Latest News

AT&T says it has fully recovered following a major outage on Thursday that disrupted connectivity for customers across the country.

“We have restored wireless service to all our affected customers,” the company said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “We sincerely apologize to them. Keeping our customers connected remains our top priority, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future.”

It remains unclear what exactly caused the issue. AT&T didn’t immediately respond to a request for additional details. The Federal Communications Commission said on X that it was investigating the issue.

Read more: How to Use Your iPhone’s Emergency SOS via Satellite to Contact 911

Reports on social media suggested the outage was widespread, with Downdetector, a website where users can report issues with websites and services, showing a spike in problems with AT&T nationwide beginning at around 4 a.m. ET. The carrier recommended that customers use services like Wi-Fi to connect with others while the network was down.

When on Wi-Fi, you can still make calls and send messages through services like Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, and Meta’s WhatsApp. AT&T also offers Wi-Fi calling that lets you place calls over a Wi-Fi network using your regular number if you already have the feature enabled on your device.

As of 11 a.m. ET, the service did appear to be returning for some people. In an updated statement, the company said service had been restored to 75% of its network.

“Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning,” the company said. “Our network teams took immediate action and so far three-quarters of our network has been restored. We are working as quickly as possible to restore service to remaining customers.”

AT&T said that its first responder network, known as FirstNet, was operating during the outage.

“Early this morning, service was affected for some subscribers across the country. The team took immediate action, prioritizing restoration of public safety’s communications, and service is currently running normally across the FirstNet network,” the company said.

“As always, we take our responsibility for delivering effective communications for the public safety community seriously and are committed to network stability and transparency. An assessment of this event is underway, and we will continue to keep you updated as we learn more.”

Read more: Best Cellphone Plans of 2024

While reports suggested that issues were also affecting the networks of Verizon and T-Mobile, both carriers told CNET that their respective offerings were fine.

“We did not experience an outage. Our network is operating normally,” a T-Mobile spokesperson said. “Down Detector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks.”

“Verizon’s network is operating normally,” a Verizon spokesperson said. “Some customers experienced issues this morning when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier. We are continuing to monitor the situation.”

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

+31 more

See all photos

Social media and news-sharing platform Reddit has made a $60 million deal with Google to use its user-generated content to help train the search giant’s generative AI models, according to a report from Reuters on Wednesday.

This news comes as Reddit, the 17th most visited website in the world, filed to go public earlier Thursday. Selling user-generated data to train AI could be another lucrative revenue stream for the platform, which largely relies on ad sales.

The deal will also allow Google to filter in more Reddit results in Search.

“Over the years, we’ve seen that people increasingly use Google to search for helpful content on Reddit to find product recommendations, travel advice and much more,” Rajan Patel, Google’s vice president of Search Experience, said in a blog post. Patel said the partnership will allow “more content-forward displays of Reddit information.” Reddit echoed similar sentiments in its own blog post.

Both Reddit and Google declined to comment, referring to their blog posts.

Google’s deal with Reddit highlights the value of user-generated content for generative AI platforms. AI engines like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini are trained on mountains of text data from across the internet. The AI models take in this information and run it through to trillions of parameters to generate novel sentences. It’s been described as autocomplete on steroids.

Generally, more data, especially data from actual humans, means that the models can sound more human-like. How Reddit’s training data might affect future Google AI products remains to be seen. Considering that Reddit hosts voices both incisive and obnoxiously controversial, Google’s AI products might take in both the good and the bad, unless the company can effectively filter out the toxic elements. Trying to correct for human bias can sometimes lead to other errors. Recently, Google had to pause image generation on Gemini as it was generating images of white historical figures as people of color, instead.

Reactions on Reddit toward the news have largely been sardonic.

Reddit has also become an important part of Google Search results over the last few years. Given the influx of search engine optimized content flooding Google Search, it’s made it harder for people to find useful information. It doesn’t help that bland AI-generated content is already filling up the internet. One tactic some internet users employ is to enter a search query along with the word “Reddit.” This filters in Reddit results, which tend to show actual discussions between users.

When protests broke out on Reddit last year that saw many subreddits go private over the site’s decision to effectively kill off third-party Reddit apps, it affected Google’s search results. It shows how much Google is reliant on quality information to fill its results page to sell online ads against. Given Reddit’s reliance on its users, executives may have incentive to keep those users happy. Reddit may even sell stock to some of its most loyal users, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The unusual offering could be a way to appease fervent Reddit users, especially those that are willing to protest against or boycott the platform. Reddit was valued at $10 billion in 2021.

