Dig out your old iPod and fire up your ‘Songs to cry to’ playlist, I come bearing sad news. After more than 15 years covering everything Apple, it’s with a heavy heart I announce that we will no longer be publishing new content on iMore.

I want to kick off by thanking you all for your support over the many years and incarnations of the site. Whether you were a day-one early adopter in the ‘PhoneDifferent’ days, came on board with ‘The iPhone Blog,’ or recently started reading to find out what the hell Apple Vision Pro is, it’s been a privilege to serve you a daily slice of Apple pie.

Launching in the wake of the very first iPhone back in 2008, a game-changing device not just for Apple but the world at large, it’s somewhat fitting that we wrap publication here in 2024 on the precipice of the launch of a new industry-shifting technology from Apple in the shape of Apple Intelligence. Just as Apple wasn’t the first company to make a smartphone, it’s not the first to test the waters of artificial intelligence, either — but just as the iPhone became world-conquering, so too may Apple Intelligence reshape the way we interact with technology for years to come.

It’s a keen reminder that the world of technology never stands still: The term ‘artificial intelligence’ was the reserve of science fiction in the early days of the iPhone. The world of publishing is forever evolving too, as do the forms of technology journalism that look to shine a light on the industry. iMore leaves the stage at a pivotal crossroads for online publishing, where the battle for readers' time and attention is more demanding than ever before, and the aforementioned AI advances and search discovery methods further complicate the playing field. It’s been a joy to serve such a passionate readership over the years, but it’s time to pass the baton to new writers, new sites, and new formats.

I would like to take this moment to thank everyone from the iMore community, past and present, for their support and passion for what we’ve created over the years. A massive thanks goes to iMore’s previous leaders, Lory Gil, Serenity Caldwell, and Joe Keller, and of course, the inimitable Rene Ritchie who kickstarted this wonder all those years back. I hope we’ve done you all proud. 

I’d like to give a particular shout out to the final iMore team that I’ve worked most closely with, and that has been an honor to lead over the past few years: Stephen, Tammy, John-Anthony, Daryl, and James, as well as our many regular contributors — thanks for putting a smile on my face each and every day. I can’t wait to see what you all do next. 

iMore will stay online so readers can continue to access articles from the archive, and the forum at https://forums.imore.com/ will remain active until November 1 to serve our community. Our sister sites TechRadar.com and TomsGuide.com will also continue to publish all the latest news, reviews, and more from the world of Apple-based computing, while our buddies at WindowsCentral.com and AndroidCentral.com have the privilege of continuing to serve you class-leading news, reviews and features from the other side of the tech fence, keeping you up to date with the latest from Microsoft and Google.

Now it’s time to close those Watch rings, put a gag on Siri, and guzzle down the iBeer app one last time. Thanks for letting us think different for all these years. We’ll see you in the great iCloud backup in the sky.

—Gerald and the iMore team

When you pick up your new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models, you may feel like the box is missing something.

After removing power bricks some time ago, and earbuds, too, Apple has seemingly decided to finally remove the classic white Apple stickers from their device packaging, too.

That's via a report from 9to5Mac, who reported that you'll be able to request the stickers when buying your phone but that carriers won't have them, and neither will third-party retailers.

The end of an era

As 9to5Mac points out, it seems Apple won't be offering stickers across any products soon.

The company didn't include them in the M4 iPad Air, M2 iPad Air, or the Vision Pro, but it's still a little bit of whimsy the company has seemingly left behind in its understandable pursuit of environmental goals. 

Apple still aims to become carbon neutral by 2030, with this year marking the removal of additional plastic from iPhone packaging.

What did you do with your old Apple stickers? I'm pretty sure I have a bundle of them somewhere - who knows, they might be worth something one day!

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• Apple hints that the iPhone SE 4 is closer than ever

Apple's long-running list of concessions in the European Union continues, as the company has confirmed users will be able to install apps via third-party app stores on iPad starting tomorrow, September 16.

That's the same day as iPadOS 18 releases, meaning it's a big day for users of Apple's tablet lineup.

Announced via a post on Apple's developer site, starting on September 16 "Users in the EU can download iPadOS apps on the App Store and through alternative distribution."

"As mentioned in May, if you have entered into the Alternative Terms Addendum for Apps in the EU, iPadOS first annual installs will begin to accrue and the lower App Store commission rate will apply."

"Apple also says alternative browser engines can be used in iPadOS apps" as it relinquishes at least some of its grasp following the arrival of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

iPad users could get Fortnite, and much more, in the EU

In many ways this is the logical next step after the same principles have already been applied to the iOS platform, but it's still noteworthy as this means iOS, iPadOS and (as always) macOS will now allow sideloading - at least in Europe.

Apple was given six months to ensure iPadOS would be DMA compliant, and the company confirmed it would oblige in May of this year.

Epic Games' storefront is available for EU users, meaning they can install Fortnite on iOS, but the developer has expressed an interest in bringing it back to iPad, too.

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Apple has lost its landmark tax battle against the EU and will have to pay some $14.5 billion in unpaid taxes to Ireland. 

The European Court of Justice announced its ruling less than a day after the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro were unveiled. It marks the end of a 10-year battle over Apple's tax payments in Ireland, and questions over whether Apple had been given illegal tax benefits from the country over the course of some 20 years. Adding some strangeness to the case, both Apple and Ireland have protested the ruling, which would see Apple on the hook for (and Ireland in benefit of) 13 billion euros.

The EU originally ruled against Apple in 2016 following a two-year investigation, a ruling annulled by the EU General Court in 2020 following an appeal from Apple and Ireland. Now, the European Court of Justice, the bloc's highest legal body, has set aside that ruling. 

Apple's EU tax saga finally over

The money at stake has been held in escrow for some ten years, so the material impact on Apple should be minimal. However, Apple remains defiant against the verdict. In a statement to iMore, the company said "This case has never been about how much tax we pay, but which government we are required to pay it to. We always pay all the taxes we owe wherever we operate and there has never been a special deal. Apple is proud to be an engine of growth and innovation across Europe and around the world, and to consistently be one of the largest taxpayers in the world. The European Commission is trying to retroactively change the rules and ignore that, as required by international tax law, our income was already subject to taxes in the US. We are disappointed with today’s decision as previously the General Court reviewed the facts and categorically annulled this case."

Apple further noted that it has paid more than $20 billion in tax to the United States on the same profits the EU claims should be taxed in Ireland. Apple says that between 2003 and 2014, the decade scrutinized by the EU, the company paid $577 million in tax to Irish Revenue, 12.5% of the profits it generated in the country. 

Earlier today, Apple hosted its "It's Glowtime" special event. At the event, Tim Cook and the team announced the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4, and more.

Whether you missed the prerecorded stream or just want to watch everything all over again, there are a number of ways to do so.

How to rewatch Apple's "It's Glowtime" event

One way to re-watch today's special event is through the Apple TV app. The Apple TV app is available on a ton of devices, so you should be able to tune in on many of your favorite streaming devices, including the best MacBook to enjoy the event all over again in 4K quality. You can re-watch the "It's Glowtime" special event on the Apple TV app by searching for Apple Event or asking Siri to "watch the Apple Event."

Another way to re-watch the special event is through YouTube. Apple has been streaming all of its live events on YouTube for a few years now and is nice enough to keep the events on its official YouTube channel for years after they occur.

You can watch Apple's "It's Glowtime" event on YouTube below:

While it might not be the first place you think of, Apple does drop its live events into a feed on Apple Podcasts as well. It's not a bad way to watch if you want to turn it on, tuck your iPhone in your pocket, and listen to the audio of the event. You can watch the special event on Apple Podcasts app at the Apple Events area.

The last way to re-watch the Apple Event is through the Apple Events website. Apple, in addition to all of the other outlets, always makes its events available to re-watch on its website in case you don't have access to the others.

You can re-watch the special event on the Apple Events website.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

The iPhone 16 launch event saw plenty of announcements from Apple. There's a new Camera Control on the new iPhones, which gives better access to taking photos and videos. The screens across the line-up are better than ever, and more durable. Apple is showing a fondness for new colors this year, with plenty of options to pick from.

Apple Watch Series 10 was a big upgrade, with a bigger screen than ever before. The body is the slimmest it's ever been, things are faster on the inside, and moves the antennas to the backside of the case. Apple Watch Ultra 2 got a new colour option, and a third-gen Apple Watch SE never materialized.

AirPods also saw some big changes. AirPods 4 gain active noise cancellation, and launch an even cheaper $129 model without ANC. AirPods Max get a minor refresh with USB-C and new colours, while AirPods Pro 2 got a third iteration with new hearing tech added.

But the latest Apple event doesn't just mark the beginning of Apple's latest devices; it also marks the end for a bunch of products.

Every Apple product discontinued after the iPhone 16 event

While everybody's attention has been on everything announced at the iPhone 16 event, I've been diving in to the products Apple discontinued after the event. Here's everything I've found so far:

• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• AirPods (2nd-generation)
• AirPods (3rd-generation)
• Apple Watch Series 9
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• FineWoven iPhone 16 cases (so far)

While an online Target listing made us think Apple's wired EarPods might be on the way out, they're still available on Apple's store for now. Those that prefer wires can enjoy $19 earphones from Apple for a while longer.

As I find more Apple products discontinued after the iPhone 16 event, we'll update this list.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

Earlier today, Apple hosted its "It's Glowtime" special event. At the event, Tim Cook and the team announced the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4, and more.

The announcements today were very wide-ranging regarding new features. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro have been built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence, the Apple Watch Series 10 gained a ton of the features previously exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra, and the AirPods 4 are more like the AirPods Pro than they ever have been.

One of the customs of any good Apple event is the music that helps power it and today's event was no different. Apple is known for featuring a ton of music during its events as well as its ads and so on. The "It's Glowtime" event was no exception, featuring a wide range of music from artists like The Weeknd, Jungle, and Leon Bridges.

If you're interested in checking out all of the music from today's special event, we've put together an Apple Music playlist that you can stream or even add to your own library. Check it out below.

The Weeknd's new song "Dancing in the Flames," while featured in the event, is not on the playlist because it is not yet available on Apple Music. I'll be sure to add it once it is available because that song sounded great during the video showing off the new video capabilities of the iPhone 16 Pro.

Apple Music is the company's music streaming service that boasts a library of 90 million songs to play on your best iPhone or other Apple device. It is available for $9.99 per month or as low as $4.99 per month for students. It is also part of all three tiers of Apple One, the company's subscription bundle service.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

The iPhone 16 event, Glowtime, is just hours away at the time of writing, but Apple may be in for mixed fortunes this week.

While the company will undoubtedly be excited to show off what's new in its iPhone and Apple Watch lineups this year, it'll likely be less keen on the outcome of a new date with the European Commission - September 10, 2024.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter, that's when Apple will find out its fate regarding what are deemed to be unpaid taxes on more than $100 billion between 2004 and 2014, when the company was accused of working with Ireland to avoid paying.

Apple's big 48 hours

"The commission fined Apple close to $14 billion for what it deemed to be unpaid taxes," Gurman explains.

"Since then, the case has worked its way through courts and an appeals process, and the giant fine amount — a record-sized penalty — has been stuck in an escrow account."

Tuesday will see Apple's fate decided following a variety of appeals, and this was also the day the company had originally intended to reveal the iPhone 16.

As it turns out, September 10 will also see the first presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, so Apple was keen to avoid that date after all.

Still, Apple reportedly "doesn't know how it will fare in the case", meaning it could be slapped with one of the largest corporate fines in history.

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TIME has unveiled its list of the 100 most influential people in artificial intelligence for 2024, and Apple CEO Tim Cook is nowhere to be seen. 

While the company garnered one nod to SVP of Machine Learning John Giannandrea, Apple's overall lack of presence on the list is a telling sign that industry commentators still believe the company is a step behind when it comes to AI. 

