The rumored 12.9-inch iPad Air that is expected to be announced in May will be equipped with a mini-LED display like the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro, according to Ross Young, CEO of research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. 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 provide increased brightness for HDR content, deeper blacks, and more.
Young revealed this information in a post shared on social media platform X today. He said the 12.9-inch iPad Air will be using leftover mini-LED display panels from the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and he touted lower power consumption as another benefit.
Given that Apple does not have existing inventory of 10.9-inch mini-LED display panels, it is likely that the smaller iPad Air will remain equipped with an LCD panel.
Meanwhile, the next iPad Pro models are widely expected to transition to OLED displays, which would eliminate backlighting to allow for higher contrast ratio with true blacks, and provide other enhancements compared to LCD and mini-LED technologies. The new iPad Pro models are also expected to be announced in May.
Young has a solid track record with display-related Apple rumors, so this information about the iPad Air is likely accurate.
Best Buy today has every model of the 2022 13-inch MacBook Air available for $150 off, matching previous all-time low prices on the notebooks. These prices are available to all shoppers and do not require a My Best Buy Plus/Total membership.
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.
The 256GB model is on sale for $849.00 and the 512GB model is available for $1,049.00. These deals beat the previous prices we tracked earlier in the year by about $50.
You can get both models in all four colors: Starlight, Space Gray, Silver, and Midnight. Following the introduction of the M3 MacBook Air, Apple knocked the price of the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air down by $100, and it's still selling them alongside the M3 model.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
Few features have promised to revolutionize the way we interact with our Apple devices as much as Siri, the company's ubiquitous virtual assistant. Launched in 2011, Siri was introduced as heralding a new era in human-computer interaction, offering an intuitive voice-controlled interface for accessing information, scheduling appointments, sending messages, and much more. The vision was grand: A personal assistant in your pocket, capable of understanding and acting upon a wide array of voice commands with ease and accuracy. So what happened?
Enthusiasm for Siri has undeniably waned in the intervening years. Despite regular updates and improvements from Apple, Siri has struggled to keep pace with its advancing rivals, and in an era of generative AI chatbots and large language models, Siri's failings have only been magnified. Issues ranging from misinterpreted commands to limited contextual understanding have not only hindered Siri's usability but have also led to an almost universal perception of the virtual assistant as a source of user frustration rather than assistance. This persistent underperformance begs the question: Is it time for Apple to kill Siri and start over?
Siri's Birth Pangs
Siri's conceptual roots at Apple can be traced back to the company's early exploration of human-computer interaction. Thirty years ago, Apple commissioned a group of employees to create a video showing how in the future humans might interact with computers using spoken language. The video, known as "Knowledge Navigator," featured a professor chatting with a virtual assistant to perform everyday tasks and academic research. In one of the tasks, the professor asks the assistant to search for a five-year-old publication. The assistant pulls up an article dated 2006, suggesting the video is supposed to be set in September 2011.
The video was criticized at the time for being an unrealistic portrayal of the capacities of a virtual assistant in the foreseeable future. Yet the demonstration inspired developers Adam Cheyer, Dag Kittlaus, and Tom Gruber, who began AI research on virtual assistants at SRI International, a DARPA-funded research laboratory in Menlo Park, California. Their work would result in a spin-out called Siri, named by Kittlaus after a co-worker in Norway. (Siri is short for Sigrid, which has its origins in Old Norse for words meaning "victory" and "beautiful".)
In February 2010, Kittlaus launched Siri as an app on Apple's App Store. Steve Jobs soon began playing with the app and was impressed with how it allowed the user to search the internet by voice. A few weeks later, Apple acquired the start-up. Siri's AI backend was in place, while its voice recognition technology would be supplied by Nuance Communications. Apple subsequently released its Siri virtual assistant (in beta) for the iPhone 4S in October 2011, just one month later than the fictional future in which Knowledge Navigator had been originally envisioned.
