MacRumors

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming tvOS 17 beta to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a week Apple introduced the sixth beta.

Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 17 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.

tvOS updates don't typically garner as much attention as updates to iOS and macOS, and are never as feature rich, but tvOS 17 brings FaceTime to the TV for the first time. The ‌Apple TV‌ 4K can connect to an iPhone or iPad that serves as the camera, with the ‌FaceTime‌ interface showing up on the TV's screen.

All of the ‌FaceTime‌ features are available, including Center Stage to keep you front and center, plus there are new gesture-based reactions that let you use your hands to generate on-screen effects. For example, if you make a heart with your hands, the screen will display hearts.

Split View for ‌Apple TV‌ lets users watch television with friends and family using SharePlay, and there are controls for transferring calls between the TV and an iPhone or ‌iPad‌ as needed. Third-party apps like Zoom will also be able to take advantage of this functionality, so those apps will also work on the TV screen.

Control Center on ‌Apple TV‌ has been revamped and it is easier for users to access key settings and information, plus there is a new feature that allows the iPhone to locate a Siri Remote that's been misplaced.

tvOS also features a range of new aerial screen savers, adds support for third-party VPN apps, introduces Dolby Vision 8.1 on compatible devices, and more. Details can be found in our Apple TV roundup.

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming watchOS 10 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software update coming a week after the Sixth beta.

To install the watchOS 10 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 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, watchOS 10 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 adds a whole new widget-focused interface. You can access a widget stack from any watch face using the Digital Crown, swiping through them to get to relevant information. Control Center can be activated from any app by pressing the side button, and these new quick access controls are meant to let you use watch faces that support less information while still putting everything you need at your fingertips.

There are new Palette and Snoopy watch faces, updates to Cycling and Hiking workouts, and mental health integrations. Users can log their state of mind and mood using the Apple Watch, with the device providing insights into mental health over time.

Apple's bigger, more expensive Apple Watch Ultra has been out for nearly a year now, and with a second-generation version on the horizon, MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera decided to do a long term review and take a look back at what it's been like using the current model since last September.

Measuring in at 49mm, the Apple Watch Ultra is the largest Apple Watch that's come out to date. Apple marketed it toward people who need something that can handle more extreme activities than the standard Apple Watch, and it has better durability and features for more specialized endeavors like diving and hiking.

The titanium material has held up well, though there are some small scratches and scuffs. The screen has remained scratch free, and in Dan's case, it was able to resist scratching better than the standard Apple Watch models.

Battery life is one of the major selling points of the Apple Watch Ultra, and it is easily able to last for two to three days. On an average day, Dan hits about 70 or 80 percent battery at the end of the day. The long battery life is worth the extra weight and bulk of the Ultra for those who prioritize battery.

The Action Button is another Apple Watch Ultra exclusive feature, but it has limited functionality on the Apple Watch. It can start a dive, a workout, or execute compass functions like setting a way point, but there aren't a lot of options beyond that for those who don't use the Apple Watch Ultra for those activities. It can, however, activate any Shortcut, which is the most useful way to get more out of it.

If you're thinking about buying an Apple Watch Ultra with the upgrade this year, it's worth it for the larger display and the battery life, so long as you don't mind the size and bulk of the larger casing.

Make sure to watch Dan's full video to get his complete overview, and let us know how the Apple Watch Ultra has worked out for you if you already have one.

Apple today shared a new video in a new "Made on iPhone" series that features an adorable puppy that has a prosthesis. Chip was born with limb deformities, and he needed to have two of his legs amputated.

The prosthesis that Chip uses was created by 3DPets, a small business that designs pet prosthetics using the LiDAR Scanner and TrueDepth camera on the iPhone 14 Pro. 3DPets walks through the steps that it takes to create a 3D scan that is then used to create custom hardware.

Apple's video shows Chip wearing his prosthesis to run, swim, and do other dog activities, plus it features other dogs with similar equipment. The video was shot on the iPhone 14 Pro, and it is also part of Apple's Shot on iPhone series.

The iPhone 15 lineup could come with a braided USB-C charging cable that is 50% longer than the Lightning cable that comes with current iPhone models, according to new reports.

The length of the cables seen in recent reporting led some to speculate that they would be too long for an iPhone, but the latest information suggests that Apple plans to offer a substantially longer charging cable with the iPhone for the first time.

Apple device collector "Kosutami," who has revealed most of the details about the color-matched and braided USB-C to USB-C cables allegedly accompanying the iPhone 15 models, now says that the cable is 1.5m in length. The rumor was also shared by "Majin Bu," who added that the new cables should be much more durable. The longer cable will presumably necessitate redesigned packaging.

