MacRumors

The Apple Watch Solo Loop sizing effectively maps to the holes of the Sport Loop, according to John Gruber. The distance between the holes in every Apple Watch Sport Band is reportedly exactly the same as the distance between the 12 sizes of Solo Loops on Apple's measuring tool.

All Apple Watch Sport Bands have seven holes. For the 38mm or 40mm band, the S/M band corresponds to the Solo Loop sizes of one to seven, and the M/L band corresponds to the Solo Loop sizes of four to 10. For the 42mm or 44mm band, the S/M band corresponds to the Solo Loop sizes of three to nine, and the M/L band corresponds to the Solo Loop sizes of six to 12. Gruber writes:

A few people have wondered why Apple doesn't just map fluoroelastomer Sport Band sizes to Solo Loop sizes. I can see why Apple doesn't do that — they can't assume everyone already has access to an Apple Watch with a Sport Band, and even for people who do have access to one, Apple can't assume it's the right size watch (38/40mm vs. 42/44mm). And to further complicate matters, each Sport Band comes with two sizes for the side with the holes: "S/M" and "M/L." So that's four separate mappings from Sport Band holes to the new Solo Loop sizes.

The below image shows size mapping for two 40mm Apple Watch Sport Bands, with S/M and M/L sizes.

The following image shows size mapping for two 44mm Apple Watch Sport Bands, also with S/M and M/L sizes.

The news that it is possible to match Solo and Braided Loop sizing to the Sport Band will reassure many existing Apple Watch users who have been concerned about sizing issues and the potential need for an inconvenient return.

Regarding Apple's measuring tool, Gruber points out that "I think you're supposed to use the tool to precisely measure the circumference of your wrist, not to simulate the circumference of what you think would be a comfortable watch band," and he believes this may be the result of much of the discontentment about Solo Loop sizing.

A range of companies, including Epic Games, Spotify, and Tile, have formed a new organization called the "Coalition for App Fairness," in an effort to highlight developer issues with Apple.

The organization describes itself as "an independent nonprofit organization founded by industry-leading companies to advocate for freedom of choice and fair competition across the app ecosystem." The coalition is based in Washington D.C. and Brussels, and aims to lead legal and regulatory changes with regards to what it says are three key issues; "anti-competitive policies," "30 percent app tax," and "no consumer freedom."

It sets out a ten-point plan on its website for changes it would like to see made. The points include the demands that "no developer should be required to use an app store exclusively," "every developer should always have access to app stores," "every developer should always have the right to communicate directly with its user through its app," "no app store owner or its platform should engage in self-preferencing its own apps or services," and "no developer should be required to pay unfair, unreasonable or discriminatory fees or revenue shares."

The group includes Epic Games, Spotify, Tile, Basecamp, Blix, Blockchain, Deezer, the European Publishers Council, Match, News Media Europe, Prepear, ProtonMail, and SkyDemon, many of whom have had major disagreements with Apple over various issues.

The group is actively lobbying other developers to join it, saying "together we will fight back against the monopolist control of the app ecosystem by Apple."

Apple has overhauled its About the App Store and Developing for the App Store web pages to focus on several key areas, including discovery, privacy and security, trust and safety, hardware and software, and downloading with confidence.

The new pages highlight a range of relevant statistics and emphasize the importance of trust and security on the App Store.

For over a decade, the App Store has proved to be a safe and trusted place to discover and download apps. But the App Store is more than just a storefront — it's an innovative destination focused on bringing you amazing experiences. And a big part of those experiences is ensuring that the apps we offer are held to the highest standards for privacy, security, and content. Because we offer nearly two million apps — and we want you to feel good about using every single one of them.

Apple boasts that every week over 100,000 apps or updates are submitted and reviewed by an App Review team, which now consists of over 500 experts from around the world. 10,000 accepted apps use Apple's HealthKit, CareKit, and ResearchKit health technologies.

