As promised for the month of July, Apple has released the first public betas of iOS 17, macOS Sonoma, and related updates, opening up testing to a wider range of users ahead of their official releases later this year.
Other big stories this week included the latest rumors about the iPhone 15 Pro coming up in just a couple of months, a massive new iMac model in Apple's product pipeline, and a significant new feature for macOS Sonoma with the ability to use iCloud Keychain on various third-party browsers. Read on for all the details on these stories and more!
iOS 17 Public Beta Now Available
Apple this week released the first public beta of iOS 17. The upcoming software update includes several new features and changes, including a StandBy mode when an iPhone is charging in a landscape position, improved autocorrect, interactive Home Screen widgets, the ability to download sections of Apple Maps for offline use, and more.
Not interested in the beta? iOS 17 should be released to the public in September, alongside the launch of iPhone 15 models. The software update is compatible with the iPhone XS and newer.
iPhone 15 Pro's Top Rumored Features: USB-C Port, Titanium, and More
Key new features rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models include a USB-C port, a customizable Action button, a titanium frame, a faster A17 Bionic chip manufactured with TSMC's latest 3nm process, and thinner bezels around the display. The higher-end Pro Max model is also expected to feature an upgraded Telephoto lens with periscope technology for up to 6x optical zoom.
It was already possible to save full-page screenshots as a PDF in the Files app, but the added option of saving them to the Photos app will make it easier to share full-page screenshots in iMessage conversations and on social media.
Larger iMac With Around 32-Inch Display in Early Testing
Apple discontinued the 27-inch iMac and iMac Pro, and has yet to launch a larger-screen iMac with an Apple silicon chip as a replacement, so a 32-inch iMac would be a much-awaited addition to the Mac lineup if it ever launches.
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 made a number of changes to the Messages app in iOS 17, introducing a new look, updated stickers functionality, and important new safety features that help people traveling alone feel safer.
This guide highlights all of the features that Apple is adding to Messages in iOS 17.
Design Updates
Apple updated the design of the Messages to cut down on clutter. The "+" button on the left side of the compose window houses all of the Messages apps and tools. Tapping on it brings up a dropdown list of options, that include Camera, Photos, Stickers, Cash, Audio, Location, Store, and Messages apps that have been installed.
You can tap on one of the options to open its related function. So instead of tapping on the little photos icon to add a photo as you did in iOS 16, you will tap on the "+" button and then the Photos option to get to your Camera Roll in iOS 17.
In iOS 16, Apple had a camera icon and an App Store icon that could be tapped to expand the available options. Apps expanded across the top of the keyboard horizontally, so the cleaner vertical design is a notable change. It makes for a much more simplified design, and it's easier to tell what's what with the larger icons and text descriptions.
Check In is a safety feature that you can use when you're traveling to have someone else keep an eye on your progress. You can let a friend or family member know that you're going somewhere, and they'll be automatically notified when you reach your destination.
To use Check In, you'll need to select a conversation with a trusted person, tap on the "+" button, and choose the Check In option. From there, you can input the location that you're going to and the time you're set to arrive.
The person on the other end will be notified that you're heading somewhere and when you should get there. If you stop making progress while you're on your way, Messages will check in with you to see what's going on, and if there's no response, your battery level, full location, and cellular status will be shared with the person you selected.
You can customize the amount of data that you share. Limited shares location, network signal, and battery level, while Full shares all of that plus route traveled, location of last iPhone unlock, and location of where the Apple Watch was last removed.
When you arrive at your destination, your friend or family member is notified that you got there safely and the Check In ends successfully.
Stickers
Stickers have been in the Messages app for years now, but they haven't gotten a lot of attention. Apple is changing that in iOS 17, because all emoji are now considered stickers, in addition to actual stickers.
Emoji now behave the same way as stickers, so in addition to simply inserting them into a conversation, you can also drag them anywhere on a message, and you can layer them on top of one another to create little emoji scenes. To put an emoji on a message, just open the emoji keyboard, select an emoji, and drag it up to the message you want to accent.
If you open up the Stickers section of the Messages app, you'll see stickers from apps you've downloaded, stickers you've created, emoji, and Memoji in one spot.
Creating Stickers
Apple in iOS 16 introduced a Remove Subject From Background option, and in iOS 17, you can use it to create and save your own stickers. Choose any of your photos and long press on the subject of the photo to get to the "Add Sticker" option.
Choose that and it will be added right to your sticker collection, and if it's a Live Photo, it will animate.
There are a number of effects that can be added to make your digital stickers look more like real stickers, including a white outline, comic-like shading, a puffy 3D look, and a shiny, holographic finish. The sticker effects will animate and reflect the light appropriately, making your self-created stickers look professionally done.
Sticker Reactions
With emoji able to be placed anywhere on an iMessage, you can use them in place of tapback reactions. Just drag the emoji to the message that you want to respond to rather than long pressing for a tapback. Later in the year, Apple plans to allow stickers to be used right in the tapback interface.
Sticker Expansion
Stickers can now be used anywhere that emoji can be accessed, including third-party apps, pictures, emails, and more. So once you create your stickers from photos, you can do more with them than just send them to people using Messages.
Memoji
Apple added new halo, smirk, and peekaboo Memoji stickers to go along with the existing still Memoji sticker options.
Catch-Up
If you get behind on a Messages chat with a friend or with a group of people, iOS 17 shows you a catch-up arrow. If you tap it, it will jump to the first message in a conversation that you have not seen. Catch-up is a feature that will be coming in an update to iOS 17 and it won't be in the launch version of the software.
Swipe to Reply
If you want to reply to a specific message in a conversation, just swipe from left to right to bring up the reply interface. This is a much quicker way to reply to something specific someone has said because you no longer need to long press and tap the reply button.
Search Improvements
Apple improved Messages search in iOS 17 with an option to combine multiple filters. If you're looking for images from a certain person, for example, you can type in "photos" and then the person's name, tapping to select each search filter to narrow down your search results.
Audio Message Transcriptions
If someone sends you an audio message and you're somewhere where you can't listen to it right away, iOS 17 will transcribe it for you so you can read it instead.
Auto-Delete Verification Codes
Many websites and services use texted one-time passcodes for verification purposes, and those one-time codes can clog up the Messages app. In iOS 17, there's an option to have those messages auto delete after the code is autofilled and used for a login. Apple should ask you if you want to enable this when you use the autofill feature after upgrading to iOS 17, but it can be toggled on manually under Settings > Passwords > Password Options > Clean Up Automatically.
Location Sharing
With the "Location" setting under the Messages options, you can share your location or request a friend's location directly from the Messages app. You can also set a pin at a specific location you're going to be going to without opening the Maps app.
Apple in iOS 17 is introducing a new Live Voicemail feature that is designed to provide you with a transcript of the message that's being left as the person is speaking, so you can choose to pick up the phone if it's important.
Live Voicemail is functional in both the developer and public betas, and the way the feature is set up has some iPhone users wondering if it's too confusing.
With the Live Voicemail feature enabled, the default voicemail message that was used in iOS 16 has changed. Unless you have a custom-created voicemail message, the default iOS 17 voicemail recording asks callers to provide a reason why they're calling after the tone sounds, and are informed that "the person you're calling may pick up." Note that if you had a custom message in iOS 16, there will be no change, so this impacts people who are using the default voicemail greeting feature.
The "may pick up" wording seems to be confusing some people who are calling iPhone owners that have iOS 17 installed. Two separate Reddit threads feature complaints from Reddit users who have received calls from people who have not understood Apple's messaging. From Reddit:
I just received a voicemail where someone explained their call and then sat in silence for 2 full minutes because they expected me to pick up. They then sent me a message about my phone not working. It seems like the current greeting when people reach live voicemail confuses them, especially since often they'll get that because I just didn't have my phone with me.
Multiple other Reddit users have had the same problem, receiving confused texts from people or odd voicemail messages that feature dead air. We here at MacRumors have also experienced this same issue. On two occasions, incoming callers heard the message, stated their name, and then waited for the phone to be picked up rather than leaving a voicemail.
