credit paid for older iPhones when customers buy an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The offer does not apply to other devices in Apple's smartphone lineup, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE (4th generation).
Gurman did not mention the new values of old iPhones in its trade-in program, only that they will increase as of Monday, May 20, with the offer continuing through to Monday, June 3.
Apple currently offers the following credit values for older iPhones as part of its trade-in program:
iPhone SE (3rd generation): Up to $160
iPhone 13 mini: Up to $270
iPhone 13: Up to $300
iPhone 13 Pro: Up to $370
iPhone 13 Pro Max: Up to $450
iPhone 14: Up to $370
iPhone 14 Plus: Up to $420
iPhone 14 Pro: Up to $520
iPhone 14 Pro Max: Up to $630
Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website or at an Apple Store, and the credit can be applied towards the purchase of a new Apple product, or placed on an Apple gift card for later use. Apple's trade-in page offers a complete list of values for devices.
The Information today reported that Apple plans to release an all-new, high-end iPhone 17 model next year, and there was one detail that is worth singling out: the rear cameras could be relocated to the "top center" of the device.
Google's Pixel 8 Pro
The rear camera system on the iPhone has been positioned in the top-left corner of the device since the original 2007 model, so the cameras being moved to the top center of the device would be a notable change. Some popular Android smartphones have rear cameras positioned towards the top center, such as Google's Pixel 8 Pro.
The report said the new iPhone 17 model will feature a "major redesign" akin to the iPhone X, so it sounds like Apple has big plans for this device. With the report claiming the device could have a higher price tag than the Pro Max model, which starts at $1,199, perhaps it will end up being the "iPhone Ultra" that has been rumored for a few years.
Here is everything that the report mentioned about the slimmer iPhone 17:
Apple today published its second annual App Store Transparency Report [PDF], highlighting details like the number of apps that were rejected during the year, the number of customer and developer accounts deactivated, the number of apps removed from the App Store, and more.
In 2023, there were 1,870,119 total apps available, and Apple reviewed 6,892,500 app submissions. 1,763,812 apps were rejected, with performance, design, and legal listed as the top reasons why an app wasn't approved. 277,923 apps were approved after rejection following changes made to the app.
116,117 apps were removed from the App Store, and top categories for removal included Utilities, Games, and Business. 76,887 apps were removed for violating Guideline 4.0 on design, and 35,245 apps were removed for violating App Store rules preventing fraud.
Apple removed 1,285 apps at the request of the Chinese government, and 103 at the request of the South Korean government. Apps were also pulled in India, Russia, Indonesia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and several other countries at the request of their respective governments.
398,499,012 customer accounts search the App Store on average on a weekly basis, and 166,360 apps appear in the top 10 results of at least 1000 searches each week. As Apple said earlier this week, it terminated 373,739,771 customer accounts and prevented an estimated $1,838,127,451 in fraudulent transactions.
More information on Apple's App Store numbers can be found in the full report. [PDF]
It has been over two years since Apple released the third-generation iPhone SE, and rumors continue to surface about a new model.
The latest word comes from The Information, which today reported that Apple plans to release a new iPhone SE with a design similar to the standard iPhone 14 in the spring of 2025. If this rumor is accurate, the iPhone SE would finally gain Face ID and a notch instead of Touch ID and a Home button, along with a larger 6.1-inch display. Other rumored features for the next iPhone SE include a USB-C port and an Action button.
The report said the new iPhone SE will remain a "cheaper" option in the iPhone lineup, as expected. The current iPhone SE starts at $429 in the U.S. with 64GB of storage, with other key features including a 4.7-inch display, A15 Bionic chip, 5G support, a single 12-megapixel rear camera, and a Lightning port.
The developers behind the popular Game Boy emulator Delta for the iPhone said they updated the app's icon today to avoid potential legal action from Adobe.
Delta's new app icon (left) and Adobe's logo (right)
"Adobe threatened legal action unless we changed our app icon — so we did," say the release notes for the latest version of Delta on the App Store.
Delta's former icon does look like a mirrored version of Adobe's logo, which is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, companies have an obligation to enforce their trademarks, and failure to do so could eventually result in losing rights to the trademark.
Delta's previous app icon
"Without proper policing over time, the original owner of a mark could lose any trademark rights it has in the mark," the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office says.