Interestingly, Apple also states that in 2019, the App Review team rejected over 150,000 apps for violating the company's privacy guidelines. This year, the company has removed over 60 million user reviews believed to be spam. Apple says that it has rejected over one million app submissions over an unspecified time period for illegal, unsafe, harmful, or objectionable content. Over two million apps have been removed because they were devoid of needed updates.

Apple is committed to helping developers turn their brightest ideas into apps that change the world. That’s why the App Store helps you from start to finish — to build, test, market, and distribute your products and grow your business. Our marketplace is secure, trusted, and accessible — connecting you to over 1.5 billion devices in 175 regions. The App Store and you. Together every step of the way.

The new developers' page says that 92 percent of iPhones issued in the last four years run iOS 13 and almost 90 percent of apps are reviewed within 24 hours. The page also declares that Apple has paid out over $155 billion to developers since 2008, and over 500 million people visit the ‌App Store‌ each week. 85 percent of apps are reportedly free, and these developers pay nothing to Apple. Over 50% of app downloads come from outside the developer's home country.

Apple notes that a 2019 study found the ‌App Store‌ facilitated over $519 billion in commerce globally, and it supports over 2.1 million U.S. jobs across all 50 states, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy.

In watchOS 7, Family Setup is a new feature that allows kids, elderly relatives, and others to take advantage of many of the capabilities of Apple Watch without the need for their own paired iPhone.

Family Setup offers helpful tools for parents and kids, with Schooltime and Downtime features that offer controls over when and what kids can do with their Apple Watch. For older adults, it provides access to tools like fall detection, automatic emergency calling, and health features without the need for them to have an ‌iPhone‌.

However, if you were thinking of getting an Apple Watch Series 6 for a relative in your ‌Family Setup‌ circle so they could take advantage of the Blood Oxygen monitoring feature, think again.

Apple states that the Blood Oxygen app is not available for use by people under 18 years old, and in fact the app will refuse to launch if it detects that the user's birth date in the Health app is less than 18 years ago. But the Blood Oxygen app will also be automatically disabled if you set up an unpaired Apple Watch Series 6 using ‌Family Setup‌, regardless of the intended user's age.

Besides being a Health-related feature, Apple has not explained why the Blood Oxygen app is not available on an Apple Watch configured using ‌Family Setup‌, but the company has been eager to stress that the blood oxygen monitoring on Apple Watch is not intended for medical use, including self-diagnosis or consultation with a doctor. Indeed, Apple states that it is only designed for "general fitness and wellness purposes," which leaves its usefulness quite open to interpretation.

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. A healthy person usually has blood oxygen levels in the mid- to high 90s. But if someone has a health condition like lung disease, sleep disorders or respiratory infections, these levels can dip between the 60s to the low 90s.

Until more research is conducted, however, Apple is likely to continue to limit the use of the Blood Oxygen app in situations where it thinks the measurements might be relied upon as early indications of medical conditions or disease, such as in a ‌Family Setup‌ context.

The good news is that Apple is joining forces with researchers to conduct three health studies that include using Apple Watch to explore how blood oxygen levels can be used in future health applications, including how they may help manage and control asthma and heart failure, and how they could serve as early signs of respiratory conditions like influenza and COVID-19.

Apple has removed the 5W Power Adapter from the Apple Watch Edition and Apple Watch Hermès. Both Apple Watch models included the power adapter for just a week before it was removed.

At Apple's "Time Flies" Event on September 25, Apple stated that it would be removing the power adapter from Apple Watch boxes due to environmental concerns. It subsequently came to light that Apple Watch Edition and Apple Watch Hermès models would be the only models to retain the 5W power adapter. All other models shipped without a power adapter from launch.

Apple presumably continued to include the power adapter with these Apple Watches because they are high-end models with prices ranging from $799 to $1499.

Apple's page has not been archived so it is not possible to pinpoint exactly when the change took place, but it seems to have occurred within the past couple of days. Screenshots from the previous web page show that the Series 6 Apple Watch Edition and Apple Watch Hermès did contain a 5W USB power adapter.

MacRumors forum users who purchased an Apple Watch Edition over the past week also recieved a power adapter in the box.

