In June, Apple launched its annual Back to School promotion in the U.S. for college students. This year's promotion offers students a free Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad from Apple, along with 20% off AppleCare+ plans.
In the U.S. and Canada, the promotion ends on October 2, so time is running out to take advantage of the offer if you are a student. In the U.K. and select other European countries, the promotion ends a few weeks later, on October 23.
In the U.S., Apple is offering the following:
$150 Apple gift card with any new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac
$100 Apple gift card with any new iPad Pro, iPad Air, or Mac mini
The gift card can be used towards purchases of Apple products and accessories, App Store apps, subscriptions to services like Apple Music, iCloud+ storage, and more.
The offer is available through Apple's online education store and at Apple Store locations for students attending or accepted to a higher-education institution, faculty and staff of higher-education institutions, parents purchasing on behalf of an eligible student, employees of a K-12 institution, and select others.
The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading.
The iPhone 13 Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The iPhone 13 Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand.
Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to clearly see the all of the differences that the iPhone 15 Pro brings to the table. This article focuses on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro, but to understand the differences between the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro, see our other buyer's guide:
Although the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro share most of their basic features, the iPhone 15 Pro offers a large number of notable upgrades, such as a titanium design, 48-megapixel main camera, always-on display, Action button, USB-C port, and A17 Bionic chip.
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro
Surgical-grade stainless steel chassis with squared-off edges
Aerospace-grade titanium chassis with contoured edges
6-core GPU with with hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Dedicated AV1 decoder
6GB memory
8GB memory
12-megapixel main camera with ƒ/1.5 aperture
48-megapixel main camera with ƒ/1.78 aperture
12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with ƒ/1.8 aperture
12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture
12-megapixel telephoto camera with ƒ/2.8 aperture and sensor-shift optical image stabilization
12-megapixel telephoto camera with ƒ/2.8 aperture and larger sensor, folded tetraprism design, optical image stabilization, and autofocus 3D sensor-shift module (Pro Max only)
12-megapixel front-facing camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture
12-megapixel front-facing camera with ƒ/1.9 aperture and autofocus
Anti-reflective coating on camera lenses
True Tone flash
Adaptive True Tone flash
0.5x, 1x, and 3x optical zoom
0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 3x optical zoom (5x instead of 3x on Pro Max)
13mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, and 77mm focal length picker (120mm instead of 77mm on Pro Max)
24- and 48-megapixel super-high-resolution photos
Photonic Engine
Smart HDR 4
Smart HDR 5
Portrait mode with Focus and Depth Control
Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
Night mode and Night mode portraits
Improved Night mode and Night mode portraits
Shoot and instantly transfer 48-megapixel ProRAW images to Mac via USB 3
Record video directly to an external drive
ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps
ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording
Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (1080p at 30 fps)
Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (4K HDR up to 30 fps)
Battery manufacture date, first use, and cycle count information in Settings
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options (no 128GB tier on Pro Max)
Silver, Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue, and Alpine Green color options
Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium color options
Overall, the iPhone 15 Pro is a significant upgrade over the iPhone 13 Pro, introducing meaningful quality-of-life features like the USB-C port and Action button that change the methods of interaction with the device. The new, considerably more lightweight titanium design, slimmer borders around the display, and contoured edges result in a noticeably different aesthetic and feel in the hand.
The iPhone 15 Pro also brings major advancements to photography and videography, adding an Adaptive True Tone flash, a 48-megapixel main camera for high-resolution images and, on the larger model, a telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. Software features such as Photonic Engine, Smart HDR 5, Next-generation portraits, Action mode, and a host of professional videography features like external recording and Log also take the photography and videography capabilities of the device to the next level.
This is not to mention fast data transfer via USB 3, satellite connectivity, new color options, the second-generation ultra wideband chip, and the A17 Pro chip – Apple's first chip made with a 3nm fabrication process, which radically improves the gaming capabilities of the device.
Due to the scale and breadth of these improvements, most iPhone 13 Pro users will be able to justify upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro, especially if they value the new design, USB-C port, Action button, and camera improvements. It is only worth sticking with the iPhone 13 Pro if you are holding off for an even more substantial upgrade in the future, but many users will see tangible benefits by upgrading now.
Apple Music subscribers can now stream shows from Apple's original radio catalog via the Apple Podcasts app, fulfilling a new services pledge made by the company earlier this year.