Fiction vs. Reality
Apple marketed Siri as more than just a tool — it was your intelligent assistant ready to help with a variety of tasks. Whether setting reminders, sending texts, making phone calls, or finding information online, Siri aimed to streamline it all with a simple voice command. There was nothing like it at the time and the initial results were impressive, but the underlying promise was that Siri would not only understand you but also learn from you, becoming more efficient and personalized over time.
Regular iOS updates in the intervening years have worked towards making Siri more effective and realizing its original promise. Whenever a new iOS feature comes along, Apple usually ensures that it works with Siri, and these days it can be used to identify songs, get driving directions, send money via Apple Pay, and control HomeKit products, to name just a few of its skills. In 2021, Apple announced that Siri would work offline by default – whenever possible, it would process user requests on-device, with the same quality of server-based speech recognition.
However, even now, the assistant that was supposed to understand context and grow with the user still faces significant challenges with context, understanding, and integration, regardless of whether it pings Apple's servers or processes requests locally. Many Apple device owners often say it struggles with even basic commands. Indeed, many users believe that, at least in some areas, Siri's abilities have gotten worse over time, especially since the release of iOS 17.
It is astounding how bad it is. Even things that used to work fine like asking Siri to send a text message now don’t seem to work consistently anymore. Sometimes she asks me if I want to use the phone number or email, and other times it just tries to call the person. Sigh.
— Joseph Bella (@jbella) March 20, 2024
Michael Tsai's blog has done a good job of recording users' more recent frustrations with Siri. Here are just a handful of serial issues some users have recently reported:
Setting timers instead of alarms.
Bungling music requests (even for purchases that Siri has local access to).
Delayed responses over fast data connections.
Nonsense responses to conversion requests.
Creating notes instead of reminders.
Acknowledging requests without acting on them.
Overwrought punctuation when dictating.
Inability to consistently control smart devices.
The list could go on. But has Siri really gotten more stupid? Could most issues be put down to fringe use cases, or over-expectations in a brave new world of chatbots powered by immensely resource-heavy large-language models? Consider what Walt Mossberg said in 2016, writing for The Verge:
Before Apple bought it, Siri was on the road to being a robust digital assistant that could do many things, and integrate with many services — even though it was being built by a startup with limited funds and people. After Apple bought Siri, the giant company seemed to treat it as a backwater, restricting it to doing only a few, slowly increasing number of tasks, like telling you the weather, sports scores, movie and restaurant listings, and controlling the device's functions.
...On too many occasions, Siri either gets things wrong, doesn't know the answer, or can't verbalize it. Instead, it shows you a web search result, even when you're not in a position to read it.
Many users would agree that very little has changed in the past eight years.
AI Hopes on the Horizon
Apple's next major software update, iOS 18, is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri that will assist users in their daily lives. "Generative AI" is the key term here. The concept surged in popularity in late 2022, when OpenAI released its ChatGPT chatbot that can reply to questions and prompts with unnervingly nuanced human-like responses. The company has since expanded into generative AI tools for images and videos.
One leaker has suggested that Apple is planning to use large-language models to entirely revamp Siri and turn it into the "ultimate virtual assistant." Rumors suggest that improvements could come in the form of better natural conversation capabilities (potentially aided by an improved iPhone microphone) and improved user personalization. The new functionality is expected to be available across devices, so Siri may retain conversation information from one device to another. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, one of the specific features Apple is developing is an improved interaction between Siri and the Messages app, which would let Siri auto-complete sentences more effectively and answer complex questions.
However, more recent reports have claimed that Apple is not planning to debut its own generative AI chatbot. Apple has reportedly held discussions with companies such as Google, OpenAI, and Baidu about potential generative AI partnerships, but Apple's first set of new AI features in iOS 18 will not rely on cloud servers at all, according to Gurman.
Move Over Siri?
