Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 6.1 beta to developers, a little under a week after releasing the watchOS 6 update with full App Store, new Apple Watch faces, and more.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
It's not yet clear what features will be introduced in the watchOS 6.1 update, but we'll be updating this article when we find out.
Google today announced the launch of a new gaming service called Google Play Pass, which gives Android users access to more than 350 games and apps for $4.99 per month, similar to Apple Arcade.
Google's version, like Apple Arcade, provides games to customers without in-app purchases and without ads. There is a family sharing option, and a Play Pass subscription can be shared with up to five family members.
Google's service is not limited to just games, and it includes titles that are already released, such as Stardew Valley, Terraria, Monument Valley, Knights of the Old Republic, Facetune, and AccuWeather. Google's offerings are also not exclusive, which is one of the key features of Apple Arcade.
With Apple Arcade, all of the game titles are only on the App Store when it comes to mobile devices, but some are also developed for release on console. Apple Arcade is also limited to new content and doesn't include popular older apps like Play Pass.
Given that Google is using existing games in Play Pass, it has a larger catalog of available titles at launch - hundreds, compared to Apple's 60+. Google says customers can count on new titles monthly, which is something Apple has also promised.
According to The Verge, Google plans to pay developers through user engagement with the apps, though it's not entirely clear what that means at this time. Google said that it's more than just screen time or number of app opens per week.
Google has been working on the Play Pass service since 2018, and began testing it out at the end of July.
Play Pass is available for Android devices in the United States this week, and will be expanding to additional countries soon. It comes with a 10-day free trial and after that, a subscription costs $4.99 per month, just like Apple Arcade.
Google is offering a promo, though, which will allow subscribers to sign up for $1.99 per month for the first year for a limited time. Play Pass content can be accessed through the new Play Pass option that you can get to by tapping the menu in the top left corner of the Play Store.
The headline feature of Apple's 2019 iPhones is undoubtedly the new camera system, with the more affordable iPhone 11 boasting the same high-quality lenses as the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, with the exception of the third telephoto lens that's exclusive to the Pro models.
The standard wide camera on the iPhone 11 series offers the same 12 megapixels and f/1.8 aperture as on last year's iPhone XS devices, while the new 12 megapixel ultra-wide camera gets a f/2.4 lens. Apple has also widened the aperture of the telephoto lens on the Pro models to f/2.0 – an improvement over the f/2.4 lens found in the iPhone X and XS – which allows more light to hit the sensor and grab more detail.
Lens-Based Camera App Changes
Apple has also re-designed the camera system from the ground up to make the lenses work seamlessly in concert, and also radically improved the image processing technology. To accommodate these more advanced capabilities, Apple has given the stock Camera app a complete overhaul exclusively for its iPhone 11 series devices.
For example, when you shoot with the standard wide lens as shown above, the camera app interface becomes semi-transparent to reveal the ultra-wide camera's larger field of view, giving you a preview of what shooting with it would look like.
This immersive preview isn't limited to the wide and ultra-wide either: When using the telephoto lens on Pro devices, the Camera app will use the standard wide lens to fill in the additional area of the screen, as shown in the screenshot below. There's even an optional new camera feature that recruits the additional lenses and allows you to fix photo composition in post without having to resort to cropping.
Switching Between Ultra-Wide, Wide, and Telephoto
You can choose between the different lenses by tapping the numbered buttons at the bottom of the viewfinder: .5 is the new ultra-wide lens, 1x is the standard wide lens, and 2 is the telephoto lens (iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max only).
At first glance, it looks as if these lens modes are fixed options. Far from it: If you swipe up on one of the buttons you'll see a radial zoom wheel enabling you to find a transition from camera to camera through a series of fine gradations.
Along the wheel you'll also see the 35mm equivalent focal length of each lens-sensor combination (the focal length you would need for a 35 mm film camera to obtain the same angle of view). The wheel disappears once you've chosen a custom focal length, and if you decide you want to return to the standard focal length, you can simply tap the center lens button.
Apple today announced that its next-generation Mac Pro will be manufactured in Texas, with production slated to begin soon at the same Austin facility where the current Mac Pro has been made since 2013.
