Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.2 update to developers, just one day after releasing macOS Mojave 10.14.1.
The new macOS High Sierra 10.14.2 beta can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after the proper profile has been installed from Apple's Developer Center.
We don't yet know what improvements the second update to macOS Mojave will bring, but it is likely to include bug fixes and performance improvements for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the macOS 10.14.1 update.
Should we discover anything new in the 10.14.2 beta, we'll update this post.
The new 10.14.2 software comes just a day after Apple released macOS 10.14.1, an update that brought support for Group FaceTime on the Mac and introduced new emoji characters.
Update: Apple has removed the macOS Mojave 10.14.2 developer beta from the Developer Center for unknown reasons.
Update 2: The macOS Mojave 10.14.2 developer beta is available for download again.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 12.1.1 update to developers, one day after the release of iOS 12.1, a major update that brought multiple new features to the operating system that runs on the iPhone and iPad.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.1.1 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
As a 12.1.x update, the new software is minor in scale and has been released to address bugs that were not able to be fixed in the iOS 12.1 update. According to Apple's release notes, iOS 12.1.1 "contains bug fixes and improvements."
Given the non-specific information provided by Apple, we may not know exactly what issues are fixed in the beta until more specific release notes are provided, but we'll update this post if we find anything new in the update.
iOS 12.1.1 follows iOS 12.1, which was the first major update to iOS 12. iOS 12.1 introduces Group FaceTime for video chatting with up to 32 people, real-time Depth Control and eSIM support for Apple's newest iPhones, and fixes for several major bugs.
The update fixes a problem that could cause excessive skin-smoothing when using the front-facing camera on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and iPhone XR, and it addresses LTE connectivity issues on those same devices. It's also worth noting that the iOS 12.1 software introduces battery-related performance management features on the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X to prevent unexpected shutdowns.
What's new in iOS 12.1.1: The iOS 12.1.1 update reintroduces the feature that lets you take a Live Photo while on a FaceTime call, and it makes improvements to the FaceTime user interface.
Following the update, FaceTime features a reworked bottom bar that includes quick access buttons for muting a call and flipping the camera. Sliding up on the bottom bar brings up additional options with conversation participants.
Previously, FaceTime users were required to tap on three dots to access a secondary menu with these features.
A new article by Business Insider today takes a look into failed talks that occurred between Apple and startup Leap Motion, which the Cupertino company tried to acquire twice in less than five years. Leap Motion is a company that focuses on making advances in the fields of virtual reality, augmented reality, and hand tracking technology.
According to multiple unnamed insiders, the most recent deal was nearing completion in spring 2018 before poor management, "swirling negatives," and "eccentric behavior" of Leap Motion's young co-founders Michael Buckwald and David Holz halted the talks.
Prior to that, in 2013 the first meeting was held between the two companies and things reportedly went very poorly after Holz -- then 24 years old -- said he had no interest in joining Apple. Sources say Holz was insulting to Apple's staff, told the company representatives that Apple was no longer innovative, its technology "sucked," and discussed the ways that Google's Android was better than iOS. During this time, Apple was said to have been mainly interested in Leap Motion's team to help work on its own AR and gesture-based projects.
Despite this poor first meeting, Apple continued to express interest in acquiring Leap Motion in the ensuing years, particularly as augmented reality and virtual reality technologies began to be more mainstream. Some of Leap Motion's original employees even left the company to work for Apple over the years, and are now helping with Apple's various AR projects, some former Leap Motion employees said.
The latest rumors point towards Apple developing AR smart glasses, which could potentially include a VR component. Apple's interest appears to lean more towards AR, since it has already backed AR as a service with the ARKit developer platform, and CEO Tim Cook often talks excitedly about the potential of AR.
Because of this, Apple made another attempt to acquire Leap Motion earlier this year, but talks fell through once again. Apple was on the verge of acquiring Leap Motion for between $30 million and $50 million in the spring, and had already started talks with the startup's human resources department and sent out offer letters to employees. As Leap Motion celebrated the upcoming acquisition, Apple pulled its offer.
Business Insider says it remains unclear why exactly Apple made this move at the last minute, but one thing appears certain: "the founders ultimately thought [Leap Motion] was more valuable than the offers on the table."
