Last month, Apple announced that Jony Ive will be leaving Apple later this year to form an independent design company, with Apple among its primary clients. In turn, Apple indicated that its operations chief Jeff Williams will spend more of his time working with its design team in their studio.
Williams has long been considered a frontrunner to succeed Tim Cook as CEO of Apple, and with his expanded design-related oversight at Apple, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes he is "unambiguously the second-most important person at Apple" and first in line to succeed Cook when the time comes.
In line with his calm demeanor on stage at Apple events, Gurman notes that Williams has over the years distinguished himself as a modest, disciplined, and demanding leader, much more like Cook than Steve Jobs.
From the report:
"He's the closest thing at the company to Tim Cook, and you'll get more of that," a former senior Apple executive says of Williams. "If you think Cook is doing a good job, then it's a good choice."
Williams is considered to be slightly more hands-on with product development than Cook, however, as evidenced by his leadership of the Apple Watch team since its inception. Williams is also said to attend weekly reviews of product and industrial design progress and brief Cook on the discussions.
Gurman:
Williams now oversees the development of all Apple hardware products, holding weekly meetings to gauge their progress. Although the process is formally called NPR, or New Product Review, some employees call this the "Jeff Review." During the development of the AirPods, some of them noticed that Williams continued wearing Apple's wired headphones instead of the new product. Williams wasn't yet happy with the fit of the wireless model.
The big question mark with Ive's impending departure is whether Apple will remain innovative. Critics will argue that Apple has already become complacent under Cook, and with Williams having a similar operations-focused approach, the narrative is that Apple might falter without a Jobs-era visionary.
From the report:
"One doesn't necessarily need a visionary as CEO of Apple as long as there's a visionary in the company that the CEO can work with," says Michael Gartenberg, a former Apple marketing executive. "Tim Cook had Jony Ive. The question is, with Ive gone, who is the visionary at the company that can guide the next big thing?"
Depending on how involved Ive remains with Apple through his independent design firm, that might not be a concern for several more years to come. Apple has also more than doubled its market value under Cook, so any concerns that Apple has fallen behind in the post-Jobs era are arguably overblown.
It's worth noting that there is no sign that Cook plans to step down any time soon. Williams, 56, is also less than three years younger than Cook.
Apple is reportedly in advanced talks with Taiwanese display manufacturers to use microLED displays in its products as soon as next year, according to a new report.
Citing sources with knowledge of Apple's supply chain, Chinese-language Economic Daily News says the company will be ready to launch an Apple Watch with a microLED screen in 2020, replacing the current use of OLED panels manufactured by LG Display.
MicroLED panels use different light-emitting compounds than the current OLED displays used in Apple Watch and should help to make future devices slimmer, brighter, and less power-hungry.
A previous rumor from DigiTimes suggested Apple will work with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to develop MicroLED panels for Apple Watch, and that they could see production as soon as this year.
However, Bloomberg has a slightly different timeline for Apple's adoption of MicroLED and believes they won't appear in the Apple Watch until next year at the earliest, with a two-to-four year lead time for the iPhone.
Apple's iPhones next year may feature displays capable of up to 120Hz refresh rates, allowing for a smoother on-screen experience, according to one mobile leaker.
Apple is considering a switchable 60Hz/120Hz refresh rate screen on the iPhone in 2020, and is discussing with Samsung and LG. pic.twitter.com/4aoU303umu
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) July 21, 2019
"Apple is considering a switchable 60Hz/120Hz refresh rate screen on the iPhone in 2020, and is discussing with Samsung and LG," tweeted Ice Universe on Sunday.
The leaker, who goes by the Twitter handle @UniverseIce, doesn't usually comment on Apple's plans, but is a well-regarded source of Samsung rumors. Samsung has supplied Apple with OLED panels for the iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max.
Apple already uses variable refresh rate technology in its iPad Pro models, but they still use LCD panels rather than OLED. Bringing it to a new breed of OLED iPhones would raise the smartphone performance bar even higher.
Apple markets the iPad Pro-exclusive tech under the moniker "ProMotion," which it says dynamically adjusts the display to the movement of content for fluid scrolling, greater responsiveness, and smoother motion. It does all this on the fly, which means it also conserves battery life.
Apple's adaptive ProMotion IAPs also reduce Apple Pencil latency, and reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that Apple Pencil support is a possibility for a future iPhone.
