MacRumors

Apple today provided the first beta of the upcoming macOS Sonoma update to its public beta testing group, allowing non-developers to test the new operating system ahead of its fall launch.

macos sonoma feature purple green
Public beta testers can download the macOS 14 Sonoma update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after signing up on Apple's beta testing website and opting into the public beta under the Beta Updates section.

macOS Sonoma introduces interactive widgets for the desktop, making widgets more useful and more prominent. You can even use your iPhone widgets on your Mac's desktop through a new Continuity feature.

There are updated screensavers that are similar to the high-resolution animated screensavers available on the Apple TV, and for video calls and presenting, there's a Presenter Overlay option that lets you move, walk, and talk in front of content you're sharing from your Mac.

Safari supports web apps so you can add your favorite websites to your Dock, plus there are new Profiles to separate your work browsing and personal browsing. iCloud Keychain supports sharing passwords with others, and private browsing windows are locked when they are not in use.

Enhanced AutoFill is available for PDFs so you can quickly fill in information like names, addresses, and emails, plus users can collaborate on PDFs and see real-time updates through the Notes app.

For more on what's new in macOS Sonoma, including a new Game mode, we have a detailed macOS Sonoma roundup that highlights all of the features in the update.

Related Forum: macOS Sonoma

Apple today provided the first beta of the upcoming watchOS 10 update to public beta testers, allowing the general public to try out the new Apple Watch software ahead of its fall launch.

Apple Watch Faces watchOS 10 Feature Iridescent
watchOS 10 can be downloaded after upgrading your iPhone to the public beta version of iOS 17 and after signing up on Apple's beta software website. With those criteria fulfilled, you can open up the Watch app on ‌iPhone‌, go to General, select Software Update, and choose the watchOS 10 Public Beta option under Beta Updates.

With watchOS 10, Apple is making a major update to the Apple Watch interface with a focus on widgets. The Smart Stack, accessible with a turn of the Digital Crown, displays the information that you need most. What's available changes throughout the day and as the Apple Watch learns your usage habits.

Apple has updated almost all of the built-in apps with an information-forward design that allows for quicker interactions. Weather, Maps, Home, Messages, Activity, Heart Rate, Stocks, and more have all been overhauled.


There are two new watch faces, including Palette and Snoopy. Snoopy features characters from the popular Peanuts cartoon, with the animations changing throughout the day. Palette shows the time in a variety of overlapping colors.

The Maps app has a topography view that shows elevation information, contour lines, hill shading, and points of interest to make it more useful on hikes and when out and about, and for cyclists, there are new advanced metrics, views, and experiences that work through a connection to Bluetooth-enabled cycling accessories.

watchos 10 maps app
The Mindfulness app has a new feature for logging moods and emotions, Group FaceTime audio calls are now supported, and NameDrop allows you to quickly exchange contact information with somebody just by holding your Apple Watch near someone's ‌iPhone‌.

For more on everything new in the watchOS 10 update, we have a detailed watchOS 10 roundup.

Related Roundup: watchOS 26
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Apple today seeded the first beta of the upcoming tvOS 17 update to its public beta testing group, allowing the general public to download and test the update ahead of its September launch.

apple tv 4k design triad
Public beta testers can download the tvOS 17 beta by opening up the Settings app on Apple TV, choosing the Software Updates section under System, and then toggling on the Get Public Beta Updates option. Signing up on Apple's public beta website is also required.

tvOS 17 adds FaceTime to the ‌Apple TV‌, with an iPhone or iPad serving as the camera. The ‌FaceTime‌ interface shows up on the bigger display of the TV, and Center Stage keeps you front and center as you move around the room. There's even a Split View option so you can use ‌FaceTime‌ while watching TV or playing a game on the other part of the screen.

tvos 17 facetime
There's a revamped Control Center that makes it quicker to get to key settings and information without needing to go into the Settings app, plus it supports useful shortcuts and tools that are customized for each user.

If you have a second-generation Siri Remote, you can use the ‌Apple TV‌ Remote section in the ‌iPhone‌'s Control Center to track it down, preventing you from losing your remote.

