Apple today shared a new video on its YouTube channel that highlights some of the games coming to Apple Arcade in 100 seconds.
Earlier this week, Apple announced that its subscription-based Apple Arcade gaming service will launch September 19 in over 150 countries. In the United States, pricing is set at $4.99 per month, with a one-month free trial available. This price will apply to individuals or a family of up to six members via Family Sharing.
Featured games and their corresponding timestamps in the video:
[00:00] “Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm” by Cornfox [00:04] “Towaga: Among Shadows” by Noodlecake [00:04] “Mosaic” by Raw Fury [00:04] “Overland” by Finji [00:05] “Manifold Garden” by William Chyr [00:05] “Lifeslide” by Block Zero [00:06] “Where Cards Fall” by Snowman [00:06] “WHAT THE GOLF” by Fun Plus [00:06] “ChuChu Rocket! Universe” by SEGA® [00:07] “Cat Quest II” by Gentlebros [00:07] “The Enchanted World” by Noodlecake [00:07] “Hot Lava” by Klei Entertainment [00:20] “EarthNight” by Cleaversoft [00:30] “Skate City” by Snowman [00:42] “Jenny LeClue - Detectivu” by Mografi [00:53] “LEGO Brawls” by Lego [01:08] "Sayonara: Wild Hearts" by Annapurna [01:22] "Sonic Racing" by SEGA® [01:24] "Pac-Man Party Royale” by Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. [01:26] “Frogger in Toy Town” by Konami [01:27] “Shinsekai: Into the Depths” by Capcom [01:29] “Cricket Through the Ages” by Devolver [01:31] “ShockRods” by Stainless Games [01:32] “Redout: Space Assault” by 34BigThings [01:33] “Super Impossible Road” by Rogue Games Inc. [01:34] “Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm” by Cornfox
Apple Arcade will provide iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV users with access to a library of over 100 games, with no ads or additional in-app purchases. Read our Apple Arcade guide for more details and a preview of the games coming at launch.
Walgreens today announced that, starting Friday, customers will receive 3% Daily Cash when they use the Apple Card with Apple Pay for all eligible health, beauty, personal care, household, and seasonal products they purchase at Walgreens or Duane Reade pharmacy locations, including medicines and prescriptions.
As noted by TechCrunch, the 3% Daily Cash also applies to purchases made in the Walgreens app and on Walgreens.com.
Last month, Apple announced that it would extend 3% Daily Cash to more merchants, and the list now includes Uber and Uber Eats, Walgreens, Duane Reade, and purchases made directly with Apple, including at Apple Stores, Apple.com, the App Store, iTunes, and for subscriptions like Apple Music and iCloud storage.
All other purchases made with the Apple Card via Apple Pay will continue to receive 2% Daily Cash, while purchases made with the physical, titanium Apple Card qualify for 1% Daily Cash anywhere but Apple Stores.
To apply for an Apple Card, simply open the Wallet app on an iPhone running iOS 12.4 or later, tap the plus button in the top-right corner, and follow the on-screen steps. The process takes just a few minutes, and if approved, your digital Apple Card will be ready for purchases immediately.
Apple's new iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max both come with 6GB of RAM – 2GB more than the previous generation iPhone XS series – while the iPhone 11 features 4GB, up from 3GB in the iPhone XR, according to new details leaked today.
The specs come from reliable mobile leaker Steve Hommersteffer (@OnLeaks), whose tweet today also claims to reveal the battery capacities for Apple's latest iPhone lineup, as follows.
The iPhone 11 Pro is said to come with a 3,190mAh capacity battery, compared to the 2,658mAh one in the iPhone XS, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max boasts 3,500mAh (the iPhone XS Max had 3,174mAh). The base iPhone 11 is said to include a 3,110 mAh battery, up from the 2,942mAh in the iPhone XR.
