You can get big savings on previous generation Apple Watch models this week on Amazon, including up to $149 off Apple Watch Series 7 and Apple Watch SE. These devices might not be the latest and greatest from Apple, but at the steepest discounts we've ever tracked they're perfect for early holiday shopping, or for anyone who doesn't need the latest model looking for a new Apple Watch.
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.
Apple Watch Series 7
The best deals are on cellular models of the Apple Watch Series 7, starting with the 41mm cellular model for $349.99, down from $499.00. This is an all-time low price on the cellular Apple Watch Series 7, and it's available in three colors.
Secondly, the 45mm cellular Apple Watch Series 7 is at a discounted price of $379.99, down from $529.00. This is another record low price on the Series 7, and Amazon also has this model in stock at this price in three colors.
Comparatively, not many GPS models of the Series 7 are seeing notable discounts on Amazon this week. The best deal can be found on the 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 for $309.99, down from $429.00. This is an all-time low price and it's only available in (PRODUCT)RED, but it has a delayed shipping estimate as of writing.
There are no 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 models on sale as of writing, but you can save on a few models of the previous generation Apple Watch SE. You can get the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE for $199.00, down from $279.00, which is another record low price. It's only available in one color and won't deliver until the end of the month, but this is a great deal even on a previous generation model just in time for the holidays.
44mm GPS models of the Apple Watch SE are on sale for $229.00, down from $309.00. On the cellular side of things, you can get the 40mm cellular device for $249.00, down from $329.00, and the 44mm cellular device for $249.00, down from $359.00.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
In 2021, Apple unveiled the iPhone 13 as the successor to the popular iPhone 12, with improved rear cameras, longer battery life, the A15 Bionic chip, and more. Despite being from different annual generations, both the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 mini are still available from Apple for a price of $599, leading many customers to consider which device they should buy.
At $599, both devices sit above the $429 iPhone SE in Apple's product lineup, adding features like OLED displays and Face ID. The iPhone 13 mini is a more modern device than the iPhone 12, and features the same battery life as the larger device despite having a smaller internal battery, but it does come at the cost of display area.
As the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 mini share a large number of features, should you consider purchasing the older model to save money? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhones is best for you.
Comparing the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 Mini
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 mini share a large number of key features, such as OLED Super Retain XDR displays, Face ID, 5G connectivity, MagSafe, and Ceramic Shield. Apple lists these identical features of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 mini:
Similarities
OLED Super Retina XDR display with HDR, True Tone, P3 wide color, and Haptic Touch
Face ID
6GHz 5G connectivity (and mmWave in the U.S.)
Six-core A-Series Bionic chip
4GB of memory
Dual 12MP ƒ/2.4 Ultra Wide and ƒ/1.6 Wide cameras with two-times optical zoom out
Photography features including Night mode, Deep Fusion, True Tone flash with Slow Sync, Portrait mode, and more
Videography features including 4K video recording at up to 60fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision, Audio zoom, slo-mo video up to 240fps at 1080p, Night mode Time-lapse, and more
Ceramic Shield front
IP68 rated splash, water, and dust resistance
Aerospace-grade aluminum
MagSafe and Qi wireless charging
Lightning connector
Up to 17 hours battery during video playback
Available with 128GB and 256GB storage options
Available in (PRODUCT)RED
Apple's breakdown shows that the iPhones share a large number of notable key features. Even so, there are some meaningful differences between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 mini, such as their processors and display brightness, that will be important when weighing up which device to choose.
Differences
iPhone 12
iPhone 13 mini
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display
5.4-inch Super Retina XDR display
625 nits max brightness (typical)
800 nits max brightness (typical)
"Notch"
20 percent smaller "notch"
A14 Bionic chip
A15 Bionic chip
Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)
Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM) and dual eSIM support
Optical image stabilization for video
Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video
Smart HDR 3 for photos
Smart HDR 4 for photos
–
Photographic Styles
Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 30fps
Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 60fps
–
Cinematic mode video recording with shallow depth of field (1080p at 30 fps)
Weighs 164 grams
Weighs 141 grams
Available in Purple, Blue, PRODUCT(RED), White, and Black
Available in Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, Green, and PRODUCT(RED)
Available with 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage options
Available with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options
Read on for a closer look at each of these aspects, and see what exactly both iPhones have to offer.