TIME says the list's purpose "is to put leaders... in dialogue and to open up their views to TIME’s readers." TIME says the list "offers examples of the possibilities for AI when it moves out of the lab and into the world" and includes 91 people who didn't make the list last year. 

Apple's AI snub

Despite the prospect of Apple Intelligence arriving with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia later this year, it's clear that the company isn't making the same moves in the AI sphere as giants like Google. A contrast reflect in Google's six nominations for the list. 

As you might expect, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai was top dog. CEO and co-founder of Google DeepMind Demis Hassabis was also listed alongside John Jumper, Ray Kurzweil, Iason Gabriel, and Francois Chollet. 

Other honorable mentions include Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, and Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI. The latter's ChatGPT will come integrated into iPhone, iPad, and Mac as part of Apple Intelligence later this year. Apple will lean on OpenAI for more complex queries including image- and document-understanding capabilities, assistance in Writing Tools, and generating images. 

Giannandrea, Apple's sole nominee, has been at the company since 2018. Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, positioning it as a more focused toolset that will help everyone in their daily lives. 

We're less than a week away from Glowtime, people! That's right, we're ready to see an iPhone 16 reveal event in just a few days, and that's not all - expect a first look at new Apple Watch models, too, and potentially even new Apple Intelligence features.

With the event kicking off on September 9, here's everything we know so far - including how you can tune in and enjoy it, even if you didn't get one of Apple's slick invites.

How to watch Apple’s iPhone 16 event “Glowtime”

The easiest way to watch the iPhone 16 keynote on Monday is through YouTube, with the stream likely to go live 15 minutes before kick-off time.

You'll find the stream below here, and if you log in you can opt to be reminded when it goes live, too.

If you already have an Apple device, you can watch the Glowtime event on your iPhone, Mac, or iPad through Apple's website, and it'll be streaming on tvOS' Watch Now section, too.

iPhone 16 — Into the unknown

There's plenty to look forward to this year with the iPhone lineup. Between the arrival of AI features under the Apple Intelligence banner, to the usual camera and chip improvements and the potential for a new Capture button, it could be another solid iPhone year.

As for the Apple Watch, the long-anticipated Apple Watch X could offer a drastic change, while we're also expecting an Apple Watch Ultra 3, too!

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

Update - 9/4/24: Apple has confirmed to iMore that Apple Retail Spain has introduced a new Working Conditions Agreement, supported by two main unions representing over 80% of the Works Council.  According to Spanish law, employees can voluntarily request a contract termination with an economic incentive following changes to their working conditions. The company says it works hard to provide an excellent experience for retail team members. The original story is below. 

120 Apple workers from three of its retail stores in Spain have opted to leave the company, after a new Working Conditions Agreement was introduced for employees.

The employees, from Puerta del Sol (Madrid), Passeig de Gràcia (Barcelona), and Valencia, have asked to sign a "termination document" that waives the right to litigation and includes a confidentiality agreement.

The report, from El Salto [Spanish] suggests Apple has laid off more senior employees at the three affected locations with the aim of replacing them with part-time workers. 

"Substantial change in working conditions"

The report describes the move as a "substantial change in working conditions", with many of the departing staff having "between ten and twelve years of seniority".

"There has been a maneuver to change the workforce profoundly and modify the structure of the company, which will now have fewer specialized workers and more young part-time workers, with no possibility of progress," sources say, with Apple already hiring 40 part-time workers on 20-24 hour contracts.

The new Global Agreement on Working Conditions was signed on July 9, following an apparent analysis of “productive and organizational needs of the Company” by Apple, and trade unions Fetico and CC OO.

The decision was reportedly made with the “needs for reconciling family, personal and work life, which have evolved along with the growth and maturity of our workforce" in mind, but workers suggest that the timing of each day is determined by a quarterly schedule created by an algorithm.

Apple has offered affected staff 20 days of compensation for each year worked, and up to a maximum of nine monthly payments.

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While I don't lose things that often, I've had that panic of not knowing where the keys are more often than I'd like to. So, I've strapped Apple's AirTags to pretty much every belonging I own. Suitcases, keys, my wallet, suitcase, even my golf clubs. And what's better than keeping track of your items? Getting the hardware you need to do so for a bargain.

Buying a 4-pack of AirTags is always the most cost-effective way of keeping tabs on all of your stuff. A $99 retail price puts each tracker at around $25 rather than the individual price of $35. But right now Amazon is offering a Labor Day discount that makes it an even better deal. While a 4-pack of AirTags would normally retail for $99, if you order yours now you'll pay just $75 which works out to just $18.75 each.

With four AirTags you'll be able to track your keys, your bag, wallet, kids, pets, and more with ease. What more could you possibly need?

If in doubt, slap an AirTag on it

Note that Apple says you shouldn't use AirTags to track your kids or your pets, but the technology will work in a pinch.

That technology uses Apple's Find My network to locate each AirTag using ultra wideband (UWB) technology and the huge number of Apple devices that are in use around the globe. They securely ping your AirTags to work out where they are. You can also put an AirTag in Lost Mode should the need arise so you receive an alert the moment it appears on the Find My network once again.

Other features of note include a built-in speaker so you can have your AirTag make a noise for easier identification and a battery that lasts for around a year before it needs to be replaced. While they're discounted, they're surely worth picking up. You're always better safe than sorry.

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In order to work properly, generative AI (like Apple Intelligence) needs to pull from 'training information'. That can be gained from a range of sources, although if you want to make sure that as few people as possible are cross about your artificial intelligence model, then you'll need to make sure that the date used is 'ethical'.

That means you need permission from those range of sources so that you can use the data without concern. Otherwise, you end up in a mire of copyright infringement issues and legal trouble — as many are doing. Or, if you're Google, then you petition governments so that copyright law doesn't apply to you, and you can use whatever data you want to train your AI without needing permission, or to pay.

Because you're special. 

Apple reckons, however, that it does need to pay for the data it uses to train Apple Intelligence, although it's finding its own issues — namely, that a whole bunch of some of the largest publishers on the internet want nothing to do with the AI that it has created.

Publishers give a resounding 'No'

According to Wired, lots of publishers such as the New York Times and even Facebook have used a feature that stops Apple from scraping their content when training Apple Intelligence. It's called, imaginatively, 'Robot.txt', a text file that tells Apple's scraping bot to avoid the content at hand.

Apple's offer to pay for the data hasn't stopped 25% of websites from blocking the scraper, a number which could rise as the official launch of Apple Intelligence gets ever closer. AI is something that the publishing world is becoming increasingly aware and wary of — particularly when you remember that the New York Times is currently suing the largest generative AI model, ChatGPT, over its use of NYT content to train itself.

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Apple has taken the unusual step of laying off around 100 people, according to a report. The move affects the company's digital services group and will involve people working on the Apple News and Apple Books teams.

The roles affected by the layoffs reportedly include engineering roles across Apple services teams, with Apple Books in particular becoming less of a focus for the company years after its launch.

However, the report cites an unnamed source as suggesting that the layoffs within the Apple News team do not mean that it is less of a focus than previously.

An unusual moves

The report, by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, notes that this is at least the fourth time that Apple has laid off a group of people in 2024. This is after the company had become known for not going down a route that has become increasingly common throughout the technology industry.

Services have historically been a key component of Apple's business, making the decision to remove workers from that division is particularly interesting.

Services have generally been a growth engine for Apple in recent years," the report details. "They accounted for more than 22% of sales in the most recent fiscal year, up from less than 10% a decade ago, and the rise has helped cushion at-times sluggish demand for devices."

Gurman reports that employees have been told that they have 60 days to find a new job within Apple before their roles will be ended.

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It's not you, it's me. And by me, I mean Apple.

Apple has confirmed that a number of its services have experienced outages today. In an update on the company's System Status page, Apple says that issues began with the service around 12:15 PM Eastern Time today with Apple Books but spread to other services over the course of the day.

Apple Books, Find My, Game Center, iCloud Mail, iCloud Web Apps, iWork for iCloud, the Mac App Store, News, Photos, and Stocks all began seeing either performance or connectivity issues at some point over the course of the day. Some services experienced full outages.

All of the outages have been resolved

The company says that "some users are affected" due to the problem and that, until it is resolved, some services might be "slow or unavailable." Thankfully, the company says it has resolved all of the issues. The System Status page now says that all of the problems affecting each service were resolved at 7:46 PM EST.

While Apple has said that the outages are now resolved, the company did not say exactly what caused the issues with a number of its services today.

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Apple is about to shake up its executive team in a big way. After the CEO, the COO and CFO tend to be the two biggest jobs at a company, and Apple is about to get a new CFO.

In a press release, the company announced that Luca Maestri, the company's Chief Financial Officer, is stepping down. Kevan Parekh, Apple’s Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, will be taking over the role. Thankfully for Apple, Maestri isn't leaving altogether but taking on a new role as the leader of its Corporate Services team.

In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook said “Luca has been an extraordinary partner in managing Apple for the long term. He has been instrumental in improving and driving the company’s financial performance, engaging with shareholders, and instilling financial discipline across every part of Apple. We’re fortunate that we will continue to benefit from the leadership and insight that have been the hallmark of his tenure at the company. For more than a decade, Kevan has been an indispensable member of Apple’s finance leadership team, and he understands the company inside and out. His sharp intellect, wise judgment, and financial brilliance make him the perfect choice to be Apple’s next CFO."

In a statement of his own, Maestri said “It is the greatest privilege of my professional life to serve the world’s most innovative and admired company, and to work side by side with a leader as inspirational as Tim Cook. I’m looking forward to the next stage of my time at Apple, and I have enormous confidence in Kevan as he prepares to take the reins as CFO. He is truly exceptional, has a deep love for Apple and its mission, and he embodies the leadership, judgment, and values that are so important to this role.”

What does this mean for Apple?

Thankfully, it doesn't seem that there is much drama to be found here. According to Apple, this transition was planned and likely went through a preparation period for some time. Always have a good succession plan in place, people!

While replacing a CFO is a big deal, the thing that everyone is waiting for is for Tim Cook to announce when he plans to retire. So far, the biggest names to replace him seem to be either Craig Federighi or Jeff Williams, but in reality it could be anyone's game. The company is keeping that information more of a secret than it's products nowadays.

More from iMore

• iPhone 16: Release date rumors, news, and more
• iPhone 16 Pro: Release date rumors, news, and more
• iPhone 16 Pro Max: Release date rumors, news, and more

Apple's annual iPhone event is official. It's Glowtime, people! The event, which is expected to feature the unveiling of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Watch X, and AirPods 4, is set to kick off on September 9th at 10:00 AM PST.

The event will be streamed live and is most likely to be a prerecorded video rather than a fully live event. Apple has shifted to this format since the start of the pandemic and seems keen on sticking to it.

If you want to tune in to the keynote, Apple is making it very easy for anyone to tune in and watch on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, or any non-Apple device you may own.

How to watch Apple's 'It's Glowtime' event

The first way to watch the September keynote is through the Apple TV app. While the listing is not yet present on the TV app, the company usually begins to list it on the day of the event, so keep an eye out for it. In addition, the Apple TV app is available on a ton of devices, so you should be able to tune in on many of your favorite streaming devices.

Another way to watch the keynote is through the Apple Events website. Apple always makes its events available on its website so that those without access to the app still have a way to stream the event live. In addition to watching the event on the site, Apple usually adds some buttons so that you can share it to social media, grab a link to the page, or add it to your calendar.

The last way to watch the WWDC keynote is through YouTube. Apple has been streaming all of its live events on YouTube for a few years now. It's an obvious move as YouTube is the dominant way to watch videos online and is especially popular for the tech community. 

