Alongside iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1, macOS Ventura, tvOS 16.1, and watchOS 9.1, Apple today released new software that's designed for the HomePod and the HomePod mini.
According to Apple's release notes, HomePod software version 16.1 includes support for the Matter smart home standard.
Software version 16.1 adds support for Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard that enables a wide variety of smart home accessories to work together across ecosystems. This update also includes 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.
Apple today released tvOS 16.1, the first major update to the tvOS 16 operating system that initially came out in September. tvOS 16.1 is available for the Apple TV 4K and the Apple TV HD.
The tvOS 16.1 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 16.1 automatically.
While tvOS updates are often minor in scale compared to other operating system updates, there are a few new features available in tvOS 16.1. Apple Fitness+ can be used with an iPhone, no Apple Watch required, and there is support for iCloud Shared Photo Library.
The update adds a more compact Siri interface that lets users see their request results in the bottom right corner of the TV's screen rather than in the bottom middle of the display. The new look takes up less space. There is also a new option to enable "Hey Siri" commands when using the Apple TV with AirPods. The toggle can be found in the Settings app under General.
As with the iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16,1, macOS Ventura, and watchOS 9.1 updates, tvOS 16.1 introduces support for the Matter smart home standard that will allow smart home products from different companies to interact with one another. Apple's full release notes are below:
tvOS 16.1 introduces a completely redesigned Siri experience, brings Shared Photo Library to the biggest screen in the home, and lets you work out and meditate with Apple Fitness+ with iPhone.
Siri All-new design for Siri makes it even easier to find movies and shows to watch, play the latest music, discover new apps, get sports scores, and more. Say "Hey Siri" to enjoy hands-free control when wearing AirPods that are connected to your Apple TV.
Photos Shared Photo Library support lets you see your favorite moments from the entire family. Create a Shared Photo Library on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then select Shared Library in the Photos app.
Apple Fitness+ Work out and meditate with Apple Fitness+ on Apple TV — now all you need is iPhone to receive onscreen coaching, timers, and trainer callouts while also tracking your estimated Move ring progress.
Home hub Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard, is now supported, enabling a wide variety of smart home accessories to work together across ecosystems.
Apple provides additional details on tvOS releases in its dedicated tvOS support document, which is updated after each new iteration of tvOS.
YouTube today announced a number of updates that are designed to improve the look and performance of the popular video player on desktop and on mobile devices.
An "ambient mode" changes the background color of the app in a subtle way to match the video that is playing, an effect that YouTube says is meant to draw viewers into the content. Ambient mode will be available on the web and on mobile when the dark theme is enabled.
The dark theme has also been updated to be even darker than before, a change made due to user feedback.
As for the video player, YouTube links in video descriptions will turn into buttons, and actions like share and download have been updated to minimize distractions. The subscribe button has an updated shape and color, with YouTube doing away with the red shade.
On iOS and Android devices, a pinch to zoom feature that's been in testing is rolling out as of today. Users can zoom in and out of a video, and when the zoom in function is used, the rest of the video stays zoomed until the user zooms back out.
Precise seeking has also been implemented to make it easier to rewind to a specific spot in a video. Users can drag or swipe when looking through a video to see a row of thumbnails that will help them find the exact part of the video they're looking for.
YouTube says that all of these changes will begin rolling out gradually over the course of the next few weeks.
Popular payments service PayPal today announced that it is introducing support for passkeys, providing an easier and more secure login method for PayPal accounts. Apple integrated passkeys into iOS with the launch of iOS 16, and it is also available in iPadOS 16.1 and macOS Ventura, coming today.
Passkeys are an industry standard developed by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium, so PayPal's passkey integration will work on Apple devices as well as on other devices that support the feature.
PayPal says that passkey logins will be available to iPhone, iPad, and Mac users on the PayPal website, and it will expand to other platforms in the future. Passkeys replace passwords, and will allow users to log in without remembering a password.