AT&T’s wireless network appears to be dealing with a major outage. The carrier on Thursday confirmed to CNET that it’s suffering from “wireless service interruptions.”

“Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning,” a spokesperson said. “We are working urgently to restore service to them. We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored.”

Read more: How to Use Your iPhone’s Emergency SOS via Satellite to Contact 911

When on Wi-Fi, you can still make calls and send messages through services like Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, and Meta’s WhatsApp. AT&T also offers Wi-Fi calling that allows you to place calls over a Wi-Fi network using your regular number if you already have the feature enabled on your device.

As of 11 a.m. ET, the service did appear to be returning for some. In an updated statement, the company said that service has been restored to 75% of its network.

“Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning,” the company said. “Our network teams took immediate action and so far three-quarters of our network has been restored. We are working as quickly as possible to restore service to remaining customers.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the outage, how widespread it was or when all services might return to normal. Reports on social media suggested the outage was widespread with Downdetector, a website where users can report issues with websites and services, showing a spike in problems with AT&T beginning around 4 a.m. ET across the country.

AT&T said that its first responder network, known as FirstNet, was operating during the outage.

“Early this morning, service was affected for some subscribers across the country. The team took immediate action, prioritizing restoration of public safety’s communications, and service is currently running normally across the FirstNet network,” the company said.

“As always, we take our responsibility for delivering effective communications for the public safety community seriously and are committed to network stability and transparency. An assessment of this event is underway, and we will continue to keep you updated as we learn more.”

Read more: Best Cellphone Plans of 2024

While reports suggested that issues were also affecting the networks of Verizon and T-Mobile, both carriers confirmed to CNET that their respective offerings were fine.

“We did not experience an outage. Our network is operating normally,” a T-Mobile spokesperson said. “Down Detector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks.”

“Verizon’s network is operating normally,” a Verizon spokesperson said. “Some customers experienced issues this morning when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier. We are continuing to monitor the situation.”

CNET will update as we learn more.

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

+31 more

See all photos

When you’re choosing a new pair of wireless earbuds, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you have to spend AirPods-size money, but that just isn’t the case. The EarFun Free 2S wireless earbuds have been proving that for some time now, but right now you can ditch the already low $40 asking price and pay a fraction — just $23. But you’re going to be made to work for that discount, as you will have to use a combination of a coupon and discount code to score the deal.

The discount fun starts when you clip the 20% on-screen coupon, then continues when you enter the discount code EAFRE2SC during the checkout process. Do that and you’ll pay $23, which is an incredible price for a pair of wireless earbuds in 2024.

Such a low price might have you thinking that these earbuds will be pretty terrible, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Well-reviewed, these earbuds pack detailed sound and strong bass while sporting four microphones for clear calls when needed. Battery life runs to seven hours between charges, while a total of 30 hours of playtime is offered via the included charging case. Need a top-up? Ten minutes will give you an additional two hours of listening time when needed.

As far as wireless earbuds deals go, this is a real winner. But with a coupon and a discount code needed, we don’t expect this $23 price to last for long. Either component of this deal could go away at any time and without any warning, which means that placing your order as soon as possible is definitely the way to go if you want to lock this discount in.

Backing up your files regularly can help keep your data safe if your device fails, and cloud storage is one of the most reliable options, as it can be accessed from multiple devices. But despite its convenience, cloud storage can get expensive. That’s especially true if you pay a monthly fee and add up the cost over the lifetime of your account.

Prism Drive is making cloud storage more affordable. Right now when you get a subscription at StackSocial, you’ll get 20TB of cloud storage for life for just $90. That’s a one-time fee with no recurring charges, making it an ideal failsafe for your crucial data. This offer expires Feb. 26, so be sure to sign up before then if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

How does that compare to Prism Drive’s usual pricing? You’d regularly pay $249 per year for a 10TB account if you signed up directly via its site. There isn’t a 20TB option there right now, so not only are you getting twice the usual amount of storage but you’re paying less than half for it — and you pay that $90 fee only once, making this a pretty sweet deal. StackSocial is also offering deals on lifetime subscriptions to 1TB, 5TB and 10TB accounts if you don’t need as much space, but the 20TB remains the best value overall if your budget can stretch to $90.

Prism Drive lets you securely store your files and access them from practically anywhere using your computer, phone or tablet. You can upload just about any type of file, including MP4, JPEG and PPT files, and you can preview files in the cloud without having to download them first. Note that there is a file size upload limit of 10GB.

The service uses zero-knowledge encryption to keep your data secure, and deleted files can be recovered for up to 30 days. There’s no limit on the number of devices you can use to access your storage drive, and you can create sharable links to safely share files with friends and family.

Last year brought a crowd of superhero movies to the silver screen, and the heroics continued on popular streaming services. Now Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will join the ranks of superhero flicks from 2023.

The new Aquaman movie will hit Max next week, plunging Jason Momoa back into the underwater action. The sequel to 2018’s film sees Momoa’s Arthur Curry team with his nemesis/half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) and once again spar with Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), per a synopsis from Warner Bros. Other returning cast members include Amber Heard as Mera, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.

Aquaman 2 is directed by James Wan, who also directed the prior movie. (If you need a refresher, that flick is among the DC movies currently streaming on Max). Here’s exactly when you can watch Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in the US, plus how a VPN may be able to assist with streaming.

When to watch Aquaman 2 on Max

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom splashes onto Max in the early morning hours of Feb. 27 (12:01 a.m. PT/3:01 a.m. ET, to be exact).

Max has an ad-supported plan and two ad-free plans to choose from. In addition to removing ads, going for one of the latter plans gives you the ability to download titles. If you’d rather buy Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, it’s available at services including Apple TV, Amazon and Vudu for $20.

How to watch Aquaman 2 from anywhere with a VPN

Perhaps you’re traveling abroad and want to stream Max while away from home. With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to access the movie from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming, too.

A VPN is the best way to encrypt your traffic to stop your internet service provider from throttling your speeds. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you’re traveling and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and log-ins when connecting to Wi-Fi networks. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that’s passed our tests and meets our security standards.

You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you’re using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from our best list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN.

Follow the VPN provider’s instructions for installation, and choose the United States, where Aquaman 2 will be streaming on Max. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you’re connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream Aquaman 2 on more than one device, it’s possible you’ll need to configure each one to ensure you’re signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you’re logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you’re ready to open Max to stream.

If you run into issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you’ve followed installation instructions correctly and picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services will restrict VPN access.

If you could change the story of your favorite childhood video game, would you? Or is it better to keep it just as you remembered? That’s the question at the center of Square Enix’s grand project to remake the classic 1997 roleplaying game Final Fantasy VII, and its latest chapter is about to begin.

Fans of the original Final Fantasy VII were curious how Square Enix would modernize it in 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake, and discovered an exciting mix of nostalgia and novelty as the game ended by boldly promising to pivot away from the original plot. The new Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, out Feb. 29 on PS5, picks the story up from there, launching main characters Cloud, Tifa, Aerith and Barrett into another similar-yet-different adventure — but bigger than its predecessor in every way.

Read more: Best PlayStation Deals

After 50 hours of playtime so far (and still a ways from finishing), I’ve enjoyed nearly everything Rebirth has to offer. My chief frustration is that it’s short on answering the biggest questions that its predecessor teed up about how Cloud and company will change the story we know so well, leading me to wonder how much of the teased plot diversions are buried into the end stretch of the game. That is where one of the most infamous of Final Fantasy moments — Aerith’s fate — is expected to be.

But the game is bursting with charm and affection for the world Square Enix has built on the bones of its source material, and my pains are forgotten in a gleeful sea of cactuars and combat. I can patiently wait for the game to unfold, even if it’ll likely take another 20 or 30 hours for me to complete it.

Rebirth adapts the middle chunk of the original Final Fantasy VII. Now free of the industrial city of Midgar and diverging from their fated path, Cloud and friends set forth into the broader world. In meta-narrative terms, they’re free to change crucial elements of the classic FFVII story, but the game isn’t in a rush to get there. Like other second chapters of epic trilogies, Rebirth relaxes into a mix of joyous exploration, pensive backstories and goofy downtime games.

After a short prologue in which Cloud recalls the tragic fall of series villain Sephiroth from beloved war hero to mad killer, the group leaves the idyllic town of Kalm to explore the frontier beyond. Square Enix made a choice to gear big swathes of the game around the open-world model of the Far Cry and Horizon games — sprawling areas filled with enemies, resources, lore nodes and towers.

Much of this is optional, though you’ll miss out on helpful items and world background. It’s less advisable to skip the side quests; like in Remake, some of the most satisfying character moments are found in these brief jaunts. Also similar to Remake, there are many mini games and side quests both on and off the main story path, which are delightful on the whole and break up the repetitive list of ongoing open-world tasks.

