Apple

reports:-apple-is-halting-its-next-high-end-vision-in-favor-of-something-cheaper

Reports: Apple is halting its next high-end Vision in favor of something cheaper

Apple, apple vision pro, augmented reality, headsets, Tech, The Information, vision pro, VR headsets / /

Vision Pro strategy shift —

Finding a lower-price replacement for its high-end displays could be difficult.

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Vision Pro, seen from below, in a display with a bright white light strip overhead.

Samuel Axon

A report by tech news site The Information suggests that Apple is shifting its augmented reality priorities. The next high-end version of the Vision Pro has purportedly been canceled while work continues on a more affordable version with a reduced feature set.

Citing both an employee in Apple’s headset supply chain and one working in headset manufacturing for Apple, the report claims that the cheaper Vision product—perhaps around the $1,600 mark—is due before the end of 2025. Apple had originally intended to present this headset alongside the Vision Pro, similar to the models available in each iPhone release. The more affordable model would likely have fewer cameras, smaller speakers, and weigh less, though Apple has struggled to bring down the cost of the unit’s displays.

Apple’s efforts in augmented reality are closely watched by other players in the headset space, so even a momentary, situational step back from high-end headsets could have significant repercussions. The Information cites current and former Meta employees in describing how the company had killed plans for its own higher-end headset in January 2023, but it then began work on a new premium model five months after Apple’s Vision Pro debut.

The Vision Pro will launch in China, Japan, Australia, and many European countries later this month. The Information’s sources suggest that Apple has produced roughly 500,000 Vision Pro headsets and will not make significantly more, despite the entry of these new markets.

Apple has not responded to The Information or other outlets. Ars contacted Apple for comment and will update this post with any response.

In Senior Editor Samuel Axon’s extensive experience with the device, the home theater aspect of the Vision Pro, and specifically its high-quality display units, is the “one use case that’s a slam dunk.” Reducing the quality of the Sony micro-OLED displays in the Vision Pro, and their “staggering 3,386 PPI (pixels per inch)” density, would seemingly cut at a solid selling point for the device. It is otherwise not made for walking around, and while working in the Vision Pro is possible, it’s not ready to replace anyone’s standard setup yet, especially if they have regular web meetings.

Reports: Apple is halting its next high-end Vision in favor of something cheaper Read More »

apple-abruptly-abandons-“buy-now,-pay-later”-service-amid-regulatory-scrutiny

Apple abruptly abandons “buy now, pay later” service amid regulatory scrutiny

Apple, Apple Pay, Apple Pay Later, bnpl, buy now pay later, consumer financial protection bureau, credit card, loans, online payments, Policy / /
Apple abruptly abandons “buy now, pay later” service amid regulatory scrutiny

Apple has abruptly discontinued its “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) service, Apple Pay Later, which turned Apple into a money lender when it launched last March in the US and became widely available in October.

The service previously allowed users to split the cost of purchases of up to $1,000 into four installments that were repaid over six weeks without worrying about extra fees or paying interest. For Apple, it was likely a move to increase total Apple Pay users as the company sought to offer more core financial services through its devices.

Now, it appears that Apple has found a different route to offer short-term loans at checkout in Apple Pay. An Apple spokesperson told 9to5Mac that the decision to end Apple Pay Later came ahead of the company’s plan to start offering new types of installment loans globally.

“Starting later this year, users across the globe will be able to access installment loans offered through credit and debit cards, as well as lenders, when checking out with Apple Pay,” Apple’s spokesperson said. “With the introduction of this new global installment loan offering, we will no longer offer Apple Pay Later in the US.”

Apple also noted its decision to kill off the service on a support page posted Monday, confirming that “Apple Pay Later is no longer offering new loans.” Apple specified that all “existing Apple Pay Later loans and purchases are not affected,” and loans can continue to be managed through users’ wallets.

One of the biggest challenges for BNPL customers is often seeking a refund for returned purchases, but Apple has assured Apple Pay Later customers that the refund process has not changed for any existing purchases. Customers can contact Apple Support if they have “trouble with a refund,” Apple’s support page said.

Apple announced its new installment loan program at its recent annual developer event, confirming that it had partnered with banks, including Citi in the US, to provide short-term loans as a payment option in its upcoming iOS 18 operating system due out before the end of 2024. Apple’s spokesperson told 9to5Mac that unlike Apple Pay Later, which was only available in the US, installment loans will be an option offered in more countries.

