MacRumors

Apple today seeded the sixth betas of upcoming iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of the fifth betas.

Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the iOS 17 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

iOS 17 is a major update that introduces a customized look for each person that calls, with the person who places the call able to customize their look. Live voicemails let you see a transcript of a message someone is leaving in real time so you can choose to pick up the phone if you want, and voice messages people send in iMessage are now transcribed into text. You can also record a video or audio message when someone misses your FaceTime call, and ‌FaceTime‌ works on the Apple TV through Continuity functionality.

In Messages, apps have been moved to a new tucked-away interface for a cleaner look, and there is a new Check In feature that is designed to let your friends and family keep an eye on you when you're traveling. Check In automatically notifies friends or family members when you arrive at a destination, such as home. Locations can also now be shared directly from the Messages app.

In a group chat, there's a catch-up arrow so you can see the first message you haven't seen in a conversation, and with search filters, you can more easily find what you're looking for. Stickers have been overhauled, and all emoji are now stickers, living alongside sticker packs and Memoji. Using the remove from background feature in iOS 17, you can turn the subject from any image into a sticker.

With StandBy, an iPhone placed horizontally turns into a little home hub that displays information like the calendar, time, home controls, and more, and Live Activities can be displayed in full screen too.

Widgets on the Home Screen are interactive, so you can do things like check off an item on a to-do list or turn off the lights without having to open an app. AirDrop has been improved and there's a NameDrop function for sharing contacts quickly, plus you can hold two iPhones together to start a SharePlay session. SharePlay also now works with CarPlay so passengers can play their music in the car too.

Other new features include a journaling app coming later this year, AirPlay in select hotel rooms, improvements to AirPods Pro 2 thanks to a new Adaptive Audio feature, offline Maps, Siri that does not require the "Hey" activation, and improvements to search and spotlight.

Update: There are new betas of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 available for public beta testers, as well as a new beta of watchOS 10.

Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming watchOS 10 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software update coming a week after the fifth beta.

To install the watchOS 10 update, developers will need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the watchOS 10 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, watchOS 10 can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

watchOS 10 adds a whole new widget-focused interface. You can access a widget stack from any watch face using the Digital Crown, swiping through them to get to relevant information. Control Center can be activated from any app by pressing the side button, and these new quick access controls are meant to let you use watch faces that support less information while still putting everything you need at your fingertips.

There are new Palette and Snoopy watch faces, updates to Cycling and Hiking workouts, and mental health integrations. Users can log their state of mind and mood using the Apple Watch, with the device providing insights into mental health over time.

With the macOS Sonoma update that's coming this fall, Apple is making it simpler to revive or restore a Mac that is stuck in DFU mode. With the new software, you can initiate a Mac-to-Mac restoration process right from the Finder app.

In macOS Ventura and earlier, reviving or restoring a Mac requires a second Mac that has the Apple Configurator app installed, but in macOS Sonoma, Apple Configurator is no longer required.

Restoring or reviving using Finder is basically the same process as restoring with Configurator, just without the need for additional software. The two Macs will still need to be connected to one another through a USB-C cable, and the same steps will likely apply. Both machines will need to have macOS Sonoma installed to use Finder for a restore.

DFU mode can occur when there is a power failure during a macOS update or upgrade, leading to a Mac that is unresponsive. In this situation, a second Mac is required to get the affected Mac back to a functional state.

macOS Sonoma is in beta testing at the current time, and is expected to see a launch in a month or two.

Apple plans to host its annual National Parks activity challenge on Saturday, August 26, celebrating national parks across the United States.

Apple will ask Apple Watch owners to do a hike, walk, run, or wheelchair workout that lasts for at least 20 minutes in order to earn the special 2023 National Parks award.

Let's get out and celebrate national parks everywhere. On August 26, earn this award by recording a workout of 20 minutes or more with any app that adds workouts to Health.

As with all Activity Challenges, the award will be accompanied by animated stickers that can be used in the Messages app and across iOS in iOS 17.

Apple has historically celebrated national parks in August, and along with the Apple Watch Activity Challenge, Apple often provides an Apple Pay donation program, Apple TV+ content, Apple Music songs, books, podcasts, and more.

Anker has brought back all-time low deals on the Eufy brand of Bluetooth trackers this week, with the SmartTrack Card available for $16.99, down from $29.99. You can also get the SmartTrack Link in various packs, including $26.99 for a 2-pack and $48.99 for a 4-pack.

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.

These trackers work with Apple's Find My app and are perfect for keeping track of luggage and other necessities while traveling. This time around, all of the deals have been applied automatically on Amazon so you won't need any coupon codes. Compared to previous sales, these are some of the best prices we've tracked on the Bluetooth trackers, particularly for the SmartTrack Card.

In addition to Anker products, Jackery is discounting its Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station this week, available for $799.00, down from $1,099.00. You'll need to clip an on-page coupon code in order to see this final sale price at the checkout screen.

Below we've gathered all of the best Anker accessory discounts you'll find this week on both Amazon and Anker's own website. Some of these do require on-page coupons, so be sure to check before you add items to your cart on either website.

Bluetooth Trackers

• SmartTrack Card - $16.99, down from $29.99
• SmartTrack Link (2-Pack) - $26.99, down from $35.99
• SmartTrack Link (4-Pack) - $48.99, down from $69.99

Cables and Wall Chargers

• USB-C to USB-C Cable (6ft 2-Pack) - $9.99, down from $16.99
• 100W USB-C Charger - $26.59, down from $35.99
• 100W USB-C Power Adapter (2-Port) - $36.79, down from $45.99
• Nano 65W USB-C Charger (3-Port) - $39.99, down from $55.99
• Compact Power Strip - $74.99, down from $99.99

Portable Batteries

• PowerCore 10,000 mAh - $15.40 with on-page coupon, down from $21.98
• PowerCore 20,000 mAh - $34.99 with on-page coupon, down from $41.99
• PowerCore 26,000 mAh - $109.99 with on-page coupon, down from $169.99

Hubs and Charging Stations

• 7-in-1 USB-C Power Strip - $45.99, down from $65.99
• 11-in-1 USB-C Hub - $54.99 with on-page coupon, down from $99.99
• 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe Charging - $134.95 with on-page coupon, down from $149.95
• 3-in-1 MagSafe Station - $116.99 with on-page coupon, down from $139.99
• 12-in-1 Docking Station + Monitor Stand - $199.99 for Prime members, down from $249.99

Bluetooth Speakers

• Soundcore Motion Boom Plus - $139.99, down from $179.99

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Apple today released watchOS 9.6.1, a minor bug fix update for the Apple Watch. watchOS 9.6.1 is a free software update that comes two weeks after the launch of watchOS 9.6, another bug fix update.

watchOS 9.6.1 can be downloaded for free through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by opening it up and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌‌‌.

According to Apple, the update includes a fix for an issue that prevented access to motion data for apps that use the Movement Disorder API to track tremors and symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease.

watchOS 9 will soon be replaced with watchOS 10, the next-generation version of watchOS that Apple is currently beta testing.

Apple today updated its U.S. Apple Card Monthly Installment plan to require those who use the feature to purchase an iPhone that is linked to AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. With this change, the ‌Apple Card‌ Monthly Installment plan can no longer be used to purchase a SIM-free ‌iPhone‌.

All iPhones purchased through the ‌Apple Card‌ Monthly Installment plan are unlocked so carrier switching is available at any point, but at purchase, customers will need to have a plan with a supported carrier. Buying a SIM-free ‌iPhone‌ and linking it to a carrier like Mint Mobile will no longer be possible using installments.

Apple announced these changes in an updated support document back in June, and the monthly installment plan has officially been updated. Prior to now, ‌Apple Card‌ installments could be used to purchase an ‌iPhone‌ online with the option to connect to a carrier at a later date, which allowed customers to buy an ‌iPhone‌ and then link it to any carrier of their choosing.

Apple already required customers using ‌Apple Card‌ installments to choose one of the main three carriers when in stores, and now the online policy matches the in-store policy.

With the ‌Apple Card‌ Monthly Installment plan, ‌Apple Card‌ holders can pay for their devices over a 24-month period with 0% APR and 3% Daily Cash back on payments.

Apple today is also changing the monthly installment term for the Apple Watch, and customers will be required to pay off the device over 12 months instead of 24 months. Apple now uses a 12-month term for Apple Watch, Macs, displays, and iPads, with the 24-month term limited to the ‌iPhone‌.

Next year's iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models should feature Wi-Fi 7 support and an upgraded 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera lens, according to Jeff Pu, a tech analyst at Hong Kong investment firm Haitong International Securities. Pu revealed this information in a research note about the tech industry released today.

More details about these potential features are outlined below.

Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 7 devices will be able to send and receive data over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously, resulting in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. With technologies such as 4K QAM, Wi-Fi 7 is expected to offer peak data transfer speeds of over 40 Gbps, a 4× increase over Wi-Fi 6E.

Apple is still rolling out Wi-Fi 6E support to its devices. The key advantage of Wi-Fi 6E is support for the 6GHz band for increased bandwidth, whereas regular Wi-Fi 6 is limited to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Apple has so far added Wi-Fi 6E to the iPad Pro, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Studio, Mac Pro, and Mac mini, and the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are also expected to support the standard.

The progression would be as follows:

• iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max: Wi-Fi 6
• iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max: Wi-Fi 6E
• iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max: Wi-Fi 7

48MP Ultra Wide Camera

An upgrade to a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide lens on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max should allow the lens to capture more light, resulting in improved photos when shooting in 0.5× mode, especially in low-light environments.

iPhone 14 Pro models already have a 48-megapixel Main lens that uses "pixel binning" to merge data from four pixels on the camera's image sensor into one "super pixel" for improved low-light capture. With the iPhone 16 Pro models, this technology is expected to expand to the Ultra Wide lens, which is currently a 12-megapixel lens.

This also means that iPhone 16 Pro models should be able to shoot 48-megapixel ProRAW photos in Ultra Wide mode. These photos retain more detail in the image file for more editing flexibility, and can be printed at large sizes.

Timing

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 16 lineup in September 2024, so the devices are still over a year away from launching. Early rumors should always be treated with more skepticism, as Apple's plans could change over time.

It's also worth nothing that Wi-Fi 7 might not be finalized until late 2024, so there is a chance that the standard will not be ready in time for the iPhone 16 Pro.

Apple's 9th generation 64GB Wi-Fi iPad has returned to its all-time low price of $249.99 on Amazon this week, down from $329.00. You'll need to add this tablet to your cart in order to see the final sale price, after Amazon automatically takes $20 off at checkout.

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.

Both Silver and Space Gray are available at this price, and delivery estimates range between August 16 and August 20 if ordered today. The last time we tracked this record low deal was during Prime Day, and it remains one of the best overall iPad-related discounts of the year so far.

Additionally, the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad is on sale for $389.99 on Amazon, down from $479.00. This is another best-ever price and it's only available in Space Gray. The Silver option is at a slightly higher second-best price of $399.99.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the iMac, Apple's all-in-one desktop computer released on August 15, 1998.

Characterized by its striking translucent casing and 15-inch CRT display, the ‌iMac‌ was a departure from conventional computer design of the time. The machine led the way with several industry innovations, including the adoption of USB and FireWire, while simultaneously phasing out the floppy drive and other outdated ports. The computer came with a PowerPC G3 processor, 4GB hard drive, 32MB of RAM, a CD drive, two USB ports, and an Ethernet port, reflecting the emerging importance of internet connectivity at the time.

The ‌iMac‌'s design has evolved significantly over the years. In 2002, the ‌iMac‌ G4 was introduced with a unique dome base and flat-panel display. 2004 saw the launch of the ‌iMac‌ G5, a design that integrated all components behind the display, setting the standard for future all-in-one designs.

Apple unveiled the aluminum and glass unibody ‌iMac‌ in 2007 and added a Retina display to the machine in 2014. Apple introduced an "‌iMac‌ Pro" variant in 2017, and, in 2021, the ‌iMac‌ was completely redesigned once again with the transition to Apple silicon.

As the ‌iMac‌ reaches this significant milestone, it continues to be the leading all-in-one computer and a prominent product in Apple's lineup. While the ‌iMac‌ did not receive an upgrade to the M2 chip, a refreshed model with the M3 chip is expected to launch toward the end of this year. Further in the future, Apple is expected to launch an even bigger and more powerful ‌iMac‌ model in what could be a reintroduction of the iMac Pro.

App subscription service Setapp today announced plans to launch an alternative app store for iOS and iPadOS in 2024.

