MacRumors

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 13 update to its public beta testing group, two weeks after seeding the second public beta and day after seeding the fourth developer beta of tvOS.

Public beta testers can download the new update by going to the Settings app on the Apple TV and navigating to the Software Updates section under "System." "Get Public Beta Updates" will need to be toggled on, and once it is, the ‌Apple TV‌ will download the beta software.

Those who want to beta test the software can sign up to do so on Apple's beta testing website.

tvOS 13 includes a new Home screen that's aimed at making it easier to find new content, with support for autoplaying videos to show off new TV shows, movies, and apps, similar to Netflix.

Multi-user support is new in tvOS 13, letting each member of the family have their own customized ‌Apple TV‌ interface with separate recommendations, music playlists, and Watch Now lists. A new Control Center lets you swap between profiles.

tvOS 13 gets the ‌Apple TV‌ ready for Apple Arcade, Apple's new gaming service that's coming to the ‌Apple TV‌, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS later this year. ‌Apple Arcade‌ will offer unlimited access to more than 100 new and exclusive games, for one subscription fee.

‌Apple Arcade‌ preparations include support for the Xbox Wireless Bluetooth Controller and the PlayStation DualShock 4 Controller, both of which can be connected to an ‌Apple TV‌ over Bluetooth.

Apple is also adding new under-the-sea themed screensavers made in partnership with the BBC Natural History unit, also known for "Blue Planet," and the new software brings support for a picture-in-picture mode that lets you watch TV while doing other things on the ‌Apple TV‌.

For more on what's new in tvOS 13, make sure to check out our tvOS 13 roundup.

Apple today began selling an updated version of the Rotor Riot wired game controller for iPhone and iPad through its online store. The new model features a redesigned directional pad, a built-in Lightning port for pass-through charging of iOS devices, and an improved device holder with a "zero gravity" effect.

Rotor Riot is the only Apple-certified controller that has clickable L3 and R3 thumbsticks, and it uses a wired connection for zero latency. The device holder is removable, allowing the controller to be used on a standalone basis.

The controller is available for $49.95 from Apple.com as well as Amazon and Best Buy and requires a device running iOS 7 or later.

This is just one of many accessories that Apple has added to its online store over the past few days, alongside new iPhone-connected blood pressure monitors from Withings, the Smart Panda educational playset, new charging accessories from Mophie, Belkin, and Anker, the Netgear Orbi mesh Wi-Fi system, and more.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon and Best Buy.

Los Angeles FC fans can now order food and drinks ahead of time directly on their iPhones at the Banc of California Stadium.

The MLS team has partnered with artificial intelligence platform Satisfi Labs to launch an order-ahead system through Apple Business Chat, allowing customers to order and pay for food and drinks from concession stands using their iPhones and pick up their orders from express locations at their convenience.

To order ahead with Apple Business Chat, fans can use their iPhone camera to scan a QR code in the stadium. This will instantly open the Messages app, allowing fans to chat with Olly, a virtual assistant powered by Satisfi Labs.

Apple Business Chat launched in iOS 11.3 and is now available in over a dozen countries. The platform has been adopted by over 30 companies, such as The Home Depot, Hilton, Wells Fargo, DISH, Burberry, American Express, and T-Mobile.

Apple Business Chat enables users to ask for information, schedule appointments, make purchases, and complete other customer service tasks directly in the Messages app. Business Chats must be initiated on an ‌iPhone‌ or iPad, but they can be continued on an Apple Watch or Mac signed in to the same Apple ID.

An escalating trade war between Japan and South Korea could make Chinese manufacturer BOE Technology a "strong contender" for OLED display orders from Apple, according to industry sources who spoke with DigiTimes.

Samsung has been the undisputed leader in OLED display manufacturing, and as a result it has reportedly been the exclusive supplier of OLED displays for the iPhone X, ‌iPhone‌ XS, and ‌iPhone‌ XS Max, but the industry sources cited believe the Japanese-Korean trade row could upend its monopoly position.

Apple aims to diversify its supply chain as much as possible, often securing at least two suppliers for any given component, but Samsung's lead in OLED display manufacturing has left it with few alternatives so far.

LG, for example, reportedly temporarily halted one of its OLED display production lines due to manufacturing challenges earlier this year. LG already supplies OLED displays for the Apple Watch and is widely expected to become a secondary supplier of OLED displays for iPhones when capable to.