“Our focus continues to be on providing our users with access to easy, secure, and private payment options with Apple Pay, and this solution will enable us to bring flexible payments to more users, in more places across the globe, in collaboration with Apple Pay enabled banks and lenders,” Apple’s spokesperson said.

In a blog post, Apple described new features “available for any Apple Pay-enabled bank or issuer to integrate in supported markets.” These features allow users to “view and redeem rewards, and access installment loan offerings from eligible credit or debit cards, when making a purchase online or in-app with iPhone and iPad,” the blog said. For users in the US, Apple will soon make it easy to “apply for loans directly through Affirm when they check out with Apple Pay.”

A brief history of short-lived Apple Pay Later

The iPhone maker rolled out Apple Pay Later in March 2023, just after BNPL services fell under scrutiny by regulators globally, The Verge reported in 2022. Early studies found that “BNPL users are twice as likely to overdraft” and estimated that 43 percent of younger BNPL users have missed a payment.

A fear quickly arose that Apple Pay Later might “normalize” reliance on BNPL lending for frivolous large purchases that customers might then struggle to repay, The Verge reported. BNPL had already become hugely popular with Gen Z shoppers eager to purchase the latest TikTok fashions they may not otherwise be able to afford, The Verge noted.

In 2021, the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) launched an inquiry into BNPL, flagging emerging potential consumer risks in 2022. Those included privacy risks from data harvesting and excessive debt accumulation from frequently reported borrower overextension.

However, despite emerging concerns about BNPL, Apple Pay Later was immediately popular, according to a JD Power survey of 8,000 consumers. In the first three months that the service was available, nearly one-fifth of BNPL customers used Apple Pay Later. With its BNPL offering, Apple attracted new customers who were interested in trying a new BNPL service from a trusted brand, JD Power reported, posing an immediate threat to BNPL services offered by “traditional payments juggernauts” like PayPal.

At that time, Apple was well-positioned to provide short-term loans, JD Power reported, finding that the “average Apple Pay Later user tended to be more financially healthy than most other BNPL customers, potentially giving it a more sustainable user base than its competitors.”

Apple abruptly abandons “buy now, pay later” service amid regulatory scrutiny Read More »

after-a-few-years-of-embracing-thickness,-apple-reportedly-plans-thinner-devices

After a few years of embracing thickness, Apple reportedly plans thinner devices

Apple, apple watch, IPhone, MacBook Pro, Tech / /

return to form —

Thinness is good, as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of other things.

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Apple bragged about the thinness of the M4 iPad Pro; it's apparently a template for the company's designs going forward.

Enlarge / Apple bragged about the thinness of the M4 iPad Pro; it’s apparently a template for the company’s designs going forward.

Apple

Though Apple has a reputation for prioritizing thinness in its hardware designs, the company has actually spent the last few years learning to embrace a little extra size and/or weight in its hardware. The Apple Silicon MacBook Pro designs are both thicker and heavier than the Intel-era MacBook Pros they replaced. The MacBook Air gave up its distinctive taper. Even the iPhone 15 Pro was a shade thicker than its predecessor.

But Apple is apparently planning to return to emphasizing thinness in its devices, according to reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (in a piece that is otherwise mostly about Apple’s phased rollout of the AI-powered features it announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference last week).

Gurman’s sources say that Apple is planning “a significantly skinnier iPhone in time for the iPhone 17 line in 2025,” which presumably means that we can expect the iPhone 16 to continue in the same vein as current iPhone 15 models. The Apple Watch and MacBook Pro are also apparently on the list of devices Apple is trying to make thinner.

Apple previewed this strategy with the introduction of the M4 iPad Pro a couple of months ago, which looked a lot like the previous-generation iPad Pro design but was a few hundredths of an inch thinner and (especially for the 13-inch model) noticeably lighter than before. Gurman says the new iPad Pro is “the beginning of a new class of Apple devices that should be the thinnest and lightest products in their categories across the whole tech industry.”

Thin-first design isn’t an inherently good or bad thing, but the issue in Apple’s case is that it has occasionally come at the expense of other more desirable features. A thinner device has less room for cooling hardware like fans and heatsinks, less room for batteries, and less room to fit ports.