Many people close to the company say that the issues afflicting Leap Motion are a case of poor management: Much of the company's venture capital was spent on sleek office space in San Francisco's pricey SoMa neighborhood, complete with tech industry perks including beanbag chairs and daily lunches, and costly engineering salaries.
That Leap Motion should fall upon dire financial straits when the company's core technology had such great potential was described by many as a failure that could have been easily avoided.
Increasingly, it looks like Leap Motion's technology might end up bought as a hidden gem for a company looking to add its hand-tracking technology to future smartglasses products — but only if it can get the founders on board with the deal.
Now, Leap Motion is said to have new meetings lined up to explore other potential deals outside of Apple's offer, but it may be too late for the startup. According to sources familiar with the company, Apple's latest bid for Leap Motion was the AR/VR company's "last-ditch opportunity" to sell the business, which has faced financial instability for years.
Apple makes acquisitions of smaller companies like Leap Motion all the time, with news coming just in the past month of Apple acquiring Asaii and Spektral. Asaii is a music analytics platform that Apple will likely integrate into Apple Music and iTunes, while Spektral creates real-time green screens that can intelligently separate people and objects from their original backgrounds to overlay a new setting, which could be integrated into a future iPhone.
"The launch of Siri was a defining moment in the history of Artificial Intelligence," the job description states. "Hundreds of millions of people now use Siri to send a message, play their favourite song or even take a selfie."
Earlier this year, The Information published an in-depth look at how Siri has transitioned from one of Apple's most promising technologies into a "major problem" for the company. The report cited a dozen former Apple employees who reflected on Siri's "squandered lead" over rivals Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Apple responded to the report with a statement claiming that Siri is "the world's most popular voice assistant," and touted "significant advances" to the digital assistant's performance, scalability, and reliability.
We have made significant advances in Siri performance, scalability and reliability and have applied the latest machine learning techniques to create a more natural voice and more proactive features. We continue to invest deeply in machine learning and artificial intelligence to continually improve the quality of answers Siri provides and the breadth of questions Siri can respond to.
A new report out this week by Bloomberg highlights Apple's ongoing efforts to boost adoption of Apple Pay, which is said to be gaining more traction this year thanks to the launch of Apple Pay Cash, as well as a growing number of of retailers supporting the mobile wallet. Although it still struggles to surpass rival mobile wallets, analyst Gene Munster argues that Apple's real advantage lies in the fact that it's the only digital wallet with payment options for mobile apps, desktop, peer-to-peer, and in stores.
According to Munster, Apple Pay Cash's launch in December 2017 "was a big missing piece" to the Apple Pay ecosystem, and has led the company to "make up a lot of ground" with its competition in 2018.
In total, 60 percent of United States merchants will have Apple Pay-ready equipment in their shops by the end of this year, which is an increase from three percent four years ago, when Apple Pay launched. Apple Pay already has made impressive growth in the United Kingdom, because merchants there "already accepted contactless payments and consumers were already using contactless cards," explained Crone Consulting CEO Richard Crone.
Multiple analysts believe that Apple's biggest opportunity in the mobile payments field is to increase acceptance of Apple Pay from e-commerce sites and to beef up the features of Apple Pay Cash. According to data from Crone Consulting, the number of online mobile app transactions using Apple Pay is "growing much faster" than transactions made inside retail stores. In this area, Apple Pay is used by hundreds of thousands of websites and is accepted by 85 of the top 100 global e-commerce apps. Senior managing director for Falcon Point Capital, Michael Mahoney, agreed:
“When it started, you’d tap and physically cause a purchase to be made,” Michael Mahoney said. “The whole world of mobile commerce has so much shifted to everything being done on the phone and shipped to you. My kids don’t even think of going to the store. Apple Pay has morphed along with that change in behavior.”
As of estimates from August, 31 percent of worldwide iPhone users have used Apple Pay in some way in the last year, up from 25 percent one year ago, according to Loup Ventures data. In regards to the total number of active users making at least two transactions per month, Crone Consulting estimates that Apple has 32 million users in the U.S., compared to its total user base of around 252 million global. In terms of U.S. usage, PayPal has the most at 250 million users and Walmart Pay is just below Apple Pay at 31 million users.
