MacRumors

Apple today seeded release candidate versions of iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1 to developers ahead of their public release planned for Monday, October 24. The RC versions come one week after the release of the previous beta versions.

Registered developers can download the iOS 16‌ and iPadOS 16 profiles from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the betas will be available over the air.

iOS 16.1 introduces support for Live Activities, the interactive notification feature that lets you keep an eye on things happening in real time right from the Lock Screen and, on the iPhone 14 Pro, the Dynamic Island.

Live Activities cannot be used at the current time as developers still need to update their apps to add support, but it will be available when iOS 16.1 launches. Developers have access to an ActivityKit API to begin getting their apps ready.

The update also introduces a new Clean Energy Charging feature in the United States that is designed to selectively charge when lower carbon emission electricity is available, plus it lays the groundwork for Matter, a new smart home standard that Apple plans to begin supporting this fall.

Matter will allow for interoperability between smart devices from different companies, and Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon, and others are working on support.

Apple's official release notes are as follow:

This update introduces iCloud Shared Photo Library making it easy to keep your family photos up to date. This release also adds support for third party apps in Live Activities, support for Apple Fitness+ on iPhone even if you don't have an Apple Watch, and includes other features and bug fixes for your iPhone.

iCloud Shared Photo Library
- Separate library for seamlessly sharing photos and videos with up to five other people
- Setup rules allow you to easily contribute past photos based on start date or people in the photos when you set up or join a library
- Library filters for quickly switching between viewing the Shared Library, your Personal Library, or both libraries together
- Shared edits and permissions let everyone add, edit, favorite, caption, and delete photos
- Sharing toggle in Camera lets you choose to send photos you take straight to the Shared Library, or enable a setting to share automatically when other participants are detected nearby using Bluetooth

Live Activities
- Live Activities from third party apps are available in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen for iPhone 14 Pro models

Fitness+
- Apple Fitness+ is supported on iPhone even if you don't have an Apple Watch

Wallet
- Key sharing enables you to securely share car, hotel room, and other keys in Wallet using messaging apps such as Messages and WhatsApp
- Savings account enables Apple Card customers to grow their Daily Cash by depositing it in a high yield savings account

Home
- Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard, is supported enabling a wide variety of smart home accessories to work together across ecosystems

Clean Energy Charging
- New setting that can try to reduce your carbon footprint by selectively charging when lower carbon emission electricity is available

Books
- Reader controls are automatically hidden as you start reading

This update also includes bug fixes for your iPhone:
- Deleted conversations may appear in the conversations list in Messages
- Dynamic Island content is not available when using Reachability
- CarPlay may fail to connect when using a VPN app

On the iPad, iPadOS 16 will expand the Stage Manager feature to the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro models, and it is no longer limited to the M1 ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌M1‌ iPad Air. The beta removes the external display function of ‌Stage Manager‌, and this feature will return in a later beta. External display support will remain limited to the ‌M1‌ ‌iPad‌ models even though older ‌iPad Pro‌ models are now able to use ‌Stage Manager‌.

During the beta, Apple tweaked the design of the battery status bar icon, adding a visual indication of charge level. It also changed the battery font, updated the Lock Screen charging indicator, and fixed a copy and paste bug.

Other new features in the update include a deletable Wallet app, changes to the Lock Screen customizing interface, and more, with details available in our iOS 16.1 feature guide.

macOS Ventura has a new Continuity Camera feature that allows an iPhone to be used as a Mac's webcam. Ahead of the public release of macOS Ventura next week, Apple has started selling Belkin's new iPhone mount designed for use with Continuity Camera.

Priced at $29.95 on Apple's online store, the mount attaches to the iPhone with MagSafe and can then be affixed to the top lid of a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro for use with Continuity Camera. When not connected to a Mac, the mount doubles as a kickstand for the iPhone with a built-in ring for easy gripping, similar to PopSockets.

Available in black or white, the mount attaches to a Mac with no special tools required and allows the iPhone to be used in portrait or landscape orientations. The mount can be purchased from Apple's online store and at select Apple retail stores worldwide.

Belkin says a version of the mount for Mac desktops and Apple displays will be coming soon.

Apple today updated its iPad lineup with a new 10th-generation entry-level ‌iPad‌ and new high-end iPad Pro options. With the two new iPads, Apple's ‌iPad‌ lineup is larger than ever, with even more choices for customers.

