MacRumors

iOS 17 has been available for a few months now, but there are so many new features in the update that some have gone under the radar. There are also hidden settings and little tweaks and changes that you might not know about, so we thought we'd round up some of the lesser-known ‌iOS 17‌ features.

• Messages - If you hold down the "+" button in the Messages app, you can get right to the photo picker to send an image. It's quicker than tapping "+" and then tapping on Photos to get to your images.
• Links in Mail - To add a link to text in the Mail app, copy a link, select the text, and then paste it to turn the text into a hyperlink.
• Add Text to Shapes - In the ‌Photos‌ app, if you've added a shape to an image using Markup, double tap it to be able to insert text.
• Laundry Symbols - You can use the Visual Look Up feature on the iPhone to figure out what a laundry symbol means. Just take a picture and tap on the Visual Look Up symbol in the ‌Photos‌ app to get symbol information.
• Apple Watch Ping - In the Control Center, there's a new option to ping your Apple Watch from your ‌iPhone‌ in case you misplace your Apple Watch.
• Focus Mode Silence Notifications - When setting up a Focus Mode, you can now choose to silence notifications always or only when the ‌iPhone‌ is locked.
• Journal App Lock - If you want to keep your journal entries secure, you can turn on the "Lock Journal" option in the Settings app to require Face ID to open up the Journal app.
• Journaling Schedule - Having trouble remembering to use the Journal app? Enable Journaling Schedule in the Journal section of the Settings app to get a reminder to add a journal entry at a specific day and time.
• Adjust Haptic Touch Speed - Under Accessibility > Touch > Haptic Touch you can adjust the time that it takes to activate content with a long press. Options include fast, default, and slow, and the fast setting makes haptic touch feel closer to the now-removed 3D Touch feature.
• Shake to Undo - If you've move a Home Screen app or a widget and then change your mind on the position, you can use a shake to undo gesture to put the apps and widgets back where they were before you made the adjustment.

Know of a hidden ‌iOS 17‌ feature that we didn't mention here? Let us know in the comments below.

As 2023 begins to draw to a close, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we take your questions about Apple rumors and more.

We answer your queries about the chances of another Apple event for Vision Pro, whether the device really has the potential to replace the Mac, and the potential "failure" of the headset. We also talk MacBook Air accessories, when new HomePod models could launch, the potential of more iPad models adopting a landscape front-facing camera, and the usefulness of MagSafe charging on next-generation iPad Pro models, as well as when we could see an iOS 17 update that adds app sideloading capabilities in the EU.

The MacRumors Show is now on its own YouTube channel, so head over and subscribe to keep up with new episodes and clips going forward:

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about the recent controversy surrounding Android apps that seek to enable iMessage functionality.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests like Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Luke Miani, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are intensifying their investigations into Apple's alleged anti-competitive practices following the recent blocking of the iMessage for Android app Beeper Mini, the New York Times reports.

Following calls from a bipartisan group of senators for a DOJ investigation into the matter, Beeper founder Eric Migicovsky reportedly met with DOJ antitrust lawyers on Tuesday, December 12. The DOJ is currently embroiled in a four-year-long investigation into Apple's alleged anticompetitive conduct.

The New York Times also suggested that the FTC is involved, pointing to a blog post published yesterday by the commission warning that it will evaluate "privacy and security" justifications for refusing to interoperate with other companies' technology:

In the face of concerns about anticompetitive conduct, companies may claim privacy and security reasons as justifications for refusing to have their products and services interoperate with other companies' products and services. As an agency that enforces both competition and consumer protection laws, the Commission is uniquely situated to evaluate claims of privacy and data security that implicate competition.

Beeper launched Beeper Mini earlier this month, aiming to bridge the gap between Android and iMessage. Apple quickly moved to shut down the app, citing security concerns and unauthorized access to its iMessage servers.

Despite multiple attempts by Beeper to circumvent Apple's restrictions, the company has now effectively admitted defeat, touting jailbroken iPhones as the final solution to keep the service up and running amid an acknowledgement of the unsustainable nature of its efforts. While Apple has consistently defended its actions as necessary for maintaining user security and the integrity of its services, increased attention from two major regulatory bodies indicates the seriousness of ongoing antitrust allegations against the company.