Apple Pay Cash was the highest-rated peer-to-peer payments platform on the market, according to a review by Consumer Reports. The service beat out Zelle, Square Cash, Venmo, and Facebook Messenger P2P payments, mainly due to Apple's stronger privacy and security measures. Munster pointed out that the growth of Apple's P2P platform is convincing new people to add their banks into Apple Pay (which is required for P2P iMessage payments), many of which eventually add their credit and debit cards into Wallet as well to enable the main NFC features of Apple Pay.
Apple is also continuously expanding the mobile wallet into new countries, and this week Apple Pay will launch in Belgium. Belgium-based newspaper De Tijd reports that several sources believe Apple Pay will launch in early November -- as soon as tomorrow, November 1 -- with major bank BNP Paribas Fortis supporting the launch. Next, Apple Pay is said to be "coming soon" to Saudi Arabia.
Accessory company Nomad today launched the Base Station Apple Watch Edition, which includes a Qi charging mat for iPhone and integrated charging puck for Apple Watch. The new accessory is an upgrade from the original Base Station, which was focused on Qi charging for iPhone and lacked Apple Watch charging support.
The Base Station Apple Watch Edition includes three 7.5W charging coils underneath a padded leather surface, which the company says will let users choose from multiple charging orientations. On the top left corner of the unit is a stand for Apple Watch, which charges the smartwatch in Nightstand Mode and supports both closed loop and open loop bands.
Nomad says the Base Station Apple Watch Edition can charge up to three devices at once, presumably referring to two Qi-compatible iPhones and one Apple Watch, but it's unclear how a second iPhone fits on the mat when Apple Watch is charging. Nomad seems to acknowledge this in its FAQ on the stand, stating that while it supports up to three devices, "it is designed to comfortably charge 1 Apple Watch and 1 phone simultaneously."
Easily charge your Apple Watch and iPhone wirelessly. We've added three coils to provide mulitiple charging orientations; center your phone over a coil and wirelessly charge your phone how you like. Great for your desk, bedside, and around the house.
We recently got our hands on the original Nomad Base Station and shared our thoughts in a review on the MacRumors YouTube channel. While the leather surface lacked reliable grip for case-less iPhones and finding the hot spot for charging proved finicky, we largely came away impressed by Nomad's accessory thanks to its design and additional port options on the back.
In terms of those ports, it's worth noting the updated Base Station Apple Watch Edition appears to have ditched the extra USB-A and USB-C ports on the back of the device. For those interested, the new accessory is available to purchase on Nomad's website today for $119.95.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Nomad. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple on Tuesday released iOS 12.1 following six weeks of beta testing. As mentioned in the release notes, the software update extends Apple's performance management feature to the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.
From the release notes:
Adds a performance management feature to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down, including the option to disable this feature if an unexpected shutdown occurs, for iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
Apple has reflected this change on its iPhone Battery and Performance website, noting that performance management "may be less noticeable" on those iPhone models due to their "more advanced hardware and software design."
The performance management system was first enabled in iOS 10.2.1, but it was limited to the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus until yesterday's release of iOS 12.1.
Last December, Apple did mention that the design of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X allows for a "different" performance management system that "more precisely" prevents unexpected shutdowns, but prior to iOS 12.1, no performance management feature of this kind had been enabled on the trio of iPhones:
iPhone 8 and later use a more advanced hardware and software design that provides a more accurate estimation of both power needs and the battery's power capability to maximize overall system performance. This allows a different performance management system that more precisely allows iOS to anticipate and avoid an unexpected shutdown. As a result, the impacts of performance management may be less noticeable on iPhone 8 and later. Over time, the rechargeable batteries in all iPhone models will diminish in their capacity and peak performance and will eventually need to be replaced.
Why is Apple slowing down some iPhone models if necessary?
iPhones, like many other consumer electronics, are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which have a limited lifespan. As the battery in your iPhone ages, its ability to hold a charge slowly diminishes.
A chemically aging battery can also have increased impedance, reducing its ability to provide a sudden burst of power when demanded by other components in an iPhone, such as the CPU and GPU. A battery's impedance will also temporarily increase when it has a low charge and/or in cold temperatures.
