Amazon has further discounted Apple's brand new 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, now reaching $95 off the original price. Only one model is on sale: the 256GB 15-inch M3 MacBook Air in Starlight is available for $1,204.00, down from $1,299.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This is the best price we've seen to date on the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, and it beats the previous record low price seen on Amazon by about $30. Amazon provides an estimated delivery date of Monday, March 25 for the fastest option and Wednesday, March 27 for free delivery.
This version of the 15-inch MacBook Air just launched earlier in the month, alongside updated models of the 13-inch size as well. Both of the new MacBook Air machines include the M3 chip and focus on internal upgrades. Apple did not change the design of the MacBook Air with the 2024 update, using the same design that was first introduced in 2022.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
A rare Apple Computer business card signed by Steve Jobs recently sold for $181,183 at auction, according to Boston-based RR Auction.
The business card is from 1983, and it has been authenticated by well-known memorabilia grading service PSA, according to the auction listing. It features Apple's old six-color logo, and it lists the company's former address of 10495 Bandley Drive, in Cupertino, California. Jobs is listed as the Chairman of Apple's Board of Directors.
RR Auction believes this sale has set a new record-high price for a signed business card.
Jobs passed away in 2011 at the age of 56. Throughout his career, he was reluctant to sign autographs, so items with his signature on them often sell for large sums of money. Last year, for example, a check signed by Jobs sold for over $100,000 at auction.
The fourth-generation AirPods will reportedly feature a new design with a better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C port. For the first time ever, Apple is also apparently planning to offer a higher-end version of the AirPods with active noise cancelation and a speaker in the charging case to play a sound for easy location via Find My.
The second-generation AirPods Max are expected to be a minor refresh, simply swapping the Lightning port of the current model for USB-C and adding Bluetooth 5.3 support. New color options are also a possibility, but it looks like Apple's most premium audio device will continue to miss out on the H2 chip, Adaptive Audio, improved Active Noise Cancellation, skin-detect sensors, sweat and water resistance, the ultra wideband chip, Precision Finding, and support for additional charging methods.
Both the fourth-generation AirPods and the second-generation AirPods Max are expected to launch in late 2024. Further in the future, Apple is expected to launch the third-generation AirPods Pro with an updated design that is focused on improved comfort and a faster chip.
If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about Apple's upcoming iPad Air models, which are expected to be announced in just a matter of weeks.
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.
You'll find most of this week's best deals at Amazon thanks to its new Big Spring Sale, including low prices on the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C and M1 iMacs. There are also notable discounts on Anker and Jackery accessories during this event.
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.
Amazon's Big Spring Sale
What's the deal? Save sitewide during this Springtime Prime Day
Amazon this week kicked off the "Big Spring Sale," which is set to run all weekend and end on Monday, March 25. Similar to past Prime Days, there are hundreds of deals to be discovered during this sitewide event, and many of the deals we're highlighting in this post are from the Big Spring Sale. For more specific information, you can check out our original post.
AirPods Pro 2
What's the deal? Get $60 off AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C
Amazon has Apple's AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C for $189.00 during the Big Spring Sale, which is now a solid second-best price on the headphones. This model was briefly available for $179.99 this week, and it's possible that price could come back before the event ends on Monday.
Jackery
What's the deal? Get low prices on Jackery products
Another set of deals you can find during the Amazon Big Spring Sale are discounts on Jackery power stations, starting at just $99.99 for the Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station. You can find the full list of Jackery devices on sale below.
In addition to all of the Jackery deals, you can still find quite a few Anker markdowns on Amazon right now. We've highlighted some of the best sales below, but be sure to read our original article for all of the best discounts.
Expercom this week introduced steep discounts on the M1 24-inch iMac on Amazon, offering up to $651 off select models. These deals are all-time low prices across the board and perfect for anyone who needs to upgrade from an Intel-based iMac and doesn't necessarily need the newest M3 models.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
Apple has held discussions with Baidu about using the Chinese company's generative AI model to power some of the iPhone's rumored generative AI features, according to The Wall Street Journal. As previously reported, Apple is also said to have held similar discussions with Google and OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot.
