Apple today released the first beta of iOS 16.1 to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming one day after the launch of the iOS 16 operating system.
Registered developers can download the iOS 16 profile from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the beta will be available over the air.
There's no word as of yet what's included in the beta, but there are several iOS 16 features that have not yet been implemented. We are waiting on Apple to add Live Activities, a feature that allows you to follow activities happening in real time on the Lock Screen.
Apple has also delayed iCloud Shared Photo Library, the feature that allows you to more easily share photos with friends and family. Other features that have not yet been added to iOS 16 include the planned Freeform app, updates to Game Center, Apple Wallet key sharing, a new Home app architecture, and support for the Matter smart home standard.
When we learn what's new in the iOS 16.1 beta, we'll update this article.
Apple today seeded another beta of the upcoming iPadOS 16.1 software to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming three weeks after the initial iPadOS 16.1 beta was seeded out.
Registered developers can download the iPadOS 16 profile from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the beta will be available over the air.
Apple has opted to delay the launch of iPadOS 16 in order to continue working out bugs and other issues with the Stage Manager feature that is coming to M1iPad models. iPadOS 16 will not launch in September alongside iOS 16, and will instead be released as iPadOS 16.1 at a later date.
"As its own platform with features specifically designed for iPad, we have the flexibility to deliver iPadOS on its own schedule. This Fall, iPadOS will ship after iOS, as version 16.1 in a free software update," Apple said.
With the first beta of iPadOS 16.1, Apple has already started to make improvements to the way that Stage Manager works, changing the way the side rail can be interacted with while in full screen.
Apple rarely splits iOS and iPadOS launches apart, but it has decided so in this case because the latest version of iPadOS is rife with bugs and has been seeing a number of complaints about the multitasking Stage Manager option that continues to need refinements.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 9.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming just one day after the launch of watchOS 9.
To install watchOS 9.1, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, watchOS 9.1 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.
We don't yet know what's included in the watchOS 9.1 update, but watchOS 9 brought a redesigned Compass app, a new medication tracking feature, updated watch faces, improvements to Workouts, new features for the ECG app, and more.
We'll update this article if anything notable is found in the watchOS 9.1 update.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 16.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming just one day after the launch of the tvOS 16 operating system.
Developers can download the new tvOS 16.1 beta by downloading a profile onto the Apple TV using Xcode.
tvOS updates are typically minor, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than outward-facing changes. There is no word as of yet what's included in the tvOS 16.1 update, but we'll update this article if we find anything new.
Apple shares some information on tvOS releases in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each tvOS launch. tvOS 16 brought enhanced multiuser support, Personalized Spatial Audio when using AirPods, and Accessibility improvements.
Though we don't often know what's new in tvOS during the beta testing process, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download it upon release.
A key new feature of iPhone 14 Pro models is the Dynamic Island, a pill-shaped area that replaces the notch on previous models. Aided by software, the Dynamic Island morphs into different shapes and sizes for things such as incoming phone calls, alerts, notifications, Face ID authentication, timers, and more. Dynamic Island will also integrate with Live Activities in third-party apps starting later this year.
One smaller detail that we have now confirmed is that the Dynamic Island is only visible in screenshots taken on iPhone 14 Pro models while it is being used by apps, or when the camera/microphone indicator dots are active. The screenshot shows the entire Dynamic Island, including any added elements, such as a circular timer icon.
On the other hand, the Dynamic Island does not appear in screenshots when it is completely inactive. In this case, the screenshot simply shows the wallpaper behind the Dynamic Island, which is the same screenshot behavior as on iPhones with a notch.
This approach makes sense, as when the Dynamic Island is actively being used, it contains information that could be valuable for screenshots.
According to Marques Brownlee's review of the iPhone 14 Pro models, this same behavior applies to screen recordings on the devices as well.
Reviews for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have been published, offering a more detailed look at Apple's new high-end phones and all they have to offer, including an always-on display.
One detail confirmed today by the reviews is that the always-on display features no customization features, as it only displays a tinted version of a user's iOS 16 Lock Screen wallpaper, widgets, and Live Activities, if any are actively running. Users can't customize the always-on display, such as what information it chooses or whether it shows a darkened wallpaper or a black background.