Whether or not a groundbreaking incarnation of Apple's virtual assistant is on the cards, given the persistent issues that have tarnished Siri's reputation, could a new name and branding help Apple distance itself from past failures?
The idea of rebranding Siri into something entirely new has been floated by some observers in the tech world. Josh Johnson's blunt assessment echoes a common sentiment: "I honestly think Apple should kill the Siri brand. I'm not sure it can recover from the universal understanding that it’s just not good." He suggests the introduction of an LLM-powered assistant under a new name, proposing a fresh start to overcome the negative associations that currently plague Siri.
Ty Belisle supports a drastic transformation, noting, "I've thought they should make a very bold 'Siri 2.0' announcement, but it's true the name Siri is so spoiled that they should ditch it." He also points out the practical benefits of a new name, such as reducing accidental activations — a problem that shorter names like "Siri" often face.
John Gruber's perspective underscores the importance of first impressions and the long-term effects of Siri's underwhelming performance: "First impressions really matter, but in Siri's case, it's over a decade of lived experience." If Apple has significantly improved its voice technology, he argues, it should be introduced under a new brand to signify a clean break from the past.
These voices present a compelling case for rebranding, but Apple would face significant risks if it introduced a new virtual assistant. Siri is deeply integrated into Apple's ecosystem and recognized worldwide. Abandoning the brand could confuse and alienate existing users who are accustomed to the name and functionality, despite its flaws. That being said, unlike Amazon's Alexa and Google's assistant, Siri has become the butt of numerous jokes. A new name and persona for the assistant could potentially revitalize its image, but Apple would have to ensure that any new product lives up to its promises, otherwise another misstep could be potentially disastrous.
What are your thoughts about and experiences with Siri? Has its performance gotten better over time as Apple's software has become more complex, or is it in a death spiral? Let us know in the comments.
Apple has announced that iPhone and iPad users can wirelessly stream videos, music, and photos from their device to their hotel room TV via AirPlay at select IHG Hotels & Resorts properties in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico starting today, including select Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, Candlewood Suites, and InterContinental locations.
Apple says IHG has made AirPlay available at more than 60 hotels so far, and additional hotels will support the feature "in the coming months."
The feature allows you to scan a unique QR code on the hotel room TV to establish an AirPlay connection, allowing you to wirelessly stream content from your iPhone or iPad to the TV. After the pairing process, your device will also automatically be connected to the hotel's Wi-Fi network. The device must be updated to iOS 17.3 or iPadOS 17.3 or later.
In addition to services like Apple TV+ and Apple Music, AirPlay on hotel room TVs works with Apple Arcade for gaming and Apple Fitness+ for workouts.
Apple emphasized the privacy and security of the AirPlay feature. When a guest checks out of the hotel, the company says their connection to the TV is erased, preventing future guests and hotel staff from accessing the user's activity.
Apple first announced this feature at WWDC 2023 last June, in partnership with LG. Google already offers a similar Chromecast streaming feature on many hotel TVs that works with both iPhones and Android devices, so Apple has a lot of catching up to do on this front, but AirPlay support is certainly a useful addition for iPhone users.
Refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 units are now on sale in China – the first and only country in which the device is available refurbished directly from Apple.
The refurbished models are discounted by approximately 15 percent compared to equivalent brand new configurations. Apple tests, inspects, cleans, and repackages all refurbished devices to ensure they are fully functional and in good condition, and they are covered by a one-year limited warranty and eligible for AppleCare+ coverage.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 launched in September 2023, featuring the S9 chip, a brighter display, and the double-tap gesture. Apple is highly likely to soon begin selling refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 models in other countries now that it has started to do so in China, but it is unclear if availability will expand to the U.S. due to Apple's ongoing legal battle with medical tech company Masimo over the Blood Oxygen app.
Apple today announced that it has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than half since 2015, advancing towards its 2030 carbon neutrality goal.