To create a passkey, PayPal users can log in to the website and then choose the "Create a passkey" option. Passkeys on iOS and Mac devices sync with iCloud Keychain for security purposes, and logins are authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID.
While PayPal is one of the first companies to implement passkeys support, there are other apps and websites that it works with, including Best Buy, eBay, Dashlane, and Kayak.
Apple today announced pricing increases for several of its services, including Apple Music, Apple TV+, and the Apple One bundles that include those services.
Apple Music is increasing in price by $1 for individual users and $2 for the family plan, while Apple TV is increasing in price by $2. All Apple One prices will also rise accordingly, according to information obtained by 9to5Mac. Full pricing is as follows:
Apple Music
Individual plan - $10.99/month, a $1 increase
Family plan - $16.99/month, a $2 increase
Annual plan for individuals - $109/year, a $10 increase
Apple TV+
Monthly plan - $6.99/month, a $2 increase
Annual plan - $69/year, a $20 increase
Apple One
Individual plan - $16.95/month, a $2 increase
Family plan - $22.95/month, a $3 increase
Premium plan - $32.95/month, a $3 increase
Apple says that prices are going up as of today due to increased licensing costs. For Apple Music, the increase will provide artists and songwriters with additional money for their music. The price of Apple TV+ is rising now that it has more content, according to Apple.
The pricing increases listed pertain to the United States, but prices will be going up in most countries. Current Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple One subscribers will receive notifications about the price increase 30 days ahead of when it is enacted, giving them time to cancel if they do not wish to pay the higher price.
The completely redesigned 10th-generation iPad will start arriving to customers and launch in stores on Wednesday, October 26. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the new iPad have now been shared by select media publications and YouTube channels.
Key new features for the 10th-generation iPad include a larger 10.9-inch display with slimmer bezels, flat edges, the A14 Bionic chip, a USB-C port, a Touch ID power button, a landscape-positioned FaceTime camera, 5G support on cellular models, Wi-Fi 6, and a new two-piece Magic Keyboard Folio accessory with a row of function keys. Pricing starts at $449, with the ninth-generation iPad remaining available for $329.
The new iPad is available in Blue, Pink, Silver, and Yellow finishes, bringing some vibrant new colors to the lower-cost iPad range. iJustine shared a video unboxing of all of the new colors, providing a first hands-on look at the options in the real world.
Here's a look at all of the new color options side by side:
We have rounded up written and video reviews of the new iPad below.
Written Reviews
The Verge's Dan Seifert said the 10th-generation iPad sits in an awkward position between the iPad Air and the ninth-generation iPad:
In a vacuum, there's very little to complain about with the 10th-gen iPad. It's an excellent tablet that does all of the things you expect from a tablet very well. Even though its screen isn't as good as other iPads, it's still good enough, and its performance is unimpeachable. If this was the only iPad Apple sold, many people would buy it and be perfectly happy with it.
But in context with the many other iPads that Apple sells, I'm not sure why you'd pick this one. If cost is a factor, you're buying an iPad for a kid, or need a headphone jack, the still-available and much less expensive ninth-gen model is the one to go with. For a lot of people, the ninth-gen model is the better iPad for their needs. If you want the bigger screen and more modern design, the iPad Air is right there with its better display, even faster processor, and better accessory landscape, and you can frequently get it for less than $100 more than the new iPad.
When you crunch the numbers, reality sets in. The affordable and plenty-capable iPad that used to start at $329 has now been hiked up to $449. That's without the added cost of accessories (Apple charges $249 for the Keyboard Folio). It's tough to justify a $120 price hike over its predecessor—especially when one of the "upgrades" is the removal of the headphone jack. It doesn't help that Apple is continuing to sell the ninth-gen iPad for $329, and you can typically find the iPad Air for roughly $519 at retailers like Amazon. The 10th-gen tablet sits in an odd spot.