Apple says the new Mac Pro will include components designed, developed, and manufactured by more than a dozen American companies for distribution to U.S. customers. Suppliers will span eight states, including Arizona, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Vermont.
Apple did not immediately respond when we asked if the new Mac Pro will be made in Texas for orders distributed in other countries.
Apple says the U.S. manufacturing is made possible following import tariff exemptions the Trump administration granted Apple last week for certain Chinese-made components. The value of American-made components in the new Mac Pro is 2.5 times greater than the current Mac Pro, the company adds.
The Mac Pro is Apple's most powerful computer ever and we're proud to be building it in Austin. We thank the administration for their support enabling this opportunity. We believe deeply in the power of American innovation. That's why every Apple product is designed and engineered in the US, and made up of parts from 36 states, supporting 450,000 jobs with US suppliers, and we're going to continue growing here.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott:
Apple's latest investment is a testament to Texas' unrivaled workforce and premier business climate. Our state's economy is thriving as the tech and manufacturing sectors continue to expand. I am grateful for Apple's commitment to creating jobs in Texas, and will continue to promote fiscal and regulatory policies that encourage investment in our state and benefit future generations of Texans.
Apple says it remains on track to fulfill its commitment to invest $350 billion in the U.S. economy by 2023. Apple said that, last year alone, it spent over $60 billion with more than 9,000 domestic suppliers across the country, including at manufacturing locations spanning 36 states.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Following a teardown of the iPhone 11 Pro Maxon Friday, iFixit today posted a separate teardown of the entry-level iPhone 11 model.
The repair site reiterated what has been said previously about the iPhone 11: it's essentially an iPhone XR, but with a few internal upgrades from the new iPhone 11 Pro family. There's a double-decker logic board, upgraded wide and ultrawide camera lenses, and what iFixit believes to be ultra wideband antenna technology embedded into the rear case.
Otherwise, the teardown doesn't reveal much unknown information about the iPhone 11. iFixit delved into the device's rectangular battery, which is only marginally improved upon last year's iPhone XR battery. The iPhone 11 has a 3,110 mAh battery, measuring about 7 percent more compared to the iPhone XR and accounting for the one hour battery increase that Apple claimed in its keynote.
iFixit also briefly discussed the potential for bilateral charging on the iPhone 11, which the site ultimately pointed out was never meant to be on the entry-level 2019 iPhone. The iPhone 11 lacks a second battery connector (unlike the 11 Pro Max), and iFixit explained that a larger battery and additional thermal management "would almost certainly be required" for bilateral charging on the iPhone 11.
The iPhone 11 earned a repairability score of 6 out of 10. iFixit said that the display is easier to replace than in other smartphones, but the site bemoaned Apple's continued use of proprietary screws and an increased chance of breakage due to glass on the front and back of the iPhone 11.
Apple's new iPhone 11 Pro Max has earned display testing and calibration firm DisplayMate's "highest ever A+ grade" for providing "considerably better display performance than other competing smartphones."
DisplayMate tested the iPhone 11 Pro Max's display and found "major" performance improvements compared to the iPhone XS Max's display, including increased peak brightness, improved absolute color accuracy, and slightly lower screen reflectance, all while being up to 15 percent more power efficient.
DisplayMate:
The iPhone 11 Pro Max is a Very Impressive Top Tier Smartphone Display
Apple has continued to raise the on-screen Absolute Picture Quality and Absolute Color Accuracy of their displays by implementing Precision Factory Display Calibration, moving the overall iPhone 11 Pro Max display performance up to Record Setting Outstanding levels, and setting or matching many Display Performance Records, including Absolute Color Accuracy at a very impressive 0.9 JNCD that is Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect, and almost certainly considerably better than your existing Smartphone, 4K UHD TV, Tablet, Laptop and computer monitor.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max also has a Record Full Screen Peak Brightness of 770 nits, and 820 nits for the typical Average Picture Level of 50%, which is roughly double of most high-end Smartphones. Compared to the iPhone XS Max, the iPhone 11 Pro Max has a number of notable improvements including 17% higher Full Screen Peak Brightness and up to 15% higher Display Power Efficiency.
