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Apple Arcade games Crossy Road Castle and Solitaire Stories are set to launch on the Vision Pro headset tomorrow, adding two additional popular games to Apple's first head worn device.

In Crossy Road Castle, players can progress through tower levels with pinch and flick gestures. Up to four players can play at one time, though there's also a solo version of the game.

Crossy Road Castle for Vision Pro has the same features as the other versions of the game, including characters and hats to unlock, game controller support, and challenge events to complete. Levels are procedurally generated, so each new game is different.

Solitaire Stories provides players with a virtual card table to play classic solitaire games. There are multiple versions of solitaire included, such as Klondike Quick Play, Spider, and Draw 3, as well as support for online multiplayer gameplay.

The game includes a progressive story with increasingly difficult levels, along with different deck designs to unlock. There are also daily challenges and contests.

Crossy Road Castle and Solitaire Stories will soon be available for download from the Vision Pro App Store.

Several ‌Apple Arcade‌ games available on iOS and macOS are receiving updates today, including Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop, Cooking Mama: Cuisine, Fruit Ninja Classic, and Zookeeper World.

Several months ago, Hyper introduced a series of accessories under the "HyperDrive Next" family, bringing a variety of options for USB-C hubs and other products. I've recently spent some time testing out some of these accessories, and I've found them to offer an assortment of capabilities across price points to suit a variety of users.

USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure

Priced at $119.99, Hyper's USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure offers support for a speedy external drive inside a robust aluminum enclosure protected by a silicone bumper to cushion against impacts and provide IP55 dust and water resistance. The enclosure supports M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4/3 SSDs up to 16 TB with a snap-in installation process that requires no screws. SSDs in 2230/2240/2260/2280 sizes are supported.

For testing, I paired Hyper's enclosure with a 2TB WD_BLACK SSD that supports up to 7,300 MB/s transfer speeds, allowing me to push the enclosure to its limits without being capped by the SSD. The installation process was as simple as advertised, and all I had to do was pop open the enclosure by hand, slide the SSD into the drive slot, secure it with a rubber secure grip, peel off the protective film on a preinstalled thermal pad, and close everything back up. An extra thermal pad and secure grips are provided in the box in case you need them.

A 0.5-meter USB4 cable is included with the enclosure, and upon plugging the enclosure in to my MacBook Pro, I was able to quickly format it for APFS with Disk Utility to work with macOS. An illuminated Hyper logo on the enclosure shines through an opening in the silicone bumper, giving you some information about drive status. The logo shines a steady white when the enclosure is powered on and the drive is idle, and it blinks while data is being read from or written to the SSD. The logo will blink red if detects an SSD is not connected.

Hyper says the enclosure supports up to 3,800 MB/s transfer speeds, and in my testing with a 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro I saw both read and write speeds registering around 3,100 MB/s with the WD SSD. That's plenty fast for most users, allowing for fast file transfers and even the ability to work with large projects directly from the external drive. I was able to copy a ~28 GB folder with roughly 17,500 items in it to the drive in around 15 seconds.

The enclosure gets slightly warm even when not in active use, with the finned aluminum design of the enclosure and small Hyper logo-shaped holes in the silicone bumper helping move heat away from the drive. The heat was not a concern in any of my testing, as it remained comfortable to touch.

Overall, I was pleased with the performance of the enclosure, and it's a convenient solution for backing up data or just adding extra storage. At $119.99 before adding in the cost of the SSD itself, it's pricier than some other solutions, but when you consider the higher-end specs it offers, it's within the same price range as many other options from trusted brands.

Hyper is currently sold out of the SSD enclosure on its own site, but does have it available through Amazon.

10 Port USB-C Hub

At the low end of Hyper's USB hub range is the 10 Port USB-C Hub priced at $99.99. It includes support for a single external display at 4K60Hz over HDMI while offering a pair of 10 Gbps USB-C ports, two USB-A ports (one at 10 Gbps and one at 5 Gbps), SD and microSD 4.0 card slots supporting up to a theoretical maximum of 312 MB/s, Gigabit Ethernet, and a 3.5 mm combo audio jack.

There's also a USB-C port with PD support at up to 140 watts, allowing for passthrough power to your computer if you hook up an external power adapter. Otherwise, the hub will run in bus-powered mode off of your computer. The hub connects to the attached computer over an integrated USB-C cable, which ensures you always have the proper cable with you but introduces a potential failure point for the whole accessory. The cable does feel fairly thick and sturdy with some strain relief reinforcement around where it enters the hub, so hopefully it will remain durable over the long term.

