MacRumors

The second beta of iOS 12.1, which was released this morning, includes a fix for a charging issue affecting the iPhone XS, XS Max, and other iOS devices.

Discovered following the launch of the two new iPhones and highlighted over the weekend, the charging bug causes some iPhone and iPad devices to refuse to charge over a Lightning connection when the screen is not activated.

According to iMore's Rene Ritchie, the new iOS 12.1 beta fixes the issue so iOS users will no longer need to double check to make sure their devices are charging after being plugged in.

Tapping the iPhone to wake it up in this situation resumes charging, but an iPhone that is affected and plugged in with the screen deactivated can refuse to charge, resulting in uncertainty over whether or not a device is actually charging.

While this issue originally came to light because of complaints from iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max owners, it appears it was widespread and affected many devices running iOS 12.

Apple today announced that the iOS 12.1 update, which is currently being beta tested by developers and public beta testers, will include the new Unicode 11 emoji.

Apple first promised new emoji were coming on World Emoji Day back in July, but the new characters were not included in the original iOS 12 update.

Apple plans to introduce more than 70 new emoji characters, with options for red hair, gray hair, curly hair, and no hair, along with smiley faces that include cold face, party face, pleading face, and face with hearts.

Super heroes, an eye-shaped nazar amulet, and an infinity symbol will be added, along with new animals such as kangaroo, peacock, parrot, and lobster. New food items include mango, lettuce, cupcake, and moon cake, with a full list of new Unicode 11 emoji available from Emojipedia.

Apple says that it is working with the Unicode Consortium to add additional disability-themed emoji to Unicode 12, which is set to be released in 2019.

Developers can get the new emoji right now by downloading the iOS 12.1 update, and Apple says the software will also be available for public beta testers later in the day.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 12.1 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the first beta and a little over two weeks after releasing iOS 12, a major new version of the iOS software.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.1 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.

iOS 12.1 introduces several new features that Apple promised would come to the new iPhone XS and XS Max devices. The beta introduces support for the eSIM, which is a digital SIM that lets you activate a cellular plan from a carrier without the need to use a physical SIM card.

Carriers will need to implement support for eSIM, which is likely to happen after iOS 12.1 launches. In the U.S., AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile will support eSIM.

The iOS 12.1 update brings a new real-time Depth Control feature, which lets you adjust the depth of field of your Portrait Mode photos before you capture them. Right now, in iOS 12, Depth Control is only available for post-capture editing.

If you tap on the "F" icon at the top of the screen while capturing a photo you use Depth Control to adjust the amount of background blur in an image.

In addition to these iPhone XS and XS Max features, iOS 12.1 reintroduces the Group FaceTime feature that was removed from iOS 12 during the beta testing period. Group FaceTime was present in many early betas but was ultimately removed because Apple needed more time to test it.

Group FaceTime is designed to let iPhone and Mac users conduct video and audio chats with up to 32 participants at one time, with new camera effects features included.

Apple today announced that new emoji are coming in the iOS 12.1 beta, with options to include red hair, gray hair, curly hair, and no hair, along with smiley faces that include cold face, party face, pleading face, face with hearts, and tons more.

If any additional new features are found in the second iOS 12.1 beta, we'll update this post with details. Apple today also released a second beta version of Xcode 10.1.

Update: Apple has also seeded the second beta of iOS 12.1 to public beta testers.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.1 update to developers, one week after seeding the first beta and a little over a week after releasing the macOS Mojave update.

macOS Mojave introduces a new method of installing software updates, so after the initial beta has been installed using the appropriate profile from the Developer Center, additional betas can be downloaded through opening up System Preferences and choosing the "Software Update" option.

The 10.14.1 update includes support for Group FaceTime, a feature that was removed during the beta testing period. Group FaceTime, which lets you chat with up to 32 people at once, is also present in the iOS 12.1 beta.

No other significant features were found in the first developer beta of macOS Mojave, so it's not clear if there are any additional changes. The update likely includes performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that have been discovered since the release of the Mojave update.