The late-2010s-era MacBook Pro and Air redesigns were probably the nadir of this thin-first design, switching to all-Thunderbolt ports and a stiff-feeling butterfly switch keyboard design that also ended up being so breakage-prone that it spawned a long-running Apple repair program and a class-action lawsuit that the company settled. The 2020 and 2021 MacBooks reversed course on both decisions, reverting to a more traditional scissor-switch keyboard and restoring larger ports like MagSafe and HDMI.

Hopefully, Apple has learned the lessons of the last decade or so and is planning not to give up features people like just so it can craft thinner hardware. The new iPad Pros are a reason for optimism—they don’t really give up anything relative to older iPad models while still improving performance and screen quality. But iPad hardware is inherently more minimalist than the Mac and is less space-constrained than an iPhone or an Apple Watch. Here’s hoping Apple has figured out how to make a thinner, lighter Mac without giving up ports or keyboard quality or a thinner, lighter iPhone or Apple Watch without hurting battery life.

After a few years of embracing thickness, Apple reportedly plans thinner devices Read More »

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Apple punishes women for same behaviors that get men promoted, lawsuit says

Apple, discrimination, equal employment, gender pay gap, pay discrimination, Policy / /
Apple punishes women for same behaviors that get men promoted, lawsuit says

Apple has spent years “intentionally, knowingly, and deliberately paying women less than men for substantially similar work,” a proposed class action lawsuit filed in California on Thursday alleged.

A victory for women suing could mean that more than 12,000 current and former female employees in California could collectively claw back potentially millions in lost wages from an apparently ever-widening wage gap allegedly perpetuated by Apple policies.

The lawsuit was filed by two employees who have each been with Apple for more than a decade, Justina Jong and Amina Salgado. They claimed that Apple violated California employment laws between 2020 and 2024 by unfairly discriminating against California-based female employees in Apple’s engineering, marketing, and AppleCare divisions and “systematically” paying women “lower compensation than men with similar education and experience.”

Apple allegedly has displayed an ongoing bias toward male employees, offering them higher starting salaries and promoting them for the “same behaviors” that female employees allegedly were punished for.

Jong, currently a customer/technical training instructor on Apple’s global developer relations/app review team, said that she only became aware of a stark pay disparity by chance.

“One day, I saw a W-2 left on the office printer,” Jong said. “It belonged to my male colleague, who has the same job position. I noticed that he was being paid almost $10,000 more than me, even though we performed substantially similar work. This revelation made me feel terrible.”

But Salgado had long been aware of the problem. Salgado, currently on a temporary assignment as a development manager in the AppleCare division, spent years complaining about her lower wages, prompting Apple internal investigations that never led to salary increases.

Finally, late last year, Salgado’s insistence on fair pay was resolved after Apple hired a third-party firm that concluded she was “paid less than men performing substantially similar work.” Apple subsequently increased her pay rate but dodged responsibility for back pay that Salgado now seeks to recover.

Eve Cervantez, a lawyer for women suing, said in a press release shared with Ars that these women were put in “a no-win situation.”

“Once women are hired into a lower pay range at Apple, subsequent pay raises or any bonuses are tracked accordingly, meaning they don’t correct the gender pay gap,” Cervantez said. “Instead, they perpetuate and widen the gap because raises and bonuses are based on a percentage of the employee’s base salary.”

Apple did not immediately respond to Ars’ request to comment.

Apple punishes women for same behaviors that get men promoted, lawsuit says Read More »

apple-set-to-be-first-big-tech-group-to-face-charges-under-eu-digital-law

Apple set to be first Big Tech group to face charges under EU digital law

Apple, European Union, Policy, syndication / /

non-compliance —

Brussels to announce iPhone maker is failing to open up its App Store to competition.

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App Store icon on an iPhone screen

Getty Images | NurPhoto

Brussels is set to charge Apple over allegedly stifling competition on its mobile app store, the first time EU regulators have used new digital rules to target a Big Tech group.

The European Commission has determined that the iPhone maker is not complying with obligations to allow app developers to “steer” users to offers outside its App Store without imposing fees on them, according to three people with close knowledge of its investigation.

The charges would be the first brought against a tech company under the Digital Markets Act, landmark legislation designed to force powerful “online gatekeepers” to open up their businesses to competition in the EU.

The commission, the EU’s executive arm, said in March it was investigating Apple, as well as Alphabet and Meta, under powers granted by the DMA. An announcement over the charges against Apple was expected in the coming weeks, said two people with knowledge of the case.