Previous rumors have suggested Apple will complete its transition to an all-OLED iPhone lineup in 2020 with new 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch devices.
But before 2020 comes around, Apple is widely expected to launch a trio of new iPhones this September, including two higher-end 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED models and one lower-end 6.1-inch LCD model.
Upon returning to Apple in the late 1990s, Steve Jobs came up with a 2×2 product grid in an effort to simplify Apple's then-bloated lineup of computers. The grid was split into four quadrants, including a professional desktop, a consumer desktop, a professional portable, and a consumer portable.
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Jobs unveiling the fourth and final product in the grid, the iBook, at the 1999 Macworld Expo in New York City.
Targeted at consumers and students, the iBook easily stood out from other notebooks of its era with its unique clamshell-like design, consisting of hard, translucent plastic casing topped with soft, colorful rubber. Initial colors included Blueberry and Tangerine, with later models available in Graphite, Indigo, and Key Lime.
The original iBook, priced from $1,599, was equipped with a 12.1-inch display with an 800×600 resolution, a full-sized keyboard, and a trackpad. It also featured a retractable handle along its hinge, with Apple calling it an "iMac to go," although it was decently heavy at 6.7 pounds — even for its time.
Above all, the iBook was the first mass consumer product with support for wireless networking, with the 802.11b standard allowing for speeds up to 11 Mbps. Wireless support was not built in and required purchasing an optional $99 AirPort wireless card and a $299 AirPort base station.
Jobs demonstrated the iBook's wireless networking by walking across the stage with the notebook while loading a website, with the audience erupting in cheers. He then placed it through a hula hoop to prove there were no cables attached.
Memorably, a younger Phil Schiller even jumped from a height while holding the iBook as it wirelessly transferred accelerometer data. Referencing the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, Schiller quipped "this is definitely one small step for man, and one giant leap for wireless networking."
Other tech specs included a 300MHz PowerPC G3 processor, 3.2GB hard drive, 32MB of RAM, ATI Rage Mobility graphics, 10/100 Ethernet, a CD-ROM drive, and up to six hours of battery life. To keep costs down, it had no FireWire port, video out, or microphone, and only one speaker and one USB port.
Apple went on to introduce a redesigned iBook with a more traditional notebook design in May 2001, followed by the white polycarbonate MacBook in 2006, but the original will always be an important part of Apple's history.
Last year, YouTubers iJustine and MKBHD teamed up to unbox an original, sealed iBook:
After a busy few weeks of news and rumors, things slowed down a little bit this week, but there were still some major stories worth highlighting. Those include our first hands-on look at dummy models of all three upcoming iPhone models, a new iOS 13 beta with some interesting changes and tweaks, a possibility of Apple's old six-color rainbow logo returning to some products, and of course some emoji news!
Read on for details on all of those stories and more from the past week.
What to Expect From the 2019 iPhones: Hands-On With Dummy Models
We're almost certainly less than two months away from the unveiling of the 2019 iPhone lineup, which means leaks are heating up. We got our hands on some dummy models for all three devices we're expecting to see in September.
Rumors suggest we'll be seeing a very similar lineup to the current trio of models, including the same 5.8-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.5-inch display sizes. The most obvious change looks to be enhanced rear cameras, with the iPhone XS and XS Max successors moving to a triple-lens system while the iPhone XR successor bumps up to a double-lens camera. All three phones are expected to feature a much larger square camera bump on the rear.
Make sure to check out our video for our best look yet at what we should expect when it comes to the design of the next iPhones, and read through the entire article outlining our overall expectations for the devices.
Apple's rainbow or "six-color" logo made its debut on the Apple II computer in 1977 and was widely used until 1998, when it began to be phased out in favor of a monochrome Apple logo similar to the one used today.
Apple's 2019 256GB MacBook Air Includes Slower SSD Than 2018 Model
While the 2019 model's SSD write speeds are on par if not slightly better than the 2018 model, read speeds appear to have dropped by around 35 percent, based on the Blackmagic Disk Speed benchmark.
Apple may have gone with a slower SSD in order to drop the MacBook Air's price to a more affordable level, but regardless, it's not a change that most users are likely to notice in day to day usage of the machine.
iPad Air vs. Microsoft's Surface Go: Which Is a Better Laptop Replacement?
Dan's comparison is based on how well each device serves as a laptop replacement, including performance, operating system, and accessories like keyboards.