This is a compact, lightweight (97 grams) hub in a very dark gray or almost midnight aluminum finish, and in my testing it's proven to be a solid option for on-the-go use cases. It slips easily into a computer bag or sleeve and offers a really nice selection of ports to help you make use of a wide variety of accessories you might run across.

With support for a single external display, this may not be for true power users, but the vast majority of people are likely to only need to connect to a single display, especially in travel environments where this hub excels. A more powerful dock with additional display support and even more ports would likely suit these users better at more fixed home and office locations.

Hyper is currently sold out of the 10 Port USB-C Hub on its own site, but it is available through Amazon and Best Buy.

Dual 4K HDMI 7 Port USB-C Hub

Hyper's mid-range Dual 4K HDMI 7 Port USB-C Hub priced at $149.99 offers fewer ports than the lower-end model but with enhanced display support. It includes two HDMI ports (one HDMI 2.0 at 4K60Hz and one HDMI 1.4 at 4K30Hz), a pair of 10 Gbps USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a single 10 Gbps USB-A port, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and a USB-C port allowing you to optionally connect a PD 3.0 power adapter of up to 100 watts for passthrough charging of up to 85 watts to a connected computer. If you don't want to connect a power adapter, the hub will run in bus-powered mode from the attached computer, so no external power brick is needed.

The design is an unobtrusive space gray plastic with subtle Hyper branding on the top. An integrated USB-C cable on one side connects to the host computer, while the available USB-C passthrough power port is on the opposite side. All other ports are on the rear of the hub, allowing for a relatively clean look on a desk. There are several rows of tiny Hyper logos on the ends of the hub, with the top row on each end being ventilation holes. The integrated cable is convenient for ensuring your cable is always at hand, but if it frays or otherwise breaks, the hub is rendered useless. It does appear quite durable based on my time with it though.

Given that this is a hub rather than a wall-powered desktop dock, it's ideal to take on the go to connect to displays and other devices as needed. While dual external displays are supported over the HDMI ports, it's important to note that USB bandwidth limitations means that only one of the displays can run at 60Hz, with the other running at 30Hz. This is likely fine for less demanding productivity tasks, but definitely something to be aware of if you're hoping to drive displays with heavier demands.

The inclusion of two USB-C ports with 10 Gbps transfer speeds is nice for connecting external drives and other modern devices, while the USB-A port offers legacy connectivity. I prefer a couple of USB-A ports on my full-time desktop dock due to a number of accessories I use that have integrated USB-A cables or proprietary charging connectors that use USB-A at the other end, but for a portable solution, this hub does the trick just fine.

I connected the USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure via this hub, and it unsurprisingly impacted performance of the SSD as it was now sharing bandwidth other accessories, potentially including displays. I was still able to get write speeds of around 975 MB/s and read speeds of 850 MB/s, which should be sufficient for most users' needs.

The Dual 4K HDMI 7 Port USB-C Hub offers a number of connectivity options primarily aimed at users on the go, but you'll need to ensure it suits your needs. It's on the pricier side of USB hubs at $149.99, so make sure you need all of its capabilities and can't get away with a cheaper and simpler option. But on the flip side, the display limitations mean demanding users may want to look at other solutions such as separately connecting multiple displays to their computers for maximum performance.

Hyper is currently listing the Dual 4K HDMI 7 Port USB-C Hub as on sale for $104.99 on its own site, though it is currently out of stock. Amazon has it available for the regular price of $149.99, but hopefully Hyper gets this model back in stock soon at the sale price.

10 Port Business Class USB-C Dock

For those looking for more capabilities, Hyper offers the $199.99 10 Port Business Class USB-C Dock. While this dock has the same dual display capabilities of one HDMI 2.0 port at 4K60Hz and one HDMI 1.4 port at 4K30Hz, it offers a different combination of other ports. As a business-focused dock, there's a heavier emphasis on legacy connectivity such as two USB-A ports, both of which run at up to 10 Gbps. The extra USB-A port is offset by the inclusion of only a single downstream USB-C port, which also runs at 10 Gbps.

