Apple's 13-inch M3 MacBook Air, M1 iPad Air, and M3 iMac are the highlights of this week's best deals, and they include multiple record low prices across each product lineup.
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.
MacBook Air
What's the deal? Get up to $110 off 13-inch M3 MacBook Air
Early in the week, we began tracking a few deals on the new 13-inch M3 MacBook Air at Best Buy, and this sale has now expanded to include Amazon. In fact, at Amazon you can now get the 256GB notebook for the new all-time low price of $989.00, $10 below Best Buy's sale.
Best Buy has the 2022 iPad Air for $100 off every configuration this weekend. These are solid second-best prices across the board, starting at $499.99 for the 64GB Wi-Fi tablet.
Amazon this week introduced solid discounts on a few M3 iMac models, starting at $1,199.00 for the 256GB model and increasing to $1,594.00 for the 512GB computer. The latter deal is a match of the all-time low price on this version of the 2023 iMac.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Most iPhone users know how to share a webpage link in Messages, but not everyone realizes that you can quote text from the webpage and include it in the message link. Keep reading to learn more.
Incorporating quoted text when sharing a webpage link in Messages is a great way to get to the point and make it clear why the content you're sharing is relevant and interesting. It not only makes the link more engaging but also personalizes the message if it's sent in the midst of a conversation.
By highlighting specific text, you can streamline your communication by directing the recipient's attention to the most pertinent information on the linked website. It saves time, and ensures that the key piece of information you want to share isn't missed. It can also serve as a conversation starter. Here's how it works.
In Safari, navigate to the webpage containing the relevant information you want to share.
Select the text that you want to quote in your shared link by pressing and holding on the words, using the selection anchors to more precisely include the text you want.
Choose Copy from the pop-up menu.
Tap the Share button at the bottom of Safari's interface, then tap the Messages icon in the share sheet, or choose a contact to message in the suggested list above.
In the Messages app, add a comment for more context if desired, then tap the send button.
That's all there is to it. By using this method of sharing links, it can even serve as a memory aid in ongoing conversations, which can help both you and your recipient recall the relevance of its content to previous discussions. Try it!
Apple used to regularly increase the base memory of its Macs up until 2011, the same year Tim Cook was appointed CEO, charts posted on Mastodon by David Schaub show.
The graphs show that Apple tended to increase the base memory every two years or so, but that this trend ended when Cook took over the company from Steve Jobs. Memory increased quickly until the Mac Plus was launched in 1986, notes Schaub. "1986 to 1990 were all about decreasing the entry Mac price," he says. "Then we get a pretty straight logarithmic line until Tim Cook became CEO and there has only been a single increase since."
The correlation is interesting, but other variables such as market trends and changes in technology can help to account for the plateau in Cook's era. For example, Stuart McHattie notes that early all-in-one Macs saw a tenfold increase every six years. If that trend had continued from 2006 onwards when the base was 500MB, modern base model Macs would have reached 500GB. Yet today's consumer PC demand for RAM remains around 8GB to 64GB, and very rarely exceeds double digits.
Computers have also changed a lot over the last several years. RAM has gotten faster. Hard disk drives have been superseded by solid-state storage. Chips and components are more tightly integrated. Apple no longer relies on Intel processors to power its machines, and instead uses high performance system-on-a-chip (SOC) architecture, which fuses CPUs, GPUs, and unified memory into a single package. This is why the company feels confident in arguing that 8GB on a Mac is comparable to 16GB on rival systems.
But that does not change the fact that Apple has offered iMac and MacBook Pro models with 8GB of RAM since 2012. Likewise, the MacBook Air has had the same base memory configuration since 2017. In addition, Apple's adoption of unified memory means that Macs cannot have their RAM upgraded after purchase, while Apple continues to pursue a strategy of vastly overcharging customers for higher memory configurations. Users often pay out $200 or more at checkout just to future proof their machines.
Apple's Mac memory configuration strategy is likely to become even more contentious if all upcoming iPhone 16 models turn out to include 8GB of RAM. (In the iPhone 15 series, only the Pro models have 8GB, whereas standard models have 6GB.) Why Apple is prepared to increase RAM in a smartphone but not in a multitasking Mac without users paying excessively for the privilege will be the overriding question on many consumers' lips.
