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The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 have been out for a few weeks now, and Amazon is still offering launch discounts on both wearables. You can get $9 off the Apple Watch Series 9 and up to $25 off the Apple Watch Ultra 2, with no coupon code required.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Although not particularly steep discounts, Amazon's prices are solid for anyone who's planning to pick up one of the new Apple Watches soon. Most models can be delivered as soon as October 6 for Prime members and around October 9 for free delivery options.

Amazon only has one Apple Watch Ultra 2 model at the new all-time low price of $774.00 (Indigo Alpine Loop, Large). You'll find a large collection of other models at $779.99, which is still a solid $19 discount for these brand new watches.

Another highlight is the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE at $219.99 with an on-page coupon discount, down from $249.99. Only one color is available at this second-best price, the Midnight Aluminum with Midnight Sport Band. You can also get the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE model at $249.99 with an on-page coupon discount, down from $279.00.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

• Indigo Alpine Loop - $774.00, down from $799.00
• Olive Alpine Loop - $779.99, down from $799.00
• Blue Ocean Band - $779.99, down from $799.00
• Blue/Black Trail Loop - $779.99, down from $799.00

Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS)

• 41mm (PRODUCT)RED Aluminum - $389.99, down from $399.00
• 41mm Midnight Aluminum - $389.99, down from $399.00
• 41mm Silver Aluminum - $389.99, down from $399.00
• 45mm (PRODUCT)RED Aluminum - $419.99, down from $429.00
• 45mm Midnight Aluminum - $419.99, down from $429.00
• 45mm Silver Aluminum - $419.99, down from $429.00

Apple Watch Series 9 (Cellular)

• 41mm (PRODUCT)RED Aluminum - $489.99, down from $499.00
• 41mm Midnight Aluminum - $489.99, down from $499.00
• 41mm Silver Aluminum - $489.99, down from $499.00
• 41mm Starlight Aluminum - $489.99, down from $499.00
• 45mm (PRODUCT)RED Aluminum - $519.99, down from $529.00
• 45mm Midnight Aluminum - $519.99, down from $529.00
• 45mm Pink Aluminum - $519.99, down from $529.00
• 45mm Silver Aluminum - $519.99, down from $529.00
• 45mm Starlight Aluminum - $519.99, down from $529.00

Apple Watch SE

• 40mm GPS Midnight Aluminum - $219.99 with on-page coupon, down from $249.00
• 44mm GPS Silver Aluminum - $249.99 with on-page coupon, down from $279.00

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

The third-generation iPhone SE and the iPhone 13 are now Apple's most inexpensive iPhone options, starting at $429 and $599, respectively. Apple released the iPhone 13 in late 2021 and has bumped it down in price since then to make it more accessible as new models have been released. On the other hand, the third-generation iPhone SE launched in early 2022, refreshing the most affordable iPhone option in the lineup.

With just $170 between them, should you get the smaller entry-level iPhone that still has a Touch ID Home button or the all-screen model that has come down in price over time? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhones is best for you.

iPhone SE (third-generation)	iPhone 13
Design of 2017's iPhone 8, featuring rounded edges, a Home button, and large bezels at the top and bottom of the display	Design based on 2020's iPhone 12, featuring flat sides, diagonally arranged rear cameras, and an edge-to-edge display with a "notch" TrueDepth camera array for Face ID
Glass front and back	Ceramic Shield front and glass back
4.7-inch Retina HD LCD display	6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
625 nits max brightness (typical)	800 nits max brightness (typical) and 1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR)
1400:1 contrast ratio (typical)	2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical)
‌Touch ID‌	‌Face ID‌
15-hour battery life (during video playback)	19-hour battery life (during video playback)
Single rear camera	Dual rear cameras with 2x optical zoom range
12-megapixel Main camera with ƒ/1.8 aperture	12-megapixel Main camera with ƒ/1.6 aperture
	12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.4 aperture
Optical image stabilization for video	Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video
	Night mode
	Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (1080p at 30 fps)
	HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 30 fps
	Audio zoom
Front-facing 7MP FaceTime HD camera with 1080p HD video recording and Smart HDR 4	Front-facing 12MP TrueDepth camera with 4K video recording, Smart HDR 4, slo-mo video support, Animoji, and Memoji
Rated IP67 water-resistant to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes	Rated IP68 water-resistant to a depth of six meters for up to 30 minutes
	First-generation ultra wideband chip for spatial awareness
	Supports Dolby Atmos audio playback
	Compatible with MagSafe cases, wallets, wireless chargers, and more
Available with 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB storage	Available with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage
Midnight, Starlight, and PRODUCT(RED) color options	Green, Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and PRODUCT(RED) color options
Starts at $429	Starts at $599

