More than 40 million Android smartphone owners around the world have now installed the Apple Music app from the Google Play Store, according to data shared this week by Sensor Tower.
It's projected that Apple Music will see 3.8 million installs on Android devices by the end of Q1 2019, up from 3.3 million in Q4 2018 and a year-over-year increase of 65 percent.
Apple has been able to grow its Android user base for Apple Music in mid-to-late 2018, following a few quarters of decline. Beginning in Q4 2017 and continuing through Q2 2018, Apple Music installs on Android dwindled from 3.3 million to 2.3 million.
Now, the current quarter is anticipated to be Apple Music's best yet for new user installs on Android.
New users of the app in 4Q18 were up 43 percent over 1Q18, and we project that 1Q19 installs will total 3.8 million for a year-over-year increase of 65 percent.
Google Play users in the United States account for approximately 28 percent of all Apple Music for Android installs to date, with India a distant second at about 7 percent to the total. Great Britain, Brazil, and Russia round out the app’s five largest markets at 6 percent, 5 percent, and 4 percent of installs, respectively.
Apple Music first launched on Android in the fall of 2015, months after debuting on Apple devices. The Android app was just updated this week with a redesigned Browse tab to match iOS devices, and introduced support for Chromebooks.
German-based mobile bank N26 also announced today that Apple Pay is coming soon to customers in Austria:
Coming Soon! @N26 will bring #ApplePay, which is transforming mobile payments with an easy, secure and private to pay that’s fast and convenient to customers in Austria 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/iy3NK44Tli
— N26 (@n26) March 26, 2019
Apple Pay first launched in the United States in October 2014 and is also available in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, France, Japan, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland, Ireland, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates.
Apple CEO Tim Cook yesterday said Apple Pay will be available in more than 40 countries and regions by the end of 2019.
Apple has updated its Apple Music app for Android devices, introducing the redesigned Browse tab that debuted on iOS last week and new support for Chromebooks.
The new Browse tab has been tweaked to highlight an assortment of different playlists from various musical genres to make discovery quicker and easier. Android users will now find Apple's "Daily Top 100" playlist featured prominently at the top of the section, just below the traditional carousel of new music.
Apart from that minor refresh, the update brings official Chromebook support to the Android app, which basically means users can access Apple Music from Chrome OS on their Google notebook. According to the release notes, this version of Apple Music for Android also fixes various bugs, so users should also find it runs a bit more stable than previous versions.
Apple in March 2019 debuted second-generation AirPods, featuring several updates over the original massively popular wireless earbuds of the same name. Then, in October 2019, Apple launched the AirPods Pro, a higher-end version of its existing AirPods with a unique design, noise cancellation technology, better sound, and a more expensive $249 price tag.
If you've just received a version of AirPods earbuds, you'll be raring to use them to listen to music, take phone calls, use Siri, and more. Keep reading to learn how to set up and connect them to your devices.
Update Your Software
As mentioned, Apple's second-generation AirPods include new features not seen in the previous model, and AirPods Pro have additional features of their own, but to use them you'll need to make sure your devices are running the latest software.
On iOS devices:
If you want to use your new AirPods with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, make sure you're running iOS 12.2 or later. If you've got AirPods Pro, make sure you're running iOS 13.2 or later or iPadOS 13.2 or later.
To check that your device's software is up to date, launch the Settings app and then select General -> Software Update, and download any available updates if necessary.
On Mac:
To use second-generation AirPods with your Mac, it needs to be running macOS 10.14.4 or later. For AirPods Pro, you need to be running macOS 10.15.1 or later. To check that your machine is up to date with the latest software, select System Preferences... from the Apple () menu in the top-left corner of the screen, and then click Software Update in the preferences window.
If your Mac finds an update is available, click the Update Now button to download the software and allow the software to install when prompted.
Set Up New AirPods on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Before you can begin using your new AirPods with your iOS devices, there are a few quick steps you need to perform.
Unlock your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. If your device is already unlocked, navigate to the Home screen.
Bring the AirPods or AirPods Pro case – with the AirPods inside – close to your device and open the case lid.
Wait for the setup animation to appear on your device's screen.
Tap Connect, then tap Done.
If you haven't set up "Hey Siri" already on your device, you'll be guided through the setup.
And that's all there is to it. Your AirPods or AirPods Pro should now pair seamlessly with your device whenever you go to use them. Note that if you're signed in to iCloud, your AirPods or AirPods Pro will be set up automatically with any of your supported devices that are signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID.
Connect New AirPods to Your Mac
If you've set up your AirPods or AirPods Pro with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and your Mac is signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID, then your AirPods should be ready to use with your Mac. In that case, all you you need to do is put your AirPods in your ears, click the Bluetooth icon in your Mac's menu bar, select your AirPods or AirPods Pro from the dropdown list, and click Connect.
If you don't see your AirPods in the Bluetooth menu, check out our dedicated how-to article on how to pair AirPods manually with your Mac and customize the gesture controls.
