MacRumors

Apple announced new Apple Watch models at its Gather Round event today at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, Cupertino. The Apple Watch Series 4 will be available in 40mm and 44mm sizes – a step up from the 38mm and 42mm options of previous models – has a thinner body, and comes with a number of next-generation medical heart detection features approved by the FDA.

The new models have screens that are 30 percent larger than previous versions and, combined with a new user interface, allow watch faces to display up to eight complications, while native apps can show more information.

The Digital Crown has been re-engineered to include haptic feedback for better tactile responsiveness, the built-in speaker is 50 percent louder, and the microphone has been relocated, to reduce echo for better sound quality.

Meanwhile, new heart detection features, made possible via a new electrical heart sensor, include the ability to perform electrocardiogram (ECG) readings right out of the box, as well as detect low heart rhythm with background detection for atrial fibrillation, and low heart rate monitoring to detect very low blood flow from the heart.

The back of the Series 4 is made entirely of ceramic and sapphire crystal, with radio waves able to pass more freely through the front and rear, enabling better reception when using cellular functions. Despite the new tech, battery life remains on average the same as the previous generation Apple Watch, while running enthusiasts can now look forward to six hours' battery life when using outdoor workouts.

A new 64-bit Dual Core S4 processor provides up to 2x faster performance over previous generation models, and faster accelerometer and gyroscope technologies allow for better sensitivity, including the ability to detect a physical fall.

By analyzing wrist trajectory and impact acceleration, the Apple Watch Series 4 sends the user an alert after a fall, which can be dismissed or used to initiate a call to emergency services. If the device senses immobility for 60 seconds after the notification, it will automatically call emergency services and send a message along with location to emergency contacts.

With watchOS 5, Activity competitions allow users to challenge other Apple Watch wearers, automatic workout detection provides an alert to start a workout while giving retroactive credit, and Yoga and Hiking are new dedicated workout types that accurately track active calories burned and exercise minutes earned.

Meanwhile, Apple Watch owners can reach their friends with a tap of the wrist with Walkie-Talkie, a watch-to-watch connection exclusive to watchOS 5 that allows communication around the world over Wi-Fi or cellular.

The 40mm and 44mm Apple Watch models come in GPS and GPS + Cellular versions, in Silver, Space Gray, and Gold aluminum case options, and stainless steel options in Silver, Space Black, and Gold (with matching Milanese band).

A new Nike+ collection for Series 4 features redesigned Nike watch faces, which match to the new band colors, including a Pure Platinum/Black Sport Band and a Summit White Sport Loop with reflective yarn. Meanwhile new Hermès variants introduce an assortment of color-blocked bands and watch faces that shift from one color to the other with the passage of the minute hand.

Apple Watch Series 4 pricing starts at $399 for GPS and $499 for LTE, while the Series 3 continues to be available but at the new lower price of $280. Orders for the new models and new bands open Friday, September 14, with availability beginning Friday, September 21, in Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, UK and US, with other countries later this year.

Apple today seeded the golden master (GM) version of iOS 12 to developers. The golden master represents the final version of iOS 12 that will be released to the public, and it comes after a beta testing period that saw Apple release 12 betas over the course of the beta testing period.

Registered developers can download the iOS 12 golden master from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed, while public beta testers can download the update over-the-air.

iOS 12 is a significant update for the operating system designed for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. It introduces multiple new features, with with Apple revamping the operating system from top to bottom to make iPhones and iPads, especially the older models, faster and more responsive.

On the iPhone X, there are new Animoji characters (Ghost, Koala, Tiger, and T-Rex) along with "Memoji," which are customizable, personalized, humanoid Animoji that can be used both in Messages and in FaceTime, plus there are fun new camera effects in both of those apps.

Apple originally planned to introduce Group FaceTime support in iOS 12, but the feature was removed in iOS 12 beta 7 and will not be reintroduced until later this fall in a future iOS 12 update.

Siri is smarter than ever in iOS 12 with a new Shortcuts feature designed to let you create multi-step customized automations using first and third-party apps that can be activated with Siri voice commands. Shortcuts can be created through the Shortcuts app, which will be released alongside iOS 12, and Siri will offer up Shortcuts suggestions.

Apple built comprehensive time management and monitoring tools into iOS 12 with Screen Time, allowing you to keep track of how much time you're spending in apps on your iPhone and iPad. App limits can help you cut back on iOS device usage, and robust parental controls are included for families.