Overall, the iPhone SE remains an excellent entry-level iPhone option for just $429. It contains the A15 Bionic chip, which is still widely available across Apple's lineup of devices and offers more than sufficient performance. With ‌Touch ID‌, wireless charging, water resistance, a capable rear camera, and the latest version of iOS, it is a great smartphone for those new to the iPhone and have basic needs. Some users value the more traditional design, Home Button, and size of the iPhone SE compared to the iPhone 13, but there is no escaping the fact that the iPhone SE offers an older and more basic iPhone experience with a design dating back to 2014's iPhone 6.

For $170 more, the iPhone 13 offers a decidedly more modern and advanced smartphone experience thanks to a much more modern design and a brighter, OLED display, as well as ‌Face ID‌, an Ultra Wide camera, Cinematic mode, Night mode, considerably better front-facing and rear cameras, ‌MagSafe‌, and longer battery life. There is also the benefit of improved water resistance, the ultra wideband chip for Precision Finding with AirTags, and Dolby Atmos audio playback. There are even additional color options to choose from. All of this makes for a significant upgrade over the iPhone SE if you can afford the $170 extra, but it is worth bearing in mind that they are not essential capabilities for many users.

The iPhone SE is an excellent device if your needs or budget are limited, but there is no doubt that the iPhone 13's larger display, more modern and durable design, brighter OLED display, better cameras, longer battery life, and ‌MagSafe‌ compatibility are universally beneficial. In most cases, this is worth the $170 extra if you can afford it.

It is also worth noting that the next-generation iPhone SE, which is not expected to launch until 2025, is expected to be based on the iPhone 13's all-screen design. This means that buying an iPhone 13 is also likely to be a much more future-proof purchase, looking reasonably up to date compared to Apple's other devices in the coming years.

PayPal has announced that users can now add their PayPal and Venmo credit and debit cards to Apple Wallet, while still earning the same cashback and rewards on eligible purchases.

The new integration means users can use the cards to make contactless payments in-store, and use iPhones, iPads, and Macs to make purchases in apps and on the web using Apple Pay.

To get started, users should open the Apple Wallet app, tap the + button, then select the add "Debit or Credit Card" option. Cards can then be scanned or card details entered manually. PayPal says that users will be able to do this directly in the PayPal or Venmo apps in the coming months.

When making payments with ‌Apple Pay‌, users can earn 2% on purchases with the PayPal Cashback Credit Card, earn PayPal Rewards points when shopping with the PayPal Debit Card and redeem them for cash back or other rewards, and earn cashback with the Venmo Debit Card at participating businesses. See the Paypal website for more information.

Apple today released the second beta of an upcoming iOS 17.1 update, and the software further refines some of the new features that were added both in iOS 17 and the initial iOS 17.1 beta.

This guide covers everything new in the second iOS 17.1 beta.

StandBy Display Options

Apple added a new "Display" section to the StandBy section of the Settings app, which houses some new customization options. The display can be set to turn off automatically, after 20 seconds, or never.

The existing Night Mode function that adds a red tint and dims the screen has been relocated to this section, as has the Motion to Wake toggle. The Display section also replaces the prior Always On toggle that limited the display to turning off intelligently.

Ringtones and Text Tones

iOS 17.1 beta 1 removed the more than 20 ringtones and text tones that were added in the launch version of iOS 17, but they have been reintroduced.

The new ringtones include Arpeggio, Breaking, Canopy, Chalet, Chirp, Daybreak, Departure, Dollop, Journey, Kettle, Mercury, Milky Way, Quad, Radial, Scavenger, Seedling, Shelter, Sprinkles, Steps, Storytime, Tease, Tilt, Unfold, and Valley. Reflection continues to be the default ringtone option.

Compared to the old ringtones, many of the new ringtones are longer in length and sound more modern. Apple has moved all of the prior ringtones to the "Classic" section so they are still accessible for those who prefer options like Illuminate, Night Owl, Constellation, and Twinkle.

