MacRumors

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 9.3 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the first iOS 9.3 beta and more than a month since the public release of iOS 9.2.

The second iOS 9.3 beta is available as an over-the-air update and through the Apple Developer Center.

As a major .1 update to the iOS 9 operating system, iOS 9.3 introduces quite a few new features. There's a new Night Shift mode that cuts down on the amount of blue light iOS users are exposed to in the evening hours by automatically shifting the iPhone or iPad display to a warmer (yellower) color spectrum, and there are several new features designed to improve the iPad for Education program.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

Several apps and features are also being updated. In-line video and a landscape view for the iPhone are available in the News app, which now offers more personalized recommendations and faster updates. Health includes a new Apple Watch-style "Activity" view that displays activity and goals, while Notes now has an option to password protect individual entries.

Apple Music on CarPlay now includes New and For You sections for better music discovery, and a Nearby feature in CarPlay Maps offers improved access to information about what's close by. Paired with watchOS 2.2, an iPhone running iOS 9.3 is able to support multiple Apple Watches, and for iPhone 6s users, there are new Quick Actions for the Weather, Settings, Compass, Health, App Store, and iTunes Store apps, along with new Peek and Pop gestures for the App Store.

What's new in iOS 9.3 beta 2:

Control Center Night Shift Toggle - As hinted at in the iOS 9.3 preview page provided to Canadian users, iOS 9.2 beta 2 introduces Night Shift controls in the iOS Control Center, accessible by swiping up from the bottom of an iOS device. Night Shift is denoted by a new eye-shaped icon in between the icons for the timer and the calculator on the iPhone. Tapping on the icon brings up options to turn the feature on or disable it until the next day.

Night Shift is denoted by a new eye-shaped icon in between the icons for the timer and the calculator on the iPhone. Tapping on the icon brings up options to turn the feature on or disable it until the next day. In the video below, you can see Night Shift's Control Center toggle in action.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

Night Shift Settings - In the Settings app under Display & Brightness, Night Shift has been moved to its own submenu. Tapping on "Night Shift" now opens up a menu that features all of the Night Shift controls. In the first beta, Night Shift was not in its own section.

Apple Music Playlists - In the Apple Music section of the Settings app, there's a new feature that lets users choose whether Apple Music songs added to playlists will also be added to iCloud Music Library. With this new toggle turned off, songs can be added to playlists without being added to a user's library.

Quick Actions - The 3D Touch Quick Action for the Settings app no longer offers an option to change the wallpaper.

iOS 9.3's features will be released to the public this spring following the conclusion of the beta testing period.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 2.2 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the first watchOS 2.2 beta and more than a month after releasing watchOS 2.1, the first major update to the watchOS 2 operating system that runs on the Apple Watch.

The second watchOS 2.2 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on an iPhone running the iOS 9.3 beta by going to General --> Software update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the Apple Watch charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS 2.2, along with iOS 9.3, introduces support for pairing multiple Apple Watches with a single iPhone. Both updates are required, with each watch running watchOS 2.2 and each iPhone running iOS 9.3.

There are were no other obvious outward-facing changes introduced in the first watchOS 2.2 beta aside from an update to the Maps app, but the update undoubtedly includes under-the-hood performance updates and bug fixes to address issues that have been discovered since the release of watchOS 2.1.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming OS X 10.11.4 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the first OS X 10.11.4 beta and a week after releasing OS X 10.11.3.

The second OS X 10.11.4 beta can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or via the Software Update Mechanism in the Mac App Store.

OS X 10.11.4 includes a couple of new features, such as the ability to support password protected notes in the Notes app, but like the recent OS X 10.11.3 update, it appears to focus primarily on under-the-hood bug fixes and performance improvements with few noticeable outward-facing changes.

We'll update this post with any new features that are discovered in the second beta of OS X 10.11.4.

Apple today released the third update to tvOS, the operating system designed to run on the fourth-generation Apple TV. tvOS 9.1.1 is a minor update that likely includes bug fixes and performance updates to address issues discovered since the launch of tvOS 9.1, which was released to the public in December of 2015.

