MacRumors

Apple is working to introduce a new fourth-generation Apple silicon chip across the Mac lineup, and while the first M4 Macs are coming in 2024, the MacBook Air won't get updated until 2025.

This guide highlights everything that we know about the next-generation ‌MacBook Air‌ so far.

M4 Chips

The 13-inch and 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ models were just updated with M3 chips in March 2024, so it's no surprise that they're not going to be the first devices to get the M4 chip. Apple plans to wait until 2025, so there will be about a year between the M3 and M4 chip lineups.

Rumors suggest that the M4 chip will have a focus on artificial intelligence to support AI features that are coming with the next round of software updates. Most AI talk has been about iOS 18, but Apple is expected to roll out AI integrations across its platforms. The M4 chip is expected to have a Neural Engine with more cores, with the Neural Engine handling AI and machine learning tasks. The M3 chip has a 16-core Neural Engine.

While Apple is working on M4, M4 Pro, M4 Max, and M4 Ultra chips, the ‌MacBook Air‌ models are expected to get only the standard M4 chip. There will likely be at least two variants of the M4, with the difference being the number of GPU cores. For the current ‌MacBook Air‌, for example, the base M3 chip has an 8-core GPU, but there is also a 10-core GPU option. The M3 CPU is the same for all versions, and that should be the case with the M4 as well.

The M4 will be built on Apples 3-nanometer process, much like the M3. There won't be as big of a performance improvement between M3 and M4 as there was between M2 and M3 because there's no change in node size, but we can still expect modest GPU and CPU speed boosts.

Design

Apple overhauled the ‌MacBook Air‌ design in 2022, and we're not expecting the design to be tweaked with the 2025 refresh. Apple often waits several years between design changes, and there are no rumors that there will be a refreshed look.

Apple is likely to stick with the 15.3 and 13.6-inch size options, and we can expect to see the same flat, MacBook Pro-style body with Force Touch trackpad, and display with notch. As of now, it looks like the 2025 ‌MacBook Air‌ refresh will be focused on internal updates.

Launch Date

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the ‌MacBook Air‌ will get an update in the spring of 2025. Spring starts on March 20, 2025, and ends on June 20, 2025.

Apple today held its earnings call for the second fiscal quarter of 2024 (first calendar quarter), with Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri providing us with some details on Apple's performance, Vision Pro sales, services growth, AI plans, and other topics.

We've highlighted the most interesting takeaways from today's earnings call.

Next Week's Announcements

Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ said Apple is prepping for "an exciting product announcement" that the company thinks "customers will love."

Generative AI

Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ said that Apple is making "significant investments" in AI, and that it has some "very exciting things" to share with customers "soon."

Cook also said that he believes Apple has "advantages that will differentiate" the company, including Apple's hardware and software integration, Apple silicon with Neural Engine, and focus on privacy.

There's a "big opportunity" for generative AI across all of Apple's devices, and Cook said he is "extremely optimistic" about future consumer demand.

Digital Markets Act

Cook said that it's too early to determine the security risks and privacy implications of the changes that it has made to the app ecosystem in Europe. Apple is focused on complying while mitigating impacts to user privacy and security.

Vision Pro

Leading enterprise companies have been investing in Vision Pro, and Apple is seeing it used for things like aircraft engine maintenance, real-time collaboration for racing, and immersive kitchen design. Cook said that Apple "couldn't be more excited about the spatial computing opportunity in enterprise."

Services

Apple's services segment set a new all-time revenue record of $23.9 billion, up 14 percent from $20.9 billion in the year-ago quarter. Transacting accounts and paid accounts reached a new all-time high, with paid accounts and subscriptions showing double digit growth.

Apple has more than 1 billion paid subscriptions, more than double the number from four years ago.

Mac Sales

With the launch of new M3 MacBook Air models in March, Mac revenue saw growth, reaching $7.5 billion. Mac sales were at $7.17 billion in the year-ago quarter, for four percent growth.

iPad Sales

iPad revenue continued to drop with no new iPads released in 2024 as of yet. ‌iPad‌ revenue was at $5.6 billion, down 17 percent from $6.7 billion a year ago. ‌iPad‌ sales should see some improvement next quarter as Apple next week is planning to unveil new iPad Air and iPad Pro models.