There are more than 10 new text tones that can be used for incoming text messages, voicemails, incoming mail alerts, reminder alerts, and more.

80% Charging Limit Fix

With the iPhone 15 models, Apple added a toggle that prevents the devices from charging past 80 percent in order to keep the battery healthy for a longer period of time. In the prior beta, the iPhone would ignore this setting and charge past 80 percent, but that no longer happens following the second beta update.

Double Tap

Double Tap is enabled in the second watchOS 10.1 beta that was provided to developers today, but the settings for it can be managed using the Apple Watch app.

More iOS 17.1 Beta 2 Features

Know of a feature that we left out in this list? Let us know in the comments below.

Netflix plans to increase the price of its ad-free subscription plans a few months after the end of the Hollywood actors strike, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Prices will go up in the United States and Canada first, and it is not yet clear how much more Netflix will charge. Netflix last raised prices at the beginning of 2022, charging $9.99 per month for the Basic plan, $15.49 per month for the Standard plan, and $19.99 per month for the Premium plan.

Netflix has since eliminated the Basic plan and added a Standard with ads plan that is priced at $6.99 per month. The company has also ended all multi-household sharing, so Netflix users must reside in the same location to share a Netflix plan, otherwise there is an additional cost for another member slot.

Multiple streaming services have been raising their prices this year. Ad-free Disney+ streaming will soon be $13.99 per month, and ad-free Hulu is going to be $17.99 per month following price hikes set to go live this month. There is no specific word yet on when Netflix will raise prices.

Apple Pencil code that was added to the second beta of iOS 17.1 references USB-C charging for the ‌Apple Pencil‌, a function that does not exist for either of the two current ‌Apple Pencil‌ models that Apple sells.

"Connect to USB-C to recharge soon," reads the text, which is accompanied by another line that says "‌Apple Pencil‌ Battery Very Low."

It is not clear if this is a reference to a new version of the ‌Apple Pencil‌ or text that is related to the USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter that allows the first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ to be charged using a 10th-generation iPad. With this adapter, the ‌Apple Pencil‌ plugs in to the Lightning end of the Adapter and the USB-C connector plugs into the ‌iPad‌, facilitating a charge over USB-C.

Given that this adapter came out last year, it is not quite clear why Apple is just now adding the text, but it is a logical explanation and could be related to the possible launch of a next-generation low-cost ‌iPad‌. The other option is that Apple is working on a new version of the ‌Apple Pencil‌ with a USB-C connector.

Apple could in theory refresh the original ‌Apple Pencil‌ to replace the Lightning connector with a USB-C connector without too much hassle, allowing the company to carry on offering the higher-end, slimmer magnetic ‌Apple Pencil‌ that works with the iPad Pro and other iPads, and the lower-cost, rounder ‌Apple Pencil‌ that charges via a connector and works with Apple's low-cost ‌iPad‌ lineup.

A USB-C port might not make sense if Apple has plans for a third-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ compatible with all iPads, as the new version would likely take after the second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ and charge magnetically via an ‌iPad‌. A single ‌Apple Pencil‌ that has no connector at all and is able to work with all iPads would simplify the ‌Apple Pencil‌ lineup and cut down on any confusion.

Apple is transitioning its products to USB-C because of new European Union regulations that require electronics to use a universal port. Apple could opt for a USB-C charging option for fast charging purposes, but a future ‌Apple Pencil‌ would also be able to skirt the USB-C requirement with wireless charging.

Whether or not a new ‌Apple Pencil‌ has USB-C, there seems to be a third-generation version in the works. Earlier this week, a rumor suggested that the next ‌Apple Pencil‌ would feature magnetic tips with different shapes for drawing, sketching, and painting.

The second beta of macOS Sonoma 14.1 seeded to developers today includes a new "Coverage" section in the System Settings app that displays warranty and AppleCare+ coverage for the Mac and select Bluetooth-paired accessories.

The section can be found in the System Settings app under General → Coverage, and it provides an overview of hardware service options and other information.

A similar "Coverage" section already existed in the Settings app on the iPhone and iPad under General → About → Coverage, and now it is on the Mac.

macOS Sonoma 14.1 is currently in beta testing and is expected to be released in late October alongside iOS 17.1 and other software updates.

The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are conducting a test of the U.S. emergency alert systems on Wednesday, October 4. Emergency text messages will be set out to cell phones across the United States.