Apple's latest Environmental Progress Report details the company's efforts and innovations in clean energy, efficient recycling practices, and sustainable material usage that have contributed to this substantial decrease in emissions. According to the report, the major reduction has been driven by extensive use of clean energy, including the integration of recycled materials across Apple's product lines and improvements in energy efficiency throughout its global supply chain.
Apple has fostered significant advances in recycling and material recovery as part of its broader environmental strategy for several years. The company has increased the use of recycled cobalt and lithium in its batteries, with last year's statistics showing that 56% of the cobalt and 24% of the lithium used were sourced from recycled materials. These efforts are part of a larger initiative to transition to 100% recycled and renewable materials across all products.
The report also highlights achievements in energy efficiency and renewable energy sourcing. Over 16.5 gigawatts of clean energy are now being produced as a result of Apple's Supplier Clean Energy Program, which supports projects around the world. The program has been essential in reducing the carbon footprint Apple and its suppliers, who collectively saved more than two billion kilowatt-hours of electricity last year. The company is also actively removing plastics from its packaging, shifting towards fiber-based alternatives.
Apple also provides financial support to various organizations and programs aimed at improving environmental conditions and promoting sustainability education. In the U.S., for example, Apple supports Justice Outside's Network for Network Leaders program, which focuses on outdoor and environmental education.
As anticipation builds for Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 series, the rumor mill has highlighted some potential camera upgrades that could change how we use our iPhones for photography.
The camera system has always been a cornerstone of Apple's iPhone, and this year Apple appears set to push the envelope even further. As the iPhone 16 launch in September approaches, all eyes will be on how the following changes might maintain Apple's competitive edge in an increasingly crowded market. 1. Vertical Camera Layout
iPhone 16 & iPhone 16 Plus
Apple's iPhone 16 base models will feature a vertical camera arrangement with a pill-shaped raised surface, instead of a diagonal camera arrangement like the iPhone 15. The new camera bump features two separate camera rings for the Wide and Ultrawide cameras. The vertical camera layout is expected to enable Spatial Video recording, which is currently limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models. 2. Ultra Wide Lens Upgrade
iPhone 16 Pro & iPhone 16 Pro Max
The iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to feature an upgraded 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera lens, which would allow it to capture more light, resulting in improved photos when shooting in 0.5× mode, especially in low-light environments. This also means that iPhone 16 Pro models should be able to shoot 48-megapixel ProRAW photos in Ultra Wide mode. These photos retain more detail in the image file for more editing flexibility, and can be printed at large sizes. 3. Super Telephoto Camera
iPhone 16 Pro Max
The iPhone 16 Pro Max could be the first iPhone to feature a super telephoto periscope camera for dramatically increased optical zoom. "Super" or "ultra" telephoto usually describes cameras with a focal length of over 300mm. The current telephoto lens is equivalent to a 77mm lens, so if accurate, there could be a notable increase in zoom capabilities. Super telephoto cameras are often used for sports and wild animal photography, but the extremely soft backgrounds they create also make them useful for portrait photography, providing there is enough distance between the subject and the photographer. 4. Tetraprism Lens
iPhone 16 Pro
Both iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to feature 5x optical zoom, which is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple's tetraprism lens system has a "folded" design that allows it to fit inside the smartphone, enabling up to 5x optical zoom and up to 25x digital zoom. In contrast, the current smaller iPhone 15 Pro is limited to up to 3x optical zoom, which is in line with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. 5. Reduced Lens Flare
All iPhone 16 Models
Apple is said to be testing a new anti-reflective optical coating technology for its iPhone cameras that could improve the quality of photos by reducing artifacts like lens flare and ghosting. Apple plans to bring new atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment into the iPhone camera lens manufacturing process to apply the coating. ALD-applied materials can also protect against environmental damage to the camera lens system without affecting the sensor's ability to capture light effectively. 6. Capture Button
All iPhone 16 Models
All iPhone 16 models will have a new camera-based "Capture Button" dedicated to quickly triggering image or video capture. The button will add features like the ability to zoom in and out by swiping left and right on the button, focus on a subject with a light press, and activate a recording with a more forceful press. The Capture Button will be located on the bottom right side of the iPhone 16, and will take the place of the mmWave antenna on U.S. iPhone models, with the antenna relocating to the left side of the device below the volume and Action buttons.
