Super Mario Run will receive its "biggest update ever" later this week, according to a sneak peek shared on the App Store this weekend.
A new gameplay mode called Remix 10 will include a set of 10 super-short sections from Super Mario Run's existing levels in quick succession. The stages are remixed with each attempt, with rainbow-colored bonus medals throughout.
Remix 10 has no Game Over screen, and even if you fail to complete a level, you'll just proceed to the next one without any penalty. This means new players can familiarize themselves with a variety of different levels easily and experts can attempt to collect every bonus medal for a perfect rating.
Finishing stages and collecting medals in Remix 10 mode gives players the chance to collect new items to decorate their Mushroom Kingdom, and eventually rescue the newly added character Princess Daisy.
Once rescued, Princess Daisy can be used as a playable character in all of Super Mario Run's other gameplay modes.
Daisy's special ability is to perform a double jump, opening up a brand new way to beat the stages you find trickiest, collect the coveted black coins, or race against other players in Toad Rally.
Super Mario Run will gain a brand new world called World Star, which has nine new levels that are unlocked once players have finished all of the existing stages in the six worlds of the World Tour.
These new levels are filled with new enemies, gameplay mechanics, and of course include pink, purple, and black coin-collecting challenges. Nintendo is promising surprises for even the most seasoned Super Mario Run players in this one.
The update will also allow Super Mario Run to be played while listening to any music in the background, rather than the game soundtrack only.
The update will be available on the App Store [Direct Link] on Friday, September 29, and on the same day, the $9.99 in-app purchase that unlocks the full game will be discounted by 50 percent for two weeks.
About the Game
Super Mario Run is a runner designed for one-handed gameplay. Mario runs forward automatically as players tap to jump, collect coins, pounce on Goombas, avoid obstacles, and reach the flagpole at the end of each course before the timer runs out. In the end, Mario must rescue Princess Peach from the infamous Bowser.
Pioneer has informed customers it has discovered an incompatibility between iOS 11 and AppRadio Mode on certain in-dash receivers it sells.
If you connect an iPhone or iPod touch that has been updated to iOS 11 and launch AppRadio Mode, you will experience a blank screen or other display malfunction that disables AppRadio Mode, according to the company.
Pioneer said it is working to resolve the issue and will update a notice posted on its website once firmware updates for the receivers are available. For now, the only solution to maintain compatibility is to remain on iOS 10.
AppRadio Mode is Pioneer's own interface for running over 30 compatible smartphone apps, browsing the web, navigating, and listening to music, podcasts, and internet radio through your car's speakers.
Pioneer's list of affected models include many AVH, AVIC, and SPH receivers, some of which double as aftermarket CarPlay systems.
With the new LTE Series 3 Apple Watches now out in the wild, we got our hands on one of the new devices to give MacRumors readers a closer look at its design, features, and improvements compared to previous-generation Apple Watch models.
In the video below, we took a look at one of the new 42mm Aluminum Sport models connected to the AT&T network.
Design wise, the new Apple Watch LTE models are almost identical to the Series 2 models, with the exception of a 0.25mm thicker back glass that houses the heart rate sensors and the glaringly red Digital Crown that denotes its LTE status.
That red Digital Crown definitely stands out, and it's kind of a love it or hate it aspect of the new Apple Watch.
Inside, the Apple Watch Series 3 is sporting an upgraded S3 processor, and this thing is fast. It's noticeably quicker than the Series 2 Apple Watch and if you're coming from a Series 0 or a Series 1, you're going to see some serious speed gains.
Quite a few new LTE Apple Watch owners have been running into activation issues trying to get their new devices set up, but we had no problems getting it connected to the AT&T network and up and running. When using cellular, it's going to drain a decent amount of battery, so while this watch can work without an iPhone, you're still going to want one around at least some of the time.
The Series 3 Apple Watch can be purchased from the online Apple Store and Apple retail stores around the world starting today. There are both LTE and non-LTE models available, with LTE models starting at $399 and non-LTE models starting at $329. LTE models are largely sold out and harder to come by, so you may need to wait a few weeks to get your hands on one.
It's officially iPhone launch day, and MacRumors videographer Matt stopped by the Palo Alto Apple Store this morning to pick up some new products to test out. After running into Apple CEO Tim Cook and COO Jeff Williams, who were also hanging around the store, Matt walked away with a Space Gray iPhone 8 and a Gold iPhone 8 Plus.
Matt went hands-on with both products to give MacRumors readers still on the fence about purchasing a chance to see them up close.
Apple's Gold iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are using a new shade of the color that's almost a meld of last year's Gold and Rose Gold shades. It's a rosier color with more red in it than past iPhone models, and it looks great paired with the glass body. The Space Gray is a darker shade that's almost similar to the Matte Black of the iPhone 7, and it too looks great with that shiny glass finish.
Because of the glass body, the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus are heavier than past iPhones, but at the same time, easier to hold, both due to small thickness increases and the grip of the glass itself.