At the top end of the spectrum, the lineup starts with the ‌iPad Pro‌, which begins at $799. With the ‌iPad Pro‌, users get the new M2 Apple silicon chip, advanced displays with ProMotion, and support for features like hover with the second-generation Apple Pencil. For users who want powerful performance without the more advanced features, the iPad Air is powered by the M1 chip and comes in a portable design that starts at $599.

The ninth-generation entry-level ‌iPad‌ also remains in the lineup at $329, but today was followed up with the new 10th-generation model. The new baseline ‌iPad‌ includes an entirely new design that comes in bold colors, is powered by the A14 chip, and has USB-C. For customers who want the smallest ‌iPad‌ possible, the iPad mini comes in a compact design that starts at $499.

The new, 10th-generation iPad is the first-ever iPad model to feature a landscape front-facing camera orientation.

As expected according to rumors, the new ‌iPad‌'s front-facing camera is now located in the middle of the right bezel of the device. This means that when held in landscape or connected to accessories like the Magic Keyboard Folio, the camera is directly in the center of a user's eyeline. From Apple's press release:

For the first time on any iPad, the front-facing camera is now located along the landscape edge. Whether users are on a FaceTime call or recording a video for social media, they will always be looking right toward the camera. The landscape Ultra Wide front camera with a 12MP sensor and 122-degree field of view supports Center Stage, which automatically pans and zooms to keep users in view as they move around.

The 10th-generation ‌iPad‌'s front-facing camera is otherwise identical to that of the ninth-generation ‌iPad‌, which remains available from Apple, with the exception of support for Smart HDR 3. The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models continue to feature a portrait front-facing camera.

The new M2 iPad Pro, despite having been released over a year since the last model, appears to feature the same display and camera hardware as the previous generation ‌iPad Pro‌ introduced in April 2021.

Starting with the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, the new sixth-generation model includes the exact same display hardware as last year's model, according to the compare sheet on Apple's website. Both models feature a Liquid Retina XDR display with a 2732-by-2048 resolution at 264ppi (pixels-per-inch) with support for ProMotion, True Tone, wide color, and more.

The only notable difference between the two models is the addition of hover support on Apple Pencil, a new feature coming to the M2 iPad Pro.

Regarding the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, the iPad still does not feature a mini-LED display like the 12.9-inch model. Instead, like last year's model, the fourth-generation 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with ‌M2‌ has a Liquid Retina display with a 2388-by-1668 resolution at 264ppi, ProMotion, wide color, and True Tone. The new model supports the same 600 nits of peak brightness as the 2021 model.

For the cameras on the 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, there also appear to be no hardware changes. Both models feature a 12MP Wide camera with a ƒ/1.8 aperture and a 10MP Ultra Wide camera with a ƒ/2.4 aperture. The new models, do, however, support ProRes video recording at up to 4k at 60fps, previously not possible on the ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌, though this upgrade is likely due to the increased capabilities of the ‌M2‌ chip rather than changes to camera hardware.

Following the announcement of the 10th-generation iPad, the ninth-generation model remains available from Apple for the same $329 starting price.

The 64GB and 256GB ninth-generation iPad models continue to be available for $329 and $479, respectively. They are still offered in the same Silver and Space Gray color options, meaning that there has been no change to the pricing or available configurations of the device.

The ninth-generation ‌iPad‌ features a 10.2-inch display with True Tone, a 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, and the A13 Bionic chip. The new, 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ now sits above the ninth-generation model in the lineup and starts at $449, featuring a new design, a 10.9-inch display, a USB-C port, the A14 Bionic chip, a landscape front-facing camera, support for the Magic Keyboard Folio, and more.

Apple's new iPad Pro and iPad models introduced today include a woven one-meter USB-C charging cable in the box for the first time. Apple is also selling the woven cable separately through its online store, with pricing set at $19 in the United States.

The cable has USB-C connectors on both ends and is designed for use with the latest iPad and Mac models and a variety of other devices.

Apple continues to sell a two-meter USB-C cable without a woven design.

With the debut of the new third-generation Apple TV 4K, Apple has removed the ‌Apple TV‌ HD from sale on its online store.