The Wireless Emergency Alert test will begin at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time/11:20 a.m. Pacific Time today, and iPhone owners can expect to receive a text message in English or Spanish, depending on the language settings of the device. In addition to smartphones, test messages will also be sent to televisions and radios.

Test messages going to smartphones will make it clear that the alert is a test, with the following text: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. The purpose is to maintain and improve alert and warning capabilities at the federal, state, local, tribal and territorial levels and to evaluate the nation’s public alert and warning capabilities. No action is required by the public." An "alert tone" will be played when the notification is initially received.

Wireless Emergency Alerts are used in the United States to allow federal, state, and local agencies to send out short emergency messages from cell towers in a targeted area. They are designed to warn of an impending natural or human-made disaster, though the system is also used for child abductions and public safety alerts.

AMBER Alerts, Emergency Alerts, Public Safety Alerts, and Test Alerts can all be enabled or disabled on an iPhone by going to the Notifications section of the Settings app and scrolling all the way down to Government Alerts. Turning off the toggles typically prevents alerts from being received, but it is worth noting that with today's test, there is no way to disable it.

With the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple replaced the traditional mute switch with a new multi-function Action Button. The button can be assigned to perform a number of tasks, ranging from activating the flashlight to turning on the camera. Perhaps the most useful way to use the Action Button is with Shortcuts, because the single button can perform more than one action at once or bring up a selection of tools.

We've rounded up three of the best methods for using Shortcuts to get the most out of the Action Button.

1. MultiButton Shortcut - Federico Vittici of MacStories created a way for two separate shortcuts to be assigned to the Action button. With MultiButton, if you press the Action Button once, it runs the primary shortcut, but if you press it twice in quick succession, it will run a secondary shortcut. Since Apple doesn't support multiple presses for the Action Button, this is a clever workaround. The MultiButton Shortcut is available from MacStories, and Viticci also has some Shortcut suggestions to use with the MultiButton.
2. Position-Based Actions - YouTuber Dan Vittorini created a Shortcut that performs different actions depending on the orientation of the iPhone when it's activated. If the iPhone is in portrait orientation, it toggles silent mode. If the phone is held with the top to the left, it takes a photo, and if the phone is held with the top to the right, it takes a video. You can, of course, customize these to your liking.
3. Shortcuts Folder - Perhaps the simplest way to make use of the Action Button is to set it to show the Shortcuts Folder, a unique action only available to the Action Button. You can set it to show all of your Shortcuts or just your favorites, so when you press the Action Button, you get a menu with your most useful Shortcuts. To set this up, open up the Settings app, choose Action Button, swipe over to Shortcut, tap on Choose a Shortcut... then select Show Folder and choose your preferred folder.

Have you found other interesting ways to use the Action Button? Let us know in the comments below.

Three days after Apple said that it would release a software update with a fix for a bug contributing to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating, MacRumors can confirm that Apple is now internally testing iOS 17.0.3.

It's unclear when iOS 17.0.3 will be released to the public, but the update will likely be available either later this week or next week.

Apple did not provide any specific details about the bug that it identified, but it said that it will not be reducing the performance of the A17 Pro chip with its planned software update. Apple also said the iPhone 15 Pro's titanium frame is not to blame, so it appears that the overheating issues are not the result of hardware deficiencies.

The same bug fix should eventually be included in iOS 17.1, which is currently in beta and is expected to be released in late October.

Apple added that the overheating issues were also related to some apps overloading the A17 Pro chip, including Instagram, Uber, and racing game Asphalt 9: Legends. Apple said it was working with the developers of these apps to address the situation. Instagram already released an app update with a fix on Wednesday. Uber also updated its app today, but whether it addresses this issue remains to be determined.

Not all iPhone 15 Pro users have experienced overheating, and it's unclear how many users have been impacted by the issue, but it should be fixed soon.

The second watchOS 10.1 update that Apple released to developers today adds support for Double Tap, a main new feature for the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 devices.

Double Tap lets Apple Watch users double tap an index finger and thumb together to interact with the Apple Watch using one hand. The sensors in the Apple Watch are able to detect the fine movements, registering it as a tap on the display.

The Double Tap gesture can be used to perform single-tap actions such as answering or ending a phone call, stopping a timer, playing and pausing music, snoozing or turning off an alarm, and more.

Because Double Tap is enabled through the S9 chip in the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra, it is a feature that is limited to these models.