Updated Do Not Disturb options make activating Do Not Disturb more intuitive and simple, and a new Do Not Disturb at Bedtime feature cuts down on nighttime distractions and sleep interruptions by hiding notifications at night.

Grouped Notifications make incoming notifications easier to view and manage, while a new Instant Tuning feature lets you tweak your notification settings right on the Lock screen on a notification-by-notification basis to cut down on the number of notifications you receive.

Apple News has a new Browse feature, the Stocks app has been redesigned and brought to the iPad, iBooks has been overhauled with a new look and a new name - Apple Books - and Voice Memos has been revamped with iCloud support and an iPad app.

ARKit 2.0 introduces new capabilities like shared experiences that let two people see the same AR environment on separate devices, and persistence, which allows AR experiences to be saved across multiple sessions. There's also a new Apple-built Measure app for measuring objects using AR functionality.

iOS 12 includes a revamped and rebuilt Maps app that uses a new Apple-designed Maps engine that displays foliage, pools, buildings, pedestrian pathways, and other map elements more accurately. The new Maps also includes significant improvements to traffic, real-time road conditions, construction, and more, plus it lets Apple push out changes and fixes more quickly.

The updated Maps app is available in the Northern California area during beta testing and at launch. Following iOS 12's public release, Apple plans to continue rolling out the new Maps app to additional U.S. locations.

iOS 12 will be released to the public on Monday, September 17, four days ahead of the official launch date of the new 2018 iPhones. For more details on all of the new features included in iOS 12, make sure to check out our iOS 12 roundup.

Apple today seeded the eleventh beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the tenth beta and more than two months after introducing the software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

macOS Mojave introduces a new method of installing software updates, so after the initial beta has been installed using the appropriate profile from the Developer Center, additional betas can be downloaded through opening up System Preferences and choosing the "Software Update" option.

Apple's macOS Mojave update introduces a systemwide Dark Mode, with Mojave users able to choose between a light theme or the new dark theme, which changes the color of the dock, menu bar, apps, and other elements. Dark Mode is accompanied by Dynamic Desktops, aka wallpapers that subtly change throughout the day.

Stacks, a new desktop organization system, keeps all of your desktop files neat and organized, while Finder has been enhanced with a Gallery View, a Sidebar, a revamped Quick Look option and Quick Actions, so you can do more in the Finder window than ever before.

Screenshots can now be edited using Markup tools and a new management options that also allow for easy screen recording, while Continuity camera, a new feature, allows you to import photos and document scans directly from an iPhone or iPad to the Mac.

The Apple News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos apps have been ported from iOS to macOS as part of a multiyear project Apple is working on to make it easier to bring iOS apps to Macs, and Apple has introduced several new privacy protections to keep your data safer than ever.

Apple is also making it harder for websites to track you with a range of new Safari tools, and it's also easier to make and store secure, hard-to-guess passwords for each and every website.

Apple has added an entirely revamped Mac App Store to macOS Mojave that makes it easier to discover apps with a featured section and specific categories for games, creative apps, productivity apps, apps for developers, and more.

macOS Mojave was initially supposed to include a Group FaceTime feature that includes support for chatting with up to 32 people at one time, but it was removed in macOS Mojave beta 7 and the feature won't be available until later in the year.

macOS Mojave is available to developers and public beta testers to work out bugs and other issues ahead of an upcoming public release on September 24.

Apple's "Gather round" event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, where it is widely expected to unveil three new iPhones (XS, XS Max, and XR) as well as new, slightly larger Apple Watch models.

We should also be hearing final details and the official release date for iOS 12, and likely macOS Mojave, watchOS 5, and tvOS 12 as well. And, of course, there may be other announcements and surprises in the cards.

Apple itself leaked a number of details this morning by prematurely updating its store site maps, and we have a summary of what's been revealed right here.

Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, via the Apple Events app on Apple TV, and on Twitter. We've shared instructions on how to watch along with a list of when the keynote starts in time zones around the world.

In addition to Apple's video stream, we will be updating this article with live blog coverage—no need to refresh—and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account as the keynote unfolds.

Highlights from the event and separate news stories regarding today's announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.

Apple's online store is currently down in advance of the event. It should be accessible again shortly after the keynote.

Live blog in chronological order is after the jump.