The new 9.1.1 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System --> Software Update. Those who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to the new 9.1.1 operating system automatically.

tvOS 9.1.1 is available a month and a half after the release of tvOS 9.1. Like the first minor tvOS update, tvOS 9.0.1, tvOS 9.1.1 focuses on under-the-hood improvements, but it does introduce one major change -- a new Podcasts app for the Apple TV.

tvOS 9.1.1 comes as Apple is testing the second major update to the tvOS operating system, tvOS 9.2. Apple has thus far seeded one beta of tvOS 9.2 to developers, which includes new features like support for Bluetooth keyboards, app folders, a revamped app switcher, and more.

The next-generation iPad Air 3 could adopt the iPad Pro's four-speaker design and gain an LED flash next to the rear-facing camera, according to leaked design drawings shared with French website Nowhereelse.fr. The website cannot fully guarantee the veracity of the sketches, but the report does mention its source has been reliable on two out of three occasions in the past.

If the design drawings prove to be true, the iPad Air 3 would have two speakers on both the top and bottom of the tablet like the iPad Pro. The inclusion of rear-facing LED flash seems more trivial, since the iPad is not a camera device in the traditional sense, but some owners do use the tablet to take photos, and Apple may be looking for ways to combat declining iPad sales.

Apple is rumored to announce the iPad Air 3 at a March media event, possibly alongside a new 4-inch iPhone and Apple Watch updates. Little is known about the iPad Air 3, beyond a report saying it will lack 3D Touch, but plausible updates could include a faster A9 or A9X processor, Oxide TFT display, Smart Connector and improved cameras.

Oxide TFT display technology would allow for more uniform color and brightness, and improved contrast, on the iPad Air 3. The tablet could also adopt the iPad Pro's variable refresh rate technology to preserve power when static images are on the screen, enabling the iPad Air 3 to have longer battery life.

Apple has not updated its 9.7-inch tablet since releasing the iPad Air 2 in October 2014.

Following the departure of Steve Zadesky, hiring for Apple's "Project Titan" Apple Car is reportedly on hold as Apple executives are not happy with the progress being made on the development of the vehicle, reports AppleInsider.

Citing a "previously reliable source" with knowledge of what's going on at Apple, the report suggests a hiring freeze for Project Titan was implemented after a recent progress review conducted by Apple's Chief of Design, Jony Ive. Executives are said to be unhappy with the project's direction, with Jony Ive having "expressed his displeasure."

AppleInsider's information is in line with a report from The Wall Street Journal that covered the departure of Steve Zadesky, Apple's VP of Product Design. Zadesky was rumored to be in leading the development of Apple's rumored electric vehicle, hiring hundreds of employees to work on the project.

While Zadesky's departure is said to be due to personal reasons, The Wall Street Journal suggested there's tension on the Apple Car team, leading to difficulties establishing clear goals for the project. Apple executives have reportedly urged the team to try to meet ambitious deadlines, which some employees feel are unattainable.

Apple has hired hundreds of employees to work on its rumored electric car project, recruiting talent from companies like Ford, Tesla, GM, Samsung, and NVIDIA. Apple may be aiming to hold off on making additional hires until a new leader for the project can be established.

Rumors have suggested Apple is aiming to have its final engineering specifications for the Apple Car completed by 2019 or 2020, but its internal issues could potentially result in delays.

Apple will announce its first quarter earnings tomorrow for the 2016 fiscal year, a three-month period that ended December 31, 2015. Financial analysts predict Apple's quarterly revenue will range between $74.6 billion and $82.4 billion, but some market watchers are unsure if Apple will top the record 74.5 million iPhones it sold in the year-ago quarter, due to perceived lower iPhone 6s sales.

iPhone 6s sales concerns might be more evident in Q2 2016, however, as Apple's newest products and services, including the Apple Watch, Apple Music and the new Apple TV, coupled with the busy holiday shopping season, fuel projections that Apple will again report the most profitable holiday quarter in not only the iPhone maker's nearly 40-year history, but of any company ever.

Apple's guidance is between $75.5 billion and $77.5 billion in quarterly revenue, while the consensus among professional analysts is around $76.5 billion.

