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- Wednesday December 24
- 02:40 pmiPhone 18 Pro camera sensors look set to be made in the USA
At least some of the camera sensors for the iPhone 18 Pro look set to be made in the USA, at a Samsung plant in Austin, Texas. Production of advanced image sensors for Apple is expected to begin sometime around March, suggesting that they will be destined for the iPhone 18 Pro … more…02:33 pmSamsung moves closer to producing iPhone 18 camera sensors in Texas
Samsung has taken the next step before it makes iPhone image sensors in the U.S., with new hiring and equipment installation underway at its Taylor, Texas, factory.Image credit: SamsungSamsung is gearing up to install production equipment at its Taylor, Texas, factory. The manufacturer is gearing up to produce the CMOS image sensors (CIS) used in Apple's iPhone.According to The Elec, the company listed job postings for technical and electrical project managers in mid-December. New hires will help install necessary hookups, such as gas and water. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:21 pmWhatsApp working to show connected peripherals and improve chat, storage management
Now that WhatsApp is finally available as a proper app for the Apple Watch, Meta is working on a way to inform users when their account is paired with the accessory. The company is also working on a better chat, attachment, and storage management interface. Here are the details. more…02:10 pmSteep US tariffs on Chinese chip imports won't hit Apple until 2027
The United States will hold off on raising its new tariff on Chinese semiconductor imports until June 2027, delaying the financial hit on Apple's component sourcing efforts for Mac, iPhone, and other products.Tim Cook and Donald Trump in a meeting at the White House in 2018The US-China tariff battle led to fears of massive tariffs on Chinese imports into the United States and potentially sky-high price rises for Apple products. While the world held its collective breath for tariffs to be introduced against semiconductors in January, importers have been given a reprieve.In a Federal Register filing on Tuesday, reports CNBC, the Trump Administration confirmed it will take action against China under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, and the response will be a tariff on semiconductors. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:00 pmWhy you should binge the 12 best Apple TV shows of 2025
The best Apple TV shows of 2025 cross multiple genres, with healthy doses of sci-fi, drama, comedy and thrills. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)01:53 pmEffectiveness of $20k Apple Developer Academy training is questioned
The effectiveness of the Apple Developer Academy training provided in Detroit has been called into question, alongside the value for money it offers. A previously unreported funding breakdown shows that although Apple made the largest contribution to the program, more than half as much comes from Michigan taxpayers … more…12:42 pmApple Intelligence will be tested with 2,000 questions it must not answer in China
The version of Apple Intelligence released in China must pass a test to ensure that it does nothing to challenge official government propaganda. It will be tested with 2,000 questions designed to elicit information censored within the country, and it must refuse to answer at least 95% of them … more…12:15 pmBest Apple Find My Bluetooth trackers: AirTag alternatives that’ll fit anywhere
Macworld In the 15 years since it first appeared on the iPhone, Apple’s Find My technology has transformed from a simple GPS-based phone finder to a versatile ecosystem of devices not just from Apple but many specialized accessory makers in all exciting shapes, sizes, and forms. Apple’s Find My app offers a unified, secure way to locate all your Apple devices (iPhone, Watch, AirPods, and Mac) and items (AirTags plus third-party trackers such as these reviewed here) via an anonymous network of millions of Apple devices that ping encrypted Bluetooth to report their location back to iCloud, even when offline. These are detected by other nearby Apple devices, relaying the location data securely to you. Find My helps you to locate misplaced items in seconds, alerts you if you leave them behind, and works through your Apple device. Find My features See all your devices on a map Get the distance and direction with Precision Finding Share your lost item’s location Play a sound to find your device Notify When Left Behind Display a message for someone who finds it Find devices that are offline or powered off Best Find My AirTag alternatives Apple’s AirTags are cute, but at 8mm thick, they’re too bulbous to realistically fit in your wallet. The most common type