Read the full DisplayMate article for in-depth analysis of the iPhone 11 Pro Max's display and the methodology behind its testing.
Amazon has a few notable deals to kick off the week, offering up to $400 off the 2019 13-inch MacBook Pro, 2019 MacBook Air, and the 2018 12.9-inch iPad Pro. All of the deals that we've rounded up below represent the lowest-ever prices for these models.
iPad Pro
To start, you can get the 12.9-inch iPad Pro from 2018 (Wi-Fi, 64GB) for $799.00, down from $999.00. At $200 off, this is the lowest price currently available for this model of the iPad Pro. If you're looking for more storage, the 1TB 12.9-inch model is also $200 off at $1,349.99, down from $1,549.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
These iPad Pro models come with an edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display, Face ID, an A12X Bionic chip, 12-megapixel rear camera and 7-megapixel TrueDepth front camera, and up to ten hours of battery life. You can use Apple's Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2 accessories with the 2018 iPad Pros as well.
MacBook Pro
Amazon has the higher-end 15-inch MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD for $2,399.00, down from $2,799.00 ($400 off). The notebook is available in both Silver and Space Gray.
This is the latest 2019 MacBook Pro with Retina Display, the Touch Bar, Touch ID, four Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, and updated Butterfly keyboard technology.
MacBook Air
Lastly, Amazon has the new 2019 MacBook Air (8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) for $899.97, down from $1,099.00 ($200 off). This MacBook Air has a 13-inch Retina Display, Touch ID, two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, and an updated butterfly keyboard.
Availability on this model is low, however, and at the time of writing it will be shipped sometime in late October. This is still a great price for the notebook, so those looking to save on this model should head to Amazon before the discount expires.
Head to our full Deals Roundup for more information on similar Apple-related discounts and offers.
Update: Since posting, the deal on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (64GB) has expired, and is now priced around $950.
Apple and esteemed talk show host and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey today announced the launch of Oprah's Book Club in the Apple Books app.
Oprah's Book Club can be accessed in the Apple Books app under Book Store > Browse Sections on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Winfrey's first book selection is "The Water Dancer" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, available for pre-order now on Apple Books in both e-book and audiobook formats ahead of its debut tomorrow.
For every Oprah's Book Club selection sold on Apple Books, Apple says it will make a contribution to the American Library Association to support local libraries and fund programs that give access to everyone.
Winfrey will interview the authors of her book club selections for a companion Apple TV+ series also named Oprah's Book Club. Winfrey will interview Coates for the first installment of the series, which premieres November 1, the day that Apple TV+ launches across iOS, macOS, tvOS, and the web.
Winfrey will interview the authors of her book club selections at various locations. Her conversation with Coates about "The Water Dancer" will be filmed in front of a live audience at Apple's Carnegie Library store in Washington, D.C. next month. A new episode will be available every two months.
Oprah Winfrey:
I am who I am today because of the experience of learning to read at an early age. Reading opened up a whole world for me beyond the red dirt road and my grandmother's porch in Mississippi. I want to do that for everybody. And the opportunity to do this with Apple, to speak to people all over the world about the pleasures, the excitement, the tension, the drama that a good book can bring you … I don't know what's better than that.
Few people in the world can bring us together like Oprah, whose compassion and grace celebrating the power of books are unmatched. It's our honor to provide a new platform for Oprah's Book Club and support the American Library Association in opening hearts and minds to the joy of reading.
Oprah's Book Club was first announced at Apple's services-focused event in March.
Update: A new Oprah's Book Club trailer has been released for the novel "American Dirt" by Jeanine Cummins.
Apple says that its new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max are made from a more durable glass that's the "toughest glass ever in a smartphone," and warranty company SquareTrade conducted one of its annual drop tests to put Apple's claims to the test.
According to SquareTrade's Breakability Score tests, the new iPhone 11 and 11 Pro models had more durable glass and better handled small drops, but were still prone to shattering in major drops.
