MacRumors

T-Mobile and Sprint are said to be "close to agreeing" to terms regarding a deal that would merge the third and fourth largest United States wireless carriers together. People close to the deal told Reuters that Sprint parent company SoftBank would own 40 to 50 percent of the combined company, while T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom will gain the majority stake.

The terms of the deal are expected to be finalized by the end of October, "though talks may still fall through," the two sources said. Previously, U.S. antitrust officials told Sprint that a merger with another wireless carrier would face intense scrutiny because having four major carriers in the U.S. was important to maintaining a competitive market. During those talks a few years ago the situation of the companies was reversed -- since T-Mobile had yet to gain in popularity -- with Sprint seeking to acquire T-Mobile for more than $20 billion.

Now, those concerns are said to come into play again with regulatory scrutiny expected to face any deal between Sprint and T-Mobile "over concerns that the U.S. wireless market is becoming too concentrated."

T-Mobile US Inc is close to agreeing tentative terms on a deal to merge with peer Sprint Corp, people familiar with the matter said, a major breakthrough in efforts to merge the third and fourth largest U.S. wireless carriers.

Once terms are finalized, due diligence by the two companies will follow and a deal is expected by the end of October, though talks may still fall through, the sources said.

If the merger happens, the resulting company would have revenues topping $70 billion and more than 130 million subscribers, falling in line behind the two other major U.S. carriers -- Verizon and AT&T -- in terms of subscribers.

The combined company would be led by T-Mobile CEO John Legere, according to the sources, thanks to T-Mobile outperforming Sprint under his leadership. The new company would also undertake a "massive" effort to cut costs early on.

Netflix today updated its iOS app to add support for iOS 11 and Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR) video on compatible devices.

According to Netflix, Dolby Vision is available on iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, and the 12.9 and 10.5-inch iPad Pro models. Netflix's HDR content is also available on the new Apple TV 4K.

Netflix first promised to introduce HDR quality content for mobile viewing back in March, and support comes just as the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are launching.

HDR titles can be found on Netflix by searching for "HDR." There is a limited amount of HDR content available on Netflix, and much of it limited to Netflix-created television shows and movies.

To view HDR content, Netflix requires subscribers to have a premium plan, priced at $11.99. The $11.99 price provides access to HD and Ultra UD content along with the ability to watch on four screens at once and download videos on four phones or tablets.

Netflix can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

iOS 11 has introduced a simple blanket solution for those who want to hide text previews for all of their apps at one time, bringing about a quick remedy for anyone concerned about privacy on iPhone and iPad. In previous iterations of iOS, you could only toggle the "Show Preview" notification setting on or off for select apps, and the feature was largely exclusive to a few of Apple's own first-party apps, like Messages.

With iOS 11, that option has extended to individual third-party apps, and Apple has now introduced an overarching "Show Previews" toggle for all apps installed on your iOS device.

Hiding Text Previews for All Apps on the iOS Lock Screen

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap "Notifications."
3. Tap "Show Previews."
4. Tap "When Unlocked."

With this setting turned on, every app that you have notifications enabled for will appear on the Lock Screen, but without the actual content of the notification displayed. You can quickly make that content appear with a simple press (but not tap) of your finger on Home Button to activate Touch ID, unlocking your device and confirming it's you who wants to read the various messages.

If you choose "Never" in the same area of Show Preview settings, these notification previews won't show notification content even when the iPhone or iPad is unlocked.

watchOS 4 introduces an expanded Heart Rate app that's able to track your current heart rate, your resting heart rate, average heart rate while walking, and your recovery rate after exercising, providing more information about your overall health. It's also able to send alerts if it detects a heart rate above 120 when you're not exercising.

These features are available on the new Apple Watch Series 3 models and the Apple Watch Series 2 and Series 1 models that were introduced in 2016, but some of the features are not available original Apple Watch models sold in 2015.

As Twitter users discovered after downloading watchOS 4 earlier this week, the original Apple Watch is only able to display current heart rate with a much simpler interface for the heart rate app, with no sign of resting heart rate or average walking heart rate. The app does offer the heart rate graph with a tap on the display, though.