Wearables

Wearables, Home and Accessories came in at $7.9 billion, down 10 percent compared to last year. Last year, Apple had launched the USB-C version of AirPods Pro, and there was a "difficult compare" this year.

June Quarter

Maestri said that Apple expects June quarter revenue to grow low single digits year-over-year, but Services is expected to grow double digits, as is ‌iPad‌ revenue.

During today's earnings call covering the second fiscal quarter of 2024, Apple CEO Tim Cook again spoke about Apple's work on generative AI. He said that Apple has "advantages" that will "differentiate" the company in the era of AI, and some "very exciting things" will be shared with customers in the near future.

We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI. We are making significant investments and we're looking forward to sharing some very exciting things with our customers soon.

We believe in the transformative power and promise of AI and we believe we have advantages that will differentiate us in this new era, including Apple's unique combination of seamless hardware, software and services integration, groundbreaking Apple silicon with our industry leading neural engines, and our unwavering focus on privacy, which underpins everything we create.

Rumors have suggested that Apple's first AI features are designed to run on-device rather than contacting a cloud service, which would make Apple's AI much more private and secure than an online AI option. Apple's plan to have generative AI available on-device will require significant CPU and GPU power, and Apple is planning to focus on AI with the upcoming M4 chip.

We could see the M4 chip as soon as next week in new iPad Pro models, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman indicating last weekend that there is a chance Apple will unveil the chip in the ‌iPad Pro‌ models.

Apple today announced financial results for the second fiscal quarter of 2024, which corresponds to the first calendar quarter of the year.

For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $90.8 billion and net quarterly profit of $23.6 billion, or $1.53 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $94.8 billion and net quarterly profit of $24.1 billion, or $1.52 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Apple set an all-time quarterly record for Services revenue at $23.9 billion, but iPhone revenue dropped by over $5 billion compared to the year-ago quarter.

Gross margin for the quarter was 46.6 percent, compared to 44.3 percent in the year-ago quarter. Apple's board of directors also authorized an additional $110 billion for share repurchases and declared an increased dividend payment of $0.25 per share, up from $0.24 per share. The dividend is payable May 16 to shareholders of record as of May 13.

"Today Apple is reporting revenue of $90.8 billion for the March quarter, including an all-time revenue record in Services," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "During the quarter, we were thrilled to launch Apple Vision Pro and to show the world the potential that spatial computing unlocks. We're also looking forward to an exciting product announcement next week and an incredible Worldwide Developers Conference next month. As always, we are focused on providing the very best products and services for our customers, and doing so while living up to the core values that drive us."

As has been the case for over four years now, Apple is once again not issuing guidance for the current quarter ending in June.

Apple will provide live streaming of its fiscal Q2 2024 financial results conference call at 2:00 pm Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.

Conference call recap ahead...

➜ Click here to read rest of article...

Following this past weekend's sighting of NBA superstar LeBron James carrying an unreleased Beats speaker reminiscent of the former Beats Pill, F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has also been seen teasing the unreleased speaker at this week's Grand Prix stop in Miami.

Details on the unreleased speaker remain unknown, but it features a similar pill-shaped design to the rest of the Pill family and includes a lanyard that has not been present on previous models. The most recent model in the Pill family was discontinued in 2022, and this new one will likely include a USB-C port, updated Bluetooth specs, and other improvements.

Beats has yet to officially announce the upcoming Beats Pill, so a release date similarly remains unknown.

The Beats Pill teases come as part of a busy week for Apple's speaker and headphone brand, as Beats this week introduced the Solo 4 on-ear headphones and announced the all-new Solo Buds earphones that will be launching in June.

At some point in the last 24 hours, Siri on the HomePod and the HomePod mini seems to have forgotten how to relay the time. When asking ‌Siri‌ "what time is it?" ‌Siri‌ is unable to answer and directs users to the iPhone.

