During its "Time Flies" event today, Apple announced that it is launching three new health research studies to learn how health metrics from the Apple Watch can help manage conditions that affect the heart and lungs.
First, to study how to better manage and control asthma using physiological signals from the Apple Watch, Apple said it is collaborating with pulmonary experts at the University of California, Irvine and health insurance provider Anthem.
Second, Apple said it is partnering with the University Health Network and the University of Toronto in Canada to learn more about how Apple Watch metrics including blood oxygen can be used to manage heart failure.
Third, Apple is partnering with investigators at the Seattle Flu Study and faculty at the University of Washington's School of Medicine to explore how changes in blood oxygen and heart rate can be early signals of the onset of influenza and COVID-19.
In addition, Apple and the government of Singapore today announced a partnership on the health initiative LumiHealth, which will encourage healthy lifestyle changes through technology. Launching in late October, the LumiHealth app will feature challenges designed to help users sleep better, move more, eat well, and live more mindfully.
Along with new Apple Watch and new iPad models announced today, Apple has released a collection of new bands and cases on Apple.com.
To start, Apple is selling the new Solo Loop for $49.00 in Pink Citrus, Deep Navy, Cyprus Green, Ginger, (PRODUCT)RED, Black, and White.
This band comes in eighteen total size options for an "ultracomfortable" fit, since it lacks any traditional buckle or clasp mechanism. To find your best fit, Apple provides a printable tool on its website.
Next is the Braided Solo Loop, which is constructed with a recycled yarn and available for $99.00. Colors include Atlantic Blue, Inverness Green, Pink Punch, (PRODUCT)RED, and Charcoal.
You'll find the same need to determine your exact sizing before a purchase on the Braided Solo Loop, and both bands are available to purchase today.
Shoppers should note that the Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop are optimized for Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 4 or newer. Sizes one through nine work with 40mm cases, and sizes four through 12 work with 44mm cases.
While these new bands should technically fit on the equivalent 38 and 42 mm casings from Series 3 and earlier, you may have to size up a bit to account for the slightly smaller casing if you want to use one of these bands with an older watch.
The classic Sport Band ($49.00) comes in five new colors: Ginger, Cyprus Green, Deep Navy, Pink Citrus, and (PRODUCT)RED.
You'll find seven new Sport Loop ($49.00) colors as well: Kumquat, Deep Navy, Plum, Inverness Green, Charcoal, (PRODUCT)RED, and Cream.
Nike Sport Bands are now available in Blue Black/Bright Mango, Obsidian Mist/Black, and Spruce Aura/Vapor Green. Nike Sport Loops now come in Purple Pulse, Obsidian Mist, and Spruce Aura.
Apple reworked the leather band into a new Leather Link ($99.00) style, and it's sold in Baltic Blue, California Poppy, Saddle Brown, and Black. Modern Buckle ($149.00) bands are now offered in Garnet, Scarlet, and Pink Citrus. The previous version of the Leather Loop also now comes in Diver Blue.
There are eight new Hermès options: Fauve Barénia Leather Attelage Double Tour, Fauve Barénia Leather Attelage Single Tour, Rouge Piment Swift Leather Single Tour, Jaune Ambre Swift Leather Single Tour, Bambou Swift Leather Single Tour, Navy Swift Leather Single Tour, Anémone Swift Leather Single Tour, and Noir Swift Leather Single Tour Deployment Buckle.
Lastly for Apple Watch bands, Apple updated the Milanese Loop ($99.00) in Gold and Graphite.
For the new 8th generation iPad, Apple is offering the Smart Cover in Pink Citrus, Deep Navy, and Cyprus Green. The Smart Folio for the new 4th generation iPad Air is sold in the same colors.
Apple today announced Apple One, a series of new subscription bundles that provide access to various Apple services at a combined monthly price.
In response, Spotify sent out statements (via Peter Kafka) to the press decrying Apple's anti-competitive behavior and calling on "competition authorities" to stop Apple before it is able to cause "irreparable harm" to developers.
Once again, Apple is using its dominant position and unfair practices to disadvantage competitors and deprive consumers by favoring its own services. We call on competition authorities to act urgently to restrict Apple's anti-competitive behavior, which if left unchecked, will cause irreparable harm to the developer community and threaten our collective freedoms to listen, learn, create, and connect.