Design and Colors
Both the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 mini have the same industrial design with squared-off edges and a flat aluminum band around the sides. The devices use aerospace-grade aluminum on the edges and a single piece of polished glass on the rear. The iPhone 13 mini's dual rear cameras are offset against each other diagonally, as opposed to the iPhone 12's vertical orientation.
The iPhone 13 mini features a 20 percent smaller notch for the TrueDepth camera array, which frees up more display area and makes the cutout less obtrusive. Other than the rear camera positioning and the smaller notch, the devices look otherwise the same.
As a smaller phone, the iPhone 13 mini is shorter and narrower than the iPhone 12. The size of the iPhone 13 mini makes it much more pocketable than the iPhone 13.
Another factor that demarcates the difference between the two devices is their weight. The iPhone 13 mini is 23 grams (0.81 ounces) lighter than its larger counterpart, at just 141 grams (4.97 ounces) in total. If you want the smallest and lightest possible iPhone, the iPhone 13 mini will be a better choice than the iPhone 12.
The iPhone 12 is available in Purple, Blue, Green, White, and Black, while the iPhone 13 mini is available in Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, and Green. Both are also available in PRODUCT(RED). The two shades of Blue are similar, as are White and Starlight, and Black and Midnight. As similar-looking devices, preference for either the iPhone 12 or the iPhone 13 mini in terms of design and colors will come down to personal taste.
Display
The iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 mini both have a OLED Super Retina XDR display with HDR, True Tone, P3 wide color, and Haptic Touch. The only difference with the iPhone 13 mini's display is that it is able to get 175 nits brighter during typical non-HDR use, but this is not a major reason to get the newer model.
The most noticeable difference between the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 12 is the size of their displays. The iPhone 13 mini has a display size of 5.4-inches and the iPhone 12 has a display size of 6.1-inches. This means that the larger phone will be able to show more content on the screen, with the UI elements of apps spaced further apart and items such as the keyboard being bigger.
Nevertheless, the smaller phone is easier to use with one hand. For example, the Control Center is easier to reach at the top of the screen, and users may feel more comfortable swiping around iOS on a smaller display with a firmer grip.
The main reason to prefer the iPhone 13 mini will be because of its better fit in the hand and easier one-handed use. Likewise, those that want a larger display for media consumption, being the same size as the iPhone 14, will clearly prefer the 6.1-inch iPhone 12.
A14 vs. A15
The iPhone 13's A15 Bionic chip brings a modest performance improvement over the A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12. Benchmarks show that the A15 in the iPhone 13 offers around 10 percent better single-core performance and 18 percent better multi-core performance compared to the iPhone 12's A14 chip. In graphics tasks, the iPhone 13 performs roughly 15 percent better than the A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12.
These performance improvements with the A15 are iterative rather than a substantial reason to upgrade alone. The A14 is still an extremely capable chip, and in day-to-day use, the two devices are likely to perform similarly, although the A15 chip may be supported for longer and perform better over time.
Dual SIM
Both devices support dual SIM, with one physical nano-SIM and an eSIM, but the iPhone 13 mini is also able to support two eSIMs simultaneously. If you need to switch between two eSIMs, you will need to get the iPhone 13 mini to get this functionality.
Cameras
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 mini have dual 12MP rear cameras with a ƒ/2.4 Ultra Wide and a ƒ/1.6 Wide camera. The iPhone 13 mini's Main camera features a larger sensor than the iPhone 12, capable of capturing 47 percent more light for less noise and brighter images, and the Ultra Wide features a new sensor to capture more detail. The Main camera also contains sensor-shift optical image stabilization technology for smoother video and improved image quality.
Although the devices can both record Dolby Vision HDR video, the iPhone 13 is able to record this up to 60 fps, as opposed to the iPhone 12's 30 fps.
The iPhone 13 mini features Cinematic mode, which allows users to record video with a shallow depth of field at 1080p and 30fps. Cinematic mode can rack focus to seamlessly shift the focus from one subject to another when capturing video. It holds focus on the subject while blurring the background, and can automatically change the focus when a new subject is about to enter the scene. Blur and focus can be adjusted after capturing video as well through the Photos app.
The iPhone 13 mini also supports Photographic Styles, which are smart, adjustable filters that can do things like boost or mute colors without affecting skin tone. Styles apply selectively to an image, unlike a filter that is applied to the entire image. Photographic Styles include Vibrant (boosts colors), Rich Contrast (darker shadows and deeper colors), Warm (accentuates golden undertones), or Cool (accentuates blue undertones). Tone and Warmth are customizable for each style, so you can get the exact look that you want.