of AirTag alternative that works directly with Apple’s Find My is a thin card design that can slip into your wallet or purse just like a bank card. These can be under 2mm in thickness. If you have an AirTag, stop reading and check out the best AirTag accessories, but if you need a new tracker, Apple’s Find My ecosystem has broken away from locating just Apple devices and AirTags to tracking just about anything, from keys to wallets, glasses cases, and passports, to bikes and pets. Satechi’s FindAll and Journey’s LOC8 are two ranges that make up a few of the products we’ve tested and reviewed here, but there are plenty more, too. As well as linking to Apple’s Find My app as well as Google’s Android Find Hub, the Chipolo range comes with its own app that boasts extra functions such as the ability to make your phone ring when it’s hiding nearby by simply double-pressing the tracker’s button—you can even change the ringtone and volume to make it easier to recognize. You can also double-press the Chipolo trackers to use them as a remote shutter button for your phone’s camera. Here we roundup the best Find My Bluetooth trackers, sorted by category. Some of them also work with Google Find Hub as well as Apple Find My. Think of each as an AirTag in a different shape and form—usually more convenient than Apple’s bulbous tracker pebble. Best Find My wallet cards Best Find My luggage accessories Best Find My passport holders Best Find My keychains Best Find My glasses case Best Find My magnetic wallets Best Find My MacBook sleeve Best Find My bike tracker Best Find My wallet cards The thinnest Find My trackers you can buy, these cards will fit in your wallet or general card slots just like any bank or travel card. There are wallets that fit Apple’s AirTags but they add unnecessary bulk compared to these slim trackers. Ugreen FineTrack Slim Wallet Tracker – Slimmest tracker card Pros Super slim Rechargeable Price When Reviewed: $29.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $23.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: 10-20m Charging: Via proprietary charger (included) Battery capacity: 155mAh Speaker Volume: 80dB Thin: 1.7mm Weight: 20g Colors: Black This Find My tracker card is just 1.7mm thick—that’s less than 1mm thicker than a standard credit card. It is certified to IP68 waterproof protection, and should also resist any dust and fluff in your wallet. It connects as an Item in the Apple Find My app. Remarkably, its battery is rechargeable via a proprietary wireless charger that connects to any USB-C wall charger. Ugreen reckons the card will last up to a year on a single charge and offers over 10 years of battery life. Lululook AirCard Pro tracker – Slim and loud with lanyard Pros Super slim Wirelessly rechargeable Lanyard slot Price When Reviewed: $24.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $19.99 View Deal Lululook $49.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 45m Charging: Via standard wireless charger Battery capacity: 100mAh Speaker Volume: 100dB Thin: 1.8mm Weight: 13g Colors: White, Black At 1.8mm this is one of the slimmest Find My trackers available. Only the Ugreen FineTracker is thinner. One of the reasons that this is the lightest tracker card on test is its lanyard slot, which reduces weight and fits the included cord. It is also quite loud at 100dB when you need to find it via its alert sound. The battery capacity is smaller than most, but you can recharge it using a standard wireless charger. Satechi FindAll Card – Most colorful tracker card Pros Slim Wirelessly rechargeable Color choices Price When Reviewed: $34.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $29.99 View Deal $29.99 View Deal $34.99 View Deal Satechi $34.99 View Deal $53.88 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: 10-20m (indoor), 20-50m (outdoor) Charging: Via standard wireless charger Battery capacity: 220mAh Speaker Volume: 80-90dB Thin: 2.3mm Weight: 17.8g Colors: Black, Sand, Desert Rose Another card-shaped Find My tracker is part of the same FindAll range as the Satechi Luggage Tag reviewed above, and available in the same pastel colors plus black. This one is thicker than the Ugreen FineTracker card, reviewed above (2.3cm thick vs 1.7cm), but it’s still much slimmer than an AirTag. However, it does have the advantage of being recharged with any wireless charger that you might use for your iPhone or AirPods. Chipolo CARD – Loud tracker card with special button Pros Slim Loud Wirelessly rechargeable Price When Reviewed: $39 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $38.99 View Deal Chipolo $39 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 120m Charging: Via standard wireless charger Battery capacity: 180mAh Speaker Volume: 110dB Thin: 2.5mm Weight: 17g