Apple has enforced its trademarked logo in similar ways over the years, including in 2020, when it filed a complaint against a small company with a pear logo.
Update:The Verge shared some more details about the situation, and says that Delta's current logo is only a temporary solution as it designs an all-new icon.
A bug in iOS 17.5 is apparently causing photos that have been deleted to reappear, and the issue seems to impact even iPhones and iPads that have been erased and sold off to other people.
A Reddit user wiped an iPad following Apple's guidelines in September of 2023 before selling it off to a friend. That friend updated the iPad to iPadOS 17.5 this week, and began seeing the Reddit user's old photos reappearing in the Photos app. From Reddit:
I wiped the iPad using official Apple guides before selling. I never logged into that iPad with my Apple ID after erasing the iPad. I sold my iPad to a friend in September 2023, they called me today after updating to iPad OS 17.5 and said my old pictures appeared in their Photos app... HUGE PRIVACY VIOLATION. I see other reports of this. How many people will get other people's photos on the devices they bought from other people?
The impacted iPad was a fourth-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro that had been updated to the latest operating system update, and before it was sold, it was erased per Apple's instructions. The Reddit user says they did not log back in to the iPad at any point after erasing it, so it is entirely unclear how their old photos ended up reappearing on the device.
Earlier this week, we shared several other reports of users who saw deleted photos resurfacing on their devices after updating, but those reports were from users who still owned their devices and were logged into their own iCloud Photo Libraries and Apple IDs.
The latest report suggests that the erased and sold iPad is somehow restoring old photos from an Apple ID that is no longer signed in to it. The Reddit user says the photos that are reappearing are from 2017, which is in line with similar reports. The images were initially taken on an iPhone, and so had been synced to the iPad via iCloud Photo Library before the iPad was wiped and sold.
Other users have seen photos from years ago (as late as 2010) reappearing suddenly, with no explanation for why. Not all users are seeing this problem, nor does it appear to be impacting all deleted images.
Apple devices are supposed to retain photos for 30 days in the Recently Deleted section of the Photos app, and images should be deleted automatically if a second delete procedure is carried out from the Recently Deleted interface. Apple has not yet provided any information on why some users may be seeing photos reappearing, and it is concerning to hear of a report of old photos showing up on a device that was wiped and sold.
Update May 19: The Reddit user who reported the issue has deleted the original post, casting significant doubt on the veracity of the claim.
Apple this week came out with new iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro has a next-generation M4 chip and an OLED display so it got much of the attention, but Apple added a whole new size to the Air lineup to offer a more affordable way to get a bigger screen. We spent some time with the new iPad Air to see what's new and whether it's worth buying.
The smaller version of the iPad Air measures in at 11 inches, and the larger version is 13 inches, the same as the iPad Pro. Prior to now, the only way to get a 13-inch tablet was to buy the Pro, but the new Air is a much more affordable option.
Pricing starts at $599 for the 11-inch version and $799 for the 13-inch version, while the 11-inch iPad Pro is priced starting at $999 and the 13-inch iPad Pro is $1,299. So the 13-inch Air is a full $500 cheaper. You're losing out on the OLED display, ProMotion, compatibility with the new Magic Keyboard, and the M4 chip, but not too much else.
The M2 chip in the iPad Air is still super fast and able to handle anything you might want to do on an iPad, and while the display doesn't have the brightness or the contrast of the OLED display, it's good enough for almost everyone.
Confusingly, the iPad "Air" name no longer really fits because the iPad Pro models are now thinner and lighter than the Air models, so you can also expect a little bit of extra bulk going with the Air line. The iPad Air can only be used with the prior-generation Magic Keyboard, but it does work with the new Apple Pencil Pro that has haptic feedback and a gyroscope for barrel roll.
At $799, the 13-inch iPad Air paired with a keyboard is probably the best iPad for those who want a computer replacement, given its size, speed, and price point. The 11-inch model is ideal if you want something smaller and more affordable that's still powerful, but for those who just want a simple tablet for watching movies or browsing the web, even the Air might be too much tablet.
What do you think of the revamped iPad Air and Apple's new iPad lineup? Let us know in the comments below.
Google's Pixel 8 Pro
Delta's new app icon (left) and Adobe's logo (right)
Delta's previous app icon