While the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 mini feature cameras with similar specifications, the iPhone 13 mini offers Dolby Vision HDR video at a higher frame rate, Cinematic mode, and Photographic Styles, as well as hardware improvements such as a larger sensor and sensor-shift stabilization. The iPhone 12's camera is still highly capable, but with more photography and videography options and improved image quality, the iPhone 13 mini is the better option.
Storage
A key area to consider when weighing up the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 mini is storage. While both devices start at $599, the iPhone 12 features a base storage configuration of 64GB, while the iPhone 13 mini offers 128GB of storage for the same price. The iPhone 12 with 128GB of storage costs $649 and at 256GB it costs $749, $50 more than the iPhone 13 mini with the same amount of storage. If storage is a priority for you, it may be better to get the iPhone 13 mini since higher storage quantities come in at a lower price across the board.
The iPhone 12 is also not available with a 512GB configuration, unlike the iPhone 13 mini. This means that if you need more than 256GB of storage, you will need to get the iPhone 13 to have the option of a larger 512GB storage capacity.
Final Thoughts
The iPhone 13 mini's upgrades over the iPhone 12 are mostly iterative, offering refinements in terms of a brighter display, a smaller notch, performance improvements, and new camera software features. The more significant upgrades include the camera hardware, but at face value there is likely not enough to justify getting the new model over the iPhone 12 for those who mainly want a larger display. The iPhone 12's A14 Bionic chip and dual-camera setup are still highly capable for everyday use, and the device shares an overwhelming majority of the iPhone 13 mini's most versatile features, such as a 17-hour battery life, 5G connectivity, Night mode, MagSafe, and IP68 water resistance.
However, when looking at the 128GB and 256GB storage options only, since these options are available with both models, the iPhone 13 mini costs less than the iPhone 12. If you need more than 64GB of storage and do not want a larger display, you should buy the iPhone 13 mini – especially considering that it comes with additional features and is a year newer. If 64GB of storage is sufficient for you, it will be a case of deciding if the iPhone 13 mini's selection of improvements and extra storage are worth sacrificing a larger display.
Amazon today knocked the price of the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 6 down to $399.99, from $499.00. We haven't tracked this deal in about a month, and this time around it's available in all four colors: Starlight, Space Gray, Purple, and Pink.
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.
The iPad mini is shipped and sold directly from Amazon, with the fastest delivery estimated to arrive on October 8, and free delivery estimated for October 11 for most colors. As of writing, only Amazon is offering $99 off the iPad mini.
Not only the 64GB Wi-Fi model is on sale, as you can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini for $549.99, down from $649.00. Additionally, the 64GB Cellular model is available for $549.99 and the 256GB Cellular model is on sale for $699.99, both sales representing $99 discounts on the 2021 iPad mini.
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.
Following the launch of the iPhone 14 Plus in the U.S. and over 40 other countries this Friday, availability will expand to other countries later this month.
Apple today announced that the iPhone 14 Plus will be available in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and 20 other countries and regions starting Friday, October 14, followed by Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico starting Friday, October 28.
Key new features of the iPhone 14 Plus include car crash detection, upcoming support for emergency texting via satellite in the U.S. and Canada, longer battery life, improved cameras, and a more repairable design with a removable back glass panel. The device is powered by the same A15 Bionic chip with a five-core GPU as in the iPhone 13 Pro.
Compared to the 6.1-inch iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus has a larger 6.7-inch display, weighs more, and gets longer battery life. iPhone 14 Plus pricing starts at $899 in the United States, compared to $799 for the iPhone 14. The first iPhone 14 Plus reviews were published earlier today, offering a closer look at the device.
Apple has given select media outlets and YouTubers access to the iPhone 14 Plus ahead of its launch on Friday, October 7.
The iPhone 14 Plus is Apple's largest entry-level iPhone model with a 6.7-inch display, a display size that's been historically reserved for only the highest-end iPhone. The iPhone 14 Plus shares many of the same features of the standard smaller iPhone 14 model, which was reviewed prior to launch last month.
Thanks to a display that lacks Pro features such as always-on capability and more internal space allocated to the battery, the iPhone 14 Plus features the longest battery life of any non-Pro iPhone. The Verge's Allison Johnson says the iPhone 14 Plus is capable of offering users multi-day battery life, saying it offered three days of battery life on a single charge in testing.