Other new features in tvOS 17 include new aerial screen savers, screen savers based on the Memories section of the Photos app, an enhance dialogue option to make it easier to hear what's being said on a TV show or movie, and more. Additional details can be found in our Apple TV roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

We've been keeping track of deals on Apple products and tech accessories during Prime Day, and one of the best discounts overall is on Beats headphones.

prime day beatsNote: 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.

Starting with the Beats Studio Buds, these are being discounted to $89.99, down from $149.95. The newer Beats Studio Buds+ are on sale for $149.95, down from $169.95.


The Beats Solo3 Headphones are available for $108.95, down from $199.95 and the the Beats Studio3 Headphones are on sale for $159.99, down from $349.95.


Lastly, the Powerbeats Pro are available for $149.99, down from $249.95 and the Beats Flex are available for $39.00, down from $69.95. For most of these headphones, these are some of the lowest prices we've ever tracked on Amazon.


Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

The upcoming macOS 13.5 update resolves a syncing issue with the third-generation and fourth-generation iPod shuffle, according to Apple's developer release notes. The update is currently in beta testing and will likely be released later this month.

iPod shuffle MacRumors YouTube
From the release notes:

Resolved Issues

Fixed an issue where iPod shuffle (3rd and 4th generation) cannot be synced due to an unknown error (-244).

Apple discontinued the iPod shuffle in 2017, so this is a niche bug fix, but it evokes nostalgia for the miniature music player. The original iPod shuffle launched in 2005 and was the first model without a screen, allowing for a more portable design and a lower $99 starting price with 512MB of storage. A 1GB model was available for $149.

"iPod shuffle is smaller and lighter than a pack of gum and costs less than $100," said Apple's former CEO Steve Jobs. "With most flash-memory music players users must use tiny displays and complicated controls to find their music; with iPod shuffle you just relax and it serves up new combinations of your music every time you listen."

Beyond new color options in 2012 and 2015, Apple last updated the iPod shuffle in 2010 with a square design and 2GB of storage.

macOS 13.5 will likely be one of the final updates to macOS Ventura, as Apple prepares to release macOS Sonoma later this year.

(Via: @aaronp613)

Related Forum: macOS Ventura

Yesterday we highlighted some of the best Apple-related product discounts that you can find on Amazon during Prime Day, and now we're focusing on third-party accessory markdowns during the event. In this article you'll find all the best accessories for charging, smart homes, smartphones, and more.

primeday2020 feature3Note: 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.

Shoppers should remember that Prime Day sales are typically time sensitive, so purchase quickly if you're interested. Remember that you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to get Prime Day deals. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Prime on Amazon if you're a new customer; afterwards the service runs for $14.99/month or $139/year.

Anker

prime day anker

As expected, Anker is offering a massive sale on its best accessories for Prime Day. We've highlighted some of the best products on sale below, including Bluetooth trackers and portable batteries.

Bluetooth Trackers

Cables and Wall Chargers

Portable Batteries

Hubs and Charging Stations

TVs

prime day tvs

Beats

prime day beats

There's a big collection of Beats headphones discounted for Prime Day this year, starting with the Beats Studio Buds for $89.99, down from $149.95. The newer Beats Studio Buds+ are on sale for $149.99, down from $169.95.

The Powerbeats Pro are available for $149.99, down from $249.95 and the Beats Studio3 Headphones are on sale for $159.99, down from $349.95. Lastly, the Beats Solo3 Headphones are discounted to $108.95, down from $199.95.

Monitors

prime day monitors

Samsung's popular 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 (Model M80B) is down to the best price we've ever seen it on Amazon, available for $379.99, down from $699.99. Back during the 2022 holiday season we tracked this monitor at $399.99, so today's Prime Day discount is a new all-time low price.

In addition to the Smart Monitor M8, Amazon has a wide array of monitors and PCs on sale from HP, Acer, Samsung, and more for Prime Day. One of the highlights is Samsung's 49-inch Odyssey G9 Curved Gaming Monitor for $899.99, down from $1,399.99.

Satechi

prime day satechi

Satechi's Prime Day sale includes big savings on USB-C hubs, docking stations, chargers, keyboards, cables, and more.