The one big thing I wanted from the iPad arrived, like a magic wish granted: The weirdly placed front camera on the iPad is now on the landscape edge. This is great. Why is this great? Because I work on iPads in landscape mode, in cases and stands and keyboard docks. When I Zoom or FaceTime on other iPads, my face looks weirdly off-angle with my eyes looking elsewhere. That's fixed now. Combined with the auto-zooming Center Stage tech, this iPad's video chat camera is absolutely perfect.
Tom's Guide's Mark Spoonauer shared benchmark results showing that the A14 Bionic chip in the new iPad is up to 30% faster than the A13 chip in the previous model:
On Geekbench 5, which measures overall performance, the iPad 2022 scored 1,580 on single-core and 4,400 on multi-core, which is a marked improvement over the 1,384 and 3,387 turned in by the 9th gen iPad. However, the iPad Air with its M1 chip scored a much higher 1,707/7,151.
TheStreet's Jake Krol pointed out that beyond the 10th-generation iPad requiring an adapter to charge and pair the first-generation Apple Pencil, the device is a good buy, but he still recommends considering the ninth-generation iPad for its value:
The oddities come with the first-generation Apple Pencil support. I'm all for the move to USB-C, but it's not the most Apple-like experience for charging it. There's also the fact that the adapter is pretty hard to come by right now.
But if you can look past that, it's an excellent iPad and if you're someone who’s looking to swim between iPad tasks and more advanced ones, this is an excellent choice. The $449 price tag also includes 64GB of storage which is clutch. It can also be paired with the $249 Magic Keyboard Folio for a laptop-like experience that really lets you get work done here. And when it's time to play just detach the keyboard.
Of course though, you have to consider the 9th Gen iPad which still offers stellar performance and frequently falls below the $329 price tag. If you're not after the modern build of the 10th Gen or the new folio covers, that might be the best option for you.
Best Buy today announced a new financing and upgrade program called "Upgrade+." The program involves a combination of interest-free financing through Citizens Pay and an option to upgrade to a new Mac laptop after three years.
As an example, Best Buy cites a base M1MacBook Air priced at $999.99. Through the Upgrade+ program, a customer can pay $19.99 per month for 36 months toward the machine. At the end of 36 months, the user has the option to make the remaining $280.35 payment and keep the machine, return the machine and leave the program, or upgrade to a new Mac laptop. If they return the machine, either to leave the program or upgrade to a new Mac, no final payment is required.
Examples of base Mac laptop configurations with Upgrade+ pricing terms:
M1 MacBook Air ($999.99): $19.99/month with final payment of $280.35
M2 MacBook Air ($1,199.00): $25.98/month with final payment of $263.78
M2 13-inch MacBook Pro ($1,299.00): $28.15/month with final payment of $285.78
M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro ($1,999.00): $43.32/month with final payment of $439.78
M1 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro ($2,499.00): $54.15/month with final payment of $549.78
AppleCare+ and select Apple accessories can also be folded into the program and financed over the 36-month term. Members of the Best Buy Totaltech program (priced at $199.99 per year) will also receive their normal membership benefit of AppleCare+ at no cost for up to 24 months while participating in the Upgrade+ program.
Best Buy notes that Best Buy Totaltech member pricing and other promotional discounts may not be used with the Upgrade+ program, but it may still be a reasonable option for customers who prefer a small monthly payment to spread out the cost of the machine over three years rather than having to pay for it entirely up front.
Customers may also be able to obtain more money for their used Mac after the three-year period by selling it through other channels rather than accepting the forgiven final payment from Best Buy, but customers who wish to do that could simply make that final payment and then sell the machine on their own.
Best Buy says the Upgrade+ program will also help to reduce e-waste, as Mac laptops returned at the end of the program will find their way to Best Buy's other programs for giving used machines second lives.
The Apple Pencil 2 has hit a new all-time low price on Amazon today, available for $89.00, down from $129.00. The accessory is in stock and available to deliver as soon as October 26 for Prime delivery, or October 29 for free delivery.
