iOS 11 introduces a huge number of major changes to the operating system, ranging from a redesigned Control Center experience to a host of new features specific to the iPad, but along with all of these major changes, outlined in our iOS 11 announcement post, there are also dozens of smaller changes that have been added to the beta.
Below, we've outlined some of the smaller but still significant tweaks that went unmentioned during Apple's whirlwind keynote announcement.
- Lock Screen - The Lock screen has a new look with a bolder font for the passcode numbers and lighter circles that don't feature a white outline.
- One-handed keyboard - On the iPhone, there's a new option for a one-sided keyboard that can be enabled by pressing down on the globe keyboard button. It moves the keyboard to either the left or right side of the device.
- Type to Siri - There's an Accessibility feature that enables Type to Siri. With this option toggled on, when Siri is accessed via a Home button press, it brings up a keyboard where you can type something to Siri.
- iPad keyboard changes - On the iPad, symbols and numbers accessible via the shift key are visible on the keys themselves. The alternate symbols and numbers are accessed by pulling down on the key and releasing.
Following the WWDC 2017 keynote today in San Jose, Apple invited members of the media for some hands on time with HomePod, its new Siri-enabled smart speaker and hub for controlling HomeKit accessories.
CNET has shared a gallery of HomePod pictures that provides a close-up look at the speaker, which looks somewhat like a smaller Mac Pro covered in a seamless mesh fabric. It'll be available in White and Space Gray.
The top of the HomePod has a glossy finish with Siri colors glowing in the center. Since it's designed for home use, the HomePod doesn't have a battery, so it must be plugged into a wall outlet or other power source at all times.
Meanwhile, Engadget has shared a gallery of iMac Pro pictures that show the all-in-one desktop computer in its stealthy new Space Gray finish, accompanied by a color-matched Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad.
Apple said both the HomePod and iMac Pro will be available in December for $349 and $4,999 respectively.
As Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote has wrapped up for another year, the company this afternoon posted a full video of the event on its website. The video lets anyone who might have missed the event catch up with all of the reveals on their own time. As is customary, Apple is expected to upload the WWDC 2017 keynote to YouTube and iTunes at sometime today as well.
Apple has also shared the videos that debuted during the keynote to its YouTube channel, including the humorous look at a world without apps, called "The Appocalypse," and a few new iPad Pro commercials. Check out the full list of videos below:
In addition to the videos posted online, you can catch up with all of the WWDC 2017 coverage by checking out our list of keynote highlights below, which encompass all of MacRumors' event coverage shared today. Articles range from Apple's all-new OS announcements, like iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, new hardware refreshes of the MacBook and iMac with brighter displays, refinements coming to Siri, AppleCare+ Mac support, and the all-new HomePod.
Some new iMac and MacBook Pro models will need upgrades right out of the box, with Apple today releasing a version of macOS Sierra 10.12.5 that's specific to the new iMacs and a Touch Bar update for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
- Fixes an issue where audio may stutter when played through USB headphones - Improves reliability when connecting an external display or waking it from sleep - Enhances compatibility of the Mac App Store with future software updates - Adds support for media-free installation of Windows 10 Creators Update using Boot Camp
The Touch Bar update will need to be installed on all 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro machines that feature a Touch Bar. According to Apple's release notes, the update resolves issues with system stability and graphics corruption on the 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
Apple's new 2017 iMac and MacBook Pro machines are available for purchase starting today. They feature upgraded Kaby Lake processors, improved GPUs, and faster SSDs.
Apple today introduced AppleCare+ for Mac, an extended warranty plan that provides accidental damage coverage for a service fee. AppleCare+ for Mac is available in the United States and Japan only. In other countries, the standard AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac without accidental damage coverage remains available.
AppleCare+ extends a Mac's warranty coverage to three years from its original purchase date, and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other damage. Prices are based in U.S. dollars.
AppleCare+ for Mac also includes 24/7 priority access to Apple experts by chat or phone. It replaces the AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac, which was essentially the same as AppleCare+, but didn't include accidental damage coverage like Apple has long offered for devices like the iPhone and iPad.
AppleCare+ for Mac is available for the 12-inch MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac mini for between $99 and $379. The service fees are additional in the event of accidental damage. Prices are between equal and $30 higher than the old AppleCare Protection Plan, which doesn't cover accidental damage.