In addition to the same 3.5mm combo audio jack as on the 7-port hub, the 10-port model includes a Gigabit Ethernet port and an SD 4.0 card slot supporting transfer speeds up to 312 MB/s, In another nod to the business market, Kensington and Kensington Nano lock slots are included to help physically secure the dock.

The dock connects to the host computer via a short detachable USB-C to USB-C cable, which conveniently snaps into the edge of the dock for travel, so this is a great balance of convenience and repairability. While the dock can be bus powered over this connection, you can also provide external power to the dock that can pass through to your laptop. The dock allows for power input via either USB-C or a DC barrel connector, but an external power adapter is not provided with the dock.

I experienced no issues in my testing, with the dock reliably driving two displays, keeping in mind that the 30Hz refresh rate on the second display may be insufficient for some uses. Productivity users are, however, unlikely to notice any issues due to that limitation. Ethernet and USB connectivity worked as advertised.

SD card reader speeds also appeared as advertised, with my test card nearing its maximum specs at write speeds of 125 MB/s and read speeds of around 220 MB/s.

While the 10 Port Business Class USB-C Dock is priced at $199.99 at Hyper, Best Buy is currently offering it for a discounted price of $159.99.

Wrap-up

Overall, Hyper offers a nice selection of USB-C hubs and docks to suit a variety of needs. While they don't have quite the capabilities of a Thunderbolt dock, they can provide good options for port expandability both on the go and in a desktop situation.

The USB4 SSD Enclosure supports the latest USB standard for high read and write speeds that should satisfy almost all users, and it comes in a compact package ideal for extra portable storage. Just make sure the SSD you're using can take advantage of the speeds the enclosure has to offer.

Note: Hyper provided MacRumors with the hubs, dock, and SSD enclosure for the purposes of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Hyper, Amazon, and Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.5 update to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of its launch. The public beta comes a week after Apple released the second public beta and a day after Apple seeded the beta to developers.

Beta testers can opt-in through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Under Beta updates, simply toggle on the Sonoma Public Beta. Note that you must sign up to participate on Apple's beta testing website.

There have been no new features found in the ‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.5 developer betas so far, and Apple listed no additions in its release notes. It is likely that the update focuses on bug fixes and other small under-the-hood improvements.

Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 updates to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of its release. The second public iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 betas come a week after Apple released the second betas for public beta testers, and a day after the software was made available to developers.

Public beta testers can get the beta by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 Public Beta. Signing up on Apple's beta testing website is required.

iOS 17.5 is limited on new outward-facing features, focusing primarily on changes in the European Union. App developers in the EU are now able to add their iPhone apps to their website, so that users can download them directly without having to use the App Store.

To offer an app for download from a website in the European Union, developers need to meet specific criteria. Developers need to be a member of the Apple Developer Program for two continuous years or more and must have an app with more than one million first installs on iOS in the European Union in the prior year. Other requirements include submitting to Apple's notarization process and publishing transparent data collection policies.

This feature is limited to the European Union due to the Digital Markets Act and is not available to all users.

iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 also have updates to mobile device management and there are code changes suggesting Battery Health functionality could come to the new iPads and that Apple will soon add alerts for third-party item trackers.

Apple today began selling certified refurbished Apple Watch Series 9 models in the U.S. for the first time since the device was released in September.

The refurbished Series 9 models are discounted by approximately 15% compared to the equivalent brand new models, with pricing starting at $339, down from $399. A variety of configurations are available as of writing.

Apple says it puts all of its refurbished products through a thorough cleaning process and inspection, and performs full functionality testing. In general, refurbished products sold directly by Apple have a very good reputation.

Like new Series 9 models sold directly by Apple in the U.S. currently, we expect that the Blood Oxygen app is deactivated on the refurbished models, due to a legal battle with medical technology company Masimo. Last year, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) banned Apple from importing and selling Apple Watch models with blood oxygen sensing after it ruled that the feature infringed on Masimo's patents. Apple is appealing the decision, and could re-enable the Blood Oxygen app with a watchOS update if it is overturned.

As a reminder, Apple began selling refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 models in the U.S. and select other countries last week.

At least one next-generation Apple Watch model will start using resin-coated copper, according to supply chain sources cited by Taiwanese website DigiTimes.

As the name implies, resin-coated copper is a thin layer of copper foil coated with a resin, such as an epoxy. While adoption of this material would offer many benefits for a future Apple Watch's logic board, such as improved durability and water resistance, a key advantage is that it would allow for a thinner logic board, which in turn would provide additional internal space for other components and sensors in the Apple Watch.