Additions will include animals like an otter, skunk, and flamingo; new food items like a waffle, onion, garlic, butter, and oyster; new gestures like a yawning face; interracial couples; accessibility-related emoji like a hearing aid, wheelchairs, a prosthetic arm and leg; and much more.
The new emoji will likely be available in iOS 13.1 around October if Apple sticks to the same timeframe from the past few years.
Apple Readies 3D Sensing Rear Camera Component Supplies for 2020 iPhones
Apple has reportedly asked one of its manufacturing partners to ready VCSEL components for use in rear-facing 3D time-of-flight camera lenses, a widely rumored feature on 2020 iPhones.
While the TrueDepth system on iPhone X and iPhone XS models relies on a structured-light technique, time-of-flight calculates the time it takes for a laser to bounce off surrounding objects to create a 3D image of the environment. This allows for more accurate depth perception and better placement of virtual objects, and should also result in photos better able to capture depth.
MacRumors Newsletter
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.
The Argus 2, priced at $99, is a wire-free battery-powered home security camera that connects to your 2.4GHz home Wi-Fi setup to let you keep an eye on what's going on in or outside of your house.
It features a long-lasting rechargeable battery so it can be placed anywhere and does not require an outside power connection, though it can be connected to the Reolink Solar Panel ($24.99) to charge via the sun when it's used outside. The Argus 2 is IP65 water resistant, so it will be safe outdoors, though it shouldn't be placed where it's directly exposed to the elements.
The camera offers 1080p resolution and a 130 degree viewing angle, so it will provide a wide field of view. There's a night vision feature that works up to 33 feet away, and a built-in motion sensor is able to detect motion for notification purposes.
The Argus 2 supports two-way audio through a built-in mic and speaker, and local storage is supported through a microSD card. You can set up the Argus 2 to provide push notifications, emails, and siren alerts when trouble is detected, and in addition to storing footage on a microSD card, you can get a remote live view on a smartphone, tablet, or computer any time.
Reolink designed a unique mounting system for the Argus 2, allowing it to be mounted indoors or out with a wall mount or outdoor mount that the camera can be removed from at any time for use elsewhere.
While local storage is included, the Argus 2 is also compatible with the Reolink Cloud, which provides offsite backups and access to your video history. There's a free basic plan with 7-day cloud video history and 1GB of storage space, along with paid plans that support longer viewing histories and more cameras.
We have five of the Reolink Argus 2 cameras and solar panels to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
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The contest will run from today (July 19) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on July 26. The winners will be chosen randomly on July 26 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
For those who don't win the giveaway, Reolink is also offering a 10 percent discount on the Argus 2. Enter the promo code "macreo10off" on the Reolink website to get the deal.
Apple Music has renamed its "The A-List: Hip-Hop" playlist to "Rap Life."
Ebro Darden, global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B at Apple Music, will host a companion "Rap Life" segment during his daily Beats 1 show and there will also be a weekly show called "Rap Life" which will feature music from the playlist and cultural discussions around hip-hop, according to Billboard.
The playlist's description:
Rap isn't just a genre. There's a reason it's sometimes simply called The Culture: It's a way of life. And this playlist—formerly known as The A-List: Hip-Hop—is where rap lives, breathes, and moves. Topped today by J.Cole and the Dreamville crew's "Under the Sun," off their Revenge of the Dreamers III album, Rap Life is home to hip-hop's heavy hitters and vanguard—the stars and the songs that speak to the moment and define the culture today. Check back early and often, as our editors update this playlist regularly. If you hear something you like, add it to your library.
Apple Music has been a leading streaming platform for hip-hop since it launched in 2015, reportedly topping Spotify in engagement for major releases such as Drake's recent projects "Scorpion" and "More Life."
Samsung is believed to be Apple's exclusive supplier of OLED displays for iPhones, but it may have company soon.
In a research note shared with MacRumors, Barclays analysts said fellow Korean company LG will likely support OLED display production for 2019 iPhones, possibly followed by Chinese manufacturer BOE as early as 2020.
Multiple reports have indicated that Apple may tap LG and BOE as additional OLED display suppliers. Apple aims to diversify its supply chain as much as possible, often securing at least two suppliers for any given component, a strategy that reduces its supply chain risk and improves its negotiating position.
Apple is widely expected to launch three new iPhones in 2019, including two higher-end 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED models and one lower-end 6.1-inch LCD model. In 2020, rumors suggest Apple will complete its transition to an all-OLED lineup, including 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch models.
