MacRumors

Following today's iPhone-centric event, Apple has quietly announced that Japanese carrier SoftBank is the latest Apple SIM partner. Apple SIM has also expanded to three additional countries and territories: Guam, Kenya, and Mauritius.

Apple SIM is embedded in the latest cellular iPads and enables users to easily switch between different short-term data plans from select carrier partners without needing multiple SIM cards. It is particularly useful for traveling abroad.

Through an existing partnership with GigSky, Apple SIM is available in over 140 countries. Other Apple SIM partners include AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile in the United States, EE in the United Kingdom, Deutsche Telekom in Germany, Three in Hong Kong, and au by KDDI in Japan. AlwaysOnline Wireless also offers pay-as-you-go LTE data plans in at least 45 countries, with the option to pay by hour, day, or megabyte.

Apple SIM can be purchased from Apple retail stores in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus come in a new "Jet Black" color that features a gorgeous high-gloss shine and nearly invisible antenna bands, but that glossiness comes with a caveat -- it's going to scratch.

On all of the iPhone 7 pages that mention the new Jet Black device, Apple has a small footnote that says that while the surface of the device is as hard as other Apple products, the shine may show micro-abrasions. Apple recommends customers who are concerned about the abrasions protect their Jet Black iPhones with an iPhone case.

The high-gloss finish of the jet black iPhone 7 is achieved through a precision nine-step anodization and polishing process. Its surface is equally as hard as other anodized Apple products; however, its high shine may show fine micro-abrasions with use. If you are concerned about this, we suggest you use one of the many cases available to protect your iPhone.

The disclaimer about scratching on the Jet Black iPhone suggests Apple will not be replacing Jet Black iPhones that become marred with abrasions, as it is a known side effect of the glossy finish.

Alongside Jet Black, Apple is offering the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus in a matte "Black" shade that replaces Space Gray, so customers looking for a darker shade who don't want to worry about scratches should consider that device.

Apple today announced the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, which both come without a headphone jack. To make up for the lack of a headphone jack, the iPhones will be shipped with a Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter and EarPods that feature a Lightning connector.

Apple also plans to sell its Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter and its new Lightning EarPods on a standalone basis for iPhone 7 buyers who want extra accessories.

The Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter is priced at $9 and while it can't be purchased yet, it will presumably go on sale alongside the iPhone 7.

The EarPods with Lightning Connector are priced at $29, the same price as the EarPods with a 3.5mm Headphone Plug. The Lightning EarPods are also unavailable for purchase at the current time, but should be available alongside the iPhone 7.

Apple today also announced wireless Bluetooth earbuds called AirPods, which will be sold on a standalone basis starting in October. AirPods will be priced at $159.

Apple plans to begin accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus on Friday, September 9. The two devices will officially launch a week later, on Friday, September 16.

Apple today quietly updated its lineup of older iPads, increasing the minimum storage on the iPad Air 2, the iPad mini 4, and the iPad mini 2 and lowering the prices of the maximum storage tier. The iPad Pro has also been updated with new pricing options, with Apple making storage increases more affordable.

The iPad Air 2 is now available in 32 and 128GB configurations, priced at $399 and $499, respectively, for the WiFi only models. Previously, Apple offered a 16GB model for $399 and a 64GB model for $499. Cellular models continue to be priced at $130 more than WiFi models.

The iPad mini 4 is now available in 32GB and 128GB configurations at the same price point as the iPad Air 2, $399 and $499. Apple previously sold a 16GB iPad mini 4 for $399, a 64GB model for $499, and a 128GB model for $599.

The iPad mini 2 is now only available in a 32GB capacity, priced at $269. Apple has done away with the 16GB model and has dropped the price of the new 32GB model to the price the 16GB model used to be sold at.

As for the iPad Pro, Apple has dropped the prices on higher storage tiers by up to $100. Pricing on the iPad Pro is as follows:

12.9-inch
32GB - $799
128GB - $899 (was $949)
256GB - $999 (was $1099)
128GB Cellular - $1029 (was $1079)
256GB Cellular - $1129 (was $1229)

9.7-inch
32GB - $599
128GB - $699 (was $749)
256GB - $799 (was $899)
32GB Cellular - $729
128GB Cellular - $829 (was $879)
256GB Cellular - $929 (was $1029)

The new iPad pricing is available immediately on iPads purchased from the online Apple Store, the Apple Store app, and Apple's retail locations.