"I found some web results, I can show them if you ask again from your ‌iPhone‌," is ‌Siri‌'s full response to the time question. If you ask what time it is in a specific location, ‌Siri‌ is able to respond, and ‌Siri‌ on ‌iPhone‌, iPad, and Mac provides the time as usual when asked.

This is a bug that Apple will be able to fix server side, so it will likely be addressed quickly. In the meantime, to get the time from ‌Siri‌ on the ‌HomePod‌ without having to swap to an ‌iPhone‌, include your location.

‌Siri‌ has long been ridiculed for failing to understand requests and not providing the expected information, and small bugs like this are a bit embarrassing as Apple prepares for a major AI update.

For the last several months, ‌Siri‌ has also been struggling with HomeKit commands, and there have been many complaints from smart home users. Asking ‌Siri‌ to "turn off the lights in the living room," for example, often results in the lights being turned on or turned off in another room entirely. Hopefully some of these issues will be solved with a ‌Siri‌ overhaul in iOS 18 and its sister updates.

Update: Apple seems to have fixed the issue somewhat. Asking "what time is it?" provides the time, but ‌Siri‌ is still not able to give the time if you ask "what's the time?" or "can you tell me the time?"

(Thanks, Ben!)

Apple today confirmed that it will be bringing all of the app ecosystem changes made to iOS in the European Union to iPadOS in the fall. Earlier this week, the European Commission said that iPadOS is also a gatekeeper platform under the Digital Markets Act.

EU developers will be able to distribute iPad apps outside of the App Store using alternative app marketplaces or websites, and all of the same terms will apply. The Core Technology Fee will be charged for apps that are distributed outside of the ‌App Store‌ and have more than one million first annual installs, though there are exceptions for small developers, which Apple also announced today.

With iPadOS being added to the mix, Apple has also confirmed that users who install the same app on both iOS and iPadOS in a 12-month period will only generate one first annual install for that app rather than two, which should help developers keep below the CTF threshold.

As with the changes to iOS, the upcoming changes to iPadOS only apply to developers who distribute apps in the European Union and ‌iPad‌ users in the EU. For the rest of the world, there are no changes and apps will continue to be available only from the ‌App Store‌.

Apple today announced that it is tweaking the terms of the 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee (CTF) that apps distributed using the new EU business terms must pay, introducing a solution that would keep small apps that go viral from being charged unreasonable fees.

First, independent and small developers who earn no revenue at all will not have to pay the CTF. Students, hobbyists, and freeware app developers who distribute free apps and earn no money will not be charged the fee. Developers will need to declare their non-commercial status on an annual basis, and to maintain this status, developers must have no revenue in or out of the App Store for their app product.

Second, to address fears of the CTF causing outrageous fees for an app that suddenly goes viral, Apple has implemented a three year on-ramping process for small developers. The three year period begins when a developer agrees to the new ‌App Store‌ business terms, and during this time, if an app goes viral and exceeds the one million annual install threshold that triggers the CTF, the CTF won't be charged if the developer earns less than 10 million euros in global business revenue, and the fee is reduced after that.

• Under 10 million euros: No CTF during the three year period.
• Between 10 million and 50 million euros: CTF must be paid, but it is capped at one million euros per year for the three year period.
• Beyond 50 million euros: Benefit is no longer available, and the full CTF has to be paid.
• After three years: Developers will pay for each first annual install after the initial one million first annual installs per year.

Note that this ramp up period is only available to small developers who have not previously exceeded one million first annual installs, and it is calculated based on global business revenue rather than just ‌App Store‌ revenue.

Apple says that 99 percent of developers will not be subject to the CTF to begin with, but the new ramp up period will go further to make sure that small developers who get a breakout hit will have time to scale their businesses before having to pay fees.

Back in March, developer Riley Testut spoke with Apple officials at a workshop on the Digital Markets Act, and he asked what would happen if a young developer had an app go viral and unwittingly racked up millions in fees. Testut asked the question because when he was a high school student, he released GBA4iOS outside of the ‌App Store‌. It was unexpectedly downloaded more than 10 million times, and that would have bankrupted him had he been subject to the Core Technology Fee.