These people said regulators have only made preliminary findings, and Apple could still take actions to correct its practices, which could then lead regulators to reassess any final decision. They added the timing of any announcement could also shift.

The EU could also decide to announce charges against other tech groups, with regulators still investigating whether Google parent Alphabet is favoring its own app store and Facebook owner Meta’s use of personal data for advertising.

If found to be breaking the DMA, Apple faces daily penalties for non-compliance of up to 5 percent of its average daily worldwide turnover, which is currently just over $1 billion.

The move comes as competition watchdogs around the world increase their scrutiny of Big Tech companies and their market dominance. In March, the US brought an antitrust case against Apple for allegedly using its power in the smartphone sector to squash rivals and limit consumer choice.

Epic Games, which sued Apple over the App Store in 2020, is also awaiting a decision from a California federal judge on whether Apple failed to comply with a US injunction prohibiting its steering rules, following a series of court hearings over recent weeks.

In January, Apple announced historic changes to its iOS mobile software, App Store, and Safari browser in the EU.

The changes were an effort to placate regulators in Brussels and meant Apple would allow users to access rival app stores and download apps from other sources. The changes also included slashing the fee paid by companies using the App Store to sell digital goods and services from 30 percent to 17 percent.

However, the EU is also looking at whether these fee changes properly adhere to its new digital rules. Apple introduced new charges in Europe, including a “core technology fee” of 50 cents on developers with apps that have more than 1 million users for every first installment by a user. Apple will also charge an additional 3 percent fee to app developers that use its payment processor.

Some developers have argued they could face higher charges as a result of the fee changes. The EU could also announce initial charges over these developer fees, people familiar with the commission’s thinking said.

According to analysis by Sensor Tower, consumer spending on Apple’s App Store throughout the second quarter of 2024 was “relatively flat,” suggesting the EU rules have yet to affect the company’s bottom line.

Apple declined to comment but pointed to an earlier statement that said: “We’re confident our plan complies with the DMA, and we’ll continue to constructively engage with the European Commission as they conduct their investigations.”

The EU declined to comment.

© 2024 The Financial Times Ltd. All rights reserved. Please do not copy and paste FT articles and redistribute by email or post to the web.

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report:-apple-isn’t-paying-openai-for-chatgpt-integration-into-oses

Report: Apple isn’t paying OpenAI for ChatGPT integration into OSes

AI, AI assitants, Apple, apple intelligence, Biz & IT, chatgpt, chatgtp, GPT-4, iOS, ios 18, iPadOS, iPadOS 18, IPhone, large language models, machine learning, macOS, macos sequoia, openai, sam altman / /

in the pocket —

Apple thinks pushing OpenAI’s brand to hundreds of millions is worth more than money.

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The OpenAI and Apple logos together.

OpenAI / Apple / Benj Edwards

On Monday, Apple announced it would be integrating OpenAI’s ChatGPT AI assistant into upcoming versions of its iPhone, iPad, and Mac operating systems. It paves the way for future third-party AI model integrations, but given Google’s multi-billion-dollar deal with Apple for preferential web search, the OpenAI announcement inspired speculation about who is paying whom. According to a Bloomberg report published Wednesday, Apple considers ChatGPT’s placement on its devices as compensation enough.

“Apple isn’t paying OpenAI as part of the partnership,” writes Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, citing people familiar with the matter who wish to remain anonymous. “Instead, Apple believes pushing OpenAI’s brand and technology to hundreds of millions of its devices is of equal or greater value than monetary payments.”

The Bloomberg report states that neither company expects the agreement to generate meaningful revenue in the short term, and in fact, the partnership could burn extra money for OpenAI, because it pays Microsoft to host ChatGPT’s capabilities on its Azure cloud. However, OpenAI could benefit by converting free users to paid subscriptions, and Apple potentially benefits by providing easy, built-in access to ChatGPT during a time when its own in-house LLMs are still catching up.

And there’s another angle at play. Currently, OpenAI offers subscriptions (ChatGPT Plus, Enterprise, Team) that unlock additional features. If users subscribe to OpenAI through the ChatGPT app on an Apple device, the process will reportedly use Apple’s payment platform, which may give Apple a significant cut of the revenue. According to the report, Apple hopes to negotiate additional revenue-sharing deals with AI vendors in the future.