With the new speaker enhancements, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are loud, and the True Tone display looks different, but it's not a major change over previous-generation devices.
Apple's iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are available for purchase starting today online and in Apple retail stores around the world. The iPhone 8 starts at $699, while the iPhone 8 Plus starts at $799.
In iOS 12 and earlier versions of iOS, Siri analyzes your app use, browsing history, emails, messages, contacts, and information from third-party apps to provide customized suggestions for searches, Look Up, News, Photos, and more.
Siri syncs this information across all of your devices to provide a more personalized experience, and this information is also anonymously sent back to Apple to "make your searches more relevant."
All of this information is encrypted, but you may not want to use the feature because of privacy issues or you may not want certain apps showing up on your device. For that reason, Apple has expanded privacy controls so you can customize Search and Siri Suggestions to your liking.
How to Disable Siri Suggestions for Individual Apps
If you want to use Siri Suggestions but don't want certain apps to show up as suggested content, you can disable them on an app by app basis. This feature was introduced in iOS 11 and it keeps sensitive apps from showing up in suggestions, searches, and more across your operating system.
Open the Settings app.
Scroll down to Siri & Search and tap it.
Scroll down to see a list of all of the apps that work with the feature.
Select each app you don't want to show up in search and Siri suggestions.
Tap the Siri & Suggestions button to toggle it off.
When you disable apps, information from those apps will not show up in Search, Look Up, and Keyboard as you use your iOS device. So, for example, if I disable the Files app, content stored in my Files app will no longer come up in a search or anywhere else.
In the screenshot below, I have Files enabled for Siri and Search Suggestions on the left, and on the right, I've disabled the feature. As you can see, content from the Files app no longer shows up.
You can toggle off any of your installed apps to prevent their data from being displayed when you search, use the keyboard, and ask Siri questions.
Siri will ignore disabled files but will continue to learn your preferences from enabled apps and show content from those apps, which is probably how most people will prefer to use this feature. For a full lockdown, though, disable your apps and turn off Siri Suggestions entirely.
How to Turn Off Siri Suggestions Entirely
If you don't want to use Siri suggestions at all, there are three simple toggles for turning it off.
Open the Settings app.
Scroll down to Siri & Search and tap it.
Scroll down to Siri Suggestions.
Toggle off Suggestions in Search.
Toggle off Suggestions in Look Up.
Toggle off Suggestions on Lock Screen.
With these two settings toggled off Siri will not provide personalized suggestions when you search for things, and your data will not be anonymously sent to Apple to power the Siri features. Note that Siri will still bring up apps installed on your devices in search and other areas -- this just disables the feature that lets Siri learn your preferences and send data to Apple.
To keep apps from showing up entirely, you'll need to use the individual app settings, as outlined above.
Preventing Siri Suggestions From Sending Your Location to Apple
In some cases, Siri Suggestions sends the location of your device to Apple alongside your search queries so Apple can provide more relevant recommendations. You can keep your location from being sent to Apple by disabling a specific Location setting.
Open the Settings app.
Choose Privacy.
Tap Location Services.
Scroll down to System Services and tap it.
Scroll down to Location-Based Suggestions and toggle it off.
Siri Suggestions is a useful feature so most people won't want to toggle it off completely (and it is completely private -- Apple encrypts and anonymizes all data) but being able to prevent individual apps like Safari, Mail, and others from showing up lets you customize your results for a more streamlined experience and it prevents anything you don't want to see from popping up unexpectedly.
As customers around the world begin to unbox their new Apple Watch Series 3 models, some early adopters have started to share their first impressions and unboxings of the device in the MacRumors discussion forums.
Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE shared by MacRumors reader gatorknight904
We've already seen Apple Watch Series 3 reviews from the media, but opinions shared by regular customers can provide additional insight. We've rounded up some of the comments below, which we've edited very slightly for clarity.
While there appear to be some early activation issues, particularly for AT&T and Verizon customers, those who have been able to set up their Apple Watch Series 3 are generally impressed with LTE connectivity and call quality.
"LTE seems to be working great here in Dallas-Fort Worth On AT&T," said MacRumors forum member gatorknight904.
"Agreed," replied MacRumors forum member 3goldens. "I've had no issues whatsoever."
In the Apple Watch Series 3 pre-order thread, several MacRumors readers have shared unboxing photos of their new Apple Watch Series 3 models. Others are still patiently waiting for couriers like UPS or FedEx to arrive.
There is a general sense of excitement throughout the entire discussion topic, with many customers upgrading from an original Apple Watch.
"I have to say, this thing is super fast," said MacRumors forum member roncito. "Way faster than I thought, even coming from my first-generation Apple Watch. And the screen is bright too. I love my Apple Watch all over again!"
"Just picked mine up from my local Apple Store," wrote MacRumors forum member virginblue4. "I haven't done much with it, but there is a definite noticeable speed improvement. Also loving the red crown!"