For those who care about these details #Apple never share officially, seems like:
- #iPhone11 = 4GB RAM + 3110mAh battery (Xr = 3GB + 2942mAh) - #iPhone11Pro = 6GB RAM + 3190mAh battery (Xs = 4GB RAM + 2658mAh) - #iPhone11ProMax = 6GB RAM + 3500mAh (Xs Max = 4GB RAM + 3174mAh)
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) September 12, 2019
However, the above RAM specs contradict some recent Geekbench results. One that appeared last night (shared by MacRumors forum member EugW) is for an alleged iPhone 11 Pro showing a device with 4GB of RAM – with an A13 processor benchmarking around 10-15 percent faster than the A12 processor in the iPhone XS series. The other, reported last week, is allegedly for a base iPhone 11, also with 4GB.
Hemmerstoffer's specs are sourced from a Chinese certification platform, so they aren't officially confirmed. But then Geekbench scores can also be faked, so it's best to take these sources with a pinch of salt until something more definitive comes along.
If the iPhone 11 series does indeed feature 4GB RAM across the board, then it could be that Apple's proprietary off-chip enhancements also bring greater working memory optimizations, but that's something we can't know for sure based on raw CPU scores.
Apple is taking online pre-orders for the all-new iPhone 11 series models from Friday, September 13 and will start shipping the devices the following Friday, September 20.
Mozilla this week began piloting its own browser-based VPN service, and if you're located in the U.S. you can start testing it for free right away.
Called the Firefox Private Network, the service promises Firefox users a more secure, encrypted path to the web that prevents eavesdroppers from spying on your browsing activity and hides your location from websites and ad trackers.
In that respect, it won't protect any internet traffic outside of your web browser, but it's a good option if you want to use an encrypted connection on the fly when you're using Firefox on a public Wi-Fi network, for example.
As a time-limited beta, the Firefox Private Network is currently free to try, although this does suggest it may become a paid service in the future. You also need to be a U.S. resident logged into your Firefox account using Firefox desktop browser.
If you can fulfill those pre-requisites, you can install the private network by navigating to this page, clicking the blue + Add to Firefox button, then granting permission for the network to be added to the browser.
Click the door hanger icon that appears at the top-right corner of the toolbar, and you'll see a switch that you can use to toggle the VPN on and off. A green tick in the icon indicates the secure network is active and your browsing activity is being encrypted.
Opera browser offers a similar free VPN service that cloaks your web browsing, but with the added benefit that it lets you choose the continent that you want your connection to reside. So if you're looking to access a location-restricted service (Netflix, say) from abroad, you might have better luck using it instead.
Following the release of iOS 12.4.1 on August 26, Apple has stopped signing iOS 12.4, the previous version of iOS that was available to consumers.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners who have upgraded to iOS 12.4.1 will no longer be able to downgrade to iOS 12.4.
Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date, but iOS 12.4.1 was released because iOS 12.4 had a major vulnerability.
The vulnerability allowed hackers to create a jailbreak for iOS 12.4 and left devices vulnerable to hacking attempts. Apple fixed the bug in iOS 12.4.1, and the iOS 12.4 jailbreak will not work after upgrading.
iOS 12.4.1 is now the only version of iOS that can be installed on iPhones and iPads, but developers and public beta testers can download iOS 13, an upcoming update that's currently being beta tested and is set to be released next week.
Apple today asked developers to begin building, testing, and submitting watchOS 6 apps for inclusion in the new standalone Apple Watch App Store.
Starting with watchOS 6, developers are able to distribute apps built solely for the Apple Watch without a companion app on iOS. Apple was not previously accepting standalone Apple Watch submissions and has also updated its watchOS site for developers.
Apple Watch apps can be installed from the Apple Watch App Store directly on the wrist even when an iPhone isn't available.
