MacRumors

Apple today released new 13.2 software for the HomePod with long-awaited features like Handoff and voice detection for different family members, but unfortunately, some users are running into problems with the update.

According to multiple people on the MacRumors forums and Reddit, the 13.2 update "bricked" their HomePods, rendering them unusable. Users who are seeing problems are experiencing a "white swirl" on both of their HomePods, or an endless reset loop. From the MacRumors forums:

I have two HomePods with the same issue you describe after the update 13.2. HomePods both stopped responding after the update. I reset both HomePods hoping to fix the problem, but now I have a white swirl on top of both, and the install pop-up does not work on either HomePods, and I can no longer reset both HomePods because the long press on top no longer functions. Just an endless white swirl. I will wait a while to see if others have similar issues before contacting Apple support.

Some people had issues immediately after installing the new software, while others have had problems after resetting their devices following the update. Some users have also reported that the problem happened installing the 13.2 software before updating to iOS 13.2. From Reddit:

Updated HomePod remotely through HomePod before updating phone, once back at home updated phone to 13.2. Now the phone update was complete I never saw the new features splash screen so started looking through menus to see if new features were showing, although maybe nothing had change in menu anyway on 13.2, either way I removed the HomePod from the home app to begin a hard reset. On powering back up to begin red ring reset, HomePod appeared to be constantly reboot every 8-10secs not allowing enough time for the red ring to reset.

We thought that the perceived ‌HomePod‌ issues may have been linked to an Apple Music outage lasting for a few hours today right after the 13.2 software came out, but that may not be the case.

Some people with affected HomePods have already contacted Apple Support and have been able to arrange replacement devices. From Reddit:

My update worked but the voice recognition wasn’t working so I removed it from Apple home. Then I tried to factory reset it and boom. Hit a brick wall. Quite literally. Home pod is now bricked. Been into support earlier this evening and they are sending me a box to send it in for repair.

Given the multitude of reports about malfunctioning HomePods, those that have not updated to the new software should avoid doing so. If you have updated, you should avoid resetting your ‌HomePod‌ at the current time or removing it from the Home app.

Update: It appears that Apple has pulled the 13.2 update, and in a support document, is recommending that those who have already upgraded to 13.2 avoid resetting their ‌HomePod‌ or removing it from the Home app. Those who have reset their HomePods will need to contact Apple support for help.

Earlier today, the public release of iOS 13.2 revealed information suggesting Apple may be planning to call its rumored Tile-like item tracking accessory "AirTags."

Looking into the status of any trademark activity surrounding the term, we've come across some curious recent developments that could be signs of Apple acquiring the trademark rights, although we've yet to find a smoking gun concretely linking Apple to the activity.

Citing an international application made in June 2016, a Russian entity known as "Intelligent Systems of Business Control" Ltd in October 2018 filed a trademark application on the AirTag name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The description of the goods and services to be covered by the trademark bear a remarkable similarity to Apple's rumored AirTags:

Systems of radio frequency identification comprised of RFID tags, RFID tag readers, and downloadable software for operating RFID readers; radio frequency identification (RFID) labels; RFID tags in form of cards, tags or key rings; RFID markers in the form of RFID signal receivers; RFID tag bracelets; RFID tag disks; RFID tag stickers; RFID tag stamps; RFID printed circuits; RFID tag boles; RFID ear tags; RFID tags in plastic or glass flasks; RFID tags in the form of keys; flexible cases especially adapted for RFID tags with a graphic image; RFID readers; blank smart cards with integrated circuit cards; computer software, recorded, for maintaining a record of issuance and control of RFID tags; all of the above designed to allow users to automatically identify them to obtain keyless access control for interlocking doors, access to various services, such as public transportation, banking, social events and various loyalty programs and not designed to work with data loggers

After an initial denial and some back-and-forth between the applicant's attorney and trademark examiners, the application was approved in August 2019 to be published for opposition, which gives third parties 30 days to object to the proposed trademark.

On August 28, the same day the USPTO officially served notice that the trademark application would be published for opposition on September 17, the attorney on the application was changed to the Moscow office of Baker & McKenzie, a major law firm that Apple has worked with on a number of occasions in several countries.

A month later, on October 1, ownership of the trademark application was officially transferred to GPS Avion LLC, a company that was only just created in July 2019 and appears to have no public presence. GPS Avion was created in Delaware through the Corporation Trust Company, which is a process Apple has used quite a few times to create shell companies in order to hide its identity when dealing with intellectual property issues.

While we've seen increasing signs of Apple's work on AirTags in recent months, we still don't know when they will debut. An October event would have been a good opportunity to introduce, perhaps as an iOS 13.2 feature, but with that software having been released today and Apple apparently not planning a media event until early next year, it doesn't necessarily look like an AirTags launch is imminent.