Apple has announced over $250 million of investment to enhance its campus in Singapore's Ang Mo Kio district, where it has earmarked new roles in artificial intelligence and other key functions.
Apple is framing the initiative as a continuation of Apple's long-standing engagement in the region, which started in 1981 with a small team of 72 employees focusing on the Apple II. Today, the Singapore campus serves as a central hub for Apple in Asia, with a workforce of more than 3,600 contributing across all company functions including software, hardware, services, and customer support. The country is also home to three Apple Store locations.
"Singapore is truly a one-of-a-kind place, and we are proud of the connection we've built with this dynamic community of creators, learners, and dreamers," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "With our growing campus, Apple is writing a new chapter in our history here. Our Singapore teams have played an important role in enriching the lives of our customers — and we can't wait for many more decades of innovation to come."
Apple says the investment will focus on upgrading two buildings next to Apple's existing facilities, integrating them into a unified campus that encourages collaboration among teams. This follows a decade of upgrades and expansion, including a 50% increase in the hardware technologies center since 2019.
The expanded campus will be powered entirely by renewable energy sources and aims for LEED Gold certification to align with its global commitment to sustainability, according to the company. Apple has been carbon neutral for its corporate operations since 2020 and has utilized 100% renewable energy since 2018.
Construction is expected to begin later this year. Apple says its presence supports over 60,000 jobs in Singapore through direct employment, its supply chain, and the iOS app economy, while the company collaborates with local educational institutions to foster innovation and technological development.
While the iPhone 16 series is still months away from launching, another rumor has already surfaced about the two-generations-away iPhone 17 lineup.
In a post shared today on social media platform X, oft-accurate display industry expert Ross Young said he heard that the "iPhone 17 Plus" will be equipped with a smaller screen than the current-generation iPhone 15 Plus, which has a 6.7-inch display. However, he did not reveal the exact screen size planned for the iPhone 17 Plus.
Currently, the iPhone 15 Plus has the same screen size as the iPhone 15 Pro Max. If this rumor is accurate, a smaller screen would further differentiate the Plus model from the Pro Max model, starting with the iPhone 17 lineup.
Meanwhile, it has been rumored that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will have larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, which would be a 0.2-inch increase over each of the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max.
A summary of what to expect follows, but given the iPhone 17 lineup is still a year and a half away, keep in mind that details could change.
A decade ago, developer Riley Testut released the GBA4iOS emulator for iOS, and since it was against the rules at the time, Apple put a stop to downloads. Emulators have been a violation of the App Store rules for years, but that changed on April 5 when Apple suddenly reversed course and said that it was allowing retro game emulators on the App Store.
With official support available for emulators, Testut this morning released his latest emulator, Delta, on the App Store. Unlike the other two emulators that have been released in the last week, Delta is incredibly polished and provides an all-around pleasant gameplay experience.
Delta supports game systems that include the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS. Skins for the different systems load automatically depending on what's being played, and the app does an excellent job making you feel like you're playing on a retro Nintendo device.
It is worth noting that Delta is such a great emulator because it is not, in fact, new. It has been able to be installed on iPhone using alternate installation means, but the App Store is a much more streamlined way to get it. Delta is the must have emulator, at least for NES content.
Delta's on-screen controls work flawlessly for games, but it is also compatible with a wide range of retro and modern game controllers. It supports save and load states, and content can be synced between devices. There are also advanced features like support for Game Genie and GameShark cheat codes, a hold button, and fast forward for speeding through slow parts of games.
When you import a game, Delta automatically detects the appropriate box art, and there is support for 3D Touch and app icon shortcuts for accessing recent and favorite games.
