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.
Apple today announced the new Apple Watch Series 6, sporting several new features including blood oxygen monitoring and multiple color options.
Oxygen saturation, or SpO2, represents the percentage of oxygen being carried by red blood cells from the lungs to the rest of the body, and indicates how well this oxygenated blood is being delivered throughout the body.
With Apple Watch Series 6, users can detect their blood oxygen right from their wrist, thanks to advanced algorithms that measure the color of the wearer's blood. To compensate for natural variations in the skin and improve accuracy, the Blood Oxygen sensor employs four clusters of green, red, and infrared LEDs, along with the four photodiodes on the back crystal of Apple Watch, to measure light reflected back from blood.
It's capable of taking readings manually in 15 seconds, plus it gives periodic background readings, including while the user sleeps. The new Blood O2 feature will also support research studies that explore asthma, heart failure, and flu/covid studies.
The Apple Watch Series 6 includes a new sixth-generation chip, with a dual-core processor based on Apple's A13 chip, which is 20 percent faster than the previous generation model.
"Apple Watch Series 6 completely redefines what a watch can do," said Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer. "With powerful new features, including a Blood Oxygen sensor and app, Apple Watch becomes even more indispensable by providing further insight into overall well-being."
In addition, the Series 6 has a 2.5x brighter outdoor always-on display, including an always-on altimeter.
The always-on altimeter provides real-time elevation all day long by using a new, more power-efficient barometric altimeter, along with GPS and nearby Wi-Fi networks. This feature allows for the detection of small elevation changes above ground level, up and down to the measurement of 1 foot, and can be shown as a new watch face complication or workout metric.
Exclusive to the Series 6 is a new blue aluminum case, an updated classic gold stainless steel, and graphite stainless steel, and an Apple Watch PRODUCT(RED).
There are also new watch faces with the Series 6, including a Tachymeter, MeMoji, Stripe faces to show pride, team colors, and more.
watchOS 7 also brings sleep tracking and will also soon give users warnings for low VO2 Max levels.
Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS) starts at $399 and Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) starts at $499.
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.
The screen protector comes from the Insignia brand, which is owned by Best Buy itself. While there actually have been rumors of an iPhone SE Plus launching in the second half of 2021, it is unlikely that Best Buy would be privy to any information about this new device, especially this far in advance. The listing could be an SEO attempt or simply a mistake.
Reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously said that the iPhone SE Plus will feature Touch ID built into the side power button, as is rumored for the redesigned iPad Air expected today. He also claimed that the device will feature a 5.5-inch or 6.1-inch display with an edge-to-edge design like the iPhone 11 Pro, with a smaller notch due to the lack of Face ID.
Multiple reports have indicated that today's Apple event will not involve new iPhones, with the focus to be on new Apple Watch and iPad models. MacRumors will have live coverage of the event beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.
Apple's virtual "Time Flies" event kicks off today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with Apple expected to debut new Apple Watch and iPad models, but it appears we may not see the iPhone 12 until next month.
While we're not expecting to see new iPhones today, Apple's software updates for its various platforms are likely nearly ready for launch, so we may be hearing more about them today. Check out our what to expect guide for more details on other announcements we could see, including "Apple One" subscription service bundles and some wildcard possibilities like AirTags item trackers.
Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, on YouTube, and in the company's TV app across its platforms. We will also be updating this article with live blog coverage and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account as the keynote unfolds. Highlights from the event and separate news stories regarding today's announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.
Live blog transcript ahead...
8:51 am: We're a little over an hour away from the start of the event, and Apple's online store has been down for several hours now. New Apple Watch and iPad models are expected to be the main attraction today, but we'll likely see some other announcements. With no media in attendance, today's event is likely to be a pre-recorded affair from various settings at Apple Park, similar to the WWDC keynote back in June.
9:54 am: With five minutes to go, the stream is live on Apple.com and there are more than 350,000 people standing by for the YouTube stream to start.
10:00 am: Indistinct bell-type music is playing. It is now 10AM, and we're off!
10:02 am: Apple CEO Tim Cook is welcoming everyone in a pre-recorded greeting from Apple Park.
10:02 am: "We know that life won't always be like this and we're all looking forward to better days."