The new page now includes the same message included alongside other Apple Watch models, stating "As part of our effort to meet our environmental goals, Apple Watch does not include a power adapter. Please use your existing power adapter or add a new one before you check out."

It is unclear why the power adapter has suddenly been removed from the high-end Apple Watch models, especially after Apple chose to include them for a short time. The change also seems to have taken place in territories around the world.

Rumors have suggested that the upcoming iPhone 12 models will follow the Apple Watch in not including a power adapter.

Thanks to @MiltonSau.

Rumors suggest Apple's upcoming iPhone 12 models will ship with a new Lightning to USB-C cable that includes a braided fabric design. Images of the purported cables were leaked in July, and today leaker Mr White has shared new images that give us a closer look at what we might get included in the iPhone 12 box.

The photos show a USB-C to Lightning cable with a clearly braided design rather than the standard non-fabric design of the current cables. Braided cable designs have the potential to be more durable than the standard rubber-coated cables, which have a tendency to fray from the edges after a few months of use.

Previously leaked USB-C to Lightning cables have featured eight silver contacts with rhodium-plated ruthenium, which is more resistant to corrosion, and that also appears to be the case in these photos. Combined with the braided design, the cables are likely to be able to better withstand damage after prolonged use.

A more durable design will be a welcome change for ‌iPhone‌ users as there have been many complaints over the years about the weak design of Apple's cables. Apple's existing USB-C to Lightning cables can also be used to enable fast charging in compatible iPhones, providing a 50 percent charge within 30 minutes.

Apple has never offered a cable with a braided design for its iPhones or iPads, but it does offer a braided Thunderbolt Pro cable, a black braided USB-C to Lightning cable that ships with the Mac Pro, and a braided power cable for the HomePod.

Apple's new braided USB-C to Lightning cable may be the only accessory that ships with the iPhone 12. Multiple rumors have suggested this year's new models will not come with a power adapter or EarPods in the box, allowing Apple to save money and cut down on packaging.

Instead, Apple may sell a new 20W power adapter on a standalone basis, which would allow customers to purchase a power adapter separately from Apple or from a third-party manufacturer, and would also bring Apple in line with EU proposals for a common charging standard.

Microsoft will next year offer a new perpetual release of Microsoft Office for Mac and Windows that doesn't require a subscription to use, according to the software giant (via Windows Central).

"Microsoft Office will also see a new perpetual release for both Windows and Mac, in the second half of 2021," said Microsoft in a blog post announcing the next version of its Exchange server, confirming that a new version of Office available as a one-time payment purchase is coming next year.

In recent years, the company has pushed its subscription-based Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) bundle as a way to get access to its productivity suite, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, as well as servers such as Exchange, SharePoint, and Skype for Business.

Some of these apps can be used free online with a Microsoft account, but users can't install them on their computer, like they'd be able to with a Microsoft 365 subscription.

The growing tendency for software to be offered on a subscription basis had left many users concerned that Office 2019 would be the last perpetual release available for a one-off payment, but today's development should allay those fears.

Microsoft has yet to share any other details on the next perpetual release of Microsoft Office for Mac, so we don't yet know the price or the exact date of release in 2021.

Ahead of the release of macOS Big Sur, Apple has released the Safari 14 update for macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave users, bringing with it a number of new features and improvements.

One of the most dramatic changes is the overhauled Start Page, which now includes a browsing privacy report, iCloud tabs, Siri suggestions, and more. It also features several customizable options, such as the ability to choose your own Start Page wallpaper.

The new Safari 14 update can be downloaded by opening up System Preferences and choosing the Software Update option. Once the update is installed, you can choose your own Start Page wallpaper by following the steps below.

1. Launch Safari 14 on your Mac.
2. Click the Settings icon in the bottom-right corner of the Start Page.
   
   

3. Click the checkbox next to the Background Image option if it isn't already ticked.
   
   

4. Choose one of the wallpapers from the gallery carousel. Alternately, click the plus (+) button to open a file browser dialog and select another image on your Mac.
   