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The Apple Pencil 2 is compatible with the following iPads: iPad mini (6th generation), iPad Air (4th generation and later), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation and later), and 11-inch iPad Pro (1st generation and later). The second generation Apple Pencil can also magnetically attach and pair to the iPad Pro, iPad mini, and iPad Air.
If you have the newest iPad Pro models, the second-generation Apple Pencil can now be detected while hovering up to 12mm above the display. This allows users to see a preview of their drawing before they make it, and with Scribble text fields automatically expand when the pencil gets near the screen.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
The new iPad Pro with the M2 chip will start arriving to customers and launch in stores on Wednesday, October 26. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the new iPad Pro have now been shared by select media publications and YouTube channels.
Key new features for the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro include the M2 chip, Wi-Fi 6E support, new hover functionality for the Apple Pencil, and support for ProRes video recording. The device also has Smart HDR 4 and supports Bluetooth 5.3.
We have rounded up both written and video reviews of the new iPad Pro below.
Written Reviews
The new iPad Pro is able to detect the second-generation Apple Pencil while it hovers up to 12mm above the display, allowing users to see a preview of their drawing before they make it. Federico Viticci at MacStories called the feature a "very nice surprise," as he found it useful for interacting with iPadOS as a whole:
I'm here to tell you, however, that Apple Pencil Hover goes beyond enhancing the typical iPad drawing experience: it's also a neat way to control the iPadOS UI, adding a new dimension to touch interactions. I was not expecting to use Apple Pencil Hover at all because I'm no artist; its native integration with interface elements across the system turned out to be one of my favorite additions to iPadOS this year – definitely more so than Stage Manager.
For example, Viticci said Apple Pencil hover can be used to preview and scrub through videos on the YouTube website in Safari.
Jason Snell of Six Colors expressed disappointment that the iPad Pro still has a 2018 design and said the device would benefit from some features that the new 10th-generation iPad received, such as a landscape FaceTime camera and a Magic Keyboard with function keys:
That makes the fourth revision for this design without any substantial exterior changes. It's a good design, yes, but it's a little frustrating that it's been in stasis for four full years. The 10th-generation iPad's repositioned FaceTime camera would be welcome on a new iPad Pro. A revised version of the Magic Keyboard introduced in April 2020 with that extra row of function keys like the Magic Keyboard Folio would also be nice.
But while the low-end iPad points the direction to the future, the M2 iPad Pro remains in stasis. The display is unchanged from the M1 generation, meaning only the 12.9-inch model gets the excellent Liquid Retina XDR display, and the 11-inch model remains left out. There are several iPads available at the 11-inch size, so it would be nice if the iPad Pro were a bit better differentiated from (for example) the iPad Air. It's not.
Apple says the new iPad Pro has up to 15% faster CPU performance and up to 35% faster GPU performance compared to the previous model with the M1 chip. Engadget's Nathan Ingraham said the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the M2 chip was "far more responsive" in his initial testing than his 11-inch iPad Pro with the A12Z chip from 2020:
In the short time that I've been testing the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro, I can say that it's far more responsive than my personal 11-inch iPad Pro from 2020 as well as the new iPad I've also been testing. Those other devices aren't slow by any stretch of the imagination, but the M2-powered iPad Pro responds to everything almost instantaneously. Of course, the same can be said about the M1 iPad Pro, especially given my modest workflow.
Mac Otakara shared Geekbench 5 results for the new iPad Pro that confirm about a 15-16% increase in multi-core performance over the previous model (8,516 score for 12.9-inch model with M2 chip vs. 7,326 for the 12.9-inch model with M1 chip):
Mashable's Stan Schroeder said iPadOS 16's new Stage Manager feature remains "buggy" on the new iPad Pro and is "far from perfect":
Stage Manager was also buggy. For example, invoking it with the Keyboard's trackpad, which you do by moving the cursor to the left of the display, occasionally wouldn't work. Some apps, including Facebook and Apple's own Weather (which is new to the iPad) would sometimes look messy when resized inside Stage Manager. Having the app windows stubbornly cling to a certain size when you need them to be just a little bit bigger or smaller is annoying. I do think it's better than both Slide Over and Split View as a multitasking tool, but it's still far from perfect.