In response, Apple VP of regulatory law Kyle Andeers said that Apple was working on a solution because the company is not trying to stifle innovation. Apple believes that a free app going viral and being subject to exorbitant fees will be a rare occurrence, but the changes will keep that from happening. The CTF update will also be a welcome change for those who want to release entirely free apps outside of the ‌App Store‌.

The CTF is only applicable to apps that have opted in to the new ‌App Store‌ business terms in the European Union. Apps in the EU are now able to be distributed through alternative app stores and developer websites without having to rely on the ‌App Store‌.

Apple has more information about the new changes to the CTF on its updated CTF support page.

Today we're tracking a few deals offered by Anker, Eufy, and Jackery, including a wide array of wall chargers, Bluetooth trackers, and other USB-C accessories. All of the products in this sale can be found on Amazon, and some will require you to clip an on-page coupon then head to the checkout screen before you see the final sale price.

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.

This week Eufy has a pair of discounts on its Find My-compatible SmartTrack Bluetooth tracker accessories exclusively for Prime members, including the SmartTrack Card for $19.99, down from $29.99. You can also get the SmartTrack Link in multiple pack options if you have Amazon Prime, starting at $15.99 for the 1-Pack, down from $19.99.

Switching to the Anker deals, you can get the 20,000 mAh Prime Power Bank with Smart Digital Display for $89.98, down from $129.99. If you need a bigger battery, you can get the Portable Power Station with Smart Display + Retractable Light for $109.99 with an on-page coupon, down from $149.99. Additionally, below you'll find more Anker accessories including speakers and USB-C products.

Anker is also hosting a BOGO sale this week on Amazon, allowing you to save 15 percent on select charging accessories when you purchase two at once. You can find the full lineup on this landing page, and it includes the MagGo 10,000 mAh Power Bank with Smart Display, Nano 10,000 mAh Power Bank with Built-in USB-C Cable, and more.

Highlights of Jackery's deals include the Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station, available for just $119.99, down from $149.00. This is a miniature-sized portable power station that can fit in the palm of your hand and weighs just 2.13 lbs, while featuring a 31,000 mAh capacity and 128W output.

Eufy

• SmartTrack Link 1-Pack - $15.99 for Prime members, down from $19.99
• SmartTrack Link 2-Pack - $26.99 for Prime members, down from $35.99
• SmartTrack Link 4-Pack - $48.99 for Prime members, down from $69.99
• SmartTrack Card - $19.99 for Prime members, down from $29.99

Anker

Audio

• Soundcore Motion 300 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - $64.99, down from $79.99

Portable Batteries

• Nano Power Bank with Built-In USB-C Cable - $39.99, down from $49.99
• Prime Power Bank 20,000 mAh with 100W Charging Base - $139.99, down from $184.99

Power Stations

• Portable Power Station with Smart Display + Retractable Light - $109.99 with on-page coupon, down from $149.99
• 3-in-1 MagSafe Charging Cube - $129.99, down from $149.99
• SOLIX F2000 Portable Power Station - $1,499.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,999.00

Wall Chargers

• 20W USB-C Charger - $9.99, down from $16.99
• 100W 3-Port USB-C Charger - $42.99, down from $74.99
• 6-in-1 Nano Charging Station - $49.49, down from $65.99
• Prime 67W 3-Port Charger - $59.99, down from $65.99

Hubs

• 4-Port USB-C Hub - $15.99, down from $19.99
• 10-in-1 USB-C Hub - $74.99 for Prime members, down from $149.99

Jackery

• Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station - $119.99 with on-page coupon, down from $149.00
• Solar Generator 300 Plus Portable Power Station - $499.00, down from $579.00
• Expansion Battery Pack for 1000 Plus - $599.00, down from $799.00
• Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station - $649.00 with on-page coupon, down from $999.00
• Explorer 2000 Pro Portable Power Station - $1,299.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,899.00
• Expansion Battery Pack for 2000 Plus - $1,259.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,599.00
• Explorer 3000 Pro Portable Power Station - $2,499.00, down from $2,799.00

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.

Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models were its most purchased smartphones in the U.S. in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) report.