Should new features be found in the second beta, we'll update this post.

macOS Mojave is a major update that brings features like a systemwide Dark Mode, stacks for organizing messy desktops, new Finder capabilities, new tools for taking screenshots, a Continuity Camera option for easily transferring photo scans and documents from iPhone to Mac, and more.

For more on macOS Mojave, make sure to check out our roundup.

Apple is donating $1 million to aid in relief efforts in Indonesia after Indonesian island Sulawesi was devastated by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami on September 28.

Following the disaster, more than 1,000 people have died in Sulawesi and several other Indonesian islands have been hit with aftershocks and similar quakes.

Apple last month also donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts in North and South Carolina.

Apple has notified Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers that its inventory of displays for Late 2014 and Mid 2015 models of the 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display is constrained until mid to late December, according to an internal service document obtained by MacRumors today.

As a result, if a customer with one of those iMac models requires a display repair due to accidental damage, Apple has instructed its service providers to offer a free repair if the customer is willing to wait until mid to late December.

If a customer is unable to wait, Apple will offer a functionally equivalent 2017 model 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display to be paid for by the customer, minus a $600 or local equivalent discount. The Late 2014 or Mid 2015 iMac must be returned to Apple — the customer will never get it back.

For example, if a customer takes a base model Late 2014 5K iMac with a damaged display to an Apple Store in the United States, and declines to wait until December for a repair, the Genius Bar is instructed to offer the customer a base model 2017 5K iMac for $1,199, down from its original price of $1,799.

Note that the 2017 models will be Customer Replacement Units, or CRUs, but it's unclear if they will be refurbished or brand new.

In order to qualify, the iMac must be out-of-warranty. If the iMac is still covered by AppleCare+ or Apple's standard one-year warranty, Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers are instructed to proceed with a standard repair. Note that only Late 2014 and Mid 2015 models are eligible — no others.

Unsurprisingly, Apple says any iMac with excessive or catastrophic damage as a result of reckless, abusive, or purposeful conduct is ineligible for a free repair. This includes any iMac that has been crushed or bent, or partially or fully submerged in liquid. This isn't a free 2014-to-2017 iMac upgrade program.

This procedure is to be followed by Apple Store and Apple Authorized Service Provider locations worldwide until display inventory is restored. Non-end users with two or more eligible iMacs with a damaged display are not eligible to claim a free repair to prevent resellers from abusing the offer.

All of this information comes from an internal Apple document obtained by MacRumors from multiple reliable sources, but we can't guarantee this procedure will be offered by all service providers. We also can't guarantee that all Apple employees or technicians will be aware of or acknowledge this temporary policy.

To initiate a repair, head to the Get Support page on Apple.com.

Apple Business Chat, a platform for businesses to provide customer service through iMessage, is now available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, Japan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The feature launched in the United States earlier this year.

The international expansion coincides with 30 additional businesses adopting Apple Business Chat around the world today, adding to 15 brands in the United States that have been using the platform, which remains in beta.

For example, luxury fashion brand Burberry is integrating with Apple Business Chat worldwide to enable clients to check availability on items nearby, ask questions about the size and fit of clothing and accessories, and get help placing an order. Customers can also inquire about special events like fashion shows.

Hotel chain Four Seasons is expanding its adoption of Apple Business Chat to reach 88 properties across the globe with Four Seasons Chat's capabilities to communicate with real people at each property in more than 100 languages, with response times averaging 90 seconds or less.