Unsurprisingly, the red Digital Crown that differentiates the Apple Watch Series 3 with built-in cellular is a subjective matter.
"I must say that the red dot on the Digital Crown sure sticks out like a sore thumb," opined MacRumors forum member largefarrva. "Was hoping it would be a little more subdued in person, but it doesn't appear to be the case."
Apple Watch Series 3 unboxed by MacRumors forum member puckhead193
MacRumors forum member rstark18 said he recently purchased an Apple Watch Series 2, but he plans to return it now, as he purchased an Apple Watch Series 3 and found it better delivers the watch experience he was expecting.
I picked up an aluminum Apple Watch Series 2 last week when they went on sale because I didn't want an LTE watch and I liked the idea of the sapphire back. It was my first Apple Watch, and honestly I wasn't that impressed. I liked it, but everything seemed a little slow to me. I guess I'm used to the iPhone 7 being nice and snappy. I decided to place an order for an Apple Watch Series 3 and compare the two. If they seemed similar then I'd just keep the Series 2 and return the Series 3. […]
The Series 3 is noticeably much faster. On the Series 2, when I would swipe watch faces, it seemed to lag and sometimes take a few swipes to move to the next face. With the Series 3, it is super fast and smooth. Opening any app is almost instantaneous.
This is the watch experience I was expecting. I will be returning the Series 2.
If you have an iPad Pro, there's a new feature in iOS 11 that's designed to let you open up a new document in Notes just by tapping the Apple Pencil on the iPad's display.
The feature, Instant Notes, works even when the iPad is locked, so you can pick up the iPad and get right to writing without having to go through the hassle of unlocking the device, opening the Notes app, and creating a document.
Using Instant Notes
On a locked iPad, press the Home button or the sleep/wake button to activate the display.
Tap the Apple Pencil anywhere on the iPad's screen.
Once you've tapped the Apple Pencil on the display of a locked iPad, it launches straight into the Notes app, creating a new note for you (or allowing you to edit an existing note, depending on your settings).
Because the iPad is still locked when the Instant Notes Apple Pencil gesture is used, you can't access additional notes or any other apps until you unlock the device with Touch ID. In this locked mode, you can access all of the Notes features, including the pen tools, the document scanner, the camera, and the sketch tools.
Instant Notes can only be activated from the Lock screen on the iPad. When the iPad is unlocked, you'll need to access your Notes through the app or through the new Notes option in the Control Center.
Turning Off Instant Notes
If you don't want to allow the Apple Pencil to open the Notes app, you can turn off Instant Notes in the Settings app.
Open the Settings app.
Scroll down to Notes and tap it.
Choose "Access Notes from Lock Screen." The feature is toggled on by default.
Select "Off."
Adjusting Instant Notes Settings
You can also adjust your Instant Notes options in the Settings app. A tap with the Apple Pencil can be set to create a new note, resume the last note created on the Lock screen, or resume the last note viewed in the Notes app.
When using the two options to resume the last note created on the Lock screen or in the Notes app, you can also set time limits. For the "Resume Last Note Created on Lock Screen" option, you can choose to automatically create a new note instead of resuming after a set time period.
For the "Resume Last Note Viewed in Notes App" option, you can set a time limit after which a passcode will be required to view the note. This makes sure someone who gets a hold of your iPad can't access sensitive data.
An Apple Pencil is required to activate Instant Notes, so it only works with iPad Pro models including the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
As customers around the world begin to receive their new iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus today, some early adopters have turned to the MacRumors forums to share their first impressions of Apple's latest smartphones.
iPhone 8 Plus in Space Gray shared by MacRumors forum member Veridis
We've already seen iPhone 8 reviews from the media, but opinions shared by regular customers can provide additional insight. We've rounded up some of the comments below, which we've edited slightly for clarity.
Many of the reviews complimented each device's new glass-backed design, which has drawn some comparisons to the iPhone 4.
• "Picked up my iPhone 8 Plus from Summit Mall in Akron, Ohio this morning," said MacRumors reader John. "Coming from the iPhone 7 Plus, I wasn't expecting a huge surprise, but I have to say the glass back is a thing of beautiful. Love the naked feel in my hand of the iPhone 8 Plus."
• "I really appreciate the glass back, as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 were just way too slippery, which made it impossible to use them without a case," said MacRumors forum member borgeindergaard, who said he purchased a space gray iPhone 8 Plus. "I can comfortably use the 8 Plus without a case!"
• "I am impressed," said MacRumors forum member cleebrown93, who said he purchased a gold iPhone 8 Plus. "I am happy with it. Camera is for sure improved. Speakers are clearer and louder. Glass back is a welcome change back from the iPhone 4. True Tone display works great. It is more of an iPhone 7s, but I still think it was worth it for those not interested in the iPhone X."
• "Upgraded from the iPhone 7," said MacRumors forum member ApplePersonFreak. "Love the glass back, and it's so zippy. For what I use my phone for, it works for me and is a great upgrade. Can't wait to use wireless charging eventually."
