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  • Apple to pay small fine for breaking EU rules

    Apple to pay small fine for breaking EU rules

    The European Union (EU) is set to charge Apple a small fine for not following the Digital Markets Act (DMA), according to Reuters. This law helps keep big tech companies in check, and Apple seems to have slipped up.

    Last year, the EU found that Apple wasn’t playing fair with its App Store rules. Specifically, it didn’t let app makers tell users about cheaper options outside the store. In June, EU competition boss Margrethe Vestager called out Apple for some “pretty big” problems with following the DMA. She wasn’t impressed with the changes Apple made, saying they didn’t meet expectations for a company of its size.

    To fix this, Apple updated its App Store rules in Europe last year. It allowed apps to be sold outside the store and added new payment options. After feedback from the EU, Apple also tweaked its rules in August to make it clearer that developers could share outside deals. These quick updates can be tricky to follow, so developers in the EU can check Apple’s website for the latest rules.

    The DMA lets the EU fine companies up to 10% of their yearly global sales, but Reuters sources say the focus is on getting companies to follow the rules, not hitting them with huge penalties. Things might also shift because U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on countries fining American firms like Apple. Plus, with nthe ew EU leadership, the fine might not be as tough as it could’ve been last year. The EU hasn’t set the fine amount yet, but a decision is expected soon.

    Meanwhile, in Brazil, Apple’s facing similar heat. The government there is pushing Apple to allow sideloading—installing apps from outside the App Store. Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, plans to bring the game back to iOS in Brazil by July after these changes. Apple has until June to follow Brazil’s rules or face daily fines. Though Apple’s appealing the decision, it may have to adapt, just like it did in Europe, where sideloading is already allowed.

  • Apple removes iPhone 16 ad about a smarter Siri

    Apple removes iPhone 16 ad about a smarter Siri

    Apple recently took down an advertisement for the iPhone 16 that highlighted a “smarter Siri.” This decision came after the company announced last week that some of the new Siri features, part of Apple Intelligence, won’t be ready as soon as they had hoped for iOS 18.

    The Smarter Siri Ad

    The ad starred English actor Isabella Ramsey and was posted on YouTube in September, just before iPhone 16 pre-orders began. In the video, Ramsey asks Siri to recall the name of someone they met at a restaurant a month earlier. The clip, now private on YouTube, was also shared on Instagram by fans, and you can still find it there.

    Apple described the ad like this:

    With a better understanding of your personal details, the ability to work across apps, and improved language skills, Siri will help you in exciting new ways.

    Apple now says these advanced Siri upgrades will take more time and will arrive sometime next year.

    What’s Happening with Siri?

    The smarter Siri features were first shown off at WWDC when Apple introduced iOS 18. They were supposed to launch in an iOS 18 update and include things like knowing more about your life, understanding what’s on your screen, and working better with apps.

    According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, these updates might not come until next year—or possibly later. Some folks in Apple’s AI team even worry that the features might need a complete redo or could be dropped entirely.

    Challenges Ahead

    Inside Apple, there’s talk that making Siri better might need stronger hardware. This could mean cutting back on some features or slowing them down on today’s devices. For now, Apple is working through these issues, and fans will have to wait a bit longer for the Siri they saw in the ad.

  • Apple’s new Foldable iPad Pro may have hidden Face ID

    Apple’s new Foldable iPad Pro may have hidden Face ID

    There’s exciting news about Apple working on a foldable iPad Pro! A fresh rumor says one of their test models has a special Face ID feature tucked under the screen. According to a tip from Digital Chat Station on Weibo, this test version boasts an 18.8-inch foldable display. It uses a “metal frame lens” to hide the Face ID parts, letting it unlock with facial recognition without needing a visible sensor. No extra details were shared, but it’s a cool hint at what’s coming.

    For a while, people have whispered about Apple creating a foldable gadget—maybe an iPad or even a MacBook. It’s still unclear which one it’ll be, but it depends on the software Apple chooses.
    Under-screen Face ID has been talked about for iPhones for years, but it hasn’t happened yet. This is the first time we’ve heard it tied to Apple’s foldable ideas.