Colors: Black This Find My tracker card is a tiny bit thicker than the others at 2.5mm, but it is still very light and fits into a wallet card slot with ease. At 100dB, it has a louder alert than some, and it claims the best range. You can double-press the card’s button to quickly locate your iPhone if you’ve mislaid it nearby. It charges via regular wireless chargers. It works with Apple Find My and Android Find Hub. Rolling Square AirCard Pro Dual – Loudest tracker card Pros Slim Loud Wirelessly rechargeable Price When Reviewed: $39.90 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $29.99 View Deal Rolling Square $39.90 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 80m Charging: Via standard wireless charger Battery capacity: 220mAh Speaker Volume: 150dB Thin: 2.2mm Weight: 18g Colors: Gray This Find My tracker card is 2.2mm thick—a little slimmer than the Satechi FindAll Card but thicker than the Ugreen FineTracker. It claims to have the loudest alert sound of all the Bluetooth tracker cards, with a 20mm buzzer, claiming it is twice as loud as other trackers. Rolling Square says that it is built with “anti-explosion fibreglass” and CNC-machined aluminum, and it looks a bit more interesting than the standard tracker card. It charges with any standard wireless charger. Aukey Track Mate 3 Smart Bluetooth Tracker – QR code for networking Pros Slim Wirelessly rechargeable QR code contact details Price When Reviewed: $25.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Aukey $25.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 80m Charging: Via standard wireless charger Battery capacity: 170mAh Speaker Volume: 80dB Thin: 2.2mm Weight: 20.4g Colors: Gray Another slim 2.2mm Find My tracker card, the Aukey Track Mate 3’s special feature is a QR code on the back that enables users to update contact information and manage a digital business card, so it can be used for both networking and the recovery of lost items if someone finds it and has the wherewithal to try the code. Best Find My luggage accessories Losing luggage on your travels is a dread that can be allayed with a Find My tracker embedded into the tag. You can even use it to guess when your suitcase is coming down the carousel or discover with horror that it’s in South America rather than Paris. Of course, the Apple AirTag does this too, but requires an extra accessory holder. Satechi Vegan-Leather FindAll Luggage Tag Pros Elegant travel accessory Wirelessly rechargeable Color choices Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $39.99 View Deal $44.99 View Deal $44.99 View Deal Satechi $44.99 View Deal $57 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: 10-20m (indoor), 20-50m (outdoor) Charging: Via standard wireless charger Battery capacity: 150mAh Speaker Volume: 80-90dB Weight: 42g Colors: Black, Sand, Desert Rose With this Satechi Find My-enabled vegan-leather luggage tag, you can track your luggage through your entire trip. It’s built to withstand the rigors of international travel while retaining its classic good looks and rather elegant design, and is available in Black, Sand, and Desert Rose colors with an adjustable strap. It has space for you to write your name and contact details behind a privacy flap, and hides its inner tracking technology well. Its 150mAh battery is wirelessly rechargeable via standard wireless chargers (battery life up to 8 months), and the tracker has a connection range of 10-20 meters indoors and 20-50 meters outdoors. When you want to find it, you can trigger a loud chime and receive precise directions to your item’s location. Chipolo LOOP Pros Great range of colors Loud USB-C charging Flexible silicone loop Price When Reviewed: $39 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $39 View Deal Chipolo $39 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 120m Charging: USB-C Battery capacity: 165mAh Speaker Volume: 125dB Weight: 10g Colors: Coral, Honey, Mint, Navy, Chalk, Charcoal Stick with Apple AirTag white if you must, but why not splash some color into your life with this cute Bluetooth tracker with a flexible silicone loop that’s perfect to attach to luggage. It’s rechargeable via USB-C, so you won’t need to worry about replacing the battery, and as with the Chipolo CARD, you can double-press the card’s button to quickly locate your iPhone if you’ve mislaid it nearby. Using the Chipolo app, you can ring the tracker to make its charging light blink, helping you find your item even in the dark. It’s rated IP67 for formidable water and dust resistance—these trackers are ready to go the distance with your precious items. XtremeMac X-Lock Pro Pros TSA-approved luggage lock USB-C charging Price When Reviewed: ¢39.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price XTremeMac $39.