A few forum members are concerned the glass on their iPhone 8 isn't properly aligned. With millions of iPhones coming off the production line, it's common for a few to have manufacturing defects, but based on the pictures shared, it's hard to see much of any problem being described.
• "Love the glass back, but my phone's glass on the back is not seamless," said MacRumors reader Christian Terra. "The bottom right side feels sharp and raised compared to the rest of the back. I will probably take it to get replaced. I don't want issues with waterproofing or just placing my finger on a sharp edge, as I tend to go caseless."
• "Just had my iPhone 8 Plus delivered and I'm happy for the most part," said MacRumors forum member Macs4u. "Only issue I have is that if you look at the phone, the left top seems to have a little more gap between the glass and the aluminium than the right top. I don't know if that would decrease its waterproofness?"
MacRumors forum member Alexander.Of.Oz shared a few beautiful photos he shot with his iPhone 8 Plus—the first with the stock Camera app and the second with third-party app PureShot—but he did note some shortcomings.
Shot on iPhone 8 Plus with default Camera app
I took the first photo using the built-in Camera app with Portrait mode turned on and set to natural, then exported the image as a JPEG. I made the built-in camera expose for the highlights on the iris's pistil, where all the white and yellow is, and made it lock the exposure for that as I took the shot. As can be seen, it didn't cope very well with the highlights presented here—there's very little detail there and in other sections of the flower with whites present.
Shot on iPhone 8 Plus with PureShot app
I took the second image using the app called PureShot, which allows manual control of the camera. I used spot metering on the whites, selected where I wanted the focus to be, underexposed by a stop, and exported the image as a RAW file. PureShot does not have the portrait mode background blurring—the background here is what the lens actually sees. There's a lot more detail to this one, both in the darker and lighter regions, which gives a good indication of what the camera is actually capable of.
Many early adopters were also impressed with the new True Tone display on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
With True Tone, which debuted on iPad Pro, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus displays automatically adapt their color and intensity to match the color temperature of the light in the surrounding environment.
If you are standing in a dimly lit room with incandescent light bulbs, for example, the display would appear warmer and yellower. If you are standing outside on a cloudy day, the display would appear cooler and bluer.
• "True tone works as advertised and is a welcomed feature," said MacRumors forum member gmillz22.
• "Man, did I miss this on my iPhone 7," which doesn't have a True Tone display, said MacRumors forum member gui0312. "Having the 10.5-inch iPad Pro with True Tone was awesome, and now on the iPhone, it just completes the package. At least for me, this little thing makes a nice difference among others."
• "Got my space gray iPhone 8 Plus this morning," said MacRumors reader Keenan. "Really love it over the iPhone 7 Plus. The screen with True Tone is great and I love the glass back. The extra weight feels better in the hand. The pictures from the camera also seem a lot brighter than the iPhone 7 Plus."
• "So I upgraded from an iPhone 6s Plus to an iPhone 8 Plus," said MacRumors forum member Creep89. "I love the True Tone display. The only thing missing is the higher frame rate like on my iPad Pro."
iPhone 8 Plus in Silver shared by MacRumors forum member AintDutchNotMuch
MacRumors forum member AintDutchNotMuch gave an all-around positive review of the iPhone 8, in which he said he is impressed with its battery life, performance, louder speakers, cameras, and build quality.
I really love my iPhone 8 Silver 64GB. Battery life is amazing. Around 8 to 10% of battery loss in an hour of browsing, watching YouTube videos and taking pictures with brightness set at 50%. It's blazing fast, loud speakers which provide quality sound, great camera also in low light and the build quality is very good too. The glass back is grippy and it seems like it's made of a solid kind of glass too. Apple did a great job with this phone!
Not everyone was impressed with every aspect, or felt it is worth upgrading to, the iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus.
• "I got my iPhone 8 Plus this morning and I am moving from an iPhone 7 Plus," said MacRumors forum member earthdog. "Honestly, I am already struggling to find a good reason to keep it. The differences are so slight. I am going to use it over the weekend to see if I can justify the move. I really want to love it, but right now I just am not impressed."
Overall, however, those who aren't waiting for the iPhone X are mostly impressed with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Share your thoughts in our first impressions discussion topic on the MacRumors forums.
Apple Watch Series 3 models are being delivered across the United States and the rest of the world today, and as customers start attempting to activate their new LTE devices, some of them are running into serious setup issues.
On the MacRumors forums, several AT&T customers have received messages stating AT&T is not supported. Support reps seem confused about how Apple Watch activation works, with one rep telling MacRumors reader KG87 that his watch needs a new number.
I am having the same problem. I contacted AT&T and they said I need to have a new number created for the watch before it will work and I am almost certain that is not true.
I contacted AppleCare and they said that there are connectivity issues with the watch and the engineers are working very hard to get it fixed.