Amazon Devices

prime day kindle

Of course, some of the best discounts can be found on Amazon's own line of products. This includes Kindle e-readers, Blink security cameras, Fire tablets, and more.

Memory and Storage

prime day lacie drive

SanDisk, LaCie, Seagate, WD, and more are offering great discounts on hard drives, microSD cards, memory cards, USB drives, external and internal SSDs, and more. In total, you'll find up to 58% off these accessories during Prime Day.

Plugable

Plugable's Prime Day deals focus on the brand's docking stations, and you can find even more discounts than those listed below on Plugable's Amazon storefront.

Google Nest Thermostat

prime day nest

Amazon has the Google Nest Thermostat for $84.99, down from $129.99 during Prime Day. This is one of the lowest prices we've seen for the Nest Thermostat, and it's available at this price in all four colors.

Philips Hue

prime day hue

More Sales

Audio

Smart Home

Computer Accessories

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple this week launched a new Apple Card promotion that will provide customers who sign up for an Apple Card 10 percent Daily Cash back on App Store purchases during the first six months of card ownership.

apple card feature2
The deal is only available to new ‌Apple Card‌ owners approved for an account between 7/11/23 and 7/25/23. After signing up, ‌Apple Card‌ users will get a total of 10 percent Daily Cash back on ‌App Store‌ purchases and other Apple services. Qualifying services include Apple Arcade, Apple Books, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple News+, Apple One, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, Apple TV+, ‌Apple TV‌ Channels, iCloud, and AppleCare+.

Daily Cash back will be increased for up to $1,000 in total qualifying purchases, for $100 in maximum cash back. The ‌Apple Card‌ must be associated with the Apple ID used to make the ‌App Store‌ or Apple service purchase, and all digital Apple accounts must also have a zero balance as the ‌Apple Card‌ can't supersede digital credits and gift cards. More information can be found on the Apple Card website.


Apple frequently runs promotions that offer new ‌Apple Card‌ subscribers extra Daily Cash in order to entice them to sign up for an ‌Apple Card‌. The ‌Apple Card‌ continues to be limited to U.S. users only, and new ‌Apple Card‌ holders will also be eligible to sign up for the accompanying Apple Savings account to earn 4.15 percent interest on Daily Cash and other deposits.

Apple today released a new firmware update for the Beats Studio Buds earbuds, updating the firmware to 10M4372. The prior update, released in November, was 10M2155.

beats studio buds april 2022 colors
Apple does not provide information on what's included in firmware updates for its Beats earbuds, so we are not sure what improvements or bug fixes the new software brings.

There's no standard way to upgrade the ‌Beats‌‌ Studio Buds, but firmware is generally installed over-the-air while the earbuds are connected to an iOS device. Putting the Beats‌‌‌‌‌ in the case, connecting them to a power source, and then pairing them‌‌‌‌‌ to an iPhone or iPad should force the update after a short period of time.

If we find notable changes after the firmware update is installed, we'll share details, but the software likely includes performance improvements and bug fixes rather than outward-facing changes.

As Prime Day continues today, we're highlighting all of the best Apple deals you can get for under $100 on Amazon. This includes AirPods, Apple Pencil 2, AirTags, iPhone 14 cases, USB-C chargers, and more.

primeday2022Note: 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 find every Apple deal available during Prime Day in our dedicated post. Remember that you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to get Prime Day deals, and you can sign up for Prime on Amazon if you don't have the service yet.

$30 Or Under

prime day airtag loop

In the cheapest category, you can get Apple's 20W USB-C Power Adapter for $14.99, down from $19.00 and the AirTag Leather Loop for $27.99, down from $39.00. For the Leather Loop, only Saddle Brown is available at this low price.


$50 Or Under

prime day iphone 14 case

For accessories priced between $30 and $50, there are quite a few sales on Amazon for Prime Day. You can get the MagSafe Charger on sale for $31.00, down from $39.00 and the 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter for $44.99, down from $59.00.


Otherwise, you can find quite a few iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max cases on sale in this price range. Prices start at $37.49 for the Silicone Cases and increase to $44.99 for Leather Cases, with multiple color options available.




