MacRumors

Apple today seeded the golden master version of watchOS 6, the software that runs on the Apple Watch. The new update comes two weeks after the ninth beta and over three months 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. The golden master version of watchOS 6 represents the final version of the software that will be released to the public.

Installing the software requires the Apple Watch to have 50 percent battery. It also needs to be put on a charger and it has to be in range of the ‌iPhone‌.

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 on September 19, watchOS 6 will be available on the Series 3 and Series 4 Apple Watch models. It will come out for Series 1 and Series 2 models later this year. For more on what's new in watchOS 6, make sure to check out our watchOS 6 roundup.

Following the launch of the new iPhone 11, ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, accessory maker mophie has announced the upcoming launch of a series of battery cases for the new devices.

Apple unveiled several cases designed for its new iPhones yesterday, but did not provide an updated battery case that will accommodate the new square-shaped camera bump at the rear of the devices.

The Juice Pack Access Cases provide additional battery life to the new iPhones and can be charged using Qi-based wireless charging or a USB-C port. The Lightning port on the ‌iPhone‌ is left accessible for use with headphones and other Lightning-based accessories.

A Priority+ charging feature allows the ‌iPhone‌ to be recharged before the Juice Pack Access when charged wirelessly or over USB-C, and the cases are designed with rubberized support pads and raised corners for protective purposes. There's also an on/off button for the battery cases and an LED status indicator for displaying charge level.

The Juice Pack Access Cases for ‌iPhone‌ 11 and ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro include 2,000 mAh batteries, while the Juice Pack Access Case for the ‌iPhone 11 Pro Max‌ includes a 2,200 mAh battery.

Apple's newest iPhones offer more battery life than ever, which may be why Apple didn't introduce its own battery case. The ‌iPhone‌ 11 features an hour more battery life than the XR, the ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro offers four hours longer battery life than the XS, and the ‌iPhone 11 Pro Max‌ provides an impressive five hours longer battery life than the ‌iPhone‌ XS Max.

Mophie says that the new Juice Pack Access battery cases for Apple's 2019 ‌iPhone‌ lineup will be available starting in October from Mophie.com. The cases will be priced at $99.95 and will be available in colors that include black, blush pink, and (PRODUCT)RED.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Mophie. 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 5 models with titanium and ceramic casings include an extra, color-matching Sport Band in the box.

White ceramic models come with a soft white Sport Band with a ceramic pin, titanium models come with a light gray Sport Band, and space black titanium models come with a dark gray Sport Band. This is in addition to whichever band a customer chooses for the Apple Watch during the purchase process.

An extra Sport Band is also included with Hermès models, but this is par for course.

Apple Watch Series 5 models with aluminum and stainless steel casings do not include an extra Sport Band. If you do not select one during the purchase process, the Sport Bands are sold separately for $49 each.

Apple Watch Series 5 pre-orders are available now in fully customizable fashion, with deliveries to customers and in-store availability beginning Friday, September 20. Notable features include an always-on display, a new Compass app, and 32GB of on-device storage, compared to 16GB for Series 4 models.

Alongside the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 5 yesterday, Apple has now updated the price on some of its high-end leather and metallic bands.

Specifically, the original $149 price tag of Leather Loop and Milanese Loop Apple Watch bands has now dropped to $99. This means that they're only $50 more expensive than Apple's cheapest Sport Bands and Sport Loops, which cost $49.

Leather Loop is now available in Meyer Lemon, Black, and Saddle Brown; it only fits 44mm Apple Watch cases. Milanese Loop is available in Silver, Gold, and Space Black; it can fit both 40mm and 44mm cases.

Apple has not dropped the price of the Modern Buckle any further, although at $149 it is still $100 cheaper than it initially was at launch. Hermès bands are as much as $539, and the Silver Link Bracelet is $349, while the Space Black Link Bracelet is $449.

More information about the new Apple Watch Series 5 can be found in our full launch post on the new wearable.

Portrait Mode on the new iPhone 11 works with not only human faces, but also objects and pets, according to Apple.

