MacRumors

Apple today released iOS 16, the newest operating system designed for the iPhone. As with all of Apple's software updates, iOS 16 can be downloaded for free. iOS 16 is available on the ‌iPhone‌ 8 and later, with Apple this year dropping support for the ‌iPhone‌ 6s, ‌iPhone‌ 7, and the original ‌iPhone‌ SE.

iOS 16 is typically accompanied by iPadOS 16, but Apple is still working on iPadOS 16 features like Stage Manager, and so iPadOS 16 has been delayed and an iPadOS 16.1 update will be launching alongside iOS 16.1 in the near future.

Apple's updated software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes for the updates to propagate to all users due to high demand.

While you download iOS 16, make sure to read over our quick feature highlights below and then visit our iOS 16 roundup for a full overview of everything that's new.

An updated Lock Screen experience is the most notable change in iOS 16, and you can now customize what your Lock Screen looks like. You can choose wallpapers, fonts, and even widgets that you want to display. Specific Focus modes and Apple Watch faces can even be linked to your Lock Screens, and you can set up several to swap to throughout the day.

iMessages can be edited, deleted, and marked as unread, and for Mail, you can schedule emails, undo emails, and get follow-up reminders. FaceTime calls can now be handed off to other devices, and in the Health app, there are new features for sleep tracking and keeping track of the medications and vitamins that you're taking.

Coming in an update to iOS 16 later this year, iCloud Shared Photo Library makes it easier to share images with family through one library, plus the Photos app supports copy/pasting edits and it locks sensitive albums like recently deleted. In the Maps app, there's now multi-stop routing, and in Safari, Apple is aiming to replace passwords with passkeys.

The Home app has been overhauled with a new design, and with the Activity app, you can track steps and calories burned even if you don't have an Apple Watch. The Weather app has been improved with new modules that offer more data, and there are also updates for Books, Stocks, Music, Reminders, Notes, Translate, and more.

Apple's full release notes for the iOS 16 update are below:

Lock Screen
- Redesigned Lock Screen gives you all new ways to personalize your Lock Screen by showcasing favorite photos, customizing font styles, displaying widgets, and more
- Multiple Lock Screens can be created and you can easily switch between them
- Lock Screen gallery offers personalized suggestions along with Apple curated collections for your Lock Screen
- Font and color options for customizing the look of the date and time on your Lock Screen
- Widgets on the Lock Screen display information at a glance like the weather, battery levels, upcoming calendar events, and more
- A new effect places the subject of the photo in front of the time (iPhone XS and later)
- Photo styles change the color filter, tinting, and font style of photos on the Lock Screen to complement each other
- Notifications appear at the bottom of your Lock Screen and can be displayed in an expanded list view, stacked view, or count view

Focus
- Lock Screen linking connects your Lock Screen to a Focus, so you can activate a Focus by switching to the corresponding Lock Screen
- Focus filters hide distracting content in apps like Calendar, Mail, Messages, Safari and third party apps
- Streamlined setup makes it easier and faster to get started with Focus, with personalized Lock Screen and Home Screen suggestions that include apps and widgets that are relevant to the Focus you’re setting up

Messages
- Edit a message for up to 15 minutes after sending it and recipients see a record of edits
- Undo send allows you to recall any message for up to 2 minutes after sending it
- Mark as unread makes it easy to come back to a conversation later
- SharePlay in Messages lets you enjoy activities like watching movies, listening to music, playing games, and more with friends while messaging
- Collaboration provides a simple way to invite others to collaborate on a file via Messages and get activity updates in the thread when someone makes an edit to a shared project

Mail
- Improved search delivers more accurate, complete results and provide suggestions as soon as you begin to type
- Undo send allows you to cancel delivery of a message within 10 seconds of hitting send
- Scheduled send for sending an email at a specific day and time
- Follow‑up surfaces sent emails that have not been replied to, to the top of your inbox so you can quickly follow‑up
- Remind me lets you schedule a date and time to be reminded about an email

Safari and Passkeys
- Shared Tab Groups let you share a set of tabs with others and see the Tab Group update instantly as you work together
- Tab Group start pages can be customized with different background images and favorites for each Tab Group
- Pinned tabs in Tab Groups enable you to pin frequently visited websites for each Tab Group
- Safari web page translation adds translation for web pages in Turkish, Thai, Vietnamese, Polish, Indonesian, and Dutch
- Passkeys offer support for an easier and safer sign‑in method to replace passwords
- Passkey syncing through iCloud Keychain makes your passkeys available across all your Apple devices while keeping them end-to-end encrypted

Live Text
- Live Text video support allows you to interact with text in a paused video frame so you can copy, translate, lookup, share, and more (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Quick actions let you take action on data detected in photos and videos with a single tap, so you can track flights or shipments, translate foreign languages, convert currencies, and more (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)