In addition to watching it live, you can set a reminder to ensure you get notified when the event starts. The notification will come in the form of an email and a push notification if you have the YouTube app installed on your iPhone or iPad. You can do all of that through the placeholder video that Apple has added to YouTube below:

What if I miss the live event?

If you happen to miss the live event, you'll still be able to watch it through the TV app, the Apple Events website, and YouTube. Apple also commonly makes it available on Apple Podcasts. We'll make sure to post another article detailing how to rewatch the event once it's over.

We'll certainly be tuning in, so we'll see you on September 9th in Cupertino!

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It's 2024 but criminals still haven't learned that Apple's AirTag exists. In the latest story of someone using an AirTag to solve a theft, a woman in California has used Apple's item tracker to help police find two mail thieves.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, a woman in Santa Barbara County experienced her mail getting stolen twice. According to the report, "Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies were called to the Los Alamos Post Office shortly after 7 a.m. for a report of mail theft. Thieves stole items from a woman’s post office box, and this was not the first time the box was hit, she told deputies."

So, she came up with the idea to mail herself a package with an AirTag hidden inside, and guess what? It worked. The report says that "the woman showed deputies that she was able to track the package to the 600 block of E. Sunrise Drive in Santa Maria. Deputies found the woman’s mail, including the package with the AirTag along with items that were likely stolen from over a dozen additional victims, according to the Sheriff’s Department."

There are stories like this for days

Apple's AirTag has been in the news for a number of reasons since its launch back in April of 2021 (has it really been that long). While some stories are quite concerning and involve people using them for nefarious purposes like stalking, others are positive, like the story of a woman who found her lost luggage using the tracking device. One man tracked his lost wallet across 35 cities.

The little item tracker, which can keep track of keys, bags, and more, integrates with Apple's Find My network. If you want to find the best way to deploy AirTag across your life, check out our list of the Best AirTag Accessories in 2024.

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Apple has today announced that it is making more tweaks to the default app experience on iPhone as a result of the Digital Markets Act, a move that will only affect users in the EU. 

Earlier this year, Apple introduced several measures to comply with the EU's strict software regulations, including introducing a new browser choice screen that lets users pick a default browser other than Safari the first time they open web browsing on an iPhone.

Today, Apple has announced it's rolling out more changes to that system later this year, along with a new default apps section in the Settings of iOS 18. More notably, it's going to let users delete key apps vital to the iPhone user experience at the EU's insistence, including the camera app and Messages. 

More EU iPhone changes

Apple says it has tweaked the new browser choice screen, adding more controls so that users can select a default browser from the choice screen. Users will also have to scroll through all the options before they make their decision, and the app will begin downloading right away. What's more, it'll be placed on the dock of your iPhone's Home Screen so you can find it. 

Within the default section of Settings, users will be able to select options for their web browser, mail, app marketplace, contactless payments, messaging, password managers. Next year, Apple will also add navigation apps and translation. 

You can already delete some apps that ship with your iPhone, but Apple is adding several key core apps to this too. Later this year, as part of iOS 18 in the EU, you'll be able to delete the App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Safari. If you want to re-download them, you'll be able to do so from the App Store. Why you'd want to do that is anyone's guess, but you can bet your bottom dollar you'll start getting tech support calls from family and friends who've done this accidentally as soon as the change rolls out. The only apps you won't be able to delete are the Settings app and the Phone app. 

It's all part of the EU's plan to impose "competition" on iOS, with users pushed harder than ever to adopt alternatives like WhatsApp, Google Chrome, and other alternatives. 

Apple says it believes that these changes will satisfy the EU's ongoing enforcement of the DMA, hinting that it isn't currently fully satisfied. Apple didn't give a specific timeframe for the changes but says they'll be available as part of iOS 18 later this year. Lots of these changes, including deleting apps, default browser screen tweaks, and default app controls are also coming to iPadOS.

The Apple-1 is arguably one of the most iconic computers. What would make one more iconic? Perhaps if it was from the desk of Steve Jobs? That's exactly the case with this Apple-1 head for auction at Christie's on September 12.

This particular Apple-1 is one of only 200 ever made, and with only around 70 known to still exist, it’s rather rate. But what really cranks up the price on this device is its backstory. This isn’t just an Apple-1; it’s the Apple-1 that belonged to Jobs himself, sitting on his desk in 1976.

Adding to the mystique of this auction is the fact that this Apple-1 comes from the collection of the late Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and legendary collector of technological memorabilia. Allen’s collection must be like the Louvre for nerds.

Apple-1 computers have a history of pulling in some serious cash at auctions from mint, sealed original iPhones to things as basic as business cards. In 2014, a model sold for a whopping $905,000, setting the current record. More recent sales, though still impressive, have seen prices cool a bit, with one selling for $815,000 in 2016 and another for $677,196 in 2021. But Steve Jobs’ Apple-1 is expected to smash past records, potentially even cracking the $1 million mark.

A recap of "Steve Jobs-owned" auctions

This isn't the first time memorabilia associated with Jobs has sparked a bidding frenzy. Previous sales have seen items like his high school yearbook and a handwritten Atari memo go for tens of thousands of dollars. A signed Apple II manual even hit $787,000. But perhaps the most noteworthy was the original Apple partnership contract, which fetched a staggering $1.6 million.

If you can’t quite stretch to a million-dollar computer, there’s still plenty of Steve Jobs memorabilia out there to snag. Just this year, a pair of Birkenstocks worn by Jobs sold for a jaw-dropping $218,750. Yes, worn sandals. Meanwhile, a Jobs-signed check from 1976 fetched $177,000, and a business card went for $180,000.

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The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially dropped its antitrust investigation into Apple over the App Store, WebKit, and Xbox Cloud Gaming policies. But things might not be over just yet.

A few years ago, the CMA opened an antitrust probe into Apple. The tech giant came under investigation over the market power of Safari and WebKit on devices like the best iPhones and iPads. The CMA slammed Apple’s requirement that all iOS browsing apps must use WebKit, saying that this "severely limits the potential for rival browsers to differentiate themselves" and gives Apple a free pass to not bother improving Safari. The CMA also had concerns about Apple's restrictions against streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia.

The EU came to the same conclusion about the WebKit issue and got Apple to drop this requirement – but only within the EU, mind you. In the UK, the investigation into Apple hasn't wielded any results yet. In fact, the entire thing was dropped after the CMA fluffed its lines by missing a crucial legal deadline. There was also a legal debate that descended into a semantic argument over the words “study” and “shall.”

Google and the Play Store were also under the spotlight, although the investigation into the Big G has also been dropped now, like Apple.

This isn't the end of things

It seems the CMA wants to pick things up again, after closing the probe due to a missed deadline and some legal semantics.

The UK is about to roll out the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, which is essentially a copy-paste job of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). And guess what? This shiny new piece of legislation is going to give the CMA the powers it needs to come back with a vengeance over the WebKit issues and others.

So, while Apple might have dodged a bullet this time, it’s likely just a matter of months before they’re back in the CMA’s crosshairs. And given how things went in the EU, it's quite likely that the CMA might come out on top this time.

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Apple's head of the App Store is leaving the company as part of a major shakeup behind the scenes which will see the company split its business in two. 

Matt Fischer has run the App Store since 2010 but will leave Apple in October, according to Bloomberg. Mark Gurman reports that Fischer leaves as part of a major reshuffle at Cupertino. "The App Store group is being split into two teams: one overseeing Apple’s own store and another responsible for alternative app distribution," he reports. 

The move comes as Apple faces intense regulatory pressure around the globe to rehash its iPhone app distribution business model, a trend that has seen the advent of alternative app marketplaces, sideloading, and more in the EU thus far. 

The move has reportedly been made by Phil Schiller in response to these changes. 

Matt Fischer leaves Apple

In an email Wednesday Fischer told employees at Apple "After 21 years at Apple, I’ve made the decision to step away from our incredible company." He said the move had been on his mind for some time, and that the internal reorganization was "the right moment to pass the baton to two outstanding leaders on my team.”

Bloomberg says that Carson Oliver and Ann Thai will helm the two new sections of Apple's App Store business. The former will run the App Store group, and the latter will run the team in charge of alternative distribution. 

Beyond the EU, Apple is facing market probes in other territories, including a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice in the U.S.. Some developers and lawmakers are pressing the company to allow alternative methods of iPhone app distribution away from the App Store, usually to circumvent Apple's commission charged on those products. However, Apple has introduced alternative fees such as the Core Technology Fee, and still takes commission on payments made on alternative platforms. 

It's unclear whether Apple's decision to separate the two could herald a change in possibly down the line. 

Apple has been growing its services business like crazy over the last few years. The company created so many services that it now offers a subscription bundle service to give customers some semblance of sense in subscribing to them all.

If you want to buy a service from Apple, you now have a lot of choice. You can choose Apple Music for music, Apple TV+ for movies and TV shows, Apple Arcade for video games, Apple News+ for magazines and newspapers, Apple Fitness+ for guided workouts, and iCloud for....storage?

Despite iCloud being the least exciting service that Apple offers as part of its Apple One subscription bundle, it appears that this unsung hero remains the company's most popular service with customers. In a new report from CIRP (Consumer Intelligence Research Partners), it appears that 64% of Apple customers pay for iCloud.

iCloud dominates when it comes to paid services

That's probably not what you were expecting! You would think that a service like Apple Music or Apple TV+ would take the cake when it comes to services, but good old iCloud is the most popular.

Apple Music does take second, however, with 42% of customers paying for the music streaming service. Apple Podcasts, even though Apple doesn't have Apple Podcasts+ yet, has 37% penetration with customers and comes in third. Apple TV+ comes in fourth with 32% and Apple News+ comes in fifth with 27%. CIRP did not have figures for Apple Arcade or Apple News+.

While it might seem boring to have iCloud top the charts when it comes to Apple's services business, it makes a lot of sense. iCloud isn't so much of an optional service but more a necessity. With all of the photos and videos that people take using their iPhones now, you need that iCloud storage to make sure you don't lose it if you break your iPhone.

So, enjoy your crown, iCloud.

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The iOS 18 update has brought a lot of changes to all the best iPhones, and one of the most interesting – and wide-ranging – is what’s happened to Control Center. Apple’s quick-access dashboard has had a total revamp, with more controls and greater ways to customize it.

Now, you can make icons larger or smaller, arrange them across multiple screens, power off your iPhone with a quick tap, and there are also new controls, from opening any app to launching Tap to Cash. As well as that, third-party apps can add their own Control Center icons. There are even a few Control Center-related changes in places you wouldn’t expect, like the Lock Screen and the Action button.

We’ve put together this guide to show you all the ways you can use Control Center's new features in iOS 18. Read on to get stuck in.

Adding and removing controls

A key component of the new Control Center is the ability to add and remove functions and controls, allowing you to customize your phone with more options than before. Got a page that’s already full of icons? Just add one and it will automatically be added to a new page for you.

1. First, swipe down from the top-right corner of either your Lock Screen or your Home Screen.
2. Now tap and hold any empty space on the screen, or tap the + button in the top-left corner.
3. Your Control Center icons will now be outlined with a pulsating line, and you’ll see a minus (-) symbol in their top-left corner. This shows that you’re in editing mode.
4. Tap the - button to remove a control, or tap Add a Control to add a new one.
5. When you add a new icon, you’ll be presented with a list of popular controls. Scroll down to see icons arranged by categories, or try searching for an icon using the box at the top of the screen.
6. When you’ve picked a control you want to add, just tap it and it will join the other icons in the Control Center.

Rearranging and resizing Control Center icons and widgets

Moving icons to new positions is a good way to make the Control Center work better for you. And for the first time, you no longer need to keep these icons at the sizes Apple has picked – you can enlarge or shrink them as well.