In a series of 6 foot drop tests conducted both face up and face down, all three of the iPhones broke and suffered damage of varying degrees. In a tumble test, though, where the iPhones are tumbled around in a metal cylinder, the new devices fared a bit better.
The iPhone 11 and the iPhone 11 Pro Max both suffered from cracks (damage on the iPhone 11 was more minor) but the iPhone 11 Pro survived intact. There was no damage to the front or the back, with minimal scuffing at the corners.
According to SquareTrade, the iPhone 11 Pro is the first iPhone that's ever been able to survive the tumble test intact. SquareTrade says the iPhone 11 Pro is the "most durable iPhone" it's tested in generations.
In a 5 foot dunk test for 30 minutes, the iPhone 11 Pro came out unscathed, while the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro Max suffered from audio distortion. Apple's iPhone 11 Pro also fared the best in a bend test, bending at 251 pounds of pressure. The iPhone 11 bent at 240 pounds of pressure, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max cracked at 232 pounds.
Based on these tests, SquareTrade assigned each iPhone a breakability score. The iPhone 11 received a score of 73, the iPhone 11 Pro received a score of 65, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max received a score of 85, with the lowest score being the best.
Comparatively, in the same drop tests conducted last year, the iPhone XS had a breakability score of 86 while the iPhone XS Max had a breakability score of 70.
"After our robots dropped, dunked, tumbled and bent the devices, we found the new iPhone 11 Pro to be the most durable iPhone we've tested in generations," said Jason Siciliano, vice president and global creative director at SquareTrade. "It's the first smartphone to survive our tumble test, which simulates the effects of multiple, random impacts experienced by a smartphone during long-term use. That's a real achievement when it comes to durability. However, dropping any of the new iPhone 11 models on a sidewalk without a case, face-down or back-down, can still cause serious damage, as we saw with our drop tests."
Several other less formal drop tests have been conducted on the new iPhone 11 models since launch, with mixed results.
Tom's Guide dropped an iPhone 11 Pro right outside Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York from a height of about 3.5 feet, resulting in screen damage. A second drop didn't damage rear glass, but the original hip-height drop still broke the phone. CNET saw better results in its multi-height drop tests onto concrete flooring.
At three feet, six feet, and eight feet, the iPhones stayed undamaged for the most part, though some suffered minor scratching and pixel damage on the display. At 11 feet, the iPhone 11's camera quit working, but the 11 Pro and Pro Max didn't break.
YouTuber EverythingApplePro saw results that were quite similar to CNET's in drop tests from multiple heights and at different angles onto concrete. None of the iPhones broke from waist or head height, and the iPhone 11 only shattered after being dropped 10 feet.
What happens to one of the new iPhone 11 models when dropped in the real world is going to depend on the drop height, the material it's dropped on, where the iPhone takes the blow, and other factors, so these tests aren't necessarily demonstrative of what's going to occur when you drop your iPhone.
Testing overall suggests the new 2019 iPhones are more durable than previous-generation iPhones, but glass plus a hard surface still has the potential to result in damage, so it's best to use a case.
Apple sells AppleCare+ for the new iPhones, which covers two incidents of accidental damage for a $29 deductible. AppleCare+ for iPhone 11 is priced at $149, and AppleCare+ for iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max is priced at $199.
Apple peppered ad breaks during last night's Emmy Awards with new mini trailers promoting original programming coming soon to its video streaming service, set to launch on November 1. The 15-second clips, which have also appeared on the Apple TV+ YouTube Channel, include sneak peeks at shows that will be exclusive to Apple+.
The first is for true-crime thriller Truth Be Told starring Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul. According to Screen Times, Spencer plays a podcaster who reopens her investigation into a murder. With doubts and new evidence coming to light after her original evidence leads to a conviction, she is forced to reevaluate her investigation which made her a media sensation.
Two other ads are for Servant, a 10-episode psychological thriller created and written by Tony Basgallop, who will also executive produce alongside M. Night Shyamalan.
The series follows a Philadelphia couple "in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens the door for a mysterious force to enter their home."