Apple is working on new Smart Battery Cases designed for the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro according to assets found by MacRumors in the latest version of iOS 13.

There are three different model numbers for the battery cases, and each battery case image found by MacRumors has a slightly different look, indicating Apple will release separate Smart Battery Cases for ‌iPhone‌ 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.

Design wise, the battery cases are similar to the cases created for the ‌iPhone‌ XS, XS Max, and XR, but with a larger square-shaped camera cutout to accommodate the new dual and triple-lens camera design.

There's no word on when Apple plans to release new battery cases for its latest iPhones, but last year, Apple launched battery cases designed for the ‌iPhone‌ XS, ‌iPhone‌ XS Max, and ‌iPhone‌ XR January following the September/October debut of the devices.

The appearance of battery case images in the iOS 13.2 beta suggests this year's release could perhaps come earlier, maybe even before the end of the year.

Apple is rumored to be working on Tile-like Bluetooth trackers that can be used to keep track of items that are often lost, such as keys, wallets, and more.

Hints of the Bluetooth tags have been seen multiple times in prior iOS 13 updates, and iOS 13.2 adds another piece of the puzzle - Apple could call the accessory "AirTags."

The name was spotted in today's iOS 13.2 release by 9to5Mac. A folder in the iOS 13.2 filesystem uses the "AirTag" name. There's also a "BatterySwap" video asset in today's update, which suggests the AirTags will have batteries that can be swapped out.

Multiple rumors have confirmed Apple's work on AirTags, which are expected, based on leaked assets, to be little round circles that can be attached to your items to make them locatable through the Find My app right alongside your Apple devices.

AirTags will connect to iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more via Bluetooth, and will leverage the ultra-wideband U1 chip in the newest iPhones for more precise indoor tracking that's unmatched by competitors.

As we found earlier this year, there will also be an augmented reality component that will let you use your device's camera to pinpoint exactly where a lost item might be. Longer-range tracking will also be available, and AirTags will likely take advantage of the offline crowd-sourced tracking feature that was added in iOS 13.

There is no word on when AirTags will be released, but given that Apple has been adding new details to each beta, there's a possibility that the accessories are coming this year, perhaps even quite soon.

Apple today released iOS 13.2, the second major update to the iOS and iPadOS 13 operating systems. The new software updates come two weeks after the release of iOS/iPadOS 13.1.3 and over a month after the initial release of iOS 13.

The iOS and ‌iPadOS‌ 13.2 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update. For older iPhones still running iOS 12, Apple has also released an iOS 12.4.3 update with security improvements.

iOS 13.2 is a major update that introduces support for the new AirPods Pro earbuds that were just announced as there are new Control Center features for Active Noise Nancellation.

iOS 13.2 brings support for new Unicode 12 emojis, with more than 230 characters when different genders and skin tones are taken into account.

Orangutan, sloth, otter, skunk, and flamingo are the new animals included in the update, while new food items include garlic, onion, waffle, falafel, butter, oyster, maté, and ice cube.

For the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro models, iOS 13.2 brings Deep Fusion, a new camera feature. Deep Fusion is an image processing system that leverages the A13 Bionic and the Neural Engine to take advantage of machine learning techniques for pixel-by-pixel processing of photos.

Deep Fusion optimizes for texture, details, and noise in each part of an image, resulting in better overall photographs. Deep Fusion is aimed at improving indoor photos and photos taken in medium lighting.

When taking a photo on an ‌iPhone‌ 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max following the update, Deep Fusion will activate automatically when the lighting conditions require it.

iOS and iPadOS 13.2 bring a promised privacy option that lets users opt out of sharing their Siri and dictation audio recording with Apple, plus it adds an option to delete ‌Siri‌ and dictation history.

These settings, which you can find under Privacy > Analytics and Improvements and ‌Siri‌ > Search, provide users with more control over how their ‌Siri‌ voice recordings are used.

Apple has reintroduced the Announce Messages with ‌Siri‌ feature in the update, which lets ‌Siri‌ read incoming messages without having to unlock the ‌iPhone‌. The feature works with the second-generation AirPods and the Beats Pro.

Deleting apps from the Home screen is an option for the first time, with the delete button coming up when long pressing or Haptic Touching on an app's icon. The Rearrange Apps option has also been changed to "Edit Home Screen."

On the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and 11 Pro, there's a new option to change video recording settings right from the Camera app, and there are privacy settings for Apple's upcoming Research app, which could potentially see a launch alongside iOS 13.2.

There's a new Transfer to HomePod toggle in the Settings app to turn on ‌HomePod‌ handoff, there's an updated volume bar in Control Center that displays AirPods and Beats icons, and an option to display multi-function HomeKit products as either multiple tiles or a single tile.

Apple's full release notes for the update are below:

iOS 13.2 introduces Deep Fusion, an advanced image processing system that uses the A13 Bionic Neural Engine to capture images with dramatically better texture, detail, and reduced noise in lower light, on iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Additional features include updated and additional emoji, Announce Messages for AirPods, support for AirPods Pro, HomeKit Secure Video, HomeKit enabled routers, and new Siri privacy settings. This update also contains bug fixes and improvements.

Camera
- Deep Fusion for iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max uses the A13 Bionic Neural Engine to capture multiple images at various exposures, run a pixel-by-pixel analysis, and fuse the highest quality parts of the images together resulting in photos with dramatically better texture, details, and reduced noise, especially for mid to low light scenes
- Ability to change the video resolution directly from the Camera app for iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max

Emoji
- Over 70 new or updated emoji, including animals, food, activities, new accessibility emoji, gender neutral emoji, and skin tones selection for couple emoji

AirPods support
- Announce Messages with Siri to read your incoming messages aloud to your AirPods
- AirPods Pro support

Home App
- HomeKit Secure Video enables you to privately capture, store, and view encrypted video from your security cameras and features people, animal, and vehicle detection
- HomeKit enabled routers put you in control of what your HomeKit accessories communicate with over the internet or in your home

Siri
- Privacy settings to control whether or not to help improve Siri and Dictation by allowing Apple to store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions
- Option to delete your Siri and Dictation history from Siri Settings

This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements. This update:
- Fixes an issue that may prevent passwords from autofilling in 3rd party apps
- Resolves an issue that may prevent the keyboard from appearing when using Search
- Addresses an issue where swipe to go home might not work on iPhone X and later
- Fixes an issue where Messages would only send a single notification when the option to repeat alerts was enabled
- Addresses an issue where Messages may display a phone number instead of a contact name
- Resolves an issue that caused Contacts to launch to the previously opened contact instead of the contact list
- Fixes an issue that may prevent Markup annotations from being saved
- Resolves an issue where saved notes could temporarily disappear
- Fixes an issue where iCloud Backup might not successfully complete after tapping Backup Now in Settings
- Improves performance when using AssistiveTouch to activate App Switcher

For more on all of the new features that are included in the iOS 13 update, make sure to check out our iOS 13 roundup.

Apple today announced that it is releasing new AirPods Pro earbuds on October 30. As rumored, updated new accessory features an all new-design with an AirPods-style shape and silicone ear tips to support active noise cancellation technology, along with a $249 price point.

Apple says that the AirPods Pro have been engineered for "comfort and fit" and each earbud ships with three different sizes of silicone ear tips that conform to the contours of the individual ear, offering up a comfortable fit and a "superior seal."

Inside, there's an "innovative vent system" that's designed to equalize pressure to minimize discomfort common with other in-ear designs. Apple also says that the ‌AirPods Pro‌ are both sweat and water resistant with an IPX4 rating. That means they'll hold up to some light splashing and sweating, but submersion should be avoided.

Despite rumors of multiple color options that include black and green, it appears that Apple is selling the ‌AirPods Pro‌ only in white. Due to the larger in-ear design, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ also feature a larger, redesigned charging case to accommodate them.

“AirPods are the best-selling headphones in the world. The one-tap setup experience, incredible sound and iconic design have made them a beloved Apple product, and with AirPods Pro, we’re taking the magic even further,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The new in-ear AirPods Pro sound amazing with Adaptive EQ, fit comfortably with flexible ear tips and have innovative Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode. We think customers are going to love this new addition to the AirPods family.”

The AirPods feature an Active Noise Cancellation feature that uses two microphones (one outward facing to detect environmental noise and one inward facing towards the ear) combined with "advanced software" to adapt to each ear and headphone fit and customize sound signal 200 times per second. Apple says that this setup removes background noise for a "uniquely customized, superior noise-canceling experience."

A built-in Transparency mode offers users the option to listen to music while still hearing the environment around them, for situations like biking in traffic or listening for an important train message. Transparency mode takes advantage of the vent system in the AirPods to leave just the right amount of noise cancellation.

Swapping between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode can be done using a new force sensor system that Apple has added to the stem of the ‌AirPods Pro‌. This force sensor can also be used to play, pause, or skip tracks and answer and hang up phone calls. The mode can also be controlled through the Control Center on iPhone and iPad, or by tapping the AirPlay icon on Apple Watch while music is playing.

According to Apple, ‌AirPods Pro‌ have been engineered to deliver superior sound quality with Adaptive EQ, a feature that automatically tunes the low and mid frequencies of the music to the shape of an individual's ear for what Apple says is a "rich, immersive listening experience."