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

Apple today confirmed that it will be permanently closing its Infinite Loop retail store in Cupertino, California on January 20. Infinite Loop served as Apple's headquarters between the mid-1990s and 2017, when its current Apple Park headquarters opened a few miles away.

Apple will be offering all employees at the store the opportunity to continue working with the company. A source informed us that at least some employees will be able to relocate to nearby stores, including the Apple Park Visitor Center and Apple Valley Fair.

"After many years of serving customers at our stores in the Bay Area, we plan to close our store at Infinite Loop," an Apple spokesperson said, in a statement shared with MacRumors. "All of our valued team members will have the opportunity to continue their roles with Apple. We look forward to welcoming our customers at our nearby Apple Park Visitor Center and other locations, on Apple.com, and the Apple Store app."

Apple is also permanently closing its Royal Hawaiian store in Honolulu on January 20. Apple said it remains committed to "providing an excellent experience for our customers," and noted it has opened new stores this year in the U.S., China, India, South Korea, and the U.K., plus expanded its online store to Chile and Vietnam.

The offices at the Infinite Loop campus will continue to be used by Apple's corporate employees, with only the store closing. The main building's atrium is under construction until early 2024, according to a sign posted outside the entrance.

The store first opened in 1993 as The Company Store, and it focused primarily on selling Apple-branded merchandise. Following renovations in 2015, it reopened as a more traditional Apple retail store, with products like the iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch displayed on beige tables, but it continued to sell a limited selection of merchandise, like t-shirts, reusable bottles, mugs, and notebooks. The store is one of Apple's smaller locations, and it does not offer Genius Bar appointments or "Today at Apple" creative sessions.

Infinite Loop is a popular attraction for Apple enthusiasts, who often make the pilgrimage to the campus and the store. However, it has been overshadowed by the Apple Park Visitor Center since that location opened in 2017.

A different collection of Apple-branded merchandise is available for purchase at the Apple Park Visitor Center, and the location also serves as a traditional Apple retail store. Other features at the Visitor Center include a Caffè Macs coffee bar, a rooftop patio with a seating area, and a large AR model of the Apple Park campus.

As promised, Apple today stopped selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in its online store in the United States, with the devices pulled from sale just days ahead of when an Apple Watch import ban goes into effect. When attempting to purchase an ‌Apple Watch Series 9‌ or ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ to the online store, the devices say "currently unavailable." Apple has also removed refurbished Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 8 models from its website.

Apple on Monday said that it would need to pause sales of the ‌Apple Watch Series 9‌ and the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ in order to comply with an International Trade Commission order preventing components related to the Apple Watch blood oxygen monitoring technology from being imported into the United States. The ITC made the ruling after deciding that the Apple Watch blood oxygen sensor violates patents owned by medical device company Masimo.

The Apple Watch is still available for purchase from Apple's retail stores, but Apple will stop store sales after December 24. Sales will be paused only in the United States and only at Apple's own retail locations. Third-party stores like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy can continue to sell the Apple Watch until supplies run out. Apple will be able to sell the Apple Watch SE, as it does not have a blood oxygen sensor.

Apple could reinstate sales if the White House vetoes the import ban, and it has until December 25 to review the order and decide whether to intervene. If the White House does not veto the import ban, Apple will not be able to sell the Apple Watch until it removes the infringing technology.

Apple is planning to appeal as soon as it can on December 26, and the company said it is "pursuing a range of legal and technical options" to get the Apple Watch models back on store shelves as soon as possible.

Apple believes that a software fix might be enough to mitigate the problem, and Apple engineers are adjusting how oxygen saturation is determined and how the data is provided to customers. Apple said that it is working to submit a workaround to US Customs to get the ban lifted, but it is unclear if a software fix will be sufficient because the patents in question pertain to the hardware.

When the Apple Watch import ban goes into effect after December 25, 2023, Apple will not be able to repair out-of-warranty Apple Watch models in the United States. Apple Watch repairs typically involve replacing a broken unit with a new model rather than fixing an individual component, and replacement devices will not be available.

