Apple plans to bring Apple Intelligence to China in iOS 27.3 after two years of regulatory delays, reports Bloomberg. The launch will include basic ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features for things like photo editing, but Siri AI won't be available. Image Playground and the newer version of Genmoji will be missing, plus text generation tools will be limited.


The South China Morning Post today reported that China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently gave Apple network access permits to add Alibaba's Qwen and Tongyi Wanxiang models to the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and earlier iPhones, paving the way for an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ debut.

Apple introduced the first ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in iOS 18.1, but they have been missing from China since launch. Apple received initial clearance to launch ‌Apple Intelligence‌ in China in July, but needed additional clearance for a consumer launch.

China restricts foreign AI technology, which meant Apple had to partner with Alibaba and Baidu to launch ‌Apple Intelligence‌ in the country. Apple also has to allow the Chinese government to approve ongoing updates to the AI models.

Competing smartphone makers in China like Huawei have long offered artificial intelligence features, and Apple has been at a disadvantage without comparable tools.

iOS 27.3 is expected in December.
This article, "Apple Intelligence Coming to China in December With iOS 27.3" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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OpenAI today suggested Apple could be using its trade secrets, the very thing Apple is already suing OpenAI for. In a court filing, OpenAI accused an ex-employee of giving sensitive data about an unreleased product to Apple.


The unnamed employee joined OpenAI from Apple and then returned after six months. OpenAI claims the person sent "over a hundred highly confidential files" to personal accounts, including manufacturing data and detailed images of at least one unreleased product. The former employee allegedly "made a presentation" on OpenAI product plans for Apple's senior leadership "months ago," and OpenAI is worried Apple could use that information to further its work on AI devices.

OpenAI is very concerned that its trade secret and confidential information is now circulating inside Apple, where Apple engineers can shape Apple's upcoming products based on OpenAI's confidential and innovative work. OpenAI has raised these issues directly with Apple, but to date, Apple has not provided OpenAI with the requested assurances that Apple is not in possession of, and has not used, OpenAI's trade secret and confidential information.

OpenAI asked the court for permission to investigate and pursue counterclaims if necessary. Apple told Reuters it has found no evidence to support OpenAI's claims and it has policies in place to ensure new employees do not use confidential information from previous employers.

Apple and OpenAI have been involved in a tense legal battle since Apple sued OpenAI in July. Apple says OpenAI employees Chang Liu and Tang Tan stole trade secrets from Apple to develop new AI hardware. OpenAI called the lawsuit "careless, aggressive and oddly personal," stating that it does not "have, nor want, any of their trade secrets" because it is "much more interested in building innovative products and technologies that push the frontier."

Yesterday, the court partially granted Apple's request for expedited discovery. OpenAI has up to two weeks to hand over forensic evidence as well as materials used when interviewing former Apple employees. Liu, Tan, and Alyssa Peng, Liu's former Apple colleague, will need to sit for depositions after Apple gets the requested information.

Judge Edward Davila, who is overseeing the case, said during a hearing today that he is "highly likely" to grant a preliminary injunction prohibiting OpenAI from using Apple's allegedly stolen trade secrets. Bloomberg says an injunction would "mark a potential setback" for OpenAI's hardware development efforts.
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Popular Meta chat app WhatsApp today gained guest calling, a feature that lets users invite anyone to join a voice or video call, even if the invitee doesn't have a WhatsApp account.


WhatsApp says everyone has access to free, end-to-end encrypted calls with no time limits and support for up to 32 people at once.

A guest joining a call needs permission from the call host, and guests will show up in a waiting room until the host lets them in. Guests cannot see other participants' phone numbers, send messages, or add others to the call, and hosts can remove them from the call at any time. Guests have access to screen sharing for reviewing materials, thumbs up and heart emoji reactions, and a raised hand to ask a question.

WhatsApp users can start a guest call through the Calls tab. Tap "+" to create a call link and then send the link to anyone. WhatsApp calls can be joined in a computer browser with a WhatsApp call link.

WhatsApp says that it plans to roll out calendar integrations later this year for creating a WhatsApp call from a Google or Outlook calendar.

With the option to join a call from a browser, WhatsApp is matching a feature that Apple started offering for FaceTime with iOS 15. Anyone can join a ‌FaceTime‌ call with a ‌FaceTime‌ link.
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Apple debuted three new home products today, but the October announcements aren't over yet. Rumors suggest there will be another "event" on October 27, plus we're still waiting on the iPhone Duo.


Here's everything we're expecting to see launch or be announced in October.

• October 16 - ‌iPhone Duo‌ pre-orders start.


• October 23 - ‌iPhone Duo‌ launches.


• October 27 - OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro, M6 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, M6 iMac, ‌OLED‌ iPad mini


• October 30 or before - iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS 27.2, and other 27.2 updates launch.


