This week at Apple we see a set of updates across the line for the different OSes, as well as some new features in places like Apple Music Classical, as well as the newer AirPods Max and Airpods 4. In a previous article done on March 10th, Low End Mac covered the iOS 18.4 / macOS 15.4 betas and their software features, which are making their way into the release candidate.

macOS 15.4 RC Hiccups

If you happen to have a brand new M4 MacBook Air or Studio, you won’t be able to update to macOS 15.4. First reported by MacRumors, users online were reporting they were trying to download 15.4 RC but couldn’t. The error saying: “macOS could not be downloaded. Make sure you’re connected to the internet and try again, or contact Apple support for assistance,”.

Since Apple didn’t send out a decryption key for these newer models to receive this update, they can’t update with this build. At this time, this key isn’t available from Apple’s servers for those models at this time, but is available for all other Macs. If you’re running 15.4 beta 4 however, this won’t affect you.

Apple also un-hid the amount of storage their Apple Intelligence takes up in system settings once again. It was previously hidden in a prior beta, but was re-enabled. While Apple claims their AI can take 7+ GB of storage, some users have reported more being used up. You can avoid this space being used up as well as any RAM, by not at all using Apple Intelligence.

Apple Music Apps

Apple Music Classical receives some updates, and Apple Music is now integrated with more DJ apps. The classical app has new stations, listening guides and recommendations.

Apple Music Classical:

• New time-synced listening guides for 150+ popular works
• Curated stations for nonstop music
• Daily Personalized recommendations on home
• See more on: 9to5Mac

Apple Music DJ integration:

• New support for: AlphaTheta, Serato, inMusic Engine DJ, Denon DJ, Numark, and RANE DJ.
• See more on this topic on: MacRumors

New USB-C to 3.5mm cable

Apple now has a 3.5mm to USB-C cable, which is meant exclusively for the newer AirPods Max model with the USB-C port. The cable also works on the USB-C Beats Studio Pro, and any iOS device to connect them up to external speakers. Apple claims ultra-low latency when connected on the AirPods Max.

• See: USB-C to 3.5mm cable on Apple’s website for $39
• See: MacRumors article

Some iOS 18.4 and a some other things

• Latest iOS 18.4 beta adds a new safari setting – “show recent searches” can be toggled on/off for the safari search bar.
• Apple is saying they will bring Lossless/low latency audio to AirPods Max in iOS 18.4. This will come in the form of a firmware update.
• To quote Apple’s press release: “With this update, AirPods Max will unlock 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio, preserving the integrity of original recordings and allowing listeners to experience music the way the artist created it in the studio. Apple Music subscribers can enjoy more than 100 million songs in lossless audio.”
• Due to regulatory concerns, the EU version of the iOS 18.4 RC doesn’t have iPhone mirroring and SharePlay Screen Sharing. See: MacRumors article.
• Apple Pay with Express transit now works on the San Diego transit: See MacRumors article.
• iCloud users who pay for storage now can create invites using the invites app for the iPhone.
• Apple Pay expanded to Puerto Rico last week, on March 19th.
• New firmware is out for the 25w magsafe charger for the iPhone 12 and later.
• Volvo EX90/EX30 models now support Apple Car Keys
• Apple Maps will now use their map surveys/cars to train Apple Intelligence models: See on 9to5Mac
• New sports apps API in iOS 18.4 for CarPlay
• Watch alarms can now play sound and haptics in silent mode in watchOS 11.4

U.S. Digital Driver License Rollout

Currently. there are 9 states and 1 U.S. territory which have a digital driver’s license:

• Puerto Rico, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, New Mexico, and Ohio.

States that are “in” but have yet to receive the feature:

• Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia.

See article on MacRumors as well as list of participating airports for this ID system.

In Conclusion

Here at Low End Mac we have a maintained focus on getting the most out of your Mac gear, which means naturally being focused on vintage or aging hardware. While there are many rumors and stories circulating around Apple at any given time, nothing is set in stone until the plans are set in motion. Sooner or later the things we report on here will be low end, which impacts the future of what we may end up using and writing more articles on, too.