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In the early hours of the morning, a product sitemap XML file hosted on Apple's website was shared by AllThingsHow, including URL links that confirmed a handful of previous rumors surrounding the trio of 2018 iPhones and upcoming Apple Watch. Since the leaks came at a fast pace, we've rounded up all of the news in one post, so read on for all of the important details about the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, and 2018 Apple Watch.

iPhone

The names "iPhone XS," "iPhone XS Max," and "iPhone XR" -- all previously rumored at some point -- were confirmed as the final product names in the sitemap data shared today. iPhone XS is the followup to last year's iPhone X, measuring in at 5.8 inches and launching in 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities. You'll be able to buy the iPhone XS in Space Gray and Silver, like last year's iPhone X, and also now in Gold.

Apple is also introducing a new "Plus" style iPhone this year, but it's ditching the Plus branding for the first time since 2014 and going with "Max" in the iPhone XS Max. This 6.5-inch iPhone will be Apple's biggest smartphone yet, and come in all of the same storage and color options as its smaller counterpart.

For customers looking to spend less money, the iPhone XR will be the cheaper alternative to the iPhone XS and XS Max. The 6.1-inch model also has the widest variety of color options offered this year: Black, White, Red, Yellow, Coral, and Blue. You'll be able to buy it in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage capacities.

Here's the full 2018 iPhone lineup:

• iPhone XS/XS Max storage sizes: 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB
• iPhone XS/XS Max colors: Space Gray, Silver, and Gold
• iPhone XR storage sizes: 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB
• iPhone XR colors: Black, White, Red, Yellow, Coral, and Blue

With 18 iPhone XR models and 18 iPhone XS/XS Max models, the total iPhone count for 2018 will be 36 models.

Apple Watch

In one of the biggest surprises from today's leaks, the upcoming Apple Watch models will be gaining new 40mm and 44mm case sizes. This means that the current 38mm case will increase to 40mm and the 42mm will increase to 44mm, although some links in the sitemap reveal that a few models of the existing sizes will be sticking around.

Since Apple measures the Apple Watch cases vertically, it appears that the new models will be gaining a slight bit of height this year. Although this has caused some to worry about existing bands becoming incompatible with the new Apple Watch, no rumors have yet to suggest that Apple is discontinuing legacy bands for a new style. In fact, notable Apple reporter Mark Gurman has mentioned that the 2018 Apple Watch will be compatible with existing bands numerous times over the past few months.

You'll be able to buy the 44mm Apple Watch in GPS and GPS + Cellular configurations, with the usual Silver, Space Gray, and Gold aluminum case options. For stainless steel, the sitemap also mentions Silver, Space Black, and Gold options. Bands referenced include White Sport Band, Seashell Sport Loop, Black Sport Band, Black Sport Loop, Sand Sport Band, and Sand Sport Loop.

In 40mm, there's a few Nike and Hermès options. Hermès includes an Indigo Craie Orange Double Tour band with a Stainless Steel case, and Nike has Pure Platinum Black Sport Band, Summit White Sport Loop, Anthracite Black Sport Band, and Black Sport Loop paired with various aluminum cases.

Of course, these will not be the only Apple Watches available to buy at launch, as you can expect numerous stainless steel cases outside of the Hermès line, as well as some bundles with higher-cost bands. A separate leak today also revealed the front panel for the new Apple Watch, showing off the 15 percent larger display.

Lastly for Apple Watch, the sitemap does not designate the 2018 models as "Series 4," although it keeps the "Series 3" terminology for the existing models, which Apple will keep around at a lower price point. It's unclear if this means that Apple is ditching the "Series" branding altogether this year, and if so what the new Apple Watch will be called.

AppleCare

AppleCare is always a reliable announcement alongside the newest iPhones each year, and today's leaks confirm that you'll be able to purchase the usual AppleCare+ protection plans for iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. This year, AppleCare+ plans also include coverage for "theft and loss," and will be available for $399.00, as per a Best Buy leak.

Accessories

The sitemap file confirmed a handful of traditional Apple colorways will be making it to this generation of silicone and leather cases for the 2018 iPhones. You'll be able to buy a silicone case for the iPhone XS and XS Max in Black, White, Midnight Blue, (PRODUCT)Red, and Stone. In leather, the iPhone XS cases will come in (PRODUCT)Red, Taupe, and Black.

Given that the information shared was just a peek at the upcoming accessory lines, this is far from every accessory announcement that will be made later today. You can also expect leather cases for the iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, as well as silicone cases for the cheaper iPhone. The sitemap also includes references to OtterBox cases for the iPhone XS and XS Max.

Missing from "Gather Round"

Amid all of the confirmed upcoming announcements from Apple sourced from the sitemap XML file, there are some notable omissions. It appears that Apple has no plans to announce a new iPad Pro at today's event. iPad Pro models with Face ID may still show up next month at an event that could also include refreshes to the MacBook Air, Mac mini, iMac, and potentially more.