Apple shared the news with retail employees in a memo that was sent out this week. Portions of the memo were seen by MacRumors, and it was also shared by Bloomberg. Apple is set to stop all U.S. online sales of the Apple Watch in just a few hours, with in-store sales to cease after December 24.

"Product replacement (CRU) programs aren't available in the United States for the watches below: Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch Ultra or later," reads the memo.

Apple cannot provide replacements for any out-of-warranty Apple Watch with a blood oxygen sensor, which includes the Apple Watch Series 6 and later and the original Apple Watch Ultra. Customers who damage their Apple Watch will need to wait on repairs until hardware replacements are available again. Software-based repairs will remain available.

Apple Watch models that are under warranty are allowed to be replaced. This includes both the standard one-year warranty for new devices and devices protected through an extended AppleCare warranty.

Customers will not be able to exchange an Apple Watch after the ban comes into effect, but accessories like bands can be replaced and returns will be accepted.

The United States International Trade Commission is putting a stop to imports of Apple Watches with blood oxygen sensing technology, which means Apple cannot bring them to the United States from overseas where they are manufactured. The ITC in October said that Apple infringed on blood oxygen patents owned by medical device company Masimo, and set the ban for December 25.

Apple could avoid a pause in sales if the White House steps in and vetoes the ban, but that has not happened as of yet. The White House has until December 25 to make a decision.

Other options include settling the dispute with Masimo, which would involve Apple having to pay Masimo to license the patent technology, or removing the infringing technology. Apple is working on a software fix for the Apple Watch blood oxygen sensing algorithm that it believes will be sufficient to get the Apple Watch back on store shelves.

While Apple has to stop selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Apple Watch SE will remain available. Third-party retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart will also be able to continue sales of all Apple Watch models while supplies last.

Apple today began sending out emails to customers letting them know about a free two-hour delivery option on a selection of products available from its online store. Apple says that customers can get free delivery when ordering online before 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 24.

Courier delivery will be used for these orders, and the option usually costs $9 in the United States. Courier deliveries are provided by companies like Uber and Postmates, and the shipping option is available on Apple products in metro areas in the United States and Canada. In Australia, free three-hour delivery is available.

Devices eligible for free two-hour shipping include the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, iPad, iMac, and Apple TV, with other non-Apple products and accessories not included in the offer. Note that the Apple Watch may only be available for a limited time as online sales in the U.S. are set to stop today.

Many other products are still available for free express shipping from Apple at this time, but free two-hour delivery will be an option up until Christmas Eve.

Today we're highlighting a few record low prices on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, all of which are available at Best Buy. The highlight of the sale is the 256GB 15-inch MacBook Air for $999.00, a $300 discount and all-time low price on the notebook.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The deal on the MacBook Air does not require a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, but the MacBook Pro sales do require a membership. These start at $49.99 per year and grant exclusive access to certain deals, extended return windows, and more.

Best Buy still has a few options that ensure delivery before Christmas, including same and next-day shipping, as well as in-store pickup if your local Best Buy has stock. We are quickly approaching deadlines even for these options, so if you're still shopping be sure to place orders today or tomorrow to ensure delivery before the 25th.

15-inch M2 MacBook Air

Previously, this $300 markdown on the 15-inch MacBook Air was exclusive to My Best Buy Plus/Total members, but this massive deal is now available to everyone.

There's also the 512GB 15.3-inch M2 MacBook Air at $1,199.00, down from $1,499.00, which is another steep $300 markdown on the 2023 MacBook Air. You'll find every color on sale for both of these computers.

14-inch MacBook Pro

Apple's 512GB 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is available for a record low $1,349.00 for My Best Buy Plus/Total members, down from $1,599.00. Non-members can still purchase the notebook at a solid second-best price of $1,399.00.

Best Buy has the 1TB 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro for $1,549.00, down from $1,799.00. This one is a also a new all-time low price at $250 off, and it's again only available for My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members. The non-member price of $1,599.00 is still an excellent discount, however.