The European Union today gave final approval to legislation that will force technology companies like Apple to switch to USB-C across a wide range of devices.
Outlined in an official press release, the European Council today gave the European Parliament's common charger directive approval, finalizing the legislative procedure that will make a USB-C port mandatory across a wide range of consumer electronic devices, including the iPhone and AirPods, by the end of 2024. The directive has now been officially adopted and is set to be published in the official journal of the European Union. It will come into force 20 days after publication, and the rules will apply exactly 24 months after that date. Products that go on sale before the date of application will be exempt and can continue to be sold after that point.
USB-C as a legally mandated "common port" is a world-first statute and will likely impact Apple in particular since it widely uses the Lightning connector instead of USB-C on many of its devices. MEPs claim that the move will reduce electronic waste, address product sustainability, and make use of different devices more convenient.
Regardless of their manufacturer, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts, will have to feature a USB-C port. Exemptions will apply for devices that are too small to offer a USB-C port, such as smart watches, health trackers, and some sports equipment, but the legislation is expected to expand to other devices over time. Companies will also have to ensure that dedicated labels clearly inform consumers about the charging characteristics of devices they buy.
In addition, the EU seeks to ensure that wireless charging solutions are interoperable as the technology evolves over time. The directive empowers the European Commission to develop delegated acts by the end of 2024 that force companies to make their custom wireless charging solutions more open and meet interoperability standards, helping consumers to avoid getting locked into proprietary charging solutions while preventing fragmentation and reducing waste. It is not clear if this would include Apple's MagSafe charging system for the iPhone and AirPods since it is based on the Qi wireless charging standard.
In 2018, the European Commission attempted to reach a final resolution on this issue but it failed to come into law. At the time, Apple warned that forcing a common charging port on the industry would stifle innovation and create electronic waste as consumers would be forced to switch to new cables.
Last week, Apple launched a new Siri Remote for the Apple TV and the 10th-generation iPad, both of which replace the Lightning ports on their predecessors for USB-C, seemingly indicating that Apple's transition toward the common port is already well underway.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple reportedly scrapped plans to launch a low-cost iPad with a plastic body and a plastic keyboard included in the box for below $500, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Writing in his Power On newsletter, Gurman said Apple had "internally considered launching an iPad with a plastic back and plastic keyboard" that would ship in the same box for below $500. "The idea was seemingly abandoned, but that was probably Apple's only real hope of ever giving Chromebooks a run for their money in most schools," Gurman added.
It's unclear if the scrapped plastic iPad would have come as the 10th-generation iPad, announced last week, or another distinct iPad model. The new 10th-generation iPad joins the iPad lineup as the newest entry-level iPad with the A14 Bionic chip, iPadOS, and an all-screen design. The new iPad, however, does not support the latest Apple Pencil and does not have a laminated screen.
At $449, the new iPad is more expensive than the ninth-generation entry-level iPad that remains in the lineup for $329 but is cheaper than the iPad Air, which starts at $599. The new iPad, alongside the M2iPad Pro, will begin arriving to customers this week on Wednesday, October 26.
The next two weeks will be fairly busy for Apple, with multiple new product launches, software releases, and more expected over that time. Below, we have recapped five key dates coming up for Apple so that you can mark your calendar accordingly.
Key dates to remember:
Monday, October 24: Apple confirmed that iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1, and macOS Ventura will be released on October 24, and it's very likely that tvOS 16.1 and watchOS 9.1 will also be released on the same day. iOS 16.1 includes at least eight new features, while iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura feature Stage Manager and more. The updates should be available around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
Thursday, October 27: Apple will announce its earnings results for the fourth quarter of its 2022 fiscal year on October 27 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri will discuss the results on a conference call starting at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the same day.