AppleCare+ can be purchased alongside a new Mac, or customers can buy it online or in store within 60 days of purchasing a Mac.
Apple Watch Sport Bands are available in Mist Blue, Pollen, and Flamingo for both the 38 and 42mm Apple Watch. As with all sport bands, the new bands are priced at $49. The only new leather band is a yellow Sunflower Classic Buckle, priced at $149.
The new Nike Sport Band options that match the Nike Air VaporMax Flyknight Day to Night shoe collection are also available. The bands are priced at $49 each and come in Light Violet/White, Violet Dust/Plum Fog, Blue Orbit/Gamma Blue, and Obsidian/Black.
The final watch band that's new today is a Pride Edition Woven Nylon band that features a rainbow stripe. Priced at $49, the band is available for both 38 and 42mm Apple Watch models. The Pride band was originally given out to employees during last year's Pride parade in San Francisco.
Following today's WWDC keynote event that saw the debut of iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, and watchOS 4, Apple has seeded the first beta of the new tvOS 11 operating system for the Apple TV to developers for testing purposes.
Registered developers can download tvOS 11 by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C cable and installing the beta software using iTunes.
tvOS 11 saw little screen time at today's event, and in fact, it wasn't even officially announced on stage. The new operating system was largely glossed over, with the exception of an announcement for an upcoming Amazon Prime Video app.
According to Apple's release notes, tvOS 11 brings automatic light/dark appearance switching, Home screen syncing options, new background modes and notification support, Focus API improvements, custom sound support, network-based pairing and development support, and improvements to Mobile Device Management.
tvOS 11 is only available for registered developers at the current point in time, but Apple's beta site now includes tvOS 11, suggesting a public tvOS beta is coming.
Apple today announced new versions of iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS at the keynote event of its Worldwide Developers Conference, and is now providing betas to developers for testing purposes. watchOS 4, the latest version of the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch, is now available for download.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the watchOS 4 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 4 introduces three new watch faces, including a dedicated Siri watch face that displays dynamic information unique to each individual, new Disney-themed Toy Story watch faces starring Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and Jessie, and a Kaleidoscope watch face designed to turn static images into "mesmerizing patterns."
There are new complications for Now Playing and Apple News, and an enhanced Workout app. GymKit, a new technology platform, will allow the Apple Watch to interface with gym equipment for workout data sharing purposes, and Activity app will offer up intelligent coating and tailored encouragement, plus new monthly activity challenges.
A redesigned Music app syncs automatically with the Apple Music new Music Mix, and there are auto-sets for for swim workouts. There's also a new High Intensity Internal Training workout option, and the Apple Watch supports the new person-to-person Apple Pay feature.
watchOS 4 is only available to developers and will not be provided to public beta testers, so non-developers will need to wait until the software is officially released in the fall to try it out.
Apple today shared the first two ads for the new iPad Pro, including the all-new 10.5-inch model just announced, on its YouTube channel.
The 15-second spots are the latest in Apple's ongoing ad campaign that reads out actual Twitter complaints and then promotes the iPad Pro as a solution.
In "a whole new kind of computer," Apple recommends the person purchase a new iPad Pro, which will allow them to quickly forget about their broken computer.
In "so many things to love," Apple quips that the person who tweeted "I hate everything" is going to "hate" the new iPad Pro because they can do "pretty much everything" with it, like type, take notes, and multitask.
The new iPad Pro is available to order today in 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch sizes starting at $649 and $799 respectively in the United States.
Apple today announced new versions of iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS, and following the conclusion of this morning's keynote event, new betas are being distributed to developers. macOS High Sierra beta 1 is now available for download.
The new beta can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, subsequent betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.
macOS High Sierra builds on the features introduced with macOS Sierra and introduces new core storage, video, and graphics technology. macOS High Sierra supports the new Apple File System (APFS) and High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), plus it introduces an updated version of Metal with VR support.
Photos is gaining a new sidebar that makes it easier to access editing tools and albums, plus there are new editing options like Curves and Selective Color, and it supports external editing apps like Photoshop and Pixelmator.