Apple discontinued the original Apple Watch in 2016 when the Series 2 was introduced, replacing it with the Series 1 Apple Watch. The Series 1 model is similar to the original Apple Watch, but features an upgraded S1P processor. The Series 2 Apple Watch uses an S2 processor, and the Series 3 Apple Watch uses an S3 processor.

Apple's Family Sharing feature allows you to share music, movies, apps, photos, and more with family members, and in iOS 11, Family Sharing extends to Apple's iCloud Storage plans.

When you purchase a 200GB or 2TB iCloud Storage plan, all members of your family can share the storage space. Depending on how many family members you have, family plans offer more storage at a better price than individual plans.

For example, a 50GB storage plan is priced at $0.99 per person. For two people, the $2.99 200GB plan offers each person an additional 50GB of storage for only $1 more.

How to Upgrade to a Family iCloud Storage Plan

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap on your Apple ID profile at the top of the app.
3. Choose "Family Sharing," the sixth option in the list.
4. Tap on "iCloud Storage" to bring up a notice about the new Family Sharing options.
5. Click "Continue" to choose a plan.
6. Pick a 200GB or 2TB plan.

You can also access the plan settings through the standard iCloud Storage menu in the Settings app, accessible by going to iCloud > Manage Storage after tapping on your profile.

How to Stop Sharing iCloud Storage With Family

You can sign up for a 2TB or 200GB storage plan and keep family members from accessing your storage space. Here's how:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap on your Apple ID profile.
3. Choose "Family Sharing."
4. Choose "iCloud Storage."
5. Tap on "Stop Sharing With Family."

How to Downgrade iCloud Storage

If you want to go back to a cheaper iCloud Storage option, downgrading is as simple as choosing a new plan. New rates won't kick in until the next billing period.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap on your Apple ID profile.
3. Choose "iCloud."
4. Tap on "Manage Storage."
5. Choose "Change" under the iCloud Storage option.
6. Select a 5GB or 50GB plan to downgrade.

It's important to note that there's no way to allocate how much storage each person gets when using one of Apple's new iCloud Storage plans for families, so it's not always an even split. If a family member is hogging too much space, that's a problem that will need to be worked out offline. You can see how much storage each family member is using by going to profile > Family Sharing > iCloud Storage.

When you choose a 200GB or 2TB storage plan and opt in to Family Sharing, family members who are on the free 5GB plan will be upgraded automatically and will begin using the family storage plan.

Family members who already have a paid plan will need to opt in to the family storage plan to transfer over from their own plans. If they want to have separate storage, your family members can continue to pay for their own plans and choose not to opt into the family plan.

To let your family know that you've signed up for a family iCloud plan, Apple offers an automatic iMessage alert that can be sent out to family members that lets them easily switch over to the family plan.

iOS 11 includes a new "Automatic Setup" feature, which is aimed at making it quicker to get a new device ready to use right out of the box. Automatic Setup streamlines the setup process for new iPhones and iPads, transferring over preferences, Apple ID and Wi-Fi info, preferred settings, and iCloud Keychain passwords.

Automatic Setup is not the same as restoring from an iCloud backup and it does not offer full device-to-device content transfer. After transferring settings using Automatic Setup, you will still need to transfer over app data by restoring from a backup, a step available after Automatic Setup is complete.

1. Power on your new device.
2. After choosing your language, you'll see a "Set Up Your iPhone (or iPad)" prompt.
3. When this appears, place your existing iOS device near the new device to initiate Automatic Setup.
4. Your existing device will show a pop up letting you know you can use Automatic Setup. Tap "Continue" to start.
5. An Apple Watch-style pairing image will appear on the new device, and you'll be instructed to scan it with the camera on your existing device.
6. In an area with decent lighting, hold the existing device's camera over the image to pair.
7. Enter the passcode from your existing device on the new device.
8. From there, all of your data starts transferring over to the new device.