Connect New AirPods to Android Devices
You can use AirPods and AirPods Pro with Android smartphones and other devices. You won't be able to use "Hey Siri" but you can use them to listen and talk. Check out our special guideo learn how to use AirPods on Android, as well as the benefits, the downsides, and how well AirPods work on non-Apple devices.
Apple News+ is Apple's paid subscription service for the Apple News app. Apple News+ lets you access magazines and paywalled content from some news sites. You have to pay a subscription fee to access Apple News+, and it is an add-on service that lives right alongside Apple's existing free Apple News content. This guide covers everything that you need to know about Apple News+, from pricing and availability to news sites and magazines included.
Apple News+ Availability
Apple News+ content is available right in the Apple News app through the new Apple News+ tab that shows up on iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch models running iOS 12.2 or later and Macs running macOS Mojave 10.14.4 or later. Apple News+ is limited to Apple devices and it is not available on Android devices or PCs.
You need to be in the U.S., Canada, Australia, or the UK to be able to subscribe to and access Apple News content at the current time, though Apple has plans to expand it to additional countries in the future.
Apple News+ Pricing
Apple News+ costs $9.99 per month in the United States, $12.99 per month in Canada, £9.99 per month in the UK, and $14.99 per month in Australia. At the current time, there are no yearly subscription plans available.
The $9.99 per month fee gives your entire family of up to six people access to Apple News+ as long as you have Family Sharing set up. Family Sharing is available for any member of your family that has an Apple ID, but be aware that every person added to the Family Sharing group must share the same payment method, as there is only one debit or credit card allowed for the family sharing group.
Apple News Free Trial
Apple is offering a 30-day free trial for Apple News+, and we have instructions on how to sign up here. You won't get charged the monthly fee until the free trial expires.
How to Get to Apple News+ Content
All Apple News+ content is available in the Apple News app in the Apple News+ tab at the bottom of the display on an iPhone, or through Apple News+ option on the side bar on iPads and Macs.
The Apple News+ section houses all available Apple News content, including magazines and newspapers, though if you come across Apple News+ articles from magazines news sites like The Wall Street Journal while browsing through the standard Apple News interface, that content will all be available for free to you.
What's Included in Apple News+
The Apple News+ monthly fee gets you access to more than 200 popular magazines that cover a wide range of categories, including health, style and beauty, lifestyle, sports, finance and business, cars, entertainment, food, hobbies, home and garden, kids and parenting, news and politics, outdoors, science and tech, and travel.
Both past and current issues from a number of magazines are included. Based on a spot check, past issues seem to be available from March 2018 on, so no magazine is offering a full collection of past content. March 2018 is when Apple purchased Texture, the service that Apple News+ evolved from.
New issues of some magazines in Apple News+ are using a proprietary formatting designed just for Apple News+. It puts a table of contents right up front so you can see what articles are included and skip right to what you want to read, and it also supports full screen interactive media and other digital-first features.
Some magazines have not been updated with this new format and their issues are plain PDFs that you can swipe through with none of these new features. All older issues even from magazines that do support the new Apple News+ digital format are also in PDFs.
PDFs display all of the available pages in a magazine, but you'll essentially need to swipe through most of the magazine to see the specifics of what's available.
Subscribing to a Magazine
To add a magazine to the My Magazines section of Apple News and follow it, you need to search for it using the Apple News search interface and then tap on the heart button to favorite it. This will ensure that the magazine is displayed in the My Magazines section. If you've read a magazine that you've not hearted, it may still temporarily show up in the My Magazines section.
As of iOS 12.3 and macOS Mojave 10.14.5, you can also subscribe to a publication to follow directly from the Apple News+ catalog view by tapping on the "Follow" button.
Any magazine that you follow (aka have added a heart to) will be automatically downloaded to your device when a new issue is available.
Downloading a Magazine for Offline Reading
You can download any magazine in Apple News+ so that you can read it offline. When browsing through magazines, viewing new issues in the Apple News+ section, or looking at a magazine's overview with all of the available issues listed, tap on the little download icon next to any issue to make it available to read when you don't have a Wi-Fi or LTE connection.
All of your downloaded Apple News+ magazines can be found both offline and online in the My Magazines section.
Deleting a Magazine You've Downloaded
When Apple News+ launched, there was no option for deleting downloaded magazines, but Apple added the feature in iOS 12.4. To clear downloaded magazine issues, go to History > Clear > Clear All.
Apple News in the U.S., Canada, UK, and Australia continues to function as before for those who choose not to sign up for Apple News+. All of the content and news stories from your favorite news sites will still be available to read, you just won't get access to the magazines and paywalled content included in Apple News+.
For non-subscribers, there are essentially no changes to the Apple News app with the exception of a new Apple News+ tab to ignore. Apple News will continue to offer access to Top Stories, Trending Stories, and a feed of personalized news articles.