Any extra space that can be freed up in the Apple Watch is extremely valuable, as Apple continues to add health features to the device. The next Apple Watch models due later this year are rumored to feature blood pressure sensing, for example, and Apple is reportedly working on non-invasive blood glucose monitoring as a long-term project.

There is still uncertainty surrounding the next Apple Watch lineup, as it is unclear if the redesigned "Apple Watch X" will be launching this year or next year. In addition, it was rumored that there might not be an Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year. A new Apple Watch SE is likely this year if Apple sticks to a two-year refresh cycle for that model.

Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo last year said iPhone 17 Pro models also might adopt resin-coated copper for the logic board next year, so this is a change that might extend to multiple devices in Apple's lineup over the next few years.

Apple's upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Air will feature an LCD display like its smaller sibling, according to Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO and analyst Ross Young.

Earlier this month, Young said that the larger ‌iPad Air‌ would feature a mini-LED display like the current iPad Pro of the same size. The existing 10.9-inch ‌iPad Air‌ is equipped with a standard LCD panel, and the move to mini-LED technology for the 12.9-inch model would have provided increased brightness for HDR content, deeper blacks, lower power consumption, and more. He said the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Air‌ would use leftover mini-LED display panels from the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, with the 10.9-inch model sticking with LCDs.

Now, in a post to subscribers on X (formerly Twitter), he said that this is no longer expected to be the case due to the panel's high cost, despite confirmation from multiple supply chain sources. As a result, both ‌iPad Air‌ models will feature LCD displays, clearly delineating them from the ‌iPad Pro‌, which is expected to move to OLED.

However, Young added that there may be a new iPad model with a 12.9-inch mini-LED display introduced in the fourth quarter of 2024. Speculatively, the device could be a high-end ‌iPad Air‌, a low-end ‌iPad Pro‌, or something else entirely. Next-generation ‌iPad Air‌ and ‌iPad Pro‌ models are expected to be announced at Apple's "Let loose" event on May 7.

Best Buy this week has steep $100 discounts on every M1 iPad Air model, with prices starting at $499.99 for the 64GB Wi-Fi tablet. These deals follow in the wake of Apple's announcement of an event coming in May, which is expected to include refreshed iPad Air models with M2 chips.

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.

As is typical when new product generations are set to launch, we're now seeing prices consistently dip on the outgoing generation of iPad Air. In addition to the 64GB Wi-Fi tablet, Best Buy also has the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad Air for $649.99, as well as both cellular models on sale.

Best Buy has every color available on sale for every configuration of the fifth generation iPad Air. Across the board, these prices are all solid second-best prices on the iPad Air. If you're a My Best Buy Plus/Total member, you can also save 25 percent on the Logitech Crayon stylus when purchasing an iPad.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

The U.S. Senate voted on Tuesday to pass a bill that will either ban TikTok from app stores operating in the country or force Chinese company ByteDance to sell the short-form video app.

The landmark bill has now passed both chambers of Congress, having already been approved by the House of Representatives. President Biden says he will sign the bill into law on Wednesday.

Once that happens, TikTok will be banned in the United States if ByteDance does not divest ownership within nine months, with a possible three-month extension to that deadline if a deal is in progress. China would need to approve any sale, but the Chinese government has already made it clear that it will "firmly oppose" such a move.

ByteDance is also expected to launch a legal challenge against the bill by arguing that it will deprive the app's 170 million U.S. users of their First Amendment rights protecting freedom of speech.

U.S. lawmakers want TikTok to be sold to a company outside of China over concerns that the Chinese government could force ByteDance to hand over data from users located in the United States. If Beijing made the request, ByteDance would not be able to refuse. There have also been suggestions that Chinese authorities could use TikTok to spread political propaganda.

ByteDance has attempted to alleviate these fears by storing data from U.S. users on servers owned by Oracle, but the White House and lawmakers do not believe that is enough. There are a limited number of companies that would be able to afford TikTok, while most tech giants would likely be prevented from acquiring it due to antitrust concerns.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

The European Commission has waved through new 'right to repair' legislation that aims to make it easier for consumers to get their broken devices fixed, even if products are out of warranty.

The EU already requires companies to offer a two-year minimum warranty on common household appliances and electronics, such as smartphones, TVs, washing machines, and vacuum cleaners, but the new rules impose additional requirements.

