2026-03-13 17:08:08
Apple has announced it is lowering App Store developer fees in China from March 15, with commission rates for standard in-app purchases (IAPs) set to change to 25%, down from 30%.
In an update on its Developer blog, Apple also said the commission rate for qualifying IAPs under the App Store Small Business Program and Mini Apps Partner Program (and auto-renewals of IAP subscriptions after the first year) will be 12%, down from the current 15%.
Apple said the changes are a result of "discussions with the Chinese regulator," indicating the move is to avoid regulatory intervention. A report last year revealed that China's antitrust watchdog, the State Administration for Market Regulation, was investigating Apple's app fees in the region.
A similar change was recently made in Japan, where Apple lowered its commission to 21% on some third-party in-app payments, among other major changes, due to regulatory pressure.
In its update today, Apple said that signing the updated terms by March 15 is not required "to receive the benefit of these commission rate changes starting that date."
"We are committed to terms that remain fair and transparent to all developers, and to always offering competitive App Store rates to developers distributing apps in China that are no higher than overall rates in other markets," added Apple.
2026-03-13 06:41:39
Anthropic's Claude chatbot has been updated with support for inline visual content that will help it provide clearer answers.
2026-03-13 04:10:27
Apple's latest low-cost iPhone launched yesterday, and we picked up the iPhone 17e to see how it compares to the iPhone 16e that came before it, and how it measures up to the iPhone 17 lineup.
2026-03-13 02:00:09
Google today added Gemini AI to Google Maps, enabling a new Ask Maps feature. Gemini in maps can answer complex, real-world questions that Google says "a map could never answer before."
There is a new Ask Maps button where Google Maps users can get answers to specific questions like "is there a public tennis court with lights on that I can play at tonight?" Google says that finding information like that would have taken a lot of sifting through reviews in the past, but now Google Maps can provide an answer with a custom map.
The feature can be used for trip planning, and it is able to provide tailored responses based on prior searches or saved information in the app. Google Maps can build a trip itinerary using information from more than 300 million places, including reviews from the Google community.
Along with Ask Maps, Google also introduced Immersive Navigation, which Google says is the biggest update to driving in Google Maps in over a decade. There is a 3D view that displays buildings, overpasses, and terrain, and Google Maps will highlight important road details like lanes, crosswalks, traffic lights, and stop signs when providing directions.
Google says that the app will have a new spatial understanding of the route that it's providing, which is made possible with Gemini models. Gemini analyzes real-world imagery from Street View and aerial photos to provide new details.
The updated navigation provides a broader route view with more information about what's coming ahead, more details about tradeoffs with alternate routes, and route previews for planning parking and other actions.
Ask Maps is rolling out in the U.S. and India on iOS and Android, with the feature set to expand to the desktop version of Google Maps soon. Immersive Navigation is rolling out in the U.S. today, though not all users will see it at first. Google says availability will expand over the coming months to eligible iOS and Android devices, plus CarPlay and Android Auto.
2026-03-12 22:57:00
The iPhone 17e just joined the iPhone lineup. Apple continues to sell the iPhone 16 as an alternative low-cost option, and while the two devices share many core features, there are still more than 25 differences between them to be aware of.
Following the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup and the iPhone Air, Apple discontinued the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, and reduced the price of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus by $100.
The iPhone 17e and iPhone 16 now represent the two least expensive iPhone models available directly from Apple, with just $100 between them. To justify this price gap, the iPhone 17e misses out on features such as the Dynamic Island, an Ultra Wide camera, and several newer connectivity technologies. However, it still offers strong performance thanks to the newer A19 chip, the same main rear camera, and long battery life. Here's everything that's different:
| iPhone 17e (2026) | iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus (2024) |
|---|---|
| "Notch" | Dynamic Island |
| 6.1-inch display | 6.1- or 6.7-inch display |
| 800 nits max brightness (typical) | 1,000 nits max brightness (typical) |
| 1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR) | 1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR) |
| 2,000 nits peak brightness (outdoor) | |
| 1 nit minimum brightness | |
| Glass back | Color-infused glass back |
| Available in White, Black, and Soft Pink | Available in White, Black, Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink |
| Camera Control | |
| 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera | |
| 1x or 2x optical zoom options | 0.5x, 1x, or 2x optical zoom options |
| Optical image stabilization | Sensor-shift optical image stabilization |
| Photographic Styles | Latest-generation Photographic Styles |
| Macro photography | |
| Spatial photos and videos | |
| Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps) | |
| Action mode | |
| A19 chip (N3P) | A18 chip (N3E) |
| 4.26 GHz CPU clock speed | 4.04 GHz CPU clock speed |
| 68.2 GB/s memory bandwidth | 60 GB/s memory bandwidth |
| 4-core GPU with Neural Accelerators | 4-core GPU |
| Apple C1X modem | Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem |
| mmWave 5G connectivity | |
| Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 connectivity |
| Thread connectivity | |
| Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding | |
| 26-hour battery life | 22 or 27-hour battery life |
| 256GB or 512GB storage |
iPhone 16: 128GB
iPhone 16 Plus: 128GB or 256GB |
| Starts at $599 | Starts at $699 |
2026-03-12 22:15:33
Samsung introduced the newest line of Galaxy products last month, including the S26 smartphones and Galaxy Buds4. Today, you can find a few discounts on some of these products, plus savings on Samsung's most popular monitors and TVs, with notable markdowns on products like The Frame TVs.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
