Tim Hardwick
Tim is a Senior Editor at MacRumors and has been writing for the site since 2016. Formerly a magazine journalist, his work has appeared in over 30 newsstand print publications and online brands covering a range of topics, from the latest trends in technology to the mysteries of ancient history.
Based in the UK, Tim's current role at MacRumors involves editorial oversight and how tos, in addition to covering daily news and contributing occasional reviews. Tim can be reached at tim@macrumors.com, Telegram (@waxeditorial) or Twitter.
Based in the UK, Tim's current role at MacRumors involves editorial oversight and how tos, in addition to covering daily news and contributing occasional reviews. Tim can be reached at tim@macrumors.com, Telegram (@waxeditorial) or Twitter.
Tim Hardwick's Articles
Apple CarPlay Just Got a Third AI Chatbot
Grok has just joined ChatGPT and Perplexity on Apple CarPlay, giving drivers who converse with AI chatbots a third option to choose from.
Developed by Elon Musk's xAI (now SpaceXAI after the two companies were recently folded into each other), Grok's Voice mode tends to offer more quirky responses compared to the other chatbots, but the app's main CarPlay interface is very similar, thanks to ...
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Grok AI Voice Mode Arrives on Apple CarPlay
SpaceXAI has released Grok Voice mode for Apple CarPlay, allowing CarPlay users to ask the chatbot questions and make requests directly from their vehicle dashboard, handsfree.
Previously, Grok for iPhone displayed a placeholder app in CarPlay saying the handsfree support would be coming soon. Grok comes built-in on Tesla vehicles, but now almost any other car can access it.
Apple...
Apple Warns Canada's Bill C-22 Could Force Encryption Backdoors
Apple and Meta have opposed a Canadian bill that the companies say could force them to create backdoor access to encrypted user data, should it pass through the country's parliament.
Proposed by Canada's ruling Liberal Party, Bill C-22 contains provisions that could be similar to a UK data access provision order sent to Apple last year, depending on how they are implemented.
Back in Feb...
Spotify Now Plays Personal Podcasts Generated by Your AI Agent
Spotify has launched a new feature that lets users save AI-generated audio briefings called Personal Podcasts directly to their Spotify library. It uses a new command-line tool for desktop that works with AI coding agents like OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Code.
After you install the Save to Spotify CLI from GitHub and sign into your Spotify account, you can prompt the agent to...
When Is the iPhone 18 Coming Out?
Apple is widely believed to be shaking up its iPhone launch strategy for its next generation of flagship devices.
Instead of sticking to the company's usual September time frame when it typically unveils its latest iPhone series, Apple is expected to adopt a split-launch annual cycle.
This means come September, Apple will likely reveal the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models,...
Apple May Drop Base $599 MacBook Neo as Chip, DRAM Costs Climb
Apple is considering dropping the cheapest MacBook Neo configuration as one possible response to the rising cost of building the popular laptop, according to Taiwan-based tech columnist and former Bloomberg reporter Tim Culpan.
The Neo currently starts at $599 for a 256GB model, with a 512GB version at $699.
Writing in his latest Culpium newsletter, Culpan says cutting the entry-level...
MacBook Neo Could Get New Colors to Cushion Potential Price Hike
Apple is considering adding new colors to its MacBook Neo lineup as a way to cushion customers against a possible price increase, according to Taiwan-based tech columnist and former Bloomberg reporter Tim Culpan.
Writing in his latest Culpium newsletter, Culpan says that the runaway success of the entry-level laptop has left Apple paying more for the components inside it. As a result, he...
When Is the iPhone 18 Pro Coming Out?
Apple is expected to make an even bigger deal of the iPhone 18 Pro models when they are unveiled this year. That's because the company is changing its launch strategy by breaking out its premium devices in a standalone show.
Come this September, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to share the stage with a rumored foldable iPhone. But there won't be any mid-tier devices...
iPhone 18 Pro's LTPO+ Display Upgrade to Come From Samsung, LG
Apple is expected to finalize OLED panel approvals for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max this month, with Samsung Display and LG Display likely to dominate panel supply, reports The Elec.
This year, China's BOE has reportedly been closed out of the premium tier supply chain, despite having landed some panel orders for the iPhone 17 Pro models.
The setback is said to be down to quality and...
iPhone 18 Pro CAD Leak Reignites the Dynamic Island Debate
New alleged CAD renders of Apple's iPhone 18 Pro are doing the rounds on social media, offering the latest twist in the to-shrink-or-not-to-shrink Dynamic Island saga.
An X user called @earlyappleleaks has posted the above image, claiming that "the new CAD confirms the smaller Dynamic Island of the iPhone 18 Pro."
CAD renders are often leaked from factories and represent the technical...
iPhone 17 Outselling Every Other Phone Worldwide So Far This Year
Apple's iPhone 17 was the best-selling smartphone globally in the first quarter of 2026, capturing 6 percent of worldwide unit sales, according to Counterpoint Research's latest Global Handset Model Sales Tracker.
The iPhone 17 series dominated the top three spots, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max in second place and the iPhone 17 Pro in third. The previous-generation iPhone 16 also held on at...
PSA: Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8
Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users from May 8, 2026. When the date comes around, Meta will potentially be able to see the contents of all messages between users on the social media platform.
Encrypting messages has been an optional feature in Instagram since 2023, but in March of this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to say ...
Enable Smoother 120Hz Browsing in Safari
Any iPhone, iPad, or Mac with a ProMotion display is capable of rendering buttery smooth 120Hz animations. However, Apple's Safari browser is locked to 60fps page rendering by default, making scrolling feel noticeably choppier for some users than in Chrome or Firefox. Thankfully, recent versions of Safari include a hidden setting that lets you unlock 120Hz rendering.
At 60Hz, your screen...
Add a Volume Slider to Your iPhone Lock Screen
Your iPhone's Lock Screen has built-in media playback controls that appear whenever music, a podcast, or other audio is playing. What you might not realize is that those controls can also include a volume slider that lets you adjust the volume without you having to unlock your iPhone or fumble for the physical buttons.
Originally, Apple included a volume slider in the Lock Screen media...
OpenAI Fast-Tracking AI Phone for 2027 Launch, Says Kuo
OpenAI is said to be fast-tracking development of its first "AI agent phone," with the company now aiming to mass produce the device as early as the first half of next year, according to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Late last month, Kuo revealed OpenAI's work on a smartphone, contradicting earlier reports that the company had no plans to enter the mobile market. Kuo said MediaTek and...
20th Anniversary iPhone Could Blend Haptic Buttons Into Curved Edges
For the rumored 20th-anniversary iPhone, Apple continues to test a solid-state haptic button system that will replace traditional mechanical buttons and enhance the uninterrupted look of the device's display, claims Chinese leaker "Instant Digital."
According to the Weibo-based leaker, the buttons have already passed tests for use when wearing gloves or having wet hands, in extreme...
Apple Eyes Intel and Samsung as Backup US Chipmakers
Apple has held "exploratory" talks with Intel and Samsung about manufacturing the main processors for its devices in the United States, reports Bloomberg ($).
Apple is said to have had early-stage talks with Intel about using its chipmaking services, while Apple executives have reportedly visited a Samsung plant under construction in Texas that will also make advanced chips.
The talks are ...
watchOS 27 to Offer New Watch Faces, Including 'Modular Ultra' Variant
For watchOS 27, Apple is testing new Apple Watch faces, and one of them is a simpler version of an existing Apple Watch Ultra watch face that could be coming to standard Series models.
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is testing multiple new faces for watchOS 27, code-named "Orchid." One of them is said to be a "simplified take" on the...
Epic Games Wins Reversal of Stay in App Store Fee Legal Battle
Apple will not be able to delay a district court battle over fee calculations while it waits to hear whether the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on the latest developments in its long-running dispute with Epic Games.
On Tuesday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an earlier decision letting Apple keep its current zero-fee link-out commission structure in place while it appeals to...
Report: iPhone Memory Costs Set to Quadruple by 2027
Memory could account for as much as 45 percent of an iPhone's component costs by 2027, up from around 10 percent today, according to a JPMorgan analysis cited by the Financial Times ($).
Apple buys memory for roughly 250 million iPhones a year and has historically been one of the largest customers in the category. But Apple has reportedly now gone from a position where it could set terms to...