With watchOS 6, customers around the world can use the new App Store on Apple Watch to easily discover, browse, search, and install apps directly on their wrist. And for the first time, you can distribute an app just for Apple Watch, without a companion app on iOS. Build your watchOS apps using Xcode 11 GM seed, test them on devices running the latest watchOS 6 GM seed, and submit them for review.
Apple says that starting in April 2020, all new watchOS apps and app updates submitted to the App Store will need to be built with the watchOS 6 SDK and support the Apple Watch Series 4 or later.
watchOS 6 with standalone App Store is set to launch on the Series 3 and Series 4 Apple Watch models on Thursday, September 19. It will be available for Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watch models later in the year.
The Apple Watch Series 5, which launches on Friday, September 20, will come with watchOS 6 installed.
While the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 have now been discontinued, some customers may be wondering which of these two older iPhones may be better. The two devices have several similarities, but the iPhone 11 takes a step forward with regards to camera technology, battery life, and more.
Design Very Similar
The iPhone 11 has a very similar glass-and-aluminum design as the iPhone XR, with one major visual difference being its dual-lens rear camera system housed in a large, square camera bump. On the back of the iPhone 11, the Apple logo is centered, and the "iPhone" brand name is no longer shown.
Otherwise, much is the same, including the display, bezels, notch, antenna bands, volume and side buttons, mute switch, speaker grilles, and microphones. The iPhone 11 also sticks with the Lightning connector.
The iPhone 11 comes in six colors, including green, purple, white, black, yellow, and (PRODUCT)RED.
Both devices weigh in at just under half a pound and have identical dimensions.
Displays Same
The iPhone 11 has the same 6.1-inch LCD display as the iPhone XR, including a resolution of 1792 by 828 pixels for 326 pixels per inch, 625 nits max brightness, and True Tone and P3 wide color gamut support. The LCD panel keeps costs down compared to the OLED displays used for the iPhone 12 lineup.
Like the iPhone XR, the iPhone 11 relies on software-based Haptic Touch for contextual menus and shortcuts. Unlike older iPhones, there is no pressure-sensitive 3D Touch layer built into the iPhone 11's display.
Performance Differences
The iPhone 11 is powered by Apple's A13 Bionic chip, behind only Apple's A14 Bionic chip in the iPhone 12 models.
Based on 7-nanometer architecture, the A13 Bionic features four high-efficiency cores that are up to 20 percent faster and consume 40 percent less power than the A12 Bionic chip in the iPhone XR. The A13 chip also has two high-performance cores that are up to 20 percent faster and 30 percent more efficient than the A12 chip.
Battery Life
Apple says the iPhone 11 has up to one hour longer battery life than the iPhone XR overall. Based on Apple's internal testing, the iPhone 11 is rated for up to 17 hours of offline video playback, up to 10 hours of streaming video over Wi-Fi, and up to 65 hours of audio playback per charge.
Like the iPhone XR, the iPhone 11 supports Qi-based wireless charging, as well as fast charging for up to a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes with an 18W or higher USB-C charger.
Cameras, the Biggest Difference
The rear camera system is easily the iPhone 11's biggest upgrade over the iPhone XR. Unlike the XR, the wide-angle ƒ/1.8 lens is accompanied by an ultra-wide-angle ƒ/2.4 lens for a 120° field of view. The ultra-wide-angle lens allows users to "zoom out" to "0.5x" and capture four times more scene, according to Apple.
The iPhone 11's wide-angle lens also has an updated sensor that enables Night Mode for markedly improved low-light photos that are brighter and have less noise. This feature is similar to Night Sight on Google's newer Pixel smartphones.
The iPhone 11's third-generation Neural Engine enables next-generation Smart HDR for more natural-looking photos. The Neural Engine also enables Deep Fusion, which uses advanced machine learning for pixel-by-pixel processing of photos, including texture, details, and noise.
Portrait Mode on the iPhone 11 works with not only human faces, but also objects and pets.