Apple today seeded the golden master (GM) version of tvOS 10 to developers. The golden master represents the final version of tvOS 10 that will be released to the public. Apple has not yet shared when tvOS 10 will officially launch, but iOS 10 and watchOS 3 are coming on September 13 and macOS Sierra is coming on September 20, so either of those dates is a possibility.

tvOS beta software is more difficult to install than iOS or macOS beta software. Installing the golden master version of tvOS 10 requires the Apple TV to be connected to a computer with a USB-C to USB-A cable, with the software downloaded and installed via iTunes or Apple Configurator. Once a beta profile has been installed on the device through iTunes, new beta updates will be available over the air.

tvOS 10 builds on features initially introduced with tvOS last October, bringing expanded Siri capabilities like topic-based search, Live Tune-In for automatically accessing live channels, and options for managing HomeKit accessories.

Single-Sign On allows users to sign in and authenticate cable credentials just once instead of requiring authentication in all cable-supported apps, games are now able to require controllers, and there are new features for Photos and Music.

For a full overview of all of the new features in tvOS 10, make sure to check out our tvOS 10 roundup.

Following today's iPhone-centric event, Apple has seeded the golden master (GM version) of watchOS 3 to developers. The golden master version of watchOS 3 is the version of the software that will be released to the public on Tuesday, September 13.

The software update can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on an iPhone by going to General --> Software update.

To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery, it must be on the Apple Watch charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. watchOS 3 also requires an iPhone running iOS 10 to install.

New Activity Sharing options allow Apple Watch owners to share workout and activity information with friends, and there are new fitness features for Wheelchair users. A Breathe app guides users through daily deep breathing sessions, an Apple Watch can unlock a Mac, and Apple has added apps for Reminders, Find My Friends, and accessing one's heartbeat.

Additional watch faces support complications, there are three new watch faces to choose from, including a new Activity watch face, and an SOS feature will make sure an option to get help in an emergency is always right at your fingertips. On the iPhone, there's a new Face Gallery for customizing Apple Watch faces, and watchOS 3 allows the Apple Watch to be located via Find My iPhone for the first time.

For complete details on the new features coming in watchOS 3, make sure to check out our watchOS 3 roundup.

Apple today seeded the golden master (GM) version of iOS 10 to developers. The golden master represents the final version of iOS 10 that will be released to the public, and it comes after a beta testing period that saw Apple release eight iOS 10 betas.

The iOS 10 golden master is available as an over-the-air download to those who installed the first eight betas or the beta configuration profile and it's available for direct download via Apple's Developer Center. The iOS 10 golden master version is iOS 10.0.1.

iOS 10 is a major iOS update with a ton of new features and design tweaks, including a new Lock screen experience with 3D Touch-enabled notifications, a more easily accessible camera, a redesigned Control Center, and a new widgets screen. According to Apple, iOS 10 is the company's biggest iOS update ever released.

iOS 10 will be released to the public on Wednesday, September 13, three days ahead of the official launch date of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. For full details on iOS 10, make sure to check out our iOS 10 roundup.

At today's event held at the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco, Apple announced the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the Apple Watch Series 2, and shared release dates for iOS 10, watchOS 3, and macOS Sierra.

Both iOS 10 and watchOS 3 will be released to the public on Tuesday, September 13, three days before the September 16 release date of the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus will both ship with iOS 10 while the Apple Watch Series 2 will ship with watchOS 3.

macOS Sierra will be released to the public one week later, on Tuesday, September 20, according to Apple's macOS Sierra webpage.

Apple has not yet provided a release date for the tvOS 10 operating system that has also been in beta testing since June. The tvOS 10 website simply says "Coming Soon."

Apple and Beats today announced a new line of wireless Beats by Dre headphones powered by Apple's new W1 chip. The chip allows the new headphones, like Apple's new AirPods, to take advantage of easy, instant pairing to an iPhone.

The new Beats Solo3, Powerbeats3 and BeatsX can be paired to an iPhone by powering them up and holding them near an iPhone. The headphones will pair with your iPhone and simultaneously connect to your Apple Watch and Mac.

The Solo3 and Powerbeats3 are updates to Beats' two signature lines of headphones: the over-the-head casual listening Solo line and the athletically-focused Powerbeats line. The BeatsX, however, are a new line of headphones aimed at being a more mobile everyday pair of headphones.

All three headphones come with Fast Fuel, a fast-charging solution that can deliver more power with 5 minutes of charging. 5 minutes of charging delivers 3 hours of playback for the Solo3, 2 hours of playback for the BeatsX and an hour of playback for the Powerbeats3.

The Solo3 headphones are available for $299 on Apple.com. The Powerbeats3 and BeatsX will be available for $199 and $149, respectively, later this year.

Apple and Nike today announced the Apple Watch Nike+, an aluminum Apple Watch Series 2 that comes with a perforated rubber Nike band and watch face. The two companies say the new watch is the "perfect running partner" and comes with deep Nike integration.