The full list of brands launching Apple Business Chat today:

North America

• 1-800 Contacts
  

• DIRECTV NOW
  

• Fairmont Hotels, including the Claremont Club & Spa in Berkeley
  

• Kimpton Hotels
  

• Freshly
  

• Mall of America
  

• Macerich malls, including Scottsdale Fashion Square and Santa Monica Place
  

• Men's Wearhouse
  

• Jos A. Bank
  

• Overstock.com
  

• Quicken Loans
  

• West Elm
  

• Hendrick Automotive Group
  

• Lithia Group
  

• SnapTravel (US & Canada)

Worldwide

• Burberry (Worldwide)
  

• matchesfashion.com (UK)
  

• NH Hotels (Europe)
  

• nPower (UK)
  

• Robins & Day (UK)
  

• buddybank (Italy)
  

• Engie (France)
  

• La Redoute (France)
  

• AXA Insurance (Switzerland)
  

• Swisscom (Switzerland)
  

• Vodafone (Germany)
  

• Credit Suisse (Hong Kong and Singapore)
  

• Telstra (Australia)
  

• Harvey Norman (Australia)
  

• KDDI (Japan)

Apple Business Chat launched in iOS 11.3 in March, enabling iPhone and iPad users to ask for information, schedule appointments, make purchases, and complete other customer service tasks directly in the Messages app.

Business Chats must be initiated on an iPhone or iPad, but they can be continued on any other iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch signed into the same Apple ID. You can start a conversation by searching for a business in Maps, Safari, Siri, or Search and tapping on the Messages bubble where available.

Other brands using Business Chat include Apple itself, DISH, Aramark, Four Seasons, Harry & David, American Express, Discover, Hilton, The Home Depot, Lowe's, Marriott, Newegg, T-Mobile, Ameritrade, Wells Fargo, and 1-800-Flowers.

Business Chat requires iOS 11.3 or later. Also note that while the feature has expanded to additional countries, availability varies by brand. For example, when we tried to message Apple through Business Chat in Canada, an automatic reply indicated that the feature remains unavailable in that country.

Update: This article has been updated with additional information from Apple's announcement.

Following a preview at WWDC 2018, Apple today announced that students at three universities in the United States can now add their student ID cards to Apple Wallet to get around campus using just an iPhone or Apple Watch.

Namely, starting today, students at Duke University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Oklahoma can now add their ID card to the Wallet app on iOS 12 and watchOS 5 and use it to pay quickly and easily for laundry, coffee or lunch, and even get into their dorms, the gym, or the school library.

Apple says Johns Hopkins University, Santa Clara University, and Temple University will roll out the capability by the end of this school year.

Students simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the reader anywhere physical student ID cards are accepted — on and off campus. An optional Express Mode bypasses the need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, allowing for the quickest entry possible to buildings around campus.

Apple Pay Cash, Apple's mobile peer-to-peer payments service, could be available sooner rather than later in some European markets.

French tech blog iPhon.fr reports today that an iPhone user in France discovered screens on his new Apple Watch and iPhone XS Max overnight inviting him to set up Apple Pay Cash using a credit card issued by a French bank. Similar reports are also coming in from Apple device owners in other European countries.

Apple Pay Cash arrived on iOS devices in December 2017, although it's currently only officially available to users in the United States. The system allows for quick person-to-person money transfers, much like competing services Square Cash and Venmo.

In addition to the setup screens shared over social media, an Apple support page for Apple Pay Cash has been discovered localized in German that went live on Apple's servers on September 30.

When new users receive money for the first time, the funds are added to their new Apple Pay Cash card once they accept Apple's terms. The card's funds can then be used to make purchases using Apple Pay in stores, in apps, and on supported websites, or withdrawn to a bank account within one to three business days.

When Apple Pay Cash does arrive outside the U.S., Apple device owners wanting to use it will need an iPhone 6 and later, iPhone SE, any iPad Pro model, a fifth-generation iPad, iPad Air 2, or iPad mini 3 running iOS 11.2 or later.

Update: One MacRumors reader has found a link to an Apple Pay Cash support page localized for Austria, while support pages have also been discovered for Italy, Poland, Sweden, and Russia.

The Intel XMM 7560 LTE modem in the iPhone XS and XS Max beats the Intel/Qualcomm modems in the iPhone X, but it isn't quite as fast as the X20 modem used in the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, according to data sourced from Cellular Insights and Ookla and shared by PCMag.