There are also six Portrait Lighting effects available on the iPhone 11, including Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, and High‑Key Mono. This is up from three on the iPhone XR: Natural, Studio, and Contour.
iPhone 11 also features front-facing slo-mo video recording at 120 FPS.
Connectivity Compared
With both 802.11ax Wi-Fi and Gigabit-class LTE, the iPhone 11 theoretically has faster download speeds than the iPhone XR, but real-world performance is typically limited by multiple factors such as location and network congestion.
The iPhone 11 also features an Apple-designed U1 chip that enables ultra-wideband support for improved spatial awareness. The chip enables the iPhone 11 to precisely locate other U1‑equipped Apple devices, such as other iPhones and Apple's AirTags.
Storage and Pricing Differences
iPhone 11 is available in 64GB and 128GB for $499 and $549 respectively, while the iPhone XR will be available in similar storage configurations for prices around $100 lower than this.
Tech Specs Compared
Below you'll find tech specs for iPhone 11 and iPhone XR, with each difference bolded.
iPhone 11
6.1-inch LCD display
1792×828 resolution and 326 PPI
True Tone display
Dual 12-megapixel rear cameras (wide and ultra-wide lenses)
Single 12-megapixel front camera
Portrait Mode with Depth Control: humans, pets, and objects
Fast charging capable: up to 50% charge in 30 minutes
Qi-based wireless charging
IP68-rated water resistance to a depth of 2 meters for up to 30 minutes
64/128/256GB
Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and eSIM)
Gigabit-class LTE
VoLTE
802.11ax Wi‑Fi with MIMO
Bluetooth 5.0
Plus…
Night Mode photos
Front-facing slo-mo video recording at 120 FPS
QuickTake video recording shortcut
Dolby Atmos sound
U1 chip for spatial awareness
iPhone XR
6.1-inch LCD display
1792×828 resolution and 326 PPI
True Tone display
Single 12-megapixel rear camera (wide lens)
Single 7-megapixel front camera
Portrait Mode with Depth Control: humans only
Three Portrait Lighting effects
Smart HDR
A12 Bionic chip with second-gen Neural Engine
Face ID
Haptic Touch
Lightning connector
Fast charging capable: up to 50% charge in 30 minutes
Qi-based wireless charging
IP67-rated water resistance to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
64/128GB (256GB discontinued)
Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and eSIM)
LTE Advanced
VoLTE
802.11ac Wi‑Fi with MIMO
Bluetooth 5.0
iPhone 11 vs iPhone XR Verdict
The iPhone 11 is a rather iterative update to the iPhone XR, but users who take lots of photos may find the camera advancements worth spending an extra $100 on. The iPhone 11 is also one year newer than the iPhone XR, so it should receive an additional year of iOS updates.
Apple today seeded the golden master version of watchOS 6, the software that runs on the Apple Watch. The new update comes two weeks after the ninth beta and over three months after Apple first unveiled the new watchOS update at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
To install the watchOS 6 beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. The golden master version of watchOS 6 represents the final version of the software that will be released to the public.
Installing the software requires the Apple Watch to have 50 percent battery. It also needs to be put on a charger and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 6 is a major update that offers up a long list of new features. First and foremost, there's an App Store right on the Apple Watch, so you can find and download new Apple Watch apps on your wrist.
Apple Watch apps no longer need to have an iPhone component, which means developers can create standalone Apple Watch apps for the first time. Apps are able to take advantage of new APIs so you'll be able to do things like follow along with a workout or listen to streaming music from third-party services.
Since Apple Watch apps are now independent of apps on the iPhone, you can now remove some built-in apps from the Apple Watch, a feature that was enabled in beta 3.
There are several new watch faces in watchOS 6, including Numerals Mono and Duo with huge numbers, Modular Compact, a Gradient watch face that shifts over the course of a day, a Solar Dial watch face that visualizes the sun in a 24 hour path around the dial, and the California watch face with a mix of standard numbers and roman numerals.