There are improvements to Safari, including speed improvements and a new feature that blocks tracking data, Siri on the Mac has expanded music capabilities and a new more natural voice, and Spotlight has been updated with flight status information.
At the current time, macOS High Sierra is only available for registered developers. Apple will make a public macOS High Sierra beta available later this summer, giving public beta testers a chance to try out and test the software before it sees a public release in the fall.
Following the conclusion of today's keynote event where Apple introduced new versions of its iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS software, Apple has provided the first beta to developers, kicking off the iOS 11 beta testing period.
Registered developers can download the iOS 11 beta from Apple's Developer Center, or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed.
Apple is calling iOS 11 its biggest software release ever for the iPad, thanks to the myriad iPad features it includes, like a new dock that supports improved multitasking, a Files app for better managing files, improved Apple Pencil support, a new App Switcher, and system-wide drag and drop.
iOS 11 also includes many features for both the iPhone and the iPad. There's an incredible ARKit API that's going to let developers build all kinds of new augmented reality apps, and there's also a CoreML machine learning API that's going to allow apps to become a whole lot smarter.
Peer-to-peer Apple Pay payments are being introduced, Messages is gaining a new App Drawer that makes it easier to access apps and stickers, a Do Not Disturb feature that mutes notifications will make it easier for drivers to stay focused on the road, and Siri, Photos, and the Camera app are gaining huge improvements.
The iOS 11 beta is only available for registered developers at this time. As it has done in the past, Apple will provide a public beta for public beta testers later this summer, and the software will see an official release in the fall alongside new iPhones.
Apple today released a wireless Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad priced at $129 in the United States. The wired version has been discontinued.
The keyboard features an extended layout with a numeric keypad, document navigation controls for quick scrolling, and full-size arrow keys for gaming.
Like the traditional Magic Keyboard, the Numeric Keypad version has a Lightning port with a built-in, rechargeable battery that lasts a month or more between charges.
Apple says a Bluetooth-enabled Mac with macOS 10.12.4 or later, or iOS devices with iOS 10.3 or later, is required.
The keyboard is currently available for delivery as early as June 8 in the United States. Pricing and availability varies in other countries.
Following today's keynote event that saw Apple introduce a whole host of new hardware including new iMacs, new Mac notebooks, and new iPads, the Apple online store has come back online and all of the new products are now available for purchase.
New 10.5 and 12.9 inch iPad Pro models are available, with prices that start at $649. The 10.5-inch model is a new design with slimmer bezels that allow for a larger display. Storage starts at 64GB and goes up to 512GB, and orders placed today will arrive next week.
Updated MacBook and MacBook Pro models include 7th-generation Kaby Lake chips, improved graphics, and faster storage. MacBook Pro pricing starts at $1,299 for the 13-inch model and $2,399 for the 15-inch model, while MacBook pricing starts at $1,299.
Apple has also refreshed the MacBook Air with a new faster processor, and pricing remains the same at $999 for the entry-level 13-inch model. All new notebooks will ship out starting next week, but are available for order today.
Finally, there are new 21.5 and 27-inch iMac models available for purchase, with upgraded Kaby Lake processors, much-improved displays, faster storage options, and advanced GPUs. For the first time, there are dedicated graphics options for the 21.5-inch iMac, which has been limited to integrated graphics in the past.
Pricing on the iMac starts at $1,099 for a 21.5-inch version without a 4K display, while the 4K model starts at $1,299, and the 27-inch 5K model starts at $1,799. New iMacs deliver as soon as this week.
Later this year, in December, Apple plans to introduce a new iMac Pro that will start at $4,999.
Apple today announced a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro and a redesigned 12.9-inch iPad Pro at its WWDC keynote on Monday in San Jose, California.
The new 10.5-inch iPad Pro has a 20 percent larger display, made possible by reducing the tablet's borders by 40 percent, yet it still weighs just 1 pound. It allows the display of a full size onscreen keyboard and enables users to attach a full size Smart Keyboard. Apple will offer the new Smart Keyboards in 30 more languages.
Both new iPad models come with new displays, featuring True tone, wide color gamut, ultralow reflectivity, 600 nits brightness, and HDR video support.
“These are by far the most powerful iPads we’ve ever created with the world’s most advanced displays featuring ProMotion, the powerful new A10X Fusion chip and the advanced camera system of iPhone 7,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Product Marketing. “Together with iOS 11 these new iPad Pro models will radically change what users can do with iPad.”
A new screen technology called ProMotion also brings dramatically improved display performance, doubling the display refresh rate to 120Hz, making for smother, more responsive content. It also works more accurately with the Apple Pencil, offering an industry-leading 20 milliseconds.
A dynamically adjusting refresh rate also features on the new displays, which adjust depending on the content being viewed, with intelligent energy saving. Apple says the new iPads have the same 10 hours of battery life. An A10X six-core Fusion CPU, with a twelve core GPU powers the new models, offering over 40 percent faster graphics performance.
The 10.5-inch iPad Pro will start at $649 with 64GB storage and Wi-Fi only, and $779 for 64GB storage and cellular capabilities. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $799 for 64GB and Wi-Fi only, and $929 for 64GB with cellular. 256GB and 512GB storage capacities are available for both models, which all come in silver, space gray, gold and rose gold. Both tablets can be ordered today and are available next week.
Apple has announced a few new iMac models at WWDC today, which the company said include the best Mac displays ever with 500 nits of brightness and support for 1 billion colors, resulting in displays that are 43% brighter than previous models.
The new iMacs have up to three times more powerful graphics abilities in comparison to previous generations, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3, and faster storage options. Apple said that the updates, along with refreshes of the MacBook, represent a lineup of Mac devices that are "stronger than ever."
“With major updates to iMac, and a refresh of our MacBook and MacBook Pro lines, the Mac is stronger than ever,” said John Ternus, Apple’s vice president of Hardware Engineering. “Today iMac gets a huge graphics performance increase, faster CPU performance, Thunderbolt 3 and a brighter Retina display with support for 1 billion colors. We’re also increasing CPU and SSD speed on MacBook, adding faster processors and making faster graphics standard on our 15-inch MacBook Pro and introducing a new $1,299 (US) 13-inch MacBook Pro.”
With the refresh, a Retina 4K display is also coming to the 21.5-inch iMac. Both the 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs feature faster Kaby Lake processors up to 4.2 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 4.5 GHz. The computers support twice the memory as the previous generation, and Fusion Drive will now be standard on all 27-inch iMac configurations, as well as on the top-end 21.5-inch iMac.
SSD storage will become 50 percent faster on the refreshed iMacs, and graphics on the computers are more powerful thanks to new Radeon Pro 500-series cards with up to 8GB of vRAM. In terms of faster performance, the 21.5-inch model delivers up to three times faster speeds in comparison to the previous iMacs, while the 27-inch model is up to 50 percent faster.
The models start at $1,099 for the 21.5-inch iMac, $1,299 for the 4K 21.5-inch iMac, and $1,799 for the 5K 27-inch iMac. Users can find more information on tech specs and pricing for each tier of the 21.5-inch model and 27-inch model on Apple's website, and both are available to purchase today.
Apple today announced its plans to "reinvent home music" with the unveiling of its newest product, HomePod, a wireless speaker powered by Apple's A8 chip with Siri integration that's just under 7 inches tall.
Apple reinvented portable music with iPod and now HomePod will reinvent how we enjoy music wirelessly throughout our homes,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “HomePod packs powerful speaker technology, Siri intelligence and wireless access to the entire Apple Music library into a beautiful speaker that is less than 7 inches tall, can rock most any room with distortion free music and be a helpful assistant around your home.
HomePod is a combination of high quality music playback speakers and smart speaker systems that are on the market today. The HomePod can intelligently detect the space it is in with "spatial awareness," which the company said provides better quality audio playback than its competitors.
HomePod has an upward-facing woofer and an array of seven beam-forming tweeters. It has a six-microphone array that can detect commands even when music is playing loudly. When there are two HomePods in a room, they will automatically detect each other and optimize music playback complementarily. Setting up a new HomePod works similarly to AirPods set up--simply holding an iPhone near a HomePod will pair it.
HomePod automatically works with an Apple Music subscription and can play back playlists, radio stations, and more content found within Apple Music. Siri commands will let users direct the HomePod to play music, add songs to playlists, and even answer music trivia questions.