Existing Subscriptions
If you already subscribe to a magazine that's now offered in Apple News+, you'll probably want to cancel whatever subscription you have, whether it's through Apple or through another subscription service.
For some publications, like The Wall Street Journal, there is a possibility you'll want to keep the standalone subscription. While all of the WSJ's content is available in Apple News+, the app is only going to surface "general interest" articles, which could make it difficult to find the full range of content offered. WSJ archives also only persist for three days.
Printing
There is no built-in printing mechanism for the Apple News+ app, which makes it difficult to print copies of stories or get a printout of a recipe.
You can attempt to open a news story in Safari on the iPhone or iPad by tapping the three dot icon in the corner, choosing copy link, and pasting it into Safari. From Safari, you can tap on the share sheet button (square with an arrow) and then choose the "Print" option. It's worth noting that this method may not work for all articles, and it won't provide a print-friendly format.
Audio News
Apple News also comes with an audio news feature. Apple News editors release around 20 audio stories for per week across a wide range of interests, with stories narrated by professional voice actors. Apple News stories are limited to Apple News+ subscribers in the U.S.
Apple also released Apple News Today, a daily audio news briefing that recaps the news of the day. The feature is available Monday through Friday and is free for all Apple News users in the United States.
Local News
There's a curated local news experience available in the Bay Area, Houston, Charlotte, San Diego, San Antonio, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., where Apple provides coverage of topics important to local communities like dining and restaurants, weather, news and politics, and more.
Guide Feedback
See something we left out of our Apple News+ guide or have a question not answered here? Let us know in the comments or Send us an email here.
After upgrading to iOS 12.2, the newest version of iOS, AT&T users began seeing a "5GE" icon in place of "LTE" for their cellular connection.
This is AT&T's misleading name for an enhanced 4G LTE network, and as explained in the guide below, is not actual 5G connectivity.
Why am I seeing a 5GE icon?
According to AT&T, customers who upgrade to iOS 12.2 or later will see the "5GE" icon when connected to what AT&T is calling a 5GE network. This is an AT&T-only thing, so it's limited to AT&T customers.
It's also only showing up on iOS devices running iOS 12.2 or later, but the 5GE icon has also previously rolled out to some Android devices.
What is 5GE?
5GE, or 5G "Evolution" is the name that AT&T is using in areas where 4G LTE technologies like three-way carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO, and 256 QAM are available. These features making existing wireless networks faster, provided your smartphone supports them.
These are technologies that have already been in place on AT&T's network and networks from Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Your phone has probably already been connecting to AT&T's LTE networks with these capabilities even before AT&T added its 5GE icon.
AT&T, in fact, started rolling out support for these technologies in 2017, as did other U.S. carriers. AT&T says that in areas with these upgraded LTE technologies, customers can reach peak theoretical wireless speeds of up to 400 megabits per second, but in real-world usage that ends up being closer to 40 megabits per second.
These are LTE speeds that are available on many other carriers to customers using modern devices.
What's real 5G?
Real 5G networks offer much faster connection speeds and better performance. Carriers like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile are working on rolling out 5G mobile networks.
Actual 5G networks, when up and running with full coverage available, may be anywhere from 10 to 100 times faster than LTE networks. AT&T is working on true 5G, but it is not the same as the 5GE network being advertised.
So wait, my iPhone isn't connecting to a 5G network?
There are no iPhones in existence at the current time that are capable of connecting to a 5G network.
5G technology requires new modem hardware so until there is an iPhone with a 5G modem chip, no iPhones will work with 5G networks. Your current iPhone will not connect to 5G networks and will be limited to LTE.
I have an earlier version of iOS, will I see 5GE?
At this time, AT&T says that only devices running iOS 12.2 or later will display the 5GE icon. That doesn't mean your iPhone isn't taking advantage of AT&T's 5GE network, though, since the icon is merely cosmetic.
Where is 5GE available?
According to AT&T, "5GE" speeds are available in more than 400 markets, and by the first half of 2019, the upgraded LTE technology is expected to be available nationwide to more than 200 million customers.
Why is AT&T misleading customers?
AT&T's justification is that 5G technology "is an evolution" rather than a single event, which is a rather weak argument.
AT&T wants customers to know that they're on an upgraded LTE network with faster speeds than were possible a few years back ahead of the rollout of 5G, but using 5G terminology is an underhanded and confusing way of doing it. In short, it's a marketing tactic that's essentially designed to fool customers into thinking they're connecting to a faster 5G network, capitalizing on all the buzz around 5G technology right now.
Are other carriers using misleading 5G branding?
T-Mobile has made fun of AT&T's decision to call its LTE networks 5G, while Sprint has called it "blatantly misleading."
Verizon has taken out full page ads in major newspapers like The New York Times and has warned about the dangers of confusing terms.
"The potential for 5G is awesome, but the potential to over-hype and under-deliver on the 5G promise is a temptation that the wireless industry must resist."