With at least one of BOE or LG joining the mix, Apple is poised to reduce its supply chain risk and improve its negotiating position.

Update: In related news, representatives from tech giants including Apple have traveled to South Korea to measure the impact of the trade war between Japan and South Korea, according to The Korea Herald. The tech giants are said to be "especially worried" about the possible impact on Samsung's DRAM production.

iPhone loyalty has hit its lowest level since 2011 and Samsung has been the main benefactor, claims a new survey conducted by trade-in service BankMyCell.

The survey, cited by CNET, tracked 38,000 people who had traded in iPhones since October 2018 and found that 73 percent upgraded to a later model. The finding suggests iPhone retention rate is down 15.2 percent when compared with data from March 2018.

The survey suggests that 26 percent of people trading in their ‌iPhone‌ X moved to another brand of smartphone, whereas just 7.7 percent of Samsung users switched to an ‌iPhone‌.

Using data from other companies to supplement its own findings, BankMyCell said ‌iPhone‌ loyalty is at its lowest since 2011, while the all-time high for ‌iPhone‌ retention was 92 percent in 2017, according to the survey.

That shouldn't distract from this survey's small sample size, which consists entirely of people who have used BankMyCell's own online gadget buyback and trade-in service. Claiming that its data reflects overall ‌iPhone‌ retention rates is therefore questionable.

BankMyCell's data also contrasts with a January 2019 CIRP survey which found that 91 percent of iOS users upgraded to another ‌iPhone‌. On releasing its report, CIRP additionally said that loyalty for both iOS and Android has steadily increased, reaching the highest levels last quarter that it has ever measured.

Sky: Children of the Light, by Journey developer thatgamecompany, is now available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Its release follows last year's launch of the beta version of the game, titled Sky: Light Awaits.

The title was first unveiled on stage in 2017 during Apple's headline ‌iPhone‌ X event. Originally it was billed as an Apple TV-only game that would support single-finger play using the Siri Remote, but the developers have since focused on getting the game out for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ users first.

According to the Sky website, the game's "coming soon" to Android, Mac, Apple TV, PC, and consoles. Sky was originally supposed to come out for iOS on July 11 but last-minute issues caused a weeklong delay.

Plex today announced a few updates for its Apple TV and iOS apps, adding notable new features that are worth highlighting.

The ‌Apple TV‌ app now supports HDR video playback, and Plex Pass subscribers can get early access to HDR through the Settings > Advanced section of the app.

According to Plex, HDR support provides sharper video output, better performance, and improved subtitle support.

On iOS devices, the Plex update allows users to log in with either Face ID or Touch ID as an alternative to requiring a passcode for a locked Plex library.

Plex has added new TIDAL features as well, allowing Plex iOS and web app users to listen to 30 second clips from the TIDAL library for the purpose of searching for and sampling songs even without a TIDAL account. Artist TV, a feature for subscribers, is now also available on the web, Smart VS, the PS4, and the Plex Media Player.

Plex for iOS and ‌Apple TV‌ can be downloaded from the App Store for free. A Plex Pass is priced at $5 per month and unlocks extra features including HDR. [Direct Link]

The newest version of Spotify for iOS, released yesterday, quietly added support for Apple's multitasking Slide Over and Split View feature on the iPad.

As noted on Reddit and highlighted by The Verge, you can now open and use the Spotify app alongside another app in Split View, or open it up in Slide Over to quickly access Spotify controls without having to close the current apps you have open.

Apple's Split View and Slide Over multitasking features were first introduced in 2015, so it's taken Spotify quite some time to implement support for the functionality.

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of watchOS 6, the software that runs on the Apple Watch. The new beta comes two weeks after the third beta and more than a month after Apple first unveiled the new watchOS update at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

To install the watchOS 6 beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.

Installing the software requires the Apple Watch to have 50 percent battery. It also must be placed on the charger and it must be in range of the ‌iPhone‌. It would be wise to install the beta on a secondary device instead of a primary device given that this is an early version of the watchOS 6 software that still has bugs to be worked out.

watchOS 6 is a major update that offers up a long list of new features. First and foremost, there's an App Store right on the Apple Watch, so you can find and download new Apple Watch apps on your wrist.

Apple Watch apps no longer need to have an ‌iPhone‌ component, which means developers can create standalone Apple Watch apps for the first time. Apps are able to take advantage of new APIs so you'll be able to do things like follow along with a workout or listen to streaming music from third-party services.

Since Apple Watch apps are now independent of apps on the ‌iPhone‌, you can now remove some built-in apps from the Apple Watch, a feature that was enabled in beta 3.

There are several new watch faces in watchOS 6, including Numerals Mono and Duo with huge numbers, Modular Compact, a Gradient watch face that shifts over the course of a day, a Solar Dial watch face that visualizes the sun in a 24 hour path around the dial, and the California watch face with a mix of standard numbers and roman numerals.

A new Taptic Chimes feature provides a silent touch on the wrist at every hour, and if sound is turned on, you'll hear an audible chime. You can also hold two fingers on the Apple Watch's display to hear the time spoken out loud.

There are new Audiobooks, Voice Memos, and Calculator apps, along with a new Noise app that warns you if you're exposed to sound that's too loud and a new Cycle Tracking app for period tracking. Activity Trends, visible on the ‌iPhone‌, are also available to chart your fitness progress and make sure your fitness trends are improving.

New complications are available for wind speed, chance of rain, and the new Noise app, plus there's a Voice Memos complication for recording a memo quickly, a cellular strength complication, and a complication for the Calculator that opens up the app.

Siri can now provide full web search results right on the watch when asked a question, and for Mac users, the Apple Watch can now approve Mac security prompts.

When it launches in the fall, watchOS 6 will be available on all Apple Watch models with the exception of the original Apple Watch, released in 2015. For more on what's new in watchOS 6, make sure to check out our watchOS 6 roundup.

Apple today seeded fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 13 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the third beta and more than a month after unveiling the tvOS 13 software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV, the new tvOS 13 developer beta can be downloaded onto the ‌Apple TV‌ via a profile that's installed using Xcode.

tvOS 13 introduces an updated Home screen aimed at making it easier to discover new content. Apps are now able to play full-screen video previews right on the Home screen, similar to Netflix.

Multi-user support is available for the first time, letting more than one profile exist on the ‌Apple TV‌ so each family member can have their own customized ‌Apple TV‌ interface with separate recommendations, music playlists, and Watch Now lists.

Switching between profiles can be done with the new Control Center, which offers up profiles, the time and date, search, a Now Playing widget, AirPlay controls, and a sleep option.

tvOS 13 gets the ‌Apple TV‌ ready for Apple Arcade, Apple's new gaming service that's coming to the ‌Apple TV‌, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS later this year. ‌Apple Arcade‌ will offer unlimited access to more than 100 new and exclusive games, for one subscription fee.

As part of the ‌Apple Arcade‌ preparations, Apple has implemented support for the Xbox Wireless Bluetooth Controller and the PlayStation DualShock 4 Controller, both of which can be connected to an ‌Apple TV‌ over Bluetooth.

There are new under the sea themed screensavers created in partnership with the BBC Natural History Unit, which also created "Blue Planet." There's also a new Picture-in-Picture feature. Picture-in-Picture lets you continue to watch TV shows or movies while using a different app, adjusting settings, or otherwise navigating through the tvOS 13 operating system.

tvOS 13 is available to registered developers and public beta testers at this time and will see an official public launch this fall alongside iOS 13, iPadOS, macOS Catalina, and watchOS 6.

Belkin today announced the launch of three new wireless chargers in its BOOST lineup, all of which will be available from Apple's online store and select Apple retail locations.

All of the new chargers are similar to existing BOOST chargers that Belkin offers, but at more affordable price points.

The BOOST↑CHARGE Wireless Charging Pad is, as the name suggests, a simple, flat wireless charging pad that offers a non-slip grip and an LED indicator to let you know when your phone is charging optimally. The Wireless Charging Pad is priced at $29.95.

The BOOST↑CHARGE Wireless Charging Stand is an upright Qi-based wireless charging stand that works in either portrait or landscape mode and is ideal if you need to view your iPhone while it charges. The Wireless Charging Stand is priced at $49.95.

Belkin's third new product, the BOOST↑CHARGE Wireless Charging Vent Mount, fits into the vent of a car and has padded arms to grip the ‌iPhone‌ and hold it in place while also maintaining a constant wireless charge. The Vent Mount is priced at $59.95.

All three of the new products will be available through Apple's online store and at select Apple retail stores starting today.