Apple last year announced a partnership with Google to work on a new “industry specification to address unwanted tracking” after many concerns about stalkers using accessories like AirTags to silently track people. Now it seems that Apple is planning to launch these new anti-stalking features with iOS 17.5.

As Apple is expected to introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models soon, we’ve also heard rumors about the company working on new accessories for its tablets. 9to5Mac has now found evidence that corroborates the development of a new Apple Pencil 3 – and that it will feature a new “squeeze” gesture.

Apple is rolling out a new firmware version for AirPods Max users today. The update is the first firmware release for AirPods Max users since the end of January, but don’t expect any major changes.

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Update: We’re told May 2 is the release date for Beats Solo4 headphones. Early May sounds busy. No word on when this guy makes a come back.

It’s been a few days since Apple announced new Beats Solo headphones. 2,764 days and counting to be exact. The day counter is clearly about to reset, however, as more and more signs point to Beats Solo4 hardware launching soon.

The clearest sign yet? 9to5Mac has exclusively received the full rundown on Beats Solo4 specs from trusted sources. The TL;DR is this: Beats is about to deliver a big upgrade to the on-ear headphones for the same price as their predecessors from 2016. That translates to a great value in 2024 dollars, plus they’re USB-C. Here’s what we’re told to expect from Beats Solo4 headphones…

It feels like just yesterday when Apple continued to sell 2017’s Apple Watch Series 3 despite it not receiving an already announced watchOS update. Fortunately, Apple hasn’t repeated that mistake again. Instead, we’re merely looking at the successor to that Apple Watch potentially missing support for the next major watchOS release.

In February, images of unreleased Beats Solo 4 headphones were revealed thanks to the iOS 17.4 beta. Now, the Beats Solo 4 have popped up in the FCC’s database, signaling that a launch is imminent. They’ll mark the first update to the Beats Solo line in eight years…

Nothing makes me feel more like Zion Williamson than shooting hoops at the arcade. And while I’d love to take arcade basketball home with me, I’m not sure that’s the best investment. Fortunately, Apple Vision Pro has quickly become the best way to turn any space into an arcade basketball arena.

Higher-end Apple Watch Series 9 models are headlining today’s best deals. You can save $257 on stainless steel styles alongside iPad mini 6 from $400. Plus, Anker’s new 15W Qi2 Magnetic Charger sees its first discount down to $20. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

Apple is rolling out notable updates to its suite of iWork applications today. New versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are now available with new iPad optimizations, improved collaboration, and more. Head below for the full release notes.

Update: MacRumors has updated its piece with this: “We’ve received information from several sources indicating that the image is fake.”

Apple Vision Pro’s greatest contribution to humankind in year one may just be inspiring the iOS 18 redesign everyone wants. Our friends at MacRumors have published what they describe as an “iPhone frame template from an anonymous source who claims they obtained it from an iOS engineer.” It could be nothing, or it could be the first glimpse at a return to realism in iPhone software design.

iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are Apple’s latest non-pro smartphones that come with a number of new features. But are they worth the upgrade if you have an iPhone 13? Follow along for an in-depth look at the iPhone 13 vs 15 for everything that’s changed plus a buyer’s guide.

Beats on Tuesday announced a new special edition of its Beats Fit Pro wireless earbuds. In partnership with Alo Yoga, the new Beats “Alo Special Edition” will be available later this week with an exclusive new finish to celebrate the partnership between the two companies.

Apple has announced that beta spatial Persona support is coming to Apple Vision Pro starting later today. The feature expands on the existing Persona feature of Vision Pro, but with an even more human-like experience.

Spatial Personas allow Vision Pro users to “break out of the familiar FaceTime tile and feel more present, like they are gathered in the same physical space.”

A remark by EU competition head Margrethe Vestager has suggested that Apple may be required to let iPhone owners delete the Photos app.

While this possibility hasn’t previously been raised, Vestager mentioned in a brief speech that this was one of the things Apple had failed to do in its DMA response – and it would obviously involve a massive change to the way iOS works …

A potential new Apple Watch emergency SOS feature described in a new patent application could help save some swimmers from drowning.

The patent describes how the Watch could detect “irregular behaviour” and automatically transmit a call for help …

Jon Stewart interviewed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) head Lina Khan yesterday, saying that he’d wanted to do it while his show was hosted on Apple TV+, but the company wouldn’t allow it.

The revelation comes after one of the (many and varied!) complaints in the DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit was that Apple was controlling content and impacting on free speech …

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In this episode of Apple @ Work, I talk with Weldon Dodd about the early days of the iPad, what it’s good for today, and where it goes in the future.

With the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the EU, Apple was forced to allow developers to distribute their apps through alternative app stores (or App Marketplace) in member countries. However, these developers are required to pay Apple a Core Technology Fee after they reach a certain number of downloads. To make things easier for small developers, AltStore will offer Patreon-backed apps.

One of Apple’s lead designers for Safari has departed the company to join The Browser Company. The news was announced today by Josh Miller, CEO of The Browser Company.

The Browser Company is the company behind the increasingly popular Arc web browser, which claims to offer “a calmer, more personal” internet browsing experience.

Apple is widely expected to revamp its AirPods lineup later this year with multiple new models. In a new investor note on Monday, analyst Jeff Pu corroborated these expectations and said that Apple will release new lower-cost “AirPods Lite” sometime during the second half of 2024.

Pu also corroborates that new AirPods Max are coming later this year.

Apple and Goldman Sachs are set to drop the interest rate offered by Apple Card Savings Account later this week, according to a new report. Currently, the account offers a 4.5% annual percentage yield, but this is set to change to 4.4% on April 3.