The Lightning cable packed with current iPhone models is rubberized, white, and just one meter in length. The new braided cables are expected to come in black, white, yellow, blue, and orange, at minimum, mirroring a new selection of color options for the iPhone 15 series.

Apple-owned Shazam version 15.38 was released earlier today, and the latest update to the music recognition app adds two new Lock Screen widgets.

The latest version of the Shazam app adds Lock Screen widgets for the iPhone and iPad in two different sizes. The smaller widget allows users to open Shazam and identify songs directly from the Lock Screen, while the wider widget displays the last identified song.

Apple acquired Shazam in 2018, and has been gradually bringing the app into closer alignment with ‌Apple Music‌ ever since, offering trials to the streaming service through the app and the ability to sync Shazams directly to ‌Apple Music‌. The app has surpassed 200 million monthly active users worldwide and over one billion Shazams per month.

Shazam can be downloaded from the App Store for free. It can be accessed through the Control Center on ‌iPhone‌ and ‌‌iPad‌‌, through ‌Siri‌ commands, or on the Mac, as well as via widgets. Shazam is also available on Android devices and select features can be accessed on the web.

Apple's Beats brand is announcing two new metallic colors of the Beats Studio Buds + today in collaboration with nail brand Olive & June. The new Cosmic Silver and Cosmic Pink colors will be available starting Thursday, September 7.

Cosmic Silver and Cosmic Pink expand upon the Transparent, Ivory, and Black options that were included in the initial debut back in May. The launch saw Beats' popular earphones updated with new fit options, improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency modes, and better battery life, among other upgrades.

Alongside the Cosmic color options, Beats is presenting a new ad campaign featuring influencer, YouTuber, and podcaster Emma Chamberlain, entitled "The Beauty of Immersive Sound."

Finally, the collaboration with Olive & June will see the nail brand introduce new polish shades and press-on designs that complement the latest Beats Studio Buds + colors, with the new products launching on Olive & June's website on September 6.

The new Beats Studio Buds + colors are priced at the same $169.99 as the original colors and will be available worldwide at Apple. Third-party retailers will vary by country, with Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target carrying Cosmic Silver, while Target will be the exclusive third-party retailer for Cosmic Pink in the U.S.

The Beats Studio Buds + earphones represent one of two significant product updates for Beats so far in 2023, with the other being the Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones introduced last month.

Amazon today has a few Apple Watch Ultra models at their lowest-ever price of $699.99, down from $799.00. Only Amazon has this deal, and all discounts require you to first add the Apple Watch Ultra to your cart in order to receive the $80 coupon and see the final sale price.

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.

Models on sale include the M/L Apple Watch Ultra Trail Loop, Medium Apple Watch Ultra Alpine Loop, and the Apple Watch Ultra Ocean Band. Only select colors of each band style are seeing this discount, which is now the best price we've ever tracked on the wearable.

The Trail Loop model is in stock and has an estimated delivery date of late August, but the other two are slightly delayed into September. 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.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be available in a refreshed selection of colors, with at least five different shades to choose from, recent rumors suggest.

According to the Twitter leaker known as "Unknownz21," who has provided an extensive amount of information about Apple's upcoming devices, at least six different colorways were tested for the iPhone 15:

Yesterday, it emerged that Apple appears to be planning to accompany each of the devices in the iPhone 15 lineup with a color-matched braided USB-C to USB-C cable for the first time. With the exception of the black version, each of the cables has a glossy white plastic shell at either end. Unlike the Apple Watch magnetic charging cable and MagSafe 3, the braided USB-C cables feature strain relief tubes.

To date, all ‌iPhone‌ models have come with a white cable featuring a white rubber jacket, regardless of the color option chosen for the device itself. Apple has gradually been moving to braided cables across most of its devices, and all MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with ‌‌MagSafe‌‌ 3 come with a color-matched braided cable, so doing the same for the ‌iPhone‌ seems plausible amid its transition to USB-C.

Apple device prototype collector "Kosutami" affirmed that they had seen design validation test (DVT) samples of the new cables. Now, Kosutami has shared images of what they claim are genuine Apple cables:

The orange cable shown by Kosutami has appeared to look pink in other images, causing some confusion online, suggesting that it is, in fact, more of a coral shade. This may also explain the "inconsistent mentions" of the orange iPhone 15 highlighted by Unknownz21. Apple offered a Coral version of the iPhone XR in 2018, so there is precedent for the color option being offered in the past.

