The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is now available in an all-new Satin Black finish, alongside the existing Natural titanium casing. The new black titanium finish is achieved through a custom blasting process, and it features a diamond-like carbon coating that enhances its scratch resistance and durability. The back crystal is made from dark zirconia to match the striking new look.
In addition to the new finish, Apple has introduced a new Titanium Milanese Loop for the Apple Watch Ultra, designed for both water activities and stylish everyday wear. The lightweight, corrosion-resistant band is woven from aerospace-grade titanium, featuring a dual-button parachute-style buckle. It is available in both Natural and Satin Black finishes.
Apple is also extending its collaboration with Hermès to the Apple Watch Ultra, introducing a new Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 2. This edition features a titanium buckle and a specially designed Hermès Maritime watch face. The Hermès Ultra 2 includes a new En Mer band made from high-density textured knit, providing durability for water sports while retaining a premium feel.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes with a suite of new features in watchOS 11, including sleep apnea notifications, a Vitals app for key overnight health metrics, and a new Tides app for open water activity tracking. The Action button now offers expanded customization options, allowing users to switch actions with a long press, including options like Voice Memos, Shazam, and Stopwatch.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 2, and the new Titanium Milanese Loop are available for pre-order today, starting at $799, with launch on September 20.
Apple at its event today announced the Apple Watch Series 10, featuring a wide-angle OLED display that is larger than the Apple Watch Ultra, with the company describing it as the "biggest display and thinnest design ever."
The Series 10 is 9.7mm thick, which is nearly 10% thinner than Series 9, and it weighs 20% less than the Stainless Steel Series 9. The Aluminum cases also weigh up to 10% less, while the Series 10 also comes in Grade 5 titanium, replacing stainless steel.
Apple says it's the fastest-charging Apple Watch ever, reaching an 80% charge in 30 minutes. It uses a new neural network to reduce background noise when making calls with the watch.
Apple says the latest Apple Watch model can play music and podcasts directly through the speaker for the first time. It also includes a new depth gauge (good to 20 feet) as well as water temperature for pool and open water swims, as well as a new metal back that integrates the antenna into the housing.
Series 10 can also alert you to sleep apnea conditions, where breathing stops repeatedly during the night. Apple says the algorithm was developed using machine learning and clinical data, and then validated in a large clinical trial.
The new Apple Watch Series 10 comes in Jet Black and Rose Gold, joining the existing Silver Aluminum color. The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399, and $499 for cellular models, and are available to pre-order today ahead of a launch on Friday, September 20.
Apple's "It's Glowtime" event kicks off today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, where we're expecting to see the iPhone 16 lineup and some updated Apple Watch and AirPods models unveiled, and perhaps some other announcements.
Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, on YouTube, and in the company's TV app across various platforms. We will also be updating this article with live blog coverage and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account as the event unfolds. Highlights from the event and separate news stories regarding today's announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.
Apple's "It's Glowtime" media event kicks off at 10:00 am Pacific Time today with members of the media in attendance for what is expected to be another pre-recorded presentation. We know that some MacRumors readers who can't follow the event as it's being broadcast are interested in avoiding all of the announcements and waiting until the event video is available for on-demand viewing so as to experience it without already knowing the outcome.
For those individuals, we've posted this news story, which will be updated with a direct link to the presentation once it becomes available from Apple. No other news stories or announcements will be displayed alongside this story.
Apple's recent virtual events have been made available to view almost immediately following the conclusion of the broadcasts, and we expect similar timing for today's event.
Users waiting for the video to be posted are welcome to gather in the thread associated with this news story, and we ask that those who follow the events as they occur refrain from making any posts about Apple's announcements in this thread.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes the iPhone 16 Pro will start at $999 in the U.S., meaning there would be no starting price increase over the iPhone 15 Pro.
"I don't expect the Pro entry price to be raised from $999," said Gurman.
This prediction runs counter to a report last week from Taiwanese research firm TrendForce that claimed the iPhone 16 Pro would start at $1,099 in the U.S. with 256GB of storage. This meant the iPhone 16 Pro would not have been available with 128GB of storage for $999 like the iPhone 15 Pro is, but Gurman believing that the $999 price point will stick around suggests that a 128GB configuration will remain available after all.
Apple has offered at least one Pro model or equivalent tier of the iPhone at a starting price of $999 in the U.S. since the iPhone X was released in 2017.
