MacRumors

Apple wants the iPhone to serve as a comprehensive health repository for every iPhone user, keeping track of medical data like doctors visits, lab results, medications, and more, reports CNBC.

Apple is said to have a "secretive team" within its health unit that has been communicating with developers, hospitals, and other industry groups about storing clinical data on the iPhone. With all of their medical data at their fingertips, iPhone users would have a better overall picture of their health, which could also be readily shared with doctors.

Apple has been hiring developers familiar with protocols dictating the transfer of electronic health records and has talked with several health IT industry groups, including "The Argonaut Project," which promotes the adoption of open standards for health information, and "The Carin Alliance," a group aiming to give patients more control over their medical data. According to CNBC, Apple VP of software technology Bud Tribble has been working with the latter group.

Apple is also rumored to be looking at startups in the cloud hosting space for acquisitions that would fit into its health plan.

Essentially, Apple would be trying to recreate what it did with music -- replacing CDs and scattered MP3s with a centralized management system in iTunes and the iPod -- in the similarly fragmented and complicated landscape for health data.

Such a move would represent a deviation in strategy from Apple's previous efforts in health care, the people said, which have focused on fitness and wellness.

A centralized way to store all of a person's health data would allow the medical community to overcome existing barriers that prevent the transfer of patient information between medical providers. Hospitals and doctors offices often don't have a simple way to transfer patient information, and online medical portals are sometimes difficult to use with little info available to patients,

Apple already allows iPhone users to record medical data and health information gathered by the Apple Watch and other connected devices in the built-in Health app, and it has delved into health research with CareKit and ResearchKit, but based on these rumors, the company's goal is to expand its health efforts far further in the future.

Siri gets smarter in every new version of iOS, and iOS 11 is no exception. This year, Siri has been improved with advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence, giving the personal assistant a much more natural, expressive voice.

As you'll hear in the video, Siri sounds more human, adopting better pronunciation and different inflection depending on what's being said. There are also a lot of other improvements, which are covered in our Siri video and in the post below.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

In iOS 11, Siri uses on-device learning across all of your devices to get a more complete picture of your interests, preferences, and routines. Because Siri now syncs across multiple devices, Siri learns more about you and your interactions with Siri are always the same regardless of whether you're using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Siri can now do things like suggest a topic you might like in Apple News based on Safari browsing habits, or suggest a Calendar reminder for an appointment you've booked in Safari. Siri might also make QuickType word suggestions based on things you've recently viewed -- names of movies or places, for example.

Siri has built in translation capabilities in iOS 11 and can translate English to Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, plus with music enhancements implemented for HomePod, Siri can play music you like and offer up answers to music-related queries like "What song is this?" or "Who's the drummer in this band?" when you're listening to music.

You can even type to Siri using a new "Type to Siri" Accessibility option. This makes it easier to communicate with Siri when speaking isn't an option.

For more on Siri and the rest of the new features coming in iOS 11, make sure to check out our iOS 11 roundup. Stay tuned to MacRumors, because we have more videos coming on iOS 11, watchOS 4, and macOS High Sierra.

iPhone assembler Wistron has confirmed that at least one of Apple's next-generation iPhone models will be "waterproof" and include wireless charging capabilities, according to Japanese website Nikkei Asian Review.

"Assembly process for the previous generations of [iPhones] have not changed much, though new features like waterproof and wireless charging now require some different testing, and waterproof function will alter the assembly process a bit," [Robert] Hwang, [Wistron CEO], told reporters after the company's annual shareholders' meeting on Wednesday.

Apple analysts Jeff Pu of Yuanta Investment Consulting and Arthur Liao of Fubon Securities claim Wistron is splitting orders for the upcoming 5.5-inch iPhone with a flat display with larger Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn, so it's likely that Wistron is referring to the so-called "iPhone 7s Plus."

Given the higher-end "iPhone 8" is expected to be a premium smartphone, positioned above the iPhone 7s Plus, that model will likely feature wireless charging and improved water resistance as well. That leaves the next 4.7-inch iPhone, which is already rumored to have wireless charging, and it's reasonable to assume the smaller model will have improved water resistance too.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models are already splash- and water-resistant with an IP67 rating, but Apple's fine print warns that "splash, water, and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear." iPhone water damage is not covered by Apple's warranties.

Nevertheless, many iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus users use their smartphones in the shower, for example, without issue.