"Verizon is making this commitment today: We won't take an old phone and just change the software to turn the 4 in the status bar into a 5. We will not call our 4G network a 5G network if customers don't experience a performance or capability upgrade that only 5G can deliver.
Sprint has also taken out full-page ads bashing AT&T's deception and has gone so far as to sue AT&T for the misleading branding. Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, the other three major carriers in the U.S., have no plans to introduce similarly confusing branding ahead of the rollout of 5G.
When will AT&T actually have a real 5G network?
Technically, AT&T has already started rolling out real 5G service in parts of 12 cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Fla., Louisville, Ky., Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Raleigh, N.C., San Antonio and Waco, Texas.
AT&T plans to expand real 5G coverage to additional cities that include Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose during the first half of 2019. AT&T's 5G networks are denoted by a "5G+" icon.
But remember, even with 5G networks available from AT&T, devices also need to incorporate 5G chips to use them.
AT&T is also confusingly rolling out another network feature called LTE-LAA, a second upgraded version of LTE with peak theoretical speeds of 1 gigabit per second.
The National Advertising Review Board recommended that AT&T discontinue its 5GE marketing claims because it could be misleading to consumers, but AT&T said that it "respectfully disagrees" with the decision and has no plans to remove the 5GE icon from smartphones because it's not considered advertising.
Some Android smartphone manufacturers, including Samsung, started releasing 5G smartphones in 2019. Carriers have also started rolling out 5G networks, but it will take several years for 5G to get off the ground and for coverage to spread across the United States.
Apple today held its first ever services-centric event, where the company introduced several new and upcoming service products with no hardware announcements at all.
It took Apple almost two hours to introduce Apple News+, Apple Arcade, Apple Card, and Apple TV+, but we've recapped the entire event in just six minutes for our readers who want a no-frills overview of everything Apple announced today.
The only service that's available today, Apple News+, is designed to provide access to hundreds of magazines and a handful of paywalled news sources for $9.99 per month. Everyone on a Family Sharing plan can access Apple News+ for that $9.99 per month fee.
Apple Card is a new credit card Apple's offering in partnership with Goldman Sachs. Starting this summer, you can sign up for an Apple Card right on the iPhone and start using it immediately for Apple Pay purchases. You can make digital payments with Apple Pay using the card, but for non-Apple Pay payments, Apple is giving customers a slick titanium card with no visible credit card info like number and CVV (all of that info is in Wallet, though).
With Apple Card, you get 1% cash back for standard card purchases, 2% cash back for Apple Pay purchases, and 3% cash back for Apple purchases. Cash back is provided to you on a daily basis and you can use it for paying your balance, making purchases, or sending Apple Pay Cash in Messages. There are also unique budgeting and tracking tools for monitoring spending along with support via the Messages app. There are no fees, and Apple plans to offer low interest rates.
Apple Arcade is Apple's new cross-platform subscription gaming service that will provide access to more than 100 iOS games from publishers like Disney, Sega, LEGO, Cartoon Network, Konami, and more when it launches this fall in over 150 countries. Apple hasn't announced pricing, but an Apple Arcade subscription will include full access to all games with no additional in-app purchases necessary to unlock content.
Apple's final services announcement was Apple TV+, which will house all of the company's original TV content. Apple has more than a dozen original shows in the works from creators like Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, and Oprah. Pricing hasn't been announced because it's not launching till the fall, but Apple TV+ will be available in Apple's revamped TV app, coming in May.
The new TV app, which will be available on iOS devices, Apple TV, Mac (in the fall) and third-party Smart TVs from Sony, LG, Samsung, and Vizio, features better than ever recommendations built on machine learning and a new "Channels" option that will let you subscribe to and watch content from providers like Starz, Showtime, and HBO.
Below, we've rounded up all of our coverage from today's event if you missed it:
Apple today unveiled its rumored premium Apple News subscription service, Apple News+. Apple News+ provides access to more than 300 magazines and a handful of paywalled news articles from sites like The Wall Street Journal all for $9.99 per month.
Signing up for an Apple News subscription can be done in the U.S. or Canada on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 12.2. Here's how:
Open up the Apple News App.
Tap on the "News+" tab at the bottom of the screen.
Tap on "Get Started."
Choose "Try It Free" to initiate a trial subscription. You'll be charged $9.99 per month when the 30-day trial period ends.
From there, you'll have access to a new "My Magazines" section of the app where you can see featured magazines, browse the entire collection, or select from various categories like Cars, Entertainment, Food, Health, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Outdoors, and more.
There are a selection of stories that are curated by Apple's editors and organized to highlight specific articles.
Apple News+ magazines provide animated covers and a table of contents right up top so you can select the articles that are most interesting to you.
The rest of the Apple News interface features rich, full-screen imagery and a digital-optimized reading experience for key stories.