    Experts at Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) predict that Apple will release an 18.8-inch foldable iPad Pro with a bright OLED screen in 2027. Meanwhile, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says LG might start making screens for a foldable MacBook—either 20.2 or 18.8 inches—by late 2025.

    A December story from The Wall Street Journal also mentioned Apple designing a bigger foldable device meant to work like a laptop, unfolding to around 19 inches. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman adds that a giant foldable iPad is in the works, possibly launching in 2028. He says Apple wants it to look smooth, like one solid piece of glass with no fold line.

    On another note, Apple is reportedly building a book-shaped foldable iPhone for next year. Instead of Face ID, it might use Touch ID on a side button—like the latest iPad Air and mini—because of limited space inside.

  • How Apple can improve its smart summary feature

    How Apple can improve its smart summary feature

    At WWDC24 last summer, Apple introduced a bunch of Apple Intelligence features, and one that’s been stirring up some debate is notification summaries. People have spotted mistakes in these summaries, which led Apple to tweak their look and even turn them off for news updates. While these summaries won’t ever be flawless, there’s a simple way Apple could make them better. I’d love to see this idea show up in iOS 19.

    What Notification Summaries Do

    The goal of notification summaries is to help you skim your alerts. The feature scans all the notifications in a group, sums them up, and does it all right on your device. Sounds handy, right? But there’s a big catch: Apple Intelligence can only work with what’s in the notification itself.

    This might seem obvious, but here’s the issue: Notifications are already super short. They’re designed to fit in a tiny bubble for quick reading. Plus, the system has to be small enough to run on a chip like the A17 Pro, so it doesn’t have much wiggle room to figure things out.

    Why Summaries Miss the Mark

    Take group chats in iMessage, for example. People often reply to different things at once in busy threads. That’s fun, but Apple Intelligence doesn’t get the full picture. It ends up mixing everything into one messy, wrong summary.

    Right now, it just sums up short notifications in the order they come in. That doesn’t always work well. Here’s my fix: let app makers give Apple’s system some extra info to work with. For iMessage, Apple could tell the system what a new message is replying to.

    My Hope for Apple’s Next Step

    If apps could share a bit more background info—stuff users wouldn’t see—it’d help Apple’s system make smarter summaries. Back in December, Apple Intelligence botched a BBC News summary about Luigi Mangione. It was way off, and Apple ended up turning off news summaries altogether.

    But imagine if the BBC could share the story’s opening paragraph as extra info. That’d give Apple Intelligence more to chew on, leading to better summaries. Big language models will always have quirks, especially ones tiny enough to run on a phone with just 8GB of RAM. Still, Apple can’t keep news summaries off forever. Adding background information from apps could be the answer they need.

  • Why Apple might skip the M4 Ultra chip for Macs

    Why Apple might skip the M4 Ultra chip for Macs

    The latest Mac Studio comes with a mix of M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips. But will Apple ever launch an M4 Ultra chip? It doesn’t seem likely. Here’s why.

    M4 Max and M3 Ultra

    Let’s break it down into three simple reasons why an M4 Ultra chip might never happen. First, Apple’s top-tier Ultra chips are usually made by joining two Max chips together using a special trick called UltraFusion. For example, the M1 Ultra is just two M1 Max chips stuck together, and the M2 Ultra follows the same idea with two M2 Max chips. But here’s the catch: Apple says the M4 Max chip doesn’t have an UltraFusion connector. Without it, they can’t just double up the M4 Max to make an M4 Ultra like before.

    Second, Apple has dropped hints to reporters and YouTubers that not every chip family will get an Ultra version. The timing of this news makes it feel like the M4 Ultra might be off the table for good. The third point comes from Mark Gurman, a writer at Bloomberg. In his recent Power On newsletter, he shared that Apple isn’t keen on building an M4 Ultra chip from the ground up.

    Why? It’s tricky to make, costs a lot, and not many people buy desktop Macs like the Mac Studio. So, this pretty much closes the door on another way Apple could’ve created an M4 Ultra. Looking ahead, maybe the M5 Max chip will bring back UltraFusion. If it does, that could open the door for an M5 Ultra chip down the road. For now, though, the M4 Ultra seems like a long shot.

  • New Apple shop launches in the UK, with another planned for Ohio

    New Apple shop launches in the UK, with another planned for Ohio

    Apple just showed off pictures of its updated shop at Trafford Centre, a big mall near Manchester in the United Kingdom. The Manchester store has a fresh look with plenty of wooden touches. It includes a Genius Bar and Apple Pickup area, with counters at different heights to make things easier for everyone. There’s also a spot to sit and try out the Apple Vision Pro, a big screen on the back wall, and other cool features.

    This isn’t the first Apple shop at Trafford Centre—it originally opened back in 2005. The new version was welcomed by customers on March 1. Meanwhile, designer Filip Chudzinski noticed Apple’s announcement about a brand-new shop coming to Crocker Park, an open-air shopping spot in a Cleveland, Ohio suburb. Apple hasn’t picked an exact opening day yet.

    “Get excited!” says the Crocker Park store page. “Something awesome is on the way. A fresh Apple shop will open soon.”

    The new Crocker Park location should be bigger and more up-to-date than the first one there, which started welcoming visitors in 2008. Apple fans in both the UK and Ohio have plenty to look forward to with these shiny, modern stores!

  • Apple Smart Home device delayed, staff testing it at home

    Apple Smart Home device delayed, staff testing it at home

    Mark Gurman from Bloomberg says Apple has started a special testing program for its new smart home gadget, which some call the HomePad. It was supposed to launch in March, but that’s not happening anymore. The delay is because Apple is still working on making Siri smarter, which is taking longer than planned.

    Why the Delay?

    Even without the Siri troubles, the smart home device was unlikely to hit its March target. It needs new Siri features, called App Intent, that were meant to come with iOS 18.4 in April. But now, Apple has admitted those upgrades are running late. In a message to Daring Fireball, they said:

    “We’re building a Siri that knows more about you and can do tasks in your apps. It’s taking more time than we expected, and we’ll roll it out next year.”

    Rumors hinted at these Siri updates arriving with iOS 18.5 or later, but Apple’s “next year” comment suggests bigger delays. Gurman even thinks Apple might need to rethink its whole plan for Siri and Apple Intelligence. Since the smart home gadget depends on these Siri improvements, its launch has been pushed back, too.

    Testing at Home

    Even though the public won’t see it soon, Apple isn’t sitting still. Gurman reports they’ve kicked off a testing program for employees. Some staff get to bring the device home, try it out, and tell Apple what works or doesn’t. This helps fix problems before the gadget goes on sale.

    What’s This Device Like?

    Here’s a quick look at what people say the new smart home hub might offer:

    • A 7-inch square screen with a thick edge
    • A camera up top
    • A battery you can recharge
    • A new system called homeOS
    • Great for video calls like FaceTime
    • Works with lots of Apple apps
    • A handy dashboard like StandBy
    • Simple controls for your smart home
    • Support for Apple Intelligence

    The delay is a bummer, but it’s smart to wait until everything’s ready. For now, Apple’s team is testing it to make it better.

  • Apple delays “Smart Siri” for iPhone 16 and removes promo video

    Apple delays “Smart Siri” for iPhone 16 and removes promo video

    Apple’s plan to bring a smart AI helper to the iPhone 16 and other gadgets is hitting rough patches. The Apple Intelligence features that are out now aren’t working great, and more upgrades keep getting postponed. Recently, Apple shared news of another delay for its “Smart Siri” and even took down the YouTube video that showed it off.

    This isn’t new for Apple. A while back, I saw them pull the “Hello Apple Vision Pro” video, too. Back then, I wasn’t sure why, but this time, it’s obvious why the Smart Siri clip disappeared. Apple Intelligence has turned into a big headache for the company. Top leaders, like software boss Craig Federighi, are worried about how things are going.

    With the coolest AI feature delayed again, it’s no shock they yanked the video. Keeping it online would’ve just stirred up more complaints, with people pointing to it and asking where the promised tech is. Plus, why hype something that’s nowhere near ready?

    There might be another reason behind this move. Word is, some at Apple are talking about ditching the whole Apple Intelligence idea and starting over. If that happens, the new Siri could look different from what the video showed. It’d be silly to keep an old ad up for something that might never happen.