10:02 am: Focusing on two products playing integral roles in people's lives: Apple Watch and iPad
10:03 am: Today, it's incredible what Apple Watch enables you to do right from your wrist.
10:04 am: Now talking about stories from actual Apple Watch users who had their lives changed by the Watch.
10:05 am: Hearing directly from Apple Watch users, now. "Dear Apple, my name is Kate..."
10:05 am: Kate's Apple Watch talks to her insulin pack, allowing her to focus on competing in track and field instead of finger pricks and other tests.
10:06 am: Another user who saw an "increased heart rate" alert, and rushed to the hospital as he was having cardiac arrest. "I'm thankful for that device that saved me."
10:07 am: Mount Sinai launched "Warrior Watch" study, to study the impact of COVID on the psychological well-being of front-line health care workers, especially their mental health. Singapore will offer incentives to citizens to use Apple Watch to stay healthy and active.
10:08 am: "This year, we're going to take it even further."
10:08 am: Flying to the Steve Jobs theater to hear Apple COO Jeff Williams talk more about Apple Watch.
10:09 am: Talking about measuring VO2 Max levels, and how Watch OS 7 can measure VO2 Max. Coming later this year, you can receive warnings for low VO2 max levels.
10:10 am: Showing new Apple Watch Series 6.
10:10 am: New blue aluminum case, updated classic gold stainless steel. Graphite stainless steel. Apple Watch Product Red.
10:10 am: New health sensor on-board which allows for measuring Blood Oxygen.
10:12 am: With Apple Watch Series 6, you can measure your blood oxygen right from your wrist. Advanced algorithms measure the color of your blood to measure Blood O2. Takes a measurement manually in 15 seconds, plus periodic background readings, including while you sleep.
10:12 am: Sumbul Ahmad Desai, MD, an Apple executive, talking about the health tools in the Apple Watch and the benefits of measuring Blood Oxygen.
10:14 am: Three new Health Research studies using Blood O2, including studying asthma, heart failure, and flu/covid studies.
10:14 am: "We're so excited to bring this important new health capability to our users."
10:14 am: New, sixth-generation S6 system-in-package. Up to 20% faster than previous generation.
10:15 am: Series 6 has 2.5x brighter outdoor always-on display. And always-on altimeter.
10:16 am: Now discussing new Watch faces.
10:18 am: Watch faces have always been a great way to personalize your Apple Watch. But so are watch bands. Now there's a "Solo Loop" watch band.
10:18 am: No clasp, no buckle, no overlapping buckle, just one continuous piece made from custom liquid silicone. Stretchable to slip on and off. Durable and swim proof. Available in a range of sizes to find the best fit. Seven colors.
10:19 am: "So comfortable, we did another version called the braided solo loop." Recycled yarn, available in five colors. New take on leather band with new leather link. Updates to Apple Watch Nike with new colors, and a new Hermes band.
10:19 am: Two additional things to make Apple Watch available to new people. New way for families to use Apple Watch.
10:20 am: Apple Watch needs to pair with an iPhone currently, but now Family Setup allows users to pair watches for children or older members of household who might not have their own iPhones.
10:20 am: Parents can specify who kids can call, and set up automatic location notifications.
10:21 am: "Schooltime Mode" sets up Do Not Disturb with restricted interaction and a special watch face.
10:21 am: Cellular model of Series 4 and later with a number of carriers and regions, with more coming.
10:22 am: New Apple Watch model that combines Series 6 design with more affordable price. Apple Watch SE.
10:23 am: Uses largest 44mm Watch display. S5 chip (from last year). Cellular and non-cellular models available. Family Setup with Cellular model. SE has same accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter as Series 6. Supports fall detection.
10:23 am: SE starts at $279, with 24-month Apple Card financing available.
10:23 am: Series 6 starts at $399. Series 3 sticks around starting at $199.
10:25 am: Now talking about the recyclability of Apple Watch and Apple's pledge to stay carbon neutral.
10:26 am: "Removing the USB power adapter from Apple Watch."
10:27 am: Order today, available starting this Friday.
10:27 am: Showing a new video.
10:29 am: "The future of health is on your wrist." A great ad. Hard to describe. Just go watch it!
10:29 am: "We've been working on something to motivate you even more on your fitness journey."
