🍎 Apple Intelligence will get support for 8 new languages in April

🇫🇷 French
🇩🇪 German
🇮🇹 Italian
🇵🇹 Portuguese
🇪🇸 Spanish
🇯🇵 Japanese
🇰🇷 Korean
🇨🇳 Simplified Chinese

ℹ️ An update coming in April, likely as part of iOS 18.4, will also bring localized English support for users in India and Singapore, said Tim Cook during the company's Q1 2025 earnings call. Apple Intelligence is currently limited to English-speaking regions including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa.

@iPhone

#AppleIntelligence #iOS

☁️ New iCloud feature codenamed 'Confetti' may to be launched soon

ℹ️ Last month, iOS 18.3 code references to a potential new "Invites" app were discovered. The report said the app would have iCloud integration and help users to organize meetings and other events.

📰 Now Mark Gurman reports that the new service will offer users a "new way to invite people to parties, functions, and meetings." He did not say if this functionality would be available through a new standalone app, or built into an existing app, such as Calendar.

For years, Apple has been seeking to revamp its calendar app – and this new initiative could be the beginning of a broader effort. The release is tied to iOS 18.3, which just started rolling out last Monday.

🤔 Gurman's information seems to corroborate previous findings, but there are still many unknown details. Apple's expected announcement should provide more clarity soon.

@iPhone

#apps #features

🕊 Swift Student Challenge has started accepting submissions

👨‍💻 As part of the contest, aspiring developers can win an invitation to WWDC25.

We’ll select 350 Swift Student Challenge winners whose submissions demonstrate excellence in innovation, creativity, social impact, or inclusivity. From this esteemed group, we’ll name 50 Distinguished Winners whose work is truly exceptional and invite them to join us at Apple in Cupertino for three incredible days. All winners will receive one year of membership in the Apple Developer Program, a special gift from Apple, and more.

⏳ Submissions are open through February 23, 2025. All details are here.

@iPhone

#AppleChallenges #AppleEvent

🔔 Apple has introduced a new Apple Invites app

👍 Now it is easier to share invitations, manage guest responses, and create shared photo albums and playlists on Apple Music.

🗺 Apple Invites integrates with Maps and Weather apps to provide guests with directions to the venue and weather forecast for the selected date.

🛠 The app is available for download in the App Store as well as through the iCloud web version. iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations and everyone can respond, regardless of having an Apple device.

🍎 With Apple Intelligence, users can create unique images for invitations using Image Playground, and use Writing Tools to find the perfect words for their event.

@iPhone

#apps

🏭 M5 Apple silicon chip enters mass production

📰 South Korean media claims that Apple Silicon M5 chips are in mass production, which makes a lot of sense considering that the first devices that will use them are expected ship before the end of 2025.

🔎 The M5 chip will feature a new advanced technology to improve the performance of apple artificial intelligence functions, as well as an updated 3nm (N3P) process, which will improve efficiency and performance by 5-10%.

📲 The first Apple device to get the chip this year will be the new iPad Pro, followed by the MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro 2.

ℹ️ The M5 chip is expected to retain about the same architecture as the M1 through M4 chips, with the GPU and CPU on the same die. However, M5 Pro chip, which will begin fabrication later in the spring, will also reportedly use TSMC's SoIC-MH layout process, an advanced method of vertically stacking semiconductors that will further improve heat control and performance.

@iPhone

#rumors #chips

↗️ Apple adjusted prices due to changes in tax regulations or foreign exchange rates in some countries

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan: value-added tax (VAT) introduction of 18%
🇵🇪 Peru: VAT introduction of 18%
🇸🇰 Slovakia: Standard VAT rate increase from 20% to 23% and reduced VAT rate introduction of 5% for ebooks
🇪🇪 Estonia: Reduced VAT rate increase from 5% to 9% for news publications, magazines, and other periodicals
🇫🇮 Finland: Reduced VAT rate increase from 10% to 14% for ebooks

🇯🇵 Japan: starting April 1, all paid apps and in-app purchases (including game items such as coins) sold by non-Japanese developers in Japan are taxed (JCT) at 10%

@iPhone

#AppStore

📰 Apple will announce the 4th generation iPhone SE on February 11

👂 According to a report from Mark Gurman, the device will be similar to the iPhone 14 with Face ID, but will have a single camera, a USB-C port, an Apple A18 chip and support for Apple Intelligence. It will be the first device with a modem by Apple.

The iPhone SE 4 is unlikely to get a dedicated launch event. Instead, it is expected to be announced through a press release on Apple’s website. The company is also slated to introduce a pair of new Beats earbuds called PowerBeats Pro 2 on February 11, and the iPhone SE refresh might be announced around the same time.

📱 Sales of the 3rd generation iPhone SE, iPhone 14/14 Plus are likely to be end everywhere (except Europe, where they've been out of stock since late December).

@iPhone

#iPhone #rumors

💡 Apple has developed a Pixar-inspired robotic lamp

🤖 The lamp is able to follow objects, follow commands given by voice or gesture, answer questions and even show emotions.

🦾 The development is part of the project of a new smart home with a display and a robotic arm, which will be released in 2026.

@iPhone

#Appleprojects #smarthome

iOS 18.4 Beta 1 coming 🔜

This week should be busy with the launch of:
・Apple's new Powerbeats
・iPhone SE 4
・the new 📱 beta on February 12 or February 13

🇺🇸 If Apple waits until the week after that, the software could come on February 18, as February 17 is Presidents' Day, a U.S. a holiday.

🗺 Rumors suggest that iOS 18.4 will bring major Apple Intelligence Siri changes: personal context, onscreen awareness, and the ability to do more in and between apps.

🇪🇺 The update will also likely bring new emoji characters, some changes to default app options in the European Union, and an expansion of ‌Apple Intelligence‌ to new languages and countries.

📆 Apple has already said that ‌Apple Intelligence‌ will expand to additional countries in an April update, so we are expecting iOS 18.4 to be in beta testing through March ahead of an April launch.

@iPhone

#iOS #iPhone #beats #rumors

🔴 Make sure to update

iOS 18.3.1 includes fix for actively exploited vulnerability.

🪲 The iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1 updates that Apple released yesterday include an important security fix, and it's important to install the new software as soon as possible because this bug was exploited all around.

📰 According to Apple's security support document for iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1, it addresses an accessibility vulnerability that could disable USB Restricted Mode on a locked device.

🕵️‍♂️ Exploiting this vulnerability requires physical access to a device, and Apple says that it was used against specific individuals.

Impact: A physical attack may disable USB Restricted Mode on a locked device. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals.

🔧 The vulnerability was fixed with improved state management, according to Apple. Note that Apple has also released iPadOS 17.7.5 with the same security fix for devices that are not able to run iPadOS 18.

@iPhone

#iOS #iPadOS #bugs