Users can, however, disable the always-on display entirely from within the Display and Brightness section of Settings. Reviewers noted that it's too early to tell whether or not the always-on display has a material impact on battery life, so we'll have to wait a few weeks before we know its effect.
The new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max feature more power-efficient OLED displays with a variable refresh rate as low as 1Hz. This is just one of several power-saving features that the iPhone 14 Pro has for the always-on display. Today we learned from Engadget that in order to limit the impact of the always-on display on battery life, the iPhone 14 Pro prerenders individual frames for elements that predictably change, such as the time, and feeds them to the always-on display when appropriate.
As reported earlier this week, the iPhone 14 Pro intelligently detects if a user who's wearing an Apple Watch paired with the iPhone leaves the room, and when they do, it will disable the always-on display.
By disabling the always-on display when a user leaves the room, the iPhone 14 Pro saves battery life and helps safeguard privacy as the display doesn't show a user's wallpaper and widgets when they're not present.
Apple's 64GB Wi-Fi 10.2-inch iPad has returned to its all-time low price of $279.99 on Amazon, down from $329.00. Silver and Space Gray color options are both on sale at this price, and the fastest delivery options are estimated for an arrival of this Friday, September 16.
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.
This sale beats the previous record low price by around $20. Besides the 64GB Wi-Fi model, you can also save with a few second-best prices on both cellular versions of the 10.2-inch iPad (up to $50 off).
For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores this Friday, September 16, and ahead of time, the first reviews of the devices have now been shared by select media publications and YouTube channels.
Image Credit: The Verge
Key new features of the iPhone 14 Pro models include an always-on display with a new Dynamic Island, upgraded cameras with a 48-megapixel main lens, car crash detection and satellite connectivity for emergencies, the A16 Bionic chip for faster performance, and new Deep Purple and Space Black color options. Emergency SOS via Satellite is not launching until November, so the feature was not available for review yet.
The only differences between the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max relate to their respective 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes, battery life, and the weight of the devices, as the Pro and Pro Max once again have identical camera systems this year.
We've rounded up both written and video reviews of the iPhone 14 Pro models below, complete with a feature-by-feature breakdown.
Dynamic Island
Exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro models, the Dynamic Island replaces the traditional notch found on all iPhone 13 models. Aided by software, the cutout morphs into different shapes and sizes for things such as incoming phone calls, alerts, notifications, Face ID authentication, timers, turn-by-turn navigation, Live Activities, and more.
While the Dynamic Island is certainly more useful than the notch on previous iPhones, The Verge's Nilay Patel said the feature's potential is not fully realized yet, as it currently only supports third-party apps that use the Now Playing or CallKit APIs.
"Right now, the Dynamic Island feels like one of those things that need a year of refinement and developer attention before we really know how important it is," said Patel.
Always-On Display
TheStreet's Jacob Krol said the iPhone 14 Pro's new always-on display did not have a noticeable impact on battery life during his testing:
And from my testing so far, using the always-on display doesn't negatively impact the battery life or overall runtime of the 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max. I've still been able to get a full day of moderate use on the 14 Pro, with the larger in size -- and likely in battery capacity -- 14 Pro Max lasting for a day and half with the same use. Apple specifically called out some enhancements within the new A16 Bionic which has cores designed to be efficient operators of the display.
48-Megapixel Camera
Input's Raymond Wong put the iPhone's new 48-megapixel main lens to the test and was impressed with the 48-megapixel ProRAW photos, but he said he could barely notice a difference for pixel-binned 12-megapixel photos in daylight.
I've tested more than my share of Android phones with high-megapixel camera sensors and they've always underwhelmed in some way. Apple’s ProRAW DNG was a bit disappointing for the iPhone 13 Pro and 12 Pro; there's barely more detail to get from a 12-megapixel RAW compared to a 12-megapixel JPEG. Not so with 48-megapixel ProRAW files; these images are massive (often clocking in between 70-80MB) and the amount of detail you can get is borderline nuts for a phone.
Wong also shared his thoughts on the new Deep Purple and Space Black color options:
My iPhone 14 Pro review unit is Space Black. I love it. The glass back and the stainless steel frame are noticeably darker than the gray Graphite iPhone 13 Pro; like a mix between the black and Jet Black iPhone 7. My iPhone 14 Pro Max review unit is Deep Purple; it's a dark purple that sometimes looks gray or black. Both look sleek in person; both are still fingerprint magnets. You can also get them in silver and gold.