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of visionOS, the software that runs on the upcoming Vision Pro headset. The third beta came out in late August, so it has been more than a month since Apple last released a visionOS update.

Only a limited number of developers have access to Vision Pro at this time, with the headsets used for app testing purposes. Most people will not have access to the visionOS beta outside of Xcode, and it is not yet clear what Apple is adding in each visionOS update.

Apple is allowing developers to attend Vision Pro labs around the world, and developers who visit these locations are able to test the Vision Pro in person and get help from Apple engineers on their visionOS apps.

The Vision Pro headset is not expected until early 2024, so Apple still has a lot of work to do on both hardware and software. We are expecting either this beta or a beta shortly after to introduce the official visionOS App Store that Apple has been working on.

Apple today seeded the second betas of iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1 to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming one week after Apple released the first betas of iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1.

Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the ‌iOS 17 or iPadOS 17‌ Developer Beta. An Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

iOS 17.1 adds the option to favorite songs, albums, playlists, artists, and more, with favorited content added to the Library and used for suggestions. Favoriting can be done from the Lock Screen using the Now Playing widget, plus when starting a playlist, you'll now see Song Suggestions.

AirDrop transfers can be finished over the internet so close proximity does not need to be maintained, and an Apple Watch running watchOS 10.1 can now use NameDrop with an iPhone running iOS 17.1.

Other new features include a flashlight indicator in the Dynamic Island for non iPhone 15 Pro models, and a Wallet feature that lets those in the UK connect their banks to see balances and transactions.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.1 update to developers for beta testing, with the update coming just a week after the launch of the first beta.

Registered developers can opt-in to the beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Under Beta updates, simply toggle on the Sonoma Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

macOS Sonoma 14.1 includes updates for the Music app, introducing an option to favorite songs, albums, artists, and more. No other major new additions have been found in the beta as of yet, but there are several promised features that did not make it into the macOS Sonoma launch.

Apple says that these features are coming in an update later this year, so we could begin seeing some of them in this beta.

Additions we are waiting on include interactive Music widgets, iCloud Sync improvements, the option to use Stickers through the Tapback menu in Messages, Intelligent form detection and Enhanced AutoFill for PDF documents and forms, an option to complete words by pressing the space bar, collaborative playlists in the Music app, and a favorite songs playlist.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 10.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the release of the first watchOS 10.1 beta.

To install the ‌watchOS 10‌.1 update, developers will need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the ‌watchOS 10‌.1 Developer Beta. An Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, ‌watchOS 10.1‌ can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

watchOS 10.1 adds NameDrop support for sharing contact information with another Apple Watch or an iPhone.

NameDrop can be used by tapping into the Apple Watch Contacts app, selecting your profile, and tapping on the "Share" option. From there, touching the Apple Watch to another Apple Watch running watchOS 10.1 or an iPhone running iOS 17 will initiate a contact transfer.

Starting with the first iOS 17.1 beta released last week, Reachability now has a solid black background on all iPhone models with the Dynamic Island, instead of a blurred view of the device's wallpaper. This minor change means the Dynamic Island no longer appears twice on the screen when Reachability is being used.

iPhone models with the Dynamic Island include the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

On older iPhone models without the Dynamic Island, Reachability still shows a blurred wallpaper as the background on the first iOS 17.1 beta.

Reachability is an optional feature that lowers the top half of the screen so it's within easy reach of your fingers. The feature can be enabled in the Settings app under Accessibility → Touch → Reachability. To use the feature, simply swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen. To return to a regular view, tap the upper half of the screen.

iOS 17.1 is expected to be released in late October. Last week, we outlined other new features in the first beta for Apple Music, AirDrop, and more.

Apple's 10.9-inch iPad Air has hit a few all-time low prices today on Amazon, with up to $99 off select versions of the tablet. Most models can be delivered as soon as October 5 for Amazon Prime members and October 8 for free delivery options.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You can get the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air for $499.99, down from $599.00. This one is on sale at this price in all five colors, and it's a match for the all-time low price seen on this version of the iPad Air.

Secondly, the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad Air is available for $649.99, down from $749.00. This model is available in three colors, and most are in stock and ready to ship today.

You can also find a few cellular models on sale right now on Amazon. The 64GB cellular iPad Air is on sale for $649.99 ($99 off) and the 256GB cellular iPad Air is on sale for $799.99 ($99 off).

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.