As well as a new Start Page, Safari 14 brings improved performance and a new tab bar design that provides tab previews so you can see what you have open at a glance. For more on the security content in Safari 14, check out Apple's release notes.

Apple One is an all-in-one bundle that allows Apple device customers to purchase several services together in one package instead of separately, saving money for those who use multiple Apple service products.

Our dedicated Apple One guide covers everything that you need to know about the Apple One bundles.

Bundle Options

There are three Apple One bundle options to provide different levels of service access to customers at different price points.

• Individual ($19.95 per month) - Includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB iCloud storage.
• Family ($25.95 per month) - Includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 200GB of iCloud storage, with the services able to be shared between up to six family members.
• Premier ($37.95 per month) - Includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Fitness+, and 2TB iCloud storage, with the services able to be shared between up to six family members.

The Individual plan offers savings of $9 per month compared to purchasing the services individually, while the Family plan offers savings of $11 per month.

The highest-priced Premier plan offers the greatest savings, saving customers $29 per month compared to purchasing each service separately.

The tiers were originally priced at $14.95, $19.95, and $29.95, but Apple increased prices by a few dollars for renewals starting in late 2022 due to increased licensing costs for Apple Music and Apple TV+ content. Prices for standalone plans with those services increased at the same time.

Another round of price increases occurred in late 2023 for Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple News+, pushing Apple One prices higher as well.

Apple's Available Services

For those who are unfamiliar with Apple's available service offerings, we've created a list with short descriptions of what each one features along with links where you can get more information before deciding whether to purchase a bundle.

• Apple Music ($10.99 per month) - Priced at $10.99 per month for an individual subscription and $16.99 per month for a family subscription, Apple Music is Apple's streaming music service, akin to Spotify. It works natively in the Music app on Apple devices and on the HomePod, and it offers access to 70 million songs.
• Apple TV+ ($9.99 per month) - Apple TV+ is a service similar to Netflix or Disney+ that offers Apple's catalog of original television shows and movies. Apple doesn't have as much content as other streaming services, but is working on growing what's available and there are dozens of TV shows in the works.
• Apple Arcade ($6.99 per month) - Apple Arcade offers up access to more than a hundred games for the $4.99 per month fee, and games are free from in-app purchases with all content unlocked. Apple teams up with popular game developers to create games for the Apple Arcade service, and new games are added on a regular basis.
• Apple News+ ($12.99 per month) - Apple News+ offers access to hundreds of different magazine titles that can be accessed through the Apple News app. It also provides access to several paid newspaper sites such as The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Times. It's a paid extra add-on for the standard Apple News app.
• Fitness+ ($9.99 per month) - Fitness+ is an Apple Watch adjacent service that offers guided workouts across multiple fitness categories. Workout videos are watched on iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV with workout data calculated in tandem using Apple Watch.
• iCloud Storage - Apple offers 5GB of iCloud storage free to all users for backups, storing photos, and more, but additional 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB paid plans cost $0.99, $2.99, and $9.99 per month, respectively, in the United States. In September 2023, Apple added even larger 6TB ($29.99 per month) and 12TB ($59.99 per month) tiers.
• Additional iCloud Features - Apple One enables access to iCloud Private Relay and Hide My Email, features that are now part of the paid iCloud+ plans.

Family Sharing

The full access to the Family and the Premier plans can be shared between six family members, including the person who sets up the Bundle access.

The Individual plan is designed for use by a single person, but even with the Individual plan, the Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade services included can be shared with other family members.

Sharing subscriptions with multiple family members works through the Family Sharing feature available for Apple devices. Each person on the Family and Premier plans can sign into services with their own Apple ID through Family Sharing (which is also how it works with individual services) so all family members can get private access and personalized recommendations.

Multiple Apple IDs

For Apple device users who continue to have multiple IDs split across iCloud services and iTunes/App Store purchases and subscriptions, Apple has a system in place to handle the dual Apple IDs within a single Apple One Bundle, with more information available through an Apple support document.

