This week’s top stories: HomePod and iMac Pro discontinued, iOS 14.4.1 released, and more

In this week’s top stories: iOS 14.4.1 brings important security fixes for iPhone users, the future of the iMac Pro and HomePod, Apple event rumored for March 28, and more. Read on for all of this week’s top Apple stories.

March 23 Apple Event

Apple is rumored to have plans to hold its first event of the year on March 23. According to multiple leakers this week, the event will include the introduction of new products such as 2021 iPad Pros, AirTags, and more.

If Apple’s plans for a March 23 event come to fruition, we’d expect invites to go out to the press sometime over the next few days.

iMac Pro and HomePod discontinued

Apple has officially discontinued the iMac Pro, noting that the current stock is only available “while supplies last” and no future production is planned. All build to order configurations are no longer available.

Apple is believed to be introducing an all-new range of iMacs soon, featuring next-generation Apple silicon CPUs and GPUs. It’s unclear why exactly Apple has chosen to discontinue the iMac Pro right now, but it could be due to the availability of certain parts or supplies.

Second, Apple has also discontinued the full-size original HomePod without a replacement. The company now says it will focus on the HomePod mini going forward.

iOS 14.4.1 released

Apple this week released iOS 14.4.1 to the general public, bringing an important security fix. The company said that iOS 14.4.1 patches a vulnerability in WebKit, the browser engine that powers Safari and third-party browsers on iOS.

Apple explained that processing maliciously crafted web content may have lead to arbitrary code execution. The issue has been patched by addressing a memory corruption bug with improved validation.

Apple has also released iPadOS 14.4.1, watchOS 7.3.2, and macOS Big Sur 11.2.3 to address the same vulnerability.

MacBook Pro

Finally, a new supply chain report this week indicated that the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will not begin mass production until the second half of the year.

These models were originally planned to enter mass production in May/June timeframe, but that has been delayed. So while an announcement at WWDC had once seemed possible, this weeks report means we’ll likely be waiting a bit longer until sometime in the fall.

These and the rest of this week’s top stories below.

iOS |

• Apple releases iOS 14.4.1 with security updates for iPhone users
• When might Apple release iOS 14.5 to the public?
• 7 tips and tricks for typing faster and more accurately on your iPhone

iPhone |

• New Sonos Roam portable speaker officially unveiled with AirPlay 2, Qi charging, more
• iPhone 11 survived six months at the bottom of a lake [Video]
• Apple launches new page on its website highlighting carrier offers on iPhone 12 models
• T-Mobile will automatically enroll users into a new tracking program to show ‘relevant ads’

Apple Watch |

• Man who fell through ice in Somersworth was rescued thanks to his Apple Watch
• watchOS 7.3.2 security update with WebKit fix drops for Apple Watch

Mac and iPad |

• Apple discontinues iMac Pro, Apple Store says buy ‘while supplies last’
• Apple releases macOS Big Sur 11.2.3 with security updates for all users
• M1 Mac SSD wear probably a far smaller problem than it appears
• Apple patent application describes a simple way to boost battery life
• Everything we know about Apple’s rumored 2021 iPad Pro update
• How to use the Magic Keyboard shortcuts on the iPad Air and iPad Pro

Top Apple stories, retail |

• All 270 US Apple Stores are open for the first time since March 2020
• COVID-19: Which Apple Stores have reopened?

AirPods |

• Poll: Do you prefer the leaked AirPods 3 design or the original?
• Opinion: AirPods 3 rumors suggest Apple is going all-in on AirPods Pro design, here’s why that’s bad
• Claimed photos provide another look at upcoming AirPods 3 (update: photos)
• Comment: It’s time for Apple to make its own accessories for AirPods
• New leaked photos of AirPods 3 show universal fit without interchangeable ear tips
• New AirPods Max firmware update fixes battery drain issues when in Smart Case

Apple Car |

• Toyota president warns Apple that it will need to provide 40 years of support for ‘Apple Car’
• Apple may use Foxconn or Magna as contract manufacturing partner for Apple Car
• BMW CFO downplays Apple Car threat, saying ‘I sleep very peacefully’

Apps |

• Former Facebook employees detail how iOS 14 privacy features are affecting the company
• Developer tells how he became ineligible for the reduced App Store fees after a mistake
• Netflix asks password borrowers to get their own accounts in new test

