Apple's $100 Billion-a-Year App Store Will Never Be the Same
By
Apple's $100 billion-a-year App Store business will never be the same again after getting upended by lawsuits. Also: Inside Apple's artificial intelligence crisis and what comes next; new details on iOS 19, iPadOS 19 and visionOS 3; and CarPlay Ultra is finally ready — if you can afford it.
Last week in Power On: Apple's 2027 product blitz can't come soon enough.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
35 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
visionOS 26: Everything we know about Apple Vision Pro's next major update
WWDC 2025 is right around the corner, and Apple is expected to dish out some big updates on its suite of devices — including the Apple Vision Pro. First and foremost, Apple's annual developer conference looks to shake up naming conventions for its software, so instead of visionOS 3, we could see visionOS 26 take over. And if Bloomberg's report is accurate, the next version of Apple's spatial operating system is set to be "feature-packed." We've seen how the Vision Pro headset has evolved over the years, including adding Apple Intelligence and more features with visionOS 2.4 and creating special immersive experiences like "Bono: Stories of Surrender" made for the Vision Pro. But Apple has more in the tank, and whatever is unveiled to arrive in the next visionOS update could give us a sneak peek at what's to come further down the line in other rumored headsets, like the Vision Pro 2 or Apple Glasses. Here's what to expect from visionOS 26 at WWDC 2025, including more Apple Intelligence features, eye-scrolling and an all-new Gaming app. As with iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe, we expect to see visionOS 26 be announced during Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, taking place from June 9 to June 13 (here's how to watch the Apple WWDC 2025 keynote). Since visionOS 26 has yet to be officially announced, we won't know when it will be released until it's revealed on stage. However, we can make a calculated estimate of when users can check it out. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Apple's first major update to its spatial computing OS, visionOS 2, arrived on September 16 — alongside other updates to its products. With this in mind, visionOS 26 is expected to be released in mid-September, which is when Apple traditionally brings out its updates. However, we can also predict that a visionOS 26 developer beta will arrive sometime in July. Since its launch, visionOS on the Vision Pro has always kept that Apple aesthetic, like a combination between iOS, iPadOS and macOS. Now, rumor has it the Cupertino tech giant will be making some design tweaks, but more importantly, its look is tipped to inspire a major interface overhaul for iPhone, Macs and more According to MacRumors, visionOS 26 will deliver some minor design changes to its user interface. Not much is known about what these changes could be, but it will hopefully bring a fresh coat of paint for cleaner, smoother navigation. Interestingly, iOS 26 is expected to get a massive UI redesign, along with iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26. This is apparently part of codename "Solarium," with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggesting it will bring "consistency and unification" across Apple's ecosystem. What's more, this design update is tipped to be inspired by visionOS. That means we may see more translucent backgrounds and potentially circular app icons. We won't know how this looks until it arrives, and while visionOS 26 may not see a significant design change, expect its look to drop on other platforms. This is the big one. The Apple Vision Pro does have its mix of VR/AR games, such as Vacation Simulator, Thrasher, Proton Pulse Vision and more, but it hasn't exactly expanded its venture into gaming like other headsets, like the Meta Quest 3. This may all change, as Apple will reportedly announce a new dedicated gaming app at WWDC 2025. It's expected to be a multi-platform app across Apple's devices, replacing the current Game Center service and making Apple Arcade titles and third-party games via the App Store more accessible. According to rumors, there has been a push from Apple to explore more of its gaming capabilities, with murmurs of its Gaming app looking to rival Xbox last year. This appears to be the case, and the Vision Pro is expected to take full advantage of it. A report from 9to5Mac indicates Apple is bringing VR controller support to its Vision Pro headset. Specifically, PSVR 2's Sense controllers. This would bring a new realm of gameplay to the headset, as for now it only includes hand tracking or Bluetooth gamepad, like the PlayStation DualSense or Xbox controller. We could see more exciting titles become available with controllers involved, such as Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village in VR, seeing as these titles have already made their way onto iPhone and Mac, and Apple has seemingly struck a good partnership with Sony. We may also see more VR or mixed reality experiences through Apple Arcade made for visionOS. We won't know for sure until it's announced, but