$100 or Under

prime day airtag 4 pack

Lastly, we're tracking a few deals on Apple products that are just under $100 for Prime Day. You can get an AirTag 4-Pack for $88.49 ($10 off), an Apple Pencil 2 for $89.00 ($40 off), and AirPods 2 for $89.99 ($39 off).



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

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple today seeded an updated version of the third beta macOS 14 Sonoma to developers for testing purposes. The beta comes one week after the launch of the initial third beta.

macos sonoma 4
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.

It is not clear why Apple is releasing a second version of the third macOS Sonoma beta, but it could be in preparation for a public beta. Apple said that it planned to release a public beta of macOS Sonoma in July.

Related Forum: macOS Sonoma

Apple today seeded updated third betas of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of the initial third betas.

General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple
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.

It is not clear if there are new features in the updated third beta of iOS 17, but the initial beta added tweaks to the Home app, Apple Music, the mood tracking function, and more, with full details in our iOS 17 beta 3 article.

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.

Apple has also seeded a new third beta of tvOS 17 to developers.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

In a support document published today, Apple said it is aware of an issue where the recently released Rapid Security Responses for iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, and macOS 13.4.1 might prevent some websites from displaying properly.

Rapid Security Response Feature 1
The affected Rapid Security Responses are labeled as iOS 16.5.1 (a), iPadOS 16.5.1 (a), and macOS 13.4.1 (a). Apple said new Rapid Security Responses with a (b) suffix will be available soon to address this issue. Users who do not wish to wait have the option to uninstall the (a) versions by following the steps outlined by Apple below.

iPhone or iPad: Open Settings > About > iOS Version, then tap "Remove Security Response." Tap Remove to confirm.

Mac: Choose the Apple menu > About this Mac, then click More Information. Under macOS, click the Info (i) button next to the version number. Click Remove and Restart, then click to confirm.

Rapid Security Responses are designed to provide iPhone, iPad, and Mac users with security fixes without the need to install a full software update. The updates released yesterday addressed an actively exploited WebKit vulnerability, but some users who installed the updates were subsequently unable to load some websites.

(Via: Mr. Macintosh)

Related Forums: iOS 16, macOS Ventura

New record low prices have appeared on Amazon for both the 9th and 10th generation iPad, marking the newest pair of deals happening during this year's Prime Day.

prime day ipadNote: 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

Starting with the 2021 9th generation iPad, Amazon has the 64GB Wi-Fi model for $249.99, down from $329.00, which is a match of the previous all-time low for this tablet. The 256GB Wi-Fi model is on sale for $389.99, down from $479.00, and this one is a new record low price.


10th Gen iPad

For the newer 2022 10th generation iPad, Amazon is introducing fresh all-time low prices for both Wi-Fi models. The 64GB Wi-Fi tablet is available for $379.99, down from $449.00; and the 256GB Wi-Fi tablet is available for $529.99, down from $599.00. Both beat the previous low price by more than $20.


Remember that you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to get Prime Day deals. You can sign up for Prime on Amazon if you don't have the service yet.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Nothing today announced the launch of the Nothing Phone (2), the second-generation followup to the original Nothing Phone that came out last year. Like the Nothing Phone, the 6.7-inch Nothing Phone (2) features a unique transparent design with LED highlights that Nothing calls a Glyph Interface.


There are additional LED segments in the Glyph for improved customizability, with light and sound sequences able to be assigned to contacts or used for ringtones. The LEDs are also able to function as a progress tracker for ride or delivery services, plus they can alert users to notifications. Design wise, the Phone (2) has a thinner midframe and a pillowed glass back that Nothing says makes it more ergonomic.

nothing phone 1
The Phone (2) runs the Android-based Nothing OS, and the new version can be used in a monochrome colorway with no app labels. Key features can be accessed through widgets without the need to open an app, and the operating system supports custom grid designs, widget sizes, and color themes.

nothing phone 2
As for the camera, the Phone (2) includes a 32-megapixel front-facing camera and a dual rear camera system with two 50-megapixel sensors. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and it is equipped with a 4700mAh battery.