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 20m Charging: USB-C Battery capacity: 60mAh Speaker Volume: 80dB Weight: 42g Colors: Black Small but secure, the XtremeMac X-Lock Pro measures just 4.6 x 4.2 x 1.4cm, and can be used to secure not only your luggage but anything the 10.4cm cable can hook around. Being Find My-enabled it will also help you locate your luggage when it’s out of your sight. It’s approved by the TSA so won’t get you into trouble at Security. Best Find My passport holders In the days when air travel was a rare treat or when you travelled to different continents via ocean liner, everyone had a passport holder. The advent of the Find My tracker puts the passport wallet back in vogue and makes it even more useful. Journey Loc8 Passport Finder Wallet Pros Stylish travel accessory Wirelessly rechargeable RFID card protection Price When Reviewed: $99.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price journey $99.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: 20m (indoor), 50m (outdoor) Charging: Via standard wireless charger Battery capacity: 150mAh Speaker Volume: 85dB Weight: 138g Colors: Black This super-organized Apple Find My-enabled passport wallet holds not only your passport, but also up to five cards (with RFID protection to prevent data theft), cash, a handy pen, a boarding pass, and other travel essentials. The wireless charging pad is hidden away behind where the passport sits. Inside, the soft fine-woven fabric contrasts with the supple exterior. Satechi FindAll Passport Cover Pros Elegant travel accessory Wirelessly rechargeable RFID card protection Color choices Price When Reviewed: $59.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $50.21 View Deal $52.65 View Deal $59.99 View Deal Satechi $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: 10-20m (indoor), 20-50m (outdoor) Charging: Via standard wireless charger Battery capacity: 150mAh Speaker Volume: 80-90dB Weight: 104g Colors: Black, Sand, Desert Rose Satechi’s FindAll range—in the same elegant color range—includes the vegan-leather Passport Cover that stores not only your precious travel documentation but four cards with RFID protection to secure you from data thieves. Plus, you can recharge the battery via the wireless pad on the front of the case. Best Find My keychains There are plenty of good-looking keychains that can host an Apple AirTag—indeed we have reviewed a bunch of them in our roundup of the best AirTag accessories. The expansion of the whole Find My ecosystem means you don’t have to choose Apple or AirTag, just certified Find My solutions, including these excellent third-party keyrings. Journey LOC8 Finder Fob 2 Universal Pros Lightweight USB-C charging Price When Reviewed: $29.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Journey $29.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: 10-20m (indoor), 20-50m (outdoor) Charging: USB-C Battery capacity: 120mAh Speaker Volume: 80-90dB Weight: 12g Colors: Black, White Why choose the Journey LOC8 Finder Fob 2 over the Apple AirTag? You can recharge it via standard USB-C rather than need to replace the battery every couple of years. This is more convenient, cheaper and better for the planet. You’ll never look at your AirTag in the same way again. The Universal in the name means it is compatible with both Apple Find My and Android Find Hub. Chipolo POP Bluetooth Tracker Pros Very loud Lightweight Cons Replaceable rather than rechargeable battery Price When Reviewed: $29 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $25 View Deal Chipolo $29 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 120m Charging: Replaceable CR2032 battery Battery capacity: 225mAh Speaker Volume: 120dB Weight: 9g Colors: Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, Black, White Before you resort to the Find My app to sound an alert to help you find your missing item, the glaring color of this super-lightweight 0.26-inch thick plastic tracker means you should be able to easily spot it. It stands out a mile from all the other dull trackers out there. Indeed, it goes much further than that. It works with the two major Find apps (iOS and Android), but also connects to its own Chipolo app mentioned at the start of this article. You can buy a 4-pack of mixed colors for $90/£90. The only slight downside is that the POP uses the same replaceable CR2032 battery as the AirTag rather than being rechargeable itself. Satechi Vegan-Leather FindAll Keychain Pros Wirelessly rechargeable Color choices Price When Reviewed: $29.