• October 30 - HomePod mini 2 launch, ‌iPhone Duo‌ launches in more countries.


• Late October - Mac Studio with 512GB of RAM comes out.

Apple is rumored to be holding content creator sessions in Los Angeles on October 27 and October 28 to show off the new Macs and ‌OLED‌ ‌iPad mini‌. As with the "Welcome Home" announcement, we may hear about the new devices via press release, with an in-person event for content creators and members of the media to get some hands-on time with the new products.

The new Macs will debut in October, but won't ship to customers until November. With an October 27 announcement, pre-orders could happen that same day and a launch could follow as soon as November 6.

Apple's ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ is the product to watch because it will be Apple's first touchscreen Mac and the first redesign of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ since 2021. The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ will be lighter than the current version, and it will use M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
This article, "Everything Apple Still Has Coming in October" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple didn't hold an event today, but it did refresh its lineup of smart home products with the Apple HomeView, HomePod mini 2, and fourth-generation Apple TV 4K. The $299 HomeView is an all-new device that serves as a central home hub, offering apps, widgets, and personalized content for up to six people.


The $299 ‌Apple TV‌ 4K now has microphones for Siri, more internal storage, a faster A19 chip, and Wi-Fi 7, while the $149 HomePod mini has a faster chip and new colors. All three home devices will support for ‌Siri‌ AI. More detail on all of the announcements is available in our coverage linked below.

HomeView

• Apple Announces 'HomeView' Smart Home Hub


• Apple HomeView Won't Be Available in the European Union


• HomeView Needs an iPhone or iPad for Some AI Features


• Apple's HomeView Touts These 5 Privacy Features


• HomeView's Wall Model: Pay More, Get Less Speaker


• HomeView Brings Guided Recipes and Hands-Free Timers to the Kitchen


• HomeView Comes in Four Colors, but Wall-Mounted Model Gets Just Two


• Apple Details HomeView's Audio Hardware


• HomeView Can Dim to Apple's Lowest-Ever Display Brightness


• HomeView Runs Third-Party Apps From Your iPhone or iPad

Apple TV 4K

• New Apple TV 4K Announced With A19 Chip, Updated Siri Remote, More


• Apple TV 4K is Now Even More Expensive, 128GB Model Priced at $299


• Apple TV Finally Gaining Apple Intelligence and Siri AI


• New Siri Remote is $59 and Compatible With These Apple TV Models


• Older Apple TV 4K Models to Gain Apple Intelligence and Siri AI Support


• New Apple TV 4K Adds Far-Field Microphones for Hands-Free Siri


• New Apple TV 4K Supports Surround Sound via Four HomePods


• New Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote Have These 14 New Features

HomePod mini

• Apple Announces $149 HomePod Mini 2 With Siri AI, 'Sound Glow', and Four-Speaker Surround Sound


• Apple Says HomePod Mini 2 Won't Support Siri AI Right Away


• Apple Shares Videos for HomeView, Apple TV 4K, and HomePod Mini 2

Other News

• Apple Launches 'Apple Home Collection' With Cameras, Lock, Thermostats and More


• ADT to Offer In-Home Installation of Apple's New HomeView and More


• RIP, homeOS


• Beats and Pokémon Team Up for Special-Edition Beats Pill Speaker

You can pre-order the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, ‌HomePod‌ mini, and HomeView right now. The ‌HomePod‌ mini launches on October 30, while the HomeView and ‌Apple TV‌ 4K are coming out on November 13.
This article, "Welcome Home: Everything Apple Announced on October 13" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the third betas of iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, and watchOS 27.2. The software comes a few hours after Apple provided the betas to developers.


To get the new betas, you can sign up on Apple's beta testing website. After you're signed up, the betas can be installed through the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device.

iOS 27.2 includes the redesigned Health app that Apple introduced at its September iPhone event. It features new Insights and Longevity tabs with more insight into health and fitness data. There's also a Health Age feature that uses your metrics to determine your fitness age vs. your actual age.

In the Apple TV app, there are new profile options, and Siri AI is now available in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.

There are a few other features in the updates, which are listed in our iOS 27.2 guide.
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In the fourth beta of iOS 27.2, Apple updated the Apple Music icon. The new icon is black and white, replacing the prior red and white icon.


In light mode, the logo is black on a white background, and in dark mode, it's white on a black background.

The refreshed Music app icon comes after Apple debuted a new Apple Music logo in an earlier version of iOS 27.2 and in marketing materials for its recent ‌Apple Music‌ Hall announcement.


Along with a new icon, the ‌Apple Music‌ app in iOS 27.2 beta 4 has blue highlights for the selected navigation bar icon rather than red, and text in the Music app's settings also swaps red for blue. ‌Apple Music‌ widgets also have a black background instead of a red background, suggesting Apple is phasing out much of the red branding for the music service.
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