Fortune has compiled a list of predictions from both amateur and professional analysts, along with Apple's guidance in orange.

Apple has never experienced a year-over-year decline in iPhone sales, so the next few quarterly earnings results will be interesting to follow. MacRumors will be providing live coverage of Apple's Q1 2016 earnings conference call with CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri on Tuesday at around 2:00 p.m. Pacific (5:00 p.m. Eastern). The earnings report will be released around 1:30 p.m. Pacific (4:30 p.m. Eastern).

Apple's next-generation 4-inch iPhone is more likely to include variants of the A9 and M9 motion coprocessor chips, allowing for always-on Hey Siri, according to 9to5Mac.

The report claims the so-called "iPhone 5se" will likely replace the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in Apple's fall 2016 smartphone lineup, while the iPhone 5s will then be discontinued.

Because the iPhone 7 will include a faster chip potentially known as the A10 processor, Apple likely does not want its new 4-inch iPhone to fall two processor generations behind in just six months.

9to5Mac and other sources originally expected the new 4-inch iPhone to have an A8 chip with M8 motion coprocessor, but Chinese website MyDrivers last week said the device will have an A9 chip instead. Apple has allegedly tested multiple prototypes with both A8 and A9 chipsets, likely fueling the conflicting reports.

Today's report also claims the new 4-inch iPhone will have 16GB and 64GB storage models available, which again corroborates Chinese website MyDrivers. Other possible specs reported elsewhere include a 1,624 mAh battery, 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.2, Apple Pay, VoLTE and 802.11ac WiFi, but 3D Touch appears unlikely.

The next-generation 4-inch iPhone reportedly entered mass production last week, ahead of a rumored March event announcement, alongside the iPad Air 3 and Apple Watch updates including new bands and possibly other minor improvements. The smartphone is expected to ship in late March or early April.

Following reports that Apple will release a new 4-inch iPhone in March or April, a user named Gijs Raggers has shared a photo of the alleged smartphone next to an iPhone 5 on Dutch website One More Thing. The photo was posted on the website's discussion forums, where anyone can sign up and contribute.

The purported 4-inch iPhone appears to be the same size as the iPhone 5, but otherwise looks identical to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s externally, including its curved glass edges, thinner bezels, relocated FaceTime camera, pill-shaped volume buttons and power button moved to the right side.

The veracity of the photo cannot be confirmed, but Gijs Raggers previously leaked photos of the original iPad Air in August 2013, nearly three months before the tablet was announced. Many other photos and videos of the tablet surfaced around the same time, however, so take that as you will.

While most rumors suggest the new 4-inch iPhone's upgraded tech specs will be similar to the iPhone 6, including A8 and M8 chips, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and NFC for Apple Pay, the photo conflicts with reports claiming the device will look similar to the last-generation iPhone 5s design.

It also sounds questionable for Apple to call its new 4-inch iPhone the "iPhone 5se" if the device truly resembles an iPhone 6. That may very well be the name, but the oft-rumored "iPhone 6c" name, or even the "iPhone 6 mini" name suggested in our forums, would seem to be more fitting name choices in that scenario.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo issued a note to investors today, a copy of which was obtained by MacRumors, in which he reaffirmed Apple will release a new 4-inch iPhone and iPad Air 3 in the first half of 2016. Both devices, and new Apple Watch bands, could be introduced at a March media event in San Francisco.

Apple VP of Product Design Steve Zadesky, who was believed to be leading Apple's electric vehicle development efforts since 2014, has informed colleagues that he will be leaving the company, according to The Wall Street Journal. He remains at Apple for now.

Zadesky, a former Ford engineer, joined Apple in 1999 and worked on the iPod and iPhone during his 16-year career in Cupertino. He is also named on several U.S. patents and documents related to Liquidmetal, a malleable alloy which Apple owns the exclusive rights to.

His impending departure from Apple is said to be for personal reasons, rather than an indication of his performance at the company, and marks a setback for Apple's electric vehicle plans:

Still, the pending departure marks a setback for one of the most talked-about projects in the technology field. Apple has become the most valuable company in the world making consumer electronics products, but moving into the automotive sector poses big new challenges.

Apple has aggressively recruited engineers and other talent from Tesla, Ford, GM, Samsung, A123 Systems, Nvidia and elsewhere to work on the rumored "Apple Car" project, which has allegedly been called "Project Titan" internally. Just days ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk even called the "Apple Car" an "open secret."

Last year, Apple also had discussions with a secure Bay Area testing facility for connected and autonomous vehicles, and met with the California DMV to review self-driving vehicle regulations. Further speculation arose when Apple registered a trio of auto-related domain names, including apple.car, apple.cars and apple.auto, earlier this month.

Apple's electric vehicle could be approved for production by 2020, but some employees reportedly believe it "might take several more years" for the iPhone maker to develop a truly differentiated electric vehicle. The project has encountered some challenges internally due to a lack of clear goals, according to the report.

Apple is rumored to be planning to host a March event to unveil new products, but exact details on what will be shown off at the event have been in flux. An early December rumor from 9to5Mac suggested Apple would use the event to unveil a second-generation Apple Watch, but a report from TechCrunch indicated that rumor was false - no Apple Watch 2 is in the works for an early 2016 launch.

Instead, TechCrunch shared information indicating something smaller but still watch-related could be introduced in March, perhaps a minor update to add a FaceTime camera or new bands and partnerships similar to Apple's collaboration with Hermès. In a new report on what may come out at the March event, 9to5Mac backtracks on earlier claims of an Apple Watch 2 and instead agrees with TechCrunch, pointing towards a new Apple Watch lineup with new bands but no hardware changes.

At its September 2015 event, Apple introduced its Hermès partnership and debuted new colors for several Apple Watch bands, and we may see the same kind of update at the March event. New colors for existing bands and bands in new materials may be in the works. Apple is also planning to release watchOS 2.2 at or shortly after the event.

Apple's March event may also see the debut of the rumored 4-inch iPhone, now thought to be called the "iPhone 5se" to reflect its position as a successor to the iPhone 5s. The device is said to have an iPhone 5s-style exterior with iPhone 6-style curved cover. Internally, it will feature an A8 or A9 processor, NFC support for Apple Pay, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and while it won't have 3D Touch, it will be capable of taking Live Photos.

Previous rumors have suggested we could also see the next-generation iPad Air at the March event, as it is said to be debuting in the spring of 2016.

Though no Apple Watch 2 update is planned for early 2016, a second-generation update is undoubtedly in the works. It's possible Apple could be planning to release a new Apple Watch in the fall months alongside the iPhone 7.

Apple's plans for a March event remain tentative, and should products not be ready for release, there's a possibility that it could be canceled in favor of an online-only unveiling and announcement for the 4-inch iPhone and new Apple Watch bands.

Rumors suggesting Apple is working on an updated 4-inch iPhone have been circulating since the launch of the iPhone 6, but information that's leaked out about the device has varied quite a bit between news sources. While some rumors pointed towards a 4-inch iPhone equivalent in power to the iPhone 6s, others suggested it would be a lower-end device modeled after the iPhone 5s.

New information shared by 9to5Mac and Chinese website MyDrivers [Google Translate] adds to the growing body of evidence pointing towards an iPhone 5s-style device that's a step down from the iPhone 6s, potentially set to be called the "iPhone 5se" to denote its position as an upgraded version of the iPhone 5s.

With the iPhone 5se, Apple may be aiming to introduce a device that's going to deliver up-to-date features to customers who prefer smaller devices while still refraining from competing with its flagship 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhones.

Recent rumors have suggested the 4-inch iPhone will have a body that's similar enough to the iPhone 5s that the two devices will be able to share cases and other accessories, but there will be some design differences. The shiny edges that were featured on the iPhone 5s will be replaced with a curved cover glass like the iPhone 6 and 6s.

The iPhone 5se is expected to incorporate the same 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.2-megapixel front camera used in the iPhone 6, along with an improved autofocusing ability, support for larger panoramas, and the ability to capture Live Photos (but no 3D Touch). As has been rumored, it will include an NFC chip to enable Apple Pay, and features like Bluetooth 4.2, VoLTE, and 802.11ac WiFi. It may be available in Silver, Space Gray, Gold, and Rose Gold, or just three of those colors. Rumors are unclear.