There are a few higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max models on sale as well, and solid low prices across the board. These also require My Best Buy Plus or Total memberships.

16-inch MacBook Pro

You'll find similar discounts on the 16-inch models of the new MacBook Pro, with up to $300 off select models for My Best Buy Plus/Total members and second-best prices for everyone else.

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

As we shared this morning, the team behind the Beeper Mini iMessage for Android app has announced a plan that will let Android customers use a jailbroken iPhone to register a phone number with iMessage in order to get the Beeper Mini service working.

Just days after Beeper Mini launched on December 5, Apple objected to the way it was using iMessage servers with "fake credentials," and blocked the mechanism the app was using. Since then, Beeper Mini has tried to get the app back online using several increasingly complicated methods, but Apple has continually shut it down.

Beeper Mini's latest effort requires either a Mac or an old ‌iPhone‌ that is able to be jailbroken, and Android users who do not have access to one of these will not be able to use Beeper Mini or the Beeper Cloud service reliably. Using a Mac is straightforward, as Beeper Mini users simply need to sign in to get an iMessage registration code that allows the service to work.

The Beeper Mini team says that 10 to 20 people can "safely" use the same registration data, but the Mac method limits Beeper Mini users to email-based iMessage communications, and it requires an Apple ID.

The second more complicated Beeper Mini workaround uses an ‌iPhone‌. Beeper Mini's developers suggest that customers get an old ‌iPhone‌ 6, 6s, original SE, 7, 8, or X and jailbreak it with a Mac or Linux computer to install a Beeper tool that generates an iMessage registration code. The registration code can be added to the Beeper Mini app, and it allows an Android phone number to be registered with iMessage.

This method restores full Beeper Mini functionality so that Android users will show up as "blue bubbles" when communicating with ‌iPhone‌ users. The jailbroken ‌iPhone‌ must stay plugged in, at home, and connected to Wi-Fi in order for Beeper Mini to continue to function.

Those who do not have an old ‌iPhone‌ can "rent" an ‌iPhone‌ from the Beeper Mini team for a few dollars per month, or buy an old ‌iPhone‌ that's preloaded with the Beeper Mini app. The jailbroken ‌iPhone‌ rental and purchase service will "be available in the new year" if potential customers express enough interest.

Beeper Mini requires registration data from an Apple device, and to get the app to work, the Beeper Mini team was initially using registration data from its own Mac servers. Apple was able to target Beeper Mini because thousand of users had the same registration data, but it will in theory be more difficult for Apple to determine who is a genuine iMessage user and who is a Beeper Mini user with the unique registration codes provided via a Mac or a jailbroken ‌iPhone‌.

In a second blog post, the Beeper Mini team says that this is its last attempt to get Beeper Mini up and running. If Apple finds a way to disable Beeper Mini again, that will be the end of the app. The team says, however, that it has "created something that Apple can tolerate existing" with the jailbroken ‌iPhone‌ endeavor. It seems unlikely that Apple will allow Beeper Mini to sell or rent jailbroken iPhones, so it will be interesting to see if and how Apple responds.

Beeper Mini is also open sourcing the iMessage connection software that powers Beeper Mini so others can continue development if desired.

Samsung's Winter sale is still going on as we get closer and closer to Christmas, offering discounts across monitors, TVs, smartphones, tablets, computers, and home appliances. Many of the deals in this sale are the same prices we tracked during Samsung's Black Friday sale, and some are even beating their all-time low Black Friday prices.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The highlight of the sale is Samsung's ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor at $999.99, down from $1,599.99. This is a record low price on the monitor, and it beats the previous all-time low price seen at Amazon earlier in the month by a few dollars.

Additionally, the Smart Monitor M8 is at its all-time low price on Amazon, available for $399.99 ($300 off). This has been one of the all-around best monitor deals we've tracked during this holiday season, and it's hard to say if it'll return after this sale ends, so if you've been holding off be sure to order soon. Unfortunately it may arrive after Christmas at this point, depending on your proximity to a distribution center that has stock.