It is not yet clear if Apple has plans to make any changes to the default Live Voicemail messaging ahead of when iOS 17 launches this fall. There is an option to customize a voicemail by going to Phone > Voicemail > Greeting > Custom, which can provide a solution as you can record your own message.
If you have the iOS 17 beta and are running into trouble with Live Voicemail and don't want to create a custom voicemail message, the feature can be disabled by opening up the Settings app, going to the Phone section, tapping on the Live Voicemail option, and toggling it off.
Ridiculous Fishing tasks players with casting a line as deep as possible then using tilt-based gestures to grab as many fish as possible. Players take on the role of a fisherman named Billy, who has some unorthodox ideas about fishing. Catching fish unlocks additional levels and new items to purchase.
The game has been rebuilt from the ground up for Apple Arcade, and it features new 3D art, a new Pro Fishing Tour endgame mode, new guest fish, leaderboard support, and other new content.
The developers behind Ridiculous Fishing have created some of the most popular and well-known iOS games, including Super Crate Box, SpellTower, Card of Darkness, Threes, Hundreds, and more.
Several other Apple Arcade games are also receiving new content updates today, with additional functionality coming to Jetpack Joyride 2, Zookeeper World, SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit, Simon's Cat, Solitaire Stories, Farmside, and Angry Birds Reloaded.
Apple Arcade is Apple's subscription gaming service, offering hundreds of iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV games for $4.99 per month. Apple adds new games to Apple Arcade regularly, and the subscription fee allows all members of a Family Sharing group to use the service.
Ember earlier this year introduced a new version of its electric Travel Mug, adding a key Apple feature - Find My support. You might be wondering, why does a mug need Find My? I'm not sure I have a great explanation, but it's a nice-to-have add-on for a product that's positioned as a small luxury.
The Ember Travel Mug 2 is $200, and the reason it's so expensive is because it's self-heating. It can keep a beverage at your desired temperature for three hours while on the go, or all day when on the included charging coaster. The temperature can be set from 120°F to 145°F, which is hot, but not likely to cause burns.
I have no insight into coffee temperatures as a non-coffee drinker, but some internet research suggests that's an ideal coffee temperature range. I know there are some people out there who like coffee really hot, but if on the higher end of warm works for you, this cup will get coffee to a level you like.
While I don't drink coffee, I do drink tea, and because I drink green, oolong, and white varieties, I'm fairly well-versed on beverage temperatures. 150 to 160 degrees is in the burn your tongue range. For me, 145 is uncomfortably warm, and 138 is just about right. By default, the Ember Mug is set to 135, but you can turn it up to 145 or down on the cup itself or in the app.
Design wise, the Ember Mug looks like your average travel cup. It has a soft touch silicone exterior in black and a stainless steel interior that holds 12 ounces of liquid. 12 ounces is on the smaller side for a travel cup and I do wish that it held more, but it needs to fit in a cup holder and have space for the battery, heating elements, and other hardware.
There's a logo at the top of the Ember Mug that can be interacted with to control the mug, and a series of LEDs at the bottom that let you know the status of the cup, the temperature, whether the cup is empty, and whether the battery has died. The Ember Mug knows when liquid is inside, and it immediately detects the temperature of what's poured in.
You can swipe to change the temperature of the Ember on the mug itself, or in the app. It's easiest to adjust the temperature on the cup if you like to make regular changes, but if you just need to set it on your favorite temperature, it's quick to do within the app. The app is decent, and there are presets for different beverages like 135 degrees for coffee, and 131 degrees for a latte. Some of the temperature choices feel a little arbitrary, but all of the presets are editable.
There's a tea timer in case you want to brew tea in the mug, and a recipes section that has a handful of drink options. There is a health integration feature that can estimate the amount of caffeine that you're consuming per day by how often you refill the Ember Mug.
Since this is a travel cup, it works with a battery. The battery lasts for approximately three hours, give or take about 20 minutes. My testing was primarily at 138 degrees, and the cup was able to keep it at that exact temperature until the battery ran down. It charges via a charging base that needs to be plugged in, and if the cup is on the base, it can keep a drink warm all day.
If you're using it at a desk, it's handy to have it on the charger for all-day heat, and the option to grab it and go when necessary is useful. I'm a slow drinker so I can exhaust that three hour battery life, and I appreciate the always-on charger option. The Ember Mug's charger is unfortunately not USB so I have to have a separate cable plugged in to an outlet, which I'm not a fan of. I'd prefer being able to power it through a dock/my computer but that is not an option.
The Ember Mug is not double walled and when the battery runs out, it's not going to keep a drink warm for long. Compared to a much cheaper tumbler with insulation, like a Yeti, the Ember Mug has pros and cons. It doesn't keep a drink warm without power and it's expensive, but it can keep a drink at a specific temperature for an extended length of time, which can't be replicated by an insulated cup.
If I pour 175 degree tea into a Yeti, I have to open the lid and wait for it to cool down, or wait for a long time for it to be drinkable. With the Ember Mug, it gets to my preferred temperature much quicker, and stays there. The Ember Mug is also able to heat up a beverage that has cooled down, so you can pour lukewarm coffee in it to heat it back up, though this takes a lot of time and doesn't seem to be the best use case.
In terms of functionality, there are some things to be aware of. The Ember Mug uses a press down lid, which I like because it doesn't seem to leak at all, but is easy to drink from. If I toss the Ember Mug in a bag, it doesn't drip, which isn't always the case with travel cups. You do need to make sure not to fill it fuller than the line at the interior of the cup, but it seems to work well when filled properly.
If the Ember Mug has been upside down or moved around a lot, there can be some pressure build up and some tiny droplets of liquid can fly upward a bit when you press down on the lid. Ember warns about this and suggests holding it away from your face when you press the lid, but it hasn't been a huge issue over the time that I've been using the cup. There is no hole for a straw, which I do miss. I like to use a glass straw for tea and similar hot beverages to avoid teeth staining, but the no-leak lid design doesn't accommodate that feature.
Unsurprisingly, you cannot microwave the Ember Mug 2, nor can you put it in the dishwasher. The lid can go in the dishwasher, but the mug itself needs to be hand washed. The charging base needs to be kept dry, and before you put the cup on the base, you need to make sure the bottom is dry.
Beyond keeping a drink warm, the Ember Mug 2 has Find My integration as a new selling point. You can add the Ember Mug to the Items tab in the Find My app, where it can be tracked just like an AirTag. The Find My network that the Ember Mug uses takes advantage of any nearby iPhone to relay the mug's position, so if it gets lost, you can track it down.
Misplacing a travel mug seems a lot more uncommon than losing keys or a wallet, but I guess it does happen, especially if you're taking the Ember to multiple locations on a regular basis. I let the Ember Mug's battery die and then I waited a full 48 hours to see how long the Find My feature would work, and Find My was still functional at that point.
The Ember Mug is designed with some power reserve, so even when the cup is no longer heating up because of a low battery, it's still locatable with Find My. It also goes into a sleep mode when there's no liquid inside to heat up, which preserves battery. I was concerned that Find My would stop working when the battery was exhausted, but there seems to be a window of time where you can locate the cup with a low battery.
I don't think Find My is an essential feature for a drinking vessel, but it is absolutely nice to have on a cup that costs $200. It's also not a feature you'd expect to see in a mug, so if you have it in a bag that's then stolen or misplaced, you can track it all down with no one being the wiser.
Bottom Line
It's hard to justify a $200 smart travel cup because there are "dumb" travel cups that do almost as much for a fraction of the price, but I do think the Ember Mug is worth $200 price that it sells for.
The actual design of the mug is solid - it fits well in a cup holder, it has a sleek look, and the lid is easy to drink from and doesn't seem to leak. It holds temperature for long enough to drink a cup of coffee or all day if you have it on the charging base, it supports touch control, and it has a ton of LEDs for status updates. Who doesn't want a cup that says Hello in the morning, lets you know the specific temperature of your beverage and adjusts with a swipe? It also won't be easy to lose with the Find My integration.
My biggest complaint about the Ember Mug is probably the size. It would be nice to have an XL version that holds more liquid, because while I do like to enjoy a hot beverage for many hours, I'd like to not have to refill as frequently. Aside from that, the Ember Mug has so many bells and whistles that it's hard to complain about anything but the price.
If you often lose cups, either at work or in the car, Find My will has the potential to be a useful feature addition. You'll either be able to track the Ember Mug or it will show its last known location so you can figure out where it's at.
The Ember Mug is not a device that anyone needs, but I think hot beverage enjoyers will get a lot out of it. It's also the type of product that you can buy for someone who has everything, and I would not hesitate to give it as a gift. I do want to point out that the desktop version of the Ember Mug is $150, so $50 less, plus it holds more. On the downside, it only works for 80 minutes off of the charger, but it is a good alternative if you plan to use the Ember primarily at a desk.
Later this year, Apple is expected to refresh the 24-inch iMac. The update is set to focus on the M3 chip, with no other major changes rumored, likely owing to the complete redesign that the current machine received upon its introduction in April 2021. This means that the iMac is set to be the only Mac product line to skip the M2 generation of chips entirely.
The 24-inch iMac could be among the first Macs to get the M3 chip, which should offer major performance and efficiency improvements over the M1 and M2 chips due to Apple's transition from TSMC's 5nm processes to a 3nm node. A refreshed selection of color options is also not out of the question.
An iMac with a 32-inch display – the same size as the Pro Display XDR – is also in development, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It is expected to feature the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, and appears to be positioned as a successor to the iMac Pro or the high-end 27-inch iMac. This new high-end desktop iMac is not expected to launch until late 2024 or sometime in 2025.
Lululook has a selection of high-quality titanium Apple Watch bands that match the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra, as they were designed specifically for Apple's newest wrist-worn device. Lululook's bands are ideal for Apple Watch Ultra owners who are looking for a band option that is refined enough for the office and other situations where sportier bands don't quite work.
The Lululook Retro Titanium Band, priced at $40, has a classic look that's similar in style to the Submariner band from Rolex. It offers a multi-link design with a secure clasping mechanism. There is a folding buckle and double buttons to lock the strap on the wrist, preventing the Apple Watch from coming loose.
Lululook's Timeless Titanium Band is the closest match to Apple's stainless steel Link bracelet, but in a color that works better with the Apple Watch Ultra. The band has a secure closing mechanism, and at $70, it's much more affordable than the Link bracelet.
The Modern Titanium Band from Lululook is the company's most unique, and Lululook says that it was inspired by Iron Man. Available for $46, this is the band that stands out the most of the bunch, so if you want a modern version of a titanium band it's worth checking out.
All of the bands from Lululook are made from a lightweight titanium material that is comfortable on the wrist and able to hold up to heavy use. Lululook says that the bands are waterproof and sweatproof, and because of the low weight of the titanium, the bands work for all-day use.
The bands are 200mm in length and are adjustable by removing links, so Apple Watch owners can get a perfect fit. Titanium is lighter than steel, so Lululook says that these bands are lighter than Apple's own Link band, and that the material will resist scratches and corrosion. Lululook's full range of Apple Watch bands can be found on the Lululook website.
We have one Apple Watch Ultra and Lululook band to give away to a MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
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The contest will run from today (July 14) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on July 21. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after July 21 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
The current Apple TV 4K was released in November 2022 with the A15 Bionic chip, a larger 128GB storage option, a slightly thinner and lighter design, HDR10+ support, a Siri Remote with a USB-C port, lower pricing, and other minor changes.
The next-generation Apple TV 4K is expected to be released next year. Ahead, we recap rumored features and changes for the streaming device.
Faster Chip
The next Apple TV will be equipped with a faster processor than the current A15 Bionic chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It's unclear which chip will be used, but possibilities include the A16 Bionic chip from the iPhone 14 Pro or the upcoming A17 Bionic chip, which is expected to be manufactured based on TSMC's latest 3nm process for significant performance and power efficiency improvements.
Lower Price
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the next Apple TV to be "more affordable" than the current model. He said a "sub-$100 price" would be the "sweet spot" for the Apple TV, but exact pricing for the next model remains to be seen.
Both the second-generation (2010) and third-generation (2012) versions of the Apple TV were priced at $99 in the U.S. at launch, and Apple eventually lowered the price of the third-generation model to $69, so there is precedent for a sub-$100 Apple TV that would better compete with low-priced streaming devices sold by Google, Amazon, and Roku.
The current Apple TV 4K already starts at a lower price of $129 in the U.S., compared to $179 for the previous-generation model.
Same Design
The next Apple TV will stick with the "current design," according to Gurman.
Apple said the A15 Bionic chip's increased power efficiency allowed for the fan to be removed in the current Apple TV, resulting in the device having a more compact design that is around 12% thinner and around 50% lighter than the previous model.
2024 Launch
Apple plans to release the next Apple TV in the first half of 2024, according to Gurman, but no specific timeframe is known at this point. Previous models of the Apple TV 4K launched in November 2022, May 2021, and September 2017.
The second-generation Apple Watch Ultra will launch later this year and feature 3D-printed mechanical parts, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a post published on Medium earlier today, Kuo said that his latest survey of Apple's supply chain indicates that "Apple is actively adopting 3D printing technology." Specifically, "some of the titanium mechanical parts of the 2H23 new Apple Watch Ultra will be made by 3D printing."
The components could include the Digital Crown, Side Button, and Action Button, as these are the only mechanical parts of the Apple Watch Ultra. These titanium parts are currently CNC machined.
The change has the potential to improve production time and reduce costs. If shipments from suppliers go well, Kuo believes more Apple products will adopt 3D printing technology in the future.
Until now, only Bloomberg's Mark Gurman had said that Apple would release a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra alongside the Apple Watch Series 9 models later this year. Thus, Kuo's latest report seems to add further credibility to the belief that the Apple Watch Ultra will follow the same annual update cycle as the standard Apple Watch series.
With Prime Day now over, some of the summer's best deals have expired. However, there are plenty that remain available to purchase on Amazon, and we're recapping all of these sales below, including savings on iPad, AirPods Pro 2, MacBook Air, and more.
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.
One of the week's most consistent deals has been on the 9th generation iPad, which is down to just $249.99 for 64GB Wi-Fi, from $329.00. You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi model for $389.99, down from $479.00.
The best MacBook deal of the week was on the 256GB M1 MacBook Air, which hit $749.99, down from $999.00. This was a new all-time low price for the notebook, and it's still available in all three colors on Amazon.
Anker
There are also still quite a few Anker and Eufy accessories on sale as the week comes to an end, including Eufy's SmartTrack Card and Anker's PowerCore portable charger.
The Apple Pencil 2 dropped to $89.00 earlier in the week and remains on sale at this price today, which is $40 in savings and one of the best prices of the year so far.
Lastly, Apple's AirTag 4-Pack is on sale for $88.99 today, down from $99.00. This is a bit cheaper than the last time we shared the deal earlier in the week.
Samsung
Samsung is holding its next Galaxy Unpacked event on July 26, and the company is teasing the launch of its next-generation Fold and Flip devices at the event. Potential customers can sign up to hold their pre-order spot (no commitment at this time) and receive $50 in Samsung Credit if they follow through with a pre-order.
Apple no longer offers gift wrapping for online orders in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and select other countries where the option was available. References to gift wrapping were removed from Apple's website this week, and the option no longer appears to be available at checkout.
The gift wrapping consisted of a "signature" white box with a red ribbon, along with a greeting card that could include a personal message. The option was available for an additional charge, although it was occasionally free during limited-time promotions.
Apple has also discontinued the option to include a gift message on the packing slip for an order.
Apple continues to offer free personalized engraving for select products, allowing for a custom message or emojis to be etched directly onto select iPads, AirPods, and Beats, as well as the AirTag and second-generation Apple Pencil.
The government of New South Wales in Australia today announced that the Opal ticketing system now supports Express Mode for Apple Pay payments, allowing the fare card to be added to the Wallet app on a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch for tap-and-go payments across the public transport network.
Express Transit mode allows users to pay for rides without having to wake or unlock their iPhone or Apple Watch, or open the Opal app. The mode also bypasses the need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. Users simply need to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the contactless payment reader until a checkmark appears on the display.
Transport for NSW undertook a staggered rollout of Express Mode across the 25,000 card readers on the Opal network, starting with ferries and light rail, then train stations, and then the thousands of Opal readers on buses, which finished this week.
"Commuters in the Hunter, Illawarra, Blue Mountains and everywhere in between will benefit from being the first public transport users in Australia to benefit from the mass roll out of this initiative," said NSW transport minister Jo Haylen. "It will make life so much easier for the almost two million transport passengers who use contactless payments with a digital wallet in NSW."
How to Set Up Express Transit on iPhone
Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap Wallet & Apple Pay.
Tap Express Transit Card.
Tap one of your cards in the list to use it with Express Transit. A tick will appear next to the card you select. The default option is None.
Authenticate your device using Touch ID or Face ID.
If your bank card doesn't support Express Transit, you'll get an error message telling you that the card is incompatible. If no error message appears, you're good to tap-and-go.
How to Set Up Express Transit on Apple Watch
Launch the Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap Wallet & Apple Pay.
Tap Express Transit Card.
Tap one of your cards in the list to use it with Express Transit. A tick will appear next to the card you select. The default option is None.
Authenticate by entering your passcode on your Apple Watch.
If your bank card doesn't support Express Transit, you'll get an error message telling you that the card is incompatible. If no message appears, you're all set.
New emoji coming in 2024 could include head shaking vertically, head shaking horizontally, lime, phoenix, broken chain, brown mushroom, family silhouettes, and directional people emoji with multiple skin tones. The characters could be included in the Emoji 15.1 specification that the Unicode Consortium will be approving this September.
The emoji listed by Emojipedia are proposed and are under consideration, but many emoji at this stage are approved and make it into official emoji releases. Emojipedia has created sample designs for the proposed emoji, so these are not the versions that will be used on iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
There are 108 new directional emoji, with most of these consisting of people emoji with multiple skin tones. The emoji build on existing person walking, person running, person kneeling, person with white cane, person in manual wheelchair, and person in motorized wheelchair emoji, adding orientation directions like left and right.
Emoji 15.1 characters will be finalized in September 2023, and then Apple, Google, and other device manufacturers will adopt them through future software updates. It often takes Apple several months to introduce new emoji, so while these are set to be approved in September, Apple won't add them to its devices until 2024. The last emoji addition came in iOS 16.4, which was released in February 2023.
Now that Amazon Prime Day has ended, many of the week's best deals have expired. However, today we are still tracking a few Apple products that remain at their best-ever prices even after the end of Prime Day, including iPad mini 6, AirPods Pro 2, M1 MacBook Air, and a few accessories.
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.
9th Gen iPad
A popular Prime Day deal was on Apple's 9th generation iPad, with the 64GB Wi-Fi model available for just $249.99, down from $329.00. This markdown is still available today in the form of an on-page $29.01 coupon, which will be automatically applied at checkout.
Note: You won't see the deal price until checkout.
The 256GB Wi-Fi iPad is also still on sale for $389.99, down from $479.00. At up to $89 off, both of these represent all-time low prices on the 2021 iPad.
Apple's AirPods Pro 2 hit $199.00 during Prime Day, down from $249.00, and this deal is still available today. This is the only AirPods model to retain its Prime Day pricing today, with the exception of AirPods Max. Unfortunately, that model has extremely delayed delivery estimates that stretch into September.
One of the first major Prime Day deals is still around today, with the 13.3-inch M1 MacBook Air from 2020 available for $749.99 on Amazon, down from $999.00. You can get Gold, Silver, and Space Gray at this record low price.
Additionally, the notebooks are still available for quick delivery dates, with all three colors getting an estimated July 17 arrival date for most orders placed within the United States. If you're looking for a breakdown on the similarities and differences between this MacBook Air and the M2 models, be sure to read our guide.
Accessories
Lastly, there are quite a few first- and third-party accessories still on sale at all-time low prices today, including power adapters, Bluetooth trackers, portable batteries, and more.
Apple in the latest iOS 17 public and developer betas has added support for saving full-page screenshots as image files in apps where the system supports the feature.
In iOS 16, users can already opt to take a screenshot in apps like Safari, Notes, and Maps, and save the full-page content, or scrolling content, as a PDF document. But in the updated iOS 17 developer beta 3 and the new public beta, Apple has now added a "Save to Photos" option to the Full Page screenshot interface for added flexibility.
The new option also appears in the latest beta versions of iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma. The ability to save "scrolling screenshots" as images has been available on Android devices for a while now, but iPhone users have had to use third-party apps like Tailor to achieve the same thing.
In another notable addition spotted by TechCrunch, users are also getting better dual-SIM support, with the ability to sort messages based on SIM, separate ringtones for each SIM, and the ability to choose a SIM when calling back an unknown number.
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma updates now. Apple is expected to release final stable versions of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma later in the fall.
Apple yesterday released its first set of public betas for iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, and these versions add new features for Indian users across platforms, including support for bilingual queries to Siri.
According to TechCrunch, users will be able to ask queries to Siri by mixing English with select Indic languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi, Kannada, and Marathi.
India-based users often speak a mix of languages in daily conversations, so the ability to mix English with Hindi and other Indic languages when querying Siri will be broadly welcomed.
TechCrunch also highlights some other improvements for Indian users, including:
Transliteration support on iOS for Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. With this expansion, Apple now supports 10 indic languages.
Users can sign into Apple ID using their phone number instead of an email ID on iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma.
A new built-in Punjabi dictionary to get definition of words and phrases across platforms.
Users will be able to see up to 2,000 calls in the call history section including Facetime and WhatsApp calls.
Filtering messages by known and unknown senders on iPad.
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma updates now. Developers have had three betas so far, and the first public betas offer the same content as the third developer betas.
Apple is expected to release final stable versions of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma later in the fall.
Apple has announced the launch of Tap to Pay on iPhone in the United Kingdom, allowing independent sellers, small merchants, and large retailers in the country to use iPhones as a payment terminal.
Introduced in February 2022, the feature allows compatible iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets, using only an iPhone - no additional hardware or credit card machine is required.
Tap to Pay on iPhone uses NFC technology to securely authenticate the contactless payments, plus the feature also supports PIN entry, which includes accessibility options.
"We've seen Tap to Pay on iPhone transform the checkout experience for so many different types of businesses, and we're thrilled to now support merchants across the U.K. by offering an easy, secure, and private way to accept contactless payments using the power, security, and convenience of iPhone, with no additional hardware needed," said Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. "Small and medium-sized businesses have long played a vital role in the U.K. economy, and alongside payment platforms, app developers, and payment networks, we're making it easier than ever for U.K. businesses to seamlessly accept contactless payments and continue to grow their business."
Revolut and Tyl by NatWest are the first payment platforms to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to their U.K. business customers, with Adyen, Dojo, myPOS, Stripe, SumUp, Viva Wallet, Worldline, and Zettle by PayPal coming soon. Tap to Pay on iPhone will also roll out to Apple Store locations in the U.K. in the coming weeks.
Tap to Pay on iPhone requires iPhone XS or newer models, and works for customers as any normal Apple Pay transaction would. Sellers just need to open up the app, register the sale, and present their iPhone to the buyer, who can then use an appropriate contactless payment method.
Tap to Pay on iPhone is available to over 700,000 additional businesses across the United States, and Apple Stores in the U.S. have also rolled out the feature. The U.K. is the fourth region to support Tap to Pay, following similar rollouts in Australia and Taiwan earlier in the year.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview 174 includes fixes and updates for CSS, CSS Container Queries, Layout, JavaScript, Media, Popover, Accessibility, SVG, and Web API.
The update now features content coming in Safari 17 alongside macOS Sonoma. On Sonoma, the browser offers Profiles for separating browsing data like History and Favorites, web apps, and improved private browsing mode. Features for all operating systems include Feature Flags (replacing Experimental Features), a redesigned Develop menu, Live Text support for vertical text recognition in images and videos, HEIC support, and JPEG XL, a new image format with an improved compression algorithm for better image quality at smaller file sizes than JPEG.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is compatible with machines running macOS Ventura and macOS Sonoma, the latest version of macOS that Apple is beta testing right now.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
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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.