If these partnerships move forward, it is likely that Baidu would power some of Apple's generative AI features in China, while other companies like Google or OpenAI would serve as partners in the U.S. and other countries. China requires generative AI models to receive local regulatory approval, and Baidu's Ernie chatbot is on the approved list, but Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbots are not available in the country.
Apple has repeatedly teased that it has generative AI announcements to share later this year, and this likely refers to iOS 18. The software update is rumored to include new generative AI features for a range of iPhone features and apps, including Siri, Spotlight, Apple Music, Health, Messages, Numbers, Pages, Keynote, Shortcuts, and more.
iPhone 16 models are rumored to feature an upgraded Neural Engine with "significantly" more cores, which could result in some of iOS 18's generative AI features being exclusive to those models. iPhone 15 models have a 16-core Neural Engine.
iOS 18 will be previewed at Apple's developers conference WWDC in June, so we're just a few months away from learning about these generative AI plans.
An unpatchable vulnerability has been discovered in Apple's M-series chips that allows attackers to extract secret encryption keys from Macs under certain conditions, according to a newly published academic research paper (via ArsTechnica).
Named "GoFetch," the type of cyber attack described involves Data Memory-Dependent Prefetchers (DMPs), which try to predict what data the computer will need next and retrieve it in advance. This is meant to make processing faster, but it can unintentionally reveal information about what the computer is doing.
The paper finds that DMPs, especially the ones in Apple's processors, pose a significant threat to the security provided by constant-time programming models, which are used to write programs so that they take the same amount of time to run, no matter what data they're dealing with.
The constant-time programming model is meant to protect against side-channel attacks, or types of attacks where someone can gain sensitive information from a computer system without directly accessing it (by observing certain patterns, for example). The idea is that if all operations take the same amount of time, there's less for an attacker to observe and exploit.
However, the paper finds that DMPs, particularly in Apple silicon, can leak information even if the program is designed not to reveal any patterns in how it accesses memory. The new research finds that the DMPs can sometimes confuse memory content, which causes it to treat the data as an address to perform memory access, which goes against the constant-time model.
The authors present GoFetch as a new type of attack that can exploit this vulnerability in DMPs to extract encryption keys from secure software. The attack works against some popular encryption algorithms that are thought to be resistant to side-channel attacks, including both traditional (e.g. OpenSSL Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange, Go RSA decryption) and post-quantum (e.g. CRYSTALS-Kyber and CRYSTALS-Dilithium) cryptographic methods.
In an email to ArsTechnica, the authors explained:
Prefetchers usually look at addresses of accessed data (ignoring values of accessed data) and try to guess future addresses that might be useful. The DMP is different in this sense as in addition to addresses it also uses the data values in order to make predictions (predict addresses to go to and prefetch). In particular, if a data value "looks like" a pointer, it will be treated as an "address" (where in fact it's actually not!) and the data from this "address" will be brought to the cache. The arrival of this address into the cache is visible, leaking over cache side channels.
Our attack exploits this fact. We cannot leak encryption keys directly, but what we can do is manipulate intermediate data inside the encryption algorithm to look like a pointer via a chosen input attack. The DMP then sees that the data value "looks like" an address, and brings the data from this "address" into the cache, which leaks the "address." We don't care about the data value being prefetched, but the fact that the intermediate data looked like an address is visible via a cache channel and is sufficient to reveal the secret key over time.
In summary, the paper shows that the DMP feature in Apple silicon CPUs could be used to bypass security measures in cryptography software that were thought to protect against such leaks, potentially allowing attackers to access sensitive information, such as a 2048-bit RSA key, in some cases in less than an hour.
According to the authors, the flaw in Apple's chips cannot be patched directly. Instead, the attack vector can only be reduced by building defenses into third-party cryptographic software that could result in an extreme performance degradation when executing the cryptographic operations, particularly on the earlier M1 and M2 chips. The DMP on the M3, Apple's latest chip, has a special bit that developers can invoke to disable it, but the researchers aren't yet sure what kind of penalty will occur when this performance optimization is turned off.