The new Podcasts app integration means eligible subscribers can delve into Apple Music original radio shows from the likes of Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country – as if they were made to be listened as podcasts.
The feature went live for eligible subscribers early on Tuesday, as per Apple's announcement in June:
"Subscribers will be able to listen to the entire catalog of award-winning, commercial-free Apple Music radio shows in Apple Podcasts, where they can follow individual shows to automatically download and be notified of new episodes as soon as they're released."
The Apple Music content can be accessed from the Podcast app's Listen Now screen, as well as from the Channels section in the Library tab.
In addition to Apple Music radio shows, users with an Apple News+ subscription should also soon be able to find News-related content in the Podcasts app.
Update: Apple has shared the following related announcement:
Starting today, subscribers to Apple Music, Apple News+, Calm, and Lingokids can access over 60 original podcasts, including more than 2,500 musically rich episodes from Apple Music Radio. New shows from top apps and services will launch every week this fall.
When Apple introduced second-generation AirPods Pro, the Adaptive Transparency feature offered a new way to reduce loud environmental noise for more comfortable everyday listening. Adaptive Audio is designed to build on that approach by dynamically blending the existing Transparency and Active Noise Cancellation modes together to deliver the best audio experience in the moment, tailoring the noise control as the user between different environments and interactions.
In this way, Adaptive Audio aims to automatically reduce loud or distracting noises in your surroundings, such as the sound of a leaf blower or a passing plane overhead, while other noises, like the sudden beep of a car horn, remain audible.
In a new interview with TechCrunch, Apple's VP of sensing and connectivity Ron Huang revealed that Apple originally considered using GPS location to inform AirPods Pro of the user's whereabouts and adapt the audio experience accordingly. In real-world testing, however, the method proved inefficient. From the interview:
"During early exploration for Adaptive Audio, we basically put you in ANC versus transparency, based on where you are," says Huang. "You can imagine the phone can give a hint to the AirPods and say, "hey, you're in the house" and so forth. That is a way to do that, but after all our learnings, we don't think that is the right way to do it, and that is not what we did. Of course, your house is not always quiet and the streets are not always loud. We decided that, instead of relying on a location hint from the phone, the AirPods monitor your environment in real time and make those decisions intelligently on their own."
Huang in the interview also returned to the reason why USB-C AirPods Pro can support Lossless Audio with Vision Pro thanks to the updated H2 chip's support for the 5GHz wireless band (second-generation AirPods Pro with a Lightning port only support 2.4GHz):
"Bluetooth typically runs on 2.4 gigahertz, and that airspace is very, very noisy," says Huang. "Everybody's running on 2.4. That's why routers Wi-Fi routers, for example, are typically dual-band if not tri-band, because the 5Ghz spectrum is that much cleaner. To get to really, really low latency audio, and to get to really high fidelity, lossless audio — it's all about a very, very clean and real-time channel between two. The combination of 5Ghz and the fact that they are very proximal allowed us to do that. We're able to basically redesign a brand new audio protocol over the 5Ghz for AirPods."
Elsewhere in the interview, Huang touches on other features that iOS 17 brought to AirPods Pro, including Conversation Awareness, Personalized Audio, and faster device switching. Priced at $249 in the U.S., the updated second-generation AirPods Pro began arriving to customers late last week.
Some Apple Watch users on watchOS 10 have reported experiencing issues with Weather complications failing to display data on the watch face, despite the Weather app itself presenting no such issues.
Apple Watch users have taken to the MacRumors forums, Apple's Support Community, and other platforms to share their experiences. 9to5Mac has highlighted the problem, and some MacRumors staff have seen its occurrence on their own watches.
Affected complications appear blank where weather data should be showing, and yet tapping the complication reveals the expected information in the Weather app. The issue appears to be happening on various models whether they are on watchOS 10.0 or have been updated to the latest watchOS 10.0.1 update.
Until Apple issues an update to correct the problem, one temporary workaround that users have had the most success with is to open the Watch app on iPhone and toggle the 24-Hour Time switch in the Clock app settings, wait a few seconds, then toggle it back to its original position. The paired Watch should update, and the affected complications should display weather data again (until they don't again – your mileage may vary).
Has your Apple Watch been affected by the Weather complications issue? Let us know in the comments.