1. To move an icon to a new position, enter Control Center’s editing mode, then tap and hold on an icon. You can now move it to a new location.
2. If you want to move an icon onto a new Control Center page, you’ll first need to drag it to the top or bottom of your Control Center screen. Wait a second or two and the page will scroll for you, letting you drop the icon into place in its new home.
3. You’ll notice that, in editing mode, each Control Center icon has a thicker line in its bottom-right corner. You can drag this edge to resize the icon.
4. When you drag the corner, the icon will change size. As it gets larger or smaller, its appearance may change (for instance, text might be added alongside the icon). Note that some icons have restrictions, such as not being able to go more than three tiles wide. When you’re done, let go and tap an empty space on the screen to save your alterations.

Managing multiple Control Center screens

In iOS 18, you can swipe up or down between multiple Control Center screens. This is a good way to thematically arrange your controls (by default, there are pages for the Music and Home apps, for example) and keep things organized.

1. When you first start, you’ll notice there are pages for favorites, music, home, and connectivity (each with an icon on the right-hand side of the Control Center). You can remove these pages if you like, or add new ones instead.
2. Enter the Control Center editing mode by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen and either pressing the + button or long-pressing a blank area of the screen.
3. Swipe down through all of your existing pages until you come to a blank one. You can start adding icons to this page by pressing the Add a Control button.
4. Each time you add a control to a blank page, you will be able to add an additional page below it.
5. To remove a page, you’ll need to delete all of its controls one by one, after which the page will be automatically removed. There’s currently no way to remove an entire page that is populated with controls without first getting rid of its existing icons.

Control Center on your Lock Screen

There’s another place you can find the Control Center: on your Lock Screen. It’s not the full setup, but you might recognize the flashlight and camera icons, which have been present on the iOS Lock Screen for a few years. In iOS 18, you can swap them out for different Control Center functions.

1. On your Lock Screen, tap and hold an empty space, then go to Customise > Lock Screen.
2. In the bottom-left and bottom-right corners are two quick-access icons (the torch and camera by default). Tap the - button to remove one, then tap the + button that appears in its place.
3. You’ll now see a list of functions that you can add to your Lock Screen. It’s a very similar list to the one you get when editing your Control Center screens.
4. Once you’ve picked a replacement control and added it to your Lock Screen, tap Done, then tap your Home Screen again or swipe up from the bottom to confirm your changes.

Control Center via the Action button

If your iPhone has an Action button, you can assign Control Center features to it, letting you quickly launch your favourite features with just a press.

1. Open the Settings app and go to Action Button > Controls.
2. Tap Choose a Control, then pick an option from the list (or search for one using the box at the top). This will assign your chosen control to the Action button.
3. Note that not every Control Center feature can be activated using the Action button, so make sure to check the whole list to ensure the feature you’re looking for is present.

It's another year, so it's another donation campaign for Apple to support the national parks in the United States. Today, the company announced its latest campaign, which will donate money for every purchase at Apple using Apple Pay.

In a press release, the company said "Today through August 25, Apple will make a $10 donation to the National Park Foundation for every purchase made with Apple Pay on apple.com, in the Apple Store app, or at an Apple Store in the U.S."

In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook said “Every time I visit a national park, I’m struck by their extraordinary beauty and incredibly rich history. We’re proud to partner with the National Park Foundation to help preserve these natural treasures that inspire so many people. Their important work helps ensure that future generations will be able to experience that same sense of awe, wonder, and reverence for the planet we call home.”

National parks are coming to Apple Maps this fall

While Apple is donating to the National Park Foundation this summer, it plans to do more with national parks in the United States this fall. With iOS 18, users will be able to navigate thousands of hikes in the Apple Maps app with turn-by-turn directions. You'll also be able to explore topographic maps on the iPhone Apple Maps app with contour lines, trail details, and more.

You'll also be able to create custom routes for hiking and, of course, save your trails to the iPhone so you can use them offline when you aren't connected to Wi-Fi or cellular service.

If you don't want to wait until iOS 18 to enjoy some national parks goodness on your iPhone or Apple Watch, there's a new Apple Watch challenge on the way. As the company, explains, "On August 25, Apple Watch users around the world can earn a limited-edition award and animated stickers for Messages by recording any workout of 20 minutes or more."

At least we can get some exercise in while we wait for Apple to try and Sherlock AllTrails this fall!

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Kim Kardashian's new collaboration with Beats is already discounted at Amazon with the Beats Studio Pro available for under $300 with AppleCare+.

That's a huge 20% discount on the brand-new headphones that were only just revealed this week in a hilarious promo video starring Kardashian with Jimmy Fallon. The neutral-colored Beats Studio Pro retail for $349 but this amazing deal gives you an extended 2-year AppleCare+ warranty (usually $29) along with the headphones for $299.

The Beats x Kim Kardashian headphones are available in three different colors: Dune, Earth, and Moon. These 3 distinct neutral colors are a signature staple of Kardashian's SKIMS clothing brand and her previous collaboration with Beats in similar tones was very popular.

Save 20% on Kim Kardashian Beats Studio Pro

Beats Studio Pro are fantastic headphones with great sound and Active Noise Cancellation. Made by Apple, they also boast Transparency mode, personalized Spatial Audio, and immense battery life that should last you around 40 hours. Our review of the Beats Studio Pro was less than stellar, but that was purely down to the fact that apart from a USB-C port there wasn't much different from the previous model. That said, millions of people around the globe love Beats and if style is of the utmost importance to you then you could do far worse than picking up a pair of these gorgeous Kim Kardashian headphones

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Beats, Apple, and Kim Kardashian have unveiled another collaboration this week, delivering another limited edition trio of headphones to the masses. 

Building on the success of the previous Beats Fit Pro collaboration, the new Beats x Kim brings three neutral colors from Kim Kardashian's signature palette to Apple's Beats Studio Pro. 

The previous edition sold like mad, but the $349 pricing of the Studio Pro might temper some demand this time around. 

Beats X Kim: Studio Pro

The new Beats Studio Pro cost $349.99 and are on sale now at Apple.com in the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand. You can also find them on Amazon in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Japan, as well as in select Apple Store locations around the globe. 

They come in Kim Kardashian's signature palette, notably Moon, Dune, and Earth.

Otherwise, they boast all of the features of the regular Beats Studio Pro headphones. They have Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes, personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, leather cushions, and up to 40 hours of battery life. 

Lossless audio can be enjoyed over a USB-C cable, and there are also mainstay Beats features like fast-pairing and device switching. 

Unfortunately, we didn't love the Beats Studio Pro when we reviewed them last year. Despite offering some nice new colors, strong battery life, and solid noise-canceling, they carry too many of Beats' customary flaws. Notably, they look and feel quite cheap, and the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired. Our audio expert Tammy found that while distortion over previous models has been reduced, there's a lot of sibilance in the high-end, the mid sections are very thin, and there's simply too much bass. Unless you're buying these exclusively for the Kim Kardashian collaboration, there are a ton of much better, cheaper alternatives for audio enjoyers out there. 

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The Apple Card has been out for quite a few years now. With more and more people picking up the card over the years, you'd think it might fall out of the good graces of the consumers that hold it. That doesn't seem to be the case, however, as Apple Card has once again topped the customer satisfaction charts.

In a press release, J.D. Power announced that "Apple Card has again been named the Best Co-Branded Credit Card for Customer Satisfaction with No Annual Fee in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, marking the fourth consecutive year Apple Card and issuer Goldman Sachs have been awarded a No. 1 ranking in their segment in the U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study."

The J.D. Power U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, according to the company, "measures overall customer satisfaction based on performance across various categories, including Account Management, Customer Service, and New Account Experience."

Apple Card's rewards still aren't great

While customers are super happy with the Apple Card, I can't help but point out that, despite the card being out for years now, the company has done little to improve what you get out of it.

The Apple Card provides users with 1% Daily Cash when they use the physical titanium card, 2% Daily Cash when they pay with Apple Pay, and 3% Daily Cash with purchases at Apple directly. While there are some basic benefits added through Mastercard, that's about it.

There's more to it, of course. However, with so many other credit cards that offer more rewards on the market, it's tough to stay committed to the Apple Card. Personally, I've made the switch to the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. In addition to offering 3 points per $1 on things like dining and streaming services, it also has tons of other benefits for travel.

It includes a complimentary DashPass membership through DoorDash, a complimentary membership to Instacart+ for grocery delivery, and tons of travel benefits. I just booked a trip to California and the hotels were almost completely paid with the points I had accrued.

When I was using my Apple Card, I'd quickly blow the Daily Cash earned, so adding the friction of having to redeem points has been a way for me to actually accrue enough rewards to actually put them towards something bigger — like having hotels covered for a week in California.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the Apple Card. I had a great run with it for the years when I wasn't as fluent in credit card rewards and benefits as I am now. It's a great starter card and one for people who want to keep things super simple. Let's face it — there's nothing easier than cash back.

That said, if you're willing to put in a little more effort, you can quickly realize that there are much more rewarding credit cards out there. After years with the Apple Card, I'm happy with the switch I've made. For everyone else, it seems that they're happy to stick around.

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Ahead of the iPhone 16, Apple Watch X, and Apple Intelligence launch in the coming months. Google has taken the covers off its brand-new flagship smartphones, its latest smartwatch, and a slew of new AI features coming to its Google Gemini platform.

But things didn't run quite so smoothly when it came to Google showing off its latest AI prowess. The aim was to wow us all with its seamless integration across Google Calendar, Tasks, and Keep. Instead, we got a masterclass in why live demos are a dicey business.

At the start of the Pixel 9 event, Google exec Dave Citron declared, "All the demos we are doing today are live." He then proceeded to demonstrate Gemini's capabilities by snapping a photo of a Sabrina Carpenter poster and asking Gemini to check his calendar for her upcoming show in San Francisco. Twice, the AI loaded briefly before deciding it had better things to do, and failing.

On the third attempt, and with a different device, Citron finally got Gemini to cooperate. Gemini triumphantly announced that Citron was free to see Sabrina Carpenter live. Cue the polite applause and a sigh of relief from Citron.

Maybe waiting is the better option

Google's gaffe gives us the perfect opportunity to appreciate Apple’s "wait until it's ready" approach. You might think the brand is overly cautious, sometimes frustratingly so. But by waiting until a feature is ready, Apple avoids blunders like this one. Remember the time Apple decided to demo a feature, and it didn't work? Exactly. While we might poke fun at Apple's tendency to drag its feet, we don't get gaffs like this.

Don't get me wrong, this Gemini blunder certainly isn't the end of the world. Google is leading the charge in AI features, even with Apple Intelligence on the way. But when you're trying to convince lots of unfamiliar and sceptical customers that AI is the way to do, it's better for things to go off without a hitch.

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Google announced its new Pixel line of smartphones yesterday on stage alongside new improvements to Gemini AI. During the presentation, the company made a sly dig at Apple and its upcoming Apple Intelligence features — a reminder that the AI race is well and truly underway.

The company said, "Gemini is deeply integrated with Google apps and Android and can handle complex queries without hand-off to third-party AI providers you may not know or trust." 

A sly jab at Apple's use of OpenAI's ChatGPT for more complex tasks like generating text, no? In iOS 18.1, which is set to be released later this year after the expected launch of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro in September, Apple Intelligence will allow users to rewrite, proofread, summarize, and even generate emojis. For more complex tasks, you'll be able to ask Siri to use ChatGPT, a Large Language Model (LLM) that is often met with privacy concerns.

Apple will ask the user for permission every time before accessing ChatGPT, but considering Apple's huge focus on privacy it does open concerns as to how other companies use people's data.

What's in Pixel's Gemini AI?

Gemini is already well-established, but Google's AI will be getting a few major upgrades in the Pixel 9. Gemini Live is a "mobile conversational experience that lets you have free-flowing conversations with Gemini." Imagine the film 'Her', although please don't try to replicate some of the intimate scenes.