Visual Look Up
- Lift subject from background isolates the subject of an image so you can copy and paste it into apps like Mail and Messages (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Visual Look Up adds recognition of birds, insects, spiders, and statues in your photos (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)

Siri
- Easy Shortcuts setup makes it possible to run shortcuts with Siri as soon as you download an app with no upfront setup (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- A new setting allows you to send messages without Siri asking you to confirm before sending
- “Hey Siri, what can I do here?” helps you discover Siri capabilities in iOS and apps just by asking (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Call hang up option for ending Phone and FaceTime calls with Siri by saying “Hey Siri, hang up.” (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)

Dictation
- All-new Dictation experience supports using your voice and keyboard together to enter and edit text (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Automatic punctuation inserts commas, periods, and question marks as you dictate
- Emoji support lets you insert emoji using your voice (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)

Maps
- Multi-stop routing supports adding up to fifteen stops along your driving route in Maps
- Transit cards in Maps let you see low balances and replenish your card when you add transit cards to Wallet, all without leaving Maps
- Transit fares show you how much your journey will cost in the San Francisco Bay Area, London, New York, and San Diego

Apple Pay and Wallet
- Apple Pay Order Tracking allows you to receive detailed receipt and order tracking information in Wallet for Apple Pay purchases with participating merchants
- ID cards in Wallet lets you share verified information with apps that require identity verification (iPhone 8 and later)
- Apple Account supports topping-up your account balance from your Apple Account card in Wallet

Home
- Redesigned Home app makes it easier to navigate, organize, view, and control your smart home accessories
- Home tab now integrates all your accessories, rooms, and scenes into a single tab for a whole-house view, allowing you to see your entire home at a glance
- Categories for lights, climate, security, speakers and TVs, and water let you quickly access all the relevant accessories organized by room, and displays more detailed status information
- New camera view displays up to four cameras front and center in the Home tab, scroll to see any additional camera views in your home
- Redesigned accessory tiles feature more visually recognizable icons that are color-matched to their category, and new behaviors for more precise accessory controls

Health
- Medications feature helps you track and manage your medications, vitamins and supplements by creating a list, custom schedules and reminders, and then viewing logging over time
- Add medications using your iPhone camera (iPhone XS, iPhone XR and later)
- Interaction alerts inform you if there is a critical interaction when you add a new medication
- Cycle deviation notifications alert you if your logged menstrual cycles show a pattern of infrequent periods, irregular periods, prolonged periods, or persistent spotting
- Invitations for Health Sharing allow loved ones to easily and securely share their health data with you
- Health Sharing reminders give you transparency and control over the health data you are sharing with loved ones

News
- My Sports enables you to easily follow your favorite teams and leagues and watch highlights right in the News app
- Favorites give you easy access to the channels and topics you read the most, in a consistent place near the top of your Today feed
- New homepages deliver visually updated and easier to navigate topic feeds for local news locales, sports teams and leagues, and more

Family Sharing
- Improved child account setup makes it easier to create an account for a child with the right parental controls, including age‑appropriate media restrictions
- Device setup for a child lets you use Quick Start to easily set up a new iOS or iPadOS device for your child with your selected parental controls in place
- Screen Time requests in Messages make it even easier to approve or decline requests from your child
- Family Checklist gives you tips and suggestions like updating a child’s parental control settings, turning on location sharing, or just reminding you to share your iCloud+ subscription with everyone

Safety Check
- Safety Check is a new section in Settings to help people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations quickly reset the access they’ve granted to others
- Emergency reset lets you quickly take action to reset access across all people and apps, including disabling location sharing via Find My, resetting privacy permissions for apps, and more
- Manage sharing and access helps you review and customize which apps and people can access your information

Accessibility
- Door detection in Magnifier locates a door, reads signs and symbols around it, and gives you instructions for how to open the door (iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro)
- Apple Watch mirroring provides full control of Apple Watch from iPhone and supports use of Switch Control, Voice Control, or any other assistive features on iPhone to get the most out of your Apple Watch
- Live Captions (beta) automatically converts audio into text for users who are Deaf or hard of hearing to follow along more easily with calls and media content (iPhone 11 and later)
- Buddy controller helps users with cognitive disabilities get support from a caregiver or friend while playing a game, by combining inputs from multiple game controllers into one
- VoiceOver is now available in over 20 new languages and locales, including Bangla (India), Bulgarian, Catalan, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese
- Voice Control spelling mode gives you the option to dictate names, addresses, or other custom spellings letter by letter