The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect on November 1, 2022, requires "gatekeeper" companies to open up their services and platforms to other companies and developers. The DMA will have a significant impact on Apple's platforms, and it could result in Apple being forced to make major changes to the ‌App Store‌, Messages, FaceTime, Siri, and more.

Apple is expected to be compelled to allow users to download apps from outside its official ‌App Store‌. Otherwise known as sideloading, the change would allow customers to download apps without needing to use the ‌App Store‌, which would mean developers wouldn't need to pay Apple's 15 to 30 percent fees.

Apple is believed to be planning to implement sideloading support in iOS 17 to comply with the new European regulations by next year. Apple must comply with the DMA or it risks fines of as much as 20 percent of its global revenue.

Setapp offers a large collection of Mac apps in a single subscription service. The company's new app store for iOS and iPadOS will ensure that users can access universal Setapp apps on other devices, as well as a range of apps new to the Setapp catalog from over 30 developers.

Users interested in being among the first to try Setapp's alternative app store once it is available can now sign up to a waiting list. It will be available in the European Union only.

Xiaomi founder and chief executive Lei Jun this week said that the company is using Apple's iPhone as a benchmark to "catch up and beat it one day" (via South China Morning Post).

During the announcement of its latest flagship foldable smartphone, the Mix Fold 3, Lei repeatedly compared the new device to the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max. He stopped short of mentioning Xiaomi's aim to become the world's biggest smartphone vendor, a goal he first mentioned in August 2021.

Lei often attempts to characterize Xiaomi as a major rival to Apple, but the company's $40 billion market capitalization pales in comparison to Apple's almost $3 trillion valuation. Nevertheless, in the second quarter of 2021, Apple's ‌iPhone‌ sales were briefly surpassed by Xiaomi for the first time.

Xiaomi is actively aiming to capture the global high-end smartphone segment. Last year, Lei described competition with Apple as "a war of life and death." Xiaomi reportedly intends to attract more customers by distinguishing itself from other major Chinese Android smartphone brands that are also targeting Apple's lucrative high-end segment by focusing on user experience, as well as filling the void left by the likes of Huawei.

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 features an 8-inch AMOLED display, a 5x periscopic zoom camera, Leica optics, Qualcomm's second-generation Snapdragon processor, and 50W wireless charging. It starts at $1,240 and is currently available in China only.

Apple introduced AirTags in 2021, and over the last several years, the item tracker has been growing in popularity. Rumors suggest that Apple has a new version of the AirTag in the works, and while we don't know a lot just yet, a new model is said to be coming in 2025.

This guide highlights everything that we know about the ‌AirTag‌ 2 so far, and we'll be added to it as new rumors surface.

Design

There are no rumors of an ‌AirTag‌ redesign at this point, and Apple will likely keep the same general shape. There have been complaints about how easy it is to access the battery, which some worry could be a danger to children, so Apple could potentially change the way the ‌AirTag‌ opens.

The ‌AirTag‌ has a replaceable CR2032 battery, and Apple doesn't plan to transition to a built-in rechargeable battery. The ‌AirTag‌ 2 is likely to continue to use a CR2032 battery.

As an anti-stalking measure, Apple could make the speaker in the ‌AirTag‌ more difficult to remove. That would prevent would-be stalkers from removing the speaker to prevent the ‌AirTag‌ from making a sound.

Vision Pro Integration

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the ‌AirTag‌ will integrate with the Vision Pro headset as part of a spatial computing ecosystem, but he did not provide specifics on just what that means.

It's possible the Ultra Wideband chip in the AirTags could be used for relaying positional information to the Vision Pro in some capacity, or there could be some kind of VR item tracking interface.

Upgraded Ultra Wideband Chip

The next-generation ‌AirTag‌ will have a much longer tracking range thanks to the inclusion of a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip. The updated Ultra Wideband chip was introduced in the iPhone 15 models and it has three times the range as the original Ultra Wideband chip.

Launch Date

We're expecting Apple to introduce the ‌AirTag‌ 2 sometime around mid-2025, with recent rumors suggesting it could come in May or June.

Amazon today has the AirPods 3 (Lightning Charging Case) for $139.99, down from $169.00. The earbuds are in stock and ready to delivery between August 16 and August 19 if ordered today.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This is a match for Amazon's all-time low price on this version of the AirPods 3, and it's a price we haven't tracked in months. Even during the last major deal event, Prime Day, the AirPods 3 only reached around $149.00 in their best sale.