An Israeli security firm claims it has developed a smartphone surveillance tool that can harvest not only a user's local data but also all their device's communications with cloud-based services provided by the likes of Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
According to a report from the Financial Times [paywalled], the latest Pegasus spyware sold by NSO Group is being marketed to potential clients as a way to target data uploaded to the cloud. The tool is said to work on many of the latest iPhones and Android smartphones, and can continue to harvest data even after the tool is removed from the original mobile device.
The new technique is said to copy the authentication keys of services such as Google Drive, Facebook Messenger and iCloud, among others, from an infected phone, allowing a separate server to then impersonate the phone, including its location.
This grants open-ended access to the cloud data of those apps without "prompting 2-step verification or warning email on target device", according to one sales document.
Attackers using the malware are said to be able to access a wealth of private information, including the full history of a target's location data and archived messages or photos, according to people who shared documents with the Financial Times and described a recent product demonstration.
When questioned by the newspaper, NSO denied promoting hacking or mass-surveillance tools for cloud services, but didn't specifically deny that it had developed the capability described in the documents.
In response to the report, Apple told FT that its operating system was "the safest and most secure computing platform in the world. While some expensive tools may exist to perform targeted attacks on a very small number of devices, we do not believe these are useful for widespread attacks against consumers." The company added that it regularly updates its operating system and security settings.
The news raises concerns that such spyware could be used by repressive regimes and other shady attackers to monitor members of the public. In May, for example, WhatsApp disclosed a vulnerability that allowed hackers to remotely exploit a bug in the app's audio call system to access sensitive information on an iPhone or Android device.
Security researchers said that the spyware that took advantage of the WhatsApp flaw featured characteristics of the Pegasus spyware from NSO Group, which maintains that its software, costing millions of dollars, is only sold to responsible governments to help prevent terrorist attacks and criminal investigations.
However, the WhatsApp flaw was used to target a London lawyer who has been involved in lawsuits against the NSO Group, and security researchers believe others could have been targeted as well.
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.
1Password has restored the option for customers who originally purchased its iOS app to create a local vault during setup, after users queued up online to voice their frustrations with the fact that the option was silently removed in an update.
The Canadian password management service caused a string of complaints on Reddit and elsewhere earlier this month when a v7.3.3 update to the 1Password iOS app removed the free-to-use local vault option from the app setup process without alerting users to the change.
Withdrawing the option meant that users who reinstalled the iOS app for whatever reason could no longer configure a local vault on their device, even if they'd paid an upfront fee for the app or bought the Pro in-app purchase in the past for exactly this purpose.
The change meant that users looking to maintain local vaults on iPhone or iPad had to either pay for a 1Password membership, or sync their iOS device with a standalone vault created by 1Password for Mac or 1Password Windows – both of which require a subscription.
The good news is that 1Password has listened to user feedback, and the latest update, v7.3.4, restores the ability to create standalone vaults from setup to customers who had previously purchased 1Password 4 for iOS or the Pro Features in-app purchase.
However, for new users at least, there's no longer any way to use the password management service without subscribing to a paid plan.
Apple is planning to open an office in highly desired location in Vancouver, Canada reports Bloomberg. The company has leased space in a 24-story office building at 400 West Georgia owned by Westbank, where companies like Deloitte and IWG plc's Spaces co-working unit will also be housed.
400 West Georgia has a unique design that featuring stacked stainless steel cubes interspaced with greenery and arranged around a central concrete core. The design was reportedly inspired by a Japanese paper lantern.
The office, which is still under development and is scheduled to be completed in spring 2020, will use glass floors that will overlook the city. Apple is planning to occupy two floors of the 24 floor building.
Ahead of every new iPhone release, we're inundated with rumors, part leaks, mockups, and dummy models, all of which give us a good idea of what to expect when new devices launch.
2019 is no exception. We've seen all of the above, and now, we've managed to get our hands on three dummy models of the upcoming iPhones, which offer up a look at the designs and feature changes we're likely to see later this year.
Like the 2018 iPhone lineup, the 2019 iPhone lineup is expected to include three iPhones: a 5.8-inch OLED device, a 6.5-inch OLED device, and a more affordable 6.1-inch LCD device, which will be successors to the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, respectively.