This release also includes other features and improvements:
- Fitness app lets you track and meet your fitness goals even if you don’t yet have an Apple Watch, using iPhone motion sensors to give you an estimate of your calories to contribute to your daily Move goal
- AirPods Pro (2nd generation) support
- Personalized Spatial Audio uses the TrueDepth camera on iPhone to create a personal profile for Spatial Audio that delivers a more precise and immersive listening experience on AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation), AirPods Max
- Handoff in FaceTime allows you to move FaceTime calls seamlessly from your iPhone to your iPad or Mac, and vice versa
- Memoji updates include more sticker poses, hairstyles, headwear, noses, and lip colors
- Quick Note adds support for taking a note in any app on your iPhone and adding links to create context and easily find content
- Translate camera lets you translate text around you using the camera in the Translate app
- Duplicate detection in Photos identifies duplicate photos so you can quickly clean up your library
- Foreground blur for portrait photos in Camera blurs objects in the foreground for a more realistic-looking depth-of-field effect (iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max)
- Pinned lists in Reminders helps you quickly navigate to your favorite lists
- Search on the Home Screen enables Spotlight to be accessed directly from the bottom of the Home Screen, making it easy to open apps, find contacts, or get information from the web
- Automatically send messages in CarPlay to skip the confirmation step when sending messages
- Rapid Security Response gets important security improvements to your devices even faster, as they can be applied automatically between standard software updates

- This release includes even more features and improvements. For more information, please visit this website: https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-16

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all iPhone models. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

More Information and Discussion

Don't forget to visit our full iOS 16 roundup, and you can also discuss all of the new features in our dedicated iOS 16 forum.

Apple today released watchOS 9, the latest version of the watchOS operating system designed to run on newer Apple Watch models. watchOS 8 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 4 and later.

watchOS 9 can be downloaded for free through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by opening it up and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌.

Apple added four new watch faces in watchOS 9. Lunar shows the relationship between the Gregorian calendar and lunar calendas, while Playtime offers animated and personified numbers created in collaboration with artist Joi Fulton. Metropolitan is a classic type-driven watch face and Astronomy is a revamped version of the original astronomy watch face with a remastered design and new star map and cloud data.

Apple updated several existing watch faces with a more modern look and added new complications, plus Focus modes can now be associated with a specific watch face. Sleep tracking in watchOS 9 now includes sleep stages, allowing users to detect when users are in REM, Core, or Deep sleep.

A new Medications app on the Apple Watch is designed to help users manage and track their medications, vitamins, and supplements. The app keeps a list of medications, sends reminders when it's time to take them, and watches out for any drug interactions (U.S. only).

For the Workout app, there's a new option to make custom workouts that can include work and rest intervals, and Heart Rate Zones can be created to monitor the intensity of a workout, and there are new alerts for pace, power, heart rate, and cadence that can guide users through workouts.

Swimmers, runners, and triathletes have new Activity options that take into account new metrics, and Fitness+ users who don't have an Apple TV can use AirPlay to stream workouts and meditations to compatible third-party TVs for use without an ‌Apple TV‌.

The ECG app's atrial fibrillation (AFib) warnings have been updated, with Apple adding a new AFib History feature. Patients with AFib can turn on AFib History to track AFib frequency for deeper insight into their heart condition that can also be shared with medical professionals.

Apple redesigned notifications on the Apple Watch to feature slimline banners that are less interruptive when the watch is in active use, and Family Setup now supports the Home app so kids can control smart home accessories from their wrists. Quick Actions on the Apple Watch allow users to do more with a double-pinch gesture, including answering/ending phone calls, playing/pausing media, and starting or pausing a workout.

Apple's release notes for the update are below:

watchOS 9 brings great new ways to keep you active, healthy, and connected with Apple Watch. You have more ways to train and measure your workouts, a completely redesigned compass app, a new app to track your medications, more powerful sleep tracking with sleep stages, and better insights and support for your heart health if you have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

Watch Faces
- Astronomy now displays current cloud coverage and star map
- Lunar includes a Chinese, Hebrew, or Islamic lunar calendar wrapped around a moon with a live rendering of moon phases
- Playtime includes animated numbers designed by Chicago artist Joi -Fulton with editing options for background colors
- Metropolitan features a type-driven watch face with numbers that dynamically change in style and weight as you turn the Digital Crown
- Nike Analog, Nike Bounce, Nike Compact, Nike Digital, and Nike Hybrid, all with a tappable Nike Swoosh that launches Nike Run Club, are now available for more models of Apple Watch
- Rich Complications, Chinese script options, and background color editor available on Breathe, California, Modular, Typograph and more
- Portraits now supports portraits of dogs and cats and landscapes with the ability to customize the color of the background or entire photo
- Ability to choose the watch face displayed when a Focus is active