A16 Bionic Chip
Wong shared Geekbench 5 results for the iPhone 14 Pro models, revealing up to a 16% increase in multi-core performance compared to the 13 Pro:
As far as battery life goes, none of the iPhone 14 or 14 Pro models I tried lasted significantly longer than their predecessors. The story might be different with the step-up model, the iPhone 14 Plus. Apple says it has "our longest battery life ever"—I'll test that claim when it arrives.
Apple has given select media outlets and YouTubers access to the new iPhone 14 ahead of when it begins arriving in customers' hands on Friday, September 16.
The new iPhone 14 is an incremental upgrade compared to the iPhone 13, featuring the same overall design, the same A15 Bionic chip with an additional GPU core, and slight improvements to the rear and front cameras.
Display
There are two models of the iPhone 14, the standard 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and the larger 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus. The iPhone 14 Plus will not begin shipping to customers until Friday, October 7, so reviews are focused on the smaller standard model.
The display on the standard iPhone 14 is nearly identical to the one on the iPhone 13, with The Verge's Allison Johnson saying it's a good display but noting that there are other options offering more advanced displays with 120Hz refresh rates at around the same price.
It's a good screen, but the competition is running laps around Apple here. Android phones from the flagship class all the way to the $350 Samsung A53 5G offer screens with 120Hz refresh rates. It's not a deal-breaker, but it's an area where it feels like the standard iPhone is overdue for an update.
Performance
The iPhone 14 features the same A15 Bionic chip that powered the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Compared to the A15 Bionic chip in last year's standard iPhone 13, the iPhone 14's chip features one additional GPU core. CNET said the iPhone 14 is "speedy" with fluid animations and no performance hiccups.
The iPhone 14 also includes an improved internal design that better manages heat, allowing users to play high-intensive games for longer without the device overheating. Engadget said the device managed to stay "cool to the touch" during gaming and that the phone remains capable regarding performance.
The iPhone 14 may use last year's A15 Bionic processor, but it's still a capable phone that holds its own against this year's flagships. My feverish rounds of Royal Match while messaging fellow reviewers my thoughts on the iPhone 14 Pro all happened smoothly, and in general the phone stayed cool to the touch. It got warm when I repeatedly tested the selfie camera’s autofocus in low light, but didn’t get alarmingly hot.
Battery Life
The standard iPhone 14 features a slightly larger battery than the standard iPhone 13. Apple is promising up to 20 hours of video playback and up to 80 hours of audio playback for the iPhone 14, making similar claims as it did for the iPhone 13 last year.
The Verge said that in real-world testing, the iPhone 14 ended the day with around 40% to 50% of battery life remaining, adding that while it's difficult to compare to the iPhone 13 given limited testing and varying usage, it should be sufficient for most users.
In the real world, after three to four hours of screen-on time, I had between 40 and 50 percent charge at the end of the day. Whether that’s substantially better than the already quite excellent iPhone 13 is hard to say, but it’s good enough to get most people through a full day, and that’s what counts.
Cameras
Both the front and rear cameras on the iPhone 14 received some upgrades. On the front, the selfie camera is an all-new 12MP camera that features autofocus. Apple says the new camera delivers up to 2x better low-light photos thanks to its larger aperture.
On the back, the iPhone 14 features the same dual-camera setup as the iPhone 13 but now includes improved Main and Ultra Wide lenses. The new Main camera has an ƒ/1.5 aperture that allows 49% more light to enter every shot. The Main camera also benefits from a new workflow that Apple calls the Photonic Engine. The Photonic Engine merges multiple pixels from multiple exposure levels to deliver brighter and "more lifelike" colors in low-light situations.
Photo taken with the Main camera on the iPhone 14 via CNET
CNET said the iPhone 14 takes acceptable photos in low-light conditions and handles details well.
And in my tests, the iPhone 14 takes great photos and videos. I was able to get a respectable snap, even when the lighting wasn't good. Check out the photo below of a dog that I took in the not-so-bright interior of a coffee shop. Notice how well the 14 captures the texture and detail in the dog's fur. It also did a good job of freezing the action even though the dog was moving his head as I was taking the photo.