The Nothing Phone (2) is launching in the United States as well as other countries, and this marks the first time that a Nothing device has been available in the U.S. It can be preordered in the United States, UK, and Europe today, with pricing starting at $599 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.

nothing phone 3
General availability will begin on July 17, and U.S. customers in New York can attend an event on July 13 to be among the first in the world to purchase the Phone (2).

Continuing with our Prime Day deals series, right now Amazon is offering fresh discounts on the iPad mini 6. With these sales, you can get the 8.3-inch tablet for the best prices we've ever seen.

ipad mini prime dayNote: 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 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini for $379.99, down from $499.00. The 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini is available for $529.99, down from $649.00. At $119 off, these are both new record low prices on the iPad mini 6, and the Prime Day price beats the previous record low by about $20.


Remember that you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to get Prime Day deals. You can sign up for Prime on Amazon if you don't have the service yet.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

We're tracking deals on Apple products as Prime Day continues, and right now you can get record low discounts on the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE. Across the line, all of the deals shared below are new all-time low prices on each model, and only Amazon has the sales.

prime day series 8Note: 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.

As with all Prime Day sales, only Amazon Prime members can take advantage of today's deals. If you aren't a member, you can join Prime via a free 30-day trial to participate in this year's Prime Day. Once your trial is over, Prime membership will run for $14.99/month or $139/year. For students, that's $7.49/month or $69/year.

Apple Watch SE

Starting with the Apple Watch SE, Amazon has the 40mm GPS model for just $199.99 in select colors, down from $249.00. The 44mm GPS model is available for $229.99, down from $279.00. These are now the best prices we've ever seen on both versions of the second-generation Apple Watch SE.



Apple Watch Series 8

For the main Apple Watch Series 8 models, prices start at $279.99 for 41mm GPS and rise to $309.99 for 45mm GPS. Similar to the SE devices, this is the first time we've ever seen these watches go this low, and they're available in multiple colors.


Remember that you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to get Prime Day deals. You can sign up for Prime on Amazon if you don't have the service yet.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 lineup in September. As usual, the Pro and Pro Max models are expected to have a wide range of new features, including a USB-C port, A17 Bionic chip, titanium frame, and more.

iPhone 15 Pro Two Volume Buttons and Titanium Feature Blue Green
Below, we have recapped the top five new features rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro models.

  • USB-C port: iPhone 15 Pro models are widely rumored to feature a USB-C port, providing a more universal charging standard. On the Pro models, the USB-C port is expected to support at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3, which would result in the devices having significantly faster data transfer speeds over a wired connection compared to existing iPhones with a Lightning port.
  • Action button: iPhone 15 Pro models are rumored to be equipped with a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra. The button would replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. Users would likely be able to assign the button to various system functions, such as Ring/Silent, Do Not Disturb, Flashlight, Low Power Mode, and more.
  • Titanium frame: A second Apple Watch Ultra feature that iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to adopt is a titanium frame, versus stainless steel on the iPhone 14 Pro. The titanium frame is said to have more of a brushed finish.
  • A17 Bionic chip: iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to be equipped with Apple's next-generation A17 Bionic chip. The chip will reportedly be manufactured based on TSMC's advanced 3nm process for significant performance and power efficiency improvements compared to the 5nm A16 Bionic chip in iPhone 14 Pro models.
  • Ultra-thin bezels: iPhone 15 Pro models are rumored to have even thinner, slightly curved bezels around the display.

With around two months to go until the iPhone 15 lineup is unveiled, additional features could be rumored, so keep tabs on our iPhone 15 Pro roundup.

Amazon Prime Day is officially underway today, and we've started tracking all of the best deals you can find on Apple products. This includes solid markdowns on a range of AirPods, with the best price of the year so far on AirPods 2.

airpods 2 prime dayNote: 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.

Specifically, you can get the AirPods 2 with Charging Case for $89.99, down from $129.00. This is an overall second-best price on the AirPods 2, but it's a match for the best price we've tracked so far this year on the accessory.

You can also get the AirPods 3 (Lightning Case) for $139.99, down from $169.00 and the AirPods Pro 2 for $199.00, down from $249.00. Remember that you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to get Prime Day deals. You can sign up for Prime on Amazon if you don't have the service yet.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals