A former Chrysler proving grounds for automotive testing outside of Phoenix, Arizona, that has been rumored to be used by Apple was recently purchased for $125 million by the firm that has been leasing it for the past five years, according to AZ Big Media.
Back in 2017, it was reported that a company by the name of Route 14 Investment Partners LLC had signed a lease to use the facility, with rumors suggesting Apple was behind the deal, although there was no definitive proof of the link. Route 14 is represented by the Phoenix office of law firm Greenberg Traurig, hiding the true ownership of the company.
Route 14 has now exercised an option to purchase the property, which consists of 34 separate parcels, for $125 million in cash. The purchase agreement is dated June 25, 2021, with a deed and assumption of an existing development agreement with the City of Surprise both dated July 30 and seen by MacRumors.
We have still not been able to concretely tie Apple to Route 14, but it's clear that whoever is behind the firm has deep pockets and a long-term interest in the testing facility.
Rumors about Apple's work on both autonomous driving systems and actual electric vehicles have ebbed and flowed over the last several years. The most recent report just this week claimed that Apple has been visiting with Toyota as it seeks to develop a supplier network with an eye toward producing an Apple-branded car starting in 2024.
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starts today with the traditional keynote kicking things off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors is on hand for the event and we'll be sharing details and our thoughts throughout the day.
We're expecting to see a number of software-related announcements led by a design revamp across Apple's platforms that will also see the numbering of all of...
Apple today announced a complete redesign of all of its major software platforms called "Liquid Glass."
Announced simultaneously for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and CarPlay, Liquid Glass forms a new universal design language for the first time. At its WWDC 2025 keynote address, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi said "Apple Silicon has become dramatically more powerful...
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before.
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Apple today announced that iPadOS 26 will be compatible with the iPad models listed below.
iPadOS 26 features a new Liquid Glass design, a menu bar, improved app windowing, and more.
iPadOS 26 supports the following iPad models:iPad Pro (M4)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)
iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
iPad Air (M2 and later)
iPad Air (3rd generation and...
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further.
During its WWDC 2025 keynote today, Apple said that 13...
Apple's long-rumored AirTag 2 might be coming soon.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman briefly mentioned that a new AirTag is "nearly ready" to launch. Last year, he said that it would be released around the middle of 2025, and the midpoint of the year is just a few weeks away.
"The new AirTag is nearly ready, having been prepared for launch over the past several...
Apple at WWDC announced iOS 26, introducing a comprehensive visual redesign built around its new "Liquid Glass" concept, alongside expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities, updates to core communication apps, and more.
Liquid Glass is a translucent material that reflects and refracts surroundings to create dynamic, responsive interface elements, according to Apple. The new design language...
I don't know if this confirms anything but a friend who lives nearby says that around July they saw workers making the asphalt thinner, removing all markings from the roadways, and chamfering the edges on all the buildings. Weird.
Apple has been wasting time on this car project. It is too many years behind Google and Baidu. By the time Apple comes up with something usable, the market would have been fully taken up. When Apple is not the creator of a market, it never made meaningful splash. In another word, Apple is never good at competing in a field others created.
Phones, tablets, watches, bluetooth headsets. Apple didn't invent the cell phone, table or bluetooth headset, yet they made quite a splash in those areas over the years.
Apple has been wasting time on this car project. It is too many years behind Google and Baidu. By the time Apple comes up with something usable, the market would have been fully taken up. When Apple is not the creator of a market, it never made meaningful splash. In another word, Apple is never good at competing in a field others created.
According to you, the autonomous car market is all wrapped up but I'm still trying to summon a single self driving car to come pick me up. What am I doing wrong here?
Apple has been wasting time on this car project. It is too many years behind Google and Baidu. By the time Apple comes up with something usable, the market would have been fully taken up. When Apple is not the creator of a market, it never made meaningful splash. In another word, Apple is never good at competing in a field others created.
Apple has been wasting time on this car project. It is too many years behind Google and Baidu. By the time Apple comes up with something usable, the market would have been fully taken up. When Apple is not the creator of a market, it never made meaningful splash. In another word, Apple is never good at competing in a field others created.
Apple almost always comes into a market already established. But it brings in something better. Music, phones, tablets, personal computers, services, etc etc etc. the list is literally endless.