The Apple Watch Nike+ comes with all of the improvements that the Apple Watch Series 2 does, which includes built-in GPS, a brighter display, water resistance and a new dual-core processor. However, it also has new abilities that make it easier for frequent runners to run, including watch faces that instantly launch new runs and exclusive Siri commands. Siri can be used by Apple Watch Nike+ users to both start and stop runs.

Nike's Run Club app is integrated into the Apple Watch Nike+, offering daily pieces of motivation via smart run reminders, challenges from friends, and alerts when there's good running weather outside. The running display also offers quick, glanceable data on pace, distance and heart rate. There are also a couple of social features, allowing users to "fist bump" fellow runners from the Watch and shared-run summaries.

The Nike Sport Bands are exclusive to the Apple Watch Nike+ and are not sold separately. They come in four color options: Black / Volt, Black / Cool Gray, Flat Silver / White, and Flat Silver / Volt.

The Apple Watch Nike+ will be available in 38 mm for $369 and 42 mm for $399 from Apple.com, Nike.com, Apple Stores and select Nike retail stores. It'll be available to pre-order on September 9 in 32 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, India, Canada, France, Germany, China, Mexico and more. The Apple Watch Nike+ will release in late October.

Apple and Niantic Labs today announced that an app for the popular Pokémon Go iOS game is coming to Apple Watch.

The app will notify users when wild Pokémon appear, show information about their hatching eggs, and even alert when a Pokéstop is near.

Today at its September 2016 Special Event, Apple announced a new ConnectED program called Everyone Can Code. The program is designed to help students around the country learn how to program.

We've always believed that education is a great equalizer, a powerful force for change, for good, and we've always believed that our products could have a positive impact on teachers and students. But we're keenly aware that not every school can have this impact. That's why we're so deeply committed to ConnectED, a national initiative combining government and leading technology companies to bring that technology to underserved schools.

I personally visited several of these ConnectED schools and the program is having amazing results. Kids are engaged like never before and they're learning like never before, and this is how it should be.

Apple announced that 114 ConnectED schools will be up and running by this fall. Apple has also delivered a Mac and an iPad to 4,500 teachers, put an Apple TV in every ConnectED classroom and has given 50,000 iPads for students.

"The ConnectED grant has meant a complete transformation," said Trina Siegfried of Crane Elementary School. "The students are having fun. They're more engaged. Most importantly, we're seeing a real love of learning."

Apple also announced a new real-time collaboration feature in iWork that will enable not only students and teachers, but businesses to work together much more effectively.

For example, Apple demonstrated how multiple users could edit the same Keynote presentation live at the same time without confusion, in private or in public, using apps on Mac, iPad and iPhone.

Today at its September 7 media event, Apple announced a new Mario game is coming to iOS, called "Super Mario Run." In the game, Mario runs to the right, and users can tap to make Mario jump.

Later levels will introduce blocks that change Mario's direction as well as other more intense obstacles that require precision timing, but the goal remains simple - collect as many coins as you can and get to the flagpole at the end of the level before time runs out.
All the while, users can play the game one-handed. There are a few other modes too, including a battle mode called "Toad Rally," which lets users compete against the ghosts of friends and strangers around the world and beat their high score.

Victory in battle mode depends on the number of coins you collect and the number of toads you impress, since the toad characters appear on screen every time you perform a daring move. There's no flagpole in battle mode, so the player keeps running until time runs out. The ghost appears in the level to show the player what the person they're competing against was doing when they ran the same level to achieve their score.

If players are victorious, toads they've collected become residents of their very own mushroom kingdom, enabling players to customize their kingdom using the coins and toads they collected in the game. The "father" of Mario, Shigeru Minamoto, spoke at the Apple event about his latest creation:

We want as many people with smartphones around the world to enjoy playing as Mario, and we're doing it first on iOS. And we're doing it in a brand new game called Super Mario Run. The magic of Mario is that anyone can pick up a game and instantly start playing. This time, we've made it even simpler to begin.

As the title suggests, Mario runs automatically to the right, and as he does he'll hurdle small gaps and certain enemies. It's very simple and the movement feels great. With just a tap of the finger anywhere on the touchscreen you can make Mario jump, and the longer you tap, the higher he jumps. This is key to getting high scores.

Being able to play one-handed means you can do so while holding onto a handle on the subway, while eating a hamburger, or while eating an Apple!

No further details about the price were revealed, but Shigeru Minamoto confirmed that the game would not be free-to-play, and come with a one-time, set price point. The game is expected to launch sometime this holiday season, and Nintendo is also launching a Super Mario sticker pack for iOS 10.

Update: It was discovered earlier today that Apple is trying out a new "Notify" system with Super Mario Run, where the App Store will let players know when the game becomes available to download.