Analytics company Canalys has released its latest report on China's smartphone market for the first quarter of 2024, and Apple has come off worst among the top five brands jostling for supremacy in Asia's largest economy.
Huawei returned to the top spot after 13 quarters with a 17% market share. The local vendor shipped 11.7 million smartphones, thanks to its popular Mate and nova series, while OPPO rose to second place on strong performance of its Reno 11 series, shipping 10.9 million units. Conversely, HONOR, vivo, and Apple all slowed their sell-ins in the quarter, ranking third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
HONOR shipped 10.6 million units with a 16% share, a year-on-year increase of 9%, while vivo shipped 10.3 million units with a 15% share, a year-on-year decrease of 9%. Apple declined the most among the top five, sinking to fifth from first place, with 10 million units and a 15% share, which is a year-on-year decrease of 25%.
Huawei's performance is up 70% from a year earlier, when the company was still reorganizing its phone business following U.S. sanctions. Huawei's 5G Mate 60 Pro uses a China-made 7-nanometer processor tailored for the local market, showcasing the kind of advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities that US sanctions were originally designed to prevent.
Huawei has since released its new Pure line of flagship smartphones, and has been busy developing its own operating system, HarmonyOS, since it could not use Google's Android and Google Mobile Services. The continued expansion of the HarmonyOS ecosystem breaks the two-horse race of Android and iOS in Mainland China.
The latest data is unlikely to make for pleasant reading for Apple's CEO Tim Cook, following his trip to China for the inauguration of a major new store in Shanghai. During his visit, coming on the back of a strong Chinese fourth quarter, Cook announced the expansion of Apple's R&D center in the city, highlighting China's crucial role in the company's strategy. Cook also attended the China Development Forum in Beijing, where he said the country was "critical" to Apple.
Apple is deepening its ties with China despite expanding production in Southeast Asia and India. Approximately 17% of Apple's net sales from October to December were derived from the greater China region, making it the largest regional supplier in the company's supply chain. But Apple is facing an uphill battle to reverse falling iPhone sales there, with a 24% year-on-year decline in 2023 projected to deepen through 2024.
Apple last updated the Mac Pro in June 2023, adding an M2 Ultra chip and officially completing the transition away from Intel chips. The Mac Pro uses the same M2 Ultra chip that's in the Mac Studio, leading to criticism about its lack of power.
Apple has now gone back to the drawing board and is working on an updated version of the Mac Pro that's set to come out next year. This guide highlights everything we know about Apple's Mac Pro progress.
M4 Chip
The next Mac Pro will have a chip that's in the M4 family, as Apple is working to update its entire Mac lineup to the M4 series across 2024 and 2025.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that Apple wants to establish a more regular Apple silicon chip upgrade cycle that would perhaps see Mac chips refreshed on an annual basis much like chips designed for the iPhone.
Gurman says that the Mac Pro will be equipped with the highest-end version of the M4 chip, which is codenamed "Hidra." Hidra is likely equivalent to an "Ultra" chip based on the way that Apple has differentiated its chips in the past. The Mac Pro is aimed at professional videographers, photographers, designers, and others who need significant processing power, and some pro users are said to have been unhappy with the M2 Ultra Mac Pro.
As a result, Apple is looking to make the M4 Mac Pro more powerful.
All of the M4 chips will be designed with a focus on artificial intelligence, with Apple aiming to highlight the AI processing capabilities of the chips and how they'll integrate into macOS. Apple is adding AI features that will run solely on device to the next operating system updates, so the M4 chips will need to have a lot of compute power.
Rumors suggest that the M4 chips will feature an upgraded Neural Engine with more cores to handle AI tasks.
Unified Memory
The Mac Pro could support up to 500GB Unified Memory, way up from the current 192GB maximum.
Will there be an M3 Mac Pro?
It doesn't sound like Apple is going to bother with an M3 Ultra chip for the Mac Pro, with the company instead focusing effort on the M4 update.
Design Updates
The Mac Pro saw a major design update in 2019, with Apple doing away with the cylindrical "trash can" look in favor of a more reserved aluminum computer tower. There were no design changes to the 2022 model when it was refreshed, and so far we've heard nothing about design changes to the upcoming M4 variant.
Launch is still more than a year away though, so it's possible Apple will make some design updates, at least internally to support M4 chip changes.
Launch Date
The Mac Pro is expected to be the last of Apple's Macs to get the M4 chip, and rumors suggest that it will come out in late 2025.
Satechi today announced the availability of its two new Qi2 charging stands, the 3-in-1 Foldable Qi2 Wireless Charging Stand and the 2-in-1 Foldable Qi2 Wireless Charging Stand. Qi2 is the latest version of the Qi standard, and it is comparable to MagSafe.
Qi2 uses magnets to ensure that smartphones are aligned properly with charging coils, and it is able to charge compatible iPhones at up to 15W. The faster Qi2 charging speeds are available on the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and all iPhone 15 models. Future iPhones, such as the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, will also work with Qi2.
While Qi2 is basically the same as MagSafe, it has the benefit of not being controlled by Apple, so Qi2 accessories can be a bit cheaper than MagSafe technology that manufacturers have to license from Apple.
Both of the Satechi Wireless Charging Stands have the same design, featuring a square wireless charging pedestal for the AirPods, an arm attached by a hinge, and a round magnetic wireless charger for the iPhone. The 3-in-1 model adds a fold-out Apple Watch charger to the back of the arm.
These chargers collapse down flat, which makes them convenient to tuck into a bag or backpack, but the aluminum they're made from is on the heavy side. The option to fold them down is a plus, but because of the weight, they may not be a better option than something like Mophie's 3-in-1 travel charger.
The folding design is, however, a major improvement over most chargers, so if you want something that works well both on a desktop and when traveling, Satechi's Qi2 options are worth looking at. Compared to a flat charger, being able to unfold the arm and have an upright charger is useful because it enables features like StandBy on the iPhone and Night Stand mode on the Apple Watch.
The base of each charger has a soft-touch vegan leather material and a little divot where the AirPods are meant to go. The iPhone charging puck also has a soft-touch silicone to ensure that it doesn't scratch the iPhone, and the Apple Watch charger is made from a standard white plastic.
With the aluminum build, the chargers look like quality products, and they'll match well with most desk setups. It is worth noting that Satechi is only selling these in space gray, so if you prefer silver aluminum or shades of white, that's not an option.
The best part about Satechi's Charging Stands is the Qi2 charging puck. It's attached to the arm of the device using a hinge, so the charger can be set to several different angles. It can be positioned straight up so it's essentially a flat charging surface, or tilted down all the way to take up minimal space. In between, there are angles ideal for watching videos or FaceTiming. As with most upright magnetic chargers, the Charging Stands can be used with the iPhone positioned in landscape or portrait orientation. Satechi says that the hinges on the stand won't weaken over time, and they do seem firm while still being easy to manipulate.
In testing, Satechi's Qi2 Charging Stands worked like MagSafe charging stands. The iPhone is able to attach magnetically, and charging speeds were about the same as MagSafe. The iPhone did get a little warm a few times, but that also happens with MagSafe chargers. Over a 30-minute period, an iPhone 15 Pro Max was able to charge from 22 percent to 52 percent, for a 30 percent total charge.
The AirPods charging spot charges the AirPods at 5W, and the 3-in-1 version's Apple Watch charger is a fast charger so it can charge the Apple Watch Series 7 and later and the Ultra models at the quickest speed. There is a small light at the front of the charger when it is in use, but it is not overly bright.
For powering the Charging Stands, there's a USB-C port at the back, which is nice because the cable can be swapped out if it becomes damaged or if you need a cable of a different length. The more expensive 3-in-1 charger includes a 45W power adapter and interchangeable plugs for international travel, and both models come with a plain black USB-C cable.
One of the benefits of Qi2 is lower prices, but Satechi's Wireless Charging Stands are still expensive. The 3-in-1 model is priced at $130, likely because Satechi is still licensing Apple Watch charging technology from Apple, while the 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand is $80. For the build quality and the versatility afforded by the hinged design, the pricing does not seem unfair, and Satechi's 3-in-1 is $20 cheaper than MagSafe-based 3-in-1 charging options sold by Apple.
The 3-in-1 Foldable Qi2 Wireless Charging Stand is priced at $130, while the 2-in-1 Foldable Qi2 Wireless Charging Stand is priced at $80. Both products can be purchased from the Satechi website as of today.
Note: Satechi provided MacRumors with the 3-in-1 and 2-in-1 Qi2 Wireless Charging Stands for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
Apple Card users can get extra Daily Cash back this week for Nike purchases thanks to a special Apple Pay promotion Apple is running with Nike.
From April 25 through May 2, Apple Card owners will get 10 percent Daily Cash back on Nike purchases made using Apple Pay. The deal is available on the Nike website, the Nike app, and at U.S. Nike Stores.
Customers can earn up to $50 back, which means the extra cash is available for up to $500 in purchases.
Daily Cash is a benefit available to Apple Card owners. With each purchase, immediate cash back rewards are available. Apple typically provides two percent cash back for Apple Pay purchases, three percent for Apple Pay purchases at Apple locations, and one percent for everything else. Some retailers, such as Nike, have special deals with Apple where users can get three percent cash back.
The limited time deal is a seven percent total increase in Daily Cash back on Nike purchases.
Best Buy is discounting a collection of M3 MacBook Pro computers today, this time focusing on the 14-inch version of the laptop. Every deal in this sale requires you to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, although non-members can still get solid second-best prices on these MacBook Pro models.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Only M3 models are being discounted to notable all-time low prices during this sale, although the higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros are seeing a few second-best prices. In terms of the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, there are three total models on sale right now at Best Buy. The cheapest model is the 512GB M3 model at $1,399.00, down from $1,599.00.
Note: My Best Buy Plus/Total membership required to see final deal price.
For anyone who doesn't have My Best Buy Plus or Total, you can still get $150 off the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro. These MacBook Pro models launched last October, featuring mini-LED displays, MagSafe fast charging, Wi-Fi 6E, a six-speaker sound system, and more.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
Apple's latest iPhones include several headline camera features that are worth using, such as Portrait Mode and Photographic Styles. But if all you want to use is the standard photo mode, there are still several tools and settings that can improve the composition of your pictures and help you capture the perfect shot using more traditional techniques.
Whether you are the owner of a new iPhone or a longtime user looking to up your photography game, here are six camera tools and settings in iOS that are worth checking out and experimenting with.
1. Use the Rule of Thirds
For a while now, Apple's Camera app has included a few optional settings that can help you line up your shots. Foremost in these settings is the Grid tool, which should be used when applying the rule of thirds. It divides the frame of your photo into a grid with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, creating nine equal parts.
The rule of thirds helps guide the viewer's eye to the most important parts of your photo and creates a more harmonious composition. Here's how to overlay a grid on the viewfinder.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Scroll down and tap Camera.
In the "Composition" section, toggle on the switch next to Grid.
Here are five things to keep in mind when using the grid to apple the rule of thirds.
Identify the Key Elements: First, identify the main subjects or elements in the scene you want to photograph. These could be a person, a building, a tree, or any focal point.
Positioning the Subjects: Place these key elements along the lines or at the points where the lines intersect. For instance, if you're taking a photo of a person, you might position them along one of the vertical lines, rather than in the center of the frame.
Horizontal Elements: For horizontal elements like the horizon in a landscape, align them with one of the horizontal lines. For a more dramatic sky, place the horizon on the lower line. For more emphasis on the land or sea, place it on the upper line.
Balancing the Image: Use the rule of thirds to balance your photo. If you place a subject on the left, consider having something of lesser importance on the right to create a sense of balance.
Experimentation: While the rule of thirds is a guideline, it's not a strict rule. Feel free to experiment with it and see how shifting elements in your frame changes the photo's impact.
2. Straighten Top-Down Shots
If you're taking a picture of something from above like a plate of food or an ornament on the ground, consider using the camera level, as it helps you capture a balanced shot without having to use a tripod arm or mount. It's also useful for taking a shot of something directly above you, like an object on the ceiling or in the sky.
The camera level tool used to be part of the Grid overlay, but Apple separated out the function in iOS 17, and it now has its own switch: Open the Settings app on your iPhone, select Camera, then toggle on the switch next to Level. Now you are ready to use it.
Open the Camera app, and set the capture mode to Photo, Portrait, Square, or Time Lapse, using the sliding menu above the shutter button.
Point the camera straight down above your subject (or straight up if the subject/scene you want to capture is above you).
Line up the floating crosshair with the fixed crosshair in the center of the screen by adjusting the angle of your phone's camera. The crosshairs will both glow yellow when in perfect alignment.
Tap the shutter button to capture the shot.
The aligned crosshairs turn yellow (right), indicating the lens is parallel with the ground.