Free Trials

There is a free one-month trial available for the Apple One bundle, but there's a catch -- you can only trial services where you haven't already had a free trial experience. You cannot get a second free trial for Apple services that you have already experienced or subscribe to.

Device Availability

Apple One bundled services can be accessed on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple TV, HomePod, and Apple Watch. Apple One services are also available on non-Apple platforms depending on where support is available.

An Apple Music subscription through Apple One can, for example, be accessed on Android devices, while Apple TV+ subscriptions available through Apple One can be accessed on smart TVs or any other platform that supports the Apple TV app.

Extra iCloud Storage

The Individual Apple One plan comes with 50GB of iCloud storage, the Family plan comes with 200GB, and the Premiere plan comes with 2TB. Those who need more storage than is provided through ‌Apple One‌ can purchase additional ‌iCloud‌ storage separately, which means with the most expensive ‌Apple One‌ bundle, a maximum of 4TB is available.

Customers who subscribe to ‌Apple One‌ can also choose other storage amounts for a different mix, such as 50GB with ‌Apple One‌ and 200GB through a separate ‌iCloud‌ purchase, but a total of 4TB is available. That would cost $29.95 for the ‌Apple One‌ plan with 2TB storage and then an additional $9.99 for the 2TB ‌iCloud‌ plan.

People who have separate Apple IDs for media and iCloud can use both accounts with Apple One, but there's no option to stack the storage in the same way. In this situation, the ‌Apple One‌ storage plan replaces the current storage plan.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the Apple One bundles or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

NHS COVID-19, a contact tracing app created by the UK government, is rolling out to residents of England and Wales as of today, with the app available from the iOS App Store.

The app's debut comes a week and a half after the UK government said that it would launch on September 24, and a month and a half after the app became available to NHS Volunteer Responders, Isle of Wight residents, and Newham residents, all of whom have been testing the app.

Like other apps that take advantage of the Exposure Notification API from Apple and Google, NHS COVID-19 is designed to track who people come into contact with each other using Bluetooth, providing a notification if one of those people later comes down with the coronavirus.

Along with using a Bluetooth-based solution, NHS COVID-19 will let users scan QR codes to register visits to locations like stores and restaurants to aid in contact tracing, with UK businesses being encouraged to display QR posters for visitors to scan.

NHS COVID-19 will be available on iPhones running iOS 13.5 or later as well as compatible Android smartphones, which are able to interface with each other. Downloading the app will provide instructions on making sure notifications are enabled and the feature is functional.

The NHS did not initially plan to use Apple and Google's ‌‌Exposure Notification‌‌ API and was instead pursuing a different solution, but after the announcement of the API the NHS changed course and decided to work on an app using the Apple/Google API after all.

‌Exposure Notification‌ apps have already launched in Scotland and Ireland, as well as in Canada, Denmark, Germany, Poland, and other countries. In the United States, Virginia, North Dakota, Arizona, Delaware, Nevada, Alabama, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania have launched apps that use Apple's ‌Exposure Notification‌ API.

More information on Apple and Google's ‌Exposure Notification‌ API, such as how it works and where it's available, can be found in our guide.

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.

Apple's upcoming iPhone-centric event could perhaps be held on Tuesday, October 13, according to information shared with MacRumors by an employee at a UK cellular carrier.

There's no way for us to confirm the dates at this point in time nor are we sure on the credibility of the source, but even without a rumor, Tuesday, October 13 is a good guess based on Apple's historic launch timelines, preference for Tuesday launches, and penchant for holding events during the second week of the month.

The employee claimed that Apple would accept pre-orders directly after the event and launch the new iPhones on October 16, but that would be an unusually short time between the event and the launch date. It's quite possible that the source is confusing the pre-order and launch date timelines, with pre-orders actually set to happen on the 16th. If that's the case, a launch would logically follow on October 23, and that's what other sources have suggested.

