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More references to a new HomePod with a screen found in tvOS 17.4 beta

tvOS 17 references HomePod screen iPad concept

We’ve been hearing rumors about Apple’s future plans for the HomePod, and 9to5Mac reported last year that the company has been internally running tvOS on a modified iPad mini to see how a new HomePod with a built-in display would work. With tvOS 17.4 beta, we found evidence of an unreleased device that could be the rumored HomePod with a screen.

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Here’s how Apple will check if your iPhone or iPad is eligible for sideloading

App Store European Union sideloading

It’s official: Apple today released iOS 17.4 beta, which enables sideloading for users in the European Union due to the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust legislation. Unsurprisingly, the changes Apple made to comply with the EU won’t be available to the rest of the world, but here’s how exactly Apple will check if your iPhone or iPad is eligible for sideloading.

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Apple Pencil 3 will be the first to offer Find My feature, iPadOS 17.4 suggests

Apple Pencil | New Apple Pencil 3 rumor

We’ve just reported on how iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 beta, which was released to developers today, hints at a new iPad Pro with landscape Face ID camera. However, it seems that the update has much more to reveal, as 9to5Mac has also found references to a new Apple Pencil 3 compatible with the Find My network.

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Apple had an update ready months ago to switch off the Apple Watch pulse oximeter

Apple Watch Masimo patent ITC ban US oximeter blood oxygen

After having sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 banned in the US due to a patent dispute, Apple was able to put these models back in stores by switching off the blood oxygen feature. It was still somewhat unclear how exactly Apple was doing this, but 9to5Mac learned not only the method Apple has been using to limit the feature in the US, but also that this update was ready months ago.

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iOS 17.2 hints at Apple moving towards letting users sideload apps from outside the App Store [U]

Apple App Store sideloading iOS

Apple has been under pressure in the European Union as the Digital Markets Act antitrust legislation requires the company to allow users to sideload apps outside the App Store to increase competition. 9to5Mac has now found evidence in the iOS 17.2 beta code that the company is indeed moving towards enabling sideloading on iOS devices.

Update: Apple has published new documentation for the ManagedAppDistribution API on its website confirming that it is primarily intended as an MDM solution. As we suggested in our report, it could still be used for other purposes. You can read the original article below.

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iOS 17 beta gives us another hint that iPhone 15 Pro will have an Action Button

iPhone 15 Pro render

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 next month, and when it comes to the Pro models, rumors suggest that the company will replace the mute switcher with a new “Action Button.” And while a previous beta of iOS 17 already revealed what to expect from this button, today’s beta brings more clues that this change is indeed happening.

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Sources: Apple prepping for iPhone 15 Pro event potentially scheduled for September 13

iPhone 15 Pro render

It’s been almost a year since Apple announced the iPhone 14 lineup, and now we’ve been hearing a lot of rumors about iPhone 15. But one thing that’s unclear at this point is when Apple will announce the new phones. According to information seen by 9to5Mac, Apple plans to announce the new iPhones in the third week of September.

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These are the new Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones: Transparency mode, Spatial audio, and more

These are the new Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones: Transparency mode, Spatial audio, and more

Earlier this year, 9to5Mac revealed that Apple has been working on new Beats Studio Buds+ with a custom Beats chip. Now we’ve also learned that the company is about to launch new Beats Studio Pro headphones with Transparency Mode and Spatial Audio. Based on codenames, it’s likely being developed in partnership with Samuel Ross of A-Cold-Wall.

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Interview: 1Password CEO talks about the future of password managers with passkeys

Exclusive interview: 1Password CEO talks about the future of password managers with passkeys

World Password Day is celebrated on the first Thursday of May every year to raise awareness about the importance of password security. Ahead of this event, 1Password CEO Jeff Shiner spoke to 9to5Mac in an exclusive interview about what to expect in the future of password managers with passkeys, a new technology that promises to put an end to traditional passwords.

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Exclusive: iOS 16 has new hidden system to restrict specific features based on the user’s location

exclusive: iOS 16 has new hidden system to restrict specific features based on the user%E2%80%99s location

You can use an iPhone or iPad almost anywhere in the world, but some iOS features are only available in specific places. In some cases, these restrictions are related to local regulations (such as FaceTime not being available in the UAE). 9to5Mac has now learned that Apple has been testing a new, more modern system hidden in iOS 16 to restrict features based on the user’s location.

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Exclusive: iPhone 15 Pro design reveals new buttons, giant camera bump, colors, and more

Last month, 9to5Mac exclusively shared the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro design with basic CAD images. Since then, we’ve been working to gather more exclusive details from MFi accessory makers, new detailed CAD obtained by 9to5Mac’s Max Weinbach, and other sources. 

All of this information has been corroborated by multiple sources, and we are confident that this is your best look yet at iPhone 15 Pro.

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Exclusive: New ‘Beats Studio Buds+’ headphones coming, unreleased AirPods referenced [U]

exclusive: New 'Beats Studio Buds+' headphones coming, possibly using same chip as AirPods

Update: According to our sources, despite supporting features like Hey Siri, the new Beats Studio Buds+ will still use a custom Beats chip instead of Apple’s H1/H2. Original story below.


iOS 16.4 is coming soon with a bunch of new features, including new emoji, web app notifications, and more. But under the hood, today’s RC update adds support for an unreleased Beats Studio Buds+, as discovered by 9to5Mac. Read on as we detail what to expect from these new wireless earbuds from Beats.

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Exclusive: Apple testing new Siri natural language generating features starting with latest tvOS update

Siri

Apple is testing new natural language generation features for Siri, 9to5Mac has learned. Codenamed “Bobcat,” this new technology is being tested starting with the latest tvOS 16.4 beta and will eventually make its way to the rest of Apple’s operating systems. Still, Apple is currently focused on using this technology to improve Siri.

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Exclusive: New 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models will both use M3 chips; refreshed MacBook Pro is also in the works

exclusive: New 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models will both use M3 chips, refreshed MacBook Pro also in the works

We’ve been hearing rumors about a new MacBook Air for a while, but some details about it remain unclear. 9to5Mac has now heard from independent sources that Apple is indeed working on a new generation MacBook Air in two different sizes: 13-inch and 15-inch.

More than that, the company also plans to introduce an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro. What will these laptops have in common? They will be powered by the M3 chip.

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Exclusive: iPhone 15 Pro to have new unified volume buttons with new ‘pressing type’ mute button

iPhone 15 Pro render

9to5Mac last month revealed a first look at the design of the entire iPhone 15 lineup based on CAD files used to build the phones and also compatible accessories. But one thing that remained unclear was the layout of the volume buttons, which reportedly will be capacitive rather than physical. 9to5Mac has heard from a source that iPhone 15 Pro will have new unified volume buttons, plus a “pressing type” mute button.

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Apple Pay coming to South Korea with iOS 16.4 after getting approval from local regulator

apple pay kroger

Apple Pay was expected to be launched in South Korea in November last year. However, the launch was delayed due to demands from the local regulator Financial Supervisory Service Commission (FSS). Although the situation about Apple Pay in South Korea has since remained unclear, 9to5Mac has learned that the platform will arrive in the country with the release of iOS 16.4.

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Exclusive: iPhone 15 CADs reveal larger 6.2-inch display, Dynamic Island, and more

Apple’s iPhone 15 is still months away from being announced, but we have some exciting news to share with you today. Just a week after we posted exclusive renders of the iPhone 15 Pro based off CAD files, we managed to obtain 3D CAD files for the iPhone 15, which reveal some of the design changes and features that Apple is planning for its next-generation smartphone. Ian Zelbo, Renderer Extraordinaire, managed to turn these CADs into the beautiful images you see below.

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Exclusive: iOS 16.4 code references new ‘compute module’ device — Mac Pro, Reality Pro, or something else?

We’re still waiting on the Mac Pro, but two things are a must if it’s going to live up to the high expectations set by its predecessors: (1) It must be the most powerful Mac, and (2) it must be the most customizable Mac. 9to5mac has found a new “ComputeModule” device class in Apple’s iOS 16.4 developer disk image in the Xcode 16.4 beta release last week, and it could be the missing piece to Apple’s modular Mac Pro plans… or it could be a processor box for the Apple Reality Pro headset, or perhaps even a Raspberry Pi-like device. Let’s take a closer look.

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