A battery with a high enough impedance may be unable to provide power quickly enough to the iPhone when needed, and Apple safeguards components against the drop in voltage by shutting down the device.
Apple recognized that iPhones unexpectedly shutting down on users is not a good experience, and starting with iOS 10.2.1, it quietly implemented a power management feature to prevent these shutdowns. The update was released in January 2017, and a month later, Apple said it saw a major reduction in shutdowns.
The performance management feature can be disabled if desired in the Settings app, under the Battery Health menu. At this time, the feature does not appear to extend to the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or iPhone XR.
Nintendo this week held its financial results briefing aimed at the second quarter for the fiscal year ending in March 2019 (via Reuters), during which it discussed its smart device business and major updates coming to two of its iOS apps: Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.
Starting with Fire Emblem Heroes, Nintendo's director and president Shuntaro Furukawa said that the company is planning a major version 3.0 update to the iOS game that will arrive around the end of 2018. The president didn't divulge any more information on the update, but ensured that Nintendo will keep pouring effort into development and operation of Fire Emblem Heroes following its huge success on the iOS App Store.
According to Furukawa, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will also be updated in the near future, but this one will be focused on "broadening the scope of the gameplay." The iOS game is a pared-down version of the full games found on consoles like Nintendo 3DS, DS, Wii, and GameCube, and focuses on a small campsite that players can redecorate and customize to their liking, with a few other mini locations that can be visited through an in-game map.
Although details are still scarce, it sounds like Nintendo is planning to slightly expand the explorable area of the game with the update, and potentially add in new gameplay features. The company has consistently held new seasonal events and introduced new features -- like gardening -- over the past year, but its scope has largely stayed the same as when it first launched.
It's doubtful that this means Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will see a full village for players to navigate on iPhone, since Nintendo's mobile business so far has used the strategy of introducing a smaller version of its franchises to entice people to check out the full games on console.
Because of this, it's possible that Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp's big update could align with the next mainline entry in the franchise on Switch, which is set for release in 2019. Furukawa did not detail when exactly we'll see the iOS update, but noted that "details will be announced closer to the time of the update," so it might not be until next year.
Lastly, the president confirmed that Mario Kart Tour is still on track to be released during the current fiscal year ending in March 2019. After Mario Kart Tour launches, Nintendo will have released six games on the iOS App Store: Miitomo, Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and Dragalia Lost.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday singled out Apple's iMessage mobile messaging service as Facebook's "biggest competitor by far." (via CNBC).
The comments were made to investors during an earnings call for the company's third quarter performance, in which the Facebook CEO admitted the social platform was losing out to iMessage in "important" territories like the U.S., where iPhone sales are highest.
"Our biggest competitor by far is iMessage," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an earnings call on Tuesday with investors, referring to the messaging service built into the iPhone and other Apple products.
"In important countries like the U.S. where the iPhone is strong, Apple bundles iMessage as a default texting app and it's still ahead," he said.
The Facebook chief said the company had identified a shift in the way users are communicating, with many transitioning from publicly shared content to private messaging, thanks to services like Messenger, WhatsApp, and Apple's iMessage.
Zuckerberg also responded to vehement criticism from Apple CEO Tim Cook about companies that use people's personal information as a business model for profit.
"It's worth noting that one of the main reasons people prefer our services, especially WhatsApp, is because of its stronger record on privacy," Zuckerberg said.
"WhatsApp is completely end-to-end encrypted, does not store your messages, and doesn't store the keys to your messages in China or anywhere else. And this is important because if our systems can't see your messages, then that means that governments and bad actors won't be able to access them through us either."
Zuckerberg's reference to China is likely a dig at Apple, which recently transferred its China iCloud services from a hosting location in the United States to servers owned and operated by a state-run Chinese company.
The move means the Chinese government can use its own legal system to ask Apple for users' iCloud data, whereas before the government had to go through the U.S. legal system. Human rights and digital security advocates have questioned whether Apple will be able to maintain and protect its customers' privacy under the new Chinese laws.
During the earnings call, investors learned that Facebook had surpassed analysts' estimates on earnings per share in the third quarter, but had fallen short on revenue and active user projections.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition is coming to Mac next year. The critically acclaimed role-playing game from Larian Studios featured in yesterday's Apple event in New York, where Apple unveiled new Macs and iPad Pros.