Friday, November 4: The new Apple TV 4K with the A15 Bionic chip, HDR10+ support, and more will begin arriving to customers and become available for purchase at Apple Stores and select resellers on November 4.
In addition, the first reviews of the new iPads will likely be shared this week.
Apple is planning to debut several new Macs over the next several months, including new MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Pro models, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple is continuing work on the first Apple silicon Mac Pro, with the company reportedly ramping up testing of the device internally. The high-end Mac desktop is said to feature chip options that are at least twice or four times as powerful as the M2 Max, dubbed the "M2 Ultra" and "M2 Extreme." Gurman expects the Mac Pro to be offered with options for 24 and 48 CPU cores and 76 and 152 graphics cores, along with up to 256GB of memory.
Gurman added specific information about one particular Mac Pro configuration that is apparently undergoing active testing at Apple: a model with 24 CPU cores (including 16 performance and eight efficiency cores), 76 graphics cores, and 192GB of memory. The machine is said to be running macOS Ventura 13.3.
As expected, Gurman said that new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will be available in M2 Pro and M2 Max configurations. The M2 Max will reportedly have 12 CPU cores (with eight performance cores and four efficiency cores) and 38 GPU cores, and will continue to come with up to 64GB of memory. The M2 Max is expected to continue to be available across both display size models.
The next-generation Mac mini will purportedly feature the same M2 chip as the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Apple has tested an M2 Pro chip inside the new Mac mini, featuring increased core counts, but Gurman did not offer any further clarity about if the company is proceeding with that model.
While he does not expect the new Mac Pro to launch until 2023, Gurman said that he expects the next-generation MacBook Pro and Mac mini models to launch "within the coming months."
In an email to developers this week, Apple announced that app-related ads will begin appearing in the App Store's main Today tab and in a "You Might Also Like" section at the bottom of individual app listings starting Tuesday, October 25, in all countries except China. All ads in the App Store have a blue background and an "Ad" icon.
"With a Today tab ad, your app can appear prominently on the front page of the App Store — making it some of the first content users see when they begin their App Store visit," says a page on Apple's website about App Store ad placements.
This marks the first time that developers will be able to run ads in the Today tab, which until now has only displayed content handpicked from the App Store's editorial staff, without any paid placement. And with the "You Might Also Like" section, developers will now be able to promote their apps on other apps' pages.
In a tweet, legal expert Florian Mueller argued the "You Might Also Like" ads are "another means of increasing the effective app tax rate, forcing developers to buy ads on their own app pages in order to avoid that others steer customers away from there."
App Store ads were previously limited to search results based on keywords and the "Suggested" section of the Search tab. With ads in the Today tab and the "You Might Also Like" section, the App Store will now offer four advertising options in total. Apple first announced plans to expand its App Store ad placement offerings in July.
In August, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple wanted to nearly triple its current advertising revenue to at least $10 billion per year in the future. In addition to the App Store, Gurman said Apple plans to launch search result ads in Apple Maps next year, while traditional banner ads are already displayed in Apple's News and Stocks apps.
Largely in line with expectations, we saw a number of Apple product updates this week via press release with the iPad Pro, iPad, and Apple TV. All three products are available to order now with launches coming over the next couple of weeks.
We also got official confirmation of release dates for macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16, while we're still expecting some Mac-related updates before the end of the year, likely sometime next month, so read on below for all of the details!
Everything Apple Announced This Week: iPad Pro With M2 Chip, Redesigned iPad, Updated Apple TV, and More
The new iPad Pro is available to order now and launches on Wednesday, October 26. In the United States, pricing continues to start at $799 for the 11-inch model and at $1,099 for the 12.9-inch model.
Apple Unveils 10th-Gen iPad With Complete Redesign, 10.9-Inch Display, USB-C, and More
The entry-level iPad received a complete redesign this week and now features a larger 10.9-inch display with slimmer bezels, a USB-C port, a Touch ID power button, a landscape FaceTime camera, and an A14 Bionic chip. Pricing now starts at $449.