Both shows won't be immediately available to watch at the launch of Apple TV+, but are expected to come in the weeks following.
Apple aired the new spots along with other clips for post apocalyptic drama See starring Jason Momoa, period drama Dickinson starring Hailee Steinfeld as poet Emily Dickinson, alternative history drama For All Mankind, The Morning Show starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell, and kids' show Snoopy in Space.
Apple TV+ launches in 150 countries on November 1 and will cost $4.99 per month. Customers who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod Touch or Apple TV hardware will also get free access to the service for one year.
Last year, Google introduced its impressive Night Sight camera mode, a software-based feature that allows users to take detailed pictures in dark environments using Google Pixel smartphones. This year it's Apple's turn, and with the launch of the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, the company unveiled a dramatic new Night Mode photo feature exclusive to its flagship smartphone lineup.
When using the Camera app on any of Apple's 2019 iPhones, the new Night Mode feature comes on automatically when an indoor or outdoor scene is dark enough to warrant brightening, resulting in natural colors and reduced noise. In short, new iPhone users should see an immediate improvement when shooting in low light environments, without having to adjust any exposure settings.
In photography, the amount of light that reaches the camera sensor is measured in the "lux" luminance metric, and Apple's Night Mode is designed to work in environments hovering around 10 lux. For a comparison, the outdoor light level on a clear day will be around 10,000 lux, while a windowed indoor space on the same day might get somewhere between 1,000-2,000 lux. A very dark day may reach about 100 lux, but during twilight and in dimly lit indoor environments you're probably looking at around 10-15 lux, which is when Night mode should present itself as an option in the Camera UI.
When Night Mode is suggested but not engaged, you'll see a Night Mode button appear at the top of the viewfinder that looks like a crescent moon. If you think the scene would benefit from Night Mode, simply tap the button – it will turn yellow, and display the number of seconds for exposure. If the lux is below 10, Night Mode will automatically engage.
With Night Mode enabled, you'll see a slider appear under the viewfinder that you can leave at the suggested exposure time, or use to manually select one. Depending on the lux, Night Mode automatically simulates a long exposure of 1, 2, or 3 seconds, but you can adjust this to anything up to 10 seconds, again depending on the environmental light level.
When you're ready to shoot, tap the shutter button, hold the phone as still as you can as the Camera simulates a long exposure, and when it’s done, you should be left with an image that effectively makes the camera seem like it can see in the dark.
If you don't want Night Mode engaged when shooting in extremely low light environments, you can easily turn it off by tapping the yellow Night Mode button when it appears at the top of the viewfinder.
Using Night Mode With a Tripod
By recruiting the help of the gyroscope in your iPhone, Night Mode can detect when the device is attached to a tripod and will present longer exposure times than normally offered, enabling you to take more detailed shots in very low light.
When taking Night Mode shots during handheld use, you'll usually see 1-3 second delay and you can manually select up to a 10-second delay, but with a tripod you may see up to 30 seconds available in the Night mode dial.
YouTube Music has launched a new automated playlist called "Discover Mix" to help subscribers to the streaming service find new songs and artists that match their taste.
Similar to Spotify's popular "Discover Weekly," Google's new playlist features 49 songs consisting of music that's "picked for you," according to your listening history, and updated every Wednesday.
The playlist can be found in the YouTube Music app, under a recently added "Mixed for you" shelf that also includes the "New Release Mix" and "Liked Songs" playlists. Like those lists, it can be saved to your library for quick access and supports offline playback.
Initial comments on Reddit suggest the Discover Mix includes undiscovered tracks from artists that users are already familiar with, along with a few new artists, some from genres that haven't been explored before by the listener.
The new playlist follows last month's launch of Google's "New Release Mix" to YouTube Music, which features the "hottest 50 songs" and looks designed to compete with Spotify's "New Music Friday," and Apple Music's "New Music Daily" playlist, which also launched in August.
Discover Mix is currently rolling out, although like many of Google's new features, it may take some time to become widely available.
Customers who subscribe to Google Play Music are also automatically signed up to YouTube Music, which is expected to replace the former service soon. For a direct comparison between Apple Music and Google Play/YouTube Music, click here.
Apple's Portrait Mode has become a popular way of taking impressive shots using a depth-of-field effect known as bokeh, allowing iPhone users to shoot a photo that keeps the subject sharp with a blurred background.
And now, exclusive to the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max thanks to the triple-lens camera, you can switch between focal lengths in Portrait mode to get the best shot for your chosen scene.
To use Portrait Mode, open the Camera app and swipe to Portrait mode. Portrait Lighting effects will appear at the bottom of the viewfinder.
To change the focal length, tap the circular 1x button in the bottom-left of the viewfinder. 1x corresponds to the wide lens, and 2x switches to the telephoto lens.
You can see the difference between the two modes in the second and third images above, but in general the 2x mode seems to be better for capturing people, while the 1x lens is better for shooting smaller objects.
Apple has widened the aperture of the iPhone 11 Pro's telephoto lens to f/2.0 from f/2.4 in the iPhone X and XS. This allows more light to hit the sensor, which should translate to better Portrait Mode results in lower lighting conditions.
Don't forget, you can now also switch to the front-facing camera and get a selfie in Portrait Mode, too.
Apple has redesigned the native Camera app on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro to make space for the various additional shooting options available in its new flagship phones, and one particularly welcome change is the introduction of different aspect ratio shooting modes.
As it exists on earlier iPhones, the Camera app offers only a single 1:1 aspect ratio shooting mode called Square, for taking Instagram-style shots, meaning users can only select different ratios later in the editing mode of the Photos app.
However, on iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, users can choose between three aspect ratio options when shooting in the Camera app: 1:1, 4:3, and 16:9. To get to the different shooting modes, follow these steps.
Launch the Camera app, then tap the chevron at the top of the viewfinder (or to the side of it, if you're shooting in landscape) to reveal the hidden drawer.
Tap the 4:3 button in the toolset that appears directly below (or to the side of) the viewfinder.
Select your preferred aspect ratio from the expanded 4:3 button menu.
Proceed to take your shot.
Note that the 1:1 and 16:9 ratios are non-destructive. In other words, you can re-crop them in the editing window if you later decide you want to return to the typical 4:3 frame.
Apple's massive launch week has come to a close, with the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and Apple Watch Series 5 all debuting on Friday. And as if that wasn't enough, Thursday saw the release of iOS 13, watchOS 6, and Apple Arcade on the software side.
Read on below for a recap of this week's biggest stories about these launches and more!
Hands-On With the New iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple Watch Series 5 Review Roundup: Always-On Display Was Much Awaited, But Little Else Warrants Upgrading From Series 4 Models
In addition to the new iPhones, Apple's latest Apple Watch launched this week, and based on early media reviews, most people are happy with the long-awaited always-on display, but little else is new with the latest models.
Other features include a new built-in compass, an expanded 32GB of internal storage, international emergency calling on cellular models, and new ceramic and lighter-weight titanium finishes.
Apple this week widely released iOS 13 for all compatible iPhone and iPod touch devices. Update now by going to Settings > General > Software Update and then be sure to watch our video walkthrough of all the best new features and improvements now available. And if you want to cut right to the chase, check out our video sharing eight tips on what to try out and set up first after you upgrade.
watchOS 6 has also been widely released, bringing a dedicated App Store and more to the Apple Watch Series 3 and newer. The update will be available for Series 1 and Series 2 models later this fall.
In the United States, pricing is set at $4.99 per month, with a one-month free trial available. With Family Sharing, a family of up to six members can access Apple Arcade with a single subscription.
Apple Arcade launched with access to dozens of games and more being added nearly every day, with no ads or in-app purchases. In addition to iOS, the service will be made available on macOS and tvOS within the coming weeks. Read our Apple Arcade guide for more details.
iPad Pro With Triple-Lens Camera System's 'Final Design' Possibly Revealed
In line with the iPhone 11 Pro models, rumors suggest Apple may extend a triple-lens rear camera system to the iPad Pro soon.