According to the legislation, if a consumer chooses to have their device repaired under warranty, the warranty must be extended by a year. Consumers may also borrow a device while theirs is being repaired, and if it cannot be fixed, they have the right to opt for a refurbished unit as an alternative.

When a product's warranty expires, companies are still required to repair devices at a "reasonable price," so as not to intentionally discourage consumers from repairing them. Manufacturers will also be prohibited from using "hardware or software related barriers to repair," including preventing the use of second-hand, compatible, and 3D-printed spare parts by independent repairers as long as they conform to EU laws.

Additionally, manufacturers will be unable to refuse to repair a product solely for economic reasons or because it was previously repaired by someone else. Companies will be required to publish information about their repair services, including indicative prices of the most common repairs.

"Consumers' right to repair products will now become a reality," said European Parliament rapporteur René Repasi. "It will be easier and cheaper to repair instead of purchase new, expensive items. This is a significant achievement for Parliament and its commitment to empower consumers in the fight against climate change. The new legislation extends legal guarantees by 12 months when opting for repair, gives better access to spare parts and ensures easier, cheaper and faster repair."

The legislation will come into effect after formal approval by the Council, with the directive set to activate 20 days after its publication.

Europe's Right to Repair group welcomed the legislation, calling it "a step in the right direction," but said "the scope of products covered remains very narrow," and would introduce loopholes. The coalition noted that the rules only cover consumer products, and not anything purchased by businesses or industrial goods. It also criticized the lack of guidance on what constituted a "reasonable price" for spare parts.

Apple is likely to be impacted by the legislation, especially with regard to its controversial "parts pairing" requirement that prevents third-party replacements of certain device components. Currently, if an iPhone part is replaced with a like-for-like replacement by an unofficial third party, it may not be recognised by the iPhone's system software. The wording of the new EU rules suggests this will no longer be allowed.

Meanwhile in the U.S., more than two-dozen states are working on individual right-to-repair legislation. California's Right to Repair Act will become law this July, requiring manufacturers to make repair materials available for all electronics and appliances that cost $50 or more.

Apple is planning to refresh the entire Mac lineup with updated M4 chips starting in late 2024 and continuing into 2025, and that will include a new M4 chip for Apple's mid-tier desktop machine, the Mac Studio.

M4 Chip Rumors

Apple has a lineup of M4 chips in development, including the standard M4, the M4 Pro and M4 Max, and a higher-end version that's codenamed "Hidra." This higher-end chip could be an "Ultra" version that's equivalent to the M2 Ultra, or it might even be something even more powerful.

With the ‌M2‌ lineup, the ‌M2‌ Ultra is a chip that is in fact two ‌M2‌ Max chips linked together. There is no M3 Ultra at this time, but the architecture of the M3 Max chip has led to speculation that future Ultra chips might be standalone chips rather than constructed from two Max dies.

The M3 Max seems to lack the UltraFusion interconnect that allowed the ‌M2‌ Max chips to function as an Ultra. Because that's missing, it's likely the Ultra chip would have dedicated development with customizations for heavy workloads. Apple could tweak the number of performance and efficiency cores to focus on power, and add more GPU cores.

Current ‌Mac Studio‌ machines use ‌M2‌ Max and ‌M2‌ Ultra chips, so we can expect the M4 models to be equipped with M4 Max and M4 Ultra (or its equivalent) chips. Aside from the Mac Pro, the ‌Mac Studio‌ is the only Apple machine that uses "Ultra" chips.

The ‌Mac Studio‌ is designed for Mac users who have system intensive workflows that require advanced compute and graphics capabilities. There isn't a lot of differentiation between the ‌Mac Studio‌ and ‌Mac Pro‌ as of right now, so Apple may be planning for a more powerful M4 Ultra variant for the ‌Mac Pro‌.

Apple is going all-in on artificial intelligence across its product lineup in the coming months, so the M4 is expected to have a focus on boosting AI and machine learning performance. Rumors suggest there will be an updated Neural Engine with a greater number of cores to handle AI tasks.

Memory Updates

The next ‌Mac Studio‌ and ‌Mac Pro‌ could support as much as 500GB of Unified Memory, up from the current 192GB maximum.

What About the M3?

With Apple planning to refresh the ‌Mac Studio‌ with M4 chips in 2025, it's not entirely clear as of yet if there will be an M3 refresh this year.