$999 or $1,099? We'll find out for sure in just a few hours. Apple's event kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and we'll have live coverage of the announcements.
Architecture and design publication Dezeen today shared photos of an all-new event-focused building at Apple Park called "The Observatory."
"The Observatory" is built into a hillside near Steve Jobs Theater, and it will be used for new product demonstrations following Apple's special events, according to the report. It is set to open following the iPhone 16 event today.
The building has a domed entrance above the ground with a sky-facing oculus, along with a "portal-like" window with views of the Apple Park campus.
"With its stunning views of the campus greenery and the mountains ringing the horizon, The Observatory truly is an extension of Apple Park, showcasing the best of California and the best of the natural environment around us," said John De Maio, Apple's global head of design for real estate and development.
More details about the building's design and materials used can be found in Dezeen's article.
Apple may be planning to introduce a redesigned version of the popular Milanese Loop Apple Watch band at the "It's Glowtime" event later today.
Images of what purport to be replicas of an official redesigned version of the Milanese Loop have begun circulating on Asian social media platforms over the past week. The alleged new version of the band features a clasp instead of a magnet and seems to come in a 49mm size designed for the Apple Watch Ultra. The current Milanese Loop is only available in 41mm and 45mm sizes. A clasp like this would be a more secure solution for the Milanese Loop without compromising adjustability since the magnet used on the current version is liable to slipping, which loosens the band.
The Milanese Loop Apple Watch band was introduced alongside the original Apple Watch in 2014 as part of Apple's premium range of bands. Inspired by traditional 19th-century Milanese watch bands, it features a unique mesh design made from woven stainless steel to offer both flexibility and durability. Initially available in Silver and later in Space Black, the Milanese Loop has remained a staple of Apple's watch band lineup across all Apple Watch generations.
Apple is expected to introduce the third-generation Apple Watch SE, the Apple Watch Series 10, and a new dark color option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 at the "It's Glowtime" event later today, so the introduction of new bands is likely. Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital" today claimed that despite some rumors suggesting that the Apple Watch's band system could change this year, it will remain the same with compatibility carried forward.
MacRumors will have in-depth coverage of the Apple event, which kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, including a live blog on our website and posts via @MacRumorsLive on X. For a full rundown of everything we expect to see, be sure to check out our guide.
12 years after Apple's EarPods were introduced with the iPhone 5, the company may finally discontinue its $19 wired earbuds.
According to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, major U.S. retailer Target has listed all three EarPods variants (Lightning, 3.5mm, and USB-C) as "Non-Carry Forward," suggesting that they are soon to be discontinued. While it is unclear when this could occur, the timing of the news coinciding with Apple's "It's Glowtime" iPhone 16 Apple event later today suggests that the move could be imminent.
Apple's EarPods were first introduced in 2012 as the standard earphones bundled with iPhones and iPods, replacing the earlier circular earbuds. Initially, the EarPods were equipped with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, but with the launch of the iPhone 7 and the introduction of AirPods in 2016, Apple started removing the headphone jack from its devices. A new version of the EarPods were released simultaneously with a Lightning connector to match the new iPhone's only remaining port. Last year, with the switch to USB-C on the iPhone 15 lineup, Apple introduced a third revision of the EarPods with a USB-C connector.
EarPods have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years owing to their excellent microphone and low price point, so their discontinuation would likely disappoint many fans of the inexpensive earbuds.
Apple's online storefront has gone down ahead of the "It's Glowtime" Apple event taking place later today, where several new products are expected to be announced.
MacRumors will have in-depth coverage of today's Apple event, which kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, including a live blog on our website and posts via @MacRumorsLive on X. For a full rundown of everything we expect to see, be sure to check out our guide.
Last week, we took a look at the EVERBOOM, a recent mid-range addition to the portable speaker lineup from Logitech's Ultimate Ears brand, and today Ultimate Ears is introducing a new smallest and cheapest member of the family, the MINIROLL. Notably, it's a revival of the previous ROLL and ROLL 2 form factor that was discontinued back in 2019, but slightly smaller and with upgraded specs.
Priced at $79.99, the MINIROLL is a compact round speaker optimized for portability. It has a hard plastic rear shell and a firm polyester mesh front, and it features the traditional oversized plus and minus volume buttons that are found on the front of most Ultimate Ears speakers. A rubber-like strap spans the entire rear of speaker, with a tab that allows the top of it to be unhooked so the speaker can be attached to backpack straps, belts, leashes, cooler handles, and even small rods like tent supports.