There are three separate Apple One plans that start at $14.95 per month. The standard plan includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage. Individually, these services would be priced at $21, so customers are saving $6 per month.
The Family Apple One plan includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 200GB of iCloud storage for $19.95 per month, and all of the services can be shared among up to six family members. Individually, these services would be priced at $27.96.
The Premier Apple One plan, priced at $29.95 per month, includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and 2TB of iCloud storage, which can be shared among up to six family members. The Premier plan offers the greatest savings as these services would be priced at $54.94 individually.
Spotify has long been unhappy with Apple Music as it is installed by default on iPhones and it also does not require extra fees for customers who purchase a subscription on an Apple device. Spotify, meanwhile, has to pay Apple's 30 percent cut to provide access to a premium subscription purchase on an Apple device.
With the launch of the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple has discontinued the higher-end premium ceramic Apple Watch models that were previously available.
Apple Watch Series 6 materials include aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium, which was introduced last year, but no ceramic. The aluminum models come in silver, gold, and space gray, plus there are new blue and (PRODUCT)RED color options.
The stainless steel models are available in graphite, silver and gold, while the titanium models are available in space black and silver. Apple’s titanium Apple Watch models are now its most expensive, priced starting at $799 for a 40mm with the most inexpensive band.
Aluminum Apple Watch models are priced starting at $399, while stainless steel models are priced starting at $699. Apple also introduced the lower-cost Apple Watch SE, priced starting at $279, and the Apple Watch Series 3 continues to be available for $199.
Apple today seeded the GM versions of upcoming iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 updates to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the eighth betas and over two months after unveiling the new software at the WWDC keynote.
Registered developers can download the betas over the air after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.
iOS 14 introduces a redesigned Home Screen that supports widgets on iPhone for the first time, plus widgets have been redesigned and can now be customized in three sizes through the new widgets gallery.
An App Library shows all of the apps installed on an iPhone in one place, both in an icon view and in an alphabetical list. With all of the apps in the App Library, app icons and Home Screen pages can be hidden for a cleaner look.
Incoming phone calls and FaceTime calls no longer take up the entire iPhone/iPad display, and Siri requests have also been minimized so summoning Siri doesn't monopolize the screen. Siri is smarter in iOS 14 and can send audio messages, and dictation can now run on device. A Picture in Picture mode allows users to watch videos or use FaceTime while using other apps.
App Clips lets users take advantage of some app features without needing to download a full app, useful for quick actions like purchasing a coffee, making a restaurant reservation, or renting a scooter, where downloading an entire app would be a hassle. App Clips can be scanned from QR codes, NFC tags, or Apple-designed App Clip Codes, plus they can be shared in Messages or accessed from Safari.
In the Messages app you can now pin important conversations, use @mentions in group chats, and take advantage of inline replies to keep multi-person conversations better organized. There are new Memoji options and group chats can be assigned icons with photos, emoji, or Memoji.
The Health app supports the Apple Watch's new Sleep Tracking feature and there's a Health Checklist for managing health settings, and in the Weather app, there's more info on precipitation and severe weather events.
Cycling directions are available in the Maps app with directions incorporating elevation, how busy a street is, and stairs, plus for those who own electric vehicles, there are options for routes with EV charging stops.
Digital Car Keys let an iPhone be used in lieu of a physical key, a feature that's coming soon to BMWs, and CarPlay now lets users set wallpapers.
A new translate app provides text and voice translations to and from 11 languages, and there are tons of new privacy protections. Developers need to get user permission before accessing devices on a local network, limiting access to photos, and providing apps with approximate locations instead of exact locations.
Safari has a Privacy Report that lets you know which websites have trackers, and there are new icons on the Home screen that let you know when an app is using a camera or microphone. Third-party browser and mail apps can be set as default for the first time, and Apple added new AirPods capabilities.
As for the iPad, the Apple Pencil can now be used in any text field, with handwritten text converted automatically to typed text thanks to the new Scribble feature.
There are tons more features in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, so make sure to check out our iOS 14 roundup and our iPadOS 14 roundup for a full list of everything new. We've also highlighted all of the new feature tweaks and changes introduced with each beta iteration, and you can see the changes from beta 2, beta 3, and beta 4 in our beta 2, beta 3, beta 4, beta 5, beta 6, and beta 7 tidbits articles.
Beta 3 brought a new red Music icon, changes to the design of the Music Library in the Music app, a Clock widget, an updated Screen Time widget, while beta 4 added an Apple TV widget and improvements to search. Beta 5 introduced a larger Apple News widget option, a scrolling clock wheel for apps like Alarm Clock, an option to turn on Exposure Notifications, and a feature to better hide photo albums, while beta 6 added spatial audio settings and beta 7 added Dark Mode options for the rainbow wallpapers.
iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 are available to registered developers and public beta testers at this time, with Apple planning to release the new software tomorrow.
Apple today seeded the golden master of an upcoming watchOS 7 update to developers, one week after releasing the eighth beta and more than two months after unveiling watchOS 7 at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
To install the watchOS 7 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To update to the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. It would be wise to install the beta on a secondary device rather than a primary device as this is an early version of the watchOS software that could have bugs that still need to be addressed.
watchOS 7 introduces a watch face sharing feature that lets you share your watch faces with others through Messages or Mail, the App Store, through websites, or through social Media, though watch faces can still only be created by Apple.
There are new Chronograph Pro watch faces, plus a filter option for the Photos face and rich complications for the X-Large face. Developers can now offer more than one complication per app, and Apple has introduced new complications for Shortcuts, Moon phases, the World Clock, and more.
watchOS 7 includes a new Sleep Tracking feature for the first time that uses the Apple Watch's accelerometer to detect small movements associated with breathing when asleep. Sleep Tracking provides information on sleep duration and offers a Wind Down feature for helping users get ready for bed to increase sleep times.
Putting the Apple Watch in Sleep Mode turns on Do Not Disturb and automatically darkens the watch screen while you're sleeping, while an alarm feature uses haptic feedback or gentle sounds to wake you up with a greeting and a weather report.
In addition to Sleep Tracking, Apple also added a new handwashing tracking feature to help people wash their hands for at least 20 seconds. There's a 20-second countdown timer that comes up whenever the Apple Watch detects handwashing motions and sounds, and the Health app will also show the frequency and duration of the user's handwashing.
Additional details on all of the other new features in watchOS 7 can be found in our watchOS 7 roundup. Apple plans to release watchOS 7 tomorrow.
Apple today seeded the golden master version of an upcoming tvOS 14 update to developers for testing purposes. Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 14 beta comes one week after the release of the eighth beta. tvOS 14 will be released tomorrow.
Registered developers can download the new tvOS 14 beta onto the Apple TV through a profile that's installed using Apple's Xcode software.
tvOS 14 introduces Picture in Picture, a feature that lets you watch movies or TV shows in a small window in the corner of the screen while you do something else on the Apple TV.
There's a new Home section in the Control Center on Apple TV in tvOS 14, which allows HomeKit-connected devices to be controlled right from the TV. There's an option to view HomeKit camera feeds on the larger screen of the television or in Picture in Picture mode so you can keep an eye on your house at all times.
Apple Arcade on Apple TV now supports multiple users, so each tvOS user can keep track of their individual game levels, leaderboards, and invitations. Additional gaming controllers are supported, including the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controllers, and Apple TV games can now take advantage of haptic feedback and other features built into controllers.
There's an option to manually choose a screensaver category in tvOS 14, and for those who watch YouTube, tvOS 14 supports watching YouTube videos in 4K for the first time.
Apple today announced the new Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE, and in an effort to cut down on packaging, Apple plans to ship some of the new Apple Watch models without power adapters for the first time.
The new Apple Watches continue to ship with a 1m Magnetic Charging Cable, but the 5W power adapter that used to come with a watch is not included in the box for Apple Watch SE and aluminum and stainless steel Apple Watch Series 6 models. Higher-end titanium and Hermès models do, however, continue to include a power adapter.
Rumors have suggested that Apple also plans to eliminate the power adapter from iPhone models as well to save money because of the expense of 5G, and the removal of the power adapter from the Apple Watch box seemingly confirms these plans.
The new iPad Air that was announced today will continue to ship with a power adapter, however. It includes a new 20W USB-C power adapter that works with the new USB-C port that replaces the Lightning port.
The eighth-generation low-cost iPad also comes with the same 20W power adapter along with a USB-C to Lightning cable for charging purposes.
The new Apple Watch models and the eighth-generation iPad can be purchased from Apple starting today, while the iPad Air will be available in October.
Update: This article was updated to note that titanium and Hermès Apple Watch Series 6 models continue to include a power adapter in the box.