Apple's claim of the "best battery life in an iPhone" isn't an exaggeration. Typically, a day of moderate use with about two hours of screen-on time and plenty of time away from Wi-Fi only drained the battery by about 25 percent in my experience. I even managed to get three days of use on a single charge. Reader, I can't remember the last time I used an iPhone that comfortably made it through multiple days of use.
The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern said the iPhone 14 Plus lasted 20 hours in a video streaming test, shy of the iPhone 14 Pro Max at over 21 hours.
The iPhone 14 Plus features just a 60Hz display, and CNET's Patrick Holland says while the display is impressive with good brightness and colors, the lack of a higher refresh rate is disappointing for a phone in this price range.
A higher refresh-rate screen looks more immersive, whether you are playing a game or just scrolling on Twitter. The 14 Plus' screen is locked in at 60Hz. I wish Apple had included a higher refresh-rate display on the 14 Plus, even if it's a more modest 90Hz. And it's strange that only the Pro models get an adaptive refresh rate.
The 14 Plus' screen looks good, but the one on the 14 Pro Max looks better. Some of that is about the refresh rate, but some of it is that the 14 Pro Max can get much brighter. In my time testing the 14 Plus, I didn't have any issues being able to see the screen outdoors. But I live in San Francisco, so in a sunnier locale that could be more of a challenge.
Both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus share the exact same camera system, so camera reviews for the iPhone 14 will also be applicable to the iPhone 14 Plus. As expected, reviewers say the iPhone 14 Plus handled low-light situations well, with poppy colors and good highlights. From The Verge's Allison Johnson:
What that boils down to is better low-light performance, especially from the ultrawide and selfie cam, even though the hardware isn't exactly new or special. You can read a little more in-depth analysis in my iPhone 14 review, but the short version is that this is a very good camera system — not solely worth upgrading for, but it'll be a pleasant update if you're coming from an iPhone 11 or older.
Performance
Both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus share the same chip from last year's iPhone 13 Pro. Despite this, the iPhone 14 Plus "still feels premium though, and has more than enough performance to handle anything you can throw at it," according to Engadget's Sam Rutherford.
Video Reviews
For a more detailed rundown of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, see our roundup.
Rumors suggest that Apple still has several new devices that are coming before the end of the year, including a range of Macs and iPads. It's not looking like we're going to get an October event in 2022, but refreshes are coming soon, probably via press release. If you're planning to buy a Mac or an iPad, make sure to check out our list to know what's safe to pick up now and what's not.
The iPad Pro was last updated in April 2021, and we're expecting an updated version before the end of 2022. There are no design huge changes that we know of coming, but there are some features worth waiting for.
Both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models will get a refresh, but rumors suggest just the 12.9-inch model will have a mini-LED display, despite some information that had indicated Apple could bring the technology to both models.
Apple's updated iPad Pros are expected to use the M2 chip that was first introduced in the new MacBook Air in June, bringing speed and performance improvements. There have also been rumors of wireless charging support, with Apple perhaps adding a new larger glass Apple logo at the back that would allow for MagSafe charging.
Reverse wireless charging is also a possibility with the new iPad Pro models able to charge iPhones, AirPods, and other devices.
Apple has long offered a low-cost basic iPad that is available at a ~$300 price point, but this year, the cheap iPad is getting some trickle down features that have previously been limited to higher-end iPads.
Apple is going to refresh the tired old design the low-cost iPad has been using for years, introducing 10.5-inch display with a more modern look featuring flat edges and rounded corners. We've previously seen this design used for the iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
The flat-edged design usually accompanies a bezel-free interface, but rumors right now suggest the iPad will continue to have top and bottom bezels along with a Touch ID Home button, but it remains to be seen if that's true. Apple could opt for the same power button Touch ID design used for the iPad mini and the iPad Air.
With the exception of the low-cost iPad, every iPad uses a USB-C port, and Apple is going to swap Lightning for USB-C with the 10th-generation iPad refresh.
We could also see some improvements to the camera, and a faster chip is a sure thing (likely the A14), but one thing the iPad might lose is the headphone jack. Removing the headphone jack would bring the low-cost iPad in line with the rest of the iPad lineup.
The M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pros came out in October of last year, and we might see new M2 Pro and M2 Max models released before the end of the year. New MacBook Pro models are said to be planned for release as soon as this fall, but there is a chance the timing could be pushed back because of supply constraints that Apple has been dealing with.