What doesn’t change, at least in the initial stages of Rebirth, is variance from the plot of the original Final Fantasy VII. Whereas Remake ended with Aerith proclaiming the next part of the journey would be “boundless, terrifying freedom,” players are largely following the original game’s beats, visiting towns and plowing through bosses found in the original game. There are tantalizing hints that something has shifted — and though Square Enix would like reviewers not to spoil certain things, vignettes sprinkled through the first half of the game show characters who should be dead are instead alive and vice versa in what seems like a parallel reality.

What I found different from the original, and even from Remake, is the sheer scope of content — there’s just more to do. Now free of Midgar’s cramped slums, players have huge areas to explore, numerous side quests and optional activities that let you spend so much more time with your favorite spiky-haired protagonist and his friends.

What’s new in Rebirth?

At this point, eager players will likely have read early coverage and even gotten their hands on the free Rebirth demo for PS5 owners. But after dozens of hours in the game, I’ve got a better feel for how it revamps and re-energizes the Final Fantasy VII experience.

First, and what I spent the most time doing, is combat. Square Enix smoothed out some of the original’s rougher edges, giving you more options while fighting enemies. There are new combo attacks using multiple characters split between repeatable Synergy Skills and the more potent Synergy Abilities that briefly boost your capabilities, giving players more options in the heat of battle. While I haven’t found much use for the former, the latter bailed me out of several sticky situations when I was low on health and mana, so they’re worth investing in.

Read more: PS5 Is Entering the ‘Latter Stage of Its Life Cycle’: What That Means

Each character’s individual fighting style has been overhauled to make them unique and more fun to use, sometimes in simple ways — for instance, Cloud gets a standard distance attack that makes fighting aerial enemies far less annoying. A new block mechanic lets you negate damage if you block at the perfect time, while more materia types expand character build possibilities. Also, you’re now free to use your summon materia in essentially any battle after a period of time (not just the big bosses).

All these improvements soothed enough of my frustrations with Remake’s combat system to make fighting more bearable and interesting, so anyone else who struggled in the last game will find Rebirth’s fighting systems more flexible and forgiving.

You can switch party members on the fly in the open world (from three preset party compositions), and in combat, those not in the party will make occasional attacks from the sidelines — token efforts that charmingly reinforce the feeling that your whole motley group is there for each other.

The game introduces item crafting, too, allowing you to make potions and equipment while out in the field, and thankfully it isn’t much harder than picking up occasional resource materials on the ground as you go. Moving around is easier as you can hop fences and jump up ledges with a button press, as well as traverse areas easier with chocobos, vehicles and, at long last, fast travel.

But aside from the slight differences in combat and new systems, Rebirth has a markedly different feel to Remake in its use of space. No longer forced into the narrow corridors of Midgar, Remake beckons you to explore its vast grasslands, traverse its beautiful beaches and ascend its rocky cliffs above cerulean waters. Some secrets await you in the unexplored corners of maps, but you’ll just as often follow a path to find an achingly gorgeous vista — a reward in itself. I’m no stranger to the open worlds of Final Fantasy XII, XIV and XV, but there’s something different about doing it with Cloud and other classic characters, hearing a swelling rendition of Final Fantasy VII’s theme booming through my speakers and feeling that boundless freedom wandering around Rebirth’s wild lands on the back of a chocobo (chocoback?).

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Photo Mode Screenshots From the Frontier

+11 more

See all photos

Early on, you’re instructed on how to use the game’s photo mode, which is a single button press away from the pause menu. It doesn’t take long before you start to recognize intentionally placed spurs of rock overlooking the valleys below and mountains beyond, or the crafting materials luring you to the lip of a cliff path — breadcrumbs getting you to not just take a ton of photos but take pauses, too.

While the original Final Fantasy VII had luscious prerendered backgrounds for players to gaze at as they wandered its polygonal areas, Square Enix not-so-subtly nudges players in Rebirth to enjoy the beautiful lands it has so carefully constructed. More than any other game I’ve played, Rebirth invites me to love a landscape, frame a shot and share in-game moments with friends. (And once the game launches, I’ll finally be able to open the floodgates and send all the screenshots I’ve been banking!)

Side quests and mini games: The soul of FFVII Rebirth

Remake had its work cut out for it developing a new real-time combat system, art style and plenty of extra story as it expanded the first third of Final Fantasy VII into a full-length modern game. But for players like me eager for fun character moments, the best parts were the mini games and side quests. Rebirth carries that spirit forward with even more of both, embracing the wacky weirdness at the heart of the original Final Fantasy VII and taking it up a notch.

