If you just got a new iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro, you might be looking for accessories like cases or chargers. MacRumors videographer Dan highlighted some of his favorite iPhone cases, screen protectors, and chargers this week, so check out the video below for some product suggestions.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

Cases and Screen Protectors

• Nomad Modern Leather Folio ($70) - Apple doesn't make leather cases anymore, so if you're looking for a replacement, Nomad offers good alternatives. The Folio case folds in half, offering protection for...

Apple today released new public betas of tvOS 18.1 and HomePod Software 18.1, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of when it is released later in October. The third betas come a week after the second betas.

Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's public beta program can download tvOS 18.1 by opting in to beta updates through the Settings app on the Apple TV. ‌HomePod‌ software can be downloaded through the Home app on the iPhone. Tap on the three dots in the upper right corner of the app, choose Home Settings, and then select Software Update.

tvOS software releases are usually minor in scale compared to other operating system updates, focusing primarily on smaller improvements rather...

Apple has announced that transcriptions in the Apple Podcasts app will be available in eight additional languages starting today, according to Dutch website iCulture.nl. The transcripts were previously only available for podcasts spoken in English, French, German, and Spanish since the feature launched as part of iOS 17.4.

Transcriptions in the additional languages will be rolled out on a gradual basis for all iPhones and iPads running iOS 17.4 or iPadOS 17.4 and later.

The newly-supported languages, per the report:

• Brazilian Portuguese
• Danish
• Dutch
• Finnish
• Italian
• Norwegian
• Portuguese
• Swedish

Check out our guide that explains...

Best Buy might offer an unspecified iPad mini model on clearance "soon," according to a product listing that was spotted on the retailer's website.

The placeholder listing is for an Apple product with a "MINI WIFI" model name, and it is in the "tablets" section on Best Buy's online store. Altogether, this strongly suggests that the listing will be for an iPad mini. The device will apparently be available for a clearance price of $359.99 in the U.S., down from a regular price of $599. However, the iPad mini currently starts at $499, so the listing appears to have a pricing error.

If the listing ends up being for the iPad mini 6, it could hint at the iPad mini 7 coming soon. Or, this could be a nothingburger. We'll see!

Last month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said a new...

Following the release of iOS 18 for the iPhone last month, Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.0.1 with bug fixes in the near future.

We previously reported that Apple has been internally testing iOS 18.0.1, and today a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing iOS-related information said the update will have a build number of 22A3370.

We expect iOS 18.0.1 to be a minor update that hopefully addresses the following issues:

• Touchscreen issues affecting the iPhone 16 series and some older models
• iPadOS 18 bricking some iPad Pro units with the M4 chip
• An iMessage bug...

Each year, the developers behind well-known iPhone camera app Halide take an in-depth look at the new camera technology that Apple has introduced. This year, Sebastiaan de With took more than 1,000 photos with the iPhone 16 Pro to examine changes to the camera setup, Apple's image processing, and more.

Apple added an upgraded 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera to the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models this year. De With found it to take photos that have "impressive sharpness," but Apple did not add a larger sensor, so you're still not going to get the level of detail that you get with the Wide camera, which has a much bigger sensor.

For macro photos, the 48-megapixel lens "does wonders" for up-close shots. In prior iPhones, the Ultra Wide was cropping in from a 12-megapixel photo, which...

Apple today released a new beta firmware update for the AirPods Pro 2, with the software available for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the ‌AirPods Pro‌. The firmware has a build number of 7B5013c, and as it is a beta, it is only available for developers at the current time.

It is not clear what's included in the firmware update at this time, but Apple is planning to introduce hearing aid and hearing test functionality for the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 sometime this year.

While the current firmware is limited to developers right now, it will be released for all ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 users in the future. Related Roundup: AirPods ProBuyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)Related Forum: AirPods
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Microsoft is planning to discontinue its mixed reality HoloLens 2 headsets, according to a report from UploadVR. Production on the HoloLens 2 is ending, and sales will cease when stock runs out.

Security updates will be provided until December 31, 2027, but after that point, Microsoft plans to end software support for the HoloLens 2.

Microsoft was one of the first companies to delve into mixed reality technology, and it introduced the original HoloLens in 2016, following up with the HoloLens 2 in 2019. The HoloLens headsets have always been expensive and Microsoft has targeted them to enterprise customers rather than the general public.

At the current time, Microsoft does not appear to have plans for another HoloLens headset. There were rumors of a version three back in 2022, but work was...

Home Depot today launched new Smart Glass Door options that are able to transform from clear glass to opaque glass with a smartphone app, providing versatility for customers who want to be able to block light or people from seeing inside a home at select times of the day.