As ArsTechnica notes, this isn't the first time researchers have identified threats in Apple DMPs. Research documented in 2022 discovered one such threat in both the M1 and Apple's A14 Bionic chip for iPhones, which resulted in the "Augury" attack. However, this attack was ultimately unable to extract the sensitive data when constant-time practices were used.
"GoFetch shows that the DMP is significantly more aggressive than previously thought and thus poses a much greater security risk," the researchers claim on their website. "Specifically, we find that any value loaded from memory is a candidate for being dereferenced (literally!). This allows us to sidestep many of Augury's limitations and demonstrate end-to-end attacks on real constant-time code."
DMP-style attacks are not common, and the researchers informed Apple of the vulnerability in December 2023. Users concerned about the vulnerability are advised to check for GoFetch mitigation updates that become available in future macOS updates for any of the encryption protocols known to be vulnerable. Apple representatives declined to comment on the record when ArsTechnica asked about the paper.
Apple is currently offering its Major League Soccer Season Pass free for one month, which normally costs $14.99, or $12.99 for Apple TV+ subscribers in the U.S.
The MLS Season Pass allows access to every live Major League Soccer match, including Leagues Cup, All-Star games, and playoffs. The offer is being promoted on Leo Messi's Instagram account:
The season is just getting started. Sign up using the link in my bio and get a One Month Free Trial of #MLSSeasonPass on Apple TV.
The offer must be redeemed by April 5, 2024. One subscription is available per TV and Apple ID. Both new and qualified returning customers of MLS Season Pass can sign up. The MLS Pass renews at your region's price per month, so make sure to cancel it if you decide you do not want to commit.
An MLS Season Pass is available in the TV app on iPhones running iOS 16.2 or later, iPads running iPadOS 16.2 or later, Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD with tvOS 16.2 or later, macOS Ventura 13.1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, and on eligible smart TVs and streaming devices.
The iPadOS 17.4.1 update that Apple released this morning addresses a bug that could prevent certain iPads from being able to scan QR codes.
According to an Apple Support document, a bug in iOS 17.4 impacted the camera on the 6th-generation iPad, 7th-generation iPad, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, preventing camera apps from being able to scan QR codes. Apple says that customers affected by this issue should update to iPadOS 17.4.1 to fix the problem.
Prior to iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple was suggesting that iPad users unable to scan QR codes with the Camera app and other third-party apps use the Code Scanner function in the Control Center.
Apple's release notes did not mention the bug fix, perhaps due to the limited number of iPad models that are impacted. iPadOS 17.4.1 also added other unspecified bug fixes and security improvements.
Apple today released visionOS 1.1.1, a minor update to the visionOS operating system that came out in February. visionOS 1.1.1 comes two weeks after the launch of visionOS 1.1.
visionOS updates can be installed by going to the Settings app on the Vision Pro, selecting the General section, and choosing Software Update. The Vision Pro headset will need to be removed to install new software, with a progress bar available on the front EyeSight display.
According to Apple's release notes for the update, visionOS 1.1.1 introduces "important bug fixes and security updates." The software is recommended for all users.
Apple today released iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1, minor updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating systems. The new software comes a couple of weeks after Apple released iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 with app changes in the European Union, new emoji, and more.
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. For customers who are still on iOS 16, Apple has also released an iOS 16.7.7 security update.
According to Apple's release notes, the iOS 17.4.1 update includes important security updates and bug fixes.
Apple will likely begin testing iOS 17.5 in the near future, with betas expected to come out in the next two weeks.
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced it has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple. The lawsuit alleges that Apple illegally maintains a monopoly in the smartphone market with the iPhone and the device's locked-down ecosystem.