A new Taptic Chimes feature provides a silent touch on the wrist at every hour, and if sound is turned on, you'll hear an audible chime. You can also hold two fingers on the Apple Watch's display to hear the time spoken out loud.
There are new Audiobooks, Voice Memos, and Calculator apps, along with a new Noise app that warns you if you're exposed to sound that's too loud and a new Cycle Tracking app for period tracking. Activity Trends, visible on the iPhone, are also available to chart your fitness progress and make sure your fitness trends are improving.
New complications are available for wind speed, chance of rain, and the new Noise app, plus there's a Voice Memos complication for recording a memo quickly, a cellular strength complication, and a complication for the Calculator that opens up the app.
Siri can now provide full web search results right on the watch when asked a question, and for Mac users, the Apple Watch can now approve Mac security prompts.
When it launches on September 19, watchOS 6 will be available on the Series 3 and Series 4 Apple Watch models. It will come out for Series 1 and Series 2 models later this year. For more on what's new in watchOS 6, make sure to check out our watchOS 6 roundup.
Following yesterday's iPhone event that saw the launch of new iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad models, Apple has tweaked the pricing of its 11 and 12.9-inch 1TB iPad Pro models, dropping the cost by $200 in the United States.
Pricing for the 1TB 11-inch iPad Pro now starts at $1,349, while pricing for the 1TB 12.9-inch iPad Pro now starts at $1,549.
When the new iPad Pro models were introduced in October 2018, the 1TB 11-inch iPad Pro model was priced at $1,549, while the 1TB 12.9-inch model was priced at $1,749.
When flash storage prices drop, Apple often passes those savings on to consumers, and has dropped the price of higher tier Mac storage options in recent months as well.
Pricing on the 64, 256, and 512GB iPad Pro storage tiers has not changed.
It's been almost a year since Apple refreshed the iPad Pro, and rumors have suggested we may be getting a new iPad Pro model before the end of 2019.
While most rumors have indicated the changes will be minor, some rumors suggest the new tablets could gain the same triple-lens camera added to the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max.
Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iPadOS and iOS 13.1 updates to developers, one week after seeding the second public betas and a day after providing the third beta of iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1 to developers.
Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 13.1 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.
Those who want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas.
iOS 13.1 includes multiple features that were announced at WWDC but were ultimately removed from iOS 13 over the beta testing period. Shortcuts Automations, for example, is back in iOS 13.1.
Shortcuts Automations allows Shortcuts users to create personal and home automations from the Shortcuts app to have actions performed automatically when specific conditions occur. Share ETA, a major maps feature, is also available in iOS 13.1. With Share ETA, you can share your estimated time of arrival to a location with a friend or family member.
Other new features include new icons on the volume indicator when headphones or speakers are connected (with icons for AirPods, Beats headphones, and HomePod), more detailed HomeKit icons in the Home app, and updates to Dynamic Wallpapers.
Mouse support, an accessibility option in iOS 13, has been improved in iOS 13.1 allowing a long press or 3D Touch to be mapped to the right click function of the mouse. Reading goals now include PDFs, Nike+ is now just Nike, and iOS 13.1 supports HEVC video encoding with alpha channels.
There are some other smaller changes in iOS 13.1, which we outlined in our iOS 13.1 tidbits article.
Apple plans to release iOS 13 to the public on Thursday, September 19, and iOS 13.1 will follow on Monday, September 30.
Apple unveiled several cases designed for its new iPhones yesterday, but did not provide an updated battery case that will accommodate the new square-shaped camera bump at the rear of the devices.
The Juice Pack Access Cases provide additional battery life to the new iPhones and can be charged using Qi-based wireless charging or a USB-C port. The Lightning port on the iPhone is left accessible for use with headphones and other Lightning-based accessories.
A Priority+ charging feature allows the iPhone to be recharged before the Juice Pack Access when charged wirelessly or over USB-C, and the cases are designed with rubberized support pads and raised corners for protective purposes. There's also an on/off button for the battery cases and an LED status indicator for displaying charge level.