The Smart Glass Doors are made by Feather River Doors and are powered through Hubspace, a smart home app that integrates with several products sold by Home Depot, including light bulbs, ceiling fans, blinds, outlets, and locks.

The Smart Glass Doors can be controlled with an app that's available on the iPhone, but there is no HomeKit integration or support for Siri, which is a major downside for people who have a ‌HomeKit‌ setup. There is, however,...

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 11.1 update to developers for testing purposes. The third beta comes a week after Apple released the second watchOS 11.1 beta.

To install the ‌‌watchOS 11‌.1 update, developers need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the ‌‌watchOS 11‌‌ Developer Beta. An Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, ‌‌watchOS 11‌‌.1 can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

It's not yet clear what new features are included in the watchOS 11.1 update at this time, as the...

Popular camera app Halide was today updated with new features for the Camera Control button available on the new iPhone 16 models. Halide already supported opening the app with Camera Control, but now users can also make adjustments.

Using the Camera Control's touch and swipe-based gesture support, Halide users can adjust focus and exposure, and lock their settings in place. The dedicated "Locked" adjustment makes sure that no settings can be disturbed from accidental swipes on the Camera Control button, and it is designed for people who do not want to use manual adjustments.

The Exposure setting allows users to set an exposure bias that exceeds what's possible with Apple's Camera app (-/+ 6 EV vs. 2), and Focus allows for manual focusing on a subject or scene using the Camera Control button. Halide says that Focus provides a smooth manual focus experience with the...

We're just one week out from Amazon Prime Day, and today we're already tracking a big collection of deals from popular brands including Anker and Jackery on Amazon. These deals include portable power stations, which are high-capacity portable batteries that can provide backup power to a wide variety of devices, from laptops to RVs.

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.

For the Anker deals, you'll need to have a Prime membership in order to see some of these discounted prices, while others require an on-page coupon to be clipped before you see the final deal price. In regards to the...

When you shoot video on iPhone 16 models, multiple formats like Spatial Audio and Stereo are recorded to allow more audio customization. If you record video with Spatial Audio turned on, you can later edit the video sound — to reduce background noise to focus on the person speaking on camera, for example.

Spatial Audio is automatically enabled on all iPhone 16 models when you record video. Spatial Audio produces a more realistic and immersive audio recording, but it also allows you to edit the sound of your video later in the Photos app using the new Audio Mix feature.

Audio Mix uses machine learning to identify and separate background audio and speech, allowing you to choose one of the following options to remix your video's sound:

• Standard: Play the original audio you recorded.
• In-Frame: Reduce sounds and voices from sources not visible in the video frame.
• Studio...

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.

‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 204 includes fixes and updates for Accessibility, CSS, Forms, JavaScript, Service Workers, Web API, Web Driver, Web Extensions, and Web Inspector.

The current ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release is compatible with machines running macOS Sonoma and macOS Sequoia, the newest version of the Mac operating system.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software...

Verizon is currently experiencing a major outage that is affecting many customers across the U.S., including iPhone users. Affected users may be unable to send or receive phone calls, send or receive text messages, or use cellular data.

As a result of the network being down, many affected iPhone users are seeing "SOS" displayed in their device's status bar. In a support document, Apple says that an iPhone displays "SOS" when the device is not connected to a network, but it should still be possible to make emergency calls in the U.S., Australia, and Canada.

In a statement, Verizon said it is "aware of an issue impacting service for some customers" and working to identify and implement a fix.

With any iPhone 14 model or newer, you can use Apple's helpful...

Today we're tracking big discounts across the entire M4 iPad Pro lineup on Amazon, with up to $200 in savings available during this sale. We're focusing on the Wi-Fi models of the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro in this article, but you can also find numerous cellular tablets on sale at this time.

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.

Sale prices start at $929.00 for the 256GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M4 iPad Pro, down from $999.00, which is a solid second-best price on the tablet. Overall, you'll find every Wi-Fi model of...

In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple will be making a donation of an undisclosed amount to Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

"We're thinking of all those facing the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Helene," said Cook. "Apple will be making a donation to help with relief efforts on the ground."

Hurricane Helene made landfall at Florida's Big Bend on late Thursday, before carrying on through several southeastern U.S. states such as Georgia and North Carolina, resulting in catastrophic damage and reportedly more than 100 deaths.

Apple has donated to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief efforts in the past.Tag: Tim Cook
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The slow death of the Beddit sleep monitoring accessory continues.

Apple last week removed the iPhone apps for Beddit models 3.0 and 3.5 from the App Store, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.