Workout
- Ability to customize and scroll through multiple Workout Views during a workout including Splits, Segments, Activity Rings, and more
- Heart Rate Zones view uses max and resting heart rate to create personalized zones and shows time spent in each zone
- Elevation view displays current elevation and elevation gain and visually maps your elevation progress during Outdoor Run, Outdoor Cycle, Outdoor Wheelchair Run Pace, Hiking, Outdoor Walk and Outdoor Wheelchair Walk Pace
- Running Power view, measured in watts, shows an instantaneous measure of how much power is generated during your run (Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 6 and later)
- Running Form Metrics including Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, and Vertical Oscillation available in Workout Views to monitor and trend running efficiency (Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 6 and later)
- Custom Workout enables you to create Workouts with repeating sets of intervals that can be based on a time, distance or an open goal with automatic or manual advancement to your next set
- Pacer provides a training experience to help you sustain a desired pace using alerts and a dedicated workout view
- Multisport Workout supports duathlon or triathlon training with automatic detection of Open Water/Pool Swim, Indoor/Outdoor Cycle, Indoor/Outdoor Run, and transitions to the next leg
- Workout alerts can be customized for metrics like pace, power, cadence, and heart rate zones
- Pool Swim workouts automatically detect kickboard
- SWOLF swimming efficiency metric calculated as stroke count plus time to complete lap

Fitness+
- Trainer guidance displayed on-screen including targets for Intensity, strokes per minute for Rowing, revolutions per minute for Cycling, and incline percentage for Treadmill
- Trainer guidance and personal fitness metrics displayed on-screen for compatible third party TVs and devices

Compass
- Redesigned compass app with more in-depth information and zoomable views (Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 5 and later)
- Primary face supports both an analog compass dial and a digital view of current bearing and direction
- Zoomed view provides analog view of bearing plus your elevation, incline and coordinates
- Compass Waypoints allow you to mark your position or point of interest (Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 6 and later)
- Backtrack uses GPS to track your historic path in case you get lost or disoriented (Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 6 and later)

Sleep
- Sleep stage tracking using data from the accelerometer and heart rate sensor to detect time spent in REM, Core, and Deep sleep, as well as awake
- Comparisons chart provides a view of heart rate and respiratory rate alongside time asleep in the Health app on iPhone

Medications
- Capabilities to log as-needed and scheduled medications, including the amount and time taken
- Ability to view medication schedule and what you have logged for the day
- Reminders to log scheduled medications
- Medications complication to see your schedule or quickly open the app
- AFib History
- Weekly notifications with estimate of the percentage of time spent in atrial fibrillation during previous calendar week
- Highlights show which day of week and time of day when AFib is highest
- Tracking of lifestyle factors that may influence time spent in AFib including Exercise, Sleep, Weight, Alcohol Consumption, and Mindful Minutes in the Health app on iPhone
- Sharable PDF for richer conversations with healthcare providers
- Support for users 22 years or older with diagnosis of atrial fibrillation

Family Setup
- Podcasts app is now available and includes ability to search, download, follow shows, and explore curated content
- Third party email support extended to Yahoo and Outlook
- Editing and sharing contact photos now available

Accessibility
- Expanded Quick Actions with AssistiveTouch for play and pause in Now Playing, pause and resume in Workout, take a photo using Camera Remote, and toggle between map view and turn-by-turn directions in Maps
- Bluetooth keyboard pairing with Apple Watch
- Apple Watch Mirroring lets you control Apple Watch remotely from your paired iPhone via AirPlay with support for assistive technologies like Voice Control or Switch Control as an alternative to tapping the Apple Watch display

Other features and improvements:
- Low Power Mode maintains core features of Apple Watch while temporarily disabling select background features such as always on display and heart health notifications to extend battery life
- Support for international roaming allows you to stay connected to your cellular network while traveling abroad (Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 5 and later)
- Expanded keyboard languages including French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish available on Apple Watch Series 7 and later
- Communication safety setting in Screen Time gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or attempt to send photos that contain nudity in Messages
- Cycle deviation notifications alert you if your logged menstrual cycles show a pattern of infrequent periods, irregular periods, prolonged periods, or persistent spotting
- New Cardio Recovery metric estimated by Apple Watch available in the Health app
- Reminders app updated to support editing so you can add key details like location, tags, and due times
- Calendar app redesigned to support creation of new calendar events with ability to switch to day, list, and week views
- Enhanced Podcast experience with support for search, ability to follow and unfollow shows, and discover new content in Listen Now
- Dock updated to show apps running in background at the top
- Notifications redesigned with streamlined slimline banner when actively using Apple Watch

Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas, for more information visit:
https://www.apple.com/watchos/feature-availability/

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

More on everything new in watchOS 9 can be found in our dedicated watchOS 9 roundup.

Apple today released tvOS 16, the newest version of the tvOS operating system that is available for the Apple TV 4K and the ‌Apple TV‌ HD.

The tvOS 16 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the ‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌ by going to System -> Software Update. ‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌ owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to ‌tvOS 16 automatically.

‌Apple TV‌ software updates are more minor in scale than updates for other platforms like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but there are a few new features in tvOS 16 to be aware of.

The update brings game controller support for the the Nintendo Joy-Cons and the Nintendo Pro Controller. When Matter launches, the ‌Apple TV‌ with tvOS 16 installed will support it, for improved interoperability between smart home accessories from different companies.

tvOS 16 brings cross-device connectivity, a feature that lets developers integrate ‌Apple TV‌ apps with ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Apple Watch apps to unlock new experiences on ‌Apple TV‌. Multi-user profiles have also been improved through the use of a shared keychain, which means users won't need to sign in and choose their profile when launching an ‌Apple TV‌ app.

Alongside iOS 16, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16, Apple today released new software that's designed for the HomePod and the HomePod mini.

According to Apple's release notes, software version 16 includes general performance and stability improvements.

‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ software is installed automatically on the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌ unless the feature is disabled‌‌‌‌, but the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ can also be manually updated in the Home app by following the instructions in our HomePod‌‌ update how to.

While we have to wait a bit longer for the macOS Ventura launch, Apple today released macOS Monterey 12.6. macOS Monterey 12.6 is the sixth major update to macOS Monterey and it comes a couple months after the launch of macOS Monterey 12.5.

The ‌‌‌‌‌‌macOS Monterey‌‌‌ 12.6 update can be downloaded on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Preferences.

macOS Monterey 12.6 addresses a number of kernel vulnerabilities as well as issues with maps, iMovie, ATS, MediaLibrary, and PackageKit.

Apple says that it is aware that one kernel vulnerability was actively exploited, which means that it is important for all macOS Monterey users to update to the new version of the operating system as soon as possible.

Apple has also released a macOS Big Sur 11.7 update with security fixes.

Alongside iOS 16, Apple has released new versions of iOS 15.7 and iPadOS 15.7. The iOS 15.7 update is aimed at those who are not able to upgrade to iOS 16, while iPadOS 15.7 is available while we wait for the launch of iPadOS 16 in October.

The software updates can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

The iOS 15.7 and iPadOS 15.7 updates address multiple kernel vulnerabilities in addition to fixing security issues with Contacts, Maps, Safari, Safari Extensions, Shortcuts, and WebKit.

Apple says that one of the kernel vulnerabilities was actively exploited, so those who cannot update to iOS 16 should install iOS 15.7 as soon as possible, and iPad owners should update to iOS 15.7.

Today marks 10 years since Apple introduced the iPhone 5 with an all-new Lightning connector, which replaced the previous 30-pin dock connector that originated on the iPod. Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller described Lightning as a "modern connector for the next decade," and this milestone has now been achieved.

iPhone 14 models remain equipped with a Lightning connector, but Apple is widely expected to switch to USB-C for iPhone 15 models next year.

Apple already offers USB-C ports on every Mac and nearly every iPad that it sells, along with the Studio Display, Pro Display XDR, some Beats headphones, and a few other accessories. Rumors suggest the upcoming 10th-generation entry-level iPad will also adopt USB-C, followed by AirPods charging cases and the MagSafe Battery Pack next year.

In June, the European Union announced that it reached an agreement to introduce a new law that would make USB-C the common charging port across all new smartphones, tablets, headphones, and many other electronics by fall 2024. iPhone 15 models are expected to launch around September 2023, ahead of the European Union's deadline.

While the Lightning cable was the first reversible charging cable, USB-C has become a very popular charging standard across a countless number of devices. A major benefit of USB-C for the iPhone would be faster data transfer speeds, as Lightning on the iPhone 13 and earlier tops out at 480 Mbps, while USB-C can achieve up to 5 to 10 Gbps depending on the spec, or even up to 40 Gbps if the iPhone supported Thunderbolt 3.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of Apple introducing the iPhone X during its first-ever media event at Steve Jobs Theater.

iPhone X introduced an all-new design that replaced Touch ID and the Home button with Face ID and swipe-based navigation. It was the first iPhone with an OLED display, a notch, dramatically thinner bezels around the display, a polished stainless steel frame, and animated emoji known as Animoji. Alongside the iPhone 8, the iPhone X also ushered in wireless charging support and the Neural Engine for machine learning.

"For more than a decade, our intention has been to create an iPhone that is all display," said Apple's former design chief Jony Ive, in a September 2017 press release. "The iPhone X is the realization of that vision."

"iPhone X is the future of the smartphone," added Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller.

Apple CEO Tim Cook teased the introduction of the iPhone X as "one more thing" before Schiller took the stage to discuss the device's new features.

As the first event at Steve Jobs Theater, Apple began its presentation with a touching tribute to Steve Jobs, who passed away in 2011.

Apple said the iPhone X represented "the beginning of the next ten years for iPhone." While the notch has been replaced with a new pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout on the iPhone 14 Pro models, the overall design of the iPhone X and Face ID live on.

After months of rumors, speculation, and leaks, Apple last week finally unveiled the iPhone 14, the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, the all-new Apple Watch Ultra, the Apple Watch Series 8, and the second-generation AirPods Pro.

While the majority of ‌iPhone‌ 14, ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, and Apple Watch rumors turned out to be accurate, including last-minute rumors on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, there were some that ultimately didn't pan out. We've rounded up five of the most notable rumors that did not turn out correctly for the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro below.