Take portraits to new places. With new kinds of portraits and more lighting controls, the dual cameras in iPhone 11 work together to create stunning images. And Portrait mode now works with everything you love to shoot — that includes your best friends, two‑legged or four.

While this was already possible on the ‌iPhone‌ X, ‌iPhone‌ XS, and ‌iPhone‌ XS Max, Portrait Mode on the ‌iPhone‌ XR was only able to detect human faces in Apple's stock Camera app. (A few third-party apps like Halide did manage to enable Portrait Mode for objects and pets on the ‌iPhone‌ XR.)

There are also six Portrait Lighting effects available on the ‌iPhone‌ 11, including Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, and High‑Key Mono. This is up from three on the ‌iPhone‌ XR: Natural, Studio, and Contour.

Portrait Mode automatically creates a depth-of-field effect known as bokeh, allowing ‌iPhone‌ users to shoot a photo that keeps the subject sharp with a blurred background, while Portrait Lighting applies studio-quality lighting effects like black-and-white stage lighting to the Portrait Mode photos.

To use Portrait Mode, open the Camera app and swipe to Portrait mode. Portrait Lighting effects will appear at the bottom of the viewfinder.

‌iPhone‌ 11 is the direct successor to the ‌iPhone‌ XR, with features including a dual-lens rear camera system with Ultra Wide and Night modes, faster A13 Bionic chip, improved water resistance, six new colors, up to one hour longer battery life, Dolby Atmos sound, 802.11ax Wi‑Fi, Gigabit-class LTE, and more.

Last year, Apple added monthly payment options to some of its AppleCare+ protection plans on select devices, and now the company has decided to make them even more flexible: On Tuesday, it began offering rolling monthly subscription plans that automatically renew until canceled by the customer.

The key change in the company's new AppleCare+ legal document was spotted in the following passage, which sets out the terms of Apple's monthly plans.

For Monthly Plans, your Plan Term is one (1) month. Your Plan will automatically renew each month unless cancelled as set forth in the "Cancellation" Section 9 below, including in the event that Apple is no longer able to service your Covered Equipment due to the unavailability of service parts, in which case Apple will provide you with thirty (30) days' prior written notice of cancellation, or as otherwise required by law.

When purchasing an Apple Watch Series 5, ‌iPhone‌, or ‌iPad‌ via Apple's online store, the change is explicit. Customers who choose ‌AppleCare‌+ are now asked if they want to "Pay monthly until canceled," as opposed to paying for two years of coverage outright.

However, the subscription-style monthly plans aren't universally available on the Apple Store. For Macs, Apple TV, HomePod, and other ‌AppleCare‌+ eligible products, Apple is still only offering upfront fixed term payment plans.

It's also worth noting that the monthly ‌AppleCare‌+ plans do cost more than paying an upfront price. For example, an ‌AppleCare‌+ plan for Apple Watch Series 5 totals $95.76 when paid monthly for two years, whereas paying for 24 months of coverage upfront costs $79.

Still, it does mean customers who want coverage beyond the two (or in some cases three) years now have the ability to subscribe and the flexibility to cancel whenever they choose.

Apple has yet to open orders for the new ‌iPhone‌ 11 and ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, so the ‌AppleCare‌+ options don't show yet, but we do know that upfront pricing is going to be $149 and $199, respectively, for those models, and we can be fairly sure that the new monthly rolling plans will be extended to them, too.

Update: Apple has options to renew ‌AppleCare‌+ for the iPhone SE, 6s, and 6s Plus, even though these are iPhones that Apple no longer sells, though they're not eligible for theft and loss coverage at renewal.

‌AppleCare‌ renewal options are not available for older iPhones, including the ‌iPhone‌ 4, 4s, 5, 5c, 6 and 6 Plus, but all iPads are eligible for ‌AppleCare‌+ renewal.

Apple Watch Series 3, 4, and 5 models are eligible, but Apple Watch Series 0, 1, and 2 are not. More information on renewal options is available through Apple's support document on the subject.

Following the launch of the iPhone 11, ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, Apple has discontinued the ‌iPhone‌ 7 and 7 Plus.

Remaining ‌iPhone‌ 7 and 7 Plus stock has been listed on Apple's clearance site, where the models will be available at a discounted price until leftover supplies are exhausted.