3. Straighten Your Horizontal Shots
By making the Level tool an individual option in iOS 17, Apple has also included an additional horizontal level for more traditional straight-on photos.
Turning the Level option on makes a broken horizontal line appear on the screen when your iPhone senses that you're lining up for a straight-on shot and you tilt your device slightly out of horizontal. The line appears white while your phone is out of level and then turns yellow once you achieve a level orientation to indicate success.
With the Level setting enabled (Settings ➝ Camera ➝ Level), try it for yourself. Open the Camera app and try shooting a subject at a straight angle, and you should see the broken horizontal lines in the center of the viewfinder. Straighten your angle up to connect the lines and make a single yellow line.
The leveling pop-up only appears briefly and only within a narrow range of angles close to horizontal (in either portrait or landscape orientation), so it won't intrusively pop up when you're intentionally trying to take a photo at an angle.
4. Take Burst Photos
Burst Mode refers to when the camera on your iPhone captures a series of photos in rapid succession, at a rate of ten frames per second. It's a great way to shoot an action scene or an unexpected event, since you're always more likely to end up with the picture you were aiming for.
To shoot in Burst Mode, go to Settings ➝ Camera and toggle on Use Volume Up for Burst, then simply long press on the Volume Up button when in the Camera app, and your iPhone will take a series of photos in quick succession. Notice that a counter increases inside the on-screen shutter button for as long as you hold down the volume button. This indicates how many shots are being captured in the current burst. Simply take your finger off the volume when you want to end the burst of shots.
When you take a series of burst photos, they automatically appear in the Photos app under the Album name Bursts. You'll also find them in your main Photo Library. Follow the link to learn how to view and select the best of your Burst photos in the Photos app.
5. Mirror Your Selfies
When you take a selfie with your iPhone using the Camera app, it automatically flips – or mirrors – the image so that it's an inverted version of the mirror image you see in the preview before you take the shot.
This can look odd, since it makes a big difference to how selfies look. It can also be annoying, since most third-party social media apps automatically take mirrored selfies, which means you're more likely to be used to the mirroring functionality than the flipped selfies that your iPhone takes.
Fortunately, you can change this default behavior of the Camera app, meaning that you can get the mirrored selfie you're probably more accustomed to seeing. Here's how.
Launch the Settings app, then scroll down and select Camera.
Toggle the switch next to Mirror Front Camera to the green ON position.
That's all there is to it. From now on when you use the Camera app to shoot a selfie, you'll capture the same shot that you saw in the app's preview mode.
6. View Outside the Frame
On iPhone 11 and later models, there is an optional camera setting that allows you to see what is outside the bounds of your photo's frame, so you can correct the alignment of photos (and videos) without having to resort to cropping.
With the "View Outside the Frame" setting enabled, when shooting using the wide lens or the telephoto lens, the camera will simultaneously shoot using the next widest sensor. So the wide lens is active when you shoot with the telephoto lens, and the ultra-wide is active when you shoot with the wide.
Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap Camera.
Under the "Composition" section, toggle on the switch next to View Outside the Frame.
You may have to play around with zoom levels to switch between lenses, but you'll know the feature is active when the camera interface turns semi-transparent to reveal the surroundings outside of the viewfinder.
Apple today sent an email to some iPhone Upgrade Program members to inform them that their previously-completed iPhone trade-in has been "canceled," but the email was almost certainly sent in error based on the circumstances.
Apple told customers it never received their iPhone, even though they sent it in months ago. In many cases, the customers physically handed their iPhones to an Apple Store employee in person, so there is no possible way they could be at fault.
"Because you didn't trade in your iPhone, we are unable to complete the trade-in process," the email says, according to a screenshot shared with us by reader Quinn Everett. "The associated loan on this iPhone will resume."
Everett and others said the Apple Store app also shows their iPhone's trade-in status has changed to "canceled," suggesting that Apple's email is legitimate. The email has been widely shared across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and X, with many customers receiving it in the early hours of Thursday morning in the United States.
Many customers who received the email completed their iPhone trade-in last September, when the iPhone 15 series launched, so the delayed timing of the email suggests that it was sent as a result of a system glitch. Apple did not immediately respond to our request for comment, but we will update this story if we receive an explanation.