Cancelling your Apple News+ Subscription
If you want to cancel your Apple News+ subscription so you don't get charged $9.99 per month after your trial period ends, here's how:
Tap on the "Following" tab in the Apple News app.
Tap on "Manage Subscriptions."
Tap on "Cancel Free Trial."
Make sure you don't cancel your Apple News+ subscription until you've finished giving the service a try because Apple says that your service ends immediately if you hit the cancel button. We recommend setting a calendar reminder to cancel before 30 days is up if you want the full trial experience.
Apple News+ content can be read on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with iOS 12.2 or macOS 10.14.4 required. You can also sign up for an Apple News+ subscription using these same steps in the Apple New+ tab in the macOS Mojave app.
Apple today released macOS Mojave 10.14.4, the fourth update to the macOS Mojave operating system that first launched in September. macOS 10.14.4 comes more than two months after the release of macOS Mojave 10.14.3, a minor bug fix update.
macOS Mojave 10.14.4 can be downloaded by going to the "Software Update" section of System Preferences. The update is free for all Mac users who have a machine that supports it.
macOS Mojave 10.14.4 introduces support for the new Apple News+ subscription service that is designed to allow Apple News users to sign up for unlimited access to news and magazines for a monthly fee. The update also brings Apple News to Canada, allowing Canadian Mac users to access news stories in French, English, or both.
macOS Mojave 10.14.4 includes support for Safari AutoFill using Touch ID and it offers automatic dark mode themes in Safari. If you have Dark Mode enabled in Mojave, when you visit a website that has an option for a dark theme after installing the update, it will be activated automatically. Full release notes for the update are below:
The macOS Mojave 10.14.4 update adds support for Apple News+, includes bug fixes and improvements, improves the stability and reliability of your Mac, and is recommended for all users.
Apple News+ - Apple News+ is a new subscription service that extends to the Apple News experience with hundreds of magazines and top newspapers - Our editors handpick top articles and magazine issues, and you also get personalized recommendations on the topics most interesting to you - Automatic downloads make it easy to read magazine issues offline - Apple News is now available in Canada, with a free experience that includes handpicked Top Stories, a personalized Today feed, and support for both English and French - Apple News+ is available in the U.S. and Canada, with dozens of additional Canadian Magazines.
Safari - Adds Dark Mode support for websites that support custom color schemes - Streamlines website login when filling credentials with Password Autofill - Allows push notification prompts only after interacting with a website - Adds a warning when an insecure webpage is loaded - Removes support for the expired Do Not Track standard to prevent potential use as a fingerprinting variable; Intelligent Tracking Prevention now protects against cross-site tracking by default
iTunes - Shows more editorial highlights on a single page in the Browse tab, making it easier to find new music, playlists, and more in Apple Music
AirPods
- Adds support for new AirPods (2nd Generation)
More - Supports Air Quality index in Maps for US, UK, and India - Improves the quality of audio recordings in Messages - Supports real-time text (RTT for phone calls made through a nearby iPhone on Mac - Provides enhanced support for external GPUs in Activity Monitor - Fixes an App Store issue that may have prevented adoption of the latest versions of Pages, Keynote, Numbers, iMovie, and GarageBand - Improves the reliability of USB audio devices when used with the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini models introduced in 2018 - Corrects the default screen brightness for MacBook Air (Fall 2018) - Fixes a graphics compatibility issue that may occur on some external displays connected to a Mac mini (2018) - Resolves Wi-Fi connection issues that may occur after upgrading to macOS Mojave - Fixes an issue where re-adding an Exchange account may cause it to disappear from Internet Accounts - Fixes an issue where AOL passwords may be frequently requested in Mail
For additional details on macOS Mojave, make sure to check out our macOS Mojave roundup.
After installing iOS 12.2, some Apple Watch Series 4 owners in the UK are seeing new ECG screens that suggest ECG functionality will expand to the Apple Watch in the country when watchOS 5.2 is released.
MacRumors readers Sam and Chris have seen ECG setup screens in the Apple Watch and Health apps on the iPhone after installing iOS 12.2. The app is not, however, available on the Apple Watch in the UK right now because Apple hasn't yet released watchOS 5.2, which is likely required for the feature to work.
There's new documentation in the Health app in iOS 12.2 under ECG's "Instructions for Use" that also hints at upcoming support for the UK and other European countries:
For US Regions: The ECG app is available on Apple Watch Series 4 with watchOS 5.1.2 or later, paired with iPhone 5s or later or iOS 12.1.1 or later.
For non-US regions: The ECG app is available on Apple Watch Series 4 with watchOS 5.2 paired with iPhone 5s or iOS 12.2 or later.
There's also a new CE mark for the ECG feature in iOS 12.2 in the same document, which, as 9to5Mac points out, indicates that Apple may be planning to expand ECG functionality to all European Economic Area countries that use the CE certification mark.