There's a custom high dynamic range amplifier that's able to produce clear sound while also extending the ‌AirPods Pro‌ battery life, plus it powers a custom high-excursion, low-distortion speaker driver designed to optimize audio quality and cut down on background noise.

‌AirPods Pro‌ are equipped with the Apple-designed H1 chip featuring 10 audio cores able to power real-time noise cancellation and deliver high-quality sound while also processing "Hey Siri" commands. Battery life is the same as the AirPods 2, lasting for up to five hours in standard mode. When Noise Cancellation is active, ‌AirPods Pro‌ offer up to four and a half hours of listening time and three and a half hours of talk time.

The H1 chip also supports hands-free "Hey ‌Siri‌" commands and it allows for Audio Sharing so two people who have ‌AirPods Pro‌ can watch the same movie or listen to the same song with an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.

The included Wireless Charging Case (which does indeed support Qi-based wireless charging) can deliver more than 24 hours of listening time and over 18 hours of talk time. A USB-C to Lightning cable is also included in the box for charging purposes.

The ‌AirPods Pro‌ can be ordered immediately from Apple.com and the Apple Store app and will be arriving to Apple retail locations on Wednesday, October 30. The first orders are offering up Thursday, October 31 arrival dates.

Apple plans to continue to sell the AirPods with Charging Case ($159) and the AirPods With Wireless Charging Case ($199) alongside the ‌AirPods Pro‌.

Spotify today announced that its streaming music service has reached 113 million paying subscribers as of September 30, up from 108 million as of June 30. Spotify's monthly active user count also increased to 248 million through September, inclusive of users listening to its free, ad-supported tier.

In a letter to shareholders, part of its third quarter earnings results, Spotify said that publicly available data indicates that it is adding roughly twice as many subscribers per month as Apple Music:

We continue to feel very good about our competitive position in the market. Relative to Apple, the publicly available data shows that we are adding roughly twice as many subscribers per month as they are. Additionally, we believe that our monthly engagement is roughly 2x as high and our churn is at half the rate.

Apple Music had 60 million paying subscribers as of late June, according to Apple's services chief Eddy Cue. Spotify has remained nearly twice as large as ‌Apple Music‌ in terms of paying subscribers over the last year.

Apple is ramping up hiring for a team working on new HomeKit-based devices and software, having posted at least 15 openings for engineering positions on the team in the last month, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The report claims the efforts are headed by Andreas Gal, the former CTO of Mozilla who joined Apple last year following the iPhone maker's acquisition of Silk Labs, an artificial intelligence startup that had created a privacy-focused security camera and smart home hub system.

Details are vague, but one possibility is said to be new smart home devices beyond the HomePod speaker. Apple is also said to have explored creating a wide range of smart home accessories, such as modules for opening and closing windows, cabinets, and doors, but those efforts were reportedly put on hold.

Back in July, we reported on a rumor that Apple is considering using a switchable 60Hz/120Hz refresh rate screen on its 2020 iPhones, allowing for a smoother on-screen experience. DigiTimes now reports that industry observers believe many 5G-era smartphones are likely to use upgraded displays capable of up to 120Hz refresh rates, reigniting speculation that next year's iPhones could use Apple's ProMotion display tech.

However, DigiTimes notes that whether Apple will adopt displays with a 120Hz refresh rate "remains to be seen."

The arrival of 5G is ushering in hardware upgrades to support related applications and services. It is expected more 5G smartphones will come with displays offering high refresh rates that can enhance user experience. It remains to be seen whether Apple will launch its first 5G iPhone in 2020, or will adopt displays with 120Hz refresh rate...

The DigiTimes article bases its prediction on the penetration rate of over 120Hz panels in the gaming notebook segment. Observers note that this has surpassed 30 percent and is still growing, which is prompting panel makers to step into the sector and develop panels with refresh rates ranging from 120Hz to 240Hz.

The gaming-oriented Razer Phone 2 has such a panel with a fast refresh rate, while Asustek's ROG Phone II, which launched in the second half of 2019, also boasts one. ‌DigiTimes‌ also notes that the Google's Pixel 4 comes with a 90Hz display and Sharp's recently released Aquos R3 features a 6.2-inch IGZO 120Hz display, while several Chinese brands are expected to roll out models with higher refresh rates in 2020.

Of course, Apple's ‌iPad Pro‌ models use LCD panels rather than OLED, and rumors have suggested Apple will complete its transition to an all-OLED iPhone lineup in 2020 with new 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch devices.

If Apple is indeed in discussion with Samsung and LG to bring a ProMotion-style screen to a new breed of OLED iPhones, as one leaker claimed earlier this year, then it would raise next year's smartphone performance bar even higher.