10:30 am: One of the most popular apps is the Workout app.
10:30 am: Creating amazing workouts with incredible music delivered by the world's best trainers. The first fitness service built around Apple Watch.
10:30 am: Fitness+
10:30 am: Any screen, anywhere, any time. Metrics on-screen powered by the watch. Ten workouts.
10:31 am: Set workout, trainer, time, music.
10:32 am: Apple Fitness+, powered by Apple Watch "in really cool ways." Apple Watch owners love seeing metrics on their wrist during a workout. Sensors show heart rate, calories, pace and distance. That data helps keep you motivated and on track. Fitness+ chooses workout from catalog of videos on iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. Starts correct video in Apple Watch workout app. Sends metrics to screen you're viewing the workout on.
10:33 am: When trainer reminds you to check heart rate, the numbers get larger. In a tough interval, you see a countdown timer to motivate. Activity ring progress in the corner. If you close your rings, it'll show it in real time on the screen. When workout is over, comprehensive summary.
10:33 am: Fitness+ launching with most popular workout types. Yoga, Cycling, Dance, Treadmill Walk and Treadmill Run, Strength, Core, HITT, Rowing, and Mindful Cooldowns.
10:33 am: Any brand of equipment or no equipment at all.
10:34 am: Flexibility to do workout you love where you want and when you want. Each week, trainer team will deliver wide variety of workouts from the Fitness+ studio. Fresh new workouts every week across a range of times and instructors. Best music to keep motivated, regardless of musical taste.
10:35 am: If you're an Apple Music subscriber, can save playlists from Fitness+ to Apple Music. Beginner program built-in for new exercisers.
10:36 am: We think Fitness+ will take your workouts to the next level with convenience, expert coaching, and inspiration. "We've designed Fitness+ with privacy in mind." $9.99/month or $79.99/year. Share with family members. Australia, Canada, Ireland, NZ, US, UK available before the end of the year. Get 3 months free with an Apple Watch purchase.
10:37 am: Now talking about Apple's service offerings. Launching Apple One, including all Apple's services in one plan.
Apple has ended its credit card partnership with British bank Barclays, according to Bloomberg, on the same day as the company's virtual "Time Flies" event.
For many years, Barclays issued an "Apple Rewards Visa" with special financing rates for qualifying Apple purchases, but this offer has now been discontinued. Apple has advised its retail employees that existing cardholders can continue using the card as a normal credit card, according to today's report.
After failing to appear before British lawmakers, Apple has been accused of not taking its environmental obligations seriously enough, particularly on e-waste, reports Bloomberg.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked to appear before the Environmental Audit Select Committee of the House of Commons, but failed to respond before a September 4 deadline. Apple was previously asked to put forward a representative to speak on its behalf in July, but it canceled at short notice.
The committee mainly examines how government department policies and programs affect both the environment and sustainable development, and was specifically looking into Apple's actions to combat electronic waste.
Apple's "unwillingness to answer my committee's questions has led us to believe its environmental obligations are not taken seriously enough," said Chairman Philip Dunne in a statement, despite the fact that the company "appears to have a positive story to tell regarding its efforts on climate change."
With more than two billion iPhones sold, Dunne said that Apple's answers about the steps it is taking to minimize its environmental footprint are crucial. An excessive number of electronic devices are too difficult or expensive to repair, creating a "throwaway society for electronics," he said. Apple did not respond to Bloomberg's request for comment.
In February, Apple was fined 25 million euros by a French consumer fraud group and 10 million euros by Italy's antitrust authority for intentionally slowing down some iPhone models via a software update, which could negatively incentivize users to upgrade a newer device. Apple has strongly refuted accusations of planned obsolescence in the past.
Earlier this year, Apple committed to becoming carbon neutral across its entire business and manufacturing supply chain by 2030. This month, Apple announced it will construct two of the world's largest onshore wind turbines near Esbjerg in Denmark, in an expansion of its investment in renewable energy.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
As with WWDC back in June, today's media event kicking off at 10:00 am Pacific Time will be entirely online and likely a pre-recorded stream from Apple Park. Still, some MacRumors readers who can't follow the event as it's being broadcast are interested in avoiding all of the announcements and waiting until the event has ended is available for on-demand viewing so as to experience it without already knowing the outcome.
