mac-rss

Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers “subscribe” to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Gurman first shared rumors about Apple’s work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain access to a device for the subscription period.

The subscription-based ‌iPhone‌ offering would make it easier for customers without the funds for an expensive ‌iPhone‌ to make monthly payments rather than purchasing upfront. Apple already has the ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program that splits the cost of a device across a 12 or 24 month period, but the planned subscription service would have been an ongoing monthly fee rather than payments over a set number of months.

After two years of work on the project, Apple apparently ceased development in recent months due to regulatory concerns, software bugs, and other issues. The team that was developing the subscription service was disbanded and reassigned to other projects. Apple has done some streamlining of its payment offerings this year, shutting down the Apple Pay Later pay-in-installments option that was available for less than a year.Tags: Bloomberg, Mark Gurman

This article, “Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers “subscribe” to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.

Gurman first shared rumors about Apple’s work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain access to a device for the subscription period.

The subscription-based ‌iPhone‌ offering would make it easier for customers without the funds for an expensive ‌iPhone‌ to make monthly payments rather than purchasing upfront. Apple already has the ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program that splits the cost of a device across a 12 or 24 month period, but the planned subscription service would have been an ongoing monthly fee rather than payments over a set number of months.

After two years of work on the project, Apple apparently ceased development in recent months due to regulatory concerns, software bugs, and other issues. The team that was developing the subscription service was disbanded and reassigned to other projects. Apple has done some streamlining of its payment offerings this year, shutting down the Apple Pay Later pay-in-installments option that was available for less than a year.

This article, “Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Read More 

Apple today seeded the first public betas of upcoming iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3 updates, allowing the public to test the software ahead of when it launches early next year. The public betas come a few days after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also seeded public betas of tvOS 18.3 and watchOS 11.3.

Public beta testers can download the updates from the Settings app on each device after opting into the beta through Apple’s public beta testing website.

While there are no new Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone or iPad, ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3 brings Genmoji to the Mac for the first time, so Mac users are now able to create custom emoji characters that can be used in place of standard emoji.

In iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3, code suggests that the Home app is set to gain support for robot vacuums, which means Matter and HomeKit vacuums will be able to integrate with Apple’s smart home platform in the future.

We are expecting iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3 to be released to the public toward the end of January.Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia

Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia

This article, “Apple Seeds First Public Betas of iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Apple today seeded the first public betas of upcoming iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3 updates, allowing the public to test the software ahead of when it launches early next year. The public betas come a few days after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also seeded public betas of tvOS 18.3 and watchOS 11.3.

Public beta testers can download the updates from the Settings app on each device after opting into the beta through Apple’s public beta testing website.

While there are no new Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone or iPad, ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3 brings Genmoji to the Mac for the first time, so Mac users are now able to create custom emoji characters that can be used in place of standard emoji.

In iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3, code suggests that the Home app is set to gain support for robot vacuums, which means Matter and HomeKit vacuums will be able to integrate with Apple’s smart home platform in the future.

We are expecting iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3 to be released to the public toward the end of January.

This article, “Apple Seeds First Public Betas of iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Read More 

Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple’s AirTag.

Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an ‌AirTag‌ enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the ‌AirTag‌ runs on. It works by attaching the ‌AirTag‌’s upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the TimeCapsule, which provides power instead of the coin cell battery.

The enclosure then screws shut, and it can be tucked away in a vehicle, luggage, camera bag, or other expensive item. The case has IP69 waterproofing that’s able to withstand exposure to water and dust in harsh environments, so it can be used outdoors.

TimeCapsule does add additional weight and size to the ‌AirTag‌ because it needs to house AA batteries, but it’s still slim enough to fit well in bags without adding too much bulk. The setup measures in at 4.45 inches by 1.57 inches, and it’s 0.75 inches thick. The enclosure is nondescript, though, so if something containing the TimeCapsule is stolen, the thief isn’t likely to know what it is.

The TimeCapsule can be purchased for $20 from the Elevation Lab website or from Amazon.Tags: AirTag, Elevation Lab

This article, “Your AirTag’s Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab’s New TimeCapsule Enclosure” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple’s AirTag.

Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an ‌AirTag‌ enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the ‌AirTag‌ runs on. It works by attaching the ‌AirTag‌’s upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the TimeCapsule, which provides power instead of the coin cell battery.