There are no games included with Delta when you install it, but it can open zipped files that are uploaded to iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Google Drive. Apple's App Store rules permit "retro game console emulator apps" and Apple says that developers are required to ensure that their software complies with "all applicable laws."
If you haven't downloaded Delta already, it's well worth going to pick it up. We're not expecting Delta to get pulled from the App Store, but there's always the possibility that Nintendo could protest now that it's more widely available, so download it sooner rather than later.
Apple updated its App Review Guidelines this month to allow "retro game console emulator apps" on the App Store for the iPhone and other devices. Below, we outline everything to know about these emulators and available options so far.
This information is up to date as of April 2024, but Apple's policies could change over time.
What is Allowed
Apple told us that emulators that can load games (ROMs) are permitted on the App Store, so long as the apps are emulating "retro console games" only.
Apple would not tell us which consoles it classifies as retro, but developer Riley Testut's popular emulator Delta is now available on the App Store, and it can emulate games for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Nintendo 64, and Nintendo DS.
There is also a Commodore 64 emulator on the App Store called Emu64 XL.
We have not come across any other fully-functioning emulators on the App Store released after the rule change, but more will likely be available in the future. Apple recently removed an emulator called iGBA from the App Store for ripping off Testut's code for Delta and its predecessor GBA4iOS, while the developer of NES emulator Bimmy decided to remove the app from the App Store to avoid the risk of legal action from Nintendo.
Legality
While a U.S. court ruled that emulators are legal, downloading copyrighted ROMs is typically against the law in the country. On its customer support website in the U.S., Nintendo says that downloading pirated copies of its games is illegal:
Pirate copies of game files are often referred to as "ROMs".
The uploading and downloading of pirate copies of Nintendo games is illegal.
Nintendo recently sued the developers of Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu for "facilitating piracy at a colossal scale," leading to a reported $2.4 million settlement. Nintendo has yet to comment on the availability of emulators in the App Store, but Delta and its predecessor GBA4iOS have been available on the iPhone outside of the App Store for over a decade now without being shut down. Nintendo did issue a DMCA takedown notice against the GBA4iOS website in 2014, but the emulators have continued to remain available.
For those who want to abide by the letter of the law, it is generally legal to download and play "homebrew" games available in the public domain.
One of the first alternative app marketplaces went live in the European Union today, with developer Riley Testut introducing AltStore PAL, a version of his AltStore that can be accessed in EU countries.
AltStore PAL is an open-source app that is designed to distribute apps from independent developers. At launch, it features two apps, including Testut's Delta game emulator and clipboard manager app Clip. Delta is also being simultaneously released in the App Store outside of the European Union, but it looks like EU customers will need to download it from AltStore.
Testut says that once AltStore PAL is "running smoothly," third-party app developers will be able to submit their apps for distribution outside of the App Store. The app marketplace is designed to be decentralized with no directory, so developers will need to self-promote their apps and direct users to their websites to install an app through AltStore.
Distributing apps through AltStore is free of charge, but it is worth noting that apps that see more than one million first annual installs will need to pay Apple an 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee. App marketplaces have to pay the fee for every install with no free allowance, so AltStore is charged 0.50 euros each time it is installed. To afford the fee, Testut is charging 1.50 euros per year for AltStore PAL access.
Testut has been working on AltStore PAL since Apple announced plans to support alternative app marketplaces in iOS 17.4. It is open to all apps, but Testut says that it makes the most sense for "smaller, indie apps that otherwise couldn't exist due to App Store rules."
AltStore PAL is equipped with Patreon integration to allow developers to monetize their apps. Developers can offer their apps to just their patrons, and this method of distribution also allows for a sub-1 million cap on those who can subscribe to use an app.
iPhone users in the European Union can download AltStore PAL from the AltStore website. Alternative app marketplaces are not available outside of the European Union.