There are also new AI photo features such as 'Add Me' in the camera app that allows you to take a photo and then superimpose the image with another photo in real time.

If you'd like to know everything Google announced at the company's Pixel 9 event yesterday, we've got you covered.

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Ahead of the next Apple event, Google has taken the covers off its brand-new flagship smartphones, its latest smartwatch, and a slew of new AI features coming to its Google Gemini platform. 

With iPhone 16, Apple Watch X, and Apple Intelligence about to land in the coming months, it's a great look at one of the main Android-powered rivals Apple will be going up against for your hard-earned cash. Here's everything Google announced. 

Google Pixel 9

The Google Pixel 9 has a snazzy new design that will look a little too familiar to Pro iPhone users. There's a Pixel 9 and a Pixel 9 Pro, the latter available in two different sizes for the first time ever (another marvelous innovation). 

All of the Pixel 9 models are powered by Google's Tensor G4 chip, which as you might expect is all about AI. Other big upgrades to the Pixel lineup include beefed-up RAM (12GB and 16GB respectively) and the brightest and best Super Actua displays Google has produced yet. 

The Pixel 9, Pro, and Pro XL retail at $799, $999, and $1099 respectively. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is Google's biggest-ever smartphone display. Powered by the same chip as the regular Pro, it features the thinnest-ever chassis of a foldable device and the biggest inner display of any mobile device. 

It features an upgraded ultrawide camera and gaming gets a boost thanks to optimizations to games like Minecraft and Asphalt Unite. 

That foldable display boasts Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus® 2 that's scratch and water-resistant. 

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold starts life at $1,799. 

Google Pixel Watch 3

The new Google Pixel Watch 3 includes a new 45mm display option, smaller bezels, and variable refresh rates. There are new recovery and wellness elements built into activity tracking which echo those introduced by Apple in watchOS 11. 

The headline feature is a new first-of-its-kind Loss of Pulse Detection, meaning Pixel Watch 3 can call emergency services if it detects a loss of pulse in its wearer, saving vital minutes for emergency responders. 

Prices start at $3349 and $399 for the respective sizes, and there are also LTE options. 

Pixel Buds Pro 2

The new Pixel Buds Pro 2 features a new Tensor A1 chip that powers the audio performance, noise cancellation, and AI on these new buds. They're lighter and smaller than the old version and the noise cancellation is twice as powerful. The Tensor A1 provides a dedicated 'highway lane' for processing your audio, which means the noise cancelling shouldn't compromise sound quality. You get up to eight hours of battery life on a single charge and 30 with the case. 

AI features provide a hands-free virtual AI assistant that can give directions, notify you of appointment, and make song recommendations. You can also talk direct to Google Gemini Live and have "free-flowing" conversations with your earbuds. 

Pixel Buds Pro 2 start at $229, and will be available on September 26. 

New Gemini AI features

Apple Intelligence isn't available to the public yet, but Google's AI platform is already well established. Gemini is getting some upgrades, notably Gemini Live, a "mobile conversational experience that lets you have free-flowing conversations with Gemini." You can have conversations about anything you want with Gemini Live, even in the background when your phone is locked.

The AI is also now more integrated with other Google Apps and tools such as Gmail, thanks to new extensions. Gemini can also help you out no matter what you're doing on your smartphone, with contextual awareness so you can ask about what's on screen, or summon your AI sidekick from anywhere. 

As you might expect, Google's new hardware is the best way to enjoy Gemini thanks to the processing power of its new smartphones. 

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Apple's AirPods Pro 3 is one of the most anticipated products of 2024, alongside the iPhone 16 — but how could these premium in-earbuds be improved?

The first AirPods Pro debuted in 2019, as a high-end spinoff line to the original AirPods, which launched in 2016. Since then, AirPods Pro has stood out with some fantastic features such as Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), Transparency Mode, Find My tracking, and more. Within five years they've already become essential accessories for many users of the best iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

AirPods Pro 2, released in September 2022, improved the ANC and added the ability to swipe the AirPods stems to change volume. These high-end earbuds saw a slight refresh in September 2023 with a USB-C charging case and an updated H2 chip, enabling Lossless Audio for Apple Vision Pro users.

Additionally, the upcoming iOS 18 update for compatible iPhones further improves Voice Isolation during calls and introduces a feature for users to shake their heads to accept or decline a call with AirPods Pro 2.

With so many features available, as well as new ones coming in a future software update, one may wonder why Apple needs to release AirPods Pro 3 anytime soon. However, Apple is known for constantly refining its products, and with this in mind, we've been hearing some rumors about what the next upgrade might bring.

AirPods Pro 3: Release Date

The refreshed AirPods Pro 2 came out in September 2023. With this timescale, it seems unlikely we'll see a new model launching anytime soon. For context, the below lists the release dates of every AirPod product so far.

• AirPods: December 2016
• AirPods 2: March 2019
• Airpods Pro: October 2019
• AirPods Max: December 2020
• AirPods 3: October 2021
• Airpods Pro: September 2022
• AirPods Pro USB-C: September 2023

In a prediction made by top industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, they stated that Apple’s next regular AirPods would begin mass shipments in the latter half of 2024 or the start of 2025, with the AirPods Max to follow.

With no mention of AirPods Pro 3 and no reputable reports on a proper release date so far, it seems likely that we may not see a release until 2025 at the least.

AirPods Pro 3: Price

Every AirPods Pro product has sold for $249. This places them at under half the price of the AirPods Max but $70/£80 more than the cost of the AirPods 3. 

The first-gen AirPods Pro was discontinued when the AirPods Pro 2 launched, so AirPods Pro 3 may also entirely replace AirPods Pro 2 when they launch.

AirPods Pro 3: Features

Given that Apple currently offers AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, it's a given that the AirPods Pro 3 will follow this standard. Not only does this mean it will be compatible with any USB-C wires you have, but it has the potential for faster charging. USB-C, as a format, is more efficient with the same amount of physical space, allowing it to deliver more power.

Given AirPods Pro has some unique features not present in AirPods, such as Active Noise Cancellation, Apple will likely add more to this upcoming model. Like the previous AirPods Pro, the AirPods Pro 3 should be compatible with Apple Watch chargers and will likely have a built-in speaker in the case itself to help you locate it.

AirPods Pro uses an H1 chip, while AirPods Pro 2 uses an H2 chip. It’s not a stretch to assume that a H3 chip will be present in AirPods Pro 3.

Given the H2 chip has some fantastic Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) capabilities, we can expect AirPods Pro 3 to further improve upon these existing features while offering some new ones. The last model introduced adaptive transparency mode which lets you hear the world around you whilst reducing sounds over a certain threshold. With AirPods 4 reportedly getting ANC, we wouldn't be surprised to see it improved even further for AirPods Pro 3.

In October 2023, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman mentioned that AirPods Pro 3 could get a redesign, as well as health-focused features. Gurman hasn't elaborated further on what these features may involve, but we can imagine features related to hearing health and a temperature sensor.

AirPods Pro 3: Size

The buds themselves are exactly the same size and weight as the AirPods Pro 1 and AirPods Pro 2. Given this, we imagine the AirPods Pro 3 buds will be similar in size and weight.

The charging case did change between the two, however. The first model was 1.8 x 0.9 x 2.4 inches and weighed 1.6 ounces whereas the AirPods Pro 2 case came in at 1.78 x 0.85 x 2.39 inches and 1.79 ounces. To put these numbers in perspective, both cases are a similar size but the AirPods Pro 2 are a little heavier. 

Generally speaking, it seems unlikely the size will change too drastically as they are designed to slide into your pocket or bag with relative ease. Part of what makes the AirPods Pro so popular is how light and easy they are to carry. You can simply take them out of your pocket, flick open the case, and get listening. 

AirPods Pro 3: Battery Life

Thanks in part to the more powerful H2 chip, AirPods Pro 2 has a better battery life than its predecessor. As AirPods Pro 2 manages to get around 6 hours of listening time out of a single charge, the AirPods Pro 1 got 4.5 hours of listening time from a charge. This increase is a noticeable one in day-to-day use. 

When combined with the charging case, the AirPods Pro 2 gets 30 hours of listening time, whereas the AirPods Pro 1 had around 24 hours of listening time. If the AirPods Pro 3 gets the H3 chip, we can expect a similar upgrade in battery life, with an extra hour or so of listening time. If the case is equivalently strong for the battery, we could see about 35 from a full charge. This being said, though the AirPods Pro 2 had better battery life than its predecessor, it is not a guarantee with a new chip. A more powerful chip could mean the device needs more power to function.

AirPods Pro 3: Rumors

With the AirPods Pro 3, we’re expecting Apple to double down on many of the features that made previous models stand out. For this reason, we could see the advancement of ANC to adapt better to the environment around you  — this will only be made better with the possible introduction of the H3 chip. 

As well as having better internals, there’s a chance the AirPods Pro 3 will have more durable buds, increasing both its dust and water resistance. The current model comes with water resistance, making them good for sweat from your ears or rain while walking, but not for submerging in a pool. Given how impressive the Apple Watch’s water resistance is, there’s room for improvement here — even if they are still very capable.

With some fans complaining of poor mic quality from the AirPods Pro 2, we hope that Apple has heard this feedback. For this reason, we hope that the AirPods Pro 3 will have better mic quality and smarter software to filter out background noises. Apple is well known for how intelligent its software is so this doesn’t seem unlikely. 

AirPods Pro 3: Q&A

Could we see an even more powerful OpenAI model powering ChatGPT by the end of this week? Rumor has it that the company’s next AI model that looks to take us closer to an Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) future is almost ready.

AGI is the next major milestone in the world of AI models, bringing us closer to a future where artificial intelligence can reason and think like humans. A report in May highlighted OpenAI’s plan to introduce AGI and now Sam Altman, the company’s CEO, has thrown fuel on the fire.

Taking to X, Altman posted an image of a strawberry plant, hinting at Project Strawberry, the codename for the plans leaked in May. While it’s unclear if Project Strawberry will be an update to GPT-4 or a new model altogether, we’re expecting to hear more about the huge improvements soon.

Apple Intelligence is set to arrive later this year for all the best iPhones and Apple’s other major devices. The AI features will also implement ChatGPT into Siri, allowing you to access GPT-4 or GPT-4o directly from Apple’s voice assistant.

If Project Strawberry lands before then, we could see AGI on iPhone, allowing for reasoning capabilities when asking questions — a significant evolution to what OpenAI’s model can process and a major step for using AI in research fields.

An even smarter ChatGPT on iPhone

All of this might sound majorly complicated, and that’s because it is. However, improvements to OpenAI’s models will likely benefit us all in the long term. Earlier this year, Reuters explained the leaked project as “models with the aim of enabling the company’s AI to not just generate answers to queries but to plan ahead enough to navigate the internet autonomously and reliably to perform what OpenAI terms “deep research,” according to the source.”

While it might be a while until we see the official unveiling of Project Strawberry, the hype train is running rampant on social media and it might not be long until we can use the improvements for ourselves on iPhone.

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Oura, the company behind the most popular smart ring on the market, has just bagged a major hiring coup for its design team — Miklu Silvanto, formerly of Jony Ive’s Industrial Design Team at Apple. The Finnish designer will join Oura as its Chief Design Officer.

Silvanto spent nearly ten years with Apple, and was part of the team that worked on the iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, several generations of MacBook, and a variety of Apple peripherals. Silvanto isn’t just a luminary of Apple either, having also spent time working with high-end audio company Bang & Olufsen, as well as travel brand AirBnB.

At Oura he’ll be heading up the company’s software and industrial design teams — so don’t be surprised if there’s a touch of that aluminum Apple magic in the company’s future output.

“My life’s work is to build beautiful models between human beings and technology,” Silvanto said of his appointment. “Oura is a wonderful place to do exactly that.”