According to 9to5Mac, the iPhone 5se will use the same A8 and M8 chips that are in the iPhone 6, while the report from MyDrivers suggests it could come with an A9 chip. Rumors about Apple's 4-inch iPhone have consistently disagreed on the chip that it will use, split between the A8 and the A9.

MyDrivers supplies additional information on RAM, pricing, and battery life. In a somewhat questionable claim, the site says that Apple is sourcing 1GB and 1.2GB RAM from two suppliers. Previous rumors have said the 4-inch iPhone will include 1GB RAM.

The iPhone 5se may include a 1,624 mAh battery, which would last longer than the battery in the iPhone 5s, and according to MyDrivers, it may only be available in 16 and 64GB capacities at prices that start at 3688 Yuan or $560.

Mass production on the 4-inch screen for iPhone 5se is said to have kicked off this week, and while iPhone 6c/5se rumors have disagreed on many prospective features, all rumors have pointed towards an early 2016 release date. Apple is said to be planning a March event to unveil new products, and it's possible that could be where Apple is planning to debut its 4-inch iPhone.

AnandTech today published an in-depth iPad Pro review with detailed hardware and software analysis, including an interesting performance comparison between the tablet's dual-core A9X chip and Intel's Core M processors.

The test was conducted to determine to what level Apple's custom ARM chips have caught up to the performance of Intel's Core M lineup, given Apple's continued advancements in architecture and manufacturing, compared to Intel's slower rate of growth over its last few generations of Core processors.

The review pitted the iPad Pro's A9X chip against various Core M devices, including the Broadwell-based 12-inch Retina MacBook with a low-end Core M chip and ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi with a high-end Core M chip, and Skylake-based ASUS ZenBook UX305CA with a base-tier Core m3 CPU.

The SPECint2006† benchmark results reveal that the iPad Pro is competitive with the Retina MacBook and Asus ZenBook UX305CA in certain tests, winning half of the benchmarks against each device, but the tablet lags behind in overall performance. Meanwhile, the high-end ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi unsurprisingly beat the iPad Pro in every category.

Evidently, Intel's Core M lineup continues to lead in overall performance, but Apple is quickly closing the gap.

A9X can compete with both Broadwell and Skylake Core M processors, and that’s something Apple couldn’t claim even a generation ago. That it’s only against the likes of Core m3 means that Apple still has a way to go, particularly as A9X still loses by more than it wins, but it’s significant progress in a short period of time and I’ll wager that it’s closer than Intel would like to be, especially if Apple puts A9X into a cheaper iPad Air in the future.

Apple's progress is notable given multiple rumors that suggest the company may release ARM-based Macs in the future.

In this scenario, Apple would replace the Intel chips it currently uses in Macs with custom designed A-series chips, allowing the company to better time processor upgrades with new product launches. On multiple occasions, Apple has had to hold off on updating its Mac lineup while waiting for Intel's latest generations of processors.

In January 2015, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo projected that Apple could begin launching ARM-based Macs within one or two years based on its custom chip designs. As these A9X benchmarks show, however, the use of A-series chips in Macs would very likely be limited to lower-end devices like the 12-inch Retina MacBook at first.

In May 2014, French website MacBidouille reported that Apple has prototyped several ARM-based machines, including an iMac, Mac mini and 13" notebook with 4-8 64-bit ARM quad-core processors, and new keyboards with large-format Magic Trackpads, but many doubted the feasibility of moving forward with such a plan.

Nearly two years later, the prospect of Apple releasing ARM-based Mac remains questionable, especially for high-end Macs, but the A9X chip is evidence that Apple's A-series processors are increasingly rivaling the performance of Intel's entry-level offerings. At the very least, it gives Apple options moving forward.

† SPECint2006 is a CPU-intensive cross-platform benchmark that tests processors based on a wide range of real-life usage scenarios, ranging from video compression to PERL execution to AI. For a detailed technical explanation of the SPEC CPU benchmark and its 12 sub-benchmarks, read the full review.