For videos, the iPhone 14 includes a new Action mode that delivers stabilized video when active. The Verge says Action mode is "very much designed to be used in bright outdoor light," noting that in any other conditions, videos look "horribly blotchy."
Video Reviews
For those who enjoy watching video reviews, we've embedded some below.
Apple's future M3 chip for Macs and A17 chip for iPhone 15 Pro models will be manufactured based on TSMC's enhanced 3nm process known as N3E next year, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia. The devices are expected to launch throughout 2023.
N3E will offer improved performance and power efficiency compared to TSMC's first-generation 3nm process known as N3, according to the report.
In the meantime, the report claims that Apple plans to use TSMC's first-generation 3nm process for some of its upcoming iPad chips. It's unclear which iPad models the report is referring to, as rumors suggest that Apple will update the iPad Pro next month with the M2 chip, which is manufactured based on TSMC's second-generation 5nm process. A new entry-level iPad with an older A14 chip is also expected later this year.
The report claims that 2023 could mark the second year in a row in which only the Pro models of the new iPhone lineup feature Apple's latest chip. Last week, Apple unveiled iPhone 14 Pro models with an A16 chip based on TSMC's 4nm process, while the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models are equipped with the previous-generation A15 chip.
Mophie today announced the launch of a series of Apple-exclusive Powerstation battery packs and a 120W GaN Travel Kit, all of which can be purchased from Apple starting today.
Priced at $140, the Mophie Speedport 120W 4-Port GaN Wall Charger Travel Kit includes three USB-C PD ports and one USB-A port for charging up to four Apple devices at the same time. It offers a combined 120W, so it can charge a large device like a MacBook Pro alongside smaller devices like an iPad, Apple Watch, and iPhone. It comes with a travel case.
Available for $40, Mophie's Powerstation Mini offers up to 20W of PD power for charging an iPhone, AirPods, or iPad. It has a 5,000mAh battery and provides up to 21 hours of video playback. The Powerstation Mini is made from aluminum, it charges via USB-C, and has LED power indicator lights so you can check the charge level.
The $60 Mophie Powerstation has the same general design as the Powerstation Mini, but it comes with dual USB-C PD ports for charging two devices at one time. It has a 10,000mAh battery inside and charges at up to 24W, adding 43 hours of video playback.
Mophie's Powerstation Pro XL is a more powerful battery pack option, priced at $200. With 120W of combined power, it is able to charge a MacBook Pro, and it has three total ports if you need to charge multiple devices. The 100W main port can charge a MacBook, plus there's a 45W port and a 20W port for smaller devices. It has a 25,000mAh battery inside.
The final new Mophie product is the Powerstation 10K Stand with MagSafe, priced at $130. The Powerstation 10K Stand is a MagSafe battery pack and stand in one, providing an additional 39 hours of video playback to an iPhone. It is compatible with MagSafe iPhones, charging at up to 15W, and can also be used to charge the AirPods. There's an included USB-C port that is able to deliver up to 20W of power.
iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models arriving to customers starting this Friday will have a day-one software update available with bug fixes, according to Apple.
"This update provides bug fixes for your iPhone and addresses an issue that may cause some photos to appear soft when zooming in landscape orientation on iPhone 14 Pro Max," says Apple's release notes for the update, shared by @AppleSWUpdates.
The update will be available for all iPhone 14 models launching this Friday and simply represents the final version of iOS 16 with build number 20A362 that was released earlier this week for other iPhone models. Apple's initial batch of iPhone 14 models ship with an earlier build of iOS 16, which is why an update will be available immediately.
It appears that Apple also pushed out this update for the iPhone 14 Plus, but that device does not launch until October 7. It's possible that a newer iOS 16 update will be available by time the iPhone 14 Plus is released.
Apple released iOS 16 to the general public on Monday following several months of beta testing. Key new features include a highly customizable Lock Screen, the ability to temporarily edit or unsend iMessages, improvements to Focus modes, and more. The free software update is compatible with the iPhone 8 and newer.
Update: As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple has released an iOS 16.0.1 update for the iPhone 14 models that fixes an issue with activation and migration during setup, addresses a problem that could cause photos to appear soft when zooming in in landscape orientation on iPhone 14 Pro Max, and fixes a bug that could cause enterprise single sign-on apps to fail to authenticate.