When you’re fighting a megacorporation bent on sucking the planet dry while endeavoring to stop a murderous supersoldier, the silliness of the mini games and side quests feels human, communal and vivacious. I frequently got caught up in the intensity of a mini game sequence and laughed that I’d become a tryhard at riding a dolphin or playing Rocket-League-with-animals as Red XIII. A midgame side quest brings back Remake’s chill-to-the-max Johnny as you help him in his next scheme to make it big in the seaside resort town of Costa del Sol, which was a romp. And the less you know about Fort Condor before experiencing it yourself, the better.

Then there’s Queen’s Blood, the new card game sweeping the continents. While the complex rules and opaque flow of the game take some time to learn, lacking the elegance of the Final Fantasy series’ best card game Triple Triad and the best theme song, the novel three-lane approach of Queen’s Blood will become a pastime for players like me who need to pause their world-saving quest to throw down with NPCs who need a good humbling.

A legacy, a story remade, a not-so-final fantasy

The top question on any FFVII fan’s mind is: How much has it changed the original plot? And by far, Square Enix’s biggest opportunity is rewriting one of the biggest twists in gaming history (spoilers for a 27-year-old classic) and saving sweet Aerith from her cruel death at the hands of the villain Sephiroth.

I’ve only made it 50 hours into the game and can’t answer that yet. But even if I knew, I wouldn’t want the dilemma of that moment to overshadow everything Square Enix has done to make a joyful game that celebrates a motley group of flinty oddballs that defy heroic convention but grow to care about each other anyway.

Remake beat you over the head with the fact that This Time Would Be Different, throwing fate-conspiring Whisper ghosts at Cloud at every turn. In contrast, Rebirth spends its early and middle game letting the characters follow a path largely similar to the original’s plot, but rich with character heart-to-hearts, games to play and goofy but charming hijinks. Even without strongly diverging from the original Final Fantasy VII, Rebirth is different in letting these strangers grow closer together, moment by moment.

As the game trained me to find spots to pause for a screenshot, I climbed these vistas and sand berms, these mountain perches and jungle waterfalls, and think: Man, what a beautiful world Square Enix has created to bring this old story into a new reality. This is a planet I’ll fight Shinra for, right alongside the good friends I’ve grown with along the way.

If you’re ready to become a certified IT professional, there are affordable ways to get you started on your journey. Right now StackSocial has the Complete 2024 CompTIA Course Super Bundle marked down to just $60. It’s a great way to kickstart your education, because it’s designed for beginners and includes a fundamentals course to cover all the basics you’ll need as you progress through the pathway courses. And with lifetime access, you can learn at your own pace. We don’t know exactly how long this limited-time offer will last, so we recommend making your purchase sooner rather than later.

Certification with the Computing Technology Industry Association gives you a solid foundation for getting your foot in the door, and these courses will help you learn the information you’ll need to get certified. You’ll be able to strengthen existing skills or develop new ones with 15 courses offering 262 hours of content, taking you from beginner to expert in no time. With that certification under your belt, you can start a new career in IT or help develop the theory and techniques you’ll need to secure a promotion in your current job. And because Idunova is certified CompTIA partner, you can feel confident that these courses deliver expert content at an exceptional value.

You’ll gain useful knowledge and valuable skills as you work through the content available in this super bundle. Once finished, you’ll be able to demonstrate your know-how in a variety of areas, including configuring device operating systems, supporting basic IT infrastructure and identifying threats to network security. You’ll also become versed in the best practices for backup and recovery, how to master hardware and peripherals, managing Linux-based systems, implementing troubleshooting strategies and much more. That means that when it’s time to tackle your certification tests, you’ll be prepared.

Even if you lack a background in tech, this package can help those considering a career in information technology to jumpstart their journey.Use this low-cost option to broaden your horizons for pennies on the dollar with this comprehensive CompTIA course bundle. And if you’re ready to update your resume to score a new position, be sure to check out our roundup of the best resume writing services to get you started on the right path. Plus, we’ve got more e-learning savings opportunities, too.

Read more: Learn How to Code With the Best Python Courses for 2024

Apple’s interest in the wide world of sports is continuing to grow. This week the company announced its latest app, dubbed Apple Sports, and it has a fairly straightforward mission: be the fastest, easiest way to get the latest scores and stats about the teams and players you care about.