The enclosure then screws shut, and it can be tucked away in a vehicle, luggage, camera bag, or other expensive item. The case has IP69 waterproofing that’s able to withstand exposure to water and dust in harsh environments, so it can be used outdoors.

TimeCapsule does add additional weight and size to the ‌AirTag‌ because it needs to house AA batteries, but it’s still slim enough to fit well in bags without adding too much bulk. The setup measures in at 4.45 inches by 1.57 inches, and it’s 0.75 inches thick. The enclosure is nondescript, though, so if something containing the TimeCapsule is stolen, the thief isn’t likely to know what it is.

The TimeCapsule can be purchased for $20 from the Elevation Lab website or from Amazon.

This article, “Your AirTag’s Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab’s New TimeCapsule Enclosure” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Read More 

We’re just one week away from Christmas, and it’s only going to get harder to guarantee that your gifts arrive in time for the holiday. With this in mind, we’ve collected all of the Apple products on sale that you can still get with guaranteed Christmas delivery, most of which can be found on Amazon and Best Buy.

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

Most of the deals in this article are not all-time low prices, but if you need holiday gifts to arrive in time for the 25th, these will be the best prices you find online this week.

AirPods

$10 OFFAirPods 4 for $119.00

$10 OFFAirPods 4 (ANC) for $168.99

$59 OFFAirPods Pro 2 for $189.99
iPad

$70 OFF10th Gen iPad (64GB Wi-Fi) for $279.00

$100 OFF11-inch M2 iPad Air (128GB Wi-Fi) for $499.00

$200 OFF13-inch M4 iPad Pro (256GB Wi-Fi) for $1,099.00
Apple Watch

$50 OFFApple Watch SE (40mm GPS) for $189.99

$50 OFFApple Watch Series 10 (42mm GPS) for $349.00

$69 OFFApple Watch Series 10 (46mm GPS) for $359.99
MacBook Air

$200 OFF13-inch M2 MacBook Air (16GB/256GB) for $799.00

$200 OFF13-inch M3 MacBook Air (16GB/512GB) for $1,099.00

$200 OFF13-inch M3 MacBook Air (24GB/512GB) for $1,299.00
Accessories

$26 OFFAirTag 4-Pack for $72.99

$9 OFF1-meter MagSafe Charger for $29.99

$14 OFF2-meter MagSafe Charger for $34.99

If you’re on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find during the holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we’ll keep you updated so you don’t miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

This article, “The Best Apple Product Deals You Can Still Get Delivered Before Christmas” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

We’re just one week away from Christmas, and it’s only going to get harder to guarantee that your gifts arrive in time for the holiday. With this in mind, we’ve collected all of the Apple products on sale that you can still get with guaranteed Christmas delivery, most of which can be found on Amazon and Best Buy.

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

Most of the deals in this article are not all-time low prices, but if you need holiday gifts to arrive in time for the 25th, these will be the best prices you find online this week.

AirPods

iPad

Apple Watch

MacBook Air

Accessories

If you’re on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

This article, “The Best Apple Product Deals You Can Still Get Delivered Before Christmas” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Read More 

Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as “Instant Digital.”

In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that their source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is “still triangular,” rather than the “horizontal bar spread on the internet now.” The news contradicts other recent supply chain information coming out of china, which claimed “the module is of this elongated oval shape.”

The iPhone 11’s square camera module was a marked shift from previous models, which featured a more traditional vertical camera layout. Apple’s decision to switch to a square design was mainly driven by the need to accommodate a third camera in the form of a new Ultra Wide lens, along with improved sensors and optics. The introduction of the square bump set a new aesthetic standard for subsequent models, influencing the design of later releases right up to today’s iPhone 16.

Regardless, it looks like the design of the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro is set to change considerably. Late last month, The Information’s Wayne Ma claimed that the rear of the ‌‌iPhone 17‌‌ Pro and ‌‌iPhone 17‌‌ Pro Max will feature a “rectangular camera bump made of aluminum rather than traditional 3D glass,” while the bottom half will continue to be made of glass to support wireless charging.

Instant Digital has a mixed track record for Apple rumors, but has provided some strikingly accurate information, such as the imminent launch of 2023’s Yellow iPhone 14, the frosted back glass of the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus, the Apple Watch Series 9 as a minor refresh, spatial video capture on the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, the latest iPad Air and iPad Pro’s landscape front-facing camera, the M4 ‌iPad Pro‌’s nano-texture display option, the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery capacities, and continued Apple Watch band compatibility through the Apple Watch Series 10. As a result, their reports are worth taking seriously.Related Roundup: iPhone 17

Tag: Instant Digital

This article, “iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With ‘Triangular’ Camera Design” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as “Instant Digital.”

In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that their source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is “still triangular,” rather than the “horizontal bar spread on the internet now.” The news contradicts other recent supply chain information coming out of china, which claimed “the module is of this elongated oval shape.”

The iPhone 11’s square camera module was a marked shift from previous models, which featured a more traditional vertical camera layout. Apple’s decision to switch to a square design was mainly driven by the need to accommodate a third camera in the form of a new Ultra Wide lens, along with improved sensors and optics. The introduction of the square bump set a new aesthetic standard for subsequent models, influencing the design of later releases right up to today’s iPhone 16.

Regardless, it looks like the design of the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro is set to change considerably. Late last month, The Information‘s Wayne Ma claimed that the rear of the ‌‌iPhone 17‌‌ Pro and ‌‌iPhone 17‌‌ Pro Max will feature a “rectangular camera bump made of aluminum rather than traditional 3D glass,” while the bottom half will continue to be made of glass to support wireless charging.

Instant Digital has a mixed track record for Apple rumors, but has provided some strikingly accurate information, such as the imminent launch of 2023’s Yellow iPhone 14, the frosted back glass of the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus, the Apple Watch Series 9 as a minor refresh, spatial video capture on the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, the latest iPad Air and iPad Pro‘s landscape front-facing camera, the M4 ‌iPad Pro‌’s nano-texture display option, the iPhone 16 Pro‘s battery capacities, and continued Apple Watch band compatibility through the Apple Watch Series 10. As a result, their reports are worth taking seriously.

This article, “iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With ‘Triangular’ Camera Design” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Read More 

With iOS 18.2, Apple introduced ChatGPT integration with Apple Intelligence to expand your iPhone’s AI capabilities in several ways. When enabled, Siri can leverage ChatGPT for complex queries about photos and documents, and the integration also extends to Writing Tools for text and image generation, while Visual Intelligence helps identify objects and places using your iPhone’s camera.

No ChatGPT account is required to get started, but connecting a free or paid ChatGPT account unlocks additional features and more frequent access to advanced capabilities. This guide explains how to set up and make the most of these new features. Note that you must have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 model to use Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.2.

Setting Up ChatGPT in iOS 18.2
If you have Apple Intelligence enabled, setting up optional ChatGPT integration requires just a few steps, and you can begin without even having a ChatGPT account. You can always start with the basic setup and upgrade to a connected account later if needed (although you may never need to – more on that below).

Open Settings.
Tap Apple Intelligence & Siri.
Under “Extensions,” tap ChatGPT.
Toggle on the switch next to Use ChatGPT.

If you have a ChatGPT account (free or paid), you can optionally Sign In from this last screen using your account credentials. One benefit of doing this is that it allows you to retain a history of your chats and return to them later in the ChatGPT app or website.

Remember that you do not need an account to use ChatGPT with Siri – it’s completely free, but you may eventually hit OpenAI’s daily limits for advanced capabilities, which use the latest GPT-4o model. After reaching these limits, the system switches to basic mode until 24 hours have passed. While it has not been confirmed, basic mode likely uses OpenAI’s GPT-4o mini model, which handles most common requests more quickly, but the responses you get may be less detailed. However, in our tests there isn’t too much difference between them when used within the context of daily iPhone usage.

After you’ve enabled the ChatGPT extension, Siri automatically determines when to use ChatGPT for better responses to your queries. However, you can control whether Siri asks you before sending any information to ChatGPT by toggling the switch next to Confirm ChatGPT Requests in the Chat GPT Extension settings menu. Note that Siri always asks permission before sending a file to ChatGPT.

Apple, ChatGPT, and Your Privacy

Apple says that when you use the ChatGPT extension without logging in, only your request and any attachments — like documents or photos — are sent to ChatGPT to process your query. OpenAI doesn’t receive any information linked to your Apple Account, and your IP address remains hidden. Only your general location is shared.

OpenAI does not store your queries or their responses, and your data won’t be used to enhance or train their models. Only if you choose to sign in will your ChatGPT account settings and OpenAI’s data privacy policies apply.

Siri Integration

The combination of Siri and ChatGPT easily enhances the voice assistant’s capabilities compared to what you will be used to. The integration works well for complex queries involving problem solving, writing assistance, detailed explanations, and step-by-step instructions. You’ll find that responses are more detailed and context-aware compared to standard Siri capabilities.

Siri‌ will analyze each request to see if it’s something that needs to be answered by ChatGPT, but you can specify that you want to use ChatGPT simply by starting a Siri query with “ChatGPT.” This actually opens up a lot more of the integration’s utility. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to generate an image based on a prompt, and it will use Dall-E to do the heavy lifting. Even better, the results are generally superior to Apple’s Image Playground. You can save the resulting image using the Save button in the top-right corner of the output card.

Pro Tip: If you query ChatGPT in Messages and ask it to generate an image, it will even drop the image into the text field, ready for it to be shared in the conversation.

You can also ask ChatGPT a question about something on your screen, and Siri will offer to send a screenshot of it to ChatGPT or the full content as a file if it’s a long document.

You can use the Copy button at the top-right of the scrollable response window to copy the output to your clipboard.

Alternatively, you can save useful responses by invoking Siri and saying “Save this to my notes,” which gives you a searchable archive of your conversations in Notes that persists after they end. This is especially useful if you aren’t logged into ChatGPT and can’t refer back to your account to see your chat history.

ChatGPT can be used with ‌Siri‌, but it is also integrated into Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence. With Writing Tools, ChatGPT can generate text, and with ‌Visual Intelligence‌, ChatGPT can answer questions about what the Camera sees. We’ll look at these specific integrations in what follows.

ChatGPT and Writing Tools

With the advent of ChatGPT integration in iOS 18.2, Writing Tools has gained a new Compose option. This lets you describe what you’d like to write, and ChatGPT will create it for you.

But the Compose option doesn’t just limit you to text prompts. If you look in the text input field, there is a + button. Tapping this brings up options to upload a file or image on your iPhone to ChatGPT for the chat bot to reference as part of your query. When a response has been generated, you will also see further suggested queries from ChatGPT in the Compose panel.

The Compose feature isn’t limited to generating text from files or images stored on your iPhone. If you are in Notes, for example, you can select text that you want ChatGPT to work with, or you can ask it to reference all the text in a note. You’ll also see these options in a tappable menu above the Compose input field.

ChatGPT’s Compose option can be used pretty much anywhere on your iPhone where you can access Writing Tools, such as Notes, Messages, and Safari, as well as third-party apps that support the Apple Intelligence feature set.

ChatGPT and Visual Intelligence

‌Visual Intelligence‌ is an iPhone 16 feature that uses the Camera Control button located on the lower right side of the device. If you long press it, you can get into ‌Visual Intelligence‌ mode, where the Camera app can be used to identify what’s around you.

For example, if you point the camera at an object or take a picture of it, you can tap the Ask button, and ChatGPT will analyse what is in the viewfinder to identify the object. If the output doesn’t answer your query, you can follow it up by typing into the ChatGPT input field. This can be useful for getting more information about pretty much anything around your home or when you’re out and about.

Future Chat Bot Extensions for iOS
There have been reports about future Apple Intelligence integrations with AI chatbots like Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude, although no official announcements have been made yet. That said, Apple software chief Craig Federighi stated in June that he would like to see Gemini integration happen at some point.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple may delay integrating Google Gemini until next year to give OpenAI an exclusivity window, particularly since Apple isn’t paying for the technology. However, it’s unclear whether Gemini’s arrival will coincide with an iOS 18 update in the spring or if it will feature as part of the iOS 19 release cycle later next year.This article, “iOS 18.2: Everything You Can Do With ChatGPT Integration” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

With iOS 18.2, Apple introduced ChatGPT integration with Apple Intelligence to expand your iPhone’s AI capabilities in several ways. When enabled, Siri can leverage ChatGPT for complex queries about photos and documents, and the integration also extends to Writing Tools for text and image generation, while Visual Intelligence helps identify objects and places using your iPhone’s camera.