Shoppers should note that the deadline for Christmas delivery has passed on Samsung, so none of the items in the sale will be able to arrive before December 25th at this point. There is an option to an in-store pickup at your local Best Buy, but not every product supports this option.

Other than monitors and TVs, we're also now tracking quite a few deals on refrigerators, tablets, and computers below. These sale prices will be live for this week only, so be sure to check out Samsung's event before the best prices of the year disappear.

Monitors

• Smart Monitor M8 - $399.99 at Amazon, down from $699.99
• ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor - $999.99, down from $1,599.99
• 27-inch Odyssey G32A Gaming Monitor - $199.99, down from $279.99
• 34-inch ViewFinity S50GC Monitor - $249.99, down from $379.99
• 49-inch Odyssey G9 QLED Curved Gaming Monitor - $899.99, down from $1,499.99
• 55-inch Odyssey Ark 2nd Gen Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,999.99, down from $2,999.99

TVs

• 85-inch Crystal UHD TV - $1,019.99, down from $1,599.99
• 65-inch The Frame Disney100 Edition - $1,999.99, down from $2,199.99
• 85-inch QLED 4K TV - $1,500.00, down from $2,799.99
• 85-inch Neo QLED 4K TV - $2,599.99, down from $4,799.99
• 55-inch OLED TV - $1,899.99, down from $2,499.99
• 85-inch Neo QLED 8K TV - $5,999.99, down from $7,999.99
• S-Series Wireless Dolby ATMOS Soundbar - $749.99, down from $899.99
• Q-Series Wireless Dolby ATMOS Soundbar - $1,399.99, down from $1,899.99

Refrigerators

• Bespoke Side-by-Side Fridge with Beverage Center - $1,399.00, down from $2,314.00
• Large Capacity 3-Door Fridge with AutoFill Water Pitcher - $1,599.00, down from $2,423.99
• Bespoke 3-Door French Door Fridge with Beverage Center - $1,799.00, down from $3,114.00
• Bespoke 4-Door French Door Fridge - $2,199.99, down from $3,114.00
• Bespoke 4-Door Flex Fridge with Family Hub - $3,599.00, down from $5,114.00

Smartphones

If you're shopping for a Samsung smartphone this week, there are extra cash discounts to be found on these devices when shopping via the Shop Samsung mobile app, beyond the trade-in bonus offers listed below.

• Galaxy S23 Ultra - Get up to $800 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in
• Galaxy S23 - Get up to $500 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in
• Galaxy S23+ - Get up to $500 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in
• Galaxy Z Fold5 - Get a free storage upgrade and up to $1,000 instant trade-in credit
• Galaxy Z Flip5 - Get up to $600 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in

Smartwatches

• Galaxy Watch6 - $239.99, down from $299.99
• Galaxy Watch6 Classic - $329.99, down from $399.99

Earbuds

• Galaxy Buds FE - $79.99, down from $99.99
• Galaxy Buds2 Pro - $169.99, down from $229.99

Tablets

• Galaxy Tab A7 Lite - $104.99, down from $159.99
• Galaxy Tab S9 FE - Get up to $50 off

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

The developers of Beeper Mini, the iMessage for Android app, are back with another attempt to keep Apple's blue bubbles onside, and this time they will ask users to generate their iMessage registration data with the help of jailbroken iPhones, MacRumors has learned.

Beeper Mini operates by identifying text message conversations from iMessage users and converting them to the recognizable blue bubbles associated with Apple's exclusive messaging service. This enables Android users to interact with iMessage features such as reactions, threads, high-quality media sharing, and group chats, without the iPhone users noticing any difference.

When Beeper Mini first launched, Android users were able to register their phone numbers with Beeper Mini, but Apple quickly shut down this avenue, and Beeper Mini now only works with an Apple ID email address. Android users have since required access to a Mac with Beeper Cloud installed to generate their iMessage registration data and get Beeper on Android working, but the service has seen poor reliability of late, with multiple interruptions reported.