It's not yet clear when Apple will launch watchOS 5.2, but with iOS 12.2 already available, it could be coming in the near future. Apple has not updated the list of countries where ECG features are available, but it could be changed once watchOS 5.2 sees a release.
Another reference to AirPower was discovered on Monday, this time in relation to Apple's new AirPods range. The photo below was sent to MacRumors and shows Apple's long-delayed wireless charging mat on the back of the box for the new Wireless Charging Case for AirPods, which Apple announced last week. The image has since been verified by other Twitter users who have received their charging case orders early.
The Wireless Charging Case packaging clearly shows the distinct pill-shaped outline of the AirPower charging mat externally powered by what appears to be a USB-C or Lightning cable, indicating that the yet-to-be-released device can be used to charge AirPods using the wireless-compatible charging case.
Apple launched its new second-generation AirPods on Wednesday, and customers who ordered them on the same day are expecting deliveries between March 26-27. The new AirPods are available with a wired charging case for $159 or with a Wireless Charging Case for $199. Apple is also selling the Wireless Charging Case separately for $79, so that existing owners of first-generation AirPods can charge their earbuds wirelessly using Qi-compatible charging mats. The new AirPods will be available at Apple Stores and select resellers later this week.
Last week, MacRumors uncovered what appears to be a new Apple product image of the AirPower with an iPhone XS and the new AirPods with Wireless Charging Case on it. MacRumors has also uncovered evidence to suggest that Apple has secured the rights to the AirPower trademark in the United States.
AirPower is designed to charge multiple Apple devices at once, including the iPhone 8 and newer, Apple Watch Series 3 and newer, and AirPods when they are placed in the new optional wireless charging case.
Last week, CNET shared a new rumor suggesting Apple is working on a pair of wire-free Powerbeats Wireless Earphones designed for workouts, similar in design to the AirPods. Today, those new earbuds, called the Powerbeats Pro, were spotted in iOS 12.2.
The iOS 12.2 update, which was released following Apple's event, has an image of the Powerbeats Pro discovered by 9to5Mac, giving us our first glimpse at what Apple's Beats-branded wire-free earbuds will look like.
The Powerbeats Pro show no wire between them and are housed in a Beats-branded charging case that will provide power and a place to store the Powerbeats when not in use. It appears the Powerbeats Pro will be available in both black and white.
It's not clear when Apple plans to release the Powerbeats Pro, but with imagery available in iOS 12.2, they could come relatively soon.
CNET says the new earbuds could include the H1 chip that's in Apple's recently released second-generation AirPods, and while not mentioned, it's possible the Powerbeats will also support wireless Qi charging.
The new Powerbeats could also offer better bass and water resistance than the AirPods, as well as the ability to stay in the ears during rigorous activity.
If that's the case, the Powerbeats could also be compatible with the long-awaited AirPower, which rumors suggest is supposed to be launching soon.
There's no word on what the new Powerbeats will cost. Apple priced the new AirPods with Wireless Charging Case at $199, and current Powerbeats also cost $199, so the price could stay the same or increase to match the AirPods price increase.
Alongside the iOS 12.2 update that was introduced following Apple's services-focused "It's Show Time" event, Apple has also debuted a new 12.2 software update designed for the HomePod.
The new HomePod software will be installed automatically on the HomePod after you update to iOS 12.2, but you can also manually update and check your software version by following the instructions in our HomePod software how to.
According to the release notes for the update, the new software for the HomePod is minor in scale and designed specifically for university or enterprise users.
iOS 12.2 includes support for joining most enterprise or university campus 802.1x networks that do not require unique credentials to join.
There are no other features that appear to be included in the HomePod update. Right now, the HomePod is available in the United States, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Mexico, China, and Hong Kong. For more details, make sure to check out our HomePod roundup.
Following the announcement of Apple's upcoming revamped TV app and new Apple TV+ subscription service for original content, Apple today updated the branding on its fourth-generation 2015 1080p Apple TV set-top box, renaming it "Apple TV HD."
The new Apple TV HD is being offered alongside the more expensive Apple TV 4K, which is the fifth-generation Apple TV released in 2017.
Apple has continued selling the 32GB $149 fourth-generation Apple TV alongside the 4K model for those who don't need 4K content. The Apple TV 4K is $30 more expensive, starting at $179 for 32GB of storage.
Both the Apple TV 4K and the rebranded Apple TV HD will provide access to the revamped TV app, which will house Apple's upcoming Apple TV+ subscription service for its original content and offer access to TV "Channels" right within the TV app.
With the redesigned TV app, you won't need to swap between different TV apps to access your favorite shows, as your subscriptions to services like HBO, Starz, SHOWTIME, CBS All Access, Smithsonian Channel, EPIX, Tastemade, and Noggin and will let you watch content from those services in the TV app. If you're not already a subscriber, you can even subscribe to those "Channels" in the TV app.
Apple TV Channels will be limited to a handful of cable channels at launch, though Apple plans to add more in the future. Hulu and Netflix will not be participating, so you will still need to open up the Hulu and Netflix apps to watch that content.