Apple's long-awaited AirPower charging mat was also nowhere to be found in the sitemap data. It's been one year since Apple first revealed the AirPower at the iPhone X event in September 2017, with a promised 2018 launch date. AirPower will be able to charge all Qi-compatible iPhones, Apple Watch Series 3 and the new 2018 models, and AirPods.

If AirPower doesn't make it into the "Gather Round" event today, there's also less of a chance that Apple will introduce the revamped AirPods, which will come with a new wireless charging case aimed to be paired with AirPower.

We now have just under two hours to go until Apple finally (and officially) announces the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, new Apple Watch, and more at the "Gather Round" event in California. As usual, MacRumors has you covered if you're interested in following a live blog of the event, which will be posted on our front page ahead of time, with live tweets available on the @MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

Amid numerous leaks sourced from Apple's sitemap for the upcoming iPhone and Apple Watch models, now we know specifically what colors and sizes the new iPhone models will be available in following their reveal at the event later today.

As shared by Steve Troughton-Smith on Twitter, the iPhone XR will come in Black, White, Red, Yellow, Coral, and Blue color options, and be available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage capacities.

Additionally, the leak reveals all colors and storage sizes for the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will come in 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities, and in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold colorways.

Here's a full breakdown of the 2018 iPhone lineup:

• iPhone XS/XS Max storage sizes: 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB
• iPhone XS/XS Max colors: Space Gray, Silver, and Gold
• iPhone XR storage sizes: 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB
• iPhone XR colors: Black, White, Red, Yellow, Coral, and Blue

Earlier this morning, AllThingsHow shared a sitemap that confirmed the "iPhone XS," "iPhone XS Max," and "iPhone XR" will be the names for the 5.8-inch, 6.5-inch, and 6.1-inch models, respectively.

The iPhone XR is Apple's low-cost iPhone this year, with an LCD display and a single-lens camera to keep costs down in comparison to the higher-end OLED models.

All three iPhones and the new 40mm and 44mm Apple Watch devices will be revealed at Apple's "Gather Round" event at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Apple is facing a series of leaks in the hours ahead of its "Gather Round" event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, and this time information about the new version of Apple Watch has been revealed. According to AllThingsHow, Apple udpated its sitemap files ahead of the event, which included links to Apple Watch in new 40mm and 44mm sizes.

These are believed to be the new Apple Watch models about to be announced later today, although they don't carry a "Series 4" designation in the sitemap and are simply called "Apple Watch." The sizes include both GPS and GPS + Cellular configurations, and include the colors Silver, Space Gray, and Gold.

In 40mm, there's also a few Nike and Hermès options. Hermès includes an Indigo Craie Orange Double Tour band with a Stainless Steel case, and Nike has Pure Platinum Black Sport Band, Summit White Sport Loop, Anthracite Black Sport Band, and Black Sport Loop paired with various aluminum cases.

These new sizes appear to be upgrades from the previous generation of case sizes, with Apple increasing the cases from 38mm to 40mm for the small size and from 42mm to 44mm for the large size. Apple measures these cases vertically. In terms of width, the current 38mm Apple Watch is 33.3mm wide and the 42mm Apple Watch is 35.9mm wide.

The 40mm and 44mm sizes roughly align with a prediction made by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in July, who stated Apple would reveal two models measuring in at around 39.9mm and 45.2mm.

The upcoming Apple Watch's big new feature will be a display that's 15 percent larger, thanks to reduced bezels and likely the slightly increased case size. In a leak a few weeks back, we got a glimpse at a new watch face for Apple Watch, including one that had space for as many as eight complications.

Apple appears to have leaked the names of its new iPhone lineup on its website, just hours before the company is due to officially announce them at its "Gather Round" event later today.

The names "iPhone XS," "XS Max," and "XR" were first spotted by ATH in a product sitemap XML file hosted on Apple.com. The names are linked to new products that come with AppleCare support and are associated with phone cases, seemingly confirming Apple's official nomenclature for its 2018 iPhone lineup.

The XML file also reveals new Apple cases for the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max devices that come in both silicon and leather, with midnight blue, white, black, stone, and Product RED colors set to be available.

Two days ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple would introduce the three widely rumored new iPhones using the now-leaked names: a 5.8-inch model named "iPhone Xs," a larger 6.5-inch model named "iPhone Xs Max," and a lower-priced 6.1-inch model that Apple would call "iPhone Xr".