No but actually what is going on @Apple@AppleSupport? I got an email saying my trade-in from September was canceled and your Apple Store app is showing that too in one place, but not everywhere. Receipt of returned iPhone 14 Pro is below. I think there’s been a glitch. https://t.co/VXnpg5I13spic.twitter.com/H2LtcHwijl
— Quinn (@quinneverett) April 25, 2024
Update — 10:35 a.m. Pacific Time: We have confirmed that this email was sent erroneously and that customers who received it do not need to take any action.
Update — 11:51 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has now sent a follow-up email to affected customers that says to "please disregard the previous email we sent."
Apple chipmaker TSMC has announced plans to produce highly advanced 1.6nm chips that could be destined for future generations of Apple silicon.
TSMC yesterday unveiled a series of technologies, including the "A16" process, which is a 1.6nm node. The new technology significantly enhances chip logic density and performance, promising substantial improvements for high-performance computing (HPC) products and data centers.
Historically, Apple is among the first companies to adopt new, state-of-the-art chip fabrication technologies. For example, it was the first company to utilize TSMC's 3nm node with the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and Apple is likely to follow suit with the chipmaker's upcoming nodes. Apple's most advanced chip designs have historically appeared in the iPhone before making their way to the iPad and Mac lineups, and ultimately trickling down to the Apple Watch and Apple TV.
The A16 technology, which TSMC plans to begin producing in 2026, incorporates innovative nanosheet transistors along with a novel backside power rail solution. This development is expected to provide an 8-10% increase in speed and a 15-20% reduction in power consumption at the same speeds compared to TSMC's N2P process, alongside up to a 1.10x chip density improvement.
TSMC also announced the rollout of its System-on-Wafer (SoW) technology, which integrates multiple dies on a single wafer to boost computing power while occupying less space—a development that could be transformative for Apple's data center operations. TSMC's first SoW offering, which is already in production, is based on Integrated Fan-Out (InFO) technology. A more advanced chip-on-wafer version leveraging CoWoS technology is slated for readiness in 2027.
TSMC is also making progress toward manufacturing 2nm and 1.4nm chips that are likely destined for future generations of Apple silicon. Its 2nm "N2" node is scheduled for trial production in the second half of 2024 and mass production in late 2025, to be followed by an enhanced "N2P" process in late 2026. Trial production of the 2nm node will begin in the second half of 2024, with small-scale production ramping up in the second quarter of 2025. In 2027, facilities in Taiwan will start to shift toward production of "A14" 1.4nm chips.
Apple's upcoming A18 chips for the iPhone 16 lineup are expected to be based on N3E, while the "A19" for the 2025 iPhone models is expected to be Apple's first 2nm chip. The subsequent year, Apple will likely move to an enhanced version of this 2nm node, followed by the newly announced 1.6nm process.
Each successive TSMC node surpasses its predecessor in terms of transistor density, performance, and efficiency. Late last year, it emerged that TSMC had already demonstrated prototype 2nm chips to Apple ahead of their expected introduction in 2025.
While CIRP notes that Apple's installed smartphone base is higher than recorded activations, the figures show its share of new iPhone activations fell from 40% to 33% over the past year, suggesting a shift away from the higher market shares Apple enjoyed in previous years.
Historically, around the time when competitors like Blackberry and Windows phones were more prevalent, iPhone's activation share hovered around one-third. This increased steadily until the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic when various factors contributed to a spike in activations. However, Apple's iPhone share appears to have reverted to its long-term average, with two out of three new smartphone activations now from Android devices.
CIRP suggests the decline is due to the increased price of modern smartphones as well as better durability. While innovation has slowed, there has been a shift from two-year subsidized purchases to more transparent buying plans, which has prompted consumers to hold onto their devices for longer. This trend appears to impact iPhone sales more significantly than those of Android devices, suggesting Apple may need to adjust its strategy to regain market momentum.
The report covers a 12-month period ending each quarter and includes data from CIRP's quarterly survey of mobile phone customers. The aim of this approach is to remove the seasonal spikes typically associated with new device launches and holiday sales, providing a clearer view of ongoing trends, according to the firm.
Most of us stare at our iPhones for far too long, and this constant exposure to a bright screen can strain our eyes, especially in low-light conditions or during the twilight hours. That's where the ability to dim your iPhone screen beyond the standard brightness settings becomes a game-changer.