The MINIROLL measures a little over 4 inches (105 mm) in diameter with the strap tab adding a bit in the vertical dimension, and it's around 1.9 inches (48 mm) thick, while it weighs 9.8 ounces (279 g). With an IP67 rating, the MINIROLL is highly resistant to water and dust, and it's been drop tested to a height of 1.2 meters, so it's ready for an active lifestyle out and about in the wilderness, at the pool, and elsewhere.
In addition to the prominent volume buttons, the MINIROLL includes subtle power/pairing and play/pause buttons on the left side. A short press of the power button turns the speaker on or off, while a longer press activates the Bluetooth pairing mode. The audio control button offers the typical functionality of a single press for play/pause, a double press for skipping forward, and a triple press for skipping backward. Pressing the volume buttons simultaneously will trigger the MINIROLL to speak its approximate battery level.
For charging, there's a USB-C port on the bottom of the MINIROLL, and battery life is rated at 12 hours. The speaker can be recharged in under 3 hours, but you'll have to provide your own cable.
With its small size, there's not a ton of space inside the MINIROLL, but it still features a 45.6 mm active driver and a 37.75 x 65 mm passive radiator, and it delivers directional sound at up to 85.5 dB. This isn't going to be offering large room-filling sound, but it puts out plenty of volume for personal and small-group settings.
If you need more sound, you can sync an unlimited number of MINIROLL speakers in PartyUp mode with Auracast technology, taking advantage of Bluetooth range of up to 40 meters (131 feet). A long press on the play/pause button activates PartyUp on the primary MINIROLL, broadcasting its connection and allowing other MINIROLL speakers to join with the same long press.
The MINIROLL is available to order today from Ultimate Ears and comes in four color options: Gentle Black, Majestic Blue, Revive Grey, and Calming Pink.
Note: Ultimate Ears provided MacRumors with a MINIROLL for the purposes of this news coverage. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Ultimate Ears. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
In line with his previous reporting about the new AirPods Max, Gurman says the updated models will include improved audio performance in the form of better active noise cancellation and new adaptive audio features, while the headphones will switch from Lightning to USB-C.
Gurman previously suggested that the new AirPods Max might not arrive at tomorrow's event, citing a lack of product shortages for the current models at Apple, but it now appears we may see an introduction after all.
Previous reports have suggested the updated AirPods Max may also include some new color options, but no broader updates to the overall design are expected.
In addition to the AirPods Max, we're also expecting a more significant update for the standard AirPods tomorrow with two new AirPods 4 models rumored, including one with active noise cancellation.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that he does not expect Apple to announce an Apple Watch Ultra 3 at its event tomorrow. Instead, he believes that Apple will introduce a black titanium color option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Nearly a year ago, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to indicate there might not be an Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year. At the time, Kuo said the potential lack of an Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year could be partly due to Apple needing "more time to develop innovative health management features."
We're tracking a collection of big discounts on the M3 MacBook Pro this weekend at Best Buy and Amazon, including the match of an all-time low price on the entry-level M3 512GB 14-inch MacBook Pro at $1,299.00, down from $1,599.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy and Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Across the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro lineup you'll find $300-$350 off every model on Best Buy, with Amazon matching half of the deals. In regards to the Best Buy discounts, only one of these deals requires a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, while all of the others are available to every customer.
If you're shopping for the 16-inch M3 MacBook Pro, you'll find $500 off every model across Best Buy and Amazon. Best Buy has the two 512GB models starting at $1,999.00 for the 18GB RAM/512GB/M3 Pro computer, and Amazon is matching these deals. For the higher capacity 1TB models, you'll only find deals available at Amazon, and they start at $2,999.00 for the 36GB RAM/1TB/M3 Max computer.
In his Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple now plans to make the Image Playground feature for generating images and the Genmoji feature for generating custom emoji available in iOS 18.2, which will likely be released in December.
Here is how Apple describes Image Playground:
Produce fun, original images in seconds with the Image Playground experience right in your apps. Create an entirely new image based on a description, suggested concepts, and even a person from your Photos library. You can easily adjust the style and make changes to match a Messages thread, your Freeform board, or a slide in Keynote.