Prosser: No Camera Bump, Round Volume Buttons, and More

On September 8, 2021, Apple leaker Jon Prosser shared renders he claimed to have been for the "‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max," days before Apple was set to unveil the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup. In his renders, Prosser claimed that the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max would feature a flat back with no camera bump, round volume buttons, a single hole-punch notch replacement, and redesigned speaker and microphone grilles with elongated mesh cutouts instead of individual holes on the bottom of the device.

The renders turned out to be an inaccurate depiction of the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max, with Apple enlarging the camera bump to make room for more advanced cameras, Apple instead opting for a hole punch and pill-shaped notch replacement, and no change to the volume buttons or the speaker and microphone grilles.

2TB Storage Option

A rumor early in the rumor mill suggested that the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max would be offered in a 2TB storage configuration alongside the existing 1TB option. The rationale was that with the more advanced cameras, Apple would offer a larger storage option for photographers and videographers to store high-res content. That did not turn out to be the case as Apple is continuing to offer a 1TB option as the highest capacity ever in an ‌iPhone‌ with the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro series.

Premium Titanium Model

A rumor had suggested that the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max would be offered in an all-new titanium model. That also did not turn out to be the case, with Apple using the same materials on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max as their respective predecessors.

WiFi 6E Support

Rumored for the ‌iPhone‌ 12, then the ‌iPhone‌ 13, and again for the ‌iPhone‌ 14, Apple has yet to bring the latest WiFi standard to its ‌iPhone‌ lineup. WiFi 6E, compared to WiFi 6 supported on all of Apple's latest products, includes better support for crowded areas and better latency. It remains unclear why Apple has not yet adopted WiFi 6E support, but we could see it on the iPhones next year.

Upgraded Ultra Wide Camera

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated in November of 2020 that all ‌iPhone‌ 14 models would feature the same improved Ultra Wide camera with f/1.8, 6P and autofocus. While the ‌iPhone‌ 14 did get some camera improvements, those specifications did not turn out to be accurate. The ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus feature an Ultra Wide camera with an f/2.4 aperture and a five-element lens. The ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max's Ultra Wide camera has an f/2.2 aperture and a six-element lens.

Apple's AirPods Max over-ear headphones have returned to their lowest-ever price on Amazon, priced at $429.00, down from $549.00. In a rare occurrence, we're tracking every single color of the AirPods Max at this price, and all are in stock and ready to ship out today.

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.

Amazon Prime members can receive the AirPods Max as soon as this Wednesday, September 14, while free delivery for everyone else in the United States has an estimated arrival day of September 17. As of writing, only Amazon is offering this steep of a discount on the AirPods Max.

AirPods Max feature Active Noise Cancellation technology and the same Transparency mode, Adaptive EQ, and spatial audio features that are in the AirPods Pro. For charging, the headphones come with a Smart Case made out of a soft material that puts AirPods Max in an ultra low-power state to preserve battery charge when not in use.

We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.

The S8 chip in the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and second-generation Apple Watch SE features the same CPU as the S6 and S7 chips, according to identifier codes.

The CPU within Apple's S8 SiP carries the same T8301 identifier as the CPU in the S6 and S7 chips that debuted in the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch Series 7. This explains why Apple has only compared its S-series chips in recent years to the S5 chip or earlier.

It also means that the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and second-generation ‌Apple Watch SE‌ all feature the exact same CPU. It is worth noting that Apple may have still iterated on other parts of the SiP to accommodate new components such as the Apple Watch Series 8's new accelerometer and gyroscope.

The S6, S7, and S8 chips all feature 32GB of storage and dual-core CPUs. When Apple debuted the S6 in the Apple Watch Series 6, the last time it made performance claims about its latest smartwatch lineup, it said that the chip allowed apps to launch 20 percent faster.

The S6, S7, and S8 are based on Apple's A13 Bionic chip from the iPhone 11 lineup and are manufactured using TSMC's 7nm process. Apple transitioned to TSMC's 5nm process starting with the A14 Bionic chip, and the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro's A16 Bionic is the first Apple chip to be fabricated with a 4nm process.

One explanation for Apple not advancing the CPU technology in its S-series chips is potential that advancements from using the cores in the A14 chip and TSMC's 5nm or 4nm processes would primarily yield performance improvements, which are no longer essential for the Apple Watch. Waiting for TSMC's 3nm process, which is set to enter mass production toward the end of this year, could yield more meaningful efficiency improvements – an area of much greater importance when it comes to the Apple Watch because it could help prolong battery life.

Apple is releasing iOS 16 to the general public today, offering users new ways to customize their Lock Screen, the ability to edit and unsend messages, and more. While there are several features that users can begin to use right after they update to iOS 16, there are several new features that apps will need to add support for first before users can begin to enjoy them.

Below, we've highlighted three features that users can expect apps to add in the coming days and weeks following the release of iOS 16. Be sure to stay tuned to MacRumors for full coverage of iOS 16's release and apps as they get updated.