Why OpenAI

The rise of ChatGPT in the public eye over the past 18 months has made OpenAI a power player in the tech industry, allowing it to strike deals with publishers for AI training content—and ensure continued support from Microsoft in the form of investments that trade vital funding and compute for access to OpenAI’s large language model (LLM) technology like GPT-4.

Still, Apple’s choice of ChatGPT as Apple’s first external AI integration has led to widespread misunderstanding, especially since Apple buried the lede about its own in-house LLM technology that powers its new “Apple Intelligence” platform.

On Apple’s part, CEO Tim Cook told The Washington Post that it chose OpenAI as its first third-party AI partner because he thinks the company controls the leading LLM technology at the moment: “I think they’re a pioneer in the area, and today they have the best model,” he said. “We’re integrating with other people as well. But they’re first, and I think today it’s because they’re best.”

Apple’s choice also brings risk. OpenAI’s record isn’t spotless, racking up a string of public controversies over the past month that include an accusation from actress Scarlett Johansson that the company intentionally imitated her voice, resignations from a key scientist and safety personnel, the revelation of a restrictive NDA for ex-employees that prevented public criticism, and accusations against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman of “psychological abuse” related by a former member of the OpenAI board.

Meanwhile, critics of privacy issues related to gathering data for training AI models—including OpenAI foe Elon Musk, who took to X on Monday to spread misconceptions about how the ChatGPT integration might work—also worried that the Apple-OpenAI deal might expose personal data to the AI company, although both companies strongly deny that will be the case.

Looking ahead, Apple’s deal with OpenAI is not exclusive, and the company is already in talks to offer Google’s Gemini chatbot as an additional option later this year. Apple has also reportedly held talks with Anthropic (maker of Claude 3) as a potential chatbot partner, signaling its intention to provide users with a range of AI services, much like how the company offers various search engine options in Safari.

Report: Apple isn’t paying OpenAI for ChatGPT integration into OSes Read More »

my-favorite-macos-sequoia-feature-so-far-might-be-the-old-timey-mac-wallpaper

My favorite macOS Sequoia feature so far might be the old-timey Mac wallpaper

Apple, Mac OS, macOS, macOS 15, macos 15 sequoia, macos sequoia, Sequoia, Tech / /

classic —

Combo wallpaper-screen saver is a walk down memory lane for classic Mac users.

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The classic Mac OS wallpaper in macOS 15 Sequoia mimics the monochrome user interfaces used in System 1 through 6.

Enlarge / The classic Mac OS wallpaper in macOS 15 Sequoia mimics the monochrome user interfaces used in System 1 through 6.

Apple

I’m still in the very early stages of poking at macOS 15 Sequoia ahead of our customary review later this fall, and there are quite a few things that aren’t working in this first developer beta. Some of those, like the AI features, aren’t working on purpose; I am sure some of the iCloud sync issues I’m having are broken by accident.

I’ve already encountered a few functional upgrades I like, like iCloud support inside of virtual machines, automated window snapping (at long last), and a redesigned AirDrop interface in the Finder. But so far the change that I like the most is actually a new combo wallpaper and screen saver that’s done in the style of Apple’s Mac operating system circa the original monochrome Mac from 1984. It’s probably the best retro Mac Easter egg since Clarus the Dogcow showed up in a print preview menu a couple of years ago.

The Macintosh wallpaper and screen saver—it uses the animated/dynamic wallpaper feature that Apple introduced in Sonoma last year—cycles through enlarged, pixelated versions of classic Mac apps, icons, and menus, a faithful replica of the first version of the Mac interface. Though they’re always monochrome, the default settings will cycle through multiple background colors that match the ones that Apple uses for accent colors.

If you’re too young to be familiar (or if you were using MS-DOS in the mid-’80s instead of a Mac), this Mac theme hearkens back to the days before Mac OS (then Mac OS X, then OS X, then macOS) was called Mac OS. The first seven versions of the software were simply called System or System Software, all the way up through 1991’s System 7. The Mac OS name didn’t appear until the System 7.5.1 update in 1995, and the name was formally changed in the 7.6 update in 1997 (OS updates were obviously released at a more leisurely pace back then).

If you want to poke at a live, interactive version of the monochrome System Software, developer Mihai Parparita’s Infinite Mac project hosts classic System, Mac OS, and NeXTStep versions that will all run in a browser window using ports of various emulators.