    Smart Siri was meant to be a real buddy for Apple users. It’d organize your day, let you grab info from your phone fast, and help you remember what you like to do. It was also supposed to work with apps on the iPhone 16, allowing users to do tasks without lifting a finger. But with all these setbacks, folks who got the iPhone 16 won’t see what they were promised. Honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Siri update drags on past the iPhone 17 launch. Whatever Apple chooses to do next, let’s hope they can keep their word and bring something awesome to the table.

  • Apple Watch avoids import ban after winning legal fight against AliveCor

    Apple Watch avoids import ban after winning legal fight against AliveCor

    Apple recently won a big legal victory against AliveCor, a company that sued it in 2021. A federal appeals court agreed with a decision to cancel three patents AliveCor said Apple broke with its Apple Watch. This means the court also threw out a ruling from the International Trade Commission (ITC) that could have stopped Apple Watches from being brought into the U.S.

    In a message to MacRumors, Apple thanked the court and said it would keep working on new health tools for the Apple Watch. “We’re grateful to the Federal Circuit for their thoughtful review. Our teams have spent years creating top-notch health, wellness, and safety features that help people, and we’re excited to keep going,” Apple shared.

    The trouble started when AliveCor took Apple to court, claiming Apple misused its heart rate and ECG tech ideas. At first, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) said Apple was in the wrong. But after Apple asked the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board to take another look, the board decided those patents weren’t valid, hurting AliveCor’s case.

    Even so, the ITC had suggested banning some Apple Watch sales, which Apple fought since the patents were no longer valid. While both sides appealed, the ban was paused. Now, the appeals court has backed the decision to cancel the patents, so no import ban will happen in this case.

    AliveCor told MacRumors they’re upset with the ruling and feel the court ignored key details the ITC found convincing. “This won’t stop our business or our drive to keep creating for our millions of customers,” they said. They argue this fight is about protecting small companies and future ideas from big players like Apple. AliveCor plans to keep exploring legal steps to prove their patents are valid and that Apple crossed a line.

    Last year, AliveCor lost another lawsuit against Apple about unfair competition, and they’re appealing that too. Meanwhile, Apple’s facing a separate challenge with Masimo over blood oxygen tech, where an import ban still affects U.S. Apple Watch sales. For now, Apple has turned off that feature in watches sold here and is working to fix it.

  • Apple pushes back new Siri features to 2026

    Apple pushes back new Siri features to 2026

    Apple has decided to hold off on releasing some exciting Siri upgrades planned for iOS 18, according to a company spokesperson speaking to Daring Fireball. These changes, part of Apple Intelligence, will now come out later than planned.

    What’s New with Siri?

    Apple shared that making Siri more personal and helpful is taking extra time. They expect to launch these updates “sometime next year.”

    “Siri already makes life easier by finding info and finishing tasks fast,” the spokesperson said. “In the last six months, we’ve made Siri chattier, added options like typing to Siri, taught it about our products, and linked it with ChatGPT. Now, we’re working on a Siri that knows you better and can do more with your apps. It’s a big job, so it’ll take longer than we hoped.”

    These new Siri tricks were shown off at WWDC when iOS 18 was announced. They were supposed to arrive in an iOS 18 update, but now they’re delayed. Here’s what’s coming:

    Knowing You Better

    Siri will soon remember details from your emails, texts, files, and photos. This will help it assist you with things like:

    • “Show me the files Sarah sent last week.”
    • “Find the text where Sarah talked about hiking.”
    • “What’s the movie Sarah suggested?”
    • “Where’s that cookie recipe from, Sarah?”

    Seeing Your Screen

    Siri will also understand what’s on your screen and act on it. For example, if a friend texts you an address, you can say, “Add this to their contact.” Or if you’re viewing a picture, just tell Siri, “Send this to Mom.”

    Working Across Apps

    Siri will handle bigger tasks in and between apps. Think moving files, editing a photo and sending it, or even saying, “Get me home and tell Sarah when I’ll arrive.”

    When Will It Happen?

    Rumors hinted that these features might hit in iOS 18.4, but they weren’t ready for the early betas. Apple’s next update, iOS 18.5, might bring them, though it could stretch into 2026. For now, “next year” means sometime in the next 12 months. Siri’s already gotten a makeover with typing support, a fresh design, and better conversations in Apple Intelligence. More goodies are still on the way!

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