In its latest effort to keep the service afloat, Beeper will suggest that users get hold of an old iPhone to get iMessage working on their Android phone. Users will then be asked to install a free Beeper tool to generate an iMessage registration code that will reinstate the ability to register phone numbers on the service. The catch is that the iPhone must first be jailbroken, and it must be kept plugged into power, at home, and connected to Wi-Fi for periodic registration re-requests.

If users don't have access to an old iPhone for jailbreaking in order to complete the registration process, that's okay – Beeper will rent them one for a small monthly fee. The developers say this service will be available in the new year, if there is enough interest. The plan was leaked ahead of time when a Beeper blog post was published late Wednesday then swiftly removed, but not before a snapshot was generated by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, as spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.

With the increasing amount of hoops Android users are being asked to jump through, Beeper is facing an ever-worsening existential crisis. When the requirement to have a Mac was added in the mix, it was not surprising that Android users began finding the app to be more of a hassle than a help. With this latest twist – literally requiring an iPhone (or Mac) to get the service working as it should – it's hard to see the approach gaining traction. And with Apple planning to adopt RCS next year to bring many iMessage features to conversations with Android users, community enthusiasm for the project has likely already peaked.

Beeper Mini launched using a reverse engineered version of iMessage, and the app was registering the phone numbers of Android users with fake iMessage credentials using Apple's own servers. Apple made it clear that it views Beeper Mini as a security risk, and that it has no intention of allowing the app to use iMessage in any capacity.

If you are looking to do some last-minute Apple gift-buying before the holidays, be sure to check Apple's online shopping order deadlines, where you can find the date you need to order specific products if you want to receive them before December 25.

Today, December 21, is the deadline in the U.S. for the majority of products, including all models in the latest iPhone 15 lineup, as well as the iPhone 14, ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE. The same deadline applies to all Apple Watch models, all Macs, all iPads, HomePods, AirTags, and Apple TV 4K.

December 21 is also the "Order By" date for all AirPods models excluding AirPods Max, whose deadline has already passed. The deadline for all engraving options across all products has also already passed, as has the deadline for gift cards by mail. If you are in the U.K., things are a little rosier, with Apple's "Order By" date extending to December 22 for all of the above.

If it looks like you've missed out, all is not necessarily lost. You can still shop online for in-stock items with Apple Pickup or 2-hour delivery from your local Apple Store. Apple is also running extended holiday returns. Eligible products at the ‌Apple Store‌ Online that are received between November 3, 2023 and December 25, 2023, may be returned through January 8, 2024.

Apple GPT in your pocket? It could be a reality sooner than you think. Apple AI researchers say they have made a key breakthrough in deploying large language models (LLMs) on iPhones and other Apple devices with limited memory by inventing an innovative flash memory utilization technique.

LLMs and Memory Constraints

LLM-based chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude are incredibly data and memory-intensive, typically requiring vast amounts of memory to function, which is a challenge for devices like iPhones that have limited memory capacity. To tackle this issue, Apple researchers have developed a novel technique that uses flash memory – the same memory where your apps and photos live – to store the AI model's data.

Storing AI on Flash Memory

In a new research paper titled "LLM in a flash: Efficient Large Language Model Inference with Limited Memory," the authors note that flash storage is more abundant in mobile devices than the RAM traditionally used for running LLMs. Their method cleverly bypasses the limitation using two key techniques that minimize data transfer and maximize flash memory throughput:

1. Windowing: Think of this as a recycling method. Instead of loading new data every time, the AI model reuses some of the data it already processed. This reduces the need for constant memory fetching, making the process faster and smoother.
2. Row-Column Bundling: This technique is like reading a book in larger chunks instead of one word at a time. By grouping data more efficiently, it can be read faster from the flash memory, speeding up the AI's ability to understand and generate language.

The combination of these methods allows AI models to run up to twice the size of the iPhone's available memory, according to the paper. This translates to a 4-5 times increase in speed on standard processors (CPUs) and an impressive 20-25 times faster on graphics processors (GPUs). "This breakthrough is particularly crucial for deploying advanced LLMs in resource-limited environments, thereby expanding their applicability and accessibility," write the authors.