The iPhone 16 series is expected to gain an additional capacitive button, known internally as the "Capture Button." Codenamed "Project Nova," the button is likely to be one of the main selling points of the iPhone 16 lineup, assuming it gets past the initial testing phase. The Capture Button is located on the same side as the Power button, only positioned slightly lower - where the mmWave cutout can be found on more recent iPhone models. The mmWave cutout has been moved to the opposite side, located under the volume buttons. It is currently unknown what the new capacitive button will be used for.
The Capture Button is expected to be a capacitive button rather than a standard mechanical one. Capacitive buttons, unlike mechanical buttons, do not move when pressed down. Instead, the button detects pressure and touch, providing haptic feedback through the use of haptic engines. The buttons are expected to work similarly to the Home Button on the iPhone SE, which mimics the press of a physical button through the built-in Taptic Engine. According to our sources, the capacitive buttons will feature force sensor functionality. Force sensors detect applied force, and convert the magnitude of force into electrical signals.
Early in the development of the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple experimented with capacitive buttons on the iPhone in the form of the since-canceled Bongo project. The Bongo module, unlike the Capture Button, consisted of capacitive Power and Volume buttons, and didn’t bring any additional buttons into the mix. Based on what we’ve heard from our sources, the Bongo module was canceled during the EVT stage of development, after unsatisfactory test results and a significant number of hardware issues. The cancelation left Apple engineers with ample room to reimagine the capacitive buttons for the iPhone 16 series, with an entirely new twist this time around.
Unlike the Bongo project, the Capture Button is set to make its debut across the entire iPhone 16 lineup, including the base model iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. It is worth noting, though, that Apple also created a hardware configuration without the Capture Button button, possibly as a fallback variant in the event of continued hardware failure rates. The Capture Button has appeared on both eSIM-only units and devices with support for physical SIM card slots.
Along with the new Capture Button, the iPhone 16 lineup is expected to gain a capacitive Action Button. Known as "Project Atlas," the haptic Action Button uses a design similar to the Capture Button, using strain gauges and reluctance motor to provide the necessary haptic feedback.
In addition to the Capture Button and upgraded Action Button, the base model iPhone 16 is expected to feature a redesigned camera bump, with vertical camera arrangement akin to the iPhone 12. The Pro models are also set to feature an increase in screen size, from 6.1" and 6.7" to 6.3" and 6.9", respectively.
It is important to consider that the information presented here is pre-production information. The iPhone 16 lineup is still in the early stages of development, and the design has not been finalized. Because of this, there is always a chance that we may not see the Capture Button on the final product.
For more details on what to expect, check out our rumor roundup page for iPhone 16.
Apple's new FineWoven cases for iPhone 15 models have been heavily criticized since they were released earlier this month, with some customers and media outlets complaining about the fabric exterior being prone to scratches and stains. We recapped some of the negative feedback last week, and complaints have continued to surface.
In a 512 Pixels blog post on Sunday, Relay FM co-founder Stephen Hackett shared a photo of his FineWoven case with a misaligned USB-C port cutout, resulting in the pentalobe screw on the right side of the USB-C port being partially exposed.
"It's one thing for these cases to be a letdown in terms of material, but this is a level of sloppiness that genuinely surprises me from Apple," he wrote. "I know not every example out there is as bad as mine, but the vibes around this case aren't good."
Photo: Stephen Hackett
On social media, some users claimed that the USB-C cutout only appears to be misaligned because of the angle that the photo was taken at, but other users responded with straight-on photos of the FineWoven case with the same issue. Not all of the cases have this issue, but multiple customers appear to be affected.
Apple describes FineWoven as a "durable micro-twill" material made from 68% post-consumer recycled polyester, and said the material has a significantly lower carbon footprint than leather. Earlier this month, Apple announced that it would no longer use leather in any new products or accessories, as part of its environmental responsibility efforts.
It's hard to measure exactly how much negative feedback there is for the new FineWoven cases, but the material certainly appears to be proving quite unpopular so far. We've reached out to Apple for comment, and we'll update this story if we hear back.
Apple describes FineWoven as a "durable micro-twill" material with a "soft, suede-like feel." Apple says the material is made from 68% post-consumer recycled polyester, and has a significantly lower carbon footprint than leather, which the company no longer uses for accessories. However, FineWoven cases for iPhone 15 models have been heavily criticized since they were released earlier this month, with some customers and media outlets complaining that the material is very susceptible to visible scratches and stains.