This week, we got our first look at what is said to be the "final design" of the triple-lens camera system coming to the iPad Pro, courtesy of a dummy model shared on leaker Sonny Dickson's website.
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
With the arrival of the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, Apple has introduced an optional new camera feature in iOS 13 that's designed to allow you to correct the alignment of photos and videos without having to resort to cropping.
Basically, when you take pictures or video using either the wide lens or (on the 11 Pro series) the telephoto lens, the camera will simultaneously shoot or record using the next widest sensor. So the wide lens is active when you shoot with the telephoto lens, and the ultra-wide is active when you shoot with the wide.
With the feature enabled, you can take your shot, tap Edit in the preview window, tap the Crop tool, then select Straighten, and you'll be able to use the area captured outside the frame of the photo or video to fix the horizon and improve the composition of the shot without needing to crop it.
The toggle switches that control this behavior can be found in the Settings app, under Camera -> Photos Capture Outside the Frame and Camera -> Videos Capture Outside the Frame.
Apple has disabled it by default for photos, so you'll need to turn it on to take advantage of it. Note that it is enabled by default for video, so you may want to disable it if iPhone or iCloud storage space is a concern. That said, if the area around the frame isn't used to make corrections, it will be automatically deleted after 30 days.
It's iPhone launch day, which means the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max are now in the hands of customers.
We picked up a new iPhone 11 and an iPhone 11 Pro Max for an unboxing and quick first impressions overview to give MacRumors readers who are still considering a purchase or waiting on their new phone a look at the updated devices.
Our iPhone 11 Pro Max is in midnight green, the popular new color that sold out within just a few minutes after preorders went live. Midnight green is greener on camera than it looks in real life, and in some lighting, it's quite similar to space gray.
This is the first new color Apple has introduced for its high-end iPhone in years, and it's a rather safe choice because of its subtlety. There's also a new matte finish on the Pro models, which gives them a frosted look.
Apple introduced two new iPhone 11 colors this year: purple and green. Our iPhone 11 is the purple color, which is a soft lavender shade that's quite pretty.
Unboxing the new iPhones is standard procedure and there's nothing that jumps out as new, but the iPhone 11 Pro Max (and the 11 Pro) come with a new 18W USB-C charger and a USB-C to Lightning cable instead of the traditional 5W charger.
With that new 18W cable, the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max support fast charging right out of the box. You can charge an iPhone 11 Pro or Pro Max to 50 percent in 30 minutes. The iPhone 11, of course, supports the same fast charging, but it still ships with a 5W charger and a standard USB-A to Lightning cable.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max is heavier than the iPhone XS Max, and just a bit thicker. The extra weight isn't too noticeable, but it's worth noting that the Pro Max is Apple's heaviest iPhone to date. All that weight is attributable to a thicker, heavier battery and a major increase in battery life - the iPhone 11 Pro Max lasts 5 hours longer than the XS Max, and the 11 Pro lasts 4 hours longer than the XS.
Apple's iPhone 11 also has a longer battery life than the previous-generation iPhone XR, but it's just an hour longer because the XR already had pretty awesome battery life.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max looks similar to last year's iPhone XS Max from the front, but the back stands out because of the new triple-lens camera system and the relocated Apple logo, which is now in the center. There was some chatter that the logo was relocated for bilateral wireless charging, but that's ultimately not a feature that the iPhones launched with.
There's also a new dual-lens camera in the iPhone 11, so it too looks different from last year's iPhone XR. The new camera in both iPhones is an ultra wide-angle camera lens that lets you get super wide shots for landscapes, taking photos of architecture, and, well, anything else. It's a neat new camera feature and we're going to delve into it more in a dedicated camera video.
Perhaps the most interesting new camera feature is the new Night mode, which is designed to take crisp, clear shots in low lighting conditions using machine learning and photo aggregation techniques. We'll be testing this out later too, but so far, it looks promising.
When it comes to the display, the iPhone 11 features the same LCD display as the iPhone XR, but the Pro has a Super Retina XDR display capable of 1200 nits of peak brightness, which is going to be noticeable when it comes to HDR. It's not a big difference, though. The iPhone 11 display isn't as good as the iPhone 11 Pro's display, but it's definitely good enough for most people given the iPhone 11's much lower price point.