No ChatGPT account is required to get started, but connecting a free or paid ChatGPT account unlocks additional features and more frequent access to advanced capabilities. This guide explains how to set up and make the most of these new features. Note that you must have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 model to use Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.2.

Setting Up ChatGPT in iOS 18.2

If you have Apple Intelligence enabled, setting up optional ChatGPT integration requires just a few steps, and you can begin without even having a ChatGPT account. You can always start with the basic setup and upgrade to a connected account later if needed (although you may never need to – more on that below).

Open Settings.

Tap Apple Intelligence & Siri.

Under “Extensions,” tap ChatGPT.

Toggle on the switch next to Use ChatGPT.

If you have a ChatGPT account (free or paid), you can optionally Sign In from this last screen using your account credentials. One benefit of doing this is that it allows you to retain a history of your chats and return to them later in the ChatGPT app or website.

Remember that you do not need an account to use ChatGPT with Siri – it’s completely free, but you may eventually hit OpenAI’s daily limits for advanced capabilities, which use the latest GPT-4o model. After reaching these limits, the system switches to basic mode until 24 hours have passed. While it has not been confirmed, basic mode likely uses OpenAI’s GPT-4o mini model, which handles most common requests more quickly, but the responses you get may be less detailed. However, in our tests there isn’t too much difference between them when used within the context of daily iPhone usage.

After you’ve enabled the ChatGPT extension, Siri automatically determines when to use ChatGPT for better responses to your queries. However, you can control whether Siri asks you before sending any information to ChatGPT by toggling the switch next to Confirm ChatGPT Requests in the Chat GPT Extension settings menu. Note that Siri always asks permission before sending a file to ChatGPT.

Apple, ChatGPT, and Your Privacy

Apple says that when you use the ChatGPT extension without logging in, only your request and any attachments — like documents or photos — are sent to ChatGPT to process your query. OpenAI doesn’t receive any information linked to your Apple Account, and your IP address remains hidden. Only your general location is shared.

OpenAI does not store your queries or their responses, and your data won’t be used to enhance or train their models. Only if you choose to sign in will your ChatGPT account settings and OpenAI’s data privacy policies apply.

Siri Integration

The combination of Siri and ChatGPT easily enhances the voice assistant’s capabilities compared to what you will be used to. The integration works well for complex queries involving problem solving, writing assistance, detailed explanations, and step-by-step instructions. You’ll find that responses are more detailed and context-aware compared to standard Siri capabilities.

Siri‌ will analyze each request to see if it’s something that needs to be answered by ChatGPT, but you can specify that you want to use ChatGPT simply by starting a Siri query with “ChatGPT.” This actually opens up a lot more of the integration’s utility. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to generate an image based on a prompt, and it will use Dall-E to do the heavy lifting. Even better, the results are generally superior to Apple’s Image Playground. You can save the resulting image using the Save button in the top-right corner of the output card.

Pro Tip: If you query ChatGPT in Messages and ask it to generate an image, it will even drop the image into the text field, ready for it to be shared in the conversation.

You can also ask ChatGPT a question about something on your screen, and Siri will offer to send a screenshot of it to ChatGPT or the full content as a file if it’s a long document.

You can use the Copy button at the top-right of the scrollable response window to copy the output to your clipboard.

Alternatively, you can save useful responses by invoking Siri and saying “Save this to my notes,” which gives you a searchable archive of your conversations in Notes that persists after they end. This is especially useful if you aren’t logged into ChatGPT and can’t refer back to your account to see your chat history.

ChatGPT can be used with ‌Siri‌, but it is also integrated into Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence. With Writing Tools, ChatGPT can generate text, and with ‌Visual Intelligence‌, ChatGPT can answer questions about what the Camera sees. We’ll look at these specific integrations in what follows.

ChatGPT and Writing Tools

With the advent of ChatGPT integration in iOS 18.2, Writing Tools has gained a new Compose option. This lets you describe what you’d like to write, and ChatGPT will create it for you.

But the Compose option doesn’t just limit you to text prompts. If you look in the text input field, there is a + button. Tapping this brings up options to upload a file or image on your iPhone to ChatGPT for the chat bot to reference as part of your query. When a response has been generated, you will also see further suggested queries from ChatGPT in the Compose panel.