There hasn't been a Mac mini refresh since 2020 when the M1 chip was added, but Apple doesn't yet plan on discontinuing the desktop machine. A refresh is in the works, and updated Mac mini devices could include M2 and M2 Pro chips.
We're not expecting any design changes, and the highest-end chips will likely be reserved for the Mac Studio, which is like a hybrid of the Mac Pro and the Mac mini.
Apple TV
Apple last updated the Apple TV in April of 2021, and it may be time for a refresh. Rumors suggest that there is a new model with an A14 chip and 4GB RAM in development, and it could be ready to launch before the end of 2022.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said several times this year that Apple is planning to lower the price of the Apple TV when it's refreshed, but whether that will actually happen remains to be seen.
Since the Mac Pro hasn't been updated since 2019 and doesn't yet use Apple silicon chips it's obvious that now is not a great time to buy. While we did hear some early 2022 rumors suggesting that the Mac Pro could get a refresh before the end of the year, it's now looking like a new Mac Pro isn't coming until 2023.
While we may have several months to go before the Mac Pro sees an update, we don't recommend buying one right now. You're definitely going to want to wait on Apple to bring its ultra fast Apple silicon chips to its highest-end pro machine.
Rumors suggest that the Mac Pro will use an M2 Ultra, an upgrade to the M1 Ultra first introduced in the Mac Studio, and an even more powerful M2 Extreme chip. The M1 Ultra features up to a 20-core CPU and a 64-core GPU, and the M2 Ultra could be even more powerful.
The M2 Extreme will be Apple's most powerful chip to date, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurmanhas said that the chip could have upwards of 40 CPU cores and 128 GPU cores.
Wrap Up
Note that this list is based on rumors that we've heard, so it's possible that some of these refreshes could be delayed into 2023. Timing Apple product releases is not always straightforward, but if you can wait on a purchase, it's a good idea to hold off until a new product announcement if you're concerned about having the latest and greatest device.
We have more product release timelines available for every Apple device in our dedicated Buyer's Guide, which is an invaluable resource for Apple fans.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 155 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Web Inspector, CSS, Rendering, JavaScript, Media, Scroll to Text Fragment, Web API, Loading, and WebDriver.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is built on the Safari 16 update and it includes support for feature coming in macOS Ventura such as Live Text, Passkeys, Web Extension improvements, and more.
The new build of Safari Technology Preview is compatible with machines running macOS 13 Ventura, unlike prior versions of Safari Technology Preview, but it no longer works with macOS Big Sur.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Apple today updated the Shazam app for iPhone and iPad, introducing a new feature that is designed to allow songs identified using Siri to be added to both the Shazam App library and the Music Recognition History view in the Control Center. Note that this functionality requires iOS 16.
Apple added Music Recognition feature to the Control Center back in iOS 14, and there has long been a history of songs identified if you long press on the Shazam Control Center icon. Songs listed here were shown if you used the Control Center button to identify music content, but not if you asked Siri to identify a song.
"Hey Siri, what's the name of this song?"
Songs you identify using Siri on iOS 16 now sync to your Shazam App library and Music Recognition History View in Control Center.
With the update, the Music Recognition History list and the App Library in Shazam will show songs identified through Siri or through the Music Recognition tool.
Apple purchased Shazam in 2018 for $400 million and has been integrating the service into its devices since then, in addition to adding a number of improvements. Apple last year said that its Music Recognition feature in Control Center had surpassed one billion cumulative recognitions over the course of a year.
Apple today seeded the eighth beta of macOS Ventura to its public beta testing group, allowing non-developers to test the new macOS Ventura operating system ahead of its release. The eighth beta comes following the seventh public beta and it corresponds with tenth developer beta released earlier this week.
Public beta testers can download the macOS 13 Ventura update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.
macOS Ventura introduces Stage Manager, a new multi-tasking option for focusing on a task while having other apps waiting in the wings. Stage Manager puts your main app front and center, tucking your other apps to the side for quick access.
Continuity Camera allows you to use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac, offering much better camera quality than the built-in Mac camera. Apple is building special stands to hold the iPhone with a Mac, and there are neat features like Desk View, which uses the Ultra Wide lens.
Handoff now works with FaceTime so you can answer calls on the Mac and then transfer them over to another device, and Messages is gaining undo, edit, and mark as unread features. SharePlay now works in Messages in addition to FaceTime, and the Mail app has been overhauled. Search is more relevant, emails can be scheduled, and there's even an option to undo an email for up to 10 seconds after it's sent.