Siri will also act as a home assistant and include support for News, Messages, Podcasts, Stocks, Weather, Reminders, alarms, timers, sports and traffic. HomePod will also be a HomeKit hub and let users control lights, blinds, locks, and other accessories by voice, even when users are away from home.
The HomePod will launch in December for $349 and will be available in white and space gray in the US, UK, and Australia to start.
Apple's senior VP of software, Craig Federighi, took to the stage at WWDC today to give a preview of iOS 11, showing off new features like a smarter Photo Library and a redesigned Control Center.
Messages is set to receive a redesigned app drawer that makes it easier to use apps and stickers, while a more optimized device storage system will make Messages backups smaller and faster, with messages stored and synced across devices over iCloud. Beginning iOS 11, for the first time, Apple Pay is also integrated into the Messages app.
Siri is will become more naturally spoken, with a new voice powered by deep learning techniques. Also set to feature is a beta translation feature that will allow users to get live translations between English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. More languages are promised by Apple in the months to come.
Lastly for Siri, a new on-device learning system will enable the virtual assistant to understand what a user is likely to want depending on circumstances and time of day. User data will be synced across all devices on a user's account with end-to-end encryption.
Control Center will be substantially redesigned to appear on a single screen and fill the bottom half of an iPhone's display, implementing 3D Touch for sub-options within buttons, and sliders to adjust volume and brightness. The Lock Screen and Notification Center will be unified on a single screen, with a swipe up or down from the Lock Screen offering immediate access to notifications.
Apple Maps will include detailed shopping floor plans for shopping malls in Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, and London, with several other major cities also covered and additional ones to come. Major airports will also be included in the floor plans, while lane guidance and posted speed limits will be displayed during navigation.
Apple is introducing an optional Do Not Disturb While Driving feature in iOS 11 to prevent distracted driving. HomeKit will also support a new AirPlay 2 protocol for supporting speakers, with a Shared Up Next feature for the protocol where multiple connected users can edit a party playlist. A new MusicKit API will let third-party developers get full access to Apple Music in iOS 11.
iOS 11 will also bring several new features specifically to the iPad for its larger screen, including Drag-and-Drop, a new customizable Dock, a redesigned app switcher, and more.
Apple has announced new features for watchOS 4, including major updates coming to Workouts, Activity, Music, all-new watch faces, and "GymKit," which provides a seamless connection between Apple Watch and gym equipment.
New Activity upgrades will deliver intelligent coaching and tailored encouragement to each user, with Apple Watch notifying users every morning when they're close to earning an Achievement. Suggestions on how to improve to match the previous day's activity levels will also be surfaced.
The new Siri watch face, which provides 'the most relevant information throughout the day'
As the day nears an end, Activity will also be able to tell users exactly how long they should walk to close their Activity Rings, and new unique Monthly Challenges will be designed directly for each user's goals.
“Apple Watch is the ultimate device for a healthy life and is now more intelligent than ever with watchOS 4,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “We’ve created a truly individualized experience with the smartest Activity and Workout apps, the Siri watch face that shows you the information you need when you need it and we’re seamlessly bringing users their favorite music right on the wrist.”
Apple has updated the Workout app to include auto-sets for pool swim workouts, as well as new motion and heart rate algorithms for High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts. The company said that users doing back-to-back workouts, like anyone training for a triathlon, will be able to combine multiple workouts into one linked-together data set "to capture overall calorie and time measurements."
With GymKit, Apple said that customers will be able to use certain cardio equipment at Gyms to pair their Apple Watch directly to treadmills, ellipticals, indoor bikes, and stair steppers from brands like Life Fitness and Technogym. With a simple tap, the Apple Watch will speak with the equipment, and vice versa, including data on calories, distance, speed, floors climbed, incline, and pace.
A new Siri watch face will bring up information and will dynamically update based on time of day, daily routines, and showcase pertinent data from apps like Activity, Alarms, Breathe, Calendar, Maps, Reminders, Wallet, and Apple News, for which there is now an Apple Watch app. A redesigned Music app on Apple Watch will automatically sync to My New Music Mix, My Favorites Mix, and most listened to music, giving users a better music-listening experience with watchOS 4, particularly with AirPods.
