Bluetooth – Latest Apple News

Apple N1 wireless chip promises Hotspot and AirDrop improvements

tigaman webdesign — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:10:22 +0000

The Apple N1 wireless chip is easy to overlook in the hoopla surrounding the new iPhone 17 series, but it’s an advancement in Apple’s drive to produce all its own silicon. The new in-house chip handles Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and more, and Apple says it’ll improve the performance of Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. N1 Wi-Fi chip […]

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

New smart speaker looks just like HomePod 2 but tops it

tigaman webdesign — Mon, 19 May 2025 13:15:48 +0000

The new WiiM Sound smart speaker isn’t just a HomePod 2 lookalike — it could be a major Apple competitor.

(via Cult of Mac – Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

Bluetooth 6.1 Update Set to Improve Privacy, Battery Life of iPhone Accessories

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 09 May 2025 13:09:09 +0000

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has released Bluetooth 6.1 as part of its new bi-annual update schedule. The update introduces Randomized Resolvable Private Address (RPA), a feature designed to enhance both privacy and power efficiency.

This new feature makes tracking Bluetooth devices a lot more difficult because it randomizes the timing of device address changes, instead of just using predictable intervals. It also offloads address change operations to the controller device, which should help extend the battery life of the accessory device.

The specification follows Bluetooth 6.0, which arrived in September 2024. That update brought Channel Sounding for centimeter-level location accuracy, lower latency, and faster scanning capabilities, all of which could theoretically enhance the iPhone’s Precision Finding feature.

For iPhone users, the upcoming iPhone 17 series expected to be released in September will likely support Bluetooth 6.0 and possibly incorporate the new 6.1 features. All in all, it should bring improved privacy protections and better battery performance when using Bluetooth accessories.

With Bluetooth now on a twice-yearly release schedule, the next update, Bluetooth 6.2, is expected to arrive by the end of 2025 with additional refinements and features.

Tags: Bluetooth, Bluetooth SIG

This article, "Bluetooth 6.1 Update Set to Improve Privacy, Battery Life of iPhone Accessories" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple nears switch to in-house Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:14:27 +0000

Apple is set to further its self-reliance in chip manufacturing by developing its own Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chips. This strategic move will reduce the company’s dependence on third-party suppliers like Broadcom, starting from next year.

Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
‎

The chip, code-named Proxima, has been in development for several years and is now slated to go into the first products in 2025, according to people familiar with the matter. Like Apple’s other in-house chips, Proxima will be produced by partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

The transition is separate from Apple’s highly anticipated shift from Qualcomm Inc. cellular modems — details of which Bloomberg News reported last week — but the two parts will eventually work together.

Apple’s goal is to develop an end-to-end wireless approach that is tightly integrated with its other components and more energy-efficient, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the initiative hasn’t been announced.

Apple is one of Broadcom’s biggest customers, accounting for roughly 20% of revenue.

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MacDailyNews Note: Apple will begin rolling out the combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip as part of new home devices scheduled for next year, including refreshed versions of its TV set-top box and HomePod mini smart speaker, Gurman reports. The company is focused on bringing the component to iPhones in 2025 and to the iPad and Mac by 2026.

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The post Apple nears switch to in-house Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Powered studio monitor speakers focus M4 MacBook rig’s sound [Setups]

tigaman webdesign — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 16:30:01 +0000

Edifier speakers ideally suited to clear, moderate-volume sound at close quarters find their way into David Snow’s M4 Pro MacBook setup.

(via Cult of Mac – Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

Apple said to dump Broadcom Wi-Fi for its own custom design next year

tigaman webdesign — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:14:22 +0000

Apple is set to take another step towards self-reliance with the iPhone 17 and other late 2025 devices. The company is developing its own Wi-Fi 7 chips to replace Broadcom parts, according to TF International Securities’ analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

While Apple has been working on replacing Qualcomm’s 5G modems with its own Apple Silicon designs, Kuo says that the company will also be dropping Broadcom’s Wi-Fi processors in favor of its own solution, starting with the iPhone 17.

Ming-Chi Kuo via X:
‎

Broadcom currently supplies over 300 million Wi-Fi+BT chips (hereafter referred to as Wi-Fi chips) per year to Apple. However, Apple will rapidly reduce its reliance on Broadcom. With new products in 2H25 (e.g., iPhone 17), Apple plans to use its own Wi-Fi chips, which will be made by TSMC’s N7 process and support the latest Wi-Fi 7 spec. Apple expects to move nearly all products to in-house Wi-Fi chips within about three years. This move will reduce costs and enhance Apple’s ecosystem integration advantages.

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MacDailyNews Take: Nearly two years ago, in January 2023, Mark Gurman reported for Bloomberg News that Apple plans to drop a Broadcom chip used in its devices in 2025 in favor of its own in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip design.

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How to enable Bluetooth on your Mac without a mouse or trackpad

tigaman webdesign — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 17:08:23 +0000

Accidentally disabled Bluetooth on your Mac and can’t use your mouse? Use your keyboard to turn on Bluetooth on your Mac without a mouse.

(via Cult of Mac – Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

Bluetooth 6.0 aims to make Find My more accurate

tigaman webdesign — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 17:05:11 +0000

The standout in the Bluetooth 6.0 spec is “true distance awareness,” which should improve Apple AirTag and rival tracker tags.

(via Cult of Mac – Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

Bluetooth 6 Launches, Could Enhance iPhone’s Precision Finding Feature

tigaman webdesign — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 14:53:01 +0000

The latest version of Bluetooth was released this week, and it includes a new feature that could benefit the Find My app across Apple devices.

Bluetooth 6.0 introduces “Channel Sounding,” a feature that will bring “true distance awareness” to billions of future Bluetooth devices and accessories. The organization behind Bluetooth promises that this technology will achieve “centimeter-level accuracy over considerable distances,” making it easier and quicker for users to locate lost items.

Apple already offers a Precision Finding feature in the Find My app that leverages Ultra Wideband technology to help users pinpoint the specific location of select accessories. The feature is available on the iPhone 11 and newer, and currently it can be used to find an AirTag or a second-generation AirPods Pro charging case.

Apple could use both Bluetooth 6.0 and Ultra Wideband technologies in unison to improve Precision Finding. Bluetooth 6.0 also paves the way for Precision Finding-like location accuracy for devices that are not equipped with Ultra Wideband chips, such as the Apple TV’s Siri Remote and devices released by other companies.

It is unclear when the first devices with Bluetooth 6.0 will be released, but given that the specification is only just now available to hardware manufacturers and developers, the first Apple devices with support are likely at least a year away.

Tag: Bluetooth

This article, "Bluetooth 6 Launches, Could Enhance iPhone's Precision Finding Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iOS 17.5 helps detect unwanted Bluetooth tracking tags

tigaman webdesign — Mon, 13 May 2024 18:13:23 +0000

iOS 17.5 updates bring cross-platform tracking notifications about pesky Bluetooth trackers plus new Apple News+ features for subscribers.

(via Cult of Mac – Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)