A single report from February suggested that the iPhone 15 would be available in Pink and Blue. Blue is still expected according to the latest information, but the rumored pink shade may have become coral.

The shades of the braided USB-C cables match up with several of the color options Unknownz21 says Apple tested. All in all, this may be roughly what to expect in terms of colors to choose from on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus compared to the current models:

iPhone lineups in recent years have launched with just five options, with a sixth following in the spring to boost sales midway through the device's product cycle. It looks like that could continue this year, with only five different USB-C cable colors having been spotted.

In April 2021, Apple made the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini available in Purple. Apple introduced a new Green color for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, and a new Alpine Green color for the iPhone 13 Pro models, the following year. As part of a spring color refresh earlier this year, Apple introduced a new Yellow color option for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

Since PRODUCT(RED) is noticeably absent from Unknownz21 and Kosutami's information, it seems possible that there may be no iPhone in that color this year. In early 2017 and 2018, the new hue introduced for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 was PRODUCT(RED), so it is entirely possible that PRODUCT(RED) could return on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus as an additional color option in the spring of 2024.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be at least $100 more expensive than their predecessors, according to DigiTimes.

The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099. DigiTimes' forecast places the price of the iPhone 15 Pro at $1,099 to $1,199 and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,199 to $1,299.

The significant price increase could suppress sales of the new Pro iPhone models this year, reduced to around 77 million units in 2023. Initial estimates placed shipments at around 83 million units. This corresponds to a wider decline in the smartphone industry of more than five percent year-on-year.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was contemplating raising the price for both the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Analyst Jeff Pu has also said that the iPhone 15 Pro models could be more expensive than the iPhone 14 Pro models. Pu believes the iPhone 15 Pro could be priced starting at $1,099, up from the $999 starting price of the iPhone 14 Pro.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to be unveiled at an Apple event on Tuesday, September 12. With that timing, pre-orders would likely take place on Friday, September 15, with launch following on Friday, September 22.

Parallels Desktop 19 for Mac has been released, bringing some notable new features and performance enhancements to the virtualization software, including password-less Sign-in with Touch ID Integration and full support for Apple's forthcoming macOS Sonoma operating system.

Touch ID on Macs lets users authenticate logins and Apple Pay transactions with their fingerprint, and beginning with Parallels Desktop 19, users with a secure Windows login and password can now use Touch ID to sign in to Windows virtual machines, simplifying the login process.

Parallels Desktop 19 also brings optimized compatibility with macOS Sonoma, including re-engineered Shared Printing via Internet Printing protocol (IPP) that supports printing from Windows apps, with minimal setup required.

In addition, DP 19 promises a richer experience using VMs on Apple silicon Macs, thanks to dynamic resolution adjustments and familiar multitouch gestures with Trackpad support. Meanwhile, Pro Edition users can remotely access a macOS Sonoma 14 VM via port forwarding, which is useful for VMs hosted on Amazon EC2 Mac cloud instances.

The Parallels Desktop software has also been given a design overhaul, with a new app icon and a refreshed UI that aims to make navigation simpler, along with native dialogs for easier interaction with the app.

There are several other improvements highlighted in the release notes for Parallels Desktop 19, including:

• Improved OpenGL support, up to version 4.1, for running more CAD software on Mac, including VariCAD, Deswik.CAD, Vectorworks Vision 2023, and more.
• Improved performance for AcrGIS Pro, a map designing application.
• Compatible to run CentOS 9 Stream on Mac computers with Apple silicon, along with an updated set of ready-to-go Linux distributions, including Ubuntu 22.04.2, Fedora 38, Debian 12, and more.
• New option to create Arm-based Linux VM on Mac computers with Apple silicon using Rosetta to run x86-64 binaries, including containers.
• Enhanced support for the HashiCorp’s Packer and Vagrant with macOS VM on Apple silicon.
• New option to create, group, and manage Parallels VMs and their containers from the Visual Studio Code extension.
• Support for enrolling Windows in Windows management solutions, such as Microsoft Intune and others, when deploying it using Parallels My Account Configuration Profile or as a shared file.

Parallels Desktop 19 for Mac Standard, Pro, and Business editions can be purchased or upgraded to at parallels.com/desktop or from authorized resellers. For more information, including the option to download a free trial, see the Parallels website.

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

Apple is today rolling out Tap to Pay on iPhone in the Netherlands, according to iCulture.nl, allowing independent sellers, small merchants, and large retailers in the country to use ‌iPhones‌ as a payment terminal.

Introduced in February 2022, the feature allows compatible iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets, using only an ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌ - no additional hardware or credit card machine is required‌.