AR/VR Headset |

• Kuo: Apple’s mixed-reality headset to feature 15 camera modules and ‘innovative biometrics’
• Mark Zuckerberg subtly criticizes Apple’s rumored AR and VR headset plans in new interview
• Kuo: Apple VR/AR headset in 2022 for $1000, AR glasses in 2025

AAPL Company |

• First Apple event of the year rumored for March 23rd: AirTags, AirPods, iPad Pro, Apple TV?
• Everything Apple could announce at its rumored March 23 event
• Amy Klobuchar, now Chair of Senate antitrust subcommittee, plans to investigate the App Store
• Apple sues former employee for stealing trade secrets, leaking information to the media

Subscribe to 9to5Mac’s YouTube channel for more videos.

This week’s top videos |

• 30+ Mac tips for new setups that everyone should know [Video]

9to5Mac Daily |

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

AAPL Q2 earnings and AI promises – 9to5Mac Daily

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Supported by Setapp: Get access to 240+ apps on your Mac for just $9.99. Sign up today for a free 7-day trial.  New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they’re available. Stories discussed in this episode: How much Google paid Apple to be Safari's search engine in 2022 Tim Cook says DOJ antitrust lawsuit against Apple is 'misguided' Apple iPad Event 2024: New iPad Pro, Air, Magic Keyboard, Pencil Coming May 7 – Bloomberg Apple announces Q2 2024 earnings, slightly beating expectations with $90.75 billion revenue – 9to5Mac Tim Cook: Apple has advantages to develop its generative AI Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast RSS Spotify TuneIn Google Podcasts Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock:  Ad-free versions of every episode Monthly bonus episodes  Catch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes! Don’t miss out on our other daily podcasts: Quick Charge 9to5Toys Daily Share your thoughts! Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show. Also, connect with us in the official 9to5Mac Discord server with forums, chatrooms, and more!

1. AAPL Q2 earnings and AI promises 07:26
2. More changes in the EU for App Store and iPad 06:25
3. New ‘Repair State’ Mode in iOS 17.5, more 06:14
4. Beats Solo 4 and Solo Buds, next-gen CarPlay update 08:16
5. M4 iPad Pro, iOS 18 rumors 06:28

9to5Mac Watch Time |

Jeff Benjamin joins Zac Hall to give Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 5 an exit interview before new models are announced. 9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how Apple Watch is affecting their lives.

Sponsored by Pillow: Pillow is an all-in-one sleep tracking solution to help you get a better night’s sleep. Download it from the App Store today.

Week 6 – 9to5Mac Watch Time

This week on Watch Time join 9to5Mac's Zac Hall and Tempo developer Rahul Matta in the final episode of this podcast "season". 9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how Apple Watch is affecting their lives. Subscribe now to catch up with each episode and automatically hear new episodes as soon as they’re released every two weeks: 🟣 Apple Podcasts | 🟠 Overcast | 🟢 Spotify Follow Zac Instagram @apollozac Twitter @apollozac SpaceExplored.com Follow Rahul Matta Twitter @rmatta Twitter @TempoLog Blog indie.sh Follow 9to5Mac Instagram @9to5mac Twitter @9to5mac Facebook YouTube.com/9to5Mac Listen & Subscribe Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast RSS Read More Toning down the Apple Watch: Tips and feature requests to avoid being overwhelmed Apple releases watchOS 7.4.1 with security improvements Apple Watch blood sugar and blood pressure measurement could be a step closer watchOS 7.4 brings iPhone mask unlock feature for Apple Watch Enjoy the podcast? Shop Apple at Amazon to support 9to5Mac Watch Time!

1. Week 6 46:48
2. With guest Sigmund Judge 42:59
3. Week 5 52:45
4. Week 4 57:20
5. Week 3 56:40

9to5Mac Happy Hour Podcast |

9to5Mac Happy Hour is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by LinkedIn Jobs: Go to LinkedIn.com/HAPPYHOUR and get $50 OFF toward your first job post!

Sponsored by TextExpander: Visit textexpander.com/podcast and select 9to5Mac Happy Hour to save 20% off your first year!

Beats Solo Buds, surprising iPad Pro specs, and iOS 18 rumors – 9to5Mac Happy Hour

Benjamin and Chance assess the final iPad rumors ahead of next week’s ‘Let Loose’ event. Beats launches an incredibly compelling new addition to their headphones lineup, the Beats Solo Buds. At the same time, Apple fails to acknowledge what happened with people getting locked out of their Apple IDs over the weekend, in the same week as it releases a statement promising to fix an issue with iPhone alarms.  And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance discuss what podcast client they currently use and why, and how their listening habits reflect their app preferences. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. Sponsored by Ladder: Go to Ladderlife.com/HappyHour today to see if you’re instantly approved. Sponsored by Incogni: Limit public access to your private information, mitigate the risks of identity theft, and keep your data from being sold. Use code “happyhour” at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan: incogni.com/happyhour Sponsored by Kolide by 1Password, the device trust solution that ensures that if a device isn’t secure, it can’t access your apps. Close the Zero Trust access gap for Okta. Learn more or watch the demo. Hosts Chance Miller @ChanceHMiller on Twitter @chancehmiller@mastodon.social @ChanceHMiller on Instagram @ChanceHMiller on Threads Benjamin Mayo @bzamayo on Twitter @bzamayo@mastodon.social @bzamayo on Threads Subscribe, Rate, and Review Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus Introducing 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus! Support Benjamin and Chance directly with Happy Hour Plus! 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus includes:  Ad-free versions of every episode  Pre- and post-show content Monthly bonus episodes Join for $5 per month or $50 a year at 9to5mac.com/join.  Feedback Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or Threads Email us feedback and questions to happyhour@9to5mac.com Links Beats Solo 4 hands-on: the most iconic Beats headphones just got better Apple debuts new Beats Solo Buds with 18-hour battery life for $79 Apple's Beats Pill speaker could be about to make a comeback Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation Apple working on fix for bug causing iPhone alarms to not play sounds iOS 18 rumor: These new AI features are coming to Safari EU will force Apple to add app sideloading, alternative browser engine support to iPad Report: iOS 18 to update many of the built-in apps, home screen updates, 'modular' design tweaks Gurman: New iPad Pro may actually be powered by the M4 chip, touting AI features M4 iPad Pro: Will Apple put a brand new chip in its next iPad? New Apple Pencil to include haptic feedback and new gestures

1. Beats Solo Buds, surprising iPad Pro specs, and iOS 18 rumors 59:52
2. iPad Apple event announced, FineWoven winding down, Apple TV FIFA deal 01:16:56
3. iOS 17.5 beta 2, M4 Mac schedule, Humane Pin reviews 57:58
4. iOS 18 rumors, game emulators in the App Store, Vision Pro camera access 47:25
5. Apple home robots, Spatial Personas on Vision Pro, iOS 17.5 beta 58:38

Stacktrace Podcast |

Stacktrace by 9to5Mac is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Pillow: Pillow is an all-in-one sleep tracking solution to help you get a better night’s sleep. Download it from the App Store today.

Stacktrace has moved! – Stacktrace

As we've mentioned in the last episode, the Stacktrace podcast is no longer a part of the 9to5Mac network. If you're seeing this entry in your podcast player, then you probably need to unfollow Stacktrace and follow the podcast again. Start by unfollowing the show in your podcast player, then just search for "Stacktrace" and follow the show again. You'll notice that the updated show has a new artwork and that episode 179 has already been released there. To learn more about how to listen to Stacktrace, check out our new website. Thanks for listening!

1. Stacktrace has moved! 01:00
2. 178: “Let’s try something new” 01:03:25
3. 177: “The stand is included!” 01:09:24
4. 176: “Extra Keynote Poker” 01:19:00
5. 175: “A Bluetooth fanboy” 54:35

Apple @ Work Podcast |

Apple @ Work by 9to5Mac is available on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and via RSS for other podcast players.

Sponsored by DEVONthink 3: Manage documents the smart way on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple @ Work listeners get 10% off with this link. 

Security and productivity in the age of AI – Apple @ Work

Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple. In this episode of Apple @ Work, I talk with Steve Won from 1Password about their annual report: Security and productivity in the age of AI Connect with Bradley Twitter LinkedIn Listen and subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Pocket Casts Castro RSS Listen to Past Episodes

1. Security and productivity in the age of AI 29:54
2. Configuration Profile surgery 28:27
3. Dongles need not apply 25:44
4. The iPad's legacy 36:30
5. AI will transform network management 24:48

Subscribe to get all 9to5Mac’s stories delivered to your inbox daily. And to 9to5Toys for the best deals from around the web.