Basically, this is a nightmare scenario for Apple and we're left without the #1 reason we made this purchase.
Many of the affected AT&T customers have said the company seems to be having trouble activating watches not purchased directly through AT&T and have been spending quite a lot of time on the phone in an attempt to get the problem ironed out. Some customers are even being told to call back tomorrow. From MacRumors reader Greg:
I have been on the phone for quite a while today with AT&T, transferred over 10 times, only to be told that they can't activate watches today due to a system issue and to call back tomorrow. It seems to be gaining notice on reddit on the apple watch subreddit.
According to another AT&T support rep, customers who ordered an Apple Watch directly from Apple will not be getting them activated until tomorrow because they're missing key information Apple was supposed to send them.
Verizon users don't seem to be having as much trouble as AT&T users, but several have been told Verizon's systems aren't fully functional. Verizon is said to be doing maintenance to fix the problem and there's no estimate of when issues will be worked out. Many VZW customers may not be able to make phone calls due to the server issues.
T-Mobile customers also appear to be having significant issues, like MacRumors reader Jesse, who said he's spent several hours on the phone with T-Mobile trying to work out an authentication error with his social security number. "T-Mobile reps are completely unprepared for dealing with this issue today. Spent many hours on the phone with T-Mobile and Apple already. Apple claims this is T-Mobile issue," he told us.
T-Mobile customers have also been told the company is having system wide issues affecting the signal T-Mobile users are getting on the Apple Watch.
At least some of the activation issues are due to customers who have incompatible plans. AT&T customers with a grandfathered unlimited data plan, for example, are not able to use the Apple Watch Series 3, despite assurances from AT&T reps that the watch was compatible with the plan.
Across the pond, some EE subscribers in the UK are having the same activation problems, and EE reps are at a loss on how to help
I'm on EE and my Apple Watch wasn't connecting either so called EE and they did some checks and asked me to restart the watch but still no go. They can't figure it out either and said they are working on a fix from Apple as lot of EE customers are having issues. They did not have any problem with what type of contract I had with EE as I'm on a monthly 20GB for GBP21 plan.
Though some customers are having issues, others have been able to activate their LTE watches with no problems and have even said it's an easy process. For the subset of users running into issues, though, it's been a frustrating afternoon attempting to deal with Apple support and carrier representatives who are still struggling to figure out all the quirks and problems that come along with supporting a new device.
Update: Several AT&T customers with grandfathered unlimited data plans have been able get an Apple Watch Series 3 to work with their plans with the help of an AT&T representative. The Apple Watch can be set up as an independent wearable and then linked to the iPhone using NumberSync.
Apple originally debuted Live Photos in 2015, alongside the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, marking it as a feature that enhances the smartphone's photography with pictures that move when a user performs a 3D Touch on them. With the launch of iOS 11, Live Photos can now be edited in a few useful ways, and this guide will help you make a new key photo (which shows up first in your Photo Album), as well as explain how to add new animation effects to a Live Photo.
To begin, taking a Live Photo hasn't changed with the new iPhone software: simply open your Camera app, tap the circular Live Photos icon at the top center of the screen, and take a picture.
Making a New Key Photo
Open Photos.
Tap the "Albums" tab, then navigate to the Live Photos album to find your image.
Tap "Edit" in the top right corner of the image you select.
At the bottom of the screen, scrub through your Live Photo and find the exact spot you want for a new Key Photo.
Tap "Make Key Photo."
Tap "Done."
Changing a Live Photo Effect
Find the Live Photo you want to edit and select it.
From the center of the screen, swipe up.
Here you'll find three new Live Photo effects.
Choose Loop, Bounce, or Long Exposure.
Swipe down to see the effect in full screen.
Live Photos now have the full suite of editing options previously available to traditional still photos only, including: rotating, cropping, filters, and light and color balancing. You can also choose to mute the Live Photo (volume icon at the top left in edit mode), and automatically enhance it (wand icon at the top right in edit mode). Markup is one editing feature that does not support Live Photos, however.
After you choose a new Key Photo and find a new effect, you can replay your Live Photo like before by performing a 3D Touch action anywhere on the screen of an iPhone 6s device or later.
Last year when the iPhone 7 came out, we posted this article detailing some of the most graphically impressive games on the App Store to stretch the legs of the increasingly powerful GPUs inside of these devices. With today's launch of the iPhone 8, we've assembled another article that has been updated with some new games that will be great for pushing the limits of the iPhone 8.
Oddly enough, the Infinity Blade trilogy is still some of the best eye candy available on the App Store, and chances are if you've been an iOS gamer for a while now you own at least one of the Infinity Blade games if not all three. If you're looking for cool games for your iPhone 8, definitely hit up our list.
While a whole bunch of new iOS games were released this week, the iOS port of The Witness is without a doubt the biggest. Whether or not it's the best is up for discussion, as our 4.5 star review of the game has been far more controversial than we originally expected.