Compared to the 2018 iPhones, there will be few physical design changes. In fact, these new iPhones look identical to the 2018 iPhones in size, shape, and design, with the exception of the rear camera.
The sole major physical change to the new iPhones is a redesigned camera bump that's larger and square-shaped, as we've heard in multiple rumors. Apple is expected to use a triple-lens camera setup for the 5.8 and 6.5-inch iPhones coming in 2019.
A triple-lens camera adds one additional lens and should result in some solid improvements to the photo taking capabilities of the new iPhones. Based on rumors from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple's camera setup could include a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 12-megapixel super wide-angle lens, which would be the new addition.
This triple-lens camera setup could allow for a larger field of view, a wider zoom range, better low light performance, and it will capture more pixels for sharper, clearer images even when lighting is not ideal. Note that the dummy models we have here feature lenses that protrude slightly -- in the finished versions of the 2019 iPhone models, the lenses are expected to be flush with the bump. These dummy models provide a solid look at what we're expecting, but the completed iPhone is going to look more elegant.
Google has received a lot of attention for its Night Sight mode that allows for bright shots even in the dark, and we wouldn't be surprised to see Apple offer a competing feature in 2019.
We've also heard from Bloomberg that Apple is working on a feature that would use some extra pixel data to do provide tools for automatically repairing a photo or video to fit in a subject that "may have accidentally been cut off from the initial shot." This sounds a little confusing, but it presumably takes advantage of that super-wide angle lens to let you edit the field of view of an image.
While the next-generation 5.8 and 6.5-inch iPhones will have the aforementioned triple-lens setup, rumors suggest the next iPhone XR will have just two lenses, which is still one more lens than the current model. Presumably this will include a standard wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens, allowing the iPhone XR to better mimic the capabilities of the current iPhone XS and XS Max.
2019 6.1-inch iPhone compared to iPhone XR
Though the next-generation iPhone XR has just two lenses, the dummy model features the same square-shaped camera bump that's on the more expensive models with triple-lens cameras, which Apple may have done for design parity across the 2019 iPhone lineup.
Aside from the rear camera bump changes, the three upcoming iPhones feature no other design changes, at least not in these dummy models. There were rumors that the volume button would be redesigned with a round-style switch that we've previously seen in iPads, but that's not depicted here.
iPhone XS volume buttons compared to 5.8-inch 2019 iPhone dummy
These dummy models are based on schematics and leaks from Apple factories and are likely sourced from case makers eager to be the first to get cases for the new iPhones on the market. There's big money in getting an accurate look at upcoming iPhones to make early cases, and most years, dummy models like these are spot on.
For the most part, these dummy models also are in line with most of the rumors that we've heard, so they're likely an accurate representation of what we can expect. There are no changes to the notch expected this year, though rumors suggest we could see some tweaks in 2020.
Display of iPhone XS Max compared to display of 2019 6.5-inch iPhone
Apple may, however, remove 3D Touch from the 2019 iPhone lineup. The 2018 iPhone XR did not have 3D Touch, and we've heard a few rumors suggesting 3D Touch will be eliminated from all iPhones in 2019. It's not yet clear if this is accurate, but iOS 13 does hint at its removal by adding 3D Touch-style Context Menus that can be activated on devices like iPads with a long press.
There were rumors that the new iPhones would use a frosted glass, also not seen in the models we have here. It's possible that a new glass look is still a planned feature and just wasn't included because material wouldn't impact case fit, but there's also a chance that rumor wasn't accurate.
For the next-generation iPhone XR in particular, while not seen in the dummy model, there are rumors of new colors including a lavender shade and a green shade, which might replace the existing blue and coral colors.
A render of the colors we could see for the iPhone XR successor
We heard other early rumors about the 2019 iPhones that no longer seem to be accurate. There was talk that Apple's triple-lens camera would have some 3D sensing functionality that would be similar to the TrueDepth camera system, but that's been pushed to 2020 and will be a major feature of the 2020 iPhones.
There was also talk of Apple switching from Lightning to USB-C in the 2019 iPhone lineup because the company brought USB-C to the iPad lineup, but based on these dummy models and a multitude of rumors, Apple's sticking with Lightning.
As for internals, we can expect an upgraded, faster A13 chip, and larger batteries could potentially bring some battery life improvements. One neat internal tweak will let the 2019 iPhones serve as Qi-based chargers for other devices, so you may be able to charge one iPhone with another or charge up your AirPods using your iPhone.