The RPG title is being developed in partnership with Mac porting studio Elverils and Apple's Metal engineering team, and promises to feature all the content from the PC version as well as the following additional features exclusive to Mac, as confirmed by MacGamerHQ:
64-bit Metal 1.2 support
eGPU support (10.13+ only)
V-sync support (10.13+ only)
Support for Apple MFI controllers and rumbling support on selected controllers
Elverils plans compatibility with systems running macOS 10.13 and 10.14 macOS, with potential for 10.12 support further down the line, while MacBook Pro Touch Bar support should equate to quick access to in-game features like the journal or map.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 will also support HDR, iCloud backups, and cross-play between Windows and macOS systems.
More information including pricing is expected as the game gets closer to its Q1 2019 release, when it should be available to purchase on both Steam and the Mac App Store.
Group FaceTime, which lets you chat with up to 32 people at one time, is relatively easy to use, but it may not be immediately obvious how a call is initiated nor how all of the group chat options work, which is why we've taken an in-depth look at the new feature. To use Group FaceTime, all participants must have iOS 12.1.4 or later installed.
There are two ways to initiate a Group FaceTime call, using the FaceTime app or the Messages app.
FaceTime App
Open up the FaceTime app
Tap on the "+" button in the upper right hand corner.
In the "To" field, type a name and tap it.
Type another name.
Continue typing in all of the names of the participants who you want to chat with.
When ready to place the call, tap on either the audio or the video option and participants will receive a popup letting them know that you want to FaceTime with them.
Messages App
Open up an existing multi-person conversation or create a new iMessage chat thread.
At the top, where the names of the chat participants are listed, tap to bring up a menu bar.
Choose the "FaceTime" option to transition from a text-based conversation to a video or audio call.
The Messages FaceTime interface works with just one person or with a group of people, and it's perhaps the easiest way to initiate a multi-person FaceTime call.
Receiving an Incoming Call Request
When a Group FaceTime chat is initiated either via FaceTime or through the Messages app, you will get a notification letting you know that a FaceTime call is initiating, which you can tap to join.
Joining an Existing Group FaceTime Call
When you're in a group chat in the Messages app and someone initiates a Group FaceTime conversation, any person in the chat can join the call at anytime.
In the Messages interface, there's a chat popup that lets you know a call is ongoing, with a "Join" button available and the number of people active in the conversation.
Joining a conversation is as simple as tapping that "Join" button, which automatically adds you to the call. There's no approval interface, so be aware that if you're in the middle of a conversation, anyone from a group Messages chat can interrupt and join in.
While in a Group FaceTime call, you'll also see a chat bubble that lets you know how long the call has been going on.
Adding Another Person Through FaceTime
While in a FaceTime call, you can easily add another person to the chat.
In an active call, tap on the icon that features three dots.
Tap on "Add Person."
Choose a name from the list to send them a notification to join in.
Leaving a Group FaceTime Call
As with a standard FaceTime call, exiting a Group FaceTime chat is as simple as tapping the big red "X" button to end the chat.
Focusing on Chat Members
All Group FaceTime calls are displayed with a tiled interface that highlights the person who last spoke. If you have a call with multiple people, you'll see tiles of various sizes focusing on main participants, with those who haven't spoken recently minimized in small tiles.
You can double tap on any person's tile to make it the focal point in your FaceTime view, enlarging the tile to its biggest possible size. Tap again to go back to the standard tiled view.
Applying Effects
In addition to multi-person FaceTime calls, iOS 12 adds a new FaceTime effects camera that you can use while chatting. While in a FaceTime call, tap on the star-shaped icon to the left of the end call button to access options that include Animoji and Memoji, filters, stickers, shapes, and text.
Multiple effects can be applied at once, which are displayed to all chat participants. The people you're chatting with can also choose different effects to use, leading to chats filled with different Memoji and Animoji characters. Memoji and Animoji are limited to devices with the TrueDepth camera system.
With the release of macOS Mojave in September, Apple introduced a Dark Mode to its desktop operating system that some users prefer the look of, or just find more forgiving on the eyes. Many third-party apps have followed suit with their own darkened interfaces, and now it looks like a similar interface option is also headed for Microsoft Office.