After Automatic Setup, you'll need to go through the Touch ID, Siri, and Wallet setup processes, but your other information is synced over. An "Express Settings" feature further speeds up new device activation, automatically enabling Find My iPhone, location services, and analytics. If you don't want these options enabled, tap on "Customize Settings" to change them.

At this point, you can restore all of your apps and app data from an iCloud backup, or set a device up as new. You will need to use the iCloud backup step for a full content transfer from your old device to your new device as Automatic Setup is only for settings and bypassing some of the setup steps that can take several minutes.

To use Automatic Setup, both of the devices involved need to be running the iOS 11 update, so it's perfect for customers who are receiving an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus and have already upgraded their previous-generation devices to iOS 11.

Apple CEO Tim Cook this afternoon announced on Twitter that Apple plans to donate $1 million to recovery efforts in Mexico. "While there is life, there is hope," Cook wrote in the tweet announcing the donation.

On Tuesday, a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Central Mexico, causing widespread devastation in Mexico City and surrounding states. Hundreds of people died in the disaster as buildings and structures collapsed. The earthquake followed a magnitude 8.1-earthquake that hit the southern coast of the country earlier this month.

As of August, Apple had raised more than $3 million both through its own donations, donations from employees, and donations from customers, and on September 8, Apple donated another $5 million to Hand in Hand, a benefit held for hurricane relief. Apple is still accepting Hand in Hand donations through iTunes.

If you have an iPhone 8, Apple Watch Series 3, or Apple TV 4K scheduled for delivery tomorrow, be aware that Apple requires its courier partners like UPS and FedEx to collect a signature upon delivery since they are valuable items.

Fortunately, if you won't be home during the day, Apple offers the option of printing, filling out, and affixing a pre-signed notice to your door, allowing the courier to leave the package without someone being there to sign for it.

How to Pre-Sign for Delivery

1. Open your shipment notification email from Apple.
   
   

2. Click on the blue Pre-Sign for Delivery button.
   

3. Click on the gray Pre-Sign for Delivery button on Apple's order status page.
   
   

4. Check the "I accept the above terms and conditions" box and click the blue "Continue" button.
   
   

5. Click the blue "Print this page" button on the Release Authorization page.
   
   

6. Fill out the form with your complete address information and phone number.
   

7. Indicate whether you would like the delivery at the front door, back door, or somewhere else.
   

8. Print your first and last name, sign, and date the form.
   

9. Affix the form somewhere near the designated place of delivery.

There is also the option to authorize delivery to a neighbor or building manager, but the person must be present to sign for the package. If you prefer this option, make sure to include the person's address on the form.

To ensure that packages are not stolen once the courier leaves, all deliveries are subject to the discretion of the driver. If a delivery is not completed, the driver will leave a door tag detailing the steps you can take to receive your package.

As a point of emphasis, be aware that your shiny new products could be stolen before you get home, and Apple would not be responsible. For this reason, delivery to a back door or other obscure location, or to a neighbor, is the best option.

If you opt not to pre-sign at all, and the package arrives while you are away from home, the driver may attempt delivery again later or, as mentioned, leave a door tag detailing the steps you can take to receive your package.

When you take a screenshot in iOS 11 or later, there's a new feature that's designed to let you open it right up and edit it with Apple's Markup tools.

Using the screenshot editing feature, you can capture what's on the screen of your iPad or iPhone and then add text, crop, highlight specific areas, and more.

Using Instant Markup

1. Press the Home button and the sleep/wake button simultaneously to capture a screenshot.
2. A preview of the screenshot will pop up in the lower left of the display. Tap it to open up the Instant Markup interface. You'll have about five seconds before it disappears.
3. Use a finger to adjust the blue outline if you want to crop your image.
4. Choose a pen/marker/pencil and a color and then draw with a finger or the Apple Pencil (on iPad Pro) to edit your screenshot.

If you take multiple screenshots at once, they'll all be displayed in Instant Markup and you can swipe between them.

There are all kinds of tools in Instant Markup, including a pen, pencil, highlighter, eraser, drop shadow tool, crop, multiple pen colors, and undo/redo.