The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ and Pro Max accounted for 22% and 23% of all iPhones sold in Q1 2024, for a 45% combined share. The iPhone 15 Plus took a 9% share of all iPhones sold, while the ‌iPhone 15‌ and iPhone 14 were the third most popular, each taking 14% of the share.

The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ and Pro Max share hardly changed compared to the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and Pro Max the same quarter a year ago. However, Apple saw sales of the base model ‌iPhone 15‌ decline relative to a year ago. The overall mix of ‌iPhone 15‌ models was lower, accounting for 68% of all iPhone sales.

By contrast, in Q1 2023 the ‌iPhone 14‌ series had a 7% higher share of all iPhones sold, taking 75% combined. The percentages suggest that the ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus were more popular than the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus over the equivalent quarter the previous year.

Noting the change, CIRP comments:

We see this as a continuation of a trend from the past couple of quarters, as the lower- priced current models give up some share to older models. The once flagship, now base iPhone 15, is no longer the leading-edge choice, as the Pro and Pro Max models take that role.

Last week, CIRP released a report indicating that new ‌iPhone‌ activations are down to a low not seen in the U.S. smartphone market for the last six years.

CIRP said that Apple's installed smartphone base was higher than recorded activations, but Apple's 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.

When Apple released iOS 17.3 in January, it introduced a Stolen Device Protection feature to provide iPhone users with added security. This article explains what it does, why you might want to turn it on, and how to go about doing so.

In 2023, reports began emerging about a new method thieves were using to steal iPhones and access users' highly sensitive data. Thieves would surreptitiously spy on their victims in public while they entered their passcode, before going on to steal the device. With the passcode known to them, criminals could empty bank accounts, steal passwords, and make the iPhone untraceable.

Enter, Stolen Device Protection

To make it harder for a thief to access passcode-protected data on a stolen iPhone, Apple in iOS 17.3 included Stolen Device Protection. With the feature enabled, Face ID or Touch ID is required to access passwords in iCloud Keychain, Lost Mode settings, options for erasing the device, and making purchases in Safari.

In addition to the new biometric requirements, the feature also imposes a one-hour security delay on actions like changing an Apple ID password. In other words, if someone tries to change Apple ID login information, Face ID authentication is required, and then an hour must pass before the password can be changed. The only time this wait period is not imposed is when the device at a trusted location like home or work.

Actions Requiring Face ID/Touch ID With Stolen Device Protection Enabled

• Viewing/using passwords or passkeys saved in iCloud Keychain
• Applying for a new Apple Card
• Viewing an Apple Card virtual card
• Turning off Lost Mode
• Erasing all content and settings
• Taking certain Apple Cash and Savings actions in Wallet
• Using payment methods saved in Safari
• Using your iPhone to set up a new device

Note that these actions do not have a passcode backup, so you can't use a passcode to avoid using Face ID or Touch ID.

Actions Requiring 1-Hour Delay With Stolen Device Protection Enabled

Actions that require biometric authentication and have a one-hour security delay include the following:

• Changing your Apple ID password
• Updating select Apple ID account security settings, including adding or removing a trusted device, trusted phone number, Recovery Key, or Recovery Contact
• Changing your iPhone passcode
• Adding or removing Face ID or Touch ID
• Turning off Find My
• Turning off Stolen Device Protection

How to Enable Stolen Device Protection

Note that Stolen Device Protection is only available on iPhones that are able to run iOS 17, which includes the iPhone XS and newer. Also, make sure your iPhone is up-to-date and running iOS 17.3 or later (Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update). Here's how to enable the feature.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode, depending on iPhone model).
3. Enter your passcode at the prompt.
4. Scroll down and tap Stolen Device Protection.
5. Toggle on the switch next to Stolen Device Protection, then tap Turn On at the prompt.

Note that if your iPhone is running iOS 17.4 or later, an additional option on this screen lets you choose to require a security delay when your device is Away from Familiar Locations, or Always. Otherwise, that's all there is to it. You can just as easily turn off the feature by toggling off the Stolen Device Protection switch, but you'll need to authenticate to do so.

AI safety and research company Anthropic has announced the launch of its Claude iOS app, offering users easier access to the conversational agent from their iPhone.

Similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT, the Claude chatbot operates by processing large amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like responses. Its architecture is based on machine learning techniques including large language models (LLMs).

Whereas ChatGPT is foremost designed for versatility and scalability, Anthropic says its focus is on creating a "steerable" AI so that users can direct the model's style and content more effectively, thereby mitigating potential harmful outputs and biases from the outset.

The AI company says its Claude iOS app features:

• Seamless syncing with web chats: Pick up where you left off across devices.
• Vision capabilities: Use photos from your library, take new photos, or upload files so you can have real-time image analysis, contextual understanding, and mobile-centric use cases on the go.
• Open access: Users across all plans, including Pro and Team, can download the app free of charge.

According to Anthropic, early testers report that the Claude app is exceptional for brainstorming ideas on the go, getting quick answers to questions, or analyzing scenes and images from the real world.

In March, Anthropic announced that its Claude 3 language model surpassed ChatGPT and Google's Gemini in various critical industry benchmarks. According to the company, Claude 3 excelled in areas including graduate-level reasoning and multilingual math and coding, among other metrics.

Anthropic also highlighted that their most advanced version of Claude 3, named Opus, demonstrated capabilities close to human level, particularly in delivering quick responses, making it well-suited for complex and urgent tasks.

Claude for ‌iPhone‌ and iPad is a free download available from the App Store. [Direct Link] Users can get 5x more Claude usage than its free plan allows and access Anthropic's most powerful model (Claude 3 Opus) by upgrading to a paid Pro plan, which is $20 per month.

Apple's atrial fibrillation (AFib) history feature on Apple Watch has been qualified by the FDA under its Medical Device Development Tools (MDDT) program, the first digital health technology feature of its kind to do so.

Since 2022, Apple Watch has supported AFib History, which allows users diagnosed with atrial fibrillation to view an estimate of how frequently their heart is in this type of irregular rhythm.

The feature analyzes pulse rate data collected by a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor to identify episodes consistent with AFib and provides the user with a retrospective estimate of AFib burden (a measure of the amount of time spent in AFib during past Apple Watch wear). Apple says the feature is intended for individuals aged 22 years or older who have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

The AFib History feature received FDA clearance in the United States just prior to its announcement by Apple, after being validated in a clinical study. The MDDT program under which the feature was approved today is the FDA's method of qualifying tools that medical device sponsors can choose to use in the development and evaluation of medical devices.

According to the FDA, the Atrial Fibrillation History feature is:

• The first digital health technology qualified under the MDDT program, providing a non-invasive way to check estimates of atrial fibrillation (AFib) burden within clinical studies.
• Designed to be used as a biomarker test to help evaluate estimates of AFib burden as a secondary effectiveness endpoint within clinical studies intended to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of cardiac ablation devices to treat.
• Designed to be used throughout the clinical study, both before and after cardiac ablation devices, to monitor a study participant’s weekly estimate of AFib burden.

(Via MyHealthyApple.com.)

Google paid Apple $20 billion in 2022 to be the default search engine for Safari on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, reports Bloomberg. The information was revealed in court documents Google provided in its antitrust dispute with the United States Department of Justice.

The DoJ has accused Google of having a monopoly on search, and in the lawsuit against Google, the search engine deal with Apple has been a major focus. In November, lawsuit documents indicated that Google was paying 36 percent of the total revenue that it earns from searches conducted on Safari, and now it turns out that equates to $20 billion.

Google has been the default search engine on Apple devices since 2002, though the deal has been renegotiated several times. Apple and Google have worked to keep the terms of the search engine agreement under wraps during the trial and before, but it has been well known that Google is paying Apple billions per year.

Last October, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testified that the agreement between Apple and Google has made it impossible for search engines like Bing to compete. Microsoft at one point wanted Apple to buy Bing, but Apple was not interested. Microsoft blamed Google, but Apple's Eddy Cue said that Apple was concerned that Bing could not compete in "quality and capabilities." Cue claimed that Apple uses Google as the ‌iPhone‌'s default search engine because Apple has "always thought it was the best."