The new Apple TV is thinner and lighter with a fanless design, and it also has increased RAM. In total, there are at least 10 new features and changes with the new Apple TV, so be sure to check out our list to learn everything that is new.
macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16 With Stage Manager and More Launching October 24
Both updates will likely be released around 10 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday.
iOS 16.1 Launching October 24 With These 8 New Features
iOS 16.1 will also be released on Monday, October 24, according to Apple. The update includes eight notable features for iPhone users, including Live Activities in third-party apps, iCloud Shared Photo Library, Apple Fitness+ without an Apple Watch, and more.
There are still some previously announced iOS 16 features that have yet to be released, such as Apple's new digital canvas app Freeform and Emergency SOS via Satellite.
New MacBook Pro and Mac Mini With M2 Pro Chips Likely to Launch in November
In his newsletter this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the initial version of macOS Ventura will include support for new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which he expects to be released in the "near future." As for the Mac mini, Gurman previously claimed that new models with both M2 and M2 Pro chip options were in development, and those are also likely to debut before the end of the year.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
A quick search on Twitter reveals that Walmart faces numerous requests to accept Apple Pay on a daily basis, but the big-box retailer still does not accept the iPhone's tap-to-pay service at its over 4,700 stores across the United States.
Walmart has instead committed to its own payments service called Walmart Pay, available through the Walmart app on the iPhone. Instead of using NFC technology like Apple Pay and many other mobile wallets, Walmart Pay allows customers to scan a QR code displayed at checkout to pay for their purchase with a payment card stored in the app.
"We do not accept NFC and instead have implemented convenient solutions, such as Walmart Pay, that provide our customers easy, touchless payments on any smartphone," a Walmart spokesperson told MacRumors this week. "We have also invested in innovative technologies that go beyond payments, such as Scan & Go, which allow Sam's Club and Walmart+ members to bypass the checkout altogether."
There are certainly some benefits for Walmart in pushing its own mobile payments service, including getting more customers to download the Walmart app, being able to track a customer's purchase history, and avoiding Apple Pay fees, but it's clear that Walmart is ignoring one of its customers' most frequent requests as a result.
Apple Pay launched just over eight years ago, on October 20, 2014. In a press release earlier this year, Apple said that Apple Pay is accepted at more than 90 percent of U.S. retailers, with some major holdouts including Walmart, The Home Depot, Lowe's, and Kroger. Walmart did start accepting Apple Pay in Canada in late 2020.
Apple today added several new accessories to its online store, debuting popular products from brands like Anker, Mophie, and Twelve South. The new Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe is a MagSafe-certified charging accessory that can charge the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once.
Priced at $150, the Anker Cube is available in Apple retail stores as of right now, and it should soon be online. It collapses down into a portable cube shape, with the MagSafe Charger and the Apple Watch charging puck expanding from the top and side, respectively, leaving a charging platform for the AirPods.
The 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe is able to charge a MagSafe iPhone at up to 15W as it is using Apple's official MagSafe charging technology, and Anker says it is also able to fast charge the Series 7, Series 8, and Ultra. An iPhone can be charged in either landscape or portrait orientation, and the Cube comes with a 1.5m USB-C to USB-C charging cable and a 30W charger.
Apple is also selling a new extendable "HoverBar Tower" from Twelve South, which is designed to hold the iPad upright for Apple Fitness+ workouts, FaceTime calls, and more. The stand is available in black or white and the iPad's height can be adjusted from under three feet to over five feet.
The Twelve South HoverBar Tower for iPad is a flexible floor stand that's perfect for Apple Fitness+ workouts and so much more. Attach your iPad to this height adjustable stand and workout with your favorite trainers anywhere in your home or outside on the porch. Position it low to the ground for a yoga class, at eye level for music lessons, or in front of your stationary bike. HoverBar Tower can even hold iPad above your desktop monitor as a second (or third) screen.