Apple today seeded the second 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 two weeks after Apple released the first public beta.
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 second 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 two weeks after Apple released the first betas for public beta testers.
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.
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download.
Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of the App Store, but is now sanctioned by Apple.
Delta is an all-in-one emulator that supports game systems including NES, SNES, N64, Nintendo DS, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance. It works with popular game controllers, and supports cheats, save states, backups, syncing, and more. As this is Testut's longtime project, it is more polished and feature rich than other emulators that have popped up.
Other features include custom controller skins, an option to fast forward, a "hold" button for games where a button needs to be consistently held, support for Haptic Touch, and appropriate box art for imported games. Local multiplayer gaming is available, and up to four players can participate.
Earlier this week, Apple approved iGBA, a direct copy of Testut's original GBA4iOS app. iGBA made it to the top of the App Store charges, but Apple pulled it after learning that it was a knockoff.
Delta can be downloaded from the App Store for free, and it does not collect information or include ads. The app is available in the United States and other countries, but it is not available in the European Union where it is instead being offered through an alternative app marketplace. [Direct Link]
Amazon and Best Buy today are discounting a variety of audio devices, including products from Apple, JBL, Samsung, Beats, Sony, Google, and more. The headliner of the sale is Apple's AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C for $189.00 at Amazon, down from $249.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
In addition to the AirPods Pro deal, we've collected a few notable deals on other headphones and earbuds at Best Buy. Another highlight is the Beats Studio Pro headphones for $199.99, down from $349.99, as well as Sony's WH1000XM4 Over-the-Ear headphones for $279.99, down from $349.99.
All of the deals shared below do not require a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, and are available to all shoppers. For a wider look at Best Buy's current deals, be sure to check out our post from over the weekend, which includes all-time low prices on iPads and MacBooks.
iOS 18 will add a few new features to the Notes app related to voice memos and mathematics, according to information obtained by AppleInsider.
First, the report claims that iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to record voice memos directly within the Notes app, and these recordings could then be embedded in notes. Audio recordings can already be copy and pasted from the Voice Memos app into the Notes app for playback, but this step would no longer be necessary starting with iOS 18.
Second, the report claims that the Notes app will likely gain support for displaying mathematical notation on iOS 18, meaning that users would be able to add more types of mathematical equations to notes. This feature will allegedly have some kind of integration with the Calculator app, but the exact implementation is unclear.
The report also says macOS 15 will feature a redesigned Calculator app.
Apple will unveil iOS 18 at its annual developers conference WWDC, which runs from June 10 through June 14, and the update should be widely released in September. We recently recapped other new features and changes expected with iOS 18, including a more customizable Home Screen, Siri enhancements, and more.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company is "looking at" potential manufacturing opportunities in Indonesia following his recent meeting with the country's president.
Tim Cook with Indonesian ministers (photo: AP Photo)
During the meeting with Joko Widodo, Cook highlighted the mutual interest in boosting local manufacturing to support Indonesia's economic growth. "We talked about the president's desire to see manufacturing in the country, and it's something that we will look out," Cook later told reporters.
Indonesia has been actively seeking to attract foreign manufacturing to power its economic development, with the Widodo administration pushing to become a new hub for international business. This offers new openings for Apple as it pursues its strategy to reduce reliance on Chinese manufacturing, which is mainly operated by its assembly partner Foxconn.
Apple seeks to diversify its supply chain in the face of geopolitical tensions, economic slowdown, and other risks such as production disruptions caused by China's COVID lockdowns. With production shifts already opened in Vietnam and India, Apple is exploring further expansion in Southeast Asia.
"I think the investment ability in Indonesia is endless. There are many great places to invest, and we're investing. We believe in the country," Cook added.
The meeting came shortly after Cook's visit to Vietnam, where he met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. In Hanoi, Cook outlined plans to deepen Apple's investment and increase expenditures with local suppliers, reinforcing the company's commitment to enhancing its presence in the region.