Apple acquired Beddit in 2017, and it has gradually reduced hardware and software capabilities and support for the accessory since. Apple removed cloud syncing from the original Beddit app in 2018, released an updated version of the accessory with fewer features in 2019, and stopped selling the accessory entirely in 2022.

Beddit's thin, flexible sensor strip could be placed on a mattress for sleep tracking purposes. It is likely that Apple acquired Beddit to bolster development of sleep tracking on the Apple Watch, which...

Apple will likely hold another event in October this year to announce new Macs and iPads. If so, it would be the fourth time in the last five years that Apple has held an event in October. Last year, Apple held a virtual event on Monday, October 30 to announce new MacBook Pro and iMac models with the M3 series of chips.

A concept of a smaller Mac mini

Below, we recap rumors about a potential Apple event in October, along with new products that are expected to be announced.

Apple Event in October

In his Power On newsletter earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple will hold an October...

This week's best Apple deals include the first discounts ever on AirPods 4 and Apple Watch Series 10, plus ongoing steep markdowns on the M3 MacBook Pro. We're also still tracking a deal at Woot that has the best prices we've seen yet on iPhone 16 Silicone and Clear Cases.

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

AirPods 4

• What's the deal? Take $10 off AirPods 4
• Where can I get it? Amazon
  
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

$10 OFFAirPods 4 without ANC for $119.00

...

Health Canada this week published approval of watchOS 11's sleep apnea detection feature on the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The feature launched in the U.S. and over 150 other countries and regions earlier this month, and Apple is now permitted to make the feature available in Canada.

It is unclear when Apple will expand the feature to Canada.

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious disorder in which a person's breathing repeatedly stops and starts while they sleep. The detection feature uses the Apple Watch's accelerometer to "monitor small movements at the wrist that are associated with interruptions in normal respiratory patterns." If these disturbances occur frequently over multiple nights, they may be associated with sleep apnea, according to...

In June, Apple launched its annual Back to School promotion for college students in the U.S. and select other countries. Students can get a free Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad from Apple, along with 20% off AppleCare+ plans.

In the U.S. and Canada, the promotion ends on September 30, so time is running out to take advantage of the offer if you are a student. There is still more time in the U.K. and select other European countries, where the promotion ends October 21.

In the U.S., Apple is offering the following:

• A free $150 Apple gift card with any new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac
• A free $100 Apple gift card with any new iPad Pro with an M4 chip, iPad Air with an M2 chip, or Mac mini

The gift...

Apple today added the lower-cost Apple Pencil with a USB-C port to its online refurbished store for the first time in three more countries: Australia, Japan, and Singapore. Availability first began in the U.S., Canada, and some European countries in July.

The refurbished model is discounted by around 15% in each country. For example, pricing is set at $119 in Australia, down from $139 brand new.

Originally released in November 2023, the lower-cost Apple Pencil has a similar design as the Apple Pencil 2 and Apple Pencil Pro, but with a USB-C port hidden under a sliding cap for charging and pairing with a USB-C cable. It attaches magnetically to any iPad with a USB-C port, but it does not support wireless charging or...

Apple has finally brought T9 dialing support to the iPhone with iOS 18, a feature long available on Android devices. This addition to the Phone app allows users to quickly find and call contacts using the number pad, which can streamline the process of making calls if you've used the feature before.

T9 dialing, or Text on 9 keys, is a predictive text technology that emerged in the late 90s to make it easier to type text messages on devices with limited input options, such as traditional mobile phones with numeric keypads. Each number key (2-9) on a T9 keypad is mapped to a set of letters. For example, the key "2" corresponds to "ABC," "3" to "DEF," and so on.

The best match appears first above the keypad, and tapping the person's name will call them. If there are several possible matches in your contacts, they can be revealed as a list by tapping "X more..." below the first match. Taken together, the new options should enable faster calling.

Here's how to use...

Apple is working on an update for the low-cost iPad, which hasn't been refreshed since 2022. As an entry-level product, the ‌iPad‌ doesn't get a lot of attention and it's not often the focus of rumors, but we've heard a little bit about what might be coming to the ‌iPad‌ 11.

Design

Apple overhauled the look of the ‌iPad‌ in 2022, introducing a 10.9-inch all-display design and a Touch ID power button, so we're not expecting any further design changes at this point in time.

Apple will likely stick with the 10.9-inch display and ‌iPad‌ Air-like design, but we could get new colors. Current colors include silver, yellow, pink, and blue. The ‌iPad‌ already has a USB-C port, which will stick around, and it will continue to support the USB-C Apple Pencil.

A-Series Chip

The...

Apple today released a new firmware update for the AirPods Pro 2, with the software available for both the USB-C and Lightning models. The ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 firmware has a build number of 7A305, up from the 7A302 firmware released earlier in September.

There is no word yet on what's included in the firmware, but Apple is planning to add hearing aid and hearing test features to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 in the not too distant future.

The firmware update could potentially lay the groundwork for those capabilities ahead of when the full feature set comes out in an iOS 18 update. Apple has already received FDA approval for the hearing aid functionality for the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2.

Apple doesn't have a way to manually upgrade AirPods software, but firmware is generally...

Apple released tvOS 18 on Monday following over three months of beta testing, but not all of the new features for the Apple TV are available right away.

In a press release, Apple said the following tvOS 18 features are coming later this year:

• 21:9 projector support
• Robot vacuum cleaner support in the Home app
• Some new Apple Originals screen savers, including one for Snoopy

These features should be added in tvOS 18.1 or tvOS 18.2.

What's in tvOS 18 now? Similar to Amazon's X-Ray feature for Prime Video, Apple has introduced an InSight feature that displays timely information about actors, characters, and music on the screen during Apple TV+ shows and movies. Subtitles now automatically appear when users mute a show or movie, when they skip back...

The first iPhone 16 Pro unboxing video has been shared on Weibo (via Majin Bu), revealing Apple's new packaging design for its latest flagship smartphone.

With Apple keen to promote its environmental sustainability credentials, there hasn't been much to the unboxing experience with recent iPhone models, and that looks to be the case even more so this year. Assuming the packaging isn't region specific, Apple appears to have done away with the little booklet containing SIM card and other basic instructions.

Also, like the iPad Pro and iPad Air models that were unveiled earlier this year, there are no Apple stickers included in the box. All you get is the iPhone 16 and a braided USB-C cable. It's not too surprising – Apple previously announced that it aimed to achieve plastic-free packaging by 2025.

iPhone 16...

Apple has introduced expanded charging limit options for iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models in iOS 18, offering users more control over their device's battery health. This feature, which previously capped charging at 80%, now includes new 85%, 90%, and 95% options.

The system Apple has applied aims to improve battery longevity by reducing the time your iPhone spends fully charged. Apple says the feature can be particularly beneficial for users who frequently keep their devices plugged in for extended periods.

Here's how to use these new settings to potentially extend your ‌iPhone‌'s battery lifespan.

1. Open the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌.
...

iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 add several new features for third-party apps, such as the option to create Control Center shortcuts that can be used in the Control Center, added to the Lock Screen, or activated with the Action Button. We've rounded up a list of third-party apps that have added support for ‌iOS 18‌ features.

Halide

Popular camera app Halide can be accessed and launched from the Lock Screen, just like Apple's Camera app. You can even take images using Halide while the iPhone is locked.

Halide can be added to Control Center, and it supports Dark Mode and Tinted icons.

CARROT Weather

...

The long-awaited iOS 18 update is now available for everyone to download, and there are hundreds of new features and changes for you to learn about. Some of the additions require a little bit of setup to get up and running, so we've created this guide that walks you through the features you should check out first after updating to ‌iOS 18‌.

Set Up Your Home Screen

The Home Screen has several design changes that allow for more customization and personalization. You can put icons where you want, change their size and change their colors.

Get started by moving your icons and adding spaces around wallpapers if you like. You can have spaces around icons and widgets, creating unique looks. There's still a grid system so an icon can't go just anywhere, but it can go anywhere on the grid, with empty spaces permitted.

After you've...

In June, Apple discontinued its year-old buy-now, pay-later service called Apple Pay Later, which let qualifying customers split a purchase made with Apple Pay into four equal payments over six weeks, with no interest or fees. Instead, Apple said customers in the U.S. would be able to apply for loans from buy-now, pay-later company Affirm when they check out with Apple Pay, starting with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.

Alongside the release of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 today, Affirm has officially announced its financing partnership with Apple and shared more details. Starting today, qualifying Apple Pay users in...

Apple today released iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, the new operating system updates for the iPhone and iPad. As with all of Apple's software updates, ‌iOS 18‌ and ‌iPadOS 18‌ are available for free.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

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

If you have iOS 17, you can download ‌iOS 18‌. It is available on the ‌iPhone‌ XR, ‌iPhone‌ XS,...

Apple today released watchOS 11, the latest version of the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. ‌watchOS 11‌ is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2.

‌watchOS 11‌ can be downloaded for free on an iPhone running iOS 18 by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery and it needs to be placed on a charger.

‌watchOS 11‌ overhauls the Smart Stack that you can get to by turning the Digital Crown. There are new widgets like Shazam and Photos, plus the Apple Watch now supports interactive widgets...