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $29.99 View Deal $29.99 View Deal Satechi $29.99 View Deal $36.81 View Deal $40.16 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: 10-20m (indoor), 20-50m (outdoor) Charging: Via standard wireless charger Battery capacity: 180mAh Speaker Volume: 80-90dB Weight: 14.3g Colors: Black, Sand, Desert Rose Another fine member of Satechi’s FindAll range and available in the attractive Sand and Desert Rose colors, as well as Black, is the sleek Vegan-Leather FindAll Keychain—wirelessly rechargeable via standard chargers, so not requiring battery replacements as the AirTag does. And it looks just as great attached to a bag or suitcase. Ugreen FineTrack Smart Tracker (USB-C) Multipack Pros USB-C charging Keyring slot 2-pack or 4-pack Price When Reviewed: $29.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $29.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: 10-20m Charging: USB-C Battery capacity: 150mAh Speaker Volume: 80dB Weight: 70g Colors: Gray This tracker is like an AirTag with a slot for a keyring. You can attach it to whatever you like (if you ask nicely) and it includes all the features you’ve loved since the AirTag. Ugreen has a version that, like Apple’s AirTag, has a replaceable CR2032 battery. While this means longer life between battery swaps, we prefer this USB-C-rechargeable model that is available in a 2-pack or 4-pack. Journey LOC8 Urban & Motion Key Organizers Pros Stylish 6-key chains Leather and metal options Cons Proprietary charger Price When Reviewed: $109.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Journey $109.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 50m Charging: Proprietary charger Battery capacity: 80mAh (MOTION); 100mAh (URBAN) Speaker Volume: 80dB Weight: 44g Colors: Black, Orange, White, Brown There are two models of Find My-enabled keychain trackers in the Journey LOC8 range. The LOC8 Urban Key Organizer is wrapped in premium Nappa leather, while the LOC8 Motion Key Organizer is a starker metal design with an orange version that might excite iPhone 17 Pro owners. Both include a multi-tool component of a bottle-opener and a cardboard-cutter, though only the Urban model is compatible with both Apple and Android phones. Best Find My wallet cards We’ve already looked at the best tracker cards that fit into your wallet but why not go the whole hog and get a Find My wallet? Journey LOC8 VERSA Money Clip Finder Wallet and Stand Pros Strong magnetic hold An option for cash users Cons Proprietary charger (MagSafe) Price When Reviewed: $89.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Journey $89.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 50m Charging: Proprietary charger (MagSafe); any wireless charger (Versa) Battery capacity: 150mAh Speaker Volume: 100dB (MagSafe); 80dB (Versa) Weight: 82g (MagSafe); 94g (Versa) Colors: Midnight, Light Gray Journey has two Find My-enabled wallets in its POC8 lineup. The LOC8 MagSafe Finder Wallet and Stand (pictured above left) holds up to five cards, secured with RFID protection. It’s the slightly older of the two wallets and so charges via a proprietary charger (included) rather than wirelessly like the Loc8 Versa MagSafe Wallet with Money Clip (above right) that also holds five cards but also includes a money clip inside. Both are made from eco-conscious vegan leather. Both convert into a stand that can hold the iPhone in either portrait or landscape orientation. Best Find My glasses case If you have the sense to put your glasses away in a case you’d think you remember where you put it. Fear not, Satechi has an Apple Find My-enabled case for your losable specs. 1. Satechi Vegan-Leather FindAll Glasses Case Pros Protects and locates eyeglasses Price When Reviewed: $49.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $41.99 View Deal $44.99 View Deal $49.99 View Deal Satechi $49.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 50m Charging: Via standard wireless charger Battery capacity: 150mAh Speaker Volume: 80-90dB Weight: 133g Colors: Black, Sand, Desert Rose You don’t need your specs on to find your glasses with the built-in speaker in this Find My-enabled eyewear vegan-leather case, part of Satechi’s FindAll range. Elton John might struggle, but the case is compatible with most glasses, sunglasses, and even XR/AR devices such as VITURE Pro XR, XREAL Air 2, and Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. Best Find My MacBook sleeve Your MacBook already has Apple’s Find My in its own software but you can double the tracking power with an enabled laptop sleeve that works even when your laptop is switched off and offline. 1. Journey LOC8 Laptop Sleeve Universal Pros Stylish protection USB-C charging Price When Reviewed: $119.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Journey $119.