Top Stories: New Music Icon in iOS 14, iPhone 12 Rumors, Face ID Macs, Favorite macOS Big Sur Features

Apple's beta train kept on rolling this week with the third beta versions of all of the major operating system updates coming later this year. The new beta of iOS 14 includes some interesting tweaks like a new color theme for the Music app icon, new informational pop-ups for some of the new features, a new clock widget, and more.


In other news, we heard some more rumors about the upcoming iPhone 12 lineup, the potential for some new hardware that's "ready to ship," and the possibility of Face ID coming to Macs in the future.

Read on below and check out our video above for more of this week's biggest stories.

Everything New in iOS 14 Beta 3: New Music Icon, Clock Widget and More

Apple is continuing its cycle of beta releases for its next major operating system updates, and this week saw the third set of developer betas for iOS 14, macOS Big Sur, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14.

newmusiciconios14
The third beta of iOS 14 features some interesting changes, including a striking one that sees the Music app icon changed back to a red and white color theme from the white and multicolor one seen since Apple Music launched in iOS 8.4.

Make sure to click through to check out our overview of everything new we've found in the third beta, and if you're a member of the public beta program, there's an equivalent iOS 14 update now available for you.

Apple's 2020 5G iPhones to Support Both Sub-6GHz and mmWave, But That Might Change in 2021

5G is the big buzzword for smartphone technology these days, and there are two flavors of it: mmWave 5G that delivers the fastest speeds but has short range and is only suitable for dense urban environments, and sub-6GHz 5G that isn't quite as fast but offers much broader coverage.

iPhone 12 5G New 1
Apple's iPhone 12 lineup launching later this year is said to be including support for both 5G technologies, but a new report says that in 2021 Apple may introduce some iPhone models that only support one of the technologies, depending on which one is most prevalent in specific markets.

In other iPhone 12 news, we've once again heard that the new models may not be available until the October/November timeframe, we've seen a new battery leak that might shed some more light on the capacities for each iPhone 12 model, and we've seen some new photos of a white braided Lightning to USB-C cable that could come with the iPhone 12.

Leaker Suggests New Apple Products Are 'Ready to Ship' Amid Rumors of Intel-Based iMac Refresh

WWDC came and went without any significant new hardware launches, but a frequent leaker has cryptically claimed that some new products are "ready to ship."

MR Future Products 2020 Jul Dark
We don't know exactly what products these are, but we've been waiting on an update for the iMac, and there have been other rumors of a refreshed Apple TV being ready to go. Other product rumors floating around have included a smaller, cheaper HomePod, new over-ear headphones, and AirTags item trackers.

Best macOS 11 Big Sur Features: Control Center, Safari Updates, Notifications Overhaul, Design Changes and More

macOS Big Sur is a major update for Apple's Mac platform, and it brings not only a host of new and updated features, but also a design overhaul.

Big Sur Best Features Feature
In one of our most recent videos, we took a look at some of our favorite features in Big Sur, including the new Control Center, a revamped Notification Center, updates for Safari, Messages improvements, and more.

Code in macOS Big Sur Suggests Face ID Could Be Coming to Macs

Apple's Face ID feature that allows a device to be unlocked with a facial scan is limited to the iPhone and the iPad at the current time, but code found in the latest macOS Big Sur beta suggests that Face ID may come to Macs in the future.

FaceID iMac REREREREMIX
References to a "PearlCamera" function that matches the "Pearl" codename of Face ID for iOS devices have been discovered, including mentions of "FaceDetect" and "BioCapture" that strongly hint at Face ID coming to the Mac.

There no word yet on when Face ID might make its debut on the Mac, but we'll likely hear more as work on the feature progresses.

Apple Lining Up Periscope Telephoto Lens Suppliers for 2022 iPhone

2022 is a long way off, but Apple is already looking far ahead with its iPhone roadmap, and a new report from noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple is working to find suppliers that can provide periscope telephoto camera lenses for those phones.

periscope iPhone feature2
Periscope lenses typically use prisms or mirrors to refract light onto the lens sensor for improved optical magnification within the constraints of a thin smartphone body. A few manufacturers like Samsung and Huawei are aggressively pursuing periscope lenses in their phones, and it looks like Apple is working on its own implementation.

Apple Glasses Patent Suggests Any Surface Could Become a Virtual Touch Interface

While we've heard lots of tidbits about Apple's augmented/virtual reality headset projects, we still don't have a detailed picture of what the products will ultimately look like and how they will function.

apple touch patent maps
A newly published patent application reveals, however, that Apple has been looking at how it could turn everyday surfaces into virtual touch interfaces. Apple proposes that icons and buttons could be projected in AR onto a table, for example, where the user could reach out and interact with them. Apple's patent suggests that infrared heat sensing could be used to determine where on the surface the user has touched.

A separate patent application describes how a future Apple Pencil might include a color sensor that would let it sample colors from the real world that could then be transmitted to a paired device such as an iPad. The feature would be great for art-focused applications, making it easier to capture accurate colors of real-world objects.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
42 months ago

The phone icon looks like it should be attached to a rotary dial. What would a modern voice call icon look like? I don't know.
A modern phone icon on a modern phone should be a modern phone… with its own modern phone icon… with i—oh, no…



Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lestdog Avatar
42 months ago
Red music icon will make Apple Music so much easier to use. Now where did that album go again?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
42 months ago

Red music icon will make Apple Music so much easier to use. Now where did that album go again?
Why don’t you save your complaint until iOS 14 is released? For all you know, Apple is working on the very problem you mentioned. Changing an icon doesn’t mean other work isn‘t going on.

Your cheap shot at Apple missed the mark.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
42 months ago

Whoever created this mockup is seriously getting my hopes high on a potential iMac redesign!
If I was in the market for a new iMac, that potential look would definitely have me eager for release.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ElectricPotato Avatar
42 months ago
The phone icon looks like it should be attached to a rotary dial. What would a modern voice call icon look like? I don't know.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sheppard Avatar
42 months ago


Whoever created this mockup is seriously getting my hopes high on a potential iMac redesign!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

Thursday September 28, 2023 6:25 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issues Likely Due to Thermal Compromises, Not 3nm Node

Tuesday September 26, 2023 9:12 am PDT by
Complaints about heat issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models are not related to TSMC's 3-nanometer node that was used for the A17 Pro chip, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that overheating could be caused by "compromises made in the thermal system design" that allowed Apple to cut down on the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo says that the reduced heat...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...
Mac Gaming

Apple Explains How Game Mode Works in macOS Sonoma

Wednesday September 27, 2023 2:24 am PDT by
In macOS Sonoma, Game Mode prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming purposes on Macs. For those unfamiliar with Game Mode, Apple on Tuesday published a support document providing more information on how to use the new feature. Game Mode optimizes your gaming experience by giving your game the highest priority access to your CPU and GPU, lowering usage for background tasks. And it...