A smart ring for every finger?

It’s a timely appointment for Oura, which is facing more competition than ever before in the smart ring space.

The recent launch of the Samsung Galaxy Ring (as reviewed by our friends at TechRadar) has been heralded as the smart ring to buy, especially if you’re an Android user, thanks to its accurate health tracking capabilities — even if it’s been criticized for its chunky size.

That’s not much good for an Apple user — Samsung’s ring won’t work with iOS devices — but Apple itself has apparently long been testing a smart ring of its own, which would put two tech juggernauts on a collision course with Oura’s core product. Silvanto, as a former Apple insider, would be perfectly placed to counteract that threat.

Looking to wrap some tech around your own digits? Be sure to check out our rundown of the best smart rings.

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Iconic Apple accessory, the SuperDrive may have just been quietly discontinued, if recent reports are anything to go on. 

As reported by 9to5Mac, the CD/DVD player that worked exclusively with Mac is sold out on the official Apple website and has been for some time. Given the device is over 16 years old, and likely not that popular still, it seems unlikely that new stock will come in anytime soon. Given there’s not much reason for Apple to start producing the device again, this could mean the end of the device. 

However, it has been sold for some time now so you likely won’t have too much trouble finding it on sites like eBay if you’re in the mood to fire up some movies on your Mac. It is even available at Amazon right now, with next-day delivery for Prime members. If stock isn’t replenished soon, it’s not entirely clear how long it will stay on sale at Amazon. 

A matter of time — iMore’s take

It’s important to take this information with a grain of salt as it could be an error in the system or some kind of technical fault. There’s a chance it will pop up again unceremoniously — available to buy once more. However, it has become a bit outdated, not specifically in regards to DVDs as dedicated collectors do still collect them. Instead, it’s the tech itself that feels outdated. It’s a USB-A device which means it doesn’t work on the best Macs without a dedicated adapter or one of the best USB-C hubs.

This is a device primarily designed for Macs built between 2008 and 2015 as previous Macs tended to have optical drives and those after started swapping to USB-C. However, with its pure silver look, the Apple SuperDrive is an iconic accessory and one we’ll be sad to see go.

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A court has ruled that payments made by Google to Apple, Samsung, and others to make Google the default search engine on their respective platforms were illegal. 

An antitrust court has found Google illegally sustained a monopoly over online search, blocking other rivals and competitors in the process. 

A judge ruled that some $26 billion paid out to platforms " foreclose a substantial portion of the general search services market and impair rivals’ opportunities to compete." Through this monopoly, Google has been able to inflate the price of online advertising. 

Google in hot water

The judge in the ruling said, "The trial evidence firmly established that Google’s monopoly power, maintained by the exclusive distribution agreements, has enabled Google to increase text ads prices without any meaningful competitive constraint." 

Google plans to appeal the decision. 

As for iPhone users, it could mean a big shift when searching online on iOS 18 and beyond. While users can opt to use any search engine, Google ships as the default option thanks to the aforementioned payments. If the case against Google sticks, it could mean future versions of iOS present users with a choice of multiple engines without a default setting. The same process has been adopted in the EU with web browsers, where Apple now presents users with Safari and 12 other alternatives based on popularity when a user opens the app for the first time. 

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When Apple announced the Apple Vision Pro at WWDC of 2023 it brought an end to years of rumors and expectations. The headset closely matched the rumors, including a key feature that Apple was apparently keen to offer — controller-free, gesture-based controls. While similar headsets used controllers, Apple's relied simply on hands and fingers. Some see it as a feature, some as a liability that will limit the Apple Vision Pro's gaming capabilities. A bit like it or not, the gesture-based controls might be on their way elsewhere.

The iPhone is touch-first, as is the iPad, while the Mac is cursor-based which requires a mouse or a trackpad. But Apple is clearly working on a potential input change that will see the Apple Vision Pro technology used across the rest of the company's lineups, and a new patent proves that even if the headset doesn't hit the mark with consumers, they could soon be using its technologies instead of mouse or a finger.

It's still very early days for the Apple Vision Pro and it's expected to set the foundations for Apple's spatial computing initiatives for years to come. But even if the headset never captures the public's imagination the way the iPhone did all those years ago, Apple will want to take as many learnings and technologies from its development as possible. And where best to use those things than its most important products?

Touch-free computing

A new patent, first spotted by AppleInsider, hints at such a move to a touch-free world. Titled "Devices, Methods, And Graphical User Interfaces For Using A Cursor To Interact With Three-Dimensional Environments," the patent suggests that Apple's future plans are all about waving hands and fingers around as a form of input.

There are of course similarities between the iPhone and Apple Vision Pro already. The technology behind Face ID can already bring eye-tracking to the iPhone, but the Mac doesn't have such a thing just yet.

Apple's patents are always as broad as possible which means they can be read in a variety of ways. But if the Apple Vision Pro brought a Minority Report-like experience to those who bought one, there are now hints that we could be controlling more devices using similar gestures in the future. Could we one day wave our hands at the TV to interact with tvOS, for example? Microsoft already did something similar with the ill-fated Kinnect, but the tvOS Home Screen is already suited to such a control scheme.

Expand that to the rumored Apple TV-turned-HomePod device and we could one day control an Apple smart display without touching it.

All of this could be a little way off becoming reality, of course, and there is always the usual caveat with these things. Apple patents a ton of ideas each and every year, and not all of them turn into products that we can buy at Apple Stores. But some do, and I'm absolutely here for a future where I don't have to ever touch a Siri Remote again.

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If you’re tired of seeing constant pop-ups on websites asking you to sign up for a newsletter or advertising a special offer, Apple has some good news for you.

Arriving as part of the new betas for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia today, ‘Distraction Control’ is a new feature in Apple’s Safari web browser that allows users to hide distracting objects as they browse the web, such as offer banners or content overlays on a website. Whenever you visit a site, you can go to Page Menu in the Address Bar and you’ll see a new toggle for Distraction Control. When enabled, a prompt will appear, explicitly stating that the feature will not permanently remove ads, or other areas that frequently change, such as video ads.

Once the prompt is dismissed, users will need to select each item they want to hide on a website. If a user doesn’t select a certain feature on a webpage, it won’t be hidden. Once something is selected, however, Distraction Control will hide it. If a user wants to make something re-appear, they can click the ‘hide’ icon in the address bar and select ‘Show Hidden Items.’

Users can try this feature out right now in Safari with the release of Beta 5 for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. While visionOS 2 is also available to try, Distraction Control won’t be included in its respective version of Safari. Apple says these updates will be made available to everyone later this year for compatible devices.

What else is new in Safari for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia?

It’s not just Distraction Control that’s coming to the upcoming version of Safari. First off is Highlights, which can detect the most important information on a webpage and ‘highlight’ these sections for users. Reader, Safari’s method of transforming web pages into an easy-to-read format, has been redesigned to include a table of contents, similar to a book.

But there’s one more thing coming to Reader, thanks to Apple Intelligence, the company’s set of AI features. In iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, there will be a ‘Summarize’ option. Selecting this will cause the webpage to be scanned by Apple Intelligence, and a message box will appear with a four-line summary.

Overall, Safari looks set to be packed with useful features later this year, on top of the new ‘Distraction Control’ feature. However, we do find it odd that none of these features will be coming to Apple Vision Pro, the company’s spatial computing headset that came out in February. Hopefully this changes sooner rather than later, as using something like Distraction Control in visionOS could be very useful for removing pop-ups while you read iMore in an immersive environment like the Moon.

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When you think of high-end gaming, Apple isn’t often a name that comes to mind, but the company is trying to change that. Apple is swiftly trying to upgrade its gaming offerings to make them more appealing to gamers and developers. In order for this push to work, it’ll need to impress both. 

Now that it solved the performance limitations on the Mac — Intel and AMD’s stalled performance in the prior decade nixed any shot Apple had at providing a great gaming product — Apple will be in control of its own destiny. iPhones, iPads, and Macs all run on Apple silicon, and each device is a category-leader in performance. Apple built it, but will gamers come? 

This newfound appreciation for gaming can be traced back to when Apple gave recent generations of the Apple TV 4K enough power to play light games. Then, it launched Apple Arcade, a subscription service for lightweight and ad-free games that could be played on basically anything Apple-branded, from an iPhone to an Apple TV to a Mac. More recently, Apple added Game Mode to macOS Sonoma and created the Game Porting Toolkit for developers to help them easily port Windows games to the Mac. 

Apple seemed to double-down on its gaming effort at the end of last year, when it announced that Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Death Stranding, Resident Evil 4, and Resident Evil Village would be coming to its platforms. In a first, the iPhone 15 Pro powered by its A17 Pro chip would be able to play these flagship games. However, their eventual launches felt anticlimactic. 

Whether the cause was the limited number of devices that could actually support the AAA games or their high prices, the result was a lack of consumer interest in high-end gaming on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. According to June data from Appfigures, fewer than 3,000 gamers bought Assassin’s Creed Mirage on iPhone for $50. An estimated total of 123,000 people download the game, but only a small fraction actually unlocked the full title with a purchase. It’s a similar story for the other AAA games on the App Store, by all accounts.

No matter how you look at it, the numbers don’t point to Apple silicon gaming being anything other than a flop in 2024. This might make you think, like many of Apple’s gaming initiatives in the past, that the advent of AAA gaming on iPhones, iPads, and Macs will be short-lived. While it’s certainly possible that game developers bail on Apple platforms, there’s a massive incentive for them to stick around — and it has everything to do with what the company calls the unified gaming platform.

What is the unified gaming platform, and why does it matter?

I first heard the term "unified gaming platform" at a gaming showcase with Apple in New York City, and it’s crucial to understanding the company’s pitch for AAA game development. The idea is simply that iOS, iPadOS, and macOS are not separate platforms. Instead, they are one. Developers can port their games to macOS, and by extension, quickly and easily make them available on iOS or iPadOS as well. 

Game studios can’t develop for every device or platform; there are quite a few factors that determine whether a developer ports its games to one platform or another. Performance and power are a consideration, but Apple has that covered with the A17 Pro and M-series chips. Arguably the more important consideration is whether there is enough demand and consumer base to make the port worthwhile. Apple platforms have never been a significant home for gaming, outside of basic mobile games.

So, Apple doesn’t really check the demand box. But it does fulfill the consumer base requirement, as there are more than a billion active devices across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Still, those platforms are considered emerging as far as gaming is concerned, and there’s a risk for developers to put time and money into porting games to emerging platforms. To make it worth their while, Apple needed to make it easy and worthwhile to port games to the unified gaming platform.

The easy part comes with the release of the Game Porting Toolkit 2.0 (GPTK2), as it now supports Windows games that use the DirectX and AVX2 instruction sets. Developers can take their Windows games, and port it to macOS using the GPTK2 without having to rebuild the title from the ground up. Then, developers can take that macOS port and port it to iOS or iPadOS again. The end result is a AAA game made for Windows running on an iPhone, iPad, and Mac with minimal effort.

I saw the new Game Porting Toolkit 2.0 in action, running in tandem with Crossover, a compatibility layer that leverages the GPTK2 foundation to help Windows games run on macOS with little to no manual action required. Now that GPTK2 supports DirectX, AVX2, and ray tracing, people will be able to run more Windows games than ever using software like Crossover or Whisky. If it’s easy for end users to run Windows games on their Macs, imagine how easy it’s going to be for developers to port games to macOS — and by extension, the unified gaming platform.

It’s not only easy, but also worthwhile for developers to port games to the unified gaming platform. We talk about this platform representing over a billion active devices, and here’s some perspective: Microsoft has sold less than 30 million Series S | X consoles and Sony has sold less than 60 million PlayStation 5 consoles as of May 2024 estimations. There are plenty of Windows PCs out there, but a much smaller number are capable of running the latest AAA games.