Apple looks to have big plans in store when it comes to gaming, and it won't be leaving out the Vision Pro (and other spatial computing devices that may arrive). As per a Bloomberg report, Apple will bring an eye-scrolling feature to its Vision Pro headset. This adds to its built-in eye-tracking support, which already allows users to look at an app or element they want to interact with and use a hand gesture (thumb and index finger) to click on it. This could mean using your eyes to look up or down at a page you're seeing and having it automatically scroll, but using a method that's user-friendly that doesn't make you feel uncomfortable. This feature is set to be included in Apple's own apps, but there will be an API toolkit so it can be used in third-party apps, too. Thanks to visionOS 2.4, the Vision Pro has finally seen many Apple Intelligence features come onboard. Now, there's Writing Tools across apps for suggestions, rewrites and adjusting tone, Image Playground for generative AI image creation, Genmoji to create your own AI emojis, Smart Reply, AI-powered search in Photos and more. So, what else will arrive with visionOS 26? Well, considering the launch of Apple Intelligence didn't take off all too well and we have yet to see a more personalized Siri, we're hoping to see major improvements come our way. Since rumors point to Apple delivering unified integration across all of its products (there's now an Apple Vision Pro app on iPhone), there's reason to believe that any AI updates coming to iOS 26 will also come to visionOS 26. So far, this could include upgraded AI for Siri, third-party AI integration and the use of AI in more apps. What's more, there's word of an AI battery management feature, which would work well for the Vision Pro's battery. Apple Intelligence should be a big talking point at WWDC this year, and it would be a surprise to see visionOS 26 get left on the sidelines if all the other OS platforms receive updates. As for something we know will be arriving, Apple announced a wealth of accessibility upgrades for visionOS 26 that is set to arrive later this year. For Apple Vision Pro, these features include the following: The Apple Vision Pro hasn't been the tech giant's most popular product, mainly thanks to its $3,499 price tag. But as Apple looks to expand its venture into spatial computing, especially against upcoming competitors like Android XR, it needs to bring even more features for people to get excited about — especially if a Vision Pro 2 or lower-cost headset is on the cards. If visionOS 26 doubles down on Apple's gaming efforts, bringing support for VR controllers (or its own) into the fold and delivering a dedicated Gaming app that features some of the best VR/MR games around, then the Vision Pro will have a lot more going for it. It won't be long until we learn more about visionOS 26 and all of its updates, as WWDC 2025 is kicking off on June 9. Stay tuned.
Gizmodo
an hour ago
- Gizmodo
The Best Tech Gifts for Father's Day 2025
Getting a gift for Father's Day (reminder: it's Sunday, June 15) is no easy task. What more could the dad in your life need other than your unconditional love? Turns out, physical gifts—preferably something useful or entertaining—are exactly what he needs to escape the hellscape that is our current timeline. Like we did for Mother's Day, we've curated a selection of the finest tech to get your favorite dad. With options for budgets under $100, under $300, under $500, and over $500, we're sure pops will like something from this list. Gifts Under $100 Anker 6-Foot USB-C Cable ($10) Nothing screams 'man of the house' like a 6-foot USB-C cable that can probably reach any outlet from the couch. For $10, you get two of 'em. Gotta keep the phone charged up when the commercials on the big screen hit. Buy at Amazon 8BitDo USB Wireless Adapter 2 ($20) It'll feel wrong at first to use a PS5 controller to play Xbox and vice versa, but it beats buying a completely new gamepad when you can just pair existing ones to your consoles using this USB dongle. The 8BitDo USB Wireless Adapter 2 even works with Switch, so dad can play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with a PS5 or Xbox controller. Buy at Amazon Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company ($30) Whether dad loves Apple or hates it, the company's sheer scale producing devices like the iPhone and iPad unexpectedly gave birth to China's technology scene and helped give rise to its largest Asian competitors such as Xiaomi and Huawei. Apple in China is a fascinating dive into how Apple's growth has made the world go round. Buy at Amazon Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ($50) It's the talk of the gaming scene for good reason. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 offers a feast for the eyes and ears, and a wonderful story wrapped in gameplay that feels new while scratching the itch of any dad still nostalgic for early Final Fantasy titles. Buy at Amazon Arcs ($60) Leder Games' Arcs is the kind of board game that does so much in such a small space. It's a trick-taking conquest game about gaining space supremacy in the vein of 4X games on PC. If you want to make it extra spicy, also buy the Blighted Reach expansion to connect multiple games into epic, multi-session storylines. Buy at Amazon Anbernic 34XXSP ($67) Anbernic's latest Game Boy Advance SP mimic is the kind of device that will put a smile on the face of any dad who grew up with a Game Boy in tow. The 34XXSP is powerful enough to play most games from early handhelds, and even a select few games from the N64 or Dreamcast era. Buy at Anbernic SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence ($70) SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Life is one of those games that will get both the space-loving and mechanics-minded dads excited to sit at the table with you. It's a game that will run for several hours, but it ends with such an epic climax that everyone will be jonesing for another round anyway. Buy at Amazon Xbox Design Lab Controller ($80) That skin oil-worn controller he's using to play Xbox may work just fine, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't love an upgrade. Microsoft's Design Lab is full of unique customization options—from colors to patterns to grips and more. Buy at Xbox Gifts Under $300 Backbone One ($100) A quality mobile controller may be the perfect gift if he has ever complained about aching thumbs while trying to play a game on a phone. Our current choice remains the Backbone One, but if you want to spend more, the Backbone Pro is a good upgrade with tighter controls. Buy at Amazon Govee Gaming Pixel Light ($120) Your dad deserves to jazz up his decor beyond bland paintings you can find at a thrift shop. The Govee Gaming Pixel Light lets the man in your life add his favorite 8-bit art (32×32 pixels) to his wall. Buy at Amazon Razer Pro Click V2 Vertical Edition ($120) Logitech's Lift is the go-to for vertical mice, but if your dad wants one for gaming, Razer's Pro Click V2 Vertical is the only way to go. Not only does it come with a more ergonomic design, but it also has more programmable buttons, faster polling rates for gaming, and RGB—gotta have RGB for dad to prove he's a real gamer. Buy at Amazon Nothing Ear ($130) There are a lot of wireless earbuds out there, but not everyone (dads included) is okay with defaulting to AirPods. Nothing's Ear, with its ceramic drivers, is fantastic for a dad who needs great audio with a style that's just a little bit different than most. Buy at Amazon Klipsch One Plus Premium ($170) Without making any assumptions about your dad, there's a chance that he may appreciate tech that's a little more analog. Klipsch's Bluetooth speaker brings great sound but also a slick mid-century design with knobs to boot—a design that combines modern tech with a vintage look. Buy at Amazon Lego Mario Kart ($170) What better way to spend time with a dad than over a Lego set? Even better is when that Lego set is a giant Mario riding a go-kart. 'It's-a-me-Mario!' voice not included. Buy at Lego Shun Classic Chef Knife ($170) This isn't the most high-tech product on this list, but it may be among the most practical. We can say with conviction that dad will never struggle with carving a bird ever again if you give the gift of Japanese steel. Buy at Macy's Polaroid Flip ($200) The Polaroid Flip is all nostalgia wrapped in a retro veneer, and it's now one of the better ways to take full-size instant photos at home. The camera is a hefty device, so dad may feel like a big, strong man lugging it around. Buy at Best Buy Flipper Zero ($200) The hardware-hacking dad in your life interested in his next DIY project would be absolutely thrilled to have the Flipper Zero. It's a signal multitool that can connect with various RFID and other radio protocols, plus the GPIO pins and custom firmware can be used to create a whole host of interesting use cases. Buy at Flipper Zero Boox Palma ($246) Kindles and Kobo e-readers are great for reading ebooks, but they don't fit into pockets. The Boox Palma is exactly the solution—a phone-sized e-reader that runs Android apps (though using it for anything more than ebooks is slow AF) that dad can actually grip with one hand. Buy at Amazon Meater Pro XL ($280) Grill dads who don't want to stand by the open flame constantly for every cookout will appreciate the Meater Pro XL. The device's four smart meat probes will let him monitor the temperatures and finish times for multiple meals through a single app, which means no more sprinting back and forth between oven and grill. Buy at Amazon Gifts Under $500 Meta Quest 3S ($300) Has your dad ever expressed any interest in VR, or even doing some at-home workouts? Set him up with the Quest 3S, and he won't need anything more. Buy at Amazon Philips Hue Play Sync Box ($334) If your dad needs an upgrade to his entertainment system, Philips' Hue Play Sync Box has him covered. This tiny box can coordinate the lighting of a movie with Hue smart lights and syncs TV content at 8K 60Hz and 4K 120Hz for a unique home theater experience. Buy at Amazon Google Pixel Watch 3 ($350) Everyone has an Apple Watch. Let dad feel different with the Google Pixel Watch. It tracks almost everything an Apple Watch does, including health and fitness, and the battery life is excellent. The only caveat is that it works with Android phones, not iPhones. Buy at Amazon Meta Ray-Bans ($350) Smart glasses might seem like an overboard gift if dad isn't tech-inclined, but Meta's Ray-Bans might be the right ratio of tech-to-style goodness. They have a classic look and are surprisingly nice for Bluetooth audio. Buy at Amazon Breville Paradice 9 ($395) Don't fault dad if his knife skills are subpar. Fortunately, a high-powered food processor like the Breville Paradice 9 can slice and dice just about any ingredient more evenly and faster. Technology saves time! Who'd have thunk it? Buy at Amazon Sony WH-1000XM8 ($448) Whether it's blocking out a crying baby or angsty teenager, Sony's latest WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones deliver best-in-class active noise cancellation. Bonus points: they fold up neatly and come with a case that doesn't look like a bra (looking at you AirPods Max Smart Case). Buy at Amazon Gifts Over $500 Xreal One ($500) Maybe some lucky dads will get a $3,500 Apple Vision Pro for Father's Day, but if all dad needs is a pair of video glasses for watching Netflix and YouTube, Xreal's One is more than good enough and stupid easy to setup (just plug it into any device that supports USB-C video out). They're barely larger than a pair of sunglasses, the 1080p video is super sharp, and the screens even dim for a see-through effect. Buy at Amazon reMarkable Paper Pro ($680) If you're gonna get dad an e-reader and can splurge for the very best, the reMarkable Paper Pro is the one to get. It's got a color E Ink screen that's great for reading comics, supports a stylus for notetaking, and you can even get a keyboard folio case for it. Buy at Amazon
CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
iPhone WWDC Wishes: What We Want to See Apple Include in iOS 19
Apple is set to hold its Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday, when the tech giant will show the world what it's been cooking up during the past year for iOS 19 -- or iOS 26 -- the software that runs the iPhone. Until then, CNET's experts have their own ideas about what Apple should bring to the iPhone. While iOS 18 brought some useful new features to all iPhones, like RCS messaging, and Apple Intelligence to newer iPhones, we're still taking bets on what Apple will include in iOS 19. Reports suggest Apple is planning a significant redesign of the iPhone OS, changing everything from icons, apps, menus and more. But CNET's writers and editors have a few ideas we'd like to see in the upcoming OS. Some things we've asked for in the past, like customizable lock screen controls, have come to fruition, so maybe we'll hit the mark again this year. Here are some of the features and changes we hope Apple includes in the upcoming iOS software. iOS 19 Changes Apple Needs to Make iOS 19 Changes Apple Needs to Make Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 3:56 Loaded : 2.57% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 3:56 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. iOS 19 Changes Apple Needs to Make Bring split screen to the iPhone Constantly switching between two apps can be annoying. James Martin/CNET Add a native split screen. It's been available on Android phones and the iPad for years. But on iOS I still have to run my calculator and budget tracking note in two separate windows. -- Mike Sorrentino Start a workout right from my iPhone A workout without an Apple Watch is still a workout, right? James Martin/CNET I'd like the ability to start an outdoor workout from the Fitness app on my iPhone (like I can do in Strava or Polar). That way if I forget to wear my Apple Watch or I don't have one, I can still record my workout. The Apple Watch uses heart rate data to calculate move minutes but I don't see why the iPhone can't give me credit for an actual workout using other indicators like distance/pace on a run. -- Vanessa Hand Orellana No more green bubbles, please Bickering between greens and blues sounds like a Game of Thrones plotline. James Martin/CNET I'm overjoyed Apple added RCS messaging with iOS 18, but I'm going to dream big here: I'd love it if texts with Android users weren't still green! While it's great to be able to finally send high-resolution media and see typing indicators with folks who aren't also using iMessage, it's still far too easy for iPhone users to scoff at anyone turning their text thread green. End the pettiness once and for all! -- Abrar Al-Heeti An easier way to manage unused apps Unused apps still take up precious memory on your iPhone. James Martin/CNET I have more apps on my iPhone than I'll ever use, after years of installing things to try out and then forgetting about them. Shunting everything into the App Library helps get it out of mind, but that's the app version of keeping a box of cables you think you might need some day. So I'd like a way to clean up apps, similar to how you can identify large apps in Settings > General > Storage. Let me see when I installed them, the last time I used them and be able to delete the ones I no longer want. I know this sounds fiddly but the thought of going through them all manually is exhausting, so that will never happen. -- Jeff Carlson Searchable clipboard manager for all your copy and paste needs A clipboard manager could remember multiple things you copy so you can paste them at a later time. Apple/CNET I want a clipboard manager in iOS 19. The iPhone has a single copy and paste option, meaning if you copy something, and then copy something else, that first thing you copied is lost. For iOS 19, I'd love to see a searchable clipboard manager, one that has a history of all the things I've copied in the last hour, day, week or even month. And if I paste something, I'd like to see multiple options that I can choose from appear right at my fingertip. -- Nelson Aguilar More customization options for all screens Can I move the flashlight control around on the lock screen, please? James Martin/CNET I want more lock screen, home screen and Control Center customization options, please. I'd like to place my lock screen controls elsewhere on the screen so I don't accidentally open any control -- including, yes, my flashlight. Same thing with the home screen. I appreciate being able to place apps anywhere as long as they are within Apple's oppressive grid that locks our apps into little boxes. If you have large icons -- like I do -- there's an entire empty row at the bottom where it looks like apps or folders can go there but they can't. Let us breathe the air of freedom, Apple! Please, for the love of everything good, let me move the scroll bar on the right side of the Control Center. I keep hitting it when I open the Control Center and it takes me to a page I don't intend to be on, which makes it frustrating to use. -- Zach McAuliffe Long press, double click and more action button triggers The action button is a small, useful tool already but it could be so much more. Jeff Carlson/CNET Now that the Action button is on more iPhones, please add support for triggering different shortcuts with multiple presses. In its current setup, I can set the Action button to trigger one action at a time. By default it can toggle between turning on the ringer and putting your iPhone into silent mode. But there are a number of other options for it like being able to open the Camera app and take a photo or make an elaborate automation in the Shortcuts app like to use it to order coffee from Dunkin'. But the Action button could do so much more if Apple would add support for multiple input clicks. Like it could be a toggle for ringer/silent mode with a single long press, but do something else (like turn on/off the flashlight) with a double-long press. I think this would add so much functionality to the button and as a result open it up to even more people taking more advantage of it. -- Patrick Holland Better Log video editing tools You can already shoot Log videos on your iPhone, now we just need better editing tools for those videos on the device. Apple I want iOS 19 to add better editing tools for Log video. The ability to shoot Log footage directly on the iPhone is amazing for enthusiastic filmmakers like me but it can only be edited by transferring it off of your phone to an iPad or MacBook. I'd love to see Apple bring deeper editing tools to be able to add cinematic color grades to your Log footage directly on your iPhone. -- Andrew Lanxon Intelligently organize photos by event in the Photos app Manually creating albums can take up a lot of time and effort. Apple/Screenshot by James Martin/CNET Okay, we're all glad that in iOS 18 Apple improved the Photos search by adding AI image recognition to actually bring up all the images of your cats. It slightly makes up for the questionable revamped layout of photos and albums that confuses me to this day. I'd love it if in iOS 19, the Photos app had a new way to view photos: in a timeline intelligently organized by event. Say you go to the park for a birthday and have a bunch of photos clearly from the same occasion -- the app prompts you to confirm they're all connected, asks for a title and, boom, event logged. Then I could look at a vertical timeline of logged events from the past few months or years, all of which can be searched if I can't quite remember, say, when I last went to the park. Yes, I can do this manually by making albums, but it's the kind of fastidious labor I just can't bring myself to keep up with. That's what I want AI to do for me. -- David Lumb Simple volume controls across the iPhone Apple, please keep the volume settings I want. Jeff Carlson/CNET Sometimes it's the small changes that can help make for a smoother experience. I want to see Apple clean up volume controls. If I set the volume to a certain level, I want it to stay at that level for all applications. Sometimes the settings can vary depending on what you're doing. Too often I come across the problem of lowering my volume to prepare to listen to something -- but surprise! -- the volume is loud again because I put in headphones and it keeps the louder setting I used the last time I listened to music in my headphones. It just leads to unnecessary frustrations, and makes users feel like they don't really have control of their devices. -- Bridget Carey For more on Apple, here's what to expect from WWDC 2025 and our thoughts on the iPhone 16 Pro and iOS 18 months after their launch. You can also check out our iOS 18 cheat sheet.