MS PowerPoint in Dark Mode
Microsoft Office product manager Akshay Bakshi has been teasing as much on social media, with two tweets posted on October 29 and 30 indicating that users of Office for Mac will soon have the ability run at least some apps included in the productivity suite in a new native Dark Mode.
According to the tweets, Dark Mode will be available in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, featuring new dynamic ribbon and icon styling. Users signed up to the Insiders Fast community getting access to the visual refresh first in build 181029.
Apple held a second hardware-centric fall event this morning in New York City, where the company launched updated iPad Pro models, a refreshed version of the MacBook Air, and a new Mac mini.
Prior to the event, though, there were rumors suggesting we'd also see some other products that didn't end up making an appearance.
iMac
Rumors suggested Apple was working on updated iMac models with new processors, but it doesn't look like the iMac lineup is going to get a 2018 refresh at this point.
There wasn't a lot of detail on what to expect from a new iMac, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo did say Apple was working on a version with an upgraded processor and a "significant display performance upgrade."
With no new iMac making an appearance at today's event, we don't know when we'll see an updated version.
MacBook
Prior to today's event, there was a lot of confusion over a rumored lower-cost notebook, which turned out to be a MacBook Air. It wasn't clear if the device would be in the MacBook Air or the MacBook family for good reason - it was rumored to be a 13-inch machine with a MacBook Air style design, a lower price tag, and a Retina display.
Those options turned out to be true, and the new MacBook Air is slimmer with thinner bezels, a faster processor, built-in Touch ID, and a Retina display, the feature previously differentiating the MacBook Air from the 12-inch MacBook.
Now that this new $1,199 MacBook Air with 8th-Gen Intel processors, Touch ID, T2 chip, and a slimmer chassis exists, it's not entirely clear what Apple plans to do with the 12-inch MacBook lineup, which starts at just $100 more.
There were rumors the 12-inch MacBook lineup would also be updated at today's event, but it wasn't refreshed.
Is this the end of the MacBook? It's not clear what Apple has in store for its thinnest, lightest machine, nor when it might see an update. With faster 8th-Gen processors and a Retina display in the new MacBook Air, the only real distinguishing feature between the MacBook and the MacBook Air is the MacBook's smaller size.
iPad mini
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said just ahead of Apple's event that a new iPad mini is in the works, but he wasn't sure if it would be included in the October 30th product unveilings. As it turns out, it wasn't, and if a new iPad mini is in development, there's no word on when we'll see it launch.
AirPower and AirPods
There was some speculation that Apple could still debut the AirPower charging mat and compatible AirPods at its October event, but that didn't happen.
We have no idea when we might expect to see the AirPower launch, if it is indeed still in the works, nor when Apple will launch updated AirPods. At this point, it looks like we may not see these products until sometime in 2019.
Mac Pro
We were hoping to get a little peek at Apple's work on its promised high-end high-throughput modular Mac Pro that Apple is developing for release in 2019, but it looks like we're going to have a longer wait to get our first glimpse at Apple's pro-focused machine.
Missing iPhone XR Cases and iPad Smart Covers
It's still not clear why Apple hasn't introduced cases for the iPhone XR, especially after mentioning special clear cases for the device in the iPhone XR press release in some countries, but following today's event, there's still no sign of Apple-designed iPhone XR cases.
Apple also did not introduce new Smart Covers for its updated 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, but there are new Smart Folio options and the new Smart Keyboard Folio.
Apple today held a special October event in Brooklyn, New York, which saw the debut of revamped 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, an updated MacBook Air, and a refreshed Mac mini.
It took Apple an hour and a half to introduce the new Space Gray Mac mini with updated hardware, the new MacBook Air with Retina display and Touch ID, and the entirely redesigned iPad Pro models with Face ID, but we've recapped the entire event in just six minutes for our readers who want a no-frills overview of all the announcements.
Apple's new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models were the star of the event with an overhauled look that includes an edge-to-edge display, no Home button, a TrueDepth camera system with Face ID, USB-C instead of Lightning, no headphone jack, and an A12 Bionic chip.
We also got some great new Mac updates, though, including a $1,199 MacBook Air with a Retina display, 8th-Gen Intel chips, faster solid state storage up to 1.5TB, much slimmer bezels, and a thinner, more refined chassis that takes up less volume.
There's also no forgetting the Mac mini, which got its first update in four years. The new model features quad and 6-core 8th-Gen Intel chips, up to 2TB of solid state storage, support for up to 64GB RAM, and a new Space Gray enclosure.
We've rounded up all of our coverage of today's event in the post below, so make sure to check out everything so you don't miss any of the updates.
These weren't part of the event, but Apple today released major software updates for iOS devices, the Apple TV, Macs, and the Apple Watch, which you won't want to miss out on.
You can order the new iPad Pro models, the new Mac mini, and the new MacBook Air starting today from Apple's website, with deliveries set to begin on November 7.
Apple today released iOS 12.1 with support for the digital eSIM that will allow for dual-SIM functionality on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, but eSIM support isn't going to be immediately available from U.S. carriers.
AT&T, for example, is telling customers that eSIM activations are being delayed until later in the year due to technical issues in part related to Visual Voicemail.
According to one AT&T store manager who spoke to MacRumors, retail outlets have been told that AT&T is not supporting dual-SIM or eSIM at the current time, with stores advised not to sell eSIM cards to customers.
Verizon and T-Mobile will also not be supporting the eSIM at the current time, according to company spokespeople who talked to PCMag. T-Mobile said that eSIM support is in the works and will be available "when its software is ready" with no timeline provided. Verizon, meanwhile, said that eSIMs will be available after some kinks are worked out.
It's also worth noting that Verizon customers should not activate eSIMs from other companies at this time because of performance issues. As outlined by PCMag, when a physical Verizon SIM is relegated into a "secondary" position by an eSIM from another company, the Verizon connection gets downgraded to the 2G CDMA network.
Verizon says it is working with Apple to resolve this issue to allow its customers to use eSIM without a performance hit.
"Wireless customers will be able to activate Verizon service eSIMs as soon as we're confident you'll be able to have the great, high-quality service you expect from us on both your primary and secondary line. If you are a Verizon customer and you activate another carrier's service on your iPhone's eSIM, your Verizon service will be degraded due to the current software configuration.
"Based on our discussions with Apple, we believe these concerns will be resolved quickly and you should be able to add our great Verizon service on your secondary line before the end of the year. Until the secondary line can deliver Verizon's full suite of voice and high-speed data services, we won't activate Verizon service on any eSIM. This includes our own customers' iPhones with dual SIM capabilities as well as iPhones on competitors' networks."
The fourth major carrier in the United States, Sprint, is not on Apple's list of carriers that are going to be implementing eSIM support, but Sprint has said it will add support at some point.
The eSIM, or digital SIM, is a non-physical SIM card slot that pairs with the physical SIM card in the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR to enable dual-SIM dual-standby, a feature that lets iPhone users have two phone numbers available at once.
With dual-SIM support, iPhone users are supposed to be able to swap between the two phone numbers readily, alleviating the need for a second phone or SIM swapping for work and travel.
While eSIM support will not be available from the major carriers in the United States at this time, it is available in other countries around the world. Apple has a list of all the carriers supporting eSIM functionality on its website.
On Apple's site, eSIM support for AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile says "coming later this year," suggesting the three carriers are aiming to launch the feature before the end of 2018.
Apple's newly upgraded MacBook Air is equipped with a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 Processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz, a chip configuration that does not match any of the 8th-generation chips that Intel has announced to date.
Intel, in fact, lists only a single 1.3GHz dual-core processor in ARK, which does not line up with the chip Apple is using in the MacBook Air.
Instead, Apple appears to be using an unannounced Intel chip that, according to AnandTech, is part of the 5W Y-Series Amber Lake chips. Intel announced these Amber Lake chips, traditionally used in the MacBook, back in August.
And while the company never names the specific processor models they use, the specifications here - 3.6GHz turbo with Intel UHD Graphics 617 - do not match any known Intel chip, even when factoring in various cTDP options. We've heard rumors of Intel putting together a Core i5-8210Y, and we've reached out to Intel to try to confirm.
Historically, Apple has used 15W U-series chips in its MacBook Air upgrades, but power wise, this will put the new MacBook Air on par with any future MacBook upgrades that also use Intel's Amber Lake chips.