My only complaint is that now I want more of these screen savers. As a millennial, my exposure to Systems 1 through 6 was fairly minimal, but I’d definitely take a color version of the screen saver modeled on Mac OS 9, or an early Mac OS X version with shiny candy-colored Aqua-themed buttons and scroll bars.

My favorite macOS Sequoia feature so far might be the old-timey Mac wallpaper Read More »

apple-quietly-improves-mac-virtualization-in-macos-15-sequoia

Apple quietly improves Mac virtualization in macOS 15 Sequoia

Apple, Mac, macOS, macOS 15, macos 15 sequoia, macos sequoia, Sequoia, Tech, virtualization / /

virtual realities —

It only works for macOS 15 guests on macOS 15 hosts, but it’s a big improvement.

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Macs running a preview build of macOS 15 Sequoia.

Enlarge / Macs running a preview build of macOS 15 Sequoia.

Apple

We’ve written before about Apple’s handy virtualization framework in recent versions of macOS, which allows users of Apple Silicon Macs with sufficient RAM to easily set up macOS and Linux virtual machines using a number of lightweight third-party apps. This is useful for anyone who needs to test software in multiple macOS versions but doesn’t own a fleet of Mac hardware or multiple boot partitions. (Intel Macs support the virtualization framework, too, but only for Linux VMs, making it less useful.)

But up until now, you haven’t been able to sign into iCloud using macOS on a VM. This made the feature less useful for developers or users hoping to test iCloud features in macOS, or whose apps rely on some kind of syncing with iCloud, or people who just wanted easy access to their iCloud data from within a VM.

This limitation is going away in macOS 15 Sequoia, according to developer documentation that Apple released yesterday. As long as your host operating system is macOS 15 or newer and your guest operating system is macOS 15 or newer, VMs will now be able to sign into and use iCloud and other Apple ID-related services just as they would when running directly on the hardware.

This is still limiting for developers, who might want to run an older version of macOS on their hardware while still testing macOS 15 in a VM, or those who want to do the reverse so that they can more easily support multiple versions of macOS with their apps. It also doesn’t apply to VMs that are upgraded from an older version of macOS to Sequoia—it has to be a brand-new VM created from a macOS 15 install image. But it’s a welcome change, and it will steadily get more useful as Apple releases more macOS versions in the future that can take advantage of it.

“When you create a VM in macOS 15 from a macOS 15 software image… Virtualization configures an identity for the VM that it derives from security information in the host’s Secure Enclave,” Apple’s documentation reads. “Just as individual physical devices have distinct identities based on their Secure Enclaves, this identity is distinct from other VMs.”

If you move that VM from one host to another, a new distinct identity will be created, and your iCloud account will presumably be logged out. This is the same thing that happens if you backup a copy of one Mac’s disk and restore it to another Mac. A new identity will also be created if a second copy of a VM is launched on the same machine.

Mac users hoping to virtualize the Arm version of Windows 10 or 11 will still need to look to third-party products for help. Both Parallels and VMware offer virtualization products that are officially blessed by Microsoft as a way to run Windows on Apple Silicon Macs, and Broadcom recently made VMware Fusion free for individuals.

Apple quietly improves Mac virtualization in macOS 15 Sequoia Read More »

apple-and-openai-currently-have-the-most-misunderstood-partnership-in-tech

Apple and OpenAI currently have the most misunderstood partnership in tech

AI, Apple, apple intelligence, Biz & IT, chatgtp, elon musk, Google, GPT-4, IPhone, large language models, machine learning, openai, Siri, tim cook, wwdc, WWDC 2024 / /
A man talks into a smartphone.

Enlarge / He isn’t using an iPhone, but some people talk to Siri like this.

On Monday, Apple premiered “Apple Intelligence” during a wide-ranging presentation at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California. However, the heart of its new tech, an array of Apple-developed AI models, was overshadowed by the announcement of ChatGPT integration into its device operating systems.

Since rumors of the partnership first emerged, we’ve seen confusion on social media about why Apple didn’t develop a cutting-edge GPT-4-like chatbot internally. Despite Apple’s year-long development of its own large language models (LLMs), many perceived the integration of ChatGPT (and opening the door for others, like Google Gemini) as a sign of Apple’s lack of innovation.

“This is really strange. Surely Apple could train a very good competing LLM if they wanted? They’ve had a year,” wrote AI developer Benjamin De Kraker on X. Elon Musk has also been grumbling about the OpenAI deal—and spreading misinformation about it—saying things like, “It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy!”