The updated TV app will be even better at recommending content to you that you might want to watch, and it will incorporate more than 150 streaming apps, including Amazon Prime, Hulu, and all of the Apple TV Channels for personalization and content recommendation purposes. As mentioned above, some of the content will be watchable right in the TV app, while other content will bring you to a third-party app.
The TV app will be home to Apple's TV+ service, which is launching this fall. TV+ will offer up access to all of Apple's original programming, and the company has more than 30 shows in the works.
Apple plans to introduce its revamped Apple TV app through an iOS and tvOS update coming this May. Apple also plans to bring the TV app to the Mac this fall.
Apple today held a services-focused event at its Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, where it unveiled several new services including Apple News+ for subscription news and magazines, Apple TV+ for original TV content, Apple Arcade for App Store games, and Apple Card, a new Apple-branded credit card with special capabilities in wallet.
During the event, Apple showed several videos, all of which have now been uploaded to Apple's YouTube channel. From the opening TV credits video to the ending video with Oprah, everything announced is summed up in these videos.
Of all of the services that Apple announced today, the only one that's available now is Apple News+. You can get Apple News+ after updating to iOS 12.2, which was just recently released. The other services will be available later this year.
The full livestream of Apple's event today can also be re-watched on the Apple Events website, and Apple will likely upload a version to YouTube in the near future.
Apple today released tvOS 12.2, the fifth update to the tvOS 12 operating system designed for fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 12.2 comes more than two months after the launch of tvOS 12.1.2.
tvOS 12.2, a free update, can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System --> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to tvOS 12.2 automatically.
tvOS 12.2, when paired with iOS 12.2, is designed to allow users to ask Siri to play specific media on an Apple TV from an iOS device. You can, for example, ask Siri to play Modern Family on the TV in the living room, or Pitch Perfect on the TV in the bedroom. This feature is available for music, TV shows, and movies.
No other new features were discovered during the tvOS 12.2 beta testing period, and because Apple does not provide release notes for tvOS updates, it is difficult to determine what else might be new in the operating system.
tvOS updates are often minor in scale, however, so the update may primarily focus on bug fixes and other small changes rather than major new features.
Apple today released iOS 12.2, the second major update to the iOS 12 operating system that first launched in September 2018. iOS 12.2 comes more than a month after the release of iOS 12.1.4, the last iOS 12 update, and just after Apple's March 25 event that saw the unveiling of new subscription services.
The update is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update. As with all iOS updates, iOS 12.2 is free to download. It may take some time for iOS 12.2 to propagate to all iOS users.
iOS 12.2 is a significant update to iOS and adds a multitude of new features. First and foremost, the iOS 12.2 update introduces support for the new Apple News+ subscription service, allowing Apple News subscribers unlimited access to news and magazines for a monthly fee.
For Canadians, iOS 12.2 brings Apple News to Canada for the first time, expanding it beyond the United States, the UK, and Australia. Canadians can access news in either French or English.
There are four new Animoji in iOS 12.2, including a boar, a shark, a giraffe, and an owl. The new Animoji are available in the Messages and FaceTime apps.
iOS 12.2 lays the groundwork for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support on third-party TVs from companies like LG, Sony, and Samsung, with these features set to be implemented later this year. These changes include updates to the Home app to add TV access, and a redesigned TV remote in Control Center that takes up the full iPhone screen and has a darker color. Apple has also introduced a new option for "Allow TV Access" to control who can access and send content to your TV.
When paired with tvOS 12.2, iOS 12.2 brings a new feature that lets you ask Siri to play specific TV shows, movies, and music on devices like third-party TV sets and the Apple TV.
For AT&T users, iOS 12.2 introduces a new "5G E" icon for the cellular signal, replacing the standard LTE icon. This is misleading branding from AT&T because the iPhone does not support 5G, nor is the network AT&T calls 5G E actual 5G. Instead, it's an upgraded version of LTE, with more info available here.
Apple has streamlined the interface of the Wallet app ahead of upcoming support for an Apple credit card made available through a partnership with Goldman Sachs. The Apple credit card could have unique Wallet features like rewards tracking, access to balance management tools, notifications about spending habits, and options to set spending limits.
New Wallet app on left, old Wallet app on right
There are dozens of smaller changes and tweaks in iOS 12. The Downtime feature can be customized by day, the Apple News, AirPlay, and Control Center Remote icons have been designed, and audio messages in the Messages app are now higher quality thanks to a new codec.
In iOS 12.2, audio messages use an updated Opus codec for higher quality audio
With Apple Pay Cash, there's a new "Add Money" option in Wallet that makes it easier to add funds, and in Safari, there are now search arrows for getting targeted search results more quickly when conducting a Google search. All websites that do not use a secure HTTPS connection are listed as "Not Secure" in the Safari menu bar, and there is a new Air Quality setting in Apple Maps.