The iMac, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air lines have been updated with M3 chips, but the Mac mini, ‌Mac Studio‌, and ‌Mac Pro‌ are still using ‌M2‌ chips. With the M4 refresh already planned, Apple could skip the M3 update for its desktop machines, but it's also possible we'll get an M3 refresh around the middle of the year and a second M4 refresh next year, which would put a year between each update.

Apple is testing a version of the ‌Mac Studio‌ with an M3 processor, so an update this year and then a second update next year is plausible.

Design Changes

The ‌Mac Studio‌ hasn't had a design update since it was first launched in March 2022, but it hasn't really existed long enough to need a refresh. Apple tends to wait several years before making major changes to Mac hardware, and we are not expecting the ‌Mac Studio‌ to get a refreshed look in the near future.

It will likely be closer to 2026 or 2027 before Apple considers updating the design, though it could be even longer. The ‌Mac mini‌ has not seen notable design changes since 2010.

Release Date

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the ‌Mac Studio‌ with M4 chip is expected to be released in mid-2025, which would suggest a possible introduction at the 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference.

Amazon is back with a big sale on the newest 24-inch M3 iMac, including both 256GB and 512GB models. This time around, the deals do not require any sort of coupon in order to see the final discounted 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.

Starting with the 8-core GPU/256GB M3 iMac, this model is available for $1,199.00 in two colors, down from $1,299.00. Amazon also has the 10-core GPU/256GB M3 iMac on sale for $1,409.00, down from $1,499.00. This one is available in four colors.

Lastly, the 10-core GPU/512GB M3 iMac has hit $1,594.00 in three colors, down from $1,699.00. All of Amazon's deals today are solid second-best prices on the M3 iMac, and right now many of the computers can be delivered as soon as this Friday, April 26 if you have a Prime membership.

Apple launched the M3 iMac back in October 2023, bringing significant speed and efficiency improvements with the upgrade from the M1 to the M3 chip. Otherwise, there are no major design changes to the newest iMac model. Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.5 update to developers, with the software coming a week after Apple released the second beta.

Registered developers can opt-in to the beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Note that an Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

We don't yet know what might be included in ‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.5, and no new features were found in the first two developer betas.

Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the second betas.

Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 Developer Beta. An Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

Most of the features that Apple promised would be coming in ‌iOS 17‌ have now been released, but iOS 17.5 adds additional app ecosystem changes in the European Union. App developers can offer apps for download on the iPhone directly from their websites, in addition to through app marketplaces.

There are also code changes that hint at new Apple Pencils and a Battery Health feature for the iPad, with more information on what's new available in our iOS 17.5 beta features post.

Apple today released the third beta of an upcoming visionOS 1.2 update to developers, allowing them to test new features ahead of the software seeing a public launch. The third ‌visionOS‌ 1.2 beta comes one week after the release the second beta.

The ‌visionOS‌ beta can be downloaded by going to the Settings app on the device and toggling on developer betas. A registered developer account is required, and Apple recommends making a backup before installing new software.

Apple may make further improvements to Personas, EyeSight, and other features with ‌visionOS‌ 1.2, but no major new additions were found in the first two betas.

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 10.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the release of the second beta.

To install the ‌watchOS 10.5 update, developers need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the watchOS 10 Developer Beta. An Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, watchOS 10.5 can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

We don't yet know what's included in watchOS 10.5, and there were no new features found in the first two beta updates.

Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a result, Apple is expected to take a "conservative view" of headset demand when the Vision Pro launches in additional countries.

Kuo previously said that Apple will introduce the Vision Pro in new markets before the June Worldwide Developers Conference, which suggests that we could see it available in additional areas in the next month or so.

Apple is expecting Vision Pro shipments to decline year-over-year in 2025 compared to 2024, and the company is said to be "reviewing and adjusting" its headset product roadmap. Kuo does not believe there will be a new Vision Pro model in 2025, an adjustment to a prior report suggesting a modified version of the Vision Pro would enter mass production late next year.

In a February report, Kuo said that Apple was working to improve the efficiency of production and supply change management, with little change to the product specifications and user experience. At the time, Kuo estimated that we would not see a Vision Pro with significant updates until 2027.

Kuo believes that Apple needs to work to address the lack of key applications, price, and comfort without impacting user experience. Poor Vision Pro sales is expected to impact the growth of pancake lenses and the adoption of microOLED display technology in small-sized consumer electronics.