The bands are available in 41mm and 45mm sizes, and they are backwards compatible with other Apple Watch case sizes. Color options include Evergreen, Taupe, and Pacific Blue, and all of the bands are estimated to ship in 4-5 weeks.
Today we're tracking the return of an all-time low price on the 256GB M1 MacBook Air, which is available for $749.99 on Amazon, down from $999.00. This deal originally debuted during Prime Day back in July and it remains one of the best MacBook-related discounts of 2023 so far.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can get the notebook in Gold and Silver at this price, and there's an estimated delivery date of September 27 to September 30 for the MacBook Air. As of writing, the Space Gray model is not matching this record low price.
There are many internal and external differences between the 13.3-inch M1 MacBook Air and the newer 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch M2 MacBook Air models, but as an entry-level computer the M1 device should work great for common tasks, especially at this all-time low pricing. You can read our guide to get a better look at all the similarities and differences between the generations.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
The A17 chip designed for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be made using a fundamentally different manufacturing process to the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro to cut costs, according to a rumor that has now been clarified by a reliable source.
A Weibo user who claims to be an integrated circuit expert with 25 years of experience working on Intel's Pentium processors was first to float the rumor in June. Now, the same source has clarified Apple's apparent plan for its standard iPhones' chip in 2024.
The iPhone 15 Pro's A17 Pro chip is fabricated using TSMC's N3B process, but Apple reportedly plans to switch to the lower-cost N3E process for next year's standard A17 chip designed for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. This will mark the first time that Apple has designed a chip specifically for its standard iPhone models. In previous years, Apple simply gave the entire iPhone lineup the same chip before staggering them by one year between the standard and the Pro models starting with 2022's iPhone 14.
The A15 Bionic chip in the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus is a higher binned variant with one additional GPU core than the A15 used in the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, so some cross-generational differences despite outwardly featuring the same chip would not be unheard of, but this would effectively be the retention of the same name on a fundamentally different chip.
N3B is TSMC's original 3nm node created in partnership with Apple. N3E, on the other hand, is the simpler and cheaper node that most other TSMC clients will use. N3E has fewer EUV layers and lower transistor density than N3B, resulting in lower efficiency. N3B has also been ready for mass production for longer than N3E, but it has much lower yield. N3B was effectively designed as a trial node and is not compatible with TSMC's successor processes including N3P, N3X, and N3S, meaning that Apple has to redesign its future chips to take advantage of TSMC's innovations.
Apple was originally believed to be planning to use N3B for the A16 Bionic chip, but had to revert to N4 because it was not ready in time. It is likely the case that Apple is using the N3B CPU and GPU core design originally designed for the A16 Bionic in the A17 Pro, before switching to the original A17 designs with N3E later in 2024. This architecture will presumably be iterated on through TSMC's successor nodes for chips like the "A18" and "A19."
The Weibo user was first to say that the standard iPhone 14 models would retain the A15 Bionic chip, with the A16 being exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro models – a rumor that went on to be widely corroborated and turned out true. Earlier this month, Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu corroborated the rumor about 2024's A17 chip being fabricated with N3E, adding that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will also feature 8GB of memory, up from 6GB on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
Woot today kicked off a new Apple accessory blowout sale, offering as much as 90 percent off select first-party Apple accessories. This includes iPhone cases as recent as the iPhone 14 and MagSafe chargers.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
All accessories in this sale are in new condition and come with a one year Apple limited warranty. Amazon Prime members can get free standard shipping on Woot, and you'll have until September 30 to shop these deals, but they could disappear faster if stock runs out.
During this event, Woot has Apple's MagSafe Duo Charger for $94.99, down from $129.99, which is a new all-time low price on the accessory. You'll also find deals on iPhone leather cases, Beats earbuds, Apple Watch bands, AirTag accessories, and more. The steepest discounts are available on older products, like the iPhone 12 mini Leather Sleeve.
Repair website iFixit today shared a video teardown of the new iPhone 15 Pro Max, providing a closer look inside the top-of-the-line device.
While the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a similar internal design as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the device has a redesigned frame that allows the back glass panel to be easily removed, resulting in lower repair fees for cracked glass for customers without AppleCare+ coverage. This change was first made to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus last year.