In the past, developers would’ve needed to develop for Android, console, and PC to get the kind of reach Apple is offering with the unified gaming platform. Combined, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS make up one of the biggest and most lucrative gaming platforms on the planet. The question is whether all this promise pays off for developers in the end, and whether they’ll stick around long enough to find out.

Will high-end gaming on Apple platforms stick?

The unified gaming platform is in its infancy. The number of devices that can run AAA games today is actually quite small compared to the billion-plus active Apple devices that are in the wild. However, as people upgrade their iPhones, iPads, and Macs, that number will only grow. 

Developers would be smart to stick around, and people in the Apple ecosystem would be smart to buy in. With games supporting universal purchase and Ubisoft Connect, a buyer can pay for a game once, start it on an iPhone, pick up right where they left off on an iPad, and finish things on a Mac. That’s the pitch of the unified gaming platform, and I think it’ll catch on. 

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Since the iPhone 5 in 2012, and with very few exceptions, there’s been a new iPhone every September. The launch tends to land in the middle of the month, presented during a typically slick iPhone presentation event. If you’re looking to shop ahead, however, one recent rumor suggests the next batch of iPhones will be released earlier in the month than usual. 

As reported by CNMO, the next best iPhone is set to release on September 10, just over one month away from time of writing. Generally, we hear news of the iPhone event around this time in September each year, with the iPhone itself launching a week or two later. If this rumor turns out to be true, we can expect to see the iPhone 16 in shops by Friday, September 19, going off previous iPhone launch dates.

Here is when previous iPhones launched:

• iPhone 15 — September 22, 2023 (announced on September 12)
• iPhone 14 — September 16, 2022 (announced on September 7) 
• iPhone 13 — September 24, 2021 (announced on September 14)
• iPhone 12 — October 23, 2020 (announced on October 13)
• iPhone 11 — September 20, 2019 (announced on September 10)

How reputable is this report? 

CNMO doesn’t have a huge track record of accurate reports and leaks so far and the report itself doesn’t cite a source or really explain where the current news comes from. For this reason, we recommend a huge pinch of salt when looking at rumors like this. 

However, the date given is a Tuesday, which is the date we tend to expect the iPhone release every year. 

The iPhone 16 is currently said to have fairly minor physical upgrades, with the iPhone 16 Pro model getting a new dedicated camera button. However, the new chip range should prepare the device for Apple Intelligence, which should launch later this year. 

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If you’ve decided now is the time to make some healthy changes to your life and you’re seeking out some tech assistance to help you on the way, the good news is that there’s plenty of accessories that can do just that.

Fortunately, Apple has done the very handy job of picking out some of those health and fitness-focused devices on its own storefront that promise to help you make sure you’re drinking enough water, help recognise when you’re feeling under the weather and should take things easy and even keep a close eye on your heart.

In this guide, we’ll take you through some of that health and fitness kit to find out just how well they work and see whether they’re really worth adding to your current collection of Apple-friendly kit. This is our verdict on the health and fitness accessories you can pick up from the Apple Store.

The quick list

Best smart water bottle

We think the HidrateSpark Pro Steel is a useful bottle to have around if you’re bad at remembering to drink enough water during the day. It’s hard to ignore the glowing reminders when it’s time to top up on your hydration.

It’s bigger than your typical water bottle, but the stainless steel exterior and secure lid feels like it’s built to last and helps to justify that pretty steep price tag. It’s easy to set up with an iPhone with a companion app that clearly presents your water intake and whether you’re hitting your daily goals. The big glowing LED ring around the sensor base can be customised but it’s a shame you have to pay for a subscription to adjust the colour. You can at least control the brightness if you don’t want it proving a distraction in more public places.

While you can’t store hot drinks in it, it does manage to keep colder ones chilled for a day and the battery life can last a few weeks before you need to remove the sensor base to power it up again. The Apple Health integration to track water intake alongside your other health tracking devices is a nice touch too and gives this water bottle added value to have around glowing at you to make sure you drink up.

Best heated coffee mug

The follow-up to the first-generation temperature-controlling Ember Mug notably boosts battery life to keep hot drinks at your preferred temperature for longer, along with tweaking the design of the all-important charging coaster.

We found the ceramic look and stainless steel core offered a bold look that is a little heavier than your standard coffee cup. Like its predecessor, it’s a shame that the onboard components means you can’t stick it in a dishwasher but if you can live with manually giving it a clean, the temperature technology alongside the cleanly presented app makes it very easy to start putting this mug to good use.

The phone notifications work well to let you know when it’s hit your desired temperature and the built-in LED light at the base clearly lets you know when it’s adjusting to your desired temperature. It also gives you a heads-up to the battery status, which is 80 minutes for the 40z version we tested. If you drink a few cups in a short period though, that battery might become a problem, putting a greater reliance on dropping back on its coaster charger.

Ultimately it does work and is satisfying when you’ve forgotten about a hot cup of coffee you made. You just have to be willing to pay the pretty steep price and be willing to charge it or keep that coaster nearby.

Best smart thermometer

The Withings Thermo is your larger-than-average thermometer and offers a way to non-invasively check your temperature and then store that in the Withings Health companion app. From there it can help identify trends and spot if you’re coming down with a fever.

It’s a clinically validated device that we used alongside a traditional oral thermometer and found that measurements were nicely in line. Taking a reading is really easy to do, but does first require setting the Thermo up with the Withings phone app before you can proceed to swipe the array of 16 infrared sensors across the forehead.

Readings take seconds and are displayed on the built-in display, which does also support the ability to scroll through up to eight different users, making it useful if you’re trying to monitor multiple people at one time.

It does feel like a lot of money to pay for a thermometer, but if you’ve been looking for a non-invasive option that’s quick and easy to use, well-built, and offers strong battery life, that’s what the Thermo offers.

Best smart scale

The Withings Body Comp isn’t your average smart scale and while it will tell you about things like muscle and fat mass, it takes things further by letting you also closely monitor your heart and nerve health.

It does that from a pretty sleek design that’s topped with tempered glass and has a larger display than most smart scales. That means Withings can expand on those body composition, heart and nerve health readings to give you a sense whether they’re normal or not so normal.

Those measurements are all taken in less than 30 seconds and can be synced over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to the Withings Health app where Withings does a really good job of detailing what those most recent measurements tell you about your current health. If you don’t know what your latest vascular age means or you don’t understand your basal metabolic rate, then you’ll get a much clearer idea of it here.

We’ve used the scales over a period of a few weeks and this is certainly a slick smart scale operator. There are cheaper smart scales in Withings’ own collection, including the Body Smart, which offers similar features for less. If you want those extra metrics though, then the Body Comp is a great smart scale supported by an overall useful and insightful app.

You might be looking ahead to September in anticipation of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, as Apple’s next best iPhone takes the stage. This year’s flagships are shaping up to be a hefty jump over iPhone 16 thanks to a new A18 chip, Capture button, and of course Apple Intelligence. 

However, most iPhone users don’t upgrade every year. If you’re on the fence about the iPhone 16, you’d probably appreciate some insight into Apple’s plans for the iPhone 17 next year. 

Here are 5 reasons you might want to wait until 2025 for a new iPhone. 

120Hz display

The main iPhone 17 rumor indicates Apple will introduce a 120Hz ProMotion display to the entire lineup, ditching the 60Hz screen that has held back the regular models for several years. If that’s true it would be one of the most seismic changes to the iPhone lineup in its history. 

iPhone 17 slim

Apple has four models in its current lineup, and 2024 should herald a new iPhone 16 Plus. However, the word on the street is that the Plus is out next year in favor of a brand-new iPhone 17 Slim. The iPhone 17 Slim will reportedly feature a new 6.6-inch display, larger than the regular 6.1-inch model currently on offer, but smaller than the Plus and Pro Max options. Naturally, it’ll also be very thin, Apple is expected to emphasize “ innovative form factor design rather than competing on hardware specifications.” 

48 megapixels

The iPhone 17 could bring two big camera upgrades that might give prospective iPhone 16 customers pause. Not only is Apple expected to introduce a third 48MP lens to the iPhone 17 Pro models, completing the trifecta, but the iPhone 17 is likely to inherit the second 48MP lens rumored for this year’s iPhone 16 Pro. 

Better selfies

That’s not the only camera upgrade either, as there are reports the iPhone 17 could feature a 24MP front-facing camera for better selfies, double that of the current offering. 

Under-display Face ID

The final big change coming to iPhone 17 could be an under-display Face ID configuration that would drastically reduce the size of the Dynamic Island, or perhaps even eliminate it altogether!

Boot up

Apple just accidentally revealed 8 new unreleased iPhones, 8 new Macs, and 4 new iPads

Curious about Apple’s future plans? Apple just leaked a ton of new products… whoops!

Launchpad

Logitech is working on a mouse that could last forever, finally letting you ditch the Magic Mouse for good

Is the Magic Mouse not cutting it for you? Logitech has plans to work on a mouse you can use… forever.  

For your reading list

NotchNook — an app that turns MacBook notch into a Dynamic Island — is now better than ever

NotchNook might be one of the best Mac apps of all time, and now it just got even better. 

Genius Bar

How to get Apple Intelligence beta — join the waitlist and test out Apple's AI features today!

Want to get a head start on using Apple Intelligence? You can download the iOS 18 beta now and get testing.  

One more thing

Intel's dismal outlook and mass lay-offs prove Apple was way ahead of the curve ditching its chip

It’s been a rough week for Intel, as the company announced over 15,000 layoffs and $10bn in cost cuts. Here’s why Apple was right to cut the cord. 

Delta Airlines’ CEO has questioned the reliability of Microsoft and CrowdStrike by praising Apple’s own.

In an interview with CNBC, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian asked, “When was the last time you heard of a big outage at Apple?” leaving the interviewer at a near loss for words. For those unfamiliar, Microsoft and CrowdStrike experienced a near-catastrophic failure on July 18 due to a faulty update which caused Windows PCs to crash. This led to computers shutting down across airports, stores, and more, resulting in huge flight delays worldwide.

At the time, CrowdStrike’s CEO, George Kurtz, posted on X that “Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted.” This statement likely gave Delta Airlines’ CEO pause for thought and could have led to his remarks about Apple’s reliability on CNBC. Nevertheless, Microsoft and CrowdStrike are still dealing with the fallout of this huge disruption, and with comments like these from Delta’s CEO, the saga isn’t likely to end anytime soon.

Apple has had outages, but not on CrowdStrike’s scale

Despite the Delta CEO’s comments, Apple’s outage track record isn’t perfect — though rare, it too has suffered downtime to its services from time to time. In the past, you may have been unable to use some of Apple’s services, such as iCloud or Apple Arcade. You can check if some of these services are affected by going to Apple’s System Status page, which labels all its systems in green or yellow, indicating whether something is available or experiencing issues. A recent example of an unavailable service was iCloud Private Relay, part of Apple’s iCloud Plus subscription service, which helps to make the best iPhones, iPads, and Macs more secure when browsing the web. Toward the end of July, this service was down for a few days.

In April, there was a more severe issue when the App Store, Apple Music, and Apple TV Plus services were down worldwide. This outage lasted several hours, but something on this scale from Apple hadn’t happened before. Despite these significant outages, they still don’t compare to the failures made by Microsoft and CrowdStrike.

Ultimately, the praise from Delta Airlines’ CEO for Apple may spur Microsoft and CrowdStrike to take action to improve their security practices, ensuring that incidents like the one in July won’t happen again.

More from iMore

• Apple announces $85.8 billion revenue in third-quarter results
• CrowdStrike outage reportedly cost over $5.4 billion for top companies alone
• iPhone 16 Pro tipped for a Qualcomm 5G upgrade that Apple's modem team can only dream of

Apple is no stranger to canceling controversial ads, especially in recent months. Earlier this year, after the launch of the M4 iPad Pro, creatives all over the world took to Twitter to share their distaste over an ad that crushed a whole bunch of creative tools into a computer.