Faster Wi-Fi 6 support could be included in the 2019 iPhones, along with ultra wide-band support for improvements to indoor positioning and navigation. Apple may also include an 18W USB-C power adapter and a Lighting to USB-C cable with the new iPhones, allowing for fast charging out of the box.
There's no word on what the 2019 iPhones will be called, but many have taken to referring to them as the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Max, and iPhone 11R, which is a possibility, though not confirmed.
As for pricing, Apple may be planning to price the new iPhones similarly to the 2018 iPhones as we've heard no rumors about pricing updates. There's still a chance for some pricing tweaks, though, as Apple did see a dip in sales in countries like China that's partially attributable to high iPhone prices.
Apple is expected to unveil the new 2019 iPhones in September, and an event could potentially be held during the week of September 9. MacRumors has heard from a reliable source that Apple is planning to unveil the new iPhones on Tuesday, September 10, which is quite likely given past event dates.
Elevation Lab, known for its line of popular iPhone charging docks, today released the FamilyCharger, a multi-charging setup designed to allow you to charge all of your devices in one place.
The FamilyCharger includes three Lightning cables, one microUSB cable, and one USB-C cable for charging iPhones, Android devices, iPads, and more.
A thick braided cord keeps all of the individual cords together and delivers 2.4A of power to each connector. With the included silicone mounts, the cable can be routed anywhere, such as a desk, a bookshelf, or another central location in the home. The main cord is nine feet long.
According to Elevation Lab, the FamilyCharger was designed to have the smallest footprint of any available multi-charger, and it is an Apple Made for iPhone certified device.
The FamilyCharger is powered by an included 65W power supply, though Elevation Lab also sells a cord-only version that lets you use your own five port USB-A power supply if desired.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Catalina update to its public beta testing group, two weeks after seeding the second public beta and a day after seeding the fourth developer beta.
Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will be able to download the macOS Catalina beta through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile. Those who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas.
Potential beta testers should make a full Time Machine backup before installing macOS Catalina, and it may not be wise to install it on a primary machine because betas can be unstable and often have many bugs.
macOS Catalina eliminates the iTunes app, which has been a key Mac feature since 2001. In Catalina, iTunes has been replaced by Music, Podcasts, and TV apps. The new apps can do everything that iTunes can do, so Mac users aren't going to be losing any functionality, and device management capabilities are now handled by the Finder app.
macOS Catalina has a useful new Sidecar feature, designed to turn the iPad into a secondary display for the Mac. It can work as a traditional second display or with a mirroring feature. Apple Pencil support works with Sidecar, so you can turn your iPad into a drawing tablet using apps like Photoshop.
For those with an Apple Watch set up to unlock the Mac, there's now an option to approve security prompts in Catalina by tapping on the side button of the watch. Macs with a T2 chip in them also support Activation Lock, making them useless to thieves much as it does on the iPhone.
There's a new Find My app that lets you track your lost devices, and previously, this functionality was only available via iCloud on the Mac. There's even a new option to find your devices even when they're offline by leveraging Bluetooth connections to other nearby devices, something that's particularly handy on the Mac because it doesn't have a cellular connection.
Apple is expanding Screen Time to the Mac in Catalina, letting Apple users track their device usage across Mac, iOS, and iPad for a better overall picture of time spent using electronics.
For developers, a "Project Catalyst" feature lets apps designed for the iPad be ported over to the Mac with just a few clicks in Xcode and some minor tweaks. Apple's ultimate goal with Project Catalyst is to bring more apps to the Mac.
Photos features an updated interface that better highlights your best pictures, Safari includes a new start page with Siri Suggestions, Mail has a new feature for blocking emails and another new option for muting threads, and the Reminders app has been overhauled and is now more useful.
Before installing macOS Catalina, be aware that it does away with 32-bit app support, so some older apps that have not been updated in some time may stop working. For more on macOS Catalina, make sure to check out our macOS Catalina roundup.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 13 update to its public beta testing group, two weeks after seeding the second public beta and day after seeding the fourth developer beta of tvOS.
Public beta testers can download the new update by going to the Settings app on the Apple TV and navigating to the Software Updates section under "System." "Get Public Beta Updates" will need to be toggled on, and once it is, the Apple TV will download the beta software.
tvOS 13 includes a new Home screen that's aimed at making it easier to find new content, with support for autoplaying videos to show off new TV shows, movies, and apps, similar to Netflix.