If the screen of your iPhone or iPad is too bright for comfort, the usual solution is to go to Settings ➝ Display & Brightness and drag the Brightness slider to the left, or open Control Center and adjust the corresponding setting from there. However, if the lowest setting offered by the Brightness level just isn't dim enough for you, there's another way to make your screen even darker.
This feature is particularly useful if you find yourself needing to use your device in dark environments, such as in a bedroom where a partner is sleeping, or in a dimly lit theater. It's also a boon for anyone with light sensitivity, providing a more comfortable viewing experience that minimizes eye strain and fatigue. Let's look at how to set it up below.
Reduce White Point
Open Settings on your iPhone.
Select Accessibility from the list of options.
Scroll down and select Accessibility Shortcut.
Tap Reduce White Point, then drag it up near the top of the list using the three lines icon.
Now that's set up, simply triple-click your iPhone's Side button to display the Accessibility Shortcut menu, then tap Reduce White Point.
Your iPhone display will now be dimmer than the dimmest setting offered by the standard Brightness level.
Reset White Point
To return the white point to its normal level, simply triple-click the Side button again and tap Reduce White Point to uncheck it.
Adjust White Point
If the White Point is still too bright (or too dim), you can adjust it manually: In Settings, go to Accessibility ➝ Display & Text Size, then scroll down and turn on the switch next to Reduce White Point.
This will reveal a slider that you can move left or right to change the brightness level.
Trigger Reduced White Point at Bedtime
It's possible to make the Reduced White Point setting come on when Bedtime starts, or when your Sleep focus is enabled. This offers an automated approach to minimizing screen brightness, which is particularly beneficial for winding down before bedtime.
Blue light is known for its potential to disrupt natural sleep patterns by inhibiting the production of melatonin, a hormone crucial for sleep regulation. That makes an automation especially useful if you have a habit of reading or browsing on your iPhone as part of your nighttime routine, allowing you to do so without significantly impacting your sleep quality. Here's how it's done.
Open the Shortcuts app, then tap the + icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap Add Action.
Type "White Point" in the search field, then choose Set White Point when it appears below.
Tap the blue "Turn" text, then choose Toggle from the dropdown menu.
Tap Done in the top-right corner of the screen.
After following the above steps, you should see your new "Set White Point" shortcut in the Shortcuts menu.
The Shortcut is now ready to use in a new custom automation. It's easy to make, just follow these steps.
In the Shortcuts app, select the Automation tab, then tap the + icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
Under "Personal Automation," choose Sleep.
On the "When" screen, choose Bedtime Begins and Run Immediately, then tap Next.
On the "When Bedtime Starts" screen, choose your custom Set White Point shortcut.
You're all done. In the future, when Bedtime starts or when you enable the Sleep focus, your screen's white point will be automatically reduced.
Trigger White Point When Bedtime Ends
To make sure the white point on your iPhone's display is reset when bedtime ends in the morning, you just have to create an additional automation. This basically involves the same steps you just used to create the first custom automation, except instead of choosing Bedtime Begins in step 3, select Waking Up. Here are those steps again for your convenience, but with a modified step 3.
In the Shortcuts app, select the Automation tab, then tap the + icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
Under "Personal Automation," choose Sleep.
On the "When" screen, choose Waking Up and Run Immediately, then tap Next.
On the "When Bedtime Starts" screen, choose your custom Set White Point shortcut.
That's it! The white point on your iPhone display will now return to normal when your bedtime ends.
Threads is testing an option that allows users to archive old posts so that they don't appear on their profile, according to Instagram head Adam Mosseri.
In a post on the Meta-owned social media platform, Mosseri said that the archive option being tested with a small number of people included a manual setting for individual posts, as well as the ability to automatically archive all posts after a certain period of time.
Users also have the option to unarchive a post to make it public again. If beta testing goes well, the ability to archive posts is likely to be rolled out globally as an option rather than a default behavior, which Mosseri said was the overwhelming preference based on user feedback.
When it launched back in July, Threads was very barebones, with Meta working to add new functionality on a regular basis to bring the network in line with X (Twitter). It has since gained a web app, an ability to search for posts, and a post editing feature. Just last week, Threads began rolling out an option to some users to filter search results by the most recent posts, rather than just posts suggested by its algorithm.
The slow trickle of new features appears to be gradually paying off: The app now has more than 150 million monthly users, according to Mark Zuckerberg, who revealed the figures on Wednesday during Meta's first-quarter earnings call.
The number indicates an increase of about 20 million new users since February, suggesting steady growth, albeit at a slower rate than its initial rapid popularity, when the app racked up 100 million users in its first week. Zuckerberg said in October he believes Threads has a good chance of becoming Meta's next billion-user app.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview 193 includes fixes and updates for Accessibility, CSS, Forms, JavaScript, Rendering, Web API, and Web Inspector.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is compatible with machines running macOS Ventura and macOS Sonoma, the latest version of macOS that Apple released in September 2023.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp today announced that it is rolling out support for passkeys on iOS, a feature that will let WhatsApp users log in to their accounts on iOS devices using Face ID, Touch ID, or their device passcode.
Passkeys serve as a replacement for a traditional password, and because device authentication is required, passkeys put a stop to online attacks like phishing. With a passkey, there's no password to steal, and no one-time SMS or authentication code that can be intercepted.
Passkeys are also more convenient, because logins are done with a quick Face ID or Touch ID scan rather than a password. WhatsApp passkeys can be enabled by opening up the app settings, choosing the Account section, and tapping on "Passkeys."
Apple has supported passkeys since 2022, and they work on devices that run iOS 16 and later, iPadOS 16 and later, and macOS Ventura and later. Many companies have been implementing support for passkeys, including X (formerly Twitter), Google, TikTok, PayPal, Best Buy, Microsoft, PlayStation, and eBay.
DigiDNA today announced the launch of iMazing 3, an updated version of its iPhone and iPad management software designed for Macs and Windows machines.
iMazing 3 features an updated user interface with a dedicated "Discover" section that makes it easier to find popular tools for doing things like transferring photos from an iPhone, downloading Messages, transferring music, and making backups.
A Device Overview section offers details about connected products like serial number, model number, device ID, date of latest backup, and more, for simple multi-device management, and there's also a Data section for accessing saved media, messages, contacts, and other content.
For battery management, there is a battery section that provides details on current temperature, design max charge, effective max charge, and charge cycles, plus there are options for managing storage.
The iMazing 3 software on Mac works with the Vision Pro in addition to the iPhone and the iPad, and there is support for remote pairing. Other new features include a Dark Mode, improved Backup and snapshot management, and a redesigned settings interface.
iMazing 3 can be downloaded from the iMazing website at prices starting at $40. iMazing customers who purchased the software after October 20, 2020 can upgrade for free, and those with older licenses can upgrade at a 50 percent discount.
Apple today released several open source large language models (LLMs) that are designed to run on-device rather than through cloud servers. Called OpenELM (Open-source Efficient Language Models), the LLMs are available on the Hugging Face Hub, a community for sharing AI code.
As outlined in a white paper [PDF], there are eight total OpenELM models, four of which were pre-trained using the CoreNet library, and four instruction tuned models. Apple uses a layer-wise scaling strategy that is aimed at improving accuracy and efficiency.
Apple provided code, training logs, and multiple versions rather than just the final trained model, and the researchers behind the project hope that it will lead to faster progress and "more trustworthy results" in the natural language AI field.
OpenELM, a state-of-the-art open language model. OpenELM uses a layer-wise scaling strategy to efficiently allocate parameters within each layer of the transformer model, leading to enhanced accuracy. For example, with a parameter budget of approximately one billion parameters, OpenELM exhibits a 2.36% improvement in accuracy compared to OLMo while requiring 2x fewer pre-training tokens.
Diverging from prior practices that only provide model weights and inference code, and pre-train on private datasets, our release includes the complete framework for training and evaluation of the language model on publicly available datasets, including training logs, multiple checkpoints, and pre-training configurations.
Apple says that it is releasing the OpenELM models to "empower and enrich the open research community" with state-of-the-art language models. Sharing open source models gives researchers a way to investigate risks and data and model biases. Developers and companies are able to use the models as-is or make modifications.
The open sharing of information has become an important tool for Apple to recruit top engineers, scientists, and experts because it provides opportunities for research papers that would not normally have been able to be published under Apple's secretive policies.
Apple has not yet brought these kinds of AI capabilities to its devices, but iOS 18 is expected to include a number of new AI features, and rumors suggest that Apple is planning to run its large language models on-device for privacy purposes.
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