For those individuals, we've posted this news story, which will be updated with a direct link to the presentation once it becomes available from Apple. No other news stories or announcements will be displayed alongside this story.
Apple's WWDC keynote was available almost immediately following the conclusion of the broadcast, and we expect similar timing for today's event.
Users waiting for the video to be posted are welcome to gather in the thread associated with this news story, and we ask that those who follow the events as they occur refrain from making any posts about Apple's announcements in this thread.
Adobe today announced the launch of new updates for its Premiere Pro and After Effects Creative Cloud apps, which are designed for video editing professionals and graphic artists. This year's updates are focused on simplifying and streamlining streaming video workflows as people continue to work from home.
A new Scene Edit Detection feature in Premiere Pro is aimed at providing editors a way to find cuts in previously edited video more quickly, using Adobe Sensei machine learning technology. Scene Edit Detection introduces cuts and markers that let effects be applied to individual shots so previously rendered content can be re-edited in a hassle-free way.
A Quick Export feature (available through the Premiere Pro public beta testing function), provides quick access to the most popular and frequently used export settings in Premiere Pro. The Quick Edit settings can be accessed from the header bar.
HDR for Broadcasters is designed to let Premiere Pro users produce programming in Rec2100 HLG HDR with automatic color correction, HDR scope support, color space overrides for incorrect metadata, and full color management for Apple ProRes and Sony XAVC Intra formats.
ProRes multicam performance has been updated and can support 2x more streams, and faster effects scanning for VST3 and Audio Unit Plugins offer faster launch times for users who use third-party audio plugins.
As for After Effects, Adobe is introducing several new public beta features that are available to those running the beta version of the software.
3D Transform Gizmos guides for scale, position, and rotating layers so it's easier to tell how far a layer or object has been moved and the degree of rotation. There is an option to switch between different gizmo modes to focus on a single task and make adjustments more efficiently.
Adobe redesigned the camera navigation tools to make it easier to navigate 3D spaces, and a new default scene camera streamlines the scene setup process with multiple cameras that highlight different viewpoints and orbit and pan around objects with keyboard shortcuts.
The new Premiere Pro and After Effects updates can be downloaded today using the Creative Cloud desktop application. Adobe's full Creative Cloud plans, which cover the complete range of Adobe CC software, start at $52.99 per month.
Apple's online store is down in anticipation of its "Time Flies" event later on Tuesday, strongly suggesting products will be available to pre-order or order immediately after the event.
The placeholder says "We're making updates to the Apple store. Check back soon."
Apple's "Time Flies" event will be a virtual media event, where the company is expected to unveil new Apple Watch and iPad models. Rumors suggest we will not see the iPhone 12 at this event, with Apple instead waiting perhaps until October to take the wraps off of its next flagship iPhones.
Apple's media event kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and you can tune in on Apple's event page, on Apple's YouTube channel, or through the TV app on Apple's various platforms. Stay up to date on all the latest news and developments right here on MacRumors!
Ahead of Apple's "Time Flies" virtual event on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, well-connected Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has been sharing some last-minute thoughts via Twitter on the new product announcements that he expects to see later today, with a particular emphasis on new Apple Watch models.
Gurman has already said his broad expectations for Tuesday's event are a focus on a new Apple Watch Series 6 and iPad Air, with Apple likely to introduce its rumored iPhone 12 at a later event in October.
As for Apple Watch, Gurman has tempered expectations for the Apple Watch Series 6, saying that he "wouldn't look for a ton new" besides blood oxygen monitoring and a faster processor. We already know sleep tracking will be included in watchOS 7, but whether that will be twinned with better battery life or a fast-charge capability is still speculation at this point.
Moving on, Gurman personally believes a new lower-end Apple Watch model also rumored to be announced today will be called "Apple Watch SE," which is the same branding that proven leaker Evan Blass used in his latest tweet about what to expect from Apple at the upcoming event.
Both the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE are expected to come in the same 40mm and 44mm sizes, with the SE model said to be the same as the current Series 5 in terms of design and internal specifications, according to Gurman. Blass predicts both models will also come in both LTE and Wi-Fi versions.