Tap to Pay on ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌ uses NFC technology to securely authenticate the contactless payments, plus the feature also supports PIN entry, which includes accessibility options.

Adyen and SumUp are the first payment platforms to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to business customers in the Netherlands, with Rabobank, Klearly, Revolut, Stripe, Viva Wallet, Worldline, and myPOS coming soon. Tap to Pay on iPhone will also roll out to Apple Store locations in the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Apple has not yet officially announced the rollout in the country, but a press release is expected soon.

Tap to Pay on ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌ requires ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌ XS or newer models, and works for customers as any normal ‌‌‌‌‌Apple Pay‌‌‌‌‌ transaction would. Sellers just need to open up the app, register the sale, and present their ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌ to the buyer, who can then use an appropriate contactless payment method.

Tap to Pay on ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌ is available to over 700,000 additional businesses across the United States, and Apple Stores in the U.S. have also rolled out the feature. The Netherlands is the fifth region to support Tap to Pay, following similar rollouts in the U.K., Australia, and Taiwan earlier in the year.

T-Mobile today announced a new Go5G Next plan that is designed to allow subscribers to upgrade their smartphones on a yearly basis. The plan is available alongside the existing Go5G and Go5G Plus options.

Customers who opt for Go5G Next will be able to get a smartphone with a no-interest phone payment plan, and once half the phone has been paid off, customers are eligible for an upgrade. T-Mobile says that in "most cases" customers will be able to update yearly.

When opting for a new phone, the old phone will be traded in, and T-Mobile will pay off the remaining payments to allow for a new payment contract to be adopted for the updated device. According to T-Mobile, the Go5G Next plan is also meant to ensure that existing customers receive the same "great phone deals."

Say a customer picks up a $1000 smartphone. Once they pay off half ($500), that customer can trade it in toward a new one, and T-Mobile covers the remaining $500 on the old phone. And new and existing customers on Go5G Next always get the same great deals whenever they're ready to upgrade.

Go5G Next is priced at $100 for a single line with autopay (plus the cost of the smartphone payments), and it comes with 50GB of mobile hotspot data. T-Mobile's Go5G Next plans will be available starting on Thursday, and for a limited time, T-Mobile is offering three lines for $60/month per line.

Samsung today announced the launch of an updated "Try Galaxy" website that's designed to allow iPhone users to experience what it's like having a foldable smartphone.

Try Galaxy uses two iPhones to "showcase the benefits" of the Galaxy Z Fold5's large display. For those unfamiliar with the device, the latest Samsung Galaxy Fold has a 6.2-inch Cover Screen that opens out like a book into a 7.6-inch display.

Samsung has long had a web app that demonstrates the customized Android UI that it has developed complete with Samsung apps, but the Galaxy Fold option is new. To use it, two iPhones are required, both with the Try Galaxy app added to the Home Screen. The app can be installed through the Try Galaxy website, which has a scannable QR code.

The web app needs to be launched on both iPhones, and one generates a code while the other accepts the code in order to initiate a sync between the two devices. From there, a "single" screen is split between two iPhones to simulate the Galaxy Fold's larger display.

There are a limited number of experiences that customers can choose, and there's only a surface level look at the Galaxy Fold options. Users can play an Air Hockey game, go through a walkthrough on multitasking, or see a video split across two screens. Almost everything available in the multi-screen view is a video walkthrough that is controlled by Samsung, so it's more of a gimmick than anything else.

Samsung often uses anti-Apple marketing, and likes to point out that Apple has no foldable iPhone. A recent "On the Fence" campaign, for example, saw Samsung featuring iPhone users jealous of the foldable technology. Samsung has also done a first-to-foldables campaign mocking the iPhone's lack of innovation, and encouraged iPhone customers to "Join the Flip side."

Earlier this summer, Samsung launched its fifth-generation line of foldable devices. Rumors have suggested that Apple is experimenting with foldable smartphone technology, but there is no word yet on if or when the Cupertino company will come out with a foldable iPhone.

Apple today updated its Apple Support app to be more useful to customers who are looking to get help from a nearby Apple retail location or authorized repair shop.

When searching for a store using the "Locations" feature in the app, there's now a Good to Know section and a Store Hours section, both of which are new.

In Good to Know, Apple lists information like accessibility options and whether a store location offers product recycling. The Store Hours shows the upcoming hours for each location on a specific date basis. Rather than just listing Monday-Sunday hours, Apple has a list for the upcoming dates, which gives up-to-date information should store hours change for an event or environmental issue.