While Apple has developed many technologies internally, it has also never been shy about integrating outside tech when necessary in various ways, from acquisitions to built-in clients—in fact, Siri was initially developed by an outside company. But by making a deal with a company like OpenAI, which has been the source of a string of tech controversies recently, it’s understandable that some people don’t understand why Apple made the call—and what it might entail for the privacy of their on-device data.

“Our customers want something with world knowledge some of the time”

While Apple Intelligence largely utilizes its own Apple-developed LLMs, Apple also realized that there may be times when some users want to use what the company considers the current “best” existing LLM—OpenAI’s GPT-4 family. In an interview with The Washington Post, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained the decision to integrate OpenAI first:

“I think they’re a pioneer in the area, and today they have the best model,” he said. “And I think our customers want something with world knowledge some of the time. So we considered everything and everyone. And obviously we’re not stuck on one person forever or something. We’re integrating with other people as well. But they’re first, and I think today it’s because they’re best.”

The proposed benefit of Apple integrating ChatGPT into various experiences within iOS, iPadOS, and macOS is that it allows AI users to access ChatGPT’s capabilities without the need to switch between different apps—either through the Siri interface or through Apple’s integrated “Writing Tools.” Users will also have the option to connect their paid ChatGPT account to access extra features.

As an answer to privacy concerns, Apple says that before any data is sent to ChatGPT, the OS asks for the user’s permission, and the entire ChatGPT experience is optional. According to Apple, requests are not stored by OpenAI, and users’ IP addresses are hidden. Apparently, communication with OpenAI servers happens through API calls similar to using the ChatGPT app on iOS, and there is reportedly no deeper OS integration that might expose user data to OpenAI without the user’s permission.

We can only take Apple’s word for it at the moment, of course, and solid details about Apple’s AI privacy efforts will emerge once security experts get their hands on the new features later this year.

Apple’s history of tech integration

So you’ve seen why Apple chose OpenAI. But why look to outside companies for tech? In some ways, Apple building an external LLM client into its operating systems isn’t too different from what it has previously done with streaming video (the YouTube app on the original iPhone), Internet search (Google search integration), and social media (integrated Twitter and Facebook sharing).

The press has positioned Apple’s recent AI moves as Apple “catching up” with competitors like Google and Microsoft in terms of chatbots and generative AI. But playing it slow and cool has long been part of Apple’s M.O.—not necessarily introducing the bleeding edge of technology but improving existing tech through refinement and giving it a better user interface.

Apple and OpenAI currently have the most misunderstood partnership in tech Read More »

apple’s-ai-promise:-“your-data-is-never-stored-or-made-accessible-by-apple”

Apple’s AI promise: “Your data is never stored or made accessible by Apple”

AI, Apple, privacy, Security / /

…and throw away the key —

And publicly reviewable server code means experts can “verify this privacy promise.”

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Apple Senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi announces

Enlarge / Apple Senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi announces “Private Cloud Compute” at WWDC 2024.

Apple

With most large language models being run on remote, cloud-based server farms, some users have been reluctant to share personally identifiable and/or private data with AI companies. In its WWDC keynote today, Apple stressed that the new “Apple Intelligence” system it’s integrating into its products will use a new “Private Cloud Compute” to ensure any data processed on its cloud servers is protected in a transparent and verifiable way.

“You should not have to hand over all the details of your life to be warehoused and analyzed in someone’s AI cloud,” Apple Senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said.

Trust, but verify

Part of what Apple calls “a brand new standard for privacy and AI” is achieved through on-device processing. Federighi said “many” of Apple’s generative AI models can run entirely on a device powered by an A17+ or M-series chips, eliminating the risk of sending your personal data to a remote server.

When a bigger, cloud-based model is needed to fulfill a generative AI request, though, Federighi stressed that it will “run on servers we’ve created especially using Apple silicon,” which allows for the use of security tools built into the Swift programming language. The Apple Intelligence system “sends only the data that’s relevant to completing your task” to those servers, Federighi said, rather than giving blanket access to the entirety of the contextual information the device has access to.

And Apple says that minimized data is not going to be saved for future server access or used to further train Apple’s server-based models, either. “Your data is never stored or made accessible by Apple,” Federighi said. “It’s used exclusively to fill your request.”