The iPhone 14 Pro includes a clever new Dynamic Island that obscures the front-facing TrueDepth camera hardware, and third-party app developers are already experimenting with ways to take advantage of the new iPhone capabilities.
Apple is allowing third-party developers to create Dynamic Island experiences, which might end up including games. Kriss Smolka, the developer behind apps like WaterMinder and HabitMinder, today shared a simple Dynamic Island game concept modeled after Pong.
Who has an iPhone 14 Pro right now? Need to test this on device asap!
🏝️ Hit The Island - our game concept for iPhone 14 Pro, still laggy but it’s turning out nice :) #iPhone14Pro#iOS16pic.twitter.com/kWLU77gk6d
— Kriss Smolka (@ksmolka) September 13, 2022
In the demo, the "Hit the Island" game uses a paddle at the bottom to send a ball up to the Dynamic Island, with the goal being to hit the Island and cause it to animate.
Smolka said that the game is "turning out nice," but that there are some lag issues to overcome. Whether Apple will allow this kind of game involving the Dynamic Island remains to be seen, but there are undoubtedly other unique implementations that we can expect to see following the launch of the iPhone 14 Pro models this Friday.
Apple designed the Dynamic Island to morph and change shape to accommodate what's on the iPhone's screen, and it is being used as a front-and-center information hub. The Dynamic Island blends into the display and provides at-a-glance information about apps and services that are being used on the iPhone.
We'll have a deep dive into the Dynamic Island coming later this week, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors.
The top five favorite emoji in the United States include 😂 (face with tears of joy), 👍 (thumbs up), ❤️ (red heart), 🤣 (rolling on the floor laughing face), and 😢 (crying face), according to Adobe's 2022 Emoji Trend Report.
Face with tears of joy, thumbs up, red heart, and crying face have been popular in past years, but rolling on the floor laughing face has supplanted 😘 (face blowing a kiss) in 2022. 🤣😂, 🥰😘, and 😘❤️ are the top three favorite emoji pairings.
💩 (pile of poo), 😠 (angry face), and 😳 (flushed face) are the emojis survey respondents least like to use, though as with favorites, results vary by state.
To find the most popular emoji in the United States, Adobe surveyed 5,000 emoji users, and 91 percent of respondents said they use emoji to "lighten the mood of a conversation." 73 percent said that people who use emoji are "friendlier, funnier, and cooler" than those who don't, and half of respondents said they're more likely to respond to a message if it contains an emoji.
71 percent of people said that emoji are an "important conversation tool" for understanding one another, and 75 percent said they "feel more connected" to people who use emoji. 71 percent of emoji users use emoji at work, and 68 percent of people like when people use emoji at work.
Among emoji users, 75 percent send at least 50 emoji in their online messages per day, and most emoji are sent via text messages.
Adobe's full survey goes into detail on the most misunderstood emoji, emoji use in dating, emoji use across generations, and more, with the report available on the Adobe website.
Apple this week released iOS 16, the latest version of iOS with a new customizable Lock Screen, major new additions to Messages, and enhancements to Mail, Maps, and more.
Other than the headlining features, there are a number of quality-of-life changes, improvements, and new capabilities baked into iOS 16 that help improve the iPhone experience. We've listed 16 hidden features and changes from iOS 16 that you may not have known about below.
Get Rid of Duplicate Photos - The iOS 16 Photos app can let you know if you have multiple identical photos, giving you the opportunity to delete the extras to save space. Duplicate photos are listed in a new "Duplicates" album that appears if you have duplicates to deal with.
AirPods Updates - It's simpler to manage AirPods settings in iOS 16 with a dedicated section that pops up in the Settings app when AirPods are connected. iOS 16 also adds a Personalized Spatial Audio feature that uses the TrueDepth camera to scan your ears, providing a unique listening experience tuned just to you.
Face ID in Landscape Mode - iPhone models running iOS 16 support Face ID in landscape mode, making it easier to unlock the iPhone when it's not held in the standard portrait orientation. The feature is limited to the iPhone 13 and later.