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 50m Charging: USB-C Battery capacity: 230mAh Speaker Volume: 90dB Weight: 278g (13-14-inch); 352g (15-16-inch) Colors: Black If you travel a lot with your MacBook, whether on a short commute, a longer business trip, or a vacation, it’s wise to protect your laptop in a sleeve. Another member of the Journey LOC8 range of Find My-enabled accessories, this sleeve not only protects your MacBook from bumps and scratches but also helps you locate it or get alerts if it’s left behind. The sleeve is built from military-grade shock-absorbing materials and a cushioned interior, and its PU leather matte exterior can be used as a mousepad when the MacBook is out of its comfy confines. It features stretchable edges for a snug fit (choose between sizes for 13-14-inch and 15-16-inch laptops) with a neat magnetic closure keeping the laptop secure yet easily accessible. It charges via regular USB-C and works with both Apple Find My and Android Find Hub. Best Find My bike tracker You are less likely to misplace your bicycle than you are your house keys, but there are trackers built specially for bike owners that incorporate theft alarms. 1. Knog Scout Bike Alarm and Finder Pros Alarm function USB-C charging Price When Reviewed: $59.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $64.95 View Deal Knog $64.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Connection Range: Up to 30m Charging: USB-C Battery capacity: Data not supplied Speaker Volume: 85dB Weight: 25g Colors: Black This Find My-enabled tracker and bike alarm securely mounts to a standard water cage using the supplied anti-tamper screws. Once armed, any movement of the Scout-fitted Bike triggers a motion-sensitive audio alarm that should discourage further movement and alert the bike’s owner—both by the alarm sound and via a notification to the owner’s iPhone (when in Bluetooth range). Knog claims that the battery can last two to six months between USB-C charges.12:07 pmYou can 3D print a mockup of the iPhone Fold, with an asterisk
Photos and video footage of a simple printed mock-up of an iPhone Fold gave us a decent sense of how the device might look if the most recent rumour about the aspect ratios is accurate. While the exterior display shape would be a radical departure, more 9to5Mac readers liked it than disliked it. If you want to get an even better sense of how the device might feel, and have access to a 3D printer, you can create a physical mock-up using files provided online … more…11:30 am2025 will be remembered for what Apple didn’t deliver
Macworld Think back to the end of 2024. It was a more innocent time. Sure, after unveiling Apple Intelligence with great fanfare at WWDC in June that year, it hadn’t actually shipped much (other than a raft of TV commercials featuring nonexistent features). But surely the company wouldn’t let us down. 2025 was truly going to be the year Siri got fixed, and Apple Intelligence took flight. Well, about that… March 2025 arrived, and Apple admitted that it just couldn’t make it all work, and the more personalized Siri promised in 2024 wouldn’t come until sometime “in the coming year,” which, for the record, is next year. Anyway, at the end of 2024, I made my usual predictions and wishcasting in public for Macworld–I’ve been doing this for, what, a decade now? And in those heady days, I trusted that Apple would deliver what it promised and that 2025 would be the “year of Apple Intelligence.” In 2024, Apple promised big AI things. Then 2025 came and went, without a peep from AI.Apple I actually said that. I don’t know if I’ve missed a prediction as badly in the entire time I’ve been doing this. Apple had such a track record of not promising what it couldn’t deliver that I really did believe it would not promise a feature it couldn’t ship. But you know the story, as Apple tells it–the feature couldn’t meet the company’s “quality bar” and was therefore kicked into the following year. Whatever else Apple did in 2025, and it actually did quite a lot, it will forever be remembered as the year that it admitted it had not lived up to its own quality bar when it came to shipping the features that it promised. And if failing to meet the AI moment ends up being an important data point in the long-term history of Apple, it will be easy to point directly at Apple’s 2025 rollback of 2024’s announcements. Apple is a company that generally has avoided the trap of overpromising and underdelivering. That it happened shows just how much pressure Apple felt it was under to show that it had AI well in hand. The success reaped in 2024 came back to haunt it in 2025. I thought the company would just power through and get where it needed to go… and it simply couldn’t get there. It’s one of the biggest admissions of mortality and limitation that Apple has offered in more than a decade. Still, by the end of last year, it was already clear that the Apple Intelligence rollout