If this is the first you've heard of The Witness, a great way to describe the game is that it's a modern version of Myst from the creator of Braid. It takes place on a mysterious island filled with puzzles at every turn, and even the island itself is a puzzle. The Witness sells for $39.99 on every other platform it's on, but the same great game can be played on your iPad or iPhone for $9.99 — a pretty great deal, overall.
We've been following classic iOS games that are still in need of 32-bit updates, and when we had all but given up on 2K to update any of its titles (given how Bioshock was left to die on the vine), XCOM: Enemy Within gets updated. The entire XCOM series of games is pretty legendary in its own right, but it'd be easy to argue that Enemy Within is among the best strategy games (if not the best strategy game) available on the App Store.
We reviewed the game back when it was originally released in 2014, and it's really only gotten better over the years. XCOM really pushed 2014's iOS devices to the limit, but after a few years of hardware releases, the game just sings on modern devices like the iPad Pro. With a 64-bit update, it's reasonable to assume XCOMshould work until whatever the next massive compatibility event that happens in the world of iOS is, which hopefully is a few years off still.
Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story is another great game that hit the App Store this week. It's the sequel to A Normal Lost Phone which was a hit when it was first released (the original game is also now on sale for a buck). Both games are mysterious puzzlers with the basic premise of the player finding someone else's phone, and exploring the story by going through the various "apps" in the game.
It's an interesting feeling, as even though the text messages, emails, and other aspects of the games are all fake, playing at times seems oddly invasive as phones have evolved to be an ultra-private treasure trove of (in this case, made up) personal information that you're sifting through. Another game which does a similar thing but in a more hacker-ish setting is the Mr. Robot:1.51exfiltrati0n.ipa — all three are worth checking out.
The App Store is assembling an oddly complete collection of Phoenix Wright games, and this week Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice joined the rest of the titles available on mobile. The way these games are structured is the first episode is a buck, then the rest of the game's content is unlocked via a $15 IAP.
The Phoenix Wright series has been adored on Nintendo handhelds, and it's really cool being able to play them all on the iPhone. They all feature different legal mysteries which must be investigated, then argued in court. It's a super unique experience that you simply must try if you've never played one. It doesn't really matter too much what order you play them in, so you can just hop right into this most recent release.
Continuing right along with awesome games released this week is Crescent Moon Games' Morphite. The title has easily become the most anticipated game in the TouchArcade community, and so far it seems to deliver on the promise of being a mobile (and potentially better) spin on No Man's Sky. It's an open world planet exploration game where you wander around in a procedurally generated world completing missions, discovering civilizations, cataloging creatures, and a ton more. Morphitealso launching this week has made this one of the best weeks for iOS game releases in recent memory.
I've mentioned it a few times in these roundups, but the Minecraft: Pocket Edition "Better Together" update is now live. It adds full cross platform play between iOS, Android, Windows 10, Xbox One, and (eventually) the Nintendo Switch. Regardless of what platform you're on, you can play together with friends in the same world.
Also, in order to make cross-device play easier, the update also adds Invite Links to the game, custom URLs you can generate that are unique to your Realm and will allow friends who use them to jump straight into the world even if the owner isn't online. The mobile marketplace is also getting more stuff, bringing it in line with the features and functionality of the "full" versions of Minecraft on other platforms. I really wish more games were this friendly in regards to not caring what platform you're playing it on, as long as you're playing it.
We're still on the fence about the usefulness of ARKit in games, but if you're really itching for a cool AR game, the creators of Zombie Gunshipreleased Zombie Gunship Revenant, which uses whatever surface is nearby as the game world for your AC-130 to rain hell down upon. It's neat, but again, we've yet to really see an ARKit game that really does something truly amazing. As cool as Revenant is, all you're really doing is controlling the camera by moving your iPhone instead of swiping the screen with your finger.
That's about it for this week when it comes to the biggest stories in the world of iOS gaming. All of the games mentioned in this roundup come with strong recommendations from us, and you really can't go wrong with any of them. This is definitely one of those weeks that triples down on proving just how wrong people are when they say there are no good mobile games. Anyway, as usual, for all this and more be sure to stop by TouchArcade.com.
Alongside the launch of the new Apple TV 4K, which is in the hands of customers today, Apple has quietly updated its iTunes rental policy to extend the amount of time rentals can be watched.
In a support document that was updated today, Apple says customers have 30 days to start watching a movie after it's been rented. Once a movie is started, there's an additional 48 hours to finish the movie and/or rewatch it.
Apple's new 48 hour rental policy will be a welcome change for customers who often rent content from iTunes. Prior to today, customers only had 24 hours after starting a movie to finish it in the U.S., but the 48 hour limit has long been available in other countries.
Rented movies can be watched across multiple devices and downloaded on a single device, so customers can rent a movie, download it, and then watch it over the course of the next 48 hours. Apple says that even with downloaded movies watched offline, the 48 hour timer remains.