In a statement shared with MacRumors, Apple said the lawsuit is "wrong on the facts and the law," and the company vowed to "vigorously defend" itself:
At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love—designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people's privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users. This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple—where hardware, software, and services intersect. It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people's technology. We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it.
The complaint was filed today in a U.S. District Court in New Jersey by the Justice Department and 16 other U.S. state and district attorneys general. Apple is accused of violating various U.S. federal and state antitrust laws, including the Sherman Act.
In its press release, the Justice Department highlighted some of the allegations:
- Blocking Innovative Super Apps. Apple has disrupted the growth of apps with broad functionality that would make it easier for consumers to switch between competing smartphone platforms. - Suppressing Mobile Cloud Streaming Services. Apple has blocked the development of cloud-streaming apps and services that would allow consumers to enjoy high-quality video games and other cloud-based applications without having to pay for expensive smartphone hardware. - Excluding Cross-Platform Messaging Apps. Apple has made the quality of cross-platform messaging worse, less innovative, and less secure for users so that its customers have to keep buying iPhones. - Diminishing the Functionality of Non-Apple Smartwatches. Apple has limited the functionality of third-party smartwatches so that users who purchase the Apple Watch face substantial out-of-pocket costs if they do not keep buying iPhones. - Limiting Third Party Digital Wallets. Apple has prevented third-party apps from offering tap-to-pay functionality, inhibiting the creation of cross-platform third-party digital wallets.
Apple's anticompetitive conduct also affects "web browsers, video communication, news subscriptions, entertainment, automotive services, advertising, location services, and more," according to the Justice Department.
Jonathan Kanter, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division:
For years, Apple responded to competitive threats by imposing a series of "Whac-A-Mole" contractual rules and restrictions that have allowed Apple to extract higher prices from consumers, impose higher fees on developers and creators, and to throttle competitive alternatives from rival technologies. Today's lawsuit seeks to hold Apple accountable and ensure it cannot deploy the same, unlawful playbook in other vital markets.
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's AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C/MagSafe Charging Case have hit a new all-time low price of $179.99 on Amazon, down from $249.00. This deal has arrived during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, which also includes great discounts on iPads, Anker accessories, and much more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
There are a few minor changes to the AirPods Pro 2 besides the addition of USB-C, including additional dust resistance and support for lossless audio with the Vision Pro headset. Amazon estimates a delivery window between March 23 and March 26 if ordered today.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories. Additionally, we track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.
YouTube TV subscribers can now watch several programs at once on iPhone and iPad, thanks to support for Multiview rolling out, Google has confirmed (via 9to5Google).
Multiview lets users watch four different cable channels on-screen at the same time. The feature works from the "Home" tab, which includes stream options like "Top Picks for You" and "Watch in Multiview," but it only works for sports events.
Subscribers on iPhone and iPad will need to update to version 8.11 or later to access Multivew. According to YouTube TV, "device and content restrictions apply" for Multiview, and it is limited to "pre-selected games only."
A Basic YouTube TV plan costs $72.99 a month, and there are various add-on packages available such as NBA League Pass, which is currently $49.99 for the entire season. YouTube TV said it plans to launch Multiview on Android in the coming months.
Apple is in ongoing discussions with Google and OpenAI to use their generative large-language models as the backbone of new iPhone AI features, but no formal announcement is expected until the summer, according to Bloomberg.
Today's report follows the news earlier this week that Apple has been in talks with Google to integrate its Gemini AI engine into the iPhone as part of iOS 18.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has promised that the company will "break new ground" in AI this year, and iOS 18 is expected to play a big role. However, Apple's internal work is said to be focused on smaller-scale AI features that operate on-device and do not require an internet connection.
To drive more powerful cloud-based generative AI features, such as the ability to create images and write essays based on single prompts, Apple is seeking a partner that has the necessary large-scale hardware infrastructure and compute capabilities already in place.
Siri is expected to take advantage of the artificial intelligence improvements that Apple plans to bring in iOS 18. One leaker has suggested that Apple is planning to use large-language models to entirely revamp Siri and turn it into the "ultimate virtual assistant."