Lock Screen Widgets

By itself, the redesigned iOS 16 Lock Screen and the suite of customization features it now provides, such as the ability to choose different fonts and colors for the time, are major changes. On top of that, however, the iPhone Lock Screen now benefits from the ability to add widgets.

Out of the box, iOS 16 offers several widget options for the iOS 16 Lock Screen, including Apple Watch Activity rings, world clock, temperature, calendar, Home, batteries, and more. In the coming days, third-party apps will release their own widgets for the iOS 16 Lock Screen, giving users even more flexibility and freedom over how they wish to customize the face of their ‌iPhone‌.

Focus Filters

The Focus filters are a new part of iOS 16 that builds on Focus modes introduced with iOS 15 last year. Focus filters allow the parameters you set for your own Focus mode, such as Personal or Work, to carry through into the actual content of individual apps and beyond simply notifications.

For example, users can enable a Focus filter for the Messages app so that only messages from contacts allowed to break through specific Focus modes are shown within the app. Third-party apps will be able to take advantage of Focus filters, allowing users to limit distracting content within apps to only those they wish to focus on.

Coming Later This Year: Live Activities

Coming later this year to an update to iOS 16 is an all-new type of notification and interaction for apps called Live Activities. Live Activities reside on the bottom portion of the Lock Screen and can display real-time and dynamic information from apps, such as Uber for tracking your ride or sports apps for keeping tabs on the scores of a game.

On the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max, Live Activities play an even larger role in the iOS experience. While on other devices Live Activities are only visible on the Lock Screen and Notification Center, the new high-end iPhones display certain types of Live Activities in the Dynamic Island. Learn more about Dynamic Island here.

Apple TV 4K deals have continued to appear on Amazon all summer, and as we head closer to fall we're tracking a new discount on the Apple TV HD as well.

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.

Starting with the 32GB HD model, it's available for an all-time low price of $99.00, down from $149.00. This model includes the new Siri Remote but lacks 4K, HDR10, Dolby Vision, HDMI 2.1, the A12 Bionic chip, and other internal features you can see in our comparison guide.

Still, if you or someone you're buying for doesn't care about 4K resolution and the other internal upgrades available on the Apple TV 4K, this is a solid discount on the entry-level Apple TV HD. It's in stock now and available for delivery by September 14 - 17.

Additionally, the 32GB Apple TV 4K is also available for $119.99 on Amazon, down from $179.00. This sale has been the most consistent deal we've tracked on the Apple TV 4K, and overall it's a second-best price. It also comes with the new version of the Siri Remote.

For more storage, the 64GB Apple TV 4K is on sale for $139.99, down from $199.00. This one can be delivered as soon as this Wednesday as well, and is another second-best price.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Just a few hours before Apple releases iOS 16 to the public, Google has previewed its upcoming Lock Screen widgets for its iPhone apps, including the Google app, Gmail, Google Maps, Chrome, Google News, and Google Drive.

Google says the Lock Screen widgets will be available in the "coming weeks" as its iPhone apps are gradually updated on the App Store.

The widgets allow users to quickly launch into Google apps from the Lock Screen and provide real-time information at a glance:

• Google: Initiate a search via text, voice, or the camera
• Gmail: View the number of messages in your inbox
• Chrome: Initiate a search, including by voice or in incognito mode
• Google Drive: Quickly access starred files and folders
• Google Maps: View real-time traffic updates and estimated travel times to frequently traveled places like home and work
• Google News: View real-time headlines

Note that the Google search widget does not allow you to complete a search on the Lock Screen directly and simply opens the app.

A key new feature of iOS 16 is the ability to personalize the Lock Screen with widgets, multi-layered wallpapers, custom fonts for the date and time, and more. You can also select a set of photos to shuffle on the Lock Screen throughout the day.

The new Lock Screen gallery showcases a range of Lock Screen options, including a new Weather wallpaper with live weather conditions and an Astronomy wallpaper that provides views of the Earth, Moon, and Solar System. iOS 16 includes support for multiple Lock Screen designs, allowing you to switch between your favorites with a swipe.

The always-on display on the iPhone 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max will intelligently and automatically turn off when a user leaves their ‌iPhone‌ in a room and walks out while wearing an Apple Watch.

The always-on display on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max will already turn off when the ‌iPhone‌ is in a user's pocket or face down on a table, helping to save battery life while the device is not in use.

According to German YouTuber Felixba, who was present at the Steve Jobs Theater for Apple's "Far out" event last week and had hands-on time with the new products, if a user has an Apple Watch paired to the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max, the ‌iPhone‌ will disable the always-on display once it detects the user has left the room without their phone.

Presumably, the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro will use proximity data from the Apple Watch to enable the feature and detect once a user has left the room. Apple made no mention of the unique feature on its website and didn't mention it during its event, but it's likely one of several power-saving features the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro's always-on display has.

The ‌‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro‌ and ‌‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro‌ Max feature more power-efficient OLED panels with a variable refresh rate as low as 1Hz, saving battery with the always-on display. Additionally, the A16 Bionic chip features a new display engine that helps manage the always-on display and other features such as ProMotion while optimizing power efficiency.

The ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max with an always-on display, better cameras, and the all-new Dynamic Island were made available for pre-order this past Friday and will begin arriving to customers on Friday, September 16.

Apple has increased its battery replacement fee for all four iPhone 14 models, according to information shared on its website.

As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple Stores can replace the battery inside an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max for $99 in the U.S., which is up from $69 for most previous iPhone models. This is a 43% increase to the fee, which includes the cost of a new battery and service by an Apple Store or an Apple Repair Center. iPhone battery replacement fees will vary at third-party Apple Authorized Service Providers.

Customers with AppleCare+ can get an iPhone battery replaced for free, but only if the battery retains less than 80% of its original capacity.

Apple's out-of-warranty service fees have also increased for select other iPhone 14 repairs. For example, in the U.S., Apple charges $379 to fix cracked glass on an iPhone 14 Pro Max's display, compared to $329 for the same repair on an iPhone 13 Pro Max. Apple's iPhone Repair and Service page outlines additional repair fees.

iPhone 14 models are set to launch on September 16, with the exception of the iPhone 14 Plus, which will be available starting October 7.

The iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus have seen "bad" pre-order results, indicating that Apple's positioning of the two new standard models may have failed, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In his latest post on Medium, Kuo explained that the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max have seen "neutral" and "good" pre-order results compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max. Delivery wait times of more than four weeks may indicate good demand for the new high-end devices. It is apparently "unclear" whether Apple will increase shipment forecasts of its Pro models, but there is a "growing" chance that it will cut orders of the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus, which currently account for around 45 percent of the entire lineup's shipments.

The ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus are expected to be in stock in retail stores on their launch dates, "reflecting lackluster demand." As it stands, Kuo says that the pre-order results for the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus are worse than those of the third-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE and the ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini. He noted that Apple cut orders of both the third-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE and the ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini in the first half of 2022 due to low demand.

If demand for the two standard models do not improve, Apple may cut ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus orders as soon as November. Suppliers who are not major beneficiaries of Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro models will likely see the start of declining revenue in September and October as a result.

For ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus, in particular, the "pre-order result is significantly lower than expected." As a model that effectively replaces the "mini" form factor in the latest ‌iPhone‌ lineup, with 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes now being the only options, Kuo said that "Apple's product segmentation strategy for standard models fails this year."

All four of the ‌iPhone‌ 14 models were announced by Apple last week and have been available to pre-order since September 9. The ‌iPhone‌ 14, ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max are set to launch on Friday, September 16, and the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus will launch on Friday, October 7.

The Apple Watch Series 8 replaces the Apple Watch Series 7 in Apple's smartwatch lineup, but how different are the two successive smartwatch generations?

In 2021, Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 7, including features like taller casing sizes with larger displays, slimmer bezels, improved durability, and faster charging technology. The Apple Watch Series 7 has now been discontinued by Apple, and as year-old models, prices at third-party resellers are falling. As such, some customers may be weighing up whether to upgrade to a Series 7‌ or a Series 8‌.

The Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 8 share the overwhelming majority of their features, so should you consider buying or sticking with the Series 7 to save money? This breakdown also serves as a way to see all the differences that the new Apple Watch brings to the table.

Differences

Apple Watch Series 7	Apple Watch Series 8
S7 chip	S8 chip (Same CPU as S7)
Gyroscope and accelerometer	More powerful gyroscope and high dynamic range accelerometer
-	‌Crash Detection
Third-generation optical heart sensor, electrical heart sensor for ECG, and blood oxygen sensor	Optical heart sensor, electrical heart sensor for ECG, blood oxygen sensor, and body temperature sensor
-	Wrist temperature sensing during sleep
-	Cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates
Aluminum casing in Midnight, Starlight, PRODUCT(RED), Blue, or Green	Aluminum casing in Midnight, Starlight, PRODUCT(RED), or Silver
Stainless Steel casing in Gold, Silver, or Graphite	Stainless Steel casing in Gold, Silver, or Graphite
Titanium casing in Titanium or Space Black	-

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Apple Watch Series 8 is a very minor upgrade over the Series 7, with the body temperature sensor and Crash Detection being the only significant changes, meaning that it is difficult to recommend upgrading. Many Apple Watch Series 7 users will likely not be able to justify upgrading to the Series 8, but some customers coming from an older model could still have good reason to preference the latest models, namely those who do not have an iPhone 14 model with Crash Detection and women who want to take advantage of the cycle tracking features. The Apple Watch Series 8 is very similar to the Series 7, so customers who have an older Apple Watch model and are looking for an upgrade may prefer to look for a discounted Apple Watch Series 7.