Apple brought the Weather and Clock apps to the Mac, redesigned System Preferences and renamed it System Settings, and added support for Shared Tab Groups. Passwords are being replaced with more secure Passkeys in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, and there are updates to Spotlight, Visual Lookup, Live Text, and more.
There are a ton of other features in macOS Ventura, and we have a full rundown available in our dedicated macOS Ventura roundup.
Apple is today beginning to implement App Store pricing increases across all territories and countries that use the euro, with the hike attributed to the euro's weakness against the U.S. dollar. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose company is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Apple, spoke up on the price update and said Apple had no justification for it.
In a statement, Sweeney likened Apple to a landlord with tenants that have nowhere else to go as there is no alternative App Store for developers to use.
Imagine if a landlord told their small business tenant they had to increase their prices without any say in the matter or anywhere else to go. That is what Apple is doing to developers for no other reason than to pad Apple's bottom line. They are unilaterally imposing a price increase on developers across multiple countries without any justification. Developers don't have a choice but to comply because the App Store is the only way they can reach over a billion iOS users.
Apple first announced the price increases last month, giving developers about three weeks notice. App Store pricing works on a tiered basis, and what Apple is doing is raising the cost of all preset tiers. The minimum €0.99 tier, for example, has jumped to to €1.19, while the maximum tier has increased from €999 to €1,199. Full pricing tiers are listed on Apple's website.
Along with countries that use the euro, Apple is also increasing prices in Chile, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, and Vietnam.
Developers who sell apps in countries that use the euro can lower their App Store prices or pass the higher cost along to consumers, but as Sweeney points out, there is no alternate method for developers to provide apps to customers on iPhones and iPads without using Apple's App Store.
Epic Games and Apple have been engaged in a long legal battle over Apple's App Store policies. Sweeney and his company deliberately broke the App Store rules and then filed a lawsuit against Apple with the hope that the court would order Apple to allow third-party app stores to operate on iOS devices.
The lawsuit did not go in Epic Games' favor and Apple was not ordered to support alternate app stores. The two companies are now engaged in a lengthy appeals process, and Apple is also facing legislation in multiple countries that could ultimately require it to make some changes to allow for sideloading.
Apple today announced that artists and bands can now personalize their Apple Music profile page with a custom bio and the option to add their hometown, birth date or year formed, and more. Artists can also quickly add lyrics for their songs on Apple Music.
Apple shared more details about the personalization options and other new features added to the Apple Music for Artists platform in an emailed announcement:
Profile - Image and personality are key to connecting with fans and engaging new listeners. The new Artist Profile section lets artists take control of their Apple Music profiles and connect with fans in their own words. Artists can answer a series of short questions to create a customized biography that displays on their Apple Music artist page. Artists can also optionally add their hometown (or place of origin for bands), date of birth (or year formed for bands), and identify band members, collaborators, influences, and pronouns.
Lyrics - Lyrics have become an integral part of discoverability and the listening experience. Artists can now add their song lyrics to appear alongside their music in Apple Music so fans can read the words behind the beats. Adding lyrics is as easy as copying and pasting formatted lyrics.
Account - Building a great team is part of any artist's success. New permissions in the Account section (formerly Manage) provide an easy way for artists to control who has access to their profile so their team can jump into action and support upcoming releases and keep content new and fresh. Artists can also assign different roles to individuals on their team, specifying admins, analysts, and profile editors.
Measure - Apple Music for Artists insights are now in a single, easy-to-access location under Measure. Artists can chart their performance and monitor Apple Music plays, average daily listeners, iTunes song purchases, and Shazams. Intelligent insights and detailed analytics help artists plan future releases, tour dates, and other activities, like creating merch.
Apple Music for Artists is available to every artist on Apple Music and provides stats like how many streams a song or album has received, average daily listeners, iTunes Store sales, Shazam data, and more. Artists can sign up for an account at artists.apple.com.
The ability for artists to set a custom bio might remind some users of Apple's short-lived social network Ping, which launched in 2010 and allowed users to follow their favorite artists in iTunes. Ping allowed artists to share status updates, photos, and more on their profiles, but the service was discontinued in 2012 due to limited usage. However, the personalized artists pages rolling out now will be much more limited in scope.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 9.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming one week after Apple released the third watchOS 9.1 beta.
