O'Grady's PowerPage

Category: iPhone SE

  • Rivian announces Apple Wallet car key support for second-generation R1S and R1T vehicle models

    Rivian announces Apple Wallet car key support for second-generation R1S and R1T vehicle models

    This could come in handy.

    Auto manufacturer Rivian has approved Apple Wallet car key support for its second-generation R1S and R1T electric vehicles with a 2025.46 software update later this month. The change was confirmed by the company’s software chief Wassym Bensaid, who did not provide a specific date.

    This feature will allow you to remotely unlock, lock, and start a second-generation R1S or R1T with an iPhone or Apple Watch, without needing to use the Rivian app. Express Mode will be supported, meaning you can keep your iPhone in your pocket as you approach the vehicle, as unlocking the device with Face ID is not required.

    Rivian has also begun implementing a newer version of the feature with Ultra Wideband features to allow for passive entry. This, in turn, removes the need to place your iPhone near an NFC reader.

    Other neat features include a Power Reserve system, which ensures that the Apple Wallet key can still be used for up to five hours after your iPhone shuts off or runs out of battery power. The Apple Wallet car key can also be shared with up to eight family and friends via AirDrop or any messaging app, such as the Messages app or WhatsApp.

    Apple Wallet car keys will not be supported in Rivian’s first-generation R1S and R1T vehicles that were built through the 2024 model year.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and @WassymBensaid

  • Rumor: Apple, Intel deal could see Intel begin to manufacture some iPhone chips in the next few years

    Rumor: Apple, Intel deal could see Intel begin to manufacture some iPhone chips in the next few years

    Following up on reports that Intel may start manufacturing chips for some Mac and iPad units over the next few years, a new rumor states that the partnership could extend to manufacturing chips for the iPhone.

    Per MacRumors, a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues “now expect” Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028.

    The non-pro iPhone chips would be manufactured with Intel’s future 14A process, according to Pu.

    While the research note didn’t list specifics as to the potential plan, it did offer a timeframe in which Intel could start supplying Apple with the A22 chip for devices like the “iPhone 20” and “iPhone 20e” around three years from now.

    There’s no further indication of Intel’s role in designing the iPhone chips, and its involvement could be strictly limited to fabrication. Apple, in turn, would continue to design the iPhone chips, and Intel would start to handle a smaller percentage of manufacturing alongside Apple’s primary chipmaker, TSMC.

    Intel supplying Apple-designed, Arm-based chips would differ from the era of Intel-based Macs, which used Intel-designed processors with x86 architecture.

    Such a deal between Intel and Apple would allow Apple to diversify its supply chain with an American manufacturing company.

    Intel previously supplied Apple with cellular modems for some iPhone 7 to iPhone 11 models.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors

  • iPhone Air resale value declines dramatically, according to SellCell study

    iPhone Air resale value declines dramatically, according to SellCell study

    You may love or hate the iPhone Air and think that it’s either a terrific idea or a soon-to-be-discontinued brick, but industry analysts may side with the latter opinion. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, the iPhone Air’s configurations have lost almost 50 percent of their value within ten weeks of launch.

    SellCell, which examined real-time trade-in pricing from more than 40 U.S. buyback companies, comparing average values across weeks since launch against each model’s original MSRP. All devices in the study were assessed in good condition for consistent comparisons.

    The initial data showed that the iPhone 17 series had averaged 34.6 percent depreciation after ten weeks, outperforming the iPhone 16 range at the same point last year, which saw a 39% decline. The ‌iPhone‌ 15 series remains the strongest performer over the past several cycles, retaining more value at the ten-week mark with an average depreciation of 31.9 percent. The ‌iPhone‌ 14 range sits at 36.6 percent over the same period.

    Unfortunately, the iPhone Air configurations showed significantly weaker value retention and averaged 44.3 percent depreciation across all storage configurations. The Air’s decline ranged from 40.3 percent to 47.7 percent, making it the weakest-performing ‌iPhone‌ range since the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus and certain ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini configurations registered similar drops in 2022. The 1TB Air model saw the most significant deprecitation in the entire dataset.