Google is the default search engine on Apple devices in most countries, but users can opt to swap to Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Ecosia as alternatives. Changing browser engines requires opening up the Safari settings.

In Europe, the Digital Markets Act has required Apple to make changes to how browsers work. Users are able to choose a default browser when setting up their ‌iPhone‌, and there are more options than the handful of providers that Apple allows in the United States.

If Google loses the antitrust lawsuit against it, the deal between Apple and Google could be dissolved. Closing arguments are expected on Thursday and Friday, with the judge's ruling set to come later in 2024.

With the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch approaching, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at an interesting bit of Apple Watch history.

After the Apple Watch was announced in 2014, and before it became available in 2015, Apple sent out custom Apple Watch iPad demo kiosks to retail stores. The Apple Watch and ‌iPad‌ units used for these devices were specially designed, had custom software, and represent the first and only time that an Apple Watch was able to pair with an ‌iPad‌.

AppleDemoYT, known for sourcing rare prototypes, shared images and detailed information about the demo units with MacRumors, offering up detailed insight on the lengths Apple went to for this custom experience. AppleDemoYT was able to acquire one of these now-rare demo units.

Jony Ive and his design team came up with the Apple Watch ‌iPad‌ Kiosks as a way for customers to try out an Apple Watch without needing help from an employee. Apple used a modified iPad mini 2 running iOS 8.2 paired with an original Apple Watch running watchOS 1.0, with the two devices fused in a custom housing.

The ‌iPad‌ Apple used had multiple components removed, including the camera, microphone, and speakers, and the housing of the setup served as the body of the ‌iPad‌. The Apple Watch was heavily modified as well, featuring a groove along the diagnostic port for cable routing, holes to affix it to the demo unit, and a special Sport Band that was shorter than normal.

The Apple Watch was paired to the ‌iPad‌ using a wired connection. A lightning cable attached to the Apple Watch diagnostic port connected to a converter board inside the ‌iPad‌, allowing the ‌iPad‌ to communicate with and charge the Apple Watch. A special app called Apple Watch Demo was used to allow the Apple Watch to interface with the ‌iPad‌, and a connection to Apple's server was required.

The server that Apple used for the Apple Watch Demo app has long since gone offline, so the only way to see how the setup worked is through a demo unit that was paired in 2014 and not reset since then. With a functional unit, the ‌iPad‌ is able to mirror the Apple Watch, offering up transition animations and providing tips on the actions that can be performed on the Apple Watch. This functionality is demoed in AppleDemoYT's video:

The custom ‌iPad mini‌ was not only the sole model able to connect with an Apple Watch, it was also the only ‌iPad‌ that could be charged using MagSafe 2, originally designed for the Mac. A ‌MagSafe‌ connector charged the ‌iPad‌, Apple Watch, and extra batteries inside the ‌iPad‌. A Lightning port is available as well, but Apple's documentation suggests that it is only meant to be used for data transfer.

Apple discontinued the demo unit in 2016 because it was riddled with issues. Updates to the ‌iPad‌ or Apple Watch would erase demo content, and the front glass was prone to cracking because of the design of the housing. Batteries degraded quickly due to the always-on charging, and overheating and failure were continual problems. Apple also had to deal with pairing and syncing issues, and that caused Apple to tweak the interactive part of the demo functionality in 2015. After that change, the ‌iPad‌ provided Apple Watch info, but no longer mirrored the content on the Apple Watch.

Demo units that were decommissioned were supposed to be destroyed, and so finding one that is still available, functional, and in good working condition is unusual. The Apple Watch ‌iPad‌ kiosk represents one of the most advanced custom devices that Apple had designed at the time, and it offers a neat look back at the Apple Watch's debut.

Rumors suggest that Apple has plans for the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, and as soon as this year, we may see a redesigned "Apple Watch X" with an updated magnetic band attachment system, new health features, and more.

Starting with iOS 18, the Calendar app on the iPhone will feature integration with the Reminders app, according to information obtained by AppleInsider.

The report claims that iPhone users will be able to schedule and organize reminders directly within the Calendars app, without needing to open the Reminders app. Reminders are expected to be visible within the Day, Week, and Month calendar views.