was more style than substance. In my predictions for the year, I said that Apple Intelligence would “continue to be the same mishmash of useful and useless features” that we had already seen, and that “by the end of 2025 Siri still won’t be as good as it should be.” The skepticism was right, but I certainly didn’t expect this level of failure. The Siri delay affected the products Apple planned to release in 2025.Apple Similarly, after Apple did all but declare Google Gemini as a future partner at WWDC 2024, we all expected Apple to announce that it was joining ChatGPT as an AI model connected with Siri on Apple devices. Apple executives would mention Gemini and essentially wink at the audience, again and again. And yet… it never happened. It still hasn’t happened. ChatGPT integration is all there is, and even that integration is so far from the current state of the art for ChatGPT. What a mess. Apple’s failure to build a better Siri driven by AI had an effect on everything. I thought predicting Apple’s triumphant re-entry into the smart home market with a new product was almost a no-brainer. That turned out to be exactly the problem: Apple apparently designed a home-control device with smart Siri as its brain, and if there was no smart Siri, that product had to be put on hold. Nothing exposes the imbalance between Apple’s hardware designers and its software organization than multiple products reportedly being finished months or years in advance, forced to idle because their software isn’t up to snuff. Fortunately, most of the time you bank on Apple’s hardware delivering, you get it right. After numerous reports that the company would ship the thinnest iPhone ever, it did that. I predicted that it would be priced less than $1,000, and since it starts at $999 I think I can say that I nailed it. I also predicted the iPhone Air would offer “enough technical compromises to infuriate a whole bunch of tech nerds.” That’s a prediction that combines my decades of knowledge of Apple with my decades of knowledge of tech nerds, and I think I pretty much nailed it. Let’s face it: predicting the arrival of a bunch of M4 Macs and, eventually, the M5 was not so hard. I learned how to count when I was very young and I mostly don’t even need to use my fingers anymore. But nobody outside of Apple’s chip lab would’ve predicted that there would be a new M3 Mac in 2025, and there was, courtesy of the M3 Ultra-powered Mac Studio. The iPhone Air may be Apple’s thinnest iPhone, but customers laid it on pretty thick when it came to the phone’s compromises.Foundry Turning to Apple’s thriving services business, I expected continued growth–about as easy a bet as guessing that M5 would follow M4–as well as a big theatrical film and a bunch of prestigious TV shows. Between the arrival of F1 The Movie and the rise of awards darlings Severance and The Studio, Apple’s film and TV division had a great year. But I also predicted that, despite all the buzz on the subject, Apple would end up not buying major sports rights. Instead, the company went out and outbid ESPN for Formula 1 rights in the United States. Guess all that time spent working with the racing circuit for the Brad Pitt film rubbed off. Still, I correctly predicted that Apple wouldn’t try to buy a movie studio. While Netflix and Paramount continue to joust over control of Warner Bros. Discovery, which follows the Skydance purchase of Paramount, Apple seems content to not be involved with any of that. It’s got a pretty good thing going, I think. Where does that leave us? Apple’s biggest surprise in 2025 was actually its failure to deliver what it promised in 2024, forcing the company to kick a big portion of Apple Intelligence down the road into 2026. Apple continued to release impressive new hardware products like clockwork in 2025, but its ill-advised promises at WWDC 2024 lingered like a hangover, darkening the vibe of the entire year.08:00 amStop paying for Acrobat — Get full PDF editing on your Mac for $79.97 (MSRP $140)
Macworld TL;DR: Get the PDF Expert Premium Lifetime Plan for $79.97 (MSRP $139.99) and unlock full PDF editing, conversion, annotation, signatures, OCR, and more on your Mac forever. Mac users who are tired of subscription fees just to open and edit a PDF now have a permanent solution. PDF Expert, a polished and fast Mac-native editor, is offering a lifetime plan for $79.97, giving you full access to professional-grade PDF tools without ever renewing anything. PDF Expert lets you handle nearly every PDF task in a clean, intuitive interface. You can revise text, update images, insert links, fill out forms, and sign documents in moments. The editing tools feel familiar and responsive, which makes it ideal for everyday tasks like fixing resumes or updating business