The ‌iPhone‌ 7 and 7 Plus are available for all carriers and in unlocked versions in both 32 and 128GB capacities. The ‌iPhone‌ 7 starts at $399 for 32GB of storage, while the ‌iPhone‌ 7 Plus starts at $499 for 128GB of storage.

At this time, jet black is the only available color, but Apple may add additional models to the site in the future.

At a starting price of $399, the ‌iPhone‌ 7 is not much more affordable than the ‌iPhone‌ 8, which Apple is continuing to sell at a lower price. The ‌iPhone‌ 8 is priced at $449 for 64GB of storage, while ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus pricing starts at $549.

Apple's iPhone lineup now includes the ‌iPhone‌ 11, ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, ‌iPhone 11 Pro Max‌, ‌iPhone‌ XR, ‌iPhone‌ 8, and ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus.

The new Apple Watch Series 5 models, which Apple unveiled today, feature 32GB of internal storage for music, photos, apps, and other content, according to Apple's specifications for the new device.

At 32GB of storage for both GPS and Cellular models, the Apple Watch Series 5 offers double the storage of the previous Series 4 models. Apple may have increased the storage in the new device due to the Apple Watch App Store that's available in watchOS 6, set to be released on September 19.

Along with additional storage, the Apple Watch Series 5 offers an always-on Retina display for the first time, which allows the watch face to be activated permanently. There's also an international emergency calling feature that contacts emergency services when you activate SOS regardless of which country you're in.

It also includes a built-in compass feature and Compass app for keeping track of your orientation, along with an S5 processor. The Series 5 comes in aluminum, stainless steel, and in new titanium and ceramic finishes.

Apple is accepting pre-orders for the Apple Watch Series 5 models as of September 10. Pricing starts at $399 for the aluminum GPS models and $499 for the aluminum cellular models, and goes up based on finish and band choice.

For the first time since the Apple Watch launched, Apple is allowing customers to choose any available band to go with the case of their choice using the new Apple Watch Studio.

Alongside new iPhones, Apple Watch models, and an updated iPad, Apple today released a new $29 AppleCare+ plan that's designed specifically for headphones like AirPods and Beats devices.

AppleCare+ extends the warranty of AirPods, Beats earphones, and Beats headphones to two years from the date of purchase (up from one year) and includes two incidents of accidental damage coverage for a $29 service fee.

The ‌AppleCare‌+ plan for headphones can be bought when purchasing new AirPods or Beats or within 60 days of the purchase. Buying AppleCare+ after the initial purchase will require a visit to an Apple Store or by calling a specific support number and running a remote diagnostic.

‌AppleCare‌+ is available for the following devices:

• AirPods
• Beats EP
• Beats Pro
• Beats Solo3 Wireless
• Beats Studio3 Wireless
• BeatsX
• Powerbeats Pro
• Powerbeats3 Wireless

The plan covers the headphones, the battery, and the included USB charging cable along with the aforementioned two incidents of accidental damage. Software support is also included, and Apple's support staff will be able to answer any questions that Beats and AirPods owners have.

As noted in today's press releases for the iPhone 11, ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, Apple is offering pre-approval for the ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program ahead of when pre-orders kick off on Friday.

Existing and new ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program members can use the Apple Store app on the ‌iPhone‌ to undergo the pre-approval process to get pre-approved until 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday, September 12.

Pre-approval allows ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program members to purchase their new iPhones right away when pre-orders become available.

Customers who are part of the ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program (or want to be) can select their preferred ‌iPhone‌, confirm their carrier, and get approved for a loan ahead of time, completing the purchase when pre-orders kick off.

Apple has started sending out emails to existing ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program members letting them know about the availability of pre-orders.

Apple also has an option when purchasing to use the Apple Card for financing to get three percent cash back on payments. Customers who plan to use an ‌Apple Card‌ won't get special financing options, but can also take advantage of the pre-order process.

The ‌iPhone‌ Payments financing option does not include AppleCare+, while the ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program does. Three percent cash back is available for ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program members who opt to use ‌Apple Card‌ for payments too.