Apple's notes for the update:

Added helpful information about nearby locations, including store hours, accessibility details, and specialty services available

Performance enhancements and bug fixes

The Apple Support app is designed to allow customers to search for help with their products, get service for issues, and check AppleCare+ status. Apple has been working to improve the app over the last several years, and there are sections for help with specific devices and services, as well as options to track service requests and get help in person.

The Apple Support app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Update: The Amazon listing has been pulled for now, but we're still expecting a launch next week.

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Back at CES in January, Samsung unveiled its upcoming ViewFinity S9 display, one of the closest competitors to Apple's Studio Display, and last month Samsung revealed that it would finally be launching in the U.S. in August.

It now appears we have a specific date for the launch, as Amazon has put the new display up for pre-order with a listed release date of August 28 and delivery available for the following day.

The Samsung ViewFinity S9 will be one of the few 27-inch 5K displays on the market, offering an ideal pixel density for a 2560 x 1440 desktop at full Retina quality, just like the Apple ‌Studio Display‌.

The ViewFinity S9 is priced at $1,599.99, essentially the same as the Apple ‌Studio Display‌, although Samsung includes a tilt- and height-adjustable stand while Apple charges $400 for that upgrade. The ViewFinity S9 can also be pivoted to a portrait orientation using the included stand.

The ViewFinity S9 includes one Thunderbolt 4 port, three USB-C ports, a Mini DisplayPort, and a DC 20V port for a power supply. It can connect to both PCs and Macs, and offers 90W power transfer and data speeds of up to 40Gb/s for machines connected through the Thunderbolt 4 port.

At the top of the display, there is a 4K SlimFit camera that can tilt to fit the angle of the monitor, with an Auto Framing feature keeping the user visible and in the shot, similar to Apple's Center Stage feature. Built-in speakers are included, and an Adaptive Sound+ option allows noise levels to automatically adjust.

Built-in Smart TV apps and a remote control are also included that allow the display to function as a TV without being connected to a computer. Popular streaming apps are supported, as well as the Samsung Gaming Hub for playing cloud-based games from Xbox, NVIDIA, and more.

The new ViewFinity S9 should also be going up for sale on Samsung's site for the same August 28 launch, and other retailers should also be adding it as the date approaches.

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

Starting today, Apple Podcasts creators have access to a new Subscription Analytics dashboard that provides an overview of how their podcast subscriptions are performing. The free tool is available via the Apple Podcasts Connect website.

On the Overview tab, creators can view how many listeners started a free trial, how many listeners are paid subscribers, the percentage of listeners who convert from a free trial to a paid subscription, the estimated proceeds generated from subscriptions, and more. There is also a map with a breakdown of subscribers by country/region.

Additional data and filters are available on the Trends tab, allowing creators to keep track of activations, cancellations, renewals, and more.

Apple Podcasts began allowing podcasts to offer subscriptions in June 2021 as a way to monetize their shows. Depending on the podcast, subscribers may receive benefits such as ad-free listening, early access to episodes, bonus episodes, and other exclusive perks. Podcasts can offer subscriptions on a per-month and per-year basis.

Apple also announced that Podbean now supports Delegated Delivery, a feature that allows podcast creators to upload, manage, and distribute their subscriber episodes through participating third-party hosting providers. Audiomeans, Captivate, Podspace, and Transistor will add support by the end of the year, according to Apple.

Last, there is a new Linkfire for Podcasts marketing and analytics toolkit built for podcasters, and it has exclusive integration with Apple Podcasts. Linkfire for Podcasts is launching in beta today, and will be available to all creators worldwide for free later this year.

More details about Subscription Analytics and the other announcements are available on the Apple Podcasts website and in a support document.

iOS 17 includes several enhancements to the Apple Podcasts app on the iPhone, including a redesigned Now Playing screen. The software update should be released in September and is compatible with the iPhone XS and newer.

Apple today announced it will donate $10 to the National Park Foundation for every purchase made in the U.S. using Apple Pay on Apple.com, in the Apple Store app, or at an Apple Store, up to a maximum of $1 million.

Apple has supported the National Park Foundation with this annual charitable initiative since 2017. This year, the program runs from today through August 27.

Apple celebrates U.S. national parks every August with special content across Apple Maps, Apple Podcasts, and other apps. In addition, on August 26, Apple Watch users can unlock a special national parks award in the Fitness app by recording a workout of 20 minutes or more with any app that adds workouts to the Health app.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is a national parks enthusiast. Last year, he said the parks provide a "sense of awe, tranquility, and quiet reverence only nature can inspire," and emphasized that they are "well worth protecting, today and for every generation to come."