The change will extend to the Mac with macOS 15, the report says.

The same publication recently reported that the Calculator and Notes app will also be integrated on iOS 18, and said that the update will include new Safari features such as "Intelligent Search" and "Web Eraser." We recently recapped iOS 18 rumors on a per-app basis, with new features also expected for Apple Music, Messages, and more.

Apple is expected to announce iOS 18, macOS 15, and other software updates during its WWDC keynote on June 10. The first betas of iOS 18 and macOS 15 will likely be made available to members of Apple's Developer Program immediately following the keynote, and the updates should be widely released in September.

While Apple's upcoming iPad Pro models have been expected to feature the M3 chip for over a year, recent reports have unexpectedly suggested that the new devices will instead feature the as-yet-unannounced M4 chip.

Last week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that he now believes there is a "strong possibility" that the upcoming ‌iPad Pro‌ models will be equipped with Apple's next-generation M4 chip, rather than the M3 chip that debuted in the MacBook Pro and iMac six months ago. He said a key new feature of the M4 chip will be an upgraded Neural Engine that boosts performance for AI tasks, and he believes Apple will market the next ‌iPad Pro‌ as an AI-powered device.

Introducing the M4 chip in an iPad and only six months after the previous chip generation would be unprecedented moves. Yet this is not the first time that the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models have been rumored to feature the M4 chip. In March, the chip details of 16 new Apple devices were revealed by a source with a proven track record of sharing accurate information about Apple's plans.

The disclosed technical information contained four identifiers for an unreleased chip that relates to the upcoming 11- and 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models display sizes. This sequence of identifiers suggested that the ‌iPad Pro‌ will contain the M4 chip, rather than the M3. With Gurman now supporting this possibility and the potential of an AI focus, it seems like an increasingly likely eventuality.

If Apple does introduce the M4 chip in the new ‌iPad Pro‌, its Apple silicon roadmap would appear to be moving faster than expected. It is possible that TSMC's N3E production volume remains low, making it more suitable for a device like the ‌iPad‌ rather than the iPhone or Mac at this point in time.

Apple is expected to announce the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models at its "Let Loose" event on May 7. Do you think the new ‌iPad Pro‌ will contain the M4 chip and why? Let us know what you think in the comments.

MacRumors is pleased to announce our Fifteenth Annual MacRumors Blood Drive, throughout the month of May 2024. Let's save lives together by encouraging donations of blood, platelets, and plasma. While most blood drives are specific to a geographic location, our blood drive is online and worldwide. Anyone can participate.

Over the past 14 years, MacRumors Blood Drives have recorded donations of 1,305 units of blood, platelets, and plasma, cheered for donors, and celebrated new signups for the organ donor and bone marrow registries. We've heard from hundreds of forum members who donate or whose lives were saved by the donations of strangers.

This year's featured donor is user Neil.gtis, a three-year forum member from England. Neil is a regular donor who has made 98 blood donations to date, and will reach his 100th donation this year. Whether you're a regular donor like Neil.gtis or someone overcoming apprehension to donate for the very first time, we congratulate you.

How to participate in the MacRumors Blood Drive

1. If you are an eligible donor (e.g., U.S. eligibility rules), schedule a blood, platelet, or plasma donation (FAQ) at any donation center near you. Post in the MacRumors 2024 Blood Drive! thread to tell us about it. Also post if you register as an organ donor or register for the bone marrow registry (FAQ). We'll add all donors and registrants to our Honor Roll.
2. If you aren't eligible to donate, such as for medical reasons, please encourage someone else to make a donation, and let us know. If they donate, you'll both be added to our Honor Roll. The FDA has changed the U.S. donor eligibility rules, by removing the blanket ban on MSM donors, so there are more eligible donors than ever before.
3. Share our message with friends, relatives, and followers. Thank the forum members who post in the MacRumors 2024 Blood Drive! thread.

After the MacRumors Blood Drive ends on May 31, please record your blood, platelet, and plasma donations on our Team MacRumors 2024-2025 page (see instructions). We'll tally your donations and count them for the MacRumors 2025 Blood Drive next May.