But you don’t just have to trust Apple on this score, Federighi claimed. That’s because the server code used by Private Cloud Compute will be publicly accessible, meaning that “independent experts can inspect the code that runs on these servers to verify this privacy promise.” The entire system has been set up cryptographically so that Apple devices “will refuse to talk to a server unless its software has been publicly logged for inspection.”

While the keynote speech was light on details for the moment, the focus on privacy during the presentation shows that Apple is at least prioritizing security concerns in its messaging as it wades into the generative AI space for the first time. We’ll see what security experts have to say when these servers and their code are made publicly available in the near future.

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macOS 15 Sequoia still supports Intel Macs, but cuts the 2018 MacBook Air

Apple, Tech / /

Intel Macs hold on —

With one major exception, Sequoia will run on everything that can run Sonoma.

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A grab bag of new features in macOS 15 Sequoia.

Enlarge / A grab bag of new features in macOS 15 Sequoia.

Apple

Most owners of aging Intel Macs got a bit of a reprieve today when Apple announced macOS 15 Sequoia—this new macOS release will run on the vast majority of the hardware that can currently run macOS 14 Sonoma. Intel Macs released between December of 2017 and 2020 are mostly eligible for the new update, though newer models with Apple Silicon chips will be needed to support some of the new features.

Apple’s full support list for Sequoia is as follows:

The support list for macOS 15 Sequoia.

Enlarge / The support list for macOS 15 Sequoia.

Apple

Generally, all of these Macs include Apple’s T2 chip, a co-processor installed in late-model Intel Macs that bridged the gap between the Intel and Apple Silicon eras. There are two exceptions: The biggest is the 2018 MacBook Air, which did come with an Apple T2 but also shipped with a weak dual-core processor and integrated GPU that Apple has apparently decided aren’t up to the task of handling Sequoia. The other is the 2019 iMac, which for whatever reason shipped without a T2. Apple says that the iPhone mirroring feature does require the T2 chip, so it presumably won’t work on the 2019 iMac.

The Apple Intelligence AI features will all require an Apple Silicon Mac—it will run on anything with an M1 chip or newer. Live audio transcription in the Notes app will also require an Apple Silicon chip.

Apple hasn’t said exactly when it plans to stop releasing new macOS updates for Intel Macs, but based on its current pace, Sequoia could be the end of the line. Whatever Apple decides to do next year, Intel Macs without an Apple T2 are definitively in the company’s rear-view mirror.

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iPadOS 18 adds machine-learning wizardry with handwriting, math features

Apple, ipad, iPadOS, iPadOS 18, Tech, WWDC 2024 / /

WWDC 2024 —

Also coming: new SharePlay features and a new “tab bar” for first-party apps.

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  • The Calculator app is finally coming to iPad.

    Samuel Axon

  • You’ll be able to write out expressions with the Apple Pencil and see them solved in real time.

    Samuel Axon

CUPERTINO, Calif.—After going into detail about iOS 18, Apple took a few moments in its WWDC 2024 keynote to walk through some changes.

There are a few minor UI changes and new features across Apple’s first party apps. That includes a new floating tab bar. The bar expands into the side bar when you want to dig in, and you can customize the tab bar to include the specific things you want to interact with the most. Additionally, SharePlay allows easier screen sharing and remote control of another person’s iPad.

But the big news is that the Calculator app we’ve all used on the iPhone to the iPad, after years of the iPad having no first-party calculator app at all. The iPad Calculator app can do some things the iPhone version can’t do with the Apple Pencil; a feature called Math Notes can write out expressions like you would on a piece of paper, and the app will solve the expressions live as you scribble them—plus various other cool live-updating math features. (These new Math Notes features work in the Notes app, too.)

Apple didn’t use the word AI here, but this is surely driven by machine learning in some way. Doubly so for a new handwriting feature called Smart Script, which refines and improves your handwriting as you go, tweaking letters to make them more legible when you’re writing very quickly to take notes. It uses machine learning to analyze your handwriting, so these adjustments are meant to match your normal script. That means you can scribble as quickly and recklessly as you want during a conference or a day of classes, but ostensibly, it will be legible at the end of the day.

Not everyone’s a big Pencil user—for some of us, handwriting long ago took a back seat to typing—but Apple is aggressively selling these kinds of flashy features for those who want that experience.

The release date for iPadOS 18 hasn’t been announced yet, but it will likely arrive in September or October alongside iOS 18 and the new iPhone models that will probably be announced then.

Listing image by Samuel Axon

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