A report earlier this year said Apple's next iPhone models will feature improved IP68-rated water resistance. In the IP68 rating, the "6" means the next iPhone would remain effectively dustproof, with "no ingress of dust" and "complete protection against contact," while the "8" means the device will be even more water resistant.

Samsung's Galaxy S8, which already has IP68-rated water resistance, is able to withstand 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.

The newest smartphone ratings from Consumer Reports have been shared this week, and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have beaten out its smartphone competitors, including Apple's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, in categories related to design, battery life, camera, and more. Apple's current generation of iPhone (launched September 2016) is older than the Galaxy S8 family (launched April 2017), so it makes sense that Consumer Reports' ratings would end up favoring the newer devices.

Still, this week's report has some interesting points to make about why the Galaxy S8+ in particular received top marks, and how the upcoming "iPhone 8," as well as the "iPhone 7s" and "iPhone 7s Plus," might address the iPhone 7's shortcomings. Namely, Consumer Reports points out that the Galaxy S8 devices "have no bezels on the side," and only limited bars at the top and bottom. The testers particularly liked the S8's 5.8-inch screen.

The look of the S8 and S8+ is minimalist, modern, and elegant—and the design allows for a bigger screen in the same-size device.

Those numbers may not sound terribly different, but when you hold either phone in your hand, it feels novel: easy to grasp even if you have a small grip, but with lots of screen real estate. The S8 is 5.8 inches diagonally (that's the way screens are measured), while the S8+ is 6.2 inches.

Richard Fisco, Consumer Reports' lead phone tester, said that the S8 is comfortable to hold, while pointing out that one-handed operation becomes difficult on the devices, particularly the S8+'s 6.2-inch display. Even though the fingerprint scanner on the back of the S8 worked well, the report also described it as "awkwardly placed," explaining that they had to constantly poke around to find it and normally smudged the camera lens while doing so.

Following last year's Galaxy Note7 battery-related issues, Consumer Reports now described the newest Galaxy smartphones as being more reliable and having "some of the best smartphone battery life we've seen," throughout a range of tests related to Wi-Fi, cellular, and talk-time usage. The testers explained that the beefier battery life on the S8+ is the main reason why the larger phone ranks above the smaller S8.

In terms of the camera, Consumer Reports said that the S8's photo-taking abilities produce colors that are rich even in low-light environments, and particularly excels in reducing the over-sharpening produced by the camera. The site also called out the iPhone 7 in this section, and its perceived advantage over the S8 in this category for having a dual rear-facing camera system. Despite the S8 and S8+ lacking this kind of set-up, Consumer Reports doesn't think the Samsung phones are at a disadvantage at all.

Finally, a few top-end cameras, including the iPhone 7 Plus and the LG G6, have dual rear-facing cameras, to enhance either zoom or wide-angle photography. The Samsung phones haven't gone that route yet—and we don't think they suffer for it.

Consumer Reports pointed towards water resistance as an advantage of the S8 line -- up to at least 5 feet of water for around 30 minutes -- while one major disappointment was found in Samsung's smart assistant Bixby. The AI helper hasn't rolled out wide yet, so it makes sense that the early version tested might have been unreliable, with the testers saying that Bixby "just isn't there yet."

Although the Galaxy S8 and S8+ might have won over iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in these ratings, essentially all of the categories are related to improvements that Apple is rumored to be adding into the 2017 line of iPhones. For Apple's tablet devices, a reduction of bezels and bigger display area have already been seen in the newest iPad Pros that just launched last week during WWDC.

The iPhone 8 specifically is predicted to include greatly reduced bezels, likely with a bar across the top to hold the front-facing camera and other optical sensors, a 5.8-inch OLED screen in a form factor close to the size of the current iPhone 7, Touch ID under the display, a stacked logic board design that will support longer battery life, improved vertically-aligned dual cameras with advanced AR abilities, IP68 waterproofing to rival the Galaxy S8, and an "enhanced Siri."

One of the cons related to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ is the price of Samsung's latest smartphones, starting at around $750 and $850 for 64GB carrier unlocked models, respectively. The iPhone 8 isn't expected to beat Samsung in this category, with rumors pointing towards a premium-priced iPhone that could cost more than $1,000. Some analysts disagree with that price and suggest an iPhone 8 that will have competitive pricing with the Galaxy S8+, potentially selling a 64GB iPhone 8 for $850 to $900 and a higher-end 256GB model for $950 to $1,000.

