Meta has spent nine months pressing Apple to open up to rivals the way it pairs devices like AirPods , and won't take Apple's excuses for an answer. Meta Ray-Bans in use - Image Credit: Meta Facebook owner Meta has previously been trying to use European Union regulations to get it access to iPhone user data that it cannot possibly have a legitimate use for. But now it's been revealed that the company has also pressed for potentially more reasonable help on pairing its devices. "We would like to be able to pair a Meta device with an iPhone or iPad ," writes the company in its formal EU interoperability request , "and have it automatically available and paired on other iPhones and iPads associated with that user by coordination via Meta's own cloud services." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Apple captured a record 20% share of the global smartphone market in the second quarter of 2026, even as worldwide shipments fell 4% year-over-year amid an ongoing memory chip shortage, according to a new report from Omdia . It is Apple's best second-quarter showing on record, landing in what is normally its slowest stretch of the year. Omdia credits this to a strong iPhone 17 upgrade cycle, as well as Apple keeping prices flat across the lineup while rivals were forced to raise theirs. The firm still flagged that Apple raised prices on other products late in the quarter, which raises the question of whether iPhone pricing will follow suit later this year. The wider industry slump traces back to a memory chip shortage that has pushed component costs sharply higher, with some vendors reportedly paying several times more for memory than a year ago. Samsung was the only other major vendor to grow, holding the top overall spot at 22% share as Chinese competitors pulled back their lineups and raised prices to cope. Omdia expects the squeeze to worsen over the next two quarters as peak shopping season collides with tight supply, pushing vendors further upmarket to protect margins. That is expected to leave fewer affordable options for budget buyers, and adds another data point to observe as Apple heads into an iPhone 18 cycle already facing rising component costs of its own. Tag: Omdia This article, " Apple's Steady iPhone Pricing Pays Off as Rivals Scramble " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple's iPhone shipments rose 3% in the second quarter of 2026 even as the global smartphone market fell 11% to its lowest second-quarter level since 2013. iPhone 17 Pro Max Global smartphone shipments fell 11% from the second quarter of 2025. Apple's share of global shipments climbed separately to a second-quarter record of 20%. Samsung remained the market leader with a 24% share after posting the strongest year-over-year growth among the five largest smartphone makers. Xiaomi followed Apple with 12%, while Oppo and Vivo held 11% and 8%, respectively. Rising DRAM and NAND memory prices drove much of the decline as suppliers prioritized demand from AI data centers. The resulting pressure has fallen hardest on entry-level and midrange phones, where manufacturers have less room to absorb higher component costs. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Apple is developing a new API that will let third-party accessories, including Meta 's Ray-Ban ‌Meta‌ glasses and Quest headsets, automatically pair across a user's Apple devices the same way AirPods and the Apple Watch do today, according to Apple's EU Interoperability Request page . The plan responds to a request ‌Meta‌ filed in October 2025 under the EU's Digital Markets Act, asking Apple to let a ‌Meta‌ device, once paired with one iPhone or iPad , automatically become available on a user's other Apple devices without extra prompts. Third-party accessories have never been able to tap into that ability, meaning owning non-Apple hardware alongside an iPhone has always involved more friction. If Apple builds this out, that gap will close, at least for whichever manufacturers get access to the new API. Apple told ‌Meta‌ on February 4 that it plans to let third-party apps access cryptographic materials that make a pairing completed on one Apple device usable on another, secured by a session key and a one-time, per-accessory user consent. Apple expects to finish development by spring 2027 and ship it "shortly thereafter," which points toward an iOS 27.x update, possibly iOS 27.4, though Apple has not yet confirmed a version. The feature runs on AccessorySetupKit and Proximity Pairing, infrastructure Apple built to comply with a March 2025 European Commission ruling and which only works in the EU today, the same infrastructure behind the proximity pairing feature already live for EU users. ‌Meta‌ has objected that adopting it would force the company to abandon Core Bluetooth, which it relies on for pairing everywhere outside Europe, and has asked Apple to decouple the two. Apple has declined so far, though it told ‌Meta‌ that support outside the EU "is something we are still considering." The request remains in phase three as of Apple's most recent update. ‌Meta‌ hasn't yet invoked the DMA's formal dispute resolution process, which would trigger a review by Apple's Interoperability Request Review Board within 30 working days. Until then, Apple's plan proceeds with a spring 2027 rollout tied to AccessorySetupKit, in the EU only. Related Roundup: AirPods 4 Tags: European Union , Meta Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution) Related Forum: AirPods This article, " Apple Plans AirPods-Like Pairing for Meta's Glasses and Quest " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