With the introduction of the 4K Apple TV, Apple has made many 4K movies available to rent or purchase at the same price as High Definition content. 4K content can't be downloaded, however, and is only available for streaming.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Pad & Quill to offer MacRumors a chance to win one of the company's high-quality leather cases designed for the new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.
Pad & Quill has a whole line of iPhone cases with a folio style that secures the iPhone in place, protects the display with a leather cover, and adds pockets to hold cash and credit cards. All cases are also compatible with the wireless charging features built into Apple's newest devices. Pad & Quill tested several iPhone 8 models with a range of wireless chargers and had success with each one.
The $109.95 Heritage Bella Fino wallet case for the iPhone X, for example, features a chocolate leather spine, vegetable tanned leather sides, and a slate gray leather interior. It uses adhesive to hold the iPhone X in place, so it's super slim while also offering leather card pockets and full access to cameras and ports.
Along with the Heritage case, Pad & Quill makes a standard Bella Fino case for iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus, priced at $70 to $80. This case is ready to go for new iPhone owners and is made from full grain American leather with a super slim profile that adds 0.28 of an inch to each side.
Pad & Quill's well-known classic Luxury Pocket Book is also available for iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus for $100 - $110. The Luxury Pocket Book holds the iPhone in place with a Baltic birch wood frame for extra protection, and encases it in a full grain American leather. It also features leather card pockets and an incredible build quality, like all of Pad & Quill's products.
Pad & Quill has iPhone 8 and 8 Plus cases available for immediate purchase, while iPhone X cases will be available in November P&Q cases are often expensive, but with this brand, you get what you pay for. Right now, Pad & Quill has a deal for $10 off any iPhone X case purchase with the promo code PQX.
We have five cases to give away to MacRumors readers. Winners will get to choose any Pad & Quill case for any iPhone model, including iPhone X, 8, 8 Plus, 7, and 7 Plus. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (September 22) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 29. The winners will be chosen randomly on September 29 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Apple this morning published a new iPhone 8 ad to its YouTube channel, highlighting eight things to love about the new device.
In the 46 second spot, set to the song "Namesake" by Tunde Olaniran, Apple lists the following features as reasons to get an iPhone 8:
- Most durable glass in a smartphone - Portrait Lighting (the new Portrait Mode feature) - Wireless charging with Qi inductive chargers - The A11, the smartest most powerful chip in a smartphone - The world's most popular camera - Water resistant - New Retina HD display with True Tone - Augmented Reality support
Apple's new iPhone 8 ad comes just as the device is launching. The iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus went on sale today, with pre-order customers receiving deliveries and retail stores beginning to offer the devices for purchase.
This is Apple's third iPhone 8 video, following two that were shown on stage during the September 15 keynote event. One of those videos described the iPhone 8 in 8 seconds, and the other was a 40 second unveiling video.
As he often does on product launch days, Apple CEO Tim Cook this morning stopped by the Apple Store in Palo Alto, California as customers gathered to purchase an iPhone 8, Apple Watch Series 3, or 4K Apple TV.
Cook had a few minutes to speak with CNBC, and he said that he's "thrilled" with what he's seeing on launch day. Some stores have sold out of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus he says, and many locations are out of the LTE Apple Watch Series 3 models.
"Here's what we're seeing right now. The watch with LTE -- the Series 3 Watch -- we are sold out in so many places around the world. And we're working really hard to meet demand. We've sold out of iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in some stores, but we've got good supply there. You can see what's going on here this morning -- I couldn't be happier."
Cook spent time mingling with friends and joining in on the staff tradition of cheering and waving to customers purchasing a new iPhone. "We really like what we're seeing," Cook said.
Cook also commented on the LTE issues plaguing the new Apple Watch, which have caused some major publications not to recommend the device for purchase.
"The issue is very minor, it will be fixed in a software update," Cook told CNBC. "It has to do with the handoff between Wi-Fi and cellular, and we'll fix that. It only happens in a rare number of cases. I've been using it for quite a while and it works great. So we're very happy about it."
The bug surfaced when reviewers got their hands on the Apple Watch Series 3 and noticed that it often wouldn't connect to LTE. It turns out, the watch is mistakenly joining unauthenticated Wi-Fi networks with interstitial agreement pages that can't be bypassed. Apple has said the bug will be fixed in an update, but has not given a timeline for the fix.
Despite Cook's positivity, some reports from around the world have suggested demand for the iPhone 8 is low. Reuters reported a "bleak turnout" in Australia and later said there was a "muted launch" in Asia.
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are in stock and available for launch day purchase in many stores around the world.
Target customers this morning began pointingout on Twitter, through tipster emails, and in our forums that their Apple Watch Series 3 orders have been delayed, unfortunately mirroring similar events that plagued many Target pre-order customers for the Series 2 model last year. The affected users were originally promised a delivery window surrounding today's launch day, or soon after, and Target has now pushed some orders back by weeks, landing between October 10 and October 13 for a few customers.
