The changes were exclusive to iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, but now Apple is expanding them to macOS and watchOS with the macOS 13.4 and watchOS 9.5 betas that were released to developers today. Developers and public beta testers enrolled in Apple's respective programs can toggle on beta updates directly from System Settings on the Mac, and the Software Update section in the Watch app on iPhone.
Apple's new beta installation method replaces the profiles that have previously been used for installing both developer and public watchOS and macOS updates. On the developer side, enabling betas now requires an Apple ID enrolled in the Apple Developer Program.
Using a developer profile without an associated developer account is no longer a possibility, so only registered developers will be able to get access to the developer beta going forward. The same goes for the public betas, though access to the public beta program is free and open to anyone, unlike the developer program, which costs $99 per year.
For minor beta updates, the changes won't have a big impact, but when iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS 14 are announced, the Apple ID requirement will prevent those who do not have a developer account from being able to install the developer betas. In past years, non-developers have been able to use shared developer profiles to get early access to new software.
Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by Juli Clover
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro.
The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup.
The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
Friday December 20, 2024 2:22 pm PST by Juli Clover
It's looking like 2025 is going to be an important year for Apple, with the company planning to revamp the iPhone, push further into smart home products, and improve Apple Intelligence. There are tons of new products rumored for 2025, including new iPhones, M4 Macs, a smart home command center, and much more.
We've highlighted the top five Apple products that will have the biggest impact in...
Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by Joe Rossignol
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year.
Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital."
In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by Juli Clover
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag.
Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
I wish you could update all devices from a Mac or iPhone. You can already update HomePods and watches this way, why not everything? And they usually release all updates for devices at the same time, so an “update all” button would be obvious. The days of running to the AppleTV to update that, then running to the iMac to update that, then running to the iPhone… just do it all at once.
This is much better. Simpler and everyone gets the beta they should get. dev betas are pretty rough and should not be used by the public anyway, everyone will be happier with public betas if they are just patient.
I wish you could update all devices from a Mac or iPhone. You can already update HomePods and watches this way, why not everything? And they usually release all updates for devices at the same time, so an “update all” button would be obvious. The days of running to the AppleTV to update that, then running to the iMac to update that, then running to the iPhone… just do it all at once.
Do you know strained the update servers would be if everyone’s devices updated all at once?