Multi-user support is new in tvOS 13, letting each member of the family have their own customized Apple TV interface with separate recommendations, music playlists, and Watch Now lists. A new Control Center lets you swap between profiles.
tvOS 13 gets the Apple TV ready for Apple Arcade, Apple's new gaming service that's coming to the Apple TV, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS later this year. Apple Arcade will offer unlimited access to more than 100 new and exclusive games, for one subscription fee.
Apple Arcade preparations include support for the Xbox Wireless Bluetooth Controller and the PlayStation DualShock 4 Controller, both of which can be connected to an Apple TV over Bluetooth.
Apple is also adding new under-the-sea themed screensavers made in partnership with the BBC Natural History unit, also known for "Blue Planet," and the new software brings support for a picture-in-picture mode that lets you watch TV while doing other things on the Apple TV.
Apple today released the third public betas of iOS 13 and iPadOS to its public beta testing group, 10 days after seeding the second public betas and a day after the fourth developer beta. The public beta gives non-developers a chance to test out iOS 13 ahead of its upcoming fall launch date.
Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 13 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.
Those who want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas. Before installing a beta, make sure to create a full encrypted iTunes backup or an iCloud backup. It's best to install iOS 13 on a secondary device because beta software is not always stable and can include bugs.
iOS 13 is a major update to the iOS operating system that runs on the iPhone and the iPad, but this year, iOS 13 and iPadOS, the version of iOS 13 that runs on the iPad, are separate downloads as they've been split up.
iPadOS is identical to iOS 13 in almost every way, though there are some iPad-specific features such as new multitasking capabilities. For the most part, the two operating systems share the same features.
iOS 13 introduces a long list of new features. Dark Mode changes the entire look of the operating system, shifting it from light to dark, while an overhauled Photos app makes it easier to relive your memories with new Days, Months, and Years viewing options.
There's a new photo editing interface that makes it easier to edit photos than ever before, plus there are new tools to work with and options to edit the intensity of the built-in filters. You can edit video right in the Photos app for the first time, and on the newest iPhones, there's a new High-Key Mono lighting effect and an option to adjust the intensity of Portrait Lightning effects.
There's a less obtrusive volume HUD, a new Find My app that combines Find My iPhone and Find My Friends and lets you track your devices even with they don't have an LTE or WiFi connection. A Sign In with Apple feature (not yet active) gives you a convenient and data safe way to sign into apps and websites, providing an alternative to Facebook and Google sign in options.
Maps has a new street-level "Look Around" mode and a Collections feature for making lists of places, Reminders has been entirely overhauled to make it more functional, there's a profile feature in Messages along with new Memoji and Animoji stickers, and Siri has a new voice.
The third public beta should correspond to the fourth developer beta, which brought a new Quick Action for rearranging apps, Share Sheet updates, new 3D Touch settings, and more, with changes available in our what's new in beta 4 article.
There are a ton of additional new features and changes coming in iOS 13, and for a full rundown of what you can expect, make sure to check out our iOS 13 roundup.
Apple today began selling an updated version of the Rotor Riot wired game controller for iPhone and iPad through its online store. The new model features a redesigned directional pad, a built-in Lightning port for pass-through charging of iOS devices, and an improved device holder with a "zero gravity" effect.
Rotor Riot is the only Apple-certified controller that has clickable L3 and R3 thumbsticks, and it uses a wired connection for zero latency. The device holder is removable, allowing the controller to be used on a standalone basis.
Los Angeles FC fans can now order food and drinks ahead of time directly on their iPhones at the Banc of California Stadium.
The MLS team has partnered with artificial intelligence platform Satisfi Labs to launch an order-ahead system through Apple Business Chat, allowing customers to order and pay for food and drinks from concession stands using their iPhones and pick up their orders from express locations at their convenience.
To order ahead with Apple Business Chat, fans can use their iPhone camera to scan a QR code in the stadium. This will instantly open the Messages app, allowing fans to chat with Olly, a virtual assistant powered by Satisfi Labs.
Apple Business Chat launched in iOS 11.3 and is now available in over a dozen countries. The platform has been adopted by over 30 companies, such as The Home Depot, Hilton, Wells Fargo, DISH, Burberry, American Express, and T-Mobile.
Apple Business Chat enables 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 an Apple Watch or Mac signed in to the same Apple ID.
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