Hidden and Deleted Photo Protection - In iOS 16, you need to authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID before the Hidden and Recently Deleted photo albums can be accessed. This essentially locks these albums from view should someone gain access to your phone while it's otherwise unlocked.
WiFi Password - If you've ever been frustrated by an inability to access the WiFi password of the network you're using, that's changing in iOS 16. In the iPhone's WiFi settings, you can see the password of the network that you're connected to.
Haptic Feedback for Keyboard - There's a keyboard setting in iOS 16 that lets you enable haptic feedback that can be felt when you're typing. The vibrations are for each key tap, offering users a physical confirmation that a letter has been tapped.
Copy and Delete Screenshots - When you take a screenshot on iOS, alongside being able to save the screenshot to Photos, save as a Quick Note, and save to Files, you'll now be able to "Copy and Delete." The new option saves the screenshot to your clipboard and then deletes it from your Camera Roll, making it easier to use one-time screenshots without them being saved to your device and needing to be cleaned up later.
Ability to Delete Find My, Clock, and Health - With iOS 14, Apple allowed users to offload some of the apps that come pre-installed on the iPhone. With iOS 16, Apple is expanding the number of apps you can delete from your phone, which now includes Find My, Clock, and Health. Deleted apps can be redownloaded from the App Store later if needed.
Built-In Currency Converison - Thanks to new features in Live Text, iOS now includes built-in currency conversion within the Camera and Photos apps. Simply hold your iPhone camera up to a price tag, wait for the Live Text icon to appear, tap and hold on the price, and select "Convert." Live Text also supports translation and measurement conversion.
See Your Battery Percentage - In iOS 16, Apple is giving users the ability to display their battery percentage directly in the status bar inside of the battery icon, removing the need to swipe into Control Center to check on their battery level. The battery percentage toggle is not available on all iPhones.
Use Siri to Hang Up a Call - A new settings in iOS 16 lets users use Siri to hang up an active call. By heading into Settings > Accessibility > Siri and activating Call Hangup, users can now say "Hey Siri, hang up the call" to end an active call. Note that the other person/people on the call will hear your request to Siri before being hung up on.
Prevent Accidental Call Hangups - Users on iOS 16 will now have the ability to disable the side button from ending an active call. In prior versions of iOS, pressing the side button and locking the iPhone while in a call would instantly end it. In iOS 16, Apple allows users to disable that to prevent accidents by going into Settings > Accessibility> Touch and toggling on "Prevent Lock to End Call."
Sorting Options for Playlists - In Apple Music on iOS 16, users will now have the ability to sort playlists by title, artist, album, and release date. The new sorting option can be found by pressing the three dots in the upper right-hand corner when viewing a playlist.
Full-Screen Music Player - One major but possibly lesser-known feature of iOS 16 is that Apple is bringing back the full-screen Lock Screen music player. When listening to a song from Apple Music, Spotify, or other third-party music apps, press on the album art on the Lock Screen from Now Playing to enter the all-new player look. Tap the full-screen album art to minimize Now Playing.
Spatial Audio Just for You - With the latest AirPods and some Beats earphones, iOS 16 users can activate Personalized Spatial Audio. Personalized Spatial Audio uses the LiDAR scanner on the iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro, or the iPhone 14 Pro to scan the geometry of the user's ears in order to deliver a better Spatial Audio experience.
New Warning While Charging - On iOS 16, if your iPhone is warm, you'll get a new notification letting you know that charging will be paused until your iPhone's temperature cools down. This is done in order to prevent possible long-term damage to your iPhone's battery.
For the ultimate walkthrough of everything new in iOS 16, see our comprehensive roundup.
This week marks the fifth anniversary of Apple revealing the iPhone X, one of the biggest redesigns in the iPhone's history. Among other innovations, the iPhone X introduced the notch to the iPhone with Face ID and a design language that has persisted through the last several years.
In memory of the notch turning five years old this week, we thought we'd look back at the history of the iPhone's display bezels and how they have evolved into the pill-shaped cutout it is becoming today.
The Thick Bezel Era
For the first decade following the iPhone's 2007 debut, all iPhones featured relatively thick bezels at the top, bottom, and sides of the display. The bezels were either black or white, depending on the color of your device. The bezels were particularly thick at the top and bottom, given the need to house the front-facing camera, earpiece, and the Home Button, which gained Touch ID in 2013.