At a price of $149, the ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ HD was first released in 2015 and had remained in Apple's lineup up until now as an entry-level option, with an upgraded ‌Siri‌ Remote.

Unlike the second-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, the ‌Apple TV‌ HD lacked support for up to 2160p resolution, as well as support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision. It also lacked Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6 support, Bluetooth 5, and Thread support.

Like the ‌Apple TV‌ HD, the 128GB model of the new third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K is priced at $149 but includes support for all of the above, not to mention support for HDR10+.

However, the new 64GB ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, for a lower starting price of $129, does not include an Ethernet port or support for Thread. The new ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ 4K configurations are available to order today, with availability beginning Friday, November 4.

Apple today launched the Magic Keyboard Folio, an all-new accessory for the 10th-generation iPad that features a kickstand, trackpad, keyboard with 1mm of travel, and a function key row.

The Magic Keyboard Folio brings the full-size keys, travel, and responsive feel of the Magic Keyboard to the entry-level iPad for the first time. The function row comes to an Apple ‌iPad‌ keyboard for the first time, providing easy access to shortcuts and making everyday tasks like adjusting volume or display brightness easier. The accessory also features a two-piece design, allowing users to magnetically detatch the keyboard, but continue to use the kickstand and keep the back of the ‌iPad‌ protected.

The Magic Keyboard Folio is exclusively compatible with the 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ since it is the only ‌iPad‌ model to feature a Smart Connector along the bottom edge. The new Magic Keyboard Folio designed for the new ‌iPad‌ is available for $249 and comes in White only. A new Smart Folio designed for the 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ is available for $79 in White, Sky, Watermelon, and Lemonade.

The new M2 iPad Pro supports a new feature with the second-generation Apple Pencil that allows users to hover their ‌Apple Pencil‌ over their display to expand content, apps, widgets, and more.

Explaining the feature on the ‌iPad Pro‌'s features page, Apple says:

A new dimension of Apple Pencil. Apple Pencil hover shows you exactly where your Apple Pencil will touch down on your display. So you can write, sketch, and illustrate with even greater precision. Watch apps and widgets expand on the Home Screen as you move over them. Preview your mark before you make it. See how your watercolors mix before you paint. Apple Pencil hover makes everything you do with Apple Pencil even more effortless

The new ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ paired with the second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ can detect electromagnetic signals transmitted by the tip of the pencil from up to 12mm away from the display. "‌M2‌ instantly interprets those signals and determines the position of ‌Apple Pencil‌ in three dimensions," according to Apple. The new ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ is otherwise a minor upgrade, featuring just the new ‌M2‌ Apple silicon chip and improved Wi-Fi.

The new, 10th-generation iPad only supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, meaning that it requires an adapter to charge separately via a wired connection since the device has moved to USB-C.

The new iPad has no magnetic wireless charger on the side to connect to the second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌. Only the first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ is supported by the device, which normally needs to be plugged into a Lightning port to charge. The ‌iPad‌ now has a USB-C port, meaning that the ‌Apple Pencil‌ can no longer be charged directly via the ‌iPad‌.

Entry-level ‌iPad‌ users who want to use the ‌Apple Pencil‌ will need to charge the accessory using a USB-C cable and a separate adapter. The smallprint on Apple's 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ press release states:

Apple Pencil (1st generation) is compatible with the new iPad. A new USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter is required for pairing and charging and is included in the box with a new version of Apple Pencil (1st generation) for $99 (US).

For existing owners of Apple Pencil (1st generation), the USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter is sold separately for $9 (US).

The first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ came with a female to female Lightning adapter allowing it to be charged separately, but now Apple is offering a new variant of the accessory called the "USB-C to ‌Apple Pencil‌ Adapter" that enables ‌Apple Pencil‌ users to charge. The adapter is available separately at a price of $9 for existing ‌Apple Pencil‌ users, while new ‌Apple Pencil‌ units include the adapter in the box.

Apple has just announced the new sixth-generation 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and it turns out the cellular models no longer include GSM/EDGE support.

EDGE was originally deployed on GSM networks beginning in 2003. Capable of providing data rates of up to 384 kbps, the cellular technology was an evolutionary upgrade to the existing GSM/GPRS networks.