Here is how Apple describes Genmoji:
Make a brand-new Genmoji right in the keyboard to match any conversation. Provide a description to see a preview, and adjust your description until it's perfect. You can even pick someone from your Photos library and create a Genmoji that looks like them.
The first Apple Intelligence features will be available starting with iOS 18.1, which is likely to be released to the public in October. These features include new writing tools for generating and summarizing text, notification summaries, suggested replies in the Messages app, the ability to record and transcribe phone calls, a new "Clean Up" tool in the Photos app that can quickly remove objects from a photo, and a few others.
Apple Intelligence will require an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 18.1 or later. The features will initially be available with device language set to English only. Apple said more languages will follow over the next year.
macOS Sequoia will be one of the earliest new macOS launches in over a decade, likely releasing within as little as just a week.
Internal Apple documentation obtained by MacRumors suggests that macOS 15.0 Sequoia will be officially released to the public by mid-September. The release dates of major macOS updates in recent years are listed below:
OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) – October 22, 2013
OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) – October 16, 2014
OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) – September 30, 2015
macOS 10.12 (Sierra) – September 20, 2016
macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) – September 25, 2017
macOS 10.14 (Mojave) – September 24, 2018
macOS 10.15 (Catalina) – October 7, 2019
macOS 11.0 (Big Sur) – November 12, 2020
macOS 12.0 (Monterey) – October 25, 2021
macOS 13.0 (Ventura) – October 24, 2022
macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) – September 26, 2023
The release of macOS Sequoia by mid-September this year would be the earliest since OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion), which was released on July 25, 2012.
The new annual version of iOS has historically always been released at least a week before the new version of macOS. Sometimes, Apple leaves a considerable gap between the releases; in 2020, the company left nearly two months between the release of iOS 14 (September 16, 2020) and macOS Big Sur (November 12, 2020).
New major versions of iOS are always released before the launch of a new iPhone lineup in September. This year, the iPhone 16 lineup is expected to launch on Friday, September 20. As a result, macOS Sequoia could not only be the earliest macOS release in over a decade, but also the first simultaneous iOS/macOS release ever, or even the first time a new version of macOS has been released before the new version of iOS.
Apple is almost certain to share more information about the release of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia at its event on Monday, September 9, where it is also set to unveil the iPhone 16 lineup, new Apple Watch models, and the fourth-generation AirPods.
It's almost glowtime! Early September is always new iPhone time and this year is no exception, so buckle up for a busy event on Monday.
While we're expecting quite a few product announcements at Monday's event, anticipated updates for a number of other hardware products won't be coming until later this year or into 2025, so read on below for all the details on what you should and shouldn't be banking on for next week.
Everything to Expect From the 'It's Glowtime' Apple Event
Apple's annual fall iPhone event is right around the corner, kicking off on Monday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. In addition to new iPhone 16 models, we're also expecting refreshes for all of the Apple Watches, new AirPods 4, and perhaps some other surprises.
Ahead of the event, we've put together a complete guide covering details on all of the hardware updates we're expecting to see. As usual, we'll also be getting final details and release dates for Apple's next set of major operating system updates, headlined by iOS 18.
How Much Will the iPhone 16 Cost?
With some significant hardware improvements coming to the iPhone 16 lineup to support Apple Intelligence features and new camera capabilities, many potential customers are wondering if Apple will be raising prices on the new models.
Current starting prices include the iPhone 15 at $799, the iPhone 15 Plus at $899, the iPhone 15 Pro at $999, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,199. At a minimum, one analyst firm expects the price of the iPhone 16 Pro to rise to $1,099 due in part to an increase in base storage from 128GB to 256GB, matching a change made with the Pro Max model last year.
Apple Likely to Launch M4 Macs in November
While we're not expecting new Macs at Monday's event, Apple is preparing to transition its entire lineup to the M4 family of chips, and we're hearing from our own sources that a first batch of releases is likely to come in November. That doesn't rule out a late October announcement, but availability is looking more like November.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has indicated we can expect updated MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini models in this round, with the rest of the Mac lineup transitioning to the M4 chips starting early next year.
Gurman: Apple Event in October Will Include New iPad Mini
Amid shortages of the current model and rumored upgrades, there has been speculation about whether Apple will be introducing an updated iPad mini at Monday's event, but it looks like that won't be happening just yet. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the iPad mini is likely to come as part of an October event that will also feature the M4 Mac updates. It would make sense for a new entry-level iPad to come at the same time, but we haven't heard much about that potential update.