3D Touch is gone in all of the new iPhones this year, replaced with Haptic Touch. Haptic Touch does a lot of what 3D Touch does, but it's an adjustment because there's no pressure sensitivity.
Apple says Face ID is 30 percent faster in the new iPhones, and it does seem quicker. Face ID is also supposed to work from more angles, but it still doesn't seem to work from flat on a desk and it still needs to be pointed in the general direction of your face.
All of the new iPhone models use an updated 12-megapixel front-facing camera and there are some notable updates. You can turn the iPhone to landscape mode to capture a wider shot, which is great for group selfies, and there's a new slo-mo camera so you can capture what Apple calls "Slofies." On the iPhone 11, since there are now two cameras, Portrait mode works with all kinds of objects and not just people like it did in the XR.
Apple introduced a new A13 chip in the 2019 iPhones, but last year's iPhones were so quick that it's tough to notice a difference in performance in real-world everyday usage. When it comes to gaming, photography, and AR, though, you may see some faster speeds.
All in all, the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max aren't wildly different from last year's devices in terms of design and internal components, but the camera has received some major updates that really set these new iPhones apart from last year's models. Those who are heavily into iPhone photography might want to update, but the camera-focused update may not appeal to the average user who already has an iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, or even an iPhone X or iPhone 8.
iPhone users who have an older iPhone like a 5, 6, or 7 model will see more satisfying changes, and for these models, the $699 iPhone 11 is the most logical and cost effective update.
Did you get one of Apple's new iPhones? Let us know what you think in the comments. Stay tuned to MacRumors next week because we'll have more video coverage of the new iPhones, including a deep dive into the cameras.
The repair site is just now digging into the iPhone 11 Pro Max, but has already found signs of the bilateral wireless charging feature that was rumored ahead of launch but ultimately not announced.
The iPhone 11 Pro teardown found two battery connectors in the new iPhones, which is a first, and further investigation by iFixit suggests the extra connector is a direct line to the wireless charging coil.
With the phone powered on, we disconnected the lower battery connector and the phone stayed on and charged via the Lightning port, but not over wireless charging. Seems this extra connector is a direct line to the wireless charging coil, which could be an important feature for bilateral charging!
What's more, when we reconnected the cable, our phone displayed a momentary temperature warning before returning to normal. We suspect it lost contact with an important battery temperature sensor and shut itself down; this sounds a lot like a reverse wireless charging heat management feature to us.
Bilateral wireless charging would have allowed the new iPhones to wirelessly charge devices like the AirPods, the Apple Watch, and even other iPhones. It was an expected feature for much of the 2019 rumor cycle, but just before the new iPhones launched, rumors indicated Apple had decided to pull the feature.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often shares accurate insights into Apple's plans, said that bilateral wireless charging was nixed "because the charging efficiency may not match Apple's requirements."
It's not entirely clear if bilateral wireless charging is something that can be implemented at a later date if the hardware is in place, or if that's Apple's plan, but as of now, there is no two-way wireless charging option despite the hints of it in the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max.
iFixit has also discovered a "new mysterious board" sitting below the battery that could be related to bilateral wireless charging.
The teardown so far has also revealed a slimmed down logic board to make room for the triple-lens camera setup and similar adhesive to last year's iPhones despite new water resistance ratings.
iFixit is going to be working on its iPhone 11 Pro Max teardown for the next few hours. Those interested can follow along on the teardown page for updates, and we'll also update this article when new details are shared.
Update: According to iMore's Rene Ritchie, bilateral inductive charging wasn't pulled from the iPhone 11 because it was never slated for production to begin with. Ritchie says there is no hardware in iPhone 11 models that would allow such a feature to be enabled later.
Update: It’s my understanding bilateral inductive charging wasn’t pulled from the iPhones 11.
It was never slated for production and there isn’t anything in there that could be enabled later.
(It would also be dumb to ship it without Watch support...) https://t.co/vXQxM4T3Yf
— Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) September 21, 2019
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