Joe Rossignol
Joe joined MacRumors in January 2015, and is now a Senior Reporter. Based out of Stoney Creek, Canada, he has been writing about Apple since 2008, with a focus on breaking news coverage.
Joe Rossignol's Articles

Apple Has Just a Few Weeks Left to Launch CarPlay 2 in 2024 as Planned
Apple's website continues to state that the first vehicle models with support for next-generation CarPlay will "arrive in 2024," but with less than three weeks remaining in the year, time is running short for the company to meet that objective.
One reason to remain optimistic is that a similar situation played out last year. Apple said the first vehicles with next-generation CarPlay would be ...
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New Mac Pro and an 'Extreme' Chip: Here's What the Latest Rumors Say
Apple last updated the Mac Pro with the M2 Ultra chip in June 2023. Below, we outline when to expect the high-end desktop tower to be updated next.
In short, the latest rumors about the Mac Pro indicate the computer will be updated with an as-yet-unannounced M4 Ultra chip in the second half of 2025.
Mac Pro: Timing
When was the current model released? June 2023
When is a new model...

Apple Expands iPhone Driver's License Feature to 10th Location
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. As noted by one of our readers Jack, the feature also launched in Puerto Rico this week.
Below, we outline which U.S. states and...

AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid and Hearing Test Features Approved to Launch in Canada
Health Canada on Wednesday issued Apple licenses for the hearing aid and hearing test features available on the AirPods Pro 2. Apple is now permitted to launch these features in Canada, and that will likely happen in the coming months.
With the clinical-grade hearing aid feature, AirPods Pro 2 can amplify the sound around you. The feature is intended for adults with perceived mild to...

iOS 18.2 is Out and Lets You Create Your Own Emoji
One of the new Apple Intelligence features introduced with iOS 18.2 is Genmoji, which lets you quickly create your own custom emoji.
AI-generated emoji can be created with text prompts like "smiley relaxing wearing cucumbers" or "t-rex wearing a tutu on a surfboard."
"Make a brand-new Genmoji right in the keyboard to match any conversation," said Apple. "Provide a description to see a...

Apple Intelligence Officially Launching Today in the UK, Canada, and Four More Countries
Apple Intelligence is officially launching outside of the U.S. for the first time today, as a result of the features gaining expanded language support.
Apple recently announced that iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 will be released today, following more than six weeks of beta testing. These software updates make Apple Intelligence available in localized English spoken in Canada, ...

'M4 Extreme' Chip Unlikely After Apple 'Cancels' High-Performance Chip [Updated]
Apple this "past summer" canceled the development of a high-performance Mac chip that would have consisted of four smaller chips stitched together, in order to free up engineering resources for a planned AI server chip, according to The Information.
Based on the report's description of the chip, it sounds like Apple has canceled a previously-rumored "Extreme" chip for the Mac. It was...

Apple Intelligence Servers Expected to Get All-New, Turbocharged Chip
Apple Intelligence servers are currently powered by the M2 Ultra chip, and they are expected to start using M4 series chips next year. In an eventual move away from Mac chips for server use, The Information today reported that Apple is developing a new server chip that will offer even faster performance for AI features.
The report said the new chip contains "many duplicates" of Apple's...

Apple Reveals iPhone App of the Year and More 2024 App Store Awards
Apple today revealed its 2024 App Store Award winners, including pro video camera app Kino, which was named iPhone App of the Year.
There were 45 finalists across 12 categories, and 17 winners were ultimately selected. Apple said the awards recognize developers who delivered the "highest levels of user experience, design, and innovation" on the App Store this year.
"We are thrilled to...

Apple Announces iOS 18.2 Launching Today With These New Features
Apple has announced that iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 will be released today following more than six weeks of beta testing.
For the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, the update introduces additional Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji for creating custom emoji, Image Playground and Image Wand for generating images, and ChatGPT integration for Siri. There is also ...

iCloud+ Storage Prices Increased in 10 Countries This Year
Over the past several months, Apple has raised its prices for some or all iCloud+ storage plans in 10 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania, and the Philippines. The updated prices for each of these countries are listed in a support document on Apple's website.
In Japan, for example, prices have increased by around 15%.
...

MacBook Pros With OLED Displays Won't Have a Notch, Roadmap Shows
Apple plans to remove the notch from the MacBook Pro in a few years from now, according to a roadmap shared by research firm Omdia.
The roadmap shows that 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released in 2026 will have a hole-punch camera at the top of the display, instead of a notch. It is unclear if there would simply be a pinhole in the display, or if Apple would expand the iPhone's...

Apple Store Coming to Saudi Arabia Both Online and In Person
Apple today announced that its online store will launch in Saudi Arabia in summer 2025. The online store will allow customers in the country to order Apple's full range of products directly from the company for the first time.
Apple also said that it plans to open several flagship retail stores in Saudi Arabia starting in 2026. One of the stores will be in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage...

Apple's Second 5G Modem for iPhone 18 Pro and iPad Pro Expected to Support mmWave
As we wrote about earlier today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects Apple's first 5G modem to debut in a new iPhone SE, an ultra-thin iPhone 17, and low-end iPads in 2025. Towards the end of the report, he also outlined Apple's modem plans for devices launching in 2026 and 2027, and we have summarized that information below.
According to Gurman, Apple's second-generation 5G modem will debut in...

Apple's 5G Modem Expected to Debut in iPhone SE 4, iPhone 17 Air, and Low-End iPads Next Year
Following more than five years of development, Apple's long-rumored 5G modem will debut in the fourth-generation iPhone SE, the so-called iPhone 17 Air, and low-end iPads next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
A new iPhone SE, iPad Air, and entry-level iPad are expected to launch as early as March, while the iPhone 17 Air should be released in September.
In a detailed report...

Apple Defeats Lawsuit Related to iCloud's Measly 5GB of Free Storage
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit this week upheld a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit alleging that Apple illegally deceived customers into paying for iCloud storage, according to a court filing. The decision was reported by Law360.
The lawsuit alleged that Apple deceived customers into purchasing iCloud-enabled devices by misleading customers into believing that they can...

iOS 18.2 Expands AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Test Feature to Nine Countries
The upcoming iOS 18.2 update expands the hearing test feature on the AirPods Pro 2 to nine additional countries, including Cyprus, Czechia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, according to Apple. The feature first launched in the U.S. and select other countries in late October.
The five-minute test allows adults to identify if they...

Apple Card Savings Account's Lowered Rate Compared to Other Options
In the U.S., the Apple Card offers a high-yield savings account option, allowing you to earn far more interest on your money compared to the average bank's basic savings account. Following a rate cut this week, the account now has an APY of 3.9%. For example, if you deposited $1,000 into the account and maintained that balance for one year, you would earn $39 in interest over that period based on ...

Apple Again Rumored to Launch Smart Home Camera Alongside HomePod With Display
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today again said that Apple plans to release its own HomeKit-enabled wireless smart home camera in 2026.
Logitech Circle View camera
In a blog post about Apple's smart home plans, Kuo said the camera will have tight integration with the rumored HomePod with a display. It is likely that the camera would be sold as an optional accessory alongside the new...

Apple Podcasts Reveals 2024 Show of the Year
Apple today announced that the true crime podcast "Hysterical" by Dan Taberski has received an Apple Podcasts Award for 2024 Show of the Year.
Apple Podcasts Award
The podcast investigates a mysterious illness that spreads among a group of high school girls in upstate New York. The seven-part series debuted in July, and it reached the number-one spot in the Top Shows chart, according to...