Cellular Insights compared Apple's iPhone XS Max with the iPhone X equipped with an earlier Intel modem, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, and the Google Pixel 2 using the 20MHz channel of Band 4, used by Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and several major Canadian carriers. Download speeds were tested at full strength and at a lower signal to determine overall comparative performance.

According to the data, in situations where there is strong signal, the 4x4 MIMO antennas in the iPhone XS and XS Max offer double the speeds compared to the iPhone X, and also help improve speeds in weak signal conditions. Compared to the Note 9 and the Pixel 2, the iPhone XS Max is a bit slower, but the difference is slimmer as signal gets weaker.

At signal levels below -120dBm (around zero and one bar of reception), the iPhone XS Max becomes more competitive with the Android phones using the Qualcomm X20 modem, but at the lowest signal, the Qualcomm X20 modem outperforms the Intel modem in the new iPhones.

Real world testing pulled from Ookla speed test results also suggest the iPhone XS is a good deal faster than the iPhone X. On average, the iPhone XS offers 6.6Mb/s faster download speeds on all U.S. carriers, and even better performance on Canadian carriers with a 20.2Mb/s speed boost.

AT&T is the carrier in the United States that appears to be seeing the biggest speed boost, while the difference is smaller on Verizon and Sprint. AT&T and T-Mobile iPhone X models used Intel modems and Verizon and Sprint used Qualcomm modems, which could account for the difference.

Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 with Qualcomm X20 modem outperformed the iPhone XS in both the United States and Canada, with the Galaxy Note 9 offering mean download speeds of 43.2Mb/s and the iPhone XS offering mean download speeds of 38.9Mb/s. Data for Ookla's speed comparison was collected during the week of September 24.

Despite the favorable results on these performance tests, many new iPhone XS and XS Max users have complained of LTE connectivity issues on the new devices. PCMag speculates that this is due to problems with the first versions of the iPhone XS firmware, which could be causing trouble with signal reception.

During testing, PCMag was unable to find "any issues in the hardware" that would explain negative experiences, suggesting problems people are experiencing can perhaps be fixed through a future software update.

The Apple Watch Series 4 introduces two new watch faces that are exclusive to the new wrist-worn device, Infograph and Infograph Modular. Both of these watch faces take advantage of the larger display on the Series 4 to offer up access to eight complications from Apple and third-party apps.

We took a closer look at the Infograph watch face and the multiple ways that it can be customized in our latest YouTube video, which is worth checking out for anyone who wants to get more out of the Infograph face or who is considering an Apple Watch Series 4 purchase.

The Infograph Modular face supports six complications -- one in the upper right, one next to the digital time readout, a larger complication with more info in the center, and three small complications at the bottom.

Built-in complication options available include Activity, Alarm, AQI, Battery, Breathe, Calendar, Date, Digital Time, Earth, Heart Rate, Moon, Monogram, Music, Reminders, Solar, Solar System, Stocks, Stopwatch, Sunrise/Sunset, Timer, UV Index, Walkie-Talkie, Weather, Weather Conditions, Wind, Workout, and World Clocks.

For the dial complications, you can choose to set your favorite contacts to one of the complications so you can contact a person with a tap on the watch face. You can also customize the color of the analog face on the Infograph face.

There are a number of third-party complications available as well, and these will vary based on which third-party apps you have installed on your iPhone and Apple Watch.

There are limitations on which of the available complications can be used in each spot, but most spaces have multiple options available. On the Modular face, for example, you can choose from Activity, Calendar, Heart Rate, Stocks, or Weather Conditions for the large middle spot, while a greater range of complications are available for the smaller spots.

The best way to customize the Infograph and Infograph Modular faces is through the Face Gallery section of the Apple Watch app on the iPhone, which gives easy access to all of the options. It can be done right on the Apple Watch as well, but it's simpler and quicker on the iPhone.

What do you think of the new Apple Watch Series 4 watch faces? Let us know in the comments.