The Juice Pack Access Cases for iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro include 2,000 mAh batteries, while the Juice Pack Access Case for the iPhone 11 Pro Max includes a 2,200 mAh battery.
Apple's newest iPhones offer more battery life than ever, which may be why Apple didn't introduce its own battery case. The iPhone 11 features an hour more battery life than the XR, the iPhone 11 Pro offers four hours longer battery life than the XS, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max provides an impressive five hours longer battery life than the iPhone XS Max.
Mophie says that the new Juice Pack Access battery cases for Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup will be available starting in October from Mophie.com. The cases will be priced at $99.95 and will be available in colors that include black, blush pink, and (PRODUCT)RED.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Mophie. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Additional HomePod features, including multi-user support and music handoff, will not launch until "later this fall." With iOS 13, Siri on HomePod can recognize the voices of different HomePod users, queuing up each person's favorite music on the speaker. Handoff lets any media you have playing on your iPhone or iPad be handed off to the HomePod.
One new feature has also been added to the HomePod page on Apple.com, called "Ambient Sounds." Apple says that you'll be able to relax to sounds like ocean waves, forest birds, rainstorms, and more with this feature, also coming in the fall.
It sounds like the company is working on making ambient noise a big new feature of the HomePod, after being requested by users since the speaker launched in early 2018. Although Apple Music has a multitude of ambient noise playlists, this should make it even easier to start playing relaxing sounds on HomePod.
Apple has regained its status as a trillion dollar company by market cap, which is its total outstanding shares multiplied by its stock price.
Apple achieved this milestone by hitting a stock price above $221.28 in intraday trading today, giving it a market cap slightly over $1,000,000,000,000 based on its 4,519,180,000 outstanding shares as of July 19, 2019, which the company disclosed in its most recent quarterly 10-Q filing with the SEC.
Apple first achieved a trillion dollar valuation in August 2018 with a $207 share price, but the company continues to buy back its shares, which is why it took a higher share price this time around to hit the 13-digit milestone.
Apple's stock is up over three percent since it hosted its annual iPhone and Apple Watch event at Steve Jobs Theater yesterday.
Apple and Microsoft, valued at around $1.03T, are currently the only U.S. companies with a trillion dollar market cap, but Amazon has achieved the milestone in the past and Google parent company Alphabet has come very close.
Apple Watch Series 5 models with titanium and ceramic casings include an extra, color-matching Sport Band in the box.
White ceramic models come with a soft white Sport Band with a ceramic pin, titanium models come with a light gray Sport Band, and space black titanium models come with a dark gray Sport Band. This is in addition to whichever band a customer chooses for the Apple Watch during the purchase process.
An extra Sport Band is also included with Hermès models, but this is par for course.
Apple Watch Series 5 models with aluminum and stainless steel casings do not include an extra Sport Band. If you do not select one during the purchase process, the Sport Bands are sold separately for $49 each.
Apple Watch Series 5 pre-orders are available now in fully customizable fashion, with deliveries to customers and in-store availability beginning Friday, September 20. Notable features include an always-on display, a new Compass app, and 32GB of on-device storage, compared to 16GB for Series 4 models.
LG today announced that its new 88-inch 8K OLED and 75-inch 8K LED smart TVs are available at select U.S. retailers starting today, priced at $29,999 and $4,999 respectively. LG says both models will receive a firmware update that enables HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support later this fall.
AirPlay 2 support will enable users to stream videos, music, podcasts, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to these TVs, with no Apple TV box necessary. And with HomeKit, users can easily control the TV's power, volume, source, and more using Siri or the Home app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
LG says the 88-inch model is the largest OLED TV ever, with an 8K Ultra HD resolution of 7,680x4,320 for a total of nearly 33 million pixels. The TV features a slim-bezel display with a brushed aluminum stand and comes with an integrated 80W speaker system that is said to deliver powerful sound.