There are a few other notable AirPods deals on Amazon this week, including the AirPods 2 for $99.00 ($30 off) and the AirPods Pro 2 for $199.00 ($50 off). Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

iPhone owners who signed up to receive a payment under Apple's "batterygate" ‌iPhone‌ throttling lawsuit settlement should soon be receiving their payments. As noted by The Mercury News, the judge overseeing the lawsuit has thrown out an appeal from two ‌iPhone‌ owners who were attempting to object to the settlement, clearing the way for the payments to be sent out.

Apple in 2020 agreed to pay $500 million to settle the "batterygate" lawsuit, which accused the company of secretly throttling older ‌iPhone‌ models. The class action lawsuit was open to U.S. customers who had an ‌iPhone‌ 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, or 7 Plus running iOS 10.2.1 or iOS 11.2 prior to December 21, 2017.

The lawsuit stemmed from the iOS 10.2.1 update that Apple released in 2017. The software tweaked the performance of older iPhones with degraded batteries to prevent them from shutting down. The processor was effectively throttled down because the battery could not keep up, and some users saw slower performance speeds when this occurred. The only way to restore full performance was to replace the degraded battery.

Apple did not initially tell customers that iOS 10.2.1 introduced performance throttling, which outraged consumers and led to a major headache for Apple, including this class action lawsuit. Apple ultimately apologized for its lack of communication and dropped the price of battery replacements to $29 through the end of 2018.

‌iPhone‌ owners eligible for a payout would have needed to submit a claim back in 2020, and submissions were open through October 6, 2020. Those who submitted a claim back then will be eligible for a payment, which will be around $65 per claimant.

Netflix today announced that it is expanding the games that it offers to select TVs, PCs, and Macs as part of a test that is being conducted in Canada and the UK.

A limited number of Netflix customers in these countries can visit Netflix.com on supported browsers on a PC or Mac to play two Netflix test games, including Oxenfree and Molehew's Mining Adventure. The games can be played with a standard keyboard and mouse.

As for TVs, Netflix says that games can be played through Amazon TV Streaming Media Players, Chromecast with Google TV, LG TVs, Nvidia Shield TV, Roku devices and TVs, Samsung Smart TVs and Walmart ONN. At the current time, Netflix's games are not available on the Apple TV, but Netflix says additional devices will be added "on an ongoing basis."

TV games can be played with the Netflix Game Controller app, which is available for iPhones and Android devices. The app was released last week and is designed to pair a smartphone with a TV for playing Netflix games.

Netflix has offered mobile games since 2021, and there are now more than 50 titles available, but prior to now, the games could only be played on a smartphone or tablet. Access to games is included in a Netflix membership, with no additional fees or in-app purchases.

During the beta testing period, Netflix will be working on its game streaming technology and controller, aiming to improve the experience over time. The company says that by expanding games to more devices, it hopes to "make games even easier to play" for Netflix subscribers worldwide.

Apple is researching strain gage sensors, likely in an effort to improve the Apple Watch's strength training capabilities, according to a recent job listing (via MyHealthyApple).

The job listing from Apple's Health Technologies team seeks engineers with "exposure to analog electronics, preferably mechatronic systems utilizing actuators, temperature sensors, strain gages, and photodiodes." The candidate will help design, build, test, and troubleshoot early prototype health hardware. Apple is presumably conducting this biomechanics research and development in relation to the Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch already contains an actuator, temperature sensor, and photodiodes, but it does not have a strain gage. Strain gages measure variations in electrical resistance when force is applied. They are already widely used in motion-tracking and physiological monitoring systems. Researchers have demonstrated how a single, non-invasive strain sensor placed on the wrist can accurately measure the full range of strains on human skin, as well as monitor blood pressure – another health feature rumored for future Apple Watch models.

The Apple Watch can only track active calories, time, and heart rate during strength training workouts. These metrics are more useful for tracking aerobic activities like running or cycling, but are less insightful in the context of strength training because heart rate is not proportional to effort and load. Strain gages, on the other hand, can help track the specific impact of various strength training exercises. In addition, the Workout app does not offer any ability to capture weights, reps, and sets to calculate muscular loads, so there is much Apple could do to improve strength training tracking with the Apple Watch.