The October 13 date has also been shared by AppleInsider in a report sourcing information from a Dutch mobile operator, and Jon Prosser, a leaker with a mixed track record when it comes to Apple's plans, also claims the event will take place on October 13 followed by pre-orders on the 16th and a launch on the 23rd.

If there is an October 13 event followed by an October 23 launch, we may not see all of the new iPhone 12 models at the same time. Rumors have suggested that we should expect a staggered launch with some iPhone models coming out in October and others coming out at a later date, perhaps in November.

It's likely that the 5.4 and 6.1-inch low-cost iPhones will be available first in October, followed by the Pro models at a later date due to supply and production constraints. There's some confusion over this point, however, as DigiTimes has suggested Apple could release the two 6.1-inch iPhone models (one low-cost and one Pro) ahead of the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 "mini," as it is rumored to be called, and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max.

With the prospective October 13 date less than three weeks away, we could be seeing event information and invites from Apple within the next week or so.

It's worth noting that Amazon's Prime Day is rumored to be on Tuesday, October 13, which would be a notable conflict, so there's still a possibility that the October 13 Apple event date is inaccurate.

Apple on Tuesday updated one of its support documents to emphasize that the new silicone rubber Solo Loop for the Apple Watch may increase in length over time, as mentioned in fine print at the bottom of the Solo Loop product page.

Apple has also updated its printable Solo Loop sizing guide with more specific instructions, as noted by 9to5Mac's Michael Steeber. The guide now advises users to wrap the sizing tool tightly around their wrist where they would typically wear their watch, and to make sure that the tool feels snug and does not slide up or down.

If the arrows on the sizing tool end up pointing to a line between two numbers, the sizing guide now advises users to choose the smaller of the two numbers. The guide has been updated with a few visuals to help customers.

Keep in mind that Apple's notice that the Solo Loop may increase in length over time does not apply to the Braided Solo Loop made with polyester yarn.

Apple says the Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop are stretchable, single-piece bands designed for an "ultracomfortable fit," with each available in nine sizes. Choosing the right size is important, as customers who order an Apple Watch with a Solo Loop in the box are required to return the entire device if the band does not fit correctly.

Popular calendar app Fantastical today received an update with support for new iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 features, including Home Screen widgets and Scribble.

A dozen customizable widgets are available, providing users with the date, a monthly calendar, scheduled events and tasks, and even the weather at a glance. All of the widgets are free to use, while widgets that incorporate Fantastical Premium features like conference call detection require a subscription for $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year.

Scribble support allows iPad users to handwrite in any field with the Apple Pencil and have it automatically converted to text.

The full release notes for version 3.2:

- Widgets for iOS 14! 12 new and customizable widgets to view the date, weather, calendar, upcoming events, and tasks right on your home screen.
- Support for Scribble on iPadOS 14
- Support for new date and time pickers on iOS 14
- Recurring events are now shown more prominently when viewing hidden items
- Short back-to-back events are now less likely to overlap in Day and Week views
- Fixed an issue where sync to Google could get stuck in some situations
- Fixed an issue where sync errors on Zoom accounts sometimes wouldn't be shown
- Fixed an issue where notifications for recurring events could disappear suddenly
- Fixed an issue where deleting an event in the Apple Watch app wouldn't sync to the phone
- Various fixes and improvements

Fantastical is available on the App Store.

Amazon is offering the new 32GB Wi-Fi 10.2-inch iPad for $299.00, down from $329.00 in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. This is a match of Walmart's ongoing offer on the same iPad model, which was introduced on the day the tablet launched last Friday.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

In regards to the 32GB cellular model, you can save $14.41 at the checkout screen on Amazon for the gold model, marking the device down to $444.59, a new low price. Amazon also has a discount on two models of the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, available for $395.00, down from $429.00. There are currently no deals on the 128GB cellular models.

The big addition to the new 10.2-inch iPad is an upgraded A12 Bionic processor with Neural Engine. According to Apple the A12 Bionic chip offers 40 percent faster CPU performance and twice the graphics capability, which makes the iPad up to two times faster than the top-selling Windows laptop and three times faster than the top-selling Android tablet.

For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.