Guides
iPhone 12 Cases

iPhone 12 and 12 Pro cases are available now. Find one you like.

iPhone 12 Size Comparison

See the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Max side-by-side with all modern iPhones.

iPhone 12 vs. iPhone 12 Pro

Should you go Pro? This details the differences between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max

See the similarities and differences in deciding between the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

• iPhone 12 Mini vs iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 vs iPhone 11
• iOS 14: How to Use Picture in Picture Mode
• Apple Watch Series SE vs 6
• Apple Watch Series 5 vs 6
• Widgetsmith Guide
• How to Change App Icons in iOS 14
• Should you buy a Mac now or wait for Arm Macs?
• AppleCare: Should you Get It?
See more guides
Upcoming
iPhone 12
Pre-Orders Live Now

iPhone 12 debuts October 23 following pre-orders. iPhone 12 mini launches in November.

iPhone 12 Pro
Pre-Orders Available Now

iPhone 12 Pro debuts October 23 following pre-orders. iPhone 12 Pro Max launches in November.

iPad Air
Pre-Order Now

All-new design with A14 chip, new colors, Touch ID power button, and more.

HomePod mini
Pre-order November 6

Apple's tiny version of the HomePod, priced at $99. Pre-order November 6, ships November 16.

• macOS 11 Big Sur
• AirPods Studio
• iMac
• AirTags
• Apple Glasses
• Foldable iPhone
See full product calendar

iPad OS 4.2 'Orientation Lock' to 'Mute Switch' Change Permanent

by


One of the controversial changes in the upcoming iPad OS 4.2 was the change in functionality of the iPad's Orientation locking switch to a Mute switch.

...the physical switch on the iPad's side for locking the screen orientation has been repurposed as a mute switch. The change has been confirmed by posters in our forums.

With the change, screen orientation locking is now accomplished within the multitasking tray as on the iPhone under iOS 4.

According to a reader email from 9to5Mac, Steve Jobs reports that this will not be user selectable.

Q: In IOS 4.2 for iPad is the switch on the side going to be the mute and not screen orientation lock from now on?
Steve Jobs: Yep.
Q: Are you planning to make that a changeable option?
Steve Jobs: Nope.

Top Stories

iPhone 12 Pro in Graphite and iPhone 12 in Blue Shown Off in Unboxing Videos

Monday October 19, 2020 8:20 am PDT by
While the iPhone 12 Pro does not launch until Friday, we now have an early unboxing video of the device courtesy of Twitter account DuanRui, providing a closer look at the shiny new flat-edge design and sleek Graphite color option. Ben Geskin re-uploaded the unboxing video to YouTube, which we've embedded below: Geskin has also uploaded an unboxing video of the iPhone 12 in Blue: ...
Read Full Article • 259 comments

New Photos Offer Better Look at iPhone 12 Color Options

Tuesday October 20, 2020 2:34 am PDT by
As we wait for the iPhone 12 review embargo to lift later today, more pictures are circulating of the devices in real-world lighting conditions, providing a better look at the different colors available. Leaker DuanRui has shared images on Twitter of the iPhone 12 in white, black, blue, green, and (PRODUCT)RED. The black and white colors are similar to the iPhone 11 colors, but the other...
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Kuo: iPhone 12 Pro Demand Higher Than Expected

Sunday October 18, 2020 10:39 pm PDT by
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo released a research note this morning detailing what he's seen with the volume of iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders in the first weekend of sales. Kuo had previously indicated that Apple's estimated shipment allocations for the new iPhone models placed the iPhone 12 at the top with 40-45% of inventory allocation (up from 15-20%). However, ...
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Apple Releases iPadOS and iOS 14.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Ahead of iPhone 12 Launch

Tuesday October 20, 2020 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS and iPadOS 14.1, the first major updates to the iOS and iPadOS 14 operating system updates that were released in September. iOS and iPadOS 14.1 come a week after Apple released the golden master versions of the updates to developers. The iOS 14.1 update can be downloaded for free and it is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access...
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Hands-On With Apple's MagSafe Charger for iPhone 12

Monday October 19, 2020 11:54 am PDT by
Alongside the new iPhone 12 models, Apple introduced a MagSafe charger that attaches to the back of the iPhones using magnets embedded both in the charger and in the iPhone. It allows for speedier charging and paves the way for a portless iPhone in the future. MagSafe chargers are shipping out and are in some Apple retail locations now, and we picked one up to check it out. Subscribe to the ...
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Watch: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Unboxing Videos and First Impressions

Tuesday October 20, 2020 6:05 am PDT by
Apple's embargo has lifted for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro reviews. In addition to our detailed review roundups for each device, we've rounded up over a dozen unboxing videos and first impressions below. iPhone 12 in Blue on left and iPhone 12 Pro in Pacific Blue on right via Engadget Key new features of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro include a flat-edge design, 5G support, a much faster A14 ...
Read Full Article • 169 comments

Some Apple Watch SE Owners Experiencing Issues With Overheating [Updated]

Monday October 19, 2020 11:38 am PDT by
There may be an issue with the new Apple Watch SE, which some users have found is overheating after a few hours of usage. Several Apple Watch SE owners in South Korea have run into problems, as noted in a Reddit post chronicling the complaints. There have been six reports from Apple Watch SE owners in South Korea who have had their Apple Watches get hot and malfunction, with a yellow spot...
Read Full Article • 107 comments

Gold Version of iPhone 12 Pro Apparently Has a More Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel Frame

Tuesday October 20, 2020 11:56 am PDT by
iPhone 12 Pro reviews hit the web today, and one of the more interesting tidbits came from TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino, who revealed that the Gold version of the device apparently has a more fingerprint resistant coating applied to the stainless steel frame. From his review:Most of the iPhone 12 Pro finishes still use a physical vapor deposition process for edge coating. But the new gold...
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iPhone 12 Pro Max Has Smaller 3,687 mAh Battery According to Regulatory Filing

Tuesday October 20, 2020 8:48 pm PDT by
Apple's new iPhone 12 Pro Max is equipped with a 3,687 mAh battery, which is around 7% less capacity than the 3,969 mAh battery in the iPhone 11 Pro Max, according to a regulatory filing published by TENAA, the Chinese equivalent of the FCC. The regulatory filing, spotted by MacRumors, also lists the iPhone 12 Pro Max with 6GB of RAM as seen in benchmark results last week. Apple has filed ...
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Hands-On With Apple's iPhone 12 and 12 Pro MagSafe Cases

Tuesday October 20, 2020 1:33 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are launching this Friday, and ahead of that release date, Apple is shipping out various accessories like the MagSafe charger and MagSafe cases. Yesterday we took a look at the MagSafe charger, and today our MagSafe case came in the mail, so we thought we'd take another look at the charger to see how it works with the case and just how strong the case magnets are. S ...
Read Full Article • 128 comments