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that one of the specific features Apple is developing is an improved interaction between Siri and the Messages app, which would let Siri auto-complete sentences more effectively and answer complex questions.
But with the likes of Nvidia and other AI companies continuing to reshape the technology landscape, some investors are reportedly concerned that Apple will fail to keep up with the pace of change, and may not see the "hypergrowth" expected of it unless the iPhone maker can boost its credibility by deploying generative AI features this year.
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile finally launched globally today on iOS and Android, after spending the last couple of years in various beta versions and soft launches.
The game features two main Battle Royale maps, Verdansk and Rebirth Island, as well as cross-progression for players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and the PC/console version of Call of Duty: Warzone.
Level up your weapons and XP no matter where you are. Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile supports shared progression with the console and PC versions of Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare III. Simply log in using your Activision ID, and most content acquired in Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone is seamlessly transferred and becomes continuously available between your games.
For gamers playing on iPhone 15 Pro models and iPads with an M1 chip or later, the game includes a "Peak Graphics" mode that runs in 2K with improved textures, lighting, draw distance, ambient occlusion, and resolution caching.
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile requires iOS 16/iPadOS 16 or later, and has been available to pre-order on the App Store since November 2022, back when Activision was originally targeting a May 2023 release. More than 50 million players have pre-registered for the game already, according to MacRumors sister site TouchArcade.
Earlier this week, leaker "Instant Digital" on Chinese blogging site Weibo claimed that Apple will be making an iPad-related announcement next Tuesday, March 26, suggesting a potential press release introduction ahead of pre-orders and a launch date. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has now weighed in, however, to say that this claim is "not true."
While disputing a March 26 announcement, Gurman has not shared any specific claims of his own regarding an announcement or launch date for the new iPad Pro and iPad Air models that are in the works, recently pointing to a general time frame of "around the end of March or in April."
Gurman offered a bit more color on the timing in the most recent edition of his Power On newsletter, saying that the "variant of iPadOS 17.4" that will ship on the new iPad models won't be ready until at least late this month, with it potentially taking "a couple weeks" to get the software installed on the initial shipments. That timing, Gurman says, will likely take things "deeper into next month" for a launch of the new iPads although an announcement could happen a bit sooner.
Alongside revamped iPad Pro models with OLED displays, Apple's M3 chip, and additional enhancements, we're also expecting updated iPad Air models including a new 12.9-inch size option. Apple is reportedly planning to introduce a new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro and a new Apple Pencil.
Apple today shared a new iPhone 15 ad called "Nice Try!" on its YouTube channel in Singapore, promoting how Face ID protects your privacy.
In the 30-second video ad, an iMessage notification appears on a girl's iPhone 15 placed on a dining table, while she is in another room. Nosy family members attempt to unlock the device to read the message, but Face ID prevents them from doing so.
To prevent messages from being previewed on the Lock Screen without Face ID, open the Settings app, tap Notifications → Show Previews, and select When Unlocked.
Apple this week posted identical job listings related to the Vision Pro in Australia, China, and Japan, as international availability of the headset looms.
Apple is looking to hire a so-called "Briefing Experience Specialist" in all three countries. This is a sales position that will involve demonstrating the Vision Pro's capabilities to business/enterprise customers, according to the job listing.
"You will design and deliver demonstrations that present the capabilities of the product and its revolutionary new technology," the job listing says. "You will also showcase solutions, representative use cases, and transformative user workflows that inspire customer investment in the technology, the visionOS platform, and the product itself."
On its website, Apple says the Vision Pro will launch in more countries later this year, but the company has not provided a more specific timeframe, or indicated exactly where the headset will become available next. Last month, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he believed the Vision Pro would launch internationally before Apple's annual developers conference WWDC, which typically takes place in the first week of June.
MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris recently obtained information that suggests Apple is preparing to expand the Vision Pro to Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the U.K. at a minimum, and the "Briefing Experience Specialist" job listings have now been posted in at least four of those countries.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
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.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