- iPad Air 4th Gen: A14 and USB-C - iPad 8th Gen: A12X and Lightning - Apple Watch Series 6: S4, 2 sizes, both BT and LTE - Apple Watch SE: also in 2 sizes, also BT and LTE versions
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 14, 2020
As for the new iPad Air model expected to be introduced, Gurman says it features a similar all-screen design as the iPad Pro but will lack the ProMotion display and won't feature Apple's latest A-series processor.
For his part, Blass reckons the forth-generation iPad Air will have an A14 processor and USB-C connectivity, but he also predicts Apple will unveil an eighth-generation iPad with an A12X chip and a Lightning port.
The release of new iPads and Apple Watch models corresponds with the rollout of iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and watchOS 7 software updates, which are expected to have their official public release this month.
Apple is trying out a new retail store experience that puts express pickup of online orders and Genius Bar appointments front and center, while keeping customer and staff safety paramount during the ongoing global health crisis.
Images credited to PopVox co-founder and CEO Marci Harris via Twitter
Dubbed "Apple Express," the temporary retail format for brick-and-mortar stores is being trialed at Apple Burlingame in California. The location has an interior storefront hub with a partition at the entrance that includes serving counters with perspex window shielding, central display cases with popular accessories for purchase, and a surrounding wall that screens off the shop floor proper.
Black spots on the floor in front of the temporary facade indicate where visiting customers should stand in order to observe social distancing measures. Based on the pictures, the system allows one customer at a time to come up to each serving window, while customers with pre-booked appointments can queue up outside.
Customers are required to have their appointment-assigned QR code and government-issued ID ready as they wait for the next available Apple representative, while another sign displays QR codes that link to Apple's support app and official website.
It's not clear if Apple plans to expand the "Apple Express" retail system shown here to other stores within California or to other U.S. states, but if the trial proves successful we could well see it rolled out across the country as the U.S. continues to grapple with the pandemic.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Last month, VMware announced the next major version of its virtualization software for Mac, Fusion 12, and as of today, the update is now available.
As we noted last month, Fusion 12 includes a number of updates and improvements, such as eGPU compatibility, support for container-based applications built with Kubernetes, DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.1 support, improved security for the sandbox rendering engine, improved accessibility controls, and more.
Fusion 12 has also been optimized for macOS Big Sur, with both host and guest support for Apple's upcoming release. On systems running macOS Catalina, Fusion 12 will continue to run with kernel extensions as it has in the past, but on macOS Big Sur, Fusion will take advantage of Apple's APIs to run virtual machines and containers.
With the launch of Fusion 12, VMware is also restructuring its licensing to bring it in line with Workstation 16, Fusion's sister software for Windows and Linux. The basic level of Fusion is now known as Fusion 12 Player and is free for personal use for the first time. A commercial license is priced at $149, with a $79 upgrade license available. Discounted education pricing will also be available, although many of those users will qualify for free personal licensing.
Fusion 12 Pro, aimed at developers and IT professionals rather than typical consumer and business users, offers some additional features and a license to run on up to three machines. Notably, this is a cross-platform license that allows for any combination of three machines using Fusion 12 or Workstation 16 across Mac, Windows, and Linux. Fusion 12 Pro is priced at $199, or $99 as an upgrade.
In order to keep up with Apple's advancing technologies, Fusion 12 requires macOS Catalina or Big Sur. For users with systems still on macOS Mojave, a Fusion 12 license key will be valid to activate Fusion 11.5.6 on those machines.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with VMware. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
As Apple prepares to unveil its new iPhone 12 lineup next month, Microsoft has launched the $1,400 Surface Duo, a foldable smartphone that offers two displays and is quite different from anything Apple has to offer.
We've checked out a few foldable smartphones like Samsung's Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip, so we thought we'd also take a look at the Surface Duo because foldable smartphones offer interesting new technology that we might eventually see from Apple.
Unlike the Galaxy Fold that offers a single foldable display with the display technology covering the hinge, Microsoft has embraced the foldable design with two separate screens connected by a visible hinge, which is smart because Microsoft's Surface Duo isn't going to have the durability and creasing issues that have been seen with Samsung's devices.