Apple today announced that iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14 will be officially released on Wednesday, September 16. Apple has seeded the final Golden Master beta versions of each update to developers in advance.
iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 introduce dozens of new features, including a redesigned Home Screen that supports widgets on the iPhone and iPad for the first time. For more details, check out our detailed roundups of iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14.
Apple did not announce a release date for macOS Big Sur.
Apple today introduced a redesigned iPad Air with slimmer bezels, paving the way for an all-screen design similar to recent iPad Pro models. In addition, the new iPad Air is the first Apple device with Touch ID built into the power button.
The new iPad Air is powered by the new 5nm-based, six-core A14 Bionic chip for up to 40 percent faster performance and up to 30 percent faster graphics than the previous-generation iPad Air. This is the same chip that is expected to be used for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models, which will reportedly be introduced next month.
The device features a fully laminated 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone, P3 wide color support, and an anti-reflective coating.
Following in the footsteps of the iPad Pro, the new iPad Air features a USB-C port instead of a Lightning connector. The device also features the same 12-megapixel rear camera used in the iPad Pro for higher-resolution photos and 4K video recording.
The new iPad Air will be available starting in October on Apple.com and the Apple Store app in 30 countries and regions. Wi-Fi models will start at $599, while cellular models will start at $729, with 64GB and 256GB storage capacities available. There will be five colors to choose from, including silver, space gray, rose gold, green, and sky blue.
Apple today unveiled a new eight-generation iPad with a powerful A12 Bionic chip that brings the Neural Engine to the entry iPad for the first time and provides 40 percent faster performance than the A11, with double the graphics power.
Apple claims the new more affordable iPad is twice as fast as the top-selling Windows laptop, three times faster than the top selling Android tablet, and six times faster than the top-selling Chromebook.
"We're excited to offer customers an even faster and more powerful experience with the eighth-generation iPad," said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "With its beautiful 10.2-inch Retina display, the performance boost from the A12 Bionic, great cameras, and so much more, the new iPad is an incredible value at a time when, more than ever, our customers need powerful and versatile ways to work, play, learn, and connect with loved ones."
Shipping with the new iPadOS 14 mobile operating system, the new iPad supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, features Smart Keyboard Support, and offers gigabit-class LTE as an additional option.
Apple says the new eighth-generation iPad is designed to be environmentally friendly and supports Apple’s plan to become carbon neutral by 2030.
The new iPad starts at $329, or $299 for education customers, while the Wi-Fi plus cellular model costs $459. All versions can be ordered today on the Apple online store with availability starting Friday.
Apple today introduced new "Apple One" bundles for its services, which will allow customers to subscribe to Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and more for one set monthly price, with the total cost being cheaper than subscribing to the services individually.
There will be three tiers of Apple One available, including Individual, Family, and Premier:
Individual: Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage for $14.95 per month
Family: Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 200GB of iCloud storage for $19.95 per month, can be shared among up to six family members
Premier: Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and 2TB of iCloud storage for $29.95 per month, can be shared among up to six family members
Apple says the bundles will be available starting this fall, with the Individual and Family tiers set to be available in over 100 countries and regions, while the Premier tier will be limited to the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Apple One includes a 30-day free trial for any services that customers do not already have.
Apple One's Individual tier offers savings of $6 per month, while the Family plan offers a savings of over $8 per month, and the Premier plan offers a savings of over $25 per month, compared to standard monthly pricing.
Apple today announced Family Setup for Apple Watch Series 4 and later and Apple Watch SE, describing the feature as a way for parents, guardians, and carers to pair Apple Watch models worn by others to a single iPhone.
Currently, every Apple Watch needs to pair with its own iPhone, but Family Setup will allow users to pair watches for children or older members of their household who might not have their own iPhones.
Apple is pitching it as a new way for families to use Apple Watch in a novel way, allowing parents to specify who kids can call, and set up automatic location notifications.
Family Setup also includes a "Schooltime Mode," which sets up Do Not Disturb on kids' watches with restricted interaction and a special watch face.
This story is part of our ongoing coverage of Apple's virtual "Time Flies" event today. Refresh for more details and follow our live blog.
Apple today introduced "Fitness+," a new service for Apple Watch designed to help you stay fit, launching before the end of 2020. The service provides workouts from the world's best trainers, which you can browse on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV.
When you choose a workout, the video on your Apple TV or iPad syncs with your own personal information fed from your Apple Watch. This allows you to see your heart rate or calories burned as you follow the moves from the trainers on screen.
Fitness+ will include yoga, cycling, dance, strength, core, HIIT, rowing, and many more workouts. Apple noted that many of the workouts just require a set of dumbbells, or no equipment at all. You'll receive personalized recommendations to quickly get to your next workout as well.
“We’re so excited to energize our customers with new ways to get active and stay active with Apple Watch,” said Jay Blahnik, Apple’s senior director of fitness for Health Technologies.
“With diverse studio workouts that are suitable for all ability levels, led by a phenomenal group of unique trainers, and an approachable program designed for beginners all the way through to the fitness enthusiast — as well as the flexibility to work out anywhere — there’s something for everyone. We know Fitness+ will take working out with Apple Watch to the next level with unparalleled engagement, convenience, and inspiration.”
The service will be refreshed with new workouts every week. You'll also be able to choose custom music while you workout, with options that sync with Apple Music.
Fitness+ will be located in the Fitness app on iOS, and there will be a new app for Apple TV. The service will cost $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. If you purchase a new Apple Watch, you'll get three months of the service for free.
Fitness+ will launch in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand later this year. It'll also be part of the "Apple One" Premier bundle.
Apple Watch Series 6 is the new high-end model with blood oxygen tracking, a faster S6 chip, a next-generation always-on altimeter, and new casing options like blue aluminum and graphite stainless steel. Pricing starts at $399.
Starting at $279, the lower-cost Apple Watch SE features the same external design as the Apple Watch Series 6, but with some features missing, including an always-on display, blood oxygen tracking, and the ECG app for detecting atrial fibrillation. Apple Watch SE is also powered by the previous-generation S5 chip from the Apple Watch Series 5.
Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE share a handful of features, including fall detection, a compass, an always-on altimeter, Emergency SOS with international emergency calling, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notifications, water resistance up to 50 meters, the Noise app, and compatibility with watchOS 7.
Apple today unveiled a lower-cost Apple Watch SE that features the same external design as the Apple Watch Series 6, but with some features missing, including an always-on display, blood oxygen tracking, and the ECG app. Apple Watch SE is also powered by the previous-generation S5 chip from the Apple Watch Series 5.
Other features that the Apple Watch SE shares with the Series 6 include fall detection, a compass, an always-on altimeter, Emergency SOS with international emergency calling, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notifications, water resistance up to 50 meters, the Noise app, and compatibility with watchOS 7.
Apple Watch SE is available to order today from Apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning September 18 in the United States and 27 other countries and regions. Pricing starts at $279 for the Wi-Fi model and $329 for the cellular model. By comparison, the Apple Watch Series 6 starts at $399.
Apple Watch SE is limited to an aluminum finish in space gray, silver, or gold, with 40mm and 44mm size options.
At the Apple Event today, Apple announced a wealth of new bands for the Apple Watch, including an all-new "Solo Loop" band style. This band doesn't have any clasp or buckle, and is made out of one continuous piece of silicone.
To put it on and take it off, you'll just stretch it a little to get it over your hand, and it comes in twelve total size options for an "ultracomfortable" fit. To find your best fit, Apple provides a printable tool on its website.
The Solo Loop costs $49.00 and comes in Pink Citrus, Deep Navy, Cyprus Green, Ginger, (PRODUCT)RED, Black, and White.
A "Braided Solo Loop" comes in the same style but is constructed with a recycled yarn and available in five colors, running for $99.00. Colors include Atlantic Blue, Inverness Green, Pink Punch, (PRODUCT)RED, and Charcoal.
As a note, the Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop are optimized for Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 4 or newer. Sizes one through nine work with 40mm cases, and sizes four through 12 work with 44mm cases.
While these new bands should technically fit on the equivalent 38 and 42 mm casings from Series 3 and earlier, you may have to size up a bit to account for the slightly smaller casing if you want to use one of these bands with an older watch.
Apple Watch Series 6 features several new watch faces, including a GMT face that shows multiple time zones at once, a Count Up face that lets you track elapsed time, an interactive Memoji face, a customizable Stripes face, and more.
Apple Watch Series 6 is the new high-end model with blood oxygen tracking, a faster S6 chip, a next-generation always-on altimeter, and new casing options like blue aluminum and graphite stainless steel. Pricing starts at $399.