Though the MacBook Air is now using a lower power Y-series chip, because the previous-generation MacBook Air was still equipped with a Broadwell chip, the new model is still going to see significant performance improvements. Unfortunately, the performance gain isn't going to be as impressive as it would have been had Apple stuck with U-series chips.
Using a 5W chip has allowed Apple to significantly cut down on power consumption, which explains why the MacBook Air has the longest battery life out of any of Apple's notebooks.
The new machine offers up to 12 hours of battery life when web browsing and 13 hours when watching iTunes movie playback, which is two hours more battery life for web browsing and one to three hours more when watching movies compared to the MacBook and MacBook Pro.
Apple is only offering a single processor for the MacBook Air, and there are no build-to-order options to upgrade it to a faster speed.
Using a MacBook-class chip in the MacBook Air makes some sense if Apple plans to keep the MacBook in its lineup. With the MacBook Air's slimmer bezels and new Retina display, there's not a lot separating it from the 12-inch MacBook. If it also used U-series chips, it would outperform future MacBook models, and it would make little sense to purchase a MacBook.
This way, the MacBook Air offers a Retina display, MacBook-class performance, and a slimmer body, while the MacBook retains its position as Apple's thinnest, lightest machine, presumably with faster Y-series chips once an upgrade is released.
Apple's revamped MacBook Air can be purchased from the online Apple Store for $1,199, $100 cheaper than the MacBook, but $200 more expensive than the previous-generation MacBook Air.
Update: Intel has added the new MacBook Air chip to its ARK database. As AnandTech guessed, the MacBook Air is using a Core i5-8210Y Amber Lake Y processor, but at 7W, not 5W.
It appears the watchOS 5.1 update that was released this morning is causing problems for some Apple Watch owners. Multiple MacRumors readers have had issues installing the new software and are reporting that the update has bricked their devices.
Customers who are affected are seeing their Apple Watches stuck at the Apple logo loading screen after initiating the watchOS 5.1 update.
Some customers who contacted Apple were initially told that the update could take a few hours, but multiple people have seen no progress after three or more hours. From MacRumors reader Bazooka-joe:
So my series 4 sssb has been stuck on installing 5.1 For an hour and a half now with nothing showing on the watch except the bright white Apple icon. Spoken to Apple Support who said that they are getting calls from other people experiencing the same issue and they have advised me to leave it for 2 to 3 hours. WTF Why would an update that supposed to take 10 minutes to install take 2 to 3 hours
It appears affected users have the Apple Watch Series 4, which is the newest Apple Watch that was released in September.
Some MacRumors readers have said that Apple is going to be shipping out replacement watches for those who have been affected.
Not all customers who have an Apple Watch Series 4 have had problems installing the watchOS 5.1 update, but as a cautionary measure, it's worthwhile to hold off downloading and installing the software until Apple pushes a fix. Apple has not pulled the watchOS 5.1 update as of yet.
Update: Apple has temporarily pulled the watchOS 5.1 update.
Pre-orders for the 2018 MacBook Air and iPad Pro have kicked off on Apple.com, and because the devices are brand new, we won't see discounted prices on them for a while. Still, third-party retailers like B&H Photo offer the chance to save a bit of money at the onset of your new Apple purchase, depending on the state you live in.
According to B&H Photo's guidelines, the retailer currently collects sales taxes in Alabama, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Vermont, Washington (state), and Wisconsin. For all non-listed states, residents won't have to pay sales taxes on orders placed within those states, although B&H Photo informed me that more states will be added to the tax collection list soon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
B&H Photo is selling 24 models of the new MacBook Air, including quite a few custom configurations. According to a company representative, customers can expect launch day shipping for all base models of the new products, but it's not a guarantee. Some devices indicate a shipping date of November 8 and later, following Apple's launch on November 7.
Note: B&H Photo appears to be dealing with a traffic volume issue, so some links may appear temporarily broken, but they all should work after a few refreshes.
For MacBook Air, the full list can be found on B&H Photo, and we've provided a few below:
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.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday singled out Apple's iMessage mobile messaging service as Facebook's "biggest competitor by far." (via 
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