Other rumored names for the less expensive 6.1-inch LCD had included "iPhone 9" and "iPhone Xc," harkening back to the iPhone 5c that came in multiple colors. Apple's 6.1-inch iPhone XR is expected to feature an LCD display and a single-lens camera to keep costs lower than the two OLED devices.

Apple is set to unveil the new 6.1-inch iPhone XR alongside the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone Xs and the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone Xs Max at an event that will take place later today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. For full details on what to expect when the new iPhones debut, make sure to check out our roundup.

Update: Apple has since pulled the XML site map from its servers.

Apple's online store is down ahead of the company's "Gather Round" media event today at Steve Jobs Theater, at its Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, California. The keynote begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

The iconic "we'll be back" message on Apple's website often foreshadows the launch of new products. At today's event, rumors suggest Apple will be introducing a trio of new iPhone models, Apple Watch Series 4 models, and new AirPods, along with detailing availability of its AirPower wireless charging mat.

MacRumors recapped what to expect at Apple's event in detail last week, with headline new products expected to include a 6.5-inch so-called "iPhone Xs Max" and larger-screen Apple Watch Series 4 models with EKG functionality. AirPods are also expected to gain "Hey Siri" support and an optional wireless charging case.

Apple will also likely confirm availability of the final, publicly released versions of iOS 12, tvOS 12, watchOS 5, and macOS Mojave during today's event, or shortly after the event on Apple.com, once it returns online.

Rumors suggest Apple has a number of other products in the pipeline this year, including iPad Pro models with Face ID, a lower-priced MacBook of some kind, refreshed iMac models, and a new pro-focused Mac mini, but it's unclear if any will be announced today, at a potential October event, or via press releases.

As last-minute rumors, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Monday predicted that the next-generation iPad Pro models will feature a USB-C port, while the new lower-priced MacBook will support Touch ID, but without a Touch Bar.

Look for today's event to run for around two hours, although if Apple plans on fitting all of its rumored products into its September keynote, then we could be in store for more of a marathon showing. Apple will provide a live stream of the event on the web and through its Apple Events app for the Apple TV.

MacRumors will be covering the event live from Steve Jobs Theater, with a live blog, hands-on photos, news stories, videos, and live tweets via @MacRumorsLive on Twitter. Mac users can get MacRumors headlines delivered to their desktops instantly by enabling Safari push notifications.

MacRumors readers can follow along in our forums, which are a great place to discuss the announcements before, during, and after the event. Be sure to keep tabs on the iPhone and Apple Watch sections in particular.

Looking ahead to next year, Ming-Chi Kuo believes that contrary to some analysts' expectations, Apple is unlikely to integrate a time-of-flight (ToF) depth sensing system in the rear camera of its 2019 iPhones.

Reports of Apple including rear-facing 3D sensing capabilities in its 2019 iPhone lineup first began appearing last year. At the time, Apple was said to be evaluating a ToF approach, which is different from the one it currently uses in the TrueDepth sensor system on the front of the iPhone X.

TrueDepth relies on a structured-light technique that projects a pattern of 30,000 laser dots onto a user's face and measures the distortion to generate an accurate 3D image for authentication. By contrast, ToF calculates the time it takes for a laser to bounce off surrounding objects to create a 3D image of the environment.

However, in a note to investors this morning, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said that the company would not use a rear-side application of ToF technology in next year's smartphone lineup for two reasons.

First, the distance and depth information provided by rear-side ToF is currently insufficient for creating the "revolutionary AR experience" that Apple ultimately wants to develop. Kuo believes that in addition to camera distance/depth data, the complete AR ecosystem Apple is aiming for requires 5G connectivity, augmented-reality glasses, and a "more powerful Apple Map database," which is presumably a reference to Apple's efforts to enhance Maps with augmented reality features.

Second, the addition of rear-side ToF would do little to improve the iPhone's photo-taking capabilities, because the current dual-camera setup is already capable of capturing or simulating enough distance/depth information to make photo-features like Portrait Mode a reality.

"We believe that iPhone's dual-camera can simulate and offer enough distance/depth information necessary for photo-taking; it is therefore unnecessary for the 2H19 new iPhone models to be equipped with a rear-side ToF," Kuo concludes.

Last October, Kuo similarly pushed back against reports that Apple would expand its front-facing TrueDepth system to the rear camera on this year's iPhone lineup, which is due to be announced later today. Given Kuo's latest remarks on Apple's smartphone roadmap, rumors of rear-camera 3D sensing capabilities for next year's lineup seem just as unlikely.