Throughout those initial years, Apple hardly touched the bezel design around the iPhone's display, keeping the thick "forehead and chin" bezels as displays gradually grew from 3.5 inches in the first few generations to as large as 5.5 inches with the "Plus" variants of the iPhone 6, 6s, and 7. It wasn't until 2017 that things started to radically change.
Say Hello to the Notch
When Tim Cook announced the iPhone X at the Steve Jobs Theater in 2017, he used Apple's iconic "One more thing" phrase to mark the unveiling of the most significant redesign in the iPhone's history. The iPhone X introduced several new features to the iPhone, with the most notable being Face ID housed in a new notch that protruded into the top edge of the display.
With that significant change to the iPhone's display, Apple had to rethink how iOS handled content. The new design also meant that third-party apps needed to be updated to support the notch and be sized correctly for the new display. The notch remained a key design element of the iPhone for four years until it was ever touched again.
The Notch Gets Smaller
With the notch remaining essentially unchanged through the iPhone X, iPhone XS/XR, iPhone 11, and iPhone 12 generations, Apple finally managed to reduce its width with the iPhone 13. The notch on the iPhone 13 was made smaller in width but slightly taller. The change was a subtle one, but it emphasized Apple's efforts toward minimizing and ideally removing the notch, which would see another significant step a year later.
Welcome to Dynamic Island
Five years after the notch's debut, Apple is finally moving on, upgrading the notch on the latest iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max to a pill-shaped cutout separated from the display bezel. While the cutout may look like one large pill-shaped display intrusion, it is actually two separate cutouts digitally merged and hidden within the iOS user interface through a feature Apple calls Dynamic Island.
Dynamic Island is an entirely new way to interact with the iPhone that integrates the pill-shaped cutout into the iOS experience by moving alerts, notifications, and other information to the top of the display and around the cutout, which digitally resizes to respond to what's being displayed. Dynamic Island has received praise since its unveiling last week, with some calling it the "best design work from Apple in years."
What's Next?
With the shift to a pill-shape and hole-punch cutout on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, the question becomes about what comes after the Dynamic Island. While the end goal may be a fully unintrusive design with no notch or cutouts, that may be far out in the future until the technology to adequately hide the various cameras and sensors beneath the display exists.
Rumors currently suggest that Apple is planning to bring Dynamic Island to the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models next year as the feature trickles down from the highest-end models, so it seems likely that Apple's notch replacement is here to stay for at least a few more years. What would you like to see as the next major design change on the iPhone? Let us know down in the comments.
Following a leak earlier this year, Sonos today announced the Sub Mini, a new wireless subwoofer with a more compact design and lower price than the full-size Sonos Sub. Sonos said the Sub Mini will be available globally starting October 6, with pricing set at $429 in the United States, compared to $749 for the full-size Sub.
Sonos says the Sub Mini features advanced digital signal processing that "maximizes bass response and reproduces the full-toned low frequencies expected from a much larger subwoofer." The subwoofer can be paired with AirPlay-enabled Sonos speakers and sound bars like the Beam, Ray, and One via Wi-Fi for a complete home theater experience.
Using the Sonos app for iPhone or iPad, users can easily add the Sub Mini to their Sonos system. With a supported iOS device, Sonos says Trueplay tuning technology "adapts the bass for the unique acoustics of the room so it never sounds harsh, muddy, or flat," even if the Sub Mini is placed next to a wall in a room.
Design wise, the Sub Mini has a cylindrical shape and is available in matte black or white. The subwoofer is equipped with dual inward-facing six-inch woofers and two Class-D digital amplifiers, along with dual ARM Cortex processors and a 10/100 Ethernet port.
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For the MagSafe Battery Pack and MagSafe Duo Charger, these are the best prices we've ever tracked on the accessories. The regular MagSafe Charger is about $2 higher than the best-ever price we saw in the past, so it's still a solid second-best price.
Additionally, Verizon has a variety of MagSafe Accessory Bundles on sale for 20 percent off this week. For these bundles and the above accessories, Verizon offers free two day shipping and free returns within 30 days, and you don't need to be a Verizon Wireless customer to purchase these deals.
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Photo via 
Photo via 
Photo taken with the Main camera on the iPhone 14 via 
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