“It’s very simple, to solve a problem that I’ve had as a sports fan, and I think most people have had as a sports fan, which is how do you get scores and stats for live games?” says Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services. “And we’ve done this in a very clean, really easy to use, and most importantly, fast – meaning real-time [way].”

Cue notes that the new app will update “faster than TV in most cases” because most live events are broadcast with a delay.

The app, which is iPhone-only for now and free to download for users in the US, UK and Canada, is only focused on sports scores, stats and following favorite teams to start. At launch, Apple supports a variety of leagues currently in season, including NBA, NHL, MLS, men’s and women’s college basketball, and a host of international soccer leagues, including the Bundesliga, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Liga MX and the English Premier League.

The company says that additional leagues, including MLB, NFL, college football, the WNBA and NWSL will be added “for their upcoming seasons.”

Cue says that Apple has worked with a “huge number of providers” to get real-time, play-by-play data on ongoing games, sorting through all that information to make sure what the app presents is accurate and quick.

While there are a multitude of apps that offer a similar premise — including ones from CBS, ESPN, The Score and the major leagues themselves — Apple aims to be faster and simpler at delivering what is happening in games.

“I think ESPN does a great job with clips and all the things that they do, but they don’t really do a great job in sports,” he says when asked why users would want to use Apple Sports compared to the competition, noting that ESPN’s app could make it hard to find scores you’re looking for and customize to your preferences.

Whereas ESPN has news and highlights all over its app’s homepage and tabs on the bottom for watching games or viewing content from its ESPN Plus streaming service, Cue isn’t trying to fill every bit of a sports fan’s appetite with this app.

Apple Sports, by contrast, is “not trying to solve 20 different things.” Cue acknowledges that it’s easy to get the score of a game from a variety of sources today, but “it’s not a great experience if you’re trying to do multiple teams, multiple leagues, etc. That’s what we’re trying to solve with this.”

What’s here, and what’s not

At least at launch, there isn’t support for the company’s “Live Activities” feature, which puts the latest scores from teams you follow on your iPhone’s Dynamic Island and lock screen, allowing you to monitor what’s happening at a glance (assuming you have a compatible device).

To get that, you will still need to go through the Apple TV app, which already allows sports fans to follow their favorite teams and have their scores appear as Live Activities. Apple News similarly allows you to find and follow specific teams.

If you already have that set up in either the TV or News app, your list of favorite teams will carry over into the new Sports app.

Read more: Best iPhone to Buy in 2024

With a specific focus on scores and stats, Apple Sports will be, by design, missing several features that fans may have become accustomed to. There is no fantasy sports integration or a way to follow particular players, and the app isn’t incorporating news, highlights or social media chatter about ongoing games or the teams you follow. The company still has its Apple News app for some of that information.

It will integrate with the Apple TV app and offer a quick link to stream games if it’s available on Apple’s platform (such as MLS matches or its Friday night MLB games that stream on Apple TV Plus) or is on an app that you’ve connected to that Apple TV app.

Several leagues allow their apps to connect to the Apple TV app, including MLB, NBA and NFL, as do a variety of streaming apps and services that stream sports, like Paramount Plus, Peacock, Prime Video, Max, DirecTV, Sling TV and Fubo, and channels like ESPN and CBS Sports.

Connecting apps like the NBA app, for example, will allow the Apple Sports app to show you if the game is available to stream on NBA League Pass (assuming you subscribe to that service).

Apple will show pregame and live betting odds from DraftKings, but it will not be integrating with betting services at launch. Apple will allow users to hide betting odds in settings if users want, but, Cue adds, “Whether we let you tap on it to go to DraftKings or not … we’ll decide that later, we just decided right now we just want to show the odds and see.”

“We’re not against” betting, he adds.

The launch of the dedicated sports app is Apple’s latest step into sports. It follows deals that now see it broadcast some Friday night MLB games on Apple TV Plus and as well as becoming the main way to watch all MLS matches around the world with its Season Pass subscription offering.

The new app “is a continuation of what we’re doing with sports,” Cue says. “There’s a bunch of pain points that we see as fans that, if we can resolve, we’re going to do it.”

In addition to MLB and MLS, Apple was rumored to be a bidder for the NFL Sunday Ticket package that eventually went to Google’s YouTube TV and has been mentioned in the rumors as a possible partner for the NBA, whose media rights are currently up for bidding.

Cue, a noted Golden State Warriors fan who has been spotted courtside at the team’s games, did not go into whether the company would be involved with getting those rights.

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

+31 more

See all photos