The iDevice Support

Apple has released a firmware update for its AirPods 3 wireless earbuds.

The firmware version is 6A317, up from 6A300 released back in September.

Latest firmware versions for AirPods:
● AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with MagSafe Charging Case (USB-C): 6B34
● AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with MagSafe Charging Case (Lightning): 6B34
● AirPods Pro (1st generation): 6A300
● AirPods (3rd generation): 6A317
● AirPods (2nd generation): 6A300
● AirPods Max: 6A300
● AirPods (1st generation): 6.8.8

Version 6A317 release notes
● Bug fixes and other improvements

Firmware updates are delivered periodically while your AirPods are charging and in Bluetooth range of your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Because firmware updates are delivered automatically, you don’t need to update your AirPods.

To use your iPhone or iPad to check that your AirPods are up to date, make sure that you have the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. Go to Settings > Bluetooth, then tap the Info button next to the name of your AirPods. Scroll down to the About section to find the firmware version.

Apple's second generation AirTag tracker has purportedly been delayed until 2025, according to a new report from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a recent post on X, Kuo said:

The mass production schedule for AirTag 2 has been postponed to 2025.

This updates an earlier prediction from the analyst where he said that AirTag 2 would go into mass production in 4Q24.

Kuo believes that Apple wants to build a spatial computing ecosystem, using Vision Pro as the core to integrate other devices, including AirTag 2. Vision Pro is set to launch in Q1 2024, but it appears that we may have to wait for at least a year to see how Apple will integrate AirTag 2.

Apple is working on a new system that will be able to update the software of unopened iPhones, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Often when customers purchase a new iPhone, the device has been sitting in its box for quite some time, missing out on important software updates. For example, the iPhone 15 shipped with iOS 17, but iOS 17.0.1 was available by the time customers received their device. This is not ideal as some important bugs or security vulnerabilities may have been addressed in the more recent software update.

Gurman says Apple is working on a way to resolve this problem.

Apple is planning a new system for its retail stores that will update the software on iPhones prior to sale. The company has developed a proprietary pad-like device that the store can place boxes of iPhones on top of. That system can then wirelessly turn on the iPhone, update its software and then power it back down — all without the phone's packaging ever being opened.

It's possible that Apple could begin rolling out this new capability to retail stores by the end of the year.

France has revealed that Apple will release iOS 17.1 by October 24, 2023.

Last month, the national frequency agency (ANFR) in France, demanded that Apple remove the iPhone 12 from sale after determining that its radiation levels were too high.

In a recent support document, Apple explained that the iPhone boosts transmit power when sensors detect it's off-body. France apparently used a testing protocol that does not account for this, leading to concerns that the iPhone 12 emits too much radiation.

With the release of iOS 17.1, now in testing, Apple will no longer boost power when an off-body state is detected for French users. This will ensure the device passes the ANFR's test; however, it could result in a slight reduction of cellular performance.

France has confirmed that iOS 17.1 brings iPhone 12 into compliance with its guidelines and says Apple has committed to release iOS 17.1 by October 24.