The product listing says that it works with all iPad models and most stands thanks to a clip design, and there is a weighted base and three tower post poles. The HoverBar Tower was just listed and it is not available for purchase as of yet, but it should be live soon. It is priced at $130.
Along with the Anker Cube and Twelve South HoverBar, Apple is now selling Mophie's latest power bank, the Mophie Powerstation Plus 10K. As the name suggests, it has a 10,000mAh battery for providing up to 43 hours of video playback on the go, and it offers up to 27W of power for an iPhone or an iPad.
The Powerstation Plus has integrated Lightning and USB-C cables, along with a USB-C port for charging and LED indicator lights to display the charge level. Two devices can be charged at one time, but if you're using both ports, you will only get a combined 27W. With the Lightning cable or USB-C cable used individually, you can get up to 20W of power. Apple is selling the Powerstation Plus for $80.
Apple recently started sending payments to select App Store developers as part of a $100 million settlement it reached in the lawsuit Cameron et al v. Apple Inc., which alleged that Apple had a monopoly on the distribution of iOS apps and in-app purchases. Apple referred to the settlement as a "Small Developer Assistance Fund."
Eligible developers were expected to receive a payment between $250 and $30,000 from Apple depending on their total App Store earnings, but actual payments are higher since not all developers submitted a claim, thus increasing each developer's share of the settlement. Only developers in the U.S. who had App Store earnings between June 4, 2015 and April 26, 2021 and submitted a claim by the May 20, 2022 deadline will receive payment.
According to court documents, approximately 67,000 developers were eligible to submit a claim. It's unclear how many claims were submitted.
Apple denied all of the allegations and the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by the company. Developers receiving a settlement can no longer sue Apple individually for the same claims brought in the class action lawsuit, including any claim that they were overcharged by Apple as a result of the App Store's fee structure.
It’s nice to get a surprise payment from the Cameron v. Apple, Inc. Settlement 🤑
— Khaos Tian (@KhaosT) October 21, 2022
JFC. Years ago I tested in-app purchases on iOS, and for @Apple's malfeasance in that, I got a check today for $4,032.44 in the Cameron v. Apple, Inc. class action suit. Was expecting about a grand. Woohoo!
— Scott Wallace (@63green) October 21, 2022
The lawsuit dates back to 2019, when a group of iOS developers accused Apple of using its App Store monopoly to impose "profit-killing" commissions. The lawsuit took issue with Apple's standard 30% fee for App Store purchases, and was largely addressed with the late 2020 announcement of the App Store's Small Business Program that cut the commission that small developers have to pay to 15% going forward.
As part of the settlement, Apple also updated its App Store Review Guidelines to allow developers to use outside-of-app communications like email to share information about payment methods available outside of iOS apps. As always, developers are not required to pay Apple a commission on purchases that take place outside of the App Store.
Apple also agreed to maintain the App Store's Small Business Program without any changes for at least three years and made a few other concessions.
In related news, Apple also recently started sending payments to eligible retail employees as part of a $30.5 million settlement to end a long-running lawsuit over employee bag checks. The lawsuit involved nearly 15,000 employees in California who were subjected to off-the-clock unpaid bag searches between July 25, 2009 and August 10, 2015.
I got a settlement check in the mail for all the time Apple spent checking my purse while I was off the clock… which was zero minutes because I always left my purse in my car but somehow still worth hundreds of dollars.
— Ben Hunter (@benjaminhunter) October 18, 2022
damn i thought apple would send me a check for like $10 with their bag check settlement, but i got almost $1k 😂 we didn’t even do bag checks lmao
— chloe (@bitchl4sagna) October 20, 2022
Apple claimed that its bag searches ensured employees were not hiding stolen electronics in their personal belongings, and that employees who did not want to be subject to searches could leave their bags at home, but that argument was unsuccessful and a court ordered Apple to pay the employees for the time they had spent in bag searches.
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