To access even more tools, tap on the "+" button. This gives you access to a text entry field, a signature tool to add a signature to a screenshot, a magnifier tool, and various shapes.

Saving, Sharing, or Deleting an Edited Screenshot

When you're done editing your screenshot, you can save it to photos, delete it, or share it.

1. To save a photo or delete it, tap the "Done" button in the upper left of the iPad's display and then choose the appropriate option.
2. To share, tap on the Share Sheet icon at the upper right of the display, which will pop up icons to share the screenshot in an iMessage, email, or social network.
3. The Share Sheet also includes options to save the screenshot to the Files app, add it to the Photos app, and more.

Instant Markup is a feature that's present on the iPhone and the iPad in iOS 11. There is no way to turn it off at the current time, so if you dislike those little screenshot popups, the only option is to wait the few seconds for them to disappear or swipe them away to the left of the display.

With the launch of iOS 11 and watchOS 4, Apple made it easier than ever to turn your own personal photography into an Apple Watch face. As long as you're running iOS 11 or later and watchOS 4 or later on your iPhone and Apple Watch, follow these steps to quickly add one of your Camera Roll pictures onto the face of your Apple Watch, where you can even turn it into a kaleidoscope faces.

Turning a Camera Roll Photo Into a Photos Watch Face

1. Open Photos in iOS.
2. If you only want one image on your Photos Watch face, simply navigate to it now and jump to step 5.
3. If you want to make an album of images, tap "Select" in the top right corner of the Photos app.
4. Scroll through your library and pick up to ten photos to include in your new Photos Watch Face.
5. Tap the share sheet extension in the bottom left corner of the screen.
6. At the very bottom of the screen, scroll until you find "Create Watch Face" and tap it.
7. Choose "Photos Watch Face".
8. Edit the Time Position and add up to two Complications.
9. Tap "Add".

Turning a Camera Roll Photo Into a Kaleidoscope Watch Face

1. Open Photos in iOS.
2. Navigate to the image you want to turn into a Kaleidoscope Watch Face.
3. Tap the share sheet extension in the bottom left corner of the screen.
4. Tap "Create Watch Face."
5. Choose "Kaleidoscope Watch Face."
6. Pick between "Facet," "Radial," and "Rosette" designs for your Watch Face.
7. Decide on adding up to three Complications.
8. Tap "Add".

After following either of these guides, your all-new Apple Watch face will be waiting in "My Faces" within the Watch app on iOS. Once you find it in that list, you can tap on it, scroll down, and tap "Set as current Watch Face." If you have a Kaleidoscope Watch Face or decided on just one image for the Photos Watch Face, then that's what you'll see each time your wrist is raised. Anyone who has decided to add in multiple photos to their Photos Watch Face, however, will get a shuffled image with each wrist raise.

If you're waiting for the new Apple TV 4K to arrive tomorrow, Apple has already opened up the ability for you to purchase 4K HDR movies on iTunes as of last week. Although any movie you own in HD will be automatically upgraded to the enhanced 4K HDR format, Amazon is offering customers the chance to increase their iTunes film collections this week with a discount on the $100 iTunes gift card tier, being sold at $85 right now with free shipping (limited to one per customer).

That'll let you purchase five full-priced movies on iTunes for nearly the price of just four, and you can of course still use the gift card to buy any app, game, song, album, TV show, or book sold by Apple. There isn't currently a discount on the other price tiers of iTunes gift cards, so $50 and $25 cards on Amazon are priced at their respective levels.

Studios currently supporting 4K movies on iTunes at $20 include 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros., and Universal Pictures. New releases available to purchase today include Wonder Woman, Baby Driver, Alien: Covenant, The LEGO Batman Movie, Logan, and many more. Currently, Disney is the only studio holding out from releasing its films in 4K on iTunes.

Head over to our Deals Roundup to discover more recent and ongoing discounts, including sales on Jaybird and Jabra headphones at Best Buy, over 50 percent off a Thule Stravan Deluxe Attache for 13" MacBooks at B&H Photo, and an updated roundup of Qi inductive wireless chargers.