The Surface Duo is well built and a lot of attention was paid to the design of the hinge, which is no surprise given the price point. The Surface Duo and the hinge in particular feel high quality, and this is a foldable smartphone that resembles a premium, futuristic device. Even with two 5.6-inch screens (8.1 inches combined), the Surface Duo is surprisingly thin, but it's the hinge that stands out.
Microsoft did a solid job with the build quality of the Surface Duo, but the device's design is the best part about it because the software doesn't measure up. Microsoft uses Google-designed Android software, and the lack of integration between hardware and software hinder the user experience and it feels unfinished.
The Surface Duo is running a Microsoft-skinned version of Android 10. It offers the Android 10 features and some add-ons designed by Microsoft for the dual screen, but the operating system doesn't feel optimized for this two screen form factor. Microsoft and Google can improve the software over time with updates, of course, but at release, it's not ideal.
Despite the poor software, the Surface Duo offers some notable usage benefits when it comes to productivity. Specific apps can be set up to launch at the same time with App Groups, so you can pair up OneNote and Outlook, a web browser and YouTube, and so on, which is ideal for multitasking, though some apps can also be opened across both screens for doing things like writing an email on one screen while also browsing through your inbox on the other. This feature isn't optimized for all apps though, which is a major downside.
There are several Surface Duo usage modes. Book mode, as the name suggests, is when both screens are opened up like a book. Single Screen Mode lets one of the screens be flipped behind the other for a more traditional smartphone feel, while Compose Mode lets the Surface Duo be flipped into a laptop-like clamshell orientation. There's also a tent mode with the two sides positioned down into a tent shape for watching media content.
For most usage, the Single Screen Mode that has one display stacked on top of the other feels most comfortable because most people aren't going to want to take a photo or chat with someone using a book-like form factor, but it can be useful to have the option to fold out another screen to get work done.
When it comes to specs, the Surface Duo is running year-old tech with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chip, and it's limited to an 11-megapixel camera that's just not impressive when every other smartphone manufacturer is focusing on camera quality. It also has thick bezels that smartphone makers are moving away from, which is worth noting.
Overall, the Surface Duo brings innovation in the smartphone space and we're interested to see where Microsoft's technology goes in the future, but given the $1,400 price point, the software issues, and the overall usability, this is not a device that's suitable for most people and not one that we'd recommend.
There have been some rumors suggesting Apple is exploring a foldable iPhone, and Apple has filed a few patents for foldable smartphone technology, but it's still unclear if this is technology that's going to stick around and if an Apple foldable iPhone will ever come out of the prototyping stage. We don't know when Apple might release a foldable iPhone if one is indeed in the works, but it's definitely not coming in the immediate future.
The new 3A283 firmware that Apple released for the AirPods Pro today appears to introduce support for Spatial Audio, a new feature coming to the higher-end AirPods with iOS 14.
Multiple reports on Twitter and the MacRumors forums indicate that the firmware update adds a "Spatial Audio" option to the Control Center, which can be activated to enable the feature. Note that using Spatial Audio requires the iOS 14 update to be installed.
Early reports from the MacRumors forums suggest Spatial Audio is functional and working with Apple TV+ content. Several people who have tested the feature have been impressed, calling the audio "immersive," "mind-blowing" and "trippy." From a MacRumors reader with Spatial Audio working:
Just tried out spatial audio on my iPad. Very cool! The illusion of the audio coming from the iPad is so convincing that I actually thought at first that the sound was coming from my iPad’s speakers. Had to take an AirPod out of my ear to confirm I was really hearing it from the AirPods themselves. I would really like to learn more about whatever dark magic Apple is using to pull off this illusion!
Introduced at WWDC and coming in iOS 14, Spatial Audio brings movie theater-like sound to the earbuds. Spatial audio uses dynamic head tracking to create immersive sound anywhere in space by applying directional audio filters and subtle frequency adjustments.
Spatial audio uses the gyroscope and accelerometer in the AirPods Pro and iPhone to track the motion of your head and your iPhone's position, comparing the motion data, and then remapping the sound field so that it stays anchored to your device even as your head moves.
Today's update also appears to enable the feature that allows for automatic switching between devices, which is available for AirPods and AirPods Pro. Automatic switching will connect the AirPods to any Apple device signed associated with your iCloud when you activate audio on that device and are actively using it.