Target hasn't officially yet commented on the shipping delays. All customers affected appear to have pre-ordered the Series 3 device on or around September 15 (the first date they were available to pre-order), and were subsequently given delivery estimates for today's launch or early next week. One customer has canceled their Target order and ordered the Apple Watch Series 3 from Best Buy, with a delivery estimate of next week on Tuesday, September 26.
Last year both Target and Best Buy delayed the orders of many customers' Apple Watch Series 2 devices, and both companies ended up offering affected users a $50 gift card to use at each respective retailer's physical or online store. If delays are widespread again this year, it's possible that Target will offer some kind of compensation for those suffering from Series 3 delays.
@MacRumors Looks like Target didn’t learn their lesson from Series 2. Bunch of us who preordered Series 3 got delay emails this morning.
— Dima Spivak (@dimaspivak) September 22, 2017
Target explained in 2016 that it was facing delays in receiving Series 2 models from Apple at the time, leading to inventory shortages and slipping delivery estimates. When and if Target comments on the matter, we'll update this article with any new information.
There's an Emergency SOS feature built into iOS 11 that has hidden functionality -- it automatically disables Touch ID and makes it so your passcode has to be entered to unlock your iPhone.
Because it essentially shuts down the biometrics on your device, you can't be compelled by a police officer or malicious person to unlock your iPhone with a fingerprint, nor can your fingerprint be used to get into your device should you be unconscious after an emergency. On iPhone X, this also applies to Face ID.
Emergency SOS is enabled by default, and there's only one step to activate it: Press on the sleep/wake (Side) button of your iPhone five times in rapid succession. On the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus, instead of pressing the Side button five times rapidly, you hold down the Side button and one of the volume buttons at the same time. It's essentially a quick squeeze on either side of the device.
These gestures initiates a screen that gives you the option to power the iPhone off, make a call to emergency services, or access your Medical ID.
Though not expressly stated, once your iPhone is in this emergency state, Touch ID is disabled. You will, however, have to press the cancel button to get back to the Home screen, so it's not an entirely secretive process.
If you're using Emergency SOS to disable the lock screen and don't want to set the feature up to automatically call 911 when the sleep/wake button is pressed, make sure to disable Auto Call in the Settings app. Here's how:
Open the Settings app.
Scroll down to Emergency SOS.
Disable Auto Call.
With Auto Call disabled, pressing sleep/wake will bring up the aforementioned screen with the option to slide to make the emergency call. With Auto Call enabled, emergency services are called automatically when the sleep/wake button is pressed five times, following a five second countdown timer.
It's best to leave Auto Call on if you want to be able to get in touch with emergency services immediately should you be in danger.
While this feature was likely built to keep your iPhone secure in a situation where you might be incapacitated, it can also prevent authority figures from forcing you to unlock your device.
This is notable because there have been legal rulings where a defendant has been compelled to provide a fingerprint, but not a passcode. Most people will never need to disable Touch ID, but it's worth knowing the option is there should there be a situation where it is necessary.
iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X feature advanced cameras with a new Portrait Lighting feature that uses sophisticated algorithms to calculate how your facial features interact with light. That data is used to create lighting effects, such as Natural Light, Studio Light, Contour Light, and Stage Light.
In a new interview with BuzzFeed News reporter John Paczkowski, Apple says it studied the work of portrait photographers such as Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, and Johannes Vermeer, a seventeenth-century Dutch painter, to learn how others have used lighting throughout history.
"We didn't just study portrait photography. We went all the way back to paint," said Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller.
"If you look at the Dutch Masters and compare them to the paintings that were being done in Asia, stylistically they're different," said Johnnie Manzari, a designer on Apple's Human Interface Team. "So we asked why are they different? And what elements of those styles can we recreate with software?"
Apple said it took what it learned, went into its studio, and spent countless hours shining light on people from different angles.
"We spent a lot of time shining light on people and moving them around — a lot of time," Manzari added. "We had some engineers trying to understand the contours of a face and how we could apply lighting to them through software, and we had other silicon engineers just working to make the process super-fast. We really did a lot of work."
Schiller acknowledged that Apple aims to make a professional camera, ranked the best among smartphones in a recent review, but he added that the company also cares about what it can contribute to photography as a whole.
"We're in a time where the greatest advances in camera technology are happening as much in the software as in the hardware," Schiller said. "And that obviously plays to Apple's strengths over traditional camera companies."
Apple's software advancements allow anyone to simply pick up an iPhone and capture a high-quality photo, eliminating the learning curve that can come with a high-end DSLR camera from the likes of Canon or Nikon.
"It's all seamless; the camera just does what it needs to," said Schiller. "The software knows how to take care of it for you. There are no settings."
Both the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X rear cameras been advanced with larger, faster dual-lens sensors, new color filters, and deeper pixels. iPhone X also has optical image stabilization for both the wide-angle and telephoto lenses, the latter of which has a larger ƒ/2.4 aperture that lets more light in.