The Compose feature isn’t limited to generating text from files or images stored on your iPhone. If you are in Notes, for example, you can select text that you want ChatGPT to work with, or you can ask it to reference all the text in a note. You’ll also see these options in a tappable menu above the Compose input field.

ChatGPT’s Compose option can be used pretty much anywhere on your iPhone where you can access Writing Tools, such as Notes, Messages, and Safari, as well as third-party apps that support the Apple Intelligence feature set.

ChatGPT and Visual Intelligence

‌Visual Intelligence‌ is an iPhone 16 feature that uses the Camera Control button located on the lower right side of the device. If you long press it, you can get into ‌Visual Intelligence‌ mode, where the Camera app can be used to identify what’s around you.

For example, if you point the camera at an object or take a picture of it, you can tap the Ask button, and ChatGPT will analyse what is in the viewfinder to identify the object. If the output doesn’t answer your query, you can follow it up by typing into the ChatGPT input field. This can be useful for getting more information about pretty much anything around your home or when you’re out and about.

Future Chat Bot Extensions for iOS

There have been reports about future Apple Intelligence integrations with AI chatbots like Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude, although no official announcements have been made yet. That said, Apple software chief Craig Federighi stated in June that he would like to see Gemini integration happen at some point.

According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple may delay integrating Google Gemini until next year to give OpenAI an exclusivity window, particularly since Apple isn’t paying for the technology. However, it’s unclear whether Gemini’s arrival will coincide with an iOS 18 update in the spring or if it will feature as part of the iOS 19 release cycle later next year.
This article, “iOS 18.2: Everything You Can Do With ChatGPT Integration” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Read More 

The web version of Apple Maps that Apple first debuted in July has been upgraded with support for Look Around, the feature that is essentially equivalent to Google Street View.

In supported areas, Look Around provides a high-resolution ground level view of restaurants, retail locations, landmarks, streets, and other points of interest. It’s a feature that has long been available on iOS devices, but support in the Apple Maps app for the web allows non-Apple users to experience the feature.

Apple appears to have implemented support earlier this month, around December 11, according to Chris Carley (via 9to5Mac). Look Around is available in multiple cities in the United States, along with countries like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, London, and more. A full list is available on Apple’s website.

Back in August, there were signs suggesting that Apple is working on a major Look Around expansion, bringing it to more rural areas and to new countries like Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, China, Belarus, Turkey, Bulgaria, Mexico, and Slovakia, but that expansion has not yet happened.

Apple Maps on the web works like the ‌Apple Maps‌ app, allowing users to get driving and walking directions, find places to visit, view ratings and hours, and browse curated Guides. There are built-in features for ordering food from the Maps place card and discovering places to eat, shop, and explore in cities around the world.

The web version of ‌Apple Maps‌ is available as an alternative to Google Maps, and it is compatible with Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, on Macs, iPads, and Windows PCs. ‌Apple Maps‌ on the web continues to be available in a beta capacity.Tag: Apple Maps

This article, “Apple Maps on the Web Gains ‘Look Around’ Support” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The web version of Apple Maps that Apple first debuted in July has been upgraded with support for Look Around, the feature that is essentially equivalent to Google Street View.

In supported areas, Look Around provides a high-resolution ground level view of restaurants, retail locations, landmarks, streets, and other points of interest. It’s a feature that has long been available on iOS devices, but support in the Apple Maps app for the web allows non-Apple users to experience the feature.

Apple appears to have implemented support earlier this month, around December 11, according to Chris Carley (via 9to5Mac). Look Around is available in multiple cities in the United States, along with countries like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, London, and more. A full list is available on Apple’s website.

Back in August, there were signs suggesting that Apple is working on a major Look Around expansion, bringing it to more rural areas and to new countries like Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, China, Belarus, Turkey, Bulgaria, Mexico, and Slovakia, but that expansion has not yet happened.

Apple Maps on the web works like the ‌Apple Maps‌ app, allowing users to get driving and walking directions, find places to visit, view ratings and hours, and browse curated Guides. There are built-in features for ordering food from the Maps place card and discovering places to eat, shop, and explore in cities around the world.

The web version of ‌Apple Maps‌ is available as an alternative to Google Maps, and it is compatible with Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, on Macs, iPads, and Windows PCs. ‌Apple Maps‌ on the web continues to be available in a beta capacity.

This article, “Apple Maps on the Web Gains ‘Look Around’ Support” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Read More 

Apple’s next Apple Watch Activity Challenge is set to kick off on Wednesday, January 1, with Apple Watch users able to earn an award by closing all three rings for seven days in a row in January.

Let’s start 2025 off right. Earn this award by closing all three rings for seven days in a row in January.
Apple Watch owners will need to fulfill their stand, exercise, and move goals for seven days sequentially at any time during the month of January to get the New Year’s award.

As with all of Apple’s Activity Challenges, the New Year challenge will be accompanied by an award that can be viewed in the Fitness app as well as a series of animated stickers that can be used in the Messages app.

Apple has hosted a New Year challenge for many years running now, and it is one of many Activity Challenges that the company offers throughout the year to encourage people to meet their Fitness goals.
Tag: Activity Challenge

This article, “New Year’s Apple Watch Activity Challenge to Take Place on January 1” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Apple’s next Apple Watch Activity Challenge is set to kick off on Wednesday, January 1, with Apple Watch users able to earn an award by closing all three rings for seven days in a row in January.

Let’s start 2025 off right. Earn this award by closing all three rings for seven days in a row in January.

Apple Watch owners will need to fulfill their stand, exercise, and move goals for seven days sequentially at any time during the month of January to get the New Year’s award.

As with all of Apple’s Activity Challenges, the New Year challenge will be accompanied by an award that can be viewed in the Fitness app as well as a series of animated stickers that can be used in the Messages app.

Apple has hosted a New Year challenge for many years running now, and it is one of many Activity Challenges that the company offers throughout the year to encourage people to meet their Fitness goals.

This article, “New Year’s Apple Watch Activity Challenge to Take Place on January 1” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Read More 

The 14-inch MacBook Pro is Apple’s only Mac that can be purchased with an M4 chip, M4 Pro chip, or M4 Max chip, so is the M4 powerful enough or is it better to get the M4 Pro or M4 Max? That’s the question we explore in our M4 MacBook Pro review.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Built on a 3-nanometer process, even the base M4 chip is more than enough for everyday tasks like web browsing, checking mail, writing, and watching videos. It’s also more than sufficient for video editing, 3D rendering, photo editing, and other creative tasks.

Full time creative professionals who need to get a lot done in a short amount of time are going to benefit from the more powerful M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, as these can cut precious minutes off of rendering times.

Next year, you’ll be able to get the MacBook Air with an M4 chip too, but right now, the ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ is the best machine in terms of price, value, and portability. The 14-inch model is more convenient for travel than the 16-inch model, but one must-have travel upgrade is the nano-texture display. If you’re ever planning to use your ‌MacBook Pro‌ outside, it really cuts down on glare, and it’s ideal for bright rooms, too.

The minimum RAM is now 16GB, which goes a long way toward making the base ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ the best value you can get. 16GB is totally adequate for Apple Intelligence and video and photo editing tasks. You could bump it up for future proofing purposes, but if you need more RAM for your day-to-day tasks right now, it may be worth getting the M4 Pro or M4 Max instead because those machines come with 24GB and 32GB minimum RAM, respectively.

Storage is a consideration too. The base ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ comes with a 512GB SSD, which may be too little storage for some users. Bumping up to 1TB could be worth it if you don’t want to have to rely on an external SSD, but you’re basically going to be paying more for storage regardless of whether you choose the M4, M4 Pro, or M4 Max. The M4 Pro models also start with 512GB of storage, while the M4 Max models start with 1TB.

For an on-the-go machine, the base ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ is likely to be an excellent machine for most users, and when the M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ models come out, those will be ideal for most people even over the ‌MacBook Pro‌. If the ‌MacBook Pro‌ is your sole machine and it’s used for intensive tasks like video editing and 3D rendering, it could be worth checking out the M4 Pro and M4 Max chip options, but a lot of people won’t need anything beyond the M4.This article, “Video: M4 MacBook Pro Review” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The 14-inch MacBook Pro is Apple’s only Mac that can be purchased with an M4 chip, M4 Pro chip, or M4 Max chip, so is the M4 powerful enough or is it better to get the M4 Pro or M4 Max? That’s the question we explore in our M4 MacBook Pro review.