Safari privacy is improving in iOS 12.2 with a new Motion & Orientation toggle located under Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security. Turning this on will let websites display content that relies on motion data from the accelerometer and gyroscope. Improvements have also been made to the Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature and support for the outdated opt-in Do Not Track option has been eliminated.
Apple has updated the "About" screen in the Settings app to more logically display relevant information, and Siri is now able to suggest Today at Apple sessions based on Safari and app usage if you have the Apple Store app installed. You'll also be able to see warranty information right on your device in the Settings app.
In a recent episode of Vergecast, The Verge's Nilay Patel said that iOS 12.2 will bring iPad Pro support to the Logitech Crayon, an alternative to the Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil 2. Following the update, the Logitech Crayon will be compatible with iPad Pro models.
Apple's full release notes for the iOS 12.2 update are listed below, with all new features and included bug fixes:
iOS 12.2 provides support for Apple News+, adds the ability for Siri to play videos from your iOS device to Apple TV, and includes four new Animoji. This update also includes bug fixes and improvements.
Apple News+ - Apple News+ is a new subscription service that extends the Apple News experience with hundreds of magazines and top newspapers Our editors handpick top articles and magazine issues, and you also get personalized recommendations on the topics most interesting to you Automatic downloads make it easy to read magazine issues offline - Apple News is now available in Canada, with a free experience that includes handpicked Top Stories, a personalized Today feed, and support for both English and French - Apple News+ is available in the U.S. and in Canada, with dozens of additional Canadian magazines
Siri - Ask Siri on your iPhone or iPad to play any video, show, movie, sports game, or channel on Apple TV. For example, “Hey Siri, play Free Solo on my TV”
Animoji - Four new Animoji—owl, boar, giraffe and shark—are included for iPhone X and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) and iPad Pro 11-inch
AirPlay - Dedicated TV controls in Control Center and on the Lock Screen give you quick access to TV controls - AirPlay multitasking for video allows you to browse other apps, as well as play other short form audio and video files locally on your device without interrupting AirPlay - AirPlay destinations are now grouped by content type making it faster for you to find what device you want to play to
Apple Pay - Apple Pay Cash customers can now transfer money to their bank accounts instantly using their Visa debit cards - Wallet app now conveniently displays Apple Pay credit and debit transactions right below the card
Screen Time - Downtime can be configured with a different schedule for each day of the week - A new toggle enables easily turning app limits on or off temporarily
Safari - Website sign-in now occurs automatically after filling credentials with Password AutoFill - Warnings now appear when loading unencrypted webpages - Removes support for the expired Do Not Track standard to prevent potential use as a fingerprinting variable; Intelligent Tracking Prevention now protects against cross-site tracking by default - Smart Search Field queries can now be modified by tapping the arrow icon next to search suggestions
Apple Music - The Browse tab shows more editorial highlights on a single page making it easier to discover new music, playlists, and more
AirPods - Support for new AirPods (2nd generation)
This update also includes other improvements and bug fixes. This update: - Supports Air Quality Index in Maps for US, UK, and India - Includes information in Settings on how much time remains on your device’s warranty period - Supports real-time text (RTT) for phone calls made through a nearby iPhone on iPad and iPod Touch - Displays a "5G E" icon for iPhone 8 and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) or iPad Pro 11-inch indicating that users are in an area where AT&T’s 5G Evolution network is available - Improves quality of audio recordings in Messages - Improves stability and performance of Apple TV Remote on iOS - Fixes an issue that prevented some missed calls from appearing in Notification Center - Addresses an issue where a badge notification could appear on Settings even though no action is needed - Addresses an issue in Settings > General > iPhone Storage where the storage size of some large apps, the System category, and the Other category in the storage bar graph could be incorrect - Fixes an issue that could cause Voice Memos to automatically play back recordings after connecting to a car Bluetooth device - Resolves an issue that could cause Voice Memos to temporarily prevent renaming a recording
iOS 12.2 could be one of the last significant updates that we see to the iOS 12 operating system as Apple's focus will shift to iOS 13 after the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to take place on June 3.
Apple today announced its TV subscription service, Apple TV+, at the Steve Jobs Theater in California. This is the long-rumored service that will host Apple's original television shows and films, and be located within the revamped Apple TV app.
Apple says that Apple TV+ will be the home for "the world's most creative storytellers," and it will feature original TV shows, movies, and documentaries. As we've learned over the past few months, original content partners include Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, J.J. Abrams, Jason Momoa, and more.
“We’re honored that the absolute best lineup of storytellers in the world — both in front of and behind the camera — are coming to Apple TV+,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.
“We’re thrilled to give viewers a sneak peek of Apple TV+ and cannot wait for them to tune in starting this fall. Apple TV+ will be home to some of the highest quality original storytelling that TV and movie lovers have seen yet.”
Apple says that the service will launch in fall 2019, and that pricing for the subscription service will be announced at that time.