Faster AI on iPhone

The breakthrough in AI efficiency opens new possibilities for future iPhones, such as more advanced Siri capabilities, real-time language translation, and sophisticated AI-driven features in photography and augmented reality. The technology also sets the stage for iPhones to run complex AI assistants and chatbots on-device, something Apple is already said to be working on.

Apple's work on generative AI could eventually be incorporated into its ‌Siri‌ voice assistant. Apple in February 2023 held an AI summit and briefed employees on its large language model work. According to Bloomberg, Apple is aiming for a smarter version of Siri that's deeply integrated with AI. Apple is planning to update the way that ‌Siri‌ interacts with the Messages app, allowing users to field complex questions and auto-complete sentences more effectively. Beyond that, Apple is rumored to be planning to add AI to as many Apple apps as possible.

Apple GPT

Apple is reportedly developing its own generative AI model called "Ajax". Designed to rival the likes of OpenAI's GPT-3 and GPT-4, Ajax operates on 200 billion parameters, suggesting a high level of complexity and capability in language understanding and generation. Internally known as "Apple GPT," Ajax aims to unify machine learning development across Apple, suggesting a broader strategy to integrate AI more deeply into Apple's ecosystem.

As of the latest reports, Ajax is considered more capable than the earlier generation ChatGPT 3.5. However, it's also suggested that OpenAI's newer models may have advanced beyond Ajax's capabilities as of September 2023​.

Both The Information and analyst Jeff Pu claim that Apple will have some kind of generative AI feature available on the ‌iPhone‌ and iPad around late 2024, which is when iOS 18 will be coming out. Pu said in October that Apple is building a few hundred AI servers in 2023, with more to come in 2024. Apple will reportedly offer a combination of cloud-based AI and AI with on-device processing.

Apple Savings account holders are currently receiving push notifications informing them that Goldman Sachs has raised the interest rate on the account to an annual percentage yield (APY) of 4.25% from 4.15%. This is the first increase in the interest rate since the feature launched back in April.

While the increase is a welcome one for Apple Savings customers and is a fairly competitive rate, there are some other high-yield savings accounts on the market that currently offer even higher rates.

The interest rate hike comes as Apple and Goldman Sachs are working out how to terminate their partnership for Apple Card and Apple Savings as Goldman Sachs seeks to exit the consumer business.

Recent reports have indicated that Apple has submitted a proposal to Goldman Sachs that would wind down the partnership over the next 12 to 15 months, but for the time being, there have been no changes to the availability of ‌Apple Card‌ and Apple Savings.

Apple and Goldman Sachs are reportedly looking for a new partner or partners to take over management of ‌Apple Card‌ and Apple Savings, and it's unclear how the offerings may be affected by such a shift.

(Thanks, KPOM!)

Recently, MacRumors has received information indicating that Apple intends to implement the tetraprism telephoto lens on both iPhone 16 Pro and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max in 2024.

Our findings align with claims made by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo back in September, which were recently reiterated. The Elec also published a report earlier this month which makes the same claim about tetraprism availability, albeit with more details.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max features a tetraprism telephoto camera. The folded glass structure within it uses a tetraprism design which repeatedly reflects light, allowing for up to 5x optical zoom, up from 3x on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

This year, the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ was released without the new-and-improved tetraprism telephoto camera, likely due to spatial constraints. The components necessary for the tetraprism camera occupy significantly more space than the telephoto camera currently found on the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌, and consequently would not fit in the smaller 6.1” device.

With the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌, Apple intends to increase the overall size of the devices, with the displays of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max measuring roughly 6.3" and 6.9", respectively. The increased device sizes would provide ample room for the new tetraprism telephoto camera, and internal documentation seen by MacRumors corroborates this change.

Internal documentation detailing the camera module design for the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ reveals that the module bears significant resemblance to the module used in the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max. At a glance, the area containing the tetraprism components can be easily identified.

It is important to consider that the information provided here constitutes pre-production information and may not reflect the hardware found on final mass production units. The ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ is still many months away and changes are always possible.

For more details on what to expect, check out our rumor roundup page for the iPhone 16 Pro.