Built on a 3-nanometer process, even the base M4 chip is more than enough for everyday tasks like web browsing, checking mail, writing, and watching videos. It’s also more than sufficient for video editing, 3D rendering, photo editing, and other creative tasks.

Full time creative professionals who need to get a lot done in a short amount of time are going to benefit from the more powerful M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, as these can cut precious minutes off of rendering times.

Next year, you’ll be able to get the MacBook Air with an M4 chip too, but right now, the ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ is the best machine in terms of price, value, and portability. The 14-inch model is more convenient for travel than the 16-inch model, but one must-have travel upgrade is the nano-texture display. If you’re ever planning to use your ‌MacBook Pro‌ outside, it really cuts down on glare, and it’s ideal for bright rooms, too.

The minimum RAM is now 16GB, which goes a long way toward making the base ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ the best value you can get. 16GB is totally adequate for Apple Intelligence and video and photo editing tasks. You could bump it up for future proofing purposes, but if you need more RAM for your day-to-day tasks right now, it may be worth getting the M4 Pro or M4 Max instead because those machines come with 24GB and 32GB minimum RAM, respectively.

Storage is a consideration too. The base ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ comes with a 512GB SSD, which may be too little storage for some users. Bumping up to 1TB could be worth it if you don’t want to have to rely on an external SSD, but you’re basically going to be paying more for storage regardless of whether you choose the M4, M4 Pro, or M4 Max. The M4 Pro models also start with 512GB of storage, while the M4 Max models start with 1TB.

For an on-the-go machine, the base ‌M4 MacBook Pro‌ is likely to be an excellent machine for most users, and when the M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ models come out, those will be ideal for most people even over the ‌MacBook Pro‌. If the ‌MacBook Pro‌ is your sole machine and it’s used for intensive tasks like video editing and 3D rendering, it could be worth checking out the M4 Pro and M4 Max chip options, but a lot of people won’t need anything beyond the M4.
This article, “Video: M4 MacBook Pro Review” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Read More 

More than four years have passed since Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, and the wait for a new model might finally soon be over.

Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation HomePod mini.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman last week reported that a new HomePod mini will be released next year. He said the speaker will be equipped with Apple’s own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which supports Wi-Fi 6E. It is unclear if the chip’s Wi-Fi 6E support will be enabled for the new HomePod mini, but if it is, that would allow for faster wireless connectivity compared to the current model’s Wi-Fi 4 support.

While there are no other rumors yet, likely upgrades for the next HomePod mini include a newer “S” chip, improved sound quality, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for a lower-latency Handoff experience, and new color options. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the S5 chip, which debuted in 2019’s Apple Watch Series 5.

In addition to a new HomePod mini, Apple reportedly plans to release an all-new smart home hub as soon as March next year. The hub is expected to feature around a 6-inch display that can be mounted on a wall, or attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, so the device could be similar to the HomePod mini in some ways.

It is unclear if the next HomePod mini will have Siri improvements, as unlike the home hub, the speaker is not expected to get Apple Intelligence.

Check out our HomePod mini roundup for more details.Related Roundup: HomePod mini

Buyer’s Guide: HomePod Mini (Caution)

Related Forum: HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto Technology

This article, “What to Expect From the HomePod Mini 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

More than four years have passed since Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, and the wait for a new model might finally soon be over.

Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation HomePod mini.

Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman last week reported that a new HomePod mini will be released next year. He said the speaker will be equipped with Apple’s own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which supports Wi-Fi 6E. It is unclear if the chip’s Wi-Fi 6E support will be enabled for the new HomePod mini, but if it is, that would allow for faster wireless connectivity compared to the current model’s Wi-Fi 4 support.

While there are no other rumors yet, likely upgrades for the next HomePod mini include a newer “S” chip, improved sound quality, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for a lower-latency Handoff experience, and new color options. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the S5 chip, which debuted in 2019’s Apple Watch Series 5.

In addition to a new HomePod mini, Apple reportedly plans to release an all-new smart home hub as soon as March next year. The hub is expected to feature around a 6-inch display that can be mounted on a wall, or attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, so the device could be similar to the HomePod mini in some ways.

It is unclear if the next HomePod mini will have Siri improvements, as unlike the home hub, the speaker is not expected to get Apple Intelligence.

Check out our HomePod mini roundup for more details.

This article, “What to Expect From the HomePod Mini 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Read More