Apple only announced its augmented reality developer platform ARKit last week at the Worldwide Developers Conference, but some video clips have already been posted online by developers eager to showcase the impressive potential of the software.

ARKit enables iPhones and iPads running iOS 11 to superimpose computer-generated graphics over the real world, allowing developers to take their apps beyond the screen and into the user's environment.

By using the built-in camera, processors, and motion sensors found in iOS devices, virtual content appears on top of real-world scenes, and users don't need any special equipment to enjoy them because ARKit does the heavy lifting.

One developer who spoke to Motherboard said Apple had improved upon existing AR solutions like Hololens and Google Tango by making the ARKit framework elegant and simple to use.

"The most impressive aspect of ARKit is that it tends to just work," said Cody Brown, founder of virtual reality production studio IRL, in an online interview with Motherboard. "Other AR software often requires some sort of physical tracking mechanism (like a QR code), which inevitably becomes a major piece of friction if you are trying to get anyone to use this stuff.

"Another incredible aspect of ARKit is how it handles lighting adjustments in real time, continued Brown. "I can only imagine the math and magic underneath this tech to make it work."

During its keynote at WWDC, Apple demoed a range of effects that ARKit is capable of. One demo by Wingnut Studios wowed the audience with a tabletop sci-fi raider assault. Another showed a user placing a steaming digital coffee mug and a lamp on a table and moving the objects around to show off the tracking and shadow effects.

Several other ARKit developer demos have since appeared online, including a virtual "iPhone 8", roving StarWars character BB-8, dog-stalking zombies, office floor naval battles, dancing Candy rock stars, and more.

Apple has invested heavily in augmented reality in recent years, making several VR/AR company acquisitions including PrimeSense, FaceShift, and Metaio. Apple's much-anticipated "iPhone 8", which is expected to be announced in September, is rumored to have 3D sensing capabilities, with augmented reality being one possible use for the technology.

ARKit will come to compatible devices as part of iOS 11, which Apple is set to release in the fall.

The first orders for the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro, which was introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference last week, started arriving to customers today, and the new tablet, along with its larger 12.9-inch sibling, became available for purchase in Apple retail stores this morning.

With the 10.5-inch iPad Pro out in the wild, our videographer Matt was able to get his hands on one, and he spent the day testing it out and making a video that shows off all of the new features.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is slightly larger than the 9.7-inch iPad Pro it replaces, but the size and weight difference is hardly noticeable, especially when you take in the much larger display. Apple was able to introduce a 20 percent larger display by shrinking the iPad's bezels by 40 percent.

The iPad's display has an awesome new feature -- ProMotion. ProMotion introduces a 120Hz display refresh rate, which brings smoother, more responsive animations and motion response. For example, there's a dramatic difference when you scroll. It's smooth enough that you can read the text that's scrolling by.

ProMotion also allows for a better experience with the Apple Pencil, bringing 20ms latency, and it can dynamically adjust the refresh rate to save battery when the higher refresh rate isn't needed. The display also supports P3 wide color gamut, True Tone for auto white balancing, and it is 50 percent brighter at 600 nits.

Inside, there's an A10X Fusion chip, so it's incredibly fast, even compared to the speedy 9.7-inch iPad Pro with an A9X Fusion chip, and it uses the 12-megapixel iPhone 7 camera. If you're someone who likes to take photos with an iPad, the image quality here is impressive. There's also a 7-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and FaceTime. Second-generation Touch ID, four speakers, USB 3 transfer speeds, and fast charging, are all included features. Even with the much faster processor and the brighter display, the iPad Pro continues to get up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge.

The 10.5-inch iPad Pro isn't cheap, though, with an asking price of $649 for the 64GB model. 256GB of storage is available for $749, and 512GB of storage is priced at $949. Cellular connectivity is also available for a $130 premium.

All of the features in the 10.5-inch iPad Pro are also built into the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, so there's feature parity between the two models for the first time. Pricing on the larger-screened 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $799.

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.6 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the second 10.12.6 beta and a month after introducing macOS Sierra 10.12.5.

macOS Sierra 10.12.6 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

No significant features or notable bug fixes were found in the first two macOS Sierra 10.12.6 betas, and because Apple does not provide beta release notes, we may not know what's included in the update until it sees a public release.

macOS Sierra 10.12.6 is likely to be one of the final updates to the Sierra operating system as Apple transitions to macOS High Sierra, which was introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Update: The third beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.6 is also available for public beta testers.