While iOS 17 updates continue to roll out periodically, work is well underway on the next major version, iOS 18, due to be released in beta in June and to the public in September, based on past patterns. Through our sources, MacRumors has received information on early development versions of ‌iOS 18‌ and the hardware referenced in the code.

The operating system, codenamed "Crystal," contains references to four unreleased iPhone models, which aligns with existing information on the iPhone 16 line up. The models referenced are:

• D47 – ‌iPhone 16‌
• D48 – ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus
• D93 – iPhone 16 Pro
• D94 – ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max

In contrast to previous rumors, we have so far found no evidence of an alleged "iPhone Ultra" as part of the ‌iPhone 16‌ range. While it is theoretically possible that an additional model could fall under the "D94" device identifier, such a device would more than likely use a separate identifier (D95 or D94a) to clearly differentiate it from the hardware of other configurations.

For the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple developed an alternate version with the device identifier "D84S" for use in proprietary 5G modem testing. The "S" in "D84S" likely stood for "Sinope," the project codename for Apple's in-house 5G modem. Although this device was never released to the general public, it provides insight into Apple's nomenclature in terms of device identifiers.

Code from the operating system also indicates that the entire ‌iPhone 16‌ range will use a new system-on-chip – t8140 – Tahiti, which is what Apple calls the A18 chip internally. The A18 chip is referenced in relation to the base model ‌iPhone 16‌ and 16 Plus (known collectively as D4y within Apple) as well as the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and 16 Pro Max (referred to as D9x internally).

This aligns with a previous rumor concerning the ‌iPhone 16‌ range, and represents a notable change from Apple's previous releases. In the iPhone 15 lineup, the base model ‌iPhone 15‌ uses the older A16 chip from the iPhone 14 Pro, while the top-of-the-range ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ features an all-new A17 Pro chip with an additional GPU core and increased clock speed, and it is built on a more efficient 3nm platform compared to the A16.

The ‌iPhone 16‌ range will, however, apparently feature the same general chip on both base model and Pro iPhones. While the operating system indicates the use of the same t8140 chip for the entire ‌iPhone 16‌ range, Apple may opt to differentiate the chips used on different tiers of iPhones, such as by using A18 and A18 Pro branding.

In addition to the A18 chip, the operating system contains references to a Broadcom Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module seemingly planned for the ‌iPhone 16‌ range, but beyond this it does not contain any further details. While the operating system contains codenames related to different hardware components, there is no additional information of note, as the operating system is seemingly too early in development to contain any noteworthy changes compared to ‌iOS 17‌.

For additional details on what to expect, check out our dedicated rumor roundup pages for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.

The U.S. International Trade Commission today denied Apple's motion to stay a looming Apple Watch ban while Apple files for appeal [PDF via The Verge], which means one avenue avoiding a pause in sales has been exhausted.

Apple filed the appeal on October 30, aiming to prevent an import ban from going into effect while an appeal was underway, but the ITC said no to the request. The ITC has ordered Apple to stop importing Apple Watch blood oxygen sensor equipment that infringes on patents owned by medical device company Masimo.

U.S. sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are set to stop online after 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 21. In-store sales will stop after December 24. The sales ban is limited to the United States and only impacts Apple. Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and other retailers can continue to sell the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ and Series 9 until supplies are exhausted.

The ITC implemented the import ban after deciding that Apple had indeed violated Masimo patents with the blood oxygen monitoring technology in the Apple Watch, which Masimo has been claiming for years.

Apple could avoid an import ban if the White House vetoes the ITC's decision, but it is so far looking like that might not happen. The White House has until December 25 to decide whether it will step in. Back when the iPhone was facing an import ban because of a patent dispute with Samsung, then-President Barack Obama did veto the ITC's ruling, but this time Apple is in a dispute with an American company and it is over a product that is not as pivotal as the ‌iPhone‌.

Apple is working to update the algorithms used in the Apple Watch blood oxygen sensor in an attempt to skirt the ban, and the company said that it plans to submit a workaround. While Apple thinks it can avoid patent infringement through a software update, Masimo has said that a software update will not work.