The teardown provides a brief glimpse at the iPhone 15 Pro Max's upgraded Telephoto lens with a tetraprism system, which enables 5x optical zoom. iFixit said the Main and Ultra Wide lenses on the device appear to look the same as the ones on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, in line with information shared on social media last week. This suggests camera improvements beyond 5x optical zoom are the result of the A17 Pro chip and software optimizations.
iFixit says the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a similar logic board as the iPhone 15 Pro. In addition to the A17 Pro chip, the teardown confirms that the device is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X70 modem, which reportedly enables faster 5G speeds as expected.
Overall, iFixit gave the iPhone 15 Pro Max a low repairability score of 4/10, in part due to Apple's parts pairing requirement that it says harms independent repair shops.
Apple could be preparing to release a seventh-generation iPad mini before the end of the year, based on a new report by DigiTimes.
In an article discussing stagnating global tablet demand in the second half of 2023, the Taiwan-based outlet forecasts an uptick in Apple's share of the market owing to orders for a "small-size" iPad in the fourth quarter. From the report (see bold):
In the second quarter, iPad shipments had a sequential decline higher than those of non-iPad tablets, resulting in iPads' combined shipment share seeing two consecutive quarters of decline. However, the share will gradually pick up during the second half because of Apple's inventory replenishment needs in the third quarter and orders for a new small-size iPad in the fourth quarter, the figures show.
DigiTimes obtains its information from the suppliers who manufacture parts for iPhones and other Apple products. Its sources often provide reliable information, but the site has a mixed track record when it comes to interpreting that information and accurately deciphering Apple's plans. It is often best to view information from the site with some skepticism until the info is corroborated by additional sources, especially when it comes to rumors.
That said, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman earlier this year reported that an iPad mini update with a minor "spec bump" is not out of the question. Last month, the leaker known as "ShrimpApplePro" also suggested a seventh-generation iPad mini was in the works at Apple, and said that they had seen evidence that at least one new iPad model is coming this year.
However, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in January said he believes that the seventh-generation iPad mini is most likely to begin mass production in the first quarter of 2024, and Kuo recently said he does not expect any new iPad models this year.
If anything happens before the holidays, a chip upgrade may be the most likely feature of a new iPad mini. The sixth-generation iPad mini currently contains the A15 Bionic chip, while the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro use the A16 and A17 Pro chip, respectively. A minor spec bump could also include upgrades to the front and rear cameras, potentially bringing features like Photonic Engine to the iPad for the first time.
The latest iPad Pro models brought connectivity upgrades like Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 to the iPad for the first time, so it seems highly likely that these capabilities will also make their way to the iPad mini in the next update.
During the event, Capcom also revealed pricing for the mobile ports of Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village. While both games are free to start, they will require $59.99 and $39.99 in-app purchases, respectively, to unlock the full experience.
Pre-orders have since gone live for Resident Evil 4 Remake on the App Store, which still lists the game as "Coming Soon – Expected December 31, 2023." Both games will support on screen controls, game controllers, multi-touch, HDR, and more.
For those who haven't been following these games, Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village were showcased during Apple's iPhone 15 Pro announcement. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are powered by an A17 Pro chip that features a brand new GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, enabling ported console games to be played on the iPhone at near-equivalent performance.
DisplayPort support is built into the USB-C port on all iPhone 15 models, meaning that the devices can also output video at up to 4K/60Hz natively to a DisplayPort-equipped external display or TV with a supported USB-C to DisplayPort cable. On previous iPhones with a Lightning port, video mirroring is limited to 1080p with Apple's Lightning-to-HDMI or Lightning-to-VGA adapters.
Since Apple's iPhone 15 event, Capcom confirmed that Resident Evil 4 Remake will come to macOS and iPadOS devices with an M1 or better. Resident Evil Village is already available on macOS, so the iOS and iPadOS release will be an independent purchase when it arrives just before Halloween with support for M1 and M2 iPad models. As a result, Resident Evil 4 Remake will have cross-progression on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, while Resident Evil Village will have cross-progression on iPadOS and iOS only.
The iPhone 15 series is set to launch in over 20 additional countries and territories on September 29, including Macao, Malaysia, Turkey, Vietnam, and others. Apple has not provided a complete list of the countries.
Unlike last year's iPhone 14 series, all of the latest iPhone 15 models were available to order when the first wave of launches took place in over 40 countries and regions on Friday, September 22.