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 as no new features have been found in the betas, but watchOS 9 brought a number of changes including a redesigned Compass app, a new medication tracking feature, updated watch faces, improvements to Workouts, new features for the ECG app, and more.
Apple is set to release iPadOS 16 to the public this month, yet users continue to face several issues with the new Stage Manager feature.
In the latest iPadOS 16 beta seeded earlier this week, developer Steve Troughton-Smith and MacStories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci highlighted various user interface issues they continue to face from time to time while using Stage Manager, including the dock disappearing when rotating the iPad, content failing to scale properly when a window is resized, keyboard input failing to register in certain apps, and more.
In August, Viticci criticized Apple for its "fundamentally misguided" approach to Stage Manager. The feature has improved in the weeks since, but it's clear from the latest beta that several issues persist even as iPadOS 16 nears release.
A tour of the latest Stage Manager beta for iPadOS 16:
- Rotated my iPad and the dock was gone - Black borders around windows - The keyboard freezes in apps like Mail and @theSpringApp after opening new windows - I resized a window and it blew up in my face
So there's that. pic.twitter.com/Twi5K3SeSH
— Federico Viticci (@viticci) October 4, 2022
We’ve come to the end of the dev cycle, and Stage Manager is still forwarding events to apps that should be gobbled by the system — e.g. dragging a titlebar to move a window is still sending that drag event into the app itself too. It also conflicts with swipe to go back pic.twitter.com/TX0uUFkCAV
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) October 4, 2022
Apple recently expanded Stage Manager to older iPad Pro models with A12X and A12Z chips released in 2018 and 2020, albeit without external display support, which limits the feature to four apps on the built-in display on these models. Apple also delayed external display support for iPad models with the M1 chip until later this year.
Stage Manager allows users to have up to four apps open in overlapping windows on an iPad's display for an improved multitasking experience. A modified version of Stage Manager is also available on macOS Ventura for keeping windows front and center.
Apple says iPadOS 16 will be released in October, but it not did confirm a specific day. The software update will be labeled iPadOS 16.1, and it will likely be released alongside iOS 16.1 for the iPhone, as the updates share the same build number.
Verizon today is discounting Apple's MagSafe charger accessories, including best-ever prices on two of the chargers. Alongside these deals, you can find discounts on MagSafe bundles and 50 percent off iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 cases.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Verizon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
To start off, Verizon has 25 percent off MagSafe chargers this week. All of these sales have been applied automatically and do not require a coupon code to redeem. You can get the MagSafe Charger for $29.99, down from $39.00. The MagSafe Duo Charger is down to $96.74, from $129.00; and the MagSafe Battery Pack is down to $74.24, from $99.00.
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.
Verizon also has a variety of MagSafe Accessory Bundleson 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.
New images of Google's upcoming "Pixel Watch" have been leaked online ahead of when the company is expected to provide more information on its first in-house smartwatch during an event on Thursday, October 6.
Google initially offered a preview of the Pixel Watch during its Google I/O conference over the summer. The Pixel Watch is the first smartwatch directly from Google and an answer to the Apple Watch, which has dominated the smartwatch market. The Pixel Watch is powered by Wear OS and, as expected, includes health and fitness functionality and integration with Android devices and even the iPhone.
The Pixel Watch design has already been leaked beyond what Google shared over the summer, but new images leaked on Twitter alleging to be marketing material offer a closer look at the Pixel Watch UI and some of its features. The images reveal that the Pixel Watch will charge similarly to the Apple Watch with a round charger on the back.
Unlike the Apple Watch, the Pixel Watch offers a circular design and display with a bezel around the edges. An image part of the leak on Twitter reveals just how large the bezels appear, making the actual area of usable display smaller than what it may seem to be. Like the Apple Watch, the images depict the Pixel Watch making phone calls, tracking heart rate and steps, displaying custom watch faces with complications from apps, and more.
The exact pricing of the Pixel Watch remains unknown, but some rumors indicate it may cost $349 for the Wi-Fi-only version and $399 for added cellular functionality. If those prices are accurate, the Pixel Watch would directly compete with the Apple Watch Series 8, which starts at $399.
When Apple released the second-generation AirPods Pro in late September, we did an initial impressions and hands-on video, but we thought we'd check in again with a more in-depth review after spending some time with the new earbuds.
MacRumors video editor Dan Barbera has spent 10 days using the AirPods Pro 2, and there are definite improvements over the first-generation version. Active Noise Cancellation is notably better at eliminating outside noise, and there's a clear difference in sound quality.