Apple pulled the ad as a result — and now, another ad has been pulled after backlash from the entire nation of Thailand.

A step back

The ad in question was part of Apple’s 'The Underdogs' series of longer adverts that follows a group of people solving issues that crop up in their work with Apple products. Set in Thailand, the ad sees the group encounter all kinds of Thai stereotypes, and Thailand and its people aren't happy with how the nation is portrayed.

Bloomberg tells us that Thai social media influencers and internet users found the ad “grossly misrepresented” their country as “underdeveloped and outdated”. There were also comments from the Thai parliament, which encouraged Thai people to stop using Apple products to show Apple the damage it has done. 

The advert has been particularly damaging because Thailand is currently trying to encourage more tourists to visit the country, and it viewed the ad as something that might do the opposite. As the number of visitors to Thailand returns to pre-COVID levels, the country wants to make sure that the image it portrays of one that people might want to visit.

Apple has since canceled the ad and pulled the 10-minute short film from screens.

It’s not been silent since then — the firm has issued an apology to Thailand. “Our intent was to celebrate the country’s optimism and culture, and we apologize for not fully capturing the vibrancy of Thailand today” the statement reads, continuing that “The film is no longer being aired.”

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• 'We would never crush creativity' — Samsung takes a swing at Apple's iPad ad

Apple is reportedly taking both Tencent and ByteDance to task over loopholes in their apps that allow them to dodge Apple’s 30% commission fee on in-app purchases. 

Tencent’s online juggernaut WeChat and ByteDance’s Douyin are both reportedly in the firing line, with Apple “ramping up pressure” on both over the practice. 

According to a new report, the pair are being pushed “to make fundamental changes to China’s most popular apps.” 

Apple goes after WeChat and Douyin 

As reported by Bloomberg, Apple “in recent months has demanded the two companies close loopholes that their in-app creators employ to funnel users to external payment systems.” Apple reportedly warned Tencent in May that it would reject updates to the app unless it gets rid of links used by mini-game developers to accept payments off-platform, which is banned under App Store guidelines. Apple also reportedly told Tencent it had to disable WeChat’s in-game messaging feature for the same reason, however, the company has yet to comply. 

Likewise in June, Apple told ByteDance it would stop accepting Douyin (China’s version of TikTok) because of “similar payment loopholes.” 

The report notes the move is “unusually aggressive” in the content of the market in China, and could “alienate creators in a key arena.” The move is also notable because it draws attention to Apple’s App Store business model, which has been dubbed anticompetitive in other markets, including the EU. 

Apple’s stringent business model, which precludes developers from linking to external payment methods in most places, has been a point of contention in several lawsuits, the most high-profile example being the spat with Epic Games in 2020. 

Blocking updates to these high-profile Chinese apps could impact well over a billion customers who rely on them. Especially WeChat, which is a “super app” that forms the backbone of China’s online arena as an app for social media, messaging, online payments, and more. 

More from iMore

• A WeChat ban could be fatal for Apple and the iPhone in China
• FAQ: TikTok & WeChat ban — why it's happening and what it means
• TikTok, WeChat to be banned from U.S. app stores Sunday

Apple has announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2024, revealing a whopping $85.8 billion of revenue, up 5% YoY.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a press release, “During the quarter, we were excited to announce incredible updates to our software platforms at our Worldwide Developers Conference, including Apple Intelligence, a breakthrough personal intelligence system that puts powerful, private generative AI models at the core of iPhone, iPad, and Mac."

The arrival of Apple Intelligence is a very exciting time for Apple's products as consumers look to finally get their hands on Apple's take on consumer-focused AI.

Dustin Curtis on X broke down Apple's quarterly financial results to make it more digestible for the average human: "During the last three months, they (Apple) made $953.1 million in revenue and $238.2 million in net profit every single day."

"That's roughly $1 billion profit every four days. Just insane."

Apple's successful quarter

Apple CFO Luca Maestri said, “During the quarter, our record business performance generated EPS growth of 11 percent and nearly $29 billion in operating cash flow, allowing us to return over $32 billion to shareholders,”

He would go on to note that the install base of active devices has "reached a new all-time high in all geographic segments, thanks to very high levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty.”

These quarterly results are very positive for Apple, bolstered by Services revenue (Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, iCloud+, etc) reaching a new all-time high. With the arrival of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max in just a couple of months there's plenty more to get excited about as the company looks to build on this successful third quarter.

More from iMore

• Apple begins building its own cellular modem to break up with Qualcomm
• iPhone 16 Pro tipped for a Qualcomm 5G upgrade that Apple's modem team can only dream of
• Apple admits its in-house 5G modems are still years away, taps an old friend to fill the void

Popular podcast network SiriusXM has today announced a new SiriusXM Podcasts+ subscription service coming to Apple Podcasts on August 5. 

The company says the new service will include early episode access, ad-free listening, and bonus content from select hit shows for subscribers in the U.S., Canada, and over 50 other countries. 

While lots of those benefits will also be available to existing subscribers in the SiriusXM app, the new Podcasts+ service is coming exclusively to Apple Podcasts to the tune of $5.99 a month or $44.99 a year. 

SiriusXM's subscription

SiriusXM says launch shows will include SmartLess and other shows from its slates, namely: "the Freakonomics Radio Network, including its flagship show; “Last Podcast on the Left” and select shows from the Last Podcast network; as well as “99% Invisible,” “The Joel Osteen Podcast,” “Busted Open,” “The Bonfire with Big Jay Oakerson and Robert Kelly,” “Literally! with Rob Lowe,” and “Andy Cohen’s Daddy Diaries Podcast.'"

SiriusXM says other podcasts are on the way later this year, and that the new subscription service will offer "something for every listener, and introduce subscribers to new shows that speak to their interests." 

Apple Podcasts will also include transcripts of shows for Deaf and hearing-impaired consumers. The new service debuts on August 5, and you'll be able to sign up directly from within Apple Podcasts. 

Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer at SiriusXM said "This new offering gives podcast enthusiasts the chance to subscribe to premium content from some of the most popular podcasts on our network, right through Apple Podcasts. This allows us to reach new listeners, increases value for creators looking to engage fans, and facilitates our ability to add premium content to our flagship SiriusXM app and enhance the value of our core subscription."

More from iMore

• The SiriusXM app is now available on Apple TV
• SiriusXM adds 12 months' free Apple Music to Platinum VIP tier

Touch ID, Face ID… Apple has had a few different ways of unlocking its devices. It’s also lodged hundreds of different patents for different unlocking methods, and one was just granted by the US patent office — and it uses your heartbeat?

According to the patent, it would use your unique ‘BioID’ to open your iPhone, or another device — although how it actually works is, to the layperson (like me) mostly techno-babble and mysterious uses of the words ‘integrate cardiac sensor’. 

Unlocking your phone… with the beat of your heart

We can glean a couple of things from the patent as to how it might work. Apparently, it would use different elements of the heartbeat to work out who you are — after all, no one’s heartbeat is exactly the same. Beyond that, there’s not much, only that there would be readers included in different devices.

Apple has a history of different patents for features that never see it to actual devices, and this one certainly seems exactly along those lines. The only real place that we could see this happening would be on an Apple Watch, although given how the watch already unlocks itself when close to an iPhone it feels slightly like a waste of time.

Patents like this often have a number of reasons to exist. Some are so that real, useable ideas can be claimed and copyrighted, while others are to make sure that a potential, blue sky idea is not stolen by another company. This one seems to be the latter.

Either way, the latest upcoming iPhone 16 and 16 Pro aren’t likely to have any kind of heart rate monitoring device on board, let alone one that would unlock the device instead of FaceID. They will, however, be able to support the latest version of iOS, including the upcoming Apple Intelligence features, which we’re already playing within the developer beta of the software.

More from iMore

• Patent reveals Apple MagSafe case that can charge AirPods
• New Apple patent shows us how an all-glass, all-screen iPhone
• Apple smart home patent can auto-generate a floor plan of your building

A new report claims LG and Samsung are working on prototypes of tandem OLED displays, and that they could feature on the next generation of Apple Vision Pro.

The report from Sisa Journal, claims the tandem OLED technology found on the M4 iPad Pro is currently being tested by LG and Samsung. There are no indications of when the technology could go into mass production but the display tech would mean increased brightness and longer longevity with less risk of burn-in compared to a regular OLED panel.

While it would be exciting to see tandem OLED technology on the spatial computing headset, this doesn’t necessarily line up with rumors that Apple’s next generation will be a more affordable model.

Tandem OLED Vision Pro

Tandem OLED tech is expensive and the current Vision Pro’s 4K micro-OLED displays supplied by Sony are likely to cost less to produce than this new evolution in display technology.

The Ultra Retina XDR display found on the best iPads uses tandem OLED technology. Apple says its “two OLED panels [...] combine the light from both to provide phenomenal full-screen brightness.” Compared to a regular OLED, this new advanced technology provides brighter pictures, better highlights, and more responsiveness — it’s truly a marvel to behold.

Apple Vision Pro was released in January in the US and has recently come to more countries around the world. The $3,499 VR/AR headset has yet to take the world by storm, however, with many feeling the huge cost doesn’t warrant the functionality of the product. An Apple Vision Pro 2 could cut costs and bring the price point down to fit a more mainstream market. This could be achieved by removing the external display used for EyeSight. That said, with new OLED technology on the horizon and the next generation of Vision Pro rumored for 2026, we’ll have to wait to see if Apple goes the cost-effective route or the high-end display one.

More from iMore

• The Vision Pro is the most underwhelming Apple product of my lifetime
• The Apple Vision Pro: When technology can't keep up with ambition but offers a glimpse in the future
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There have been tons of high-profile Apple auctions over the last few years, including some huge figures changing hands for mint, sealed original iPhones. We've also seen things as basic as business cards bring in a lot more money than you might expect. And right now, there's an Apple auction that you can get involved in.

The auction, run by the folks at RR Auction, as is so often the case with Apple-related actions, includes a ton of lots that are listed for a variety of different fees ranging from $300,000 to just $100. At the very top of the pile was an Apple-1 computer  gifted by Jobs and Woz to Apple's first applications engineer, Dana Redington.

This item is quite a little bit of Apple history, as RR Auction's lot description explains:

"Sought-after 'NTI'–style Apple-1 computer (also commonly known as the Apple I, or Apple Computer 1) restored to full functionality, complete with all components and accessories required for operation. This board comes from the collection of early Apple employee Dana Redington, who has owned it since early 1978. Accompanied by a detailed letter of provenance from Redington, explaining that the Apple-1 was given to him by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak."

What else is available in the auction?

The full auction has around 207 different lots listed, with a variety of items up for grabs. These span across a range of categories including those related to NeXt and Apple as well as iPhones, iPads, and a range of Apple computer hardware. There were also lots that fell under the Steve Jobs category, including signed business cards.

Notably, there are several sealed first-generation iPhones up for sale. The most expensive one here is a rare 4GB model, listed at $80k – very expensive, but a far cry from the most expensive device sold. There are two others, with the cheapest lot listed at $8k. There's also an unsealed version, and a bunch of sealed iPhones from more recent years.

Alongside the sealed iPhones, you'll find a large number of sealed iPods. These range from Touch models to Shuffles, and come in a variety of storage sizes and colors. As I mention, the rest of the auction contains other computing items, Steve Jobs memorabilia, and general Apple memorabilia (including employee-exclusive items and awards).

More from iMore

• Steve Jobs' signed business card sold at auction for over $180k
• Steve Jobs' handwritten Apple-1 advertisement sells for $175k at auction
• These four original iPhones could fetch more than $200k at auction