LG first rolled out HomeKit and AirPlay 2 to select 2019 OLED and NanoCell 4K UHD smart TVs with ThinQ AI capability in July, with remaining 4K UHD TV series in LG's 2019 lineup slated to receive the features in October.
Many customers have petitioned LG to offer AirPlay 2 and HomeKit on its older smart TVs, but the company has not budged so far, noting that it "cannot guarantee" that pre-2019 models "will be able to deliver a seamless user experience." LG did note that it "may be a possibility in the future."
AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are also available on select Vizio smart TVs, and Sony promised to roll out the features in summer 2019, but it has yet to do so. Samsung offers an Apple TV app and AirPlay 2, but not HomeKit, on select TVs.
Alongside the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 5 yesterday, Apple has now updated the price on some of its high-end leather and metallic bands.
Specifically, the original $149 price tag of Leather Loop and Milanese Loop Apple Watch bands has now dropped to $99. This means that they're only $50 more expensive than Apple's cheapest Sport Bands and Sport Loops, which cost $49.
Leather Loop is now available in Meyer Lemon, Black, and Saddle Brown; it only fits 44mm Apple Watch cases. Milanese Loop is available in Silver, Gold, and Space Black; it can fit both 40mm and 44mm cases.
Apple has not dropped the price of the Modern Buckle any further, although at $149 it is still $100 cheaper than it initially was at launch. Hermès bands are as much as $539, and the Silver Link Bracelet is $349, while the Space Black Link Bracelet is $449.
More information about the new Apple Watch Series 5 can be found in our full launch post on the new wearable.
Take portraits to new places. With new kinds of portraits and more lighting controls, the dual cameras in iPhone 11 work together to create stunning images. And Portrait mode now works with everything you love to shoot — that includes your best friends, two‑legged or four.
While this was already possible on the iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, Portrait Mode on the iPhone XR was only able to detect human faces in Apple's stock Camera app. (A few third-party apps like Halide did manage to enable Portrait Mode for objects and pets on the iPhone XR.)
There are also six Portrait Lighting effects available on the iPhone 11, including Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, and High‑Key Mono. This is up from three on the iPhone XR: Natural, Studio, and Contour.
Portrait Mode automatically creates a depth-of-field effect known as bokeh, allowing iPhone users to shoot a photo that keeps the subject sharp with a blurred background, while Portrait Lighting applies studio-quality lighting effects like black-and-white stage lighting to the Portrait Mode photos.
To use Portrait Mode, open the Camera app and swipe to Portrait mode. Portrait Lighting effects will appear at the bottom of the viewfinder.
iPhone 11 is the direct successor to the iPhone XR, with features including a dual-lens rear camera system with Ultra Wide and Night modes, faster A13 Bionic chip, improved water resistance, six new colors, up to one hour longer battery life, Dolby Atmos sound, 802.11ax Wi‑Fi, Gigabit-class LTE, and more.
During its media event on Tuesday, Apple revealed that the new iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max feature faster gigabit-class 4G LTE, but the company didn't provide any further details. However, an internet speed testing service claims to have the numbers.
According to Speedsmart.net, the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max offer approximately 13 percent faster 4G LTE than Apple's previous generation iPhone XS series.
The results were taken over all of the major US cellular networks, and while there's little between the carriers in terms of fastest speed, T-Mobile and Verizon appear to edge it.
Given that the new iPhones aren't yet available, it's not entirely clear how the data was collected "from August 9," although the results are said to have been taken with the SpeedSmart Speed Test App.
Regardless, further tests are inevitable once the new devices get into the hands of reviewers on September 20, by which time we'll know for sure if these results in any way reflect real-world usage.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Mozilla this week began piloting its own browser-based VPN service, and if you're located in the U.S. you can start testing it for free right away.
Following the 