One other product that had been speculated about for a potential September update was a minor update for the AirPods Max bringing a USB-C port and some fresh colors, but it appears that's not in the cards quite yet either. Same story for an updated Apple TV.
iPhone SE 4 to Complete Apple's Switch to OLED Across iPhone Lineup
We've been hearing for quite some time that the next-generation iPhone SE will be a significant upgrade for Apple's budget phone, transitioning away from the iPhone 8-style design with a Touch ID Home button and large top and bottom bezels to an all-screen design with Face ID.
Rumors out of the Japanese display industry indicate that the display changes will involve a shift to OLED technology, marking an end to the production of iPhone models with LCD displays. As for when we can expect the fourth-generation iPhone SE to launch, rumors point to early next year.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Apple is hosting an online streaming event for the public and press on Monday, September 9, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The company is expected to announce its new iPhone 16 lineup alongside new Apple Watch models, and potentially other products during the event, dubbed "It's Glowtime." Here's how you can watch it and when, wherever you are in the world.
There are multiple ways to watch the September 9 event, with details listed below. We've also included a useful guide on when the event will take place in your particular time zone.
Apple Events Website
With the Apple Events website, you can watch the event live on a Mac, iPhone, iPad, PC, or any other device with a web browser. The Apple Events website works in Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and other main browsers.
Just navigate to www.apple.com/apple-events/ using a web browser at the appropriate time to watch. You can visit the site now to add an event reminder to your calendar.
YouTube
Apple also plans to stream the event live on YouTube, which is perhaps the easiest and most efficient way to watch because the YouTube live stream can be viewed on every platform where YouTube is available, which is pretty much all platforms, from smartphones and tablets to consoles and smart TVs.
Apple used to have a dedicated Apple Events app on the Apple TV, but ahead of WWDC 2020, it was folded into the Apple TV app. On event day, there will be a prominent Apple TV app section dedicated to the live stream, which can be watched on any device where the Apple TV app is available.
This includes the Apple TV, iPhones, iPads, and Macs, as well as select smart TVs, streaming devices, and gaming consoles. If you have an Apple TV, the Apple TV app is one of the best ways to watch the event live. Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV app with the new event as of yet, but it should be added soon.
Apple's event will take place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, like most Apple events. Event times in other time zones are listed below.
Honolulu, Hawaii — 7:00 a.m. HAST
Anchorage, Alaska — 9:00 a.m. AKDT
Cupertino, California — 10:00 a.m. PDT
Phoenix, Arizona — 10:00 a.m. MST
Vancouver, Canada — 10:00 a.m. PDT
Denver, Colorado — 11:00 a.m. MDT
Dallas, Texas — 12:00 noon CDT
New York, New York — 1:00 p.m. EDT
Toronto, Canada — 1:00 p.m. EDT
Halifax, Canada — 2:00 p.m. ADT
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — 2:00 p.m. BRT
London, United Kingdom — 6:00 p.m. BST
Berlin, Germany — 7:00 p.m. CEST
Paris, France — 7:00 p.m. CEST
Cape Town, South Africa — 7:00 p.m. SAST
Helsinki, Finland — 8:00 p.m. EEST
Istanbul, Turkey — 8:00 p.m. TRT
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — 9:00 p.m. GST
Delhi, India — 10:30 p.m. IST
Jakarta, Indonesia — 12:00 a.m. WIB next day
Shanghai, China — 1:00 a.m. CST next day
Singapore — 1:00 a.m. SGT next day
Perth, Australia — 1:00 a.m. AWST next day
Hong Kong — 1:00 a.m. HKT next day
Seoul, South Korea — 2:00 a.m. KST next day
Tokyo, Japan — 2:00 a.m. JST next day
Adelaide, Australia — 2:30 a.m. ACST next day
Sydney, Australia — 3:00 a.m. AEST next day
Auckland, New Zealand — 5:00 a.m. NZST next day
MacRumors Coverage
If you're not able to watch or just want to follow along with us as we watch the event unfold, visit MacRumors.com for our liveblog or follow us on Twitter at MacRumorsLive for our live tweet coverage.
Both the MacRumors site and our Twitter account are excellent ways to discuss the new announcements with other Apple enthusiasts as Apple unveils its new products. Later in the day and throughout the week, we'll also have much more in-depth coverage of all of Apple's announcements, so make sure to stay tuned.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.