Likewise, the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max will all be available to order on day one when the second wave of launches takes place on Friday, September 29.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro introduce over 30 new capabilities and improvements, including USB-C and Dynamic Island across the lineup, as well as a new titanium design and Action button on the high-end models.
iFixit today shared a video with teardowns of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9, providing a closer look inside the watches.
Notably, the video confirms that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is equipped with a 564 mAh battery, as MacRumors was first to report last week via a regulatory database. This is around a 4% larger capacity than the 542 mAh battery in the original Apple Watch Ultra, but Apple says both models have the same battery life of up to 36 hours.
The video also confirms that the 41mm Series 9's battery capacity is 282 mAh, which is unchanged from the 41mm Series 8.
iFixit did not find any obvious hardware changes related to the new Double Tap gesture coming with watchOS 10.1 next month, and overall the Ultra 2 and Series 9 have very similar internal designs as the original Ultra and Series 8.
iFixit has yet to share teardowns of any iPhone 15 models.
Apple previously announced that macOS Sonoma will be released this Tuesday, September 26. The free software update includes many new features and changes for the Mac, including the five that we have highlighted below.
In addition to these five features, we have shared the full release notes for macOS Sonoma below for a complete overview of everything new.
Desktop Widgets
macOS Sonoma brings widgets to the desktop on the Mac, and they are now fully interactive like on the iPhone. It is even possible to use widgets from your iPhone apps automatically, without having to install the corresponding Mac apps.
macOS Sonoma features a new Game Mode that temporarily prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming on Apple silicon Macs. Game Mode also reduces audio latency for AirPods and input latency for select game controllers connected via Bluetooth.
Web Apps in Dock
On macOS Sonoma, any website can be added to the Dock as a web app for convenient access. To create a web app, load the website in Safari, open the File menu, and select Add to Dock. Web apps offer a simplified toolbar and support push notifications.
macOS Sonoma adds new Apple TV-like aerial screen savers that feature slow-motion videos of places around the world, such as Yosemite National Park and Dubai. Each screen saver can transition to a matching desktop wallpaper.
Safari Profiles
The latest version of Safari introduced support for profiles, allowing you to keep your browsing separate for work, personal life, and more. Apple says each profile has separate history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites.
macOS Sonoma Compatibility
macOS Sonoma is compatible with the following Macs:
MacBook Pro: 2018 and later
MacBook Air: 2018 and later
Mac mini: 2018 and later
iMac: 2019 and later
iMac Pro: 2017
Mac Studio: 2022 and later
Mac Pro: 2019 and later
macOS Sonoma Release Notes
macOS Sonoma brings all‑new capabilities that elevate your productivity and creativity. Discover even more ways to personalize your Mac with stunning screensavers and widgets that you can add to your desktop. Elevate your presence on video calls with a new way to present your work that keeps you a part of the presentation. Safari profiles and web apps help you organize your browsing in all-new ways. Game Mode boosts your gaming performance. Sonoma also brings big updates to Messages, Keyboard, and Accessibility. And when you upgrade, you get the latest security and privacy protections available for Mac.
Screen Savers - Stunning screen savers of locations from around the world seamlessly become your desktop wallpaper when you log-in - Shuffle settings for rotating through screensavers by theme including Landscape, Cityscape, Underwater, and Earth
Widgets - Widgets can be placed anywhere on the desktop and adapt to the color of your wallpaper while working in apps - iPhone widgets can be added to your Mac when your iPhone is nearby or on the same Wi-Fi network - Interactive widgets let you take actions directly from the widget such as running a shortcut, pausing media, and more
Video Conferencing - Presenter Overlay keeps you front and center while sharing your screen in FaceTime or third-party video conferencing apps (Mac with Apple silicon) - Reactions layer 3D effects like hearts, balloons, confetti, and more around you in video calls and can be triggered with gestures (Mac with Apple silicon, Continuity Camera with iPhone 12 and later)
Safari and Passwords - Profiles keep your browsing separate for topics like work and personal, separating your history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites - Web apps let you use any website like an app, complete with an icon in the Dock for faster access and a simplified toolbar for easier browsing - Enhanced Private Browsing locks your private browsing windows when you’re not using them, blocks known trackers from loading, and removes tracking that identifies you from URLs - Password and passkey sharing allows you to easily share accounts with trusted contacts
Messages - Live Stickers sync from iOS and iPadOS to macOS, giving you access to the Live Stickers you create on your iPhone and iPad - Search filters for people, keywords, and content types like photos or links help you more easily find what you are looking for - Swipe to reply inline on any iMessage bubble
Gaming - Game Mode gives games the highest priority on the CPU and GPU, delivering more consistent frame rates and lower latency to wireless controllers and AirPods (Mac with Apple silicon)