The on-device controls are nice to have for adjusting volume, and while Transparency works well, it's hard to tell the difference between the old Transparency mode and the new Adaptive Transparency that's supposed to quiet down loud noises like sirens.
Battery life is solid, and the built-in speaker that plays sounds for charging and Find My is beneficial, plus it's handy to be able to use the Apple Watch charger to charge up the AirPods. The lanyard loop is just okay and not super useful, especially without Apple-designed lanyards, and unfortunately, there's still no option for customizing EQ.
All in all, if you've been waiting to pick up the AirPods Pro, now is the time to do so, and if you have the original AirPods Pro and have been having issues with battery life or any other aspect, the AirPods Pro 2 are worth the cost. Dan's full thoughts are in the video up above, so check that out and then let us know what you think of the AirPods Pro 2 in the comments below.
The iPhone 14 Plus is Apple's latest entry-level iPhone alongside the standard iPhone 14, featuring a larger display, improved cameras, performance, and more. Announced last month, the iPhone 14 Plus officially begins arriving to customers on Friday, October 7.
Ahead of when the new iPhone is expected to begin arriving to customers, we wanted to highlight some possibly lesser-known facts and tidbits about the iPhone 14 Plus. A comprehensive look at the iPhone 14 Plus can be found in our roundup.
Longer Battery Life
The iPhone 14 Plus is the first entry-level iPhone with a larger 6.7-inch display, which has historically been reserved for only the highest-end iPhone models. With a display that lacks Pro features such as always-on capability and more internal space allocated to the battery, the iPhone 14 Plus features the longest battery life of any non-Pro iPhone.
According to Apple, users can expect up to 26 hours of video playback on the iPhone 14 Plus and up to 100 hours of audio playback. Like all iPhone 14 models, the iPhone 14 Plus features support for MagSafe, which can charge the device up to 50% in capacity in 30 minutes.
Same Cameras as the iPhone 14
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus share the same camera features and specifications, meaning customers choosing between the two devices do not need to consider which one is capable of better photography.
Both models feature a 12-megapixel Main camera with a ƒ/1.5 aperture and sensor‑shift optical image stabilization. The 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera on both models has a 120-degree field of view, a ƒ/2.4 aperture, and a 13mm lens. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus also feature a True Tone flash, support for Deep Fusion, Smart HDR, the Photonic Engine, and an all-new selfie camera with autofocus.
Powered By the A15 Bionic
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are powered by the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13 Pro last year. There are two variations of the A15 Bionic chip: one with a 4-core GPU and another with a 5-core GPU. The 5-core GPU chip was reserved for just the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max last year, while the lower-end models featured a 4-core GPU.
With the chip from last year's iPhone 13 Pro, Apple says the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus offer powerful performance for apps, games, and AR experiences. All models of the iPhone 14, including the iPhone 14 Pro, also include updated internal designs to better manage heat.
Super Retina XDR Display
The iPhone 14 Plus features a 6.7-inch display, the same display size as the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The Super Retina XDR display in the iPhone 14 Plus features 458 pixels-per-inch (ppi), can reach up to 1200 nits of peak brightness for HDR content, has a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, True Tone, and support for Wide color.
Durability
The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max are all protected by Ceramic Shield on the front glass. Ceramic Shield was announced with the iPhone 12 and introduced nano-crystals into the display glass, offering improved protection against drops and scratches. All iPhone 14 models are also IP68 rated, which means they can withstand an underwater depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes.
Today marks the 11th anniversary of Steve Jobs passing away at the age of 56, one day after Apple introduced the iPhone 4S and Siri.
Laurene Powell Jobs, Tim Cook, and Jony Ive recently discussed Jobs' legacy during a sit-down panel with journalist Kara Swisher. During the discussion, Powell Jobs shared a new website called The Steve Jobs Archive that contains a collection of quotes, videos, and an email from Jobs, and promises future "programs, fellowships, collections, and partnerships that reflect Steve's values and carry his sense of possibility forward."
Apple still has a "Remembering Steve" page on its website with condolences shared by friends, colleagues, and customers around the world.
"There is not a day that goes by that we don't think about him," said Cook, during the first-ever media event at Steve Jobs Theater back in 2017.
Steve showed us all, again and again, that a great idea really can change the world. Remembering him today and always. pic.twitter.com/LNPBYjOiLs
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 5, 2022
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.
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.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Verizon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