    In conclusion, the iPhone Air now occupies a weak position in the secondhand market, showing an unusual downward trajectory compared to other iPhone models. You may have thought it was nifty when you bought it, but you might have to sell it for a cheaper price than you expected somewhere down the line.

    Via MacRumors and SellCell

  • Apple to expand Apple Watch, AirPods medical features to additional countries

    Apple to expand Apple Watch, AirPods medical features to additional countries

    A number of medical features, including the Apple Watch hypertension notifications, sleep apnea alerts, as well as the AirPods Hearing Test and Hearing Aid have expanded to a number of new countries.

    Apple Watch hypertension notifications and sleep apnea alerts, as well as AirPods Hearing Test and Hearing Aid, are now available in these new countries. Apple is rolling out hypertension notifications for Apple Watch users in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam. This feature takes into account 30-day periods of heart data collected by the Apple Watch to notify the user about a possible hypertension issue.

    Apple has stated that while the new feature won’t “detect all instances of hypertension,” it is still expected to help more than 1 million users uncover hypertension issues within the first year of availability.

    The company is also reported to be expanding its Sleep Apnea alerts to Colombia. The feature, as described by Apple, “can look for breathing disturbances while you’re sleeping and notify you if they show consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea.”

    Apple is also releasing multiple assistive AirPods features to a long list of European countries, including the UK, Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Ireland, and Denmark.” The features include the AirPods Hearing Test as well as Hearing Aid with automatic Conversation Boost, which are designed to help users identify hearing issues and adjust AirPods system settings and features to meet their needs accordingly.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac, MacRumors, and support.apple.com

  • Apple distributes iOS 26.2 Release Candidate build as both a public beta and a developer beta

    Apple distributes iOS 26.2 Release Candidate build as both a public beta and a developer beta

    Just a day after the public release of its iOS 26.1 update, Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta. Now in the Release Candidate stage, and thought to be released on December 8 or 9, the update is expected to feature the following according to Macworld’s Jason Cross:

    AirDrop code: A new section in the AirDrop Settings allows you to “Manage Known AirDrop Contacts” and specifies that you’ll appear for 30 days for those you have shared a one-time code with. There does not appear to be a way to generate such codes yet, though.

    Measure app: The Measure app gets a new Liquid Glass design.

    Games app: New library filtering, improved controller navigation, and challenge scores that update in real time.

    Updated Sleep Score ranges: Apple has adjusted what the various Sleep Score ranges mean, making it require higher scores for the better descriptions. For example, “High” used to be a score of 70-89, and is now 81-95.

    Lock Screen Liquid Glass slider: The clock control for the Lock Screen how has a slider to adjust how transparent/glassy the time readout should be. This replaces the old “clear or tinted” toggle.

    Apple News design: The design of Apple News has been tweaked, with four quick-select categories at the top. These appear to be based on your previous activity.

    Podcasts improvements: The Podcasts app gets auto-generated chapters along with the ability to more easily follow mentioned podcasts or follow up on links mentioned in a podcast episode.

    A.I. Search: Set Alarms and Timers for Reminders: If you set a reminder as “urgent” you will be asked if you wish to create an alarm or timer for it.

    Freeform app: You can now insert tables into your boards.

    The Release Candidate is available both as a public beta and a developer beta.

    If you’d like to test the iOS 26.2 beta but are not a registered Apple developer, follow these steps:

    iOS 26.2: How to install

    • Click Sign Up on the Apple Beta page and register with your Apple ID.
    • Log in to the Beta Software Program.
    • Click Enroll your iOS device.
    • Open the Settings app, tap General, then Software Update.
    • In the Beta Updates section, select the iOS Public Beta.
    • It may take a few moments after registering for the beta option to appear in Software Update.

    If you’re registered as an Apple developer, or want to create a free developer account to test the iOS 26.2 beta, you can create the account in Xcode or use the Apple Developer app in iOS.

    Here’s how to install the beta through the Apple Developer app:

    • Download the Apple Developer App from the App Store.
    • Open the app.
    • Tap on Account.
    • Sign in using your usual Apple ID.

    If you’ve had a chance to try the beta, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via Macworld, beta.apple.com, and developer.apple.com