Keyboard - Improved autocorrect accuracy makes typing even easier by leveraging a more powerful transformer-based language model - Inline predictive text shows single- and multi-word predictions that you can add by pressing the Space bar - Improved Dictation experience supports using your voice and keyboard together to enter and edit text
AirPods - Adaptive Audio delivers a new listening mode that dynamically blends Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency to tailor the noise control experience based on the conditions of your environment (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with the latest firmware) - Personalized Volume adjusts the volume of your media in response to your environment and listening preferences over time (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with the latest firmware) - Conversation Awareness lowers your media volume and enhances the voices of the people in front of the user, all while reducing background noise (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with the latest firmware) - Press to mute and unmute your microphone by pressing the AirPods stem or the Digital Crown on AirPods Max when on a call (AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation), or AirPods Max with the latest firmware) - Improved AirPods automatic switching now detects Mac up to 2X faster (AirPods (2nd and 3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation), AirPods Max with the latest firmware)
Privacy - Sensitive Content Warnings can be enabled to help prevent users from unexpectedly viewing sensitive images in Messages - Expanded Communication Safety protections for children now detect videos containing nudity in addition to photos shared through Messages and the system Photos picker - Improved sharing permissions let you choose which photos to share and add calendar events without providing access to your entire photo library or calendar
Accessibility - Live Speech lets you type what you want to say and reads it aloud in FaceTime calls or in-person conversations - Personal Voice helps users at risk of speech loss create a voice that sounds like them in a private and secure way using on-device machine learning - Made for iPhone compatible hearing devices can be paired and used with Mac (MacBook Pro (2021), Mac Studio (2022), and Mac computers with M2 chip)
This release also includes other features and improvements: - One-Time verification code AutoFill from Mail helps you quickly sign into sites in Safari, without leaving the browser - Inline PDFs and document scans in Notes are presented full-width making them easy to view - Grocery Lists in Reminders automatically group related items into sections as you add them - Visual Look Up for recipes helps you find similar dishes from photo - Visual Look Up in video helps you learn about objects that appear in paused video frames - Pets in the People album in Photos surfaces individual pets just like friends or family members - Option to say "Siri" in addition to "Hey Siri" for a more natural way to activate Siri (Mac with Apple silicon, AirPods Pro (2nd generation)) - High performance mode in Screen Sharing supports color workflows and improves responsiveness while remotely accessing a Mac (Mac with Apple silicon) - Item sharing in Find My allows you to share an AirTag with up to five other people - Activity History in Home displays a recent history of events for door locks, garage doors, security systems, and contact sensors - Battery health management updated on 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip to better optimize long term battery health
Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices.
macOS Sonoma should be released at approximately 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday. Once the update is available, it can be installed from the System Settings app under General → Software Update.
There may not have been a media event this week, but that doesn't mean things weren't incredibly busy in the Apple world. The week kicked off with the official release of iOS 17 and related updates, and then there was a daily trickle of media reviews for all of the incoming new hardware.
It all culminated with Friday's launch of the iPhone 15 lineup, Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models, and the tweaked AirPods Pro with USB-C case. There's been lots to unpack with all of this, so read on for all the details!
After installing iOS 17 on your iPhone, check out our list of 12 things to do first in order to take full advantage of the update's key new features and configure some of the new settings that are available.
Warning: Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17.0.2 Before Transferring Data From Another iPhone
If you are just unboxing an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max, make sure to update the device to iOS 17.0.2 before transferring data to the device from another iPhone, or else you might encounter issues.
An update notice screen appears early in the setup process, but don't skip this step or you might find your brand-new iPhone 15 stuck on the Apple logo screen and you'll have to connect it to a computer to restore it.
iPhone 15 Pro vs. 15 Pro Max Buyer's Guide: 10 Differences Compared
This new setting is separate from Apple's pre-existing Optimized Battery Charging feature, which merely delays charging beyond 80% until a better time based on the device's daily charging routine.
Keep in mind that these software features are also available on the original second-generation AirPods Pro released in September 2022, so there is no need to update to the new USB-C model to use them.
MacRumors Newsletter
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