2025-12-17 20:24:37
Apple has made the battery replacement process easier for the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro, allowing users of its self-service repair program to replace just the battery, without removing other internal components.
Before now, manual battery replacement on what is currently Apple's only M5-powered MacBook Pro required swapping out several modules alongside the battery itself. However, the new process Apple has introduced only requires removing the bottom case and the battery management unit flex cable before accessing the battery.
Apple is now selling standalone battery modules through its Self Service Repair Store. Apart from the cost of the necessary repair tools, the replacement battery costs $209.25, and users can get a $22.50 credit by returning their old battery.
Apple has also published a detailed repair manual to guide users and independent repair shops through the procedure. The manual includes step-by-step instructions for safely removing the rear case, discharging the battery, removing the old battery's adhesive strips, and installing the replacement unit.
The change tackles a concern raised by iFixit in its October teardown of the M5 MacBook Pro, which found battery replacement to be one of the device's most challenging repairability aspects. That said, with 14 disassembly steps and 27 reassembly steps, it's probably still a job most users would rather leave to a professional.
Apple launched its self-service repair program in 2022, giving customers access to genuine parts, tools, and repair manuals for select iPhones, iPads, Macs, Studio Displays, and Beats Pill speakers. The company says the program is "intended for individuals who are experienced with the complexities of repairing electronic devices."
2025-12-17 19:18:00
Unlike some Android phones, iPhones don't have a dedicated notification LED that lights up when you get a call, text, or other alert. What iPhones do include is an optional Accessibility feature for the deaf and hard of hearing that blinks the rear camera flash and provides a visual cue for incoming notifications. And in iOS 26.2, Apple has added the ability to flash the front display, too.
Even if your hearing is fine, having a visual cue for incoming alerts can be handy to have if, say, you're in a quiet environment like a library and don't want to create a disturbance. What's more, in iOS 26.2, you can choose for both the display and the camera LED to flash. That way, you'll see the alert flash whichever way your iPhone is lying on a table.
2025-12-17 18:10:29
Apple is in talks with suppliers to manage iPhone chip assembly and packaging in India for the first time, reports The Economic Times.
"Exploratory conversations" are said to have taken place with semiconductor company CG Semi, which is constructing one of India's first outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) facilities in Sanand, Gujarat.
From the report, citing people with knowledge of the matter:
"The companies are in the very initial stages of discussion," one of them said. "It is not clear what chips will be packaged out of the Sanand facility at this stage, but it will likely be display chips."As the report mentions, Apple sources its iPhone display panels from the world's three leading OLED manufacturers: Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE. The display driver ICs used with these panels are supplied by companies such as Samsung, Novatek, Himax, and LX Semicon, which in turn rely mainly on chip fabrication and packaging facilities in South Korea, Taiwan, and China.
The person added that this may be the "beginning of an uphill climb" for CG Semi since if talks progress, it will have to pass Apple's stringent quality standards to clinch the deal. "Apple is already in talks with several companies for a number of other supply chain functions, and very few will end up on their supplier list," the person said.
2025-12-17 08:42:20
There has been a whirlwind of rumors over the last few days, sourced from leaked internal software designed for the iPhone and the Mac, and news sites like The Information. Below, we have a quick recap of everything we've heard this week, which serves as a guide to Apple's product plans in 2026 and beyond.
We've organized the info by likely release date, though there are some products that we don't have a timeline for. Keep in mind that the list features only rumors that we've heard over the last couple of days, so it's not a complete feature overview for each device.
2025-12-17 08:25:32
The Trump administration is pressuring the European Union to cut down on regulations that impact tech companies like Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative today posted a message to the European Union on social media, threatening retaliation if the EU continues to target U.S. companies. The post says the U.S. will implement fees and restrictions on foreign services, and it specifically names European companies like Accenture, DHL, Mistral, SAP, Spotify, and Siemens.
The European Union and certain EU Member States have persisted in a continuing course of discriminatory and harassing lawsuits, taxes, fines, and directives against U.S. service providers. U.S. services companies provide substantial free services to EU citizens and reliable enterprise services to EU companies, and they support millions of jobs and more than $100 billion in direct investment in Europe. The United States has raised concerns with the EU for years on these matters without meaningful engagement or basic acknowledgement of U.S. concerns.
If the EU and EU Member States insist on continuing to restrict, limit, and deter the competitiveness of U.S. service providers through discriminatory means, the United States will have no choice but to begin using every tool at its disposal to counter these unreasonable measures. Should responsive measures be necessary, U.S. law permits the assessment of fees or restrictions on foreign services, among other actions. The United States will take a similar approach to other countries that pursue an EU-style strategy in this area.
The DMA does not ask whether consumers have been harmed. It does not even ask whether a business has done anything wrong. It asks whether a company is large, successful, and, most importantly, American. If the answer is yes, the rules suddenly change. Common business practices are banned, innovation is treated as a threat, and foreign rivals are handed access to data and technology they could never build or earn on their own. That is not competition policy. That's forced redistribution.
Unlike traditional antitrust and competition laws that apply to all companies, however, these DMA prohibitions apply only to designated companies, creating discriminatory treatment between designated and non-designated companies, where undesignated foreign rivals gain an unfair competitive advantage over designated American companies.
2025-12-17 05:56:46
The next-generation HomePod mini won't include Apple's new N1 networking chip, according to code analysis provided by a MacRumors tipster.
A macOS kernel debug kit distributed by Apple earlier this year included information on a number of upcoming devices, including the HomePod mini 2. Code associated with the HomePod mini 2 mentions the "Sunrise" wireless system, which is what Apple calls Bluetooth/Wi-Fi chips sourced from MediaTek. The N1 is called "Centauri" in Apple's internal systems.
Based on the Sunrise mention, it appears that the HomePod mini 2 won't be upgraded with the N1 networking chip, which contradicts some prior rumors we've heard about it. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested that both the Apple TV and HomePod mini will use Apple's N1 chip in the past.
It appears that Apple plans to use the N1 chip for premium devices, while entry-level products will stick with cheaper MediaTek hardware for now. The upcoming HomePod mini 2, the iPhone 17e, the iPad 12, and the A18 Pro MacBook are all expected to use MediaTek chips instead of Apple's chip.
The N1 was introduced in the iPhone 17 models, and it is Apple's first in-house networking chip. It supports Bluetooth 6, Wi-Fi 7, and Thread. Because it was designed by Apple, it better integrates with other hardware and software in Apple devices, leading to improved efficiency and reliability.