GSM/EDGE was often referred to as being 2.5G, since it formed the bridge between 2G and the 3G technology that was starting to be developed at the time. Many carriers have already shut down or will soon shut down their edge networks, and Apple has clearly decided the legacy support in recent models of cellular iPad has reached its end of life.

While Apple has taken away some cellular support, it has added support for next-generation Wi-Fi 6E networks. Like its previous incarnation, the Wi-Fi + Cellular model continues to support 5G, Gigabit LTE (although now 30 bands, down from 32), and GPS/GNSS.

The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models are available to order starting today on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in the U.S. and 27 other countries, with pricing starting at $799 for the 11-inch model and at $1,099 for the 12.9-inch model.

Apple today announced a new iPad Pro and entry-level iPad through press releases on its website and not through a typical digital event. Despite this, Apple has released a 9-minute video featuring different Apple employees talking about and presenting the new iPads.

The video, available on YouTube and Apple's website, goes through the features of the new M2 ‌iPad Pro‌ and the new, completely redesigned 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ with members of the ‌iPad‌ team from different locations, including Apple Park.

The new ‌iPad Pro‌ is a minor spec bump that includes improved performance thanks to the ‌M2‌ chip. The new 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ is a larger update, featuring a new design and USB-C.

Apple today announced that macOS Ventura will be available on Monday, October 24, the same day that iPadOS 16.1 will be available to iPad customers.

macOS Ventura is a notable update for the Mac, bringing new features such as Stage Manager, a new Clock and Weather app, and updates to core system apps like Messages and Safari. System Settings, previously known as System Preferences, has also been completely redesigned to make it more in line with the design on iOS and iPadOS. For a full breakdown of everything new in macOS Ventura, see our roundup.

Apple's just-announced next-generation Apple TV 4K comes in 64GB and 128GB storage options, but only the larger capacity model comes with an Ethernet port and Thread support.

On the previous ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, both the 32GB and 64GB storage options included Ethernet and Thread support. With the smallest capacity third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K now at 64GB and with a new starting price of $129, Apple has removed these two features, which are now exclusive to the 128GB model.

The updated ‌Apple TV‌ 4K model comes with an A15 Bionic chip, support for HDR10+, and an updated Siri Remote. The 128GB model with Wi-Fi and Ethernet configuration costs $149. The new ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ 4K is available to order today, with availability beginning Friday, November 4.

The new M2 iPad Pro supports Wi-Fi 6E, the latest Wi-Fi standard that supports faster speeds, lower latency, and improved capacity in busy areas.

The new ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ is currently the only Apple product that supports Wi-Fi 6E, with rumors that the iPhone 13 or ‌iPhone‌ 14 would add support not turning out to be true. The new ‌iPad Pro‌ is an incremental upgrade, featuring the same design as last year's model but with the added benefit of the ‌M2‌ Apple silicon chip. The new ‌iPad Pro‌ is available to order today, with shipping and availability in stores beginning on Wednesday, October 26.

Apple today announced an updated Apple TV and, along with it, a new Siri remote that has a USB-C port for charging rather than Lightning.

In the press release announcing the new TV, Apple said the new ‌Siri‌ remote now features USB-C in the same design introduced in April 2021.

The Siri Remote has the same beloved design and functionality as the previous generation and adopts USB-C for charging. It is included with the new Apple TV 4K, or can be purchased separately for $59 (US) starting today, and is compatible with all generations of Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD.

The Apple TV now starts at the lower price of $129 and is available to order starting today ahead of a November 4 launch.

Apple today announced the 10th-generation iPad, featuring the A14 Bionic chip and a complete redesign with a range of color options.

The 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ features an all-new design with flat sides and a larger, 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display like the iPad Air. The device now features a Touch ID side button and comes in Blue, Pink, Silver, and Yellow.

The ‌iPad‌ gains the A14 Bionic chip, an Ultra Wide 12MP front-facing camera located along the landscape edge of the ‌iPad‌ for a better video calling experience, an updated rear-facing 12MP camera, 4K video recording, a USB-C port, landscape two-speaker audio, 5G connectivity on cellular models, and Wi-Fi 6.

The new ‌iPad‌ comes alongside the all-new Magic Keyboard Folio and supports the first-generation Apple Pencil only. The new ‌iPad‌ is available to order starting today, with availability in stores beginning Wednesday, October 26.