documents. When it comes to reviewing or organizing files, you get highlights, comments, custom stamps, page rearranging, merging, and splitting. The conversion tools turn PDFs into Word files, Excel sheets, PowerPoint slides, images, or plain text with surprising accuracy. One standout is the built-in OCR engine. If you scan or import a non-searchable document, PDF Expert recognizes its text so you can search, copy, and edit it. It also improves scan quality, removes shadows, and cleans up margins. Because it runs natively on macOS, performance feels smooth even when working with large files. The lifetime plan includes ongoing support and bug fixes, so the app stays reliable long term. For anyone ready to ditch expensive Acrobat subscriptions, this gives you a straightforward, one-time alternative that covers everything you need. PDF Expert Premium Lifetime Plan for Mac is available now for $79.97. PDF Expert Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription (Mac)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.12:54 amApple TV: Five music documentaries and series worth watching
Over the years, Apple TV has built up a surprisingly strong catalog for music lovers. From movies and documentaries to full series, here are some of the most interesting music-related titles on the service. more…12:42 amBeyerdynamic Aventho 300 review: Vanilla, for better and worse
Beyerdynamic is a huge name in the world of headphones. But the Aventho 300 a rare entry into the wireless market, and they have a lot to do to compete with premium headphones like AirPods Max.Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review: The Nordic Grey makes for some stylish headphonesAt the crowded $400 price point, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 headphones are not short of competition. In fact, they're around $150 cheaper than Apple's own AirPods Max, depending on which sale is running at the time.They're around the same price as the iconic Sony WH-1000XM6, the latest in a long line of crowd-pleasing ANC headphones out of Japan. But there is more to a good pair of headphones than their ANC performance — they also need to sound excellent. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums12:09 amEnd-of-year blowout deals: Save up to $550 on Apple's MacBook Pro
End-of-year MacBook Pro deals are live, with prices starting at $1,299 and discounts of up to $550 off.Save up to $550 on MacBook Pro laptops with year-end deals.Amazon and B&H are driving prices far below retail, including a $1,349 entry point for the M5 14-inch and several deep cuts of up to $550 off on M4 Pro and M4 Max systems. These are the standout offers heading into the last week of 2025. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our ForumsTuesday December 2309:52 pmTexas judge blocks state’s App Store age verification law
The decision comes just a few days before the Texas App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420) was set to take effect. Here are the details. more…09:16 pmGoogle One discounting annual 2 TB and AI Pro plans by 50%
Google One is running a “limited time” discount for 2026 where new subscribers can get 50% off 2 TB and AI Pro annual plans. more…08:57 pmTed Lasso returns next year, here’s the latest season 4 release update
Apple TV has a big lineup of new and returning shows in early 2026, but many viewers’ most anticipated premiere will come a little later in the year. Here’s the latest release timing update for Ted Lasso season 4. more…08:57 pmApple settles Brazilian antitrust case with App Store policy overhaul
Starting next year, Apple will allow app sideloading and external payment links for users in Brazil, following an antitrust settlement with local regulators. Here are the details. more…08:44 pmThe good, the bad, and the ugly of Apple’s 2025
As 2025 draws to a close, here’s a look at what defined Apple over the last 12 months, for better or for worse. more…08:25 pmTexas judge says Apple doesn't have to check App Store ages
Apple has been granted a temporary reprieve from needing to adhere to a Texas law forcing it to verify the ages of App Store users in the state.Texas created a law forcing Apple to age-check all App Store users in the state from January 1On January 1st, 2026, Apple was expecting to have to start verifying the age of all App Store users in Texas, after a new state law comes into force. Just over a week before the deadline, a judge has decided to place a hold on its implementation.In a Tuesday ruling spotted by The Verge, Judge Robert Pitman has granted a preliminary injunction on the Texas App Store Accountability Act,. The decision prevents the law from coming into force in the state, but doesn't strike it down completely. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums